St John Evangelist Catholic Primary School

ST JOHN EVANGELIST RC SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 12 – 15 November 2001

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ST JOHN EVANGELIST RC SCHOOL

Full 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 JOHN EVANGELIST RC 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 John Evangelist RC Primary School - 3 - November 2001

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Duncan Street Islington London

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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: Mr John Malynn

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: April 1997 St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 4 - November 2001

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 23698 R J Schaffer Registered inspector Art and design Physical education Areas of learning in the foundation stage English as an additional language Equal opportunities What sort of school is it? School’s results and achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 1165 P Dannheisser Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 21893 V Brittain Team inspector Science Design and technology Special educational needs How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

20877 D Pink Team inspector English Geography History 21910 G Longton Team inspector Mathematics Information and communicatio n technology Music

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The inspection contractor was: St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 5 - November 2001 Nord Anglia School Inspection Services

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Strathblane House Ashfield Road Cheadle Stockport SK8 1BB

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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 Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 6 - November 2001

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 31

St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 7 - November 2001

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is a Roman Catholic primary school with 266 boys and girls on roll, which is a similar size to most primary schools. The school is on a quiet street and is adjacent to the parish church. There is a nursery offering full time places that admits children up to two terms before their fourth birthday. The school is popular with parents and is fully subscribed. Pupils come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. Almost 30 per cent of pupils speak English as an additional language, and of these five per cent are at an early stage of learning to speak English. No one home language is predominant. Twenty seven per cent of pupils have been identified as having special educational needs and four per cent have a statement which is above the average for a school of this type. Most difficulties relate to speech, language, or behaviour. The proportion of pupils who are entitled to free school meals

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

is above average. When children begin school their attainment is below average for their age.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The aim of the school is that pupils should reach their full potential, and it is working well towards achieving this aim. By the time pupils leave the school, they have gained very good attitudes to work, developed a good sense of personal responsibility and many have achieved standards well above average compared with similar schools in English, mathematics and science. The quality of teaching is good in every year group and there is effective leadership from the headteacher, key members of staff and governors. The school provides good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Pupils achieve good standards by the time they are eleven in English, mathematics and science. • From the nursery upwards, teaching in English and mathematics is good and all pupils learn at a good rate in these subjects as they move up the school. • The school promotes and reflects its mission statement so that pupils’ understanding of right and wrong is securely established. • Pupils are given a good awareness of their own and others’ cultures, particularly through music. • The strong school community ensures that pupils from all backgrounds feel at home and all share an enthusiasm for their school. • The leadership of the school sets high goals for pupils, staff and itself, and takes the proper action to ensure that these goals are achieved.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • The standard pupils achieve in geography by the age of eleven. • Planning in Years 3 to 6 so as to provide more opportunities in all foundation subjects for pupils to use their skills in literacy and information and communication technology; and a wider range of activities in art and design, physical education, geography and history. 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’s improvement has been very good. The standards pupils achieve by the time they are eleven are higher in English, mathematics and science than they were when the school was inspected in April 1997. The well directed plans of action produced after that inspection have resulted in good developments in nearly every area, and where there is still work to be done, changes in national priorities have occurred. Significant improvements have been made in curriculum planning and assessment, the quality of education for the youngest children, the involvement of parents in their children’s learning, and the provision of challenging tasks for higher attaining pupils in the junior classes. Effective leadership has brought about considerable improvement in the quality of teaching and the rate of pupils’ learning. St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 8 - November 2001

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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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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

1999 2000 2001 2001 very high A* English A C B A* well above average above average A B mathematics A D B A Average below average C D science C C A A well below average E

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STANDARDS

The school’s above average results in 2001 in English and mathematics reflects the consistently good teaching in these subjects. Currently, the standard of work of 11 year olds is above average in English, mathematics and science, and pupils are on track to achieve the challenging targets set for them in the national tests in 2002. When comparing the school’s results against those of other similar schools, the pupils’ performance was well above average and in English was in the top five per cent.

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STANDARDS

A high proportion of pupils with special educational needs, and a greater than usual number of pupils at an early stage of learning English as an additional language, meant that the results at the end of Year 2, in 2001, were well below the national average for reading and writing, and below average for mathematics. In previous years, results for seven year olds have mostly matched the national average. The school has made writing a focus for development and this is proving successful. Currently, pupils in Year 2 are achieving standards in line with the national average for English, mathematics and science. In the nursery and reception classes children make good progress. The majority are set to achieve the goals for their age in all their areas of learning by the end of the reception year.

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STANDARDS

The standard of work is average for seven and 11 year olds in information and communication technology, history, and music. In geography seven year olds achieve an average standard but pupils make insufficient progress in Years 3 to 6 and by the age of 11 standards are below average. In art and design and physical education, seven year olds achieve an above average standard, but it is average for 11 year olds. In design and technology, standards are average for pupils aged seven; no judgement could be made for those aged 11 as pupils had not started their design and technology project.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils like school, and they enter into the activities offered to them with enthusiasm. They are interested in their lessons and are keen to learn.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Most pupils behave very well during lessons. A small minority occasionally need help from adults to control unacceptable behaviour. In assemblies, play times and lunch times pupils behave very well.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Good. Pupils are courteous and show respect for each other and for adults. They take on responsibilities and use initiative when it is needed.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Good. Attendance is above average and there are just a few late comers. St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 9 - November 2001

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Quality of teaching Good 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 AND LEARNING

The school has been successful in developing good teaching, particularly in English and mathematics. Teachers use the national strategies for these two subjects very well to provide lively and instructive lessons that interest and motivate pupils so that they acquire new skills at a good rate. All teachers are skilful at assessing the achievements of pupils and as a result, tasks and explanations are well matched to their differing needs. Classroom assistants and support teachers provide effective support for those with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language. These pupils learn at the same good rate as others. In the nursery and reception classes, the teaching of letter sounds and early mathematical concepts is very good. Staff have a good understanding of how young children learn through being active and as they play.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

In geography and physical education, the school has not focused attention on the different levels pupils should be achieving. As a result, work is not always pitched at the right level to match pupils’ understanding or to challenge them sufficiently.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. Planning for literacy and numeracy is good. In the Years 3 to 6, however, some subjects have too narrow a range and do not contribute sufficiently to learning in literacy and information and communication technology. There is a good number of activities provided outside of lessons.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Their needs are identified at an early stage, their progress carefully monitored and support well targeted.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. They are confident and happy, and their progress is similar to other pupils. The school identifies different stages in their use of English, but with just four steps to the system, it does not usefully reflect the progress they make over the short term.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The moral and cultural development of pupils is very good, and their spiritual and social development is good because all aspects of the school’s work, and close ties with the church, contribute to it. A wide variety of cultures are embraced and the cultural opportunities of the capital city are used very well.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Proper attention is paid to aspects of health and safety. There are good systems in place to assess and monitor pupils’ achievements. The school has not yet formally identified those pupils with the very highest attainment and those with special talents.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school provides parents with good information about their child’s progress and what would be taught each term. Although few parents come into school regularly, they support special functions, take a pride in the school uniform and ensure that homework is completed. St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 10 - November 2001

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher provides committed and purposeful leadership, and is ably supported in the drive to improve the school by the deputy headteacher and key members of staff.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. There is a very good relationship between the governors and the school. Governors take proper steps to appraise the work of the senior management team, and judge the effectiveness of provision.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school identifies its own areas for improvement in a robust manner. It compares its performance to other schools both nationally and locally and draws appropriate conclusions.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Financial planning supports school developments well. It takes good account of future commitments, pupils’ achievements in comparison to others and consultation with parents.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school has an above average number of qualified teachers and they have a good range of skills and expertise. There are an appropriate number of well trained classroom assistants. The accommodation is adequate, although the school does not have the benefit of good sized communal areas, and there is only outdoor access to the hall and junior classes. The computer suite is well equipped. There are few computers in classrooms and the school has plans to address this. As with most inner London schools, the school has no grassed playing area. Generally resources are satisfactory, although the library has some very out-of-date books. Good efforts have been made to provide outside areas for the nursery and reception classes and there are good plans to improve these. The playground for the infants is particularly stimulating for pupils’ imaginative play.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• Their children enjoy school. • Behaviour is good and their children make good progress. • They are given good information on how well their children are progressing. • The staff are approachable and work closely with parents. • The school expects their children to work hard and encourages them to become more mature. • The school is well led and managed. • The range and number of activities outside lessons.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Nearly all parents indicated their complete satisfaction with the school. The inspection confirms parents’ positive views. A small number of parents were not happy about the amount of after school activities. The inspection found that the school provides a satisfactory number and range of clubs and a greater than usual number of visits to places of interest. St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 11 - November 2001

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1 Since the previous inspection, the school has improved standards for 11 year olds in English, mathematics and science. A focus on improving the quality of teaching, using the national strategies for literacy and numeracy, has been one of the factors in the school’s improved results. The strong leadership from the subject co-ordinators and analysis of data from previous tests and assessments have also contributed. The school has paid careful attention to finding the most effective method of supporting pupils’ achievements through booster classes in Year 6, or additional support in classes where there are a greater number of pupils with lower attainment. In 2001 results were above average for English and mathematics and well above average for science. The school’s results fluctuate year on year because the year groups are relatively small and so changes to the number of pupils with special educational needs in a year make a significant difference. Its results have kept pace

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

with the improvements made nationally. Pupils’ current attainment in Year 6 is similar to that of 2001. It is above average in English, mathematics and science and pupils are on track to meet the targets set by the school two years ago and those set by the government nationally.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2 The results for seven year olds in 2001 were lower than at any time over the last four years. They were well below the national average for reading and writing, and below average for mathematics. The year group had been identified by the school as in need of extra support because of a high proportion of pupils with special education needs and a greater than usual number of pupils at an early stage of learning English as an additional language. Results for seven year olds generally reflect the national average except in writing where they have been below average in other years. Because of this, the school is currently focusing on improving writing through developing pupils’ skills in the organisation and understanding of writing non-fictional text. Although at an early stage, pupils in Years 1 and 2 are making good progress with their writing. The very good teaching in Years 1 and 2 builds on the work done in

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

the nursery and reception classes to improve and develop the use of language in all subject areas. The current attainment of pupils in Year 2 is average in English, mathematics and science.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3 The level of attainment of the children when they start in the nursery is below that generally expected for communication language and literacy, mathematical development, personal and social development and knowledge and understanding of the world. It is similar to expectations for four year olds in creative and physical development. The school administers the required tests for this age group in the reception class, but has not found them a good indicator of how well pupils will achieve in the national tests for seven year olds.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4 Pupils learn at a very good rate in both the nursery and reception classes in communication, language and literacy and mathematical development. Most should achieve the goals set for them by the end of reception, a few should exceed them and some will fall short. This reflects the wide range of attainment of the in-take of the school. In the nursery pupils recognise their name on their own peg and many can write and name the letters in their own name. A few are able to point to these letters in other words. In the reception class, those who learn more quickly than others are starting to write simple words in the form of a sentence using the letter sounds they St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 12 - November 2001 know to help them spell. Those of lower attainment are confident at recognising and writing their own name. Children make good progress in physical and creative development and should reach the goals set for their age by the end of the reception

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

year. Progress in knowledge and understanding of the world and personal development is satisfactory but does not match the good progress in other areas.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5 Pupils achieve a good standard in speaking and listening by the time the are seven and eleven. The confidence children have gained in putting forward ideas, even when they have only a few words at their disposal, from the nursery and reception classes is maintained throughout the school. From Year 1 onwards, pupils refine and develop the manner in which they explain themselves or contribute to a discussion. As many do not bring a wide vocabulary from home, the school has focused on providing correct technical language in all subjects. This is done particularly well in science and music, and the focus on helping pupils explain their calculations in mathematics is beneficial. The school has successfully developed pupils’ interest in books and reading. Pupils in Year 2 can read books at the level appropriate for their age and have a good range of strategies to fathom out unknown words. By the time they are

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

in Year 6, pupils have become discerning readers, able to give good explanations for their choice of a favourite author.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6 The school is currently focusing on improving pupils’ writing through non-fictional texts. Pupils in Year 2 showed a good understanding of the need to change the grammar of a sentence when writing an instruction. They wrote instructions to make jam tarts, for instance, organising their writing according to the actions needed. They spell a good number of words they know correctly and can make good use of letter sounds to write those they are unsure of. Those who learn more slowly are confident writers, even though they have a limited number of words they can spell independently and they need support to organise their initial ideas. As they move up the school pupils develop their understanding of how to draft a plan and revise what they have written previously. By the time pupils are in Year 6, they are keen to map out their own plots for the stories they write and use descriptive language powerfully.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Pupils of higher attainment have a good understanding of how the choice of words affects the style and mood of the writing, whilst those of average and lower attainment understand how to choose descriptive phrases effectively.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7 Throughout the school, pupils have become adept at using their own strategies to work out mental calculations. From Year 1 upwards they learn to memorise number facts that are useful to them, for example counting in twos. They are beginning to record their answers to simple problems. By the time they are in Year 2, pupils are confident in using numbers up to 30 when learning a new mathematical process such as division. Those with lower attainment and those with special educational needs understand the process, although needing some support, and work with lower numbers. For instance, they share six jam tarts between two ‘knaves’. From Year 3 onwards, pupils’ use of strategies to work out problems increases in complexity so that, by the time they are in Year 6, they show they understand the equivalence between decimals and fractions when rounding decimals up to the nearest tenth.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8 In science from Year 1 to Year 5, pupils are taught to carry out investigations in order to understand the process of scientific enquiry. In all year groups, pupils’ skills in science and knowledge of scientific facts develop at a good rate. For instance, pupils in Year 2 can suggest good ways of ensuring that their test of model cars is fair. In Year 6, pupils revisit all the areas of study in a process of revision. They have a good scientific vocabulary and use it accurately. However, because they had not carried out investigations during the first half of the term, some pupils with lower attainment St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 13 - November 2001 were not sure as to how to limit factors in the test they were carrying out on finding the best filter for dirty water. The strength of the school’s provision in science is that work is well planned so that year on year pupils build on their previous knowledge

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

through a good unified approach across the school.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9 Pupils’ skills in using computers are satisfactory and their understanding of information and communication technology is as expected for seven and eleven year olds. By the end of Year 2, pupils achieve an above average standard in art and design and in physical education. Teaching is good and care is taken to ensure that pupils have enough time to develop their skills. The good progress in art and design is partially due to the extra teaching pupils gain from the after school art club. In Years 3 to 6, time for these subjects has been restricted. As a consequence although the pupils’ attainment meets national expectations and pupils’ progress is satisfactory, pupils are not achieving as well as in Years 1 and 2. In geography, pupils in Year 2 achieve the expected standard but in Year 6 pupils are below expectations because activities are not provided at the right level. In history, and music standards are

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. In Year 2, work in design and technology is of an average standard but no judgement was made on the standards for pupils in Year 6 because at the time of the inspection no work had been undertaken, owing to the manner in which the timetable is planned.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10 The work for pupils with special educational needs is well matched to their individual plans that set out what they need to learn. Basic skills are taught well and there are appropriate high expectations of what pupils are capable of achieving. The attainment of most pupils with special educational needs is lower than their peers, but is appropriate when account is taken of their learning difficulties. Progress is good and, by the age of eleven, many reach the levels expected in the English, mathematics and science national tests. Pupils who speak English as an additional language are identified at an early stage. A clear distinction is made between their need to learn English and other areas of attainment. This helps to focus teachers’ attention on providing support for them in the ways that they need and so that they can participate fully in all aspects of school life. Throughout the school, these pupils profit from the

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

focus on raising attainment in speaking listening. They make good progress and gain confidence in their own learning so that by the time they are in Year 6, their attainment is similar to others.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11 Pupils’ attitudes to their school are very good. All of the many pupils who spoke to inspectors said they liked coming to school. The oldest pupils are enthusiastic about what the school has to offer them. They feel it is friendly, and that adults in the school listen to them and if they have problems will help. Pupils show very good attitudes towards their work. Throughout the school, the great majority of pupils are keen to learn. Most apply themselves with enthusiasm and work hard in lessons. Pupils are proud of their efforts and appreciate those of others. For instance, a group of older pupils learning about rounding up in a mathematics class were enthusiastic, keen to contribute and applauded each other. Younger pupils worked intently as they cut and sewed clothing for their puppets. There was a lovely working atmosphere stimulated by the teacher’s encouragement and high expectation.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12 The children in the nursery and reception classes respond well to the daily routines of the class. All are happy to leave their parents at the start of the school day. Most are very confident to try new activities, or when offered the opportunity, to choose activities for themselves. In the nursery, a few children who have had to cope with a St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 14 - November 2001 great deal of change in their lives are hesitant and shy, The nursery staff allow them plenty of time to gain confidence through their own play activities without adult pressure.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13 The great majority of pupils are capable of collaborating when working together on group tasks. There are a few pupils who find controlling their own behaviour difficult at times. In general, class teachers have good strategies for helping these pupils and minimising any disruption. On occasions, in one or two junior classes, pupils’ chatter during lessons was too loud and caused distraction to others.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14 Behaviour in class is at least satisfactory but mostly good and on occasions very good. At play times it is very good. Pupils use the playground well, even though there is not a great deal of equipment in the junior playground. Behaviour during assemblies is very good and pupils participate with genuine sincerity, laughter and song. There is a marked absence of oppressive behaviour, including bullying, racism and sexism. There have been no recent exclusions. Lunch times are good occasions; pupils sit with their friends and relate well together and with the adults. Many pupils opt to eat their packed lunches together outside on picnic tables, weather permitting.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15 The school develops pupils’ understanding of responsibility by providing them with a range of tasks in the school which they carry out conscientiously. The older pupils are given responsibilities such as helping to clear up after lunch, ringing the bell and helping in the office. The monitoring system in each class gives all pupils a role in the organisation of the school. The well-established school council has members elected by each class and a chairperson, vice chair and secretary. All pupils are well aware of the function of the council; their representatives’ names and photographs are prominently displayed near the office and their proceedings shared with all pupils. Members wear badges so that all know who they are. The council is considering how lonely pupils in the playground can be helped to make friends and join in. Pupils respond well when they are given opportunities to undertake their own research

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

although there are not very many opportunities for self-directed work.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16 Attendance figures are higher than average and punctuality is good. The school works very closely with the educational welfare worker who responds to requests for support and visits the school regularly.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17 The quality of teaching has improved significantly since the previous inspection when teaching was found to be sound with a number of unsatisfactory lessons. The school has focused on developing good teaching. Improvements have been brought about by effective training, delivered both within the school, and from outside agencies. Teachers evaluate their work and reflect on what was successful in promoting pupils’ learning. Staff have moved, at reasonable intervals, from teaching in one age range to another and this has led to a good sharing of practice. Fifty three per cent of lessons were good, 26 per cent very good, 19 per cent were satisfactory and 2 per cent unsatisfactory. More very good teaching was seen in Years 1 and 2 than in the other age ranges and the good teaching was evenly spread throughout the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18 Promoting the effective teaching of literacy and numeracy has been a high priority of the school. The leaders of these subjects are knowledgeable, providing good examples in their own teaching and effective guidance through their monitoring of teachers’ planning. As a result, all teachers, even those new to teaching and those who trained in other countries, have a very good understanding of the methods St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 15 - November 2001 recommended in the national strategies for literacy and numeracy. Good subject knowledge in mathematics and English enables teachers to plan activities that draw on pupils’ previous knowledge whilst practising and learning new concepts. For instance, in a very good lesson in Year 6 on reflective symmetry pupils used two mirrors placed at right angles and successfully worked with negative numbers to record the position of the reflected shape. Thus the teacher skilfully reminded pupils

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

of work they had covered previously when working on co-ordinates. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ achievements. Lessons proceed at a good pace and pupils are motivated to work hard. In both English and mathematics lessons, teachers provide activities that challenge pupils but also engage their interests so that they work with enthusiasm and enjoyment. A good understanding of how young pupils learn through using all their senses was demonstrated in a very good lesson in Year 1 where pupils enjoyed learning the sound and spelling of words with a double ‘f’ through listening, clapping, feeling, and saying out loud.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19 In the nursery and reception classes, staff are knowledgeable about how to teach children letter sounds and names, and other aspects of literacy. For example, in a session when all the nursery children listened to a story about farm animals, the teacher encouraged all the children to make the noise that the different animals made and then, where possible related these to the sounds that the children had already learnt. So, after all the group had enjoyed mooing loudly like a cow, the teacher drew their attention to the initial sound, and words beginning with the same letter. Few had difficulty of the thinking of ‘mum’, but higher attaining pupils started to include the names of children beginning with the letter ‘m’. The session very successfully drew in those children whose shyness often meant that they did not participate, and those whose knowledge of English was at an early stage. In the reception class, the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

teacher has developed a powerful link between home and school through children’s interest in the large class book they are making about the adventures of ‘Brown Bear’ on his visits to their own home. Children are delighted when it is their turn to take the bear home and very interested in his exploits at the home of others. They often choose to take this book to look at with a friend. They point to words that they think they know, trying hard to remember what the teacher had written and so effectively practising their skills in reading.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20 In English, mathematics and science, teachers identify the intentions for lessons from pupils’ previous achievements. Conscious that pupils learn at different rates, teachers provide work at different levels of difficulty to suit pupils’ needs. Pupils who have significant learning needs are given good support resulting from the effective joint planning between the class teacher and classroom assistants. Despite work being pitched at a lower level than for others, there are appropriately high expectations of what these pupils are capable of achieving. Those pupils who learn more quickly than others are given more challenging tasks from the outset so that they do not waste time covering work that does not challenge them. In classes where there are two age groups, teachers ensure that older pupils are challenged sufficiently. In many lessons, teachers had high expectations and challenged pupils to think for

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

themselves. In whole class sessions, teachers are generally successful at targeting questions to match pupils’ level of understanding. Occasionally, this is not done so well. In one mathematics lesson, for example, several pupils responded to questions with answers that showed that they had not reached a sufficiently high enough level of understanding to allow them to make a good attempt at the answer. This caused the pace of the lesson to slow as the teacher had to make further explanations.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21 Teachers are successful in developing good relationships within their classes. In the nursery and reception classes, children’s efforts are valued and adults encourage and St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 16 - November 2001 support their learning very well. In the main, there are good routines with which children become familiar and follow, as a matter of course. However, a few could be improved on. For instance, in both classes, when children are busy, but it is necessary to stop them and gain immediate attention, teachers tend to raise their voices to do so. This is not an effective strategy and some children take a long while to respond. In Years 1 and 2, teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and are skilful in organising activities so that pupils move quickly from one task to another. Pupils respond very well and are nearly always on task. In Years 3 to 6, teachers have good relationships with pupils based on respect and trust.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Occasionally, a few pupils disrupted the learning of others with challenging behaviour. Mostly this was because one or two pupils found it difficult to control their behaviour and they distracted others. On a very few occasions, too much chatter began because the pace of the lesson had slowed and pupils were not as interested as usual. In all classes, teachers used good strategies to gain control and to ensure that as soon as possible a good working atmosphere was regained.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22 In the nursery and reception classes, activities using construction and play equipment, such as jigsaws, are not always sufficiently challenging or carefully structured to further children’s learning. Occasionally, lessons in physical education, geography, history and handwriting, indicate that teachers are unsure of the level at which pupils should be working. Some planning is, therefore, undemanding or even over-ambitious. On one occasion, for example, an otherwise good dance lesson was less successful because the teacher expected Year 1 pupils to follow a sequence of movements and portray emotions that much older pupils would find challenging. In brief handwriting sessions, in Years 5 and 6, teachers gave pupils tasks suitable for those at an earlier stage of learning to use a joined hand. Computer skills are taught well but teachers are not providing sufficient opportunities for pupils to use information

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

and communication technology in other subjects or using computers as a resource to motivate and develop interest. The school has identified the need to address this issue. St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 17 - November 2001 23 Teachers provide appropriate opportunities for pupils to develop their understanding of what they have learnt in class at home. In Years 1 and 2, reading books are sent home regularly and pupils learn spellings and practise mathematical skills. In Years 3 to 6, homework in English, mathematics and science consolidates the learning that has taken place in lessons. In Year 6, pupils are given good encouragement to work on a history project at home. Many Year 6 pupils produced an extensive file of work on the Victorians in which they had selected for themselves areas to research through books or the internet with help from parents.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

24 Overall, the school provides a broad and balanced curriculum with a good range of learning opportunities matched to the needs of all pupils. This shows significant improvement since the previous inspection when weaknesses in the curriculum were a key issue. Schemes of work have been introduced for all subjects. There is a two- year topic cycle for subjects, other than mathematics and English, which ensures that all pupils have an equal access to the curriculum; this is particularly important because of the mixed age classes in each year. Within this, however, the provision for physical education in Years 3 and 4 is too narrow, with swimming offered as the main activity for each year. There is effective planning in the nursery and reception classes that follows the national guidance and builds on children’s early experiences from home.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

25 Medium term planning throughout the school is detailed and thorough, particularly in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. Lesson plans have specific learning objectives which are always shared with the pupils at the beginning of each session. Planning for each subject has begun to be evaluated yearly to see what improvements can be made. However, from Year 3 to Year 6, planning in geography does not identify what level of skills and understanding should be expected in each year group and this has affected the level of attainment for eleven year olds.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

26 The national strategies for teaching literacy and numeracy have been successfully implemented and, as a result, standards in English and mathematics are high by the age of eleven and very high in comparison with schools of a similar background. There are some good links planned with other subjects to enhance provision, for example in design and technology the use of instructional texts to make puppets and to make scones links well with the current focus in literacy. Teaching in science makes a positive contribution to the development of numeracy skills. Pupils in the Year 1 and 2 class applied their knowledge of measurement to record the distances that cars have travelled down a ramp. However opportunities are missed to develop extended writing in history and geography. The use of information and communication technology in other subjects is too limited but is being promoted now that pupils’ technical skills have improved through the regular use of the computer suite. The

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

school monitors provision in English, mathematics and science well. It has not, however, fully monitored the use of time or checked to see if some learning in English in Years 3 to 6 could be promoted through other subjects where time for art and design, history and geography is restricted.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27 Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. Their needs are well met, both in class and in withdrawal groups, by appropriate work and support. Pupils at stages 2 to 5 of the Code of Practice have detailed individual educational plans which are well implemented by class teachers and specialist staff. Teachers are careful to St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 18 - November 2001 separate the differing needs pupils have in mathematics, English and personal and social development. Pupils with English as an additional language are identified and their progress is monitored. There is no specific planning to support their learning, unless specific needs are identified, in which case good support is provided by classroom assistants. The school has appointed a member of staff to have special responsibility for pupils learning English in addition to their home language and to provide training and guidance to staff, but because of long term sickness, this has not

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

yet occurred. The school has not established a means of formally identifying gifted and talented pupils. As a result, there is no overview of how the school is providing for these pupils.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28 There is good provision for personal, social and health education. This is at present largely taught through other subjects, notably religious education and science. Religious education lessons enable pupils to explore relationships and moral and social issues. Healthy eating and care of the body are fully covered throughout the school, including drug awareness. Plans for developing a sex education policy are in place for this year. The school council meets each week at lunchtime; it comprises representatives from each class and makes a positive contribution to personal development.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29 A good range of extra curricular activities enriches the curriculum. Regular clubs are held for sports throughout the year and the creative arts club for younger pupils is well supported. The garden club makes a good contribution to pupils’ learning in science during the summer months. Visits and visitors are used very well to enhance provision in many subjects. For example, to support the creative arts, musicians and theatre groups from a variety of cultures perform regularly in school. Visits are arranged to, for example, Sadlers Wells theatre and the London Symphony Orchestra. Health education is particularly well supported by visits from among others, prison officers, fire officers and health experts. Regular visits from the school nurse support teaching in health education across the school.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30 The local community makes a good contribution to the pupils’ learning. There are strong links with the parish community, particularly when both come together to share religious festivals and celebrations. A useful link with the Highbury and Islington Express has enabled Year 6 pupils to produce their own school magazine. Yearly mathematics, science and ‘Book’ weeks involve parents and people from the local community. During last year’s ‘Maths Week’ parents came into the school to talk about the importance of mathematics in their own occupations. Year 6 pupils have participated in the ‘Junior Citizen Scheme’ run by the police and the infant classes visited the local fire brigade to learn about fire safety. Pupils have vivid memories of attending a junior citizenship day in which they learned how to keep themselves safe.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31 The school has sound links with the other local schools and ensures that older pupils and their parents are well prepared for the transition to the secondary phase. Students from local schools, colleges and universities are welcomed as part of their work experience, Links are maintained with support agencies for care and welfare; these are particularly strong with those that support pupils with special educational needs.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32 The provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. The headteacher and deputy headteacher take a strong lead in helping pupils to realise their own spiritual beliefs and values within the Christian ethos of the school. In assemblies pupils are encouraged to reflect on their thoughts and the lighting of a candle helps to set an atmosphere of reverence. Spirituality is developed through St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 19 - November 2001 prayers at the beginning and end of school sessions and in assemblies. Religious education provides pupils with knowledge and understanding of other major faiths as well as Christianity. The school’s close ties with the church, and opportunities provided to hold services in church, help to develop the pupils’ spirituality. Good use is made of music and singing in assemblies and this makes a significant contribution to the good ethos in the school. Music is now well developed throughout the school and

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

pupils are provided with many opportunities to listen to, and take part in, concerts several times a year. These make a significant contribution to the pupils’ spirituality. Pupils in the Year 3 and 4 class were filled with awe and wonder during their lesson in the computer suite when they were taught to use a programme to paint a picture on the screen in the style of the artist Seurat. During the inspection pupils were often observed enjoying the pleasant areas provided in the school grounds for reflection and friendship with each other. Younger pupils take good care of their garden area in summer and talk about the pleasure they experienced in harvesting their own vegetables.

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33 Provision for moral development is very good. The school’s mission statement and class rules are displayed in the classrooms. All staff have a positive approach to behaviour. Pupils are helped to understand the difference between right and wrong, and to see the consequences of their actions on others and themselves. There is a strong emphasis on good behaviour throughout the school. The staff aim to create an orderly environment, and to help pupils to become responsible members of the community. All adults in the school set a good example to pupils and encourage good relationships. Collective worship makes a valuable contribution to pupils’ moral development.

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34 Social skills are developed successfully in most lessons. The teaching and non- teaching staff work hard to build in pupils an awareness of the school as a community, where each member is valued and works for the common good. Pupils are expected to take care of their surroundings and to take responsibility for classroom equipment. Pupils in all age groups are encouraged to work in pairs and small groups. Pupils undertake responsibilities. They help as monitors in classrooms, and older pupils often volunteer to help look after younger children under adult supervision at lunchtime. The tradition of giving to charities is strong. During the past year the school raised over £1,100 for a variety of childrens’ charities. The school council, composed of two elected members from each class, meets regularly and suggests ideas for improving the school. At a meeting held during the inspection, they suggested ways they would like to raise money themselves to provide small

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

apparatus for use at lunch times. Pupils spoke very sensibly and obviously took their responsibilities seriously. The school does not have a residential visit but arranges a week of exciting activities at the end of the summer term for Year 6 pupils. This includes days spent at Chessington, Islington boat club where pupils are taught canoeing, and St. Saviours Priory with Father Shaun. Opportunities are provided for pupils to think about their time at the school; prepare for their transfer to secondary education; and take part in an exciting programme of sporting activities.

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35 The school’s provision for pupils’ cultural development is very good. Pupils are given many opportunities to recognise and value essential aspects of their own culture and the culture of other people in Britain and the wider world. There is much celebration of the school’s own cultural diversity and pupils are encouraged to celebrate their own heritage as well as the history of other cultures and faiths. For example, the school recently took part in the Black History Month when pupils learned about world leaders such as Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela. The close links with the church, which the school enjoys, enhances their personal religious beliefs. Pupils are given St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 20 - November 2001 many opportunities to enjoy performances of music and drama both in school and at concert halls in London. The London Symphony Orchestra visits the school several times during the year giving performances and organising workshops for the pupils.

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

The Meitheal Cheoil band performed for the pupils on St. Patrick’s Day and pupils performed Irish dancing for parishioners. Attractive displays throughout the school, including those celebrating the pupils’ faith, are positive and enriching aspects.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36 The school has good procedures for the care of the pupils. The governing body and staff contribute to a caring school in which the personal needs of the pupils are successfully met. Pupils with special educational needs are identified early and are given good support to help them make progress. They are fully included in the life of the school. There is similar good identification of the many different languages spoken at home by those pupils who speak English as an additional language. Their needs are met, and their progress monitored appropriately.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37 There is a very positive atmosphere and all the staff have a good knowledge of their pupils. Pupils say that all the staff are kind and supportive. The school has a good atmosphere, warm and caring. Pupils feel secure and know they can rely on their teachers. They have a strong sense of being valued and included in the school.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38 Child protection procedures are very good. Staff have been trained and the school works closely with the relevant authorities and the educational welfare worker when there are any concerns. Pupils are carefully supervised at playtime and lunchtime. The midday meal supervisors and classroom assistants know the pupils well. Most of them have been a part of the school for many years, have had children of their own at the school and have had a wide range of training. They are well aware of their responsibilities regarding health and safety and child protection. All have had some training in first aid and there is one qualified first-aider. Good records are kept of all significant incidents.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39 The premises manager and chair of governors regularly inspect the buildings and grounds, undertaking a risk assessment and reporting all issues to a sub committee of the governing body. Fire extinguishers and physical education equipment are regularly inspected but there is no evidence that there has been regular checks on the safety of portable electrical appliances. The school is addressing a number of minor issues that came to light during this inspection.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40 Class and school codes are prominently displayed and well understood. There are codes to help pupils remember what is expected of them and to be aware of the impact of their actions on others. Any serious behaviour incidents, should they occur, are logged by the headteacher. A very good system exists for supporting pupils who are experiencing difficulties in their social relationships. They are asked to agree a ‘contract’. This usually has a small number of achievable behaviour targets and is signed at the start of the week by the pupils, teacher and a family member. A well-understood scheme of rewards and sanctions helps pupils learn of the impact of their actions on others. As they grow older, pupils are given appropriate responsibilities and their successes contribute to House points, reinforcing a sense of communal responsibility.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41 Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are good. The school monitors attendance efficiently and works closely with the educational welfare officer when necessary. Registers conform to legal requirements. Pupils and their families are St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 21 - November 2001 fully aware of the importance of punctuality and the school is usually informed about the reasons for absences. Certificates are awarded for good attendance which helped to achieve the above average figures for 2000/2001.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42 In the nursery and reception classes, staff are skilful at assessing children as they work and play. A record is built up for each child from the daily observation notes of their understanding and participation in different activities. These are then collated to sum up how well the child is progressing towards each of the goals set for them by the end of the reception year. The system is very thorough and time consuming but it is very useful for some of the areas of learning, such as personal and social development. Assessment in some of the other areas, such as knowledge and understanding of the world could afford to be streamlined.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43 The procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are good. The assessment policy is clear, and contains full and appropriate guidance to teachers on the monitoring of pupils’ academic performance. This is a significant improvement since the previous inspection. The national tests are completed in accordance with statutory requirements. The school sets similar optional tests at the end of Years 3 to 6, so as to track pupils’ achievements year on year. Trends are analysed and very good use is made of the information gathered to help the setting of targets linked to the national requirements. This process is also used effectively to identify areas for improvement. For example, the school has identified the need to improve investigative work in science. The assessment of the pupils’ performance in information and communication technology and music is very thorough. It is satisfactory in design and

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

technology, physical education, and art and design. However, It is unsatisfactory in geography and the school has identified the need for improvement.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44 The systems for assessing the progress of pupils with special education needs are thorough. Targets for pupils are short term and achievable. Teachers and classroom assistants assess how well pupils are working towards achieving their targets in each lesson. Those pupils who speak English as an additional language, are assessed appropriately to ascertain their level of acquiring English. The school uses the assessment procedures provided by the local education authority. There are, however, only four stages identified in the stepped approach. As a consequence, some pupils stay on the same stage for a long time and this is not encouraging for them.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45 Each teacher keeps careful records of pupils’ attainment. These are passed on to the next class teacher and used to set targets which are discussed with pupils. At the October meeting the targets are shared with parents who are given suggestions about how they could help their children to make progress. Records of achievement for each pupil are kept throughout their stay in school. Every year good examples of pupils’ work are selected for inclusion in these records as well as any other awards or certificates gained. This provides a useful record of the progress pupils have made during their time in school.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46 Parents have very positive views of the school. Information from the parents’ questionnaires and the comments made at the parents’ meeting held before the inspection were almost entirely supportive.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47 All but one parent report that the school works closely with them and keeps them well informed. All parents answering the pre-inspection questionnaire feel comfortable St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 22 - November 2001 about approaching the school with problems, and all those spoken with during the inspection said that staff are very willing to listen to their concerns. However only 62 per cent agree that the school provides an interesting range of activities outside lesson. Twenty two per cent of parents felt they did not know whether there were sufficient out of school activities. The inspection found that the school’s provision was satisfactory, particularly bearing in mind the size of the school. Pupils have good opportunities to visit places of interest or to participate in local projects, particularly in connection with music, art and sports that were arranged out of school hours.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48 Communication with parents is good. At the end of the year, parents discuss reports on their children’s academic progress. These reports are detailed and evaluative but, although targets for pupils’ progress are discussed with parents, they are not often written about in end of year reports. There are good, informative, if rather matter-of- fact, monthly newsletters, and every term parents receive detailed information on what will be taught in each class. Leaflets about English, mathematics and religious education taught at each age are sent to all parents every year. There are accessible notice boards which also show what pupils are learning.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents is good. Parents are welcomed into the nursery to help their children select books and settle down, and they are able to stay on if they wish. They support their children’s efforts by attending class assemblies and special events such as annual performances. Attendance at meetings with teachers to discuss children’s progress is satisfactory.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50 There is a well established parents’ association, and plans are to change this to a friends association. In cooperation with the staff and the church, it runs several events and raises useful funds for the school and for charities. Although not many parents support in school regularly, they willingly help when staff make specific requests for help with concerts, resource-making day and other events. Some parents come to talks, for example on the mathematics curriculum, or to read with pupils on book week and they support the football club. Parents attend class Masses in the church.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51 Parents, grandparents, clergy, teaching and non-teaching staff have forged a sense of community which is appreciated and recognised by parents as special and unusual, especially in such an urban environment.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52 Parents support their children by ensuring their high level of attendance and punctuality, and by helping their children take pride in their school and their uniform. Parents are given opportunities to help their children’s learning at home with homework. They make a positive impact, for instance, in pupils’ confidence in reading and many parents of younger pupils record comments on how well their child has read. Parents are fully involved in the half-termly reviews of the individual education plans for those pupils with special educational needs.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53 The leadership and management of the school is very good. Its strength lies in the committed and purposeful approach of the headteacher which is also friendly and open. All staff are valued and given the opportunity to develop their skills and expertise for the benefit of the school.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54 Approximately two years ago, the chair of governors, headteacher and deputy headteacher agreed that there was a need for improvement in the mechanisms for St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 23 - November 2001 managing the school. As a consequence of this, management was streamlined and strengthened. There is now a very effective senior management team with leadership in the three main age ranges in the school, nursery and reception, Years 1 to 3 and Years 4 to 6. The leaders of subjects have well defined roles that allow them to make decisions as they see fit to raise the standards in their subject. This is carried out in the context of support for and consultation with teachers. At the same time, a new and effective method for addressing school improvement was introduced in order to make it more responsive to identified weaknesses. School improvement planning is securely based on the process of review and evaluation carried out by staff, the

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

headteacher and governors. The strategic planning of finances and resource implications are embedded successfully in the process.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55 The members of the senior management team, and in particular the deputy headteacher, have had good training in aspects of management so that they are effective in organising their work and overseeing the work of others. Where expertise in an area is lacking, training and opportunities to work alongside other members of staff are put in place quickly to offset any lack of knowledge. This has been particularly effective in the reception and nursery classes. A member of staff has moved from working with older pupils to lead this younger age range at a time when new national guidance has made demands on schools to develop and change their practice. Although at a relatively early stage of working together, the staff in this phase are beginning to form an effective and cohesive team. The strong management structure provides the support needed to cover areas of work when there are sudden absences or staff leave. For instance, at the time of the inspection, although the

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

member of staff with responsibility for the pupils with special education needs had been absent, the school maintained a good standard of provision for these pupils.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56 The school’s comprehensive policy for monitoring has been drawn up by governors and staff together, and this collaborative approach means that staff feel fully involved. The process is overseen by the headteacher and deputy headteacher, but subject leaders and phase leaders monitor teaching and planning as appropriate. Constructive feed back from lesson observations and monitoring of planning has resulted in all staff, including those who have newly joined, being committed to developing the school and improving the quality of their work. Performance management and the review of school improvement planning are linked to ensure that there is a unified response to planned improvements. The governors have set appropriate targets for the headteacher and deputy, ensuring that these compliment each other.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57 Governors are knowledgeable about the school. They visit frequently and talk with the staff, particularly those with whom they are linked through joint responsibilities. When appropriate, governors attend training. Formal means for obtaining information, such as the headteacher’s reports and reports at the end of the year by subject leaders are well established. Governors are organised effectively through the use of committees. Each governor takes responsibility for an area or subject that particularly interests them. The chair of governors is very supportive and has a clear understanding that part of his role is to ask questions and to help the leadership sustain high expectations in all areas of school life.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58 The school has a good appreciation of the importance of providing training in a targeted and efficient manner. Teachers who change year groups are given support and their training needs are met when necessary. There is an appropriate programme of support for teachers who are starting their career in teaching. The school, in common with others in London, finds that there is sometimes a need to St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 24 - November 2001 employ staff who trained in other countries. Good steps are taken to ensure that these teachers are knowledgeable about the teaching of literacy and numeracy. Currently, however, the school’s guidance on teaching some of the subjects of the National Curriculum needs greater emphasis on explaining what levels pupils should achieve by the end of each year and this would be particularly helpful to those teachers not trained in this country. The school provides staff with good opportunities

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

to develop and further their own talents and career, and this has been a factor in the retention of effective teachers. The procedures for performance management have been implemented well and this has begun to play its part in school improvement and teachers’ professional development.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59 The governors and the headteacher have a good understanding of the need to respond to the recent requirements to ensure that the school includes all groups of pupils in its provision and helps them to gain awareness of life in a multi ethnic society. The school has drawn up an appropriate policy for equal opportunities and has identified the need to provide a policy for social inclusion. The school curriculum challenges stereotypes and encourages pupils to question ideas that might be oppressive to different genders or ethnic groups.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60 There is very good strategic planning to make the best use of the school’s finances and to ensure that school developments can be adequately supported. Large items of expenditure are put out to tender in order to provide the best possible value to the school, and all grants are used for their designated purposes. The school has good financial management systems. It has been able to maintain close control on its expenditure despite the limited use of new technology within the school by employing the services of an experienced consultant. The finance committee of the governors receive regular print outs of the financial position and are able to make adjustments throughout the financial year. Through active management of the schools finances expenditure is controlled and closely linked to the school’ identified priorities.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61 The school is successful in bidding for income under various funds, including a local authority environmental scheme, and a charitable foundation for developing music and after school sports. There is a good understanding of the need to compare itself to other schools, both nationally, and in the local area. Parents’ views are sought and considered on various aspects of provision so that the school can include these in its judgement on whether its spending is appropriate.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62 The school makes efficient use of the above average number of qualified teachers on the staff. The deputy headteacher is not class based and so can provide support for members of staff to effectively improve provision in their subject area. For instance, when the Year 1 teacher is involved in teaching music throughout the school, the pupils in Year 1 have continuity of learning because the deputy headteacher takes the class for a whole day. Support staff are well trained and make an effective contribution to the learning of pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language. The school has focused on the skills needed to support pupils learning English but has not as yet provided training in this area, although it has been identified as necessary.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63 Some classes in the old junior building are in need of redecoration and are rather small. The communal area which comprises the library is used for group work and is useful as such. Greater use could be made of it as a library if it was more accessible for pupils to browse through books or use a spare computer to pursue independent internet research. Many of the books in the library are out dated. The computer suite is a very good resource and is used efficiently, as is the hall. The school does not St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 25 - November 2001 have the benefit of good sized communal areas, and there is only outdoor access to the junior classes and hall. Display in the hall does not entirely reflect the hall’s many uses. The main obstacle to display in the hall is that display boards are small. The outside playing area for infant classes has been very well developed to promote

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

imaginative play. The nursery outside play area is rather small and the over shading by trees, whilst attractive at times present a constant problem for maintaining the cleanliness of the area, despite the good efforts of the site manager. Resources are satisfactory in all areas. The school, in common with most schools in the area does not have the benefit of a grass playing field but makes efforts to overcome this during the summer months by visits to local sports areas. St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 26 - November 2001

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

64 In order to maintain standards and to continue making improvements the headteacher, governors and staff should:

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1) Improve the planning and teaching of geography so as to raise standards in the subject. (paragraph references: 9, 25 and 111)

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2) Develop planning in the Years 3 to 6 so that:-

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

a) there are more opportunities for pupils to practice and use their skills in literacy and information and communication technology while studying other subjects; (paragraph references 22, 26, 84, 127)

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

b) there is a greater range of activities offered in art and design, physical education, geography and history. (paragraph references 24, 26, 104,111, 119, 134)

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition to the key issues above, the following minor areas for improvement should be considered by the governors for inclusion in the action plan:

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The school’s system for identifying the stages of English acquisition for pupils who speak English as an additional language has only four steps and so is not useful in judging how well pupils progress. (paragraph reference 44)

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The school does not specially identify those pupils who are gifted or talented so as to support their development as fully as possible. (paragraph reference 27) St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 27 - November 2001

p.26

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 28

p.27

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.27

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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 two percentage points.

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.27

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 26 254

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals N/A 95

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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 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 2 54

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 77

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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 10

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 30

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Attendance

School data 4.5 School data 0.4 St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 28 - November 2001 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 29 - November 2001

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 19 20 39

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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 14 14 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 18 18 18

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

Percentage of pupils School 82 (95) 82 (95) 87 (97) 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 15 17 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 18 18 18

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

Percentage of pupils School 85 (87) 90 (97) 85 (89) 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)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 21 17 38

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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 15 19 21 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 15 16 17

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

Percentage of pupils School 79 (77) 92 (71) 100 (90) 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 16 17 20 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 15 15 17

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

Percentage of pupils School 82 (77) 84 (71) 95 (90) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 30 - November 2001

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 3 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 32 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 39 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 9.3 Financial year 2000/01

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 27.5

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 700,781

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 7 Total expenditure 701,729

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 124.25 Expenditure per pupil 2,379

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 24,690

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 23,742

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 38.75

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 3

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 1

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 2

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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) 0 St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 31 - November 2001 FTE means full-time equivalent. St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 32 - November 2001

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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. 70 26 1 0 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 68 27 1 1 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 54 32 7 2 4

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 74 23 1 1 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. 88 12 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard. 75 23 1 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 68 31 0 0 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 75 22 0 1 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 74 26 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 32 30 12 4 22 St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 33 - November 2001

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

65 Children start in the nursery with a very wide range of attainment. Some are very articulate and eager to learn others need a long time to settle and feel safe in their environment. There are a good number who have experienced a significant amount of change in their young lives, such as changing their home or arriving in England from another country. Considered overall, the attainment of most children is below average for this age.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

66 At the time of the previous inspection, there were some criticisms of the quality of education for children in this stage and the school was asked to improve in this area. This has been done very effectively. Planning for the nursery and reception class follows national guidance and the quality of teaching is good. Staff work very well together in both classes. The teacher in the reception class, however, transferred from the juniors at the start of the term, and because of this, staff are at an early stage of developing joint practice through the phase. An integrated approach through the two classes has been well planned in literacy and numeracy, but it is not sufficiently developed in some other areas, particularly personal and social development.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

67 The children who are learning to speak English as an additional language and those with special educational needs are identified straight away. Their needs are assessed and their progress tracked from the start. Both groups of pupils make similar progress to other children. Monitoring of their progress is undertaken within the school’s systems.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

68 In both classes, staff are very skilful at making observations of children as they play and work so as to assess their level of understanding. This forms the bedrock of the good quality of teaching; children’s achievements and their needs are understood very well so that activities are planned that really move learning on. Teachers relate their assessments appropriately to the stepped approach of the national guidance. Comprehensive individual records are kept. However, the system of making extensive observations for each child, whilst appropriate for some areas of learning, becomes rather unmanageable for aspects such as literacy and numeracy and the school is working towards improving the efficiency of its systems.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

69 Both the nursery and the reception class make parents welcome and provide good ways for them to contribute to and support their children’s learning. It is clear that parents appreciate this and that they respond very well. The best example of this is the ‘Brown Bear’ project in the reception class. A small bear goes home every night with a different child accompanied by a letter explaining to parents the purpose of the bear’s visit to their house. The aim is to help children learn how to verbalise a real or imagined ‘adventure’ which is recorded by the teacher the next day in a big class book. The children delight in this book as each page is a record of what the bear did on a visit to one of their homes, and it is a powerful link between school learning and that of home. Both classes have books, pictures and resources such as dressing up clothes that reflect the many different cultures from which the children come. Some

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

areas such as the writing and home play areas are generally chosen by girls. Teachers are conscious of this but have not developed effective strategies to overcome it. In January, a male teacher will take over in the newly formed reception St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 34 - November 2001 class so that children will have the advantage of both gender role models.

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Personal, social and emotional development

70 A significant number of children who start in the nursery show poor development in this area, and a few have special needs. Children make steady progress in both classes. Most are on track to achieve the goals set for the end of the reception year. Some children, however, in the reception class are still at an earlier stage than they should be, particularly in aspects to do with interactions with others, such as turn- taking and sharing. Teaching is satisfactory overall. There are some very good features in both classes and, in both, some missed opportunities. As children work and play, not only are their efforts and achievements valued, but staff ask them their opinions and views. While children are initiating play, staff often follow their lead, which raises their self-esteem and confidence. A very good example of negotiation between adult and child was in a mathematics game in the nursery, when through

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Personal, social and emotional development

chance, a high achieving child had to work with the number one. She took this badly and started to sulk. With great skill, the nursery nurse explained the purpose of the game and that it was no reflection on her prowess with numbers to work with the lowest number. This helped her to put her own interests to one side and the game went on well with her participation being fruitful for her learning and that of others.

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Personal, social and emotional development

71 Class routines and the pattern of the day are well established and children understand them well. Expectations of children showing initiative are high. For example, when working on a creative activity needing glue in the reception class, the support assistant joked with children waiting for her to supply the glue they needed, but did not make a move to get it. After a short while, the children realised that they would have to do this for themselves. Teachers involve children well in taking responsibility for keeping the classrooms tidy when it is the general ‘tidy up’ time. However, opportunities to help children learn to do this when they work independently are more limited and, as a consequence, children often wander away from resources that they have tired of, without attempting to put them straight. In the reception class, two children take the register to the office each morning and then record having done so.

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Personal, social and emotional development

This good system allows children to understand that things are fair and that they will get their turn. However, children in both classes are not always clear about when they will get a turn and this sometimes results in conflict. For example, the nursery carpet area has attractive cushions which children are eager to claim as theirs when sitting together as a whole class. On one occasion heated discussion as to who was to have the cushions detracted from the purpose of the session. In the reception class, children have opportunities to initiate their own activities but planning is over reliant on adults negotiating turns and there are few planned opportunities to encourage children to resolve problems together.

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Communication, language and literacy

72 The strength of teaching in this area lies in the careful assessments made of children’s achievements. There is lively use of stories, very good teaching of letter sounds and excitement in the provision of opportunities to write. All adults speak clearly and use as many opportunities as they can throughout the day to develop children’s confidence in speaking. As a consequence, those who start with only a very limited vocabulary learn quickly to make themselves understood. Those with significant communication difficulties and those at an early stage of learning to speak English as an additional language are supported very well. They make very good progress in learning to speak English because of careful targeting of their needs and the warmth of relationships and encouragement provided by staff.

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Communication, language and literacy

73 In both classes, children enjoy stories being read or retold and they listen very well for St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 35 - November 2001 their age. The nursery children listened to a story about a fox and hen, revelling in the manner in which the fox’s attempts to catch the hen were foiled. After hearing the story several times, all children had a good understanding of the sequence of events. Teachers provide good opportunities for children to develop their understanding and the vocabulary used in stories through role play and drama. They have good understanding of how to help very young children acquire early reading and writing skills. Children in the nursery know where to find their name cards. They write the letters they know in their name, and other marks with confidence when they choose a writing activity and when they want to label their work. They make very good connections with the sounds they hear and the words they try to write. In the

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Communication, language and literacy

reception class, children of all levels of attainment know a good number of the letters of the alphabet. They write them and find them on the computer keyboard. Children of lower attainment write their names independently and those of higher attainment make good attempts at writing simple sentences. Higher attaining pupils can read words in simple books at a level expected for children six months older than themselves.

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Mathematical development

74 This area is taught very well. Planning is very good and teachers have high expectations to which the children respond enthusiastically. There is an interest and enjoyment in numbers and other aspects of mathematics in both classes. Number rhymes and songs are used well and children participate well. In both classes numbers are displayed and used both incidentally and during class sessions. In the nursery at register time children are asked to find the number on the class display that matches the number of children present. This is done every day and those with higher attainment have no difficulty in finding, for instance, 23 and counting on the two more needed to the full attendance number of 25.

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Mathematical development

75 Activities and games are well matched to children’s level of understanding and to their interests. A simple but well planned activity in the nursery helped children recognise the numeral to 6 and match it to an irregular group of pennies. As each child had a turn to throw the die, interest in how many pennies they would add to their collection meant that all eyes were on the child whose turn it was to count out their gains. The pennies in the activity were real ones and this had an added appeal. The provision of activities where children learn to count carefully has resulted in those of average attainment counting beyond 10 with increasing confidence and accuracy. The good progress children make in the nursery is built on successfully in the reception class with children beginning to understand how to combine groups of numbers and to use words such as ‘more than’ and ‘less than. When learning about solid shapes,

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Mathematical development

children made good progress in describing them in the context of the number of their faces and corners. Good activities supported their understanding of the difference between flat and solid shapes.

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Knowledge and Understanding of the World

76 Teaching in this area is satisfactory. Some very good teaching is evident but there are also aspects that could be improved. In both the nursery and reception classes children have the opportunity to learn to use computers for games and to understand the use of technology in every day life. Features of different places and the vocabulary needed to describe them are taught through play. For instance, in the nursery, the outside area was used to represent the walk that was taken by the hen in the story the children had enjoyed. In the reception, children were really excited about a story from the Hindu religion and responded very well to the opportunity to act out the rescue of the princess in the ample space of the outside area. In both classes, there is an area for children to stick, cut and glue. In the nursery it is well defined and of a good size St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 36 - November 2001

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Knowledge and Understanding of the World

so that children develop their skills well in using a range of tools and techniques. There is space for them to leave work and return to it if they wish. In the reception, this area is a little confined and not as well defined or stocked. In both classes, activities using bricks, blocks and other construction material lacked focus, as did some table top activities in the nursery. For instance, a table covered with different coloured green paper to represent fields and stocked with model farm buildings and animals was only played with briefly by a few children because teachers had not provided a challenge or structure to the activity. In general, the nursery provided too many activities and as a consequence some were not used with any great interest.

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Physical development

77 Both outside play areas have limitations; the nursery area is small and that in the reception has no fenced area and no cover for inclement weather. Despite this, teaching is good and teachers make effective use of the outside environment which means that those children needing large physical activity to learn benefit. In the nursery, in particular, children are given time to explore and experiment with a variety of small tools and activities that develop control, and as a consequence, they develop good skills in manipulating small tools. This was evident when children in the reception class used coloured pencils to colour a picture of the face of the Hindu prince Rama achieving control well above that expected for this age. Most could apply the colour lightly and evenly, and nearly all stayed well within the demarcation lines. In the nursery outdoor play area, children use the various parts of their body well in

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Physical development

large-scale movements on climbing apparatus, when moving equipment and on a range of wheeled vehicles. Physical development is often encouraged alongside learning in other areas. For example, in a mathematics game in the nursery, children recorded their numbers through jumping. In a good lesson in the hall in reception, children used the space available to them effectively running, jumping or scampering around on all fours in different directions and at speed without colliding with each other.

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Creative development

78 In both the nursery and reception classes, teaching is good as staff promote learning through a wide range of creative activities. In a dance lesson in the hall, reception children were able to use gesture and facial expression well to convey different animals and their roles in the gingerbread man story. In the nursery, children learn to use and talk about colours and the effect they create. For instance, in a good session the qualified nursery nurse gave children a range of ways to make a rainy day picture using only black. Children experimented with crayons, pastels and even charcoal, discovering at first hand that there are shades of black, not to mention the ‘blackness’ that covered hands and fingers. By the time they are in reception children use paint with confidence, making choices about their own pictures regarding size, colour and to some extent, the medium they will use. One child created small

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Creative development

aeroplanes in the sky in his picture by adding pieces of pasta to small oval shapes he had discovered, to represent the wings. There are appropriate opportunities in the play area for children to use dressing up clothes and other props to play out stories they know, and musical instruments for them to investigate sounds. Singing and rhymes are used well throughout the day.

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ENGLISH

79 The improvement in standards, teaching and provision since the last inspection has been very good. The National Literacy Strategy has been used very well to improve teaching. There has been effective planning and a focus on the use assessment to match work to the abilities of pupils. This has succeeded in raising the expectations St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 37 - November 2001 of teachers and pupils. The leadership and direction given by the co-ordinator has made a very good impact on standards.

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ENGLISH

80 The school achieved results above the national average for 11 year olds in the tests at the end of 2001. Although the relatively low numbers of pupils in a given year means that year by year comparisons of attainment may be unreliable, the trend since 1997 is an improving one and mirrors the national trend. The results for seven year olds in the national tests for 2001 indicated that pupils were very much below the national average. The group contained a significant number of pupils with special educational needs; and a higher than usual number of pupils with English as an additional language. All pupils make good progress as they move up the school but pupils who learn more slowly than others, and those learning to speak English as an additional language, take longer to achieve the national standard for their age. This is reflected in the current Year 3 pupils who are making good progress but did not achieve the

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ENGLISH

national expectations in Year 2. Pupils with English as an additional language achieve standards similar to others by the time they are in Year 5. Currently, the attainment of pupils in Year 2 is average. It is above average for those in Year 6. Later, during the school year, certain pupils in Year 6 are given well targeted ‘booster’ classes; these, combined with effective revision, will enable pupils to exceed the realistic targets set for the school.

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ENGLISH

81 The standards of attainment in speaking and listening are good. Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to discuss their work in class. Throughout the school, there are opportunities for the pupils to engage in drama activities and for visits to local theatres and by theatre groups. Pupils also listen to storytellers. Effective use is made of questioning during oral work to enable pupils to respond appropriately. Pupils are reflective and thoughtful in their discussions. This approach assists those pupils with English as an additional language. Pupils are expected to be good listeners. From a young age, pupils are expected to work together in pairs and groups and this helps their language development. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported by trained classroom assistants and specialised teachers. This ensures that those pupils are able to develop their language skills.

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ENGLISH

82 The standards in reading are above the national average. Pupils are keen and enthusiastic readers from a young age and this is built upon throughout their time at the school. In Years 1 and 2, pupils have gained a very good grasp of using letter sounds, and pupils of all abilities are able to tackle unfamiliar words in a text with confidence. By Year 2, pupils are clear about the level of difficulty of books they should be reading, through their understanding of the reading scheme. Those who learn more quickly than others are already reading fluently and have a good grasp of how to use punctuation to aid expression. Those with special educational needs read at a good level, but with some hesitation and with little expression. By the age of eleven, pupils are familiar with a range of fiction and non-fiction texts. They can locate information effectively using a variety of sources. Higher attaining pupils are aware of

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ENGLISH

character and plot in non-fiction texts; they can predict likely developments in a story. Pupils of all abilities are discerning readers by Year 6, and state clearly their preferences in fiction texts. Pupils read widely and the shared reading, which takes place in literacy lessons, helps them to do this. Lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs share this enthusiasm for reading, but read stories with less intricacies in plot and character. By the time they are in Year 6, those pupils who speak English as an additional language have gained a good mastery of the language and read with as much fluency and enjoyment as others.

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ENGLISH

83 Standards in writing are above those expected nationally. Pupils of all abilities are St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 38 - November 2001 confident about writing. In Year 2, they write simple sentences that are punctuated correctly and using words they can spell themselves. The school is currently focusing on writing non-fictional texts and pupils in Year 2 have gained a good understanding of the grammar used for writing instructions. As they move up the school, pupils construct sentences in increasing complexity and extend their vocabulary. Pupils write in a variety of styles - narrative, personal and instructional - and for different purposes. They become increasingly able to change the style of their writing to meet the requirements of different audiences. Pupils draft and revise their written work. Higher attaining pupils in Year 6, for instance, had written an updated version the story

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ENGLISH

of "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" showing an increasing understanding of plot, locality and genre. The average and lower attaining pupils explored fictional texts to gather examples of "mythical creatures" which they then included in their writing. Pupils are encouraged to take part in national writing competitions which they enjoy doing.

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ENGLISH

84 The opportunities for pupils to extend their reading and writing across the curriculum are satisfactory. However, there are too few planned opportunities for pupils to extend their range appropriate to their abilities, particularly through enquiry and research in the older classes. The school is currently focusing attention on raising ’ standards in writing through non-fictional texts. In science, the co-ordinator has plans to improve the writing up of investigations and there are some good links in design and technology but in other subjects this has not been sufficiently developed. Pupils have good access to both fiction and non-fiction books but the school library is under- developed. Most of the texts are old and its access is organised by topic. Whilst this enables teachers to find books quickly to take to the classroom, it does limit the opportunities pupils have for browsing for texts and inhibits the development of

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ENGLISH

research skills in subjects such as history. Pupils gain increasing confidence in their ability to word process their work, although the facilities for researching on the Internet are limited in school.

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ENGLISH

85 The quality of teaching and learning is good. Over 90 per cent of the lessons were good and better. There was no unsatisfactory teaching. Teachers are confident and have high expectations of their pupils. Well organised planning, based on pupils’ previous achievements, contributes to the confident teaching. Lessons are conducted at a brisk pace because teachers have good knowledge of their subject and of the abilities of the pupils. This pace helps to interest the pupils in their learning. Pupils are well behaved because of the good management by the teachers. Relationships between teachers and pupils, and between pupils, are good and this helps to create a pleasant atmosphere in which pupils of all abilities learn. Teachers are careful to ensure that those pupils who speak English as an additional language have work that matches their level of understanding and they make good progress. Teachers involve classroom assistants in the assessment of pupils and planning,

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ENGLISH

and this is effective in providing good support for those pupils with special educational needs. Classroom assistants have developed good relationships with these pupils and generally work within the class so that pupils benefit from extra support but without loosing touch with the general class activities. When necessary they are withdrawn for short periods of time to improve specific skills.

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ENGLISH

86 There is a weakness in the teaching of handwriting in Years 5 and 6; tasks are insufficiently challenging and expectations are low. Pupils have regular spelling tests that are helpful in improving the confidence of pupils to write. The attitudes of all pupils to their learning are good. Pupils are responsive to the demands made by their teachers. They are polite and interested in their learning. In a few lessons, a small number of pupils with special difficulties in controlling their behaviour took too much St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 39 - November 2001 time to settle to work, but they were well managed by the teachers. In Years 1 and 2, support from home contributes effectively to pupils’ reading and learning of spellings. This is continued and extended appropriately in Years 3 to 6.

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ENGLISH

87 The co-ordination of English is very good. The co-ordinator leads the subject using the data collected on pupils' attainment to drive standards upwards. Pupils are effectively targeted for extra help and support. The monitoring of teaching is very effective and provides clear information to teachers about the strengths of their teaching and areas for development. Long term planning ensures that all skills are taught and that there is clear guidance for teachers to judge the levels pupils should achieve in each year group. An overview of the efficient use of time in English, however, has not been fully monitored. For instance, all classes spend time reading for the first 15 minutes of the afternoon. This is very useful in establishing good reading habits, but as pupils become fluent and well-motivated readers in Years 5 and 6, other activities such as learning to use research skills in history, science or art and

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MATHEMATICS

88 The school has a history of results that vary in comparison to the national average year to year. For instance in the 1999 tests the results for 11 year olds were well above average, in 2000 they were below and 2001 they were above. These changes reflect the nature of the year groups rather than provision. There are clear indications that the school has improved provision and standards. The National Numeracy strategy has been well implemented and pupils achievements are good. At the time of the last inspection, some lessons lacked pace and higher attaining pupils were not given tasks that challenged them sufficiently. Appropriate action has been taken to address these weaknesses and there has been significant improvement in the quality of teaching.

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MATHEMATICS

89 In 2001, the school’s results for national tests for seven year olds were below the national average, owing to the fact that the year group contained a significant number of pupils with special educational needs. At the same time, however the school gained the greatest number of the higher level 3 results since records were kept, indicating that pupils with high ability achieved at the appropriate level and in comparison to similar schools the results were above average.

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MATHEMATICS

90 Currently pupils in Year 6 are attaining above average and the attainment of those in Year 2 is average. Pupils’ mental skills are being sharpened in all classes and they are gaining more confidence in using mathematics in other subjects. Teachers employ good strategies to enable pupils to all answer at the same time during quick fire mental sessions. In a Year 6 mental mathematics lesson pupils were rounding up numbers to the nearest tenth. They worked very well, being challenged by the teacher to answer quickly and accurately. Pupils develop a good understanding of how and when to use addition, subtraction, multiplication and division as they move up the school. In Year 2, all pupils are confident when working with numbers up to twenty, whilst those who learn more quickly can work with numbers up to fifty and beyond. In Years 3 to 6, pupils with lower attainment have difficulty solving problems

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MATHEMATICS

which are expressed in words. Teachers pay particular attention to the development of mathematical language and give extra help to those pupils with special educational needs or those who have English as an additional language. Pupils’ competence in other areas of the subject such as space, shape and measure is good. Year 5 pupils worked on the properties of 2D and 3D shapes very confidently. Pupils could draw shapes, such as a cube, trapezium, rhombus and isosceles triangle, after being given St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 40 - November 2001 a verbal description of the object by the teacher.

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MATHEMATICS

91 Throughout the school, pupils have a very good attitude to mathematics. Most pupils are well motivated by the challenge of the work that they are asked to do. As a result they work hard with a good level of concentration. In a few classes, however, teachers have to work very hard to control a minority of pupils who find it difficult to sustain their concentration for any length of time. Relationships are good and pupils support each other well in their learning. Because of the way in which adults encourage them in class discussions, pupils are not afraid to try to answer questions. For example, when Year 1 were working on the number 5, one pupil answered that 5 take away 5 was 5. The teacher patiently used pupils standing in a line to simply explain the error of this and all pupils learned the correct answer without anyone being upset. Pupils of different abilities and ages in the same class are given different levels

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MATHEMATICS

of work so that they have the right level of challenge. As a result, all pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, make good progress in their learning.

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MATHEMATICS

92 The quality of teaching is never less than satisfactory. In the majority of lessons the teaching is good and in two it is very good. All teachers, including those who have recently arrived from other countries, have good subject knowledge and understanding and use the National Numeracy Strategy confidently to raise attainment. Lesson plans identify learning objectives which teachers share with pupils so that they know what they are expected to learn. Pupils read objectives confidently from the board and teachers refer to them again at the end of lessons to check pupils’ understanding. In one lesson pupils applauded when a pupil gave a good account of the work she had done. Lessons generally move at a brisk pace which sustains the pupils’ interest. Teachers keep good control in spite of some challenging behaviour in the Years 3, 4 and 5. On one occasion, when the difficulty of questions in a whole

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MATHEMATICS

class session, had not been judged well, the pace of lesson slowed as the teacher had to make further explanations. Teachers mark pupils’ work carefully and often include comments to help pupils improve. Appropriate tasks are provided for pupils to tackle at home to reinforce the learning that has taken place. Teachers and classroom assistants work well together. Classroom assistants are skilful at assessing how well pupils’ are achieving in the groups they support and this make a good contribution to their learning.

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MATHEMATICS

93 All the elements of the National Curriculum are covered and planning shows that good opportunities are taken to reinforce pupils’ understanding by referring back to previous work. Teachers provide pupils with opportunities to practise different elements of mathematics in subjects such as design and technology, geography, history and science. The school makes good use of information from assessments including National Curriculum tests and similar optional tests. Pupils’ results are analysed and targets are discussed with pupils and shared with parents at the October parents’ meeting. The school uses parents well to develop pupils’ understanding of the use of mathematics in everyday life; for instance, during a mathematics week parents were invited to come into school to explain to pupils how they use mathematics in their work.

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MATHEMATICS

94 The management of the subject is very good. The co-ordinator is very keen and enthusiastic in her work. She monitors pupils’ attainment and progress very thoroughly and takes appropriate action to support colleagues in tackling any areas of concern. Teaching and learning in mathematics are secure and information and communication technology is now beginning to be used effectively to support learning. Overall, there has been good improvement in mathematics since the previous St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 41 - November 2001 inspection.

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SCIENCE

95 The 2001 teacher assessments of the attainment of seven year olds show that the percentage of pupils reaching and exceeding the national expected level was in line with that of most schools across the country. National test results for eleven year olds were well above the national average. Work seen during the inspection shows that the present Year 2 and Year 6 pupils are working at similar levels. This is a good improvement since the previous inspection when the attainment of older pupils was average. All pupils achieve well during their time in school.

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SCIENCE

96 Pupils in Year 2 are developing a secure fund of knowledge about the world around them and how it functions. They know what humans need to survive and can name healthy and less healthy foods. They are beginning to learn, by investigation, about the affect of exercise on their bodies. Pupils in the Year 1 and 2 class are beginning to understand the idea of a simple, fair test. They know that, when testing how far cars move down a ramp, it would be unfair to push one car and not the other or to change the height of the ramp. They are beginning to use their observations to understand why one car runs farther than another. A higher attaining pupil suggested that the car which went farthest had freer running wheels.

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SCIENCE

97 Year 6 pupils can talk confidently about different areas of science they have studied and, in discussion, show good, and often very good, understanding. All pupils, including those who speak English as an additional language, have acquired a good scientific vocabulary which the majority use accurately in appropriate contexts, for example when explaining how forces affect movement. Pupils’ scientific skills are average. Most can make predictions based on their own experiences and show an understanding of how to structure a fair test. These pupils carried out a good number of investigations last year but most were teacher directed and there were few opportunities for them to use their own ideas to plan and carry out their own investigations.

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SCIENCE

98 Teaching is good overall. Learning intentions are shared with pupils so that they knew what they are to learn. Most teachers have secure subject knowledge; probing questions are used well to find out what pupils already know and understand and then extend their learning. In most lessons detailed planning provides challenging work that meets the needs of the pupils with differing levels of attainment. For example, a well- resourced open-ended activity in Year 3 enabled higher attaining pupils to explore a wide range of materials to find out about their properties and to discuss their suitability for purpose. Teaching methods were well chosen and effective; for instance pupils in a Year 4 and 5 class made good gains in their learning about the earth’s movement by the use of a model planetarium. Whenever possible pupils acquire their knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts through investigation and this enables pupils

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SCIENCE

to be actively involved in their own learning. In a very good lesson in a Year 1 and 2 class pupils were constantly challenged to think for themselves and consequently they achieved well.

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SCIENCE

99 In all lessons pupils with special educational needs achieved as well as other pupils because of the good learning support they receive from teachers and support staff. The high proportion of good teaching contributes significantly to pupils wanting to learn. In most lessons there was a real sense of enjoyment and enthusiasm for work, especially when pupils were carrying out scientific investigations. Pupils generally cooperate well when working in groups. Challenging behaviour, however, of a few St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 42 - November 2001 pupils affected the quality of learning taking place during the whole of one lesson. The teacher used good strategies to manage this and appropriate action was taken to help the pupils involved improve their behaviour for the future. There is a good balance between investigational and knowledge based teaching until Year 6, when most work is revision. This affects attainment in science skills because pupils lack the regular

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SCIENCE

opportunities to carry out tests. As a result, in a Year 6 lesson the teacher had to provide more support than planned when pupils carried out their first investigation this term. The use of worksheets sometimes restricts the opportunities for pupils to express their own thoughts and ideas. In Year 2 pupils learned how heat changes materials by watching buns being made and baked. In this lesson the worksheet encouraged a pictorial rather than a written record. Despite the encouragement of the teacher this curbed the attempts of pupils, particularly the higher attaining, to explain the changes.

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SCIENCE

100 Literacy skills are reinforced satisfactorily in science. All teachers use correct scientific vocabulary and this is evident in pupils’ written work. Some knowledge is gained by pupils’ own research, for example information about the Earth in Space. Numeracy skills are reinforced well. Pupils in a Year 1 and 2 class, some with support, were able to measure accurately using standard measures; some could record their results in simple tables and interpret them. This term a learning objective for all classes is for pupils to select suitable charts, tables or graphs to record their findings and to interpret them. CD ROMs have been used to find information. The use of information and communication technology is insufficiently developed for recording and analysing data although the Internet.

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SCIENCE

101 The good management of the subject has contributed to the high standards achieved by eleven year olds. Planning is thorough; the coordinator has prepared a detailed scheme of work, based on national guidelines, that caters well for mixed age classes. The decision to use Year 6 science lessons for the revision of previous topics means that pupils’ investigative skills in Year 6 are not developed until after the national tests in May; during the summer term pupils are given opportunities to use their own ideas to devise and carry out tests. Teachers’ planning is monitored regularly to see how well the scheme is being covered. There have been some classroom observations to evaluate the quality of teaching and useful feedback is given to staff. The results of pupils’ attainment in the national science test papers for eleven year olds have been analysed and the findings used to enable the Year 6 teacher to target revision on

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SCIENCE

areas identified as weak. Teachers assess and record science skills well but there is no simple format to pass on information to the next teacher to help in planning work at the appropriate level. The co-ordinator has correctly identified the need for a common planning format for Years 1 to 6 so that pupils learn how to structure their reports and there is currently a trial of some pro-formas. There are good opportunities planned to enrich provision in science, notably the school garden project and the yearly science week, when visits are planned for all year groups.

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ART AND DESIGN

102 The interest, enthusiasm and knowledge of the subject leader promotes the subject well throughout the school, particularly through the after school art club. This is attended by nearly all the pupils in Year 2 and is responsible for the pupils of this age achieving standards above those expected for their age. Eleven year old pupils do not achieve such a high standard. The examples of their work suggested a standard similar to that generally expected for this age.

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ART AND DESIGN

103 In Years 1 and 2, all pupils, including those with special educational needs, make St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 43 - November 2001 good progress and learn to work in a variety of media because the teaching is good. In a very good lesson in Year 1, pupils looked carefully at portraits painted by famous artists to identify some of the important aspects of representing a human face. As they worked on their own pictures, many pupils reviewed their own and each others’ pictures without prompting from an adult. Those who spoke English as an additional language practised their skills in speaking as well as in drawing because of their pleasure at achieving a picture they were proud of and wanted to talk about. By the time pupils are in Year 2, they are familiar with investigating different materials and the importance of trying different techniques and processes before arriving at a final product. For instance, in art club, they mixed two pastel colours together using a

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ART AND DESIGN

smudging technique to use as a background for further work. Sketch books are used over a period of weeks to explore the effects of using different tones and lines to create texture and pattern.

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ART AND DESIGN

104 In Years 3 to 6, pupils’ earlier achievements are still very evident in some of their work. For instance, in a lesson in Years 3 and 4, pupils discussed at a good level, the difficult concept of what might be the relationship between two figures in a drawing. In Years 4 and 5 pupils’ work had been entered into a schools’ competition and been chosen as the winner. The competition entitled ‘Hidden Art’ was based on using patterns discovered in the local environment. The pupils’ work showed a strong sense of the use of colour to unify a picture. This good use of colour was also evident in pupils’ paintings of still life in Year 5. Pupils’ experiences in art at this stage are separated, however, by long periods when art is not taught and teachers are not able to provide a wide range of experiences. As a consequence, pupils’ skills are not maintained. For instance, pupils in Year 4 investigating different effects using lines

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ART AND DESIGN

did not achieve the standard achieved by pupils in Year 2 working in the same way in art club. Pupils in Year 6, found it difficult to remember working with any other media than pencils and paint, although when prompted they could explain the meaning of collage work. They had little understanding of the reasons for using a sketch book or exploring a starting point for practical work.

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ART AND DESIGN

105 Teaching is generally good. Work is planned to reflect the requirements of the National Curriculum and pupils are encouraged to review their own and others’ work. Teachers encourage pupils well and use art lessons effectively to develop the self- esteem of those who do not achieve in other subjects. The subject co-ordinator provides good guidance and is very knowledgeable. Teachers’ plans and pupils’ work is monitored but the school has not identified the need to maintain the standards achieved in Years 1 and 2 through to the older classes. Clearly enthusiastic about the subject, the subject leader works hard to ensure that the school is often involved in local projects and competitions. A good number of visits are made to art galleries and exhibitions. Art from different cultures is represented very well to pupils and care is taken to ensure that both genders are represented as respected artists. Good links

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ART AND DESIGN

are made to subjects such as design and technology and information and communication technology.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

106 Standards are in line with those expected for pupils aged seven and progress is satisfactory. This is an improvement since the previous inspection when standards were below expectations for younger pupils. Standards for pupils by the age of eleven cannot be judged. No work has been kept from last year and only one class had started their design and technology project for this term.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

107 Planning indicates that pupils are taught the full design and technology process from St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 44 - November 2001 an early age and they work with an appropriate range of materials and tools. Pupils in a Year 1 and 2 class were completing a project on ‘Puppets‘. They had investigated different types of puppets to see how they work. Before starting to make their own hand puppets, they had designed faces and explored ways to bring features to life. Many pupils show good scissor control when they cut out felt and almost all manage to sew pieces together satisfactorily with a simple running stitch. Other Year 2 pupils had designed, cut out and made a coat for ‘Joseph.’ They are beginning to evaluate their own work simply by saying what they liked or what they might change. Pupils in a Year 4 and 5 class were able to follow instructions closely and make their own scones. Other pupils, having completed this task, compared homemade to

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

supermarket scones for taste, convenience and value for money. Many were surprised to realise how much cheaper it was to make scones at home. Year 6 pupils could confidently discuss the design and technology process they followed when making musical instruments last year.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

108 Two lessons were seen and the quality of teaching in both was good or better. This is an improvement since the previous inspection when teaching was unsatisfactory overall. Planning is thorough, with well-organised activities and resources which enable pupils to achieve well. Good attention was paid to health and safety, for example. by encouraging pupils to take care when using pins, sewing needles and scissors. The teachers’ secure subject knowledge resulted in tasks being explained clearly so that pupils understood what to do. Pupils watched closely as the teacher demonstrated scone making and, as a result, were successful in making their own.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

109 Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve independently and they respond well to this. For instance, in the Year 2 lesson, teachers expected all pupils who were sewing to have a go at threading their own needles before asking for help. There are very positive relationships between teacher and pupils creating an exceptionally harmonious working atmosphere. Pupils clearly enjoy design and technology lessons. They work with concentration and this has a positive effect on their learning. Good cross-curricular links have been identified, for example the recipes for scones link well with instructional texts in current literacy lessons. Work in design and technology provides good consolidation for learning in other subjects, notably literacy, mathematics and art and design.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

110 A new scheme of work has been put in place since the last inspection and this is beginning to have an impact on standards. Termly planning ensures that pupils will build on the skills already acquired. A simple but effective system for assessment enables teachers to record specific needs or particularly high achievement. For example, in the Year 1 and 2 class, the poor scissor skills of some pupils were noted and the information used to provide extra support both at school and at home. The subject is well led and managed. The co-ordinator monitors both planning and pupils’ work and she has carried out some classroom observations, providing feedback on strengths and areas for development. As a result, the co-ordinator has a good understanding of the areas in which staff development is needed and this is scheduled for next term.

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GEOGRAPHY

111 The standard of attainment of pupils by the age of eleven is below that expected of pupils of a similar age. Standards are in line at the age of seven. Standards are low because teachers, in Years 3-6, are not matching schemes of work to the levels expected of pupils. This is similar to the findings of the last inspection report. St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 45 - November 2001 112 By the age of seven pupils have a knowledge of places in Britain and the world through their familiarity with maps. They begin to ask questions about locations. They conduct fieldwork by looking at the use of shops in the local area. Teaching in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory and pupils’ skills and knowledge are developed appropriately.

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GEOGRAPHY

113 By the age of eleven pupils studying the connection between water supply and disease begin to examine some of the issues concerning supplies of clean water. In their lessons, they compare water supply in rural Indian villages with that in industrial Britain. Their understanding and knowledge, however, of some of the main features of these two different locations is too limited and they cannot support their studies by using maps at a level expected for their age.

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GEOGRAPHY

114 The quality of the teaching and learning in Years 3 to 6 is unsatisfactory. Teachers do not plan sufficiently challenging lessons that build on pupils’ previous knowledge. Whilst published schemes of guidance are followed to ensure the coverage of the subject; the standards expected of pupils are too low and do not match their abilities. In the main, teachers do not provide sufficiently for those of higher attainment. This is because the school has not identified how to develop geographical skills so that they become more complex as pupils mature.

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GEOGRAPHY

115 Teachers have good relationships with pupils and pupils behave well in lessons. They are patient and polite and tackle the tasks provided diligently. Pupils with special education needs are supported appropriately by classroom assistants. Teachers do not specifically plan for pupils with English as an additional language, although they are fully included in the lessons. Opportunities are missed for pupils to use their skills on computers and other skills acquired in subjects such as mathematics.

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GEOGRAPHY

116 The co-ordination, by the senior management team, is satisfactory. There are plans for improving the teaching of the subject in the current school development plan. The aspects earmarked for development, when tackled, should raise the standards of the teaching in the subject. Assessment procedures are not satisfactory. The use of information and communication technology to support teaching is in need of development.

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HISTORY

117 The standards of attainment of pupils in history by the age of seven and eleven are in line with expectations of pupils of similar ages. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection. Effective teaching especially in Years 1 and 2 has been responsible for ensuring that pupils’ achievements are satisfactory.

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HISTORY

118 By the age of seven pupils can recount the events in the story of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot. They understand why Guy Fawkes and his supporters disagreed with King James I; they understand the motives behind the Plot. They handle artefacts to gain knowledge of evidence in history. In Year 5, pupils know about the immigration and emigration to and from Britain after World War II. By the age of eleven pupils have an overview of the life and reign of Queen Victoria and can explain some features of Victorian society. They understand that there were significant differences between the lives of the rich and poor.

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HISTORY

119 The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. The planning of lessons is satisfactory and ensure that pupils are taught the content of the National Curriculum. This is an improvement since the last inspection. However, planing is not linked to the expected attainment of pupils and so pupils of average and higher attainment are St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 46 - November 2001 not sufficiently challenged. There are some opportunities for pupils to engage in extended writing but this is limited in range. Whilst pupils have access to good non- fiction texts in the classroom the under-development of the school library means that pupils have few opportunities to extend their range of research skills. Whilst the skills of interpreting evidence, and in the use of research are taught, they are not built upon to match the abilities of the pupils as they mature in the school.

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HISTORY

120 In lessons, pupils are interested in their learning. They are well behaved and are keen to take on new challenges. Some opportunities are provided for pupils to use their skills in information and communication technology but this needs to be developed further. In Year 6, some pupils produced comprehensive project files on the Victorians using Internet access provided at home. Whilst this is useful, those without the benefit of computers at home do not have the opportunity to use school computers to the same degree.

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HISTORY

121 The co-ordination, by the senior management team, is satisfactory. As for geography, an appropriate review of provision, due this current year, is included in the school development plan. The school’s focus in recent years on literacy and numeracy has been appropriate but development is now needed to ensure that subjects such as history contribute more to pupils’ knowledge and skills in writing and reading. Good use is made of the local library service in providing artefacts as evidence, especially in Year 1 and 2. Whilst there is no shortage of resources, they could be better deployed in Years 3 to 6 so that pupils are better supported in their learning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

122 There have been significant improvements in information and communication technology (ICT) since the previous inspection. Weaknesses identified in the previous report have been addressed successfully. As pupils become more confident in using computers, ICT is now beginning to be used alongside other work to support learning. Evidence gathered from observations and discussions with pupils and teachers indicates that pupils’ attainment at the end of both key stages is broadly in line with national expectations. This is a significant improvement since the previous inspection.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

123 Year 1 pupils link their ICT work with art, producing work in the style of the artist Mondrian, using vertical lines and colour magic to create the effect. By the time they reach the age of seven pupils are confident in their use of the mouse and describe what they are doing when using various toolbar icons to change the image. They select and use the spray tool to create pictures of fireworks. Using the colour magic programme they make templates for Joseph’s coat of many colours.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

124 Year 3 make a data base on pupils’ pets and transfer their results on to the computer in the form of block graphs and pie charts. Year 5 develop the idea of a database further. They answer questions using the base they have created on birthdays of pupils in the class. By the time they are eleven, pupils show more confidence in the use of a word processor. They format their own work in a variety of ways, using different fonts and text sizes. Year 6 pupils produce a poster on the theme of friendship, making a link with their spiritual, moral social and cultural development.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

125 When pupils are working on computers they demonstrate good attitudes and obvious enjoyment. Behaviour is consistently good when they concentrate on the task in hand. They handle equipment with care, working co-operatively in pairs and being prepared to help each other when required. St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 47 - November 2001 126 The quality of teaching is good. All staff have completed the national training programme and now have a good level of subject knowledge and are very familiar with the software they are using in lessons. Lessons invariably begin with a brief recap of earlier work and an outline of what pupils will be expected to learn in the lesson. The most significant impacts on progress are the teachers’ explanations, which are usually very clear, and the pupils’ ability to listen and watch well. Often the teachers involve the pupils themselves in demonstrating different features. Teachers

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

give good support to pupils with special educational needs and pupils who have English as a second language. This enables all pupils to be fully included in the lessons and pupils make good progress in their learning. Teachers make good use of listening posts, tape recorders and compact discs.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

127 The subject is well led by the co-ordinator. Arrangements for assessment of pupils’ attainment and progress are good. There is clear guidance to ensure that work builds on pupils’ previous knowledge and understanding. As pupils’ skills improve they are beginning to use ICT in other subjects, but there is scope for more development of this aspect of the work particularly in science, geography and history.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

128 The computer suite is a good resource. The school intends to purchase more computers to place in the classrooms. This will enable pupils to practise the skills they learn in their weekly lessons and use ICT more often in other subjects. The school is becoming more involved in using the Internet. Pupils already have their own e-mail address. The school is well placed to reach the new expectations in information and communication technology by the year 2002.

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MUSIC

129 Pupils’ attainment is in line with national expectations by the age of seven and eleven. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, make very good progress as they move through the school. The requirements of the programmes of study of the National Curriculum are met and the commercial scheme of work, which is now in place, results in the systematic development of knowledge, understanding and skills.

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MUSIC

130 Whole school singing in assemblies is good. Pupils sing tunefully and pay good attention to rhythms and dynamics. The style of singing reflects the meaning of what is being sung. The school has a very good relationship with the London Symphony Orchestra who provide training for teachers and music workshops for the pupils to which other schools are invited. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 have a further opportunity to refine their singing in a weekly practice. After appropriate practice, pupils sang the song, ‘I Watch The Sunrise’ beautifully. The teacher stressed the presence of God in the song which provided a moment of spirituality.

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MUSIC

131 In a Year 2 lesson, pupils worked with large flash cards to learn how to clap rhythms. As the lesson proceeded the pupils gained in confidence, dividing into groups to link different rhythms effectively and eventually provide accompaniment to the recorded tune. By Year 6 most pupils sing in tune with very clear diction. They are confident instrument players, owing to regular practice. Using a compact disc of a sung Calypso from the Caribbean, pupils added chords and rhythms as an accompaniment and at the end of the lesson the class achieved a performance at a good standard.

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MUSIC

132 This is a considerable improvement from the previous inspection when music was found to be broadly in line with expectations but pupils lacked the opportunity to have St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 48 - November 2001 practical experience of making music and there was no scheme of work. Music is now taught by a specialist teacher who devotes one day per week to teaching music throughout the school. All staff assist and thus become more confident themselves in teaching the subject. The teacher’s very good subject knowledge is being used effectively to develop the pupils’ skills in making music and singing. Her class management, which is firm but friendly, results in pupils making good progress. Lessons move with good pace. All lessons provide pupils of all abilities, with ample opportunities to have experience of playing both tuned and untuned musical instruments. St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 49 - November 2001

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MUSIC

133 The coordinator manages the subject well. The assessment of pupils’ progress is very good. The subject shares the special room with information and communication technology. This works well as pupils have ample room to sit on the carpet for their music lessons. Resources have been improved since the previous inspection and are now good. They are well stored and easily available to pupils who treat them with care.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

134 Good teaching in Years 1 and 2 has resulted in pupils achieving a standard above that expected for their age by the time they are seven. In Years 3 and 4 pupils go swimming each term during the time set aside for physical education and, as a result, they fall behind in the gymnastic element of the programme of study for physical education. Pupils have good opportunities to develop their skills in games and athletics in after school clubs, so that taken as whole, standards at the end of Year 6 are average, with pupils achieving above average in games, an average standard in swimming and below average in gymnastics.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

135 Lessons in Years 1 and 2 are well planned and build on the skills and knowledge developed in previous weeks. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and interest and pupils respond accordingly. They arrive in the hall, correctly dressed and ready to start, fully aware of what the teacher expects of them. They know the routines and reason for their warm-up activities and all participate well. They listen to teachers’ instructions and answer questions well before attempting to translate them into movements. In a dance lesson in Year 1, pupils worked together with a partner to express through their bodies and actions the mood of the music from ‘light rain’ to a ‘thunderous storm’. The lesson was pitched at a too high a level, but many tried to achieve what the teacher had planned. A good number of pupils produced very expressive movements which they loosely depicted as a sequence. In

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

a very good lesson in Year 2, pupils created a sequence of jumps, turns and balances that they could repeat and improve. They then worked successfully at adapting their sequence of floor movements to the apparatus at a standard beyond that expected for their age.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

136 Nearly all pupils in Year 6 attend the after school club for football. Both boys and girls work hard at the activities that start with appropriate warm ups to prepare for strenuous exercise. Pupils have good skills in controlling the ball, for instance running at speed with the ball and stopping it with a foot on top at the command. In playing against each other in small numbers they show an above average understanding of tactics that result in successful attack or defence. The teacher and volunteer helper provide constant challenge and good demonstrations through their own participation. In a gymnastics lesson, the second in a series, however, most pupils fell below the average standard expected for their age. Although the quality of their efforts improved markedly as the lesson proceeded, because the teacher kept the lesson going at a good pace and gave good demonstrations, none achieved a level expected of Year 6.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

They could perform backwards and forwards rolls and were beginning to join a further movement on to these, but choosing to alter aspects such as the speed or direction of their movements to aid interest was well beyond them. By the time pupils have finished the swimming programme in Year 4, nearly every pupil has achieved the expectation of swimming 25 metres and the other aspects of swimming and water safety.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

137 The senior management team have carried the leadership of the subject since the St John Evangelist RC Primary School - 50 - November 2001 previous co-ordinator left. Planning is satisfactory, except for the two year gap when swimming is the only element for Years 3 and 4. There are simple procedures for assessing and recording pupils’ achievements. Teachers take note of those with good talents, although without a register for talented and gifted pupils this is not formalised. The school takes part in local competitions and generally does well, the girls’ football team having had particular success in the past. For sports day the school uses a local park and also participates in local athletic events.

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