St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School Wigan

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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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 Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 3 March 2001

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Thorburn Road Pemberton Wigan

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: January 1998 St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 4 March 2001

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 1743 D S Roberts Registered inspector Information and communicatio n technology Design and technology Physical education English as an additional language 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? 19669 F Kennedy 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? 17913 B Frost Team inspector Mathematics Music Equal opportunities Special educational needs How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

17767 S Power Team inspector Science Geography History 23453 C L Cressey Team inspector English Art and design Areas of learning in the foundation stage St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 5 March 2001 The inspection contractor was:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Nord Anglia School Inspection Services 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 Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 6 March 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? 12

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 33

St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 7 March 2001

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Cuthbert's is a larger than average size primary school, which provides education for boys and girls from four to 11 years of age. The number on roll has fallen slightly since the last inspection, and the school now provides full-time education for 271 pupils. The proportion of pupils entitled to receive free school meals is above the national average, and the attainment levels of children on entry to the reception classes is generally well below that found nationally. Over 18 per cent of the pupils are on the school's register of special educational needs, which is in line with that found nationally, and 22 pupils are at stages 3-5. Their needs include those for moderate learning difficulties, emotional and behavioural problems and specific learning difficulties. Nearly four per cent of pupils have statements of specific needs, which is above the national average. At present just under one cent of pupils are from families

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

belonging to minority ethnic groups and speak English as an additional language. This is low compared to the national picture.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an effective school, which has made excellent progress in improving the quality of the learning environment, since the last inspection in 1998. It provides a good level of care for its pupils and makes high quality provision for their personal and social development. The teaching is of generally good quality, particularly in mathematics, information and communication technology (ICT), physical education and music. Most pupils achieve good standards in relation to their prior learning in most subjects, but many are capable of making better progress in writing and some aspects of science. The headteacher, governors and staff co-operate very successfully to create a positive climate for learning where the Catholic ethos is strongly emphasised. The school is well led and managed, and provides good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Pupils make particularly good progress in mathematics, ICT, music and physical education. • The standard of teaching is generally good and sometimes of high quality, particularly in the above subjects. • The school is very successful in promoting the pupils' spiritual and moral development. • Throughout the school, pupils show very positive attitudes towards their work and their behaviour is of a high standard. • High quality provision is made for pupils' personal and social development. • The school provides a supportive and welcoming ethos.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Standards in writing, particularly at Key Stage 2, and scientific enquiry at both key stages. • The systematic and consistent use of assessment information to inform planning in all subjects. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good progress in addressing most of the key issues identified in the last report. Outstanding progress has been achieved in transforming the quality of the external and internal learning environment, from standards described as unsatisfactory in the last report to high quality provision. The quality of teaching, a significant proportion of which was previously described as unsatisfactory at Key Stage 2, has continued to improve and is now of generally good quality throughout the school. Senior management, staff and governors are now involved much more purposefully in producing policies and procedures and in ensuring that statutory requirements are fully met. All parts of the accommodation are clean and well maintained, and provide an attractive and pleasant learning environment for pupils and staff.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Due to the fact that the newly amalgamated school only came into existence comparatively recently, there is no official comparison between the school’s rate of improvement and the national picture. Since the last inspection, significant progress has been made in improving standards in music, throughout the St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 8 March 2001 school, and in gymnastics at Key Stage 1, These aspects of the curriculum were previously described as unsatisfactory and are now at least in line with national expectations. In addition, pupils now make better progress in mathematics and ICT. The need to improve standards in writing, particularly at Key Stage 2, remains a priority to be addressed. The school is on course to meet its targets for English and mathematics for 2001, and is well placed to continue improving by building on current strengths and addressing the weaknesses identified in this report.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: All schools Similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

The table shows that in Year 2000 the school's test results for English were well below the average for all schools, and below the average for similar schools. In mathematics, results were in line with all schools and well above similar schools. Results in science were in line with all, but above the average for similar schools. The overall results were consistent with the national average and above the average for schools with similar characteristics.

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STANDARDS

Inspection findings indicate that children in the reception class, at the foundation stage, make good progress. The majority achieve the early learning goals in all areas of the curriculum, but the proportion doing so in communication, language and literacy and in mathematics, is below that found nationally.

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STANDARDS

By the end of both key stages, pupils achieve appropriate standards in most subjects, and exceed the national expectations in some aspects of ICT and physical education. However, in English, particularly writing at Key Stage 2, and the experimental and investigative aspects of science, many pupils are capable of achieving better standards.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Pupils, throughout the school, demonstrate very good attitudes towards their school work. They show interest and enthusiasm, are eager to learn and generally give of their best at all times.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is of a high standard throughout the school. This is apparent in classrooms, playground and dining hall.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Pupils make very good progress in their personal development. Relationships are strong throughout the school. Pupils work very effectively in pairs and groups. Older pupils are keen to accept responsibilities.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Good; in line with the national average. St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 9 March 2001

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

During the inspection, the teaching in 98 per cent of lessons was at least satisfactory. In 74 per cent of lessons, the teaching was good or better, and it was very good or better in 21 per cent of lessons. Throughout the school, there is a close match between the quality of teaching and learning.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The teaching of children under five is of good quality, enabling pupils to settle quickly and make good progress in all areas of learning. At Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, the teaching of numeracy, ICT and music is particularly good. The teaching of English is at least satisfactory, but more emphasis needs to be placed on improving writing skills across the curriculum. In many classes, the valuable and effective work of support staff and voluntary helpers has a positive impact on the progress of pupils, particularly those with special educational needs.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum The school provides a good, relevant curriculum for children under five. At both key stages, the curriculum is broad and relevant, and the development of literacy and numeracy skills is appropriately emphasised, although there is scope for creating more opportunities for pupils to extend their writing skills during work in other subjects, such as history and geography. In science, the emphasis placed on investigative and experimental work is inconsistent. In history, geography and design and technology, the school is at an early stage in implementing new curricular requirements, and the current range of learning opportunities is narrow. Extra-curricular provision is satisfactory, but opportunities for pupils to engage in after school sports clubs have recently been reduced.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good provision throughout the school. The work of support staff has a very positive effect on pupils’ progress. Specific and measurable targets in individual education plans help to support pupils’ progress.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. Class teachers and support staff provide work which is appropriately challenging. External support is available when necessary.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Spiritual, moral and social dimensions promoted very successfully across the curriculum. Provision is supported by the strong Catholic ethos which pervades the school and by a clear commitment to Christian values. Good adult role models and opportunities to participate in extra- curricular activities contribute significantly towards pupils’ personal development. St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 10 March 2001 How well the school cares for its pupils Overall, satisfactory procedures for monitoring pupils’ academic development, although scope for improvements to arrangements in science and some non-core subjects. Good procedures for monitoring pupils’ personal development. Very good provision of educational guidance and support and for monitoring and supporting good behaviour and eliminating bullying. Procedures in place for monitoring pupils’

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

welfare and safety and for child protection are very good. Appropriate procedures established for assessment of pupils’ progress but not implemented consistently, and use of assessment information to inform planning is not sufficiently systematic.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

A good partnership has been developed with parents, the great majority of whom would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or problems.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff The quality of leadership and management is good. The headteacher and deputy work effectively with the governing body and are well supported by teaching and non-teaching staff. Scope for more effective monitoring by co-ordinators in science and non-core subjects.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governing body and headteacher provide clear direction for the work of the school. Governors successfully ensure that all statutory requirements are met.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good use is made of local and national comparative information to evaluate its performance and set targets for improvement, which are appropriately challenging, in English and mathematics.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Effective school development planning enables money to be spent wisely on educational priorities. All resources are managed efficiently.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The overall quality of leadership and management is good. The governors successfully apply best value principles. The school is well staffed and resourced.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • The children like school. • The children make good progress. • Behaviour is good. • The teaching is good. • They would feel comfortable in approaching the school with questions or problems. • The school expects their children to work hard and achieve their best. • The school is well led and managed. • The school is helping their children to become mature and responsible. A significant minority of parents feel that: • their children do not receive the right amount of homework; • they are not well informed about their children’s progress; • the school does not provide an interesting range of activities outside the classroom. St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 11 March 2001 The inspectors agree with parents' positive views about the school. They find scope for improving the use of homework to support learning by achieving greater consistency in its use throughout the school. The

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

arrangements for reporting on pupils' progress are similar to those in most other primary schools, but there is room for pupils' end of year reports to place more emphasis on identifying areas for improvement. The inspectors find the provision for extra-curricular activities to be satisfactory, although the school acknowledges that opportunities for pupils to engage in inter-school sports competitions have recently been reduced. The headteacher and governing body are anxious to continue strengthening procedures and provision, and will take the views expressed by all parents into account when reviewing current arrangements. St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 12 March 2001

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Starting from a low baseline, pupils make generally good progress during their time in the school. The overall standards at the end of Key Stage 2 are in line with those found nationally and above the standards achieved by pupils in similar schools. However, there are weaknesses, particularly in writing at Key Stage 2, which need careful attention.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The attainment levels of children on entry to the reception classes are generally well below those found nationally. They make good progress at the foundation stage, in the reception classes. By the time they enter Key Stage 1, the majority of children meet the early learning goals in their personal, social and emotional development, knowledge and understanding of the world, and in their physical and creative development. Many children achieve the relevant goals in communication, language and literacy and in mathematics, although the proportion doing so is less than might be expected by the time they enter Year 1. In all areas of learning, the great majority of pupils at all levels of ability, including those with special educational needs, make good progress in relation to their prior attainment.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Comparative information, based on the 2000 National Curriculum test results, indicates that the performance of pupils reaching the end of Key Stage 1 in reading was below the average for those in all schools, but similar to that of pupils in schools with similar characteristics. In mathematics and science, pupils' performance was well below those in all schools, and below the average for pupils in similar schools.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Comparative information for pupils reaching the end of Key Stage 2 in the 2000 national tests, indicates that the pupils' performance in English was well below the average for all schools and below that of pupils in similar schools. In mathematics, their performance was in line with the average for all schools, but well above those in similar schools. The pupils' performance in science was in line with the average for all schools, but above pupils in similar schools.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Due to the fact that the newly amalgamated school only came into existence in 1997, there is no official comparison between the school's rate of improvement in recent years and the national picture. During the last three years, the performance of pupils reaching the end of Key Stage 2 has shown no significant variation in terms of gender.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Inspection findings for the end of Key Stage 1, indicate that standards are broadly in line with those found nationally in speaking and listening, reading, writing, mathematics and science. Pupils' achievements in relation to prior attainment are good in all aspects of English and mathematics. In science, although the overall achievement of pupils, in relation to prior attainment, is at least satisfactory, many are capable of better standards in the area concerned with scientific enquiry. Inspection findings present a better picture than the most recent national test results. This is due to the variation in ability between different classes of pupils, as well as the increasing impact of the national strategies for literacy and numeracy. St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 13 March 2001 7. Inspection findings for the end of Key Stage 2, indicate that standards are below the national average in English, but in line with the average for mathematics and science.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

This is consistent with the most recent national test results. Although pupils' achievement in relation to prior attainment is generally good in these subjects, many are capable of achieving better standards in writing and scientific enquiry.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. In English, pupils at both key stages make steady progress and reach standards which are at least appropriate for their age in speaking and listening. In reading, most pupils at all levels of attainment, make good progress at Key Stage 1, where many benefit greatly from the valuable support of parents in reading with their children at home. At Key Stage 2, pupils generally build successfully on their early skills. A significant proportion read widely and demonstrate good levels of fluency and accuracy, with a small number of higher attaining pupils reading increasingly challenging novels of their own choice. However, a significant proportion of pupils fail to achieve the national standard by the time they are 11 years of age. In writing, pupils make good progress at Key Stage 1, and the majority are on course to reach the national standard. At Key Stage 2, standards in writing are not as high as they should

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

be. This is often reflected in the quality of written work in other subjects, where the standard of many pupils' handwriting and presentation is below that expected for their age. Throughout the school, pupils with special educational needs make generally good progress towards the targets set in their individual education plans.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. In mathematics, pupils at all levels of attainment, including those with special education needs, make good progress in developing their numeracy skills. By the age of seven, most can read, write and order numbers to a hundred and beyond, and many are quick to recall number facts. At Key Stage 2, pupils extend their skills in organising their work effectively, and this helps older pupils to solve quite complex problems. By the end of the key stage, pupils have acquired a good knowledge of more advanced mathematical concepts, such as the relationships between fractions, decimals and percentages. Throughout the school, the pupils' progress is helped considerably by the strong emphasis placed by their teachers on mental activities during the numeracy hour.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. In science, overall standards at the end of both key stages are in line with the levels set by the National Curriculum. Most pupils, at all levels of attainment, make at least satisfactory progress in extending their scientific knowledge and understanding. However, the lack of emphasis placed on experimental and investigative work restricts the progress of pupils in this important area of science.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are at least in line with national expectations at both key stages, and sometimes above these levels in aspects of communicating and handling information. The very good use made of the computer suite to facilitate whole-group teaching and effective demonstration, contributes greatly towards the good achievement by pupils at all levels of ability in relation to their prior attainment. The ability of older pupils to access information from CD-Roms and the Internet to support their studies is a strong feature in their learning.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. Throughout the school, pupils with special educational needs make good progress towards the targets set in their individual education plans. Good provision is made for all pupils, including those for whom English is an additional language. This enables the school to meet effectively pupils' needs in terms of gender, race, background and ability. In all of these categories, pupils make generally good progress during their time in the school. St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 14 March 2001 13. In all other subjects, standards are at least in line with the expectations set by the National Curriculum. In physical education, standards in gymnastics at Key Stage 1 are above the national expectation, and the majority of pupils are able to swim at least 25 metres unaided before leaving the school at the end of Year 6.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

14. Pupils at both key stages make consistently good progress in extending their numeracy skills. Progress in literacy is less consistent, particularly at Key Stage 2 where standards in writing need to be improved. The successful implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy has a very positive impact on pupils’ progress in mathematics at both key stages. The National Literacy Strategy has a positive effect on reading skills throughout the school, and writing at Key Stage 1, but is yet to have a consistent impact on writing skills at Key Stage 2.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

15. The governors have set appropriately challenging targets for improvements in English and mathematics for future years, which take account of the varying ability levels of different cohorts of pupils. The school is on course to achieving the targets set for 2001.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

16. Since the last inspection, the school has made significant progress in improving standards in music, which were described as unsatisfactory in the last report. In addition, pupils now make generally good progress in mathematics, science and ICT, where progress was previously described as satisfactory. Considerable improvement in resources for ICT has had a positive impact on standards in the subject, which in some aspects are now above the national standard. In physical education, standards in gymnastics at Key Stage 1, previously described as unsatisfactory, are now above the national expectation. Improving standards of pupils’ writing at Key Stage 2, remains a priority to be addressed.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Behaviour throughout the school is very good. The pupils enjoy school and are enthusiastic about all school activities. Their very positive attitudes to learning are important factors in the good progress they make during their time in the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Relationships at all levels are good and this has a positive impact on pupils’ progress irrespective of race, gender or background. The pupils show respect for one another and for all the adults in the school community. They willingly help their teachers by giving out and collecting in books and work sheets and by helping to keep their classrooms tidy. Good relationships in class ensure that the pupils feel confident in expressing their views and putting forward their ideas, for example in class discussion. When working with a partner, or as part of a small group, the pupils readily support one another. They discuss the task in hand sensibly and productively and share the equipment fairly, for example in science lessons.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. The pupils are attentive in the whole-class introductions to lessons and they settle down to group or independent work quickly and quietly. They show good levels of perseverance in their work, and remain on task when the teacher is involved with one particular group; for example in literacy lessons, when the rest of the class is left to work independently. Pupils demonstrate a mature sense of responsibility when working at computer work stations. Their enjoyment of ICT lessons is evident in the way they show a willingness to learn through trial and error when they encounter difficulties in their work. In music lessons, the pupils are very sensible in the way they handle the musical instruments and extremely co-operative in group work involving St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 15 March 2001 composing and performing. The pupils’ eagerness and enthusiasm contributed to the high quality of the singing in a Key Stage 1 hymn practice during the inspection week.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

High standards of behaviour in class, and the pupils’ very good attitudes to their work, are contributing significantly to the standards they achieve and the quality of their learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

20. Behaviour is equally good in assembly, in the dining room and in the playground. It has not been necessary to exclude any pupil in the past year. Since the last inspection, the school has increased the opportunities available to the pupils to take responsibility. From a very early stage the pupils help in class by returning registers to the office, filing their own work and putting away the learning resources at the end of the lesson. Pupils are given increased responsibility as they move through the school. Prefects, in Year 6, carry out a wide range of duties competently and enthusiastically. They assist with the supervision of pupils at break and lunch time and they are always ready to help when younger pupils are in need of a friend. At the end of the lunch break they collect the packed lunch boxes and return them to the various classrooms. Throughout the school, the pupils have a welcoming smile for visitors and are always

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

eager to open doors, give directions or answer questions. They are proud of their achievements and keen to explain the work they are doing and what they have accomplished in past lessons.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

21. The pupils take care of their school. All areas of the building, including the cloakrooms and the library, are very clean and tidy and the school grounds are immaculate. Display throughout the school is of a high standard and includes lots of posters, designed by the pupils, discouraging people from dropping litter. The reception children were sad when their teacher talked to them about the vandalism which had occurred over the weekend prior to the inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

22. The pupils’ record of attendance is good. There has been steady improvement in the attendance rate since the last inspection, and attendance for the last reporting year was broadly in line with the national average. Most absence is due to illness, but the rate of unauthorised absence is above that found nationally, partly because parents fail to notify the school as to the reasons for absence. There has been some improvement in punctuality since the last inspection. However, a small minority of the pupils regularly arrive late and this sometimes results in them missing registration or part of the first lesson.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. The quality of teaching and learning is generally good and sometimes very good. During the inspection, the teaching in 74 per cent of the lessons observed was judged to be at least good, and 21 per cent was very good or better. The teaching in one lesson was judged to be unsatisfactory. Throughout the school, there is a close match between the quality of teaching and pupils' learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. The teaching of children at the foundation stage, in reception classes, is nearly always of good quality. Nearly 80 per cent of lessons observed were judged to be good or better. All staff have a secure understanding of how children learn, and recognise the importance of play and first hand experiences. This gives pupils a good start to their education and has a positive effect on the steady progress which children make towards the early learning goals. The effective contribution of support staff is a strong feature in both classes. Staff work very hard to overcome the difficulties presented by the current arrangements to have reception and Year 1 pupils in the same class. St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 16 March 2001 25. Teaching at the foundation stage gives high priority to promoting the children's personal and social development. This helps them to settle quickly and make good progress in all areas of learning. Good teaching is particularly effective in developing

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

the children's speaking and listening skills. This enables children to contribute more confidently and take greater advantage of the range of learning opportunities provided for them. Most make good progress in developing their early literacy and numeracy skills and in extending their knowledge and understanding of the world. Many show a growing independence when working at computer work stations, and confidence in using the keyboard and mouse to work through relevant computer programmes. Good class management and lesson organisation contribute positively towards the children's good progress in the physical and creative areas of learning. The arrangement to draw on the specialist expertise of a member of the school's teaching staff who is not normally part of the reception team, for lessons in music, is contributing very effectively towards the children's creative development. The consistent emphasis placed on extending children's literacy and numeracy skills

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

during work in all areas of learning is a strong feature in the work. Planning of work is very thorough in meeting the needs of all children, and this helps the teaching of children with special educational needs to be of good quality.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

26. At Key Stage 1 and 2, the quality of teaching is generally good and sometimes of high quality. In 70 per cent of the lessons observed the teaching was judged to be good or better, and nearly 20 per of lessons were very good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

27. In English, the teaching is never less than satisfactory, often good and sometimes very good. Over 40 per cent of lessons were good and 20 per cent very good. The National Literacy Strategy is generally implemented effectively, and its positive effect is particularly evident at Key Stage 1. Overall, the teaching is successful in helping most pupils to make at least satisfactory progress in extending their skills in speaking and listening and reading. Although there is often good teaching of writing rules and techniques during literacy lessons, the effect of this work is not yet consistently apparent in pupils' written work across the curriculum. This aspect of pupils' literacy development requires close attention to see that new skills acquired during literacy lessons are applied in writing for various purposes in other subjects. At both key stages, good class management is a strong feature in the teaching of the literacy

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

hour. Pupils enjoy the variation in approach provided as they move from whole-class to small groups and individual work.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

28. In mathematics, most of the teaching is at least good. Nearly 90 per cent of lessons observed were good or better. The very successful implementation of the National Strategy for Numeracy is an important factor in the good progress made by pupils at all levels of attainment. The teaching demonstrates a good understanding of the expectations of the strategy, and the content of work and tasks set for the pupils are usually well matched to their levels of attainment. This enables pupils at all levels of attainment to make good progress in most aspects of the subject. The effective teaching of mental work is a particularly strong feature, which helps to capture pupils' interest and challenge them to work productively and make progress. Pupils with special educational needs benefit greatly from the good level of support provided by teachers and support staff. This enables them to make good progress towards the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

targets set in their individual education plans.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

29. Throughout the school, the teaching of science is of generally good quality. Over 65 per cent of lessons were judged to be good, including one which was of very good quality. In most classes, effective questioning by the teacher is successful in probing St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 17 March 2001 pupils' understanding and consolidating their learning. This enables most pupils to make good progress in extending their scientific knowledge and understanding. However, teachers are generally less successful in developing pupils' skills in experimental and investigative work. Since the last inspection, appropriate assessment procedures have been developed, but there is a need to improve the use of assessment information to inform lesson planning. Teachers' marking is successful in recognising strengths, but insufficient emphasis is placed on identifying areas in pupils' work which need to be improved.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

30. Throughout the school, the teaching of information and communication technology is generally good and often very good. Over 80 per cent of lessons were good or better and 40 per cent very good. In one lesson, ineffective class management resulted in a loss of pace and insufficient progress by some of the pupils. In general, however, the teaching at both key stages enables pupils to gain confidence and appropriate skills, and make good progress during their time in the school. Regularly timetabled lessons in the ICT suite and access to good quality resources have brought about significant improvements in teaching since the last inspection. As a result, teachers are increasingly confident and secure in their own knowledge and understanding of the subject. Very good use is made of the central screen to introduce new concepts, and good use is made of work in other subjects to further extend pupils' skills in ICT.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

31. Throughout the curriculum, teachers make appropriate provision for pupils at all levels of attainment and respond effectively to the differing needs of boys and girls and pupils from ethnic minority groups. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good throughout the school. The very effective co-operation between teachers and support staff is a strong feature which helps to promote very good progress by pupils in this category. Their work is supported by good quality individual education plans. This enables the pupils to work systematically towards the realistic and manageable targets set for them.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

32. In other subjects, the quality of teaching is more variable, although generally good. In physical education, particularly good teaching of gymnastics at Key Stage 1 promotes very good progress by the pupils at all levels of ability, and standards which are generally above the national expectations. In music, specialist teaching provided at both key stages, has brought about considerable improvements in standards, which were judged to be below the national expectation at the time of the last inspection. In some of the non-core subjects, particularly geography, history and design and technology, new National Curriculum requirements have yet to be fully implemented, and this is contributing towards some inconsistencies in the coverage of work. In addition, assessment information is not yet used systematically to inform teachers' planning. Despite this there are some strong features in the teaching of these

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

subjects, including class management, which is usually very effective, and contributes positively towards the very good standard of behaviour which exists throughout the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

33. While homework is used effectively to support pupils' learning in some classes, this is not a consistent feature in the teaching. There is scope for achieving a more systematic approach to the setting of homework throughout the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

34. The school has made good progress in improving the quality of teaching since the last inspection. The proportion of lessons judged to be satisfactory or better has increased from 88 per cent to 98 per cent, and the proportion judged to be very good or better from 10 per cent to 21 per cent. The teaching of ICT and music has St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 18 March 2001 improved considerably, and teachers and support staff now co-operate very effectively to make good provision for pupils with special educational needs. Hard work by teaching and support staff and the successful implementation of initiatives such as the National Numeracy Strategy, are contributing positively towards better quality teaching throughout the school.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35. The curriculum for the under fives is generally of a good quality and is based appropriately on the nationally agreed programme for their learning. In both of the reception classes, the content of the work is planned carefully to support the children’s progress towards the early learning goals for each area of the curriculum. The school provides a curriculum which is generally of good quality at Key Stages 1 and 2. The curriculum meets the requirements of the National Curriculum in most respects, although inconsistent emphasis is placed on developing the pupils’ skills in scientific enquiry. The school is still at an early stage in implementing new curricular requirements in history, geography and design and technology, where the range of learning opportunities is currently narrow.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36. Since the last inspection, the curriculum shows much improvement in mathematics, art, music and information and communication technology (ICT). The improvement in ICT owes much to the recently installed computer areas. These give the pupils many more opportunities to develop their ICT skills through interesting and relevant learning experiences.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

37. The improvement in the curriculum for mathematics is reflected in the effective strategies used to develop the pupils’ numeracy skills. These are based firmly upon the guidance contained in the National Numeracy Strategy and broaden the range and depth of the pupils’ mathematical experiences. Although the National Literacy Strategy is generally being implemented successfully, it is not yet resulting in the raising of writing standards, particularly at Key Stage 2. One of the reasons for this is that too few opportunities are created throughout the curriculum for pupils to write at length as part of their studies.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

38. Curricular provision is also enhanced by the use of specialist teaching in music. This is the most significant factor in improving the curriculum in this subject. In addition, the effective deployment of classroom assistants is particularly helpful in enabling pupils with special educational needs to have full access to the whole curriculum.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

39. Several extra-curricular activities are held after school. These include clubs for gymnastics, gardening and computers. In addition, a school choir assembles during lunch times. All of these opportunities serve to enhance the statutory curriculum. Although the school does not provide the pupils with residential visits, a programme of varied day visits, to places in the locality and further afield, provide the pupils with additional relevant learning opportunities. For example, Year 4 pupils visit the museum in Chester as part of their history work on the Romans. The same pupils visit Speke Hall, Liverpool, when studying Tudors and Stuarts.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

40. The school is highly successful in promoting the pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development. Provision is supported by the strong Catholic ethos which pervades the school and by the school’s clear commitment to Christian values. Throughout the school the teachers provide many experiences which contribute very effectively to the pupils’ spiritual development. These occur in the daily acts of collective worship and St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 19 March 2001 in lessons across the whole curriculum. For example, when the Key Stage 1 pupils were practising hymns in preparation for Easter, a sense of spirituality was evoked through the quality of the singing. In a Year 5 music lesson, the pupils demonstrated a high degree of sensitivity in the way in which they composed and performed a piece of music to represent a “Journey into Space”. Teachers create good opportunities in science lessons to foster the pupils’ spiritual development. For example, a sense of

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

awe and wonder was evident, in a Year 2 lesson on the conditions for survival, when the pupils discovered various small creatures during a search of the nature area in the school grounds.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

41. The school’s code of conduct upholds high standards of care, respect and positive relationships. Adults working in the school provide good role models. The pupils are taught the difference between right and wrong and to consider how their actions and behaviour might affect people inside school, within their own families and in the wider community. Citizenship is promoted very systematically and effectively, in close co- operation with the police school’s liaison officer. The pupils are encouraged to value their local community and to guard the reputation of the school and the local area. In a wider context, the pupils are given a good knowledge and understanding of world issues. For example, in a Year 5 geography lesson, the pupils were learning about the use of water in our daily lives and the importance of water conservation. This lesson was successful in promoting a concern for those people, in other parts of the

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

world, who do not have access to clean water.

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

42. The school places great emphasis on the development of the pupils’ social skills. Pupils are given numerous opportunities to develop responsibility, self-confidence and independence. In lessons, they are frequently given the chance to work with a partner or as part of a small group and this makes a very positive contribution to their social development. It helps them to consider the thoughts and feelings of others and to co- operate productively when working together. The importance the school places on the development of mutual respect and the establishment of good relationships is a major factor in its success in this aspect of its work.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

43. Since the last inspection the school has improved its provision for the pupils’ cultural development and this is now good. Subjects such as history and art provide pupils with an insight into the significance of ancient cultures and their effect on present day life. In subjects such as English, history and music the pupils develop a good appreciation of their own cultural traditions. In history, for example, the Year 1 and Year 2 pupils are studying the changes which have taken place in Britain over the last hundred years, in relation to seaside holidays. In English, the pupils study the work of famous writers and poets. Key Stage 2 work on display in the library, based on Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”, is a good example of how learning about English literature contributes to the pupils’ cultural development. In art and music, the pupils are introduced to the achievements of famous people from other cultures. For example,

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

in a Year 3/4 music lesson, the pupils used a Seurat painting as a stimulus for an interpretative composition. They succeeded in creating the sounds of a river, using effectively a range of musical instruments, inspired by the painting.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

44. The school makes good provision for pupils with special educational needs and arrangements comply fully with the Code of Practice. Procedures for the early identification of pupils who need extra support are well established. Individual education plans are completed for all pupils who need them. The targets set are realistic and measurable and the progress made by the pupils against their targets is reviewed at regular intervals. The parents are kept fully informed at all stages and are provided with a copy of their child’s individual education plan so that they can help St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 20 March 2001 their child to achieve their targets. The pupils with special educational needs receive good quality support by teachers and classroom assistants, particularly but not exclusively in literacy and numeracy lessons. This enables these pupils to take a full part in lessons. A number of pupils have statements of special educational need.

p.19

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

The statements are clear and detailed and contain a number of important recommendations. These are acted upon accordingly, so that the pupils receive the correct level of provision.

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

45. The co-ordination of special educational needs is a strong feature of the provision. A member of the governing body works closely with the co-ordinator to oversee this provision. Since the last inspection, the curriculum for pupils with special educational needs has improved, particularly at Key Stage 2. The co-ordinator has led staff development in this area and has been instrumental in setting up the Independent Learning System which enables groups of pupils to receive regular additional support in literacy and numeracy using specific computer programs. The pupils involved are very well supported by specially trained classroom assistants. Assessment is integral to the system and the pupils’ progress is carefully monitored. Results are fed back to the class teachers who use the information to plan further work for these pupils.

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

46. The school is entirely successful in implementing the governors’ policy for equality of opportunity. All pupils, irrespective of gender, race or religion, have equal access to the whole curriculum. The school’s commitment to equality of opportunity is reflected in the range of good quality learning resources. Through their use and careful planning the pupils are helped to develop positive attitudes towards other cultures and religions. This often occurs through the use of carefully chosen literacy texts and through other subjects, including art and music. Teachers take great care to involve all pupils through well focused questions and a high level of interaction during group activities. Support for pupils at different levels of attainment is a strong feature of the work in mathematics, where the tasks are very well planned and appropriately challenging. Good provision is made for pupils for whom English is an additional

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

language. Class teachers ensure that their needs are met, and when necessary the school enlists relevant support and expertise from the local education authority.

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

47. Throughout the school, the pupils’ personal and social development is promoted extremely well. In all classes an effective health education programme is taught and includes appropriate attention to drug misuse and sex education. The pupils are taught essential facts and provided with the necessary skills and knowledge to enable them to make informed choices, now and in the future. St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 21 March 2001 48. Good links which effectively support the pupils’ learning are well established with the local community. Recently, the pupils gained much benefit from the teaching of a local poet who worked with each class. In addition, the school invited an artist to work with the pupils to design and construct a most interesting and attractive mosaic at the front of the school. Parents also play an important part in providing the school with additional support which impacts on the pupils’ learning. For example, they provided

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

much needed skills and labour in helping to construct the newly designed outdoor nature area in the school grounds. This is a facility which enhances the pupils’ learning experiences and is a positive response to the findings at the time of the last inspection.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

49. The school maintains good links with the local secondary school to which most of the Year 6 pupils transfer. An appropriate induction process enables the pupils to transfer smoothly. The pupils have many opportunities to visit the secondary school. For example, Year 4 pupils recently watched a drama production and Year 6 pupils took part in a series of “taster” lessons. A smooth system is well established for the transfer of relevant records and attainment data.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. The school provides a happy learning environment for its pupils. Child protection procedures are good, adhering to guidelines provided by the local education authority and documented clearly in the child protection policy statement. The designated teacher and the senior manager responsible for the overall pastoral care of pupils work together closely to ensure that staff have a good awareness of procedures and are kept up to date with changes in statutory requirements.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. The school’s arrangements for securing the health and safety of pupils have shown very marked improvement since the last inspection and these are now good. A written policy has been drawn up, but this has yet to be formally adopted by the governing body. Risk assessments are carried out at regular intervals and there are good arrangements for logging and dealing with health and safety concerns raised by the teaching and non-teaching staff. Standards of caretaking are now very high and the school building and grounds are immaculate. Accident recording procedures are now consistent and reliable and parents are informed by letter or telephone if a pupil receives a bump to the head or any other injury of a serious nature.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

52. Arrangements for monitoring and improving attendance are good. Criteria to initiate the process of referral to the educational welfare officer are now firmly established and applied with consistency. The educational welfare officer visits the school fortnightly and provides excellent support, both in monitoring attendance and in following up irregular attendance by visiting the pupils concerned in their homes. The educational welfare officer liases closely with the school nurse and the school doctor in matters concerning the pupils’ health and general welfare.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

53. Since the last inspection the school has introduced a system of rewards to encourage regular attendance and this is having a positive effect. The attendance rate is improving steadily and attendance for the last reporting year was broadly in line with the national average. Parents are kept fully informed as to the need for good attendance through related correspondence and the home-school agreement. The educational welfare officer gives a talk to new parents at the induction meeting for parents and carers of children starting in reception, explaining how important it is to attend school regularly and how poor attendance can be detrimental to progress. St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 22 March 2001 Where irregular attendance is impeding progress the school places the individual pupil on the register of special educational needs and monitors the situation very carefully. The school is constantly seeking ways of improving home-school

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

communications in order to reduce the level of unauthorised absence, the main reason for which is a failure, on the part of the parents, to explain the reasons for their children’s absence. Currently, the school is considering a system of rewards to improve punctuality. The vast majority of the pupils arrive on time in the mornings but a small minority are often late for school and this erodes their teaching time.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

54. Some progress has been made since the last inspection in developing the school’s procedures for assessing the performance of pupils. The tracking systems, now in place for English and mathematics, based on a formal testing programme, provide the school with useful information about how the pupils are progressing in these subjects. Thorough analysis of the end of key stage tests is carried out and is effective in identifying areas for development in curriculum provision. However, the procedures for using this information to improve curricular planning are not implemented sufficiently systematically. Other data, made available nationally, is being used well to support the school in setting targets and improving the quality of its provision.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

55. Effective systems are in place for monitoring pupils’ progress in English and mathematics. At present, there are no systematic and consistent arrangements for doing this in other subjects. The school recognises the importance of addressing this issue and has plans to introduce a system for tracking pupils’ progress in science in the near future.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

56. The assessment policy gives clear guidance on how marking should be used to provide assessment information for teachers and how feedback should be given to pupils about what they need to do to improve their work. However, the implementation of the policy is inconsistent throughout the school, and assessment information is often not being used reliably to plan work that meets the needs of the pupils, based on previous levels of learning.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

57. Procedures for monitoring and promoting discipline and good behaviour are of a high order. The school has a very positive and successful approach to behaviour management. Hard work, and caring and helpful attitudes are rewarded consistently and parents are consulted at an early stage when an individual pupil’s work or behaviour are causing concern. Since the last inspection the school has implemented a formal policy for discipline and a well thought out system of rewards and sanctions. An anti-bulling policy has also been introduced and there are now carefully documented and effective strategies for dealing with alleged incidents. When handling any serious misconduct the school adopts a sensitive, listening approach and keeps detailed and appropriate records of the incident and all related correspondence. The local education authority’s behaviour management support team provides helpful advice when it is needed. The overwhelming majority of pupils behave very well and

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

relationships throughout the school are good. Pupils understand and respect the code of conduct and there is a very supportive, friendly atmosphere in the school.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

58. The pupils’ personal development is promoted very successfully and monitoring arrangements are good. In close co-operation with the police schools’ liaison officer, who is a regular visitor to the school, the school provides its pupils with a curriculum which takes good account of developing the key skills of decision making, working co- operatively with other people and taking responsibility for one’s own actions. The St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 23 March 2001 school is preparing the pupils to be responsible citizens. They are taught to care for their own health and fitness, for one another, for their school and for the environment. Considerable emphasis in given to developing the pupils’ confidence and self esteem. A “Well Done” board features in every classroom, celebrating the pupils’ achievements inside and outside of school. Letters are sent home to parents and carers whenever individual pupils achieve a set number of gold stars for effort, good

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

work or positives attitudes. In the weekly achievement assemblies the class teachers share the week’s achievements with the rest of the school. During the Key Stage 1 assembly, in the inspection week, the pupils were very generous in their applause for those pupils singled out to display their work in a range of subjects, including literacy, design technology and art. Equality of opportunity is a good feature of the school and care is taken to ensure that all the pupils are praised for their efforts, not just those chosen to show their work on a particular day.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

59. The school has established an effective partnership with parents and carers. The consultation exercise, prior to the inspection, revealed that the vast majority of the parents would feel comfortable in approaching the school with problems or questions concerning their children. Parents and carers are of the opinion that the school expects its pupils to work hard and achieve of their best. Almost all are in agreement that their children like school. The inspection findings support these positive views.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

60. While the majority of parents consider they are kept well informed in relation to their children’s progress, a significant minority would like more information. The inspection findings are that arrangements for meeting parents and carers, both formally and informally, are similar to those in other schools. However, there is room for improvement in pupils’ annual written reports. They meet statutory requirements and report appropriately on progress in each subject, but place too little emphasis on what pupils should do to improve the standard of their work. A significant minority of the parents and carers are of the view that the school does not provide an interesting range of activities outside the classroom. The inspection finds that the range of extra curricular opportunities offered to the pupils is satisfactory, and similar to that provided in many other primary schools. Some parents feel that their children do not

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

receive an appropriate amount of homework. Inspection findings indicate that there is scope for achieving greater consistency in the setting of homework throughout the school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

61. At the pre-inspection meeting with inspectors some parents voiced concerns about bullying. Inspection evidence indicates that relationships throughout the school are good and that there are very few incidents of bullying or other serious misconduct. The school investigates alleged incidents very carefully and keeps detailed records of related correspondence with the parents of the pupils concerned. There are suitable strategies for dealing with bullying and these are explained very clearly in the school’s anti-bullying policy statement.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

62. The quality of the information provided for parents and carers, by the school, is good. Parents are kept well informed in relation to their children’s personal and social development as well as their academic progress. There has been good improvement in home-school communications since the last inspection. The school now publishes a very informative prospectus which includes detailed information on admission arrangements, school organisation, the curriculum and arrangements for the pastoral care of the pupils. The governors’ annual report, school notice boards and general St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 24 March 2001 correspondence help to keep parents appropriately informed with regard to school procedures and events. A home-school agreement has been introduced since the last inspection. The agreement sets out, in detail, the mission statement and the school’s responsibilities in terms of educational standards and home-school

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

communications. It also outlines the responsibilities of the pupils and their families in relation to discipline, attendance, punctuality and support for school policies.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

63. The school provides a very informative booklet for parents of children entering the reception classes. Most of the parents and carers have daily personal contact with reception staff. They are encouraged to bring their children into the classroom in the morning and remain with them until they have settled into the first activity of the day. This is a very good feature of the school’s provision for children at the foundation stage of their education.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

64. Throughout the school the parents make an effective contribution to their children’s reading development through their on-going support for the home-school reading scheme. Children in reception classes take their reading book and a library book home every day and this fosters a love of books from an early age.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

65. At the pre-inspection meeting with inspectors the parents expressed their appreciation for the improvements which have been made since the last inspection to the school building and grounds. Many parents, carers and friends of the school supported the redevelopment of the school grounds, in conjunction with Wigan’s “People and Places” environmental project and other outside agencies. The newly created nature garden in the school grounds is a valuable asset for environmental studies and investigative science work.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. The overall quality of leadership and management is good. The headteacher and deputy headteacher work together effectively. They co-operate successfully with the governing body to provide clear educational direction for the work of the school, and are well supported by members of staff. The transformation achieved in the quality of the accommodation and learning environment, which were strongly criticised and described as unsatisfactory in the last inspection report, is a credit to the headteacher and governors who have worked hard to bring about necessary improvements.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. The whole school is now accommodated in the same building. Windows have been replaced and all classrooms have been redecorated and carpeted. An attractive central library has been developed as well as a well equipped computer suite. The grounds and playing field are protected by security fencing, which has been successful in reducing dramatically the incidents of vandalism which used to be a constant drain on time and resources. The school is now well placed to continue improving by building on current strengths and addressing the weaknesses identified in this report.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. The governing body's increasingly purposeful involvement in the work of the school is an important factor in achieving these improvements. Appropriate governing body committees have been established, and they work effectively to ensure that all statutory requirements are met. Governors are proud of their school, and make a strong contribution towards the positive ethos for learning which currently exists.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69. The mission statement and main aims are communicated effectively to parents through the prospectus. The school sets out to create a caring Catholic community St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 25 March 2001 where each child can develop spiritually, emotionally, physically and intellectually. These aims are consistently reflected in all of the school's work.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

70. The work of curriculum co-ordinators contributes strongly towards the good quality teaching and provision which exists in some aspects of the curriculum. In mathematics, information and communication technology and music, for example, effective co-ordination has contributed to significant improvements since the last inspection. However, this is not yet a consistent feature in all subjects, and more work remains to be done to ensure that all subjects are co-ordinated appropriately.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

71. Senior management and governors have successfully implemented the national strategies for literacy and numeracy. This has been particularly effective in improving provision and standards in mathematics. A major challenge facing the school at present is to make the best possible provision for pupils in mixed aged classes. Senior management and governing body are currently considering various strategies for addressing this issue, including arrangements to re-group pupils according to prior attainment for key subjects.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

72. The school makes good provision for all pupils, including those with special educational needs, those from different cultural backgrounds, and pupils for whom English is an additional language. The governing body ensures that the requirements of the Code of Practice for special educational needs are successfully addressed and that the school provides equality of access and opportunity for all of its pupils. These policies are implemented consistently by class teachers, who ensure that all pupils have full access to all aspects of the curriculum.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

73. Since the last inspection, good improvements have been achieved in the arrangements for monitoring teaching and the curriculum in the national priority areas of English and mathematics. The headteacher visits classrooms to observe and evaluate teaching and the quality of curricular provision. He is often supported in this role by the local authority's link inspector. Criteria for evaluation are shared with class teachers and feedback provided following the lesson observations. The arrangements for monitoring curriculum planning and pupils' work are less effective. Co-ordinators are given time to carry out this work, but the approach is insufficiently consistent and systematic.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

74. School development planning procedures are generally well conceived. The main targets for improvements are listed in priority order. However, action planning related to these targets is not included in the current plan. This means that details about the strategies to be adopted to achieve each target are too limited. The action plan produced following the last inspection set out clearly the steps to be taken to address each target, as well as the timescale, resource and staff implications and criteria for measuring success. This model should be adopted for all school development planning. The current plan is used effectively to inform spending, which enables money to be spent appropriately to address relevant educational priorities.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

75. Staff appraisal is supported by annual personal interviews. Personal targets are discussed but this aspect has not yet been formally established as a part of the process. The school anticipates that the implementation of all requirements of performance management will support the introduction of the setting of personal targets for improvement for each member of staff. Strong emphasis is placed on staff development. Teachers, support staff, governors and voluntary helpers are given opportunities to attend relevant in-service training. There are appropriate procedures for supporting the induction of newly qualified teachers and staff who are new to the St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 26 March 2001 school.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

76. All funding available to the school is used very effectively. Grants for specific purposes are used appropriately, and good use is made of the element within the school's budget for making provision for pupils with special educational needs. The main reasons for the relatively large amount of money carried forward from the last financial year is to avoid the disruptive effect of change in income caused by fluctuation in the number of pupils on roll.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

77. The governors' finance committee, headteacher and school administration co-operate effectively to monitor spending and ensure efficient financial control. Good use is made of information technology to support financial management. All of the recommendations made following an audit of finance by the local education authority have been addressed and implemented.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

78. The increasing attention given to monitoring school performance is a good feature in the work of the governing body. The headteacher provides comprehensive information to enable governors and senior management to compare the school's performance with similar schools as well as the national picture. Governors demonstrate a good awareness of the school's strengths and weaknesses.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

79. The governing body also seeks to secure best quality and value when purchasing resources and arranging for work to be completed. The successful completion of the library and computer suite, initiated by the headteacher and governors, provides a good illustration of the application of best value principles. The quality of provision was improved and good value for money was secured.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

80. The strategic management of all resources is good. The school has sufficient suitably qualified and experienced teachers to meet the demands of the curriculum for pupils at all stages of their education; they are deployed effectively. Very good use is made of the range of facilities provided by the accommodation and school grounds. Classrooms are appropriately spacious, and the central library and computer suite provide valuable additional facilities. Changes made to the accommodation since the last inspection contribute to much better working conditions for pupils and staff. However, the lack of a door or partition between the reception class and the adjoining pre-school class, results in an unacceptable level of noise at times, which has an adverse effect on conditions for learning in the reception class, particularly when pupils are engaged in activities which require quiet concentration.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

81. Standards of cleaning and caretaking are high, and the quality of the internal environment is enhanced by attractive displays of pupils' work which are of a good standard. They are used effectively to celebrate pupils' achievements, support their learning, and promote enquiry. St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 27 March 2001 82. Since the last inspection, in addition to the excellent improvements made to the accommodation, the governing body is increasingly involved in a purposeful way, the internal environment is now maintained to a high standard of cleanliness, and arrangements to monitor teaching and learning in some of the key subjects has started. These arrangements now need to be extended to all subjects. St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 28 March 2001

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

83. In order to raise standards and quality of work further, the governing body, headteacher and staff should:

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1a: Raise standards in writing, particularly at Key Stage 2, by:

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

* increasing opportunities for pupils to write independently and at length;

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

* creating regular opportunities for pupils to apply and consolidate writing skills during work in other subjects, particularly science, history and geography;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

* emphasising consistently the importance of good standards of handwriting and presentation in work across the curriculum. (paragraph reference: 8, 27, 37, 97, 111, 127)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1b: Improve standards in scientific enquiry by:

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

* achieving consistent coverage of this aspect of science in all classes;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

* providing appropriate in-service to enable all teachers to be confident and capable in teaching all aspects of the subject;

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

* monitoring teaching and pupils' work consistently. (paragraph reference: 10, 29, 35, 109, 110, 111, 114)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2. Achieve consistent and systematic use of assessment information to inform planning at all levels and in all subjects by:

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

* implementing fully the existing assessment and marking procedures; and

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

* strengthening current monitoring arrangements, particularly in the non- core subjects+. (paragraph reference: 29, 32, 54, 55, 56, 99, 115, 121, 128)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition to the key issues above, the following recommendation arising from areas of relative weakness should be considered for inclusion in the action plan:

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

* Improve the range and quality of the curriculum in history, geography and design and technology by implementing fully the new curricular requirements. (paragraph reference: 32, 35, 121, 128)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

+ non-core subjects: subjects other than English, mathematics and science. St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 29 March 2001

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 21

p.29

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.29

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.29

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) - 277

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals - 70

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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 - 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register - 65

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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 2

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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 14

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 15

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 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 Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 30 March 2001

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 26 17 43

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 21 20 23 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 15 15 17

p.30

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 84 (77) 81 (77) 93 (75) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 85 (83) 90 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.30

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 21 23 26 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 15 17 17

p.30

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 84 (77) 93 (75) 100 (79) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

p.30

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 28 17 45

p.30

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.30

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 19 23 24 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 12 14 15

p.30

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 69 (70) 82 (83) 87 (83) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

p.30

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.30

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 20 24 25 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 12 13 15

p.30

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 71 (80) 82 (87) 89 (91) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 80 (75)

p.30

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 31 March 2001

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.31

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 2 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.

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 12 Financial year 1999/00

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26.9

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 549,307

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 7 Expenditure per pupil 1,881

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 144.5 Balance brought forward from previous year 31,111

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 40,119 St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 32 March 2001

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 42 55 1 3 0

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 38 53 5 0 4

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 36 39 19 0 5

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 30 47 19 3 1

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 62 35 1 0 1

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 58 38 4 0 0

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 32 42 18 3 5

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 48 35 8 1 8

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 45 49 3 0 3

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 25 26 26 13 10 St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 33 March 2001

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

84. Children enter the reception classes with attainment levels which are generally well below those expected for their age. They benefit from good teaching at the foundation stage and make good progress towards the early learning goals in all areas of learning. By the time they enter Key Stage 1, the great majority achieve appropriate standards for their age in knowledge and understanding of the world, physical and creative development and their personal and social development. Although many children achieve the learning goals in communication, literacy and mathematics, the proportion doing so is less than that found nationally.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

85. The school provides a good range of experiences and activities to develop children’s language and literacy skills, including the literacy hour. However, teaching the full literacy lesson to young children is not always appropriate, as some of them lose concentration after a period of time. Children are encouraged to become good listeners and enjoy stories and rhymes, joining in familiar ones such as ‘The Hungry Caterpillar’, with enthusiasm. Their thinking skills were developed effectively in this lesson as they considered which foods made the caterpillar fat! They are encouraged to share conversations with adults and are given good role models to develop their spoken language. For example, an interesting range of objects was used very effectively to help the children develop their understanding of positional language. They listened carefully to the teacher’s instructions as to where they should place

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

objects, and then used the same language themselves as they gave each other instructions. Clearly labelled displays, alphabet and sound friezes and a literacy corner help children develop early reading and writing skills. Higher attaining children begin to write their own simple sentences showing an awareness of capital letters and full stops. Formal activities help children to recognise familiar letters, sounds and words. However, staff sometimes miss opportunities to develop children’s understanding of sounds and letters through play and routine activities. Children learn to recognise and write their names with increasing accuracy using capital and small letters. A comfortable book corner promotes a love of books, and children learn to handle books with care. Older children in the reception classes are beginning to use pictures, letters and sounds to read simple sentences with confidence.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

86. The school provides a good range of experiences and activities to develop children’s mathematical skills. However, the full numeracy lesson, like the literacy hour, is not always suitable for the younger children, and some activities are pitched at too high a level for children to fully understand. As a result some lose interest and become inattentive. Children have good opportunities to compare, match, sort, order, sequence and count using a range of games, routines and experiences. Through topic work they explore number, pattern, shape and measurement. Children are developing a good understanding of the passage of time. They proudly posed for the local newspaper to herald the approach of summertime, using the large painted playground clock to tell everyone to change the times of their watches and clocks. With help from the teacher, children are learning to count up to twenty and beyond. They further consider size, shape and position when completing challenging jigsaws,

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

emptying and filling containers in the water play area or sorting objects into heavy and light using a simple balance. Children are encouraged to solve simple mathematical problems as they work out the cost of plants in the ‘garden centre’ or give change in the ‘café’. St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 34 March 2001 87. Children develop a good understanding of the world around them. Staff encourage them to talk about their discoveries and experiences, to ask questions and to explore a range of different materials as they design their own miniature garden using real soil, plants and stones. Children’s knowledge and understanding is extended as they grow their own seeds, observing what happens if plants do not receive light and water. Children become confident and competent in using the ‘mouse’, and different programs are available to support their learning in mathematics and early reading and writing skills. They have many opportunities to use construction toys to make

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

buildings and vehicles as part of their imaginary world. They learn about their own community and religion through the celebration of festivals such as Easter and Christmas. However, there are only limited experiences for children to learn about the cultures and religions of the wider world.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

88. Provision for children’s physical development is satisfactory. They learn the importance of exercise and sensible eating to creating a healthy body. Structured physical education and movement lessons promote good spatial awareness, control and imagination as children respond to music and ideas. They run, hop, skip, jump and balance with increasing co-ordination and confidence. However, there are only limited opportunities for children to enhance their skills through well-planned daily outdoor activities. They have ample opportunities to gain confidence in handling pencils, crayons, modelling tools, construction toys and malleable materials.

p.34

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

89. Children make good progress in developing creative skills, and enjoy a range of well- planned experiences in art, music, imaginative play and story. High quality music lessons help to develop an understanding of sound and rhythm. Children become composers, performers and conductors as they create their music and lyrics. There are good activities available for them to develop their senses through investigating texture, shape and colour. Children find out about colour mixing and how colours create different moods and effects. They have many worthwhile opportunities to develop their imagination as they become different characters in the ‘garden centre’ or ‘café’. Malleable materials such as sand and water are available for children to explore on a regular basis.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

90. The staff make good provision for children’s personal, social and emotional development. Strong emphasis is placed on helping children to develop an understanding of appropriate behaviour and of what is right and wrong. Children enjoy coming to school, and quickly learn to respond well to the rules and routines that support acceptable ways of behaving. They learn to work co-operatively in their role- play or when working on the computer. They share equipment, negotiate roles and explore new ideas. There are well-planned opportunities for children to develop a sensitivity and awareness of each other. For example, a ‘friendship tree’ provides a focus for children to talk about caring, and the special people in their lives. Children welcome visitors into their classes, confidently asking questions and showing a curiosity in other people and their activities. There are, however, missed opportunities

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

to extend children’s social skills by taking advantage of regular occurrences such as the daily snack times.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

91. Teaching is nearly always of good quality and similar to the standard of teaching apparent at the time of the last inspection. In nearly 80 per cent of lessons the teaching was good or very good. Relationships are good and this helps children settle into the routines of school life. Staff recognise the need to make good provision for personal, social and emotional development, communication language and literacy St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 35 March 2001 and mathematics, and plans provide a good framework for teaching and learning. However, short-term plans do not always contain sufficient detail on what children need to learn in relation to the stepping-stones for communication, language and literacy and mathematics. Planning is more focused on learning for the older children through the literacy and numeracy strategies, and this leads to some loss of momentum in the learning of younger children. As a result of having mixed ages in

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

the classes, staff are often engaged with the Year 1 pupils and there are missed opportunities to interact with younger children in the many quality activities which they choose for themselves. Where teaching is good, practical activities are focused well on specific learning intentions and good adult questions and comments extend children’s thinking. Baseline assessment is shared with parents and is used to identify children’s strengths and weaknesses. Examples of children’s work are kept and provide evidence of progress. Procedures to assess and record children’s progress towards the early learning goals are not yet firmly established and require further attention.

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ENGLISH

92. Standards achieved by 11 year olds are generally below those found nationally. This is a similar picture to the last inspection and consistent with the most recent national test results. Closer examination reveals that pupils make good progress and achieve appropriate standards in speaking and listening and reading, but that many are capable of better standards in writing. Standards achieved by seven year olds are broadly in line with the average for their age. This represents a significant improvement on the most recent National Curriculum test results. It reflects the continuing positive impact of the National Literacy Strategy as well as the natural ability of pupils in the current year group.

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ENGLISH

93. Pupils with special educational needs receive good support and most pupils achieve good results in relation to their prior attainment. Pupils with English as an additional language make good progress. They are supported appropriately by their teacher and support staff and external support is available when required.

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ENGLISH

94. Throughout both key stages, pupils at all levels of attainment make good progress in developing their speaking and listening skills, and by the age of eleven achieve levels which are similar to those expected nationally. Pupils listen attentively in lessons, and carefully follow their teachers’ expression and pronunciation of difficult words. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 listen with enjoyment to stories and rhymes and join in with familiar words and phrases. Older pupils enjoy conversations with adults and, when opportunities are provided, are able to express themselves confidently and give thoughtful responses. However, in some lessons pupils do not have sufficient opportunities for speaking, and there are missed opportunities for pupils to develop their ideas through discussion.

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ENGLISH

95. Overall, pupils’ progress in reading is good, and standards are close to the national average by the time pupils reach the age of eleven. Pupils in the infants enjoy books and are confident and secure with the books that they read. Books are carefully chosen to match pupils’ interest and ability levels and help to develop a love of stories and poems. The understanding of phonics, word families and spellings give pupils confidence in tackling unfamiliar words. This has a positive effect on the progress made in becoming fluent and confident readers. Higher attaining pupils, for example, were able to retell a favourite story in sequence and include considerable detail, understanding, humour and mood. By the age of eleven, pupils are becoming confident and eager readers of a range of interesting texts. They show an enthusiasm St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 36 March 2001 for different writers’ styles, and express a preference for particular authors such as J

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ENGLISH

K Rowling and Roald Dahl. Higher attaining pupils understand plot, setting and characterisation and are able to refer to the text to explain their comments. The school library is well stocked, and pupils are developing good research skills. Guided reading groups are used effectively to provide good support for pupils in developing their reading skills. Reading books are taken home regularly and parents and carers are encouraged to hear their children read and record their progress. This has a positive effect on the pupils’ reading skills and progress.

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ENGLISH

96. Standards in writing at Key Stage 1 are similar to those expected nationally. By the end of Year 2, the higher attaining pupils are spelling common words correctly and making good attempts to spell more complex words. Pupils observe the rules of punctuation, using full stops and capital letters. Higher attaining pupils begin to use question marks and speech marks to communicate their ideas and add interest to their stories. Pupils write for a variety of purposes, such as writing instructions on how to make the ‘well’ they have designed as part of their work on the rhyme about Jack and Jill. Handwriting is neat and well formed with older pupils learning to join their letters.

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ENGLISH

97. The development of writing, at Key Stage 2 is less consistent, and many pupils do not take sufficient pride in the presentation of their work. By the age of eleven, most pupils show an awareness of complex spelling, grammar and punctuation, and high attaining pupils understand the use of punctuation, appropriate grammatical structures, paragraphs and the importance of using interesting vocabulary to add interest to their work. However, pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to write independently and at length. The skills of spelling, punctuation and grammar, which are taught effectively through the literacy hour, are not always reinforced in pupils’ independent work. For example, the standard of a piece of well argued writing on the pros and cons of mobile phones was spoilt by inaccuracies in spelling and punctuation. Pupils do not always analyse their work and the skill of drafting work

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ENGLISH

effectively is underdeveloped. This limits their progress, and standards are not always as good as they should be. Pupils do not use their writing skills sufficiently well in other areas of the curriculum, such as history and geography. However, their skills in information and communication technology are being developed very well through appropriate work in English.

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ENGLISH

98. Pupils enjoy English lessons, and standards of behaviour are good. They show very favourable attitudes to learning and relate positively to their teachers and peers. Most are very eager to learn and are keen to answer questions and offer their opinions.

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ENGLISH

99. Teaching is never less than satisfactory and almost half of the lessons observed were good or better. Teachers share the learning objectives with the pupils and ensure that pupils are very clear about what it is they are expected to learn. However, pupils are not always reminded of the strategies they need to use in order to improve their work, such as good handwriting, correct spelling and punctuation. Relationships are good and teachers have high expectations of their pupils’ behaviour, resulting in good discipline and a good working atmosphere. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and tasks are always well matched to pupils’ individual needs. Support staff are used effectively to give additional help to designated individuals and groups of pupils. National Curriculum test results and a range of school assessments are used effectively to identify priorities for school development.

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ENGLISH

The use of assessment information to improve standards further is inconsistent. It is not used systematically to set individual targets for improvement. The marking of pupils’ work is completed regularly and offers encouragement to pupils by St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 37 March 2001 emphasising their strengths. There is scope, however, for placing more emphasis on identifying areas for improvement.

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ENGLISH

100. Areas of significant concern in teaching and learning, particularly in writing, have been recognised by the school and various strategies are being implemented to improve standards. Literacy is beginning to have a higher priority throughout the curriculum. The school is beginning to implement a range of local and national strategies including additional literacy and booster classes. The National Literacy Strategy is being implemented effectively and is having a positive effect on the quality of teaching and learning. The impact of the additional literacy scheme is currently restricted by timetabling arrangements, which prevents some pupils from receiving the full benefit of the well-structured and rigorous scheme.

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MATHEMATICS

101. The standards achieved by pupils aged seven and 11, are in line with those found nationally. The great majority of the pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress in relation to their prior attainment. Standards at Key Stage 1 are better than the most recent national test results. This is due to the continuing positive impact of the National Numeracy Strategy, as well as the natural ability of pupils in the year group. At Key Stage 2, standards reflect the most recent national tests which showed the pupils’ performance to be in line with the national average, but well above the performance of those in similar schools. There is no significant gender variation in these tests.

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MATHEMATICS

102. By the end of Key Stage 1, the pupils have a good knowledge and understanding of basic number work. They can read, write and order numbers to 100 and beyond with confidence. Well conducted mental work at the beginning of lessons helps the pupils to recall basic number facts. They use this knowledge well when solving problems using number and money. Pupils generally make good progress in calculations, using addition and subtraction processes effectively. High and average attaining pupils demonstrate increasing skills using multiplication and division during their problem solving work. Low attaining pupils use appropriate practical equipment. One of the Year 2 pupils remarked, “I’m getting the hang of this now” when using apparatus to group amounts equally when sharing. By the end of Year 2, most of the pupils have a good sense of the size of a number and where it fits into the number system. They

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MATHEMATICS

are beginning to understand the concept of place value.

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MATHEMATICS

103. At Key Stage 2, the planning of work builds successfully on pupils’ previous learning. They make good progress in understanding place value and are remarkably accurate when computing using the four rules of number. The oldest pupils have good mental skills. They are helped by perceptive teaching which allows them to explain their strategies, and to consider alternative approaches. By the end of Key Stage 2, most pupils have a good knowledge of negative numbers. For example, in a Year 6 class, they demonstrated their knowledge and understanding of co-ordinates, using the x and y axis. They were able to use this knowledge to interpret co-ordinates in all four quadrants, using positive and negative co-ordinates accurately, where appropriate. By the end of Key Stage 2, the pupils make good progress in understanding the relationships of fractions, decimals and percentages.

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MATHEMATICS

104. Throughout the school, pupils benefit from well planned and interesting activities and experiences which support effectively their learning in work involving shape, space and measures. Teachers place great store on the use of precise mathematical vocabulary, which pupils use effectively when answering questions or discussing their St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 38 March 2001 work. Younger pupils use accurate terminology when describing some of the properties of three and two dimensional shapes. Older pupils show increasing confidence and proficiency when using a range of measures. They know how to read calibrated scales with reasonable accuracy in work related to temperature or when reading liquid measures down to millilitres. The oldest pupils understand how to calculate perimeters, areas and volume, using simple formulae accurately. They know how to apply their mathematical knowledge to solve problems in practical

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MATHEMATICS

situations. They generally present their results in an organised way and are able to explain clearly the strategies which they used.

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MATHEMATICS

105. Although pupils have some opportunities to use, consolidate and extend their mathematical skills in other subjects this is not a strong feature of the provision. Although there is increasing use of information and communication technology to help pupils’ learning in mathematics, this is not yet a consistent feature in all classes.

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MATHEMATICS

106. Most of the teaching in mathematics is of a good quality and provides pupils with interesting and challenging experiences. Numeracy lessons are based appropriately on the National Numeracy Strategy format. Pupils particularly enjoy the brisk mental starters. Their learning is well supported by their teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the subject. This is reflected in the pace and content of lessons. In addition, the quality of questioning is a strong feature. It is used effectively to assess the pupils’ understanding and to extend their thinking. Clear objectives are shared with the class and evaluated successfully at the end of lessons. The results are used appropriately to plan future learning. In all lessons good use is made of the time during the final plenary element to consolidate the pupils’ learning and to correct misconceptions. However, only a few teachers use the final plenary successfully to

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MATHEMATICS

extend the pupils’ thinking. This was done particularly well in a Year 6 class, when pupils were asked to find out what VAT meant and to consider how their newly developed skills in percentage work could be used to calculate VAT on the basic price of items.

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MATHEMATICS

107. The work in mathematics is very well planned to take account of pupils’ different levels of attainment. Valuable support is provided by classroom assistants, who do much to support the learning of pupils with special educational needs. These members of staff are briefed appropriately and they know the pupils well.

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MATHEMATICS

108. The school is particularly successful in implementing the National Numeracy Strategy. Since the last inspection, the proportion of pupils reaching Level 5 has increased. The subject is very well co-ordinated. Careful attention is given to analysing test results and to tracking pupils’ progress, in order to raise standards even further. The organisation of the curriculum for mathematics enables all pupils to have equal access to the subject. Mathematics makes an important contribution to the school’s aims. The subject is well resourced and allocated an appropriate amount of time. Pupils clearly enjoy the challenges they are set and respond with a sense of eagerness and interest during lessons. The content of the work meets fully the requirements of the National Curriculum.

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SCIENCE

109. By the time pupils reach the age of 11, standards in science are broadly in line with those found nationally. This is a similar picture to the previous inspection and consistent with the most recent national test results. Pupils at all levels of attainment, including those with special educational needs, make generally good progress in extending their scientific knowledge and understanding but many are capable of St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 39 March 2001 achieving better standards in developing the skills associated with scientific enquiry. Pupils at Key Stage 1 achieve standards which are generally appropriate for their age and make at least satisfactory progress in relation to their prior learning.

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SCIENCE

110. By the age of seven, the pupils have developed a satisfactory fund of knowledge and understanding of science through carefully structured tasks within a topic approach. They are able to draw a pictorial representation of a circuit and identify reasons why a bulb may not light. They know that electricity can be dangerous and they can name some familiar things that work by electricity. They can name some characteristics of the textures of different fabrics. In their learning about a healthy lifestyle they can name parts of the body and identify forms of exercise that may be beneficial to health. In a study of the school environment, they were able to recognise some features of seasonal change, knew that plants need particular conditions to survive and that many different kinds of plants and animals can exist within the school environment. The limited range of Key Stage 1 work seen during the inspection indicated that the

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SCIENCE

pupils’ ability to label and explain drawings, to sort and group objects and materials using simple features and to record their observations in appropriate ways, is not sufficiently developed.

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SCIENCE

111. By the age of eleven, the pupils have built successfully on earlier learning and developed a secure knowledge base of scientific ideas and theories. When they have opportunities to take part in practical investigations, the pupils develop a sound understanding of ideas such as thermal insulation, how sound travels and the factors affecting the speed at which sugar dissolves in water. They know about the nature of solids, liquids and gases, the effects of different forces, the behaviour of light, predator and prey relationships and the structure and function of the human body. In discussion, they are able to use the correct classification skills and they can construct a simple key for identification purposes. They use their mathematical skills very effectively for appropriate measurements, such as Newtons to measure forces, or degrees to measure temperature. However, their independent investigational skills

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SCIENCE

are not well developed, particularly those relating to planning and carrying out fair tests to find the answers to scientific questions. The pupils are significantly better at talking about what they know in science than they are at writing it down, and their written responses to lessons are often of poor quality.

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SCIENCE

112. The teaching of science is never less than satisfactory and in most of the lessons seen it was good. The use of questioning, to probe and extend pupils’ understanding, has been much improved since the last inspection and most teachers now put questioning to very good use. Throughout the school the teachers are very skilled at creating a secure climate for learning, in which it is safe to contribute ideas and take part in discussions without fear of failure. The good relationships within the classes help to maintain good levels of behaviour and play a significant part in the progress made by pupils in their science learning.

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SCIENCE

113. The best lessons give the pupils sufficient opportunities to be involved in relevant practical exploration. The tasks provide appropriate levels of challenge for pupils of all abilities and are set securely in the requirements of the national curriculum. A good science lesson, in a Year 5/6 class, gave the higher attaining pupils opportunities to make good progress in their science enquiry skills, through a range of investigations into the factors which affect dissolving. In the same lesson, pupils with special educational needs made very good progress in their learning about how to separate mixtures in different ways. A very good lesson about thermal insulation, in a Year 3/4 class, enabled the pupils to learn how to carry out a fair test by requiring them to make informed predictions about what might happen, make regular observations, take St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 40 March 2001 measurements of temperature and record and interpret their results.

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SCIENCE

114. Most teachers have sufficient levels of subject knowledge to enable their pupils to reach the expected levels for their ages and abilities. However, the teaching of scientific enquiry is not given sufficient emphasis and pupils are given too few opportunities to develop their investigational skills. The written tasks are often too structured and not sufficiently varied to meet the needs of the range of attainment in the mixed age group classes. At Key Stage 2 the demands made of the pupils in response to lessons are often not sufficiently challenging, particularly for the more able pupils. There are too few opportunities for them to report science investigations in their own words and to interpret information in tables and graphs.

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SCIENCE

115. The provision for the subject has improved since the last inspection. A clear policy now provides relevant guidance on the management and teaching of science and the school has adopted the national scheme of work, although its implementation is still at an early stage. Science is now taught as a discrete subject at Key Stage 2 and this provides for a clear subject focus in all lessons. At Key Stage 1, the practice of including science in a topic approach occasionally results in activities that do not have sufficient subject focus and challenge for the ages of the pupils. The school has recently begun to make good use of test data to improve curricular provision, but more needs to be done to achieve an effective system for monitoring the progress made by individual pupils, and the quality and range of the taught curriculum.

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ART AND DESIGN and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

116. Standards in both subjects are broadly in line with national expectations and similar to those apparent at the time of the last inspection. Pupils at all levels of attainment, including those with special educational needs, make generally satisfactory progress during their time in the school. St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 41 March 2001 117. The timing of the inspection and the school's timetabling arrangements meant that it was not possible to observe a full range of lessons at both key stages. Examination of planning and work produced previously indicates that National Curriculum requirements are broadly met at both key stages, although the range of work covered in design and technology is currently too narrow.

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ART AND DESIGN and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

118. In art and design, pupils at Key Stage 1 respond to and explore ideas enthusiastically. They use a variety of materials to design and make their own illustrations and models. At Key Stage 2, pupils make good use of their learning in other subjects to provide ideas for their own creations. This was evident in a Year 5 class, for example, when pupils successfully produced wax etchings, incorporating ideas from the craftsmen of Ancient Greece into their designs. In another lesson, pupils based their work on the same principles as the Bayeux Tapestry, to make a series of illustrations conveying stories taken from the Greek Myths. Evidence of previous work produced by older pupils indicates an increasing capacity to explore and communicate ideas, using different methods and materials.

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ART AND DESIGN and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

119. In design and technology, pupils make steady progress in extending their skills in designing, making and evaluating what they have produced. As part of this work, pupils develop particular skills and techniques. In a mixed Year 1/2 class, for example, pupils used weaving techniques on different types of looms to make their product, often pausing to consider how they might improve the quality of their work. Another class of younger pupils planned, designed and completed a building, using commercially produced construction materials. Older pupils take time to examine how commercially produced toys are created before attempting to plan and make their own versions. In Years 3/4, for example, pupils examined how "pop-up pictures" in young children's story books worked, before incorporating these ideas into their own plans and designs. During the course of the school year, older pupils engage in a number of designing and making assignments, which involve taking the views of

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ART AND DESIGN and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

potential users into consideration and considering systematically how their products might be improved. The existing programme of work presents a fairly limited range of experiences for pupils. It does not, for example, create sufficient opportunities for them to learn about and use various mechanisms for creating movement.

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ART AND DESIGN and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

120. In all of the lessons observed teaching was at least satisfactory and often good, and there were some very good features. At Key Stage 1, for example, the manner in which teachers, support staff and voluntary assistants co-operated to teach the techniques of weaving helped pupils to make rapid progress, and the good level of interaction contributed positively towards the development of pupils' skills in speaking and listening. At both key stages and in both subjects, class management is a consistently good feature. This promotes very good behaviour by pupils and good relationships. Good provision is made for pupils with special educational needs, and appropriate care is taken to ensure that all pupils, irrespective of gender, race or ability, are appropriately involved and supported.

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ART AND DESIGN and DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

121. Scrutiny of work produced by pupils during the academic year confirms that the school is still at an early stage in implementing new curricular requirements. Schemes of work are not yet implemented consistently, and this contributes towards the relatively narrow range of opportunities provided for pupils, particularly in design and technology. Arrangements for assessing and monitoring pupils' progress are not yet sufficiently systematic in either subject.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 42 March 2001 122. The majority of pupils, at both key stages, achieve standards that are broadly in line with those expected for their ages in both subjects. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs, make appropriate progress in relation to their prior levels of learning, but some of the higher attaining pupils are capable of making better progress in both subjects.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

123. In history, by the age of seven, the pupils show a sound understanding of the distinction between the present and the recent past. This was evident, for example, when they examined photographs of seaside holidays in past times and compared them to their own experiences of visits to the seaside. Pupils are able to use appropriate language relating to the passing of time and are beginning to recognise how their own lives differ from those of children within living memory. They are able to use a range of sources of historical information, such as photographs, books, film, and artefacts, such as holiday souvenirs, to find out about past times and make comparisons with the present.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

124. By the age of eleven, the pupils have widened their fund of historical knowledge, to embrace the more distant past. Their history study skills are developed to a satisfactory level through an appropriate balance of activities. A visit to Speke Hall, for example, gave pupils in a Year 3/4 class opportunities to learn about how people lived in Tudor times by studying inventories of the rooms and making comparisons with the present day. In their studies of Ancient Greece, the pupils in Year 5/6 developed good levels of knowledge about the way of life, religion and beliefs of people in the contrasting City States of Sparta and Athens. They make successful use of the Internet to find answers to questions about the past, but they are less good at giving reasons for main events and changes over time.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

125. In geography, by the age of seven, the pupils are developing a secure sense of place and have become aware of localities that are different from their own, for example the seaside and countryside. They are beginning to recognise some of the physical and human features of islands. They know that maps and plans represent a locality and can locate seaside places on a map. They develop appropriate vocabulary to support their learning, for example the vocabulary relating to coastal areas.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

126. By the age of eleven, the pupils have had experience of a suitable range of maps in different scales and can name some countries and continents on a world map. In their studies of the local area, the pupils gain a sound understanding of the human and physical features of their surroundings and can talk about different land usage, for example shops, houses, recreation and public services. A study on the theme of water enabled older pupils to examine the universal need for water and to learn how water services are provided, both to provide clean water and to carry away waste. In one class, pupils showed great sensitivity as they considered the plight of people who do not have access to clean water.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

127. The teaching in history and geography is satisfactory at both key stages. Questioning is used effectively to promote discussion and to extend and challenge existing knowledge. Lessons have clear objectives and the teachers organise their pupils well. The tasks chosen to promote learning are generally appropriate although there are instances when insufficient emphasis is placed on the need for good written responses and well presented work. The extensive use of worksheets, at both key stages, limits opportunities for the pupils to respond to tasks in their own words and at their own level. The subject knowledge of most teachers is adequate but there are occasions when the tasks and activities have insufficient geographical focus, and St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 43 March 2001 opportunities to extend the pupils’ skills and knowledge are missed. For example, pupils at Key Stage 1, were required to colour a seaside picture but were not asked to

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

label the geographical features it depicted. In Year 6 the teacher used a very appropriate story about the dramatic relationship between climate and peoples’ daily lives in the African continent but there was no discussion of where the story was set or its location on the world map.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

128. The school has been able to give little attention to history and geography until recently, due to the requirements of other national curriculum initiatives, particularly the implementation of the national strategies for literacy and numeracy. It has recently adopted the national schemes of work, and supporting policies have been written in order to provide a secure basis for teaching the subjects. The co-ordinators are aware of the need to monitor closely the implementation of the new schemes, and have strategies in place for doing so. There is also a need to develop effective procedures for monitoring pupils’ progress in both subjects. Both subjects have sufficient resources and the recent development of the school grounds has created a useful and stimulating focus for environmental studies.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

129. Standards are at least in line with the national expectations, and some pupils exceed the levels expected for their age in some aspects of handling and communicating information. The great majority of pupils, at all levels of attainment, including those with special educational needs, make good progress during their time in the school. The planned use of ICT to support work in other subjects, particularly English and mathematics, is an increasingly strong feature in the pupils' learning. The programme of work meets fully the requirements of the National Curriculum and makes good provision for all pupils.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

130. Regular lessons in the ICT suite enable pupils to acquire confidence in using the computer keyboard and mouse to complete a variety of tasks relating to their studies. They benefit from learning activities which are meaningful and purposeful and from opportunities to enjoy regular access to a computer.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

131. Pupils make particularly good progress in extending their skills in communicating information. They make rapid progress in learning how to use a wide range of facilities to produce, amend and enhance text. Younger pupils develop confidence and good skills in using the keyboard to enter simple text. They are able to space their work appropriately and make effective use of the delete button when necessary. By the end of Key Stage 1, they are able to enter, save and retrieve their work, and to print out completed pages with a little assistance from their teachers. At Key Stage 2, pupils build effectively on this good start. They learn to correct their spelling and adjust the style and size of print. As they progress, they show a good level of competence in using ICT to organise and present their work in the best way for a particular purpose, often incorporating illustrations to complement the text. Older pupils are able to

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

reorganise aspects of their work, for example by shifting text about, using cut and paste techniques. They show an increasing awareness of audience, and are able to structure, refine and present their work in ways which are suitable for specific purposes.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

132. Pupils also make very good progress in developing their skills in handling information. Younger pupils begin to use ICT effectively to present the results of class surveys. In a mixed age Year 1/2 class, for example, pupils produced pictograms to present their findings, following a class survey on eye-colours. As they progress, pupils extend St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 44 March 2001 these skills and use them very effectively to support work in subjects such as mathematics and science. This was evident in Year 3/4, for example, during a lesson in the computer suite, which made use of ICT to support work in mathematics. Pupils appreciated the importance of storing information in an organised way to allow easy retrieval. They entered information about books in the school library, using data from a tally sheet, before considering appropriate questions for interrogating the stored information. They then presented their information in a variety of ways using different

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

133. Pupils were able to complete this task quickly and accurately, benefiting from very good teaching which provided clear explanation and an appropriate level of intervention. By the end of the key stage, pupils are able to select the information they need for different purposes. They retrieve it from relevant sources, using the Internet and CD-Rom facilities, before checking its accuracy and presenting it in a suitable way. A good example of the way these skills are used to help pupils' studies in other subjects was provided when pupils in Year 6 accessed the BBC's Education web- site, before printing out useful materials to help them prepare for the end of year national tests in science.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

134. Pupils make good progress in extending their knowledge and understanding of control technology. Pupils at Key Stage 1 are able to enter a set of instructions to programme a roamer robotic toy to travel various distances and change direction. Using the same principles, older pupils are able to enter a sequence of commands to programme a screen image to draw geometrical shapes. At various times during the year, pupils at Key Stage 2 are also able to use ICT to monitor events. In a Year 3/4 class, for example, pupils used appropriate sensors linked to the computer to monitor heat loss and changes in light that occur during the day, before presenting their findings very effectively in graphical form.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

135. Throughout the school, work in ICT has a very positive impact on pupils' literacy and numeracy skills. The regular timetabling of some English and mathematics lessons in the ICT suite means that this becomes a consistent feature in pupils' learning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

136. Teaching is nearly always good and often very good. Eighty per cent of the lessons observed were at least good and over 40 per cent were very good. One lesson was unsatisfactory. Lessons are well planned with clear objectives, and work is pitched at an appropriate level. Pupils respond with enthusiasm and work productively. Class teachers and support staff co-operate very effectively and provide a perceptive level of intervention in pupils' learning. This allows scope for pupils to learn through trial and error, but ensures that help is provided before the momentum of learning is lost. Very good use is made of the computer suite, and the large central screen enables teachers to teach the whole class effectively. For example, in a Year 2 literacy lesson, focusing on the use of spelling, the central screen was used very effectively to clarify and consolidate pupils' learning. Teachers achieve a good balance between whole

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

class explanation and creating time for pupils to work on their tasks. Class management is nearly always good, promoting very good relationships and high standards of behaviour. In the one less effective lesson, inappropriate class management and organisation resulted in insufficient progress by too many pupils.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

137. Good provision is made for pupils with special educational needs which is reflected in their progress. Appropriate care is taken to involve and extend boys and girls, and to meet the needs of pupils of different racial backgrounds including those who speak English as an additional language. St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 45 March 2001 138. Good progress has been made since the last inspection when no direct teaching of ICT was observed. Considerable improvements in resources, the development of the computer suite, much more purposeful teaching and effective subject co-ordination are important factors in the progress achieved.

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MUSIC

139. The standards achieved by pupils aged seven and 11 are in line with those expected nationally. The great majority of the pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress during their time in the school. This represents a considerable improvement since the last inspection.

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MUSIC

140. The youngest pupils follow an appropriate programme of work. This gives them many opportunities to create musical patterns, to explore and organise sounds and musical ideas and to listen to and express their feelings about music. By Year 2, the pupils sing tunefully and with confidence an increasing repertoire of appropriate songs and hymns. They know how to sing clearly and are able to sustain a steady pulse. They enjoy music lessons and show much productivity and creative effort in their learning. For example, the Year 2 pupils were helped to create graphic scores. They were able to use these to play their own compositions using a range of percussion instruments to good effect.

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MUSIC

141. In classes of the older pupils, the well planned teaching helps the pupils to build progressively on these earlier skills. They sing tunefully with good control of pitch, both in unison and in two parts. Towards the end of Key Stage 2, the pupils know how to play a range of more sophisticated instruments, both tuned and untuned. For example, in a Year 5 class, they worked productively in small groups to compose a class composition “Journey into Space”. They knew how to combine musical elements including dynamics, texture and tempo. They were able to programme an electronic keyboard to produce their intended effect and to perform from a graphic score using a well chosen range of percussion instruments. The high quality teaching helped the pupils to evaluate and improve their performance. The end product was recorded and the quality of their composition gave the pupils immense pride and satisfaction.

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MUSIC

142. The pupils benefit considerably from the high quality of specialist music teaching which they receive. This has done much to raise the standards in music. The pupils are taught appropriate knowledge, skills and understanding through a range of musical activities that integrate performing, composing and appraising. Good organisation and teaching methods enable the pupils to work on their own, in groups of various sizes and as a class. Effective use is made of ICT to capture, change and combine sounds. The pupils are introduced to a range of music from different times and cultures. For example, in one class, the “Alpha Dance” was used effectively to compare and contrast this piece with the pupils’ own compositions. They were able to describe the mood and feelings which the music evoked and to experience a sense of spirituality in their reflections on the similarities they noticed.

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MUSIC

143. Music is effectively co-ordinated and makes an important contribution to the aims of the school. All of the pupils have appropriate access to the full range of activities provided. The content of the work meets the requirements of the National Curriculum.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

144. Standards at the end of both key stages are in line with the national expectations. St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 46 March 2001 Pupils at Key Stage 1 exceed the levels expected for their age in gymnastics. Throughout the school pupils at all levels of attainment, including those with special educational needs, make good progress in all aspects of the subject.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

145. In dance and gymnastics, younger pupils make quick progress in learning how to find and use space. They move in different directions, varying their speed and the levels at which they work in response to teacher guidance and music. They transfer their work effectively from floor to small apparatus, working purposefully to improve the quality of performance. Many of the Key Stage 1 pupils benefit greatly from their participation in an extra-curricular gymnastics club. This has a positive effect on the quality of their work, which is often above average for their age. In dance, older pupils are able to plan and perform group dances effectively, using musical instruments to create beat and rhythm.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

146. In games, pupils at both key stages develop their skills through practice, and are able to apply them in competitive situations. They show good skills in striking, catching, fielding and throwing, and in finding and using space during team games. At the time of the inspection, the school held the Wigan Schools' Rugby League Championship, although it had not been possible to enter a team in the current season's competition. In swimming, a large majority of pupils are able to complete at least 25 metres unaided, before leaving the school at the end of Year 6. The programme of work also includes athletics and outdoor educational activities during the summer term.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

147. At both key stages, the quality of teaching and learning is generally good and often very good. During the inspection, 80 per cent of lessons observed were judged to be at least good and 40 per cent were very good. There were no unsatisfactory lessons. Lessons are well thought out and achieve a good balance between teacher direction and purposeful activities. In gymnastics, the teaching at Key Stage 1 is particularly good, and challenges the pupils to think about ways of improving the quality of their performance. Throughout the school, good class management and sensible intervention by teachers in the work of individuals are strong features in the teaching, promoting hard work by the pupils and encouraging them to make good use of the time available to practise their skills. Teachers successfully ensure that all pupils have access to all aspects of the subject. Boys and girls and pupils at different levels

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

of attainment are appropriately involved and extended. The quality of teaching has improved considerably since the last inspection when some lessons were judged to be unsatisfactory. St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary - 47 March 2001 148. Pupils at both key stages derive great enjoyment from their work in all aspects of physical education, and respond enthusiastically in all lessons. Younger pupils change into appropriate dress quickly and without fuss and move sensibly through the school to the hall. Older pupils take a pride in their performance and show a strong desire to improve the quality of their work. Behaviour is consistently of a very good standard at both key stages.

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