St George's CofE Primary School

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 14 – 18 January 2002

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PRIMARY 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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PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: The Hoskers Westhoughton Bolton Lancashire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Rev Gerald Broadbent

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 27 April 1998 St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 4 INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

18824 John Heap Registered inspector Art Physical education What sort of school is it? How high are standards? The school’s results and achievement. How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? 19335 Susan Dixon 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? 31786 Valerie Howells Team inspector Maths Design and technology Equal opportunities Special educational needs How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

14732 Enid Korn Team inspector Science Information and communication technology 22644 Barbara Hill Foundation Stage Geography History 2200 James Stirrup English Music

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The inspection contractor was: St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 5 PkR Educational Consultants Ltd 6 Sherman Road Bromley Kent BR1 3JH

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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 SCHOOL

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 6

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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 31

St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 7

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St George’s is a Church of England primary school that caters for pupils between the ages of three and 11 years. It is situated in Westhoughton, a small town near to Bolton. There are 237 pupils on the roll of the main school, 109 boys and 128 girls. This is an average sized school for England. The roll has fluctuated in recent years. Pupils arrive at school reflecting the full range of attainment levels, but overall attainment on entry is above average. Pupils are organised into seven classes, all of which have a single age group of pupils. However, there are eight teaching groups, of which two have more than one age group of pupils in them. The majority of pupils come from a large, residential catchment area that has few significant signs of deprivation. Housing ranges from local authority estates to private, individual dwellings. It is also a population which is mobile; for example, in the last school year, about one tenth of

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

the school population moved in and out. The vast majority of pupils are white and 12 of these are traveller children who tend to be away from the school from Easter to October. In addition, there are small numbers of pupils from a variety of ethnic heritages. Five pupils (2 per cent) have a first language other than English, which is a higher figure than most schools. There are 23 pupils (10 per cent) entitled to free school meals; this is around one half of the national average.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The 26-place Nursery caters for 30 boys and 22 girls presently. Children enter the Nursery at the age of three. There are no children on the special educational needs register.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

In the main school there are 25 pupils (10.5 per cent) on the register of special educational needs, the majority having moderate learning difficulties. This is well below the national average. Five pupils (2 per cent) have a Statement of Special Educational Need, which is above the national average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school. Standards are above average in national tests and pupils achieve satisfactorily. Teaching is good throughout the school. Pupils have very good attitudes to the school and behaviour is good. The leadership and management are very effective. Policies and practices successfully promote social and educational inclusion. Given the broadly average expenditure per pupil, the school provides good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • The school enables pupils to achieve well above average standards in English and science and above average standards in mathematics by the time they are 11 years old. • By the age of seven, standards in reading are very high; writing and mathematics standards are high. • The quality of teaching and learning is good. • Pupils’ attitudes to school and their work are very good. • The leadership and management of the school are very good. • Overall, the quality and range of learning opportunities is good; provision for personal, social and health education is very good. • The provision for spiritual, moral and cultural development is good and very good for social development. • The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. • Overall, the links with parents are good and parents contribute well to their children’s learning.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • There are no unsatisfactory areas of the school’s work, however, there are areas that need further improvement. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 8

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in April 1998. Since that time there has been good improvement overall. In relation to the key issues identified, they have mostly been developed well, most particularly the work in design and technology, information and communication technology and music. Teaching has developed well. Subject co-ordinators make a bigger impact on the school and cultural development has improved very well. Overall, satisfactory improvement has been made in the judging and tracking of individual pupils’ levels of attainment and progress, however, it has not been sufficient in science, information and communication technology and design and technology.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

There have been improvements in many other areas of school life; for example, good gains in the results of national tests; the overall programme of study is now broader than previously and the work in personal, social and health education has been enhanced through the development of a useful policy. Furthermore, the Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been implemented effectively.

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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

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

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STANDARDS

By the age of 11, pupils have made satisfactory progress from the above average start to their school career. In relation to all schools, standards are well above average in English and science and above average in mathematics. Results are more impressive when compared to schools with similar proportions of free school meals, because English results are very high (in the top 5 per cent), science results are well above average and mathematics results are above average. The trend in results since 1998 is broadly similar to the national average. Girls are doing better than boys in all subjects.

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STANDARDS

On entry to the Nursery, attainment is above average. Standards by the age of seven are very high in reading and well above average in writing and mathematics when compared to all schools. In relation to similar schools, the results are very high in reading, writing and mathematics. Over the last three years, results have improved significantly and have been well above average. The standards achieved by boys are better than those of girls in mathematics and there was no significant difference in reading and writing.

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STANDARDS

Overall, standards of work seen during the inspection are in line with national expectations by the age of 11. This represents satisfactory achievement on the part of the majority of pupils. Those with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language make satisfactory progress in relation to their prior levels of attainment. St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 9

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils enjoy school and are very enthusiastic about the variety of activities available.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils behave well in all areas of the school. Movement around the school is orderly. There have been three exclusions in the past year.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Good. The vast majority of pupils respect others, their views and property. Pupils are invariably polite to each other and adults.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Satisfactory. However, a significant number of pupils take holidays in term time and this has a detrimental effect upon their learning and progress. Unauthorised absence is above average.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

In 97 per cent of lessons, teaching is satisfactory or better, 27 per cent very good or better and 3 per cent unsatisfactory.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

In Years 1 and 2 the quality of teaching in English and mathematics is good. In Years 3 to 6, teaching is good in English and satisfactory in mathematics.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The teaching of pupils with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language is good. Much of the credit for this is the quality of the partnership between class teacher and learning support assistant.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Children in the Foundation Stage learn well. They make a great deal of effort and are very interested in what they do. This helps them to make good progress. Learning in Years 1 and 2 is good. Pupils learn the basic skills of English and mathematics well. They produce a lot of work at a good pace. In Years 3 to 6, learning is good, however, pupils’ skills at finding information and working independently are occasionally affected by the overuse of prepared worksheets.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Good, throughout the school. Policies and schemes of work are in place for all subjects. Statutory requirements are met for all subjects. There is a good range of activities outside lessons. The provision of personal, social and health education is very good. The school effectively ensures that all groups in the school are equally treated and have the opportunity to take part in all activities. St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 10 Aspect Comment

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils have equal access to the full curriculum. Individual education plans are well written and regularly reviewed. Links with parents are good. The quality of teaching is good. Management is good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory. Pupils are included in all activities. Support systems are informal, but there is no policy that clearly outlines the strategies to support this area of the school’s work.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Overall good. Provision for social development is very good. The statutory requirement to provide a daily act of collective worship is met. Opportunities are provided effectively for reflection, understanding and respecting a variety of viewpoints and heritages and developing relationships. Pupils are effectively taught the difference between right and wrong.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Procedures for child protection and ensuring pupils’ welfare are satisfactory. The monitoring and support of pupils’ academic progress and the use of information to guide curricular planning are satisfactory. Procedures to promote good behaviour and monitor pupils’ personal development are good. Procedures for monitoring and eliminating oppressive behaviour are good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Relationships with parents Parents’ views of the school are good. Links with parents are effective. The quality of information is satisfactory. Significant numbers of parents are involved in the work of the school and their children’s learning at home.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The school is led by a competent, caring and deeply committed headteacher who promotes stability, high expectations and good morale. He is well supported by the senior management team.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. The governing body fulfil their statutory responsibilities and hold the school to account. The Chair is knowledgeable and hard working. The school aims have not been reviewed for some time and this has led to them being out of focus.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The monitoring of teaching and feedback effectively raise standards of classroom practice. There is an effective analysis of data drawn from tests and general information. The school improvement plan is detailed and benefits from a thorough review of strengths, weaknesses and current standards.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Overall, financial planning and management are good. Educational priorities are appropriately costed and funded. Earmarked funds and grants are used appropriately. The principles for achieving value for money in the buying of services and resources are adequate. St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 11 There is a good match of staff to the demands of the curriculum. The accommodation is adequate. The school has a good range of learning resources. St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 12

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • They feel comfortable approaching the school. • The expectations placed on the child to work hard. • The way the school is helping their child to become more mature. • The good teaching. • Their child’s progress. • The quality of behaviour. • The quality of the leadership and management. • The provision of homework. • Information about their children’s progress.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Inspectors agree with the vast majority of positive comments. The provision of homework is generally satisfactory, however, it does not always develop and extend the work of the classroom. Information about children’s progress is satisfactory, but the areas of difficulty and specific targets for improvement are not clearly given. St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 13

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Early assessment of children who are in the nursery and reception classes indicates that they enter the school with above average attainment. They make good progress in their personal, social, numerical and oral development and achieve the Early Learning Goals before their fifth birthday. Progress is satisfactory in literacy, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development and creative development. Consequently, by the time they are five they have achieved the Early Learning Goals and their attainment is broadly average. A significant minority of children are embarking on work in the early stages of the National Curriculum.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. By the age of seven, standards in the 2001 national tests are very high (top 5 per cent) in reading and well above average in writing and mathematics when compared to all schools. In comparison to schools with a similar number of free school meals standards are very high in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher than expected standards at Level 3 is well above the national average in reading, writing, mathematics and science.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. By the age of 11, results in the 2001 national tests are well above the national average in English and science and above the national average in mathematics. When compared with similar schools, results are very high in English, above average in mathematics and well above average in science. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher than expected Level 5 was well above the national average in English and science and below the national average in mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Taken over three years, the results achieved by seven-year-olds in reading, writing and mathematics are above the national average. The results in 2001 are higher than this trend. Boys outperform the girls, most particularly in mathematics. Although national trends have remained steady, the school has been consistently above them in reading and writing, however, there have been slight inconsistencies, particularly in the 1998 writing tests. In mathematics, standards have fluctuated and they dipped in 1998 and 1999, nevertheless, standards have recovered since 1999. In the national tests for 11- year-olds, results over the last three years are above the national average in English and mathematics and slightly below average in science. Overall, results are above average. However, in all subjects the results have improved since 1997. Girls are significantly outperforming boys in all subjects. The overall trend in the school’s results

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

looks to be broadly in line with the national one.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. By the age of seven, standards of work seen during the inspection are above expectations in English, science and information and communication technology. Standards in science are average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. By the age of 11, standards of work seen are above expectations in science and information and communication technology and average in English and mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. In English, attainment in speaking and listening is good throughout the school. Pupils listen well and most are confident when joining in discussions. By the age of seven, pupils’ reading and writing skills are good. The majority of pupils read fiction skilfully and have appropriate methods for finding information in non-fiction books. Writing is well developed, with the majority of pupils applying good skills across an appropriately wide St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 14 range of writing activities. Higher attainers produce long pieces of accurate writing. By the age of 11, pupils continue to develop good basic skills. Most are fluent, accurate and expressive readers. However, their skills in reading works of fiction are stronger than those developed for non-fiction work. Most pupils write accurately for a variety of audiences and purposes. Their progress is restricted because there is an emphasis on

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

completing exercises rather than more extended and independent writing.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. By the age of seven, pupils have good mathematical language and explain the strategies they use for solving simple problems applying addition, subtraction and multiplication. Their attainment and achievement is in line with that indicated in the National Numeracy Strategy. Similarly, they have a secure knowledge and understanding of shape and measurement appropriate to their age. They understand the reasons for collecting data and construct and interrogate charts that they have made. They have good understanding of place value up to 100 and explain what makes a number odd or even. Overall, pupils at age seven have had very good mathematical experiences and are operating within levels above those expected nationally. By the age of 11, pupils' achievement is satisfactory and their attainment is in line with that expected. They have understanding of relevant multiplication facts and methods of computation, but are slow to recall number facts and do not always

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

understand what strategy will serve their needs when solving problems. On these occasions, they sometimes set out their work inappropriately, which, in turn, places constraints on the accuracy of the result.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. In science, pupils aged seven have sound knowledge and understanding of materials and their properties, sources of electricity and light and the external parts of the human body and how to keep the body healthy. Average and higher attaining pupils make sensible predictions and carefully observe phenomena. Eleven-year-olds are secure in their understanding of how to investigate and form simple hypotheses. They have a wide-ranging knowledge of materials and understand processes such as filtration and can investigate the solubility of sugar in water. Pupils know that mould grows on rotting food and that it contains harmful micro-organisms. Pupils are building a good range of knowledge and understanding of materials and their properties and the knowledge is growing year-on-year. Pupils are not sure of the possibilities that computers bring to scientific enquiry because their opportunities to use computers in conjunction with

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Standards in information and communication technology are above the national expectation by the end of both key stages. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils use a mouse with controlled accuracy and, with help, load, save and print. They can enter information into a database and show it as a simple bar chart or pictogram. They can use their skills in word-processing to reproduce some of their writing. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils write, edit and print their own work. They enter information onto a database and can represent this pictorially in a number of ways.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. Overall, standards of work seen during the inspection never fall below the expected level at the ages of seven and 11. By the age of seven, standards in art and design, design and technology, geography and history are above expectations. By the age of 11, standards in art and design and design and technology are above expectations. 12. Pupils from travelling families are well supported during the time that they are in the school and they take work from the school when they are away from the area. Both the school and the families ensure that work is done and pupils achieve as well as their peers; this is confirmed in the results achieved in national tests. St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 15 13. Overall, pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress in relation to their prior levels of attainment. They make this level of progress because they receive good support in the classroom and work is well matched to their needs. Higher

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

attaining pupils are well served by the grouping arrangements in mathematics that place pupils with similar levels of attainment in the same group.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

14. The school is successful in fostering the needs of pupils learning English as an additional language. Teachers, members of the special needs department and classroom assistants provide pupils with satisfactory support, which enables them to make sound progress relative to their individual needs.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Pupils have very good attitudes to their work. They come to school eager to learn and they approach their lessons and activities with great enthusiasm. This has a positive effect upon their learning and produces a good learning environment. Pupils respond very well to stimulating questions and offer confident and well-considered replies. Pupils listen very well to their teachers and each other; instructions are followed quickly and quietly. Pupils are hard working and concentrate well throughout the day. As they move through the school they develop good independent learning skills, but in some lessons the opportunity for pupils to develop and use these skills is restricted by the overuse of worksheets for independent activities. Pupils work together well in groups and alone when required; for example, in a Year 6 English lesson where pupils composed short poems in small groups or pairs. Pupils displayed respect for each

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

other’s ideas and made decisions together with ease. The value placed upon pupils and their achievements is evident through the good use of praise to recognise effort and encourage confidence and with attractive displays of work throughout the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. The behaviour of all pupils is good, which has a beneficial effect upon their learning and the school community as a whole. Pupils behave consistently well in lessons and assemblies. The school has identified a very small amount of unacceptable behaviour at lunch-times more usually amongst older pupils. Changes in lunch-time procedures and the introduction of a structured personal and social education programme have proved successful. Since the start of this academic year, the number of incidents of poor behaviour, bullying or racial incidents has dropped considerably. Inspection evidence supports the school’s view that even greater improvement will follow. Pupils like the school’s system of rewards and sanctions and feel it is effective. They feel that behaviour has improved recently. There have been three exclusions in the past year. There are good procedures in place to support exclusions and help pupils on their

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. The relationships amongst all members of the school community are good. This creates a co-operative and purposeful atmosphere. Pupils are polite and helpful to each other and also towards adults. They show respect for the feelings and views of their fellow pupils and reflect the good role models presented to them by the adults in school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Pupil’s personal development is good. Pupils are encouraged to act responsibly, they are offered a variety of duties in the classroom and opportunities to serve the whole school community. Throughout the school and in the Nursery, children act in a mature and sensible way. Pupils have good opportunities to voice their opinions in lessons and through regular circle times. St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 16 19. Attendance levels are satisfactory overall and for most pupils are above the national average. However, a significant number of pupils take holidays in term time and this has a detrimental effect upon their learning and progress. Whilst most pupils consistently arrive at school on time, a number are late and miss the start of the first lesson. Registration time is brief and efficient providing a prompt start to the school day.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

20. The school is successful at making sure that traveller pupils, those learning English as an additional language and pupils with special educational needs are an integral part of the school community. Pupils learning English as an additional language take a positive approach to all subject activities and work well with those members of staff giving them support.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Overall, the quality of teaching is good. In the lessons observed, 97 per cent were satisfactory or better; 27 per cent very good or better and 3 per cent satisfactory. This is a good improvement since the last inspection, when the judgement was satisfactory. The amount of unsatisfactory teaching has reduced from almost 10 per cent and the amount of very good teaching has risen from about 15 per cent. Throughout the school, the quality of teachers’ planning is at least good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. The teaching in the nursery and reception classes is good. Significant strengths are: - the teaching and learning of letter-sounds as an early reading skill; - strong staff knowledge and understanding of young children and the ways that they learn; for example, in a story time at the end of a session the teacher interested the pupils by introducing lots of expression into her voice as she read the book with the children; - the very good management of children as; for example, when the children were doing music, the teacher used praise well to motivate and encourage them and they responded by behaving very well; - the excellent support from classroom assistants is seen in all the lessons, most particularly when they sit with those needing extra assistance and make sure that the child knows what to do.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Overall, teaching in Years 1 and 2 is good. However, there is a range that runs from excellent to unsatisfactory. Nine out of ten lessons were good or better and the rest were unsatisfactory. In the best lessons, the strengths are: - the very good management of pupils; for example, in a Year 1 science lesson pupils could investigate the properties of various materials and become very enthusiastic without the lesson becoming too difficult, consequently, the pupils work hard and concentrate for long periods; - the brisk pace and very good use of support staff and resources was shown in a Year 1 English lesson and this led to all the pupils completing their work, including those with special educational needs who were given the right level of assistance at the appropriate time, particularly in the use of letter-sounds to help in reading. 24. In the unsatisfactory lessons, the main shortcomings in the English lesson were the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

slow pace and pupils having difficulty understanding what they were supposed to be doing. C onsequently, pupils did not learn very much and did not produce much work. In the science lesson, the planning was weak and the teacher’s knowledge and understanding were below expectations. Again, pupils did not learn a great deal and were confused about what they were expected to do. However, the same teacher also produced a majority of lessons that were good and an excellent English lesson. In this excellent lesson, the strengths were: St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 17 - very good planning of activities so that all the pupils were totally involved as the various activities were seamlessly linked together; - high expectations that were shown in the detailed and wide-ranging questioning; - very good use of resources; for example, small whiteboards that enabled all pupils to make a contribution;

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

- very good support for lower attaining pupils from classroom assistants who were well briefed.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. Teaching in Years 3 to 6 is good. More than eight out of ten lessons were good or better and the rest were satisfactory. The use of specialist teaching in subjects such as science and design and technology is proving successful, because of very good subject knowledge and understanding, as seen in a Year 6 science lesson where the teacher was able to maintain a brisk pace and introduce scientific vocabulary, pertinent observations for the pupils to do, simple hypothesising and testing the theory. In the best lessons the strengths were: - very good management of pupils linked to very good attitudes to learning; for example, in a Year 5 information and communication technology lesson pupils worked collaboratively and co-operatively and used the computer to design a bedroom. The working together generated a wealth of ideas that would not have been likely if pupils had worked on their own; - very good use of support staff and resources and a brisk pace were seen in an

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

excellent mathematics lesson where lower attainers and pupils with special educational needs completed the same work. The exemplary work of the classroom assistant meant that these pupils completed some of the extension work that was on offer and consequently made very good progress. Pupils are interested, concentrate well and are becoming more independent. However, there is an over-reliance on commercially produced worksheets in subjects such as English, when the emphasis is on developing basic skills.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. Teachers provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to use literacy and numeracy. However, there is insufficient use of information and communication technology skills in some other subjects: - literacy skills are developed in history when pupils are researching ancient civilisations such as the Egyptians and Romans. Pupils report on visits to places like Smithills Hall, which links well with their history topic on the Tudors; - numeracy knowledge and understanding is important in Years 1 and 2 science when pupils are sorting and classifying materials and other things. Also Year 6 are deeply involved in a topic about the Victorians and worked hard on census materials from 1841 producing a tally chart relating to people’s jobs; - information and communication technology makes an effective contribution to the good standards in art and design and helps to enhance the pupil’s use and enjoyment of vivid colours. There are also good links with design and technology as

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

the pupils design a bedroom and the computer allows them to see their design from a variety of angles and in two and three dimensions. Nevertheless, in subjects such as science and mathematics opportunities are missed to develop skills further.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. Teaching is good throughout the school in English, art and design, design and technology, information and communication technology, music and physical education. In science, teaching is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and good in Years 3 to 6, where the co-ordinator teaches all the classes. In mathematics, teaching is good in Years 1 and 2 and satisfactory in Years 3 to 6. There was insufficient evidence to make a secure judgement in history and geography. St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 18 28. Homework and reading at home are well supported. There are some inconsistencies in the provision of homework; some supports the work done in lessons well and some does not. Homework books involve parents well, but they have little direct link with daily work and communication with class teachers about the homework set is infrequent.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

29. Marking in all subjects is at least satisfactory. Work is corrected and targets are set at the end to improve pieces of work. Some teachers even go so far as to give specific examples of how work can be improved. There is, however, inconsistency in this practice. The teacher in Year 6 has recently introduced termly targets for improvement in English in the inside front cover of pupils’ books. It would be to the school’s advantage to share this good practice in all years and for all subjects.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

30. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported in lessons. The school makes sure that all pupils are involved equally in everything the school does. This is achieved by matching work to the needs of individual pupils and providing special needs support at the right time. Furthermore, the local education authority liaises well with the school and individual teachers and provides specialist help and advice for special needs assistants. Links with outside agencies are good and productive. Traveller’s children attend the school for six months each year and they take part in all activities as normal. They are appropriately given work to take with them when they are on the road to ensure that they are consolidating their learning as far as possible. Parents are very grateful for this.

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

31. Pupils learning English as an additional language are supported well and make satisfactory progress with their learning in all areas of the curriculum. Teachers have a clear knowledge of the needs of individual pupils learning English as a second language and adapt their teaching styles and learning opportunities to meet their needs.

p.18

PUPILS?

32. Curriculum provision throughout the school is good. The school provides a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum to meet statutory requirements and to reflect the aims of a voluntary aided Church of England school to ensure that pupils are valued and develop academic social and personal skills within a caring and supportive environment. In the Foundation Stage, the nationally established Early Learning Goals are promoted effectively. Children receive a wide variety of experiences in all the required areas of learning. They make good progress during the Foundation Stage.

p.18

PUPILS?

33. The curriculum in Years 1 to 6 covers all areas of the National Curriculum and the Church of England syllabus for religious education. Statutory requirements are appropriately met and the gaps in the English, mathematics and science programmes noted at the time of the last inspection have been dealt with satisfactorily. Time allocation to subjects is appropriate overall; teachers make good use of this time to promote pupils’ intellectual, physical and personal development.

p.18

PUPILS?

34. All subject co-ordinators have ensured that there are policies and schemes of work for each subject. These range from the nationally recommended Qualification and Curriculum Authority guidelines to commercial schemes of work for English and mathematics. They offer clear guidance on the development of pupils’ knowledge and skills. Work in subjects is planned to match the needs of the full range of pupils and in all classes this is successful. Classes are grouped according to ability and the work provided ensures equal access and opportunity for all groups of pupils. Work is well St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 19 matched to individual pupils’ levels of attainment and this leads to challenging activities for all the pupils in the vast majority of classes.

p.18

PUPILS?

35. The Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been implemented effectively throughout the school and sufficient time is given to each subject. All classes have daily literacy and numeracy hours and this time is planned and used well to promote appropriate learning opportunities for all pupils. In addition to the literacy hour, time is provided for pupils throughout the school to develop their writing skills. A detailed curriculum programme indicates where literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology are to be included in other curriculum areas.

p.19

PUPILS?

36. Visits to places of interest; for example, art exhibitions, museums, theatre and cinema, enhance learning for all and are greatly appreciated by the pupils.

p.19

PUPILS?

37. The groups of teachers in Years 1 and 2 and Years 3 to 6 plan together to ensure that learning is continuous and pupils progress appropriately through a programme that gives full coverage of the National Curriculum. Teachers break down termly plans into sufficiently detailed daily lesson plans. The subject co-ordinators monitor these termly plans, with the headteacher checking the whole curriculum.

p.19

PUPILS?

38. The school makes satisfactory provision for activities outside lessons. Pupils participate in an appropriate range of sports. Pupils participate in the information and communication technology club and musical activities, including choir and dance. They enjoy the French club and have visited the local special school to run the French café. In addition, pupils are encouraged to join the uniformed youth organisations that meet in the school. The school has good links with its partner institutions that assist transition from Year 6 to Year 7. Pupils with special educational needs attend their new schools on different days so that they get to know the staff and pupils whom they will encounter in the new term.

p.19

PUPILS?

39. Opportunities for pupils to access the whole of the planned curriculum are very good. The school fully meets the requirements of the Code of Practice for pupils with special educational needs. Individual educational plans are well written, with clear targets. Throughout the school, provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The special educational needs co-ordinator and headteacher strive constantly to meet pupils’ needs by providing good quality support in the classroom and obtaining assistance for individual pupils from outside agencies. The school’s provision for personal, social and health education is good, including that for sex education and substance misuse, although the programme is at too early a stage of development to be judged for its overall effectiveness. The school has detailed policies that deal with ensuring that pupils have full access to all school provision, with particular emphasis on

p.19

PUPILS?

promoting racial harmony and good behaviour on the playground.

p.19

PUPILS?

40. Pupils learning English as an additional language are involved equally in all areas of the curriculum, including the activities outside lessons.

p.19

PUPILS?

41. Pupils from travelling families attend school for about six months of the year and are fully included into school life. The curriculum is adjusted to meet their needs if necessary and continuation work is provided for pupils, when they are on the move with their families, to ensure that their learning continues appropriately.

p.19

PUPILS?

42. Overall, provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. This represents good improvement since the previous inspection when the standard of St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 20 provision was found to be satisfactory. Provision for pupils’ cultural development has improved from unsatisfactory at the time of the previous inspection to good.

p.19

PUPILS?

43. Pupils’ spiritual development is well provided for in the programme of daily assemblies that reflect the school’s religious character. These take place in the school hall, which is also the ‘church’ and which has stained glass windows, an altar and candles. This impressive environment adds to the effective spiritual atmosphere of assemblies, which include prayer, a hymn and a reflective element. Assemblies are closely linked to the religious education programme and also to national occasions. Aspects of some of the displays in the classrooms of the younger pupils related to winter weather have a spiritual element and create a sense of awe for the pupils; for example, the ice cave in the Nursery. In Year 1, the pupils have written simple winter prayers to accompany their display.

p.20

PUPILS?

44. The school’s provision for moral development is good. Pupils are very effectively taught to distinguish right from wrong, to collect for charitable causes and to become part of a community. Aspects of good citizenship are frequently incorporated. For example, at the time of the inspection, the school was preparing for Holocaust Memorial Day and strong moral messages of the evils of racism were presented to the whole school in a most powerful manner. Some pupils in Year 6 are given responsibility to plan and present the contents of one assembly a week on a regular basis. For the Holocaust assembly these pupils presented a small mime based upon a story from the book of Daniel, to further illustrate the moral injustice of not allowing freedom of worship and thought.

p.20

PUPILS?

45. The provision for social development is very good. Circle time (whole-class discussion) is planned into the curriculum for each class. They provide pupils with the opportunity to discuss the implications of their actions on others as they learn to become part of a community. Additionally, the school has a trained counsellor who is available for any pupil who expresses a need. In each classroom there is a signed contract, reminding pupils of their commitment to working in a manner that is considerate to others. Merit awards celebrate the achievement of pupils who have striven to improve their social skills or their work. There is a house point system that encourages pupils to work as part of a team and older pupils are the house captains. The residential experience gives older pupils an opportunity to learn to live with others. In many lessons, such as in computer studies, design and technology and science, pupils are encouraged to work

p.20

PUPILS?

together, learn to share equipment and consider the needs of others.

p.20

PUPILS?

46. The school also involves pupils in the social life of the community. It has recently held its second art exhibition for the parents and the community and works from this are now placed in the communal buildings in the locality, such as doctors’ surgeries and supermarkets. Pupils bring harvest gifts to share with the community and they take an active part in the local carol service.

p.20

PUPILS?

47. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is good and is supported by work in many subjects. Pupils learn some cultural traditions from around the world in art, making masks based upon original African, carved wooden masks, Aztec masks similar to those worn by the High Priest and representations of Aboriginal art from Australia. Pupils also study Western artists such as Mondrian and also a range of music. There is a wide range of visits to support and extend pupils’ cultural development, such as to the museum to see an Egyptology exhibition and all pupils are taken to the theatre. Visitors frequently come to the school, ranging from a local baker to someone providing an illustrated talk about the Romans. In the Nursery, and to a lesser extent in the reception year, pupils learn about the customs of other communities in the locality, St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 21 such as the Chinese New Year and Diwali celebrations, but provision for this aspect of

p.20

PUPILS?

the pupils’ cultural development has not permeated into the main school.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. The school provides a safe and caring environment where all are equally valued. All pupils are well supported by the good relationships that exist and the good provision for pastoral support. All adults are sensitive to each pupil’s particular needs and difficulties. When needed, the liaison between the school and external support agencies is good. Pupils learning English as an additional language, those with special educational needs or from the traveller community are all fully integrated into all aspects of school life. Parents of traveller pupils, in particular, feel that they and their families are warmly welcomed and that their children are offered excellent support whilst in school and by the provision of suitable work when they are away.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. The school has satisfactory arrangements for the care and protection of its pupils, including child protection and health and safety arrangements that benefit from the close involvement of the governing body. Whilst there is no specific school policy or written guidance for staff, the adults in school have received high quality training and have an appropriate level of awareness. Members of staff who have recently joined the school have yet to benefit from such training.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. The procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are effective. There is a clear and workable system of rewards and sanctions that are well understood by all. Pupils are involved in discussions about the school rules and they follow them well. Behaviour is checked vigilantly and detailed records are maintained. The procedures for monitoring and eliminating oppressive behaviour are also good. Parents feel that any unacceptable incidents are dealt with effectively. A significant improvement in behaviour overall has occurred as a result of the appointment of the school counsellor, the introduction of a more structured approach to personal and social education and the provision of greater support at lunch-times for staff and pupils.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. The procedures for checking and improving attendance are satisfactory. Administrative procedures are generally efficient and detailed monitoring information is readily available. This represents an improvement since the last inspection. The school meets statutory requirements with regard to the publishing of attendance figures and in the registration of pupils each day. However, there are a significant number of absences due to holiday-taking in term time and a number of pupils have records of lateness.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

52. The procedures for checking and supporting pupils’ personal development are good. The school maintains detailed written records to support this area and takes effective action should any particular problems arise. The support for pupils facing individual difficulties is good and pupils develop well as responsible and mature young people. Overall, the very good social development and the good range of activities outside lessons adds considerably to this provision.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

53. Overall, procedures for judging pupils’ levels of attainment and recording these judgements are satisfactory. Whilst there has been satisfactory improvement since the previous inspection, there is still room for further improvement, particularly in science, information and communication technology and design and technology.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

54. The process for judging children’s attainment in the Nursery is good and these initial judgements are gained from the use of procedures recommended by the local authority. The information gathered from this enables teachers to set ‘stepping stone’ St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 22 targets in literacy, numeracy, creative and physical development. There are half-termly checks on progress, which lead to parents being accurately informed of their child’s progress. All records are passed on to reception class teachers.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

55. All teachers judge pupils’ levels of attainment in English, mathematics and science in Years 1 to 6 each year. This takes place within the first few weeks of pupils entering their new classes. Teachers then use this information to set individual targets for the end of year, optional and statutory National Curriculum tests. This information is also used to group pupils in mathematics on the basis of prior attainment. However, this grouping does not happen in English or science. Furthermore, once pupils are placed in these groups there are no strategies and procedures in place to check improvement. The only means of checking pupils’ achievement of targets is through the level obtained in the end of year National Curriculum tests. Consequently, procedures for judging pupils’ attainment do not inform teachers’ planning of the curriculum, in subjects such as science, information and communication technology and design and technology.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

56. However, teachers use a number of informal procedures to judge progress over time; for example, teachers identify on their weekly plans those pupils who do, or do not, achieve the objectives of individual lessons. Teachers also judge pupils’ levels of attainment at the end of a section of work in maths and science, although not in English.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

57. The school uses a satisfactory range and number of annual procedures to judge pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics, including several, appropriate commercial tests. There are currently no formal procedures for judging and recording attainment in some subjects, although occasionally some judgements take place at the end of topics in subjects such as history or geography. Pupils and parents are given teachers’ judgements of National Curriculum Levels of Attainment for all subjects on pupils’ annual progress reports.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

58. In relation to pupils learning English as an additional language, there are satisfactory, informal systems in place to support the judging of their levels of attainment. They do not, however, have any formal documentation, similar to a special educational needs individual education plan, which clearly identifies targets for improvement and sets out strategies as to how these can be achieved.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

59. The parent’s views of the school are good. Parents are appreciative of all that the school provides and feel that it is a welcoming and happy place. In particular they are very pleased with the good teaching, the schools high expectations and the way the school is helping their child to become mature and responsible. Some parents are not happy with information they receive about how their child is getting on and the homework provision. The inspection findings support the positive views of parents. Inspection evidence finds that the information provided for parents is satisfactory overall and that the homework provided is also satisfactory.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

60. The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents is good. The headteacher and staff are approachable and parents are welcomed into school. Parents are well involved in the life of the school and are invited to special events and assemblies. Parents feel well involved in the life of the school. Parent’s views are regularly sought through questionnaires and discussion and the school responds well to any issues raised; for example, by providing information about coming work and opportunities to gain insight St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 23 into the work their children do through mathematics and information and communication technology workshops.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

61. The impact of parent’s involvement on the work of the school is good. A number of parents are able to provide regular help in school. Others willingly share their particular skills and interests for example by supporting school productions or events organised by the Parent Teacher Association.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

62. The quality of the information provided for parents is satisfactory overall and much is of a good quality. Parents of nursery children receive very good quality information about all aspects of nursery life and how they may help their children at home. The school’s brochure and governors’ annual report meet requirements and newsletters are well written and informative. There is helpful guidance on helping at home with mathematics and English. Information about pupils’ work and progress is conveyed in satisfactory, annual written reports. These include good information about pupils’ personal progress and explain what a child can do, however, areas of difficulty and specific targets for improvement are not clearly given. Parents feel that for some subjects of the curriculum the information given does not adequately reflect the individual child. Inspection findings support this view. There are two consultation events each year that

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

give the opportunity for the exchange of more detailed information. Parents of pupils with special educational needs receive additional information about their child’s progress and are appropriately involved in regular reviews of their children’s individual education plans. St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 24 63. The parents’ contribution to their children’s learning at home and school is good. Parents provide good support for the work that the school does and are appreciative of all that is provided.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

64. The lines of communication for pupils learning English as an additional language and opportunities for discussion with parents are the same as for those of all pupils in the school.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. The school is led and managed by a good headteacher who is particularly effective at facing challenges and finding solutions. For example, the quality of teaching has been improved by the introduction of three initiatives: - specialist teaching in Years 3 to 6 in subjects such as science and design and technology; - grouping pupils on the basis of prior attainment in English and mathematics; - making the morning session longer, with two play-times so that more work can be undertaken whilst pupils are at their most alert.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. As a result, standards are rising. He has also led the school’s strategy to improve the building resources. For instance, the Nursery was housed in cramped conditions inside the main building until the purpose-built Nursery was erected adjacent to the school. There are plans currently underway to improve the main building so that library facilities are improved.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. The headteacher is also deeply committed to the school’s mission: ‘A school at the heart of the community with the community at its heart’. It is obvious from parents’ reactions that the school is meeting this aim well, particularly in its relationship with the church and the broad community. For instance, he is effective in making sure that all pupils are equally involved in everything the school does. This is particularly important for the group of traveller children and their parents. They speak warmly of the school’s positive approach to them and that arrangements are consistent with those for the vast majority of pupils. The headteacher ensures that aims and targets are successfully met, however, the school aims have not been reviewed for some years and are not as clear as they ought to be.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. The headteacher is well supported by the senior staff and by subject co-ordinators. The deputy head is new to the post, but his good skills as a teacher and in effectively developing the provision for special educational needs are emphasising his worth to the school. Overall, the staff are highly committed to the school and there is a common will to continue improving. In fact, these strengths are common ones amongst the members of the senior management team. However, subject co-ordinators are not as influential as they ought to be because of limited opportunities to check on the quality of teaching throughout the school. This is particularly the case with regard to teachers in Years 1 and 2, who do not have opportunities to see teaching throughout the school.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69. Governors are effective. The Chair of Governors is knowledgeable and hard-working. Scrutiny of governors’ meeting minutes and discussions show the governors to be highly aware of current educational issues and how they affect the school. Governors are keen and enthusiastic, act as a ‘critical friend’ and get directly involved in checking the school’s work; for instance, the curriculum committee: - receive reports on individual subjects from co-ordinators; St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 25 - discuss, in detail, the implications of the government’s annual report about standards in the school. The headteacher provides them with good analysis and guidance.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

70. Governors are well informed and seek measures of strengths and weaknesses from several quarters; for instance: - comparative information from similar schools on areas such as standards and financial expenditure; - objective reports on provision and standards from outside agencies such as the local education authority.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

71. Overall, arrangements for the monitoring of teaching are satisfactory. Much good work has been done in relation to the effective approach to teachers' performance management. This is supported by the good work and feedback from governors and the local authority in checking provision and standards. Other methods of checking teachers’ and pupils’ work are good, such as keeping collections of pupils’ work in art.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

72. Financial management and the strategic use of funding are effective. Specific grants are spent appropriately. The management is supported well by the administrative officer. The school development plan is a very detailed document that identifies entirely relevant priorities and financial judgements support these targets. Furthermore, the headteacher has instituted very effective principles to support the management and use of resources; for example, staff visit other schools to ‘compare’ standards of teaching and the methods used; it responds to ‘challenges’ provided by the parents in the regular questionnaires; it ‘consults’ parents through the use of workshops on literacy and numeracy and they use ‘competitive’ principles when buying-in good quality supplies and services.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

73. The school benefits from good day-to-day management by the headteacher and senior staff. They are well supported by an effective administrator who ensures that teachers' time is not wasted on bureaucratic activities. Crucially, teachers are free to get on with the job of teaching. The administrator uses new technology effectively. This is particularly helpful in financial dealings and providing governors with up-to-date information.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

74. The management of the structures to support pupils learning English as an additional language is informal, although class teachers clearly know the requirements of these pupils within their classes. This is rarely more than a single pupil. The school does not have a policy and has no specific documentation in place that clearly outlines the strategies and structures to support this area of the school’s work.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

75. The match of teachers and support staff to the demands of the curriculum is good. The quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection and a significant reason for this is the effective work done by support assistants. Furthermore, staff expertise is well supported by the in-service training programme that has promoted success in the implementation and use of skills in literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology. The headteacher works very hard when a teaching post becomes available in the school. For example, when the deputy head was appointed he visited the candidates’ schools, consulted pupils and staff within his own school and briefed the governors carefully. This detailed approach is continued when a new appointee starts work at the school and procedures for his/her induction are satisfactory. St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 26 76. The accommodation is new, light and well ventilated, which provides an attractive

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

environment for learning and one suitable for the teaching of the National Curriculum. Staff and pupils take a great deal of effort in producing colourful and lively displays that further enhance the building and the effective learning environment. There is a well- equipped fiction and non-fiction library, hall, additional shared teaching spaces and a newly established computer suite. There are extensive recreational areas set aside for play-times. Plans to further improve the library provision is planned to start immediately after the inspection.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

77. The provision of resources is good and meets the needs of the National Curriculum. They are well organised and easily accessible to staff. This represents a significant area of improvement since the last inspection when there were weaknesses in the information and communication technology provision and a shortage of design and technology equipment. St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 27

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

78. To further develop this good school, the governors and headteacher should consider the following areas for improvement:

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- increase the regularity of short-term judgements of pupils’ attainment; - increase the formal recording of individual pupils’ attainment; - increase the checking of individual progress so that teachers know the level of attainment for each pupil as they move through the year and throughout the school. (Paragraphs 53, 55, 56, 57) St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 28

p.27

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 57

p.28

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very poor

p.28

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than one percentage point.

p.28

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.28

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 26 236

p.28

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 23

p.28

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.28

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 0

p.28

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 25

p.28

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.28

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 5

p.28

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.28

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.28

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 16

p.28

Attendance

School data 5.5 School data 0.8 St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 29 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.28

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 30

p.29

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 11 23 34

p.30

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.30

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

Boys 11 11 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 23 22 23

p.30

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (91) 97 (97) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.30

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.30

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

Boys 11 11 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 23 23 23

p.30

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (97) 100 (100) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.30

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

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

p.30

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 13 19 32

p.30

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.30

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

Boys 9 11 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 19 15 19

p.30

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

Percentage of pupils School 88 (80) 81 (72) 97 (96) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.30

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.30

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

Boys 10 11 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 18 15 19

p.30

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

Percentage of pupils School 88 (68) 81 (76) 97 (92) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.30

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 31

p.30

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 1 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.31

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 2 Black – African heritage 1 0

p.31

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 1 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

p.31

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) 8.6 Financial year 2000

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 438673

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 8 Total expenditure 484987

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 180 Expenditure per pupil 1858

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 45364

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 55523

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

p.31

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 32

p.31

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 3.2

p.31

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 4.2

p.31

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.31

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0

p.31

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 32 FTE means full-time equivalent. St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 33

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 58 35 4 1 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 48 47 3 1 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 32 53 12 2 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 35 48 15 1 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 60 38 2 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 66 32 1 1 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 34 52 9 1 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 52 46 1 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 57 41 1 0 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 53 37 7 0 3 St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 34

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

79. The last inspection reported good progress in the Nursery and satisfactory progress in the reception class. The curriculum had general breadth, balance and relevance. In Reception, physical and creative areas of learning were underdeveloped. Teaching overall was good. Findings in this inspection show that there has been good improvement in the Foundation Stage. The curriculum has good breadth, balance and relevance. Progress is good. All areas of learning are now well developed. Teaching is good overall, with over one half being very good, including some examples of excellent teaching. The teacher, nursery nurses and classroom support assistants know and understand the nationally recommended Early Learning Goals and plan the curriculum to attain them. Through well-planned classroom organisation and effective methods, children feel secure and are confident in working independently. Good

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

leadership from the co-ordinator ensures that a very good team spirit exists in the Foundation Stage. Excellent support is given from the classroom assistants.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

80. Overall, attainment on entry is above average. Within six weeks of starting in the Nursery the staff use an initial judgement of children’s levels of attainment to identify the stage that they have reached in language and literacy, mathematics and emotional and social behaviour. An early meeting is called after the children start school, to inform the parents of their children’s progress. The school has a very close working partnership with the parents, whose contributions are much valued. School records of progress in the six areas of learning are kept, highlighting the steps the children have taken towards reaching the Early Learning Goals in the nursery and reception classes. Through effective teaching the children are on course to reach these goals by the time they are ready to start in Year 1.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

81. Information for parents is very good. Parents are welcomed to an open week before their children start school and receive booklets on how to help their children. The school is justly proud of the new Nursery, built in year 2000. New storage facilities have been bought for the reception class to improve the environment and provide easier access to resources.

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Personal, social and emotional development

82. Most children enter the Nursery with good personal and social development. Good teaching in the Foundation Stage builds on these skills by encouraging the children to feel confident about what they can achieve. They are able to try things, initiate ideas and speak in a group. Children are given opportunities to make choices. In the ‘Little Dragon Snack Bar’ they can make their own sandwiches and choose brown or white bread and one of three fillings. Very good personal development is seen when the children help each other and take turns in conversation. Everyday routines are planned so that the children feel secure. They know the pattern of the day and look forward to special times, such as story time, when they are able to maintain attention, concentrate and sit still. The children are very well behaved because of the good relationships with the adults. Requests such as ‘Don’t shout out’ are made with a smile.

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Personal, social and emotional development

83. The children in the Foundation Stage are aware of their own needs and are sensitive to the needs of others. A welcome sign in the Nursery reads ‘Smile and Spread Some Joy’. Sensitive teaching gives the children rich experiences in learning about other cultures. They celebrated Diwali by wearing special clothes, sharing traditional sweets St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 35 and dancing. Interacting well together, they are able to show and express their feelings. Moving on they learn to work as part of a group or class. Through clear guidelines they understand the need for rules so that adults and children can work harmoniously together. Very good organisation and planning enables the children to select and choose activities and resources, so that they become independent.

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Communication, language and literacy

84. This area of learning is very well taught due to the good subject knowledge and understanding of the teachers. Using elements of the National Literacy Strategy, an hour’s literacy is planned through the day. The children are well on course to reach the Early Learning Goals and most will be following the National Curriculum when they enter Year 1.

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Communication, language and literacy

85. In both classes, the children enjoy listening to stories. The stories are very well read so that the children are keen to answer questions. Very good, secure relationships mean that all the children are willing to give a point of view. The teachers listen carefully to what the children have to say. This shows the children that their efforts at communicating are valued. In the Nursery, the children listened to the story of ‘The Little Red Hen’, with delight. They were able to join in the repeated phrases, ‘Not I!’ and offer opinions, ‘I think the animals are going to help’. The children in the reception class could name the animals in ‘Hairy McClary’ and brainstorm rhymes, such as hairy, scary, dairy. Very good opportunities for developing speech are provided through imaginative role play and through reporting back at the end of lessons.

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Communication, language and literacy

86. Direct teaching of the basic skills is very good. The children are given strategies to help them in reading. They use the pictures, the sense of the story and their knowledge of the initial sounds of letters, so that by the end of the reception year most children are confident early readers. Elements of the literacy framework are well used by the teachers so that a good understanding of phonics is developed through effective word, sentence and text level work, using well known stories and rhymes.

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Communication, language and literacy

87. Very attractive writing centres are organised in both classes. The Nursery teacher has planned exciting resources in the mark-making trolley. The children are encouraged to write by the large range of pencils, papers, jotters and invitation cards. They can make marks and lines and trace over or write under the teacher’s writing. Many can write their own names and they all know how to hold a pencil. Very good, guided writing is planned in the reception class. The children can write a sentence and are beginning to use capital letters and full stops. They enjoy working independently in their phonic workbooks.

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Mathematical Development

88. Children are above average in mathematics when they enter the school. Teachers build well on this knowledge so that the children are well on course to reach and many will exceed, the Early Learning Goals. The children in the Nursery can count up to five. Lively teaching makes the counting fun. Moving on, the children wave their hands and count on to ten. Very good use of number rhymes and songs helps the children to order numbers. The teacher uses resources well, such as a bag of soft toys for adding one more and for taking one away. Challenging teaching asks ‘How many left? Can you guess? Is she right?’.

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Mathematical Development

89. In the reception class, the children can count up to 100 and enjoy counting in tens. Work in the books is well presented and shows a wide range of mathematical activities. St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 36 The children can order numbers up to and back from twenty. They can count on from a given number and fill in missing numbers. Children develop mathematical ideas through the very good subject knowledge of the teacher. They understand that addition is combining two groups and that subtraction is taking away. Children interact well in group-work, by teaching each other. They can use the McDonald Farm maps to make sets of animals, and from the Nursery onwards, teachers develop mathematical language so that the children can describe ‘more’, ‘less’, ‘heavier’, ‘lighter’, ‘full’ and ‘empty’ when comparing two quantities. Exciting teaching links mathematics to other areas of learning: measuring in design and technology, shapes in creative development

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Mathematical Development

and money in the knowledge and understanding of the world.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

90. The children are well on course to reach the Early Learning Goals. They enter the school with the basics of general knowledge. They are introduced to the richness of other cultures in celebrating Diwali. In the Nursery, the teacher and nursery nurse plan walking trails through the school’s playground so that the children learn to observe and follow a route. They understand about growing up when talking about their families. Very good use of photographs, such as pictures tracing the building of the Nursery, help the children to understand the passage of time.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

91. Adults support the children well in investigating objects and materials by encouraging them to look closely at pattern and change. A wide range of materials, including sand, dough, wood, salt and sugar is organised so that the children can find the similarities and differences. Visits such as to the ‘Sea Life Centre’ and ‘Vets at Home’, provide excellent opportunities for the children to learn about fish and other animals. Challenging teaching enables them to respond to what they see and touch and by asking questions about why things happen and how things work.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

92. Appropriate resources are provided so that the children can build and construct. They learn to select the tools they need to shape and join the materials they are using. A photograph in the Nursery shows the head of the ‘Iron Man’. Following on from the story of ‘Hairy McClary’, the reception children have made models of the characters.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

93. The children use technology with confidence. They enjoy listening to stories in the listening centre and know how to use the tape recorder. The computer suite is well used by both classes. The children take turns on the computer and with help from an adult they use programs such as ‘Dress the Teddy’. The reception class have enjoyed drawing pictures of dogs through the ‘Painter’ program. A good selection of programmable toys is available. Good teaching gives the children confidence to move ‘Dash, the Dog’ and ‘Buddy’ by remote control. St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 37

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Physical development

94. Opportunities are limited for outdoor play in the Foundation Stage. The school has plans to develop the outside area by laying a safe surface and providing high and fixed equipment for children to slide, climb and balance and low equipment for crawling. There is some development provided by the track that has been constructed outside the Nursery. The children use the large wheeled toys with good control and co- ordination. Gross motor skills are well developed through excellent teaching in the hall. The children can move in different directions and are aware of space, themselves and others. The teacher models good practice by changing for physical education lessons and demonstrating to the children the changes that happen when the body is active. Very good use of children’s demonstration is made by the teacher to improve performance on travelling along a bench, holding a body shape and landing on a mat.

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Physical development

95. The children are developing fine motor skills. They can handle tools, such as scissors, brushes and pencils in collage and painting. Baking provides opportunities to mix, roll and cut. The children learn to control knives when making their own snacks. Teachers effectively plan small world equipment and Duplo to improve skills in construction. By the end of Reception most children will have reached the Early Learning Goals.

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Creative development

96. In this area of learning children make very good progress by following the steps and they are well on course to reach the Early Learning Goals. Quality teaching enables the children to design and create collages. Stimulating materials are provided. An excellent display of frost is titled ‘Watch out!’. The children have made spiky figures using glitter, tissue papers, foil and silver paint. Mobiles of snowflakes and icicles hang from the ‘Ice Cave’ planned in the quiet corner. In the reception class, good links with literacy are seen in the art work inspired by the book ‘Polar Bear, Polar Bear, what do you see?’. In the shared resource area, the nursery nurse has created, with the help of the children, a large model of a lighthouse, linked to the story of ‘The Lightkeeper’s Lunch’. Three-dimensional paper sculptures of seagulls hang from the ceiling. The children have reached the step of being able to explore colour, texture, shape, form and

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Creative development

97. The children know many songs, which they sing tunefully, with good rhythm and dynamics. The teachers have good subject knowledge and understanding of how to teach music. In the Nursery, the children can use percussion instruments to keep the beat. They know how sounds can be made louder/quieter, faster/slower, and higher/lower. Children in Reception listen attentively to music. The teacher chooses music that appeals to the children so that they are keen to learn. They listened to ‘The Carnival of the Animals’ and were able to identify the music that matched the characteristics of the animals.

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Creative development

98. Teachers encourage the children to use their imagination in drama, dance and play. Adults model this sort of creative ability very well. This enthusiasm in role playing has an infectious impact on the children. In the Nursery, the ‘Eye to Eye’ shop gives the children a wide range of opportunities to express their ideas. They have the imagination and language to act as opticians, receptionists and clients. The ‘Blake and Sweet Vet Surgery’ in Reception, has a waiting room, treatment room and reception area. The children communicate their feelings and thoughts through play. With help from the nursery nurse they can record their play in the ‘Treatment Book’, ‘Diary’ and ‘Pet Details’ books. St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 38

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ENGLISH

99. The 2001 national tests showed seven-year-old pupils’ standards in reading to be very good, with pupils’ attainment being very high (top 5 per cent of schools) in comparison to national averages and well above average when compared to similar schools. Pupils’ attainment in writing by the time they are seven, is also very good, with pupils achieving standards that are well above average when compared to all schools nationally and when compared to similar schools. Pupils’ attainment in the 2001 English national tests at age 11 is very good, with pupils achieving above average standards, both in comparison to national averages and schools with a similar intake. Standards in the subject have improved significantly since the time of the last inspection with improvement being above the national trend.

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ENGLISH

100. Standards seen during the inspection in the reading and writing of the current Year 2 pupils is good, with a significant number likely to achieve above average grades. In contrast, the current Year 6 class contains a lower number of higher attaining pupils when compared to last year, with the result that attainment overall is currently meeting national expectations. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language achieve well over time in relation to their prior achievement.

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ENGLISH

101. Pupils’ speaking and listening skills upon entry into Year 1 are good, with many pupils already being able to talk to their teachers and friends in a confident manner. Pupils listen well to their teachers and carry out instructions with enthusiasm. Regular opportunities are provided for pupils to make good progress in their oral skills as they move through Years 1 and 2. The large majority of pupils are keen to make an active contribution to oral activities, both at the beginning and end of lessons with the results that pupils’ speaking and listening skills by the time they are seven are good. Pupils continue to make good progress in their speaking and listening skills as they move through Years 3 to 6. Regular opportunities are provided for pupils to talk about their work and discuss events in their lives. Pupils occasionally engage in group oral activities when they listen to and respect the opinions of others and are prepared to

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ENGLISH

modify their opinions to meets the needs of the group. Many pupils are able to articulate their ideas, opinions and feelings in a clear and well-structured manner. Role play and educational drama do not make a significant contribution to the development of oral skills. Pupils’ speaking and listening skills by the time they are 11 are good.

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ENGLISH

102. Many pupils arrive in Year 1 with at least satisfactory reading skills. Phonic and reading skills are well taught by teachers, with able assistance from classroom assistants. The school uses a satisfactory, structured reading scheme supported by a good range of reading books that are classified according to the level of reading difficulty. Pupils have a good knowledge of factual books and are able to use a simple range of reference skills in order to retrieve information. The school uses a good home–school reading scheme with many parents giving good support to the development of their child’s reading skills. Reading, by the time pupils are seven, is good with a significant number of pupils having advanced skills relative to their age. By the age of 11, pupils continue to make effective progress in their reading. They engage regularly in silent reading activities and make good progress in their understanding of what they read.

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ENGLISH

Discussion with pupils during the inspection revealed that many have good reading habits. They are members of local public libraries, receive books as gifts, buy books themselves with their pocket money and read regularly at home in the evening. All this enables pupils to achieve well over time. Many pupils read fluently, expressively and talk in a confident manner about the characters, storylines and issues in the books they read. Pupils are given the opportunity to read literature from past times and other St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 39 places and cultures. The majority of reading that takes place in class is literature with limited opportunities for pupils to read and interpret factual materials or explore how information can be conveyed in different forms. Despite this, pupils’ attainment in reading by the time they are 11, is good.

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ENGLISH

103. Attainment in writing upon entry into Year 1 is good with many pupils already having a clear understanding that capital letters and full stops demarcate sentences. Attainment in writing at the age of seven is good. As a result of teachers’ high expectations and the good range of writing activities, a number of higher attaining pupils produce very good pieces of longer writing for their age. Pupils write about factual events in their lives, re- tell in a written form the stories read to them in class, produce pieces of instructional writing and write simple poems of their own. Pupils have a sound knowledge of simple spelling patterns and are able to use a good range of punctuation skills in their writing. Attainment in writing for the current group of Year 6 pupils is average overall. Opportunities are given in Years 3 to 6 for pupils to write for a number of purposes and in different styles. There is, however, an over-emphasis on the development of basic

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ENGLISH

English skills, often through the completion of commercial worksheets. Although the significant number of comprehension exercises carried out by pupils provides them with the appropriate skills required for national tests, they often require only single sentence responses and do little to challenge higher attaining pupils. Whilst pupils regularly plan their written work, they do not engage in re-drafting activities and opportunities are lost to support lower attaining pupils in the production of more detailed work, and to extend the written work produced by higher attaining pupils. This is because there are insufficient opportunities to write in an even wider range of styles, for different purposes and with an increased number of audiences in mind. Despite these areas for development, many higher attaining pupils are capable of producing good quality pieces of written work with few or no mistakes. One of the significant factors in

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ENGLISH

the good progress made by pupils is the positive attitude that they bring towards their work. Very good behaviour was seen in all lessons observed.

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ENGLISH

104. Overall, the quality of teaching throughout Years 1 to 6 is good. Individual lessons range from satisfactory to excellent. Teachers use the literacy hour effectively to promote all aspects of the English curriculum. Lesson plans are good, with learning objectives that are shared with pupils. ‘Big books’ are used well to promote reading skills as well as a resource for the development of basic English skills. Teachers put a great deal of thought and effort into group activities and ensure that work planned for different groups of pupils match their abilities and requirements. Lessons are generally brisk and purposeful, with teachers and classroom assistants giving good support to those pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language. The end of lessons is used in a very effective manner to share and celebrate the activities in which the pupils have been involved and to judge their understanding.

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ENGLISH

St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 40 105. Management of the subject is satisfactory. However, the role of the co-ordinator is underdeveloped with no significant time for her to check the curriculum and teaching and plan for new developments. There is an appropriate policy for the subject, with National Literacy Strategy documentation used as a checklist for class activities, rather than as a specific scheme of work. Resources for the subject are good. The good work on display in classrooms provides a motivating environment in which teachers and pupils can work.

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MATHEMATICS

106. In the 2001 national tests for pupils aged seven, the proportion of pupils who reached the nationally expected level (Level 2) or above was well above the national average and above that of similar schools. The proportion that reached the higher level (Level 3) was also above the national average. Standards have risen over the years from 1999 from well below expectations to above national expectations in 2001. In the national tests for pupils aged 11, the percentage of pupils who attained the expected standard (Level 4) and above was above national average and those who attained the higher level (Level 5) were broadly in line with the national average. However, standards when compared with prior attainment indicate that progress in Years 3 to 6 is below national expectations. This is adequately explained by above average pupil mobility in Years 3 to 6, the effect of travelling pupils, who attend school for six months of the year and

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MATHEMATICS

natural differences in ability for succeeding cohorts of pupils at age 11 years. Since the last inspection, standards in Years 1 and 2 have risen from being in line with national averages to well above national average and in Key Stage 2 from being in line with national average to above national average.

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MATHEMATICS

107. Standards in mathematics, confirmed by inspection findings, are above national expectations when pupils reach the ages of seven and broadly in line with national averages at the age of 11 years. Pupils’ achievement in Years 1 and 2 is good. However, pupils do not continue to progress at the same high rate in the junior department. Pupils with special educational needs make similar progress in lessons to their peers and overall make progress commensurate to their abilities.

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MATHEMATICS

108. By the age of seven, pupils can count up to 100, know combinations of numbers up to 10 and they plan and identify sequences of numbers with the differences of two, four and five. The higher attainers recognise sequences involving six and seven. They begin to solve two-stage problems using number, first counting in pairs and then adding a monetary value to the pairs. Pupils can identify two and three-dimensional shapes and the symmetry of simple and irregular shapes. In Year 1, pupils count confidently from zero to 50 and they are beginning to count on to ten from a given number. Higher attaining pupils can add numbers with two digits. They do so mentally, but also using information and communication technology.

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MATHEMATICS

109. By the age of 11, most pupils understand the place value of numbers and add, subtract, multiply and divide accurately. They add and subtract decimals to two places and have an appropriate understanding of fractions and their equivalent decimals and percentages. Pupils use a satisfactory range of mental strategies and recall most multiplication facts. In other areas of mathematics, pupils calculate perimeters and areas by counting the number of squares inside shapes. They explore the features of two and three-dimensional shapes and produce graphs to record data they have collected.

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MATHEMATICS

110. The National Numeracy Strategy has been implemented effectively throughout the school, with teachers and pupils showing good levels of enthusiasm in lessons. St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 41 However, although the impact of mental mathematics is effective for children’s learning in Years 1 and 2, it is taking longer to have a positive impact on learning in Years 3 to 6. Pupils enjoy the mental warm-up starters to lessons and are acquiring a bank of number facts to apply to their work. Where this starter is briskly paced, pupils respond appropriately and their mental agility is good. Pupils have an appropriate knowledge of measurement, shape and symmetry. At both key stages pupils undertake relevant investigations to develop and extend their knowledge and understanding of mathematical principles and they demonstrate satisfactory attainment and achievement in this aspect of the subject. Throughout Years 1 to 6, most pupils are

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MATHEMATICS

confident to offer their own suggestions and ask for help if it is needed. Information and communication technology is used effectively to record and represent data.

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MATHEMATICS

111. The quality of teaching in Years 1 and 2 is good overall and satisfactory in Years 3 to 6. In the best lessons, teaching is based on sound subject knowledge and good application of the National Numeracy Strategy. Lessons are planned well, with a brisk mental warm-up followed by whole-class exposition and group tasks that are well matched to pupils’ needs. In all lessons work is matched well to individual pupils so that all abilities make good progress. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported by the teachers and special needs assistants, who work with small groups. Pupils with special educational needs complete activities and make the same progress in lessons as the rest of the class. Teachers’ expectations of their pupils are usually high and there is a good balance of teacher instruction and independent work in lessons. In lessons, pupils work independently and with sustained concentration.

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MATHEMATICS

Where teaching is satisfactory in Years 3 to 6, the pace of the mental starter is slow with a consequent slowness in pupil response or the teacher does not set tasks with sufficient challenge to move pupils onwards. Behaviour in class is very good. The end of lessons are usually well managed to give pupils opportunities to explain their thinking and develop their own approaches to solving problems. Time is allowed for pupils to reflect on what they have done during the lesson and for teachers to judge what pupils know and understand in order to inform future planning, but this is not made clear in day-to-day planning. Teachers make good use of time and resources. Teachers interact effectively with their pupils and respond to their needs. Marking of work is not consistent across the school in encouraging and guiding pupils to improve their work. Although individual targets have been set for pupils throughout the school, there is little

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MATHEMATICS

evidence of these in pupils’ books and, consequently, pupils lack awareness of the areas on which they are required to concentrate. There is planned use of ICT to support mathematics.

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MATHEMATICS

112. Overall, co-ordination of mathematics is good. Two teachers have responsibility for mathematics in Years 1 and 2 and in Years 3 to 6 respectively. Collaboration between them is good. They have introduced the National Numeracy Strategy and a new commercial scheme of work, both of which are beneficial to pupils’ learning. Within classes there is generally a balance of work so that activities are not just centred on the commercial scheme of work. Each co-ordinator monitors teachers’ planning, but neither has monitored classroom practice because the numeracy consultant or the advisory staff from the local authority have undertaken this aspect of monitoring. Since the last inspection, the school has made good progress in developing the role of the co- ordinators. Overall, procedures for judging pupils’ attainment are carried out conscientiously and inform the composition of teaching groups throughout Years 1 to 6.

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MATHEMATICS

The school plans to further refine this work using a computer program to analyse achievement and identify individual and group needs.

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SCIENCE

St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 42 113. In 2001, teacher judgements of the standards attained at age seven were very high compared to all schools nationally. During the inspection, standards in the current Year 2 were found to be lower and are now around those expected nationally. Although the higher attainers in Year 1 are doing well due to very good teaching the impact of this teaching is not maintained in Year 2, where some of the teaching is unsatisfactory and the work is not well matched to the needs of all the pupils. Pupils with a Statement of Special Educational Need receive individual support and make satisfactory progress in relation to their prior level of attainment. Four pupils from Year 2 are often taught with Year 1. During the inspection they were taught as a group on their own and were given considerable opportunity to discuss their learning at their own level.

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SCIENCE

114. Standards at the age of 11 have steadily risen over the last four years from a relatively low base. In 2001, standards at the end of Year 6 were well above the national average. In the current Year 6, standards are lower and are now above the national average. This reflects the difference in the levels of attainment in this year group compared to last year. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 are all taught by the science co-ordinator. Analysis of their previous work and lesson observations show that they benefit from good, specialist teaching and progress well. Pupils in these year groups with special educational needs and those learning English as a second language benefit from the practical approach to the teaching and make similar progress to the rest of the class. Although in previous years girls have achieved better than boys at age 11, in discussions with pupils this difference was not significant in the present Year 6.

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SCIENCE

115. At the time of the previous inspection standards were judged to be satisfactory at ages seven and 11 years. Standards have now risen by the age of 11 years. Procedures for judging pupils’ attainment and the use of computers were identified as areas to be developed and they remain so. However, in Year 6 satisfactory progress has been made towards improving pupils’ independence in their learning.

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SCIENCE

116. Pupils in Year 2 are starting to identify the properties of basic materials such as wood and the higher attainers know that a teapot should be made of a material that is strong, hard and able to hold water. In discussion of their previous work most pupils can identify some light sources and name a battery as a source of electricity. An analysis of their work shows that pupils in Year 2 have some experience of constructing a simple circuit to light a bulb, but they do not compare the brightness in different electrical circuits. Pupils made satisfactory progress in their previous work related to foods, exercise and the safe use of drugs as part of a healthy lifestyle. They made a graph of their favourite foods using the computer, but overall they do not use the computer sufficiently to record their science. In Year 1, pupils achieve well, learning through well-planned investigations. During the inspection they were investigating the

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SCIENCE

best material for an umbrella. The average and higher achievers made sensible predictions and observed carefully, noting the relative speed with which water passed through their samples. Having identified tinfoil and thin plastic as waterproof materials they then twisted and stretched these samples to make their final selection and the highest achievers stated reasons for their choices. An analysis of their previous work shows that they are all attaining a satisfactory standard in their knowledge of sources of light, their knowledge of the external parts of the body, the use of the five senses and in their recognition of many animals and their young.

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SCIENCE

117. Pupils in Year 6 have a secure understanding of the processes involved in a scientific investigation and at times identify their own investigation focus. They recognise the need to make a simple hypothesis and to test the theory using the processes of fair testing. They record their findings in a range of ways using tables, charts and graphs and draw conclusions from their findings. However, they rarely use computers or St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 43 electronic devices to record their results and display their findings and this is a weakness in their learning. In their work on materials all pupils can identify methods of filtration in order to separate a mixture of sand, pasta and rice and record their methods as a flow chart. They have carried out a series of investigations related to the solubility of sugar in water, changing the variables and using scientific vocabulary such as

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SCIENCE

‘particle size’ and ‘solution’ accurately. Higher attainers use their knowledge to suggest methods of separating other mixtures. In previous work pupils in Year 6 have studied the effects of harmful micro-organisms, such as the growth of mould on bread and some of the factors that influence this growth. They related this to their understanding of healthy living and know why colder temperatures increase food storage times. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of materials are successfully built-up in a systematic manner in the preceding years. For example, in Year 5, pupils work on properties of materials such as conductors and insulators and in Year 4 they identify criteria for sorting materials, such as transparent and opaque, before starting their work on liquids and solids. In Year 3 pupils identify and sort materials that are attracted to a magnet.

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SCIENCE

118. Pupils’ attitudes to their work are generally good and are directly related to the level of stimulation, interest and practical experiences provided by the teacher. Pupils work co- operatively, support each other and are considerate of each other’s needs. In most lessons they are enthusiastic, very involved and discuss their work with some animation.

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SCIENCE

119. With the exception of one unsatisfactory lesson in Year 2, all the teaching observed was either good or very good. In the good and better lessons there are a number of strengths that account for the pupils’ good progress: − there is an emphasis on pupils’ first-hand investigations and lessons are carefully planned to deliver clear, scientific learning; − the introductions to lessons are clear and review and recall previous learning; new ideas are explained clearly and pupils’ responses are guided with sensitivity; − teachers’ subject knowledge is good and they give pupils the opportunity to predict, investigate and observe using their senses and equipment and then to discuss their findings; this leads to the effective development of pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding; − the pace of lessons is appropriately brisk; − individual support is provided to all the pupils, including those with special

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SCIENCE

educational needs, as they carry out their investigations and this helps to clarify their understanding; − at the end of the lesson there is a review of the learning and the ideas developed; − management and control of the classes are very good. St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 44 120. Very good teaching was seen in Years 1 and 6. In these lessons teachers provided an extra challenge and thereby extended pupils’ learning further. For example, in Year 1, pupils identified an appropriate material for an umbrella, based upon its properties. In Year 6, teaching extended pupils’ learning by encouraging them to test their hypothesis and draw conclusions. However, marking of pupils’ work is an area for development, as it rarely contains informative comments that enable the pupils to understand what aspects of their work they have done well or how to develop further.

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SCIENCE

121. Management of the subject is satisfactory. Recent initiatives are having an early and positive impact on the quality of teaching this year. For example: − the co-ordinator now teaches all the pupils in Years 3 to 6 and this means that there is an improved consistency of approach and all pupils have equal access to specialist teaching; − planning of the knowledge aspect of the curriculum is now to national guidelines and the curriculum is being evaluated as it is taught. However, a planned structure for the development of scientific enquiry skills is not yet established. Resources are generally sufficient to support the planned curriculum; the exception is a lack of electronic recording equipment for the older pupils and the use of computers is not sufficiently planned into the pupils’ investigations. The policy and scheme of work are to be reviewed in the near future and because science has not

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SCIENCE

been a priority for development there has been little staff training in the recent past. The co-ordinator has not monitored the work of class teachers of the younger year groups and this aspect of the role is underdeveloped. Predictions for the attainment and progress of each pupil are made at the start of the year for the end of the year. However, teachers do not refer to these as they mark pupils’ work, or when they record the results of the tests they administer at the end of each module of work. As a consequence, no interim judgements are made on how the pupils are progressing towards their predicted grades. There are no school procedures for recording teachers’ assessments of individual pupils’ work or the development of their skills, knowledge and understanding. There is no any historical data kept to support previous judgements of pupils’ attainment.

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ART AND DESIGN

122. All the lessons observed were in Years 1 to 3. Judgements concerning attainment, achievement and teaching are based on these lessons, scrutiny of pupils’ work and teachers’ planning and discussions with pupils and staff. Attainment at ages seven and 11 is above those seen in most schools. Pupils throughout the school are producing work of at least satisfactory and often good or very good, standards. Throughout the school, they achieve well and enjoy art.

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ART AND DESIGN

123. Throughout the school, pupils work in a wide range of media, using materials creatively in two and three dimensions. They work from a variety of starting points, including observation of objects and artefacts and the study of the work of famous artists. The school has had a very successful ‘Art Exhibition’ in which all the pupils had work displayed and 300 people visited. Pupils are taught to work safely and carefully. Pupils handle a range of materials and techniques with skill and they observe carefully and accurately. The subject makes a significant contribution to pupils’ cultural development; for example, there are plenty of examples of styles from other cultures such as Aboriginal and masks from Africa. Furthermore, pupils’ good skills are used to enhance work in other subjects; for instance: - decoration of photograph frames in design and technology; - life-like human skeletons in science;

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ART AND DESIGN

- Egyptian coffins, decorated with hieroglyphs in history; St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 45 - Roman mosaic patterns in history. Skills and effects are also developed on the computer. Once again, pupils use the vivid colours to good effect when producing computer enhanced pictures, using good paint programs. Year 5 pupils produced good work in the style of Kandinsky.

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ART AND DESIGN

124. By the age of seven, pupils complete a wide and exciting range of work. Particularly striking is the use of vivid colours in observational paintings of fruit. Pupils have good, observational skills that help them enormously when they produce well-proportioned pictures of a human head and torso. They have grasped a good, early understanding of detail and proportion when they draw from observation the scene outside their window. The work that follows the style of famous artists is particularly good with fine examples from Hockney in Year 2 and Monet in Year 1. The most accomplished is the Year 2 interpretation of Munch’s ‘The Scream’, which is highly recognisable and completed with a simple technique.

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ART AND DESIGN

125. By the age of 11, pupils have built securely on the skills, knowledge and understanding developed earlier. The techniques that they apply are sometimes quite stunning; for example, a silhouette painting of bonfire night in which the vivid flames in the background are applied by sponge. Pupils become skilled at using a range of media, such as: - textured materials; - chalk pastels in the style of Lowry; - folding and cutting paper to make snowflakes, - using tissue paper to make stained glass windows to go in their model church.

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ART AND DESIGN

126. Teaching is well organised and good in quality. Sometimes it is very good with lively explanations and demonstrations, using an interesting range of good quality materials. In a Reception/ Year 1 lesson, the class teacher spoke to the class in a mature manner and had high expectations. She explained how artists plan and execute their work and then questioned the class about what they could see in the Monet picture and asked them for reasons as to their favourite picture. The pupils talked in detail about the pictures and responded to questions such as ’Are the trees in the foreground or the background?’. Resources are plentiful and colours vivid.

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ART AND DESIGN

127. Teachers’ subject knowledge is good and they encourage pupils to make choices, investigate the use of materials and talk about how work might be improved. They understand the language of art; for example ‘tone’ and ‘texture’ and tasks are free, with all pupils achieving their own individual outcome.

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ART AND DESIGN

128. The subject is well managed. Judgements of pupils’ attainment are made regularly and these are conveyed to parents in the annual reports. A portfolio of pupils’ work is kept and the school has recently introduced a sketchbook that pupils will take through school to provide a clear picture of their achievement. The standard of displays is very high throughout the school and involves work in many subjects. Pupils’ work is also displayed in local supermarkets and doctors’ surgeries. St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 46

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

129. Attainment in design and technology at the ages of seven and 11 are well above those expected nationally. This represents very good progress since the last inspection when standards were deemed to be below national expectations. Pupils follow a well- planned scheme of work that ensures a continuity of progress in practical skills, design and model making. All aspects of design and technology are taught during a school year.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

130. In Years 1 and 2, pupils learn to plan, design, make and evaluate their work. They have investigated the use of levers and pivots to make moving models that illustrate familiar stories. Overall, the quality of design has been good and the practical skills effective when making models that actually work as planned. These have been finished to a very high standard. Using a teacher guided evaluation sheet, pupils have demonstrated an understanding of making models fit for a purpose and critically evaluating what they have made. Linked work in science has enabled pupils to make lighthouses that light up.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

131. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 were further investigating moving models and planning to make a pop-up book using a variety of techniques. They work collaboratively in groups, with due regard to health and safety issues when using tools. Pupils work with sustained concentration. During the inspection, pupils were learning about mechanisms and were able to mark, measure and cut out accurately to obtain the desired affect. Older pupils were investigating methods for joining fabrics that included gluing and sewing. Speaking and listening skills are promoted well in these lessons as pupils are expected to discuss what they are doing to evaluate the methods investigated. During the lessons observed, pupils took pride in their work and made every effort to make improvements. Evaluations indicate that pupils can make appropriate suggestions for ways to improve their work. The quality of completed tasks is good.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

132. Overall, the quality of teaching is good. Teachers in Years 1 and 2 plan work together that is related to a whole-school topic, such as, ‘moving models’. They ensure that pupils learn a variety of making skills through interesting, practical, making sessions and that there is a continuity of progress as pupils move through the key stage. In this they are well guided by the Qualification and Curriculum Authority scheme of work. In the junior depart, design and technology is taught by a specialist teacher who is also one of the subject co-ordinators. Teaching is consistently good. Lessons are well planned and managed with interesting tasks and at all times a good rapport is maintained between teacher and pupils. Good improvement in teaching since the last inspection has led to rising standards throughout the school. Judgement of pupils’ progress and standards is made at the end of each unit of study against agreed criteria

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

and it informs teachers’ plans for further work.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

133. Management of the subject is good. Two teachers share co-ordination of the subject. Since the last inspection co-ordination has improved well. Standards have been raised and the quality of teaching and learning experiences for pupils have improved throughout the school. In Years 1 and 2, the co-ordinator oversees teachers’ planning and judges standards from the work on display around the school. This informal monitoring of pupils’ work provides a satisfactory approach to informing the future development of the subject. The specialist teacher in Years 3 to 6 monitors pupils’ work carefully through her teaching and knowledge of each pupil. The school does not have a portfolio of pupils’ work from which to judge the quality of the subject throughout the school. St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 47

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

134. Geography and history are taught at different times of the year. Owing to timetable restrictions there is limited evidence to hand. However, the scrutiny of pupils’ work, discussions with pupils and staff and the single lesson observations in geography and history indicate that standards in both subjects are above expectations for pupils aged seven and are similar to national standards for those aged 11 years. At the last inspection, standards were in line with national expectations. Progress was satisfactory through both key stages. Teaching overall was satisfactory. Now progress through Years 1 and 2 is good and rising from satisfactory to good through Years 3 to 6.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

135. In Years 1 and 2, work in geography shows that pupils have good knowledge about where they live and the connections between people and places. They rise to the appropriate challenge of planning their route to school. Pupils have good listening and observation skills and contribute well in discussions. They respond well to searching questions that encourage them to think about the things they pass on their way to school. The topic chosen appeals to the pupils, so that they are keen to learn. In history, the pupils are good at investigating the differences between old and new toys. They record their findings in a succinct and direct way, such as ‘The old teddy is made out of sheepskin. The new teddy is made out of fur’. Resources are used that will interest and motivate the pupils. For example, after handling an old doll, they decided it was 54 years old and made out of pot. Attitudes to the subjects and learning are very

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

136. In Years 3 to 6, pupils’ geography skills, knowledge and understanding are at least satisfactory. They use a range of resources to explore different parts of the world. For example, in a lesson on India, they moved on to consider life in an Indian village. Good relationships between pupils and with the teacher provide pupils with the self- confidence to talk in a group. Pupils offer sensible opinions on the characteristics of Chembakolli and present their work well. During the discussion at the end of the lesson, the pupils, working in groups, skilfully sorted cards into good or bad aspects of the environment. Pupils know and understand that history charts change over time. They have good, factual knowledge of the history of Britain and other parts of the world, most particularly the social and technological changes. Pupils have a very good attitude to work. They listen well, work hard and are willing to help others. When their

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

work is displayed they are proud and keen to show it to visitors.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

137. Teachers give clear guidelines to pupils on the way of working. They have good subject knowledge and understanding of the major changes in society. Lessons are planned with good resources so that pupils begin to understand the ways in which the past is represented. Very good use of time keeps a quick pace to the lessons and holds the pupils’ interest. Ongoing support enables the pupils to produce work that is well presented, generally. Good literacy development is seen in the work in history when the pupils write about working children in Victorian times. The pupils study evidence well. When they looked at the 1841 census, they used their numeracy skills well by making a tally chart showing the number of people in each type of employment. Using information and communication technology they recorded this work on a block graph and a pie chart. Teachers and support staff plan effectively together. In the Year

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

6 visit to Westhoughton town centre, the knowledge and expertise of the mayor, who is also a school governor, was used well to give the pupils a good insight into the history of well-known landmarks. Pupils asked pertinent questions, showed a lot of interest in everything around them and many used their good art skills to produce the illustrations St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 48 that will help them to remember the facts learned; for example, the location of the gap between the old and new parts of the church building and the reason for having a cenotaph, particularly on Remembrance Day in November.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

138. Both subjects are managed well. The co-ordinators plan to review policies to meet the school’s individual needs. Strengths include specialised teaching in Years 3 to 6, planning and visits. The subjects have a significant impact on pupils’ cultural development when local culture is appropriately studied through geography and history. Areas for development are research in the library and more use of information and communication technology.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

139. Standards at the ages of seven and 11 are good and better than the national expectations. Pupils throughout the school achieve well due to the good teaching they receive. In the lessons seen, all pupils have an equal opportunity to learn, make progress and use the appropriate resources. Due to the individual support they receive, pupils with special educational needs and the very few pupils learning English as an additional language make similar progress to the rest of the class, relative to their prior attainment.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

140. There has been good improvement since the previous inspection when standards were found to be unsatisfactory and the curriculum too narrow. This improvement is because of: - the school’s considerable investment in computers; - the installation of a computer suite; - the development of a wide range of suitable software to cover the full curriculum; - the effective staff training that has increased confidence and expertise. All these factors have had a positive impact on standards.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

141. Although not yet halfway through the year, almost all pupils aged seven use aspects of a painting program to create and express their ideas. For example, when creating pictures in the style of Mondrian they confidently select and draw thick or thin lines and have the skill to drag rectangular shapes across the page, modifying their work until they are pleased with their design. They have the confidence to select colours and move the cursor in order to fill spaces and understand that a shape is not completely closed if the colour spreads further than they anticipated. Earlier in the year, these pupils programmed a robotic toy to travel a pathway and follow a series of commands they had written. Pupils with special educational needs in Year 2 and pupils in Year 1 put simple information onto a database and retrieve that information. Using the same program they then record and save their spoken comments about their work, playing

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

back their work to check that it has been recorded successfully. Higher attaining pupils in Year 1 word-process their ideas independently; this includes using appropriate keys to insert capital letters and full stops and to delete, space and save their work. St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 49 142. By the age of 11, pupils confidently access the Internet. They formulate specific questions in order to gain manageable quantities of information using a suitable search engine to facilitate their quest. During their residential experience they created an electronic record of their visit, selecting from a range of stored photographs and adding animation and their own spoken commentaries. At another time, six higher attainers were selected for advanced work, at which time they worked with pupils from other schools, creating a web site. Pupils’ skills in using information and communication technology are successfully built up in a systematic manner in the preceding years. For

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

example, Year 5 pupils design a bedroom layout selecting objects confidently, changing their view from two to three-dimensional as they evaluate their selections and modify their previous work. In Year 4, pupils know the command route for using the tile key as they create designs for wrapping paper. In Year 3, pupils confidently add information to a database and then retrieve it. Later in the year the lesson planning shows that pupils will be taught how to send and receive electronic mail.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

143. The attitude of pupils to their work is generally very good and in Year 5 excellent. Throughout the school pupils are enthusiastic and they work hard. Whether they work as part of a pair or individually, they always work in a co-operative manner helping each other as they work. In Year 5, pupils listen to the views of their partner and with considerable maturity they accommodate to each other’s preferences.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

144. Overall, teaching is good throughout the school. Teachers have suitable knowledge and understanding to teach the planned curriculum. At the start of each lesson they provide their pupils with a clear demonstration of the new skill and they revise previous learning. They support pupils individually as they work, skilfully guiding the learning. Support staff, and in particular the computer suite classroom assistant, have a significant impact on the pupils’ learning, enabling them to master skills. At the end of the lesson, teachers consolidate what has been taught. Learning is good because pupils feel confident, well supported and able to use the most appropriate equipment. The work set consolidates and extends pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

145. The enthusiastic co-ordinator has led the development of the subject well and has ensured that the planned curriculum is fully covered, properly informed by national guidelines and well planned to systematically develop pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding. Additionally, the curriculum is planned to support aspects of literacy and numeracy and also other areas of the curriculum such as design and technology and art and design. However, in science the use of information and communication technology is insufficiently developed to record or present pupils’ practical work. In many lessons the time allocation in the computer suite is insufficient for pupils to fully develop their work and this reduces the full benefit of this good resource. The co- ordinator monitors and evaluates the planning throughout the school prior to teaching and therefore has the opportunity to support colleagues when necessary. The school

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

has not yet established effective systems for judging the standard of each pupil’s skills, knowledge and understanding as they progress through the school and for recording these findings, although a portfolio of work to show the range of the curriculum is being developed. St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 50

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MUSIC

146. Owing to timetable restrictions, it was only possible to observe a small number of music lessons. Judgements are made on the basis of these lessons, singing practices and discussions with pupils and staff. These indicate that pupils in Years 2 and 6 attain standards that are in line with expectations for their age. Achievement is satisfactory. Pupils with special educational needs, and those for whom English is an additional language, achieve well in relation to their prior attainment. This is an improvement on the last inspection when attainment at seven and 11 was unsatisfactory.

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MUSIC

147. Pupils in Year 1 can sing a number of previously learned songs with appropriate clapping sounds and gestures. Pupils can also identify the sounds of a number of untuned percussion instruments and can use them to create sounds to support the songs they sing. The teacher promoted good links with other subjects in this lesson, by developing pupils’ knowledge of long and short letter sounds through their exploration of long and short sounds produced on a range of instruments. This skill was re-enforced as pupils listened to and identified the long and short musical sounds in an extract from ‘Pictures in an Exhibition’ by Mussorgsky. The good progress made in this lesson owed much to the provision of a good range of musical activities organised by the teacher and the enthusiasm and good self-discipline displayed by the pupils.

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MUSIC

148. Pupils in Year 5 sing a number of African songs, identify the pulse, beat and cyclical nature of the music and accompany themselves on a number of drums and percussion instruments. The lesson was extremely well planned. It allowed for pupils to improve their singing through repetition and opportunities for pupils to extend their drumming skills over time. By the end of the lesson the pupils were able to sustain the tuneful, yet complex, song and accompany themselves on a range of instruments.

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MUSIC

149. The large majority of pupils have satisfactory singing skills. This was observed in whole key stage singing practices with pupils singing in a tuneful manner. In Years 3 to 6, appropriate emphasis is placed on poise, breathing techniques and the articulations and sensitive interpretation of lyrics. Pupils, particularly the members of the school choir, sing in two and three-part harmonies and in rounds. Pupils really enjoy their musical activities and display positive attitudes towards their work. Pupils’ good self- discipline and positive attitudes towards their work was observed during the singing practices in the school hall. This had a positive effect on their learning.

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MUSIC

150. Throughout the school, the quality of teaching is good. Lessons are well planned, organised and resourced. Teachers have high expectations of pupils and provide them with a good range of musical activities. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 benefit from the specialist knowledge of one of the teachers in school, who takes all the music lessons.

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MUSIC

151. There is a popular and well-attended school choir that sings in school and outside in the local community. The school provides tuition through the local music service for a limited number of pupils playing brass instruments and private tuition is available for guitar. All pupils have the opportunity to take part in a musical production for each key stage. All these aspects of pupils’ musical education make significant contributions to their cultural development.

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MUSIC

152. Management of the subject is good. The co-ordinator is a specialist musician and as such she provides these specialist skills for the whole of Years 3 to 6. Although she is not involved in teaching pupils in Years 1 and 2, she gives a lot of help to the teachers when they are planning their lessons. Examination of teachers’ planning and the St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 51 schemes of work used by the school indicate that opportunities are provided for pupils to explore all aspects of the music curriculum. However, the co-ordinator is aware that opportunities for pupils to compose and perform music in groups, rather than the whole-class creation of music, could be improved. A recent acquisition is a computer program that aids composition.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

153. By the ages of seven and 11, standards are in line with the expected levels nationally. The oldest pupils have developed good, team game skills, body control and an awareness of the ways in which exercise affects their body. In gymnastics, pupils make good progress in their planning and performing sequences of actions and evaluating their performance.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

154. Over the year, the curriculum covers the necessary components of gymnastics, dance, athletics, team games and swimming adequately. Pupils have good opportunities for indoor and outdoor activities. Gymnastics and games activities are well covered throughout the school. Swimming activities and water safety elements are taught in Year 6 and the majority of pupils can swim unaided over a distance of at least 25 metres.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

155. By the age of seven, the majority of pupils respond well to the music in dance. They have good control of their body and this is clearly seen in the way that they adjust their shape in relation to stimuli from nature; for example a storm, or falling rain. Their movement and the attendant shapes are good. Pupils discuss the movements they make and provide positive criticisms.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

156. By the age of 11, pupils have good throwing and catching skills. This is brought about by good skills’ teaching in earlier years when pupils are introduced to skills in a deliberate and controlled way. Pupils’ confidence develops well and they do not fear mistakes. Pupils are well co-ordinated and enjoy gentle competition. They are highly aware of the effects of hard physical activity on their bodies and explain them well. The oldest pupils are introduced to hard physical activity at the same time as being challenged to think about the activities in which they are involved. For example, the developing of sequences in their floor work movements and in their dances, which introduce set routines.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

157. Pupils with special educational needs have good access to physical education, both through the additional adult support and a modified programme of activities.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

158. There has been some improvement in the quality of teaching since the last inspection, particularly in Key Stage 2. The pace is brisker and there is better management of time in changing clothing for physical activities and moving from classroom to the hall. In lessons that were observed, teaching was mainly good. The lesson plans show a clear sequence of activities, with clearly identified learning objectives, which were shared effectively with the pupils at the start of a lesson. Most teachers expect appropriate standards of work and behaviour from their pupils and make good use of praise and encouragement to support them. In the best lessons, there was good lesson planning, clear guidance from the teachers and the pupils were expected to plan, perform and evaluate their work within a clear teaching framework. Pupils were taught how to prepare for and recover from a vigorous activity and due attention was paid to the

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

safety rules. St. George’s Church of England Primary School - 52 159. Pupils’ attitudes to physical education are good and they are enthusiastic about their games activities. They take turns in games and practise different ways of sending and receiving a ball, such as striking, catching and throwing, with increasing skill. They listen attentively to their teachers’ instructions and are reflective about their sequences, observing others to see how they could improve their performance. Pupils show responsible attitudes whilst lifting, carrying and organising the apparatus. Relationships between the adults and pupils and between peer groups are good. Behaviour is good during lessons.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

160. The subject has been well maintained since the last inspection and there are some improvements. Physical education is well managed by the co-ordinator who is a specialist. She has a clear plan of action for developing the subject. There is a sound policy statement to guide practice. There is satisfactory monitoring that ensures coverage of the essential skills. However, the monitoring of teaching and of evaluating pupils’ subject performance systematically, are not yet in place. A very small number of parents have expressed their concern about the lower time allocation for the subject. Inspection findings are that the time allocated is satisfactory generally. There is a satisfactory range of activities outside lessons, both for boys and girls, especially for pupils in Year 6, including football, netball and hockey. These activities provide pupils with good opportunities to play competitively against teams from other schools.

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