Other · Ofsted report
St Aloysius' Catholic Primary School
Summary
What we read, and from where
Click a reading to see it highlighted in the report.
- Inspectorssingle source
BPS Business Centre
- URN verified
123218
Deep dive
What this report says
In plain English
Join free to get a short, plain-English summary of any report.
Tone of the report
How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.
In line with other reports of this type.
How the report reads, start to finish
Every paragraph in order, sized by length. Tap one to see it on the page.
Strengths
Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.
- Very effective leadership and management result in the school’s aims being clearly reflected in its work and a strong emphasis on raising standards. p.6
- Teachers harness the pupils’ thirst for learning very effectively and so the pupils enjoy lessons and achieve very well. p.6
- Her instruction “You have got to make a strong argument and make the language count,” was very well followed by the pupils when they composed their own letters. p.11
- The headteacher has a strong personal vision for the school, including a strong commitment to a Catholic ethos, which he continually communicates. p.10
- In history, for example, Year 4 pupils have written excellent recruitment leaflets for the Roman army. p.12
Concerns
Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.
- The pupils can readily identify many of these common errors when they read through their first drafts, but the teachers do not always insist that they do this. p.14
- However, because the school does not always categorise pupils’ absence accurately, it is not in a good position to track patterns of absence or identify absence that is unauthorised. p.14
- This was identified as a relative area of weakness, through checking on pupils’ performance and the steps put in place have paid dividends. p.10
- The school set out an action plan to investigate the causes and to resolve any shortcomings in resources and teaching. p.13
Next steps
Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.
- Some of the older pupils do not spell common words correctly and rely on the teachers to correct errors. p.6
- The school should be doing more to accurately record and promote better attendance. p.6
- The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. p.6
- The school has made good improvement since its last inspection in 1997. p.6
- The high standards have been maintained in pupils’ work and in teaching, and standards in mathematics are much improved. p.6
- The subject managers now play a more effective role in monitoring teaching and learning throughout the school. p.6
- There are now schemes of work that better support the teachers’ planning for lessons. p.6
- The school development plan now gives clear guidance for future improvements. p.6
What the report dwells on
Topics by how often they come up, coloured by how they are described. Open one for an example.
Anatomy of the report
How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.
- Pages
- 18
- Words of findings
- 5,184
- longer than usual (typical 1049)
- Reading level
- Fairly hard
- Flesch 59, typical 45
- Average sentence
- 17 words
- Next steps
- 8
- typical 5
- Hedged sentences
- 5%
- “some”, “not always”, “most”…
Where the words go
Full report text
ST ALOYSIUS’ RC FIRST SCHOOL
Dates of inspection: 7 th – 8 th May 2002
p.1
ST ALOYSIUS’ RC FIRST SCHOOL
Short inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.
p.1
ST ALOYSIUS’ RC FIRST 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 Aloysius’ RC First School - 3
p.2
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
School address: 143 Woodstock Road Oxford
p.3
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Name of chair of governors: Mr John O’Connor
p.3
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Date of previous inspection: December 1997 St Aloysius’ RC First School - 4
p.3
Team members
21227 Barbara Crane Registered inspector 19426 Chris Farris Lay inspector 29989 Pauline Goodsell Team inspector
p.4
Team members
SCHOOL haus Ltd Suite 17 BPS Business Centre Brake Lane Walesby Nottinghamshire NG22 9HQ
p.4
Team members
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:
p.4
Team members
The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division
p.4
Team members
Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Aloysius’ RC First School - 5
p.4
PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6
Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school
p.5
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
This Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided First School is smaller than most schools. There are 176 pupils, 75 are boys and 101 are girls. Eight per cent of the pupils are entitled to free school meals, which is below average. Thirteen per cent of the pupils are on the school’s register of special educational needs and this is below average. Just under half of the pupils come from white UK heritage families and the remainder comes from a very wide range of ethnic groups. Sixteen per cent of the pupils are learning English as an additional language and about half of these pupils are at an early stage of English acquisition. The children start at the school in the term in which they are five. A wide range of attainment is evident when children start at the school but for most, this is above average. The school will become a primary school from September of this year and eventually take pupils up to the age of eleven.
p.6
HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS
This school provides a very good education for its pupils and they do well to achieve high standards by the time they leave. The teaching is very good and the pupils enjoy school. The leadership and management of the school are very good and the governors provide very effective support for the school’s work. The school provides good value for money.
p.6
What the school does well
• The pupils do well and their work reaches a high standard by the time they leave because of the very good teaching. • Teachers harness the pupils’ thirst for learning very effectively and so the pupils enjoy lessons and achieve very well. • The curriculum is very good. Teachers make good links between subjects and plan lessons skilfully to build on what pupils already know. • Very effective leadership and management result in the school’s aims being clearly reflected in its work and a strong emphasis on raising standards. • Parents are very much involved in the life of the school and so they have a clear view of how their children are doing.
p.6
What could be improved
• Some of the older pupils do not spell common words correctly and rely on the teachers to correct errors. • The school should be doing more to accurately record and promote better attendance. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.
p.6
HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION
The school has made good improvement since its last inspection in 1997. The high standards have been maintained in pupils’ work and in teaching, and standards in mathematics are much improved. The subject managers now play a more effective role in monitoring teaching and learning throughout the school. There are now schemes of work that better support the teachers’ planning for lessons. The school development plan now gives clear guidance for future improvements. The school provides better information for parents. The outdoor facilities for play have improved. There is still work to do to improve the extent to which some teachers’ marking helps the older pupils to check their spelling. St Aloysius’ RC First School - 7
p.6
STANDARDS
The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 2 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.
p.7
Key
Reading A A A* A* well above average above average A B Writing A A A A average below average C D Mathematics B B A A well below average E
p.7
Key
The results of the 2001 national tests for seven year olds show that their performance was well above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. These results were also well above the average seen in schools in similar circumstances. In reading the results were in the top five per cent of all schools nationally and also in similar schools. Standards over the last three years have been well above average in reading and writing and standards in mathematics took an upward turn to match this level in 2001.
p.7
Key
The children in the Reception year do well and exceed the expectations for their age in all of the areas of learning by the time they start Year 1. Pupils of all abilities in Years 1 to 4 also achieve well. The high standards seen in the 2001 tests are reflected in the work seen now in Year 2 and in Year 4. Boys and girls achieve equally well. By the age of seven and nine years, the pupils are extremely competent readers, with a love of books. They read widely, both for pleasure and to gather information. Their writing reaches a high standard and they use a rich vocabulary and structure their writing very skilfully to suit different purposes. The Year 2 pupils’ spelling is good because these pupils have benefited from the school’s better emphasis on learning combinations of letter sounds and using these in spelling. The Year 4 pupils, however, often spell common words incorrectly in the first draft of their writing. The pupils are quick and accurate with numbers and
p.7
Key
they use their mathematical understanding very well to solve problems. Standards in science are high. The pupils test their ideas after thinking of the best way to make investigations fair. They use what they already know very effectively to consider what might happen and why this is the case. The pupils use computers competently to research information and present their work.
p.7
Aspect Comment
Attitudes to the school Very good. The pupils are very keen to learn and they contribute their ideas and opinions eagerly in lessons.
p.7
Aspect Comment
Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. The pupils behave sensibly, both in the classrooms and at play. Their natural ebullience is almost always tempered by a good degree of self-control.
p.7
Aspect Comment
Personal development and relationships Very good. The pupils are confident and friendly, and get on very well together. They are quick to use their initiative.
p.7
Aspect Comment
Attendance Well below average. There is a higher level of absence than is seen in most schools. The school does not always categorise pupils’ absence correctly or sufficiently promote better attendance.
p.7
Aspect Comment
Pupils come to school ready to work. Many are in the classrooms, often with their parents, well before the start of the school day. On arrival, they settle quickly to the tasks set by the teachers. The school is a lively community and the pupils make the most of what it offers them. They demonstrate a high level of enthusiasm and commitment to learning in lessons. Pupils of all ages and backgrounds work and play well together and St Aloysius’ RC First School - 8 mostly respond very positively to the school’s expectations. A few pupils, however, drop litter in the playground and the staff do not do enough to discourage this.
p.7
Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 4
Quality of teaching Good Very good Very good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.
p.8
Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 4
The teaching is very good because the teachers have high expectations of what pupils will achieve and they plan challenging work for pupils of different abilities. All of the pupils, including those with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language, do well because the teaching meets their needs. Teachers explain clearly what will be learned in lessons and the skills that pupils will use and develop through the activities that are planned. This means that pupils’ thinking is sharply focused, right from the start. Teachers plan good opportunities for pupils to work together and share ideas. Teaching of English and mathematics is very good. The basic skills are very well taught. Pupils’ skills in literacy and numeracy are used very effectively in other subjects because of the teachers’ thoughtful planning. This makes the learning relevant to the pupils. The teachers plan lessons that are interesting and build very well on what pupils already know
p.8
Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 4
and, as a result, the pupils learn at a rapid rate. Classroom assistants and volunteer helpers provide valuable support for the pupils’ learning because they know what they have to do. A real strength of the teaching is the extent to which the teachers recognise the pupils as individuals, allow them to express their ideas and opinions, and value their contributions in lessons. Pupils from an early age show remarkable independence and confidence in exploring their own ideas because the teachers foster and value this. Warm and supportive relationships are evident. This builds pupils’ confidence and so they approach the work eagerly. The teachers generally give helpful guidance to pupils on how to improve when they mark pupils’ work. However, the oldest pupils rely on teachers to correct the spelling of common words in their first drafts of writing and the teachers do not place sufficient emphasis on pupils finding and correcting their mistakes for themselves.
p.8
Aspect Comment
The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. The curriculum is well planned, with good links between subjects so that the work is interesting. There is a good range of activities outside lessons.
p.8
Aspect Comment
Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. The pupils’ needs are carefully assessed and well supported by the staff and so these pupils make very good progress towards the targets set for them.
p.8
Aspect Comment
Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Very good. The school provides effective support and teachers and support staff are careful to check pupils’ understanding and progress in lessons.
p.8
Aspect Comment
Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development Very good. The pupils have plenty of opportunities to express how they feel, work together and form good relationships. The diversity of the pupils’ backgrounds is very well celebrated by the school and enhances their understanding of different cultures.
p.8
Aspect Comment
How well the school cares for its pupils There is a good level of care provided. The staff know the pupils well and they show a high level of interest in the pupils as individuals.
p.8
Aspect Comment
The school provides a very wide range of experiences that support the pupils’ learning and contribute to their personal development. For example, all of the pupils learn Italian and every pupil takes part in the school’s annual dramatic performance. Pupils in Year 2 and Year 4 attend outdoor education centres for residential visits. Over the year, the school plans very good opportunities for pupils to learn from each other and also St Aloysius’ RC First School - 9 involves the parents in activities such as the ‘Science Day’ or the ‘International Day’. Pupils also make presentations of their work to each other and parents in assemblies. St Aloysius’ RC First School - 10
p.8
Aspect Comment
Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher has a strong personal vision for the school, including a strong commitment to a Catholic ethos, which he continually communicates. He is well supported in this by all of the staff. There is a close focus on improving the pupils’ standards.
p.10
Aspect Comment
How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very well. The governors have a firm grasp of the school’s priorities and work hard to support them. They are well informed and fulfil their responsibilities effectively.
p.10
Aspect Comment
The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The school looks closely at its provision and works effectively to bring about improvement through the analysis of its performance.
p.10
Aspect Comment
The strategic use of resources Very good. The school’s priorities are well supported through thorough financial planning, and the governors seek the best value for their expenditure.
p.10
Aspect Comment
The school works hard to find what is working well in teaching and learning and to identify what needs to improve. An example of the effectiveness of this work is seen in the increased motivation of older boys in reading. This was identified as a relative area of weakness, through checking on pupils’ performance and the steps put in place have paid dividends. The school has a very strong sense of community that pervades its daily life. The staff work well as a team and place a high priority on involving parents in pupils’ learning. Teachers ensure that they are readily available at the start and end of the school day and many parents take the opportunity to come into classrooms, talk to teachers and look at their children’s work.
p.10
What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved
• Their children enjoy school and make good progress. • The teaching is good and children are expected to work hard and do their best. • The children’s behaviour is good and the school helps children to become more mature and responsible. • The school is well led and managed. • The school works closely with them and the staff are readily available. • Some parents feel that there is too much homework and others feel that there is too little. • The range of activities available outside lessons.
p.10
What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved
The inspection evidence supports all of the parents’ positive views but not their concerns. The homework for pupils is well organised and at an appropriate level for their ages. There is a good range of activities outside lessons, taking into account the pupils’ ages, including Spanish, French and Latin, music, art and book clubs. Provision for sporting activities is not as strong and the school recognises this as an area for development. St Aloysius’ RC First School - 11
p.10
The pupils do well and their work reaches a high standard by the time they leave because
1. The teaching is very good. Teachers have high expectations of what pupils will achieve and plan challenging work for them. As a result, standards are high by the time pupils leave the school. The pupils read very competently, adapt the style of their writing to suit different purposes and use their initiative and ideas very well in scientific investigations. They are quick and accurate with numbers and use their mathematical knowledge very well to solve problems.
p.11
The pupils do well and their work reaches a high standard by the time they leave because
2. These high expectations in teaching are evident equally with the younger pupils. In one lesson, for example, children in the oldest Reception class were counting up to 50, but some were able to go further and the teacher encouraged them to do so. When the teacher worked with a group who were recording sums, she worked intensively with three pupils who were not forming the number 3 correctly. When the children recorded their sums and read these back to the teacher, she reinforced a good mathematical vocabulary and this was reflected in the final part of the lesson when they explained what they had learned. The children were given very good opportunities to explain how they had worked out the answers. One child explained that she had worked out 10 – 3, because she knew that 10 – 2 was 8 and so one less than this was 7. In a Year 1 science lesson, the teacher’s very good questions during the introduction enabled pupils to practise the technical terms, such as circuit , wires , bulb and
p.11
The pupils do well and their work reaches a high standard by the time they leave because
battery , that they had learned the previous week. The teacher had prepared circuits that had faults and pupils had to think about what was happening to prevent the circuits from working. This very effectively reinforced the pupils’ learning.
p.11
The pupils do well and their work reaches a high standard by the time they leave because
3. The basic skills are very well taught in mathematics and the good emphasis on problem solving gives pupils plenty of opportunities to apply their mathematical skills and understanding. The teachers are good at matching work to pupils’ abilities and they are flexible in the way in which pupils are grouped. Higher attaining pupils work with older age groups. In a very good lesson with Years 2 and 3 pupils, the teacher took very good account of pupils’ abilities by setting challenging tasks in working with multiples of 5 and 10. The pupils used small whiteboards to record their answers to sums such 75 + 45, which they calculated mentally. They found many ways of using what they already knew to calculate quickly and accurately. One Year 3 pupil explained how he arrived at his answer: “I know 70 + 30 is 100 and so I had to add another 5 + 15 on, which is 20, so the answer is 120.”
p.11
The pupils do well and their work reaches a high standard by the time they leave because
4. The teachers make very good use of time in lessons and get off to a fast start. They explain what is going to be learned and how this relates to what has gone before and so the pupils are quickly tuned into the lesson’s purpose and activities. In an English lesson in Years 3 and 4, for example, on persuasive writing, the teacher gave a very good explanation of how formal language can be used to persuade the reader. This enabled the pupils to quickly pick out those phrases that push home the points that were made in the text being studied and established the persuasive tone of the letter. Her instruction “You have got to make a strong argument and make the language count,” was very well followed by the pupils when they composed their own letters. The pupils used persuasive language well, such as: “You have the choice, you can destroy the habitats of the wild creatures or protect them….I would like to point out that….I
p.11
The pupils do well and their work reaches a high standard by the time they leave because
would like to state that a number of endangered species live in this area…..nothing will thrive except for you and your wealth.” St Aloysius’ RC First School - 12
p.11
Teachers harness the pupils’ thirst for learning very effectively and so the pupils enjoy
5. Pupils of all abilities are keen to learn and because the teaching is lively and meets their needs, they achieve very well. The pupils know that the teachers will value their efforts and so try hard to please them. Pupils are eager to start work as soon as they arrive in the morning and the teachers’ good preparation for the start of the day ensures that all are straight into activities, often well before the official start of the school day.
p.12
Teachers harness the pupils’ thirst for learning very effectively and so the pupils enjoy
6. The pupils often cannot wait to get started on the work in lessons because they are brimming with ideas. Their interest is very well promoted through the teachers’ planning. In a science lesson in Years 3 and 4, for example, the pupils listened avidly to the introductory part of the lesson and were eager to answer the teacher’s questions. They were set the task of designing an electrical circuit that would work traffic lights. They worked in pairs and eagerly discussed their options. Most quickly decided that a parallel circuit was the one to construct and set about gathering the resources to build this. The pupils were undeterred when they hit problems and persevered, refining their ideas until they had completed the task. In a Years 2 and 3 mathematics lesson, the pupils were delighted when they beat their previous record in completing a timed task in a game that involved the whole class. Their success relied on
p.12
Teachers harness the pupils’ thirst for learning very effectively and so the pupils enjoy
being alert, fast and accurate in mental recall of number facts up to 20 and they spurred each other on to achieve a faster time.
p.12
Teachers harness the pupils’ thirst for learning very effectively and so the pupils enjoy
7. The pupils’ enthusiasm for learning extends beyond the normal school day. During the inspection, seven boys and seven girls from Year 4 attended the popular ‘Book Club’, which is held after school. These pupils showed an intense pleasure in sharing their favourite parts of books and recommended books to others. One pupil, who was particularly taken by an author, left with three books that were found for him by others in the group.
p.12
The curriculum is very good. Teachers make good links between subjects and plan lessons
skilfully to build on what pupils already know.
p.12
The curriculum is very good. Teachers make good links between subjects and plan lessons
8. The school gives high priority to providing a rich and varied curriculum that captures the pupils’ interest and exploits their learning in one subject when they approach new work in another subject.
p.12
The curriculum is very good. Teachers make good links between subjects and plan lessons
9. The pupils use their literacy skills very well to support their learning in other subjects. In history, for example, Year 4 pupils have written excellent recruitment leaflets for the Roman army. The pupils very successfully used what they had learned about persuasive writing in English lessons. The leaflets included sub-headings, captions, bullet points and slogans. They used the vocabulary and knowledge from history lessons very effectively. In one lesson seen, a group of Year 4 pupils were constructing boxes after learning in history about how the Celts kept religious relics in specially decorated boxes. They used what they had learned about Celtic art in history lessons very effectively to improve the standard of their work. The pupils considered how they could embellish the surface of the boxes with patterns based on Celtic designs and used string to create swirling and interlocking patterns. The work was carefully
p.12
The curriculum is very good. Teachers make good links between subjects and plan lessons
executed and pupils took pride in getting it right. Other pupils in this lesson created illuminated pictures after studying Celtic designs. They used rich, deep tones of colour and gold and silver paint that reflected the illuminated manuscripts that they had studied. The pupils applied the watercolour paint carefully and explained that Celtic designs had to be adapted if mistakes were made because these could only be disguised by additional features. They knew that, should they make a mistake, the alteration would have to be represented in the symmetry of the overall design.
p.12
The curriculum is very good. Teachers make good links between subjects and plan lessons
10. The pupils’ learning is enhanced through the opportunities they have outside normal lessons, such as residential visits and special events that focus on an area of the curriculum. During one field trip, for example, a Year 4 pupil studied different soil types and found that clay could St Aloysius’ RC First School - 13 be formed into a firm shape, that it held “strongly and firmly”, that loam “was rough but would not hold a shape” and that wet sand “cracked up when the shape was bent.” The pupils talk with great enthusiasm about the recent ‘Science Day’ where they displayed the projects that they had worked on at home and at school. They chose their topics in pairs and groups. One pupil decided to research crystals because a stone found on a beach during a residential visit had fascinated her. Another group had produced a volcano, in a papier-mâché landscape, that erupted on demand.
p.12
Very effective leadership and management result in the school’s aims being clearly
reflected in its work and a strong emphasis on raising standards.
p.13
Very effective leadership and management result in the school’s aims being clearly
11. The school has very clear aims and works diligently to ensure that these are closely reflected in its everyday life. The school celebrates pupils’ individuality and their ethnic diversity very well and puts the pupils’ needs at the forefront of its priorities. The headteacher is central to these efforts and provides strong leadership for the school. All of the staff give him very good support and work hard to improve the quality of education provided. They give unstintingly of their time and effort to ensure that the school’s very good ethos is maintained. The professional development of teachers is very well planned to support the priorities in the school’s development planning and leads to a very good knowledge of what they are teaching and how this can be taught most effectively.
p.13
Very effective leadership and management result in the school’s aims being clearly
12. The school identifies the right priorities for development by looking closely at what it needs to do to improve, through analysing the pupils’ performance and the strengths and weaknesses in teaching and learning. An example is the identification of a lack of motivation by some boys to read. The school set out an action plan to investigate the causes and to resolve any shortcomings in resources and teaching. The steps taken, including the identification of preferred texts and better encouragement for boys to express their opinions and ideas about what they have read, have been successful.
p.13
Very effective leadership and management result in the school’s aims being clearly
13. The governors provide high quality support for the school and they know how well the school is doing because they visit frequently and gain good information from the headteacher and subject managers. Several provide support for teaching through their expertise in particular subjects, such as mathematics or science. Financial planning is very good and supports the school’s priorities. The large carry forward figure from last year is due to reduce considerably because of initiatives planned in the current year.
p.13
Parents are very much involved in the life of the school and so they have a clear view of
14. The parents express strong support for the school. They have a high level of confidence in the quality of the teaching and the school’s leadership and management.
p.13
Parents are very much involved in the life of the school and so they have a clear view of
15. The school works hard to enable parents to understand what their children are doing and how they are getting on at school. Parents are welcomed into all of the classrooms in the mornings and after school. They are encouraged to take an interest in what is happening in the classrooms. Many spend a considerable time looking at children’s work and talking to teachers and other adults and so they gain a very good understanding of the school’s daily life and their children’s work. Parents very much appreciate this daily access to the staff.
p.13
Parents are very much involved in the life of the school and so they have a clear view of
16. A good number of parents help in the classrooms and their expertise is very well used to support the pupils’ learning. Many more willingly support special events. The recent ‘International Day’, for example, involved many parents in a celebration of the different cultures that are represented in the school’s community. Parents give very good support for events such as the ‘Science Day’ and many worked with their children to produce the displays. St Aloysius’ RC First School - 14
p.13
Some of the older pupils do not spell common words correctly and rely on the teachers to
17. While the overall standard of pupils’ writing in Year 4 is very good, there is a marked disparity between the accuracy with which many pupils spell common words in first drafts and that seen in the final draft. The pupils are very keen to write and their ideas tumble out. They often spell simple words incorrectly in these first drafts and they do not routinely check through their work to find mistakes. The pupils rely on teachers to correct spellings when they mark the writing. While teachers insist that the pupils write out the spellings in practice books, they find the same common words cropping up repeatedly. The pupils can readily identify many of these common errors when they read through their first drafts, but the teachers do not always insist that they do this. The school now teaches spelling very effectively in the younger classes and the spelling of common words is accurate as a result. The older pupils did not benefit
p.14
Some of the older pupils do not spell common words correctly and rely on the teachers to
from the school’s current approach and so they have gaps in their learning. At present, the strategy of teachers correcting the spelling for the pupils is not effectively helping them to overcome their difficulties.
p.14
Some of the older pupils do not spell common words correctly and rely on the teachers to
The school should be doing more to accurately record and promote better attendance.
p.14
Some of the older pupils do not spell common words correctly and rely on the teachers to
18. The attendance figures for the school are well below the national average, as at the time of the last inspection. This is due, in some part, to extended visits abroad when families return to their countries of origin. However, because the school does not always categorise pupils’ absence accurately, it is not in a good position to track patterns of absence or identify absence that is unauthorised. When the teachers mark the registers they do not all use the correct codes to pinpoint the reason for absence. The school has made a nil return for unauthorised absence for several years but scrutiny of registers shows that it cannot be certain that this is the case. The school has introduced a computerised system for monitoring attendance but it is too early to judge its effectiveness. The school does not do enough, through the governors’ annual report to parents and the school’s prospectus, to impress on parents the importance of
p.14
Some of the older pupils do not spell common words correctly and rely on the teachers to
attendance and the extent to which the school falls below the national picture.
p.14
WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?
Improve standards in spelling, in first drafts of writing for the oldest pupils, by ensuring that they check through their work and attempt to correct mistakes in common words before teachers mark the work. (Paragraph 17).
p.14
WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?
Ensure that the reasons for pupils’ absence are correctly recorded and that data is analysed so that any unauthorised absence is identified. Ensure that the importance of good attendance is stressed in the information the school provided for parents. (Paragraph 18). St Aloysius’ RC First School - 15
p.14
Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection
Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 10
p.15
Summary of teaching observed during the inspection
Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor
p.15
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 ten per cent.
p.15
Information about the school’s pupils
Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 176
p.15
Information about the school’s pupils
Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 14
p.15
Information about the school’s pupils
Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2
p.15
Information about the school’s pupils
Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 20
p.15
Information about the school’s pupils
English as an additional language No of pupils
p.15
Information about the school’s pupils
Number of pupils with English as an additional language 29
p.15
Information about the school’s pupils
Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils
p.15
Information about the school’s pupils
Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 8
p.15
Information about the school’s pupils
Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 9
p.15
Attendance
National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5
p.15
Attendance
Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Aloysius’ RC First School - 16
p.15
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 14 13 27
p.16
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)
National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics
p.16
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)
Boys 14 13 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 13 13
p.16
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)
Percentage of pupils School 100 (100) 96 (100) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)
p.16
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)
Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science
p.16
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)
Boys 13 14 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 13 13
p.16
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)
Percentage of pupils School 96 (100) 100 (100) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)
p.16
Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)
Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St Aloysius’ RC First School - 17
p.16
Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year
Black – Caribbean heritage 4 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0
p.17
Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year
Black – African heritage 3 Black – African heritage 0 0
p.17
Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year
Any other minority ethnic group 17 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0
p.17
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.17
Teachers and classes Financial information
Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8.2 Financial year 2001/2002
p.17
Teachers and classes Financial information
Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21:1
p.17
Teachers and classes Financial information
Education support staff: YR – Y4 Total income 379135
p.17
Teachers and classes Financial information
Total number of education support staff 7 Total expenditure 354645
p.17
Teachers and classes Financial information
Total aggregate hours worked per week 106 Expenditure per pupil 2259
p.17
Teachers and classes Financial information
FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance brought forward from previous year 8510
p.17
Teachers and classes Financial information
Balance carried forward to next year 33000
p.17
Recruitment of teachers
Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 1
p.17
Recruitment of teachers
Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2
p.17
Recruitment of teachers
Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0
p.17
Recruitment of teachers
Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1
p.17
Recruitment of teachers
Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0
p.17
Recruitment of teachers
FTE means full-time equivalent. St Aloysius’ RC First School - 18
p.17
Percentage of responses in each category
Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know
p.18
Percentage of responses in each category
My child is making good progress in school. 63 32 3 0 1
p.18
Percentage of responses in each category
Behaviour in the school is good. 61 37 3 0 0
p.18
Percentage of responses in each category
My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 50 29 13 5 3
p.18
Percentage of responses in each category
I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 50 34 5 5 5
p.18
Percentage of responses in each category
I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 71 24 3 3 0
p.18
Percentage of responses in each category
The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 58 39 0 3 0
p.18
Percentage of responses in each category
The school works closely with parents. 63 24 8 3 3
p.18
Percentage of responses in each category
The school is well led and managed. 68 26 3 3 0
p.18
Percentage of responses in each category
The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 74 24 3 0 0
p.18
Percentage of responses in each category
The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 50 26 13 8 3
p.18
Discuss this inspection
Members compare notes on inspectors and inspections here. Join free to read and post.
Join the discussion