Penwortham, St Teresa's Catholic Primary School

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 12 th -13 th March 2002

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PRIMARY SCHOOL

Short inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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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. Penwortham St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Stanley Grove Penwortham Preston

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Father Austin Griffin

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 3 rd November 1997 Penwortham St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School

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Team members

23219 Phil Mann Registered inspector 19743 Ann Taylor Lay inspector 23494 Dave Whatson Team inspector

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Team members

TWA Inspections Ltd 5 Lakeside Werrington Peterborough PE4 6QZ

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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:

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Penwortham St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School

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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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 17

Penwortham St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Penwortham St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School has 256 pupils on roll, aged 4 to 11, and the average class size is 28. The school is located in a residential area of Penwortham, Preston. The pupils come from the local area and the parish. The current circumstances of most families are above average. The school was built in 1961 and is surrounded by attractive play areas and playing fields. At the time of the inspection, there were seven children under five in the reception class. The attainment of children at the start of school is above average. Thirteen per cent of pupils are on the special educational needs register. Of these, there are 25 pupils at the early, school-based stages of assessment and provision and four receive support from the local education authority. There are currently five pupils with a Statement of Special Educational Need 1 . The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is below the national

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an effective school that provides high levels of care within a supportive and happy Christian community. Standards are above average in many subjects and the pupils respond very well to a wide range of interesting activities on offer. The quality of teaching is good overall with a high proportion being very good or excellent. The leadership by the headteacher and governing body is good and they have developed good systems for monitoring their effectiveness. The school continues to provide good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils achieve above average standards in many subjects. • Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning as a result of the good provision for their personal development. • The quality of teaching and learning across the school is good overall. • The school provides a good range of interesting opportunities to enrich the pupils’ learning experiences. • Parents are fully involved in their child’s learning and the life of the school. • The headteacher and governing body provide good leadership for the work of the school.

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What could be improved

• Further develop the use of the school’s good assessment information to ensure the level of challenge is appropriate in all lessons. • Make better use of the school’s good systems for monitoring teaching and learning to further improve the consistency and quality of teaching across the school. • Long-term planning for the future development of the school. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

All of the key issues identified in the previous inspection report have been successfully tackled and the level of improvement overall has been good. Schemes of work and policies are now in place for all subjects and are being used effectively to influence and guide teachers’ planning. Procedures for assessing the achievements of pupils are now in place and being used to ensure planning meets the needs of individual pupils. Curriculum co-ordinators now play a greater role in the monitoring of teaching and learning within their subjects. The school’s capacity for further improvement is also good.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

1 Stages of special educational needs range from Stage 1, when limited additional support is provided for pupils entirely from within the school, to Stage 5, which ensures that a pupil has a statement outlining his or her needs and shows what additional and specific support that pupil will receive. Stages 3, 4 and 5 involve external specialists as well as staff within the school. Penwortham St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

1999 2000 2001 2001 top 5% nationally A* English A C A A well above average above average A B Mathematics A* B A* A* average below average C D Science A* D A A well below average E

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Key

Pupils achieve high standards in many subjects by the time pupils leave school at the age of 11 years. Attainment is above average when children start school in the reception class. Most of these children make good progress in their communication, language and literacy skills. By the end of the reception year they have attained all the early learning goals in the six areas of learning identified for children in this age range 2 . Standards in reading, writing and mathematics achieved by pupils aged 7 in the 2001 national tests were well above average. The test results for the last three years indicate that this high standard has been consistently maintained when compared with national expectations and the results of similar schools. Eleven-year-olds attained very high standards in English, mathematics and science in the 2001 national tests. These results were well above the national average and very much better than those of pupils in

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Key

similar schools. This very high attainment is due to good teaching with a strong focus on basic skills in literacy and numeracy.

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Key

The pupils display very good attitudes to learning in response to the school’s emphasis on personal development and celebration of achievement. This combined with high quality teaching in many lessons is ensuring that high standards are being maintained in many other subjects as well. This is particularly so in the expressive arts and information and communication technology.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good throughout the school. Pupils want to come to school, all are very enthusiastic about their learning and this contributes significantly to their achievement.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is very good in the classrooms and around the school. The pupils respond very well to the school’s provision for moral development.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Pupils’ personal development is very good and they value the recognition of their achievements. Relationships are very good throughout the school. Pupils like and respect the adults in the school and they enjoy the respect of their teachers, teaching assistants and other staff. They are aware of each other’s needs and care for each other.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Pupil attendance is high and well above the national average.

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Aspect Comment

2 Early learning goals - these are expectations for most children to reach by the end of the Foundation Stage. They mainly refer to achievements children make in connection with: communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; personal, social and emotional development; knowledge and understanding of the world; and physical and creative development. Penwortham St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School

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

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

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

The quality of teaching is good overall. It is at least satisfactory in all lessons and was good or better in half of those seen. It was very good or better in a quarter of lessons and excellent teaching was observed in two lessons during the inspection. This high proportion of good or better teaching contributes significantly to the progress the pupils make and the standards achieved. A good proportion of the high quality teaching is for pupils in the infant classes where it was very good or better in five out of six lessons seen.

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

Skills in literacy and numeracy are taught well and teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to practise what they have learned in a variety of practical situations. Subject knowledge is good in many areas of learning and teachers use a good range of techniques to motivate pupils and make lessons interesting. The needs of pupils are generally well met, but sometimes information about pupils’ individual achievements is not always used effectively to ensure that all pupils are sufficiently challenged in all lessons.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The school offers a wide range of interesting and enjoyable activities with many good links between subjects. The curriculum for literacy and numeracy is well planned and computers are used very effectively to help pupils learn. The range of extra-curricular activities that the school provides is good.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs The school is good at identifying and supporting pupils with special educational needs. Work is well planned for these pupils and they make good progress in English and mathematics. Support assistants provide good levels of help.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Pupils learning English as an additional language are supported effectively. They are well integrated in the school and participate fully in lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The school provides good opportunities for spiritual development in assemblies and lessons. Moral development is very good and this creates a peaceful and orderly community. Teachers provide good opportunities for social and cultural development.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils A caring school where Christian values and very positive relationships ensure that all pupils enjoy being in this happy school. Child protection procedures are good and the school is a safe environment for pupils to learn in. Teachers, however, need to use information about pupils’ individual progress more effectively to ensure that all pupils are always provided with challenging work.

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Aspect Comment

The school works closely with parents and fully takes their views into account when changes are made; home and school diaries are used effectively by staff and parents to help pupils learn. Penwortham St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides good leadership and clear educational direction for the work of the school. The aims and values of the school are very clearly reflected in its work. There is a strong sense of teamwork amongst the staff and subject co-ordinators fulfil their roles effectively.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors provide effective support for the work of the school. They are clear about the level of success so far and what needs to be further improved. All statutory requirements are fulfilled.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Procedures for self-evaluation are being firmly established within the school. Good systems have been put in place to monitor the quality of teaching and learning. The information gathered, however, is not always applied rigorously to ensure that lessons provide appropriate pace and challenge for all junior pupils.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school makes appropriate use of specific grants. The plan for school improvement is only short-term and as yet does not offer a long-term vision for the future development of the school. The school has made a good start in applying the principles of best value in what it does.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

36 parents attended the meeting and 63 per cent returned the questionnaire.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Parents were overwhelmingly positive about all the aspects of school life reviewed in the parents’ questionnaire. Most notably parents felt that: • teaching is good; • the school is well led and managed; • teachers have high expectations of what pupils can do. • Some parents at the meeting had concerns about homework arrangements. • A small number felt older pupils were not challenged enough. • The range of activities outside lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors agree with the parents’ positive views. They also judge that the school’s procedures for homework are good and this is helping pupils to build on their learning. There is also a good range of activities for pupils to take part in outside lessons. Inspectors judge that challenge for more able pupils could be further improved in some lessons. The school has identified a need to review strategies for teaching ‘gifted and talented’ pupils in its development plan. Penwortham St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Pupils achieve high standards in many subjects.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

1. Pupils achieve high standards in English, mathematics and science by the time they leave school at the age of 11 years. Attainment is above average when children start school in the reception class. Most of these children make good progress in their communication, language and literacy skills. By the end of the reception year they have attained all the early learning goals in the six areas of learning identified for children in this age range. Standards in reading, writing and mathematics achieved by pupils aged 7 in the 2001 national tests were well above average. The test results for the last three years indicate that this high standard has been consistently maintained in comparison with national expectations and those for similar schools. Eleven-year-olds attained very high standards in English, mathematics and science in the 2001 national tests. These results were well above the national average and very much better than that of pupils in

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

similar schools. This very high attainment is due to good teaching and a strong focus on the effective teaching across the school of basic skills in literacy and numeracy.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

2. The pupils display excellent attitudes to learning in response to the school’s emphasis on personal development and celebration of achievement. This, combined with high quality teaching in many lessons, is ensuring that high standards are being maintained in many other subjects as well.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

3. Skills of speaking and listening are very well developed. Nearly all pupils listen attentively and, by the end of Year 6, clearly articulate their views during class discussions. Speaking and listening skills are taught well at an early stage in the pupils’ development, as demonstrated very effectively in a literacy lesson for Year 1 pupils. In this lesson pupils were given an opportunity to ‘interview’ a member of the class playing the character of cook, from a book currently being read. Two Year 6 pupils who confidently performed a hilarious puppet play in an assembly for the entire school further exemplified this confidence in speaking and listening.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

4. Skills in reading are well developed. Teachers use the literacy lessons to teach effectively a range of reading skills. From an early age pupils use a wide range of strategies to decipher unfamiliar words and by the time they are in Year 6, most read fluently and expressively. They are able to use their skills of research well to locate information for history and science topics in books or on the Internet. Year 2 pupils read with enthusiasm and expression, displaying a love of books. This good provision ensures that pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, make good progress in their reading.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

5. Overall, writing skills are taught well across the school and good opportunities are provided for pupils to use their skills in many other subjects. For instance, pupils in Year 3 produce good accounts of the kind of life of children in the Victorian times as part of their history studies. Higher attaining pupils in Year 6 use vocabulary well to create atmosphere and suspense in their writing about Macbeth by using phrases such as, ‘It was a cold, blustery night, thunder and lightning struck all around, leaving everything in a lonely shadow’. Handwriting skills are being consistently developed and pupils are encouraged to write in a neat style. The best results were seen in a class of Year 5 pupils where the quality of presentation was very good. Throughout the school, work is generally well punctuated and Year 6 pupils are beginning to make appropriate use of paragraphs and speech marks to provide structure and interest to their stories. Teachers

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

provide good opportunities for pupils to use computers to draft their writing with some impressive results, such as short stories entitled ‘The Ghost of Time’. Penwortham St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School 6. Skills in numeracy are well developed and teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to practise what they have learnt in a variety of practical situations. Good use is made of mental arithmetic sessions at the start of lessons to reinforce learning, and pupils are encouraged to use their emerging knowledge of the patterns created by numbers to solve problems using a range of written methods. By the time that they reach Year 6, these skills are at a high level. About a third of pupils in Year 6 are working at a level above what is expected nationally. Analysis of pupils’ work in Year 6 also indicates that these pupils have developed good skills of investigation and readily use the computer to

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

illustrate their results in various charts and graphs. Progress is consistently good throughout the school and high standards are achieved in lessons. For instance, most pupils in Year 2 confidently identify number patterns and make reasoned guesses about which numbers to round up or down to the nearest ten. Pupils’ good attainment in mathematics helps them with their work in other subjects. For example, pupils in Year 5 produced detailed line graphs about the evaporation rates of common liquids, as part of their studies in science.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

7. Skills of scientific enquiry are well developed across the school as a result of a structured approach to the planning of what is to be taught and an emphasis on investigative activity. By the time pupils are in Year 6 they are knowledgeable and experienced across the breadth of the curriculum and most are working at the expected level with a good proportion working at above average levels. These pupils are secure in their understanding of the principles of fair testing and achieve good standards in a range of topics from healthy eating to the study of reversible and irreversible changes in materials.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

8. Pupils are achieving high standards in music and art by the time they leave school at 11 because teachers plan an interesting and exciting range of activities in these subjects. This is particularly so in art where an impressive whole-school display on the work of Picasso demonstrates the breadth of talent and high level of achievement that these pupils have developed. This talent for the expressive arts is also complemented by the high standards of work achieved in information and communication technology. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, are provided with a wide range of opportunities to use computers in support of their work in other subjects. As a result standards are above average in information and communication technology by the end of the juniors and many pupils display a high level of skill, as demonstrated by their ability to produce word-processed text and graphics work of high quality.

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Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning as a result of the good provision for their

9. Pupils' attitudes to the school are very good and they enjoy coming to school. They all display a keen enthusiasm for their lessons and this has a direct impact on the standards achieved. They respond particularly well to the enthusiasm of teachers. This was clearly demonstrated in a numeracy lesson for pupils in Year 2 where the teacher used a range of exciting and vibrant teaching methods, such as stretching and counting games, to introduce the topic for the lesson. Almost all the pupils willingly take part in class discussions throughout the school. The vast majority of pupils are well motivated and the overall response to teachers is very good. All pupils respond very well to the school’s ‘Golden Achievement Awards’ and value the award of a certificate and its display on the school’s ‘Golden Board’ in the hall. The result of this consistent recognition of pupils’ achievement by the headteacher and teachers is that pupils are clearly motivated to work

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Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning as a result of the good provision for their

very well and concentrate in lessons. The vast majority are able to generate ideas and solve problems independently, as seen in a Year 6 lesson to develop their use of a computer simulation program to operate a set of traffic lights. Almost all the pupils are accustomed to organising their own work and they take delight in working with a partner, as well as working as individuals. Penwortham St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School 10. The behaviour of pupils, both in and out of school, is very good and this also has a very positive impact on pupils' learning. Pupils are keen to take responsibility for their own actions and care for others. The installation of the ‘Friendship Bench’ in a quiet part of the school playground is providing a very good opportunity for pupils to support others who may need a word of encouragement or help. The response of pupils to school rules is very positive and the vast majority are courteous, trustworthy and respectful to each

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Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning as a result of the good provision for their

other, adults and visitors to the school. Relationships between pupils, and between pupils and staff, are very good. Instances of bullying, aggressive, sexist or racist behaviour are very rare and no pupils have been excluded during the last school year.

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Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning as a result of the good provision for their

11. Overall, personal development and relationships are very good. Pupils have an extremely keen understanding of the impact of their actions on others. Pupils reflect and discuss their behaviour, feelings and experiences in sessions set aside for this purpose. Most pupils contribute to the life of the school and community and display enthusiasm to help others in need by raising considerable sums for both local and national charities. They display a very considerable concern for feelings, values and beliefs of others. Older pupils can talk with confidence about their own views and beliefs and the vast majority listen carefully to others' views in classroom discussions and lessons. Pupils demonstrate initiative when given the opportunity and most are accustomed to accepting the responsibility of doing routine tasks. Many respond well to challenges and show initiative when undertaking jobs around the school, such as being a door monitor. The

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Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning as a result of the good provision for their

pupils’ understanding of citizenship is supported well through the provision of a school council, providing very good opportunities for the pupils to be part of the school’s overall development. As exemplified by the purchase of foamy soap by the school in response to the pupils’ wish to improve hand-washing facilities in the toilet areas.

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Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning as a result of the good provision for their

The quality of teaching and learning across the school is good overall.

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Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning as a result of the good provision for their

12. The overall quality of teaching across the school is good. Teaching is at least satisfactory in all lessons and was good or better in half of those seen. It was very good or better in a quarter of lessons and two excellent lessons were observed during the inspection. This high proportion of good or better teaching contributes significantly to the progress the pupils make and the standards achieved overall. A good proportion of the very high quality teaching is for pupils in the infant classes where it was very good or better in five out of the six lessons seen. Parents commented very positively on the level of good teaching in the school.

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Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning as a result of the good provision for their

13. Teachers’ subject knowledge in many subjects is good across the school. Their competence in the teaching of basic skills is good and, consequently, literacy and numeracy lessons are being taught very effectively. This was clearly demonstrated in a very good literacy lesson for pupils in Year 5 to explore the structure of a poem. In this lesson the teacher confidently used vocabulary such as onomatopoeia, stanzas and metaphors in challenging the pupils’ interpretation of a poem about a highwayman. This high quality of teaching clearly provided a good impetus for the pupils’ own writing, with some impressive results being achieved by the end of the lesson in their poems. Very good levels of subject expertise are also demonstrated in the teaching of music to pupils in Year 2 and this is contributing significantly to the standard of music being achieved by these pupils. The school has also used the specific expertise of teachers effectively to

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Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning as a result of the good provision for their

enrich the learning experiences available to the older pupils, for example, in the teaching of French to pupils in Year 6.

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Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning as a result of the good provision for their

14. The quality of planning is good overall across the school and learning aims and objectives are clearly identified on the whiteboard and often shared verbally with the pupils at the start of the lesson. This is not yet consistent practice across the school. When used effectively this strategy enables pupils to be fully aware of their own learning and makes Penwortham St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School teaching more effective. The teachers assess the levels of attainment of the pupils well and this ensures that work is matched carefully to their ability. This is particularly so in English and mathematics lessons. Planning is less effective in some lessons when activities do not fully challenge the needs of the most able junior pupils through investigative or independent work.

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Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning as a result of the good provision for their

15. Overall, teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. The level of challenge is high in most lessons and this is especially so in the infant classes. The best lessons are very demanding and pupils are strongly motivated to learn new skills. This was illustrated in a literacy lesson for pupils in Year 1 to develop understanding of characters in a story. The very high quality of teaching fully challenged pupils’ writing ability and, consequently, they all made very good progress.

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Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning as a result of the good provision for their

16. Teachers across the school use a wide range of methods to make lessons interesting and fun. As a result of the headteacher’s good monitoring of teaching and learning, teachers now use the overhead projectors and visual aids very effectively to introduce new learning and illustrate teaching points. There is a good balance between direct teaching and practical activity and this is particularly evident in literacy and numeracy lessons. Pupils are grouped according to ability in many lessons and this enables all pupils to make good progress. Information and communication technology is used very effectively to support learning in many subjects and is a particular strength of the school. A good feature is the degree of support that teachers and support staff give to pupils when they are working with the computers during lessons, as seen for pupils in Year 2 in the use of a simple graphics program to design their puppet. Staff also use the digital camera

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Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning as a result of the good provision for their

effectively to record the work of the pupils in design and technology lessons as a record of standards achieved.

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Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning as a result of the good provision for their

17. Teachers manage pupils well in lessons and their expectations of pupils’ behaviour are high. Staff have established a very positive rapport with the pupils and this results in a good atmosphere for learning across the school. A strong feature is that all staff know their pupils very well and provide a secure environment in which all pupils flourish and develop. This is particularly so for pupils with special educational needs. Teachers know the capabilities of these pupils, plan lessons carefully to ensure an appropriate level of challenge, and work closely with support assistants to secure pupils’ learning. The quality of marking is good overall and, as a result, pupils are clearly informed about their own learning. The setting of individual targets for the pupils is a developing feature and this is enabling the pupils to become more fully involved in their own learning.

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The school provides a good range of interesting opportunities to enrich the pupils’

18. The curriculum offered to pupils is a strength of the school. It is broad, balanced and relevant and is very well designed so that pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding are developed systematically from year to year. The school has been keen to provide a balance between the academic subjects such as English, mathematics, and science and the more expressive nature of art, music and physical education. This has been achieved through effective cross-curricular planning with the result that good links are made between subjects. Pupils, therefore, have regular opportunities to transfer skills learnt in one subject to their work in another. Their individual strengths support their learning across the curriculum. For example, the effective use of information and communication technology throughout the school provides good opportunities for links between subjects such as design and technology, and art. This was clearly demonstrated by the

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The school provides a good range of interesting opportunities to enrich the pupils’

involvement of a secondary school technician in the use of computer design technology by Year 6 pupils in the creation of a puzzle made with acrylic material. These pupils responded very well to the new skills being demonstrated by exhibiting considerable keenness in using the computer to translate their own designs for a puzzle into reality via Penwortham St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School a cutting machine. Younger pupils have also used graphic modelling programs effectively to create pictures in the style of Picasso as part of the whole-school display to celebrate the artist’s life and achievements.

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The school provides a good range of interesting opportunities to enrich the pupils’

19. The provision for personal development is very good and a strong Christian ethos permeates all the school’s work. Pupils learn to have care and consideration for one another and develop good skills of citizenship through participation in the school council. There is an impressive range of activities outside lessons underpinning the curriculum. These activities are very well supported and they include the school choir, football and netball clubs and other sporting activities. The school also makes good use of the neighbouring secondary school’s sporting facilities and adjacent woodland to enhance the pupils’ learning opportunities.

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The school provides a good range of interesting opportunities to enrich the pupils’

20. The school works very hard to ensure the curriculum is socially inclusive. The way in which classes are organised ensures that equality of access is open to all pupils. Pupils' ages are fully considered in curriculum planning, and planning to take account of attainment is generally effective. Pupils with special educational needs are very often a focus of curriculum planning and support assistants are used effectively to support the needs of these pupils.

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The school provides a good range of interesting opportunities to enrich the pupils’

Parents are fully involved in their child’s learning and the life of the school.

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The school provides a good range of interesting opportunities to enrich the pupils’

21. The school has established a very effective partnership with parents and carers of pupils at the school. This judgement is confirmed by the very positive response of parents to the pre-inspection questionnaire and comments made at the parents’ meeting. This represents good improvement on the findings of the previous inspection where these links were felt to be in need of further development. The headteacher and governing body continue to look for ways to further the very good relationships that have now been established. The induction procedures for new pupils are very detailed and transfer arrangements for pupils moving on to secondary schools are effective. Parents receive very good information from the school in the prospectus, regular newsletters and governors' annual report. The school very regularly consults with and informs parents about the curriculum, and there are good levels of guidance available for parents on how

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The school provides a good range of interesting opportunities to enrich the pupils’

they can help with topics and homework. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are invited to regular reviews of their child's progress and achievement.

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The school provides a good range of interesting opportunities to enrich the pupils’

22. This level of parental involvement has a very considerable impact on the work of the school and makes a very significant contribution to the pupils’ learning. The Parents, Teachers and Friends Association provides very good opportunities for staff and parents to meet informally to strengthen links with the school. Teachers are invariably available at the beginning and end of the school day for informal discussions with parents and appointments can be made if more time is required. Teachers use the reading and homework diaries effectively to communicate with parents and carers of pupils and this also contributes to the progress pupils make. Pupils and parents value the weekly ‘Achievement’ assemblies. Many parents attend these assemblies, enabling the school and parents jointly to celebrate the pupils’ achievements.

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The school provides a good range of interesting opportunities to enrich the pupils’

The headteacher and governing body provide good leadership for the work of the school.

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The school provides a good range of interesting opportunities to enrich the pupils’

23. The school is well led and managed by the headteacher, who is ably supported by his senior staff and governors. The headteacher provides clear educational direction for the work of the school. He has a clear vision for the school’s future development and shares this effectively with staff, governors and parents. His drive and commitment is exemplified by the many changes made since the previous inspection to the school’s accommodation and level of resources available to the teachers and pupils. The management team and staff work closely together and have very positive expectations for Penwortham St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School the school’s development. The management team are strongly committed to school improvement and raising standards. This is demonstrated by their wish to provide the pupils with a broad and balanced curriculum that includes a wide range of exciting learning opportunities. Responsibilities and the co-ordination of subjects are clearly

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The school provides a good range of interesting opportunities to enrich the pupils’

delegated to management staff and teachers. As a result, subject co-ordinators are fully involved in planning for school improvement and monitoring the work of the school.

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The school provides a good range of interesting opportunities to enrich the pupils’

24. The school's performance is monitored and evaluated effectively by the headteacher, staff and governors. Good procedures have been put in place to monitor the quality of teaching and learning and, as a result, the quality of teaching has improved since the previous inspection. Teaching quality is now more consistent and at least satisfactory across the school, although there are still some variations in overall quality of learning experiences within the junior classes.

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The school provides a good range of interesting opportunities to enrich the pupils’

25. The school's strategy for appraisal and performance management is good. The steps taken to meet the school's targets for improvement are effective and priorities for development are appropriate for the needs of the staff and pupils. They are clearly identified within the good annual plan for improvement.

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The school provides a good range of interesting opportunities to enrich the pupils’

26. The governing body is well organised and all statutory requirements are fully met. Its various committees enable it to provide effective support for the school. These committees meet regularly and have clear terms of reference to guide their work. Governors are strongly committed to the school; many visit regularly and have a good understanding of its strengths and areas for further development. The quality of the governors’ involvement in the life of the school is exemplified by their participation in school evaluation with the headteacher and staff.

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Further develop the use of the school’s good assessment information to ensure the level

of challenge is appropriate in all lessons.

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Further develop the use of the school’s good assessment information to ensure the level

27. Good progress has been made since the previous inspection in the development of procedures for assessing the pupils’ achievements. Staff make good use of a wide range of standardised data to monitor the progress of pupils and teachers evaluate their teaching appropriately at the end of lessons. Pupils are assessed on a termly basis using a range of material recommended by the government and the information gained is used well to inform future planning and meetings for parents. Targets are now being set for individual pupils in English, mathematics and science. This information is being used effectively in the infant classes, but not as effectively in some junior classes. As a result, work for more able pupils is not always as challenging as it could be in some lessons and the meeting of their individual needs is sometimes too informal. The school has recognised that the needs of these pupils should be addressed more effectively. The

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Further develop the use of the school’s good assessment information to ensure the level

current school improvement plan aims to establish a register for gifted and talented pupils.

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Make better use of the school’s good systems for monitoring teaching and learning to

further improve the consistency and quality of teaching across the school.

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Make better use of the school’s good systems for monitoring teaching and learning to

28. The headteacher has implemented good procedures for the monitoring of teaching and learning. Time is allocated for this purpose and teachers are set individual targets for improvement. Individual strengths are identified and shared with the whole staff as a mechanism for developing good practice across the school. A good example of this is the improved use of visual aids such as overhead projectors to illustrate teaching points and make lessons more interesting. Penwortham St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School 29. The quality of teaching and learning is consistently very good for pupils in the infant classes. Teaching and learning is not as consistent in quality for pupils in the junior classes and, consequently, their rate of progress is not always as good as it could be. This is especially so for higher attaining pupils because some lessons for junior pupils lack pace and work is not always planned effectively to meet their needs. The monitoring

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Make better use of the school’s good systems for monitoring teaching and learning to

of some lessons for the oldest pupils has also not been sufficiently focussed on the maintenance of high standards.

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Make better use of the school’s good systems for monitoring teaching and learning to

The quality of the school’s strategic planning.

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Make better use of the school’s good systems for monitoring teaching and learning to

30. Planning for school improvement is based on an effective annual cycle. The headteacher, governors and staff are fully involved in this process, which is based on good evaluation of the previous year’s plan. The budget is closely linked to this annual plan. There is, however, no long-term strategic plan for the school that effectively maps out future development for a three to four year period. This limits the overall effectiveness of whole-school development and the efficient use of limited resources.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

31. The headteacher, governing body and staff should now:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensure assessment information is used more effectively to: • plan challenging work for all pupils; • set targets more effectively for individual pupils;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• use the school’s good procedures for monitoring lessons to ensure: • greater consistency in the quality of teaching and learning in all classes; • equally high expectations for what pupils can achieve in all lessons; • very good practice is shared more effectively across the school;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• develop a long-term plan for school improvement. Penwortham St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 12

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 10 25 50 15 0 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than five percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 256

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 4 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 5

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 34

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 14

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 2

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Penwortham St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 19 26 45

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys 18 17 19 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 2 and above Girls 26 26 26

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

Percentage of pupils School 98 (100) 96 (100) 100 (96) at NC Level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86(84) 91 (90)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 18 19 19 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 2 and above Girls 26 26 26

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

Percentage of pupils School 98 (100) 100 (96) 100 (96) at NC Level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

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

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

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 30 28 58

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 29 27 29 Numbers of pupils at NC Level 4 and above Girls 27 26 28

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

Percentage of pupils School 97 (81) 91 (92) 98 (92) at NC Level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys N/a N/a N/a Numbers of pupils at NC Level 4 and above Girls N/a N/a N/a

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

Percentage of pupils School N/a (81) N/a (89) N/a (92) at NC Level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Penwortham St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 10.2 Financial year 2000-2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25:1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 461,911

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 10 Total expenditure 444,137

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 168 Expenditure per pupil 1,652

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 14,439

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 32,213 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 2

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 3

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 FTE means full-time equivalent. Penwortham St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 67 32 1 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 65 34 1 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 46 51 2 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 65 30 4 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 78 19 1 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 80 20 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 65 31 3 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 82 17 0 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 71 29 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 35 40 14 1 10

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