St Anne's Catholic Primary School

ST ANNE’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 14 th – 17 th January 2002

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ST ANNE’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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ST ANNE’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Court Road Banstead Surrey

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Brendan LeMorvan

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: February 1997 St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 4

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mr D J Curtis Registered inspector Information and communication technology Foundation Stage English as an additional language How high are standards? (The school’s results and achievements) How well are pupils taught?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mr M Whitaker Lay inspector How high are standards? (Attitudes, values and personal development) How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Mr C Lewis Team inspector Mathematics Art and design How good are curricular and other opportunities?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mr J Palethorpe Team inspector Science Music Physical education How well is the school led and managed?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mrs J Newing Team Inspector Design and technology Geography History Special educational needs Mr I Hancock Team inspector English Equal opportunities

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

MSB Education Ltd Broomhill Wimborne Dorset BH21 7AR

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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 Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 5

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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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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Anne’s Catholic Primary School is situated in Banstead in Surrey and takes pupils from the ages of four to eleven. There are 339 pupils on roll in thirteen classes, with one class of reception pupils taught part time. This is an above average sized primary school. There are a small number of pupils from ethnic minority families none of whom have English as an additional language. There are 62 pupils on the school’s register of special educational needs; this is below the national average. There are three pupils with statements of special educational needs. This is below average. Five pupils are entitled to free school meals; this is well below the national average. Standards on entry are above average for the local education authority.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school, with a strong Catholic ethos which impacts significantly on all its work. Staff, governors and pupils provide a warm welcome for all visitors. Teaching is good and makes a positive contribution to pupils’ very good attitudes, behaviour and relationships, and to the very good standards achieved in English. However, standards achieved by more able pupils in mathematics and science should be higher. The leadership and management of the headteacher are good. She is supported ably by her deputy headteacher and teaching colleagues. The school gives satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• By the age of eleven, standards in English are very good, with those in art and design, design and technology, history, music and physical education good. • Standards achieved by children in the Foundation Stage 1 are good. • Behaviour is excellent and the attitudes and relationships of pupils are very good. • The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. • The leadership and management of the headteacher, deputy headteacher and governors are good. • Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. • Provision for extracurricular activities is very good. • Teaching is predominantly good.

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What could be improved

• Standards in some aspects of information and communication technology by the age of eleven. • Standards achieved by more able pupils in mathematics and science. • The use of assessment and target setting for pupils. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good progress since its previous inspection in February 1997. The key issues have been addressed successfully, with the governing body now supporting the school effectively. Roles and responsibilities of the senior management team are now clearly defined. Performance management is fully in place and there is no unsatisfactory teaching in the school. Standards have improved year on year since the previous inspection. However,

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

1 The Foundation Stage refers to children from entry to the nursery up to and including age six when they complete the reception year. St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 7 more able pupils are not given sufficiently challenging work in mathematics and science. Staff, governors and pupils enjoy working in the stimulating environment created by the new accommodation which has been added since the previous inspection.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores 2 in National Curriculum tests.

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Key

English A A A B well above average above average A B Mathematics B A C D average below average C D Science C B D E well below average E

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Key

Similar schools are those with up to eight per cent of pupils entitled to free school meals.

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Key

The table shows the results for pupils who left the school in Year 2001. The school identified that this particular group of Year 6 pupils was not as strong academically as previous year groups. Based on the standards they achieved at the age of seven, progress was very high in English, average in mathematics and below average in science.

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Key

Current inspection findings judge that by the end of Year 6, standards in English are well above the national average. Standards in mathematics and science are average, although more able pupils do not achieve the standards of which they are capable. In mathematics and science, there is insufficient detail in teachers’ planning to meet the learning needs of more able pupils. Standards in some elements of information and communication technology (ICT) are below national expectations. Although standards in the school are rapidly improving, pupils in Year 6 have too many gaps in their knowledge, skills and understanding for them to meet national expectations. In art and design, design and technology, history, music and physical education, standards are good and exceed expectations for pupils of this age. In geography, standards meet expectations.

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Key

By the end of Year 2, standards in reading and writing are well above average. In mathematics, standards are above average, with those in science average. Inspection findings confirm that the school is sustaining year-on-year improvement. The successful implementation of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies combined with consistently good teaching is having a positive impact on standards. Standards in information and communication technology meet national expectations. In art and design, design and technology, history, music and physical education, standards are good and exceed expectations for pupils of this age. In geography, standards meet expectations.

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Key

By the end of the Foundation Stage, children exceed the expectations of the Early Learning Goals 3 in all areas of learning.

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Key

2 Average points scores refers to the average of pupils’ scores weighted by Ofsted for each level attained in each subject. 3 QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) has produced a set of ‘Early Learning Goals’ for children in this stage of education. These outcomes are a set of skills, knowledge and understanding that children might be expected to achieve by the age of six. There are six areas of learning: personal, social and emotional development; communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical development and creative development. St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 8 Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in their learning. They are supported effectively by teachers and learning support assistants.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good, pupils enjoy coming to school and they work hard in most lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Excellent, pupils behave exceptionally well in lessons and in the playground at break and lunchtimes.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good, pupils relate well to each other, to their teachers and to all adults whom they meet in school.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good, there is no unauthorised absence and punctuality is good.

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Aspect Comment

The excellent behaviour of pupils is an outstanding strength of the school.

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Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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

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Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The quality of teaching is a strength of the school and has a positive impact on the good standards achieved and on pupils’ very good attitudes, behaviour and relationships. Teachers have very good subject knowledge which they pass on to pupils with interest and enthusiasm. In the best lessons, teachers have high expectations of pupils’ work and behaviour. Teachers use resources effectively to support pupils’ learning.

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Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The teaching of literacy as observed in lessons is good. The key skills of reading and writing are taught effectively in individual lessons. Pupils are given many opportunities to use and apply their literacy skills when working in other subjects.

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Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The teaching of numeracy is satisfactory overall. However, in Years 3 to 6, teachers’ planning does not meet the learning needs of more able pupils, with the result that standards are not as high as they should be.

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Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Teaching of children in the Foundation Stage is good and contributes significantly to the good progress made. The teachers, nursery nurse and learning support assistant make an effective team and they have a very good understanding of the learning needs of children of this age. Key skills of reading, writing and number are taught particularly well.

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Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good. Class teachers supported by the special educational needs co-ordinators and learning support assistants, work together effectively to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs. They provide good in- class support, with a range of tasks matched carefully to their pupils’ individual learning needs. St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 9

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is good. Pupils in Years 1 to 6 receive their full entitlement to the National Curriculum. They benefit from a very good range of extracurricular activities and strong links with the community. Homework is used effectively.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good, a comprehensive register of special educational needs is kept by the special educational needs co-ordinators who provide good leadership and support for special educational needs within the school. Individual education plans are of good quality.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good and makes a significant contribution to pupils’ positive attitudes, behaviour and relationships. Spiritual development is promoted effectively in many subjects, including religious education, art and design, and music. The school places particular emphasis on ‘the whole child’.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Procedures for child protection and pupils’ day-to-day welfare are good. Assessment procedures are satisfactory, but the use of the results of assessments to plan pupils’ future learning is not sufficiently meeting the needs of more able pupils.

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Aspect Comment

The school works very effectively with its parents who are very supportive of its work. The school’s procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are very good.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good, the headteacher has a very clear vision for the school. She is supported ably by the deputy headteacher and her staff, in the commitment to promote high standards. Most subject co-ordinators manage their subjects effectively.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good, the governing body fulfils all of its statutory responsibilities. It is hard working and very supportive in its work with the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good, the school is very aware of its strengths and weaknesses. Areas for improvement identified in this report are featured in current planning.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good, the school uses its resources efficiently and effectively, including additional grants and funding to support pupils’ learning.

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Aspect Comment

The headteacher provides very strong leadership and has developed a teaching and support team that has a shared vision for the future of the school. The school applies successfully the principles of best value when making spending decisions. The school has sufficient staff St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 10 and resources to meet the learning needs of pupils. The accommodation is good as the result of the school’s recent building programme.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The school expects children to work hard and do their best. • The school is helping children to become mature and responsible. • Behaviour is good. • Teaching is good. • Children like school. • The provision for extracurricular activities.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Twenty-five parents attended the meeting with the registered inspector prior to the inspection and 132 questionnaires were returned. Inspectors’ judgements support the positive views of parents. Inspection findings confirm the school’s provision of extracurricular activities to be very good.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. At the time of the inspection, there were two classes with reception children. One class has 24 children who attend full time and the other class has 26 children who attend each morning only. They will become full time after Easter. Most children attend a playgroup or a nursery before they start school. In their first term, children are assessed using the local education authority’s screening for children starting school. The results show that children start school with standards which are above the average for the local education authority.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Children make good progress in the reception classes and by the time they start Year 1 the majority exceed the expectations of the Early Learning Goals in all areas of learning within the Foundation Stage curriculum. Teaching is consistently good and as a result, children make particularly good progress in the key skills of reading, writing and mathematics. Progress in personal and social development is a strong feature of children’s learning.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Results of Year 2001 National Curriculum assessments for pupils in Year 2 were well above the national average in reading and above the national average in writing and mathematics. In the teacher assessments for science, results were average. In reading, writing and mathematics, results confirm the year-on-year trend of improvement since the previous inspection. In comparison to similar schools nationally 4 , results were average in reading, writing and mathematics. Results are not as high when compared to similar schools because the proportion of pupils achieving the higher Level 3 5 or above is not as high.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Current inspection findings judge that by the end of Year 2, standards in reading and writing are well above average. In mathematics, standards are above average, with those in science average. Inspection findings confirm that the school is sustaining year-on-year improvement. The successful implementation of the National Literacy and Numeracy

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4 Schools with up to eight per cent of pupils entitled to free school meals. 5 It is the national expectation that in the National Curriculum assessments pupils should achieve Level 2 or above by the age of seven. St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 11 Strategies combined with consistently good teaching, are having a positive impact on standards.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. By the end of Year 2, standards in information and communication technology (ICT) meet national expectations. In art and design, design and technology, history, music and physical education, standards are good and exceed expectations for pupils of this age. In geography, standards meet expectations.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Results of Year 2001 National Curriculum assessments for pupils in Year 6 were well above average in English, average in mathematics and below average in science. In comparison with similar schools nationally, results were above average in English, below average in mathematics and well below average in science. Results in 2001 were not as good as in 2000, but the school identified that the 2001 year group was not as academically strong as the previous group of Year 6 pupils. Despite the drop in standards in 2001, the year-on-year trend of improvement since the previous inspection is maintained. However, in mathematics and science, the proportion of pupils achieving the higher Level 5 6 was not as high when compared to all schools and similar schools nationally.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Current inspection findings judge that by the end of Year 6, standards in English are well above the national average. Standards in mathematics and science are average, although more able pupils do not achieve the standards of which they are capable. In mathematics and science, there is insufficient detail in teachers’ planning to meet the learning needs of more able pupils.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. By the end of Year 6, standards in information and communication technology are below national expectations. Although standards in the school are rapidly improving, pupils in Year 6 have too many gaps in their knowledge, skills and understanding for them to meet national expectations. In art and design, design and technology, history, music and physical education, standards are good and exceed expectations for pupils of this age. In geography, standards meet expectations.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Across the school, pupils with special educational needs make good progress and build well on their prior learning. Many of these pupils reach the expected standards by the time they leave the school. Teachers and learning support assistants support them effectively in lessons.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. There is no significant variation in the standards achieved by boys and girls. However, whilst more able pupils make satisfactory progress, there is insufficient challenge in many lessons to enable them to reach the standards of which they are capable. The expectations of some teachers are too low for these pupils and there is insufficient attention to detailed planning to give them work which is sufficiently challenging.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. The school has demonstrated that it had the capacity to meet its targets in the past. Inspection findings confirm that the quality of teaching and leadership and management in the school is consistent with the school meeting future targets. Such targets for more able pupils in Year 6 have been set and are more challenging.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Pupils have very positive attitudes to school which represents an improvement on the positive attitudes noted at the time of the previous inspection. The youngest children in the Foundation Stage play or chatter whilst waiting to go into their classrooms and line up confidently when summoned by the bell. They show no concern at having to leave parents or carers.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

6 It is the national expectation that in the National Curriculum assessments pupils should achieve Level 4 or above by the age of eleven. St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 12 13. Throughout the school, there is, at the beginning of the day, an air of order and purpose. School routines are well established and pupils get books out, read or prepare for the day’s lessons whilst waiting for the register to be called. In lessons, pupils are interested and attentive. They are eager to respond to teachers’ questions, persist in the face of difficulty and show considerable pleasure in success. Particularly where lessons are brisk and lively, pupils apply themselves to their learning with energy and gusto. For example, in a Year 5 science lesson on sound, a pupil who was discovering that bottles filled with different amounts of water produce different musical notes approached the inspector to observe that,

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

“This is great. This is real fun.” Older pupils are proud of their school and keen to take advantage of the opportunities, social, cultural and sporting, that it offers.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Behaviour is excellent, an improvement on the good behaviour seen during the last inspection. Pupils move around the school in a polite and orderly fashion, opening doors and standing aside for adults. They are open, confident and friendly with visitors. At lunch, they eat in a chatty, well mannered and sociable atmosphere. They comply readily with the requirements of mealtime supervisors. School premises and resources are treated with respect and at morning break time the majority remember to put their crisp packets in the litter bins. Play is lively but good natured; football is confined to the area allocated. The school is an inclusive community. The handful of pupils from ethnic minorities are fully involved in all activities. There is no evidence of any harassment towards pupils because of ability, gender or ethnic origin.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Personal development and relationships are very good, an improvement upon the good standards obtained during the previous inspection. Pupils respond well to the school’s caring ethos. Older pupils take care of younger ones: for example by escorting them to the first aiders when minor playground accidents happen. Pupils with duties carry them out efficiently and without the need for adult supervision. Year 6 pupils, for instance, prepare the hall for assemblies. Pupils respond well to the opportunity to serve their church and school communities. The school council produced plans for play equipment and pupils are involved in fundraising activities for their school and charities.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Relationships are very good. Staff respect children and value their contributions. Pupils work well together, in pairs or groups. They listen to each other’s contributions in class and applaud good effort. The majority of pupils display high levels of maturity and confidence, whether they are chatting to visitors in the playground or playing a musical instrument to the whole school in assembly. Pupils are developing the capacity for independent study and respond well to tasks involving research at home, on the Internet or through searching out information in public libraries. Pupils are not afraid to act upon their own initiative and rise well to demands placed upon them. However, they are probably capable of undertaking more routine duties.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Attendance is good as it was at the last inspection. At 94.8 per cent, it is above average for primary schools. Unauthorised absence, at 0.1 per cent is below the national average. Pupils arrive punctually for school and lessons start promptly.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. The previous inspection report judged that 85 per cent of teaching was satisfactory or better, including 25 per cent which was very good or better. However, 15 per cent was judged to be unsatisfactory which resulted in the key issue:

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

• ‘to ensure that weaknesses in teaching are addressed by developing assessment across the school so that all pupils are given appropriately challenging work in different years’ and by ‘developing the quality of day-to-day feedback to pupils so that they are clearer about how well they are doing and how they might do better’. St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 13 19. Current inspection findings judge that teaching is a significant strength of the school and that it has a positive impact on the good standards achieved in pupils’ academic and personal development. The key issue from the previous inspection has been addressed successfully, although planning for work in mathematics and science for pupils in Years 3 to 6 is not consistently challenging, notably for more able pupils. During the inspection, teaching was satisfactory or better in 100 per cent of lessons, with 65 per cent good or better, including 15 per cent which were very good. No unsatisfactory teaching was observed. This

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

is a significant improvement since the previous inspection.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. Teaching of children in the reception classes is consistently good. Teachers, the nursery nurse and learning support assistants work together effectively as a team. Together, they have a very good understanding of the needs of children of this age. Planning is good and daily lesson plans link very clearly to the stepping stones of the Foundation Stage curriculum. Teaching of the key skills of reading, writing and mathematics is good, with the result that children make good progress in these areas of learning. The needs of children with special educational needs are particularly well met through very effective and caring support which enables them to play a full part in their classes.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. Teaching of literacy is good and has a positive impact on the high standards achieved in English. Teachers have implemented the National Literacy Strategy effectively and this contributes to the good progress pupils make in reading and writing. Learning is most effective in lessons where planning is clear, tasks are purposeful for all abilities, and the pace of lessons is brisk. Where this is linked to confident class management and good subject knowledge learning is at its best. Successful teaching is characterised by good relationships with pupils who are encouraged to evaluate their work and share their findings.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. Teaching of numeracy ranges from very good to satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 where it is good overall and from good to satisfactory in Years 3 to 6 where it is satisfactory overall. In the best lessons, teachers ensure all pupils are paying appropriate attention, use correct mathematical vocabulary and terminology and provide good opportunities for pupils to explain their methods and practise what they know. However, in a number of otherwise satisfactory lessons in Years 3 to 6, although pupils with special educational needs were catered for appropriately in teachers’ planning with suitable tasks and additional support, there was insufficient provision of challenging work for more able pupils. This lack of challenge is a contributory factor to standards in mathematics not being high enough.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. Teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good and pupils’ learning needs are being met very well. Well trained learning support assistants give very effective support to pupils in small groups: for example in Year 1 with ‘Early Literacy Support’, and in Years 3 and 4 with ‘Additional Literacy Support’. Within other lessons, in the classroom in Years 1 and 2, teaching assistants give very good support to pupils with special educational needs.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. The needs of more able pupils are not met as successfully, particularly in Years 3 to 6. Lesson plans do not show any different activities or extension activities and often these pupils are not being sufficiently challenged. They do not have individual education plans with specific targets. The school has made the decision not to set groups based on ability, and currently, there are no ‘Booster Groups’ to encourage these pupils to reach higher than expected levels in mathematics and science.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25. Teaching of information and communication technology is satisfactory and it is improving rapidly. As the result of NOF (New Opportunities Funding) training and the introduction of a set of laptop computers for whole class teaching, teachers’ confidence and enthusiasm for teaching the subject has improved. At present, there is a strong emphasis on teaching key skills. However, the use of computers to support pupils’ learning in other subjects is less well developed. St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 14 26. In the best lessons, teachers show confident subject knowledge which they pass on to pupils with interest and enthusiasm. Lesson introductions capture the interest and attention of pupils, especially where teachers make clear the purpose of the lesson through sharing learning objectives. For example in a Year 5 information and communication technology lesson, the teacher made effective use of a laptop computer connected to a projector to

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

introduce a lesson on spreadsheets. As a result of her own expertise and enthusiasm, pupils quickly understood the purpose of a spreadsheet and the importance of using a formula to perform calculations. By the end of the lesson, most pupils knew that the formula ‘=SUM (A2+B2)’ would add two numbers together.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

27. In most lessons, teachers manage pupils successfully and relationships are good. Pupils have a clear understanding of what is expected of them in terms of work and behaviour. In a Year 6 lesson on spreadsheets, pupils were told, “Your challenge is to enter formulae into a spreadsheet and make it work.” And, “How do we go about creating a formula?” As a result, pupils were interested and motivated to learn and by the end of the lesson most could use a spreadsheet formula to calculate areas or perimeters of regular two-dimensional shapes.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

28. Teachers use resources efficiently and effectively to support pupils’ learning, including the use of learning support assistants. Resources are selected carefully to support pupils’ learning needs, including the use of laptop computers when available for teachers to use.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

29. Teachers’ marking is supportive and constructive in guiding pupils forward in their learning. Where teaching is good, teachers make good use of day-to-day assessment, including marking to plan future lessons or to amend lessons. For example in a Year 4 numeracy lesson, the teacher reminded pupils of their previous work in solving subtraction problems by using mental arithmetic skills before introducing them to a more formal ‘paper and pencil’ method. Through effective questioning, the teacher assessed that most pupils were confident in mental skills and ready to move on to a new method of subtraction.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

30. Homework is used effectively to support pupils’ learning and is often linked to work carried out in class. Teachers set very clear expectations for homework. In Year 4, the teacher told pupils that the homework on subtraction was to be done in the way they were taught in the lesson. In addition they were reminded, “You may have to teach your parents this method. I don’t want you coming back tomorrow with stories of ‘borrowing one here and paying one back there’ you will do it using this method.”

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. The school provides a broad and well balanced curriculum with a good range of worthwhile learning opportunities which successfully meet the interests, aptitudes and special needs of all its pupils. The curriculum meets statutory requirements to teach all subjects in the National Curriculum. The school has dealt well with the issues relating to the curriculum in the previous inspection report, in particular, in the adoption of appropriate schemes of work for all subjects and in the provision of a clear statement of the school’s policy for sex education by the governing body. There are appropriate, largely government recommended, schemes of work in place for all curriculum subjects. These provide for the systematic development of knowledge, skills and understanding in pupils’ learning, and appropriate guidance for teachers.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is good. Teachers’ termly, weekly and daily planning is linked clearly to the stepping stones of the Early Learning Goals and this contributes to the good progress made by all children, including those with special educational needs. The two reception teachers plan together, with valuable support from the nursery nurse and learning support assistants. St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 15 33. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. Withdrawal sessions in which pupils are taught in groups away from their own class are carefully planned to ensure pupils have their full curricular entitlement. Needs are identified early and individual education plans are of very high quality. They have clear specific targets and pupils’ progress is measured regularly against these targets.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. The same good provision does not exist for the more able pupils. Such pupils have been identified and there are plans for their progress to be monitored. However, they have not been set any targets so it is difficult to see how their progress is to be rigorously monitored.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35. The school has implemented the government's recommended National Literacy Strategy very well and the National Numeracy Strategy has been implemented satisfactorily. In most cases, planning and teaching take appropriate account of the recommendations both for lesson format and for lesson content, although a number of numeracy lessons were observed where insufficient account had been taken in planning for pupils of differing abilities. A very good range of well supported extracurricular activities takes place during lunchtimes and after school during the year, including the school choir and orchestra and sporting activities. A satisfactory programme of additional educational visits is provided to enhance learning.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36. The school makes good provision for pupils' personal, social and health education through class and whole school assemblies, and the science and religious education curriculum. A programme of visits and visitors makes an appropriate contribution to pupils’ understanding of the responsibilities of being a member of the community. The governing body has made a clear statement that the provision of sex education should be restricted to issues covered by the science curriculum.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

37. The school has satisfactory links with the local community and a satisfactory range of visitors bring their expertise to the school and work with pupils. The school has appropriate relationships with the adjacent nursery ‘feeder’ schools and there are satisfactory links with the local Catholic secondary schools to which many pupils move at the end of Year 6.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

38. The school makes very good provision overall for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. This has a positive impact on pupils’ excellent behaviour and very good attitudes to school.

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

39. The school makes very good provision for pupils’ spiritual development. It provides pupils with knowledge and insight into values and beliefs and enables them to reflect on their own and others’ experiences through the religious education programme. There is a well planned programme of weekly assembly themes and the ‘Education and Personal Relationships’ scheme of work which embodies clear and consistent values, contributes significantly to the very good provision.

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

40. Provision for pupils’ moral development is very good. There is a strong, clear, whole school ethos and a moral code for good behaviour which is promoted consistently throughout the school by all staff, who provide very good role models. The programme of themes for assemblies and sensitive discussion of issues allows pupils time to reflect and consider their behaviour.

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

41. Provision for pupils’ social development is very good. From the time they enter the school, pupils are encouraged to work co-operatively, take responsibility for their work and for others and be as independent as possible. Responsibilities increase significantly as pupils get older. There are a variety of examples, one of which is the very effective ‘class link’ system whereby older pupils in Year 5 ‘pair’ with younger, reception children, bringing them into Mass and reading to them. All pupils support a wide range of charities through fundraising, including ‘Red Nose Day’ activities organised on their initiative. St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 16 42. The provision for pupils’ cultural development is good. Pupils are taught to appreciate their own cultural traditions, taking part in a range of local events and visiting local historical and cultural sites. Pupils are given regular opportunities to develop an understanding of the

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

diversity of other cultures through stories from other cultures in literacy lessons, studies of art from other cultures and the study of other religions in religious education lessons. During the school year, a good range of visitors talk to, perform for, and work with, pupils.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. There are good procedures for child protection and ensuring pupils’ welfare. The headteacher is the designated person for child protection purposes. Both she and another senior staff member have been appropriately trained. All staff, including support staff are aware of the action to be taken in cases of concern. There are effective liaison arrangements with other statutory bodies. Volunteers having unsupervised access to children are screened for relevant convictions. Internet access is screened, and, in addition, no child is permitted to ‘surf’ without adult supervision. A community police officer visits the school regularly, to talk to pupils of all ages about the work of the police, ‘stranger-danger’, and to older pupils about drug abuse.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. All necessary health and safety arrangements are in place. A sub-committee of the governing body is responsible for health and safety matters, and inspects the premises termly. There are contracts for regular safety inspections of electrical appliances, fire fighting equipment and physical education apparatus. The fire bell is tested and fire drills are held regularly. There are clear procedures for dealing with pupils’ medical needs. All staff have had basic first aid training; prescribed medicines may be administered; asthmatic pupils have their inhalers readily to hand and staff have been trained in the use of epipens in the rare eventuality of a pupil suffering anaphylactic shock. Health and safety is addressed in the curriculum with appropriate reminders being given in practical lessons, such as physical education.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. Procedures for monitoring and promoting attendance are good. Registration is carried out promptly and effectively; registers are properly maintained. The headteacher monitors all aspects of attendance, including lateness and the incidence of term time holidays. Parents are reminded in newsletters and a leaflet of the importance of regular attendance and punctuality. An education welfare officer visits the school twice a term to examine registers and is available to deal with attendance problems. Such problems, however, are rare. Pupils enjoy attending the school, which has a very high degree of support from parents and these factors are in no small measure responsible for good attendance.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The school’s procedures for promoting good behaviour are very good. The excellent standard of conduct seen in the school is obtained by example, expectation and ethos. These standards are reinforced by strong parental support; the vast majority of parents consider behaviour to be good. Whilst the behaviour policy specifies sanctions for unsatisfactory behaviour, such sanctions are little used in practice. Pupils are introduced to the school’s behavioural expectations as soon as they join the Foundation Stage. Behavioural issues are discussed in lessons on personal relationships and in assemblies. Whilst the school has a bullying policy, the school’s strong caring ethos ensures that bullying is very rare. No parent and no pupil mentioned the matter. The same ethos ensures that the school is free of any sort of racial or gender harassment.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. Procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development are very good. Staff know pupils well through the close links that exist between school, community and church. Pupils’ personal development is promoted through opportunities to serve the school and the community. Whilst there are no formal procedures for monitoring personal development, staff knowledge of pupils ensures that it is not overlooked. Pupil reports contain St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 17 good detail on personal development, and parental concerns raised at consultation meetings are noted.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. In this very caring school all the adults involved with pupils with special educational needs work very well together and this creates a good learning environment and has a significant impact on the progress made by these pupils.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are satisfactory and more standardised than at the last inspection. The results of pupils’ assessments on entry to school (usually called baseline assessment), National Curriculum assessments, reading and other optional tests are analysed, and recorded. Analysis of this information produces likely National Curriculum assessment levels and the school has developed a portfolio of assessed work, ensuring that teachers are competent at determining the level at which a pupil is working. However, the use of this data is not yet satisfactory, as was the case at the last inspection. Insufficient analysis of results is made to establish pupils’ strengths and weaknesses and the data cannot, therefore, inform curriculum planning. Furthermore, individual pupils do not have individual targets to help them focus upon specific areas of learning. It is understood that assessment, recording reporting procedures and the use of

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. The school has developed good links with parents. New parents are provided with an introductory information pack and an invitation to an induction meeting. The tone is welcoming and the pack includes information about the parent-teacher association and an invitation to their cheese and wine party. Parents are invited into school to have their children’s assessment on entry (known as baseline assessment) explained. Later in the children’s school careers, information meetings are held for parents before their children undertake National Curriculum assessments. Information of a good quality is provided regarding school events and pupils’ progress. Newsletters are issued fortnightly; these include advance information about the topics the children will be studying. Parents have been invited to meetings to explain the teaching of numeracy and the school’s approach to personal and social education.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. Pupils’ annual written reports are satisfactory, with particularly good attention being paid to children’s personal development. Reports address each subject of the National Curriculum separately. The child’s attainment and progress, however is described rather than evaluated. There are no specific targets for the ensuing year as the school has yet to develop them. Pupils include their own accounts of the year’s work. An attendance record and, in the appropriate years, the child’s attainment in National Curriculum assessments, are provided. Parents are given the opportunity to discuss the report, though few take it up. Parents have two formal consultations a year with their children’s teachers, early in the autumn term (when the child’s response to the new class and teacher is discussed), and again in the spring term when the focus of the meeting is progress and children’s behaviour. In addition to formal

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

communication, school staff are always prepared to discuss immediate problems as they arise. Parents find the headteacher and staff approachable.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. Parental involvement has a very significant impact upon the work of the school. Parents support the school’s aims and ethos, and, consequently, its policies, such as behaviour, attendance and uniform. Pupils are supported in their homework and the home-school reading records are well used. Parents attend school events such as class Masses and the Christmas drama productions. Parents work as volunteers in school; some organise and run after school clubs. There is a lively and well supported parent-teacher association, which raises considerable funds. Funds are spent on items of direct benefit to pupils, such as playground equipment, information technology and some educational visits. St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 18 53. Parents’ views of the school are very positive. Parents particularly like the caring family ethos and the welcoming atmosphere. Recent improvements to the premises are particularly

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

appreciated. Of the 42 per cent of parents, who responded to the Ofsted pre-inspection questionnaire, over a quarter were unhappy with the range of out-of-school activities provided. Inspection evidence does not support this concern. There is a wide range of lunchtime and after school activities, covering both sporting activities (football, netball, running) and cultural and intellectual activities (country dance, chess, choir and orchestra). In addition, there is an annual residential visit to the Isle of Wight for Year 6.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54. Teachers keep the parents of pupils with special educational needs fully informed of the strategies being used to enable their children to make good progress. They meet with parents regularly and share the pupils’ individual education plans. Parents are very supportive and this good working relationship has a significant impact on pupils’ progress. Parents have been informed if their child has been identified as being more able.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The leadership and management of the headteacher and key staff, in partnership with governors, are good and have improved since the last inspection. The school has explicit aims that are founded on a strong Christian basis, and are followed by all who work in the school. They all subscribe to the school’s mission statement: ‘Growing in God’s Love’. There is clear educational direction which is formulated in the school development plan. Analyses of opinions from staff, parents, governors and pupils are all considered when formulating the plan. The headteacher has built a team around her who are committed to securing improvement, but with a commitment to good relationships. They all take a pride in the school and want the best for their pupils. Staff with management responsibilities have clear job descriptions and receive training in how best to perform their roles. The effect of the co- ordinators’ work is varied, with some staff still needing to be more exacting in their monitoring

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

role. Classroom assistants are valued, and have regular meetings with the deputy headteacher.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The work of the governors formed part of the key issues in the last inspection. The work of governors and the organisation of the governing body have vastly improved, and are now good. Governors are enthusiastic about their function and are an asset to the school. They are keen to improve all aspects of their work and are committed to training, both as individuals and as a whole governing body. They have become more directly involved in establishing targets for the school’s development, have clear terms of reference for committees, and are more involved with monitoring teaching, learning and the curriculum. Governors do this through close contact and effective professional dialogue with all members of staff. They fulfil all statutory duties and ensure that the school meets statutory requirements. They help shape the direction of the school through their input in to the school development plan. Governors are very knowledgeable about the work of the school and of its

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

strengths and weaknesses. The last inspection referred to the improvement needed to the policy on sex education and implementation of the appraisal policy. Both have been addressed appropriately.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The school has a system for monitoring teaching that is developing well. The headteacher has formally observed lessons, mainly numeracy and literacy, and paired observations with local education authority and diocesan consultants have taken place. Training is being undertaken for observation tasks as part of the development of co- ordinators’ skills, as this is any area identified for school development. There is a regular review of the performance of all staff, although the process has suffered slightly with the absence of the headteacher. A lot of work is put into monitoring results, with numerous statistics available. However, the actual analysis of where pupils’ strengths and weaknesses lie is very much underdeveloped, which means that there is insufficient information to use to modify planning. Work therefore, particularly for more able pupils, is not always well matched St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 19

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

to their needs. Teachers new to the school are very well supported. In particular, newly qualified teachers have good professional development systems that enable them to observe lessons in the school and at other schools. The mentoring system works very effectively and provides new teachers with all the support they require.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. Educational priorities are well supported through careful financial planning. All items in the school development plan are carefully costed, and spending decisions are well monitored. The school has a larger than average carry forward in its budget, but again this has been given careful and prudent thought. The aim is for a two form entry throughout the school. Whilst numbers are really too small for this at the moment, the school will have to pay for the additional teachers without the required income from pupil numbers. The present carry forward will see them through this situation for the next two or three years. There is very effective control and administration of the budget by the administration officer. Efficient systems, including the use of information and communication technology, are in place to enable regular up-to-date information to be supplied to the headteacher and governors, who

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

both monitor the budget regularly. Specific grants are all appropriately allocated and controlled, with outcomes monitored. Principles of best value are followed well. There is a good deal of consultation with staff, parents, governors and pupils, whose views are sought on the development of the school. Overall the school gives satisfactory value for money.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The governors have given high priority from the school budget to retaining the good staffing ratios of teachers, and increased the number of teaching assistants throughout the school since the last inspection. This has a positive impact on pupils’ learning in subjects such as literacy and for those pupils with special educational needs. Teachers’ subject expertise has improved to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum during the last four years due to professional training in subjects such as information and communication technology. However, the school recognises that this needs to be an ongoing commitment to improve teachers’ subject knowledge and confidence. Effective new procedures have been introduced for performance management as part of appraisal procedures, which did not meet requirements in the last inspection. The majority of support staff have received training and work in effective partnership with teachers. They are well deployed, highly valued and make a

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

positive impact on the raising of standards, particularly in literacy, for all pupils, including those with special educational needs. The administrative staff are efficient and the caretaker is popular and co-operative. All contribute well to the smooth running of the school.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The management of special educational needs by the three co-ordinators is very good. The headteacher is responsible for some pupils with special educational needs and liaises with the outside agencies. The other two co-ordinators are responsible for the remaining pupils and work within the area of the school in which they teach. Using staff expertise in this way has meant there is more money available to employ trained learning support assistants. Professional development has been a high priority and the speech and language therapist and the educational psychologist have provided in-service training. These key staff create good opportunities to meet the needs of specific pupils: for example a pupil was given the opportunity to learn a musical instrument and this raised self-esteem so that he/she became a successful learner in other areas. Another pupil with special educational needs took a leading part in a school play, at short notice, and his success was recognised by his peers

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. Pupils who have particular talents in music, art and physical education are given good opportunities to display these to the rest of the school. However, the leadership and management of the more able pupils and the implementation of the policy to support these pupils are in their infancy. There are no clear plans for what provision is going to be available to enable these pupils to achieve higher standards in mathematics and science.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. Resources for learning are satisfactory overall and appropriately support pupils’ learning. However the library is unattractive, with insufficient quality and range of books, St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 20 which was identified as a weakness in the last inspection. Little use is made of the library as a resource, which has an adverse effect on pupils’ library skills.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. Accommodation is good. Parents have commented favourably on the improvements made since the last inspection. At the time of the present inspection, further building work was in progress. When the current work is completed, children in the Foundation Stage will have their own discrete outdoor play area. There is sufficient outdoor hard surfaced play area, together with a small field and a netball court. Classrooms are adequate for the ages and numbers of pupils. Good use has been made of the original (listed) building for offices and administrative purposes. The library, however, is inadequate. It is too small for the size of the school and too cluttered with furniture. Books cannot be displayed to advantage and its ambience does not encourage pupils to explore books. In any event, it is frequently locked. The premises are well cleaned and maintained and are a credit to the caretaker. St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 21

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

64. In order to raise standards and improve the quality of education for pupils, the headteacher, staff and governors should:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Raise standards in information and communication technology by the age of eleven by:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Ensuring that teachers plan opportunities for pupils to apply the skills taught in information and communication technology lessons when working in other subjects; • Ensuring that teachers do not become overdependent on the use of photocopied worksheets from the school’s commercially produced scheme of work. (Paragraphs: 8, 25, 125, 129, 130, 131)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Raise standards achieved by more able pupils in mathematics and science by the age of eleven by:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improving the quality of teachers’ planning to ensure that the learning needs of more able pupils are clearly addressed; • Ensuring that the school’s policy for more able pupils is implemented, with subsequent rigorous monitoring of its implementation. (Paragraphs: 7, 10, 19, 22, 24, 34, 35, 61, 86, 90, 93, 94, 95, 100, 101, 102)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improve the use of the results of assessment and target setting for pupils by:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Carrying out more detailed analysis of the results of National Curriculum assessments to identify gaps in pupils’ learning and to use that information to plan future work; • Setting individual targets for pupils’ learning, especially in mathematics and science. (Paragraphs: 49, 57)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition, the governing body may wish to include the following for inclusion in its action plan:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improving pupils’ access to, and the use of, the library to develop understanding and awareness of library skills. (Paragraphs: 62, 63, 83) St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 22

p.21

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 82 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 40

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very poor

p.22

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.

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 327 Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 5 Special educational needs YR – Y6 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 3 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 62 English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 1 Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 16

p.22

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

% % School data 5.2 School data 0.1 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5 St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 23 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 24

p.22

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 31 17 48

p.24

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.24

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

Boys 28 27 29 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 16 16 17

p.24

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

Percentage of pupils School 92 (100) 90 (98) 96 (96) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.24

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Boys 28 28 27 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 16 16 17

p.24

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Percentage of pupils School 92 (91) 92 (91) 92 (98) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.24

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

p.24

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 19 32 51

p.24

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Boys 16 15 18 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 31 21 30

p.24

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Percentage of pupils School 92 (96) 71 (89) 94 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.24

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Boys 13 14 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 27 22 24

p.24

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Total 40 36 37 St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 25 Percentage of pupils School 78 (95) 71 (88) 73 (98) 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.

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

No of pupils Fixed period Permanen t Black – Caribbean heritage Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage Black – African heritage 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – other 0 Black – other 0 0 Indian 2 Indian 0 0 Pakistani 0 Pakistani 0 0 Bangladeshi 0 Bangladeshi 0 0 Chinese 2 Chinese 0 0 White 335 White 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.25

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.25

Y6

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 14.16 Financial year 2000 -

p.25

Y6

Number of pupils per qualified teacher Average class size 25 £ Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 627,368 Total number of education support staff 7 Total expenditure 594,509

p.25

Y6

Total aggregate hours worked per week 108 Expenditure per pupil 1,791

p.25

Y6

Balance brought forward from previous year 10,382 St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 26 FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance carried forward to next year 43,241 7

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 4 Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 4

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 1 Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE)

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

7 The reasons for this high carry forward are explained in Part A of the report under ‘How well is the school led and managed?’ St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 27

p.26

Questionnaire return rate

Percentage of responses in each category

p.27

Questionnaire return rate

Strongl y agree Tend to agree Tend to disagre e Strongl y disagre e Don’t know

p.27

Questionnaire return rate

My child is making good progress in school. 54 40 2 0 4

p.27

Questionnaire return rate

Behaviour in the school is good. 55 42 1 0 2

p.27

Questionnaire return rate

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 38 48 11 2 1

p.27

Questionnaire return rate

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 33 50 12 4 1

p.27

Questionnaire return rate

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 65 27 5 0 3

p.27

Questionnaire return rate

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 62 34 2 0 2

p.27

Questionnaire return rate

The school works closely with parents. 39 47 11 0 3

p.27

Questionnaire return rate

The school is well led and managed. 55 43 1 1 0

p.27

Questionnaire return rate

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 64 31 3 0 2

p.27

Questionnaire return rate

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 23 38 24 2 13 St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 28

p.27

Personal, social and emotional development

65. Children make very good progress in this area of learning and by the time they start Year 1, exceed the expectations of the Early Learning Goals. Teaching is good and contributes significantly to the progress children make in settling quickly into the day-to-day life and routines of both their class and the school. Children are happy, secure and confident, particularly when moving around the school: for example when going to the hall for worship or physical activities. Relationships are good, with children working and playing happily together. Children relate well to all adults and value the support and encouragement they receive in lessons and play. In particular, they enjoy adults acting as ‘patients’ in their role play which is based on the theme of hospitals. Children show good concentration in sessions where they are taught as a whole class: for example in listening to the end-of-day story. In addition, they

p.28

Personal, social and emotional development

work well in small groups when supported by an adult. In sessions where they choose their own activities: for example role play, children show good independence and concentration.

p.28

Communication, language and literacy

66. As the result of consistently good teaching of the key skills of speaking and listening, reading and writing, children make good progress in this area of learning and exceed the expectations of the Early Learning Goals by the time they start Year 1. Children enjoy listening to stories and they show good concentration in sessions when they are taught as a class. Most listen attentively and recognise that they must put their hand up when it is their turn to speak. Children know not to interrupt adults or each other when they are speaking. In a science session, children talked confidently and knowledgeably about how doctors care for them, including how they use a thermometer to take temperatures and use a stethoscope to listen to the heart.

p.28

Communication, language and literacy

67. Children make good progress in reading and by the start of Year 1, most are established on the school’s commercial reading scheme. More able children read fluently and accurately and already use expression to good effect. All children know that books are read from left to right and they know about the ‘front cover’, ‘title’ and ‘author’. They enjoy looking at books and are happy to discuss the characters and put themselves into the story. When listening to the story of ‘The Polar Bear’, children were confident in asking questions, such as, “What does protect mean?” Through such questions and effective answers from the teacher, children develop their understanding of the story and their use of vocabulary.

p.28

Communication, language and literacy

68. Children make good progress in writing. By the start of Year 1, most write their own names unaided and the majority write sentences unaided, with accurate use of capital letters and full stops. Handwriting skills are good as children are taught to write in a neat, legible and joined script from the start of their time in reception. Children write for different purposes, including ‘writing prescriptions’ and ‘booking appointments’ in their hospital role play.

p.28

Mathematical development

69. By the time they start Year 1, children exceed the expectations of the Early Learning Goals. Teaching is consistently good and children make good progress in their learning. Children read, write and order numbers to 10, with more able children confident to 50. They St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 29 understand numbers which come ‘one before’, ‘one after’ and ‘in between’. Through looking each day at ‘My Calendar’, children develop a good understanding of the dates of the month to 31, the days of the week and the months of the year. Children have a good knowledge of common two-dimensional shapes, including ‘squares’, ‘triangles’, ‘rectangles’ and ‘circles’. In an investigation into colours of cars in the car park, children show accuracy in counting the correct numbers of, for example, ‘red’ and ‘blue’ cars, and then show confidence in helping the teacher enter the information on to a graph, with the use of a computer.

p.28

Knowledge and understanding of the world

70. As the result of good teaching, progress is good and children exceed the expectations of the Early Learning Goals by the time they start Year 1. Through lessons in religious education, children develop an understanding of their own lives and families, and a strong awareness of the Catholic ethos of their school. In science, children show a good knowledge and understanding of the role of hospitals, doctors and nurses in looking after us when we are ill. They have a good knowledge of how doctors use bandages, stethoscopes and thermometers to care for their patients. Skills in using computers are good. Children are confident in the use of the mouse and keyboard. They show particularly good skills in the use of a graphics program to ‘paint’ pictures by changing colours, the size of the ‘paintbrush’ and in using the ‘rubber’ to change any mistakes. Children are confident in using a range of boxes and materials together with glue and other joining materials to make models.

p.29

Physical development

71. Currently, children have no regular opportunities for outdoor play because of the final phase of the school’s rebuilding programme. However, there are plans and funding set aside to build a secure outdoor play area for children in the reception classes when the rebuilding is completed. Despite these restrictions, teachers compensate successfully and provide children with regular opportunities in the playground and hall to make good progress in their physical development. By the time they start Year 1, children exceed the expectations of the Early Learning Goals. In the hall, children are confident in using the large apparatus, including climbing, balancing and jumping off benches and gymnastic tables. In lessons, children show good skills in using scissors and other tools: for example when making patterns on clay tiles.

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Creative development

72. Children make good progress in this area of learning. By the time they reach Year 1 children exceed the expectations of the Early Learning Goals. Teaching is good and children, in music, benefit from one lesson per week with the school's specialist music teacher. Children enjoy singing familiar songs and rhymes and show confidence in playing a range of musical instruments, for example to ‘tell the story’, in sound, of ‘Mike the Miserable Machine’. Children enjoy painting using a range of brushes and vivid colours. They develop good skills in the use of pastels and in working in three-dimensions, with clay and collage. In role play, children develop their imaginative skills successfully, for example in the ‘hospital’. St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 30

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ENGLISH

73. Standards in English have been consistently well above the national average for the last four years both at the ages of seven and at eleven. Standards are above average when compared with similar schools. These results are confirmed by the most recent 2001 national test results for pupils aged seven and eleven and inspection evidence. Standards have risen since the last inspection especially in writing where the school has successfully improved the quality, range and presentation of writing throughout the school. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress due to the high quality of their individual education plans and effective support from teachers and learning support assistants.

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ENGLISH

74. When pupils enter the school many are confident speakers and their listening skills are well developed. Many have begun to develop their reading skills and standards are above average. The implementation of the National Literacy Strategy, with detailed lesson planning is having a positive impact on pupils’ learning. The high priority given to the development of literacy skills and the good start children are given in the reception classes enables all pupils to make good progress throughout the school. Carefully targeted teaching results in a significant majority of pupils with special educational needs attaining average standards by the time they leave the school at eleven. Younger pupils in Year 1 benefit from the support provided through the ‘Early Literacy Support’ and in Years 3 and 4, through the ‘Additional Literacy Support’. More able pupils make good progress in response to the high level of

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ENGLISH

75. By the ages of seven and eleven, standards in speaking and listening are high. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 listen attentively to teachers’ explanations and respond very well to instructions. They effectively develop their speaking and listening skills through role play by enacting the characters in their stories, such as ‘Mr. Gumpy’ and setting up an editor’s office for publishing their own books. Pupils listen considerately to each other when sharing work: for example reading written accounts recollecting their weekend news. Pupils speak confidently to large audiences, such as in assemblies.

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ENGLISH

76. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 are eager to answer teachers’ questions and enjoy participating in class discussions. Many pupils articulate their opinions and argue with conviction: for example pupils in Year 6 used challenging accurate vocabulary to show how a fairy tale may be written for older audiences. Progress in speaking and listening is good throughout the school due to many opportunities provided for pupils to practise their skills. These include the weekly drama club for older pupils, who perform a large evening production at least once a year for parents. Numerous opportunities are given for role play as part of literacy and other curriculum subjects, such as acting out Roman myths. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress and are fully included because of carefully structured activities planned by their teachers.

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ENGLISH

77. Reading standards are very high throughout the school where almost all pupils including those with special educational needs attain at least average standards. The proportion of pupils attaining higher levels is well above average. High priority is given to teaching reading from the time children enter the school in the reception classes where the teaching of phonics (letter sounds) is introduced. The youngest pupils recognise many simple words and confidently talk about favourite parts of stories read. They clearly enjoy reading and greatly benefit from taking books home daily to read with their families. All pupils use a range of strategies, such as picture and phonics cues, to read unfamiliar words. Systematic teaching, including daily guided reading opportunities, enables pupils, including those with special educational needs, to tackle new materials with confidence.

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ENGLISH

78. Almost all pupils become confident and fluent readers by Year 6. Older pupils discuss features of their reading, such as character and plot development with good understanding. St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 31 During literacy lessons they learn to deduce the meaning of words by carefully reading the text, such as a poetry session reading ‘Colonel Fazackerley’ and the opening scene of Macbeth. They enjoy reading a range of books including traditional and modern literature. These include poems by T.S. Elliot and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ‘The Iron Man’ by Ted Hughes and the latest ‘Harry Potter’ books. Year 6 pupils have a good knowledge of how to locate books in the library, although currently opportunities to use the library for research skills are very limited. This has a negative impact on pupils’ research where Year 5 pupils did not know how fiction and non fiction books are arranged in the library. Good teaching in the

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ENGLISH

literacy hour has enabled pupils to understand the use of glossaries and contents pages when studying information texts. Pupils’ information retrieval skills develop steadily throughout the upper school so that most Year 6 pupils skim and scan non fiction texts effectively. Reading standards are very good throughout the school because of the variety of opportunities provided to practise and consolidate skills both during the literacy hour and at the other times in school and at home. More able pupils make good progress as a result of challenging texts carefully selected to extend their reading.

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ENGLISH

79. Writing standards throughout the school are well above average. Staff have targeted this area for improvement with considerable success. Handwriting standards are good where the youngest children are taught to hold writing implements correctly from the time they enter school, and to join letters. Regular teaching and handwriting sessions have a positive impact on the standards of handwriting, which is neat and well formed by the age of seven. Almost all pupils write imaginatively and extend their ideas logically. A significant number use punctuation and spelling correctly and structure sentences accurately without needing reminders. More able pupils enjoy thinking of varied adjectives to add interest to their writing.

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ENGLISH

80. By the age of eleven, standards in writing are well above average. Most pupils write correctly and imaginatively in paragraphs, for a wide range of audiences, with good spelling, grammar and neatly joined handwriting. Skills of story planning are emphasised; poetry encouraged and characters analysed to create effect and feeling, to help pupils write to a high standard.

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ENGLISH

81. Pupils consolidate and acquire literacy skills in many other areas of the curriculum. Year 2 pupils make their own books on flowers and animals to support science work and write their own letter as an evacuee in history. Pupils in Year 4 produce their own newspaper ‘The Greek Times’ containing interviews, reports and advertisements to support the geography and history topic. Older pupils produce their own leaflet on bacteria and diseases as part of science work and make their own book on Egypt using geography, history and computer skills. Pupils successfully enter the Banstead Art Festival poetry competition, and handwriting competitions, and write about local and residential trips. Such activities make a significant contribution to pupils’ use and application of literacy skills across the curriculum.

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ENGLISH

82. Pupils’ attitudes to work are very good throughout the school. In literacy and drama lessons, pupils respond very well and show lively interest. Pupils sustain concentration very well and persevere when challenging tasks are set. Good relationships are formed between pupils and adults in most classrooms. As a result, the atmosphere in literacy lessons encourages hard work and this has a positive impact on pupils’ learning.

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ENGLISH

83. The quality of teaching is good overall throughout the school. During the inspection, the quality of teaching varied from very good to sound lessons, with some unsatisfactory elements. Learning is most effective in lessons where planning is clear, tasks are purposeful for all abilities, and the pace of lessons is brisk. Where this is linked to confident class management and good subject knowledge, learning is at its best. Successful teaching is characterised by good relationships with pupils who are encouraged to evaluate their work and share their findings. Where teaching and learning is less successful teachers lack confidence, expectations are too low, due to an over reliance on commercial schemes and worksheets, the pace of lessons is too slow and there is little or no use of ongoing St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 32 assessment to match work to the needs of different abilities. Currently, there is a lack of

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ENGLISH

teaching on how to locate books in the library, which needs to be rectified.

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ENGLISH

84. The headteacher and deputy headteacher have taken responsibility for English due to the absence of the co-ordinator. They have identified the need to improve resources, including more opportunities to use information and communication technology and develop the use of assessment information to set individual targets to further support pupils’ learning.

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MATHEMATICS

85. Lesson observations during the inspection and a scrutiny of work undertaken during the current school year indicate that the present group of Year 2 pupils have made good progress and the majority are on course to attain standards above those expected nationally at the age of seven in mathematics. The majority of Year 6 pupils are on course to attain standards equivalent to those expected nationally for pupils aged eleven whilst a minority of pupils are on course to achieve standards above those expected nationally.

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MATHEMATICS

86. The school has implemented the National Numeracy Strategy appropriately, although in Years 3 to 6, there is too limited provision or planning of work for pupils of differing ability, particularly those of above average ability, with the result that not all pupils are fully extended or challenged by the tasks set. Pupils undertake a wide range of work in all areas of mathematics. Samples of pupils’ work demonstrate that pupils throughout the school undertake an appropriate variety of work on shape, space and measures, and tackle a range of problems involving handling data and investigation. Pupils make good use of their numeracy skills in other curriculum areas, such as science and design and technology, although limited evidence was available during the inspection of information and communication technology being used appropriately to support learning in mathematics.

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MATHEMATICS

87. Most pupils in Year 1 know the addition ‘number bonds’ to 10 and most use this knowledge when subtracting. The majority can count in ‘10’s’ forwards and backwards and identify the missing numbers in a number line of ‘10 to 100’. They are beginning to use the ‘+’ and ‘=’ signs to record addition sums up to 20. A significant number of Year 2 pupils are working above national expectations for their age and overall standards in Year 2 are above expectations. Most Year 2 pupils add three small numbers together quickly and accurately, and create ‘number sentences’ to make a given number: for example ‘10 + 9 – 4 = 15’. They place two digit numbers on a number line, order whole numbers to 100, provide missing numbers in a sequence on a ‘100 square’ and a minority, can count on and back in steps of 10 from any given number.

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MATHEMATICS

88. Most Year 3 pupils add two two-digit numbers together accurately, adding the tens first, then the units and then combining: for example ‘24 +13 = (20+10) + (4 + 3) = (30+7) = 37’. They work confidently, accurately and quickly, the majority at a level above expectations for their age. Most pupils in Year 4 count forwards and backwards in steps of 3 and subtract a unit from a two-digit number crossing the ‘tens barrier’, for example, subtracting 9 from 38. A small group of above average pupils undertake this accurately with hundreds tens and units. Most pupils in Year 5 use pencil and paper methods accurately for ‘short division’ sums (hundreds tens and units divided by units) with a remainder, and a group of above average pupils are working with four-digit numbers. Most pupils add 31 to a two or three-digit number by adding 30 and then adjusting. Pupils in Year 6 understand that division is the inverse of

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MATHEMATICS

multiplication and divide tens and units by units mentally by using their knowledge of the multiplication facts up to 10 x 10. They are solving problems, explaining their methods and reasoning about numbers orally, when ordering large numbers. Pupils understand decimal notation.

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MATHEMATICS

89. The quality of learning in lessons observed ranged from very good to satisfactory in Years 1 and 2, and was good overall. In Years 3 to 6, learning range from good to satisfactory St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 33 and was satisfactory overall. Where the quality of learning is good or better, this is due to teachers’ high expectations, the maintenance of a brisk pace throughout the lesson and the generation of a good working atmosphere within the class. Where learning is at the satisfactory level this is mainly because of the lack of suitably challenging work for more able pupils.

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MATHEMATICS

90. Teaching in mathematics lessons ranges from very good to satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 where it is good overall, and from good to satisfactory in Years 3 to 6, where it is satisfactory overall. Planning for all mathematics lessons seen was based on the National Numeracy Strategy. In the best lessons, teachers ensure all pupils are paying appropriate attention, use correct mathematical vocabulary and terminology, and provide good opportunities for pupils to explain their methods and practise what they know. Where teaching was very good, in two lessons seen in Years 1 and 2, the teachers motivated pupils very well and ensured very good progress during the lessons for pupils of all abilities through appropriately challenging tasks and support. In Years 3 to 6, in a number of otherwise satisfactory lessons, pupils with special educational needs were catered for appropriately in teachers’ planning with suitable tasks and additional support. However, there was insufficient

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MATHEMATICS

provision of challenging work for more able pupils with the result that they were not sufficiently extended in their learning.

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MATHEMATICS

91. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour in mathematics lessons are very good in Years 1 and 2 and are good overall in Years 3 to 6. Most pupils enjoy mathematics work, especially the mental and oral activities. They respond well to teachers and work together successfully without the need for constant staff intervention.

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MATHEMATICS

92. The school has implemented the National Numeracy Strategy effectively, although, as noted above, most lessons seen in Years 3 to 6 did not include appropriately levelled work for pupils of differing abilities. The subject co-ordinator has undergone appropriate training in the numeracy strategy and has monitored teaching in the subject. However, the use of assessment to support teaching and learning is in an early stage of development. Although she is a part time teacher, she is given additional hours to carry out her role. Resources for the subject are satisfactory overall and funding has been allocated appropriately to purchase additional resources to support the numeracy strategy.

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SCIENCE

93. In 2001, teachers’ assessments for pupils at the end of Year 2 showed standards in science to be similar to the average of schools nationally at both Level 2, the expected level of attainment, and at the higher Level 3. This is a similar judgement to that of the last inspection. However, when compared with similar schools, whilst the percentage reaching Level 3 was still average, the percentage reaching Level 2 was very low. The 2001 National Curriculum test results for pupils at the end of Year 6 showed that whilst the percentage of pupils reaching Level 4, the expected level, was slightly higher than the national average, the percentage reaching the higher Level 5 was below. The judgement for science therefore is that the school’s results were below average. When compared with prior attainment at the end of Year 2, and when compared with similar schools, the results were still below average.

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SCIENCE

Whilst results had been showing a gradual improvement since 1997, the 2001 results showed a sharp decline.

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SCIENCE

94. The school’s reasons for these disappointing, below average results were twofold. Firstly, that the ability of the year group was significantly lower than in previous years. Whilst there is some foundation for this judgement, it was still possible for these pupils to maintain the school’s very high grades in English, where results remained well above the national average, so the reason is not totally convincing. Secondly, there were a number of pupils (approximately 14 per cent) who only just missed the higher Level 5. Had they achieved one or two more marks, they would have been placed in a higher level and raised the school’s St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 34 profile. This reason is well justified. However, the results show that the poor performance at the higher levels was the most significant factor. Inspection evidence from planning, lesson observations and scrutiny of pupils’ work, indicates that not enough is being done to

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SCIENCE

challenge the more able pupils, and they are therefore underachieving. Conversely, pupils with special educational needs are well supported by teachers and learning support assistants, and are making good progress.

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SCIENCE

95. Current inspection findings judge that by the age of seven and eleven, standards are average. The work being undertaken by pupils at the moment is in line with that expected for their age, although there are still too many occasions when not enough thought has been given to challenge more able pupils. Pupils use their literacy skills well in science when writing up their experiments or making notes. Good attention is given to correct scientific vocabulary. Mathematics skills are well used, particularly when measuring and recording results of experiments. Whilst there was some evidence of pupils using information and communication technology to record their results, its use for this purpose, and to support learning, is very much underdeveloped.

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SCIENCE

96. Pupils are introduced to scientific enquiry, and understand that it is important to collect evidence through observation and measurement when attempting to answer questions. For example, pupils in Year 1 found out that cress seeds need water and light to grow, and in Year 2, they found that minibeasts live in different places. This is developed further as pupils get older, and in Year 6, pupils discover that the length of wire in a circuit can affect the brightness of the bulb. Whilst some work, like that seen in Year 6 with the electricity experiment, is well structured, there is too much evidence of experiments not proceeding in this way. There are too many occasions when important parts of the experimental process are missing, such as predictions and conclusions. Even in the better lessons, there is insufficient opportunity for older pupils to decide how answers can be found, as too much is

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SCIENCE

97. In the study of life processes and living things, pupils in Year 2 understand that plants and animals are living things. They name the parts of a plant, and know about the life cycle of a butterfly. Pupils draw neat diagrams and present their work well. By the end of Year 6, pupils know that virtually all food chains start with a green plant, and how plants make food. They understand how plants make seeds and disperse them. They know that animals have different habitats and that they adapt to their environment. Pupils know about the purpose of the human skeleton: that the ribs protect the heart and the skull protects the brain, and how the heart works. They know that humans need a healthy diet and which food is good for them.

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SCIENCE

98. In Year 1, pupils identify a range of materials by using different senses, For example, they use their senses of touch and smell when playing games to identify materials without seeing them. In Years 5 and 6, pupils know how to separate solutions and mixtures by sieving, filtration or evaporation. They know that some solids dissolve in water to produce solutions, whilst others do not, and can classify rocks and soils according to their characteristics. Pupils know that different materials have different properties, such as being better electrical conductors or behaving differently with magnets.

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SCIENCE

99. In work on physical processes, pupils in Year 2 know how sounds are made with vibrations, and they experiment with making and detecting sounds. In Year 6, pupils build circuits using batteries, and draw the circuits using conventional symbols. They know that magnets can attract and repel, and investigate to find which materials are attracted by magnets, and which magnets are the strongest. They know that pushes and pulls are forces and that it is gravitational attraction which pulls objects down towards earth.

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SCIENCE

100. Overall, teaching in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory, whilst in Years 3 to 6, it is good. No unsatisfactory lessons were observed, although there were unsatisfactory elements in some lessons. There were good lessons throughout the school, and some very good lessons in St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 35 Years 4 and 6. Planning varied; most was of good quality with lesson objectives clearly identified and made known to pupils, and appropriate activities chosen to achieve the objectives. This enabled pupils to learn well and achieve the objectives. Some lesson plans just listed activities, and it was unclear what the objectives were. Most teachers had a good knowledge and understanding of the subject, and taught accurate information. This was not always the case, with some incorrect facts being given. Resources were always well prepared, and good use was made of them, especially in investigative work. Time was often

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SCIENCE

well used, with a brisk pace to lessons. Time limits were set which encouraged pupils to get on with their work. On other occasions, the pace was too slow and pupils became bored and disinterested, naturally adversely affecting their rate of learning. Expectations were mostly appropriate for average ability pupils and for those with special educational needs. However, often, more able pupils were not provided with sufficiently challenging work to enable them to achieve as well as they could and they ‘coasted’ through the lesson.

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SCIENCE

101. There are good relationships in all classes, and pupils are very well managed. This ensures a good working environment in which pupils can get on with their work without interruption. Ongoing assessment through marking is satisfactory. Homework is used appropriately to support the work done in lessons. Teaching is not always the same across year groups, where, on some occasions, topics are covered thoroughly in one class whilst coverage is skimpy in another. This difference is marked where there is a mixed age class, and Year 4 pupils on their own have coverage in much more depth than those with Year 3 pupils. There is too little pupil independence. For example, there are many occasions when all pupils have done the same test in the same way, recording the same results and making the same conclusions. This does not happen in free scientific enquiry. Even when pupils are recording information on topics where they have not investigated, evidence shows that too

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SCIENCE

often, pupils have copied exactly the same information, indicating that there is insufficient independent research.

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SCIENCE

102. The co-ordinator has been successful with the introduction of a new scheme of work, and is monitoring its effect. Appropriate resources have been provided to meet the needs of the new scheme. A variety of external resources are used to enhance the school’s provision, such as visits to science parks, a pond, and a residential visit where scientific and geographical topics are studied. The areas the inspection has identified for improvement are:

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SCIENCE

• Planning to include clear lesson objectives and extension activities for more able pupils; • The use of information and communication technology: o to view things impossible to see at first hand; o to store and present data in a variety of forms; o to sense and record changes in temperature; • The development of teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the requirements of scientific enquiry; • The thorough analysis of results to identify pupils’ strengths and weaknesses, and the use of these results in planning; • The monitoring of the subject by the co-ordinator so that he has a clear understanding of standards throughout the school, and of how well the subject is being taught.

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ART AND DESIGN

St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 36 103. Pupils at the ages of seven and eleven achieve standards in art above those expected for their age groups. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress in the skills and knowledge of the subject as they move through the school. A scrutiny of work on display around the school confirms that pupils have a wide range of opportunities to undertake a variety of art activities in two-dimensions and three-dimensions. They have good opportunities to print repeated patterns and make collages. In drawing, pupils use a variety of materials, including chalks and charcoal. Pencil studies of their friends and inanimate objects, are of a good and, at times, very good quality. This is an improvement in standards since the previous inspection report when standards were judged to be ‘in line with national expectations at both key stages’.

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ART AND DESIGN

104. During the inspection no Year 1 art lessons were observed. In Year 2, pupils were developing their understanding of texture and exploring a variety of starting points for practical work. They were recording fruit and household items in their sketchbooks and on the class computer from direct observation. Pupils make pencil and charcoal observational studies of a good, and at times very good, standard. Year 3 pupils, after compiling visual information to assist with the development of their ideas, are making a sculpture of a tree. They understand the concept of two-dimensional and three-dimensional work and are working on projects employing a variety of materials and processes. In Year 4, pupils’ observational drawings of trees in winter are of above average quality showing overlapping branches and gradually decreasing thickness of branches. Pupils in Year 5 use ‘paper-engineering’ to create a three-

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ART AND DESIGN

dimensional picture, folding and curling layers of paper to get the desired effect. Year 6 pupils learning about the use of colour combinations for various purposes as preparation for a planned topic on ‘Landscapes’, demonstrate satisfactory control and understanding of basic colour theory. However, examples of work produced by Year 6 during the current school year, including portraits and studies based on the work of Rodin and Modigliani are of a good standard.

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ART AND DESIGN

105. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour during art lessons ranged from good to very good and were very good overall throughout the school. Pupils demonstrate pride in their work and work very well together, sharing materials and clearly enjoying their work. The quality of learning seen in lessons in Year 2 was good and, in Years 3 to 6, satisfactory. Where learning was very good, in one lesson in Year 2, pupils made very good progress due to the teacher’s very good subject knowledge, enthusiasm and very good lesson management skills, which led to a high level of pupil motivation. The quality of teaching in Year 2 ranged from very good to good and was good overall, and teaching in Years 3 to 6 ranged from good to satisfactory and was satisfactory overall. Where teaching is good and very good, teachers have good subject knowledge. They prepare lessons well, with relevant resources or artefacts for pupils to study. Teachers make good reference to the aspects they want pupils

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ART AND DESIGN

to be particularly aware of and provide purposeful firsthand experiences for pupils which lead to good progress in their learning.

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ART AND DESIGN

106. The art co-ordinator is enthusiastic about the subject and the important part art can play in the primary school curriculum. She has been closely involved in the production of a detailed whole school scheme of work for art, which she has adapted to suit the school. This scheme of work provides clear guidance to teachers and ensures clear development in the key skills of the subject as pupils move through the school. Resources for the subject are satisfactory.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

107. Standards in design and technology are above the standards expected for pupils at seven and eleven years of age. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress in designing and making throughout the school. This is an improvement since the last inspection when standards were judged to be ‘in line with national expectations’. St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 37 Pupils evaluate their own work and that of others in a constructive way and this provides good opportunities for personal and social development.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

108. Pupils in Year 1 have good skills in designing and making moving pictures. They demonstrate good cutting and joining skills using card, paper, and split pins and a wide assortment of materials for decoration. Pupils in Year 2 design and make puppets. They are provided with a variety of materials. Pupils were shown many different puppets and then given well planned opportunities to discuss and describe how they were going to make their puppets, what materials they required and what tools they needed. Purposeful opportunities were provided for pupils to perform with their puppets.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

109. Year 4 pupils were keen to demonstrate their air powered animal models and to explain how they had made them. Planning shows that pupils consider the materials they need and the tools they want to use. Pupils’ evaluations show that the models worked and pupils were so pleased with them they would not change the design or the making next time.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

110. Standards at the end of Year 6 are above the expected level. Pupils have good skills in using tools. Pupils are good at studying their designs, making a prototype evaluating this and making adjustments to improve the final article. This good knowledge and understanding is evident as pupils make slippers which play a central role in a play which they have written and which will be performed to younger pupils.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

111. The quality of teaching is predominantly good. Lessons are well planned and well supported with good resources. Discussion with Year 4 pupils revealed that the lessons were really enjoyable – they were continuous over four or five days and this proved to be a really enjoyable way of learning. In the one lesson seen, Year 6 pupils responded extremely well to the opportunities given to use their initiative, work in pairs and to seek help when they needed it.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

112. There is satisfactory management of design and technology. Since the last inspection a scheme of work which follows the guidelines of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority has been implemented. A local education authority advisor has provided in-service training for teachers, and resources have been increased. Each teacher has a folder outlining safety considerations and instructions on how to use the tools properly.

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GEOGRAPHY

113. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress in geography throughout the school and standards are in line with those expected nationally for pupils at seven and eleven years of age. This is a similar situation to that reported at the last inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY

114. Pupils in Year 1 know and understand the various parts of their address. They locate this on a large map of the area. They identify who lives nearest to the school and who lives furthest away. Pupils in Year 2 are gaining knowledge of places through the travels of ‘Annie and Lenny Longlegs’. Through their study of Katie Morag who lives on a Scottish island they identify the physical features of that area and compare them with their own area. They design their own imaginary island and provide a key to identify the physical features.

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GEOGRAPHY

115. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 study their local area. They use maps to identify the counties which border Surrey and study a large scale map of Banstead to see how the land is used. They learn about water supplies and look for sources of water in their area: river, lake, and reservoir. In Year 5, geography is linked to history and pupils follow the routes of some of the Tudor explorers. In addition, they learn about rainforests, where they are situated and why they are important. The oldest pupils study the journey of a river and explain this using appropriate geographical vocabulary, including ‘source’, ‘tributary’ and ‘meander’. A good link St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 38 is made to their history topic when pupils look at the River Nile and its importance to the Ancient Egyptians.

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GEOGRAPHY

116. Teaching in geography is at least satisfactory and frequently good, especially in Years 1 and 2. Effective cross curricular links are made and older pupils have opportunities to use their very good reading skills when they are asked to skim and scan text as they find out about mountain environments. They confidently use CD-ROMs and the Internet in their research. As a result of interesting lessons, pupils are keen to extend their learning at home using their own encyclopaedias and computers. However, within the satisfactory teaching there are significant weaknesses. Tasks are very prescriptive and do not closely match pupils' prior learning. There is insufficient support for the less able in reading the text, and lack of challenge for the more able to demonstrate their skills. Teachers place more emphasis on passing on knowledge than in developing skills.

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GEOGRAPHY

117. The management of geography is satisfactory. It is not a focus on the school development plan and is being maintained at present. There is no co-ordinator, although a part time teacher is responsible for resources. These are easily accessible for all teachers to use. There is a scheme of work for pupils in Years 3 to 6 which has been in place for several years. Years 1 and 2 are using the scheme which follows the national guidelines and when geography becomes a focus on the school development plan the scheme will be extended throughout the school.

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HISTORY

118. Standards in history exceed the national expectations for seven and eleven year olds. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress in their learning. This is significant progress since the last inspection when standards were judged to be ‘in line with national expectations’. History is promoted well throughout the school and high quality displays show that pupils are developing their literacy skills in history. There are good links made with art, geography and information and communication technology. Pupils show enthusiasm for history and many artefacts have been brought from home whilst pupils in Years 3 and 4 are studying Britain since 1930.

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HISTORY

119. Pupils in Year 1 look at how toys have changed over the years and look carefully at teddy bears to decide whether they are old or new. Pupils in Year 2 know the important facts about the Fire of London. They know where it started and why it spread so quickly.

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HISTORY

120. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 are studying Britain since 1930 and this term are focusing on World War II. They know how people protected themselves in the Blitz, and why blackout was so important. They are gaining a clear understanding of the impact of the war on different strata of society, the significance of important people: for example Hitler and Churchill; and special events such as the Battle of Britain.

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HISTORY

121. Pupils in Year 5 are gaining a reasonable body of knowledge about the Tudor period, the monarchs, the difference in the lives of the rich and the poor, and the exploration of this period, especially Francis Drake. Effective cross curricular links are made, and pupils use their literacy skills well.

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HISTORY

122. Pupils in Year 6 are acquiring a broad base of knowledge about Ancient Egypt and demonstrate good research skills as they investigate the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun. They use a variety of sources of evidence, books, newspapers, video and CD- ROMs to find information. These pupils work exceptionally well collaboratively, and present their findings to the class, demonstrating good speaking and listening skills.

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HISTORY

123. Teaching in history is at least satisfactory and sometimes good. Most lessons are well structured and give pupils good opportunities to work independently and collaboratively. St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 39 Pupils use their literacy skills well. There are well planned opportunities for pupils to use speaking skills: for example when Year 5 pupils presented evidence they had collected about a voyage. Homework is used well to extend pupils’ learning: for example the booklets about Ancient Egypt made by Year 6 pupils. Joint planning between Years 3 and 4 and parallel classes in Year 5 and Year 6 creates a supportive teaching and learning environment. However, within the satisfactory lessons there are weaknesses. The introductions to some lessons are too long and pupils have insufficient opportunities to develop historical enquiry skills. Expectations of what the more able pupils can achieve are not high enough.

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HISTORY

124. History is managed effectively. In-service training has been provided to improve the quality of teaching. Resources have been increased. Artefacts are borrowed from local museums. Visits and visitors enhance the curriculum. A new scheme of work linked to the guidelines provided by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority has been introduced for younger pupils and will gradually feed through the school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

125. By the end of Year 2, standards meet national expectations and pupils, including those with special educational needs make good progress in learning in information and communication technology. By the end of Year 6, standards are below national expectations because all pupils have had insufficient previous teaching and learning in the key knowledge, skills and understanding required by the National Curriculum.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

126. Standards in the subject are improving rapidly as the result of:

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

• Increased teacher confidence in teaching the subject following New Opportunities Funding (NOF) training; • The provision of a set of laptop computers which means a whole class can be taught key skills; • The introduction of a commercially produced scheme of work to support teachers in the teaching of key skills; • The enthusiasm of the co-ordinators who share the management of the subject.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

127. By the end of Year 2, pupils are confident in loading, saving and printing their work. They show secure skills in the use of the mouse and keyboard. Pupils apply their literacy skills successfully in word processing stories, poems, and in making labels. They show satisfactory skills in changing fonts, font sizes and font colours. Pupils know how to edit lists and for example, to edit a poem by rearranging the lines. In work on control, pupils show a satisfactory understanding of the commands for controlling a programmable toy in making it move forward, backwards and turning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

128. In Year 4, pupils show satisfactory word processing skills in writing for different audiences and in editing skills, for example in reordering a set of instructions. In Year 5, pupils combine text and ‘clip art’ successfully to produce imaginatively displayed poems. Their fact files on the school ‘houses’ from the ‘Harry Potter’ books, together with ‘Ten things found in a pocket’ show good application of literacy skills in writing for different purposes.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

129. By the end of Year 6, pupils make satisfactory progress in word processing. They know how to edit text using the ‘spell check’ facility. They apply their literacy skills successfully when writing in work on history about Ancient Egypt: for example in their ‘Welcome to Mummy Wrapping Classes’. In geography, they use word processing skills successfully in telling the story, ‘The Journey of a River’. In links with numeracy, pupils develop a satisfactory understanding of spreadsheets and know how to enter a formula to calculate the area and perimeter of squares and rectangles. They use their mental arithmetic skills accurately to check their answers. Pupils make satisfactory use of a ‘publishing’ program to make ‘Mother’s Day’ cards. However, pupils have insufficient knowledge and understanding of St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 40 multimedia presentations and in modelling and control. Most are confident in accessing the

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Internet and in using CD-ROMs for research, where they apply their reading skills particularly well.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

130. Currently, there is a strong emphasis on teaching key skills and in these lessons teaching is good. However, teachers do not use classroom computers consistently to support pupils’ learning across the curriculum, particularly in applying skills taught in whole class lessons. Where teaching is good, teachers show good subject knowledge and use a laptop connected to a projector to demonstrate new skills and knowledge. Good examples of such teaching were seen in Year 5 and Year 6, where pupils were taught successfully how to use spreadsheets. A potential weakness in teaching is the current overuse of photocopied worksheets which are part of the school’s commercially produced scheme of work.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

131. The subject is effectively managed by the two enthusiastic co-ordinators who share the responsibility for managing the subject. Their hard work is leading to improvement both in the quality of teaching and in the standards achieved. Both recognise that whilst there needs to be a strong emphasis on teaching key skills, it is important that pupils have regular opportunities to apply those skills to their learning in all subjects. The school has an ‘Internet Access Policy’ which is understood by pupils and has been shared with parents.

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MUSIC

132. At the end of both Years 2 and 6, standards in music are above national expectations for pupils of these ages. This is an improvement for pupils in Year 2 where standards in the last inspection were ‘mainly average’. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress in their learning.

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MUSIC

133. The only singing heard was during assemblies. The standard was good, with pupils singing in time and in tune. Pupils enjoyed singing and this showed itself in their performance. In Years 1 and 2, pupils are beginning to respond to graphic notation, and relate sounds to symbols. Within this, they understand pitch, dynamics and timbre. This leads on to traditional notation later in the school. In the upper years, pupils know that different parts of the world have different musical traditions. In Years 3 and 4, pupils study Gamelan music from Indonesia. In Year 5, pupils have a good understanding of a regular beat, and are developing the ability to create rhythms across the beat, that is syncopation. In Year 6, pupils are developing an understanding of the chord system, and know that chords ‘I, IV and V’ are the most important in any scale. Pupils have good opportunities to listen to and appreciate

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MUSIC

music. They have heard Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’, Grieg’s ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’ from the ‘Peer Gynt Suite’, and Bach’s ‘Brandenberg Concerto No. 2’. As well as learning about the composers, pupils talk about the instruments used, the moods portrayed, and how it makes them feel.

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MUSIC

134. There are good opportunities for performance both in and out of school time. Individuals often play their instrument at assembly times. Many pupils benefit from taking part in extracurricular activities, such as the orchestra and choir. At the moment, there is a combined choir and drama group which attracts about sixty pupils each week, and four teachers assist. Occasionally, there are open orchestra sessions where parents, siblings and staff can join with the orchestra to play together. The choir has performed for local old people and at the ‘South-East Surrey Music Festival’. A number of pupils benefit from instrumental tuition by visiting teachers. Good attention is given to equality of opportunity, as there is a trust fund available for pupils whose parents cannot afford to pay.

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MUSIC

135. Each class is taught once per week by its own teacher, and once per week by the music co-ordinator. The lessons taken by the class teacher are always taped lessons. They are satisfactory, but do not inspire pupils as much as a teacher with musical knowledge and understanding. The co-ordinator has a good knowledge and understanding of the subject and St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 41 the majority of her lessons are good. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, are well managed and motivated, enabling them to enjoy their lessons and make good progress. The class teachers would benefit from seeing the co-ordinator teach, and she would benefit from seeing how the taped lessons are delivered. Even with a taped lesson, teachers are able to add activities and elaborate on what is covered on the tape to motivate the pupils, but this does not always happen.

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MUSIC

136. The co-ordinator has developed the school’s own scheme of work for Years 1 and 2, and is working on one for Years 3 to 6. This, and the fact that she takes class lessons herself, ensures that there is good coverage of all the requirements of the National Curriculum, and that pupils build on their knowledge and understanding through the school. There are sufficient good quality resources, with the exception of small drums which would be beneficial for class composition and performance.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

137. Standards in physical education throughout the school are above national expectations. This is a similar judgement to that of the last inspection. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, take part enthusiastically, and make good progress.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

138. In gymnastics in Year 2, pupils have good control and can show good quality movement when jumping and landing. They think about their shape in flight and can produce stretched and curled shapes. They co-operate well with others, for example when sharing a mat. By the end of Year 6, pupils develop their gymnastic skills further, showing good control and good use of their initiative when creating sequences. For dance, teachers use published materials and tapes, and these are used with varying degrees of success. Where teachers stop the tape to ensure that pupils understand what they are doing, to reinforce teaching points, or to let pupils demonstrate, pupils make satisfactory, and sometimes good, progress. On other occasions, these opportunities are missed, which limits the value of the taped lesson. In games, the only lessons observed were in Years 3 to 6, where pupils showed good football and hockey skills. No swimming was observed, but the information

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

given by the school indicates that the vast majority of pupils are able to swim the required 25 metres before they leave the school.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

139. Teaching is never less than satisfactory, and is sometimes good and very good. All lesson plans are written by the co-ordinator, and are very thorough. However, a warm up is not consistently used by all staff, nor do pupils always understand why it is necessary. Pupils are usually dressed appropriately for their activities, although watches are sometimes worn for gymnastics which can be dangerous, and more thought needs to be given to suitable clothing for dance. Whilst it is appreciated that time is restricted, some pupils performed in their jumpers and ties, which was certainly inappropriate. Year 6 pupils simply removed jumpers, ties, shoes and socks. This too forces some limitations on the movements pupils can perform, especially girls with their skirts, and has implications for hygiene. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding is satisfactory overall, but good in gymnastics. Pupils are well

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

managed, and given plenty of opportunity to practise their skills. In the better lessons, the pace of the lessons is brisk, with short and to the point interventions to help pupils perform better. On occasions, this pace is not evident, and too much time is wasted, either by the teacher talking too much, or by inefficient transport of equipment. The storage of mats needs some thought to make access easier, thus taking pupils less time to retrieve them.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

140. The co-ordinator is very knowledgeable and competent, and has worked hard to produce lesson plans for the whole school. This ensures good coverage of the National Curriculum and that pupils build on their skills in each year. However, it is evident that plans can be interpreted and delivered in a variety of ways. The co-ordinator does not have the opportunity to observe lessons to see how skills are being taught, although there are plans for this to happen. St Anne’s Catholic Primary School - 42 141. There are good opportunities for pupils to take part in extracurricular activities. There were clubs for running, football, netball and tag rugby during the week of the inspection. From practices, pupils are chosen to represent the school in league matches and tournaments. St. Anne’s pupils invariably do well in these. There are sufficient resources for the curriculum to be taught. Outside facilities are limited at the moment by building work, but good use is made

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