St Eugene de Mazenod Roman Catholic Primary School

SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 6 th – 9 th May 2003

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SCHOOL

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

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SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 3 - May 2003

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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 F. Harkin

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: February 1998 St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 4 - May 2003

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 11810 Mr G. R. Logan Registered inspector Mathematics Music Physical education What sort of school is it? How high are standards? a) The school’s results and achievements; How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve? 9457 Mrs G. Bindoff Lay inspector How high are standards? b) Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development; How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 26514 Mrs A. Tapsfield Team inspector Science Information and communication technology Design and technology Art and design Special education needs English as an additional language Educational inclusion 24022 Mrs J. Lawson Team inspector English Geography History Areas of learning in the Foundation Stage How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 5 - May 2003

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Nord Anglia School Inspection Services Ltd

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Strathblane House Ashfield House Cheadle Stockport SK8 1BB

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 6 - May 2003

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 12

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 34

St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 7 - May 2003

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Eugene de Mazenod RC is a voluntary aided primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Camden, London. The school, founded in 1967, serves an area with significant social deprivation. There are 198 pupils in the school: 97 boys and 101 girls. Children enter Reception at the beginning of the academic year when they become five. Most children’s attainment on entry is around average; almost all have had nursery experience elsewhere. Fifty two pupils have special educational needs, mostly moderate learning difficulties. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is just above the national average. Two have Statements of Special Educational Needs which is below the national average. Approximately 37% of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds including one Traveller pupil. There are 57 pupils with English as an additional language (29 per cent), of whom one is in the early stages of learning English, together with 13 refugees . The proportion of pupils

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

with English as an additional language has increased since the last inspection. Around 42 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals - well above the national average. Pupil mobility is relatively low for London, with around 10 per cent of pupils joining or leaving the school other than at the normal admission and leaving dates. Although the school enjoys relatively stable staffing, there are difficulties in recruiting new staff in the area.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Although there is scope for improvement, St Eugene de Mazenod Primary School offers a sound education and provides satisfactorily for the needs of its pupils. Most aspects of the school’s work, such as the teaching, the curriculum, the quality of care and the partnership with parents, are of satisfactory quality. The ethos of the school is a strength. Standards by the age of seven, though not as high as they might be, are now showing improvement. By the age of 11, standards in relation to similar schools have been high in recent years. The school promotes good attitudes to learning. Pupils now coming through the school are making better progress as a result of the good quality experience they receive in Reception and in Year 1. The Foundation Stage is effective. Support for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. The headteacher is well supported by the staff and the governing body; the

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

school’s capacity for improvement is satisfactory overall. Levels of funding are relatively high. Even so, the school provides satisfactory value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Children have a good start in Reception. • Pupils have good attitudes to learning. • Standards in national testing compare very favourably with those in similar schools. • Pupils who are learning English as an additional language make good progress. • There is a strong sense of community in the school and relationships are good. • Parents have positive views of the school and support the school well.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Standards in information and communication technology remain unsatisfactory. • Levels of attendance and punctuality are unsatisfactory. This affects pupils’ learning. • While the quality of teaching has improved significantly since the last inspection, teachers still make insufficient use of assessment information when planning lessons. The pace of lessons is sometimes slow. Pupils have too few opportunities to develop as independent learners. • Some aspects of management could be improved - there is insufficient urgency in initiating change and the monitoring of teaching is not rigorous enough to help teachers improve.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

• Provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education is informal and is unsatisfactory. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 8 - May 2003

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

When the school was last inspected, in February 1998, a number of areas for improvement were identified in a broadly positive report. Progress on these issues has been just satisfactory, with some areas where further work is needed. Provision for pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language is now satisfactory. Some systems are now in place to monitor teaching and learning, although there are still issues relating to the consistency of teaching quality. Although assessment procedures have been introduced, information is still not used consistently to plan future work. All aspects of the National Curriculum for information and communication technology are now taught. However, the impact has been limited because of a lack of equipment. In other respects, there has been good progress. The overall quality of teaching has improved significantly. Staff work closely as a team and there is a strong community spirit. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are now good.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Standards have risen in national tests in Year 6 and the school achieves very well in relation to schools in similar circumstances. While the pace of change now needs to be increased, the overall level of improvement has been satisfactory.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools Similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

The 2002 test results for pupils in Year 6 were above average in mathematics, average in English, but below average in science when compared with the national average. When compared with results in similar schools, standards were well above average in English and mathematics and above average in science. An average proportion of pupils attained the higher Level 5 in English and mathematics, though the school did not achieve its ambitious targets in English and mathematics in 2002. Currently, standards in Year 6 are average in English, mathematics and science. Standards are average in most other subjects, though above average in physical education. Standards at the end of Year 2 in 2002 were well below average in reading and writing and below average in mathematics in relation to those achieved nationally. Standards were average in writing and above average in reading and mathematics in relation to similar schools. Teachers’ assessments indicated that attainment

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STANDARDS

in science was low. An average number of Year 2 pupils achieved the challenging Level 3 across the subjects. Currently, standards in Year 2 are average in reading, writing, mathematics, science and the remaining subjects, other than physical education and music where standards are above average. Across the school, pupils’ skills in information and communication technology are unsatisfactory. Opportunities for pupils to apply their literacy and numeracy skills are broadly satisfactory, with scope for improvement. Pupils have a good start in Reception. The progress they make through the school is satisfactory overall, although there is some loss of pace where expectations are lower in the middle years of the school. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language are supported satisfactorily, and make steady progress. The school is, however, unlikely to meet its challenging targets in Year 6 in 2003.

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STANDARDS

St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 9 - May 2003

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils have positive attitudes to school and are keen to learn. They respond enthusiastically when activities – and the teaching – are stimulating and challenging.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Satisfactory. When staff expectations are high and pupils are managed well, behaviour is good. However, in other circumstances, pupils can become disruptive. This adversely affects learning.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Relationships are good. Pupils from different ethnic backgrounds mix very well, but some boys and girls prefer to work and play separately. The school council enables pupils to make their views heard. Pupils have few opportunities to develop as independent learners.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Unsatisfactory. There are many unauthorised absences. Many pupils arrive late and this delays the start of lessons.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection. Though still satisfactory, overall, good teaching was observed in a significant minority of lessons, with some very good teaching. Most of the better teaching is in Reception and Years 1, 5 and 6. Around half the teaching in mathematics and science was good, while all teaching in music and the Foundation Stage was at least good. There are some inconsistencies in the teaching in the middle years of the school which affect pupils’ learning. Staff expectations are not always sufficiently high, the pace can be slow and the management of behaviour is sometimes ineffective. Planning is not sufficiently focused on individual needs, and assessment is not always used to help in the planning of future work. Where teaching is better, there is a good working atmosphere, staff manage pupils well, relationships are good, the pace of lessons is brisk, pupils are challenged and a positive climate for learning exists. As a result, pupils are

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

generally enthusiastic and learn well. Literacy and numeracy skills are developed satisfactorily across the curriculum, with scope for improvement. Information and communication technology skills are not sufficiently promoted. Good teaching in the Foundation Stage gives children a good start to school life. Support for pupils with special educational needs, those with English as an additional language and those from a Traveller background, is satisfactory. St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 10 - May 2003

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. The curriculum includes all the expected subjects and is satisfactorily matched to pupils’ needs. The Foundation Stage curriculum is good. Provision for information and communication technology continues to be unsatisfactory. Provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education is informal and is unsatisfactory. Extra-curricular provision is good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory. The curriculum for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory, enabling them to make similar progress to the others. This area is soundly managed.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory. Pupils receive good support in the early stages of learning English, but there is less focus on the development of the higher order language skills. Pupils have good attitudes to school. They are supported well by a trained teaching assistant.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Satisfactory, overall. Provision for pupils’ moral development is good. For their spiritual, social and cultural development, provision is satisfactory. Pupils’ personal development is not planned for systematically.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils There are satisfactory procedures overall for first aid, child protection and health and safety. Behaviour management is insecure in a few classes. Assessment procedures have improved, but insufficient use is made of the information to plan future work.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents have positive views of the school. Some parents help in school and there is an active Association of Parents, Teachers and Friends. Parents are not consulted routinely about developments in the school and some feel excluded.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Satisfactory. The headteacher promotes a strong sense of community, well-supported by her deputy. Co-ordinators are now more effective. Implementation of effective monitoring strategies has been slow.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory. Governors have a good working partnership with the headteacher. They have a satisfactory understanding of the strengths of the school, but less awareness of areas where further work is needed. Most committees meet regularly.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school monitors and evaluates its performance satisfactorily. Nonetheless, there has been a slow response to weaker performance in the middle years of the school.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Finances are managed satisfactorily. The school makes a significant investment in maintaining high levels of staffing, but does not evaluate whether the current deployment of staff provides value for money. The school seeks to get best value when purchasing goods or services.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school improvement plan, now almost out-of-date, identifies a range of priorities. It now requires a greater focus on the consistency of teaching quality. It is linked well to the school’s budget. The school is well-staffed, with efficient administration. Team working is a strength. Support staff make a good contribution. The accommodation is satisfactory and is well cared St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 11 - May 2003 for by a very efficient caretaker. Disabled access is limited because of the nature of the building. The outdoor environment is restricted. The school is well-resourced.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• Their children like school, behave well and make good progress. • The teaching is good. • The staff have a caring attitude. • There is a strong sense of community. • Inconsistencies in homework. • The range of activities outside lessons. • The quality of information on pupils’ progress. • The school does not consult them about its development.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Inspectors agree with most of the positive views of parents. The sense of community is a strength. The school offers a good range of activities outside lessons. The partnership between home and school, including the school’s policy on homework, is often better for parents whose children have special educational needs or English as an additional language than for others. Annual reports do not align standards achieved to those expected nationally. St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 12 - May 2003

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. In the 2002 tests for Year 2 pupils, standards were well below average in reading and writing and below average in mathematics in relation to schools nationally. Standards were above average in reading and mathematics and average in writing in relation to similar schools. Teacher assessment indicated that standards in science were very low. In 2002, the proportion of pupils achieving the challenging level 3 was average in reading, but below average in writing and mathematics in relation to schools nationally. Having peaked in 1999 and 2000, standards by the end of Year 2 have declined over a two year period. However, the 2002 cohort had an above average proportion of pupils with special educational needs and this significantly affected overall performance. Inspection evidence indicates that attainment in Year 2 is now at least average in reading, writing and mathematics, marking a recovery in standards. Good quality provision in Reception, together with the

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

change in entry arrangements, so that all children enter in September, and the fact that almost all children have now had nursery experience (a marked improvement since the last inspection), means that children are very well- prepared when they enter Year 1. In turn, the provision in Year 1 is currently of high quality, so that there is the likelihood, with subsequent cohorts, of raising standards significantly. The progress made by pupils in the current Year 2 has been satisfactory overall.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. In 2002, standards for Year 6 pupils were above average in mathematics, average in English and below average in science in relation to schools nationally. Standards were well above average in English and mathematics and above average in science in relation to similar schools. The proportion of pupils achieving the challenging Level 5 was average in English and mathematics and below average in science in relation to schools nationally. However, as with Year 2, this cohort of pupils had over 40 per cent of pupils on the register of special educational needs. School tracking data indicate that pupils made satisfactory progress overall between the end of Year 2 and the end of Year 6. Standards by the end of Year 6 have fluctuated from year to year, although there has been a good improvement overall since 1998. There is no significant difference in attainment between boys and girls, though girls tended to outperform boys in Year 6 in 2002. Black African pupils

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

are usually the most successful ethnic group in the school. Pupils with English as an additional language perform much better than the local education authority average and better than many pupils in the school who speak only English.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. At Year 6, standards are currently average in English, mathematics and science. A small number of pupils are achieving significantly higher standards in all three subjects, with several working at Level 5. St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 13 - May 2003 4. Children make good progress in Reception, and almost all children achieve the Early Learning Goals 1 for the Foundation Stage by the time they enter Year 1, with a significant number achieving within Level 1 of the National Curriculum. Children in Reception build well on their average attainment when they start school. By the end of their first year in school, their attainment is above average in five of the six main areas of learning. Staff rightly give time and attention to making sure that children settle into school life and routines quickly. After a short time attending school, the children are happy, secure, very well behaved and confident to try out new activities.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Standards in English are average by the end of Years 2 and 6. Progress overall is satisfactory. Standards in listening and speaking skills are average throughout the school. Pupils listen carefully and in most classes have the opportunity to express their ideas in whole-class discussions. Standards in reading are average in Years 2 and 6. Older pupils have well-developed skills and the majority enjoy reading. Across the school, pupils have satisfactory library and reference skills. Standards in writing in Year 2 are improving and the majority of pupils achieve average standards. Pupils write legibly in sentences and use simple punctuation accurately. They make good progress in handwriting, achieving a fluent joined script by Year 6. They write in a range of styles and forms and standards are average by the end of Year 6. However, there are insufficient opportunities for extended writing or to write in

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

subjects across the curriculum. Progress in spelling is a weaker aspect. Standards of punctuation and grammar are average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Standards in mathematics are average by the end of Years 2 and 6. Pupils are currently receiving a very good grounding in Reception and in Year 1. Across the school, there is a systematic approach to the teaching and learning of basic mathematical skills and there is a thorough body of recorded work. Pupils acquire a secure knowledge of place value, and of the procedures which enable them to add and subtract one, two or, eventually, three digit numbers. They learn to use units of time, weight, measure and capacity and recognise the features of two and three-dimensional shapes. They record data systematically and represent them in graphs and charts. They have had a secure introduction to basic geometry and probability. There are some opportunities for pupils to proceed to challenging, higher level work when they are ready to do so. However, this is more evident in Years 5 and 6 than in Year 2.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Standards in science are average by the end of Years 2 and 6. Investigative science is well promoted across the school. Teachers in Years 1 and 2 place a high emphasis on practical activities and this emphasis contributes well to extending pupils’ knowledge of basic scientific principles. Older pupils also have good opportunities for experimental work, although they are not always able to justify the importance of fair testing. By Year 6, they have a secure knowledge of the human body and the properties of materials.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Pupils' attainment in information and communication technology (ICT) is below the expected level at the end of Years 2 and 6. Pupils have insufficient

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1 Early Learning Goals – these are expectations for most children to reach by the end of the Foundation Stage. They refer mainly to achievements children make in connection with the following six areas of learning: communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; personal, social and emotional development; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical and creative development. St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 14 - May 2003 access to computers during ICT lessons and their skill base remains too low. Progress is unsatisfactory. There are still not enough planned opportunities for pupils to use ICT to enhance their learning in other subjects.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. By the end of Year 2, pupils attain average standards in art and design, design and technology, geography, history, and above average standards in music and physical education. By the end of Year 6, standards are average in art and design, geography, history and geography and above average in physical education. No judgement is possible on standards in music by the end of Year 6 as no lessons were observed in Years 4 to 6, although pupils sing well. No judgement is possible on standards in design and technology by the end of Year 6 as all work is planned for the second half of the summer term. Standards are, however, average in all other year groups observed.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Both the literacy and numeracy strategies have been implemented satisfactorily. Although there are some opportunities for the use of literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects, particularly towards the top of the school, this is not an aspect which the school has developed systematically.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. Pupils with special educational needs make similar progress to their classmates in acquiring literacy and numeracy skills. They make satisfactory progress in lessons and achieve well against their objectives for a lesson because of the good level of support they receive. However, their ability to apply the skills learned when an adult does not support them is not extended well enough.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. Pupils for whom English is an additional language make good progress in acquiring functional spoken and written English within their class work. This is because of the good support they receive when they are in the early stages of learning English. Pupils who have achieved a level of basic competence make satisfactory progress with their class work because they work hard and concentrate closely in class. The school has identified that they are less successful in developing pupils’ higher-order language skills and their understanding of English idiom. Pupils from a Traveller background are supported satisfactorily by the school. The standards achieved by these pupils reflect in large part the regularity of their attendance. The school does not yet identify or specifically provide for the needs of Gifted or Talented pupils.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

13. The school has assembled a range of information on pupils' prior attainment, and uses the available data to set targets for groups of pupils. However, the school is not yet setting targets for individuals and there is more work to be done in sharpening these systems if attainment is to be raised further. Targets were identified for the standards pupils were expected to attain in the national tests at the end of Year 6 in 2002. These were not achieved in either English or mathematics. Similar targets are in place for 2003, although these have not been revised for several years and the school feels these are now over- optimistic.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils’ attitudes to school are good and have improved since the last inspection, when they were satisfactory. Parents say that their children are happy at school, work hard and behave well. Most pupils enjoy their lessons and are keen to learn. Children in Reception settle in very well and make a St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 15 - May 2003 good start at school. Pupils respond with enthusiasm when activities are interesting and challenging - for example, in music and physical education lessons. When they are actively engaged in their learning they are quick to answer questions and participate well. However, consistent work habits are not securely established throughout the school and many pupils find it hard to sustain their concentration over time. Where teaching does not engage pupils’ interest and tasks are not matched well to their levels of attainment, attention wanders and some pupils can become inattentive.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Pupils’ behaviour is satisfactory overall. Where the expectations of staff are high and pupils are managed well behaviour is good but this is not consistent through the school. In lessons where pupils are not managed so well some pupils are disruptive and this adversely affects their own learning and that of others. Sometimes pupils do not show sufficient consideration for others - for example, in the playground and on the stairs where some pupils push others out of the way and do not give space for people going in the opposite direction. No pupils have been excluded in the last school year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Relationships between pupils and adults in the school are good. Sometimes they are very good and contribute significantly to pupils’ self confidence and self esteem. This helps them to learn well. The very good relationships between the Reception children and the adults who work with them contribute very well to the good progress the children make. Pupils from different racial and family backgrounds work and play well together but the social integration of boys and girls is not so strong. This is particularly obvious in the playground where boys tend to dominate the main space with active games and girls gather at the edges to chat.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Pupils develop some mature attitudes. They value the special garden created in memory of a pupil who died and know that it is place where they can sit quietly and think. They understand that war has terrible consequences and they pray in assemblies for the people of Iraq. Older pupils are developing their responsibilities as members of the school council and are becoming good citizens. They are astute in identifying aspects of the school that they would like to be improved but they have not had enough opportunities to take their suggestions forward. Pupils are keen to take an active role in the school when opportunities are offered , for example, pupils like to help younger ones at lunchtimes. They are not developing sufficiently as independent learners because they have too few opportunities to develop their ideas and to carry out their own research.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Pupils with special educational needs are positive in their response both to class work and to the work they undertake with the special needs staff. They try hard in lessons when a member of staff supports them. However, a significant minority find it very difficult to concentrate in lessons and do not have sufficient strategies to help them develop self-discipline. Pupils for whom English is an additional language have good attitudes to school. They pay close attention in lessons and work hard.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. Attendance has not improved since the previous inspection. It is consistently below 95 per cent and is unsatisfactory. The level of unauthorised absence is above the national average. Punctuality is said to be improving but there are still too many pupils arriving after the beginning of the school day. This disrupts the first session and delays the start of lessons. The school has not been sufficiently active or effective in seeking to raise levels of attendance. St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 16 - May 2003

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. Although there are still some inconsistencies, the quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection, with a higher proportion of good or very good teaching and a much reduced proportion of unsatisfactory teaching.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. Teaching in almost three-fifths of the lessons observed was good or better, leading to effective learning. It was unsatisfactory in around one lesson in twenty. This is a similar profile of teaching to that found in many other schools, though still providing scope for improvement. The proportion of good or better teaching was greatest in Reception and Year 1 and in Years 5 and 6. The highest proportion of very good teaching (half of the lessons observed) was in Year 1. Across the school, around half the teaching observed in mathematics and science was good or better. All of the teaching observed was good or better in music and in the Foundation Stage. The proportion of weaker teaching was highest in ICT.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. Minor weaknesses in teaching, mainly pace, planning to meet pupils’ individual needs and the management of behaviour, account for variations in the progress which some pupils make. Pupils make good progress in Reception from an average starting point and build on this very well in Year 1. Progress slows in Year 2, because teachers’ expectations are not as high as they might be and pupils of higher attainment are not fully challenged. Progress remains inconsistent in Years 3 and 4 but then improves rapidly for the Year 5 and 6 pupils . Planning is not, overall, sharply focused on the needs of individual pupils. This is a weakness across the school, particularly in relation to the non-core subjects. Learning objectives are generally identified in teachers’ daily planning so that there is a clear understanding as to what is to be taught. Lessons are generally evaluated so that subsequent teaching is modified to meet pupils’ current needs. National guidelines are

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

used as the basis for teachers’ planning and these have been modified where necessary to meet the particular needs of the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. The overall quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is good. The teaching is well-planned and stimulating. Staff manage children well, gain their confidence and provide good basic teaching in reading, writing and mathematics. This improves significantly children's personal, social and emotional development and their skills in literacy and numeracy. Teaching of knowledge and understanding of the world is less strong and not all elements of the expected curriculum are explicitly planned for; nevertheless, children make satisfactory progress. Planned activities are referenced to the areas of learning for the Foundation Stage, but planning documents are not consistently clear about how lessons contribute to the attainment of particular Early Learning Goals or the 'stepping stones' that lead towards them.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. In Years 1 to 6, relationships are usually good and are best where the teaching is strongest. Teachers have good management skills overall, though this is a weaker element early in the juniors. Teachers deploy support staff satisfactorily and use resources well. A particularly good example of the use of support staff was seen in a Year 6 numeracy lesson where a well- prepared teaching assistant made a significant contribution to the learning of pupils with special educational needs. Teaching assistants also make a major input to the learning of pupils with English as an additional language. However, teachers do not plan in sufficient detail for the work to be covered St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 17 - May 2003 by these staff. Generally, across the school, good use is made of the resources of the local area to enhance work in subjects such as geography. Overall, teachers have satisfactory expectations of pupils’ behaviour.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

However, not all staff have the experience or secure strategies to manage pupils effectively and this can affect learning. Teachers’ expectations of what pupils could achieve academically are also variable. Teaching occasionally lacks pace and rigour. Work is not always matched well to pupils’ needs and this affects both the pupils of higher attainment who are not sufficiently challenged and those with special educational needs. Not all teachers have sufficiently a clear picture of what can be achieved by the potential higher attaining pupils. However, where expectations are higher, as in Year 1 and in the top class, this has a very positive effect on the standards attained. The use of teachers with specialist skills, as in music, is effective in ensuring not just that good standards can be achieved in lessons, but provides good training opportunities for staff.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25. The basic skills of literacy and numeracy are taught satisfactorily, overall. The school provides regular opportunities for pupils to develop higher-order reading skills and this is contributing to a rise in standards. Standards in numeracy have risen over time, but there is limited scope for the use of pupils’ skills across the curriculum. ICT skills are taught ineffectively, largely because of the lack of ICT equipment. The use of computers to support learning in other subjects is, in consequence, minimal.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

26. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. All staff know their pupils well and are very patient and caring. In literacy and numeracy lessons teachers plan work according to the underlying levels of attainment of their pupils and where there is sufficient support these pupils are taught well and make secure progress. Support staff help pupils effectively when undertaking individual tasks; however, their role during whole class discussions is less well developed, leaving the pupils assigned to them sometimes lacking the confidence to contribute. Teachers do not find it easy to plan activities that promote the independence of pupils with special educational needs and many do not make enough use of the targets within their individual education plans to guide their planning for these pupils. The planning of assignments to meet pupils’ individual needs in subjects other

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

than literacy and numeracy is inconsistent across the school.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

27. The teaching of pupils for whom English is an additional language is satisfactory overall. Teachers plan assignments that challenge pupils successfully. However, too few staff vary the presentation of their lessons sufficiently to ensure that all pupils understand what they are asked to do. For example, not enough use is made of visual prompts or picture clues. Pupils in the early stages of acquiring English benefit from the lessons they have with the special support assistant, both when she supports pupils within their mainstream classes and when they withdrawn them for more focused teaching. In the lessons taken outside their classes, effective use is made of visual aids such as alphabet and phonic charts and games. As a result the pupils make good progress.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

28. Class teachers are careful to ensure that pupils for whom English is an additional language and those with special educational needs are fully involved in class activities. When pupils with special needs and with English as an additional language are supported well, they are positive in their response both to classwork and to the work they undertake with the special St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 18 - May 2003 needs support assistants. They work hard and are keen to please their teachers and support assistants. However, some do not readily work independent of adult support.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

29. Teachers use a variety of teaching methods satisfactorily. In most lessons , the balance of whole-class teaching and opportunities for pupils to work on their own or in small groups is satisfactory, but there is sometimes an imbalance, with too little time for pupils to work independently. The introductory sections of lessons often lack pace and go on for too long, leaving pupils restless.

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

30. Everyday arrangements to assess pupils’ attainment and progress, while satisfactory overall, have weaknesses. The quality of marking is variable across the school. Prior knowledge of pupils’ strengths and areas for development has little influence on subsequent planning. Too often, teachers do not take the opportunity to provide developmental guidance for pupils and are content with ticks and brief comments. The school does not yet set individual targets for pupils in the core subjects.

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

31. Homework is used satisfactorily to extend pupils’ learning and usually takes the form of reading or mathematics.

p.18

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. The curriculum is satisfactory overall. Good emphasis is given to English, mathematics and science and improvements in these subjects have been satisfactory since the last inspection. The school has introduced a new system for curriculum planning which provides continuity throughout the school. Planning in all subjects now identifies the learning objectives for each lesson but plans do not always acknowledge pupils’ different needs within the class and as a result some pupils are insufficiently challenged. The school is no longer able to provide swimming lessons due to the closure of the local swimming pool. Otherwise, the expectations of the National Curriculum are fully met.

p.18

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33. The school has successfully implemented the National Literacy and Numeracy strategies and half-termly and weekly plans are clearly linked to the frameworks. The school operates within the recommended number of taught hours, although the organisation of time is not consistently effective. The lunchtime break is very long for pupils in Years 1 and 2 and the provision of an afternoon playtime has an adverse effect on some older pupils making it difficult to re-focus their attention when they return to class . More efficient use could be made of time .

p.18

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. The school has made good progress in developing the curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage. The curriculum contains all the expected elements and there are good links made between the areas of learning. For example, children devise class poems about the seaside, re-create the bottom of the sea in water play and model sea creatures in clay and play dough. The curriculum is enhanced through the use made of outside areas. Children have opportunities to explore sand and water and to play imaginatively in the house or with small world equipment such as cars and roadways. The school has plans to develop further the outdoor play area. The planning of some areas is not aligned in sufficient detail to the ‘stepping stones’ within the Foundation St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 19 - May 2003 Stage guidance.

p.18

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35. There has been insufficient improvement in the provision for ICT since the last inspection. This remains unsatisfactory. There are not enough computers to meet pupils’ learning needs, while opportunities for developing ICT are not sufficiently integrated into the school’s long term plans to ensure adequate coverage. Cross-curricular links with other subjects are underdeveloped.

p.19

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36. The curriculum for pupils with English as an additional language and for pupils with special educational needs, including those with statements of special educational need, is satisfactory. Staff make use of a broad range of approaches, strategies and special learning programmes to meet each child’s needs. Targets within pupils’ individual education plans focus on reading, spelling and mathematics. These are reflected in lesson plans for many classes although in some classes there is insufficient focus on pupils applying the skills independent of adult support. Where pupils are withdrawn from lessons by support staff, the tasks they cover reflect those being tackled by their classes. The timetabling of these sessions is sufficiently flexible not to compromise pupils’ full access to the rest of the curriculum.

p.19

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

37. A good range of activities outside lessons are available. They are well supported and provide pupils with opportunities to broaden their experiences. For example, pupils from Years 4 and 5 work with representatives from Hampstead Theatre to write their own plays. ‘Booster’ classes prepare pupils for their national tests. Pupils also participate in a variety of sporting activities throughout the year and compete with local schools. As part of their ‘Active Mark’ award the school is planning to extend clubs for pupils in Years 1 to 4 by offering gymnastics and basket ball activities.

p.19

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

38. The school playground is used for physical education and pupils use the local environment to extend their learning in geography. Pupils’ experiences are extended through visits from the community Police Officer and other community members who talk about aspects of their lives. Children visit places in the locality such as Hampstead Heath and older pupils benefit from an annual residential trip to the Isle of Wight .

p.19

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

39. Links with the feeder schools are satisfactory. Year 5 pupils have a secondary school visit, with a planned programme of activities. However, there is no cohesive transition programme due to the wide range of schools to which pupils move at age 11. Reception children visit school in the term prior to admission, but there are no opportunities to visit children at home or in their pre-school setting.

p.19

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

40. The provision for personal, social and health education is unsatisfactory. Pupils learn about some aspects of health education through science and physical education but there are no systems in place for ensuring sufficient curriculum coverage of personal, social and health education and citizenship or for identifying links with other subjects. The school does not have a policy for this area and there are no plans for its future development. The Governing Body has decided not to provide sex education and there is no agreed policy on Race Equality in place. St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 20 - May 2003 41. The Governing Body has an active curriculum committee. They make termly visits to observe teaching and are kept informed of curriculum developments by staff.

p.19

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

42. Provision for pupils’ personal development is satisfactory but it is patchy as it is not planned for systematically throughout the school. Pupils are actively involved in the spiritual life of the school and share in its strong sense of community. This is especially evident in the celebration of Mass. In other areas of learning, provision for pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory. The creation of the Garden of Remembrance provides a special place where pupils can sit quietly and reflect on the death of a fellow pupil and other matters which personally affect them.

p.20

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

43. Provision for pupils’ moral development is good. Parents think that the school has a strong moral code which guides their children well and helps them to become mature. Pupils are encouraged to think of others and to care for other people. Assembly themes deal with the effects of selfishness and pupils are given opportunities to think about the effects of war. Year 4 pupils had a very good opportunity to consider ways of resolving conflicts when they had a lesson led by the local Community Police Officer. They were able to think about different strategies and made some thoughtful suggestions. A good opportunity was taken in Year 1 when pupils were learning about different types of homes and a pupil raised the issue of homelessness. The class teacher took advantage of the pupil’s comment to explain to the class what it means to be without a home.

p.20

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

44. There are areas for improvement in the provision for pupils’ social development although it is satisfactory overall. Distinctions are made between girls and boys which tend to reinforce gender stereotypes and contribute to an environment where girls and boys do not integrate fully. This is evident in the playground and around the school where pupils often choose to be in single gender groups. A review of practice is needed to ensure that girls and boys are not made to feel different from each other at school and that expectations of behaviour are common to all pupils equally. The provision of a good range of playground games equipment would help pupils to play more socially together. The award of achievement certificates is valued by pupils and contributes well to the development of pupils’ self confidence.

p.20

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

45. There has been some improvement since the previous inspection in the opportunities for pupils to take on responsibilities. The school council has been established and contributes to the social development of its elected members. They have good opportunities to represent the views of their class but do not yet have enough chances to take action on their decisions. The role and responsibilities of school council members have not been clarified.

p.20

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

46. Satisfactory provision is made for pupils’ cultural development. Pupils learn about a range of cultures in art and music and also in geography. Educational visits and visitors to the school contribute well to the provision and extend pupils’ experience. There is a satisfactory range of books, including books in dual languages, but the learning environment of the school does not fully reflect the ethnic diversity of the school community. The school’s provision for the cultural development of pupils is similar to that reported at the previous inspection. St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 21 - May 2003

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. The school is a caring community where pupils and their families are very well known. The good relationships between the adults and pupils give pupils confidence and help them to learn and succeed. Children entering Reception are well supported and make a good start at school. In particular, Reception children with special educational needs and those who learn in English as an additional language are well provided for and make good progress. The school also provides very good care for pupils with medical conditions. This is a strength of the school’s provision for the inclusion of all pupils and ensures that these pupils are able to take a full part in school life.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. The provision for pupils’ welfare is satisfactory but governors need to review their responsibilities for health and safety. The monitoring of the provision for health and safety is not rigorous enough and there are several areas where risk assessments have not been carried out as required. The provision for child protection complies with local requirements but needs some improvement. There is no planned programme of staff training and the recording and monitoring of concerns is not systematic. Although there are some good, but occasional, opportunities for older pupils to learn about safety issues, the lack of a planned programme for personal and health education, including sex education, limits pupils’ abilities to protect themselves and develop responsible attitudes. There is currently no system for recording and monitoring pupils’ personal development and this is another area for improvement.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. The school has clear policies for behaviour which are generally effective. However, these are not applied consistently throughout the school.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are unsatisfactory. Attendance has not improved since the previous inspection. It is still below 95 per cent in all classes and there are too many unexplained absences. New strategies are needed to encourage parents to bring their children to school and to contact the school when their child is absent. Parents and carers are not contacted on the first day of absence and there is no systematic procedure for analysing patterns of attendance and lateness. This also limits the school’s effectiveness in ensuring the safety of pupils and giving early indications of possible child protection issues. The school has recently introduced a new initiative to improve punctuality. The ‘early bird’ scheme is said to be having some effect but is still at an early stage. The local education authority is supporting the school’s efforts to improve attendance and the newly appointed Education Welfare Officer is expected to

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. Procedures for observing, measuring and recording what pupils know, understand and can do were unsatisfactory at the last inspection. There has been some progress since then and the procedures in place to assess pupils’ attainment and progress are now satisfactory. The school assesses pupils regularly through a combination of annual national tests in English, mathematics and science, and teachers evaluate their pupils’ progress at the end of each term. The progress that pupils make in other subjects is assessed at the end of each unit of work they complete and recorded in a satisfactory way. Day-to-day assessment and the marking of pupils’ work are of variable quality. In some cases it is informative and helps pupils to St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 22 - May 2003 improve. However, in too many instances, recorded comments are brief or lacking altogether.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

52. Although there has been satisfactory progress on the key issue from the last inspection to improve assessment procedures, there is still further work to do in the use teachers make of assessment information when they plan for pupils’ future learning. As a result they do not plan adequately to meet pupils’ individual needs, such as for pupils with special educational needs or for those for whom English is an additional language. The school has recently purchased a computerised assessment tool which is designed to measure and record the progress made by individuals and by groups of pupils. It is planned that this will be used to identify specific needs and to facilitate the setting of individual and group targets.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

53. The support for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. Staff are very caring and promote the involvement of pupils with special educational needs in all aspects of school life. Class teachers use the general assessment procedures to identify pupils’ learning needs and liase with the special needs co-ordinator to make use of the information gained when planning individual education plans. These focus on aspects of literacy, mathematics and behaviour and in many the targets are detailed and achievable within the allocated time of a pupil’s plan. However, the targets in some individual plans are not specific enough, with the result that some teachers do not use them to support the planning of lesson assignments that meet pupils’ individual needs. The provision for pupils with statements of special educational need is satisfactory.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

54. The school has information provided by the local education authority on the performance of ethnic minority groups and pupils with English as an additional language. The system of record-keeping on pupils who have English as an additional language was not available during the inspection. It is clear that the pupils who are beginners in English have been effectively targeted for the special support available, but at present there is no additional support for pupils who have mastered basic competency in English. Pupils from a Traveller background are supported satisfactorily in class, with the assistance of local authority support staff.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

55. Most parents have positive views of the school and think the quality of education it provides for their children is good. They say their children like school, behave well and make good progress. They think teaching is good and are happy with the standards their children achieve. They value the caring attitudes of the school and the strong sense of community. Some parents have concerns about homework, the provision of activities outside lessons and the information they receive about their child’s progress. A small number of parents feel that the school does not work closely with them and does not consult them about its development.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56. The partnership with parents is satisfactory overall. Inspectors confirm parents’ positive views and some of their concerns. There are good opportunities for informal contact between parents and class teachers but improvement is needed to ensure that parents are actively involved as full partners in their child’s education. There are some strengths in the partnership with parents of pupils with special educational needs and pupils St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 23 - May 2003 who learn in English as an additional language where parents and the school work closely and effectively together to help children learn. The liaison with families of Traveller pupils is effectively managed, mainly by the local authority staff with special responsibility for the welfare of these pupils.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

57. Although a small number of parents are closely involved in the life of the school there are no strategies for reaching out to all parents, no procedures to consult them and no school newsletter to help them keep in touch. Arrangements for homework are clear and homework diaries are used to ensure that parents know what is expected. However, homework tasks are not always consistent and linked to pupils’ individual levels of attainment. Information about pupils’ progress is satisfactory. End of year written reports contain some useful information about achievements but do not refer to pupils’ standards in relation to the National Curriculum. This information has not improved since the previous inspection. Parents’ concerns about activities outside lessons are not confirmed by the inspection. There is a good range of educational visits and visitors to the school and a varied offer of after school

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

58. The involvement of parents in the provision for special educational needs is satisfactory. Individual education plans are shared with parents, who contribute to the review of targets and the setting of new ones. However, at times the targets are not expressed in language that is easy for parents to understand. Most parents feel that their children are cared for well, that difficulties are identified quickly and that effective action is taken. Whilst the school makes good use of informal support for parents who do not read English, such as asking other parents to translate, it does not organize for school documents to be available for parents in their home languages.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

59. The school has not been effective in working closely with parents to improve levels of attendance and punctuality. The letters parents receive do not encourage a sense of shared commitment to ensure that all pupils receive their entitlement to full time education. Governors have not recently reviewed the effectiveness of their strategies for promoting the partnership with parents and this is an area for improvement.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

60. A small number of parents help in the school as volunteers and they contribute well to pupils’ learning. Parents of Year 1 pupils supported them very well on a walk around the local area to look at different kinds of homes and buildings for a design and technology topic. They were very well prepared for their role by the class teacher and were able to make sure the pupils were looking closely at the buildings along the route and remained safe. The Association of parents, teachers and friends of the school is active in supporting the school. They organise social and fund raising events which promote the school’s strong sense of community and provide new resources for learning.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. In 1998, the last inspection report stated that the leadership of the head teacher was sound. The ethos of the school was caring and there was a co- operative approach among the staff. The governing body was supportive, with well-established committees, but did not monitor the implementation of the School Development Plan or teaching with sufficient rigour. Neither the St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 24 - May 2003 monitoring role of co-ordinators or of the senior management team were fully developed and this was a key issue for action.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The school continues to be soundly led by a head teacher who has a close knowledge of the school and community and of local needs. She gives clear leadership to the caring nature of the school and is well supported by an effectively focused senior management team and governing body. The deputy headteacher, a central figure in day-to-day management, was not in school during the inspection as the result of an accident. This limited the direct evidence available to the inspection team in relation to a number of aspects of the management.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. Although there have been fluctuations within each phase, there has been a broad trend of improvement in standards across the school. There is now scope for further improvement, given the secure grounding of the Reception and Year 1 pupils now moving through into the main school. The school’s caring Catholic ethos is well supported by all of those with a leadership role, although some procedures remain informal. The school’s mission, aims and values are clear. The senior management team has a satisfactory understanding overall of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They are willing to build upon strengths and tackle weaknesses through a carefully prepared school development plan. However, there is some lack of urgency in driving the pace of improvement and more could be done to build upon the commitment of the class teachers to improve the school’s performance by ensuring that changes are effected within tighter time-frames. The school has

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

developed a systematic approach to assessment. There is a tracking system of the pupils’ progress to inform the assessment processes accurately. Although there has been some progress in developing a monitoring programme, initially to meet the requirements of the school's performance management structures, this is insufficiently regular or rigorous to ensure that identified weaknesses in the teaching, and consequently in pupils’ progress, are rectified without delay. This remains a weaker feature.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. Subject managers generally undertake their responsibilities effectively as a result of having opportunities, such as regular release time, to make their roles worthwhile. Effective leadership in subjects such as physical education and music is having a positive effect on standards. The more experienced subject managers monitor and evaluate the quality of education systematically. They undertake book trawls and planning is checked to ensure coverage. Collectively the senior managers and subject managers have satisfactory knowledge and understanding of the school’s performance across the range of subjects.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. The management of the provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. The role of co-ordinator is shared by the headteacher and her deputy, who maintain the necessary paperwork and give helpful support to class teachers in writing individual education plans and at review meetings. They know the pupils and their families well and the deputy-head’s floating classroom role means that he can monitor the effectiveness of the provision for identified pupils carefully. The school has a number of skilled support assistants who have received good on-going training. They give effective support to pupils with special needs and make a significant contribution to the work of the school. The school’s liaison with outside agencies is effective. The provision for pupils from a Traveller background is managed and monitored effectively by the local authority team with particular responsibility for these

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 25 - May 2003 pupils. The school has no structures in place to identify or provide for the needs of gifted or talented pupils.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. Although pupils for whom English is an additional language do well in this school, some aspects of the management of the provision remain informal. The headteacher oversees the provision for pupils with English as an additional language. She has ensured that all staff have received training in how best to meet the needs of these pupils, both within mainstream lessons and in individually focused sessions. However, there is no specific school policy or action plan to develop the provision and there is no mention of provision for English as an additional language in the school development plan despite the significant proportion of pupils in the school requiring such support. Work with pupils in the early stages of English acquisition is undertaken by a skilled support assistant. Although she works very well with these pupils and is successful in helping them develop functional competency, her work is not sufficiently monitored or guided by a member of

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

the management team. This puts an unfair burden of responsibility on her shoulders.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. The governors are generally a well-informed group who are strongly committed to the school. They have a satisfactory understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. They have well-structured committees that meet, in most cases, on a regular basis. They link themselves to classes and pay visits to see the school in operation. They then report back to teachers and governors. They conduct their business efficiently. However, not all statutory requirements are fully met. At present, although they have regular reports on the progress of the school development plan, they make no direct contribution to development planning and they have not ensured that a Race Equality Policy is in place. Health and safety is a further area in which the governors need to fulfil their responsibilities. Governors are felt not to take sufficient account of the views of parents and some parents feel underrepresented by the governing body. The school has followed local authority guidance in

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

undertaking regular self-evaluation exercises.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. The school has a satisfactory performance management system that is tied in clearly to its key priorities. These are set out in the school development plan and matched to the staff development programme and the school’s budget. The budget is carefully looked after by the chair of the finance committee in consultation with the head teacher and the finance officer. The current underspend is being reduced significantly in the current year to maintain staffing levels, given the reduction in the school roll and, consequently, in overall funding as a result of reduced class sizes. Available funding has been allocated to planned refurbishment and redecoration and to further spending on ICT. The school secretary plays an effective role in ensuring the day-to- day management systems and routines in the school are run efficiently. Staff are seen as the school’s prime resource and this is reflected in the budget

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

that is set and monitored on a monthly basis. The funding for pupils with special needs is used well. However, there has been insufficient investment in ICT, in spite of the school having a large number of staff and substantial reserves, and this is reflected in the unsatisfactory provision which has existed for an extended period.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69. The school is generously staffed with suitably qualified teaching staff. The school benefits from the availability of a non-teaching deputy headteacher, a specialist music teacher and an additional part-time teacher and has a higher St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 26 - May 2003 than average number of learning support assistants. These members of staff are suitably deployed and when their role within the classroom is clearly defined they make a valuable contribution to the learning opportunities provided for pupils with special educational needs. They also provide support for children for whom English is an additional language by following planned programmes of work. All staff have job descriptions which clearly outline their responsibilities and there is a staff training and development plan which supports the professional development of teachers and support staff. The induction arrangements and training of new staff are satisfactory but new

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

teachers would benefit from a more structured programme of school support and opportunities to observe other staff teaching.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

70. The school has good levels of resources to support the majority of subjects. Resources for geography and English are adequate for the range of pupils including those with special educational needs. However, there are insufficient computers to allow for pupils’ learning needs to be met. Some classrooms are awaiting new furniture and refurbishment.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

71. The school occupies a cramped site beside the parish church. The building is satisfactorily maintained and there is a programme for planned decoration and refurbishment. Most classrooms are well organised and there is a range of displays in classrooms and around the school that celebrate children’s learning. The Foundation Stage accommodation is well organised for the delivery of the curriculum, with direct access to a partly covered outdoor area. The school has improved the use of this area since the last inspection but children would benefit from a more stimulating and attractive outdoor environment in which to learn.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

72. The lower playground, which is used by Reception and Year 1 children, has several safety hazards, including concrete posts and a raised platform area. There is outdoor seating and imaginative play equipment for children to use but no outdoor play equipment for older pupils during breaktimes. St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 27 - May 2003

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

73. A number of areas for improvement remain to be tackled. In order to raise standards and to move the school forward, the governing body, headteacher and staff should:

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Raise standards in information and communication technology by:

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Making available sufficient resources to enable the pupils to have regular access to computers during ICT lessons;

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Planning opportunities for pupils to use ICT in subjects across the curriculum;

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(paragraphs: 8; 25; 35; 68; 70; 102; 119; 134; 141; 154-160; 165 )

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Improve the consistency and quality of teaching across the school by:

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Raising teachers’ expectations of what pupils could achieve;

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Making better use of assessment information to guide the planning of lessons, ensuring that the needs of the range of pupils are effectively met;

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Promoting opportunities for the development of pupils’ independent learning skills;

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Ensuring that the school’s marking policy is consistently implemented;

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Increasing the pace and rigour of some lessons, avoiding excessively long introductions which inhibit pupils’ opportunities to work independently;

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Ensuring more consistent implementation of the school’s behaviour policy;

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(paragraphs: 14; 15; 17; 22; 24; 26; 29; 30; 32; 49; 52; 96; 100; 103; 109; 118; 142 )

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Improve the management of the school to ensure that the pace of change is increased and that weaknesses are tackled with greater urgency and determination. Implement a more rigorous and effective programme for monitoring and improving the quality of teaching to ensure greater consistency of practice and provision across the school. Ensure that all statutory requirements are met including the development of a policy on Race Equality.

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(paragraphs: 40; 18; 63; 66; 67; 72; 113; 138; 144; 153 )

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) Work, in partnership with parents and relevant support agencies, to achieve higher levels of attendance and improved punctuality; monitor patterns of absence closely to ensure that absences are fully accounted for.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(paragraphs: 19; 50; 59 ) St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 28 - May 2003 In addition to the key issues noted above, a number of other weaknesses exist which the school should include in its action plan:

p.27

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Develop and implement a structured programme to ensure the effective provision of personal, health, social, and citizenship education.

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Ensure that pupils of both gender are equally advantaged in all aspects of school life.

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Implement strategies for the identification and support of Gifted and Talented pupils.

p.28

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improve opportunities for parents to be consulted on aspects of school development or work effectively with parents as partners.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(paragraphs: 40/42/48; 16/44; 12/65; 50/55/57/58/67) St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 29 - May 2003

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 0 17 40 37 6 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents around two percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) - 198

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals - 85 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs - 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register - 52

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 57

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 9

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 12

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 30 - May 2003

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 18 10 28

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls * * *

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

Percentage of pupils School 68 (79) 71 (79) 82 (82) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls * * *

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

Percentage of pupils School 64 (79) 64 (82) 64 (86) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. * As the number of boys or girls is fewer than 10 the data on pupils’ performance in terms of gender is not published.

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

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 18 12 30

p.30

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.30

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

Boys 13 16 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 11 11 10

p.30

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

Percentage of pupils School 80 (85) 90 (89) 83 (89) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

p.30

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 15 15 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 11 11 11

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

Percentage of pupils School 87 (85) 87 (89) 90 (89) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 31 - May 2003

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 12 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 9 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 5 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 4 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – any other Black background 31 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

The table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. It gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 32 - May 2003

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 9.6 Financial year 2002/03

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20.6

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 699,027

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Total expenditure 723,596

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 111 Expenditure per pupil 3,477

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 95,090

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) - Balance carried forward to next year 70,521

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher -

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff -

p.32

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult - FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0.4

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0.4 FTE means full-time equivalent. St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 33 - May 2003

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 64 34 2 0 0

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 56 42 2 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 63 20 15 0 2

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 58 31 11 0 0

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 64 25 5 2 4

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 78 20 2 0 0

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 47 40 9 2 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 63 25 4 4 4

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 67 29 4 0 0

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 39 20 15 11 15

p.33

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Very few comments were included with the questionnaires. One parent felt that the school is very supportive of pupils with special educational needs. Another felt that the range of after- school activities was limited. A third parent, while happy with the standard of teaching, felt that parents had no say in the running of the school and that there was an antagonistic response to constructive criticism. St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 34 - May 2003

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

74. Children enter the Reception class in the September of the year in which they become five. Most children have benefited from pre-school experiences which provide a good grounding in the Foundation Stage curriculum. As a result the majority of children enter school with the expected skills for their age. By the end of the Reception year children have made good progress and almost all have achieved, and many exceeded, the Early Learning Goals. Children make good progress in Reception because the class teacher and learning support assistant plan for a range of interesting learning activities that are matched well to the needs and interests of the children in their care. The school has started to improve the outdoor learning opportunities available to children, although there is further work to do in order to create a more stimulating and attractive learning environment.

p.34

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

75. The quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection. It is now seldom less than good and there is evidence of some very good teaching. The best teaching encourages children to interact with one another through a range of well planned and stimulating activities such as role play, sand and water exploration and creative tasks. All children sustain very good levels of concentration during whole class discussions because the teacher skilfully builds on children’s own experiences and prior knowledge to ensure that all children are fully included. The very good relationships and briskly-paced lessons result in all children remaining well focused throughout the day.

p.34

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

76. In the absence of an identified co-ordinator, the Reception teacher has worked hard to implement the Foundation Stage guidance and has a good understanding of the areas for further development. Planning satisfactorily reflects the Foundation Stage guidance, but in language and mathematical development the needs of the lower attaining children are not always sharply linked to the ‘stepping stones’. Short term planning clearly identifies children’s different needs within the class and as a result all children, including those who have special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, make good progress.

p.34

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

77. The school has developed its procedures for assessing children’s progress within the Foundation Stage. Staff are preparing for the introduction of the new pupil profiling. Currently, they make good use of on-going observations and daily evaluations to plan for the next stage of learning, and for the range of need within the class. They maintain good records of children’s progress and collect evidence of their achievements. Parents are regularly updated on the progress of their children and ways in which they can help their child at home.

p.34

Personal, social and emotional development

78. Children start school with good levels of personal, social and emotional skills and by the end of the year all children exceed the expectations for children of this age. The quality of teaching is good. Staff have worked hard to develop children’s independence by providing well planned activities, secure routines and good support. As a result children move between the indoor and outdoor environments with confidence. This was particularly evident during afternoon St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 35 - May 2003 sessions where children have opportunities to choose their own activities. During these times children enjoy working together, for example, three children listen to a story tape, while four others co-operatively negotiate their roles in the ‘Pet Shop’.

p.34

Personal, social and emotional development

79. Staff are caring and sensitive to the needs of young children and make good use of their time to support children in their activities. For example, during water play the support assistant directs learning through the use of exciting resources and from challenging questions such as: “Why have I put plasticine at the bottom of these water plants?”

p.35

Personal, social and emotional development

80. All children make good attempts at dressing themselves after physical activities. Overall, they are attentive and interested in all aspects of their learning.

p.35

Communication, language and literacy

81. The quality of teaching is good. Children make good progress in speaking and listening because staff provide a range of planned opportunities for children to talk and listen to one another. For example, they use sand and sand tools to stimulate discussion about the sea-side. This helps all children to share their experiences and ideas. Children speak confidently in whole class situations using clear, audible speech and listen well to the contributions made by others because the teacher sets a good example by valuing and welcoming their ideas. The teacher makes very good use of questions to stimulate and develop children’s vocabulary. As a result they use words such as ‘ soft waves’ and ‘eels like fish’ to describe the sea.

p.35

Communication, language and literacy

82. Children are made aware of books and have planned opportunities to share them with each other or with an adult at home. During group reading children confidently read aloud together and talk about the story. Books are well used to initiate discussion about the class topic and are attractively displayed for children to use. As a result children make good progress in their reading. They are beginning to recognise familiar words and can read simple sentences independently. Above average children make very good progress through reading more complex books and making sensible predictions about what will happen next. However, most children still have limited strategies for tackling unknown words and rely too much on adult help. The stimulating ‘book area’ is well used by children throughout the day. There is a range of good quality books which children enjoy reading individually or sharing with a friend.

p.35

Communication, language and literacy

83. Children make good progress in writing. They write with increasing control and with some independence, giving meaning to their work. Above average attaining children are working at Level 1 of the National Curriculum and write sentences showing an awareness of punctuation, spelling patterns and letter joins. Children have a range of opportunities for developing their writing skills. For example, they recall their visit to the zoo, make rhyming books and label pictures.

p.35

Mathematical Development

84. Children make good progress in their mathematical development as a result of the good teaching. They join in enthusiastically with number rhymes and use mathematical vocabulary such as ’more’, ‘add’, ‘zero’. Above average St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 36 - May 2003 children work with independence within Level 1 of the National Curriculum, combining two sets to make ten and all children reinforce their understanding of addition through the use of interactive displays within class. They can record their findings and confidently explain their work. Children benefit from individual and small group support and from well planned activities that provide the right level of challenge. However, independent tasks require more clearly defined learning objectives to ensure that all children are suitably challenged. Children can put bears in order of their size and use the correct language when comparing the weights of different objects: ‘light’, ‘heavy’,

p.35

Knowledge and understanding of the world

85. Children make satisfactory progress in this area. The majority achieve the Early Learning Goals, though some elements are weaker. Teaching is satisfactory overall. Children learn about the habitats of different creatures as part of their topic ‘Under the Sea’ and can identify those that live on land and those that live in water. Children develop their understanding about the needs of other living things through water play, through role play in the ‘Pet Shop’ and by caring for the class goldfish. The curriculum is enhanced by visits and through visitors who provide children with first hand experiences to make sense of the world around them. For example, they dress up in police uniforms and ask questions about the job of a policeman and follow the nativity trail at London Zoo.

p.36

Knowledge and understanding of the world

86. Children learn about the natural environment by following the Hampstead Heath nature trail and observe how they have changed in religious education. However, teaching plans do not follow the Foundation Stage guidance to provide opportunities for children to learn about the past or about where they live.

p.36

Knowledge and understanding of the world

87. Children show an interest in computers. They confidently manipulate the mouse to operate a simple reading programme. They show good control by turning the page, creating sound and by making the characters move. When listening to story tapes children display good levels of independence. They load and unload the cassette player, activate the play button and stop the recording when finished.

p.36

Knowledge and understanding of the world

88. Children talk about themselves and their families and re-enact their daily routines and activities in the home area but there is no planned approach for learning about the cultures of others. However, a good range of books, pictures and signs in different languages represent the different cultures within the classroom.

p.36

Knowledge and understanding of the world

89. Children use their senses to explore a range of different materials and textures. They explore sand and shells and confidently use simple tools with good levels of control.

p.36

Physical development

90. Good progress is made in this area of learning, as a result of the good teaching and many children are achieving within Level 1 of the National Curriculum by the end of Reception. All children benefit from the use of an enclosed, partly covered outdoor area which provides opportunities for children to ride trikes and scooters and negotiate trailers. They enjoy pulling St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 37 - May 2003 one another and co-operate well by giving rides and taking turns.

p.36

Physical development

91. In addition, children regularly use the main school hall for more focused physical activity. They are currently exploring the movements of underwater creatures and can adapt their movements for calm and rough sea. Children display good control when using the parachute, work well as part of a large group and enjoy developing their movements as they travel from one side to the other. Children are well supported by enthusiastic staff who enhance their learning by joining in with their activity. All children make very good progress in dressing and undressing themselves because staff spend time supporting and encouraging independence.

p.37

Creative development

92. Children make good progress in this area because they have a range of well planned activities that allows them to work creatively developing a variety of skills. Almost all achieve the Early Learning Goals, with many achieving at higher levels. The quality of teaching is good overall. Children experiment with colour and shape through observational drawings of shells and contribute to a class picture of the seaside by drawing, printing and glueing to create different textures. Very good resources such as oil pastels, coloured sand and a range of unusual shells and sea creatures capture their imagination and stimulate their learning. Children do not have opportunities for collecting their own materials and would benefit selecting their own equipment when expressing themselves creatively or responding to teacher directed stimulus.

p.37

Creative development

93. In music, children explore pitch and can recognise how sounds can be changed. They can repeat short melodic patterns and identify simple repeating patterns in music. They make good progress because there is specialist teaching but would extend their learning further by more frequent use of musical instruments to explore sound.

p.37

Creative development

94. Children’s imaginations are well extended in the Foundation Stage. There are opportunities for children to engage in role play where they happily take on different roles. In the ‘Pet Shop’ children interact well with one another - ” Daughter, tidy up this mess, I’m cross with you.” Children are developing lively imaginations because there is a wide range of well chosen resources. For example, the re-creation of the bottom of the sea with sand, rocks, plants and plastic sea creatures stimulates water play.

p.37

ENGLISH

95. Standards in reading and writing at Year 2 in the 2002 national tests were well below those found nationally, though in line with those found in similar schools in writing and above average in reading. Inspection evidence indicates that pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 2 has improved and is now in line with the national average. Pupils make satisfactory progress overall. Over time boys have tended to outperform girls in English in Year 2. This trend was not apparent in the current group.

p.37

ENGLISH

96. Standards in English at the end of Year 6 in 2002 were average in relation to schools nationally and well above average when compared to similar schools. Analysis of current pupils’ work indicates that attainment at the end of Year 6 is average. Pupils make satisfactory, rather than good, progress over time, largely because the school does not consistently challenge the higher St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 38 - May 2003 attaining pupils. In addition, the marking of pupils’ work is inconsistent. It does not provide opportunities for pupils to consolidate their learning. The results of optional tests in Years 3, 4, and 5 are not used effectively to track individual progress or to target areas for further learning. Pupils with English as an additional language make brisk progress in the early stages of learning English, though they receive less support in developing higher-order language skills. In spite of this, the majority achieve well overall in English by

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ENGLISH

the end of Year 6. Both boys and girls have, over time, performed equally well in the Year 6 tests.

p.38

ENGLISH

97. Pupils make satisfactory progress in developing speaking and listening skills throughout the school. They are keen to answer questions and contribute to whole class discussions. For example, in Year 1 pupils follow rules for ‘circle time’ and talk confidently to the whole class. They use sentences to recall the main parts of the story and are starting to consider the audience by speaking clearly and loudly. In Year 5 pupils debate the purpose and effectiveness of captions and in Year 4 pupils consider the use of expression and rhythm variations when reading poetry out loud. Teachers value the contributions pupils make to discussion. They welcome their responses and support those reluctant to speak by prompting with well chosen questions. Pupils generally listen well to the contributions made by others, because they are interested in the topic and discussions are well managed by the class teacher. When

p.38

ENGLISH

listening is not as good the pace of lessons is often too slow or discussion is too extended to maintain the interest of all the pupils . There are few opportunities for pupils to participate in group discussions where they learn how to deal with opposing views, to evaluate what they hear or to participate in a range of drama activities.

p.38

ENGLISH

98. Standards in reading are average. By the age of seven most pupils read suitable material with a satisfactory level of fluency, understanding and expression. They are able to recount stories in sequence and talk about the main characters and events in a story. They use their knowledge of letter sounds and look at illustrations to extend their understanding of the text, showing good levels of independence. Pupils understand the difference between fiction and non-fiction and competently use the library to locate specific information. They know how to use the contents pages, understand ‘blurb’ and accurately explain the purpose of an index: “ It’s like contents, it tells you about the contents in alphabetical order.”

p.38

ENGLISH

99. By the age of 11, pupils of all levels of attainment read suitable material with a good level of confidence, accuracy, expression and understanding. They talk about their reading preferences and name favourite authors, giving reasons, “ She is creative and descriptive.” They retrieve information from a variety of sources including the Internet and use books from the school library to support their work in other subjects. Many pupils show an enjoyment of reading and frequently read at school and at home. Through book reviews pupils support their opinions about events and characters with reference to the text they have read.

p.38

ENGLISH

100. Standards in writing are average. By the end of Year 2 most pupils write independently, spell common words correctly and use simple punctuation accurately. However, pupils’ progress in spelling is hampered because teachers do not encourage them to identify, correct and practise mis-spelt words. All pupils make good progress in their handwriting. They display consistent formation and style and higher attaining pupils are beginning to St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 39 - May 2003 explore some letter joins in their writing. Pupils experience a range of writing opportunities. They write book reviews for a given audience, use writing frames to structure their stories and write about their news. However, there is an over-emphasis on published worksheets which do not always show sufficient differences for the varying needs within the class.

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ENGLISH

101. By the end of Year 6, most pupils use a fluent joined script, but this is not consistently required by all teachers. Pupils’ writing features more adventurous vocabulary and sentences are varied for effect and to gain the interest of the reader, as when a pupil wrote: ‘It was like a snake with three heads growing from its neck’. Sentences are accurately punctuated and higher attaining pupils use paragraphs correctly. Pupils of all levels of attainment develop their writing through a range of writing experiences. Year 6 pupils write poetry based on Rudyard Kipling’s poem ‘If’ and plan arguments for and against a topic. In Year 5 pupils make good progress in writing stories, structure their writing in chapters and experiment with different print for effect. However, there are insufficient planned opportunities for pupils to write for a range of purposes and for different audiences.

p.39

ENGLISH

102. On occasions pupils are encouraged to draft extended stories, but these opportunities are not sufficiently frequent. Pupils use their literacy skills well in other areas of the curriculum such as history and geography. They study texts such as newspaper accounts and diaries, and make lists. However, these uses of literacy are not well planned or consistently developed throughout the school. ICT is not used consistently to extend the skills of research for information or in the presentation of work through word processing.

p.39

ENGLISH

103. Overall, the behaviour and attitudes of pupils in lessons are good in Years 1 and 2 and satisfactory in Years 3 to 6. Generally, pupils are attentive in lessons and are keen to answer questions and join in with discussions. However, some pupils, particularly in Years 3 and 4, are frequently inattentive and engage in off-task behaviour when the teacher is talking. This behaviour is not always handled effectively, interrupts the flow of the lesson and has a negative effect on the whole class.

p.39

ENGLISH

104. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall but there is some very good teaching in the infants. The school has recently introduced a new system for planning their teaching. Learning objectives are clearly indicated and shared with pupils, so that they understand the purpose of the lesson and what is expected of them. However, planned work does not always include sufficiently challenging tasks for the pupils of higher attainment. Learning support assistants provide support for pupils with special educational needs. However, their role is not consistently defined in individual lesson planning. There are informal assumptions about what work is to be covered, and as a result the quality of support varies throughout the school. When teaching is good, lessons are well prepared building on pupils’ previous learning and planning well for individual need. This was evident, for example, in a very successful lesson in Year 1. The pace is brisk and a range of opportunities is

p.39

ENGLISH

provided for pupils to be actively involved in their learning. When lessons are not as good, the pace is usually too slow and insufficiently challenging. As a result pupils lose interest in their work.

p.39

ENGLISH

105. The management of English is currently good and the progress made since the last inspection has been satisfactory. The new co-ordinator has worked hard to familiarise herself with the subject and has devised clear plans for its St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 40 - May 2003 further development. She has rightly identified writing as an area for development. The recent assessment initiatives provide the co-ordinator with an overview of pupils’ progress but it is too early to judge their potential effect on raising standards. There are plans to monitor teaching through class observations and to ensure greater consistency in teachers’ planning.

p.39

ENGLISH

106. Classroom resources are satisfactory. They are appropriate for the age range and are of good quality. Individual ‘book areas’ are well organised and there is a good range of interesting and well maintained books. Pupils can explain the organisation of the school library system, but there was no evidence of them using this area to refine their research skills or to borrow books to read at home.

p.40

MATHEMATICS

107. The evidence from inspection is that standards in mathematics are average in Years 2 and 6. This is a similar picture to the last inspection, when standards were average across the school. The standards at Year 2 indicate an improvement on the below average attainment in the 2002 tests, but the standards at Year 6 represent a decline. Year 6 has a number of pupils with special educational needs and relatively few higher attaining pupils. Since the last inspection there has been some variability in performance, Standards climbed to be very high at Year 2 by 2000, but have fallen back since 2001. Current performance marks the beginning of a recovery there, with two well- grounded year groups coming through in the current Reception and Year 1. There has been a steady improvement in attainment at Year 6 and standards have been above or well above average in each of the last four years, all of which recorded a significant improvement on 1998. In that context, the school

p.40

MATHEMATICS

has raised standards successfully, although there continue to be inconsistencies in performance, reflecting, for some groups, variations in the quality of teaching. In both Years 2 and 6, the school is performing well compared with similar schools. Although not enough pupils achieved the challenging Level 3 in Year 2 in 2002, the proportion achieving Level 5 in Year 6 was at the expected level in relation to the national average and well above average in relation to similar schools. As in the other core subjects, pupils with English as an additional language are generally the highest attaining group in the school.

p.40

MATHEMATICS

108. The progress pupils make in mathematics across the school is satisfactory. Pupils in Reception and Year 1 are making good progress. Progress is less consistent in Year 2, where expectation is more variable. Progress is satisfactory overall in Years 3 and 4, where lessons are not consistently managed well, but improves in Years 5 and 6. More often than not, it is the higher attaining pupils who are less well served in those classes where expectation is less secure. In other classes, weaknesses in behaviour management tend to affect all pupils, while variability in the marking of pupils’ work also affects the potential progress which pupils make.

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MATHEMATICS

109. By the end of Year 2, the pupils of higher attainment are confident in counting in twos, fours, fives and tens to 100. They have a growing knowledge of place value up to 100, and most are competent in recognising two-digit numbers. They recognise odd and even numbers accurately. They confidently add on, totalling and subtracting numbers within 20. There is a systematic emphasis on basic number skills of addition and subtraction. They St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 41 - May 2003 can round numbers to the nearest ten. The pupils of higher attainment have an understanding of multiplication. Numeracy skills are promoted well. The weaker aspect, and the reason there is not a higher proportion of level 3 attainment, on the evidence of pupils’ recorded work, is that work set is not, at times, sharply matched to pupils’ needs so that the higher attaining pupils are not always fully challenged. This was the case in the lesson observed, when

p.40

MATHEMATICS

the unsupported higher attaining group were deciding without difficulty on the ‘nearest ten’ in relation to two-digit numbers, as were all other pupils. They were entirely capable of making a similar, but more challenging decision in relation to three-digit numbers. In addition, there is an over-reliance on worksheets, with too few opportunities for pupils to develop skills in independent recording – although this is a stronger feature in the Year 1 class. However, pupils with identified special educational needs receive targeted support and make better, though still just satisfactory, progress.

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MATHEMATICS

110. In the current Year 6, just over four-fifths of the pupils are working at or above the expected level. One quarter of the pupils are working at the higher level. Even so, the school is unlikely to achieve its target in mathematics in the current year.

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MATHEMATICS

111. In Year 3, pupils have covered quite a thorough body of well-presented work and there is evidence of steady progression, although with scope for more challenging activities for the pupils with higher attainment. Where progress is affected, however, is in the unsatisfactory behaviour of a few pupils in lessons and the variable management of the consequent disruption. There is a broadly similar picture in Year 4. Here, the higher attaining pupils have covered a wide range of work very thoroughly and there is evidence of good progression. However, the pace in lessons is often rather slow and there is too much tolerance of calling out and interruptions by a few pupils. This affects the learning of all pupils. The match of work to pupils’ needs is good in Year 5, with higher attaining pupils challenged well. In Year 6, the higher attaining pupils are making at least satisfactory progress, though presentation

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MATHEMATICS

of work is often of indifferent quality. Most are confident in adding three- and four-digit numbers. They know multiplication and division procedures and check their work by inverse operations. They accurately identify fractions of a shape, calculate equivalent fractions and accurately match fractions, decimals and percentages. They recognise number sequences, including sequences of negative numbers. They understand ratio and proportion, accurately plot co-ordinates in the first quadrant and construct conversion graphs. Extension work is provided for the pupils of higher attainment at Year 6 and in the lesson observed, pupils with special educational needs were being well supported through targeted work and the input of the teaching assistant. Pupils with English as an additional language receive some specific support as early language learners. Overall, they achieve well in mathematics by the end of their time in school. There are occasional, though not extensive,

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MATHEMATICS

opportunities for pupils to apply their mathematical skills in subjects across the curriculum. Though satisfactory in, for example, science, they are not consistently planned for.

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MATHEMATICS

112. The teaching of mathematics ranged from very good to satisfactory in the lessons observed. Most lessons have clear learning objectives, which are shared with the pupils and displayed on the board. Relationships are a strength in some classes, but less good in others where behaviour management is less secure. In some lessons, teachers spend too long on the introduction and this prevents pupils from getting on with their work. The St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 42 - May 2003 pace can be slow. Teachers use the end-of-lesson feedback session satisfactorily overall to check pupils’ learning and set homework which is intended to extend pupils’ understanding creatively. In Year 2, the teacher encouraged pupils to self-evaluate by reviewing the learning objectives to confirm what they had achieved. Others ask pupils to explain their strategy. This was a positive feature in a Year 4 lesson and also in Year 3. Most

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MATHEMATICS

teachers use questions effectively to extend pupils’ thinking. There is limited use of ICT to support pupils’ learning in mathematics, although pupils with special educational needs in Year 6 made good use of a program to aid their test revision. Systems for assessing pupils’ attainment in mathematics are satisfactory. A range of tests and assessments gives teachers a clear view of what pupils have achieved and still need to do to improve. However, the information thus gained is not yet used as effectively as it might be to target work closely to pupils’ needs. The quality of marking is variable and often there are few indications about how pupils can improve their performance. Marking is of a high standard in Year 1 and good overall in Year 4. It is unsatisfactory in Year 6 where marking is superficial, with random ticks every few pages and errors occasionally are not picked up.

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MATHEMATICS

113. The focus on the raising of standards is satisfactory. However, the monitoring systems are not as effective as they might be in identifying where weaknesses exist and, particularly, in ensuring that weaknesses are rectified without delay. This is a key area for improvement. Resources are good in both range and quality. Learning support staff are adequately prepared to meet the needs of those pupils who have special educational needs.

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SCIENCE

114. Teachers’ assessments at the end of Year 2 in 2002 indicated that standards were well below the national average, and below average for schools in similar circumstances. However, the percentage of pupils attaining at the higher level 3 was close to average nationally and above that for similar schools.

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SCIENCE

115. Standards attained in the tests at the end of Year 6 were well below the national average at the expected level 4 and below average at the higher level 5. However, attainment both at the expected level and at the higher level was above average for schools in similar circumstances. Although these results are not as good as when the school was last inspected, these pupils had made satisfactory progress in relation to their attainment at the end of Year 2.

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SCIENCE

116. For current pupils, attainment at the end of Year 2 is around the average and they have made satisfactory progress. This is because of the high importance which the teachers in Years 1 and 2 place upon pupils applying their scientific knowledge to practical investigations. Pupils have a secure understanding of the aspects of life processes and living things relevant to their age and talk confidently about plants and the conditions necessary for growth. They successfully identify healthy foods and conversely know that most of the foods they like best are not good for them! They talk enthusiastically about an investigation to make an electrical circuit and could describe the various reasons why in some groups the bulb did not light. They accurately name a range of forces and know how to make an object move faster or slower. In testing the speed of vehicles, they know that a toy will St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 43 - May 2003

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SCIENCE

move faster on a smooth surface. They accurately sort objects according to what they are made of and know which materials are man-made and which are natural.

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SCIENCE

117. Attainment at the end of Year 6 is average. Pupils have made satisfactory progress this year, although progress overall since Year 2 has been erratic. Pupils design and carry out experiments or undertake research projects in all aspects of science. Most understand what makes a fair test, although they find it more difficult to give a clear reason why one should ensure testing is ‘fair’. Even the oldest pupils find it difficult to generalise deductions from their experimental results. They classify living things confidently and understand that habitats vary according to the needs of the organism. They confidently name and explain the functions of different parts of a plant, and describe the working of parts of the human body. They interpret electrical circuit diagrams accurately and know that varying the number and types of components in a circuit alters the brightness of a bulb. They name the differing states of matter

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SCIENCE

accurately, understand that these can be changed and know that only some changes are reversible.

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SCIENCE

118. The quality of teaching in science is satisfactory throughout the school with some examples of good teaching observed. Pupils behave well, showing enthusiasm for science activities and as a result they learn well. Most teachers give clear explanations and are confident in their subject knowledge. Identifying, defining and promoting the accurate spelling of the key terms that relate to each science topic is a particularly helpful feature in some classes, and this makes an important contribution to pupils’ levels of attainment. Pupils’ books give clear evidence of thorough teaching of scientific knowledge although occasionally they are required to copy notes. This is not a worthwhile activity for pupils with differing levels of prior attainment. All teachers plan an investigative task at least once each half term. In these, pupils design and carry out experiments and teachers emphasise the importance of careful observation and a scientific approach. However, in the

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SCIENCE

younger classes investigative work is planned more often and this is more effective in clarifying pupils’ understanding of the concepts covered and in developing their ability to draw conclusions from their findings. As a result these pupils are more confident when sharing their findings and explaining their thinking to others. Teachers use a good range of resources that capture and hold pupils’ interest. However, they do not plan tasks that extend higher- attaining pupils often enough.

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SCIENCE

119. On the whole, pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language are supported well in lessons and make secure progress. In some classes, pupils who require support are given a structure to follow when they write about their experiments and this supports them well . Insufficient use is made of computers to support these pupils in the recording of evidence and the presentation of results.

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SCIENCE

120. The leadership and management of science are good. The co-ordinator has monitored teachers’ planning and pupils’ work and has begun a programme of lesson observation. As a result she has been able to give helpful advice to colleagues upon ways to extend pupils’ learning. She has organised a ‘Science Week’ which has made a good contribution to pupils’ enjoyment of science. As well as annual testing, teachers assess pupils’ learning at the end of each topic. Resources for the teaching of science are good. Overall, there has been satisfactory progress since the last inspection. St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 44 - May 2003

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ART AND DESIGN

121. Provision for art and design is satisfactory overall. Pupils attain close to the standards expected for their ages and make good progress in acquiring the necessary skills. This is because the scheme of work ensures that pupils build progressively upon skills and knowledge learned in previous years. The secure standards found at the last inspection have been sustained.

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ART AND DESIGN

122. There is no significant difference in attainment and progress between boys and girls and between pupils of different cultural backgrounds. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language attain standards similar to their peers and make good progress because of the good support they receive. Good use is made of opportunities within art lessons to extend speaking and listening skills.

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ART AND DESIGN

123. Pupils are positive about art and were keen to show and explain their work during the inspection. They concentrate closely in lessons and pay good attention to teachers’ instructions although some are too dependent upon their teacher’s support and are unwilling to work independently. Conversation during art lessons usually relates to the task in hand.

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ART AND DESIGN

124. By the end of Year 2 pupils have successfully experimented with a range of techniques, including weaving, and used a variety of media such as coloured pencil, charcoal, pastels and paint. They have worked with collage, combining paint and fabric effectively, for example, within the theme of ‘Mother Nature’. Pupils consider the work of other artists and then produce their own work in a similar style - for example, pupils in Year 2 have created their own versions of Picasso’s ‘Weeping Woman’, showing good observation of his use of colour and shape.

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ART AND DESIGN

125. Older pupils use a range of media and techniques, such as pencil sketching, paint and pastels and have explored the use of a range of materials including collage, textiles and printing. They work carefully both from what they observe and from their imaginations. Many of the older pupils have particularly good skills in sketching and their use of perspective is mature. For example, they have studied the work of L S Lowry and then drawn urban or country landscapes in a similar style. Some of their finished pictures reach a standard above that expected for their age. Three-dimensional work is developed well through such activities as designing and making carnival hats and working with clay.

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ART AND DESIGN

126. The evidence from inspection is that teaching overall is sound, with some examples of good teaching. In the most effective lessons good questioning extends pupils’ observation. This promotes their consideration of details within shape and colour and develops their awareness of the composition of a picture to good effect. For example, sketchbooks show that pupils have studied a part of a picture closely and used these guided observations to complete it. Pupils are encouraged to examine elements of texture as well as colour and shape before commencing their own work. This was seen, for example, in the current focus for one class on representations of chairs. Teachers share their own expertise generously to develop and extend pupils’ skills. The use of sketchbooks for pupils to try out and develop their skills is inconsistent across the school, with pupils in some classes using them far St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 45 - May 2003

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ART AND DESIGN

more often than in others. Where marking is constructive, giving suggestions on how to improve their work further, pupils make good progress. A few teachers also make good use of ICT to support learning in art. For instance, they use computers to investigate uses of pattern and shape during their study of the work of Monet.

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ART AND DESIGN

127. The scheme of work ensures that pupils have satisfactory experience each year of a good range of the elements of art - painting, drawing, printmaking, textile work and sculpture. This ensures that pupils build progressively upon skills and knowledge learned in previous years. Although good use is made of the work of Western artists to promote pupils’ understanding of art, there is insufficient use of the work of artists from other cultures.

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ART AND DESIGN

128. The co-ordinator has considerable enthusiasm for the subject and has a clear vision for how she wishes to develop the provision. She effectively supports colleagues who lack confidence in this area. She monitors standards in art through looking at displays and at pupils’ work, but there has been limited opportunity to monitor teaching and learning. Manageable assessment procedures are in place and the co-ordinator is working to develop these to include a focus on research and art appreciation as well as on the development of making skills. Resources are sufficient and are used effectively to promote pupils’ learning.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

129. Provision for design and technology is satisfactory. Pupils at the end of Year 2 attain the standards expected for their age and make satisfactory progress in acquiring the necessary skills. For the oldest pupils, preparation for national testing has meant that those in Year 6 have had little access to design and technology this year. As a result, there is insufficient evidence at present on which to judge standards. An intensive focus on extending their skills is planned for the second half of this term. However, pupils in Years 3 to 5 have had more systematic experience and they are achieving at least average standards.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

130. Pupils enjoy a broad range of design and technology projects and talk with enthusiasm about their models and how they made them. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language are supported well and make similar progress to their peers. Good use is made of opportunities within design and technology lessons to extend their speaking and listening skills.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

131. The younger pupils, in Years 1 and 2, have sound manipulative skills, as seen in the accurate cutting and stitching used when making hand puppets. They consider the functions of the different parts of moving vehicles and design and make their own models. During the inspection a class began an investigation of winding or winch mechanisms. A good discussion demonstrated clearly that pupils could see a range of applications for such a mechanism, such as a crane.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

132. Older pupils use an increasing range of tools, materials and components. Some pupils have successfully investigated the use of levers and linkages within books and cards with moving parts. Others have investigated the use of pneumatics when designing and making balloon buggies, although, in St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 46 - May 2003 conversation with the inspector they did not know the technical term ‘pneumatic’. During the inspection one class began a project working with cams to make toys with moving parts. A well-lead discussion ensured that by the end of the lesson most pupils could identify a ‘real life’ use of a cam mechanism. Through a competition during Science Week last term, all pupils successfully evaluated the characteristics of stable structures. In teams they resourcefully designed and built bridges with newspaper and toilet rolls. This project was also effective in developing team-working.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

133. The satisfactory standards across the school are the result of sound teaching which encourages pupils to design and reflect upon the successes of their designs. Teachers ensure that design and technology projects include a good balance of investigative, designing and making tasks. Teachers question pupils carefully to give them the necessary knowledge and tools to make their own decisions about designs and draw their own deductions about their success. In the majority of year groups, pupils’ proposals show clearly the methods and materials they plan to use. However, the lack of a dedicated design notebook makes it more difficult for pupils to make on-going notes of modifications or to evaluate their original designs. When working on food technology projects, teachers are careful to emphasise food hygiene and safe use of kitchen utensils as well as the functions of different foodstuffs.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

134. Pupils make secure use of mathematics skills to support work in design and technology. For example, they are very careful to measure accurately when they make up their designs. The co-ordinator has identified that the use of ICT to support learning in design and technology is unsatisfactory.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

135. The school has a satisfactory supply of tools and a good stock of consumable materials of sufficiently good quality to promote the development of pupils’ manipulative skills well. The co-ordinator looks at teachers’ planning but does not make sufficient use of pupils’ design folders to monitor standards attained across the school.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

136. These findings are a significant improvement on those at the last inspection when the school’s provision for design and technology was judged to be unsatisfactory.

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GEOGRAPHY

137. At the end of Years 2 and 6, standards in geography meet those expected for pupils of this age - a similar picture to the last inspection. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, make satisfactory progress.

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GEOGRAPHY

138. There has been satisfactory improvement since the last inspection. An effective programme of work has been introduced which allows for more structured progression in the teaching of geography skills throughout the school and systems for assessing pupils’ progress at the end of each topic have recently been implemented. However, these are not yet closely aligned to the National Curriculum levels of attainment.

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GEOGRAPHY

139. In Year 1 pupils have explored the area around the school. They have planned their own routes and have accurately recorded their findings using a tally chart. In Year 2, pupils make perceptive comparisons between their local St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 47 - May 2003 environment and a village location in Mexico. They identify predictable differences in buildings and road surface but would benefit from using more secondary evidence to support their observations. Good use is made of photographs to develop pupils’ understanding of physical features of the seaside.

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GEOGRAPHY

140. In Year 6, pupils are learning to use an atlas to find out about different mountain regions. They make good progress because work is sufficiently challenging and is well matched to the different levels of attainment within the class. As a result pupils sustain good levels of concentration and enthusiasm for the task. In Year 3, pupils accurately identify symbols for a range of weather conditions and recognise the need for suitable clothing. In Year 4, pupils studying a contrasting location in India are developing a secure knowledge of the cultivation sequence.

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GEOGRAPHY

141. The analysis of pupils’ work shows an over-emphasis on the use of worksheets and a lack of opportunity for pupils to record independently. There is limited use of ICT to conduct research, or to record work, and little evidence of pupils devising their own geographical questions.

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GEOGRAPHY

142. Teaching ranges from good to unsatisfactory and is satisfactory overall. In the weaker lessons, the pace is sometimes too slow so that new learning is limited. In the better lessons, pupils make good progress because work is well planned to meet the range of needs within the class. Marking is not consistently used to extend pupils’ learning. As a result, pupils have limited knowledge of their own learning and what they need to do to improve. Teachers’ plans identify clear learning objectives for lessons and these are usually shared with pupils. However, some plans do not provide adequately for the different levels of attainment within the class.

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GEOGRAPHY

143. When sufficiently challenged, pupils make good oral contributions. They listen to the views of others and all pupils including those with special educational needs participate fully in extended discussions. Pupils work co-operatively in pairs to share and to record their ideas.

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GEOGRAPHY

144. The co-ordination of geography is satisfactory, although there is no system for evaluating the outcomes of developments in terms of improving pupil attainment and the quality of teaching. Evaluations of teachers’ plans are not yet shared with staff or used to improve teaching. There are plans for monitoring pupils’ work and for sample lesson observations next term. Resources are satisfactory.

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HISTORY

145. Only one lesson was observed during the inspection. Judgements are based additionally on the scrutiny of pupils’ work, teachers’ planning and on discussion with the subject co-ordinator.

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HISTORY

146. Standards in Years 2 and 6 are average and pupils, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress. The school’s guidance for planning and teaching history has improved since the last inspection and there is evidence of good links with other subjects such as writing, geography and art. Pupils in all classes develop empathy for the period which they are studying. They write St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 48 - May 2003 diaries and express the moods of war through art. They write sensitively to describe their feelings about war, ‘I would be very confused’, ‘I would miss my family’ and write poems to recount aspects of Anglo Saxon life.

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HISTORY

147. Year 1 pupils gain a good understanding about the past by comparing old and new toys and by identifying the differences between homes of the past and those of today. In Year 2 pupils learn about Florence Nightingale and accurately sequence the events of the Great Fire of London. Pupils begin to understand why people acted as they did by writing diaries and accounts of how different people felt.

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HISTORY

148. Evidence of pupils’ work shows that Year 6 pupils have successfully followed their own lines of enquiry to find out about the Ancient Greeks, by devising questions and researching the answers. Pupils in Year 5 make effective comparisons between the lives of people who lived in the Victorian era by arguing the case of an employer against that of his employee. In Year 4 pupils have a good knowledge of significant dates and the language used at the time of the Tudors.

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HISTORY

149. All teachers make very good use of a range of resources which help pupils to interpret the past in different ways. For example, in Year 5, pupils effectively use newspaper articles to help them understand what Britain was like before 1948 and in Year 1 pupils observe old irons and compare them with those used today. Well planned visits to Hampton Court and the Natural History Museum help pupils to understand about the past and help them to value the importance of first hand evidence and secondary sources of information.

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HISTORY

150. Scrutiny of pupils’ work indicates that there is an over-emphasis on the use of work sheets throughout the school. When other sources are used pupils respond imaginatively and individually to the topic. There is little evidence to suggest that work is planned for the different needs within the class and in some classes too much emphasis is placed on developing skills in reading and writing and not the specific skills of enquiry and interpretation.

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HISTORY

151. Teachers are beginning to assess pupils at the end of each topic, but this now needs to be aligned to national levels of attainment in order for progress to be more accurately monitored. Marking is not consistently used throughout the school to assess pupils’ work or to extend their learning.

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HISTORY

152. The presentation of pupils’ work is generally good and they appear to respond well to history. However, during an observation, the teacher-led discussion went on too long which resulted in pupils losing concentration and interest. Pupils respond better when engaged in making their own observations.

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HISTORY

153. The co-ordination of history is satisfactory. However, there are no systems for evaluating the effect of changes made, in terms of improving pupil attainment and improving the quality of teaching. The outcomes of monitoring teachers’ plans are not currently shared with staff or used to inform teaching. There are plans for monitoring pupils’ work and for observing teaching. Resources are good. St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 49 - May 2003

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

154. The provision for ICT is unsatisfactory. Standards achieved by pupils at the end of Years 2 and 6 are below those expected for their ages and pupils make unsatisfactory progress. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language achieve as well as others in their classes. The use of computers to support and extend pupils’ learning across the curriculum is limited.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

155. Most pupils in the school are able to use the Windows operating system independently to access a program they wish to use. Many can load a specific file from the hard drive and at the end of a lesson save their work and exit the program. However, they are less confident when asked to ‘log on’ or ‘log off’ the computer at the beginning or end of a session. Younger pupils learn simple word-processing skills and use the space bar and shift keys to write correctly-punctuated sentences. Of the older pupils who have satisfactory word processing skills for their age, the majority have learned these at home. Pupils in Year 4 have used a graphics program effectively to draw and paint - for example, in the style of Monet, and have made good use of a range of the ‘tools’ available. During the inspection pupils in Year 5 began a topic on the use of a spreadsheet and were making good progress in learning how to enter and interrogate the data. Other pupils have worked with

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

the programmable robot, generating a series of commands to guide it around a specified route.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

156. The school has adopted the nationally recommended scheme of work and this should ensure that the pupils build progressively upon the knowledge and skills they already have. However, although pupils in all year groups tackle age-appropriate topics, they are not given sufficient ‘hands-on’ experience to meet the required standard. Planning for regular ICT lessons each week focuses on the development of pupils’ computer skills, but in too many of these lessons pupils only cover these aspects in a theoretical form. For example, when learning about databases, pupils use worksheets to identify relevant fields within record cards rather than using the computers themselves. The mobile suite is only used effectively in a few classes to promote pupils’ experience of using computers, with the result that most pupils do not have the necessary underlying skills to make their attainment overall close to that expected for their ages.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

157. Where direct teaching of ICT was observed it was judged to be satisfactory overall, with some examples of good teaching observed. The best teaching is characterised by staff allowing pupils to operate the equipment independently, making their own mistakes and (with guidance) finding their own solutions. Teachers’ own enthusiasm and use of the technology has grown and all staff are now using laptops confidently to aid their lesson planning. However, although the mobile ICT suite is a good concept, at present it contains too few laptop computers for teachers to be able to teach a whole class at a time. As a result teachers struggle to make effective use of this facility to develop and extend pupils’ skills to the levels expected.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

158. Computers are available in every classroom and some teachers make satisfactory use of these to support pupils’ individual learning needs or for pupils to undertake research tasks. However, their use to support learning in other subjects is unsatisfactory overall. Where teachers try to use, for St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 50 - May 2003 example, research programmes to support learning in other subjects, often the programs are too old to run efficiently on the modern laptops.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

159. The co-ordinator is knowledgeable and enthusiastic and gives sound support to colleagues. Assessment procedures are satisfactory and are being refined to make them easier for class teachers to manage and maintain. The school has a suitable policy to guide pupils’ use of the Internet. They have taken precautions to ensure that pupils do not gain access to undesirable materials and reinforce this through supervising all pupils working on the Internet.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

160. Overall, there has been unsatisfactory improvement since the last inspection when the school’s provision for ICT was also judged to be unsatisfactory. Although the school has more, and more modern, computers than they had at the last inspection, it has not caught up with the levels of equipment or provision found in most other schools.

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MUSIC

161. Attainment in music by the age of seven is above what is expected for pupils of this age. As no class lessons were observed in Years 4 to 6, no judgement is possible on the standards attained by the oldest pupils, other than in singing which is above average. Pupils in Years 1 and 2, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, make good progress, largely because of the high quality specialist teaching. On the evidence available, standards have risen since the last inspection, as has the quality of teaching, so that progress has been good.

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MUSIC

162. In Years 1 and 2, pupils' singing is tuneful. They have a good sense of pitch, follow the melody accurately and are given good opportunities to practise their musical skills. Pupils have a satisfactory understanding of rhythm and beat. They can comment upon the mood and tempo of a piece. Pupils are encouraged to listen carefully to music and valuable opportunities are provided for them to evaluate and refine their performances. In most singing lessons, pupils encounter a wide range of musical styles and music from different cultures. Year 1 pupils used a range of instruments, such as triangles, tambourines, pan pipes and castanets and had to identify them by sound. Pupils could often link instruments and sounds visually, even though they were not always sure of the names. They attempted to predict the type of sound which an instrument might make. Later they began to use written symbols to denote the length of sounds, so learning the early skills of reading

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MUSIC

163. Although only one class lesson was observed in the juniors, these pupils also benefit from the thorough music curriculum devised by the specialist teacher. It provides a commendable breadth of experience and ensures that the curriculum is thoroughly covered. All pupils have one extended session of music weekly in alternate half terms, together with a regular group singing lesson. As with the younger pupils, group singing is managed well, drawing on the specialist skills of the teacher and her good management of the group, so that no time is wasted and progress is good. Pupils cover a wide selection of material, much of which is in languages other than English. They sing well in tune and can sustain good pitch throughout. They sing in several parts, blending their voices effectively. In the Year 3 lesson, the teaching focus was on the recognition and reproduction of repeated patterns involving four and

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MUSIC

St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 51 - May 2003 then eight beats. Pupils responded well to the teacher’s high expectations and worked well in small groups to devise series of repeating patterns which they later performed to the class.

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MUSIC

164. The quality of teaching and learning across the school is very good. Lessons are thoughtfully prepared. There are valuable opportunities for singing, composition, percussion work and listening and appraising. The teacher has very good subject knowledge and understanding and high expectations of the pupils' performance. Pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills are developed well through song and rhythmical composition. They co-operate well in group work, listen carefully and have good attitudes. This helps them to make good progress over time.

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MUSIC

165. Currently the school has identified the need to develop the use of ICT in composition work. Satisfactory use is made of recently-implemented assessment procedures to inform curriculum planning and the subject makes a good contribution to pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development – the cultural element in particular.

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MUSIC

166. The specialist teacher provides a very clear educational direction for the subject and pupils have valuable opportunities to share their skills in performances in the school and in the community. There are good opportunities for pupils to join in school performances and the choir has been involved in the local Choir Festival. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 pupils have the opportunity to learn brass instruments from visiting instrumentalists. Pupils sing robustly in assemblies, when the opportunity is provided.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

167. Only games skills and athletics were observed during the inspection. On the evidence available, standards in physical education, by the end of Years 2 and 6, are above average. Standards have, therefore, been satisfactorily maintained since the last inspection. However, improvements in the quality of teaching, the introduction of a much wider range of activities for pupils and other developments in the subject indicate that improvement since the last inspection has, overall, been good.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

168. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 were extending their skills in ball control. In Year 1, they were learning to throw, catch and balance a ball, while in Year 2 they were controlling a ball as it travelled along the ground, at different levels, and then developing throw and catch games individually and with a partner. Both sessions were tightly-managed and challenging for pupils. Sessions had clear objectives, the pace was brisk, with no time wasted and pupils were used well to demonstrate good practice. However, in neither case were pupils given much opportunity to evaluate and analyse what they could see or to suggest improvements. In both year groups, pupils show a level of control and co- ordination above what would normally be expected. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language are, overall, fully integrated in all activities and achieve as well as others in their

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

169. Performance was more variable for the older pupils, though attainment was still above average by the end of Year 6. One unsatisfactory lesson was observed. Pupils in Year 5 were developing strategies and tactics in small- St Eugene de Mazenod RC Primary School - 52 - May 2003 scale games and developing their skills in batting and fielding. This was a very brisk, well-managed lesson. The warm-up relay activities were effectively linked to the main theme of the lesson. The involvement of the teacher as bowler in the introduction to diamond cricket enabled a lively pace to be sustained and provided a significant number of pupils with the opportunity to be actively involved. This extended pupils well and they showed good control and co-ordination in their movements. There were some opportunities for pupils to evaluate their work, but limited emphasis upon the effects of exercise on health. Year 6 pupils, in an athletics skills lesson, worked well

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

together in small groups, demonstrating a high level of motivation, as they tested standards in activities such as shuttle runs and spring jumps. The need to work co-operatively with group organisers and timers made a good contribution to pupils’ social development.

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170. The school is not at present in a position to offer swimming to older pupils, because of the closure of the local pool for refurbishment. However, this will affect only one year group significantly. Records indicate that, in most recent years, almost all pupils have achieved the expected standard in swimming (twenty-five metres unaided) by the age of 11. The school recognised that standards in dance were less good than they wished. As a result, staff have received training in creative dance and the co-ordinator feels that this is now having a significant effect on the standards being achieved. Older pupils have opportunities for outdoor and adventurous activities when they attend the annual residential trip to the Isle of Wight. One weakness observed in a few lessons, mostly in Years 3 to 6, is the number of pupils attending lessons without the necessary kit. The school makes limited provision in these

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circumstances. Overall, however, the great majority of pupils are turned out well for physical education. Not all of the teaching staff change as expected. This does not set a good example.

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171. Teaching and learning overall are good. Two very good lessons were seen, in Years 1 and 5. The best lessons are well-managed, with clear, shared objectives, a brisk pace, high expectations and good relationships between the teacher and pupils. More often than not these features were present, enabling pupils to make good progress. Teachers’ subject knowledge is good. They are often prepared to demonstrate activities and to be actively involved and this encourages pupils by example. Occasionally, delays occur if explanations are over-extended and this limits the time available for pupils to work. In the one unsatisfactory lesson, a few pupils were inattentive and unco-operative and this affected their learning significantly.

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172. The school uses a variety of schemes of work for the different aspects of the subject. Overall, pupils have a good range of opportunities. The recent award of an ‘Activemark’ acknowledges the extent to which both class provision and extra-curricular activities have been developed. The school now offers after- school coaching in cricket, gymnastics, football, rugby and basketball. Though a small school for London, pupils take part in several leagues and tournaments locally – and with some success. The co-ordinator, who has a specialist background, has a good grasp of standards across the school. Whole-school assessment procedures have been implemented. Resources are good, although outdoor facilities are limited to the hard play area.

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173. Overall, this is a successful subject where pupils have good opportunities to experience a wide range of activities and standards are above average.

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