St Clement and St James CofE Primary School

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 16 th - 18 th June 2003

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PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Email Address: info@st-clement-st-james.kensington-chelsea.sch.uk

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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 Robert Carlin

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 2 nd February 1998 St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 2

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

22424 K Taylor Registered inspector English as an additional language Educational inclusion English Design and technology Standards How well are pupils taught? How good are curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? 9163 G Humphreys Lay inspector How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Pupils’ attitudes and values 20671 J Palethorpe Team inspector Science Physical education Music French The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

3574 K Singh Team inspector The provision for pupils in the Foundation Stage of learning History Geography 1068 J Alcorn Team inspector Provision for pupils with special educational needs Art and design Mathematics Information and communication technology How well is the school led and managed?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

PPI Group Ltd 7 Hill Street Bristol BS1 5RW

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 3

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4 - 8

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? 9 - 11

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 26 - 40

St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is about the same size as most primary schools and currently has 220 boys and girls aged between three and 11 on roll. Children start in Nursery on a part-time basis when they are three years old. From the age of four, children attend Nursery full time and later at four and a half they join the Reception class, either in September or January, depending on the month in which their birthday falls. Not all of the pupils who join the Reception class have previously attended the school nursery. The children have a fairly wide range of attainment when they start school and overall their attainment is below that usually found in this age group. About two thirds of pupils are from ethnic minority backgrounds. The largest known minority ethnic groups are Afro-Caribbean, Black African, Black British and White European. A very high proportion of pupils, about a third, are known to be from homes where

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

English is not the first language. Thirty pupils are currently at the early stages of learning English and receive additional support. More than 20 languages are spoken: the main first languages are Arabic Farsi, Albanian Portuguese, Anharic, Serbocroat and Turkish. The proportion of pupils on the special needs register is in line with the national average. Eight pupils are on the higher stages of the special needs register, including four pupils who have a statement of special educational need. Pupils’ special needs relate to learning, behavioural needs and speech and communication difficulties. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is in line with the national average. Pupils are drawn from a wide range of social backgrounds. Pupil mobility is low. During the past year there has been a high turnover in teaching staff.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school provides a satisfactory standard of education for its pupils. Staff are committed and there is good teamwork. Teaching and learning are sound in Year 1 to 6 and are good in the Nursery and Reception. Pupils are well cared for and relationships are good. The school is inclusive. Staff value pupils’ social and ethnic diversity. Pupils work and play together happily. The overall leadership and management of the school is satisfactory: pupils’ personal development is promoted well but there nevertheless needs to be more rigorous attention to raising standards. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils attain good standards in French and science by age 11. • The provision for pupils in the Nursery and Reception years is good. • Pupils behave well and have good attitudes to school and learning. • Relationships are good: boys and girls and pupils of different ability and from different ethnic backgrounds relate well to each other and to adults. • The school provides well for pupils with special educational needs and these pupils make good progress as a result. • Pupils’ moral, social and cultural development is promoted well.

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What could be improved

• Standards that pupils achieve by ages seven and 11 need to be higher. • The way that teachers plan work for pupils of different abilities and the quality and regularity of marking of pupils’ work. • The amount of time that pupils in Years 1 to 6 spend on history, geography, art and design and technology needs to be increased. • The headteacher’s role in leading and directing the work of the staff and in ensuring the regular and rigorous monitoring and evaluation of all aspects of the school’s work. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 5

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made satisfactory progress since its last inspection in February 1998. The provision and teaching in the Nursery have improved well. The role of governors has been extended. There have been good recent improvements to the provision for pupils with special needs and those pupils who learn English as an additional language. The level of pupil exclusions has fallen. In addition, the school has responded appropriately to major developments in education such as those in literacy and numeracy. In some subjects, however, academic standards at ages seven and 11, are not as high as they were at the time of the last inspection. While this may be explained in terms of the overall ability levels found within different cohorts of pupils each year, the school needs to be more proactive in evaluating pupil performance and taking action to improve.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

English B C C C Well above average Above average A B mathematics A E E E Average Below average C D science A C C B Well below average E

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Key

‘ Similar schools’ refers to schools nationally that have a similar number of pupils entitled to free school meals

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Key

The table above shows that in the tests in 2002 at age 11, standards in English were in line with those found nationally and in similar schools. Standards in mathematics were well below those found in schools nationally and similar schools. In science, standards were in line with schools nationally and above those in similar schools. In the current Year 6 class, pupils’ attainment in science is similar to that achieved by pupils in Year 6 last year. In English and mathematics a higher proportion of pupils are achieving the level expected, than was the case in 2002. The school slightly exceeded the targets agreed with the local education authority for the number of pupils expected to achieve at least Level 4 in the English and mathematics tests in 2003.

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Key

At age seven, test results in reading, writing, mathematics and science were well below those achieved in primary schools nationally and did not compare well with results in similar schools. Standards in the current Year 2 class are a bit better than those achieved last year. In mathematics and science, standards are close to those expected. Pupils’ attainment in reading and writing, although improved, remains below national expectations. A scrutiny of pupils’ work shows that these pupils have nevertheless made good progress throughout the year.

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Key

In design and technology, pupils’ attainment is in line with national expectations at age seven but below national expectations at age 11. Pupils achieve well and attain good standards in French. There was insufficient evidence to make a judgement about standards in music at age seven and 11 or in art and design at age 11. In all other subjects, pupils’ attainment is broadly in line with that expected. Throughout Years 1 to 6, pupils make satisfactory progress over time. Nevertheless, their rates of progress could be improved further. St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 6 Children in the Nursery and Reception make good progress. By the time the children currently in Reception join Year 1, their attainment in most areas of learning will be in line with that expected. Throughout the school, pupils who learn English as an additional language make sound progress. Pupils identified as having special educational needs, including those with a statement of special educational

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Key

need, make good progress towards the targets set for them. Inspection evidence did not highlight any differences in pupils’ attainments or progress based solely on their gender or ethnicity.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils enjoy school and work hard in lessons. They are confident, polite and friendly. These positive attitudes make a good contribution to pupils’ learning. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils behave well and responsibly in most lessons, at break times and lunchtimes, and they move around the school in an orderly and considerate manner. Personal development and relationships Relationships are good. Boys and girls from different backgrounds relate well to each other. Pupils develop into mature individuals who care for each other and demonstrate strong moral values. Attendance Below average. Attendance, although improved throughout the current year, remains below the national average. The school works hard to encourage good attendance. Some pupils also do not arrive at school on time, which can then disrupt the start of the day.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Teaching in the Nursery and Reception classes is good: that in the Nursery is particularly strong. Careful planning means there is a good balance between adult led activities and children making choices about their learning and activities. Good attention is given to developing children’s skills in all six areas of learning. In Years 1 to 6, the overall quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory and there are strengths in the teaching. Some good and better teaching was also seen in lessons in Years 1 to 6 during the inspection week. Most teachers have at least a secure and often good knowledge of the subjects they teach, are well organised and come prepared for lessons. They enjoy good relationships with pupils. The teaching of English and mathematics is satisfactory. The basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics are taught well in some lessons. However, weaknesses in some teachers’ marking

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

and in consistently planning tasks that meet the needs of pupils of all abilities, in these subjects, and elsewhere, slows down the rate of learning. Music is taught well and French is taught very well. The individual and small group teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good. The teaching pupils who learn English as an additional language receive is satisfactory overall, and in some of the small group, work teaching was good. St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 7

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. The curriculum includes all National Curriculum subjects and religious education. French is also taught in Years 2 to 6. The above average amount of time given to English restricts time for subjects such as art and design, design and technology, history and geography. The provision of extra-curricular activities is satisfactory. Good use is made of the local community, visits and visitors to enhance pupils’ learning. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils are supported well by specialist teachers and assistants. Their progress is regularly monitored. Pupils are also supported very well by the school’s positive and inclusive ethos. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory and improving. Recent improvements mean that pupils are given effective additional support in class and some specific teaching in

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Aspect Comment

withdrawal sessions. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development Good overall. The school has a very strong moral code and pupils' social development is given a very high priority from the time when they start in Nursery. The rich ethnic diversity found within the school community is celebrated and pupils also learn about British cultural traditions. The provision for pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory but could be improved. How well the school cares for its pupils Good. Pupils are well cared for. Teachers and support staff know and understand pupils well. Pupils are well supervised and looked after at lunchtimes and break times. Their academic progress is assessed regularly but the information gained from this is not always used to best effect when planning future work.

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Aspect Comment

Parents have positive views of the school and links with parents are good. Parental support for their children’s education makes a good contribution to pupils’ standards and progress.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Satisfactory. The headteacher is successful in promoting and maintaining a positive climate for learning and in ensuring that the school runs smoothly on a day-to-day basis. As a result, the school provides a happy and secure environment for its pupils. More rigorous attention needs, however, to be given to monitoring and evaluating what works well and what needs to improve, so as to raise standards. Staff with subject and other responsibilities make a good contribution in certain areas. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory. The governors fulfil most of their statutory responsibilities except that which relates to ensuring that test results are monitored by ethnic groupings. Governors are involved in and very supportive of the school and bring a range of expertise to the task. While governors do carry out some formal monitoring of lessons, they need to be more

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Aspect Comment

involved in evaluating the overall outcomes of the provision made by the school. The school’s evaluation of its performance Unsatisfactory. Systems for monitoring and critically evaluating standards, the curriculum, teaching and learning are not regular or rigorous enough to identify where improvements need to be made. The strategic use of Satisfactory. Financial planning is satisfactory. This enables the school St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 8 resources to use its resources to meet its school development priorities. The principles of best value are applied satisfactorily.

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Aspect Comment

Staffing levels are good. The school has a good number of teachers and support staff. Changes in teaching staff has been high during the past year. This has posed some challenges for the school, and the school has worked hard to support new staff. The accommodation and resources are good.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Good teaching that enables their children to make good progress. • The good leadership and management of the school. • The expectation that children will work hard and achieve good results. • The school keeps parents well informed about their children’s progress. • The values promoted by the school and the impact these have on their children’s behaviour and maturity. • The school is easy to approach, staff listen to concerns and parents are encouraged to play an active role in the life of the school. • Their children like school. • Better use of homework to support their children’s learning. • The range of activities outside lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspection evidence largely confirms parents’ positive views. Inspectors judged that homework is satisfactory, although it could be extended to provide more opportunities to promote independent learning and to support pupils’ work across a range of subjects. Extra curricular activities are judged satisfactory. St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 9

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. When children enter the Nursery, their attainment varies quite considerably and is overall below that usually found. Children’s skills in communication, language and literacy are the weakest aspect of their attainments. Pupils in Nursery and Reception make good progress in all areas of their learning; their personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, their knowledge and understanding of the world, their creative and physical development. As a result, by the time they transfer to Year 1, the majority of children in the current Reception class are likely to attain the expected levels in all six areas of their learning. Some variations in overall attainment levels on entry to Year 1 occur each year. This is because of a number of factors. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs or who are at the early stages of acquiring competence in speaking English varies from one year to the next.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Furthermore, when children enter the Reception class, they do so with varying amounts of previous experience of school because not all of the children joining Reception have previously attended St Clement and St James’ Nursery, or any other nursery. On average, between two thirds and three quarters of children transfer directly from the school’s Nursery into Reception. Furthermore, the school’s admission arrangements mean some children have had a full year in Reception whereas some children will have had only two terms.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The percentage of seven-year-olds who attained the expected Level 2 in reading, writing and science in 2002, the last reporting year, was well below the national average. In mathematics, the proportion was below the national average. A well below average proportion of pupils attained the higher Level 3 in the reading and science tests. In mathematics, the proportion attaining Level 3 was below the national average. No pupils attained Level 3 in writing. Test results did not compare well with those in similar schools and results fell sharply between 2001 and 2002. In the tests in 2003, slightly more pupils attained both Level 2 and Level 3 in reading, writing, mathematics and science than was the case last year.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. In the English, mathematics and science tests at age 11 in 2002, a percentage of pupils below the national average attained the expected Level 4. The percentage attaining the higher Level 5 was in line with the national average in English, well below the national average in mathematics, and well above it in science. Between 2001 and 2002, the proportion of pupils who attained Level 4 in mathematics and science improved, but fell slightly in English. The targets agreed with the local education authority for the percentage of pupils to attain Level 4 in the English and mathematics tests were not met, although in English, pupils’ results came close to the target. The targets for 2003 for that year group of 82 per cent of pupils to achieve Level 4 in English, and 80 per cent in mathematics, are likely to be met, indicating an improvement in standards in English and mathematics in the current Year 6 class.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Test results at ages seven and 11 have fallen since the last inspection, and have also tended to fluctuate from one year to the next. This is sometimes the case when there are relatively small numbers of pupils in each year group. Factors such as the number of pupils with special educational needs in the Year 2 and 6 classes each year can result in significant variations in overall standards. The school has begun to analyse its results in the end of year statutory and optional tests each year so as to explain such differences. Staff, however, need to be even more proactive in their approach to spotting these differences early on, so as to take prompt and rigorous action to address any weaknesses in pupils’ attainment. Recent improvements means that the school now has data that enables them to track individual pupils’ progress as they move up through the school and set annual targets for every pupil. However, there are indications too

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

that some teachers need further advice and training to help them to set appropriate targets and to understand how these can then be used to raise standards. St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 10 5. Test results at age seven and 11 have indicated some differences in the attainments of boys and girls. Inspection evidence, however, did not highlight differences based solely on pupils’ gender. The school does analyse any differences in boys’ and girls’ test results, but does not yet analyse its results in the statutory and optional tests to determine whether there are any differences in the progress and attainments of pupils from different ethnic minority backgrounds. This needs to be addressed: firstly, because around two thirds of pupils attending the school are drawn from ethnic minority backgrounds, and secondly, because the results of ethnic monitoring should be used to help to inform the school about the way in which it uses money provided through Ethnic Minority

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Achievement Grant Funding. The local authority will be providing support for the school in analysing its 2003 results according to pupils’ ethnicity.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Inspection findings show that in the current Year 2 classes, pupils’ attainments in English are below national expectations, but are close to national expected levels in science and mathematics. In the current Year 6 class, pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics meets national expectations and in science exceeds them. Pupils throughout the school have sound numeracy skills and use them competently in other curriculum areas. Their skills in speaking and listening and in scientific enquiry are satisfactory.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Pupils’ attainment in information and communication technology (ICT) is in line with the national expectations at ages seven and 11 and pupils throughout the school make satisfactory progress. Pupils can apply their skills to produce information in the form of graphs in mathematics, to write stories in English and to search the Internet for information in subjects such as science, history and geography. Pupils in Years 2 to 6 attain good standards and make good progress in French. The standard of singing across the school is also good. There is insufficient evidence to make a secure judgement about pupils’ overall standards in music, because teaching was seen in only two classes. Available evidence indicates that pupils’ progress in music is at least satisfactory.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. At age seven, pupils’ attainment in art and design and in design and technology meets national expectations and pupils make satisfactory progress. At age 11 standards in design and technology are below national expectations. There is too little evidence to make a judgement about standards in art and design at age 11. Pupils in Years 3 to 6, however, do not make enough progress in either subject because they do not spend enough time on these subjects. Pupils’ attainment in physical education is in line with that expected by ages seven and 11 and pupils’ progress is sound. In history and geography, although pupils’ attainment is broadly in line with that expected by ages seven and 11, the knowledge and understanding of the pupils lacks depth because, again pupils do not spend enough time on these subjects.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress so that some achieve the nationally expected levels by ages seven and 11. This is because of the good teaching they receive in specialist withdrawal sessions and the high level of teaching assistant support they receive in class lessons. Most pupils with a statement of special educational need make very good progress towards the targets set for them. Pupils who learn English as an additional language make at least satisfactory progress during their time at the school. In Nursery and Reception these pupils make good progress in learning English.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Since the last inspection, standards in design and technology by seven have improved. Throughout the school, pupils’ skills in mental mathematics are better now than they were last time the school was inspected. At ages seven and 11, standards in English have fallen, and at age eleven, standards in history are now lower than they were at the time of the last inspection. Some changes to the school’s intake are indicated which may have affected overall standards, for example, the school now has a higher proportion of pupils for whom English is not their first language. Nevertheless, the school needs to continue to strive to improve standards.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils’ attitudes towards school are good. Pupils enjoy school, want to learn and work hard. In most lessons they listen well, show good levels of interest and are keen to make a positive contribution. Parents who attended the pre-inspection meeting and who returned questionnaires St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 11 confirm that their children enjoy school and have positive attitudes towards learning. Parents are very pleased with the standard of behaviour that the school achieves.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Children in the Nursery settle well into the routines of school life. Some excellent attitudes and behaviour were observed, with very good interaction between the class teacher, support staff and children, who demonstrated good listening skills. The children develop good social skills, collaborate well during structured play, share ideas and use their imagination. In the Reception class, children participate eagerly in lessons, follow instructions and show good self-discipline, for example, by holding up their hands to gain the attention of a teacher or to answer a question. In one lesson children demonstrated great care and concern when returning mini-beasts to their natural habitat.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Many examples of good and very good behaviour were also seen across the school. In a science lesson in Year 1, for example, pupils worked hard and became very engrossed when investigating different ways of producing sounds. In geography in Year 2 when pupils were studying a globe of the world, many were particularly keen to point out places they had been to on holidays. Pupils in Year 3 showed good enthusiasm and very good behaviour during a poetry lesson and those in Year 4 co-operated well with others to produce a number of control sequences on the computers in the ICT suite.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. As pupils progress through the school, their interest and maturity continue to develop. This was evident in a physical education lesson in Year 5 when pupils paid close attention to instructions and were keen to participate and achieve a good result. In an English lesson seen in Year 5, however, pupils’ response and behaviour were poor. Year 6 pupils were highly motivated during a science lesson when they were learning about the buoyancy of objects in water. They also showed great concern and sensitivity during a history lesson about the children of poor families during the Victorian Era. A small number of pupils have particular difficulties in concentrating and behaving appropriately, but in most classes the positive encouragement of good behaviour and good work effectively help these pupils to make at least satisfactory progress.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is usually good. There has been only one temporary exclusion in the past year, a considerable reduction in the number recorded in the previous inspection report. Movement around the school is orderly, with pupils demonstrating care and consideration towards others, for example, holding open doors to let others pass through. Pupils with identified behavioural difficulties are rarely noticed because teachers promote high expectations and have good control strategies, and other pupils show tolerance and consideration towards them.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Relationships are good. Pupils are valued and treated with respect and consideration by staff and this is reflected in the good relationships that are in evident throughout the school, both between pupils and between pupils and adults. Boys and girls, pupils of different abilities and those from different ethnic backgrounds relate well to one another and are fully included in the life of the school. There is good racial harmony. Pupils who met with inspectors confirm that any major issues of bullying or unacceptable behaviour are dealt with quickly and effectively. Pupils in the school show positive attitudes towards those children with particular learning difficulties and happily work with them and support them.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Pupils’ personal development is good. They willingly accept the responsibilities they are given. These include helping to prepare and clear up before and after lessons, and for older pupils, looking after the school reception desk during lunchtimes and helping with the younger children. Pupils could be provided with more opportunities to take the initiative and responsibility for their own learning, and make choices and decisions about it.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Attendance is below the national average. Nevertheless, this has improved well in the current year as a result of the good procedures for monitoring absences and promoting good attendance. Too many children still come to school late. Overall, pupils’ good attitudes and behaviour have been well maintained since the last inspection and continue to make a positive contribution to their learning. St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 12

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Teaching in the Nursery and Reception classes is good. Teaching seen was always at least good, was frequently very good and was occasionally excellent. Teaching in the Nursery is particularly strong. Careful planning means there is a good balance between child-initiated and adult-directed activities. Good attention is given to developing children’s skills in all six areas of learning. Higher attaining children are challenged and effective support is given to children with special needs and those who learn English as an additional language. Staff have very high expectations of the children and a good understanding of how young children learn.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. In both the Nursery and Reception, teaching of basic skills in English and mathematics is good, enabling children to achieve well. Teachers use visual materials well and model good use of language. They question children to explain what they are doing. Adults do not always wait long enough for children to reply or ask children to repeat words and phrases to improve their vocabulary and speaking skills. This is an aspect that can be improved. Teaching provides many good opportunities for children to express themselves creatively through, for example, music, painting, construction and role-play. The staff use a good range of teaching strategies. All staff, including teachers, teaching assistants and the nursery nurse, are used effectively to extend children’s learning. For example, in an excellent lesson seen in the Nursery, the teaching assistant was used particularly well. She was letting children blow balloons up with a pump. She

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

asked pertinent questions such as, “What’s happening to the balloon? What is going in it? How do we know?” When she asked one child to let the balloon go, other children squealed with joy when they saw the effect of air coming out of the balloon. The very good teamwork enables children to be very well supported and provides a good role model for children. Very good use is made of both formal and informal assessments to ensure that lessons build on children’s existing skills. The staff’s expectations of behaviour are high and this leads to all children being purposefully involved in a calm and quiet learning atmosphere. The staff use praise effectively to motivate the children.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. In Years 1 to 6, the overall quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. The teaching seen in music and the specialist teaching of pupils with special educational needs was consistently good. French teaching is very good. What makes music and French teaching particularly effective is the teachers’ very good knowledge and expertise, which inspired and challenged pupils to do well. Special needs teaching is good because activities are interesting and well matched to the targets on pupils’ individual education plans, and staff have a good knowledge of the pupils’ needs and how to address them. In class lessons in Years 1 and 2 the teaching assistants often provide good feedback to pupils with special educational needs about how well they are achieving. They also indicate in the pupils’ books the amount of help the pupil needed to complete a task and any particular difficulties. This good practice could be spread more widely across the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Some good and better teaching was seen in Years 1 and 2 and in Years 3 to 6, across almost all subjects, and there are strengths in the overall teaching. For example, all teachers come to lessons well prepared, classrooms are well organised and good routines are well established. Lessons usually start promptly. Most teachers have a good knowledge of the subjects they teach, although there are indications that teachers need more guidance and training in how to ensure that pupils’ skills in design and technology and in art and design are progressively developed. In most instances teachers manage pupils well and in a kind and positive, but appropriately firm manner.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. English and mathematics teaching is satisfactory. Most lessons are well planned and effectively delivered. Teachers have good teaching skills and strategies and follow the recommended structure for lessons. Teachers are clear about what they want pupils to learn and usually share this information with pupils. Occasionally teachers talk for rather too long in lessons and beyond some pupils’ ability to listen well. Teachers pose some good questions to check pupils’ understanding and to move learning on. Scrutiny of pupils’ work, however, highlights weaknesses in teaching both subjects, especially in some of the classes in Years 3 to 6. Firstly, there is a lack of attention to marking and therefore checking whether pupils have in fact learned what teachers have taught. Secondly, the same written tasks are too often set for all pupils so that St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 13 insufficient attention is given to addressing the needs of different groups of pupils. Teaching of

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

pupils who learn English as an additional language in small group, in-class support or withdrawal sessions is at least satisfactory and is sometimes good. Work is carefully matched to pupils’ learning needs and appropriately focused on developing and extending pupils’ skills in oracy. The designated teacher and assistant have also been working very hard to gather and organise resources that teachers can also use.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Science teaching is good in Years 1 and 2 and is satisfactory in Year 3 to 6. Most teachers have a good understanding of the subject and good attention is given to providing first-hand experiences of scientific investigation. Weaknesses relate to the quality of marking, and an overuse of worksheets. Older pupils also need to be given more opportunities to devise their own experiments and to record their findings in their own way. The teaching of information and communication technology is sound. Teachers have at least secure understanding and skills.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. The teaching seen in art and design, physical education, history and geography was at least satisfactory in all but one lesson, and there is some good teaching. Strengths included examples of good attention being given to developing key skills. Activities and resources had been carefully chosen to match pupils’ age and interests, consequently, pupils’ learning was often good, as were pupils’ attitudes and behaviour. What stops pupils making good progress over time is that not enough time is spent on the subjects. No teaching of religious education was seen since this is to be inspected as part of a separate inspection.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. Teaching was unsatisfactory in two lessons seen during the inspection. Both lessons were in the upper half of the school. In one lesson, teaching had all of the ingredients of a good or very good lesson, but pupils behaved inappropriately and the teacher was not able to get them working and back on track. In another lesson in physical education the pace of working and learning was slow.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. The amount of unsatisfactory teaching seen at this inspection is lower than that at the time of the last inspection. The amount of good and better teaching seen during this inspection is similar to that at the time of the last inspection.

p.15

PUPILS?

28. The curriculum for children in Nursery and Reception is good and this prepares them well for the introduction of the National Curriculum in Year 1. Curriculum planning is securely based on the six areas of learning recommended for young children and provides a good range of interesting and relevant activities. There is a good balance of teacher focused and children’s self-chosen activities, which is an improvement since the last inspection. The outdoor area for the Reception class is not yet sufficiently well developed to extend the curriculum and this restricts children’s learning through first-hand experiences. Planning to support children’s personal, social and emotional development is carefully linked to supporting other aspects of learning.

p.15

PUPILS?

29. The curriculum for pupils in Years 1 to 6 is satisfactory and meets statutory requirements. All National Curriculum subjects and religious education are taught, and pupils in Years 2 to 6 also learn French. There is good provision for pupils’ personal, health and social education. Swimming lessons ensure that by the time that they leave school, nearly all pupils can swim the nationally expected 25 metres. Although the overall curriculum is satisfactory, history, geography, art and design and design and technology are not given enough time, especially in Years 3 to 6, and the school is aware of this. Too much time is currently spent on English and the school should instead find ways of more frequently developing pupils’ skills in reading and writing through their work in other subjects. Amendments to the time allocated to each teaching session would also provide better opportunities to maximise the use of the available teaching time. The amount of

p.15

PUPILS?

time that pupils in each class spend on different subjects throughout the course of the week can vary from one term to the next. There needs to be careful monitoring to ensure that over the course of the year, in each class there is an appropriate balance of time given each subject. The school has planned changes to the timetables from September. St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 14 30. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been securely implemented and a number of additional literacy and numeracy programmes, including booster classes, are also in place. Teachers have a good knowledge of both strategies but weaknesses in teachers’ marking reduce their overall impact on raising standards. In science, appropriate emphasis is placed on practical activities and scientific investigations. In all other National Curriculum subjects, the school follows national guidance, except in religious education where the locally agreed syllabus is used.

p.15

PUPILS?

31. The school provides well for pupils with special educational needs. Support for reading, writing and spelling in specific withdrawal sessions is good. Statutory requirements are in place for pupils with a statement of special educational need and they receive the support outlined in their individual education plans. Targets in all pupils’ individual education plans clearly identify improvements in behaviour and learning so that pupil progress can easily be measured. The provision for pupils who learn English as an additional language is satisfactory and improving fast. The designated teacher and the teaching assistant have worked extremely hard and successfully during the past year to improve the provision. They have, for example, attended training, improved the resources, developed teaching plans and gathered and analysed information about pupils’ home languages. They have ensured that pupils’ levels of fluency in speaking English have been

p.16

PUPILS?

assessed and targets for improvement set. They keep regular records of pupils’ progress. They do not yet have a role in monitoring and evaluating the school’s data to determine the overall achievement of different ethnic groups in order to identify and address any patterns of underachievement.

p.16

PUPILS?

32. The school largely ensures that all pupils are included in activities, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, social background or prior attainment. There is, however, too much withdrawal of pupils from class lessons for additional support and this is sometimes not planned or is unnecessary. The school has a sound written policy for monitoring and promoting race equality. Teachers make some effective use of opportunities to incorporate, reflect upon and promote the diverse cultural heritage of pupils attending the school.

p.16

PUPILS?

33. The provision for extra-curricular activities, including residential trips, is satisfactory. The school runs a football club, Brownies, Guides and a literacy club after school. Pupils also benefit from regular visits to museums, galleries and other places of educational interest. A good number of visitors, including artists, musicians and theatre groups, work with the pupils to develop a wide range of skills and pupils take part in musical and drama performances. There are good links with the community and strong links with all six parish churches within the catchment area. The congregations of these churches take an interest in the school’s work and support fund raising, social activities and musical performances. This makes a positive contribution to the school. There are good links with other schools. Links with two Beacon Schools are enabling staff to exchange ideas and to share and develop good practice. There are effective links with some of the secondary

p.16

PUPILS?

schools to which pupils transfer and pupils in Year 6 are currently taking part in a project aimed at improving the transition from junior to secondary school, which is a good initiative.

p.16

PUPILS?

34. The school promotes pupils’ personal development well. This was the case at the time of the last inspection. This good provision is reflected in pupils’ attitudes and behaviour in lessons and around the school. More, however, could be done to monitor the overall provision and the effect that it is having.

p.16

PUPILS?

35. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory. Links with the church give pupils the opportunity to explore values and beliefs and the way they impact on peoples’ lives. Discussions in personal, social and health education lessons provide opportunities to understand human feelings and emotions. All pupils in the school are treated with respect, regardless of their ability or ethnic background. The way that teachers value pupils’ questions is just one way that pupils are made to feel valued. Much of the provision is incidental, and not a planned part of the curriculum.

p.16

PUPILS?

36. Pupils’ moral development is promoted very well. The school has a clear moral code that is promoted in all school activities and the daily life of the school, including break and lunchtimes. There are positive behaviour management strategies where good behaviour is rewarded, giving St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 15 opportunities for pupils to develop a clear understanding of the difference between right and wrong. Circle time provides good opportunities for pupils to discuss and think through their actions. If they have a problem they would like discussed, pupils can write a note and anonymously put it in the box provided. Pupils are encouraged to have respect for property, the environment and for each other, regardless of individual differences in race or ability.

p.16

PUPILS?

37. Pupils’ social development is promoted very well. There is a strong sense of community in the school and pupils are encouraged to work and play co-operatively. Opportunities are provided for pupils to exercise responsibility, ranging from ‘in class’ duties to answering the telephone at lunchtime. Good use is made of external agencies, such as the Portobello Trust and the Life Education Van, to help pupils understand how to make the right decisions. Positive corporate experiences are provided through assemblies, school teams, residential visits and school productions. There are occasions when more personal responsibility for learning could be given to pupils, such as in experimental and investigative science. There are no opportunities for pupils to engage in democratic processes through a school council at present, but there are plans for this in the immediate future.

p.17

PUPILS?

38. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is good. There is considerable ethnic diversity within the school and all pupils’ backgrounds are valued and celebrated. The school addresses racism and promotes race equality through a wide variety of visits and visitors. For example, visitors include storytellers from different cultures, and musicians from England, Africa and Brazil. Visits include museums, art galleries, the church, a mosque and a synagogue. There are a number of opportunities for pupils to take part in cultural events such as music festivals, the Notting Hill Carnival and Black History celebrations. Extending the amount of time given to subjects such as history, geography and art and design would strengthen the provision for pupils’ cultural development even further.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Pupils are well cared for. This view is shared by those parents who attended the pre-inspection meeting and returned the questionnaires. This is a small school where teachers and support staff know and understand their pupils well and are supportive and sensitive to pupils’ individual needs and welfare. The procedures for monitoring pupils’ personal development are good. There are good induction procedures that ensure that children entering the Nursery quickly settle into routines. Parents and their children are invited to the school before the children start. Similarly, the school maintains effective links with schools to which pupils transfer.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. There is generally good attention to health and safety. Regular risk assessments are undertaken in relation to the use of school premises and for school trips. Fire and electrical equipment is routinely tested and there are regular fire drills. Evacuation routes have been recently reassessed following changes to the internal layout of the building and use of rooms, but some displayed plans depicting the exit routes have not been updated. There are good arrangements for the provision of first aid. More attention needs to be given to ensuring that pupils dress appropriately for physical education and ensuring that pupils do not wear jewellery or earrings, as these pose a potential hazard.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The headteacher is the designated child protection officer. Relevant information is provided for all new and temporary teachers as part of their induction programme. All staff are aware of the needs of vulnerable pupils and guidelines for dealing with sensitive issues. The school maintains a close relationship with the Educational Welfare Officer, social services and other relevant agencies. Personal, social, health and citizenship education is provided within the curriculum and through designated lessons. Personal hygiene, healthy living, drug and alcohol abuse, sex education, the enhancement of social skills and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship are incorporated into a well balanced programme that meets the needs of pupils and develops their awareness of these matters as they progress through the school.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The procedures for monitoring and promoting positive behaviour are good. Good work, attitudes and behaviour are celebrated and this provides an ethos in which pupils strive to do their best. St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 16 There are good procedures for dealing with incidents of unacceptable behaviour, such as bullying, and these are applied promptly and effectively. However, in discussions during the inspection, some pupils indicated that name-calling and prejudicial attitudes still exist amongst a minority of pupils and are not always noted by the school or brought to the attention of adults. The are good procedures for monitoring absence and promoting good attendance. To date these have not succeeded in bringing attendance up to the national average, although progress is being made in this area.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. The procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are good. Teachers throughout the school also keep regular records of pupils’ attainments and progress. In Nursery and Reception, children’s progress is assessed against each of the six areas of learning. The school is implementing new national assessment procedures introduced for children at the end of the Reception year. Teachers and staff in the Nursery and Reception classes use the information gained from assessment well when planning for the next steps in children’s learning. 44. In Years 1 to 6 there are good procedures for regularly assessing pupils’ attainment and progress in English, mathematics and science. The school has worked hard recently to implement systems to track pupils’ progress in these subjects as they move up through the school. In most other subjects, assessment is securely linked to the learning intentions in the teachers’ planning.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Teachers use the information gained from English, mathematics and science assessments to group pupils according to their ability for some lessons, to set individual targets for pupils and to identify which pupils will be included in booster classes. Teachers, however, could make better use of assessment information when drawing up their teaching plans because too often all pupils are set the same tasks to do. Some good practice is developing in relation to pupil self- assessment, with pupils being encouraged to review their own work. However, pupils’ ability to develop these skills successfully is also dependent on them receiving good feedback from teachers about the strengths and weaknesses in their written work.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The school clearly identifies those pupils with special educational needs. A strength of its current practice is the time given to observe pupils in the Nursery and Reception so that learning and behavioural needs are now being identified early on. The special needs co-ordinator has good links with the local support services, which ensures that appropriate specialist help is provided as and when necessary. Teachers and the co-ordinator together regularly review pupils’ progress and teachers then draw up new targets. Pupils whose first language is not English are initially assessed against the local authority’s stages of fluency in English and their ongoing progress is then regularly assessed.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. Parents who attended the pre-inspection meeting and returned questionnaires expressed some very positive views about the school. They say their children enjoy school and many appreciate the good teaching that enables pupils to make good progress. The quality of the leadership and management and the expectation that their children will work hard and achieve good results were generally appreciated. Parents very much like the values promoted by the school and the positive impact these have on their children’s behaviour and maturity. The results of the parent questionnaire indicate that parents feel that the school is easy to approach, that staff listen to concerns and keep parents informed about their children’s progress. They also feel that they are encouraged to play an active role in the life of the school. Some parents at the meeting prior to the inspection, however, also expressed some concerns about whether standards are high enough

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

and whether some pupils with additional needs go unnoticed. Inspection findings highlight that there is room for further improvement in relation to pupils’ standards of work, and that teachers can do even more to address the needs of pupils of different ability. Some parents at the meeting also felt that when they raise concerns with the school, staff sometimes become defensive. Inspectors are not in a position to comment on this aspect since they do not have any evidence to make a judgement one way or another.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. Some parents would like to see an improvement in the use of homework to support their children’s learning. The inspectors judged that homework is used satisfactorily to support learning, but it St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 17 could be improved by extending opportunities for pupils to develop their independent learning at home by, for example, carrying out more research work. The ‘SHARE’ project in Year 2 is a new initiative funded by a charity, in which a group of parents are encouraged to work with their children on their homework assignments, thus further developing the working partnership with parents.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. The home-school agreement clearly defines the expectations of the school, the parents and the pupils. There is a weekly newsletter that informs parents about the events and activities that take place in school as well as the many visits to places of historic and cultural interest. A number of parents regularly help with extra-curricular activities and events.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. Annual progress reports provide a brief summary of the curriculum and commentary on pupils’ knowledge, understanding and progress in each subject area. There are targets to guide future learning and observations regarding pupils’ personal development. Parents are informed about the National Curriculum levels their children have attained in mathematics, English and science. The school uses a standard ‘phrase bank’ when producing part of the annual reports and this style of reporting is not liked by some parents. The inspectors however judged that the reports are good, informative and fully meet statutory requirements.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. Parent and teacher consultation evenings are well attended. They provide opportunities for parents to receive information about the curriculum, review their children’s work and discuss their progress, behaviour and attitudes to learning. Pupils’ work diaries also provide a vehicle of communication between home and school. Meetings on the Governors’ Annual Report to Parents are also used to provide information about the curriculum. In recent years, literacy, numeracy, information and communication technology, music and physical education have all been featured.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. There is a Parents’ and Carers’ Support Group, currently led by a parent governor with the help of an enthusiastic group of volunteers. The group organises successful social and fundraising events and provides close links with the local churches and the wider community. The school holds a special service at the end of each year which includes a musical performance presented by pupils. At the end of each year, pupils in Year 6 also present a large musical performance. Such events are very well attended.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. Good contact is maintained with parents and carers of children with special educational needs and parents are largely appreciative of the support the school provides, especially that for children who have a statement of special educational needs. When considered useful, a daily diary is used to make links between home and school. In this, parents and teachers can comment on pupils’ progress and behaviour, which ensures a consistent approach and up-to-date information. Parents of pupils with a statement of special educational needs have good opportunities to contribute to their child’s annual review. Details of the provision for pupils with special needs are reported upon in the Annual Governors’ Report to parents. The governor responsible for special educational needs would like to do more to make this more informative and interesting.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. Overall, the impact of the parents’ involvement in the work of the school and the contribution they make to their children’s learning are good. The partnership between school and parents and the quality of information provided have been effectively maintained since the last inspection.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The school provides a satisfactory education for its pupils. It meets well its aims to provide an orderly, happy and caring learning environment. Relationships between pupils, whatever their race, religion or background, are good and the school promotes clear ethical values and standards by which to live. Parents particularly appreciate these features of the school’s work, which continue to be strengths, as they were at the time of the last inspection. However, whilst pupils make satisfactory progress overall in their learning, the school is not doing enough to raise standards.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The day-to-day management of the school’s work is effective. This is very much due to the good working relationships between the headteacher and her senior staff and the shared commitment of St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 18 all staff to the well being and learning of all pupils. The leadership and management of work in mathematics, science, English and French are good overall. There is currently no designated co- ordinator for art and design and design and technology. This has a detrimental effect on standards and the provision in these subjects. In all other subjects the co-ordinators provide sound leadership. An important weakness in the leadership and management of these subjects, however, is that teaching and learning, pupils’ progress and standards are not being monitored regularly or rigorously enough so as to identify where improvements can be made.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. All aspects of special needs are managed well, which is an improvement since the last inspection. The co-ordinator works hard and is successful in ensuring pupils with learning, physical or behavioural difficulties receive the support and help they need. Money is appropriately targeted and the governor with responsibility for special needs regularly meets with the co-ordinator to monitor provision. The Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception) is managed well and this ensures a coherent approach to teaching and curriculum delivery throughout the Nursery and Reception. Good leadership and management of the provision for English as an additional language have been successful in establishing appropriate procedures, teaching plans and resources. In the current year, much of the co-ordinator’s time has appropriately gone into developing this aspect of the school’s provision. This has meant that her time for teaching pupils is

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

significantly reduced; at the current time, only about two thirds of the available funding is used for supporting children in class. The level of teaching input now needs to be increased so as to ensure that in the longer term, the provision represents good value for money.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. Good procedures are developing to analyse National Curriculum and other test results. This work is led by the two assistant headteachers with responsibility for the infant and junior phases. They are at the early stages of using the analyses to identify where the curriculum and teaching need to improve. The work of new teachers to the school is monitored and supported very well by the subject and key stage co-ordinators. Teaching and the work of the more experienced teachers are not being monitored regularly enough and the headteacher does not have enough input into this. The assistant headteachers are relatively new in post (two years) and, although they make a good contribution to school management and have benefited from good training opportunities, arrangements to support them in the development of their wider school role need to be strengthened. There is also no formal review of their work by an appropriate person. The school’s

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

arrangements for performance management are also unsatisfactory. This is because in the current round of performance management, the headteacher is not carrying out reviews of her senior staff and because some teachers are paired together to appraise each other’s work, which is an unsatisfactory arrangement.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The priorities highlighted in the school development plan, and the actions identified to achieve them, are appropriate. However, the success criteria for measuring the impact of any actions on, for example, pupils’ attainment or the quality of teaching, are not clearly defined. Furthermore, a lack of systematic and rigorous procedures to check the effectiveness of any actions taken means that success is not being judged by measurable improvements.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The governing body undertakes its role satisfactorily. Governors are very committed and they now take a more active interest in teaching and the curriculum in order to inform themselves of the work of the school. This was a key area for improvement identified at the time of the last inspection and this has been addressed. Activities include receiving presentations and reports from individual staff, meetings with co-ordinators and visiting lessons. Governors’ committees meet regularly to receive reports on all the operational aspects of the school, including finance, health and safety, buildings, staffing and the curriculum. Whilst pleased with the work of the school, governors are aware that standards have fallen and that the school is working to try to address this. They are, however, unsure whether current standards should be better. Statutory requirements are in place, including those relating to the code of practice for children with special educational needs. The

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

only exception is the requirement to monitor pupils’ results by ethnicity. Given the range of ethnic groups in the school, this is an important omission and should be central to any evaluation of how well the school is serving all of its pupils and what else may need to be done to raise standards. St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 19 60. The school has effective financial management systems. The processes underpinning the strategic financial planning enable the school to utilise its available resources to meet most of the identified development priorities. Good use is made of external financial advisers in producing the annual budget. The budget for the current year projects a small deficit which has occurred as a result of recent unexpected cutbacks, but contingency funds have been allocated to ensure that the account will be in balance by the end of the academic year. The principles of best value are

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

applied satisfactorily. Good use is made of new technology to support school administration, maintain pupil records and to deliver the National Curriculum. Day-to-day administration is efficient and parents value the way in which the administrative staff respond and how they provide a warm welcome when they come into the school.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. There are a good number of teachers, but there have been a lot of recent changes. There is a mix of experienced and newly qualified teachers, and some overseas-trained teachers are employed on temporary contracts. There are effective induction programmes for new teachers and those on teacher-training placements, and good opportunities for staff training. There are a good number of well-trained support staff. They are satisfactorily deployed and support pupils well. The school employs a good number of lunchtime staff who ensure a high standard of care and supervision for pupils.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The accommodation is good and fully supports the delivery of the National Curriculum. School buildings are maintained and cleaned to a high standard. Displays celebrate pupils’ work and achievements, promote an interest in subjects, reflect cultural diversity and provide information about extra-curricular activities. There is a dedicated classroom for information and communication technology, two good library areas, one for younger and one for older pupils, and a number of rooms and areas for small group work and teaching. The school grounds are adequate in size and provide hard surfaced areas for a wide range of sports and leisure activities. There are secure outdoor facilities for children in the Nursery and Reception classes. There are no grassed playing areas within the school boundaries, but there are arrangements that give the school access to a grassed playing field off site.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The school is well resourced. There is also good provision of playground games and equipment available at lunchtimes. There is a wide range of computer software, although some of the programs do not run on the older, lower specification computers. There is a good stock of fiction and non-fiction books.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. Improvements since the last inspection have been satisfactory. However, the school needs to be more ambitious for itself, such that the leadership, pupil progress and teaching are better than satisfactory. Taking into account the satisfactory standards and pupil progress, the satisfactory leadership and management, teaching and learning, the good standards of care, the good provision for pupils’ personal development and pupils’ good attitudes and behaviour, the school provides satisfactory value for money, despite the fairly high unit costs per pupil.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

65. In order to make further improvements to the school and to raise standards, especially in English, art and design, design and technology, history and geography, the headteacher and governors should take steps to:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(i) Improve teaching and learning, particularly that in Years 3 to 6, by ensuring that:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• when planning and delivering their lessons, teachers consistently address the needs of pupils of different abilities; • pupils’ written work is marked regularly and to an at least satisfactory standard;

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

( See paragraphs, 23, 24, 25, 30, 31, 44, 45, 46, 84, 86, 89,97, 105, 116, 119 and 125)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(ii) Improve the curriculum provision in Years 1 to 6 by: St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 20 • providing more opportunities for pupils to develop their reading and writing skills as part of their work in other subjects, thereby reducing the amount of time spent on English; • ensuring that more time is given to teaching art and design, design and technology, history and geography; * • ensuring that when pupils are withdrawn from lessons for additional support that this is appropriate and that pupils do not miss out on the same subject each time.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

( See paragraphs 8, 25, 28, 32, 91, 108, 109, 111, 116, 122)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(iii) Improve the leadership and management of the school to ensure that:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• there are regular and rigorous procedures to monitor and evaluate the curriculum, teaching and learning, pupils’ standards and progress across all subjects;

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• teachers’ performance management is conducted properly and by an appropriate line manager;

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• test results of pupils from different ethnic backgrounds are analysed and their progress monitored to determine whether any groups underachieve and, if this is the case, take action to address any underachievement. *

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

( See paragraphs 28, 34, 54, 57, 58, 59, and 93, 106, 121, 126)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

*These weaknesses have been identified by the school, and there are plans to have improvements in place by the beginning of next term.

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition, the headteacher and governors may choose to include the following more minor matters:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• continue to work to improve the rate of attendance and punctuality; • ensure that pupils are appropriately dressed for physical education lessons, including removing jewellery. St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 21

p.22

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 28

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 27 220

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 6 44

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1 4

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 2 44

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 74

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 1

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 8

p.23

Attendance

School data 6.5 School data 1.2 St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 22 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.23

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 23

p.24

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 16 9 25

p.25

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.25

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

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

p.25

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

Percentage of pupils School 64 (83) 64 (83) 88 (97)

p.25

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

Percentage at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.25

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.25

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

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

p.25

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

Percentage of pupils School 68 (83) 76 (93) 76 (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.

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The number of boys and girls has not been included in the table above because in one

category the total is less than ten pupils.

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 13 17 30

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 8 7 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 13 14 15

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

Percentage of pupils School 70 (75) 70 (57) 87 (79) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 8 8 9 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 14 15 15

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

Percentage of pupils School 73 (75) 77 (75) 80 (89) St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 24 at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 25

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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 1 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 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 23 1 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – any other Black background 12 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.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8.7 Financial year 2002/2003

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 889,135

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 11 Total expenditure 901,135

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 137 Expenditure per pupil 4,096

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 2,000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year - 10,000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 27

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 60 St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 26 Number of pupils per FTE adult 9

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 7.4

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 6.4

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 1.0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 1.0

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 27

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 57 40 1 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 53 40 6 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 40 46 13 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 41 48 10 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 59 36 1 1 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 61 37 0 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 47 41 7 1 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 57 36 1 0 6

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 56 41 0 2 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 43 34 9 9 6 St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 28

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

66. The Nursery has 31 children, with 24 attending full time and 14 attend part time. Twenty-eight children are in the Reception class. About four in every ten children learn English as an additional language, including 11 children who are at the early stages of acquiring English. These children make good progress in English because they receive good teaching, both in class and in withdrawal groups, from the additional staff. Support for children who have special educational needs is also good. The school now has good procedures to identify the children’s needs early on and provide additional support. Two children in the Nursery are currently at the higher stages of the special needs code of practice and receive additional support, and one child in the Reception has a statement of special educational needs.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

67. Children make good progress in Nursery and Reception because the quality of teaching is consistently good, with some very good and excellent teaching seen in the Nursery. This represents very good improvement since the previous inspection when teaching in the Nursery was judged unsatisfactory. The overall provision in the Foundation Stage is good, with a very good range of stimulating activities in the Nursery. However, the outdoor area for the Reception class is not yet well developed so as to extend the curriculum and this hinders learning through first-hand experiences.

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Personal, social and emotional development

68. Children’s personal, social and emotional development is given a high priority and is promoted well. By the end of the reception year, most children are on course to attain the expected standards. In the Nursery, most children settle well and enjoy the nursery experiences. They quickly adapt to the routines of the day, make friends with other children and show confidence in the staff. They are encouraged to work co-operatively and take responsibility for themselves. Children are well motivated and apply themselves well to tasks, as, for example, when they made banana milkshakes and orange juice. They help to pass fruit around and show each other how to use the knife safely to cut the bananas and strawberries. They have good relationships and show good consideration for the needs of others. Children help each other to tidy up at the end of the activities.

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Personal, social and emotional development

69. Children are well behaved; they concentrate well and sit appropriately in school assemblies or during story times and singing sessions. They learn to share the equipment fairly and wait for their turn to use the computer, the climbing frame or have their turn in their role play areas of ‘the tube station’ and ‘the ambulance’. Children are independent in their personal hygiene and in putting on their own aprons and coats. They have a clear understanding of the difference between right and wrong. Children of all ethnic backgrounds play happily together.

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Personal, social and emotional development

70. In Reception classes, children respond well when they are introduced to a more formal structure during literacy and numeracy sessions. They are familiar with classroom routines, move sensibly to appropriate tasks and concentrate well. The overall quality of teaching and learning in this area is good. Children achieve well because they are constantly encouraged to develop high levels of independence. All adults provide good role models and there are good relationships between adults and children. Children are treated with courtesy and respect, and in turn learn to behave in the same way. Children are provided with a secure, caring environment where they flourish.

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Communication, language and literacy

71. Children’s achievement is good in this area of learning. By the end of the Reception year, most children will reach the expected levels and the more able children will exceed them. When St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 29 children enter the Nursery, their weakest skills are in speaking and in their knowledge of English vocabulary. However, they concentrate well and listen hard and make good progress. They enjoy listening to stories and join in with familiar words and phrases. Most children enjoy looking at books and the more able can sequence the story from the pictures but a few do not yet have the essential basic vocabulary to do so. Some higher attaining children are beginning to write their names.

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Communication, language and literacy

72. Children in the Reception class make good progress. Their letter and sound skills are well developed because of good emphasis in teaching. Most children handle books correctly and are beginning to use picture cues to tell a story. They can read some familiar words in a text and are beginning to use letter sounds to build unfamiliar words. They spell some three-letter words correctly. Higher attaining children have a good sight vocabulary for their age and their attainment exceeds the expected level. Most children are developing their writing skills well. They are able to construct a simple sentence and write some recognisable words to convey the intended meaning. Higher attaining children confidently attempt to spell longer words; a few are beginning to use full stops and capital letters. Their handwriting skills are good: they form letters correctly and are beginning to write neatly and legibly.

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Communication, language and literacy

73. The overall quality of teaching in this area is good. In the Nursery and Reception, children are given many opportunities to draw and learn to write. When considering the large number of children who speak English as an additional language, staff do not frequently enough ask children to repeat words and phrases to extend their vocabulary, nor do they always ask children to respond in full sentences. This sometimes hinders progress. Teaching in Reception successfully introduces the children to the literacy strategy and the systematic teaching of letter names and sounds of letters helps them with their reading and spelling. Children’s attainment is recorded and progress is tracked and targets are set for further development. Children regularly take books home to read and this supports their development in reading.

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Mathematical development

74. By the end of Reception year, children’s mathematical development is appropriate for their age and higher attaining children exceed the expected standard. Progress is good because of the good provision and teaching. In the Nursery, children match, sort and count using everyday objects. They learn to recognise numbers to 10. They have many opportunities to count as, for example, when they count the number of scoops of flour needed to make play-dough. They develop concepts such as more and less when they sing number rhymes such as ‘ten ladybirds’. Children in the Reception class have opportunities to take part in well-planned practical activities and recognise and write number symbols correctly and learn the value of numbers. Most children can count in 2’s to 20, and in 10’s to 100. Higher attaining children can add two numbers beyond 20 using objects to help them and learn to use the calculators to add larger numbers. They can

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Mathematical development

name simple two- and three-dimensional objects and learn some of their properties.

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Mathematical development

75. The quality of teaching and learning is good, with some very good lessons seen in both Nursery and Reception. In Reception by this time in the year, there is a whole-class numeracy session each day, where children continue to focus on counting and recognising numbers. Mathematics is also taught across the curriculum, as well as in specific lessons. Teachers have good subject knowledge and they plan very well, with clear learning objectives which they share with the children. In group work, children’s needs are addressed well. Children with below average attainment are well supported by teachers and support staff. Staff assess the children’s progress very well and use this to set targets for the next steps in learning.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

76. The provision for the development of children’s knowledge and understanding of the world is good and children make good progress. As a result, by the end of Reception year, most children will attain standards expected for their age and the higher attaining children will exceed them. In the Nursery, children learn the push and pull movements when they use wheeled toys. They learn about themselves and their families and draw and write about them. Experiences such as St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 30 observations of snails, noticing the effect of air coming out of balloons and changes taking place when they mix the ingredients to make play-dough, milkshakes and orange juice all make children’s learning very meaningful. When using the computer, children develop skills in manipulating the mouse so as to operate a program on the screen. They learn about a variety of materials when using construction toys, sand, water and play-dough.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

77. In the Reception class, children learn about the past when they compare themselves now with when they were babies. They learn about their locality through visits to the local shops. Children visit the nursery garden to collect mini-beasts, and they use magnifying mirrors to observe and learn about the body parts. During the inspection children each had their own caterpillars and were observing their growth. Some of these had changed into chrysalises. Experiences such as these stimulate children’s interest and learning particularly well and lead to children asking questions. Children use the information and communication technology suite to develop their skills in word processing. They are able to use the mouse and know some of the functions of the keys and can delete, highlight, change colour, write capital and lower-case letters and know how to move the cursor. They learn about faiths through the celebration of festivals such as Christmas,

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

Diwali, Hanukah and Chinese New Year. Overall, teaching and learning are good. Adults support children well in investigating their surroundings and encourage them to solve problems.

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Physical development

78. By the end of Reception year, the children’s physical development is appropriate for their age. There is good provision both indoors and outdoors for Nursery children to develop their physical skills. Children show good awareness of space and control when they use the climbing frame. They use the large apparatus to climb and balance and move with good control, co-ordination and enjoyment as, for example, when they walked across benches and went through the tunnel. They use wheeled toys and explore space imaginatively. Reception children have opportunities to improve their skills in running, jumping and climbing. In one lesson in the playground, children were exploring ways of running, jumping and hopping. Most children handle pencils, brushes, glue spreaders, craft tools, puzzles and construction kits appropriately. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is good. The children are given regular access to well organised activities to further

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Physical development

develop the skills gained in the nursery.

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Creative development

79. Children are offered a wide range of opportunities that stimulate their imagination and this enables them to make good progress. Their attainment by the end of Reception year is as expected for their age. In the role-play areas, children have opportunities to dress up and use appropriate instruments when they pretend to treat their sick friends. They used their ambulance to take them to the hospital. They wrote signs and painted pictures for their ‘tube station’. Children use pencils, felt pens, crayons and paints confidently to present their ideas through drawing, painting, printing and modelling. They experiment with a range of art materials and techniques when they print, make collages and make three-dimensional models of vehicles. In whole-class sessions, Reception children play percussion instruments, sing songs and action rhymes supported by the music specialist and the teaching staff. Children’s knowledge of a range of nursery and action

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Creative development

rhymes is good. In one lesson, reception children sang in tune, keeping the fast and slow rhythm and had good recall memory of the words of the song. The overall quality of teaching and learning is good. Children are given good opportunities to experiment with materials and to make their own creative responses. The music specialist skilfully teaches the rhythm, and words of the songs and involves all children in singing.

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ENGLISH

80. At the time of the last inspection, English standards for seven-year-olds were in line with national expectations and at age 11 were above national expectations. Overall standards have fallen since that time. In the current Year 2 class, pupils’ attainment is below national expectations and at age 11 it is in line with national expectations. St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 31 81. Standards in the current Year 2 class are nevertheless better than the test results achieved by the pupils in Year 2 last year. In the recent reading and writing national tests, more pupils attained the higher category of Level 2 (Level 2A) than was the case last year. Two pupils also attained the higher Level 3 in the writing tests, which is a significant improvement since no child achieved Level 3 in the writing tests in the four preceding years. The below average attainment level of a relatively high proportion of lower attaining pupils, including some pupils with special educational needs,

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ENGLISH

depresses overall standards in English in Year 2. Scrutiny of pupils’ past work and evidence from hearing pupils read shows that pupils of all prior attainments have made good progress in English during the current year.

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ENGLISH

82. By the end of the year, higher and average attaining seven year olds can write independently at some length and for a range of purposes. Spelling is satisfactory. Most pupils use capital letters and full stops correctly and write neatly. Some pupils have developed a well-formed style of joined handwriting. Lower attaining pupils have also made good progress in writing. At the beginning of the year pupils had limited skills to write unaided but their confidence and the quality of their work have improved well.

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ENGLISH

83. Pupils in Year 2 have made good progress in reading. Higher attaining pupils can accurately read a fairly complex, previously unseen text with good understanding. Pupils use their good knowledge of phonics to help them to decode unfamiliar words such as “applied” and “reception.” Average attaining pupils read with a fair degree of accuracy but still rely on adult support when encountering difficulties or new words. Some lower attaining pupils are still at the very early stages of learning to read and rely on memorising all of the words in the book. When they encounter unknown words they tend to guess and need guiding and prompting to look at the initial letter and sound it out.

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ENGLISH

84. In the current Year 6 class most pupils attain standards in writing that are in line with national expectations and about a quarter of pupils are working at the higher level, Level 5. Average and higher attaining pupils can write independently and at length. Writing captures the interest of the reader because words are well chosen for effect and pupils use a good range of vocabulary. Pupils’ writing also shows individuality in style, as seen, for example, in pupils’ autobiographies and poems. Spelling is not always accurate. Where spelling mistakes are made, these are not often highlighted in marking so that improvements throughout the year are limited. Lower attaining pupils including some pupils with special educational needs and a small minority of pupils, still acquiring competency in English, attain standards that are below national expectations in writing. Their work is usually, but not always, demarcated with capital letters and full stops. The content of written

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ENGLISH

work is weaker than that of other pupils and the choice of vocabulary more limited. Nevertheless, pupils’ writing has a sound structure and ideas are followed through in a logical sequence. Pupils in Year 6 make satisfactory progress in writing. Very good attention is given to studying a wide range of techniques and writing in different styles and for different purposes and to teaching pupils a range of literary techniques in the literacy hour. However, little attention is given to checking pupils’ work. As a result pupils have too little feedback so that some continue to make the same spelling and grammatical mistakes or those relating to punctuation. Presentation and handwriting are satisfactory.

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ENGLISH

85. Standards in reading at age 11 are in line with national expectations. Higher attaining pupils read complex books very well and with very good expression, for example, by changing the tone of voice to match the different characters speaking. Comprehension of texts is very good and pupils are able to talk about the plot and characters at length. Average attaining pupils also read with fluency and expression. Lower attaining pupils read confidently from books that match their current levels of attainment, and are confident to talk about the story and characters. When encountering unknown words, however, pupils’ reading becomes rather more hesitant. Although all pupils have reading journals, adults who hear pupils read do not very often fill these in. When entries are made, these include encouraging remarks, but lower attaining pupils and those supporting them need more guidance on the nature of pupils’ difficulties and how to support them to improve. Pupils

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ENGLISH

of all prior attainment levels know how to use a library to locate information. St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 32 86. Pupils throughout the rest of the school make satisfactory progress in English. Overall standards do vary from one class to another, depending on the class composition and the number of pupils who have special needs. The overall standard of writing in the current Year 3 class, however, is particularly low. There has been a recent whole-school focus on improving pupils’ writing skills. This has been successful in ensuring that pupils have more frequent opportunities to write, including some opportunities to write at length. Through the literacy hour pupils are taught well the principles and techniques of good writing. The impact of this, however, is weakened in a number of classes in Years 3 to 6 because pupils’ work is infrequently marked. When it is marked, marking

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ENGLISH

is too often limited to ticks, the teacher’s signature or a comment about the content of writing. Mistakes in punctuation and spelling are rarely highlighted. Pupils then have limited opportunities to correct their mistakes and so learn in this way.

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ENGLISH

87. Pupils make sound progress in reading during their time at the school. Currently, progress in Year 1 and 2 is good and is better than that in Year 3 to 6 where progress is satisfactory. This is in part because pupils are heard read more regularly and because lower attaining pupils receive relatively more additional support than pupils higher up the school. Staffing has been more stable in Years 1 and 2 than it has been higher up the school. In some of the literacy lessons seen in Years 3 to 6 there were also missed opportunities for all pupils to practise reading aloud. This would have supported lower attaining pupils in particular to improve their skills. Children throughout the school are generally well supported with reading at home. Many who were heard read say they enjoy reading, regularly read at home and get help from their parents and other family members.

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ENGLISH

88. Standards in speaking and listening are in line with national expectations at age seven and 11 and throughout the school. In the current Year 6 class, pupils’ skills are good: a fair proportion of pupils are very articulate and pupils of all prior attainment levels are confident to discuss their work and express their ideas and opinions. The school promotes pupils’ skills by providing sound opportunities for pupils to share their ideas in lessons, as well as pupils taking part in regular class assemblies and school productions. In some lessons seen during the inspection, however, there were some pupils who spoke very quietly when asking and answering questions. Teachers need to encourage pupils to speak up so that all pupils can hear them and also to encourage more pupils to volunteer to speak out and express opinions.

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ENGLISH

89. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall, with some good features. Teaching in the lessons seen ranged from unsatisfactory to good. Strengths include most teachers’ good knowledge of the subject and of the National Literacy Strategy. The school has worked hard to support those teachers new to the school. Basic skills are generally taught well and teachers choose interesting texts and poems to interest pupils. In almost all lessons seen pupils were well managed. There is some good questioning. Homework is regularly set and provides appropriate opportunities for pupils to practise what has been learnt in lessons. There are some important weaknesses in the teaching. Firstly, in the literacy hour too little attention is given to setting work that matches the needs of pupils of different prior attainment levels: frequently all pupils are set the same tasks to do. This does not challenge highest attaining pupils and lower attaining pupils then rely on adult

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ENGLISH

support to do the same work as everyone else, rather than being provided with specific work and input to address their immediate learning needs. In this regard, teaching assistants could also be sometimes better used to have an impact on pupils’ learning. The quality of marking is unsatisfactory in Years 3 to 6 because it does not do enough to guide all pupils as to how they might improve, nor inform teachers about whether pupils are actually learning what they are teaching. Given the very wide range of pupil attainment that is evident across most classes, these are two particularly important aspects of the teaching. Improving them is central to the school’s ability to effect improvements and kerb the overall decline in English standards.

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ENGLISH

90. Pupils’ response in the lessons seen varied considerably. In one lesson in Year 3, for example, pupils’ attitudes, concentration and behaviour were very good. Conversely, in a lesson in Year 5, pupils’ behaviour was poor; a number of pupils were rude, unco-operative and disruptive so that little was achieved. Evidence from pupils’ written work indicates that most pupils throughout the school, however, try hard to improve. Relationships are good. Boys and girls and pupils of different ability and from different ethnic backgrounds usually work very well together in paired or group activities. St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 33 91. The school follows the National Literacy Strategy and some appropriate adjustments have been made to it. This provides a broad curriculum that also makes a positive contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Currently too much time is spent on teaching

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ENGLISH

English, which results in less time being available for other subjects. There are some, but as yet too few opportunities for pupils to read and write independently as part of their work in other subjects. Pupils’ skills in using ICT are being used appropriately as part of their work in English, with some examples of pupils’ work being word-processed. Resources for teaching English are very good. There are good procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress. These include termly assessments of writing, which is levelled according to National Curriculum criteria. Teachers in general could sometimes make better use of this information when planning work for pupils of different abilities. Teachers do, however, use assessment information well to group pupils and to allocate extra adult support. The analysis of national test results also helps the school to plan future developments in the subject, but the school also needs to be more proactive so that it

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ENGLISH

can intervene more quickly to change the outcomes, rather than using the analysis to explain differences in pupils’ results from one year to the next.

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ENGLISH

92. The co-ordinator’s leadership and management of the subject are good overall. She is very well informed about the subject and therefore is able to provide good advice and support. She monitors teachers’ planning to ensure agreed procedures are being implemented. Some teaching has been monitored, although in the current year, monitoring and support have focused on new teachers to the school so that weaknesses in teaching evident elsewhere have not been picked up. Areas needing further development are identified and these are based on pupils’ end of year assessments and national priorities. A more regular programme of rigorous and critical analysis of teaching, and its impact on pupils’ learning, standards and progress is essential if the school is to raise standards further.

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MATHEMATICS

93. Standards in mathematics as seen during the inspection were just below national expectations for seven-year-olds and in line with national expectations for 11-year-olds. Higher attaining pupils in Year 6 work confidently at above expected levels. These standards reflect the 2003 provisional results in National Curriculum tests for seven-year-olds and predicted results for 11-year-olds. This is an improvement upon National Curriculum test results for the previous summer. Although test results at age 11 were fairly low in 2002, pupil performance data for previous years indicates pupils’ overall progress was nevertheless satisfactory. Current progress is at least satisfactory and sometimes better for the current seven-year-olds, given that inspectors’ analysis of the data for this particular group of pupils shows that their attainment on entry to Year 1 was below that expected.

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MATHEMATICS

94. Although girls achieved better than boys in national tests in summer 2002, no significant differences were observed in the performance of girls and boys during the inspection. The Year 6 class has very few girls but they contributed and worked well in the lesson observed. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress. This is because of the good support they receive from teaching assistants and other adults in lessons. Teachers do not provide specific materials for pupils with English as an additional language, but no major difficulties for these pupils were observed in lessons. The performance and progress of different ethnic groups are not yet monitored, but grouping arrangements in classes indicate no significant differences in the standards achieved by different ethnic groups.

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MATHEMATICS

95. By the age of seven, most pupils can sequence numbers up to 100, add and subtract numbers up to 10 and know the names of simple shapes. They are beginning to be familiar with the number facts in the 2,3,5 and 10 times tables. However, the higher attainers are not yet secure in the quick recall of these tables, which one might expect. By the age of 11, most pupils have good strategies to undertake long multiplication, can read scales accurately and find the area and perimeter of rectangles. Their understanding of decimal numbers is secure but they are less confident when working with percentages. Lower attaining pupils have difficulties with simple fractional equivalents. Year 5 pupils read and write numbers up to 100,000 with growing St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 34 confidence. Progress in Years 3 and 4 has not been as good as that in Years 5 and 6 because of changes in staff.

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MATHEMATICS

96. No unsatisfactory lessons were observed during the inspection and the lessons seen ranged from satisfactory to good. Teaching and learning overall are satisfactory, with a number of good features. A strength of the teaching is the rigorous implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy which ensures pupils receive a balanced and appropriately sequenced range of work. Clear explanations of new work, good questioning and sound attention to the use of technical terms support pupils’ understanding. However, opportunities for pupils to write about what they have discovered in investigational work could be extended further. The school has a good range of practical resources, including computer software for mathematics. Teachers use practical resources well and in Years 3 to 6, developing use of the interactive whiteboards stimulates pupils’ learning and helps lessons to move at a good pace. Little evidence was seen of the use of

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MATHEMATICS

mathematics software during the inspection, but Year 6 pupils have learnt how to write a formula to change the data in cells on a spreadsheet in their information and communication technology lessons. Electronic calculators are used appropriately.

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MATHEMATICS

97. Introductory sessions to lessons briskly check and develop pupils’ ability to calculate mentally. For example, in Year 2 pupils learn how to take away nine or 11 from a two-digit number with the help of a 100 square. In Year 6 they count up to 90 in threes and back in fives to the fast rhythmic clicking of the teacher’s fingers in preparation for an investigation requiring the use of number facts in the three and five times tables. The range of calculation strategies introduced is good and pupils’ ability to calculate mentally is much improved since the last inspection, when weaknesses were highlighted. The management of pupils’ behaviour is good in most lessons. Teachers praise good behaviour and work and this encourages pupils to work hard and hence make progress. Relationships are good and pupils of different ethnic groups work well together in paired or group activities. Occasionally in lessons pupils become a little restless when the teacher talks for too

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MATHEMATICS

long at a time. In some lessons this also results in pupils having insufficient time to complete enough work and consolidate new ideas through written practice. Homework is regularly set and provides appropriate opportunities for pupils to practise what has been learnt in lessons.

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MATHEMATICS

98. Whilst in some lessons teachers provide different activities to suit different groups of pupils’ learning needs, scrutiny of pupils’ books over time shows too often the same task is set to all pupils in the class. Examples were seen of lower attaining pupils completing very little of a worksheet and higher attainers being clearly successful and capable of a harder task. Teachers have good information on the levels at which pupils are working and the standard they should achieve, but do not use this sufficiently when planning lessons. Teachers keep good records of pupils’ progress in each of the National Numeracy Strategy’s units of work, but their marking of pupils’ books is very variable and is overall unsatisfactory. Good practice was seen in Years 1 and 2 where written comments on pupils’ work indicate whether they did the work on their own, needed help or had a specific difficulty. For older pupils too much work was unmarked either by the

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MATHEMATICS

teacher or by the pupils themselves. Some unmarked work was incorrect and therefore it is unclear whether pupils know that they have made a mistake and how not to make that mistake in the future. This weakness also clearly indicates a lack of monitoring either by the co-ordinator or the headteacher.

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MATHEMATICS

99. Mathematics is well managed. The co-ordinator, with the support of the LEA numeracy consultant, analysed summer 2002 National Curriculum test results and identified areas of the curriculum where teaching needed to improve. This has appropriately informed work this year in order to raise standards. The co-ordinator has supported new teachers well through joint planning, classroom observations and demonstration lessons. Although standards are not as good as they were at the time of the last inspection, this may be explained by differences in the ability of individual year groups. The co-ordinator has already identified marking and better planning for individual needs as areas for development. Attention to these aspects of the subject’s work would raise standards further. Given the improvement in the teaching of mental calculation skills since the last inspection and the sound introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy, improvement is

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MATHEMATICS

judged satisfactory. St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 35

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SCIENCE

100. By the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment in science is close to nationally expected levels. This is lower than reported at the last inspection. Pupils draw and label pictures to describe the life cycle of a butterfly. They can conduct experiments such as to find the strength of different bags that they made, and have a sound understanding of what makes a fair test. Pupils record their results in various ways including compiling block graphs. They can identify a range of common materials and describe their differences. They have a basic knowledge of circuits and the effect of conductors and insulators. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment is above national expectations. This is a similar judgment to that at the time of the last inspection. Pupils have a good understanding of how to conduct a fair test, and use correct vocabulary when explaining, for example, the need to only change one variable. They know what a plant needs to grow, and can

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SCIENCE

name the major organs of the body, describing their function. They understand what forces are, including wind and gravity, and they know about light sources and what causes shadows.

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SCIENCE

101. Evidence shows that most groups of pupils are making satisfactory progress throughout the school. This is less so in Year 3 where a lack of stability in staffing has led to patchy coverage and some disruption to pupils’ learning. Pupils are interested in, and excited about, the work they do. Pupils with special educational needs are given extra support where necessary, especially the younger pupils with their reading and recording. Pupils with English as an additional language are helped if they have any problems. This enables them to take part in all activities. These and all other groups of pupils, including those from different ethnic backgrounds, are given full access to all science work. Good attention is paid to investigative work throughout the school. However, the older pupils do not always have sufficient opportunities to decide what to do, the form of evidence needed, and the type of equipment or materials required. Too much of this is done by the teacher

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SCIENCE

102. Pupils sometimes use their literacy skills when predicting and recording their findings, and use their numeracy skills when measuring, analysing data, and recording on charts and graphs. Whilst some use is made of information and communication technology for data handling and an on- screen microscope, its use for supporting learning generally in science is underdeveloped.

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SCIENCE

103. Science teaching in Years 1 and 2 is good, and in Years 3 to 6 it is satisfactory. These judgments take account of both observed teaching and evidence from scrutiny of pupils’ work. Whilst no unsatisfactory lessons were observed, there were considerable strengths in teaching but also some areas that need improvement. The particular strengths noted were:

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SCIENCE

• clear learning objectives made known to pupils at the start of the lesson, and often written in their science books; • teachers’ good knowledge and understanding of the subject, enabling them to give clear explanations and demonstrations, with good emphasis on key words, so that pupils are able to understand the concepts; • effective questioning to challenge pupils’ thinking; • giving pupils ‘hands on’ experiences to promote understanding; • pupils being well managed and well motivated, with high expectations of work and behaviour; • good relationships with a positive working atmosphere where pupils want to learn; • good use of partner and group discussion, enabling all pupils to share their ideas; • good support from the class teacher and the learning support assistant, enabling all pupils to be included in the lesson; • there are some good links with numeracy in experimental work.

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SCIENCE

104. Where these strengths are evident, pupils work with great interest and enthusiasm, and make good, and sometimes very good progress. For example, in a Year 6 lesson, pupils were all totally involved with experiments on floating and sinking. All were challenged and they made very good progress. Pupils usually present their work carefully and neatly. St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 36 105. Scrutiny of pupils’ books in Years 3 to 6 also led to some concerns about the teaching. In particular:

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SCIENCE

• too often, pupils’ work is not marked, so pupils and teachers do not know how well pupils have done or how they need to improve; • marking is not always accurate, with incorrect facts being ticked as correct; • an over-use of worksheets, particularly for older pupils, therefore missing opportunities to develop and apply pupils’ literacy skills; • the same work being copied by the whole class, meaning that not all pupils are challenged appropriately.

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SCIENCE

106. The science policy has been updated and all pupils are following a recognized scheme of work. Good work has been done by the co-ordinator and borough advisors on a Science Teaching Project, which is building on teaching strengths. Use of science students is raising the profile of science in the school. Target setting is a positive improvement, but targets have to be both accurate and challenging. In one class, for example, for over half of the pupils, targets for July 2003 were no higher than achieved levels in July 2002. The co-ordinator has a good knowledge and understanding of the subject, and has a clear vision of what needs to be done. In order for this to be effective, their needs to be much more regular and rigorous monitoring of teaching and learning at all levels, including planning, scrutiny of work and lesson observations.

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ART AND DESIGN

107. Standards for seven-year-olds are at the level expected nationally for their age. They have an appropriate range of experiences and their work shows care and good observation. For example in Year 2, pupils produced accurate pencil drawings of seeds following their study in science. These were then translated into paintings that illustrated pupils’ ability to mix and match colour successfully. Observational drawings of local churches show appropriate developing skills in the use of pencil to create line and tone. Year 1 pupils confidently and skilfully select, cut and glue materials when using natural objects from the environment to make their own sculptures. Progress for pupils in Years 1 and 2 is judged satisfactory.

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ART AND DESIGN

108. Standards for 11-year-olds are more difficult to judge, because of the limited range of work available. Display and current work in Year 6 show little progression in drawing skills and these are not significantly better than those seen for pupils in Year 4. Year 6 pupils also do not use sketchbooks routinely as a basis for creative work and to plan and develop their ideas. A display on the legend of the Blue Willow pattern, however, has some attractive artwork that shows good attention to detail. Self-portraits by Year 4 show a good understanding of the proportions of the face and clever use of colour. They are recognisable. However, little work other than drawing, painting and some paper collage is evident and, with insufficient time allocated to art, skills have not been as well developed as they could be for pupils in Years 3 to 6. Pupils’ progress is therefore judged unsatisfactory.

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ART AND DESIGN

109. Only two lessons were seen during the inspection. In one lesson teaching and learning were good and in the other satisfactory but with some good features. Particular strengths were the good skills of the teachers and the use of practical resources. Teachers encourage pupils and make the lessons interesting and fun. As a result pupils work well and refine their skills. Teaching assistants were not present in art lessons during the inspection. This would have been helpful in one lesson observed, where a few pupils would have benefited from some practical help. With other evidence available, teaching is judged satisfactory for pupils in Years 1 and 2 but there is insufficient evidence to make a judgement about teaching overall in Years 3 to 6. Pupils enjoy art but it is unfortunate that pupils with English as an additional language were withdrawn from part of an art lesson during the inspection for extra language support. An opportunity to develop their

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ART AND DESIGN

language skills within the art lesson was missed. Whilst some good teaching develops pupils’ speaking and listening skills and the correct use of technical language, no written evaluations of pupils’ completed work were see. Assessment in art is in its early stages of development. St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 37 110. Currently there is no co-ordinator for art and responsibility is shared amongst the senior management team. They have recognised insufficient attention has been given to art and have introduced an art activity week each term that provides some, but not enough opportunities for pupils to work intensively at a topic and produce completed work. Year 5 studied the work of Aboriginal artists and produced their own representational art showing good use of colour and texture. Documentation and some display work indicate some attention to the study of the work of recognised artists, but generally work in art does not make a significant contribution to pupils’

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ART AND DESIGN

cultural or spiritual development. Information and communication technology lessons introduce pupils to paint and draw programs, but the use of computer software and the digital camera in art is underdeveloped. There has been no significant improvement in standards in art since the last inspection and three-dimensional work is still a weakness.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

111. At the time of the last inspection standards in design and technology were below national expectations at age seven and 11. There has been some improvement to standards at age seven, which are now broadly in line with national expectations, but the standard of work seen at age eleven is below national expectations. Insufficient time is given to teaching the subject, to ensure that pupils throughout the school cover the programmes of study in sufficient depth.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

112. There were few finished items or photographic evidence available for inspectors to examine during the inspection period. Available evidence shows that pupils in Years 1 and 2 have designed and made pop-up cards, boats and bridges. They have investigated how wheeled vehicles are constructed. Pupils in Year 2 went to the local authority design and technology centre, The Making Place. There they used different materials to make cars, which they later evaluated, in simple terms.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

113. Pupils in Years 4 and 5 have designed chairs, made money holders and designed and made the setting for inside a Tudor house. Discussions with pupils and staff show that as part of their residential trip and a visit to the Making Place, pupils in Year 6 used a range of materials to build different types of shelters but there were no examples of this work or photographs for inspectors to examine and make a judgement on. Pupils in Year 6 have also made a balloon powered vehicle. The work that is available in Years 4 to 6 shows little evidence of individual design or finish, nor of pupils’ plans and evaluations. There was no available evidence of any past work in Year 3 where the current class teacher is very new to the school.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

114. Design and technology was not taught in any class during the inspection period so it is not possible to comment on the overall quality of teaching. The evidence that is available from pupils’ past work nevertheless indicates that in Years 3 to 6 teachers would benefit from more guidance and training. More attention needs to be given to the progressive development of pupils’ skills and to the design, plan, make and evaluate process.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

115. Teachers in each class are basing their work on national guidance. Some classes have also benefited from visits to the local authority design and technology centre, or from short projects run by visiting teachers. Work in design and technology currently provides few opportunities to incorporate pupils’ skills in literacy, numeracy and ICT. There is much that still needs to be done to develop work in the subject. The lack of a designated co-ordinator means that the subject is not being developed and pupils’ work and progress are not being checked, which is unsatisfactory.

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GEOGRAPHY

116. Only one geography lesson was seen during the inspection, in a Year 2 class. Further evidence was gained from a scrutiny of work sampled in each class and work displayed in classrooms and corridors. Discussions were also held with teachers and with pupils in Years 3 to 6 classes. Standards by the age of seven and 11 are broadly in line with those expected nationally. Discussions with pupils show they know more than the amount written would suggest. As such standards are similar to those found at the last inspection. Currently, however, the geography St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 38 topics are not taught in any depth as insufficient time is given to the subject. The co-ordinator is aware of this and is trying to highlight the subject as a focus for whole-school development. Pupils’ overall progress over time is just satisfactory. Pupils with special educational needs and

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GEOGRAPHY

those who speak English as an additional language make satisfactory progress, similar to that of other pupils.

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GEOGRAPHY

117. By the age of seven, pupils can suggest simple ways in which their school environment might be improved. They are aware of different localities such as the countryside and seaside. Photographs of locations enhance pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the physical characteristics of these places. Pupils express their preferences for where they would like to go on holidays and talk about the weather in simple terms. In one Year 2 lesson, pupils showed good knowledge and understanding of different countries they had visited for their holidays or the countries where their parents were born. They know some important features of these localities. For example, they know where Brittany is and that it is a seaside resort through the study of ‘Barnaby Bear goes for a holiday’.

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GEOGRAPHY

118. By age 11, pupils can recall some facts about the river studies that they have undertaken and discuss the physical characteristics of mountains such as Alps and Himalayas. However, pupils’ geographical vocabulary is not well developed. For example they could not explain words such as ‘erosion’, ‘deposition’ or ‘tributary’. Pupils have a secure understanding of issues related to the local environment, for example how development of roads and industry can damage the environment. However, their knowledge of map reading, directions and location of the main cities and countries of the world is less secure. An over reliance on worksheets does not give pupils opportunities to write independently about what they have learned and this also does not promote or utilise their literacy skills. This is also not helpful when assessing pupils’ progress or when trying to determine how to improve standards further. In Year 5, pupils have good opportunities to

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GEOGRAPHY

study geography when they go on residential visit to Sayers’ Croft and their work indicates that pupils are able to attain above average standards when given opportunities to do so. Through these activities they develop their mapping skills, find out about the local area and study the physical and human characteristics of the place, including a river study.

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GEOGRAPHY

119. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. In the one lesson seen during the inspection, teaching was very good. The lesson was well planned. The story of Barnaby Bear was read well, and very good questioning ensured that learning was checked and led pupils to think through and link teaching to their personal experiences of different countries. Teaching promoted positive relationships and good management of behaviour. Pupils with special needs were supported well through use of pictures and the ‘Big Book’. Teachers do not consistently mark pupils’ work and even at its best, marking lacks sufficient detail to ensure that pupils strive to achieve the highest standards.

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GEOGRAPHY

120. Visits to places such as the River Thames, around the local area and a residential visit are used to extend pupils’ learning. Work in geography makes a positive contribution to pupils’ cultural development. Opportunities to work in pairs and groups support their social development well. Pupils’ moral development is extended as, for example, when Year 6 pupils investigated and concluded that there is a need to re-use and recycle resources. Pupils use the Internet to access relevant information; this improves their ICT skills. There are some limited links with numeracy when pupils collect and present information in graphs. Systems for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are satisfactory.

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GEOGRAPHY

121. The co-ordinator has not analysed pupils’ work to ascertain standards nor has she or anyone else observed any teaching and learning in lessons. Consequently, the school is not identifying weaknesses so as to improve standards further.

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HISTORY

122. Pupils’ attainment is in line with national expectations at ages seven and 11. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and those who learn English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress. Boys and girls of all ethnic backgrounds make similar progress. The St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 39 school has not maintained the above average standards at age 11 that were seen at the time of the last inspection. This is in part because insufficient time is given to the subject and pupils are not given opportunities to study different periods of history in sufficient depth.

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HISTORY

123. By age seven, pupils have a secure knowledge and understanding of the Victorian period. They understand the importance of famous people from the past such as Florence Nightingale. They know that she was a nurse and that she helped soldiers in many ways during the Crimean war. They are confident in using simple historical terminology such as ‘past’ and ‘present’ and identify changes that have taken place over time in, for example, the type of holidays people take. They use photographs as a source of evidence from which to draw conclusions. In Year 2, pupils with adult support use the Internet to find information about the topics being studied.

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HISTORY

124. By the age of 11 most pupils have some knowledge of a range of historical periods, such as those of the Victorians, Tudors, Vikings and of the Ancient Greeks. They study the life of people during the Second World War, and show empathy when they write about life in the trenches. In a lesson in Year 6 pupils were learning about the hard life of poor children in the Victorian times. They used video footage effectively to extract information. However, opportunities to engage in research and write about their learning in their own way was not provided. Work scrutiny shows that there is an over-use of worksheets and pupils have not been given opportunities to write independently accounts of what they have learned. Pupils’ understanding of the different ways in which past can be represented is not well developed.

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HISTORY

125. The quality of teaching and learning over time is satisfactory. The quality of teaching seen in lessons during the inspection was good in two lessons and satisfactory in one lesson. Teachers planned their lessons well and have secure subject knowledge. They share the lesson objectives with pupils so they know what they are meant to learn and this gives the pupils some knowledge of their own learning. Effective questioning in Year 6 about why children had to work in the mines and why this was wrong, led to good discussions on the life conditions of poor children and the need for legislation. In lessons seen teachers had high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and pupils responded positively to this. Good use of visits and visitors supports pupils’ learning, particularly those who have special educational needs or learn English as an additional language. Teachers often do not mark pupils’ books well enough and when they do it is limited to ticks and

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HISTORY

does not necessarily provide constructive comments about how to improve.

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HISTORY

126. The subject makes a positive contribution to pupils’ cultural, moral and spiritual development. Pupils are given opportunities to discuss work in pairs and groups and this supports pupils’ social development. The school celebrates Black History Month and this raises pupils’ awareness and self-esteem and contributes to pupils’ understanding of different cultural traditions.

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HISTORY

127. The co-ordinator provides satisfactory leadership and manages the subject effectively. She is aware that topics are not taught in sufficient depth and is planning to address this weakness. Book resources and artefacts are sufficient. Some use is made of ICT such as video footage, the Internet and CD-Roms, for gathering information. Some limited use is made of numeracy skills when pupils learn dates and write timelines for the events in any particular period. There are satisfactory procedures for assessing pupils’ progress. There is currently not enough checking of teaching and learning and pupils’ work in order that any weaknesses might be identified and rectified.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

128. Standards for both seven-year-olds and 11-year-olds are in line with those expected nationally. This is a similar picture to that at the time of the last inspection. Pupils make satisfactory progress throughout the school because of regular ICT lessons and an appropriate scheme of work. Teaching arrangements effectively support pupils with special educational needs, who make good progress. Pupils work well together in pairs at the computer. These self-chosen pairs are ethnically mixed though very rarely do boys and girls choose to work together. Pupils with English as an additional language make sound progress within these arrangements. Pupils are enthusiastic and enjoy their information and communication technology lessons. St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 40 129. By the age of seven pupils are confident users of computers and other technological equipment such as calculators. They are familiar with the keyboard and can retrieve and save their work in

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

their own individual folders on the computer network. They word process simple text and are beginning to correct their mistakes when writing stories. They can change the size of text and use different fonts. They programme Roamers (electronic toys) and create pictures using ‘paint and draw’ facilities. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 use computers in an appropriate range of contexts. By the age of 11, pupils word process with confidence and have had experience of control technology, setting up a data base, printing graphs and tables to illustrate information, importing text and images for a presentation and using a spread sheet. Scrutiny of work shows appropriate and satisfactory skills. In Year 6 the higher attaining and average ability pupils can use formulae to manipulate information in a spreadsheet. Currently Year 6 pupils are using Powerpoint to create multi-media presentations.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

130. Teaching is satisfactory overall and during the inspection a number of good teaching approaches were observed. In Year 2 the teacher effectively illustrated the use of a binary tree to classify and sort animals with toy animals on the mat before pupils attempted to do this for themselves on the computer. Good questioning helped pupils to understand how to phrase questions to get a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. Additionally it supported the development of their speaking and listening skills. As a result pupils made a good attempt at a demanding task. Teachers’ subject knowledge is sound and all teachers are beginning to use the recently purchased interactive whiteboards (the small computer screen is projected onto a large screen that can easily be seen by all pupils and by using a pointer the mouse can be controlled on the screen) with confidence. Teachers demonstrate clearly how to use new programs. They use pupils effectively to show others how to

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

create a particular effect when producing a presentation using text and images or to undertake a specific task. On occasions the pupils show good recall of quite complex technical details and “help the teacher out”. All this leads to sound progress when pupils work individually or in pairs as they feel confident about the task they have to do. Lessons are well organised and managed but sometimes the time for pupils to work at computers on their own is too short because the teacher’s introductory session is too long. This results in some unfinished work. Pupils’ work is stored on the network and provides some evidence of what pupils can do. However, detailed records to inform teaching are in the early stages of development.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

131. The school is developing an appropriate range of software on its network to support work in most curriculum subjects. Currently the range is good for mathematics. In geography lessons pupils use the Internet to search for information on the weather, and in history lessons information about the Victorians. In French Year 6 pupils use desktop publishing to produce posters. In science Year 5 pupils were introduced to suitable web sites to research information when investigating the orbits of the moon and earth. Because of technical problems, the use of e-mail is underdeveloped. Currently there is no information and communication technology co-ordinator and as a result the use of sensors for data logging and the digital camera for importing pictures into text is not as strong as it could be. The interactive whiteboards in Year 3 to Year 6 classrooms are used effectively to support the presentation of lessons across the curriculum and to access Internet

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

information to support whole-class discussion.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

132. The school has managed information and communication technology well on a day-to-day basis since the previous co-ordinator left in the Autumn term. The good support he gave teachers and teachers’ sound training through the national programme ensure pupils continue to develop their information and communication technology skills. One of the school’s teaching assistants has effectively managed the network, updated software and provided teachers with any information that they need. A full-time co-ordinator is needed, however, to raise standards further and to help teachers develop fully the use of equipment such as the interactive whiteboards, the digital camera and sensors for data logging. This would raise standards further. The school has an adequate number of computers and although there is a need to upgrade them, this is not yet significantly affecting pupils’ learning in information and communication technology. Overall, improvement

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

since the last inspection has been satisfactory. St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 41

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES: FRENCH

133. There is no statutory requirement to teach French to pupils of primary school age, but the school chooses to do so to enable pupils to:

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES: FRENCH

• understand the culture and way of life of the country nearest to the UK; • develop a language awareness; • develop speaking and listening skills.

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES: FRENCH

134. It is successful in all these areas, and pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 2 and the end of Year 6 is above that usually found. Pupils in Year 2 can chant and sing a variety of raps and songs covering various topics, such as days of the week, counting and parts of the body. By the end of Year 6, these have developed their conversation to include things such as what they like and dislike, and a dialogue in a café.

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES: FRENCH

135. All pupils throughout the school, that is boys and girls, pupils with special educational needs, pupils with English as an additional language, and pupils from different ethnic backgrounds, enthusiastically join in with all these activities. They thoroughly enjoy this approach to learning, and make good, and sometimes very good progress in lessons.

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES: FRENCH

136. Teaching in lessons observed was mostly very good. The specialist teacher has an excellent command of the language, and is a very good role model for the pupils to copy. Her enthusiasm is infectious! She has a good understanding of the processes of language acquisition, and her methods ensure that pupils enjoy their learning. Role-play is used well to develop pupils’ speaking and listening skills, and to consolidate their knowledge of a variety of French words. For example, pupils in Year 2 perform in groups to ask the baker for baguettes and croissants, and in Year 6 pupils order food and drink from the waiter.

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES: FRENCH

137. There is no national scheme of work, so the teacher has developed her own. This ensures that pupils build on their skills, knowledge and understanding year on year, and leads well on to the work they will cover at secondary school in Year 7.

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MUSIC

138. Too little music was seen or heard to make a well-founded judgment about pupils’ overall attainment. However, from the small amount heard, together with evidence from parents and governors, pupils’ performance skills throughout the school would seem to be well developed, and singing in particular is a strength of the school. Pupils in Year 1 have a satisfactory understanding of pitch (high and low) and dynamics (loud and soft), and can sing and make various sounds to illustrate this. In Year 6, pupils can sing a range of songs, some of them as rounds in four parts. Many of them are able to hold their part whilst others are singing theirs. They are beginning to choreograph their own movements to go with their singing. Pupils who have instrumental lessons prepare pieces to play in assembly and perform with good levels of skill and confidence. The choir and Chamber Choir perform in school and out, such as at the Royal Albert Hall for Schools Prom

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MUSIC

Praise, The Town Hall for the Borough Christmas Service, and old peoples’ homes. This helps develop pupils’ social skills as well as their singing.

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MUSIC

139. With little evidence of present standards, it is difficult to judge pupils’ progress. However, pupils do respond well in lessons, and join in all activities with enthusiasm. In the two lessons observed, this enabled them to make good progress. Pupils with special educational needs are given good encouragement, as are pupils with English as an additional language. This ensures that all pupils are fully included in lessons. There are good relationships between all pupils, including those from different ethnic backgrounds.

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MUSIC

140. The school benefits from having a part-time specialist teacher, and teaching in the two lessons observed was good. Pupils are well managed and well motivated and show good relationships when working together. Activities are well chosen to enable pupils to develop their skills. For St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 42 example, when teaching about loud and soft, Year 1 pupils roared as lions for the loud sound, then roared softly for the echo. The class teacher and learning support assistant stay in the class with pupils, but are not used as well as they might be, for example, to help with assessing pupil progress or supporting any pupils who experience difficulties.

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MUSIC

141. There is a new scheme of work being developed based on published materials, which ensures that all the requirements of the National Curriculum are covered. Presently, there is insufficient use of ICT to support learning in music. The co-ordinator has only been in post for a matter of weeks, so has yet to have an impact on the school’s music. However, she has a clear vision of where the school needs to develop, the main areas being:

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MUSIC

• to complete curriculum planning using the new scheme; • to develop and implement regular checks on pupils’ knowledge and understanding; • to develop the use of information and communication technology to support learning in music.

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MUSIC

142. Visits, such as to the English National Orchestra, and visitors, such as a brass group, a theatre company, and an African drumming group with performance workshops, widen pupils’ experiences, and help to develop their awareness of the music of different cultures. There are sufficient resources of good quality to teach the curriculum, and the doubling of the information and communication technology suite as a music room provides a good environment for learning. The staffing situation, with the previous co-ordinator on maternity leave, two other music teachers leaving, and the very recent appointment of a new co-ordinator, has meant that there have been interruptions to the development of music since the last inspection. The current situation is well placed to change that. St Clement and St James C of E Primary School - 43

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

143. Attainment in physical education at the end of Year 2 and the end of Year 6 meets national expectations, which is the same judgment as at the time of the last inspection. Pupils in Year 2 have sound control of their bodies when performing gymnastic movements, and they are beginning to connect different movements into a short sequence. They are aware of those around them, and work co-operatively, such as when sharing the mats they are working on. Older pupils show appropriate skills in throwing, catching and striking when playing baseball. Year 6 pupils perform with good skills when skipping, and they too work well together, especially when running in and out on the long rope. Swimming records show that over 90 per cent of pupils are able to swim 25 metres when they leave the school.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

144. Pupils throughout the school make satisfactory progress. Where a lot of attention is given to an aspect, such as skipping in Year 6, they make good progress. Pupils with special educational needs are supported where necessary, and pupils with English as an additional language have no difficulty in following instructions. This ensures that all pupils are included in all lessons and have equal opportunities. Boys and girls work well together, as do pupils from different ethnic backgrounds, and in all the lessons observed, there were good relationships between pupils. This is making a good contribution to pupils’ social development.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

145. Teaching is satisfactory overall, although there are examples of good and unsatisfactory teaching. The good elements of teaching seen included:

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

• clear and appropriate learning objectives made known to pupils at the start of the lesson; • pupils well managed and well motivated, encouraging them to work hard; • pupils being given good teaching points and plenty of practice enabling them to improve their skills.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Where these good features are evident, pupils make satisfactory, and sometimes good progress.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

146. One major concern in all lessons observed is the attention to pupils’ clothing and the wearing of jewellery. The physical education policy clearly states that pupils should be changed into the agreed clothing for the activity they are to perform, and that jewellery should not be worn. This is being ignored, and has implications for pupils’ health and safety. Teachers also do not usually set a good example because they do not change their shoes or clothing for lessons. Another aspect that requires improvement is to involve pupils in activities as much as possible. In one lesson observed, one pupil was performing a skill with 12 others watching, and this took a considerable part of the lesson. In this activity, pupils made very little progress, if any at all.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

147. There has been satisfactory progress since the last inspection. A positive aspect is the use of the Sports Co-ordinator Programme, which is helping to develop teaching skills. A negative aspect is the reduction in the range of extra-curricular activities offered. There is a satisfactory curriculum in place and a basic system to check on pupils’ progress. External coaches have been used for football and tennis, which has helped pupils develop their skills. The football team performed very well in a local competition. There is a good number and variety of small equipment for developing skills, and the school uses public facilities to compensate for not having a grassed area.

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