Other · Ofsted report

St Aidan's Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Inspected — · published 14 May 2003 · URN 102132

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Summary

No overall grade in this framework

SERCO QAA (lead), Herringston Barn

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Inspectorssingle source
Herringston Barn, Serco QAA
URN verified
102132

Page 1 of 23

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Leadership899w+71
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Full report text

ST AIDAN’S VC C of E PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 12 and 13 February 2003

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ST AIDAN’S VC C of E PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection number: 246178 Short inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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ST AIDAN’S VC C of E 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 Aidan’s VC Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Albany Road Stroud Green London

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: December 1997 St Aidan’s VC Primary School - 4

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Team members

19824 Mrs Janet Sinclair Registered inspector 9561 Mr Husain Akhtar Lay inspector 1939 Mr Michael Benson Team inspector

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Team members

Serco QAA Herringston Barn Herringston Dorchester Dorset DT2 9PU

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Aidan’s VC Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is a Church of England voluntary controlled primary school for boys and girls of three to eleven years of age. It is an average sized school with 233 pupils on roll. Twenty six children attend the nursery on a part-time basis and ten attend full time. A large proportion of the pupils are from ethnic minority backgrounds and 42 of them are pupils for whom English is an additional language. Their first languages are Bangladeshi and Turkish. They are given additional support to help them understand and speak English. There are several Kurdish refugees. Twenty six per cent of pupils have special educational needs, which is above the national average. Their needs include emotional and behavioural difficulties, specific learning difficulties, autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Of these, over three per cent have a Statement of Special Educational Need, which is well above the

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

national average. Twenty four per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is above the national average. There are eight classes; each with pupils of the same age range, and the average class size is 30. The attainment of pupils on entry to the school is wide ranging but below average overall.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school, which is being effectively led by its headteacher. She has created a positive and supportive learning environment where all pupils are valued and encouraged to work hard. There are very good relationships throughout the school, which create a very positive work ethos. Pupils have very good attitudes to their work and behave very well and this has a significant impact on their learning. The quality of teaching is good and consequently pupils achieve well. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The leadership of the headteacher and senior management team is good and is giving a clear direction to the work of the school. • Teaching is good and, as a result, pupils achieve well and reach above average standards in English and mathematics at the end of Year 6. • The school’s good provision for cultural and moral development and very good provision for social development promote very good attitudes, behaviour and personal development in its pupils. • The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and these pupils achieve well. Specialist teachers and learning support assistants make a good contribution to their good progress.

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What could be improved

• Standards in science and the foundation subjects by improved monitoring of teaching, the curriculum and the use of literacy in other subjects. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good improvement since its last inspection in 1997. The key issues have been addressed well. Standards have risen in design and technology, schemes of work are in place for all subjects, clear priorities have been set for school development and the role of subject co-ordinators is being developed. Additionally, standards have risen in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6. Cost effectiveness has improved as the school ensures that all spending is closely linked to its agreed priorities. The trend in core standards is upwards and mainly above the national average. In all other areas, including teaching and learning, the school’s good provision has been maintained. The school is well placed to make further improvement. St Aidan’s VC Primary School - 7

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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

2000 2001 2002 2002 In the top 5% nationally A*

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Key

English C B A A* well above average above average A B mathematics B C A A average below average C D science A A A A well below average E

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Key

The standards of children in the Reception year are average across the areas of learning. Children are achieving well given their below average attainment on entry.

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Key

In the 2002 national tests taken by pupils at the end of Year 2, standards were well above average in reading and mathematics and above average in writing, both in terms of national averages and in comparison with similar schools. In science, teacher assessments showed standards to be well below average at the expected Level 2 and average at the higher Level 3. Inspection evidence shows that by the end of Year 2, standards are above average in English and average in mathematics and science. Pupils are achieving well in English and satisfactorily in mathematics and science. Standards are above average in English because teaching is good in both Years 1 and 2.

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Key

Inspection evidence shows that by the end of Year 6, standards are above average in English and mathematics and this is a good improvement since the last inspection when they were found to be satisfactory. Standards are not as high as in the year 2002, but almost a third of the pupils currently in Year 6 have special educational needs and this has an adverse effect on the overall standards of the year group. Standards are average in science. Pupils achieve well and sometimes very well in English and mathematics, and satisfactorily in science. There is no significant difference in the attainment of boys and girls or that of pupils from different minority backgrounds. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress against the targets set in their individual education plans. All groups of pupils are learning well in English and mathematics due to good teaching, good assessment and the setting of individual targets for pupils.

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Key

Pupils’ literacy skills are not used well enough across the curriculum in order to support high standards in all subjects.

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Key

The school, in consultation with the local education authority, has set challenging targets for English and mathematics, given the number of pupils with special educational needs in the year group. Due to the particularly good quality of teaching in Year 6, the strong emphasis on booster classes and revision of work, these targets may be met.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are very keen to come to school and work hard in lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. The school has very clear expectations for pupils’ behaviour and all pupils respond well to this. St Aidan’s VC Primary School - 8 Personal development and relationships Very good. There are very good relationships at all levels throughout the school and a climate of mutual respect has been created which fosters pupils’ personal development.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. Pupils enjoy coming to school and arrive on time.

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

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

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

The quality of teaching is good overall and leads to good learning. Teaching is consistently good for children in the Nursery and Reception classes. It varies between good and unsatisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and is good and sometimes very good in Years 3 to 6. This is a similar finding to the previous inspection. Teaching of English is good across the school and the National Literacy Strategy is well used to ensure basic skills are taught effectively. Teachers are clear about what pupils are expected to learn and, as a result, pupils know what they are doing and put a good amount of effort into their work. The teaching of mathematics and numeracy is mainly good across the school. It is very good in Year 6 and results in pupils who are highly motivated to learn and consolidate and deepen their knowledge and skills significantly. Where the teaching of mathematics is satisfactory, as in Year 1, too much use is

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

made of worksheets, which inhibits opportunities for pupils to set down their own ideas. In all lessons, teachers manage pupils very well and give good praise and encouragement, which enhances pupils’ self esteem and motivates them to do even better. The main strengths in the teaching are well planned lessons, good use of resources, effective questioning and good use of support staff, who give valuable help to pupils. The main weaknesses in the otherwise satisfactory lessons were slow pace and unclear explanations. This led to some fidgeting and loss of concentration in the pupils. In the unsatisfactory lesson seen, the teacher’s inadequate subject knowledge led to some weak explanations, which confused the pupils. The needs of all pupils are met well in English and mathematics in Years 3 to 6; pupils with higher attainment are appropriately challenged while those with special educational needs receive a good level of support that helps them to improve their work. Pupils for whom English is an

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

additional language are well supported in lessons and through the specialist teaching provided for them. Teaching for children in the Nursery and Reception classes is good across all areas of learning and a good learning environment has been created. Planning is very detailed and learning objectives are clear and challenging. All staff are clear about their roles and work well with the children in their care, ensuring they develop their skills and competencies appropriately.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum It is good for children in the Nursery and Reception classes and satisfactory, overall, across the rest of the school, although there are some weaknesses in science provision in Year 1 and geography in Years 3 and 4. There is a good range of extra-curricular activities to enrich the curriculum and support pupils’ personal and social development.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils are well supported and, as a result, make good gains in their learning. Learning support assistants and special educational needs teachers work hard to support them in lessons. St Aidan’s VC Primary School - 9 Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. Pupils get additional support where necessary to ensure they understand the technicalities of the English language and their progress is monitored well.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall. The school cultivates pupils’ personal development well. There is very good provision for social development, good provision for moral and cultural development and satisfactory provision for spiritual development.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. The school provides a caring and supportive environment and values all pupils as individuals. The school makes good use of assessment information to guide lesson planning and sets individual targets for pupils in English and mathematics.

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Aspect Comment

The school effectively enriches the curriculum with a good range of additional curricular activities including visits, visitors, links with the community and after-school clubs.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good overall. The headteacher and senior management team provide a clear educational direction for the work of the school.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. The governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and actively support the school in all of its work. They successfully help to shape the school’s direction through their involvement in the school’s development planning. They have a sound policy on racial equality.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The school monitors teaching effectively to ensure improvements are made. Results from tests and other data are analysed well in English and mathematics and used to set targets to improve pupils’ performance. The school monitors English, mathematics and ICT effectively but is less effective in monitoring the rest of the curriculum.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. The school makes good use of its resources, including specific funding. The school has a larger than average carry forward which it intends to use to continue to improve the accommodation. It applies the principles of best value well across most of its work. St Aidan’s VC Primary School - 10

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school, work hard and are learning to become mature and responsible. • Their children are taught well and make good progress. • The school is well led and managed. • Parents are comfortable about approaching the school with problems. • Their children behave well. • The amount of homework. • The information about their children’s progress. • The range of activities outside lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the positive views held by parents. In terms of what the parents would like to see improved, the inspection team considers that the amount of homework is appropriate for the age and aptitude of the pupils, the information on pupils’ progress is good and the school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. However, because the school community is very mixed, it needs to consider its methods of communication to ensure all parents are clear about what the school has to offer. St Aidan’s VC Primary School - 11

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The leadership of the headteacher and senior management team is good and is giving a clear

1. The headteacher and senior management team provide good leadership that promotes above average standards in English at the end of Year 2 and in English and mathematics at the end of Year 6 within a caring and supportive learning environment. This is a similar finding to the previous inspection. Collectively they have a strong vision for the school, which involves a determination to make learning enjoyable for all children. As well as the objective of ensuring that pupils are literate and numerate through effective teaching and the setting of high standards, they believe in a life- long love of learning and the development of creativity, enquiry and cooperation as necessary life skills. Consequently, the school teaches philosophy to pupils, gives them many opportunities to co-operate with each other on fund-raising and other activities and to participate in making decisions through the school council.

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The leadership of the headteacher and senior management team is good and is giving a clear

2. They regularly monitor teaching and learning, particularly in English and mathematics. There is an agreed programme in place and teachers are given feedback on the strengths and areas for development in their teaching. They are given opportunities to improve their expertise through additional training. For example, all staff have attended the five-day training course organised by the Department for Education and Skills in order to improve their mathematics teaching. The school also monitors teaching and learning through checking pupils’ workbooks, monitoring teachers’ planning and questioning pupils on what they have learnt. Some senior staff are leading literacy and numeracy teachers and they provide good role models for the teaching of these subjects. They ensure staff are well supported in their professional development through opportunities to observe teaching by leading teachers in other schools and through effective links

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The leadership of the headteacher and senior management team is good and is giving a clear

with beacon schools. Senior staff act as team leaders for teaching staff and are responsible for managing the performance of teachers within their teams. This ensures that all staff are fully inducted, know clearly who their line manager is and have regular meetings to discuss their professional development. As a result, all staff have targets set which are linked to the main development areas in the School Improvement Plan as well as targets linked to their own professional development.

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The leadership of the headteacher and senior management team is good and is giving a clear

3. The school monitors English and mathematics rigorously. It uses a variety of assessments to achieve this. There are the optional tests in Years 3, 4 and 5, national tests in Years 2 and 6 and termly assessment weeks. Information from these assessments is analysed carefully to identify weaknesses in pupils’ knowledge in order to ensure these are addressed. This results in additional small group support for some pupils and individual targets for all. Pupils have their individual targets written in the front of their English and mathematics books as a constant reminder to both them and their teachers. Teachers conscientiously record the date when targets are achieved. These targets are reviewed and updated on a regular basis. Parents are fully involved in this process and are encouraged to support and help their children at home. Pupils are very proud of their ‘Target Buster’ certificates when they are awarded.

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The leadership of the headteacher and senior management team is good and is giving a clear

4. The school has worked hard to develop the role of subject managers since the last inspection when this was a key issue. The management of English, mathematics and information and communication technology (ICT) has been very well developed. These managers are clear about how their subjects need to be developed, are knowledgeable about the strengths and weaknesses in them and are rigorous in pursuing improvement. They ensure that development of subjects is linked well to the professional development targets of all teachers. For example, all staff are currently involved in improving pupils’ handwriting across the school as one of their targets. The development of ICT is a key focus of the school and it has made thoughtful decisions on how this is to be taught given that it does not have a computer suite to accommodate a class of pupils. The school has combined time for the teaching of specific skills on a weekly basis with the use of ICT

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The leadership of the headteacher and senior management team is good and is giving a clear

across the curriculum. The ICT co-ordinator has provided demonstration lessons for all staff and planned a whole term’s lessons for each year group. Staff have been given opportunities to report St Aidan’s VC Primary School - 12 back on the effectiveness of these plans. Currently the subject is monitored through observations of teaching, staff’s use of equipment and interviews with pupils on what they have learnt.

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The leadership of the headteacher and senior management team is good and is giving a clear

5. All staff have a say in determining the school’s direction, partly through their involvement in school improvement planning and also through their involvement in curricular teams led by senior staff. The curricular team meetings are a useful forum for discussion and have led to improvements in working practices. For example, staff themselves instigated a before-school briefing to improve communication in order to make the day-to-day running of school smoother. Additionally, they have been instrumental in changes to lunch time organisation, which has improved behaviour and given older pupils greater responsibility. The headteacher also recognises the importance of staff being supported in their roles as subject managers so they share in the responsibility for developing subjects. Also in some subjects, such as mathematics and science, there is a subject leader and a support teacher. This means that should a member of staff be absent due to

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The leadership of the headteacher and senior management team is good and is giving a clear

illness or leave the school there is another member of staff trained to fill the post.

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Teaching is good and as a result pupils achieve well and reach above average standards in

English and mathematics at the end of Year 6.

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Teaching is good and as a result pupils achieve well and reach above average standards in

6. The quality of teaching in the school is good overall and this is a similar finding to the previous inspection. It is consistently good in the Nursery and Reception classes, satisfactory overall in Years 1 and 2 and particularly good in Years 3 to 6, where one in every three lessons seen was very good. As a result of this good quality teaching, pupils make good progress in lessons. They achieve well and by the end of Year 6, standards are above average in English and mathematics.

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Teaching is good and as a result pupils achieve well and reach above average standards in

7. Children in the Nursery and Reception classes are taught well. Teachers plan their lessons thoroughly and this promotes children’s learning effectively. They use what children know to plan for their future learning and this effectively supports the learning of all children. Learning objectives are clear and appropriately challenging, and tasks are well matched to children’s learning needs. This ensures children remain engaged in their tasks and concentrate well. Teachers plan the curriculum well to cover all the areas of learning in an interesting manner, which involves children in play and active learning. For example, in their outdoor play, children were involved in building a higher bridge so that the troll could not get them. All staff create a warm and friendly atmosphere with clear routines and this helps the children to settle well. For example, in the Nursery, there is a very good start to the day with parents and children welcomed into school and all staff available

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Teaching is good and as a result pupils achieve well and reach above average standards in

for short exchanges of information and discussion of concerns with parents and carers. This helps children to separate easily from their carers. Children know that they have to show that they are in school by writing their names on a white board and then collecting their name cards from a central point. All staff in the Nursery and Reception classes are clear about their roles, thus ensuring a high level of involvement with the children.

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Teaching is good and as a result pupils achieve well and reach above average standards in

8. In Years 1 and 2, teaching in English is good. Teachers plan lessons well, ensuring basic skills are thoroughly taught. Work is well matched to pupils’ differing learning needs so that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, make goods gains in their learning. Teachers question pupils effectively to develop their understanding of stories. For example, when discussing the story of Cinderella, the teacher asked questions such as, ‘What did she leave behind?’ ‘What did she do when she got home?’ Good use is made of speaking partners to share ideas and discuss issues, such as when pupils shared their ideas on ‘Grandpas’. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall across the rest of the curriculum based on both the lessons seen and a review of pupils’ work.

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Teaching is good and as a result pupils achieve well and reach above average standards in

9. Teaching in Years 3 to 6 is good and sometimes very good. Where it is good, lessons are well planned and good attention is given to the differing needs of pupils. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are used effectively to promote pupils’ learning in these skills. Support staff play an important role in this as they effectively work with small groups of pupils to ensure they have full access to what is provided. For example, in a good lesson in Year 4, the special educational needs assistant helped one pupil to count in 5s using a 100 square as a resource. She was very calm and supportive of the pupils while ensuring a good focus on the teaching of basic numeracy skills. Teachers question pupils well to develop their knowledge and St Aidan’s VC Primary School - 13 understanding and to determine the strategies they have used. For example, in a mathematics lesson, questions such as ‘How do you know that?’ ‘What would you do?’ ‘What strategies did

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Teaching is good and as a result pupils achieve well and reach above average standards in

you use?’ were used well for this purpose. Teachers make good use of resources. In a science lesson, drums were used effectively by the whole class in order to determine how sound can be changed. Again, effective questioning such as ‘Does large size mean lower sound?’ challenge pupils’ ideas and allow opportunities for discussion. Teachers use technical vocabulary well to promote subject-specific skills and knowledge and pupils in turn use it appropriately in their work. In a very good mathematics lesson involving two teachers, their tremendous pace and vigour completely secured the concentration, motivation and engagement of pupils. As a result, pupils made a consistently high intellectual effort and concentrated extremely well resulting in deepened knowledge. By the end of the lesson, pupils clearly understood the idea of inverse and were able to apply it when solving problems involving numbers. Other very good features of this lesson were

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Teaching is good and as a result pupils achieve well and reach above average standards in

the methods and clear explanations given to pupils in order to clarify their ideas. In a very good physical education lesson the teacher’s excellent introduction meant that pupils were immediately attentive and highly motivated. Her good knowledge of the subject and detailed lesson plan made the lesson very demanding and good fun. It also ensured a high degree of intellectual thinking on the part of the pupils in order to improve their performance and how to go about that. In all of the very good lessons teachers managed pupils extremely well; expectations were very high, there was clear, good teaching of basic skills and very good questioning. All of these made high intellectual and creative demands on pupils and because of the very good skills of the teachers they were motivated and fully engaged.

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Teaching is good and as a result pupils achieve well and reach above average standards in

10. Teachers provide well for pupils with special educational needs and those with lower and higher attainment. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported in English and mathematics lessons by work well matched to their needs and the good quality support given by special educational needs assistants. Lower attaining pupils are given small group support to enhance their literacy and numeracy skills through specific programmes such as additional and further literacy support. Higher attaining pupils from Years 3 to 6 take part in an enrichment group for mathematics that involves them in a range of problem solving activities, which encourages them to think logically and divergently. Pupils in Year 6 are split into two groups for mathematics in order to meet the needs of both lower and higher attaining pupils more accurately.

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provision for their social development promotes very good attitudes, behaviour and personal

11. Pupils have very good attitudes to their work and this is linked to the very good relationships they have, not only with their teachers but with all adults involved with their learning. They listen very well to the explanations and instructions given by teachers and are clear about what they have to do, thus ensuring they settle to their tasks quickly. They tackle new work enthusiastically and share their ideas confidently with each other in groups or pairs. For example, in an English lesson in Year 6, pupils were keen to contribute their ideas on the effective features of a story. Pupils are very keen to attend school. Even the youngest children in the Nursery come into school confidently, secure in the environment created and the well-established routines which cater well for their needs. Parents are in full agreement. All parents who responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire agreed that their children liked school and those who attended the pre-inspection

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provision for their social development promotes very good attitudes, behaviour and personal

meeting said that their children did not want to leave the school at the end of the day as they enjoyed it so much.

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provision for their social development promotes very good attitudes, behaviour and personal

12. The school has a well-defined assertive discipline policy that provides a clear moral code for behaviour. This is promoted consistently across the school so that pupils are clear about expectations and respond well to them. Class rules are agreed with pupils at the start of the year and all parents are given a copy. Rules are regularly reviewed and pupils contribute towards this, which sometimes results in additions such as, ’Our school is a no put down zone’. Religious education is used to develop pupils’ understanding of moral issues and they learn to distinguish right from wrong. This results in very good behaviour in classrooms and around the school. Pupils are clear about how they are expected to behave and respond in a mature and responsible manner with older pupils providing very good role models for the younger pupils. Pupils co-operate well with St Aidan’s VC Primary School - 14 each other both in lessons and in all school activities. For example, in a physical education

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provision for their social development promotes very good attitudes, behaviour and personal

lesson, pupils worked well in pairs encouraging each other in order to improve their individual performances Pupils enter and leave the hall at the beginning and end of assemblies in a quiet and orderly fashion. They behave very well during lunch time and the new arrangement of older pupils monitoring and supporting younger pupils is effectively promoting good behaviour while developing responsibility in older pupils. This makes a strong contribution to the orderly and friendly environment in which effective learning takes place.

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provision for their social development promotes very good attitudes, behaviour and personal

13. The school provides very well for pupils’ personal development through activities such as after- school clubs, charity collections, the school council and residential trips. Through their involvement in the school council, pupils learn about the democratic process and the value of their contribution to the school. For example, the school council was responsible for organising a successful ‘Pet Week’ in school. Through their residential visit to Pendarren in Year 6, pupils have a week of outdoor activities that develops their skills in team building. The school provides philosophy for children in order to promote their personal development. In the philosophy lesson seen in Year 6, pupils developed the confidence to express their views and through the teacher challenging their thinking they were able to articulate their ideas clearly. This ensured that pupils generated ideas that they were able to share and own in an open and safe environment. All pupils’

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provision for their social development promotes very good attitudes, behaviour and personal

ideas were valued. They learn to respect their own and other cultures through activities such as the celebration of Chinese New Year and events such as Black history month which involves African story telling, Caribbean and Indian dance. They make visits to places of worship, such as the Muswell Hill Synagogue and Holy Trinity Church, thus providing them with an insight into the cultural diversity of the world they live in. The school provides many opportunities for them to work co-operatively: in lessons, through school plays, class residential experiences and after-school clubs. In all aspects of school life, pupils are considerate of each other and work and play well together. They are polite, friendly and open in their communication with each other and all adults in the school.

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provision for their social development promotes very good attitudes, behaviour and personal

14. This represents a good improvement in pupils’ attitudes and behaviour since the last inspection and the maintenance of the school’s good provision for pupils’ personal, moral, social and cultural development.

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provision for their social development promotes very good attitudes, behaviour and personal

The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and these pupils achieve well.

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Specialist teachers and learning support assistants make a good contribution to their good

15. There are 61 pupils with defined special educational needs within the school, of whom seven have a Statement of Special Educational Needs, which is above the national average. The headteacher and a part-time teacher share the role of co-ordinating the special educational needs provision in the school. The part-time teacher provides the teaching element and shares in all other aspects of provision.

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Specialist teachers and learning support assistants make a good contribution to their good

16. The school provides good support for pupils with special educational needs and this is a similar finding to the previous inspection. Pupils’ needs are clearly identified through the school’s regular assessment and testing programmes and pupils are given additional literacy and numeracy support in small groups led by a teacher or support within the classroom by special needs assistants. The early identification, specific support, regular assessments and clear individual education plans have been successful in improving standards for these pupils.

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Specialist teachers and learning support assistants make a good contribution to their good

17. The special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCOs), in conjunction with parents and teachers, prepare individual education plans for all pupils with clear and specific targets for their learning. These are reviewed regularly and new individual education plans (IEPs) are completed for each pupil. Parents are encouraged to attend review meetings and most are keen to do so. Parents are very supportive of their children and will help them with additional work at home. Targets are specific and IEPs are manageable so that class teachers and special needs assistants can carry out the work within the classroom environment. The special educational needs teacher regularly has discussions with class teachers so that work taught outside the classroom is reinforced within class lessons. Pupils with a Statement of Special Educational Needs are well supported on an St Aidan’s VC Primary School - 15 individual basis both by special needs assistants and by specialist teachers. The school is very

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Specialist teachers and learning support assistants make a good contribution to their good

sensitive to their individual needs and puts a huge amount of effort into ensuring that these are met.

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Specialist teachers and learning support assistants make a good contribution to their good

18. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good by the part-time SENCO who teaches mainly pupils on ‘school action plus’ or those with a Statement of Special Educational Needs. In the lesson seen, the teacher taught a small group of pupils in order to support a pupil who needed to develop his social skills. The lesson was well planned with clear learning objectives focused on improving social skills. There was a clear and persistent focus on eye contact, good manners and sharing resources and most pupils improved their skills in these. The teacher used good methods to involve the pupils in their learning with the appropriate use of humour and resources. Pupils learned to follow instructions, use social conventions and share resources.

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Specialist teachers and learning support assistants make a good contribution to their good

19. Special needs assistants work well to support pupils with special educational needs within the classroom. For example, in a mathematics lesson in Year 6, an assistant helped a pupil to fully participate in the lesson by ensuring that each time the class teacher asked a question she turned to the pupil to encourage him to answer, making sure, wherever possible, that he attempted an answer. In an English lesson in Year 4, the special educational needs assistant quietly explained and discussed the content of the lesson with a pupil to help clarify issues. She managed his behaviour very well, ensuring that he did not disrupt the lesson. Staff make good use of ICT, such as digital photography and spelling and writing programs, when teaching pupils with special educational needs.

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Specialist teachers and learning support assistants make a good contribution to their good

20. Pupils’ progress is monitored in a variety of ways such as meetings to discuss how well pupils have met the targets on their IEPs, relevant tests, a review of specific intervention plans and parental comment. All pupils’ responses to tests are noted and progress tracked to ensure they make good gains in their learning. As a result of the implementation of the new Code of Practice, the school is now involving pupils, wherever possible, in their reviews. This has been helpful. For example, one pupil reported problems with the use of a pencil that the school has now managed to resolve. Reviews for pupils with a Statement of Special Educational Needs meet all statutory requirements and parents are very satisfied with the level of support they receive.

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Specialist teachers and learning support assistants make a good contribution to their good

21. The work is well led and co-ordinated by effective co-ordinators. Their close liaison with parents, school staff and external agencies ensures that there is a good partnership between all involved in meeting the needs of pupils. Parents are kept well involved and discussions with them reveal that they consider support is effective, their children are supported well and there are very good links with external agencies. It is obvious from the work of co-ordinators, support staff and teachers that they have very good relationships with the pupils and a sensitive and caring approach to meeting their needs. There is a very knowledgeable governor for special educational needs who ensures that all governors are well briefed about progress in this area.

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Standards in science and the foundation subjects by improved monitoring of teaching, the

curriculum and the use of literacy in other subjects.

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Standards in science and the foundation subjects by improved monitoring of teaching, the

22. The curriculum is sufficiently broad and balanced overall but its depth is not ensured across the school. The school’s strong emphasis on English and mathematics and more recently ICT, although effective in raising standards in these subjects, is having a negative impact on the curriculum overall. The headteacher and senior management team monitor English, mathematics and ICT very effectively in order to secure high standards but they are less effective in monitoring the rest of the curriculum to ensure the systematic development of skills and equally high standards. This has led to inconsistencies in the development and teaching of some subjects.

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Standards in science and the foundation subjects by improved monitoring of teaching, the

23. In all subjects, schemes of work are now in place and good improvement has been made in the provision for design and technology. These are good improvements since the last inspection. The school covers the syllabus for religious education well and most subjects are covered satisfactorily St Aidan’s VC Primary School - 16 through the schemes of work in place. However, the work in some subjects in some year groups is not being taught in a manner that ensures the progressive development of skills. For example, in geography in Years 3 to 6, there is no monitoring by senior staff to ensure that what has been planned is being fully implemented by all staff. This has allowed gaps to develop in pupils’ learning, as units of work are not always fully taught. Additionally, geography is taught in blocks of time and sometimes there is over a term between these, which also affects the development of pupils’

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Standards in science and the foundation subjects by improved monitoring of teaching, the

skills. This is particularly noticeable in Years 3 and 4 where less time is devoted to the subject than in Years 5 and 6. This means that, while pupils attain satisfactory standards by the end of Year 6, there are some years in which the development of appropriate skills or teaching is not guaranteed.

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Standards in science and the foundation subjects by improved monitoring of teaching, the

24. In Years 1 and 6, science has not been sufficiently monitored. This has allowed weaknesses in the teaching in Year 1 to go undetected as well as the relatively low amount of time given to teaching it. This means that pupils have some catching up to do in Year 2 in order to attain satisfactory standards. In Year 6, there is a lack of effective marking to identify what pupils need to do to improve or to fully recognise their efforts. Although work in lessons is discussed with pupils, their written work also needs acknowledgement if pupils are to maximize their learning. In some of the foundation subjects and occasionally in mathematics and science there is an over-reliance on worksheets which does not give pupils opportunities to express their own ideas or enable teachers to clearly measure the development of key skills. This also means that in these classes pupils do not use their literacy skills fully across the curriculum in order to reinforce their work in these

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Standards in science and the foundation subjects by improved monitoring of teaching, the

subjects. However, some good examples of the effective use of literacy skills were seen in history when pupils in Year 4 wrote about their feelings as the very ill Jane Seymour, wife of Henry VIII. They also linked their work in design and technology well to literacy in their Snowville village project when they published their newspaper ‘The Snowville Express’. St Aidan’s VC Primary School - 17

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to raise standards and enable pupils to make better progress, the governing body, headteacher and staff as a whole school team need to:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) improve standards in science and the foundation subjects by improved monitoring of teaching, the curriculum and the use of literacy in other subjects by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• monitoring the quality of teaching in science and the foundation subjects; • monitoring the time allocated to science and the foundation subjects to ensure a balanced curriculum; • monitoring samples of work from science and the foundation subjects to ensure it is marked appropriately, the amount of worksheet use is regulated and the agreed units of work are covered appropriately for each subject; • using the information gained from monitoring to keep schemes of work for science and the foundation subjects under regular review to ensure pupils’ skills are developed systematically; • ensuring all staff use pupils’ literacy skills more effectively in order to help them develop their own ideas across the subjects of the curriculum. (Paragraphs : 22, 23, 24) St Aidan’s VC Primary School - 18

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