St Paul's and St Timothy's Catholic Infant School

SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 1 st - 2 nd April 2003

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SCHOOL

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

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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 Paul and St Timothy's RC Infant School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: South Parkside Drive West Derby Liverpool Postcode: L12 8RP

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 2 nd March 1998 St Paul and St Timothy's RC Infant School - 4

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Team members

18275 Chrissie Pittman Registered inspector 9981 S Hussain Lay inspector 11510 K Oglesby Team inspector 30439 M Heyes Team inspector

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Team members

PkR Educational Consultants Ltd 6 Sherman Road Bromley Kent BR1 3JH

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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 Paul and St Timothy's RC Infant 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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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 17

St Paul and St Timothy's RC Infant School - 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This very popular Catholic infant school is situated in West Derby in an eastern suburb of Liverpool. It caters for 360 boys and girls between the ages of four and seven years. It is much bigger than other infant schools and admits approximately 120 pupils every year. Pupils come from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds; most come from the immediate catchment area, which is a mixture of social housing and owner-occupied homes. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is average. The number of pupils whose first language is not English is higher than in most schools. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs is well below the national average and for those with statements it is below. Pupils' attainment on entry to the school is average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very good school with some outstanding features. The excellent leadership provided by the headteacher has placed an emphasis on identifying and tackling even the smallest of weaknesses; this has resulted in the provision of a very good education for the pupils. The headteacher is very well supported by her hard-working and efficient deputy. The attention paid to developing pupils as responsible members of society has led to pupils having excellent attitudes to work, personal development and relationships. The teaching, overall, is very good. The aims and objectives of all the staff are firmly targeted on raising standards. This is having a very positive impact on pupils' learning. Most achieve very well in relation to when they start at the school. The school responds very well to the challenges it faces and has made very good improvement. It has sustained high standards since the last inspection.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school is well governed, self-critical and cost effective. It knows what it does well, where its weaknesses are and how to improve them. This school provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The very good teaching in the school promotes standards that are usually well above average. The teaching of English and mathematics is particularly good. • Pupils achieve very well because they have clear targets set for them. The school has very good procedures to assess how well pupils are doing, and parents are very appreciative of this. There is very good provision for pupils with special educational needs (SEN). • The headteacher's leadership is excellent. The school is very well led and managed at all levels, including the involvement of governors who regularly monitor and support the school. • Pupils' personal development is outstanding; they have excellent attitudes to their learning and in their personal relationships as a result of the excellent provision made by the school for pupils' spiritual, moral and social development. There is a very good level of care provided for all pupils.

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What could be improved

• The Foundation Stage curriculum is not sufficiently well planned to ensure that children of all abilities in the reception classes make good progress in all the areas of learning. In some lessons the higher attaining children are not being sufficiently challenged. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. St Paul and St Timothy's RC Infant School - 7

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made very good improvement since its previous inspection in 1998. Overall, standards for seven-year-olds have been consistently above average and last year were very high. The headteacher reacts swiftly to perceived weaknesses and this has led to significant improvements in the quality of teaching, management, curriculum provision, assessment and monitoring. Most of the weaknesses identified in the previous report have been addressed and changed to strengths. There is now no unsatisfactory teaching and in over one half of the lessons seen the teaching was very good and occasionally excellent. Curriculum planning, teaching and learning are very well monitored now and there are very good procedures for assessing pupils' achievement. However, curriculum planning for children in the reception class is not effectively organised to challenge all abilities in all the recommended areas of learning. The school has identified this as an area for improvement through its very effective

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

programme of targeting and monitoring individual pupils. Given the excellent quality of its leadership and the commitment of its staff, the school is well placed to improve even further.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

1999 2000 2001 2002 2002 very high A* Reading A B B A* A* well above average above average A B

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Key

Writing A B B A* A* average below average C D Mathematics A B C A* A* well below average E

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Key

Most children, when they start school, are attaining standards that are average. They make good progress in the reception class and Year 1 and excellent progress in Year 2. By the time they take the national tests in Year 2 (SATs), their attainment is very high (top five per cent nationally) in reading, writing and mathematics. Similarly, when the school's results are compared to the results of other schools in a similar context, pupils' attainment is still very high. Results over the last three years show that by age seven girls outperform boys in writing, but boys do better in mathematics. Pupils with SEN achieve very well. Standards of work seen during the inspection are well above average, overall, and most pupils are making very good progress. The school, appropriately, sets challenging targets for its performance and is successful in achieving them.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils' attitudes to learning, to school and to each other are excellent. They try very hard, enjoy learning, are highly motivated to succeed St Paul and St Timothy's RC Infant School - 8 and readily take part in all school activities. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils behave very well in lessons and around the school. They are polite, Well mannered and show respect for property. There is no evidence of bullying or disruptive behaviour. This helps to create a very good learning environment. There were no exclusions in the last year. Personal development and relationships Excellent. Relationships throughout the school are very positive and older children support the younger ones. Most are patient and courteous with a well-developed sense of right and wrong. They show a great deal of respect for the opinions of others. Attendance Satisfactory. Pupils are punctual and lessons start on time.

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

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

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

The quality of teaching is very good, overall, with examples of excellent teaching. There is no unsatisfactory teaching. There is a positive ethos for learning in most classrooms. The best teaching is in English and mathematics, and in Year 2 where it is particularly effective in meeting the needs of most pupils. Teaching is least effective in some lessons in reception, where activities are not well matched to pupils' capabilities and the recommended areas of learning are not effectively organised. However, most of the pupils throughout the school are well challenged by their teachers to achieve the standards of which they are capable.

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2

Teachers are usually knowledgeable, and learning targets are clear and understood by the pupils. Teachers take good account of pupils' progress and build on the work done by targeting them individually and assessing their work regularly. The skills of literacy and numeracy are taught very well throughout the school. This enables a large proportion of pupils to achieve higher than expected standards for their age. Information and communication technology (ICT) is also well taught across the school and good use is made of the school's ICT resources. Pupils with SEN receive very effective support in lessons and, as a result, make very good progress. The result of the very good teaching is very good learning where pupils gain new knowledge and understanding faster than expected. Most work hard and concentrate well even when the teaching is not particularly inspiring. Older pupils usually have a good knowledge of their learning and know what to do to make it even

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

St Paul and St Timothy's RC Infant School - 9

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good overall. There is a good range of relevant tasks in all subjects and good opportunities for pupils to use ICT to support their learning. However, the Foundation Stage curriculum is not planned or balanced well. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Pupils with SEN receive very effective support in lessons and make very good progress in relation to the targets on their individual education plans.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language A small number of pupils speak an additional home language. Good assessments of their needs are made and they are supported well in lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Excellent provision is made for pupils' personal development. The provision for pupils' spiritual, moral and social development is excellent. Pupils' cultural development is good.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. The academic and pastoral aspects of pupils' development are linked very well. Very good procedures are in place for child protection and there are very thorough systems for ensuring the health and safety of pupils. There are very good procedures to assess how well pupils are achieving.

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Aspect Comment

Curriculum planning in the infant classes is good. However, the curriculum for the Foundation Stage is not planned effectively. There is some imbalance in the school's provision of the recommended areas for learning and how some aspects, such as physical development, are delivered. This is taught as a discrete unit and provides insufficient opportunities to develop children's independent learning and personal initiative. There are not enough large wheeled toys and climbing equipment to deliver the Foundation Stage curriculum effectively. The school's links and partnership with parents are excellent.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good overall. The headteacher provides excellent leadership. She knows what the school does well, where its weaknesses are and how to improve them, and has established a good ethos of striving to improve. The management of the school is extremely well focused on improving standards and supporting all pupils. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. The governing body is shrewd, effective and well aware of best value principles. Governors have a comprehensive understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses and fulfil their statutory duties very well. They are very supportive of the school and take an active interest in forward planning and its day-to-day work. The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. Data is used very well to monitor the school's performance. The school improvement plan is very well

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Aspect Comment

conceived. It is the result of a thorough process involving audits, St Paul and St Timothy's RC Infant School - 10 monitoring and sharp evaluations of the school's performance. Actions to bring about improvement are planned and implemented without delay. The strategic use of resources Very good. The targeting of funds to areas where there is the most need of improvement has been very effective. The school manages its finances very well, ensuring that it gets the best value for money when committing resources or spending school funds.

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Aspect Comment

The school's accommodation is ingeniously used so that all the available space is utilised for teaching and storing resources. Additional support staff are deployed very effectively and make a valuable contribution to pupils' learning. Efficient administration staff enable the school to run in quiet good order.

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improved

• Parents are happy with almost all aspects of the school. • The range of activities provided outside lessons.

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improved

Inspectors agree with all the positive views expressed by parents. This is a very good school. Although most parents expressed no real concerns about the performance of the school a few would like to see more activities outside lessons, particularly in Years 1 and 2. Inspectors do not see this as a necessity, but agree that improved provision in this area would enhance the school's very good ethos. St Paul and St Timothy's RC Infant School - 11

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The very good teaching in the school promotes standards that are usually well above

average. The teaching of English and mathematics is particularly good.

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The very good teaching in the school promotes standards that are usually well above

1. The teaching is very good, overall, and ranges from satisfactory to excellent. There is no unsatisfactory teaching. The teaching in most of the lessons seen was very good. Just over one in ten lessons were satisfactory. This is a considerable improvement on the quality of teaching observed at the time of the previous inspection when most of the teaching was good, one in nine lessons were very good and there was a small amount of unsatisfactory teaching.

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The very good teaching in the school promotes standards that are usually well above

2. Teaching is very good, and sometimes excellent in over one half of the lessons in the school, most notably in mathematics and English, and in Year 2. Teaching is satisfactory, overall, in some of the lessons in reception, where higher attaining children are not always challenged enough and the learning is not effectively organised along the recommended lines. There are certain features that are common to many of the very good lessons and they provide clues to ways in which the satisfactory lessons could be improved. The start of the most successful lessons is particularly significant. The beginning of the lesson is usually brisk, lively and challenging; it immediately makes pupils think. In mathematics, where many of these lessons are found, there is always a demanding 'mental starter' to engage pupils in thinking about numbers and the relationship between them. The teacher is indicating, from the outset, that he or she

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The very good teaching in the school promotes standards that are usually well above

expects pupils to work hard, but also there is enjoyment and satisfaction to be gained from such learning.

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The very good teaching in the school promotes standards that are usually well above

3. Teachers' high expectations, obvious from the start, are maintained as lessons continue. In an excellent English lesson in Year 2 pupils were taught as individuals, the teacher's expectations for each and every one was appropriately high and a rich variety of methods were used to support the acquisition and consolidation of good learning. A great sense of fun was inspired by the teacher, and the lesson encapsulated a real love of English in the pupils. All the pupils, regardless of ability, achieved a high standard.

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The very good teaching in the school promotes standards that are usually well above

4. Once teachers have gained pupils' full attention they keep up the momentum, often with a series of short, focused tasks so that there is no opportunity for pupils' concentration to flag. This was demonstrated in an excellent mathematics lesson in Year 1. Behaviour is very good and there are excellent relationships, based on mutual respect, between pupils and teachers. When necessary, however, teachers are quick to notice and deal with any straying of attention or lack of effort. Parents are pleased with the progress their children make and say that the teachers do well to help them to become mature and responsible. The curriculum is planned to match the needs of all year groups, and most teachers monitor and adapt their planning to take account of pupils’ progress and capabilities. However, the school is aware that this is an area that requires further improvement in relation to the Foundation Stage curriculum.

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The very good teaching in the school promotes standards that are usually well above

5. Lessons usually provide a very good atmosphere for learning. Pupils have the confidence to try things out, attempting an ambitious answer or putting forward an opinion, secure in the knowledge that the reactions of both teacher and fellow pupils will be sensitive and supportive. The teachers also use resources very effectively in their lessons. This is best illustrated in an excellent history discussion in Year 2. The teacher got an animated response from pupils during an exciting lesson on the 'Fire of London' when she used good resources, drama and her own excellent knowledge to bring the St Paul and St Timothy's RC Infant School - 12 topic alive. As a result, the discussion got better and better and pupils even began to empathise with the fire victims. In some lessons in the Foundation Stage the work children have to do is disguised effectively as 'having fun'. The activities are interesting and the children are totally captivated. All areas of the room are well used and

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The very good teaching in the school promotes standards that are usually well above

resources are inventive, making learning more meaningful.

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The very good teaching in the school promotes standards that are usually well above

6. The result of the very good teaching is standards that are well above average. Pupils join the school with average levels of attainment; they leave with results that are usually very high. This is very good achievement. Pupils of all levels of prior attainment achieve very well at the school.

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appreciative of this. The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs

7. When children join the school in reception many are achieving standards, in most areas, that are just below what is normally expected for children of this age. Most make good progress and by the time they enter Year 1 attainment is just above the expected standard for most children. From a slow start in Year 1 this good progress continues until Year 2 when pupils make significant progress and are attaining standards that are very high (top five per cent nationally) in writing, reading and mathematics when compared nationally and to similar schools. In the last three years, standards in the core subjects of English and mathematics have been improved from above average, to very high. Pupils of this age usually achieve results that are also very high when compared to schools in a similar context to their own. Given that pupils start from a relatively lower baseline on entry to the school, the large majority manage every year to

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appreciative of this. The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs

consistently achieve above and often well above average standards by the end of Year 2; this is very good achievement.

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appreciative of this. The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs

8. Part of the reason for this very good level of achievement is the secure way that teachers and senior staff monitor and target every pupil. There are very effective assessment procedures in place that enable teachers and support staff to measure how well each pupil is doing so that realistic targets are set for them, particularly for older pupils. These targets are shared with the pupils so that they, and their parents, understand what is expected and at what stage in the year. Parents are very appreciative of this. For example, the pupils are assessed at the end of each year using nationally standardised tests. In addition to this, teachers keep assessment records in their classrooms, which can be accessed by other teachers and support staff. There is good use of this information to plan future lessons. Reading and spelling tests are undertaken regularly and results are recorded for every pupil so that they can be

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appreciative of this. The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs

grouped by attainment for their English lessons. Similarly, in mathematics a standardised test is administered so that the pupils can be grouped by attainment on a stage-by-stage basis. The headteacher and staff regularly hold meetings to look at the pupils’ books so that every teacher understands how to measure National Curriculum Levels in, say, writing or numeracy. All these ongoing assessments are recorded. In this way what the pupils are expected to achieve, and at what stage in the year, is clear to the pupils, their parents and the staff who teach and support them.

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appreciative of this. The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs

9. In a very good science lesson in Year 1, for example, the teacher used her assessment of a pupil's work to illustrate to the class how it could be improved. Her use of constructive criticism encouraged other pupils to evaluate their own work more meaningfully. The teacher provided good challenges in the objectives she set for the lesson and pupils responded well. The aim of the lesson was clearly reflected in the St Paul and St Timothy's RC Infant School - 13 targets set for all the pupils. This in turn encouraged the pupils to develop good enquiry skills. In an exceptional English lesson in Year 2, every pupil, including those with SEN, made very good progress in understanding how to use 'antonyms' and 'synonyms'. The strength of the lesson was the teacher’s knowledge of every pupil, which was informed by her excellent record keeping, and monitoring of their progress. In this way teachers are able to accurately measure pupils' progress and help them to achieve their targets.

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appreciative of this. The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs

The planning demonstrated what is typical of most of the planning in the school; the attention given to individual targets, and the close scrutiny of their progress. These are features of most classes with the exceptions of some in the Foundation Stage, where work is sometimes not well matched to pupils' capabilities, particularly for the higher attaining pupils.

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appreciative of this. The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs

10. The school makes very good provision for pupils with SEN. They are taught very well and their progress is monitored closely. The school has effective systems to identify, assess and monitor pupils with SEN from an early stage. All make very good progress because they receive very good support in lessons and when they are withdrawn for additional work with learning support staff. Parents are kept well informed about their children's progress. Pupils' targets, progress and achievements are shared with parents in order to maximise their support and co-operation.

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appreciative of this. The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs

11. The SEN co-ordinator (SENCO) keeps very good records of pupils' progress. A SEN teacher is also specifically assigned to work with children who have SEN and plans work that is particularly challenging for these pupils in literacy and numeracy lessons. In a very good literacy lesson observed in Year 2, for example, a group of pupils were taught learning strategies to help them to read; a 'model' lesson as it showed pupils making discernible progress. Learning support assistants, in many lessons, record how well pupils respond during class discussions and then share this information with the class teachers. This enables teachers to provide specific work for individuals and groups in future lessons. Throughout the school, individual education plans are reviewed regularly by the SENCO, SEN teacher and class teachers. Pupils' progress is tracked and monitored to plan the most appropriate support and work to extend their

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appreciative of this. The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs

learning further. In this way the school regularly reviews its plans and adapts the teaching to meet the needs of all the pupils. Procedures appropriately meet the requirements of the revised Code of Practice.

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at all levels including the involvement of governors who regularly monitor and

12. The feature that stands out in the leadership of the school is the complete absence of complacency in all areas of its work. The headteacher provides excellent leadership. Parents say that the headteacher is never satisfied and is always seeking to improve the school; this is certainly true. She provides inspirational leadership and is highly valued by parents, respected by her staff and trusted by the pupils. This is one of the main reasons for the success of the school and its excellent reputation in the community. The deputy headteacher is also totally committed to the school and provides very good support, helping the headteacher to monitor lessons and support teachers and pupils. The staff make a very cohesive unit. They believe that they are very well supported by senior colleagues in their efforts to raise standards. Monitoring reports show that the school is self-critical and evaluative of its practices. There are

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at all levels including the involvement of governors who regularly monitor and

many examples of this approach in action. Each year there are SATs reviews where co-ordinators are held accountable for examination results in their subjects. In areas where there have been relatively less successful results, such as the mathematics test St Paul and St Timothy's RC Infant School - 14 results last year, the school is quick to take effective action. The planning was re-done and the pupils re-targeted.

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at all levels including the involvement of governors who regularly monitor and

13. Very effective monitoring is clearly defined by the headteacher and governors. It is aimed at helping the school to be clear about how well the teachers teach and how well the pupils are learning. This includes the monitoring of subject co-ordinators. There is a good balance of expertise amongst the staff and their very good subject knowledge enables them to review the impact that each subject is having on pupils’ achievements and progress. A thorough review of the school’s curriculum planning has led to improvements in the standard of ICT. The headteacher, senior staff and governors have undertaken a school-wide evaluation, with a focus on improvement. This has given a clear educational direction to the work of the school. It welcomes external assessment of its work and performance. Recently it has achieved the 'Investors in People', 'Healthy Schools' and 'Basic Skills' awards.

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at all levels including the involvement of governors who regularly monitor and

14. The governors are knowledgeable, experienced and very committed to the needs of the school and its pupils. With the help of regular reports from the headteacher, they monitor the school's strengths and weaknesses very well. This gives them a clear insight into the work being done and the progress that the pupils are making. The resources of the school are good. They are well used and easily accessible. In particular, ICT resources have been improved so that all the pupils have regular access to computers, and new technologies such as the Internet.

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at all levels including the involvement of governors who regularly monitor and

15. Financial planning is excellent and the budget is used very well. The school's strategic improvement plan is very well set out. It identifies the right priorities and success criteria, which are arrived at through careful audits, reviews and effective monitoring. Targets for improvement are clearly costed so that governors and staff are able to judge their effectiveness. The targeting of funds to areas where there is the most need of improvement has been very effective, ensuring that the budget is used efficiently. There are good links with industry and the school has had help from companies like 'Ford' to improve the learning environment.

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at all levels including the involvement of governors who regularly monitor and

16. The impact of the leadership and management is a school where high standards are regarded as the norm; academic standards, overall, are well above average and the personal development of pupils is excellent. This is a very effective school and it provides very good value for money.

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made by the school for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. A very

good level of care is provided for all pupils.

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made by the school for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. A very

17. Pupils have excellent attitudes to school; they like their school very much and speak highly of the education they receive. Many spoke with pride about 'their' school and the very good relationships they had with the teachers and other support staff. A high level of informal respect runs through the school. Pupils have an excellent understanding of how their actions impact on their peers, and most have a genuine respect for the feelings, values and beliefs of others. Pupils appreciate the activities that the school offers and support events outside lessons.

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made by the school for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. A very

18. The standard of behaviour in and out of lessons is very good. In almost all lessons pupils listen very well to the teacher and each other. They participate readily and apply good intellectual and creative effort. Most show sustained concentration and work with commitment. Around the school behaviour is sensible and orderly. Pupils queue for lunch, if necessary, with patience and good humour. They are frequently courteous and St Paul and St Timothy's RC Infant School - 15 helpful to visitors, genuinely keen that they should enjoy their visit. Parents praise the school for the positive attitudes of their children and the way the school cares for, monitors and supports them in their personal development, which is excellent. 19. The school makes excellent provision for pupils' spiritual, moral and social development. It is very clear about the values and principles it promotes, and fosters a sense of community with inclusive values very effectively. The opportunities provided

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made by the school for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. A very

for these young children to exercise leadership and responsibility are excellent. Older pupils express a sense of personal enrichment through these encounters. This results in a school where pupils relate well to others and work successfully as a team. Year 2 pupils act as monitors in assemblies, classrooms and the library. There are numerous opportunities created for pupils to work together as 'buddies' or through theme weeks like the Spanish week and Dinosaur week, and World Book day. The school council recently got the management to improve facilities in the toilets.

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made by the school for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. A very

20. Provision for spiritual and moral development is enhanced through a rich arts and music curriculum, religious education, circle time and visits to places of cultural interest. The school has a strong social and moral code that is respected by all pupils, staff, parents and the community. A well-organised system of rewards and sanctions sharpens pupils' perceptions of right and wrong. Pupils throughout the school show the ability to distinguish right from wrong and make responsible judgements on moral issues. Teachers and learning support assistants, with their sensitive and caring attitude towards the pupils, provide very good role models. The excellent relationships that exist between staff and pupils encourage pupils to discuss issues of a moral nature openly. Spiritual development is encouraged in assemblies where pupils enjoy celebrating their achievements and performing for the rest of the school. In lessons

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made by the school for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. A very

teachers encourage pupils to relate their learning to a wider frame of reference; for example, asking 'Why?', 'How?' and 'Where?' as well as 'What?'. This, in turn, results in pupils learning from a young age to challenge those aspects that constrain the human spirit such as a lack of self-confidence, moral indifference, self-interest and discrimination. Prayer plays an intrinsic part in this whole process and is a shared experience for pupils and staff.

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made by the school for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. A very

21. The opportunities provided for pupils to explore their own and others' cultural beliefs and values are good. Pupils display an openness to new ideas. There are various visits to museums, parks and galleries and authors, poets and artists are frequent visitors. However, the school recognises that there is a need to emphasise the multicultural in the light of its Eurocentric cultural situation. This excellent provision, overall, in most aspects of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development creates a rich learning and caring ethos where all the pupils flourish.

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made by the school for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. A very

22. The procedures for ensuring the welfare of pupils are very good. Procedures for child protection are also very good. The school is inclusive in all its policies. All the pupils have equal access to the school’s curriculum, and teachers and support staff plan activities that involve and encourage their full participation. Many pupils show the ability to understand each other's feelings and emotions, and know the likely impact of their actions on others. All the staff, both teaching and non-teaching, pull together as a team and this is effective in developing a strong sense of purpose and self-worth amongst pupils. The school also has very good procedures for monitoring behaviour; according to the parents, any instances of oppressive behaviour are dealt with immediately and very effectively. St Paul and St Timothy's RC Infant School - 16

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learning. In some lessons the higher attaining children are not being sufficiently

23. When they first come to the school, many children are attaining standards that are average. Most make good progress and are achieving standards slightly above those expected of this age when they enter Year 1. However, in some classes, children are making less-good progress. One of the reasons for this is that the Foundation Stage curriculum, and the way it is taught, is of variable quality. In some lessons the work planned includes all the areas of learning and is well matched to children's individual needs reflecting their different abilities. However, in others, planning does not always follow the latest guidelines for the Foundation Stage and work is occasionally not well matched to the children’s capabilities. In literacy lesson in one reception class the teacher's planning was too open-ended and the objectives of the lesson were not clear from the start. The teacher's expectation of the children was too low; particularly the

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learning. In some lessons the higher attaining children are not being sufficiently

higher attaining children. Consequently, the pace of the learning slowed down markedly as these children lost interest. There was no gathering together of the children at the end to see what was learned. Consequently, many children were demotivated by the activity.

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learning. In some lessons the higher attaining children are not being sufficiently

24. Another cause for the slower progress in some classes is that children are not targeted and monitored as systematically and consistently throughout the Foundation Stage as they are in the rest of the school. Assessment opportunities are not planned into some lessons so that teachers can evaluate whether the children are making incremental progress lesson by lesson. Some teachers use questioning well to ascertain what the children have understood, but this is not then used effectively to change what is taught next, particularly for the higher attaining children. Although children are encouraged to choose their activities, in some classes these activities are too unstructured for meaningful learning to take place. In these lessons activities are not well matched to the different capabilities of the children and the higher attaining children are not always sufficiently challenged to become independent learners.

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learning. In some lessons the higher attaining children are not being sufficiently

25. There is also some imbalance in the school's provision of the recommended areas for learning and how some aspects, such as physical development, are delivered. This is taught as a discrete unit and does not provide adequate opportunity to develop children's independent learning and personal initiative. There is insufficient cohesion in the planning of the Foundation Stage curriculum and it is not being delivered according to the recommended guidelines. St Paul and St Timothy's RC Infant School - 17

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

To raise further the standards of work and the quality of education provided, the governors and senior management team should:

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better progress by:

• improving how the activities are planned to redress the imbalance between the areas of learning and reflect recent guidelines for the Foundation Stage curriculum;

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better progress by:

• better matching work to pupils' capabilities and providing more challenging activities for higher attaining pupils;

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better progress by:

• providing more opportunities to develop children's independent learning and personal initiative;

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better progress by:

• providing a secure play area with sufficient large wheeled toys and climbing equipment to deliver the curriculum effectively. (paragraphs 22, 23 and 24)

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better progress by:

(The school is aware of this issue and has already begun to deal with it) St Paul and St Timothy's RC Infant School - 18

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 20

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 360

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 38

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 32

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

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

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Paul and St Timothy's RC Infant School - 19

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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 60 60 120

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys 60 60 60 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 60 60 60

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (95) 100 (95) 100 (98) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 59 60 60 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 60 60 60

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

Percentage of pupils School 99 (93) 100 (95) 100 (98) 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. St Paul and St Timothy's RC Infant School - 20

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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 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 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 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

The table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. It gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. St Paul and St Timothy's RC Infant School - 21

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 15 Financial year 2001-2002

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24.8:1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y2 Total income 667,585

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 12 Total expenditure 660,067

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 288 Expenditure per pupil 1,833

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 18,582

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 0 Balance carried forward to next year 7,517

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 0

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 1.5

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. St Paul and St Timothy's RC Infant School - 22

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Questionnaire return rate

Percentage of responses in each category

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Questionnaire return rate

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

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Questionnaire return rate

My child is making good progress in school. 77 23 0 0 0

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Questionnaire return rate

Behaviour in the school is good. 68 31 1 0 1

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Questionnaire return rate

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 58 38 3 0 0

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Questionnaire return rate

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 66 32 2 0 0

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Questionnaire return rate

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 83 16 1 0 0

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Questionnaire return rate

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 82 17 1 0 0

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Questionnaire return rate

The school works closely with parents. 69 28 2 0 1

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Questionnaire return rate

The school is well led and managed. 88 12 0 0 0

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Questionnaire return rate

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 77 22 1 0 0

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Questionnaire return rate

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 41 29 14 2 15

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