Guardian Angels Roman Catholic Primary School, Bury

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 17 th – 20 th March 2003

p.1

PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

p.1

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. Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 3

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Nursery, Infant and Junior

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School category: Catholic Voluntary Aided

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Leigh Lane Bury Lancashire

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: November 1997 Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 4

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 10638 Mr M Newell Registered inspector English as an additional language Science Physical education The school’s results and pupils’ achievements. How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What could the school do to improve further? 19365 Mr G Stockley Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 17543 Mr R Coupe Team inspector Mathematics Geography Music How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? How well does the school care for pupils? 17767 Mrs S Power Team inspector Educational inclusion Special educational needs English Art and design Design and technology 8263 Mrs M Forsman Team inspector Foundation Stage Information and communication technology History The inspection contractor was: Lynrose Marketing Limited Bungalow Farmhouse Six Mile Bottom

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Newmarket Suffolk CB8 0TU 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: The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 5

p.4

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

p.5

HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 13

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

p.5

AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 37

Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 6

p.6

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is situated in Elton in Bury close to the town centre. Although the majority of pupils live close to the school there are a significant minority who live quite a distance from school. There are currently the full-time equivalent of 239 pupils on roll with 138 girls and 119 boys. The school has nursery provision which was opened in September 2002. The Nursery class provides 36 part-time places and 7 full-time places. There is little pupil mobility with most pupils spending their full primary educational lives at the school. A high percentage of pupils are of white ethnic origin and no pupil speaks English as an additional language. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals stands at 3% and this is below the national average. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs is broadly in line with the national average with the percentage of pupils with a statement of

p.6

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

special educational need being above the national average. Assessment data shows that the attainment levels of children soon after they start school cover the full ability range and are at an average level overall.

p.6

HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school with many very good and some excellent features. The school is very well led and managed by the headteacher who has played a significant role in the continued development of the school and in creating an excellent team spirit. There are some major strengths in teaching and these together with the very good attitudes and behaviour of the pupils form a powerful combination in how well pupils achieve in many subjects by the time that pupils leave the school. The school makes very good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and has forged strong links with parents and the local community which all bring a further dimension to the pupils’ learning. Taking all factors into account, this is a school that is providing good value for money.

p.6

What the school does well

• Standards in English, mathematics, science, art and design, geography, history, and physical education are above average by the time that pupils leave school. • Curriculum provision in the Foundation Stage is good and teaching is good with very good features. • Teaching over time is good in Year 3 to Year 6 with teaching very good in Year 5 and Year 6. • Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to work and school are very good with pupils demonstrating a real desire to do well. Relationships across the school are excellent. • The overall provision made for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good with spiritual and social development being excellent. • This is a very caring and supportive school where pupils’ personal development is nurtured alongside their academic development. • The school has established a very strong and effective partnership with parents who together with the wider local community bring an added dimension to pupils’ learning.

p.6

What the school does well

• The leadership and management of the headteacher are very good. He is very well supported by the senior management team, a dedicated staff and an effective Governing Body. Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 7

p.6

What could be improved

• The consistency of which work is matched to the differing ability levels of pupils, particularly the higher attainers. • The use of test and assessment data and target setting procedures. • Opportunities for pupils to undertake independent study and research and to take a greater initiative for their own learning. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

p.7

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good progress since the time of the last inspection in 1997. Following on from the last inspection, the school tackled the identified issues in a rigorous manner. Good quality schemes of work are now in place to support and enhance teaching and learning across the school. The school has put in place appropriate procedures for assessing and tracking pupils’ attainment and progress and is continuing to improve the use it makes of this information to have the biggest impact on helping to raise standards. The curriculum provision that the school now makes for information and communication technology and design and technology fully meets National Curriculum requirements with information and communication technology increasingly becoming a strength of the school. In terms of the wider picture standards and the quality of teaching have improved and many of the strengths previously identified have been maintained and in some instances further

p.7

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

improved. This is a school that is constantly looking at ways to improve through its rigorous self-evaluation procedures and because of this it is well placed to continue the process of development and improvement.

p.7

STANDARDS

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

p.7

schools

English B A A A well above average above average A B

p.7

schools

mathematics C C A C average below average C D science B B A B well below average E

p.7

schools

The above table shows that on the basis of the 2002 National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, attainment was well above the national average in English, mathematics and science. When compared to similar schools, levels of attainment are well above average in English, above average in science and average in mathematics. Inspection findings indicate that standards in English, mathematics and science are above average. The difference in attainment between test results and inspection findings can be explained by natural ability differences between the different cohorts. Inspection evidence also indicates that standards are set to rise again in subsequent years. The school’s trend of improvement has been broadly in line with the national trend. Pupils of all abilities, including those with special Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 8 educational needs, make good progress and achieve well in these subjects by the time that

p.7

schools

pupils leave school. Pupils’ progress is greatly accelerated in Year 5 and Year 6. The school sets challenging targets in literacy and numeracy for the number of pupils to reach the expected level for 11-year-olds and also the number of pupils expected to exceed this level.

p.8

schools

Standards are above average by the end of Year 6 in art and design, geography, history, and physical education. Pupils of all abilities make good progress and achieve well. Elements of information and communication technology are above average with pupils benefiting from good quality teaching which is enabling them to make good progress. Attainment overall in this subject is at an average level as the school has had difficulty during the last 12 months covering all aspects of the subject because of technical problems with the computers and software. Standards in music are at an average level although pupils’ singing is of a good standard. Pupils of all abilities make satisfactory progress with progress sometimes good within lessons when matched with good teaching. Standards in design and technology are at an average level and all pupils make satisfactory progress.

p.8

schools

The results of the 2002 National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 2 show attainment to be above the national average in reading and mathematics and in line with the national average in writing. When compared to similar schools, attainment is average in mathematics and below average in reading and writing. Teacher assessments in science show attainment to be above average. Inspection findings show that standards in speaking and listening are above average and standards in reading and writing are at an average level. Standards in mathematics and science are above average. Pupils of all abilities are making satisfactory progress in English and mathematics and good progress in science due to the opportunities to learn through practical and investigative tasks. Standards in geography and physical education are above average. Pupils make good progress and achieve well in these subjects due to the good quality of teaching. Standards in information and communication technology

p.8

schools

are at an average level although the pupils are currently benefiting from good quality teaching which is accelerating their progress. Standards in art and design, design and technology, history and music are at an average level with pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, making satisfactory progress.

p.8

schools

When children start school, assessment data shows that their attainment covers the full ability range and is at an average level overall. Children of all abilities make good progress and by the time the children start in Year 1 almost all have met or exceeded the nationally recommended Early Learning Goals in all areas of learning with a higher number exceeding the expected level in personal, social and emotional development, and in physical and creative development. Children get a good start to their educational lives in the Foundation Stage. Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 9

p.8

Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils have very good attitudes to work and all that the school has to offer. They show a thirst for new knowledge and skills. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils are very well behaved in class and around the school. They show high levels of respect for the needs of others and are extremely polite, helpful and courteous to visitors. Personal development and relationships Very good. Relationships across the school are excellent and this adds greatly to the life and community of the school. Although pupils’ overall personal development is good, the school is eager to develop pupils’ ability to take a greater initiative and responsibility for their own learning. Attendance Good. Pupils love coming to school and this is reflected in the attendance rate which is above the national average.

p.9

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

p.9

Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is good with some very good features. Teaching in Year 1 to Year 2 is satisfactory overall with good teaching in science, information and communication technology, geography and physical education and elements of good teaching in some other subjects. Teaching in Year 3 to Year 6 has been good over time and teaching is very good in Year 5 and Year 6. Teaching in Year 3 and Year 4 is currently satisfactory with some good features. During the inspection examples of good teaching were observed in every class with the examples of very good or excellent teaching observed in the Foundation Stage and in Year 5 and Year 6.

p.9

Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

In the Foundation Stage children are provided with many opportunities to learn through practical activities and structured play alongside more formal teaching of early reading, writing and mathematical skills. The quality of teaching is never less than good and at times very good or excellent. Support staff play a pivotal role and there is very good liaison between staff in the Nursery class and staff in the Reception class which helps to create an integrated and effective Foundation Stage where children make good progress, achieve well and thoroughly enjoy their learning experiences.

p.9

Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Writing skills are generally taught well across the school. The emphasis that the school has placed on the systematic teaching of writing skills has led to improvements in writing standards over the last three years. Reading skills are taught in a satisfactory manner in Year 1 and Year 2 with scope for further improvement and are taught well in Year 3 to Year 6. Teaching in mathematics is often at its best in Year 5 and Year 6 where tasks that are set are challenging and demanding and many opportunities are provided for pupils to learn through open-ended, problem solving and investigative tasks. Pupils invariably rise to the challenge. The area for improvement is to ensure that tasks, particularly but not exclusively, in Year 1and Year 2, consistently meet the needs of the pupils, in particular the higher attainers. On Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 10 these occasions pupils do not always make the progress of which they are capable.

p.9

Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Teaching in other subjects of the curriculum such as history, art and design and information and communication technology is good and at times better when the teachers’ subject knowledge and expertise or just their natural enthusiasm captivate the pupils and keep them spellbound throughout the lesson. There are some excellent examples of the marking of pupils’ work, particularly in Year 5 and Year 6, which tell pupils exactly what they need to do to improve their work. This excellent practice needs to be disseminated across the school.

p.10

Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The curriculum provision in the Foundation Stage is good. In Year 1to Year 6 the school generally provides a broad and balanced curriculum which is enhanced by visits, visitors, very good links with members of the local community, a good range of extra-curricular activities and curriculum initiatives such as writing workshops.

p.10

Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils benefit from good and effective support in lessons from support staff and pupils’ individual education plans contain challenging and achievable targets. These factors help to ensure that pupils make similar progress to their classmates.

p.10

Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. The provision made for pupils’ spiritual and social development is excellent. Provision made for pupils’ moral development is very good and good for their cultural development. These factors add much to pupils’ personal development and to the impressive ethos that pervades the life of the school.

p.10

Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. This is a very caring and supportive school where the welfare of pupils is given a very high priority and is nurtured alongside pupils’ academic development. The school has good procedures in place for assessing pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science and is improving procedures in other subjects.

p.10

Aspect Comment

How well the school works in partnership with parents. Very good. The school has established very strong links with parents and provides parents with good quality information, including how their children are progressing. Many parents play a significant role in supporting their child’s learning and the life of the work of the school. Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 11

p.10

Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The leadership and management of the headteacher and key staff are very good. The headteacher has played a significant and pivotal role in the improvement of the school and shows a fierce determination to strive for excellence. He has built up an excellent team spirit in the school. The headteacher is very well supported by a very effective senior management team and a dedicated and committed teaching and non-teaching staff. The school recognises the need to involve subject co-ordinators more in monitoring teaching and learning and in the analysis of test and assessment data.

p.11

Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Governors are very supportive of the school and play an important and effective role in holding the school to account for the quality of education it provides.

p.11

Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The school has good procedures in place for monitoring teaching and learning. The headteacher is increasingly using test and assessment data for identifying areas for improvement, tracking pupils’ progress and for more rigorous target setting for year groups, groups of pupils and for individual pupils.

p.11

Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. The school uses its funds and access to grants in an effective manner to support and enhance educational priorities. Financial planning and the monitoring of spending are of a high standard. The school applies the principles of best value well when purchasing goods and services.

p.11

Aspect Comment

The adequacy of staffing, accommodation and learning resources. The school is appropriately staffed. The quality of accommodation is good and well maintained with good facilities in the Foundation Stage, although library provision is far from ideal as it is sited in the computer suite. The outside accommodation of the school is particularly attractive. Learning resources are satisfactory overall with good resources in art and design, design and technology, history and music. The school has rightly identified the need to increase the number of good quality fiction and non-fiction books. Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 12

p.11

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The fact that their children enjoy coming to school. • The quality of teaching and the progress that children make. • The standard of behaviour. • The approachability of the school. • The expectations that the school sets. • The partnership with parents. • How well the school is led and managed. • The way in which the school enables children to become mature and responsible. • The range of activities that the school provides outside lessons. • Information relating to how their child is getting on. • The amount of homework.

p.12

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspection findings endorse many of the very positive views of the parents who are most appreciative of the good quality of education that the school provides. Pupils’ annual reports are satisfactory. In addition to these reports and parents’ evenings, the school provides termly newsletters about what is being taught in each class and weekly drop in sessions where parents can see their child’s teacher should they have any concerns whatsoever. Such initiatives and information are better than found in many schools and therefore information overall, relating to how children are getting on is judged to be good. The range and quality of extra-curricular activities are better than found in many schools and are good. The amount of homework that is set in Year 1 to Year 2 is similar to that found in many schools and the range of tasks and the organisation of the setting of homework for the older pupils is better than found in the majority of primary schools.

p.12

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 13

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The Foundation Stage consists of a Nursery class, which provides two part-time sessions a day, and a Reception class. The Nursery class opened at the beginning of the current school year and normally accepts children after their third birthday. There have been two intakes so far. The children’s attainment when they start school covers the full ability range and overall it is at an average level. During their time in the Foundation Stage the children benefit from consistently good and at times very good or better teaching and curriculum provision that is well planned to meet their needs. As a result of these strong factors, children of all abilities make good progress and achieve well. The majority of children achieve the nationally recommended Early Learning Goals in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development and in knowledge and understanding of the world. The children’s attainment exceeds the early learning

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

goals in their personal and social development, and in their physical and creative development. Children of all abilities receive a good start to their educational lives in the Foundation Stage and are well prepared to start work on the National Curriculum programmes of study when they start in Year 1.

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. By the end of Year 2, on the basis of the 2002 National Curriculum test results, pupils’ attainment was above the national average in reading and mathematics and in line with the national average in writing. Teacher assessments in science show attainment to be above average. When the school’s results are compared to similar schools, attainment is average in mathematics and below average in reading and writing. Inspection findings show pupils’ attainment in speaking and listening is above average and standards in reading and writing are at an average level. Standards in mathematics and science are above average. Pupils of all abilities are making satisfactory progress in English and mathematics and good progress in science due to the opportunities to learn through practical and investigative tasks. There are occasions however when work is not accurately matched to the individual needs of the pupils, particularly the

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

higher attainers, and this prevents pupils’ progress and achievement from being stronger. Any differences between test results and inspection findings can be explained by natural ability differences in the different groups of pupils. There is no significant difference in attainment between boys and girls.

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. By the end of Year 2, inspection findings show that standards in speaking and listening are above average. Pupils are confident speakers and are always ready to express their views and opinions in a coherent manner. Pupils are attentive listeners. Standards are at an average level in reading. Most pupils are competent readers who read with an appropriate level of fluency and accuracy. Although the higher attaining pupils extract information from texts well and use a range of different strategies to tackle unfamiliar words, opportunities are sometimes missed to reinforce such strategies in for example, guided reading sessions. Standards in writing are at an average level. Most pupils use punctuation in an appropriate manner, spell with a satisfactory degree of accuracy and sequence their ideas in a logical manner when writing factually or creatively. Progress is prevented from being even stronger by a lack of opportunity to

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

write for more varied purposes and audiences.

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Inspection evidence shows that standards in mathematics and science are above average by the end of Year 2. Pupils have good number skills and apply these well in problem solving activities. Pupils have a good knowledge of two and three-dimensional Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 14 shapes. Pupils use standard and non-standard measures with an appropriate degree of accuracy. Pupils collect and interpret data in an effective manner. Although the higher attaining pupils solve mental arithmetic problems confidently, other pupils tend to take too long because they have not acquired a wide enough range of strategies to tackle such problems. Standards in science are above average by the end of Year 2. Pupils explore ideas well and because of the many opportunities that are provided, pupils have developed a good knowledge and understanding of how to carry out investigations. Pupils have a good knowledge of materials, physical processes and

p.13

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

electricity and are able to use classification skills well when comparing animals, plants or humans. Occasionally not all pupils put their scientific knowledge to best use in practical and investigative work.

p.14

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. By the end of Year 2 standards in geography and physical education are above average. The good quality of teaching and the pupils’ very good attitudes help to ensure that pupils of all abilities make good progress and achieve well. Standards in information and communication technology are at an average level. All pupils have made satisfactory progress over time with the pupils currently benefiting from good quality teaching that is accelerating their progress at the present time. Standards in art and design, design and technology, history and music are at an average level with all pupils making satisfactory progress.

p.14

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. By the end of Year 6, on the basis of the 2002 National Curriculum tests, pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science is well above the national average. When compared to similar schools, attainment is well above average in English, above average in science and average in mathematics. Inspection findings show attainment in English, mathematics and science to be above average. Any differences between test results and inspection findings can be explained by the natural ability differences of the different cohorts of pupils. Attainment has been stronger in English over time because this area of the curriculum has been a continuing focus area for development, particularly standards in writing. The school has now identified a similar focus for raising standards further in mathematics and science. The school’s trend of improvement has been similar to the national trend with standards set to rise again in

p.14

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

subsequent years. The school sets challenging targets in literacy, numeracy and science both for the number of pupils targeted to reach the level expected of 11-year- olds and those expected to exceed this level. The good quality of teaching over time in Year 3 to Year 6 and the very good attitudes of the pupils means that pupils of all abilities make good progress and achieve well. The progress that pupils make in Year 5 and Year 6 is often very good and accelerates because of the consistently very good quality of teaching. Occasionally in some classes, work is not as well matched to pupils’ abilities as it could be.

p.14

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Standards in English are above average with speaking and listening standards well above average by the end of Year 6. Pupils express themselves well in formal and informal situations and use a good vocabulary. They adapt their style and language to meet the purpose and demands of different situations and for example, take part in illustrative drama or lead prayers in assemblies with poise and confidence. Pupils are very attentive listeners and show high levels of respect and courtesy when listening to the contributions of others. Standards in reading are above average. Many pupils leave the school as fluent readers who show a good level of understanding of text they have read with the higher attainers able to read beyond the literal level. Pupils’ referencing and research skills are not as developed as other reading skills due to restricted access to the library which is situated in the computer suite. Writing standards are

p.14

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

above average. Many pupils, by the time that they leave school, write complex sentences with good levels of punctuation and a good use of vocabulary. Pupils create Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 15 characters and motives and express feelings well. Pupils organise their writing well. For some of the younger pupils at this key stage there are not always enough opportunities to practice their writing skills in a wide enough variety of contexts. However, progress accelerates considerably in Year 5 and Year 6 where pupils are provided with rich and varied opportunities to write for different audiences and purposes.

p.14

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Standards in mathematics and science are above average. By the end of Year 6 pupils have a good grasp of number and place value and decide how and what processes they require to calculate the correct answers. Pupils have a clear understanding of decimals and fractions and mathematical investigations are carried out well. Pupils collect and interpret data well. They name many shapes, know their different properties and measure angles accurately. However, in mental arithmetic their instant recall of number bonds and number facts is a little slow and there is need to further develop this aspect of their learning. In science pupils have developed good scientific enquiry and investigative skills and have developed a good base of scientific knowledge across all elements of the subject. Many pupils are clearly aware of the factors needed to carry out a fair test and the higher attaining pupils put their scientific knowledge to good use

p.15

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

in hypothesising and predicting outcomes of experiments and investigations. Pupils use an appropriate scientific vocabulary when explaining their work but pupils are not as confident in instigating or initiating their own investigations.

p.15

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. By the end of Year 6, standards are above average in art and design, geography, history and physical education. Teaching in these subjects is of a good standard and this helps to ensure that pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, make good progress and achieve well. Standards in information and communication technology are at an average level with strengths in some areas such as putting together multi-media presentations. Although progress over time has been satisfactory in this subject, pupils are currently making good progress and achieving well because of the good quality of the teaching. Standards in music are average with standards in singing of a high standard, but standards in composition are weaker. Pupils make satisfactory progress in music. Standards in design and technology are at an average level and pupils of all abilities make satisfactory progress and achieve

p.15

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. The provision that is made for pupils with special educational needs is good. The pupils benefit from good support and good quality education plans which contain challenging yet achievable targets. Occasionally work is not closely enough matched to these targets. Overall the good levels of support help to ensure that pupils progress at a similar rate to their classmates. Arrangements for supporting pupils who have statements of special educational needs are effective and help pupils to attain standards which are in line with prior achievements. The provision that is made for special educational needs means that pupils have full and equal access to all aspects of the curriculum and take a fully inclusive part in all aspects of the life of the school as a community. The provision that is made for the higher attaining pupils is satisfactory overall and good for the older pupils in school and for children in the Foundation Stage.

p.15

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

There are occasions, more so, in Year 1 to Year 2, where the work is not as challenging or demanding as it could be for these pupils and this prevents pupils’ progress from being stronger.

p.15

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development overall are a strength of the school. They contribute much to the very effective learning environment and the excellent ethos Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 16 of the school. Many of the strengths in these areas of school life have been maintained and in some instances built upon since the time of the last inspection.

p.15

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Pupils have very good attitudes to school and this contributes significantly to their learning and to the progress that pupils of all abilities make. Pupils thoroughly enjoy coming to school and are keen to learn. They are very interested and involved in their work and they collaborate very well in pairs and small groups. They contribute well to class discussions, and this is reflected in pupils’ high levels of enthusiasm for activities and lessons across the curriculum. Pupils listen very well to their teachers and one another and instructions are followed quickly and quietly. When presented with challenging and stimulating questions pupils offer thoughtful and confident replies. During a visit to the local art gallery which took place during the inspection Year 5 pupils were very interested in the pictures on display and demonstrated a very keen desire to make as much as they could of this learning opportunity and to extend their artistic

p.16

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Behaviour is very good overall and in some lessons it is excellent. The pupils are proud of their school and take good care of it. Adults in the school are very good role models. They speak to pupils with courtesy and this promotes mutual respect. In the playground and around the school pupils are very friendly and polite to one another and to adults. They hold doors open for each other and for adults and speak politely, showing respect for their elders and consideration for others. They are a credit to the school. No bullying or oppressive behaviour was seen during the inspection and pupils state that they have no concerns in this respect. There have been no recent exclusions.

p.16

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. The “special friends” system helps the younger pupils to feel safe and secure and it also encourages a sense of responsibility amongst the older pupils, who enjoy looking after their younger friends. On one occasion during the inspection a young pupil dropped his dinner tray in the hall. Two older boys immediately rushed over to help him to retrieve his cutlery and drink from the floor. Pupils of all ages work well together. Relationships throughout the school, regardless of ethnic or social background, are excellent and make a significant contribution to pupils’ progress and to the pleasant atmosphere for learning.

p.16

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Children in the Foundation Stage show great enthusiasm for learning and the varied curriculum promotes very good attitudes from an early age. There is a high expectation for children to show respect through listening to the teacher and one another. Children respond well to the models of very good manners and co-operation between the adults. Children are shown how to behave well and relate to one other when working in adult led activities or independently. Behaviour is very good. Children learn from the adults who help in showing them how to be kind, how to share and how to talk to one another. Children are encouraged by staff to take responsibility for themselves and this is often seen in the way in which children quickly get ready for physical education lessons and in how they help to set up and return resources before and after lessons. Pupils throughout the school, with special educational needs have equally good attitudes to

p.16

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

school and respond well to the good levels of support from teachers, classroom assistants and classmates.

p.16

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Pupils’ personal development is good. Pupils are confident and carry out a range of jobs around the school as well as generally helping teachers and mid-day staff. Children in Year 4 act as “special friends” to younger children, and prefects help to supervise younger pupils during wet playtimes. The school council meets regularly and gives pupils a real opportunity to influence what goes on in school, as well as a chance to learn about democracy. There are fewer opportunities for pupils to develop their Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 17 independent learning skills and to take more responsibility and initiative for their own learning and this is an area where provision could be stronger.

p.16

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Attendance is good. It is regularly above the national average for primary schools and there are no unauthorised absences. Pupils arrive punctually and registers are completed quickly and accurately so that no time is wasted.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is consistently good and during the week of inspection there were some very good and excellent features. Although teaching in Year 1 to Year 2 is satisfactory overall, teaching in science, information and communication technology, geography and physical education is good. Teaching over time has been good in Year 3 to Year 6 and teaching has and continues to be very good in Year 5 and Year 6. Teaching in Year 3 and Year 4 is currently satisfactory with some good features. Good teaching was observed in every year group during the week of inspection with the very good and excellent teaching observed in the Foundation Stage and in Year 5 and Year 6. During the inspection, teaching was very good or better in almost a third of lessons, good in a further four out of ten lessons and satisfactory in the remaining lessons. No unsatisfactory teaching was observed. When teaching is

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

satisfactory, the main area for improvement is to ensure that work is more accurately matched to the individual needs of the pupils, particularly the higher attaining pupils. Although there is always scope for further improvements in the quality of teaching, teaching has improved much since the time of the last inspection with a much higher incidence of good or better teaching and importantly a higher incidence of very good and better teaching. Teachers show a readiness to reflect critically on their own performance and this indicates that the school is well placed to continue to improve.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is consistently good and at times very good and excellent. Teachers and support staff work together very well and help to create a vibrant and attractive learning environment where children thrive. Plenty of opportunities are provided for children to learn through practical, hands on activities as well as through more formal teaching activities. Resources are always well prepared and every activity is seen as a learning opportunity. Good liaison exists between the Nursery class and the Reception class with all adults forming a strong and effective teaching partnership which ensures that children’s previous learning is consistently built on. Good ongoing assessment procedures help to make sure that work that is planned is carefully matched to the individual needs of all children. All these factors have helped to create an integrated and effective Foundation Stage unit where children

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

get off to a flying start in their educational lives, make good progress and achieve well.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. The quality of teaching in English is satisfactory in Year 1 to Year 2 and good in Year 3 to Year 6, although the most effective teaching is in Year 5 and Year 6. What is to be learnt in a lesson is often shared with pupils and the session at the end of the lesson is used effectively to assess what pupils have actually learnt or not. In the best lessons this information is used well to guide the planning for future lessons. In the teaching of reading skills, there is a need for the younger pupils in school to be reminded on a more regular basis of the different strategies that they can use when they come across unfamiliar words and phrases. Opportunities are sometimes missed for pupils to undertake independent study or research which could further enhance both their reading and writing skills. Many opportunities are provided for pupils to take part in discussions and debates with teachers consistently encouraging pupils to use an

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

expressive vocabulary. Punctuation, spelling and presentational skills are taught well. A Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 18 strength of teaching is the systematic and rigorous manner in which writing skills are taught. This is particularly effective for the pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 which contributes much to the good quality, expressive and at times evocative text that pupils are able to write by the time that they leave the school. Most teachers organise their lessons well and take account of the national guidance for literacy teaching. However, there is scope for a more rigorous approach to word and sentence level teaching. There are also times when the teacher expectations are not high enough, particularly for the higher attaining pupils. In these instances pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable. Opportunities are usually well capitalised on to enhance pupils’ literacy skills in

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

other areas of the curriculum such as writing poetry about the rainforests in geography or the experiences of a war time soldier in history.

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. The quality of teaching in mathematics is satisfactory in Year 1 to Year 2 and good over time in Year 3 to Year 6, aided by the consistently very good teaching for pupils in Year 5 and Year 6. The National Numeracy Strategy is firmly embedded in school practice and this has a positive impact on pupils’ learning, attainment and achievement. Pupils are encouraged to use an appropriate mathematical vocabulary. Teachers’ subject knowledge is secure and is used well to explain new concepts or to deal with any misconceptions. Teaching is at its best in Year 5 and Year 6 where teachers set high expectations and challenging activities. In these classes the teachers expect the pupils to put their mathematical skills to the test in problem solving and investigative activities. The pupils invariably rise to the challenge. When teaching is not as successful it is because the same activity is prepared for the whole class, pupils’ thinking is

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

constrained by the tasks presented on worksheets or opportunities to enhance pupils’ mathematical investigation skills are not capitalised on. Pupils’ mathematical skills are put to good use in other subjects of the curriculum such as when pupils draw accurate graphs in science and geography.

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. The quality of teaching in science is good across the school. The teachers place a good emphasis on the development of pupils’ investigative skills alongside the development of scientific knowledge. Teaching is at its best when pupils are expected to put their scientific knowledge to the test in making predictions or in explaining why things happen as they do. Lesson objectives are always shared with the pupils which reinforces the responsibility that pupils have for their own learning. Teachers question pupils well and expect pupils to respond using an appropriate scientific vocabulary. In a very good lesson in Year 6 the teacher’s very clear, focused and precise teaching style enabled pupils to read and interpret scientific data far more accurately and with greater confidence by the end of the lesson. Good use is made of the school grounds as was seen in a Year 2 lesson where pupils had to examine the different habitats in which

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

insects and plants thrive. This practical approach gave the pupils a far greater awareness of differing habitats as well as thoroughly enjoying themselves as they delved in the school gardens. The area for development is for pupils to be provided with more opportunities to initiate and instigate their own investigations and experiments, as pupils are not as confident in this area.

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. The quality of teaching in information and communication technology, geography and physical education is good across the school. In information and communication technology the teaching is carried out by a specialist teacher who puts her good subject knowledge and enthusiasm to good use to motivate the pupils and to push on their learning. She directly teaches specific skills across the different aspects of the subject and allows pupils the opportunity to practise and refine their newly acquired skills. There are some good examples of pupils’ information and communication technology skills being enhanced in other areas of the curriculum but this good practice is not as consistent as it could be. In geography, a good emphasis is placed on pupils Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 19 developing mapping skills alongside the development of their knowledge of the wider world. Teaching is at its best when pupils are expected to further their understanding of

p.18

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

events such as hurricanes through carrying out independent study and research. In physical education whether taking part in dance activities or playing games, teachers directly teach specific points that enable the level of pupils’ performance to improve. Teachers use examples of good performance to demonstrate to the rest of the class, which invariably raises the skill, and success of other pupils in the class. In a good dance lesson in Year 1 the teacher constantly encouraged the pupils, building up their confidence which resulted in a good level of creativity and imaginative movement from many pupils.

p.19

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. Teaching in art and design and history is satisfactory in Year 1 to Year 2 and good in Year 3 to Year 6. Specific skills are directly taught but in Year 1 to Year 2 there is not enough emphasis on pupils evaluating their own work and examining how they could make it better. Teaching is good in Year 3 to Year 6 and excellent in Year 5 where the teacher's subject expertise is put to very effective use in firing pupils’ creativity, producing work of a high standard and in developing pupils’ capacity to appreciate and evaluate art of their own and of famous artists. In history, all aspects of the curriculum are covered in sufficient depth. Teaching is good in Year 3 to Year 6 as it develops pupils’ skills as historical enquirers and investigators well, alongside the development of historical knowledge. On occasions in Year 1 to Year 2 teacher expectations are not as consistently high as they could be. Throughout the school pupils’ knowledge and

p.19

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

understanding is enhanced by trips to places of historical interest which help to bring the subject to life. Teaching in design and technology and music is satisfactory across the school. In design and technology planning is appropriate and pupils are managed well. The area for development is for pupils to be provided with more opportunities to decide for themselves what they will need for a task or how they will tackle a problem. In music, where there is a specific emphasis on developing pupils’ skills, for example in performing and singing, pupils make good progress and achieve well. The weaker element is in the time allocated to the development of pupils’ compositional skills.

p.19

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25. The teaching and support for pupils with special educational needs is good. Support staff make a significant and important contribution to the quality of pupils’ learning. Their support is sensitive but at the same time they set challenging tasks for the pupils to complete. This level and quality of support enables pupils to have full and inclusive access to all areas of the curriculum, to achieve well and to make similar progress to their classmates. Pupils’ individual education plans are of a good quality and contain challenging and achievable targets. Teaching is at its strongest when the activities that are planned for pupils are closely matched to these targets. Occasionally this is not the case. The provision and teaching for higher attaining pupils is satisfactory overall and good for the older pupils in school and for children in the Foundation Stage. Where teaching is good for these pupils it is because teachers set high expectations and

p.19

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

provide work that is closely matched to pupils’ needs. Teaching is less successful when activities are the same for all pupils rather than planning specific and more challenging tasks from the outset. The school is aware of this and is already addressing the issue in an effective manner.

p.19

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

26. The quality of relationships across the school is excellent. Pupils respond very well to the enthusiasm and humour of their teachers. Pupils are aware of what is expected of them and often rise to the challenge. Pupils respond positively to verbal praise and pointers for improvement and teachers provide warranted praise or gentle criticism in equal measure. There are some excellent examples, particularly for the oldest pupils in school, of the marking of pupils’ work being used to outline what pupils need to do to improve or highlighting why a particular piece of work is of a good standard. This Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 20 excellent practice is not as consistent across the school and at times marking is cursory. A very high percentage of parents that responded to the questionnaire sent out before the inspection are happy with the quality of the teaching and the good progress that their child is making. About 8% of parents are less happy with the amount of

p.19

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

homework that is set. Inspection findings show that the amount and range of homework that is set is satisfactory for the younger pupils and good for the pupils in Year 3 to Year 6 and adds positively to the quality of the pupils’ learning.

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27. The curricular and other learning opportunities offered to pupils overall are good and are of a better quality than at the time of the last inspection. The school has taken effective action to address the weaknesses identified.

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. The school now generally provides a broad and balanced curriculum which is enhanced well by a good range of visits, visitors and extra-curricular activities which add to and enrich the learning opportunities for pupils outside of the formal curriculum. The school now meets all statutory requirements well, including the requirements for the teaching of religious education. Throughout the school the curriculum is supported by effective schemes of work and policies. These are largely based on national or local education authority guidelines, which have been evaluated and suitably adapted to meet the particular needs of the school, and clearly identify the progression of skills and knowledge which need to be taught. This documentation together with the attention to detail that the medium term planning provides ensures that pupils’ prior knowledge is being built on and systematically developed in most subjects of the curriculum with an

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

appropriate amount of time allocated to the teaching of the different elements of individual subjects. However, the school has recognised that curriculum arrangements are in need of further refinement regarding the management and balancing of time for the teaching of the different elements of the music curriculum. Successfully implemented, this will provide more regular opportunities for pupils to study and revisit those elements that are currently not always taught in sufficient depth.

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29. The school has implemented the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies in an effective manner and these are impacting positively on pupils’ learning and on helping to raise standards. The emphasis that the school has given to the development and improvement of pupils’ writing skills is a particular strength and has been most effective in helping to raise writing standards across the school during the last 3 years. The school is looking to further provide a more rigorous approach to word and sentence level teaching and for better use to be made of guided reading sessions to promote the pupils' literacy skills. In mathematics pupils’ knowledge and understanding of all elements of the subject are secure with a need to increase pupils’ agility in solving mental arithmetic questions at greater speed an area for further development.

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is good. A good range of learning opportunities is provided with activities that allow children to learn through practical and investigative activities alongside the more formal and direct teaching of specific skills. Many of the learning opportunities are vibrant and interesting and at the same time planning carefully takes account of the nationally recommended Early Learning Goals for children of this age. Curriculum provision meets the needs of young learners and is well matched to the individual needs of children. All of these factors help to ensure that children get a good start to their educational lives. Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 21 31. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. Parents are involved and are encouraged to take a full and active role in their child’s progress and education. Individual education plans are of a good standard and contain targets that are both

p.20

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

challenging yet achievable and are accurately geared to the individual needs of the pupils. Provision and teaching are at their best when teachers use the plans to accurately provide tasks and activities that match the needs of individuals and the targets that are stated. The documentation that is kept regarding pupils’ progress is up to date and well maintained. Good procedures are in place for assessing pupils’ needs and for tracking their progress and for ensuring that outside agencies are used effectively to support and enhance their learning. The school does much to promote an equality of opportunity for all its pupils and addresses the question of racial equality in an effective and sensitive manner. The school is proud of its inclusive tradition. It is successful in maintaining a fully inclusive ethos and makes great efforts to ensure that all pupils have access to the full curriculum. Appropriate steps are taken to ensure that

p.21

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

boys and girls are treated fairly and given equal opportunities in all aspects of school life.

p.21

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. The provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education is satisfactory. Regular curriculum time is allocated, but there is not enough clear guidance to teachers of what they are expected to teach throughout the year. Provision for sex education is good, as there is a structured programme built into learning across all age ranges. However, further action is required to raise pupils’ awareness to the dangers of drugs. Following detailed planning and consultation with parents, the school has adopted a good strategy for providing sex and relationship education which enhances pupils’ sex education and awareness. Education about the use and abuse of drugs is satisfactory but is in need of further development. The headteacher has already put in place the necessary arrangements to remedy this deficiency.

p.21

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33. The school provides a good range of extra-curricular activities that enhance pupils’ education. In addition to the popular and successful choir, there are art, computing and several sporting activities provided by staff each week. A popular after school club also operates in partnership with the school. An annual residential visit for Year 6 pupils enhances pupils’ personal development. These activities add a further dimension to the quality of pupils’ educational experiences. The community makes a very good contribution to pupils’ education. There are very strong and close links with the parish church: pupils attend masses in church regularly and make good use of the parish centre for some lessons. People from the local community share their knowledge and expertise with the children. During a special event organised by one of the teachers, pupils took part in a range of activities such as sewing, gardening and art with the help

p.21

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

of local volunteers. The choir has entertained at various local venues including the Bridgewater Hall and the Royal Northern College of Music. The school also makes good use of local resources such as the art gallery to extend the range of learning opportunities for the children. The school has good links with other local schools. There are very strong links with its sister school and good links with the local secondary school, to which virtually all pupils now transfer. There is detailed and thorough consultation between appropriate staff of the two schools prior to the transfer each year which is designed to make the process as smooth as possible. Year 6 pupils have the opportunity to spend a day in their future school during the summer term and are well prepared for their transfer to secondary education.

p.21

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is very good overall and is a strength of the school. Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 22 35. Provision for spiritual development is excellent. Beyond the normal worship of the school, pupils are given a breadth of opportunities to develop spiritual awareness and response. This is evident not only in the major occasions such as in their performance in singing, drama, poetry and role play but also in their appreciation of their surroundings, their learning and other people. Pupils in Key Stage 1 show a genuine pleasure in listening and making music. The writing workshop experienced by year 5 evoked emotional and sympathetic responses as well as literacy outcomes. The relationship which the school encourages between older and younger pupils is very genuine and is evident in the way pupils look after each other without adult prompting.

p.21

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

Younger pupils clap spontaneously in praise of their peers’ efforts and appreciate feelings. Moments of stillness and quiet are respected and enjoyed. Pupils are constantly encouraged to develop self-confidence and to feel good about themselves. The celebration of life and achievement is evident in much that the school does and has to offer and is reflected in the pupils’ enthusiasm for learning.

p.22

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36. Provision for moral development is very good. Adults in the school give pupils unambiguous direction about right and wrong and set appropriate examples. The mission statement establishes the expectations of the school community and even the youngest pupils are encouraged to measure their conduct against these principles. Teachers frequently use opportunities in subjects such as literacy and history to discuss interpretation and opinions and to encourage pupils to become aware of choices and consequences. Regular opportunities for discussion in class allow pupils to raise issues of concern to them. Pupils are taught to respect and appreciate one another. Relationships are of a high standard and there are high levels of courtesy and respect. The school ensures that many opportunities are provided for pupils to develop an awareness of justice and fairness and the pupils are only too ready to put this to

p.22

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

good use in many of their activities and interactions within the school.

p.22

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

37. Provision for social development is excellent. As pupils’ needs are considered as a high priority in what the school does, much effort and thought is given to ensuring that very effective provision is made for pupils’ social development. Pupils have opportunities to take part in discussions, debates and drama activities. From an early age pupils demonstrate good discussion skills and the ability to evaluate one another’s work in a positive way. The good range of extra-curricular activities, which are well attended by many pupils and the variety of events and activities which pupils join in with pupils from other schools, offer very good opportunities for pupils’ social development. The success of the school’s work is seen in the very good relationships that exist and in the way pupils work together in groups or pairs. This is a feature of many lessons and has a very positive effect upon the learning of all pupils. The School Council is involved in

p.22

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

the life of the school and has actively contributed to improvements. Older pupils take their responsibilities as prefects very seriously. The school encourages pupils to be active in the support of others for example in collecting for an orphanage in Bolivia and in sending Christmas boxes to Romania. The school is a very orderly community and pupils are aware of their contribution to it. The school is also a significant part of the local community and pupils are encouraged to support local groups for example in providing entertainment for the Polish community within the parish. The residential visit to Ushaw Hall in Durham allows pupils to develop self-reliance and group collaboration prior to their transfer to secondary school.

p.22

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

38. Provision for cultural development is good. Pupils have opportunities to experience high quality art through visits to the local art gallery. They are involved in many aspects of their own cultural heritage. Special events such as musical partnerships and performances in Bury and Manchester help pupils to see themselves as part of the wider community. The good quality of teaching and learning in history and geography Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 23 enables them to learn and appreciate the lives and ideas of others. Their religious curriculum includes significant work on other faiths. Year 6 for example are familiar with the main festivals of the Jewish faith and have had the opportunity to talk with a Jewish expert. Pupils’ charitable efforts are often followed by contacts with other countries. The school has received letters and photos from Bolivia and individual pupils correspond

p.22

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

with others in Romania. The school is well aware of the need to prepare pupils for life in a culturally diverse society and is always seeking to provide new experiences to add to pupils’ cultural experiences.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. This is a very caring and supportive school where the welfare and well being of pupils is afforded a high status. The school provides a safe and caring environment where all are equally valued. Pupils are very well supported by the excellent relationships that exist and they feel confident and happy during their time at school. All adults in school know the pupils very well and are sensitive to their particular needs and difficulties. Parents are very happy with the care and well being that the school provides. Parents also feel that the school and staff are most approachable and would be only too willing to visit the school if they had any concerns, knowing that their concerns would be listened to and dealt with in a sensitive and effective manner. Provision in this aspect of school life has been maintained and in some areas improved since the time of the last inspection.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The headteacher leads by example and, with good support from the staff, has created a safe Christian school where all pupils are valued and very well cared for. The building is clean, secure and well looked after. All routine safety checks are carried out and there are sufficient qualified first-aiders on hand to deal with minor injuries, which are meticulously recorded. One of the first-aiders is a qualified nurse. Good procedures are in place for Child Protection. The headteacher is the leading person for Child Protection and is very experienced in this aspect of his work. Other adults in the school are aware of their responsibility to report any concerns to the headteacher, but mid-day support staff have not had recent training or guidance to help them to identify signs of possible abuse.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. There are good procedures for monitoring and promoting good attendance. A member of the office staff checks the registers daily and contacts parents immediately in the case of unexplained absence. The headteacher deals quickly and effectively with the parents of any child whose attendance or punctuality is becoming less than satisfactory.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The school has satisfactory formal procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour. However, the school’s high expectations of behaviour, as contained in the mission statement and put into very effective practice in the every day life of the school and the good role models set by all adults in the school help to ensure that pupils behave very well. Good behaviour is rewarded by house points and this also encourages pupils to behave well. There are satisfactory procedures for monitoring and eliminating oppressive behaviour, but these are rarely needed.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. There are satisfactory formal procedures to monitor and support pupils’ personal development. A new monitoring system has recently been introduced with the intention of building on the present procedures to have an even greater impact on monitoring pupils’ personal development and in turn impacting more positively on pupils’ achievements. Teachers know their pupils very well and report annually to parents on Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 24 how pupils are developing personally, as well as academically. The school is increasingly involving the pupils in setting their own targets for personal as well as academic improvement. Any personal achievements outside school are also celebrated, such as those gained in sport or music. The school recognises that this can have a great impact on raising pupils’ self-esteem and further promote positive attitudes to learning and personal initiative.

p.23

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. The school has made good progress in addressing the key issue concerning assessment as identified at the last inspection. There are now good overall systems in place to assess pupils’ academic performance and developing systems are emerging for assessing and gathering information about their personal development.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. Assessment procedures for English, mathematics, and science are good. Regular standardised testing in English and mathematics of all Year 1 to Year 6 pupils provides some very valuable information about their progress. Pupils’ achievements are carefully scrutinised, enabling the school to identify how well pupils perform against pupils in other schools. Results are carefully recorded. Teachers then plot the progress of individual pupils and evaluate their improvement from year to year. The information also identifies strengths and weaknesses in the curriculum. Information about pupils’ progress in science is collected and recorded following regular tests as pupils complete modules of study. Appropriate procedures are in place for assessing pupils’ attainment in the foundation subjects but these procedures are quite recent and they have not yet had sufficient time to have the biggest possible impact on helping to raise

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

standards. The scrutiny of pupils’ work helps subject leaders to assess how well pupils perform in class. Collected samples of selected work are gathered and standards are judged against national guidelines. The school is ensuring that the best use is made of these samples by making teachers fully aware of exactly what is needed for a pupil to achieve at a particular level. Day-to-day assessment of pupils’ work, through marking, is carried out by teachers. However, the quality of marking is a little inconsistent. It is very good in Year 5 and Year 6, where the teachers’ comments regularly help the pupils to proceed to the next stage of development. In some other classes the quality of marking is not as good as this and sometimes is little more than a tick to acknowledge the work has been seen.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. In the Foundation Stage classes the teachers’ systems for assessments and record keeping are good. Baseline assessment data is used well to identify children that may have special educational needs or children who might need additional challenge. Good on-going assessment ensures that work is consistently matched to the individual needs of all children. The school implements good assessment procedures to identify pupils with special educational needs and comply with the new Code of Practice. The information is used effectively and consistently for reviewing the appropriateness of pupils being retained on the school’s special educational needs register and deciding what further help they may require. The school has devised good links with other agencies to ensure the provision outlined in pupils’ statements of special educational needs is implemented. All statements and reviews are up to date and specified

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

provision is implemented effectively, including access to additional staffing.

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. The headteacher and the assessment co-ordinator use the results of the analysis of test and assessment data in a satisfactory manner to identify strengths, areas for development and to inform the target setting process. The information is used to identify, for example, pupils that may need additional support. The school is constantly looking to refine the analysis of data to take full account of attainment and achievement of year groups, groups of pupils and by gender. The school has rightly identified the need for subject co-ordinators to take a more active role in this process so that they Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 25 have a greater awareness of pupils’ attainment and progress. The school has established effective strategies to track the achievements of particular groups of pupils and used the information to compare with the achievements of pupils in similar schools. However the areas for further development and improvement are to ensure

p.24

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

that the information is used more effectively to ensure that work is consistently matched to the individual needs of the higher attaining pupils, to use the data in a more rigorous manner for setting targets and by identifying and sharing with pupils what they need to do to improve at a faster rate.

p.25

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. Parents are very pleased with and appreciative of the school and the quality of education that it provides. No major concerns were identified by parents who attended the meeting with the Registered Inspector or those who returned completed questionnaires, and evidence from the inspection supports these very positive views. A small number of parents felt that they were not well informed about how their child was getting on and a similar number did not agree that the school provided an interesting range of activities outside lessons. The inspection findings are that the school provides a good range of extra-curricular activities. Whilst there are ample opportunities for parents to discuss their children’s work with teachers, there is scope for improving the quality of information given about pupils’ performance in the annual written reports.

p.25

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. There are very effective links with parents who are very supportive of the school. The contribution of parents to supporting the work of the school and in supporting their child’s educational development are major strengths of the school. The partnership between the school and parents adds much to the community and family ethos of the school and this strengthens the ideal of school-parent partnership and the benefits that such a partnership brings. Parents feel most comfortable about approaching teachers or the headteacher if they have any concerns or problems. They are invited to help in school and a small number do help on a regular basis. Many parents are working and unable to help regularly, but some help out on an occasional basis to support activities such as school trips. The school has arranged meetings and workshops for parents on matters such as handwriting, the Foundation Stage curriculum and the teaching of sex

p.25

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

and relationships education. These events have generally been well attended and much appreciated by parents.

p.25

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. The school overall provides good quality information for parents. A good quality weekly newsletter is sent to parents and a copy is posted immediately on the school’s web site. Parents have the opportunity to meet their child’s new teacher during the autumn term where they can discuss how their child is settling into the class. A further meeting is offered during the spring term and an optional meeting is available towards the end of the summer term, after the parents have received the written annual report. These reports are of satisfactory quality. In addition to the termly parents’ evenings, there is an hour each week set aside by teachers during which parents can talk to them if they have any urgent concerns. At the start of each half term parents are given information about the work their children will be doing during the next few weeks and this supports parents in helping their children at home. All these initiatives give parents a good and

p.25

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

valuable insight into the work that their children are covering and enable them to play a more supportive role in the educational development of their child.

p.25

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. Parents make a very good contribution to their children’s learning by ensuring that homework is completed regularly and by listening to them read. Several parents help around the school and assist on educational visits. They give very strong support to Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 26 school events and to those organised by the parent-teacher association. During the week of the inspection large numbers of parents attended the assemblies taking place. Overall, the involvement of parents has a very good impact on the work of the school. This is a similar picture to that reported at the time of the previous inspection.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The overall quality of leadership and management in the school is very good. The leadership and management of the headteacher are very good. He has an excellent grasp of the strengths of the school and the areas that need to be tackled to improve the school still further. The head leads the school with a high level of effectiveness and efficiency and his strong leadership gives the school a very clear steer for improvement and development. The headteacher shows a fierce determination to improve standards and the quality of education the school provides. He is striving for excellence for the school and capitalises on opportunities that arise to do this. A very good example of this is the setting up of a most successful Nursery class. Although it has only been opened since September 2002, the time and effort that was put into setting up the facility, setting the right ethos and making it an integral part of the Foundation Stage is already

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

reaping benefits with children getting a flying start to their educational lives in both the Nursery class and the Reception class. Any identified issues for school development are tackled in a professional, rigorous but sensitive manner ensuring that new initiatives impact quickly on the life of the school and the quality of education of the pupils. The headteacher is supported very effectively by the senior management team of the school. They share the head’s vision for school improvement and also lead by example in terms of the quality of their teaching. The role of subject co-ordinators has continued to improve since the time of the last inspection with still scope for further improvement. There is a high degree of commitment amongst all teaching and non-teaching staff to school improvement and the headteacher has been very successful in building an excellent team spirit which is demonstrated in the excellent quality of relationships

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

across the school and the excellent ethos which surrounds the life and working of the school.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The headteacher and senior management team meet on a regular basis. The meetings concentrate on discussing strategies and initiatives which are directly linked at improving standards, curriculum provision and the quality of teaching and learning. The issues are then discussed at full staff meetings where staff are given every opportunity to be fully involved before initiatives become embedded in school practice. The impact and success of any new initiatives are carefully monitored and evaluated with members of the senior management team providing a good insight into success from a specific teaching and learning perspective.

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The monitoring of teaching and learning are good overall with scope for further development and improvement. The headteacher and members of the senior management team observe lessons in a formal manner and provide detailed feedback to teachers. Any pointers for improvement then become a focus for future observations. The focal points for monitoring within teaching and learning are agreed by the senior management team and shared with staff. Monitoring also takes place of teachers’ planning and pupils’ work. The outcomes of these monitoring procedures are formally fed back to staff and governors and if any school trends are identified they become a targeted priority on the school development plan. Subject co-ordinators have all been given release time from class teaching duties on a rota basis during the last 2 years. Much of this time has been spent on modifying documentation to support teaching and learning in subjects that they are responsible for and ensuring that what

p.26

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 27 should be taught is actually being implemented. Although some subject co-ordinators have directly monitored teaching and learning in the classroom, such practice is not on a regular basis for all subjects. This is an identified area for development and plans are already in hand for release time to be provided for co-ordinators to monitor teaching and learning when a particular subject is a priority area on the school development plan.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The school has made good progress since the last inspection in 1997. The key issues that were identified were dealt with in a systematic and rigorous manner. Documentation to support teaching and learning in different subjects of the curriculum is now fully in place and the good quality of this documentation is having a positive impact on how well pupils learn and progress. Appropriate procedures are now in place for assessing and tracking pupils’ progress. The school is constantly seeking ways of refining these processes and procedures still further to help them have the biggest impact on helping to raise standards. The curriculum provision that the school makes for design and technology and information and communication technology, now fully meets statutory requirements. The improvements in information and communication technology are such that should improvements continue at a similar rate, the subject is

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

set to become a strength of the school. When one evaluates improvement in the wider sense, standards and the quality of the teaching have improved and many of the strengths of the school have either been maintained or built upon. The school is always seeking to improve further and this together with the commitment and dedication of all teaching and non-teaching staff indicate that this is a school that is well placed to continue the process of development and improvement.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The school provides good opportunities for the professional development of staff. Good procedures are in place for performance management. The headteacher ensures that in-service training is closely matched to the needs of the school and of the individual. Non-teaching staff are given every opportunity to attend appropriate training courses that they then put to good use to help their teaching support skills or to assist in the smooth and effective running of the school. The knowledge and skills that teachers have gained from attending training courses have had a most positive impact in areas of the curriculum such as information and communication technology and the development of pupils’ writing skills. Good procedures are in place for supporting and inducting teaching and other staff that are new to the school. This results in staff quickly getting to know the routines of the school and in knowing precisely what is expected of

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The leadership and management of special educational needs are good. Support staff are particularly effective in the contribution that they make to supporting teaching and learning across the school. Good procedures are in place to identify pupils with special educational needs at an early stage and then support is carefully and effectively targeted to where the need is greatest. Good quality individual education plans are in place, which contain challenging and yet achievable targets. These factors all help to make sure that pupils make similar progress to their classmates. Equally good procedures are in place to support pupils with a statement of special educational need. The provision that is made for the higher attaining pupils is satisfactory overall, with provision good for the older pupils in school and for children in the Foundation Stage. There are occasions, more so in Year 1 to Year 4, when work is not sufficiently

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

challenging or demanding for the higher attaining pupils. The school is already aware of this and strategies are in place to address the issue. The management of the Foundation Stage is good. Although the Nursery class has only been in place since September 2002, already all staff work together very well. Regular meetings help to ensure that curriculum provision is monitored and evaluated with staff always Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 28 evaluating provision and learning to help ensure that children benefit from a vibrant range of learning opportunities where prior learning is constantly built on and developed.

p.27

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The governing body’s policy for equal opportunities is fully implemented throughout the school and monitored closely by the senior management team. Library books and learning resources are checked carefully to ensure that they give positive messages about gender, race and culture. The school complies fully with requirements to report racist incidents, although such events are very rare. The school is fully committed to providing appropriate support and encouragement for pupils who are identified as gifted and talented, for example in the provision of sporting or creative opportunities for these pupils. Whilst the building is not ideal for disabled pupils, steps have been taken to overcome problems and ensure that access to the building is facilitated for pupils with disabilities. The school is an inclusive school.

p.28

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The vehicle for driving the school forward is the good quality and effective school development plan. It contains an accurate assessment of the areas of school life that need to be developed in order to further improve the quality of education that the school provides. The school has clear success criteria, good monitoring procedures and appropriate time scales and costings. The major strength of the document is that all governors and staff are given the opportunity to help determine educational priorities to be tackled and also the priorities are directly linked to the impact they will have on improving the quality of teaching and learning and in raising standards.

p.28

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The governors of the school are very supportive of the work of the school and play an effective role in holding the school to account for the quality of education that it provides. Governors visit the school on a regular basis. Many governors have observed lessons and all visits to the school are recorded and details are reported to the full Governing Body. Governors are in place for areas such as literacy, numeracy, special educational needs and race awareness. Governors also meet with subject leaders where they are kept fully informed about developments in particular subjects. This is in addition to the presentations that subject leaders make to the full Governing Body about provision and learning in different subjects of the curriculum or aspects of school life. All governors are active in formulating, supporting and monitoring initiatives for school improvement. Governors are kept fully informed about school development priorities,

p.28

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

about standards and the progress that pupils make. Relationships between governors and staff are of a high standard. Governors regularly attend training sessions and this enables them to put the school’s performance and activities in a wider context. All these factors enable governors to have a good grasp of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. The governors fully share in the staff’s vision for continued improvement of the school.

p.28

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. Led by the headteacher the school has put in place satisfactory procedures for analysing test and assessment data in English, mathematics and science with the school already extending these procedures to other subjects of the curriculum. Extensive data is collected to measure both progress within the school as well as the school’s results in comparison to similar schools. Clear targets are set for individual pupils, groups of pupils and year groups. The school has identified the need to more rigorously monitor and evaluate pupils’ progress towards these targets. The school monitors attainment and achievement by gender and looks at factors such as the amount of time pupils have spent in the school. The school is keen to continue to modify and refine the whole process of data analysis in order to have the biggest possible impact on standards. The school sets challenging targets for literacy and numeracy. The school has identified the need for co-ordinators to play an even more

p.28

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

active role in the whole process of data analysis, as this will enable them to have a Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 29 more informed awareness of standards and the quality of learning in subjects that they are responsible for.

p.28

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The quality of financial control and planning is good. Spending patterns are closely linked to the educational priorities outlined in the school development plan. The headteacher provides governors with good quality and regular information relating to the spending of the school’s budget and this is fully discussed at every finance committee meeting and full Governing Body meetings. The chair of the finance committee visits school on a regular basis to monitor the budget. This is in addition to the budget management and monitoring services of the Local Education Authority which the school buys into. Good procedures are in place for long term financial planning which is based on projected school numbers and includes an effective rolling programme for maintaining and improving the school accommodation and buildings. The school is effective in the way that it accesses and uses specific grants and funds. A good

p.29

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

example of this is how the school grounds and security have been greatly enhanced by the headteacher’s perseverance in obtaining access to specific grants. The day-to-day monitoring and management of the school’s expenditure are very effective, as is the day-to-day administration by the school secretary who provides a warm and welcoming first point of contact for visitors to the school. These factors all enable the school to work in a very smooth and effective manner.

p.29

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The school’s financial management is good in applying the principles of best value. Challenge has been a mark for a number of years and staff and governors have maintained open minds as to how to achieve objectives. Comparison is carried out through analysis of test results against all and similar schools. The school is effective in the manner in which it incorporates consultation into its development. Parents’ views are gauged well on major school decisions with parents kept fully informed about educational developments such as the setting up of the new Nursery class. The School Council provides every opportunity for pupils’ views and opinions to be taken on board. Commercially the school is a discriminating purchaser, well aware of the need for a competitive approach. The recent auditor’s report was very positive and stated that ‘’the school is a well-run establishment with clearly defined financial management structures

p.29

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

… staff should be commended on the systems and financial controls currently in place.’’ Minor recommendations from the report have been fully implemented. The unit expenditure per pupil, determined by the school’s budget allocation, is relatively low. The school is only able to carry forward a very small percentage of its budget to the next financial year. Taking all factors into account the school is providing good value for money.

p.29

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. The school has an appropriate number of teachers and support staff to meet the demands of the curriculum and the learning needs of the pupils, including those with special educational needs. Overall the accommodation is good and very well looked after by a conscientious and dedicated caretaker and cleaning staff. The recently developed Foundation Stage area is bright and cheerful and opens onto a secure playground and grassed area. Most classrooms are spacious and all have running water. Many are enhanced by bright colourful displays with a good balance between informative displays and pupils’ work, providing a stimulating learning environment. There is a separate computer suite. Outside there are spacious grassed areas and a good sized playground which has recently been re-surfaced and is attractively marked out for an impressive number of playground games, designed by the pupils themselves. A large number of picnic benches and other seating around the edge of

p.29

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

the playground add greatly to the outside environment, and these are well used by the pupils on sunny days. On the negative side, the design of the building requires the hall to be used as a route between different parts of the school and this can disturb lessons Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 30 such as physical education taking place there. The library is housed in the computer room but it is small and access to the bookshelves is restricted. The library is not ideally sited for personal study and limits pupils’ development of library skills. The learning resources are satisfactory overall, and good in history, music, art and design and design and technology where the good range and quality of materials add greatly to the quality of pupils’ learning experiences in these subjects. The school has already identified the need to improve the number of good quality fiction and non-fiction books.

p.29

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 31

p.31

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to improve the quality of education that the school provides, the Governing body, headteacher and staff should:

p.31

not exclusively in Year 1 to Year 2, is consistently challenging and demanding

so that pupils achieve and attain at the level of which they are capable. (paragraphs 2, 3, 10, 18, 20, 25, 47, 57, 85, 93, 98)

p.31

2. further improve target setting procedures by:

• using data obtained from test and teacher assessments to set challenging targets for individual pupils and closely monitor progress towards the targets to ensure that all pupils achieve as well as they can; • providing consistent opportunities for pupils to play an active role in setting their own targets for improvement; • ensuring that the marking of pupils’ work is consistently used to outline to pupils what they need to do to improve or why a particular piece of work is of a good standard. (paragraphs 26, 43, 47, 61, 87, 94, 102, 123)

p.31

3. further improve and enhance pupils’ personal development by:

• providing more opportunities for pupil to undertake personal study and research; • providing more opportunities for pupils to take initiative and responsibility for their own learning; • providing more opportunities for pupils to initiate their own investigations and experiments. (paragraphs 4, 7, 8, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23, 43, 81, 86, 87, 117)

p.31

3. further improve and enhance pupils’ personal development by:

In addition the following minor issues should be included in the school’s action plan:

p.31

3. further improve and enhance pupils’ personal development by:

• ensure that sufficient time is allocated for the teaching of all the required elements in music and a more structured approach is adopted for the teaching of pupils’ personal, health and social education; (paragraphs 24, 28, 32, 135, 138)

p.31

3. further improve and enhance pupils’ personal development by:

• ensure that the quantity and quality of fiction and non-fiction books are improved to have a bigger impact on standards in this area of the curriculum. (paragraphs 64, 80, 81) Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 32

p.31

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

p.32

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.32

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. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than three percentage points.

p.32

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR-Y6

p.32

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 25 214

p.32

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 5

p.32

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 5

p.32

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 7 28

p.32

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.32

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.32

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.32

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 7

p.32

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.32

Attendance

School data 4.5 School data 0.0 Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 33 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.32

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 34

p.33

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 16 13 29

p.34

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.34

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

Boys 15 15 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 12 12 13

p.34

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

Percentage of pupils School 93(96) 93(96) 100(96) at NC level 2 or above National 84(84) 86(86) 90(91)

p.34

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.34

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

Boys 15 16 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 12 13 13

p.34

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

Percentage of pupils School 93(96) 100(96) 100(100) at NC level 2 or above National 85(85) 89(89) 89(89)

p.34

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

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

p.34

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 12 22 34

p.34

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.34

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

Boys 11 12 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 20 18 22

p.34

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

Percentage of pupils School 91(91) 88(82) 97(100) at NC level 4 or above National 75(75) 73(71) 86(87)

p.34

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.34

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

Boys 10 12 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 20 18 20

p.34

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

Percentage of pupils School 88(79) 88(85) 91(91) at NC level 4 or above National 73(72) 74(74) 82(82)

p.34

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 35

p.34

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

p.35

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 4 0 0

p.35

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 1 0 0

p.35

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

p.35

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.35

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.35

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.35

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.35

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. Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 36

p.35

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8 Financial year 2001/2002

p.36

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26.75

p.36

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 425979

p.36

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 8 Total expenditure 414672

p.36

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 100 Expenditure per pupil 1868

p.36

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year -3377

p.36

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 7930

p.36

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25

p.36

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

p.36

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 33

p.36

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 2

p.36

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 3

p.36

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.36

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1

p.36

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.36

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 37

p.36

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.37

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 53 44 1 1 1

p.37

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 50 48 1 0 1

p.37

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 48 40 7 1 4

p.37

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 39 48 13 0 0

p.37

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 67 29 4 0 0

p.37

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 70 28 1 0 1

p.37

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 53 40 6 0 1

p.37

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.37

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 49 49 2 0 0

p.37

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 42 41 12 2 3 Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 38

p.37

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

65. Children in the Foundation Stage are given a good start to their education. The curriculum provision is good and meets the needs of young children well. Progress by children of all ages and abilities during their time in the Foundation Stage is good and children start in Year 1 with very positive attitudes to learning. The majority of children achieve the nationally recommended Early Learning Goals in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development and in knowledge and understanding of the world. A greater number of children exceed the early learning goals in their personal and social development, and in their physical and creative development. There has been good improvement since the last inspection with the opening of the new Nursery class and the establishment of a full Early Years unit which caters well for the needs of young children.

p.38

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

66. The Foundation Stage consists of a Nursery class, which provides two part-time sessions a day, and a Reception class. The Nursery class opened at the beginning of the current school year and normally accepts children after their third birthday. There have been two intakes so far. It is expected that the older intake will transfer to the Reception class in September after three terms and the younger intake will remain in the Nursery class for five terms. The attainment on entry to the Nursery class covers the full ability range and is broadly average overall. The present cohort in the Reception class consists of children with mixed pre-school experience. The attainment on entry represents the full ability range and is average overall although number skills and personal development are weaker than other areas.

p.38

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

67. The quality of teaching is consistently good and on occasions very good and excellent. The Foundation Stage teachers are most ably supported by two experienced, dedicated and effective teaching assistants. The new accommodation is of a high standard and well planned for the age of the children. The environment is bright and intriguing and there is proper attention to safety and security. A secure outdoor play area with a soft all weather surface has been provided for the Foundation Stage and is used frequently for informal play and structured learning. Resources are of good quality and carefully chosen. Because the unit has been in existence for a short time the usual bank of resources has not yet been built up. Some items such as the large play equipment still have to be acquired.

p.38

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

68. The Foundation Stage curriculum follows the recommended scheme and is implemented diligently and with insight into the way young children learn. Teachers’ planning is comprehensive and effective in ensuring that children systematically develop their skills as they move through the classes. Ongoing assessment is used well to monitor individual children’s progress, to identify children with special educational needs at an early stage and then to provide appropriate support. Baseline assessment has been analysed to provide comparative data and the preparations are in place for the introduction of the new ‘’ pupil profiles.’’ There is close liaison between all members of staff which ensures continuity and consistency of approach throughout the Foundation Stage. This has resulted in the successful establishment of a coherent and integrated unit. Good procedures are in place to ensure that parents receive

p.38

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

regular information about the curriculum and special news. Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 39

p.38

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

69. Children of all abilities make good progress in this area of learning and attain above average standards by the end of the Foundation Stage. In keeping with the school’s aims, this area of learning is afforded a high priority. The quality of teaching is good because it promotes children’s confidence, self-esteem and independence. Most children are confident and establish effective relationships with their classmates, teachers and other adults. Children concentrate well and are eager to explore any new learning. They work well as part of a group, or independently and are willing to take turns and share fairly. The vast majority of children of this age have developed a good understanding of what is right and wrong and they treat their learning environment with care. The good quality teaching encourages independent learning and this makes an important contribution to children’s progress. The teachers and classroom assistants

p.39

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

work and relate together very well and this has an important impact on the quality of learning. Staff know the children well and relationships are very positive and friendly. Children in the Nursery Class settle quickly into the routines and show confidence in the adults. They are ready to contribute to whole class sessions and quick to volunteer for activities. Reception class children understand the system of activities in their classrooms, selecting independently and recording completion of tasks by themselves. They respect rotas, take turns and listen to instructions, for example, during hall activities. Children are aware of themselves as part of the larger school community and move confidently through the building. They appreciate the older children who look after them at playtimes, for example, by writing thank you letters to them.

p.39

Communication, Language and Literacy

70. By the end of the Foundation Stage the vast majority of children achieve the expected goals and a minority exceed them. They make good progress because their learning is well managed and planned in both classes. The quality of teaching is good and sometimes very good.

p.39

Communication, Language and Literacy

71. The majority of children speak clearly, use sentences and normal speech conventions. They are absorbed by stories and show good recall. Progress in early reading is good because teaching directly focuses on the development of early reading skills and children show good understanding of the meanings of words. The teaching strategy of asking children to draw the answer to a question about their reading book results in very meaningful responses. Responses and expressions, for example clearly show that children understand emotions such as sadness. At present literacy is not taught as a class session but in small groups throughout the day. This ensures that the teacher has a very accurate view of achievement and teaching is well matched to need, for example, building confidence in spelling for some children but expecting independent attempts from others. Older children in the Foundation Stage are building up their

p.39

Communication, Language and Literacy

competency in using phonic strategies for word building. Children enjoy discussing pictures and story plots and individual achievement is checked when children read to a teacher or classroom assistant. The support provided by classroom assistants adds much to the quality of children’s learning and the good progress that they make. Cursive handwriting is taught well from the earliest opportunities and children develop good habits of letter formation, size and presentation. At the time of the inspection the majority of children successfully write the sounds they hear and know common blends. Most are beginning to write for themselves. Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 40

p.39

Mathematical Development

72. Children of all abilities make good progress, from a lower starting point, in this area of learning, and the majority achieve the nationally recommended Early Learning Goals by the end of the reception year. The quality of teaching is never less than good and ensures that a wide range of stimulating and challenging activities and opportunities are provided, including counting activities, simple arithmetic, number patterns and shape recognition.

p.40

Mathematical Development

73. Reception class children recognise and order the numbers to ten and have begun to apply the notion of one more than. They recognise and name the simpler two and three-dimensional shapes. Children are developing the vocabulary of time and sequence events. They have a sound understanding of positional vocabulary, such as above and below. The higher attaining children have a good knowledge of shape and repeating number patterns and show an awareness of measures and orientation. Appropriate challenges are provided for these children, such as being asked to extend counting forwards and backwards beyond 20. Nursery class children are making good progress and some are achieving above what is expected of their age for example in continuing three colour patterns and matching sizes. Numeracy skills are developed not only through direct teaching but are incorporated into many practical activities. Role-play, gardening, sand and water play are all used to provide opportunities for

p.40

Mathematical Development

discussions about counting, ordering and sizing.

p.40

Mathematical Development

Knowledge and Understanding of the World.

p.40

Mathematical Development

74. Children of all abilities make good progress in this area of learning and most achieve the early learning goals by the end of the Foundation Stage. The quality of teaching is good and provides lots of practical and interesting ways to develop the children’s understanding. The outdoor play area for example includes a garden which is planted out with spring flowers by the children. It provides genuine stimulus for learning about growth so that the Reception class children are confident in naming parts of a plant and the Nursery class children know how planting should be done. While Nursery class children have ready access to suitable computer programs in their class, Reception class children are able to work in small groups in the computer suite. This, together with good quality direct teaching gives them time and space to develop early skills. They follow a planned program and produce story screens and their own designs. Early

p.40

Mathematical Development

skills in design and technology are fostered because teachers expect children to plan, make and evaluate their products for example Christmas decorations. When making things children use an appropriate range of tools with safety and confidence under close adult supervision. The good teaching ensures that children are given good opportunities to find out about living things. Children of all ages are encouraged to observe the world around them and to record it in special ways. Nursery class children draw different kinds of weather and Reception class children sequence the seasons well. Children experiment with materials such as sand and elements such as water and learn how sand and water can pass through different containers at different speeds according to the size of the holes. Religious education is taught well and provides children with good opportunities to learn about and value the world in which they live.

p.40

Physical Development

75. Children of all abilities make good progress and are attaining levels above what is expected by the end of the Reception class year. The quality of teaching is good and on occasion excellent. Reception class children have regular physical education sessions in the school hall and are clearly familiar with the routines and safety rules. They show Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 41 admirable self-control and responsibility. Lessons are well-planned and managed so that pupils make good progress in an atmosphere of co-operation and enjoyment. Pupils control their movements well, make good use of space and learn from observing others. They know what is required in a range of floor movements and differentiate between similar movements such as rocking and rolling. Younger pupils develop motor skills largely in the outdoor play area. At present there is a lack of large play equipment but staff provide a balance of informal opportunities and small group activities which

p.40

Physical Development

allow skills development for example in throwing at a target. Children are taught well how to handle tools as well as scissors, pencils and crayons and the majority develop good control of the computer mouse. Effective teaching also helps children to develop their finer physical skills well when cutting, sticking, drawing painting and completing puzzles.

p.41

Creative Development

76. By the end of the Foundation Stage the children’s attainment exceeds the early learning goals particularly in movement and dance and children of all abilities make good progress and achieve well in relation to their ability. The quality of teaching is good and sometimes very good. Reception class pupils match their movements to music very well, adjusting to changes in rhythm. Although teachers set high expectations, they do so in a manner that is reassuring and constantly encouraging. Skilled teaching is evident in the management of lessons and in the subtle strategies which promote improvement. Pupils are used to listening carefully to music and to expressing their responses. They have a good repertoire of action songs and rhymes. Creative skills in the use of paint, dough and collage are developed effectively through small group sessions. Children show delicacy and care in their work, such as in their real-life

p.41

Creative Development

painting of daffodils and spring flowers. Imaginative role-play is encouraged by the willing participation of adults who successfully coax the youngest children to take on roles such as chefs in the café.

p.41

ENGLISH

77. The National Curriculum Tests in 2002 showed pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 6 to be well above the national average and well above the average for similar schools. At the end of Year 2, in the National Curriculum tests of 2002, attainment was above average in reading and average in writing, in comparison with the national average. When compared to similar schools, the performance of pupils was slightly below average in both reading and writing. Any differences between test results and inspection findings can be explained by the natural ability differences in the different cohorts of pupils. Standards at the end of both key stages show good improvement from the time of the last inspection, particularly by the end of Year 6, where significant numbers of pupils now reach levels that are above the national average for their ages. The school’s performance over the last few years has remained consistently above the

p.41

ENGLISH

78. Inspection findings show that by the end of Year 2, standards in speaking and listening are above average with standards in reading and writing at an average level. Overall, the progress made by pupils of all abilities in Year 1 and Year 2, including those with special educational needs is satisfactory overall and at times is good due to the good levels of support that they receive. However, in speaking and listening, the pupils achieve well, due to frequent opportunities for them to make contributions to discussions in lessons. By the end of Year 6, attainment is above average overall in English with attainment in speaking and listening well above average. The progress Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 42 made by pupils is generally good with the progress made by pupils being particularly rapid in Year 5 and Year 6 due to the very good teaching and learning opportunities provided for pupils in these classes. Pupils with special educational needs make

p.41

ENGLISH

similar progress to their classmates in Year 3 to Year 6. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported in lessons and make good progress towards their individual targets.

p.42

ENGLISH

79. Pupils’ attainment in speaking and listening is above average by the end of Year 2 and well above average by the end of Year 6. By the age of seven, the pupils are confident in expressing opinions and make valid contributions to class discussions. They are eager to answer questions posed by their teachers and give extended answers and explanations, when called upon to do so. In a registration session during the inspection, some pupils spoke eloquently and at length about their own personal feelings and experiences, prompted by a letter from a child in a Romanian orphanage. The great majority of pupils communicate clearly and confidently with one another and with adults. In assemblies they are able to lead prayers and address an audience of pupils and parents with considerable confidence. As pupils move through the school, they are increasingly able to express themselves well in formal and informal situations. Pupils

p.42

ENGLISH

adapt their talk to meet the purpose of different situations, and when given opportunities to do so, they show maturity and independence in speaking in formal situations. In an assembly about Saint Patrick, pupils in Year 5 were able to speak clearly to their audience, take part in illustrative drama and lead prayers, with poise and confidence. The pupils’ listening skills are well developed as they move through the school. Most pupils are very attentive in lessons, both to their teachers and to one another and listen considerately to the contributions made by other pupils, particularly in Year 5 and Year 6.

p.42

ENGLISH

80. By the age of seven, pupils’ attainment in reading is average overall. The great majority of pupils currently in Year 2 achieve the nationally expected level and a significant minority achieve the higher level. Pupils of all levels of ability make satisfactory progress in reading competence and are developing reasonable accuracy and fluency in their reading. However, there is scope for better use to be made of guided reading sessions to teach the pupils, more systematically, how to use phonic and other strategies to read and understand unfamiliar words and text. The higher attaining pupils read many common words on sight and have sufficient phonic knowledge to break down unfamiliar words into separate sounds in order to read them. Most pupils retell the main events of stories they have read and extract information from simple non- fiction texts. They are familiar with the layout of fiction and non-fiction texts and know

p.42

ENGLISH

how to use the contents page to find information. The progress made by pupils in becoming enthusiastic, independent readers is somewhat restricted by the limited range of attractive, good quality books available for them to make their own choices of reading matter. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress towards their individual targets due to the good support they are given in lessons.

p.42

ENGLISH

81. The pupils currently in Year 6 are achieving standards that are above average in reading. Many pupils are fluent readers and read with enjoyment and understanding of the text. Most pupils have developed a good range of strategies to read and understand unfamiliar or technical words. The higher attaining pupils read fiction and non-fiction books with good understanding of the main points and are able to infer feelings and motives of characters in fiction texts. They have very good understanding of the layout of non-fiction books and are adept at extracting information from text. Lower attaining pupils make good progress in their reading and comprehension skills and are developing good strategies for reading difficult words. All pupils express preferences for authors and the kinds of books they like to read and many pupils are becoming Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 43 enthusiastic readers. However, there are occasions when enjoyment of reading is not

p.42

ENGLISH

promoted as well as it could be because of a shortage of good quality fiction and non fiction books at a suitable level to engage the interests of pupils of both sexes. Opportunities to develop pupils’ research and library skills are not developed sufficiently because of restricted access to a wide range of non-fiction texts for promoting independent research within the conventional library organisation. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress towards the targets set for them.

p.43

ENGLISH

82. All pupils, throughout the school, are encouraged to take reading books home and the home reading record provides a valuable link between home and school in promoting progress and interest in reading. The more able readers make good use of the local library to supplement school reading books and this makes a very valuable contribution to developing positive attitudes to reading and a love of books.

p.43

ENGLISH

83. In Year 1 to Year 2, pupils’ writing skills are developing satisfactorily and by the age of seven, most pupils are writing with reasonable independence in a controlled cursive handwriting style. The higher attaining pupils are writing at length in extended sentences with good use of description and ambitious vocabulary. They use punctuation with reasonable consistency to demarcate sentences and are beginning to punctuate direct speech and use commas in lists. They are beginning to structure their stories with appropriate openings and endings and make steady progress in developing correct spelling patterns. Average and lower attaining pupils make satisfactory progress in developing their writing skills. They sequence their ideas logically in simple sentences with some descriptive language and use phonetically plausible spelling. However, work in pupils’ books indicates that there are not always enough opportunities

p.43

ENGLISH

for pupils to write for different purposes and audiences and pupils’ achievement in this aspect of writing could be even better.

p.43

ENGLISH

84. By the age of eleven, most pupils have made good progress in developing styles of writing for different purposes. Many write in complex sentences with substantially correct punctuation. Narratives are structured with the reader in mind, with interesting openings and endings and good use of descriptive language. Non-narrative writing is organised appropriately and arguments are well formulated. The higher attaining pupils structure their writing in paragraphs and link ideas with a good range of connective words and phrases. They are able to create character, motives and feelings effectively. In a writing workshop during the inspection, a pupil in Year 5 wrote in character as a soldier in World War One, writing a letter to his mother. His writing showed great empathy with the thoughts and feelings of his character and used emotive language to very good effect. Throughout the key stage most pupils make good progress in

p.43

ENGLISH

understanding grammar, spelling and parts of speech. This helps them to write effectively in various formats for both factual and imaginative purposes. During the key stage, pupils are given appropriate opportunities to apply their skills in extended independent writing. However, in some classes, where the focus in pupils’ books is concentrated on grammar and spelling, there are insufficient opportunities for pupils to apply the writing skills they learn in a wide enough variety of contexts and on occasions this slows the progress they make. Progress increases significantly in Year 5 and Year 6 where pupils are given rich and varied opportunities to write for different purposes and audiences.

p.43

ENGLISH

85. The quality of teaching and learning in English is satisfactory with some good features in Year 1 and Year 2 and good overall in Year 3 to Year 6, with the most effective teaching in Year 5 and Year 6. Most teachers plan lessons that are fully inclusive for all pupils, regardless of ability, gender and background. Most teachers organise their lessons well and take account of the national guidance for literacy teaching. However, Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 44 there is scope for a more rigorous approach to word and sentence level teaching and for better use to be made of guided reading sessions to promote the pupils’ literacy skills. Lesson aims are shared with pupils so that they know what they are to learn. Relationships are of a high standard and so pupils behave very well and show very positive attitudes to learning. Pupils show high levels of concentration and perseverance, work well together and show a keen desire to do well. Pupils rise to the

p.43

ENGLISH

challenge when work is demanding, although occasionally the tasks that are set for the higher attaining pupils are not consistently at a high enough level. The school is already addressing the situation. Lessons are most successful in moving learning forward where the teacher keeps the pupils on their toes through incisive questioning, where pupils’ interest is kept at a high level through well-chosen texts or activities and where the level of expectation as to the quantity and quality of work is high. The teaching of grammar, handwriting and spelling are generally good across the school and this enables pupils to make at least satisfactory and often good progress in these areas of learning.

p.44

ENGLISH

86. There are some good examples of pupils’ literacy skills being promoted well in other subjects of the curriculum, such as writing poetry about the rainforests in geography, the experiences of a war time soldier in history or writing up investigations in pupils’ own words in science. These examples of good practice and the good examples of the use of information and communication technology to support and enhance pupils’ learning should be used as exemplars for further development across the school. Teachers’ marking is generally effective in promoting progress in writing and in letting pupils know how well they are doing. In Year 5 and Year 6, the marking of work is of exceptionally high quality and is a significant factor in the good progress pupils make in writing.

p.44

ENGLISH

87. Management of the subject is very good. The two co-ordinators work well together as a team. They provide enthusiastic leadership and clear direction for writing and literacy. They have a very secure overview of standards and teaching and have set appropriate and challenging targets for the subject. Effective procedures are in place for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning through regular lesson observations and scrutinies of pupils’ work and teachers’ planning. Formal feedback is given after monitoring and evaluation exercises and any areas for improvement then become the focus for future monitoring activities. However, there is scope for more rigorous monitoring of the implementation of the schemes of work to ensure that all aspects are being taught effectively. Very thorough procedures are in place for tracking the progress of all pupils as they move through the school and assessment information is used well to help

p.44

ENGLISH

pupils with special educational needs to meet their targets. Good use is made of test and assessment data for target setting with the school rightly seeking to refine the process still further by ensuring that class teachers set demanding enough targets for all pupils. The recent purchase of new reading scheme resources has improved the range of books available for guided and individual reading. However, the school has identified the clear need to further improve the quantity and quality of books in the library to help enhance and further pupils’ independent research and library skills. The subject makes a good contribution to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils.

p.44

MATHEMATICS

88. On the basis of the 2002 National Curriculum tests for Year 2 pupils, attainment in mathematics was above the national average and average when compared to similar schools. National Curriculum tests for pupils in Year 6 showed attainment to be well Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 45 above the national average and at an average level when compared to similar schools. Inspection findings show that attainment by the end of Year 2 is above average. Pupils make satisfactory progress overall. Although it is good within lessons when the quality of teaching is good. Attainment at the end of Year 6 is above average. Pupils make good progress because of the good quality of teaching and the very good teaching for the pupils in Year 5 and Year 6. Any differences in test results and inspection findings can be explained by the natural ability differences in the different groups of pupils. The progress made by pupils with special educational needs is generally good across the

p.44

MATHEMATICS

school but is a little stronger for pupils in Year 3 to Year 6 and in particular for Year 5 and Year 6 pupils. The progress made for the higher attaining pupils is satisfactory overall and good for the older pupils in school. Improvement since the time of the last inspection has been satisfactory.

p.45

MATHEMATICS

89. Pupils throughout the school effectively apply the mathematical knowledge and understanding they gain in lessons. For instance, in Year 2, pupils independently solve problems using a range of large weighing and measuring apparatus, which is left out to encourage them to develop these skills. On another occasion a group of Year 6 pupils were involved in working out the costs and charges for various groups of pupils and staff during an impending school residential trip. Activities like these provide good opportunities for pupils to extend learning in “real-life” skills as they move through the school.

p.45

MATHEMATICS

90. In Year 1 and Year 2, pupils steadily increase their confidence in number work. Through handling and manipulating numbers to 30, pupils effectively improve and build upon their number skills by the end of the key stage. By the end of Year 2, therefore, they are much more confident. They can count, order and sequence numbers to 100, identify odds and evens, round up or down to the nearest ten and solve addition and subtraction to 100. Mental arithmetic skills are about average. The higher attainers comfortably solve mental problems to at least 30. However, most pupils are not quick enough in solving this kind of sum and rely on their fingers, or use similar strategies to arrive at answers. Number knowledge is effectively applied to other aspects of pupils’ work. For example, they can buy goods from the shop and work out the change from £1 and sometimes £5. Pupils’ knowledge of space, shape and measures is secure.

p.45

MATHEMATICS

They are familiar with a wide range of 2 and 3-dimensional shapes. They graduate from weighing and measuring in non-standard measures, to the use of centimetres, litres and kilograms. They tell the time to a quarter hour using both analogue and digital clocks and gather simple data to record on block graphs.

p.45

MATHEMATICS

91. By the end of Year 6, pupils have acquired good strategies to solve number problems and they decide how and what processes they require to arrive at answers. Numbers up to 10,000 are generally handled with ease both in problems and in computation, when pupils apply the appropriate choice of the four rules of number. Decimals, fractions and percentages are comfortably converted from one to the other and appropriate mathematical investigation activities are successfully concluded. Pupils are familiar with negative numbers and demonstrate this by plotting and rotating shapes in four quadrants. They collect, interpret and use data well in a variety of graphs and Venn diagrams, For example, they create a multiple-line graph, providing more than one source of information, such as the correlation between time and distance on a journey. They name many shapes and understand their different properties and they have a

p.45

MATHEMATICS

good grasp of how to calculate angles in a range of triangles. However, in mental arithmetic their instant recall of number bonds and number facts is a little slow and there is need to further develop this aspect of their learning. Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 46 92. The overall teaching of mathematics is satisfactory in Year 1 and Year 2 and good in Year 3 to Year 6. This is because there is some very good teaching in the Year 5 and Year 6 classes, which raises the overall standard of teaching in this key stage. The very good teaching seen in these classes during the inspection had a very high level of interest. The activities were very challenging and teachers’ expectations were high. For example, very good use of resources in Year 5 encouraged pupils to work with enthusiasm as they solved problems relating to profit and loss. Year 6 pupils were progressively challenged because the teacher very skilfully extended the level of

p.45

MATHEMATICS

difficulty, in small stages throughout the lesson.

p.46

MATHEMATICS

93. The National Numeracy Strategy is firmly embedded in school practice. The quality of teachers’ planning is generally good and supports teaching and learning well throughout the school, often providing opportunities to extend numeracy into other subjects of the curriculum. All teachers make good use of mental activities at the start of the lesson to set mental agility exercises that enthuse and motivate the pupils. The school has identified the need to use these sessions in a more focused manner in some classes so that the time is used effectively to directly teach strategies to help pupils speed up their mental calculations. Teachers place a good emphasis on pupils using an appropriate mathematical and technical vocabulary. Many teachers have a secure subject knowledge and use this well to clearly explain new mathematical concepts or to deal with any misconceptions. Teaching is at its best when tasks that are set are

p.46

MATHEMATICS

demanding for pupils of all abilities. There are occasions however when the tasks that are set are not at a high enough level, particularly for the higher attaining pupils. Sometimes this is because the teacher has prepared the same activity for the whole class. Examples, however, were seen during the inspection of work being very accurately matched to the needs of both higher and lower attaining pupils. In these instances all pupils made very good progress and their learning was significantly enhanced.

p.46

MATHEMATICS

94. Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to supporting pupils with special educational needs. The support enables pupils to take a full and inclusive role in all aspects of learning, builds up their self-confidence and ensures that pupils make similar, and on occasions, better progress than their classmates. The quality of marking is inconsistent. The best is very good and helps the pupils make good progress, but this is not the case in all classes. Similarly, the use of computers in lessons is inconsistent, and opportunities to develop and support teaching and learning through the use of computers are occasionally lost. Teachers make good use of homework to support learning in class.

p.46

MATHEMATICS

95. Pupils thoroughly enjoy mathematics and pupils work enthusiastically, often in very good collaboration with their classmates. They are very keen to answer questions and the presentation of their work is very good. Behaviour in lessons is usually very good. All these factors help to create a very positive learning environment.

p.46

MATHEMATICS

96. The leadership and management of mathematics are good. The subject leader has a good overview and vision of how the subject should develop and the areas that need to be tackled in order to further improve standards. Good procedures for monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching and learning are in place and include the regular observation of lessons and scrutinies of pupils’ work and teachers’ planning. Any areas for improvement that come out of these activities are tackled in an effective manner. The quality and range of learning resources are good and, these too, contribute well to pupils’ learning in class. Assessment procedures are good and provide useful information, which the subject leader uses well to identify curriculum strengths and weaknesses. They are also used well to track pupils’ progress as they move through Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 47 the school. However, the school is seeking to further refine the use it makes of this

p.46

MATHEMATICS

information, including the monitoring of pupils’ progress towards their targets, so that it has the biggest possible impact on raising standards. The subject makes a satisfactory contribution to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils.

p.47

SCIENCE

97. On the basis of the 2002 National Curriculum teacher assessments at the end of Year 2 pupils’ attainment is above average overall, with the percentage of pupils achieving the expected level (Level 2) very high. The percentage of pupils reaching the next higher level (Level 3) is just below the national average. The results of the National Curriculum tests for Year 6 pupils in 2002 show pupils’ attainment to be well above the national average and above average when compared to similar schools. Inspection findings show attainment to be above average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Any differences between inspection findings and test results can be explained by the difference in natural ability of the different groups of pupils. Pupils have very positive attitudes to the subject, behave very well and these factors together with the good quality of teaching across the school ensures that pupils of all abilities, including those

p.47

SCIENCE

with special educational needs, make good progress and achieve well. Through its target setting procedures and a more rigorous approach to monitoring the quality of teaching and learning in the subject, the school is seeking to increase the percentage of pupils achieving Level 3 at the end of Year 2. Improvement in science has been at a satisfactory and appropriate rate since the time of the last inspection.

p.47

SCIENCE

98. During their time in Year 1 and Year 2 pupils are provided with a good range of opportunities to carry out scientific investigations. Pupils are encouraged to question whether investigations are a fair test, what they think will happen and then review results. These activities give the pupils a good grounding in investigative skills. At times there is an over–reliance on worksheets rather than the pupils recording their findings and results in their own words and this at times restricts the scientific thinking skills of some pupils, particularly the higher attainers. Pupils have a good understanding of what constitutes a healthy diet and healthy living. They explain well the different qualities of meat, fruit and vegetables and what part they play in healthy eating. Pupils have a good awareness of the need for a balanced diet and the impact that exercise has on the body. Pupils’ understanding of electricity is good. They know which objects need

p.47

SCIENCE

electricity to function and accurately draw and then construct a circuit that has 2 cells, 2 bulbs and a switch. Pupils clearly understand and explain why objects move better on some surfaces rather than others. They explain the difference between man made and natural materials articulately and readily explain why one material may be better suited for a particular purpose than others. Only a small number of pupils recognise that some materials can be changed permanently while other changes may be reversed. Through their work in the school grounds and the local environment pupils’ knowledge of the habitats of plant and insect life is progressing well with the work being used as a vehicle for expanding pupils’ ability to classify the different plants and insects into different categories.

p.47

SCIENCE

99. Pupils continue to develop their scientific knowledge and skills at a good rate during Year 3 to Year 6. Pupils’ progress is accelerated in Year 5 and Year 6 because of the very good teaching which ensures that opportunities are capitalised on to learn through investigative activities, to record findings using different formats, particularly getting pupils to write results and evaluations in their own words. Pupils are expected to use their scientific knowledge to accurately predict the outcome of experiments and to explain why things happen as they do and they do this well. The area for further Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 48 development is for pupils to be provided with more opportunities to instigate their own experiments to put their scientific knowledge and understanding to a more rigorous test. Pupils have a good knowledge of solids, liquids and gases. Pupils know how to separate mixtures and how to reach saturation point. Many pupils talk articulately about

p.47

SCIENCE

reversible and irreversible change with the higher attaining pupils drawing the distinction that physical changes are temporary and that chemical changes are permanent. Pupils’ knowledge of forces is good and they are conversant with terminology such as upthrust and know that forces are measured in Newtons. Pupils’ ability to construct electrical circuits is secure although some pupils are not as confident in predicting, for example, how the length of a piece of wire will affect the brightness of the bulb. Pupils know precisely what happens when the body carries out rigorous exercise. Pupils’ knowledge of light and sound is good with many pupils knowing which materials make the best insulators and which make the best conductors.

p.48

SCIENCE

100. Pupils have very good attitudes to the subject and thoroughly enjoy taking part in practical and investigative activities. Pupils work well together and are always ready to help out a classmate who might be struggling. Throughout the school pupils handle resources with care and maturity and show a good awareness of health and safety issues. Pupils listen with high levels of attentiveness within lessons and behave very well. Pupils enjoy being set challenging tasks and activities and show very good levels of concentration and perseverance. The very good attitudes and behaviour of the pupils together with their desire to do well make a most important contribution to pupils’ learning and to the good progress that pupils of all abilities make.

p.48

SCIENCE

101. The quality of teaching and learning across the school is good. The teaching is often good because opportunities are provided for pupils to learn through investigative activities alongside the systematic development of scientific knowledge. Experiments are often well planned and organised and teachers’ questioning is often incisive and open-ended and is successful in getting pupils to think things through for themselves. In many lessons, learning objectives are shared with pupils so that they recognise that they too have a part to play in their own learning. The best teaching evaluates what has been learnt in lessons and uses the information to guide and inform future lessons. Most lessons benefit from the secure subject knowledge of the teachers which means that topics are explained in a way that readily advances pupils’ knowledge and understanding. A particularly good example of this was seen in Year 6 where the

p.48

SCIENCE

teacher’s focused and precise teaching style enabled pupils to read and interpret scientific data far more accurately and with greater confidence by the end of the lesson. Good use is made of the school grounds and the local environment to further pupils’ learning. A good example of this was seen in Year 2 where the pupils examined the school gardens looking at and examining the different habitats of different plants and insects. The practical nature of the task helped to bring the subject to life as well as providing high levels of interest and motivation for the pupils.

p.48

SCIENCE

102. Support staff play an important role in supporting the learning of pupils with special educational needs and make a significant contribution to the quality of their learning and the progress that they make. There are some good examples of information and communication technology being used to enhance pupils’ learning in the subject, such as pupils using a digital camera to record different habitats and of pupils presenting their findings using different tables, charts and graphs as well as in text form. On occasions opportunities are missed, as are opportunities for the subject to be used as a vehicle for furthering pupils’ writing and literacy skills. Good examples were seen of the marking of pupils’ work being used effectively to explain to pupils what they need to do to improve or outlining why a particular piece of work is good. This good practice is not consistent across the school. Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 49

p.48

SCIENCE

103. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The subject is led by a temporary co-ordinator. She provides informal guidance to colleagues, audits resources and is drawing up additional guidance to support teaching and learning in the subject. The co-ordinator has monitored teachers’ planning and staff have been involved in carrying out whole school scrutinies and any identified areas for improvement then become a priority area on the school development plan. The headteacher has carried out lesson observations in science with formal feedback provided for teachers. The headteacher and the assessment co-ordinator carry out analyses of test and assessment data and use the information well for target setting, tracking pupils’ progress and for identifying areas for improvement. The subject is to be a priority area for development over the next 12 months, to coincide with the appointment of a permanent co-ordinator. Procedures for assessment are good. In

p.49

SCIENCE

addition to National Curriculum tests and assessments, end of unit assessments are carried out on a regular basis with teachers using the information to guide and inform future curriculum planning. The subject makes a good contribution to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. The subject provides many opportunities for pupils to work together. Teachers often draw pupils’ attention to the beauty of the natural world and when younger pupils were studying healthy eating many references were made to the diet and food eaten by people from different cultures and traditions. Resources in science are satisfactory and used well to enhance the quality of pupils’ learning.

p.49

ART AND DESIGN

104. Standards in art and design by the end of Year 2 are at an average level and are above average by the end of Year 6. Pupils make satisfactory progress in Year 1 to Year 2 and good progress in Year 3 to Year 6 with progress very good in Year 5 because of the consistently very good and at times excellent teaching. Examples of work from the past few years indicate that a significant proportion of pupils in Key Stage 2 exceed the expected levels for their ages and a minority achieve very high standards. This represents good improvement since the time of the last inspection and is a reflection of the emphasis the school places on creativity within a rich art curriculum. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in relation to their prior levels of learning and gain confidence from their successes in art. Identified gifted and talented pupils make good progress in developing their creativity and expertise.

p.49

ART AND DESIGN

105. By the age of seven, the great majority of pupils have made satisfactory progress in developing their drawing skills and are confident in using a good range of drawing media such as graphite pencils, charcoal, pencil crayons and oil pastels. They experiment with pattern and texture in different media such as fabric printing and paint. In drawings of fruit and vegetables, pupils in Year 2 showed good observational skills and attention to fine detail, sometimes attempting shading. They are beginning to appreciate the good features in the work they do themselves but are less good at evaluating the work of others, due mainly to insufficient opportunities to express preferences and suggest improvements to their work in lessons.

p.49

ART AND DESIGN

106. By the age of eleven, pupils have made good progress in developing their knowledge, skills and understanding in art. Progress is particularly strong in Year 5. Sketchbooks are used effectively to explore and develop ideas for use in later work. The pupils experience an appropriate range of two and three-dimensional work and develop good expertise in using different creative media, showing good awareness of the visual and tactile qualities in the materials and processes they use. Although samples of recent Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 50 work were limited during the inspection, work from recent years showed sensitive and aesthetically pleasing use of paint, for example in impressionist winter scenes, and effective use of collage, paint, fabric and clay in a wide variety of studies. The pupils demonstrate good observational drawing skills and are developing appropriate techniques, such as shading and perspective, to good effect. The pupils’ evaluation

p.49

ART AND DESIGN

skills develop to a very high level and they show very perceptive observational skills in evaluating the work of other artists. In a visit to Bury Art Gallery, pupils in Year 5 had excellent opportunities to explore and evaluate the work of prominent artists and demonstrated very good levels of art appreciation. Art is given a lower profile in Year 6, due to concentration on other curriculum areas and progress is not always as consistent as in other years.

p.50

ART AND DESIGN

107. The quality of teaching is satisfactory in Year 1 to Year 2 and good overall in Year 3 to Year 6 with some excellent teaching in Year 5. Lessons are usually well planned and fully inclusive to give all pupils, including those with special educational needs, an appropriately wide range of learning opportunities. Most teachers have good subject knowledge and expertise and this has a beneficial impact on the way in which they directly teach the necessary skills to enable all pupils to make progress. Planning shows that over time in most classes, opportunities are provided for pupils to experience working with a range of media and in two and three-dimensional activities, although this is less apparent for the oldest pupils in school. Many teachers clearly enjoy teaching the subject and use their enthusiasm to motivate the pupils. Much importance is attached to celebrating pupils’ work and achievements by displaying their

p.50

ART AND DESIGN

efforts creatively and sensitively. The good behaviour of pupils makes a significant contribution to the good progress many pupils make in practical lessons. The best teaching has high expectations of what pupils can do and inspires them to give of their best in lessons. In Year 5, a lesson in Bury Art gallery enthused the pupils about art and gave them very positive attitudes towards the subject through good adult role models and inspirational teaching.

p.50

ART AND DESIGN

108. Leadership and management of the subject are good. The subject benefits from a very well qualified and enthusiastic co-ordinator who is able to provide informed leadership and support to colleagues. More opportunities are to be provided for the co-ordinator to monitor the quality of teaching and learning across the school when the subject is an identified priority area on the school development plan. Already the co-ordinator has a good grasp of standards in the subject and its areas of strength and areas for development. The new policy and scheme of work provide a secure basis for teaching all aspects of art and the subject is resourced to a good level. Although the scheme of work provides for assessment of the pupils’ progress at the end of each unit, there is scope for strengthening assessment procedures so that teachers have a clear picture of individual pupils’ progress against the national curriculum expectations. The

p.50

ART AND DESIGN

framework for teaching three units of work in each school year is sometimes insufficiently rigorous in its application as some classes do more work in art than others. The subject makes a very good contribution to the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and the extra-curricular art club provides good opportunities for pupils to develop their expertise and creativity outside lessons.

p.50

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

109. Standards in design and technology are in line with expectations for the pupils’ ages at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 with a minority of pupils attaining beyond the levels expected. This represents good improvement from the time of the last inspection and is a reflection of the efforts made by the school to give the subject a higher status through Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 51 the development of a good quality scheme of work and improvements in the quality of teaching and learning. The progress made by all pupils, including those with special educational needs, is satisfactory in relation to their prior levels of attainment.

p.50

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

110. By the age of seven, most pupils have developed satisfactory designing and making skills and apply these in appropriate contexts such as making a ‘Joseph Coat’ to fit a teddy and box models of vehicles with moving parts. They draw up simple design intentions and select appropriate materials and tools from a limited range. They show satisfactory skills in carrying out their designs. For example, in making Joseph’s Coat, they were able to cut fabric using a paper pattern, join the parts by stitching or stapling and decorate the coat in accordance with their design. Many pupils are beginning to solve the problems they encounter and start to evaluate their work as they go along. In their evaluations of their box models, most pupils state in simple terms, what they liked about their models and what they might do to improve them.

p.51

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

111. By the age of eleven, the pupils have built successfully on these early experiences and have widened their understanding of the designing and making process in an appropriate range of contexts such as food technology, textile design and problem solving. They evaluate existing products, such as biscuit packaging and torches, and use the information gained to design their own products. The pupils’ making skills develop at a satisfactory rate. They cut and join materials with reasonable accuracy use appropriate tools such as scissors and hacksaws in an appropriate manner. The pupils’ understanding of mechanisms and electrical circuits is developing well. In making their own torches, pupils in Year 4 incorporated an electrical circuit into their model with reasonable success and devised different ways of constructing a switch. Pupils are given satisfactory opportunities to evaluate their products and suggest ways

p.51

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

112. The quality of teaching in design and technology is satisfactory in both key stages. Most teachers manage their pupils well and lessons are well organised. Specific skills such as cutting, fixing and joining skills are taught in a direct manner. Planning shows that pupils are provided with a good range of learning opportunities using a wide range of different media and a good range of models and other objects to build. Appropriate emphasis is given to the elements of designing, making and evaluating. Pupils have good attitudes to learning and behave well in lessons. They show a good awareness of health and safety issues and have good levels of concentration, perseverance and motivation, particularly when the tasks that are set are challenging and demanding. Teachers maintain good working relationships with their pupils and those with special educational needs are supported well. There are occasions however when teachers’

p.51

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

subject knowledge is not always as secure as it could be or tasks are too teacher directed. When this happens it results in insufficient opportunities for pupils to decide for themselves what they will need for a task or how they will tackle a problem. As a result, on occasion some pupils do not always make the progress of which they are capable.

p.51

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

113. Management of the subject is satisfactory overall. Since the last inspection, when provision was found to be unsatisfactory, the school has made good progress in developing a policy and scheme of work to ensure delivery of all aspects of the required curriculum. The co-ordinator gives valuable support to colleagues and has correctly identified the need for more staff development to move the subject forward. At present, she does not have sufficient opportunity to gain a comprehensive overview of standards and teaching but plans are in hand for this to happen when the subject is an identified area for development. The new scheme of work is providing a secure basis for teaching the full range of the required curriculum but its impact has yet to be Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 52 evaluated and assessment procedures for the subject although recently implemented have not yet had sufficient time to have their biggest possible impact in further

p.51

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

improving standards and provision. The opportunities that the subject provides for pupils to discuss ideas, work together and evaluate how different mechanisms function mean that the subject makes a good contribution to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. Resources for teaching design and technology are of good quality and sufficient to teach the full requirements of the subject.

p.52

GEOGRAPHY

114. Attainment in geography by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 is above average. Pupils, including those identified with special educational needs, make good progress and achieve well. The improvements that the school has made in developing the subject since the last inspection are good.

p.52

GEOGRAPHY

115. By the end of Year 2, pupils have a good understanding of places and what they are like. By studying the fictitious Isle of Struay, they learn well about geographical and physical features such as mountains, the sea, rivers and fields. They become aware of how man-made features such as the jetty, the post office, the farms and houses on the island are necessary to sustain the lives of the people who live there. The school grounds and surrounding areas are also studied. This provides pupils with sufficient material and opportunity to sensibly compare the lives and situations of local people with those who live on Struay. Topic work of this nature enables pupils to draw good quality plans and maps of what they have seen. They make simple keys to identify important features identified on them. A study of the weather and seasonal changes gives pupils a good understanding of how the weather affects their lives and the choice

p.52

GEOGRAPHY

116. By the end of Year 6, pupils have effectively further developed their knowledge, understanding and skills. For example, pupils readily identify and name major features of the British Isles, such as ranges of mountains, the surrounding seas and major cities. Map work has extended to drawing a map of the locality and their route to school with a good degree of accuracy. As they reach the final year in school, many pupils name continents on a globe and identify many European countries. This knowledge is good and pupils are aware of many differences between European countries. For instance, they know how Sweden is quite different from Spain. They use the index and map references in the atlas to swiftly find named places. By studying rain forests they become ecologically aware and recognise the effect of man made gases upon the atmosphere and the environment. In a similar way, they have a good knowledge of how

p.52

GEOGRAPHY

the geographical position of a country, affects its climate and influences the way residents live and work. They are also aware of its bearing upon the types of natural life found in the country.

p.52

GEOGRAPHY

117. Overall teaching is good and this has a positive impact on the good progress that pupils make and on the quality of their learning. Planning is good and ensures that over the course of the year, pupils are provided with a good range of opportunities to develop their mapping and general geographical skills as well as developing a good base of geographical knowledge. Good attention is paid to pupils’ previous learning. Teachers have good subject knowledge and use this well to enthuse and motivate the pupils. Pupils are equally enthusiastic about the subject and are keen to develop and extend their knowledge of the wider world. Pupils behave well in lessons and show good levels of concentration and perseverance. These factors help to create an effective learning environment. During the week of inspection teaching was at its best in Year 5 where Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 53 pupils were studying the devastation caused by hurricanes in the Caribbean. Through

p.52

GEOGRAPHY

this the pupils were able to describe how they thought the people who lived there could protect themselves against hurricane damage in the future. The work was supplemented by appropriate extension work and related homework, providing pupils’ with the opportunity for independent research. However, there are other occasions when opportunities for personal research and independent learning do not feature highly enough. Geography is sometimes effectively extended to other curriculum areas, such as making time, distance and weather graphs in mathematics. In English lessons, pupils write poetry about the rainforests. Some good examples of computers being used to reinforce and enhance pupils’ learning were also observed.

p.53

GEOGRAPHY

118. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The co-ordinator monitors teachers’ planning and provides much informal guidance to colleagues. A more focused approach to directly monitoring the quality of teaching and learning is planned when the subject is an identified priority area on the school development plan. A new policy and scheme of work have been established and implemented and provide appropriate guidance to support teaching and learning. Satisfactory procedures for assessing and tracking pupils’ progress have been introduced recently but as yet have not had sufficient time to help further improve standards. Resources in the subject are satisfactory. The opportunities that the teaching provides for pupils to examine the wider world in which they live, the differing lifestyles of different people and the opportunities to discuss issues such as conservation and pollution mean that the

p.53

GEOGRAPHY

subject makes a good contribution to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils.

p.53

HISTORY

119. Standards of attainment by the end Year 2 are at an average level. Standards by the end of Year 6 are above average. Pupils of all abilities make satisfactory progress in Year 1 to Year 2 and good progress in Year 3 to Year 6. A significant strength of the subject is the very good provision for the development of historical skills. Improvement since the last inspection has been good.

p.53

HISTORY

120. By the end of Year 2, pupils are familiar with the achievements of a number of famous people and events from Tudor times to the present day. Their secure knowledge of the Great Fire of London is linked with the experience of Samuel Pepys and shows that they have been encouraged to see how individuals are affected by events. Pupils are given frequent opportunities to develop chronological skills from the basic ordering of an event such as the Moon landing but also the longer time lines over several hundred years. Pupils are beginning to apply these chronological skills to their own lives by building family trees. Imaginative approaches such as pupils taking on detective roles to ascertain facts help pupils to develop research skills and to organise information. Discussion of annual events such as Remembrance Sunday promotes empathy and pupils are able to explain that poppies are worn to “remember soldiers who died”.

p.53

HISTORY

Although opportunities are provided, pupils sometimes have a little more difficulty in differentiating between historical fact and opinion and their level of historical factual knowledge is sometimes stronger than their level of historical understanding.

p.53

HISTORY

121. By the end of Year 6 pupils have a good knowledge and understanding of major periods of history and apply a range of historical skills. Older pupils demonstrate a wide-ranging knowledge of the Victorian and Tudor eras. They are aware of the major features such as the development of the railways and also the ways in which ordinary people lived their lives for example describing a housemaid’s day in the first person and in writing a letter of application for a post in the language of the time. Teachers challenge pupils to research major social issues such as public health and to consider what action could Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 54 have been taken at the time. Consequently pupils are able to produce well-argued letters of protest about conditions in match factories for example. Teaching approaches such as structured questions ensure that pupils give accurate and relevant answers

p.53

HISTORY

even to detailed queries such as “did the Tudors have taps?” Pupils confidently recall previous eras in history that they have studied such as Ancient Egypt, the Greeks and Invaders and Settlers. Many pupils already have a secure grasp and awareness that events in history can be perceived and recorded from different viewpoints by different people.

p.54

HISTORY

122. Pupils’ attitudes to the subject are very good. Pupils put a lot of effort into their work and are keen historical investigators. They take a pride in their work and show a desire to do well. Pupils work well together. Behaviour in lessons is often of a high standard. These factors make a most important contribution to the quality of pupils’ learning and the ethos of the school.

p.54

HISTORY

123. The quality of teaching over time in Year 1 to Year 2 is satisfactory and there are examples of good teaching in individual lessons. The quality of teaching in Year 3 to Year 6 over time is good and there are examples of very good teaching for the older pupils where teachers have very good oral questioning skills and manage discussions well. They refrain from providing answers too easily and prompt pupils to evaluate their own findings. As a result pupils leave the school with good historical enquiry skills and knowledge. Strong links are made across the school with other subjects particularly literacy and science, which enhance subject knowledge and understanding. There is a good balance throughout the school between the knowledge content of learning and the development of historical skills. Pupils use the Internet and CD-ROM reference material regularly for research. Teachers employ a variety of inventive strategies, which involve

p.54

HISTORY

pupils directly in their learning. Pupils studying Tudor ships appreciated the monotony and deficiencies of the sailors’ diet after sampling salted meat and Pease pudding and making ships’ biscuits for themselves. The areas for development where teaching is satisfactory are to ensure that work is matched to the individual needs of all pupils and to ensure that the marking of pupils’ work clearly indicates what pupils need to do to improve.

p.54

HISTORY

124. The subject is well led and managed and teachers are given comprehensive guidance by the subject co-ordinator. This has a beneficial impact on the quality of learning particularly in the progressive development of the skills of enquiry, chronology and information organisation. The scheme of work has been developed successfully by the co-ordinator and provides for good coverage in depth throughout the school. All topics are distinct and given suitable time allocation. Pupils meet very little repetition and then only at a higher level for example when the local Victorian focus in Year 3 is extended to the whole Victorian era in Year 6. The co-ordinator has a good grasp of the strengths and areas for development in the subject and these are to be more closely scrutinised when the subject is a priority area on the school development plan. Assessment procedures are satisfactory but have only recently been fully implemented and have not

p.54

HISTORY

had sufficient time to fully impact on standards. The co-ordinator has begun a portfolio of exemplar work that will inform assessment in future. The portfolio already shows that all the key elements are taught progressively.

p.54

HISTORY

125. The level of resourcing for the subject is good. Topic boxes are provided for each area covered and are kept in the appropriate year group. There are a good number of visits to enhance pupils’ learning and these include visits to Chester, Smithills Hall and Wigan Pier. Pupils’ lively recall of these visits indicates their effectiveness in promoting learning. The subject has a good impact on pupils’ spiritual moral social and cultural development. There is a strong emphasis particularly in Year 3 to Year 6 on empathy Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 55 and interpretation. Through role-play in a writing workshop pupils found themselves considering the emotions of a World War 1 soldier taking home news of a comrade’s death.

p.54

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

126. Standards of attainment by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are at an average level. There are strengths in some aspects of attainment by the age of eleven. Technical difficulties have reduced opportunities for achievement beyond expectations this year. Pupils of all abilities are currently making good progress and achieving well.

p.55

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

127. There has been good improvement since the last inspection. The school has established a new computer suite while maintaining satellite machines in classrooms. A recommended scheme of work has been implemented. Staff expertise has been improved and the cross-curricular use of information and communication technology has increased. The school has adopted an appropriate Internet safety policy. Teaching is shared between a specialist teacher who covers the scheme of work with all classes and the class teachers who manage opportunities for information and communication technology in other subject areas. The impact of the new resources has been restricted this academic year because of the unreliability of the network. The school anticipates the situation will be rectified shortly and pupils will benefit fully from the new technology.

p.55

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

128. By the end of Year 2, pupils are purposeful users of information technology. They are given regular teaching in the computer suite in half-class or small groups and work progressively through the scheme. They are familiar with using computers to communicate and present information in text, pictures and graphs. Younger pupils select and position icons using the mouse for example to create faces and know how information can be presented in pictogram form. Older pupils are able to choose the format of their text for example the layout of poems or lists. They create appropriate speech bubbles for familiar characters and correct errors in text. Teachers help pupils to evaluate the technology by encouraging them to compare hand-written and word- processed text. In word-processed text they found that “you can’t see who’s written it”. Pupils are developing an appropriate understanding of control by planning simple routes

p.55

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

for a floor robot. Good liaison between staff ensures that pupils are well prepared for information and communication technology skills lessons for example by practising as human robots before control sessions.

p.55

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

129. By the end of Year 6, pupils select their use of information and communication technology. Older pupils use their skills to create good quality multi-media presentations for a specific audience, for example talking reference books for Year 1 pupils. Their skills in planning linked pages, inserting text and graphics and adding sound is above what is expected at this age. Pupils are familiar with the use of the Internet and CD ROMs for research for example about famous Victorians such as W.G.Grace. They are encouraged to evaluate the search engines they use and to frame their searches accurately. They have entered information accurately into databases and presented their conclusions for example about their physical features. Pupils have worked progressively through graphical modelling and produce accurate overhead plans of rooms. Their understanding of control technology has been extended from floor robots to screen turtles. Pupils are secure in the application of heat and light

p.55

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

sensors and learn to program a sequence of lights in a satisfactory manner. Pupils demonstrate competence across the range of the curriculum except the use of email. Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 56 This gap in their experience is expected to be covered with the installation of a broadband connection next term.

p.55

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

130. Pupils are enthusiastic about the subject and work hard during lessons. Behaviour is often of a good standard. Pupils show genuine enthusiasm and excitement about their learning for example in solving simulated problems. They co-operate well in the computer suite and share knowledge. Pupils are willing to work in their own time and at home using home computers and Internet resources for research. There are some opportunities for higher attaining pupils, for example, to contribute to the school website. The extra-curricular computer club for pupils in Year 1 to Year 2 is well supported.

p.56

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

131. The quality of teaching is good. Planning shows that all aspects of the subject are covered where resources and an absence of difficulties allow. Much of the teaching in the computer suite is taught by a member of staff who has specialist subject knowledge. This teaching is often of a good standard because it directly teaches the pupils specific skills across all areas of the subject. Pupils are then given sufficient time to practice and refine these skills. Pupils are provided with guidance but not over direction and this allows them to experiment and find out for themselves what works and what does not when, for example, inputting or retrieving information. Any pupil misconceptions are dealt with well and in a sensitive manner which adds much to pupils developing confidence and self-esteem. Teacher knowledge and expertise are constantly improving because of on-going in-service training which is rightly leading to

p.56

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

more opportunities being seized upon for computers to be used to support pupils’ learning in the classroom across an increasing number of subjects, although this good practise is not yet as consistent as it could be.

p.56

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

132. The subject is well led and managed and developments in the subject are consistently supported and enhanced by the headteacher. The school has well considered plans for the development of the subject and the headteacher regularly evaluates and reviews the quality of teaching and learning in the subject. At present the school is implementing the new local authority scheme of work, which takes account of but adds to national guidance and in turn enhances pupils’ learning experiences. Satisfactory assessment procedures are in place but are too new yet to have their biggest possible impact on further improving standards and the quality of learning. The co-ordinator maintains good ongoing records for each pupil. The subject contributes well to pupils’ spiritual, moral social and cultural development. .

p.56

MUSIC

133. Attainment in music for pupils by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 is at an average level. Pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress. Improvement since the time of the last inspection has been satisfactory.

p.56

MUSIC

134. Pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 perform well when singing together as a class. They have learned several rhymes and songs and demonstrate these when singing in tune with one another. As a class and with the support of the teacher and class assistants, they can sing a four part round. They enjoy this and are very enthusiastic. When using tuned and untuned percussion instruments, pupils identify long, short, loud or soft notes. They associate and compare the sounds produced with the materials from which the instruments are made, for example, the bells with the wooden blocks. When their instruments are arranged so that they produce similar sounds, e.g. wooden Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 57 instruments or chiming instruments etc., pupils’ previous knowledge of how to clap a beat enables them to play in time with one other.

p.56

MUSIC

135. By the end of Year 6 pupils’ singing skills are very well developed. In class, they show that they quickly learn new songs, sing them in tune and refine their performances to produce good quality sounds in two parts. They clap out rhythms effectively, although the girls are more confident at this than the boys. In lessons they learn about melody and harmony, and about chords and how to make them on chime bars. For instance, three pupils create the D chord by simultaneously striking D, F# and A, whilst another group play the A chord. At the same time two pupils with special talents play similar notes on the guitar and keyboard respectively. Pupils appreciate listening to music, but their knowledge of famous composers is very limited. Similarly their knowledge of composing is less secure because on the whole these aspects have not been studied in sufficient depth.

p.57

MUSIC

136. On the whole, across the school pupils’ knowledge and understanding of music are not as well developed as their performance skills. Thus, pupils’ singing is a strong feature of school life and is of a very high quality. The school provides many opportunities for singing and pupils of all ages are invited to participate. The choir has performed at well- known public venues with prize-winning bands and the school produces regular musical events and presentations for parents and parishioners. During the inspection, the school choir celebrated their talents through outstanding singing at a school assembly. Visiting accompanists, other volunteer specialists and peripatetic teachers of instrumental music all contribute to the development of music in the school.

p.57

MUSIC

137. Pupils enjoy taking part in musical activities. They take part with high levels of motivation and fun and take a pride in their performance. Pupils behave well when performing and are always ready to take on board comments to help them improve.

p.57

MUSIC

138. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. The quality of pupils’ singing indicates that they have been taught well over-time in this aspect of the subject. Teaching observed during the inspection was by a visiting helper, who has specialist skills. The effect of his teaching enabled pupils to make good progress in the lessons seen. Pupils responded well to him and worked hard displaying obvious pleasure and enthusiasm as they worked hard to improve their performances. The subject leader left the school last year and since then music throughout the school has been managed by a temporary co- ordinator who provides satisfactory leadership and management of the subject in a holding role. Following the last inspection a new scheme of work and subject policy have been introduced. Together they provide appropriate guidance to teachers as they plan their lessons. However, as teachers await the appointment and support of a new

p.57

MUSIC

leader, some curriculum aspects such as composing are not taught with sufficient regularity and this prevents standards overall being higher. On the other hand, strengths in singing remain consistently high and the good quality and range of resources enables pupils to make music successfully. There are sufficient instruments for all pupils to play in lessons. Many are of ethnic origins such as guiros, maracas, castanets and rain sticks. They help develop pupils’ understanding of other cultures. Similarly, the pleasure and appreciation pupils’ demonstrate through their performances, and through listening to others, makes a good contribution to their spiritual development.

p.57

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 58 139. Standards in physical education are above average for pupils at the end of Year 2 and Year 6.The good quality of teaching together with the very positive attitudes and very good behaviour of the pupils help to create a very positive learning environment where pupils of all abilities make good progress and achieve well. Improvement in terms of curriculum provision and standards has been good since the time of the last inspection.

p.58

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

140. By the end of Year 2 pupils show good levels of agility and poise. Pupils move around the hall showing a good awareness of space and the needs of others. Pupils show good balance and body control. They move using a good variety of methods including, hopping, twisting and turning. Pupils put together a sequence of movements well. Pupils are good at interpreting music and respond well to changes in mood or tempo in music. Pupils show good levels of creativity and imagination and create original body shapes and stances when the music stops. Pupils recognise the importance of warm up and cool down activities and the importance of exercise for a healthy lifestyle.

p.58

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

141. Pupils continue to make good progress in Year 3 to Year 6 and by the time that pupils leave school they have developed good skills in physical education. Pupils fully understand the importance of exercise and strenuous physical activity and the part that it can play in ensuring a fit and healthy life style. They recognise that vigorous exercise causes pulse and heart rates to increase and that warm up and cool down activities are important features of physical activity. Pupils have good ball skills. They show good levels of co-ordination when moving a ball along with a hockey stick. They pass and dribble with a good degree of control and accuracy. The higher attaining pupils hit the ball accurately and with great speed. Pupils fully understand the importance of marking and dodging strategies and apply them well in small games situations. Pupils show an equal measure of competitiveness and sportsmanship. Standards in swimming are

p.58

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

above average with all pupils able to swim at least 25 metres with many pupils swimming well beyond this distance. The school enjoys considerable success in inter- school competitions in cricket, football, netball and athletics. Residential visits that the school takes part in, offer many opportunities for pupils to participate in outdoor pursuit activities.

p.58

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

142. Pupils throughout the school show considerable enjoyment and enthusiasm in physical education lessons. They listen very carefully to instructions and are keen to demonstrate, trying hard to improve their performance. Pupils behave very well and are ready to take on board comments to help them improve. These positive attitudes help to create a very good learning environment and contribute much to how well pupils learn and progress.

p.58

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

143. Teaching across the school is good. Planning clearly shows that over the course of the year all elements of the physical education curriculum are taught in sufficient depth. Lessons are well planned and prepared and teachers have high expectations of all pupils. Time is well used and teachers ensure that lessons begin with appropriate warm up activities. In all lessons seen there was good attention paid to health and safety. Pupils respond very well to this. For example, when Year 6 were playing hockey they were all very aware of the possible dangers when raising their sticks to hit the ball and throughout the lesson showed an excellent awareness of the needs and safety of others. Teachers are keen and enthusiastic when teaching physical education and this motivates pupils to respond effectively to the challenges of the curriculum. Teachers make good use of the teaching of specific skills to help improve pupils’ performance

p.58

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

and use examples of pupils’ good practice to demonstrate to other pupils. Good examples of this were seen in both Year 1 and Year 6 and these strategies are effective in improving levels of performance. Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to share their work with the rest of the class and ensure that pupils are accurate but Guardian Angels’ Catholic Primary School - 59 sensitive in the evaluations of what they have observed. Teachers have good subject knowledge and monitor pupils’ progress through the use of satisfactory assessment procedures.

p.58

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

144. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The co-ordinator has only been in post since September 2002. In this short time the co-ordinator has carried out an audit of resources and has monitored teachers’ planning on a regular basis. She has attended in-service training and plans are in hand for her to attend more training in the near future. No opportunities have yet been provided for the co-ordinator to directly observe teaching and learning in the subject but provision is to be made for this to happen when the subject is an identified priority area on the school development plan. The school provides a good range of extra–curricular activities which add to pupils’ learning experiences and add another dimension to the already good contribution that the subject makes to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. The school makes good use of outside coaches to further develop pupils’ physical skills.

p.59

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

The school has good accommodation and satisfactory resources to enhance pupils’ learning in the subject. As well as having a good sized hard surfaced play area the school benefits from an extensive grassed play area which is used well.

p.59