St Peter's Catholic Primary School

ST PETER’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 7 th - 10 th July 2003

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ST PETER’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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ST PETER’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Firbank Road Newall Green Manchester

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Matthew Fox

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 23 rd - 26 th February 1998 St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 2

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

20191 Mr J D Eadie Registered inspector Educational inclusion Mathematics Music What sort of school is it? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 19430 Mr T Hall Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 3191 Mr J Curley Team inspector Science Information and communication technology Physical education How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

27990 Mrs M Sanger Team inspector Foundation Stage Art and design Geography 32207 Mrs J Thomas Team inspector Special educational needs English as an additional language English Design and technology History

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

PPI Group Ltd 7 Hill Street Bristol BS1 5RW

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 3

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4 - 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 8 - 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Number on roll aged 3 to 11 283 Bigger than average Of these, 35 are in the Reception classes and 19 part-time and 39 full- time children in the Nursery. Percentage of pupils entitled to free school meals 45.6 Well above average Percentage of pupils whose mother tongue is not English 0.4 Below average Percentage of pupils identified as having special needs 14.9 Average Percentage of pupils with statements of their special needs 1.2 Average

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is situated in a large estate of local authority housing in the outskirts of Manchester. Most housing in the area is maisonettes or semi-detached and there is very significant deprivation in the locality. There is high mobility, resulting in a considerable change in the school population during the course of a year. Most of the pupils are of white British heritage. A very small number of pupils do not speak English as their home language, but none of these are at an early stage of learning English. The largest single group of the pupils who have special educational needs have emotional and behavioural problems; others have a range of learning difficulties. The pupils generally have well below average attainment on entry to the school. There has been a number of staffing changes in recent years and there are currently three temporary teachers in the school. The school is a member of the Wythenshawe Education Action Zone.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

St Peter’s is a satisfactory school. Standards in the national tests have been very variable and are below average by the time the pupils leave, but pupils generally achieve well due to the good teaching. Leadership and management are satisfactory overall, although there are a number of shortcomings. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• The quality of teaching and learning is good. • The pupils make good progress. • Standards are good in art and design and physical education. • Good provision is made for the pupils with special educational needs. • The school works hard to build up the pupils’ personal development, their behaviour and attitudes. • The school’s pastoral care is very good.

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What could be improved

• Standards in English, mathematics and science. • The provision of work to suit the needs of pupils of all abilities, particularly the more able. • Measuring the progress of pupils and setting targets for their further progress. • Improving the role of the subject co-ordinators so that they have more responsibility for raising standards in their subjects. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in February 1998 and has made unsatisfactory progress since then. Progress has been somewhat slowed by staffing problems. Standards have risen in line with the national average but are still below average. However, the school is now doing well compared to schools in similar circumstances, although standards have been too variable over the years. A number of the issues for improvement identified in that inspection have not been effectively dealt with. For example standards in information and communication technology, design and technology and geography are still below average by the time the pupils leave. The systems for assessing the pupils’ progress are still ineffective in helping teachers plan for the next stages in pupils’ learning. The school is capable of greater improvement. St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 5

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests. The similar schools referred to are those with a similar proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals.

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Key

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

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Key

Standards have been variable in recent years in the tests in Year 6. Part of the reason for this has been the number of staffing changes that there have been in Years 3 to 6 over the years. The overall trend has been upward in line with the national trend but standards are still below average. Targets were exceeded last year. Standards in all three subjects seen during the inspection are below average, although there have been improvements in science due to the increased emphasis given to experimental and investigative work. Unconfirmed results for the tests for this year confirm these judgements. In the tests in Year 2, standards have been even more variable and were average in writing and below average in reading and mathematics last year. Compared to schools with a similar proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals, standards at this age were well above average. The unconfirmed results show improvement this year in all three areas.

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Key

However, although standards are now judged to be average in mathematics, they are still below average in English. Good work was seen during the inspection in art and design and physical education. The pupils achieve well, although there are times when the more able do not achieve as well as they could.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school The pupils have good attitudes to their school and their work. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour in class is good. In playtimes and around the school a minority of pupils do not behave appropriately. There has been a small number of fully justified exclusions in recent years. Personal development and relationships The pupils’ personal development is satisfactory. Relationships are good.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Attendance has improved since the last inspection but is well below the national average. Punctuality remains a problem for some families.

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

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

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

The quality of teaching in English is satisfactory. The teachers are not totally clear how to teach the basic skills of speaking, listening and writing, though the pupils are learning these skills satisfactorily. The teaching of mathematics is good and the pupils learn the skills of numeracy well. The teachers generally meet the needs of their pupils well, though there are too many occasions when all are expected to do the St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 6 same work, resulting in the more able not being sufficiently challenged. The teachers usually manage their classes well, creating an orderly learning environment. Skilled teaching assistants make a significant contribution to the pupils’ learning, particularly to those with special educational needs. The teachers make good use of resources to aid the pupils’ learning. For example, good use is made of individual whiteboards and number fans in mathematics.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The school provides a sufficiently broad and balanced curriculum for its pupils. However, the strategies for teaching literacy skills are not used well enough. The curriculum is enriched by a good range of educational visits. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good provision is made for the pupils with special educational needs. They are supported well by their teachers and teaching assistants. Insufficient opportunities are offered to parents to be involved in the plans made for their progress. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory provision is made for the pupils for whom English is not their home language and these pupils make the same progress as their classmates. However, there is no member of staff with responsibility for checking on this provision and the progress that these pupils make in learning English. Provision for pupils’

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Aspect Comment

personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development Good provision is made for all aspects of the pupils’ personal development.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils There are very good welfare systems provided. The systems for measuring the pupils’ academic progress are not used effectively to find what it is that they need to learn next.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school works in partnership with parents The parents’ views of the school are variable, but satisfactory overall. Parents of the younger children are welcomed into school. The partnership with parents is not effective in supporting the pupils’ learning.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher and other key staff provide satisfactory leadership for the school. Management of the school is unsatisfactory due, in part, to the role of the subject co-ordinators being insufficiently focused on raising standards. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors are supportive and fulfil their responsibilities satisfactorily.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Although the school is aware of many of the areas for development, insufficient action has been taken to address them. The strategic use of resources There are sufficient staff and learning resources and the accommodation is satisfactory. All resources are used well, with good use being made of specific grants. The school satisfactorily seeks ways of obtaining the best possible value for money in its spending decisions. St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 7

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school. • Teaching is good and their children are making good progress. • The teachers expect their children to work hard. • Teachers and the headteacher are approachable. • The range of activities outside lessons. • Information about their children’s progress. • Levels of homework. • The school working more closely with parents. • Stability of teachers for their children in all classes.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with all positive parental comments. On the aspects that parents would like to see improved the judgement of the inspection team is that:

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• there is a good range of extra-curricular activities; • information about their children’s progress is unsatisfactory; • levels of homework are in line with those normally expected, although setting is inconsistent; • the school does not make sufficient effort to work closely with parents; and • the school is sympathetic to the staffing issue but there are recruitment difficulties. St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 8

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The pupils make good progress and achieve well to reach below average standards by the end of Year 6 from their starting point of well below average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Strengths in pupils’ achievements are: • the progress that children make in the Foundation Stage 1 ; • standards in art and design and physical education; and • the pupils make good progress and generally achieve well.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Areas for development are: • standards in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6; • standards in English at the end of Year 2; and • standards in design and technology, geography and information and communication technology at the end of Year 6.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Standards in the subjects of the curriculum seen in lessons and in the scrutiny of pupils’ work are displayed in the following table.

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Standards At the end of Year 2 At the end of Year 6

Art and design Above average Above average

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Standards At the end of Year 2 At the end of Year 6

Design and technology (DT) Average Below average

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Standards At the end of Year 2 At the end of Year 6

History Average Average Information and communication technology (ICT) Average Below average

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Standards At the end of Year 2 At the end of Year 6

Music Judgement not possible Judgement not possible

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Standards At the end of Year 2 At the end of Year 6

Physical education (PE) Above average Above average

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Standards At the end of Year 2 At the end of Year 6

3. Children enter the school with well below average attainment and make good progress in the Foundation Stage to reach below average standards by the time they start the subjects of the National Curriculum in Year 1. They make particularly good progress in their personal, social and emotional development to reach average standards due to the secure structure and organisation of the Nursery. They also reach average attainment in their mathematical development as there is a clear focus on counting and number work. Their progress in communication, language and literacy is satisfactory as the children have poor speaking, listening and phonic skills and there is an insufficient emphasis on developing these skills.

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Standards At the end of Year 2 At the end of Year 6

4. Standards achieved in the 2002 national tests at the end of Year 2 were average in writing and below average in reading and mathematics. In comparison with schools with a similar proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals, they were well above average in writing and above average in reading

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Standards At the end of Year 2 At the end of Year 6

1 The Foundation Stage contains the children in the Nursery and Reception classes. St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 9 and mathematics. The teachers’ assessments for performance in science indicated below average attainment overall. The proportion of higher levels gained in the tests was not as high as might be expected. Standards have been very variable over the years, even between subjects and standards in 2002 are much the same as they were in 1998. Standards found during the inspection, which are similar to the unconfirmed results for the national tests this year, are average in reading and mathematics and below average in writing. As the standards of speaking and listening are below average, standards in English are below average overall at this age.

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Standards At the end of Year 2 At the end of Year 6

5. In the national tests at the end of Year 6 in 2002, standards were average in mathematics, below average in English and well below average in science. When compared with schools with a similar proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals, they were above average in science and well above average in English and mathematics. Figures show that those pupils who had been at the school since the tests at the end of Year 2 in 1998 made satisfactory progress in that time. Inspection evidence is that standards in all three subjects are below average. There have been a number of changes of staff for some of the pupils in the present Year 6 and this has adversely affected their progress. Standards in science have improved as the curriculum is now being presented in an experimental and investigative way. In recent years, boys have performed significantly better than girls in the tests in all three subjects, but there was no evidence during the inspection of a reason for this

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Standards At the end of Year 2 At the end of Year 6

and boys and girls have equal opportunities. The unconfirmed results for the tests this year would confirm that the difference is not now apparent. Appropriate targets were set for the pupils’ attainment in the tests in 2002 and these were exceeded. There continues to be a lower than expected proportion of higher levels gained, implying that the more able pupils are not being sufficiently challenged.

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Standards At the end of Year 2 At the end of Year 6

6. Standards are above average in art and design and PE. In art and design, the pupils have a wide range of experiences in a variety of media. A number of opportunities open to all pupils, such as working with a visiting artist, also have a positive effect on standards. In PE, the pupils’ skills in a number of aspects of the curriculum, dance and games for example, are above average due to the teachers’ expertise in developing the pupils’ confidence in trying new movements.

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Standards At the end of Year 2 At the end of Year 6

7. Standards are below average by the end of Year 6 in DT, geography and ICT. In all these three subjects the curriculum has not been effectively planned to ensure that the pupils have sufficient opportunities to make proper progress. In DT and geography not enough time is spent teaching these subjects in some year groups for the pupils to make adequate progress.

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Standards At the end of Year 2 At the end of Year 6

8. Bearing in mind their well below average attainment on entry to the school, the vast majority of pupils achieve well during their time. Throughout the school, pupils with special educational needs (SEN) make good progress. In all classes, the school gives good levels of support and this means that the pupils generally work hard and achieve well. The very small number of pupils for whom English is not their home language make the same progress as their classmates. Insufficient challenge is often offered to the more able pupils and they do not always reach the standards of which they are capable.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. The pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and relationships are good overall. The parents feel their children enjoy school and believe that they make good progress.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

Strengths in this aspect are: • most of the pupils show good levels of interest in lessons and the activities the school provides; • behaviour in lessons is generally good but less so in playtimes and around the school; and • relationships between the pupils and between pupils and adults are good overall.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

Areas for improvement are: • a few pupils in almost all classes have poorer attitudes to their learning and often display unsatisfactory social behaviour. These pupils need the constant attention of their teacher to prevent them disturbing progress for others in lessons; • the pupils’ awareness of others and the impact of their actions; and • the pupils’ sense of responsibility, independence and knowledge of their own learning is St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 10 underdeveloped.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Attitudes are good overall. Most pupils are purposeful about their work and tackle their lessons with enthusiasm. This is directly due to the patience and dedication of teachers and is most evident where teachers display very good management and provide interesting lessons. The pupils are willing to talk about what they are doing, happily correct mistakes and can generally explain how they arrived at their answers. They collaborate well in groups when encouraged to do so. However, where lessons are not organised so well, learning is often fragmented by stops and starts to accommodate those who have become disinterested. The majority of pupils however, settle down quickly at the start of lessons and maintain concentration quite well to the end of the day. They generally listen well but a few interrupt or talk over one another's comments. The pupils with SEN generally work hard during lessons. They have good relationships with teachers and teaching assistants and are actively

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

encouraged to succeed. Children in the Foundation Stage have positive attitudes to school and towards each other. They are happy to leave their parents and eager to become involved in learning. There are warm and sensitive relationships between the children and all the staff, who know the learning needs of each child in their group. As a result children make strong progress in developing self-awareness, self-esteem and confidence. They are motivated, interested and enjoy their learning, but there are not enough opportunities for them to develop the skills of co-operation or an awareness of the views and feelings of others. Children in the Nursery class particularly enjoy working with a father who comes to help them to develop their ICT skills.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Behaviour is good overall. The majority of pupils have increasingly high standards of self-discipline. However, it is spoilt by the small number in almost all classes, who can be unruly in lessons with a direct effect on standards of learning. This is a pity, because all the pupils know very well what is expected of them, through the very good leadership of their teachers, in sharing the school rules and the making of their class rules. Most enjoy the resources provided at lunch breaks. Behaviour of the majority is good but lunchtime supervisors do not always check the boisterous behaviour of some. Nonetheless pupils enjoy working for Golden Time 2 . Staff work hard to minimise instances of aggression and reduce the few occasions of bullying. All know how very seriously they are viewed. A small number of exclusions has been necessary, where situations were affecting the self-discipline and progress in lessons for others.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. The pupils’ personal development is satisfactory, although their overall understanding of the effect of their actions is sometimes immature. Nonetheless, the pupils are beginning to share their thoughts more. For example, Bubble Time is becoming very successful for those who have fallen out to sort out their differences. Circle Time 3 and the personal and social programmes are gradually bringing about more responsibility in choices and decision making. Staff cheerfully use a wide range of strategies including, the school rules, class rules, playground rules and golden rules to support the pupils’ growth into rounded individuals. The pupils are used to the opening prayers at the beginning of the day, in their class, in assemblies and during the class Masses. Most listen thoughtfully to those who lead them and are beginning to share in the spiritual values that the school promotes. This was very

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

evident by the prayers in the Year 5/6 class for those involved in a crash on the M56 that morning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. The pupils are learning to have initiative and accept responsibility by sharing in a growing range of daily routines, preparing for lessons and assisting in assemblies. They enjoy praise for good work, behaviour and courtesy, with certificates and awards at Mentions Assemblies. Initiative is well demonstrated, for example, by the ‘Buddying’ schemes in breaks, led by Year 5 pupils, where these pupils befriend any who feel friendless. Responsibility is shown by the newly formed school council taking its role seriously, for example, in seeking to improve the Friendship Stop 4 arrangements and asking for further training on Bubble Time for those who have fallen out. The pupils’ involvement in assessing their learning objectives at the end of lessons is underdeveloped. End-of-year reports are not shared with pupils. There are no personal ‘records of achievement’ files. Consequently the pupils

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

2 Golden Time is a time set aside towards the end of the week which can be used as a reward if the pupils have performed well and met their behaviour targets during the week. 3 Circle time is an opportunity for pupils to discuss issues in their classes, in a less formal and non-judgmental way. 4 The Friendship Stop is an area of the playground where a pupil can go to if they feel friendless. Other pupils are deputed to go and include this pupil in their play. St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 11 do not build up self-worth and independence, with the feeling of ‘this is what I have done well’ or ‘this, I could do better’, and so become eager to improve. Relationships are good overall. The majority of pupils have very good relationships with one another and all adults in school. They can freely share their concerns with staff. A very few, however, find it difficult to communicate with others.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Attendance at 93.1 per cent is well below the national average. It has improved consistently since the last inspection and is slowly approaching the national average. The great majority of pupils attend very well. This is spoilt by a small number of families where parents do not support their children sufficiently well and whose attendance is poor. A great deal of time is spent by the school to improve these situations. Unauthorised and authorised absence remain too high. Days off and holidays during term time are far too common. Notwithstanding, the great majority of the pupils clearly enjoy school. They are early. They enter classrooms eagerly looking forward to lessons and greet their teacher cheerfully. They enjoy the awards for high standards of attendance and punctuality. A growing number in all year groups attain 100 per cent. Lateness, however, is a constant problem for a significant few.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

Registration conforms to requirements and is prompt and effective.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall and is similar to that found at the time of the last inspection.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Strengths in teaching and learning are; • the teachers’ management of pupils; • the use made of the skilled support staff; and • the use that teachers make of resources.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Areas for development are: • the provision of appropriate work for pupils of differing abilities in lessons; and • the teachers’ use of assessment.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. The quality of teaching is good for pupils in all age groups in the school. As can be seen from the above pie chart, a small amount of unsatisfactory teaching was observed. Most of this was by some of the temporary teachers who are not so familiar with the school’s behaviour management policy and sometimes struggled to manage the minority of pupils with behavioural difficulties. This is in direct

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Quality of teaching

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatis St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 12 contrast to the permanent members of staff who manage their pupils well. These teachers create good relationships with their pupils which help to foster a purposeful working environment in which the pupils are keen to learn. The pupils with SEN receive good teaching, individually and in small groups. Tasks are generally matched appropriately to their needs.

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Quality of teaching

17. The well-trained and skilled support staff make a significant contribution to the pupils’ learning. The teachers are very well aware of this and usually plan to include them fully in all aspects of the lessons. For example, in the introductions they often rephrase questions or encourage less able pupils to contribute answers. In a very good mathematics lesson in Year 5, the teacher’s initial activity was a brisk game of ‘tables bingo’ with the class. She had planned a game with simpler multiplications for the less able pupils, to be conducted by the teaching assistant. They played their game alongside their classmates and the delight when one of this group won the class game was shared by all.

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Quality of teaching

18. The use made of resources is good. The teachers prepare well and have the necessary resources to hand when needed. For instance, in a very good lesson in art and design in Year 6, the teacher had prepared the clay that was to be used well, so that no time was wasted once the pupils were ready to start their work. The work was based on aerial photographs, so that the pupils could use a good range of tools to make relief tiles. This work was linked to their work in geography very well. An excellent art and design lesson with Year 2 also demonstrated very good use of resources. The input from two artists from Manchester Art Gallery enhanced this lesson, where the pupils looked at their pictures of animals through an ‘animation machine’. The thrill as they recognised their own pictures and made comments such as, “It looks as though my fish is drinking” added significantly to their successful learning in this lesson.

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Quality of teaching

19. In a number of lessons all the pupils are expected to do the same work. Those with lower attainment are usually supported to do this work by teaching assistants. However, those with higher attainment are not being effectively challenged and do not achieve as well as they could in these lessons. This is a significant part of the reason for the lower proportion than expected of higher levels gained in the national tests. The teachers do not always use the assessments of the pupils’ attainments to plan for the next stage in their learning. For example, teachers usually provide more difficult work for the more able pupils to do when they have finished the task that the whole class is doing. However, there is often little need for these pupils to do the easier work as they already have a clear understanding of it. The teachers sometimes refer to the learning objective 5 at the start of their lessons. They rarely return

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Quality of teaching

to it at the end and give the pupils greater understanding of their own learning. The teachers do not create sufficient opportunities for the pupils to be involved in independent research and to devise their own methods of learning and recording in mathematics and science, for example.

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PUPILS?

20. The curriculum provided is satisfactory, includes all subjects of the National Curriculum and fulfils all legal requirements. The curriculum is broad and balanced except in the case of DT, ICT and geography in Years 3 to 6, where pupils are not given sufficient opportunities to study some aspects of the subject frequently enough and as a result standards are below average. All the pupils have equal access to the full curriculum due to the caring attitude of the staff and inclusive nature of the school. There are not enough opportunities planned for more able pupils.

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PUPILS?

Strengths in the curriculum are: • the provision for art and design and PE; • the range of visits and visitors into school; • the provision for the pupils with SEN; • the range of extra-curricular opportunities; and • the provision for the pupils’ personal development.

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PUPILS?

5 Learning objectives are the skills, knowledge and understanding that the teacher is aiming that the pupils should learn during the lesson. St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 13 • the effectiveness of the strategy for teaching literacy skills; and • the curriculum for DT, geography and ICT in Years 3 to 6.

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PUPILS?

21. All subjects are allocated an appropriate amount of time except DT and geography. Due emphasis is given to English and mathematics. The numeracy lesson is included every day, is effectively organised and the teaching of numeracy skills is good. Similarly, the literacy lesson is included each day but the teaching of literacy skills is only satisfactory and the implementation of the National Literacy Strategy is not effective in raising standards. The teaching of ICT skills is good and the pupils are becoming computer literate although the pupils do not get sufficient experience of some aspects of the subject.

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PUPILS?

22. Some subjects did not have a scheme of work in place at the last inspection. There are comprehensive schemes of work for all subjects. There is a clear overall plan for each year group so that the teachers know what to teach and when and this ensures progression through the topics which are based on the National Curriculum. Extra classes in mathematics are organised successfully to improve the pupils’ numeracy skills. There is a home/school reading programme in place for the benefit of the teachers and the parents and this makes a valuable contribution to the standard of reading in the school. The older pupils are given a satisfactory amount of homework in English and mathematics and this makes a worthwhile contribution to standards in the subjects. The provision for the pupils with SEN is good. Their needs are identified early and good individual plans are created for their future progress.

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PUPILS?

23. The provision for personal, health and social education is satisfactory. The school does not have a policy for the subject but relies on the ethos of the school and the caring attitude of the staff. There is a policy for sex education and the school nurse is involved in the implementation of it. Manchester City Football Club (MCFC) sends a community team into school to discuss smoking, alcohol and drug abuse with the pupils.

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PUPILS?

24. The provision for extra-curricular activities is good. There is a good number of sporting activities such as football, netball and school sports. The school plays competitive games against other schools and last year came second in the football league. There is a football training course each year organised by a sports clothing manufacturer and MCFC also provide a football training programme. There are activities for the younger pupils such as board games club and a baking club. Other activities for older pupils include writing club, topic club, computer club and drama club. Pupils also have the opportunity to learn the violin, the guitar and the recorder and tuition is free. The school orchestra is made up of these musicians and plays on special occasions, for example at the forthcoming leavers’ assembly. The artist in residence also takes groups after school and painted some attractive murals

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PUPILS?

in the dining room. All these activities are valuable extra opportunities.

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PUPILS?

25. The curriculum is widened and enriched by a large number of educational visits. For example Year 1 visited Langdendale Environmental Study Centre to take part in pond dipping as part of their science programme. Year 2 went to The Blue Planet Aquarium to study sea creatures. Year 3 explored Treak Cliff Cavern and Castleton. Year 6 took part in the Songfest at the Bridgewater Hall. All these activities extend the pupils’ cultural and social development as well as being valuable additions to the curriculum.

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PUPILS?

26. The school has satisfactory links with the community and this broadens the pupils’ learning experiences. For example the school has links with the local church and the pupils prepare and take part in class Masses several times each year. The annual Christmas fair is organised jointly by the church and the school and the proceeds are shared. The school has connections with the local parks and the pupils planted bulbs with the gardener of one of them. One of the park rangers from Wythenshawe Park took some children on an anti-vandal walk to demonstrate the damage that can be cause to the environment. The pupils are introduced to interesting activities by the Creative Partnership Project. For example Year 2 went on an art workshop at Manchester Art Gallery. Some pupils spent time sketching in the locality and others spent a day at Bramhall Hall studying the Tudors. Visitors from the community also come to school to give the pupils a greater understanding of

p.15

PUPILS?

community and citizenship. For example the police liaison officer comes to the school regularly.

p.15

PUPILS?

27. The school has important links with other local schools. A teacher from the school is on the working St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 14 party that organises the smooth transition from primary to secondary school. Pupils spend a day at their chosen secondary school to take part in lessons and meet the staff. Pupils from the school also took part in the quiz organised by the secondary school. The school has links with the other Catholic primary schools in the area and they have Masses together and also have an annual sports day. The school has many valuable links with other schools through the Educational Action Zone (EAZ). For example, the school joined the project on reading and every Year 5 pupil received three free books. A Fun Day was organised at Manchester Airport and the pupils learned about aeroplanes and made a model of one. The EAZ has links with schools in Bologna and pupils from each school visit Italy each

p.15

PUPILS?

year. Last year through the EAZ the pupils practised an opera and performed it in a theatre in Bologna. On their return the pupils toured the local schools to give further performances.

p.16

PUPILS?

28. The curriculum is enriched by good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Provision for spiritual development is good. The pupils take part in a number of daily collective acts of worship in their classrooms when they say morning and afternoon prayers and the grace before meals. Twice a week the pupils also gather for assembly during which they also say prayers. Each class organises a class Mass each year and prepares and recites the readings during the celebration. A spiritual ethos is evident in the school. Many classrooms have small shrines and there are religious displays in the corridors and in the hall. The teachers provide opportunities for the pupils to experience spiritual feelings in other subjects of the curriculum. For example, in science the pupils are given an insight into the wonderful phenomena of the natural world when they observe and measure how plants grow. Spiritual development is also encouraged in the school by the way pupils

p.16

PUPILS?

are respected as individuals and in turn respect others.

p.16

PUPILS?

29. The provision for moral development is good. All the staff are good role models and take every opportunity to emphasis right from wrong. As a result all the pupils know what behaviour is acceptable in school. In RE the pupils become familiar with moral codes like the Ten Commandments and, based on these rules for society, the teachers and the pupils together devise golden rules for their own classroom for the benefit of the whole group. Each Thursday there is a period at the end of the day called Golden Time when the pupils are allowed to choose an activity. However, poor behaviour results in some of this Golden Time being lost. This system makes pupils think about their actions and is effective in encouraging good behaviour. Each week there is a merit assembly when pupils receive recognition for their good work and behaviour. Moral themes are introduced in Circle Time so that pupils can think and talk about right and wrong. The pupils willingly take part in

p.16

PUPILS?

charitable collections for organisations such as Cafod and understand what the aim of the charity is. They therefore realise that some people in the world are worse off than themselves. These experiences promote pupils’ understanding of the effect of their behaviour on others.

p.16

PUPILS?

30. The provision for social development is good. The school ethos and the caring attitude of the staff ensures development in this area. The school provides opportunities for the pupils to undertake responsibilities and this gives them a feeling of importance and raises their self-esteem. For example, in the classroom, monitors have jobs like making sure books are tidy in the bookcases or that pencils and crayons are put into their containers. The pupils from Year 6 act as school monitors and look after the cloakrooms at break time. There is a system of playground buddies, who wear distinctive yellow caps, and look out for pupils on the playground who are unhappy or do not have anyone to play with and befriend them. The school provides a good range of extra-curricular activities so that pupils can socialise with their peers in the school clubs. The school ensures that the pupils are aware of the

p.16

PUPILS?

importance of safeguarding the environment. They are taught that too many cars cause pollution and that cutting down trees has an adverse effect on the environment. They are also made aware that recycling materials and keeping their surroundings free from rubbish protects the environment. This is one reason why the school grounds are kept free from graffiti and litter.

p.16

PUPILS?

31. The provision for cultural development is good. Art in the school is of good quality and the school has gained a national award for this. The school has an artist in residence and with the pupils has produced lots of attractive artwork to add to the educational atmosphere in the school. Pupils make regular visits to cultural centres. For example the pupils went to Manchester Art Gallery to take part in a workshop. Pupils are also familiar with the art of other cultures and in the school entrance hall is a beautiful collection of small banners based on Aboriginal art. The provision for teaching and understanding of life in a culturally diverse society is good and this is an improvement since the last inspection. The pupils have visited a mosque and a student, who was a Muslim, talked to several St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 15 groups of pupils about Islam. The pupils have also been involved in reading American Indian and Hindu

p.16

PUPILS?

stories. Pupils in Year 2 also studied African culture and made some attractive traditional African masks. Consequently the pupils are aware of the richness of the culturally diverse society in which they live.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. Procedures for ensuring pupils’ welfare are very good overall. Procedures for assessing and monitoring the pupils’ attainment and progress remain unsatisfactory. Insufficient progress has been made since the last inspection. Strengths in this aspect are:

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

• the school provides a very caring atmosphere; • procedures for monitoring and promoting self-discipline are good; • procedures for eliminating oppressive behaviour are very good; and • individual support for the pupil’s personal development is very good.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Areas for development are: • the procedures for promoting attendance are satisfactory but some features of checking this are not effective enough; and • the use that is made of the wide range of assessment to identify strengths and weaknesses and to plan and set targets for the next stage in pupils’ learning.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. The parents feel that staff look after the welfare of their children very well. This is a continued strength of the school. Responsibility is delegated to the deputy headteacher, whose attitude is readily amplified by all staff, in promoting a happy working atmosphere reflecting the mission statement and the ethos of the school. Staff are aware of the strict criteria to be observed in child protection and there is a sound Internet safety policy in place. The school has good access to educational, medical and social agencies when required. The school is secure, warm and welcoming.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. The school consistently seeks to stimulate parents and their children to have good attitudes to attendance and punctuality. This receives very good support from the majority of parents. A significant number of families, however, have regular problems with attendance and punctuality. Overall checking is satisfactory but unexplained absence is not investigated promptly. Current attendance is not reported to governors’ meetings. Consequently they have no opportunity for appraisal and comment except in hindsight at the end of each school year. The percentage rates of unauthorised and authorised absence, the criteria for absence and comment on the overall very low levels of attendance are not evident in either the school prospectus or the governors’ annual report.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. The procedures for checking on and promoting self-discipline are very good. The comprehensive behaviour policy is fully shared with parents and pupils. A very wide range of detailed strategies is used daily to promote high standards of behaviour for the diverse needs of pupils. These are very conscientiously implemented by staff. However, there is variable success in some classes, where management is less secure. Most of the parents share teachers’ concerns where regular disruption strains effective teaching and learning. However, the school has to work hard on occasion to obtain parental co-operation in improving these situations. Procedures for eliminating oppressive behaviour are very good. Tendencies towards bad behaviour and occasional name-calling are dealt with swiftly and effectively. Parents are involved in all cases of unworthy behaviour at an early stage.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The permanent teachers in the Foundation Stage classes complete a thorough assessment of pupils on entry to school, using the local education authority’s assessment procedures. The results of these are used effectively to plan future learning. In most Foundation Stage classes, the teachers and learning assistants make regular and detailed assessments of the children’s attainment and progress St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 16 in relation to the Early Learning Goals 6 . In the Nursery in particular, this leads to well-planned provision for individual children. At the end of the Foundation Stage the teachers are using the national end of Reception assessment procedures. Very little formal analysis of assessment information is used to track the progress of year groups, to identify strengths and priorities for development in the Foundation Stage or to inform the teachers in Year 1.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. In Years 1 to 6 there is a timetable for teachers’ medium-term assessments in English, mathematics, science, ICT and RE and end of year testing in English and mathematics. Clear procedures and agreed recording systems for teachers’ assessments are used consistently by all the permanent staff. As a result the teachers gather a huge amount of information. However, they make insufficient use of it. In the majority of classes the teachers do not use this information to match work or learning targets to the differing individual or group needs of the pupils. Assessment tasks are usually the same for all pupils and do not always effectively assess the differing learning needs in classes. For example, a child who could count and order numbers up to 20 early in the term was tested only using numbers up to ten at the end of the term. The pupils are rarely involved in the evaluation of their work or in setting targets for their learning. Currently there are few systems for assessing or recording

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

attainment or progress in the subjects other than English, mathematics and science, but the school development plan identifies this as a priority for development. The school keeps satisfactory records of the progress made by the pupils with SEN. Individual education plans for these pupils are reviewed regularly and include measurable targets to help them improve.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. Statutory and optional assessment tasks, together with some nationally standardised tests in mathematics and English, are used to assess all the pupils at the end of each year. The results of these tests are currently analysed by the school using three systems to track progress. In consequence there is a lack of clarity about the progress that the pupils make as they move through the school, or about overall targets, which currently show a lack of challenge for some pupils. The evaluation of overall progress and attainment is not being used to identify priorities for development. For example, the unsatisfactory progress and attainment in English has not been identified on the school development plan as a priority for improvement. Within mathematics the good use of the analysis of Year 2 test results has led to a clear view of strengths and areas needing improvement. These are currently being addressed. This practice is being extended to other year groups. In other

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

subjects the subject co-ordinators are not making sufficient use of assessment information.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Procedures for checking and supporting the pupils’ personal development are very good. Staff are very caring and supportive. Teamwork, with very responsible teaching assistants’ support, ensures that the high aims reflect the mission statement. Staff know the pupils and their individual needs well. Most parents realise this and are pleased that teachers expect their children to work hard and do their best. Staff work very hard to build up good relationships with the pupils. Parents feel that staff are approachable. Concerns are listened to and dealt with appropriately. Assemblies are used very well to promote responsible attitudes to work, behaviour, relationships and decision making. A widening range of opportunities is offered for pupils to take initiative and responsibility resulting in maturing attitudes by many pupils.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. The parents views of the school are confused although they are satisfactory overall. Most parents spoken to during the inspection are pleased with what the school provides for their children. A significant few, however, have a range of concerns. The return rate of questionnaires was low with more negative comments than the average. The parents’ meeting also raised a number of concerns.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

A strength in the partnership with parents is:

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

• the confidence in the school by most of the parents spoken to during the inspection.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

6 The ‘Early Learning Goals’ are the expected levels of attainment for children as they start the subjects of the National Curriculum in Year 1. ‘Stepping stones’ are the steps leading towards these goals. St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 17 • the effectiveness of the school’s links with parents.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41. Information for parents is limited and unsatisfactory. In some areas it does not conform to legal requirements. This continues to be an issue from the last inspection. The governors’ annual report lacks legal information on the provision for the disabled, the teachers’ professional development and the pupils’ rates of absence for the preceding year. It tells parents nothing of what governors have discussed, decisions taken, and how they may effect the good of the pupils. The school prospectus has a good mission statement but gives no insight into what is taught. Curricular information is not sent out during the year but teachers are available for any concerns. Parents turn up well to the two parents’ evenings each year. The annual reports, however, are not sent out prior to the summer consultation evening. Consequently, parents have no opportunity to ponder on any comments made, before discussing them with teachers. Report content is broadly individual to the pupil but lacks clear

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

evaluation, levelling and pointers for the future.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. Links with parents are unsatisfactory. There are insufficient clearly established routines to involve parents in their children’s learning. The home/school agreement had a very moderate response when introduced. It does not appear to have been issued to parents of pupils inducted into the school since its introduction. The home/school reading records are used inconsistently, although some parents do comment very helpfully. A number of parents are perceived to encourage their children’s homework and topic work. Where there are concerns, there are no ongoing systems for sharing current progress with parents. The links between the school and the parents of pupils with SEN are unsatisfactory. Parents are not routinely invited to the meetings at which their child’s progress is reviewed, nor are they told the new targets that have been agreed for their child. However, parents take a full part in annual reviews of pupils’ statements of SEN. The school agrees with parents’ concerns that there are

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

some inconsistencies in the setting of homework, largely due to unforeseen changes in the teaching staff. Parenting courses to aid homework began well but have tailed off. Nevertheless, parents have turned out surprisingly well for the occasional curricular related sessions. A small number of parents regularly help in school. Their service is valued and planned for. There is no history of a parents’ association, nor one contemplated. The school runs fund raising events during the year with the willing help of a group of parents. Parents turn up in large numbers for concerts and celebrations but not so readily to the school Masses. Too few opportunities are taken to build up a ‘family of the school’ atmosphere.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

43. The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory overall. The headteacher and other key staff provide sound leadership but there are a number of areas for development in the management of the school. The situation is broadly similar to that at the time of the last inspection.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Strengths in leadership and management are: • the use made of external funding; and • the good training provided for teaching assistants and the contribution that they make.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Areas for development are: • the role of subject co-ordinators; • the checking on and evaluation of standards and the quality of teaching; and • making clear the links between planned actions and raising standards.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. The headteacher has had to deal with a number of staffing issues since the last inspection, which is part of the reason behind the unsatisfactory progress since then. A number of the key issues have not been effectively dealt with and where actions have been planned, there has been insufficient emphasis on monitoring their effect. For example, although a great deal of assessment information is gathered, there has been no emphasis on using it to raise standards. There is a lack of focus on what is really important. For instance, there has not been a realisation that the key skills of speaking and listening are vital to progress in other aspects of English, particularly writing. Standards in English have consequently been very variable.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. The headteacher has created a good team spirit in the school and there is a shared desire to do the best for the pupils. The role of the subject co-ordinators continues to be underdeveloped, as it was at St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 18 the time of the last inspection, although a factor is that a number of subjects have no full-time co- ordinator due to staff absence. Many are keen and have worked hard to produce policies and schemes of work and to provide support for their colleagues. However, there is still a lack of focus in their role of being responsible for raising standards. Although some carry out lesson observations, the feedback on a number of these are over-positive and do not give the teachers clear guidance on how they can improve their practice. The co-ordinators for some subjects analyse the pupils’ work in their books, but this has not been evaluated effectively to identify areas for development such as ensuring

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

that all pupils receive work appropriate to their abilities. The school has not identified a specific person to manage the needs of its pupils with English as an additional language. As a result, there can be delays in assessing the specific needs of these pupils and in providing appropriate support.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. The governors play their part in the management of the school satisfactorily. Their role is developing and they are becoming increasingly involved in planning for future developments. The headteacher, with the support of governors, is good at getting funding for specific projects and tapping into worthwhile schemes that are available. For example, the pupils benefit significantly from the input of the EAZ and particularly the opportunity to learn Italian due to the input from the Italian Consulate in Manchester. Management of finances within school is efficient, as it has had to be with the problems that the school has had with their usual financial support organisation. They have recently changed to a private company and are now receiving good support in this area.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The arrangements for the support of pupils with SEN are good. The school spends its additional funding well to provide support from teaching assistants and to improve resources for learning. Staff from external agencies give very good support in specialist areas such as behaviour management, speech and language therapy and autism. Individual education plans are provided and targets are shared with pupils, teachers and teaching assistants. However, these are not routinely shared with parents so that they too can contribute their ideas.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. There is a satisfactory number of teachers and teaching assistants to meet the demands of the curriculum. However, there are fewer teaching assistants than might normally be expected for a school of this size. They are not always as well deployed as they might be. For example, two of the temporary teachers had little support in their classrooms. Good use is made of the part-time teacher who releases the deputy and assistant headteachers for their management roles.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The accommodation is satisfactory and has a separate ICT suite, hall and library. There are plans to develop a new hall and arts block in the near future. Resources are generally satisfactory, although they are good for art and design and teachers make good use of the local area as a stimulus for learning.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. Taking account of all relevant factors, such as the environment from which most pupils come, their attainment on entry and the use made of funds to help them learn, the school gives satisfactory value for money. St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 19

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

51. In order to continue to raise standards, the governors, headteacher and staff should:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

i. raise standards in English at the end of Year 2 and English, mathematics and science at the end of Year 6, particularly the basic skills of speaking, listening and writing in all subjects of the curriculum;

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs: 21, 44, 56, 62, 63, 64, 65 and 74)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

ii. ensure that all pupils, particularly the more able, are always provided with work appropriate to their abilities;

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs: 4, 5, 8, 19, 57, 68, 74, 82, 90, 93 and 99)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

iii. ensure that there are systems for measuring the attainment of pupils in subjects that presently have none, and that systems are used to measure the progress of the pupils in all subjects and then to set targets for the pupils’ next steps of learning; and

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs: 19, 36, 37, 38, 44, 77, 82, 86, 91, 101, 110 and 115)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

iv. improve the role of the co-ordinators so that they have clear responsibilities for checking on and raising standards in their subjects.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraphs: 36, 44, 45, 53, 72, 77, 82 and 86)

p.21

In addition the governors should consider the following for inclusion in their action plan:

• increase significantly the opportunities for the pupils to be involved in independent learning;

p.21

In addition the governors should consider the following for inclusion in their action plan:

(Paragraphs: 13, 19, 58, 62, 64, 66, 75, 90 and 99)

p.21

In addition the governors should consider the following for inclusion in their action plan:

• significantly improve links with and information for, parents so that they are more involved in their children’s learning; and

p.21

In addition the governors should consider the following for inclusion in their action plan:

• satisfy all legal requirements regarding the governors’ annual report to parents and the school prospectus.

p.21

In addition the governors should consider the following for inclusion in their action plan:

(Paragraphs: 34 and 41) St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 20

p.21

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 64

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very poor

p.22

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 about two percentage points.

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 33 241

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 110

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 3

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 36

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 1

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 17

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 34

p.22

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.22

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 21

p.22

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 14 19 33

p.23

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.23

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

Boys 11 13 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 18 18 19

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 88 (71) 94 (97) 100 (59) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.23

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.23

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

Boys 12 14 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 18 19 18

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 91 (74) 100 (79) 91 (74) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

p.23

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

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

p.23

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 13 20 33

p.23

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.23

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

Boys 10 11 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 17 16 18

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 82 (71) 82 (62) 88 (76) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

p.23

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.23

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

Boys N/a N/a N/a Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls N/a N/a N/a

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School N/a (60) N/a (62) N/a (74) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

p.23

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. The school was unable to provide any figures for the teachers’ assessments of the pupils’ attainment for 2002. St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 22

p.23

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.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 0 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

The table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. It gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 23

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 10.4 Financial year 2002/03

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23.2

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 741,321

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 7 Total expenditure 755,887

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 277.5 Expenditure per pupil 2,826

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: Nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 23,772

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 9.206

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 33

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 62.5

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 24

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 55 39 3 1 1

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 43 43 9 4 0

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 44 24 22 9 1

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 42 29 23 6 0

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 64 30 6 0 0

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 66 28 6 0 0

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 42 42 12 3 1

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 45 45 6 3 1

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 49 47 3 1 0

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 34 25 19 13 9

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding. St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 25

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

52. When the children enter the Nursery their standards of attainment are well below those expected nationally. They make good progress within the Foundation Stage leaving the Reception Year with standards just below national expectations. This progress is largely due to good teaching. The children with SEN are well supported, enabling them to make good progress. Improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory.

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Strengths in the Foundation Stage are: • the children in the Foundation Stage make good progress; • a good range of teaching strategies is used in the Nursery; • good emphasis is placed on developing early personal, social and communication skills; • the new outdoor area makes a strong contribution to learning; and • the teaching assistants make a strong contribution to learning and are effectively deployed.

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Areas for development are: • insufficient monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning, standards and progress takes place; • insufficient use of assessment is made to analyse the standards and progress of groups of children as they move through the Foundation Stage; and • the co-ordinator has a limited overview of teaching, learning, standards and progress in the Reception classes.

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

53. Induction arrangements help children to adjust to their new surroundings at their own rate and promote good communication between the staff and parents. Parents continue to be welcomed at the beginnings and ends of sessions and children are happy to leave them and eager to become involved in a learning activity. There are warm and sensitive relationships between the children and all the staff, who know the learning needs of each child in their group. Within the first term detailed assessments are made and recorded and learning is planned to meet the individual child’s needs. Day-to-day notes are made of individual achievements. This information is used to plan activities led by an adult and to help staff when they talk to and guide the learning of individual children. It is an important factor in the good teaching and progress that is consistent through the Nursery and Reception class. In the mixed

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

age Reception and Year 1 class there is a temporary teacher who has a lower awareness of the children’s abilities and teaching does not always match their needs. Teaching assistants play a full and important role in the teaching and support of children throughout the stage, especially those with SEN. Shared planning in the Foundation Stage ensures coverage and progression through effective long- and medium-term plans. This is well co-ordinated. However, there is no checking on or evaluation of teaching, learning or standards across the classes, and no analysis of assessment information. As a result there is no overview and a lack of clarity about strengths and important areas for development.

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

54. The Nursery room has well defined areas and effectively supports learning in all six areas of the Foundation Stage curriculum. There is a good balance of child choice, adult-guided and teacher led activity. In the Reception class there is an appropriate increase in teacher-directed activity, but the independent activities sometimes lack sufficient structure so that children do not learn effectively. The mixed Reception and Year 1 classroom is too formal and denies the reception pupils the access to a range of learning styles and opportunities, and denies independence. They have no direct access to a secure and suitably equipped outdoor play area.

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Personal, social and emotional development

55. The children make good progress in personal, social and emotional development with many reaching the Early Learning Goals by the end of the Reception Year. Teaching is good. The well-organised classrooms, purposeful learning opportunities, consistent routines and expectations and a high level of praise provide an environment where the children feel very secure and happy. In the Nursery, most St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 26 children make choices independently within activities and settle to short directed tasks. In the Reception classes they work on directed tasks independently and sit and listen attentively for longer periods of time. They take turns and most can share within a small group. They have a growing understanding of their own needs and are beginning to be aware of others. A girl in a Reception class identified a friend who was kind in a ‘swap places’ game. Children make strong progress in developing

p.27

Personal, social and emotional development

self-awareness, self-esteem and confidence. They are motivated, interested and enjoy their learning but there are insufficient opportunities for them to develop the skills of co-operation or an awareness of the views and feelings of others.

p.28

Communication, language and literacy

56. Children enter school with very poor communication skills and many have very indistinct speech. There is a strong emphasis on extending the everyday language of the children through all their activities and children make good progress with this. For example, children in the Nursery were going on a journey in the space ship and being encouraged to use and understand positional language, such as ‘behind’, ‘above’ and ‘inside’. Children develop a functional vocabulary, but there is a lack of emphasis on developing children’s thinking through open questioning. Children within all classes enjoy listening to and joining in with stories. For example, during the story ‘ Whatever next? ’ by Jill Murphy, children enthusiastically joined in with the actions and sequenced the events in the story. Reading is better promoted in the Reception classes than in the Nursery, although children share books at home in all these classes. Children learn to hold their pencils correctly and have

p.28

Communication, language and literacy

opportunities to copy write and then write independently, but they lack confidence in spelling. A lack of frequent opportunities for children in the Nursery to strengthen their awareness of the sight and sounds of letters inhibits the development of the clarity of their speech. An over-reliance on phonic worksheets in the Reception classes further constrains the teaching of phonics and has a negative effect on both reading and writing. Overall, teaching is satisfactory and pupils make satisfactory progress in communication, language and literacy, but leave Reception with standards below national expectations.

p.28

Mathematical development

57. On entry, children have difficulty in expressing their mathematical knowledge. Emphasis is rightly placed on developing children’s understanding through practical activities where mathematical language is developed. Teaching is satisfactory. Children strengthen their counting and number formation and recognition and make satisfactory progress. In the Reception classes they have reached the standards expected. They work confidently with numbers up to ten and are beginning to add and take away. The more able pupils are not sufficiently challenged in the Nursery as most activities are targeted at the average ability group. For example two children had good knowledge of numbers up to 20, but in most activities were limited to using numbers up to ten. The heavy emphasis on number means that there is insufficient focus on other aspects of mathematics.

p.28

Knowledge and understanding of the world

58. Children’s knowledge and understanding of the world is very limited on entry. Through good teaching they make good progress and reach expected standards. Again priority is placed on developing everyday vocabulary to help children to make sense of their immediate world. Good individual and group teaching throughout the stage results in good progress in ICT. The children in Nursery love to work with the father who helps. He provides a good male role model. Children extend their knowledge, for example about other lands, weather, holidays and modes of transport, through well-planned topics. Little opportunity for children to investigate or explore was seen during the week of the inspection, so limiting their own questioning and thinking skills.

p.28

Physical development

59. Children make good progress in their physical development. They strengthen their control of large movements and have an increasing awareness of space and of others. Very good use is made of guided learning and intervention in the outdoor area, where children climb, swing and confidently use different body parts to take their weight. In the Nursery wide ranging activities help children to develop fine motor skills, but such opportunities are more restricted in Reception with mainly written recording St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 27 and cutting. Overall teaching is good and pupils reach the standards expected with control of large movements being much stronger than their skills with small implements such as pencils and scissors.

p.28

Creative development

60. Creative development on entry is well below national expectations because of limited experiences, poor communication skills and poorly developed control of implements such as crayons. Good teaching within this stage ensures children make good progress to reach standards just below national expectations. There is a good range of provision in the Nursery with paint, sand, water, play- dough, construction and role-play activities frequently available for children. This is supplemented by teacher-led activities, such as the introduction to pastels to colour ‘Rainbow Bird’ . However, too few questions ask the children to explain their feelings and give opinions. Music features regularly in all classes and pupils learn to sing and play percussion instruments in time to a beat. The range and time for creative opportunities is too narrow in the Reception classes, especially in the mixed age class.

p.29

ENGLISH

61. At the end of both Year 2 and Year 6, standards in English are below average. The pupils enter Year 1 with standards that are below average and make satisfactory progress overall. The quality of teaching is satisfactory. Improvement since the school was last inspected is unsatisfactory as standards have declined and not kept up with national trends during this time.

p.29

ENGLISH

Strengths in the subject are: • the pupils’ enthusiasm for reading; • the provision for the pupils with SEN; and • the enthusiasm and the commitment of the co-ordinator.

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ENGLISH

Areas for development are: • standards in speaking and listening and writing; • use of assessment so that teachers and pupils know what they need to do next to improve their learning; • monitoring of standards; • opportunities for independent learning; and • the provision for and use of the library.

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ENGLISH

62. Standards in speaking are below average throughout the school. A large number of pupils answer questions in single words or short phrases and have to be prompted to extend their ideas, for example, “He’s good at games and stuff”. They regularly use a limited range of words and incorrect grammar such as “they was late” or “me and my friend went to the shops”. Much of this goes unnoticed by teachers and this slows the progress the pupils make. In many lessons pupils have too few opportunities to join in discussions. Teachers inform and direct the pupils rather than asking for their ideas. Teachers do not generally demonstrate a wide range of vocabulary and sometimes talk ungrammatically. For example, one teacher was heard to say, “I don’t want no more shouting out”. As a result, the pupils make slow progress in their learning of speaking skills.

p.29

ENGLISH

63. Standards in listening are below average. At the start of many lessons teachers talk for too long whilst pupils are expected to listen. As a result, the pupils frequently become restless and talk to each other and have to be reminded about listening when someone else is talking.

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ENGLISH

64. Standards in reading are average. The good support from teachers and the routines for changing books result in pupils making good progress. By the end of Year 6, the pupils study a range of texts including poems, adventure stories, instructions, letters, diaries, biographies, autobiographies and myths and legends. However, there are insufficient opportunities for pupils to read the works of classical literature. Most pupils enjoy reading and are happy to talk about books they have read. They give opinions about characters, talk about their favourite authors and select information to support St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 28 their views. Pupils know how to use reference books and understand the purpose of the contents, index and glossary pages. However, they do not know how to find books in a library and have limited opportunities to carry out their own research. The pupils are not allowed to choose books from the

p.29

ENGLISH

library until they are in Year 3. This is partly due to the fact that the library is on the upper floor. Teachers for these younger classes make a selection from the library and the pupils select from these books. This is not allowing these pupils to develop library skills.

p.30

ENGLISH

65. Standards in writing are below average by the end of Year 6. The pupils’ understanding of the difference between spoken and written language is underdeveloped and pupils do not vary their writing to suit different audiences and purposes. For example, pupils in Year 5, in a formal argument, refer to people “dumping wrappers on the ground” rather than “dropping wrappers”. Teachers do not give enough emphasis to spelling, handwriting, grammar and punctuation, with the result that the pupils are not developing all the skills they need to write independently. Many pupils make mistakes in their spelling of common words, for example, ‘littel’, ‘vrey’, ‘whent’, for ‘little’, ‘very’, ‘went’ and these are frequently ignored by the teachers. Over reliance on using worksheets in some classes reduces the opportunities pupils have to write freely and make their own decisions about layout and content. Marking of work is inconsistent and generally does not tell pupils what they need to do next to

p.30

ENGLISH

66. Many classrooms are not organised for independent learning. For example, dictionaries and thesauruses are not readily available on tables and examples of interesting vocabulary, complex sentences and key features of different texts for pupils to use in their writing are not on display. As a result, the pupils do not check the spellings of words or use exciting vocabulary and complex sentence structures.

p.30

ENGLISH

67. Overall, the quality of teaching ranges from good to unsatisfactory and is satisfactory overall. All teachers follow the National Literacy Framework in their planning. However, not all teachers identify clear learning objectives which are shared with pupils so that they have a clear understanding of the focus of the lesson. In a good lesson in Year 2, the teacher had very good relationships with the pupils. She used a variety of teaching methods including individual whiteboards, work with partners and her own demonstration. As a result, the lesson moved at a brisk pace and the pupils took a full part in the activities. The learning objectives were emphasised several times in the lesson so that the pupils were very clear about what they were learning.

p.30

ENGLISH

68. In unsatisfactory lessons, teachers are insecure in their subject knowledge, set the same tasks for all of the pupils and use teaching methods which do not hold the pupils’ interest. As a result, the pupils are unclear about what they are learning, listen passively and tackle work which is not matched to their abilities. When pupils read aloud with the teacher, have time for a discussion with a partner or in groups and use individual whiteboards to practise language skills such as spelling or grammar, they are actively involved in the learning and make good progress.

p.30

ENGLISH

69. The pupils with SEN receive good support in lessons from teaching assistants and, as a result, make good progress.

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ENGLISH

70. There are satisfactory opportunities for pupils to practise their literacy skills in other subjects. For example, in science, pupils describe and evaluate experiments, in history, they write letters home, pretending to be evacuees in World War Two, and in geography, they debate controversial topics such as the effects of fox hunting and recycling on the local environment. ICT is used in English to assist with the editing and presentation of work but there is limited use of educational games to help with the raising of standards in the basic skills.

p.30

ENGLISH

71. The pupils’ attitudes and behaviour vary in response to the quality of teaching. When teaching is good, the pupils behave well, try hard and make good progress. When teaching is less effective, the pupils become disruptive and make unsatisfactory progress in their learning. The teachers’ expectations of how work should be presented and of how much work should be completed are not always sufficiently high, with the result that handwriting varies considerably and is often untidy and barely legible and work frequently remains unfinished.

p.30

ENGLISH

72. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic and committed to raising standards and has identified appropriate St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 29 areas for development. The school is beginning to use a variety of processes to assess how well it is doing but this information has not yet been used effectively to improve the quality of teaching.

p.30

MATHEMATICS

73. Standards are average at the end of Year 2 and below average at the end of Year 6. The quality of teaching is good overall and the pupils make good progress and achieve well. The apparent drop in standards between Year 2 and Year 6 is explained by two significant factors – a number of staffing changes in that time and several of the pupils presently in Year 6 are relatively new to the school. Improvement since the last inspection has been good.

p.31

MATHEMATICS

Strengths in the subject are: • the quality of teaching and learning; • the progress that the pupils make; • the coverage of the curriculum; and • the leadership of the subject.

p.31

MATHEMATICS

Areas for development are: • to use the systems of assessment to set targets for pupils’ future progress; • to ensure that all pupils always have work suited to their needs; and • to give the pupils further opportunities to use investigative mathematics.

p.31

MATHEMATICS

74. The school has successfully implemented the National Numeracy Strategy and the teachers are using it effectively to ensure their pupils’ good progress. For example, most lessons contain a brisk mental or oral session. In a very good lesson in Year 2, the pupils were changing additions to subtractions on individual whiteboards. The teacher’s questioning was effective in challenging the pupils with questions such as, “Can you think of another subtraction?” or “What about some bigger numbers?” Although this type of questioning was seen in some lessons, opportunities were missed to give the pupils levels of challenge in their thinking and investigating number. For example, although teachers sometimes ask “How did you work that out?”, this was not frequent enough. The follow up questions to challenge the pupils’ thinking of, “Who did it a different way?” or “Let’s see how many ways we can think of doing it?” were rare. Opportunities are also missed to reinforce the pupils’

p.31

MATHEMATICS

speaking and listening skills. For example, in one lesson for younger pupils, a pupil responded “I’ ‘asn’’ go’ a three in I’.” The teacher did not take the opportunity of modelling this correctly, by saying “Yes, quite correct, it hasn’t got a three in it”.

p.31

MATHEMATICS

75. The tasks that teachers set for their pupils are usually at a variety of levels, though there are occasions when all are expected to do the same task. In a lesson in Year 6 most of the pupils were given the same worksheet, when the task could easily have been adapted to provide an investigation that would have given the more able real challenge. On the other hand in a lesson in Year 5, the teacher had a variety of tasks for the various ability levels and all the pupils made very good progress in this lesson in relation to their abilities. There are also occasions when the more able are provided with additional work when they have finished the work that their classmates are doing. Often, they can do the set task easily and could go straight on to the more challenging work. They do not therefore always make the progress of which they are capable.

p.31

MATHEMATICS

76. The teachers usually share the learning objective with their pupils but there are few occasions in the final section of a lesson when they return to it so that the pupils can judge the effectiveness of their learning. The teachers make good use of resources to support their pupils’ learning. For example, in Year 3, the teacher had a very good range of types of clocks and watches for the pupils to study and use in a lesson on time. Teaching assistants also make a valuable contribution to the pupils’ learning, particularly those pupils with SEN, enabling them to make good progress.

p.31

MATHEMATICS

77. The pupils have good numeracy skills and these skills are used well in some other subjects of the curriculum. Work in science, particularly, supports this learning, where pupils draw graphs, either by hand or using ICT to present their results. The co-ordinator has created a good policy and worked hard to support her colleagues and ensure that all areas of the curriculum are covered effectively. Her monitoring of teaching is particularly good, giving the teachers very clear guidance on what works and where they need to develop. Those teachers not monitored by the co-ordinator are given less helpful St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 30 guidance. However, she has no clear overview of standards throughout the school. Thorough systems of assessment are in place and have been used to some extent to identify areas for development. However, they are not used to identify what it is that pupils need to do next to improve and so to set

p.31

MATHEMATICS

them clear, short-term measurable targets.

p.32

SCIENCE

78. Standards at the end of Year 2 are average and, considering that on entry to the school the pupils’ abilities are well below average, progress is good. Attainment at the end of Year 6 is below average as too few pupils are working at above average levels. Nearly three quarters of the pupils reach the national average level and therefore progress is satisfactory. Achievement overall is good. Improvement since the last inspection is good. Teaching in science throughout the school is good.

p.32

SCIENCE

Strengths in the subject are: • most of the work is based on scientific investigations; • pupils are taught to write up their findings in a clear, scientific way; • all aspects of the National Curriculum for science are taught progressively; and • the pupils in Year 6 are able to talk confidently about a wide range of scientific topics and can interpret scientific data from graphs.

p.32

SCIENCE

Areas for development are: • assessment in science is not rigorous enough and is not yet used effectively to remedy weaknesses; • the older pupils’ already acquired ICT skills are not used frequently enough when presenting their findings of investigations; and • there are no sensors such as temperature probes, in school to support the subject.

p.32

SCIENCE

79. An important factor in ensuring that the pupils reach average standards is that from an early age the pupils are taught investigative skills. For example in Year 1, the pupils were investigating mini-beasts and went on an educational visit to a country park where the pupils experienced pond dipping and investigated habitats. Back at school the pupils as a group made a pictogram of the creatures that they found. Some of the pupils also used their ICT skills to produce individual bar graphs of their findings. In Year 2 the pupils were investigating how seeds grew best. Along with the teacher they asked questions and devised a test to find out. The pupils are familiar with the concept of a fair test and planted the seeds in the same size pot with the same amount of compost. They decided to vary the amount of water put into the pots every other day to see which seeds grew best. Pupils are taught how to record their findings in a scientific way and in an earlier experiment with sunflower seeds the

p.32

SCIENCE

pupils measured how much each plant grew every three days and recorded their results on a graph.

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SCIENCE

80. In Year 6 practically all the lessons are based on scientific investigations and the pupils present their findings in a scientific way. For example the pupils were studying the human body and investigating whether taller people have bigger feet. They found that they did and concluded that this was so that they could keep their balance better. They then investigated whether pupils with larger feet had larger hand spans. They found that this was the case although there was sometimes a gender difference. They recorded their findings on a graph and some pupils generated a bar graph using a computer program. The pupils are familiar with a fair test. For example in Year 5 the pupils were studying forces and in particular air friction. They designed a variety of parachutes and using the concept of a fair test discovered that the bigger the parachute the longer it took to float to the ground because there was

p.32

SCIENCE

more air friction. Through talking to the pupils in Year 6 it is clear that besides learning good investigative skills they also acquire a wide range of scientific knowledge and know how to apply it. For example they were able to suggest how to set up a fair test to find out which of three tennis balls was the best bouncer. They were also able to point out on a diagram of an experiment why it was not a fair test because some of the variables were different. When discussing the function of the heart they were able to interpret a line graph showing a person’s pulse rate before, during and after exercise. Pupils were able to explain scientifically the difference between a liquid, a solid and a gas.

p.32

SCIENCE

81. Throughout the school the quality of teaching and learning is good. The teachers set out to teach the pupils how to think and investigate in a scientific way and they are successful in their aim. This is an St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 31 improvement since the last inspection when it was stated that pupils did not develop investigative skills. There is good use of questioning to encourage the pupils to think scientifically. Lessons are interesting because the teachers have a good knowledge of the subject and use this to motivate the pupils and this leads to good learning. Behaviour overall is good, the pupils concentrate well on their work and this makes a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning. Lessons are well planned and the appropriate equipment is readily available. As a result the work runs smoothly and the pupils are able to carry out investigations without unnecessary difficulties. Pupils consolidate their literacy skills

p.32

SCIENCE

when they write up their experiments. The pupils’ vocabulary is likewise improved because the teachers ensure that the pupils use the correct terms in science and they are familiar with such words as ‘saturated solution’, ‘particles’, ‘condensation’ and ‘evaporation’. In a similar way numeracy skills are practised in making calculations and creating graphs to present findings. However in Years 3 to 6, ICT skills are not used frequently enough in the classroom when writing up experiments. For example, graphs showing falling temperatures could be produced on a computer instead of being drawn by hand. There are no sensors, for example temperature probes, that could be used with a computer to support science. 82. Management of the subject is satisfactory and this is an improvement since the last inspection because there is now a policy and a comprehensive curriculum in place with a clear overall plan so

p.33

SCIENCE

that the teachers know what to teach and when. However assessment is not rigorous enough. For example, the national test results for Year 6 are not analysed question by question to discover where weaknesses lie so that planning can be used to remedy them. However, the co-ordinator has recently undertaken suitable training so that she will be able to do this. The lack of effective assessment means that it is impossible to set targets and provide appropriate work for the more able pupils so that they will be able to achieve the higher levels in science.

p.33

ART AND DESIGN

83. Throughout the school attainment is above average. All pupils make good progress. This progress is due to the good teaching. Improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory.

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ART AND DESIGN

Strengths in the subject are: • the strong vision for the subject and its use as a motivator and stimulus for learning; • the rich and broad curriculum; • the positive effect of the Creative Partnership; • the teachers’ good subject knowledge; and • the pupils’ very positive attitudes to the subject.

p.33

ART AND DESIGN

Areas for improvement are: • the lack of checking on and evaluation of standards, progress, teaching and learning; • the absence of an assessment and recording system and its effective use; • insufficient use of ICT; and • insufficient refinement in the pupils’ work through a lack of their control and occasionally care.

p.33

ART AND DESIGN

84. The quality of teaching and learning throughout the school is good. This was seen in lessons and through examining sketchbooks and the numerous high quality displays around the school. The teachers have good subject knowledge, prepare resources well and provide well-structured, relevant activities that fully engage the pupils in their learning. Pupils are encouraged to evaluate their own work by explaining what they like and what they found difficult. Less emphasis is placed upon seeking the pupils’ views on how they can improve. Visits to the galleries such as the Manchester Art Gallery are regular features within the curriculum. The Creative Partnership regularly supports in school. In a Year 2 lesson the staff worked with the teacher to provide the children with the images of ‘ daphnia ’ on a screen. The pupils were enthralled, exclaiming “ It’s like a water woodlice” and “ They have antennae – really big” . They relished the opportunities to develop their own mobiles, moving

p.33

ART AND DESIGN

images and creative invitations to a mini-beast party. Good questioning promoting pupils’ choices helped them to make wise choices about media and techniques.

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ART AND DESIGN

85. The pupils make good progress. They regularly use their sketchbooks to record investigations and to plan their work. The curriculum is well planned to ensure pupils have experience of drawing, painting, collage, three-dimensional sculpture and modelling, printing and textiles on a two-year cycle. They work using a variety of scales, on individual and group projects. However, insufficient use is made of St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 32 ICT. The Year 6 pupils talk enthusiastically of their enjoyment of the subject, enjoying the breadth of experiences. They talked about famous and local artists expressing preferences about their work. Their drawings show a lack of control and refinement and sometimes care. When working with clay and paint they use specialist vocabulary and are competent in using a range of tools and techniques.

p.33

ART AND DESIGN

86. The teacher with responsibility for the Creative Partnership and the headteacher provide good leadership, sharing a vision that art and design is at the heart of the learning culture and is a motivator and stimulus for learning. There is no art co-ordinator to develop assessment procedures or to check on standards and evaluate the subject.

p.34

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

87. Standards in DT are average at the end of Year 2 and below average at the end of Year 6. As only one lesson was seen, it is not possible to make a valid judgement about the quality of teaching. However, scrutiny of the pupils’ work and discussion with pupils would suggest that teaching is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and unsatisfactory in Years 3 to 6. The pupils make unsatisfactory progress overall. Improvement since the last inspection is unsatisfactory.

p.34

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

A strength in the subject is: • the pupils’ enthusiasm.

p.34

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Areas for development are: • standards at the end of Year 6; • the use of assessment to plan for pupils’ future progress; and • monitoring of standards.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

88. The pupils are enthusiastic and enjoy their lessons in DT. By the end of Year 2, pupils evaluate how familiar products have been made and use this knowledge to design their own products. They draw up plans by describing the tools and materials they will use and what the finished model will look like. They evaluate their work. For example, one pupil wrote, ‘To improve my model I would like to make it out of metal and then the axles won’t fall apart’.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

89. At the end of Year 6, pupils have made unsatisfactory progress in the development of their skills. They do not have individual folders or books in which to complete their work. As a result, DT does not have a high profile and it is difficult to assess curriculum coverage and progression in learning.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

90. From the scrutiny of the pupils’ work, teaching is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2, although pupils have limited opportunities to explore DT through structured and imaginative play. Many teachers are insecure in their subject knowledge and give insufficient emphasis to the design element of the subject. The scheme of work is followed inconsistently so that pupils do not make sufficient progress in the acquisition of skills. There is limited scope for pupils to demonstrate their own ideas and to be inventive. For example, pupils often complete the same task using the same materials and processes, which allows little room for individual expression and creativity. Work is regularly recorded on a worksheet provided by the teacher which presents little challenge for more able pupils. Little evidence was seen of pupils using a variety of tools or exploring the properties of different materials. ICT is not used sufficiently to support the design element of the process and in helping to ensure a

p.34

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

91. There are no new developments taking place due to the long-term absence of the co-ordinator. Checking has not taken place to check that agreed policies and the scheme of work are being followed consistently. There are no agreed procedures for assessing and recording how well pupils are learning. Resources are satisfactory overall.

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GEOGRAPHY

92. In Years 1 and 2 attainment is average and pupils make satisfactory progress. Those in Years 3 to 6 make unsatisfactory progress and their attainment is below average because of insufficient provision and teaching in Years 3, 4 and 6. Insufficient teaching was seen during the inspection to be able to make a valid judgement about its quality. Improvement since the last inspection is unsatisfactory. St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 33 Strengths in the subject are: • good curriculum coverage in Years 1 and 2; • clear focus on the skills of enquiry, mapping and a growing knowledge of different places in Years 1 and 2; and • good links with other subjects in Years 1 and 2.

p.34

GEOGRAPHY

Areas for development are: • raising standards and progress for the pupils in Years 3 to 6; • the co-ordination of the subject; and • increasing the provision in Years 3 and 4.

p.35

GEOGRAPHY

93. An examination of the pupils’ work from Years 1 and 2 shows their achievement to be satisfactory. The pupils increase their knowledge of places starting with their locality. In Year 1 they can draw a plan of their way to school. In Year 2 they have identified questions leading to them comparing features of everyday life in Kenya with that in Newall Green. Most pupils complete the same tasks and this denies the more able pupils the opportunity of reaching higher standards. Good use is made of resources, such as maps and photographs, to strengthen learning. For example, in a Year 1 class the pupils use a display of items such as a passport, sun hat and sun screen to pack a suitcase for Barnaby Bear to take on holiday. Good links are made with writing, numeracy, history and DT, but insufficient use is made of ICT and geographical vocabulary is not sufficiently emphasised. Display is used well to work create interest and promote the subject.

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GEOGRAPHY

94. The pupils in Years 3 to 6 have inconsistent provision and teaching resulting in unsatisfactory progress. Examination of the curriculum showed that only two topics are taught in Years 3 and 4. Year 6 work is limited to current world-wide issues, which showed good links with literacy and research using the Internet. An examination of the pupils’ work in Years 3 to 6 shows that planned topics have not been taught in sufficient depth, except in a Year 5 class where a differing locality, water and differing climatic regions have been studied fully. There is a heavy reliance on worksheets, which do not meet the differing needs of pupils in Years 3 to 6. In discussion, Year 6 pupils expressed negative views about the subject. One girl was unsure of the difference between history and geography. The pupils talked about issues relating to the burning of rain forests and the effects of tourism on turtles at a superficial level. They could not recall topics studied and were very unsure

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GEOGRAPHY

about the location of major countries and cities, exhibiting attainment below expectations.

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GEOGRAPHY

95. There is no co-ordinator for the subject at present. As a consequence there is no checking on provision, standards or progress.

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HISTORY

96. At the end of Year 2 and Year 6, standards in history are average and the pupils make satisfactory progress. As no lessons were seen in history, it is not possible to make a valid judgement about the quality of teaching. However, scrutiny of the pupils’ work and discussion with pupils would suggest that teaching is satisfactory. Improvement since the school was last inspected is satisfactory.

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HISTORY

A strength in the subject is: • the pupils’ enthusiasm.

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HISTORY

Areas for development are: • the use of assessment to find what the pupils need to do next to improve their learning; • the development of the pupils’ enquiry skills through the use of artefacts; and • checking on standards.

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HISTORY

97. By the end of Year 2, the pupils have a satisfactory understanding of the differences between features such as holidays, toys and homes, in their own lives and lives in the past. They recount the lives of famous people such as Guy Fawkes and Samuel Pepys and look at their portraits to learn about their clothes and to suggest whether they were rich or poor. By the end of Year 6, the pupils have satisfactory knowledge of local history, of different periods of British history and how people lived in very ancient cultures. They learn about the past from a variety of sources including books, St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 34 photographs, the Internet and visits to places of interest. However, the pupils have limited opportunities to observe and handle objects of historical interest to find out about the past.

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HISTORY

98. Satisfactory links are made to other subjects. For example, Year 2 pupils write newspaper reports about the Fire of London and suggest reasons for some of the events, for example, ‘The fire went out because the wind died down. The king tried to stop the fire by ordering houses to be blown up.’ In ICT, Year 6 pupils use computers to make information booklets about life in Victorian times and, in geography, Year 5 pupils locate place names on maps when learning about ancient Greece.

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HISTORY

99. Scrutiny of the pupils’ work shows that overall, teaching is satisfactory. However, in many instances, the pupils acquire new knowledge and understanding under the direction of the teacher rather than using evidence sources to find out and interpret information themselves. The same worksheets are frequently prepared for all pupils to record their work. This restricts the opportunities they have to make decisions about layout and presentation of their work and results in more able pupils not being sufficiently challenged. There are few timelines on display in classrooms and, as a result, the pupils’ have limited understanding of the chronology of events.

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HISTORY

100. The pupils have good attitudes towards history. They are enthusiastic and when asked to do so, enjoy finding out information at home about their history topics. They enjoy their visits to Manchester and the local area to learn about life in Victorian times and to Bramhall Hall to learn about the Tudors.

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HISTORY

101. There are no new developments taking place in history due to the long-term absence of the co- ordinator. However, the school has in place an appropriate scheme of work which the teachers follow in their planning. Checking has not yet taken place to see whether agreed policies are being followed consistently. There are no procedures for assessing and recording how well the pupils are learning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

102. Standards at the end of Year 2 are average and, taking into account the pupils’ well below average attainment on entry to the school, progress is good. Attainment at the end of Year 6 is below average but progress is satisfactory. Achievement overall is good and improvement since the last inspection is good. Teaching is good throughout the school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Strengths in the subject are: • in Years 1 and 2, the pupils are able to use the mouse and the keyboard to operate programs; • in Years 1 and 2, the pupils learn the skills of word processing, data handling, control and use art packages; and • in Years 3 to 6, the pupils are becoming computer literate and are able to use word processing, data handling, art packages and can log onto the Internet to find information.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Areas for development are: • in Years 3 to 6, the pupils do not have enough experience of using a computer to control objects, to monitor conditions or to use simulation programs to solve problems; • in Years 3 to 6, the pupils do not use their ICT skills frequently enough to support other subjects of the curriculum; and • the pupils are not able to use e-mail at school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

103. The computer suite is used well to teach the pupils ICT skills. In Year 2, the pupils use a word processor and in one lesson they used ICT to write a story about Mr Lazy and used a spell check. They also write sentences about pictures. Pupils are familiar with data handling and in science when they were investigating healthy living they used a computer to generate a bar chart to show favourite foods. Pupils use art packages and when exploring the work of Kandinsky in art they not only created pictures in his style using paint but also produced some on the computer. The pupils are introduced to the control element of ICT and in geography used a programmable toy to consolidate their learning of direction by writing procedures for it to move forwards, backwards and to the right and left. ICT is also used to support other subjects, for example a spelling program is used in the classroom. In Year

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

1, the pupils select appropriate words for the right pictures. They are introduced to data handling and generated a bar chart which recorded how each pupil travelled to school. St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 35 104. In Year 6, the pupils are becoming computer literate. In the suite they use the computers confidently. They can quickly log on and select the program that they intend to use. The pupils use a word processor well. In the topic club, for example, they created attractive booklets about animals and inserted pictures to illustrate them. They use data handling satisfactorily. For example, in one science lesson when investigating the relationship between length of the foot and the hand span the pupils recorded their findings on a bar chart and some pupils used a computer to do this. The pupils are able to use the Internet and in one lesson competently logged onto the correct site to find out

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

information about certain scientists. One reason why Year 6 have developed competent ICT skills is that from an early age the pupils have experience of ICT. For example in Year 3 the pupils can use word processing and one pupil wrote a letter to JK Rowling. In one lesson the pupils used a music program and composed simple tunes and sequences of notes using a variety of instrumental sounds. However the pupils in Years 3 to 6 do not have enough experience of some aspects of ICT and this is why standards are below average. For example, the pupils do not have enough experience of controlling objects or events by using ICT. They do not often use sensors, like temperature probes, that could be used in science. The pupils do not use simulation programs that involve problem solving frequently enough. Although the pupils have developed good ICT skills in the suite these are not used frequently enough in the classroom to support other subjects of the curriculum. Even though

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

standards are below average progress is satisfactory and this is an improvement since the last inspection.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

105. The quality of teaching and learning is good. At the last inspection it was stated that in Years 3 to 6 the teachers lacked confidence and expertise in the subject but this is no longer the case. That report also recorded that there was no direct teaching of skills by the teachers. Skills are now taught well in the suite and effective learning takes place. Good use is made of support staff to help less able pupils. For example, one SEN pupil was using a concept keyboard with the help of support staff in the suite. SEN pupils are catered for well. Often they share a computer with a more able pupil and collaboration is usually good and they make similar progress to the other pupils. Both the National Grid for Learning and the New Opportunities Fund have contributed to the rising standards in the school by giving teachers greater confidence in teaching skills.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

106. Management of the subject is satisfactory. There is a comprehensive scheme of work and an overall plan so that all the teachers know which aspects to teach. Assessment is linked to the scheme of work. The co-ordinator examines planning and also checks teaching and learning. The computer club makes a useful contribution to the standards in the school. Good safety advice is given to the pupils regularly to warn them about using the Internet safely by not giving out personal details and not opening unknown e-mails and web sites.

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MUSIC

107. There was insufficient evidence during the inspection to make valid judgements on standards being attained or on the quality of teaching. Two lessons were observed, along with other musical opportunities and standards and teaching in these were all at least satisfactory.

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MUSIC

Strengths in the subject are: • opportunities offered beyond the curriculum; and • curriculum coverage.

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MUSIC

An area for development is: • to put in place a system of assessment.

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MUSIC

108. Very little music was on class timetables during the inspection. In the two lessons seen, the pupils were attaining satisfactory standards in using tuned and untuned percussion to accompany rhythms and pulses. Singing was tuneful and well pitched. This was particularly noticeable in Year 3 where each pupil sang a solo in a responsive song to end the lesson. In Year 5, the pupils were using a variety of untuned instruments in putting together five different rhythms heard in a Samba. This was successful and thoroughly enjoyed by the pupils. The pupils in Year 3 were also observed, during an ICT lesson, using a music program to compose simple melodies. They were at an early stage of using the program, but one boy still managed successfully to get the computer to reproduce the tune ‘ Every night I climb the stairs ’. St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 36 109. There are a number of other opportunities outside the curriculum. Although the school does not have

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MUSIC

a choir or orchestra, a group of violinists and recorder players were rehearsing for the end of term concert. They were playing very competently under the direction of a specialist teacher who comes into school regularly. A good number of pupils learn the violin, guitar and recorder in school. There are a number of opportunities for groups to be involved in bigger scale musical events. For example, earlier in the term a number of instrumentalists had performed in ‘Showcase’, a musical event for schools and young people hosted at the Royal Northern College of Music. On the last day of the inspection, the Year 6 pupils went to ‘Singfest’, a folk song event held at the Bridgewater Halls. There they joined with well over a thousand other primary school pupils from around Manchester to join in the choruses – a thoroughly enjoyable and worthwhile event.

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MUSIC

110. Despite the lack of a co-ordinator at present, there is a good scheme of work with all aspects of the curriculum being covered. Music from a variety of cultures is used in the curriculum, for example, Year 3 are using part of Mussorgsky’s ‘ Pictures at an exhibition’ , both in their dance lessons and in their music. Year 6 pupils could recall having studied music from China, Africa and the Himalayas. There is currently no system of assessment.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

111. Standards at the end of Year 2 are above average and progress is good. Attainment at the end of Year 6 is also above average and progress is good. Achievement overall is good. Improvement since the last inspection is good because the good standards reported then have been maintained. Teaching of PE throughout the school is good.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Strengths in the subject are: • the standards achieved are above average throughout the school; and • the quality of teaching and learning is good and the pupils make good progress.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Areas for development are: • there is no co-ordinator to manage the subject at present; and • there is no formal assessment in the subject.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

112. In one Year 2 class the pupils were being taught football skills. The pupils were able to travel with a ball keeping it close to their bodies and controlling it well as they moved around cones and other pupils. They were able to pass a ball accurately as they moved around and could receive a ball and control it with their feet. These skills are above average for pupils of this age. Through listening to the teacher and the pupils it is clear that the pupils enjoy dance and after a visit to the Blue Planet Aquarium they interpreted music that reflected the atmosphere of fish swimming in still water. In gymnastics the pupils concentrate on the quality of their movements as they build up simple sequences.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

113. In Year 6, the pupils were involved in dancing inspired by Tai Chi. The pupils concentrated well on the unfamiliar music and interpreted it well after the teacher had demonstrated several basic movements. Boys and girls working together in groups and pairs were uninhibited as they concentrated to form attractive dance sequences. In a Years 5 and 6 gymnastics lesson, the pupils were making sequences of movement both on the floor and on the apparatus. The pupils were agile, moved smoothly and as a result they produced fluent sequences of movement. Pupils were eager to demonstrate their sequences and the rest of the class sensibly gave their views about the demonstrations. As a result of these evaluations the pupils tried hard to improve their movements. The pupils with SEN are catered for well and they make the same good progress as the other pupils. The pupils go to the local swimming baths in Year 3 and those who need further tuition also go in

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Year 4. As a result practically all the pupils swim 25 metres confidently by the time they leave the school. Each year two soccer coaching courses are held in school by outside providers. These have improved the pupils’ football skills and last year the soccer team came second in the local league. St Peter’s Catholic Primary School - 37 114. The quality of teaching and learning is good throughout the school. The teachers have good knowledge of the subject and use this to provide interesting and enjoyable lessons. As a result the pupils concentrate hard to produce good quality, agile movements. The teachers have high expectations, especially in dance, and set appropriate challenges for the pupils. Organisation of lessons is good, for example effective, safe routines are established for putting out apparatus. The warm relationships between pupils and staff, together with the smooth organisation, result in an

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

effective learning atmosphere where the pupils are interested and enjoy the activities. Consequently the pupils behave well, concentrate and give of their best.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

115. Overall management of the subject is satisfactory. At the moment there is no co-ordinator for the subject and there is no assessment or checking on standards and the quality of teaching and learning. However there is a comprehensive scheme of work and an overall plan so that the teachers know what to teach and when. There is a suitable school hall, a good-sized playground and a sports field which are all very suitable for PE. Resources and equipment are well cared for and easily accessible.

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