St Peter's Roman Catholic Primary School, Rochdale

SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 19 th – 22 nd May 2003

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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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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 Roman Catholic Primary - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Kirkway Middleton Manchester

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: October 1997 St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 2

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

23868 Dr B Blundell Registered inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Science What sort of a school is it? How high are standards? How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? Educational inclusion 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? 10144 Mrs M Marriott Team inspector Provision for children in the Foundation Stage Art and design Design and technology Music Special educational needs English as an additional language 30590 Mr P Tuttle Team inspector English History Geography Physical education How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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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 Roman Catholic Primary - 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 - 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Peter’s Catholic Community Primary School is a voluntary aided school for boys and girls, aged four to 11, situated in Middleton, Manchester. There are 213 pupils on roll; the school is about the same size as most other primary schools. The ethnic background of the pupils is almost all white with United Kingdom heritage, with a small number of pupils being white with other heritages and mixed with mixed backgrounds. Two pupils have English as an additional language; the languages spoken by these pupils are Greek and Italian; only one of these pupils is in the early stages of the acquisition of English. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below the national average. Both the percentage of pupils identified as having special educational needs and the proportion with statements of special needs are below average. The nature of pupils’ special needs includes both specific and moderate learning difficulties,

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

together with cognitive and learning difficulties. Pupil turnover is relatively low. Pupils’ attainment on entry is below average overall.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The overall effectiveness of the school is very good. Standards for pupils currently aged 11 are well above national expectations in English and mathematics and they are now above national expectations in science. The overall quality of teaching is very good and leadership and management are excellent. The school is providing very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils achieve very well, especially in English and mathematics. • Relationships are excellent; pupils behave very well indeed and have very positive attitudes; this greatly contributes to their high degree of learning. • The overall quality of teaching is very good; pupils learn very well indeed. • The overall provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. • The leadership and management of the school are both exemplary. • Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is very good.

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What could be improved

• Library provision is not supporting pupils’ further learning as well as it could. 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 October 1997. The standards now attained by pupils aged 11 have improved in English, mathematics, design and technology, information and communication technology, art and design and history. The overall quality of teaching has greatly improved. The key issue to raise standards in information and communication technology has been addressed very well. The issue to improve design and technology has been satisfactorily addressed. Teaching is now well planned to take into account the full range of pupils’ prior attainments. The school development plan is a useful working document with clear and appropriate priorities. The roles and responsibilities of staff have been clearly defined. The role of the governing body has been extended appropriately. The school’s capacity to succeed is very good. The school has made very good improvement since the last inspection. St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 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.

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Key

English A C A B well above average above average A B Mathematics A D B B average below average C D Science C D D D well below average E

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Key

In the national tests in 2002 for 11 year olds , pupils’ attainment was well above the national average in English. Pupils’ performance in mathematics was above the national average, but in science it was below average. Compared with those of schools of a similar type, pupils’ results were above average in English and in mathematics but again, in science, they were below average. Over the three years from 2000 to 2002 taken together, pupils have left St Peter’s nearly six months ahead of pupils nationally in English, nearly a term ahead in mathematics and just behind in science.

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Key

Standards at the end of the infant phase in 2002 were well above the national averages in reading and writing and above average in mathematics. In the teacher assessments in science they were above average. Compared to that of schools of a similar type, pupils’ attainment was above average in reading and writing and average in mathematics. Over the three years from 2000 to 2002 taken together, pupils have left the infant phase six months ahead of pupils nationally in reading, two terms ahead in writing and nearly one term ahead in mathematics.

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Key

The results at the end of the junior phase up to 2002 rose at a similar rate to results nationally. The school’s targets are appropriately ambitious. Pupils’ achievement is good overall. Standards at this school are now sufficiently high.

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Key

In the work seen during the inspection , standards for pupils aged 11 are well above national expectations in English and in mathematics and exceed national expectations in science. Standards for pupils aged seven are above national expectations in reading, writing and mathematics and match expectations in science. For pupils aged seven and 11, in design and technology, information and communication technology, geography, music and physical education, standards meet national expectations. In history, for pupils aged seven, they meet national expectations but for pupils aged 11, they are above expectations. In art and design, for pupils aged seven and 11, standards exceed national expectations. Nearly all children aged five are on course to meet the Early Learning Goals and, in their personal and social education, to exceed them. (The Early Learning Goals are the nationally expected standards for children at the end of the Foundation Stage.)

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils’ attitudes to the school are very good. They are extremely enthusiastic about their work and enjoy involving themselves in the school’s activities. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Pupils’ behaviour, both in and out of the classrooms, is very good indeed. There is an absence of oppressive behaviour and bullying. Personal development and relationships Pupils’ personal development is very good; relationships are excellent, both between pupils and with adults. Older pupils look after younger ones and St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 6 help to hear them read. Attendance Pupils’ attendance is in line with the national average; unauthorised absence is below average.

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

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

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

The overall quality of teaching throughout the school is very good. The quality of teaching in both English and mathematics is very good; the skills of literacy and numeracy are very well taught. Spellings and multiplication tables are well taught and regularly tested.

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

Particular strengths in teaching include teachers’ high expectations, the pace of lessons, teaching of basic skills and class management. The aims of lessons are fully shared with pupils and this helps learning. Learning support assistants work well with teachers. The school meets the needs of all its pupils very well.

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

Particular strengths in pupils’ learning include their enthusiasm, interest and concentration.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The quality and range of the curriculum are very good. The curriculum is enhanced with a good range of extra-curricular activities. In sporting activities, boys and girls play well together. There is good equality of opportunity for all. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. Pupils’ individual educational plans have appropriately focused targets. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Provision for the pupils in the early stages of the acquisition of English is sound.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development Provision for pupils’ personal development is very good. Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral and cultural development is very good and for their social development, it is excellent.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school cares for its pupils very well. Child protection procedures are very effective. The school looks after its pupils as though the pupils are part of a large family.

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Aspect Comment

The school works well in partnership with parents; there is a very active parents’ association. All areas of the curriculum meet statutory requirements.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Leadership and management are both excellent. The headteacher, deputy headteacher and senior management team are deeply committed to their pupils.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors’ fulfilment of their responsibilities is very good. They involve themselves actively in the running of the school. The school’s evaluation of The school’s evaluation of its performance is very good. It rigorously St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 7 its performance evaluates the school’s performance in national external tests and ensures that teachers target specific areas for improvement. The strategic use of resources The school’s strategic use of resources is very good. The school ensures that these are used to help maximise pupils’ learning.

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Aspect Comment

The overall level of staffing is satisfactory, learning resources are good in quality and quantity and are used well to support pupils’ learning. The school secretary greatly contributes to the smooth running of the school. The school is kept in good order by a dedicated caretaker and cleaner. The display of pupils’ work around the school is of extremely good quality. The school applies the principles of best value very well; it spends its money wisely.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The school sets high expectations. • Their children like school. • Teaching is good. • The school helps children to become mature. • Their children make good progress. • Some parents would like the school to work more closely with them. • Some parents would like to see a greater range of extra-curricular activities.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with parents’ positive views; it finds that the school does work closely with parents and that the overall range of extra-curricular activities is good. St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 8

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Children enter the Foundation Stage in Reception at age four and are subsequently assessed to see what they know, understand and can do; social and physical skills are also noted. This is known as the baseline test. The intake in 2002 was judged to be below average. An analysis of previous intakes shows that the intake in 2002 scored similarly to that in previous years.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. By the age of five, near to the end of their time in Reception, children are again assessed against national standards known as the Early Learning Goals. Nearly all the children currently in Reception are on course to meet or exceed these goals.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. At the age of seven, close to the end of their time in Year 2, pupils take the end of infant phase national tests in reading, writing and mathematics and their science work is assessed by the teachers. The pupils who sat these tests in 2002 obtained levels that were well above national averages in reading and writing and above average in mathematics. Their attainment when compared to that of schools of a similar type was above average in reading and writing and average in mathematics. Taking the results over the last three years from 2000 to 2002, averaged together, pupils’ performance has been six months ahead of pupils nationally in reading, two terms ahead in writing and nearly one term ahead in mathematics. In writing and mathematics, boys have performed better than girls, with girls marginally ahead in reading. Teacher assessments in science have found pupils’ attainment to be broadly average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Inspectors find that pupils currently in Year 2, who have just taken their national tests in May, 2003, are reaching above average standards in reading, writing and mathematics and average standards in science. Standards in information and communication technology, geography, history, design and technology, music and physical education meet national expectations. Standards in art and design are above national expectations.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. By the age of 11, near to the end of Year 6, pupils take the end of junior phase national tests in English, science and mathematics. Pupils’ performance in the 2002 tests in terms of National Curriculum points scores was well above average in English, compared with schools nationally and above the national average in mathematics . In science, results were below average. Pupils’ performance was above average in English and in mathematics and below average in science, when compared with the performance of pupils in schools of a similar type. Taking the three years from 2000 to 2002 together, pupils have left the junior phase nearly six months ahead of pupils nationally in English, nearly one term ahead in mathematics and just behind in science. There was very little difference in the performance of boys and girls.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Inspectors find that pupils currently in Year 6 are working at well above national standards in English and in mathematics and above average standards in science. The quality and quantity of work in their books show that they have made very good progress over the last 12 months in all three subjects. Standards in information and communication technology, physical education, music, design and technology and geography meet national expectations. Standards in art and design and history are above national expectations.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Science standards, which have hitherto been below those in English and mathematics by the age of 11, have risen this year. Pupils in the current Year 6 are reaching much higher standards in science than previous cohorts. The school has focused attention on this area with additional teachers being brought in to help make a difference. To ensure that standards in science continue to reflect this improvement, the school intends to appoint its own science specialist from September 2003, to teach science throughout the junior phase.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Since the last inspection, standards have risen at the end of the junior phase in English, mathematics, design and technology, art and design, history and in information and communication technology (ICT). In other areas, standards have been maintained. St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 9 9. All groups of children, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, achieve well. This is because of the good provision that is made for them. The school has only two pupils at present with English as an additional language, one of whom is fluent in English and one who has just joined the school and is in the early stages of English acquisition and who is given many opportunities to develop speaking skills. Pupils with special educational needs also achieve well because of the clear identification of their learning needs, the specific support given to help them meet their targets and the close monitoring of their progress.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. Pupils are generally achieving very well throughout the school, considering their prior attainments. Standards in literacy, numeracy and ICT across the curriculum are high and greatly contribute to pupils’ achievements.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils' attitudes to school are very good. This is an improvement on the report made at the last inspection. The school is an orderly place where pupils are eager to learn. They show great interest in the wide range of activities the school provides. This contributes to their high degree of learning. Pupils are purposeful about their work and maintain concentration very well to the end of the day. This is a direct result of good teaching and interesting lessons. Parents wholeheartedly agree that teaching is good. They feel their children enjoy school and believe they make good progress. Pupils are willing to talk about what they are doing. They happily explain how they arrive at their answers and will correct mistakes cheerfully. They collaborate well in groups when encouraged to do so and soon become absorbed in their work. Pupils are very good listeners, allowing space for one another's comments. They enjoy the short dialogues in lessons and are eager to make contributions, as in a

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

reception class, where pupils had listened very well and spoke confidently about the patterns and shading of animal camouflage. They were proud to display their resultant painted reproductions of lions, snakes and butterflies, some quite skilful for their age and understanding.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Behaviour is very good. The pupils enjoy their time in school and consequently there is no unruliness in lessons or during breaks. This was expressly commented on by Year 6 pupils and has the strong approval of parents. Pupils have a clear idea of what is expected of them in lessons and support the school rules. Lunch is a happy event. There is a broad mix of large and small groups cheerfully engaged in the wide range of activities provided, all of whom return quickly to their studies after breaks. Consequently, there is a calm and purposeful atmosphere the whole day. Where there are rare instances of aggression, or a suggestion of bullying, all know how very seriously they are viewed and willingly co-operate to put things right.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. The pupils' personal development is very good overall and continues to improve since the last inspection. It is part of the character of this school that the pupils have produced their own Mission Statement, reflecting their view of school and home life. Consequently, the pupils are very aware of the needs of others in school and show maturity in their relationships. They are used to worship and respond extremely well to those leading them in lessons, prayers and assemblies. Pupils are keen to take part, as was evident in a Year 6 led assembly during the inspection, when some beautiful moments of awe and wonder were shared by performers and observers alike. They listen intently, sing joyfully and enter into the moments of reflection thoughtfully. The pupils contribute sensitively to the discussions in religious education and the personal and social education programmes. They have a good appreciation of art and music. The pupils have a clear sense of values; they know what is right

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. All pupils enjoy opportunities for initiative and responsibility. They are tidy, respectful of property and know where things belong. Pupils are very orderly when moving around the school. They share readily in the daily routines. High standards of orderliness are exhibited naturally; for example, after an impromptu meeting with an inspector, they tidied away chairs as a matter of routine. Older pupils enjoy looking after younger ones, as when sharing in paired reading. Pupils enjoy celebrating one another’s successes in good work, endeavour or good behaviour, as exemplified at the end of lessons or at the assemblies. They contribute to the house points system with purposeful intent and friendly competition. All pupils learn to assess the quality of their achievements towards the end of lessons. Older pupils own their own targets and are developing very good attitudes to independent learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 10 15. Relationships are excellent. The pupils are full of life, smile readily and are eager to speak first on meeting. They talk freely to adults about what they have been doing and share any small concerns. They are courteous both to adults and to one another; even the youngest hold doors open for anyone following and subconsciously allow for one another in their busy classrooms. Older pupils automatically look after younger ones and act as one-to-one escorts with reception pupils when returning from church Mass. Consequently, there is a whole-school atmosphere of consideration and goodwill that reflects the ethos of the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Pupils with special educational needs respond well to additional support from teachers and learning support assistants. They are well motivated and enjoy very good relationships with each other and with adults. Attitudes to work are very good. Pupils with English as an additional language respond well to their teachers and have very good attitudes to their learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Attendance at 94.9 per cent is broadly in line with the national average. The school constantly promotes regular attendance and punctuality as good habits to be fostered for the future. Parents co- operate very well with the school, so punctuality is good and the great majority of pupils arrive early. They are keen to enter school and begin lessons. Registration is prompt and effective.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. The overall quality of teaching is very good; this school has a very competent and quite exceptionally dedicated team of unassuming teachers. Overall, teaching in the lessons seen was very good in all three stages of the school, foundation, infant and junior. In all lessons observed, teaching was at least satisfactory. Overall, it was satisfactory in six per cent of lessons, good in 23 per cent, very good in 50 per cent and excellent in 21 per cent. Excellent lessons were seen in the Reception class and Years 1, 4, 5 and 6.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Whilst overall standards of teaching were at least satisfactory, many examples of very good lessons were seen in each of the three sections of the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The biggest strengths in teaching include the helpful manner in which teachers often share the learning objectives for lessons with their pupils, the way in which they manage their pupils, which is very good throughout the school and their very high expectations.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Basic skills are very well taught throughout the school; there is a keen and appropriate emphasis on ensuring that pupils can spell and know their multiplication tables.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Teachers plan well together in the two classes covered by job-shares. Throughout the school, teachers work particularly hard and know their pupils well. Pupils are aware of what is expected from them in terms of behaviour and respond in the manner expected. In an excellent numeracy lesson for pupils in Year 6, in which the teacher showed excellent class management, the pupils’ response was first class and they showed clear enjoyment of the subject; these pupils made excellent progress in their knowledge and understanding of how to draw angles using a protractor to one degree accuracy. In a very good design and technology lesson for pupils in Year 5, the children responded very well to the contributions of a visiting speaker on the subject of ‘bread making’ due to the excellent class management. Classroom support assistants through the school make a very valuable contribution to pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. The pace of lessons is very good through the school overall. In the best lessons, pupils are reminded of the time limits on exercises, as in an excellent Year 5 numeracy lesson.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Throughout the school, literacy and numeracy are very well taught indeed. Lessons generally start with effective question and answer sessions, to revise previous work and set pupils thinking. For example, in an excellent numeracy lesson for pupils in the Reception class, the teacher asked probing questions that thoroughly assessed pupils’ level of understanding on counting numbers to 20.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding are very good in all subject areas. The school has employed a technician to teach ICT throughout the school, supported by teachers’ planning. His great expertise St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 11 in information and communication technology is making a most positive impact on pupils’ learning in this subject throughout the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. Day-to-day marking of pupils’ work is very good overall. Pupils’ work is well marked, with appropriate comments to praise pupils’ efforts, together with comments to stretch pupils who have obtained full marks for a particular exercise.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. Lessons have very clear learning objectives and these are generally looked at again at the end of lessons, to see how far they have been met. Many lessons end with a worthwhile oral question and answer session, for example, in nearly all literacy and numeracy lessons. The use of homework is very good overall and is very effectively devised to support pupils’ further learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28. Despite the fact that the Year 5 teacher was absent through ill-health during the inspection, an analysis of pupils’ work in that class shows that they have been very well taught.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

29. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs and those who have English as an additional language is good. Class teachers and the special needs co-ordinator draw up individual plans together. These are reviewed regularly. Support staff are assigned to those who have a statement of special educational need and pupils who have differing needs and who have been identified by the school. The effective support ensures that all groups of pupils achieve well.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

30. Standards of teaching have improved considerably since the last inspection. Literacy and numeracy are now taught very well across the curriculum. At that time, approximately one in six lessons was judged to be unsatisfactory; in this inspection, that proportion is zero. Additionally, only one lesson in 20 was judged to be very good or better; that has now risen to just over 14 lessons in 20. The range of teaching methods has been appropriately widened. Work is appropriately planned to meet the needs of pupils from the full range of prior attainments.

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PUPILS?

31. The quality and range of the curriculum prepared and offered for the pupils is very good. It is broad, well balanced and relevant and effectively promotes pupils' intellectual, physical and personal development. Statutory requirements are met in all National Curriculum subjects. The school provides equality of access to the curriculum for all its pupils, including those with special educational needs and those who are learning English as an additional language. All areas of health and social education, appropriate for the age range of the pupils, are successfully taught through a well-planned programme of personal, health, social and citizenship education; this is an improvement since the previous inspection.

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PUPILS?

32. The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is very good. It covers the six recommended areas of learning: personal, social, and emotional development, communication, language and literacy development, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development and creative development. The very good programme of work devised for these children guides them successfully into the National Curriculum.

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PUPILS?

33. There is good equality of access for pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language. This is the result of the very good use of appropriate teaching methods and materials and good monitoring and support of pupils’ academic and personal progress. All pupils have equal access to the curriculum and very good role models are provided within the school. Effective steps are taken to ensure that pupils new to the school quickly settle into their learning. The school has identified gifted and talented pupils and effectively provides for and nurtures them. The school’s ethos is one of harmony, inclusion, equal opportunities, racial harmony and mutual respect and support, together with its Christian values and beliefs. These principles pervade the way in which the curriculum is organised and managed.

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PUPILS?

34. The basic skills of literacy and numeracy are very well taught through the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. This is having a positive impact on the high standards attained in all areas of English and mathematics, in both the infant and the junior phases. Pupils use their acquired skills to St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 12 very good effect in other areas of the curriculum, a very good example being the quality of pupils’ writing in history. A greater amount of time and emphasis is now placed on the teaching and learning of literacy and numeracy in the infant phase. This reduces slightly the amount of time spent on some other subjects, but does not affect the standards attained and pupils are still provided with a broad curriculum.

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PUPILS?

35. The curriculum is enriched by the school's planned involvement in the local and wider community. Teachers invite visiting speakers to support the work they cover in lessons. Good examples during the inspection were a visit from a representative of a bread manufacturer, to support work in food technology and a visit by a local resident who spoke about her experiences in the Women's Land Army during the Second World War, in support of Year 6 pupils’ history topic. Pupils visit a local care home at Christmas to sing carols and, following the school's harvest collection, gifts are made to 'Life- Share' in Manchester. There are very close links with the local parish church and the Catholic community. The priest is a regular visitor, supporting the school and parish catechists organise and run a sacramental programme for the Year 3 pupils.

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PUPILS?

36. The curriculum is also enriched by the good provision of extra-curricular activities. An after-school club is held every evening and a computer club and a range of sports clubs are organised and run by the teachers for the junior pupils. These include netball, cross country running, football and badminton. The activities are generally well attended. Some parents believe that the range of extra- curricular activities could be wider. The inspection findings indicate that the overall range is good.

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PUPILS?

37. The school has good links with other educational institutions. For example, the headteacher from the local Catholic high school works closely with the school, resulting in teacher exchanges, pupil visits in preparation for the transfer to secondary education and discussions with parents. The school also offers placements for post-graduate trainee teachers.

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PUPILS?

38. There have been many developments and improvements in the curriculum provision for pupils at the school since the previous inspection. This has had a noticeable effect on the marked rise in standards attained by the pupils. There is, however, an area with scope for improvement. The library provision is not supporting pupils' further learning as well as it could and alternative arrangements should be considered.

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PUPILS?

39. The overall provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good and has significantly improved since the last report. Provision for spiritual development is very good. Morning class assemblies, times of prayer and reflection throughout the day and discussions during religious education lessons all make a very significant contribution to raising the pupils’ spiritual awareness. Parents wholeheartedly support the School’s Mission statement and have very high regard for the spiritual opportunities offered to their children, as can be seen from the good number of parents who join their children for the school Masses in the parish church. The school provides good knowledge and insight into different faiths and religions. This is demonstrated by the excellent class displays in the school hall, produced by the pupils of each class. The pupils are encouraged to think out their

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PUPILS?

own reactions and express their feelings confidently and freely on issues such as forgiveness or sharing and caring, which are central to all faiths. Awe and wonder are further developed through planned and spontaneous activities in such lessons as English and science and particularly through music and art and design. All these experiences enlighten the pupils and they quickly learn to pause, reflect and ask questions.

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PUPILS?

40. There is very good and effective provision for moral development. Teaching and support staff provide fine examples for pupils. They know the pupils well and have a natural relationship with them. Pupils’ self-esteem and confidence are enhanced by fair praise, criticism and encouragement. For example, a lapse of conduct by two pupils needed to be addressed. All pupils shared the concern and a simple act of reconciliation welded the whole class into renewed industry. Teachers encourage pupils to behave responsibly because they clearly want them to succeed. A Year 6 lesson on how to approach ‘change’ elicited mature comment by the pupils on their forthcoming move to a new school and secondary education. Moral development is introduced as part of the school’s ethos and codes of behaviour. This encourages pupils to think about the world in which they live and to care for others. Consequently, the pupils of all ages have a clear understanding of right and wrong.

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PUPILS?

St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 13 41. The provision for pupils’ social development is excellent. In addition to regular collaborative work in lessons, a good range of daily opportunities is created for pupils to take initiative and responsibility. Good work and effort are fairly appraised at the end of lessons and in assemblies, especially when significant personal achievements in learning are made. Morning class assemblies, four out of five days in the week, are extremely well used to promote responsible attitudes to work, behaviour, relationships and decision-making. However, more opportunities could be made for whole school gatherings to build further on the family atmosphere of the school. Personal and social education lessons focus sensitively on caring for each other, sharing and friendship. Fund raising activities run by the pupils and extra-curricular activities are used well to extend social skills.

p.15

PUPILS?

42. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is very good. Pupils are guided to understand other faiths and cultures through literacy, history, geography, art and design and music. Ample displays around the school, including much from the pupils, heighten their awareness and appreciation of other traditions. The pupils appreciate the experience of a good variety of visits to local places of culture - to theatres, a Jewish Museum, the York Yorvik Museum and the adventure week-end for Year 6 pupils.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. Measures to ensure the safety and welfare of pupils are very good and have continued to improve since the last inspection. Parents feel their children are welcome in a secure, warm and very clean environment. All adults in school are dedicated to supporting each pupil individually. They provide an inclusive, happy and purposeful atmosphere in which the pupils can grow into rounded individuals. All adults in school are aware of the strict criteria to be observed in child protection. The school has good access to educational, medical and social agencies when required. The care of those unwell is sensitively structured. The safety of pupils in school and on visits is well organised and secure.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are good. Attendance and punctuality are strongly promoted at every opportunity. Monitoring is thorough and any unexplained absences are chased up immediately. Parents are regularly made aware of the criteria for authorised and unauthorised absence. The school has the willing support of most parents. However, occasional days off and holidays during term time are still too common.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. Procedures for monitoring and promoting self-discipline are very good and have improved further on the good standards reported at the last inspection. Parents strongly support staff for the fair and effective way in which the wide range of strategies are delivered. This results in a calm atmosphere supporting purposeful activities throughout the school day. A very few pupils have personal and social problems. These situations are closely monitored and parents’ co-operation sought at an early stage. Procedures for eliminating oppressive behaviour are excellent and have improved significantly since the last inspection. Bullying is unexpected and the rare incidences of name-calling, invariably reactive, are followed by prompt reconciliation. Exclusions are not in the nature of this school.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The assessment and tracking of progress for pupils who have a statement of special educational needs is good. Pupils’ progress towards their targets in their individual education plans is regularly reviewed. The school is currently waiting for assessment procedures to be carried out for pupils who are at an early stage of language acquisition. These assessments are undertaken by the appropriate external agencies.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. The assessment of pupils’ work and its use to plan future work is good. Progress in this area has been made since the last inspection and tracking is now taking place throughout the school. Assessment is being used well to help plan future work. Even in the foundation subjects, regular assessment is taking place under the superb guidance of the deputy headteacher. The school uses the optional national tests in Years 3, 4 and 5 appropriately.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. Procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development are very good, with successful strategies refined since the last inspection report. Teachers, with the willing co-operation of support staff, work very hard to build up pupils’ self-esteem and have an excellent rapport with them. Consequently, they have the pupils’ confidence and co-operation. This greatly enhances the teaching and ensures secure progress in lessons. Pupils are very well supported as individuals, resulting in their high degrees of persistence, application and concentration. Parents are very pleased that these St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 14 high expectations help their children mature. The school has an open door policy. Parents know the headteacher and staff are always available at the end of the day to discuss any immediate parental concerns. Appointments may readily be made for more formal matters. Parents feel their views are

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. The parents view the school very highly. They have full confidence in all the school sets out to do for their children. This is a direct response by parents to the warmth of the support by the headteacher and staff, evident from encouraging comments at the parents’ meeting, the very positive returns of questionnaires and the comments of parents spoken to during the inspection.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. Information for parents is good overall. Parents feel they are well informed about progress. There are ample opportunities for parents to speak to staff through the year. Parents feel they are listened to and their comments valued. Discussion on current achievement, further progress and target setting is shared with parents at consultation evenings. In addition, there are special meetings for parents of pupils who are preparing for tests. All these evenings are very well attended and viewed by parents as a fruitful dialogue. Written reports conform to requirements, are detailed, individual to the pupils and have indications for the next stage of learning. The quality of information that the school is legally required to supply is good. The governors’ annual report is generally informative on the school’s activities, but could do more to enlighten parents and explain how decisions are made and how they

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

impact on the school. There are regular letters to parents on current matters, which are very well amplified by the regular newsletter.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. Links with parents are good. The school strongly encourages the co-operation of parents in their children’s learning. Parents respond well and their contribution to school life is good and has improved since the last inspection. The home-school agreement has had a good response and curricular- related sessions are well attended. Many parents are perceived to encourage and help their children at home. There is commendable use of home-school reading records and homework logs by many parents for all year groups. A small number of parents enjoy helping in class, as a result of which some have gone on to train as assistants. Many more assist willingly with extra-curricular activities, visits and residential trips. All this service is valued. Parents enjoy attending school whenever possible, whether for class-led assemblies, festivals, school events or the Masses at church.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. The Parent, Teacher and Friends Association is a valuable and very welcome support to the school. A good number of enthusiastic parents share in running children’s events, fund raising and assisting staff at such events as sports days. Significant funds raised are donated for a good range of additional school resources. These efforts are greatly appreciated.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are invited to attend regular reviews of their children’s progress and are fully involved in the annual review of statements of special educational need. The school welcomes all parents, including those with English as an additional language, as partners in the education of their children and provides good quality information for them.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The leadership and management by the headteacher, deputy headteacher and senior management team are excellent, in both the academic and pastoral spheres. The headteacher, who is leaving the school in Summer, 2003, is very hard working, committed and able, and he knows exactly how he wants the school to develop. His leadership is ensuring very clear educational direction for the school. The headteacher wants the very best for his pupils. The school’s aims and values are easily seen in the daily routines of the school, and the school’s aims are re-drafted annually, following discussions with staff, governors and parents. The school’s mission statement has had tremendous input from pupils.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The deputy headteacher, who is an exceedingly competent Year 6 teacher, has responsibility for assessment through the school. She works very well indeed with the headteacher. The senior management team, which now includes the co-ordinators for the foundation and infant phase and for St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 15 the junior phase, is extremely competent. The subject co-ordinators manage their subjects appropriately, monitoring planning and marking; they have all been provided with time to monitor and evaluate teaching in their subjects.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The governing body’s fulfilment of its statutory responsibilities is very good indeed and it takes its responsibilities seriously. The governors want the best for the school and are determined that it should continue to succeed. They play a significant part in shaping the educational direction of the school. They visit the school on occasion, and have monitored the implementation of some of the curriculum appropriately, particularly numeracy and literacy. The governing body has a very good understanding of the main strengths and weaknesses of the school. Between them, the governors bring a wide range of expertise to the running of this school.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The headteacher has monitored teaching of literacy and numeracy in all classes and has provided all staff with both verbal and detailed written feedback. The school’s targets are appropriate and sufficiently ambitious. The school has a very good capacity to succeed.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. Procedures for the induction of new staff are very good. The recently appointed teacher in Year 1 has been appropriately mentored by the deputy headteacher. Appropriate policies and plans are all in place for performance management.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The leadership and management of special educational needs are good. The co-ordinator organises provision well. She has established good links with external support staff, who visit the school on a regular basis to support pupils with differing needs.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The match of teachers and support staff to the demands of the curriculum is currently very good. The accommodation is satisfactory overall, and is well maintained. A new play area for the under fives, which is under construction, will greatly improve provision. However, some areas of the school are damp, with mould growing on the ceiling and walls. The school is doing its best to eliminate this. The library is currently located on a corridor and this is not helping pupils’ further learning as much as it could. Classrooms and corridors have extremely attractive displays celebrating pupils’ work. Resources are generally good in quality and quantity.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The effectiveness of the school’s use of new technology for administrative purposes is very good. The school’s competent administrative officer provides financial reports for the governing body and is a linch-pin in ensuring the smooth running of the school. Finances are handled very well, and the school applies the principles of best value very well. Specific grants are used appropriately.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. At the time of the last inspection, the headteacher was said to have a positive influence on the day-to- day life of the school; the deputy headteacher was said to be a successful manager. These two key people ensure that pupils at St Peter’s receive a high-quality education in a school with a strong Catholic ethos. They are the driving force behind the school’s success. The school development plan is now a useful working document with clear and appropriate priorities. The roles and responsibilities of staff have been clearly defined. The role of the governing body has been extended appropriately.

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to further improve the school, the headteacher, senior management team and governing body should:

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(i) Ensure that the school’s library provision helps to support pupils’ further learning.

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Paragraph 60) St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 16

p.17

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 14

p.18

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very poor

p.18

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 213

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 15

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 3

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 22

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 2

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.18

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 3

p.18

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 17 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 18

p.18

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 22 13 35

p.20

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.20

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

Boys 21 22 22 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 13 13

p.20

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

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

p.20

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.20

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

Boys 22 22 22 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 13 13

p.20

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (97) 100 (94) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

p.20

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

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

p.20

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 21 16 37

p.20

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.20

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

Boys 19 17 19 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 15 12 13

p.20

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

Percentage of pupils School 92 (75) 78 (64) 86 (86) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

p.20

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.20

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

Boys 20 18 20 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 15 12 14

p.20

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

Percentage of pupils School 95 (67) 81 (83) 92 (75) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

p.20

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 19

p.20

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.21

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 3 0 0

p.21

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 1 0 0

p.21

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 0 0 0

p.21

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.21

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.21

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

p.21

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.21

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.

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8.8 Financial year 2001-2002

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24.7

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 472,997

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 6 Total expenditure 457,143

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 129 Expenditure per pupil 2,050

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 13,754

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 15,854 St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 20

p.21

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.22

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 1.4

p.22

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.22

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0.4

p.22

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.22

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 21

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 57 42 1 0 1

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 54 39 4 1 2

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 34 44 9 2 1

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 35 57 8 0 0

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 54 44 2 0 0

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 70 29 1 0 0

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 29 56 15 0 0

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 42 50 4 0 4

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 50 47 1 0 2

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 26 51 14 2 7 St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 22

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

63. The children in the Reception class are in the ‘Foundation Stage’. They start school at the beginning of the year in which they have their fifth birthday and join the Reception class part time for the first week, with the older children attending in the morning and the younger children in the afternoon. Useful parent evenings are held, where parents are introduced to the curriculum and the rules and routines of school. These very good induction procedures and the very good relationships that are created result in the children settling very quickly into class routines.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64. Attainment on entry is below average, not helped by the lack of nursery provision within the immediate area. Some children attend local playgroups and a few private nurseries. The current assessment of attainment on entry is lower than that reported at the last inspection and shows that, while there is a wide range of attainment, there are a good number of children who have difficulties with speech and communication, which hamper their learning. By the time children enter Year 1, standards have improved so that the majority of children are working within the Early Learning Goals (the nationally recognised curriculum for children aged from three to five years). This is because of the very good and often excellent teaching that they receive. All children are likely to meet the Early Learning Goals in their personal and social and emotional development and as a result, they are ready for learning. The lack of nursery provision is, however, impeding pupils’ further progress.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

65. All groups of children achieve well, regardless of their standards when they entered school, in all areas of learning. This is because of the well-planned curriculum that takes very careful account of current national guidelines and the consistently very good and excellent teaching and learning in all areas. All children achieve very well on their personal and social development, because great care is taken in supporting all children, but with a particular focus on those who have the most need.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

66. By the end of the Reception Year, attainment overall is in line with that seen nationally, except for personal, social and emotional development where it is above that normally seen. Achievement for all pupils, including those with special educational needs, is very good and pupils make very good progress in their learning.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

67. The teaching is very good and sometimes excellent. There is very good teamwork between teachers, the nursery nurse and teaching assistants, which makes a valuable contribution to children’s learning. The good and very good progress children make results from high quality of teaching and thoughtfully planned learning experiences. Teachers’ planning is thorough and makes effective use of regular assessments to support the planning of future lessons. Work is challenging and relevant to the children’s experience and individual stages of development. Children with special educational needs are supported very well and progress at the same rate as others. There is very good teamwork between all adults, with support staff making a valuable contribution to teaching and learning. Very effective relationships exist with children’s parents. Regular opportunities to speak with parents at the beginning and end of each day ensure that there is a good exchange of information.

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

68. Since the last inspection, the school has made very good progress and provides all children with an excellent start to school life.

p.24

Personal, social and emotional development

69. Teaching and learning are very good. Teaching consistently reinforces good behaviour, listening skills, caring for others and respecting people and property. Teachers and other adults are very good role models, treating the children and each other with courtesy and respect. They really listen to the children and speak clearly and gently to them, making them feel safe and promoting their self- esteem. Songs, stories and rhymes are an integral part of each day, and are effective in teaching about right and wrong behaviour. Staff are welcoming and caring, which helps children feel secure. At the beginning of each day, children come into school happily and are confident about leaving their parents and carers. St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 23 70. Effective organisation ensures that children learn the rules and routines of everyday life at school, such as answering the register, playing outside, or having their lunch with others. They are taught to

p.24

Personal, social and emotional development

consider the needs of others, through activities that require them to share and take turns. The teachers respond skilfully to the children’s increasing attention span and capacity for concentration and in many lessons, they listen with good interest to teachers and work for quite long periods independently. All staff promote children’s skills of independence well, providing regular opportunities for them to make choices about activities and the resources they are going to use. Children have learned to cope well with aspects of personal care, such as undressing for PE lessons and washing their hands after visiting the toilet. Teaching and learning experiences in this area are preparing children very well for the next stage of their education and for life beyond school. Children generally exceed the Early Learning Goals in this area of learning.

p.25

Communication, language and literacy

71. Children’s skills develop well because teachers are very good at providing a wide range of learning opportunities that promote them effectively. Speaking and listening skills are constantly developed throughout the day, as well as in specific activities, for example, when children are asked about their work, in discussions and when investigating ‘mini beasts’.

p.25

Communication, language and literacy

72. Colourful and stimulating texts are used to teach early reading skills and promote children’s very good attitudes to books. When sharing books together, teachers are adept at modifying their questions to different children so that all are challenged and able to participate at their own level. This was shown when sharing the big book ‘Looking after rabbit’. Very effective teaching about letter sounds and names and of how these are put together to form words promotes reading and writing skills extremely well. Higher and average attaining children recognise many common words by sight and use their knowledge of letter sounds to help them read and write. They write words and short sentences independently, applying what they have learned about letter sounds very well, developing ideas sequentially. Teachers constantly draw children’s attention to print, spelling patterns and rhymes in words, which raises their awareness, curiosity and improves their literacy skills. This work is effective

p.25

Communication, language and literacy

in supporting the learning of lower attaining children, as is the provision of writing materials in different areas of the classrooms, for example, the “Vet’s Surgery”. The stimulating learning environment in which the children learn provides many opportunities for them to be aware of print around them.

p.25

Communication, language and literacy

73. Higher and average attaining children are on course to achieve the Early Learning Goals by the time they leave the Reception class, but the lower attaining children and those with special educational needs are only working towards achieving the Early Learning Goals.

p.25

Mathematical development

74. Children make very good progress in developing their mathematical understanding. In relation to their initial assessment, they make very good gains in their learning because of the very good teaching and range of interesting activities. Children develop mathematical skills through the practical activities, number rhymes, games and songs that their teacher provides. The higher attaining children are well on line to reach the expected standards by the end of the Reception class. For example, children make towers of ten and record this as a bar chart, using different colours for each tower and using the 100 square confidently. Other children play a dice game, using the 100 grid; they throw the dice and whoever completes the square first has won. Children are secure in patterns of ten to 100.Other children sequenced cards from 10 to 100 and matched quantities of cubes with corresponding colours. Others, with the support of the nursery nurse, cut and stuck skittles in multiples of ten to

p.25

Mathematical development

100. Some very good assessment of children’s learning took place during this activity. Children are taught how to make simple recordings of their work, which makes sense to them as it follows on from their practical activity. Rhymes and songs are used well and are a regular part of everyday activity. Children are beginning to have a good understanding of other mathematical ideas, such as patterns and shape and measure, through tasks in creative art and also whilst working with sand and water. Most children are on course to achieve the Early Learning Goals by the time they leave the Reception class. Lower attaining children and those with special educational needs will still be working towards the Early Learning Goals. St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 24

p.25

Knowledge and understanding of the world

75. Children make very good progress in this area. Based on their current topic of animals, children investigate mini-beasts. In an excellent lesson, children discovered what a mini-beast is and where it lives. The excellent use of vocabulary developed children’s knowledge and understanding of habitats. Children recalled previous learning as they talked about the life cycle of the butterfly and remembered the story of ‘The very hungry caterpillar’. A very good range of books, such as ‘Insects and Spiders’ and ‘Let’s look at Bugs’, were provided for children to read and to use to investigate a particular mini- beast. A group of children examined wood lice through a magnifying glass and commented, ‘Oh, it’s dead scary looking at the underneath of wood lice’. Children have many opportunities to develop their scientific skills as they investigate their senses and learn the names of body parts. They develop

p.26

Knowledge and understanding of the world

early geographical skills as they learn about people who help us in the wider community and a sense of history develops as they talk about significant past experiences.

p.26

Knowledge and understanding of the world

76. Children’s information and communication technology skills are developing well. Through well- constructed lessons, they learn the correct terminology for parts of the computer. They manipulate the mouse effectively, following on-screen prompts. Most children are on course to achieve the Early Learning Goals by the time they leave the Reception class.

p.26

Physical development

77. The children enjoy being physically active and use their bodies confidently in physical education lessons and in outdoor play. Because of the rainy weather, no observation of outside play was seen. However, the children have access to a wide range of wheeled toys and other appropriate resources. The school is rebuilding the outdoor area and this will include a veranda for use when it rains. In physical education lessons, children showed that they could move carefully, showing good control and an awareness of others. They moved safely using space well.

p.26

Physical development

78. Children are on course to achieve the Early Learning Goals by the time they leave the Reception class.

p.26

Creative development

79. Creative skills develop well and children make very good progress. They are on course to achieve the Early Learning Goals by the time they leave the Reception class. The teacher encourages the children to express their feelings through exploring media and materials, dance, story making and imaginative play. They have many opportunities to explore colour, through painting and crayoning. Children recognise familiar songs, rhymes and jingles, performing with enjoyment. In one session, they all joined in singing ‘Johnny taps with one hammer’ as some played musical instruments. Children develop an early interest in music and confidently explore the possibilities of various instruments. In the ‘Vet’s Surgery’, children play imaginatively and this develops social skills. Children are given many opportunities to create artistically and use a wide range of materials, including play dough, paint and collage materials. They use small world toys in the ‘Vet’s surgery’,

p.26

Creative development

role play in the home corner and develop the techniques of cutting, sticking and gluing to make their own objects. Most children are on course to achieve or exceed the Early Learning Goals by the time they leave the Reception class.

p.26

ENGLISH

80. Standards, by the age of 11, have improved since the previous inspection; they are now well above national expectations. By the age of seven, standards are above national expectations and have been maintained since the previous inspection. Achievement in English is very good throughout the school.

p.26

ENGLISH

81. In the 2002 national tests for seven-year-olds, the number of pupils attaining the expected level for their age in reading and writing was well above the national average. Compared with that of schools of a similar type, pupils' attainment was above average in reading and writing. Over the three years from St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 25 2000 to 2002 taken together, pupils have completed their infant phase in advance of pupils nationally in both reading and writing. Teacher assessments for seven-year-olds in 2002 show that the overall levels of attainment of pupils in speaking and listening were very high in comparison with all schools nationally, although the number of pupils attaining Level 3 in speaking and listening was well below the national average.

p.26

ENGLISH

82. In the 2002 national tests for 11-year-olds, the standards attained by the pupils were well above the national average. When compared with those of schools of a similar type, pupils' results were above average. Over the three years from 2000 to 2002 taken together, pupils have completed their junior phase of education in advance of the standards attained nationally. Across this same period, there was no significant difference between the performance of boys and girls at the school.

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ENGLISH

83. Teaching in English was very good in five out of seven lessons observed during the inspection. Teaching in one other lesson was good and in one, satisfactory; there were no unsatisfactory lessons. This is a big improvement since the previous inspection. The very good teaching is a result of good training in the use of the National Literacy Strategy for teaching English and the commitment of the teaching staff to raise standards.

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ENGLISH

84. Teachers' good and very good knowledge and understanding of teaching English eg phonics, grammar, language structure and handwriting, enable pupils to make good progress in acquiring the necessary skills to use in all areas of their English work.

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ENGLISH

85. Pupils are taught how to become 'active listeners' and confident speakers from the start of their infant years. A pupil in Year 1 spoke with confidence and conviction in one lesson, when he suggested that using the word 'he' instead of Buddy would prevent the shared writing they were doing from becoming boring; three sentences had already started with the name of the character, Buddy. The other pupils listened with interest and agreed with this suggestion. In the introduction to a lesson in Year 4, the class teacher's clear focus on 'look, listen and learn' ensured that all pupils clearly understood the objectives and expectations of them in the lesson. The pupils responded with enthusiasm and were stimulated to learn new information on sentence construction. As they had listened well, they were confident in speaking up when asked how to change a statement into a question and vice versa. In a

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ENGLISH

lesson in Year 6, as a result of listening carefully and having the opportunity to speak on their ideas on the story of 'Pandora's Box', pupils were confident when it came to tackling their own writing task. All pupils worked with very good application and interest as a result of their teacher’s very good organisation and management of the lesson. The outcome of the lesson was that, as a result of listening intently, the majority of pupils achieved the task within the allocated time; the content of their written work and the standard of the handwriting were very good. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language are given good support and encouraged to listen and to give answers to questions posed by their teachers. In a Year 2 literacy lesson, as a result of encouragement, a pupil with English as an additional language explained confidently that a question mark was needed at the end of one sentence for it to be correct.

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ENGLISH

86. Pupils from three different levels of attainment in separate year groups were heard to read during the period of the inspection. By the end of the infant phase, higher attaining pupils read with confidence, fluency and accuracy. They enjoy the books they read and have a good knowledge of the difference between fiction and non-fiction books. They can access information from non-fiction books, using the contents, index and the glossary. Average and lower attaining pupils read slowly, with some errors, but they have developed good strategies for tackling new words. They sound out words, using their phonic knowledge and clues from the context and the illustrations in their books very well. They can recall the plot of the story they read and predict what might happen next. From the very good records seen in their reading diaries, which are signed by teachers and parents, it is evident that the pupils

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ENGLISH

are receiving very good teaching in reading and are being well supported at home. By the end of the infant phase, standards of reading are above national expectations. By the end of the junior phase, standards attained in reading are well above average. Pupils of all attainment levels read with confidence. Higher attaining pupils are very fluent and accurate in their reading and do so with expression and feeling. All other pupils are becoming more fluent; they do make some mistakes in reading but readily self-correct. All pupils are keen to discuss their favourite authors and to give reasons for their choices. Their knowledge and understanding of how to access information in non- fiction books is also very good. The progress pupils have made in their junior phase is good and their St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 26 achievement over their total time in school is very good. Again this is a result of very good teaching

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ENGLISH

and support given at home. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress with their reading, as a result of the good support given by classroom assistants as well as their teachers.

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ENGLISH

87. Pupils' writing has developed into a real strength of their English work. Teachers use a good balance of 'shared writing' as well as 'shared text' in the introduction to the literacy hours. This gives an opportunity for pupils to both see how different types of writing are structured, as well as sharing ideas and learning well from the strategies their teachers use. The impact of the teachers' planning, organisation and management of the literacy hours, in which the focus is on 'shared writing', is very good and pupils learn well, make good progress and achieve to a very high standard throughout the school. Each classroom is an environment rich in language displays. Teachers organise lists of words in their classrooms to enable correct spellings and give regular spelling tasks to pupils as additional work. As a result, pupils become good at spelling. In a Year 1 class, a glossary of terms associated

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ENGLISH

with the science topic on forces helps to develop pupils' scientific vocabulary. Analyses of pupils' previous and present written work, as well as that displayed prominently around the school, indicates that pupils of all levels of attainment have developed a very good knowledge and understanding of the use of language and the structure of literature; a testimony to the very high quality of teaching of writing in the school.

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ENGLISH

88. Pupils in Year 1 co-operate well in writing a whole class story about ‘The Three Owl Babies’, with very good collage artwork illustrations. The content of their shared writing is above expectations for the age of the pupils. Pupils of all attaining levels in Year 2 make good progress with their writing. The majority of the pupils produce accurate sentences, using interesting language; they sequence sentences to produce interesting stories. Higher attaining pupils are now developing good beginning, middle and ends to their stories, using accurate punctuation. They are also using separate paragraphs in their work, achieving standards well above those expected nationally. This is clear evidence of good and very good teaching of writing conventions in the infant phase. There are a few occasions where these higher attaining pupils are not stretched enough or encouraged to show initiative; this is an area for teachers to address.

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ENGLISH

89. Pupils continue to make good progress with their writing throughout their junior years, culminating in standards being well above average by the time they complete Year 6. Pupils' achievement is very good and evidence of the very good quality teaching they receive. A notable strength of English is the quality of the handwriting of the pupils. Teachers model handwriting extremely well in their 'shared handwriting' focus in literacy hours. Regular handwriting practice enables pupils to develop good styles, resulting in the vast majority achieving clear, accurate, joined and fluent handwriting by Year 6.

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ENGLISH

90. Pupils in Year 3 produce very good humorous poetry, riddles and limericks. The good use of figures of speech, such as alliteration, show good direct teaching and its impact on pupils' learning. Very good use of language was noted in a Year 4 display, when pupils, using the title, 'Moonlight on The Harbour', produced very good ICT enhanced work. One average attaining pupil wrote:

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ENGLISH

“The moon swept silently from the thin white clouds, the moonlight shimmered all over the sea."

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ENGLISH

91. Another example of high quality writing on display was written by a higher attaining Year 6 pupil, who under the title 'Winter Personified', composed a poem including the verse:

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ENGLISH

“Winter's breath as cold as ice, Crawling steadily, slowly upon the land, Shivering and starving trees stand bare, Winter stares and sneers at their hopeless cries."

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ENGLISH

92. Pupils in Year 6 write about what they would put in 'The Magic Box'. This is part of a Transition Project in preparation for their next stage in their education. Again the quality of their poetry writing is far in advance of the expectations for their age. One pupil writes:

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ENGLISH

“I will put in a box…. The fluffy clouds of daydreams, St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 27 The downy fur of a new-born kitten, Golden soft sand from summer sandals."

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ENGLISH

93. The very high standards achieved by pupils in writing, are a result of the teachers, very good knowledge and understanding of English conventions, their very good planning, direct teaching, high expectations and their own enthusiasm for this subject. Homework is set on a regular basis and this adds to pupils' development in using English. Pupils with special educational needs are given additional support with their writing; this results in them making very good progress with their learning.

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ENGLISH

94. Pupils' attitudes to learning and their behaviour during their English lessons are generally very good. They are very keen to learn and they match the enthusiasm of their teachers in lessons. There are good examples of co-operative learning when pupils write joint ideas on their storyboards, answering questions posed by their teachers. The attitudes to learning and the application of the junior pupils, is very good. This was seen in a Year 5 literacy lesson, when pupils were learning well about the features of persuasive writing. Again, high levels of interest and application were seen in a Year 6 literacy lesson, when pupils strove successfully to meet deadlines in completing their work.

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ENGLISH

95. The quality of assessment and recording of pupils' progress and achievement in English is good. Marking of pupils' work both celebrates their accomplishments and gives good guides to develop language and literacy skills further. Individual and group targets are set and regular reference is made to them during lessons. This strategy ensures that pupils are constantly challenged to improve their work. The agreed targets for the end of Year 6 standard tests in 2002 were surpassed and from the evidence of this inspection, pupils are well in line to repeat this achievement. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language make similar progress to their peers in all aspects of this subject.

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ENGLISH

96. The co-ordinator for English, in post for about eight months, gives a very good lead to her colleagues. She leads and manages the subject very well. She is aware of the need to raise standards so that pupils of all attaining levels reach their full potential. There is a clear action plan in place and areas for staff development have been identified; further training in guided reading strategies within the literacy hour is an example. She is aware that the positioning of the school library along a corridor means that there is no opportunity for pupils to use it as a class, to develop their library and researching skills. This is an area of concern and one for the school to address. The school is now looking at alternative arrangements for locating the library in another area of the school. Good use is made of information and communication technology in English and resources are good and well used.

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MATHEMATICS

97. In the 2002 national tests for seven year olds, attainment was above the national average. Pupils’ performance in the end of infant phase mathematics test was average in comparison with that of schools with pupils from similar backgrounds. The average attainment of pupils in the three years 2000 to 2002 was above the national average. On average, pupils leave the infant phase nearly one term ahead of pupils nationally. The performance of girls was lower than that of boys.

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MATHEMATICS

98. In the 2002 national tests for 11 year olds, pupils’ attainment was above the national average. When compared with those of pupils from schools of a similar type, standards were also above average. On average, pupils leave the junior phase nearly one term ahead of the national average. The performance of boys has been very slightly ahead of that of girls over the last three years.

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MATHEMATICS

99. For the current group of pupils, evidence from the lessons observed, analysis of pupils’ work and discussions with pupils indicate that attainment is above national expectations at the age of seven and well above nationally expected standards by the time pupils leave the school at the age of 11. In the work seen during the inspection, pupils by the end of the infant phase demonstrate attainment related to investigative mathematics and number that is above expectations. Pupils in the junior phase generally have very good knowledge of their multiplication tables, because they are practised and tested in class with sufficient regularity. This greatly helps attainment in the other areas of mathematics. Pupils aged 11 carry out investigations, solving word problems very well. Pupils use correct mathematical vocabulary throughout the school and this greatly assists their learning. They develop their own strategies when solving problems in their heads, can interpret charts appropriately

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MATHEMATICS

St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 28 and are familiar with different ways of presenting data. Pupils aged seven are appropriately familiar with the concept of time and are familiar with the ordering of simple fractions. There was no discernible difference in the performance of girls and boys in the lessons seen. Standards in mathematics currently exceed those at the time of the last inspection for pupils at the end of the infant phase and at the end of the junior phase.

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MATHEMATICS

100. The overall quality of teaching and learning of pupils in mathematics is very good, in both the infant and junior phases; this includes those pupils having special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language. Factors aiding progress include the extremely positive attitudes and behaviour of the pupils and the overall very good standard of teaching. The teaching observed was excellent in three of the six lessons seen, very good in one lesson and good in the other two. The features that made the best lessons excellent and contributed to the very highest rate of learning, were the highest possible expectations on the part of the teachers, coupled with a brisk and purposeful pace in which the teachers set time targets for pupils. Such lessons clearly explained what the learning objectives were at the outset and re-visited these at the end of the session to see how far they had been achieved. In an excellent numeracy lesson for pupils in Year 4, pupils’ learning

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MATHEMATICS

of five-figure column addition was enhanced by the teacher’s exuberant enthusiasm for the subject; it was gratifying to see that this exuberance was matched by the pupils’. Numeracy is taught well across the curriculum, enhancing learning in subjects such as science and information and communication technology. Pupils’ achievements are very good. Good use is made of the school’s computers in this subject and the good resources are used effectively.

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SCIENCE

101. The school has now made good improvement since the last inspection in this subject because pupils in Year 6 have received additional teaching and, throughout the school, pupils record their science investigations well.

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SCIENCE

102. The school’s results in the teacher assessments and national tests at the end of Years 2 and 6 in 2002 were, respectively average and below the national average. Over the last three years taken together, pupils’ science results at the age of 11 have been marginally below the national average.

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SCIENCE

103. For current pupils, standards by the age of seven are in line with the national expectations and pupils make good progress through Years 1 and 2. They have a good knowledge of the factors needed for plant growth; they make thoughtful predictions as to what might happen if any of these factors were removed and organise their experiments well, showing an emerging knowledge of ‘fair testing’. Higher attaining pupils use the correct vocabulary.

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SCIENCE

104. Standards by the age of 11 are above the national expectation and pupils have made good progress from Year 3 to Year 6. Pupils have a very good idea of ‘fair testing’. They know the parts of the body and higher attaining pupils have a clear idea of the function of the main organs and how the blood carries oxygen and ‘food’ to the muscles. They are aware of what causes their heart rate to increase. They have good prediction skills, use computer simulations to gain more information about the heart and use textbooks increasingly to gain further knowledge.

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SCIENCE

105. Pupils with special educational needs are helped to succeed in this subject by being given extra explanations and slightly less wordy worksheets. The one pupil at an early stage of acquisition of English as an additional language is making sound progress.

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SCIENCE

106. Teaching across all classes is good. Teachers plan their lessons in some detail, providing additional support for pupils identified as lower attaining and challenge for higher attaining pupils. Lessons are well structured and resources are used very well to amplify teaching points; Pupils are very attentive in their lessons and work very hard. There is appropriate emphasis in all classes on careful observation and investigative work, as in Year 1 who played the part of ‘plant doctors’ in diagnosing what was wrong with a variety of plants. Pupils are asked to predict ‘what might happen’, then to observe the experiment closely and discuss what did happen and why. All pupils are fully involved in lessons, handle equipment with care and are diligent in attempting the experiment as in a Year 4 lesson testing the hypothesis that ‘Woodlice like to live in damp conditions’. St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 29

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SCIENCE

107. The co-ordinator has done a good job in raising standards; plans for specialist teaching throughout the junior phase should raise standards further. The good resources and information and communication technology are both used well to enhance learning. Key science vocabulary is not, however, emphasised as much as it could be through the school. The subject must continue to move forward, so a written action plan is required. Recent test results show that standards have not been maintained since the last inspection, but the standard of work shown by the current Year 6 was above national expectations and this matches standards seen at the time of the last inspection.

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ART AND DESIGN

108. At the last inspection, standards were found to be average at the end of Years 2 and 6. Inspection findings show that standards have risen and are now above national expectations by the ages of seven and 11. Progress for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, is good.

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ART AND DESIGN

109. Pupils achieve well at the end of both Years 2 and 6. There are a number of reasons for this; firstly, pupils have sufficient opportunities to study art and design in depth. Secondly, the quality of teaching seen in lessons during the inspection in Years 1 to 6 was mostly very good. The co-ordinator has ensured that achievement is better than might be expected through imaginative planning and the thoughtful development of topics.

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ART AND DESIGN

110. Pupils enter Year 1 with an understanding of creative development at an average level for their age. By Year 2, standards have progressed well and pupils are achieving better than might be expected. In one lesson observed in Year 1, pupils describe their favourite place, identifying how they feel. They transfer these thoughts and feelings into a collage, using materials they have previously collected. Skilled teaching inspired pupils’ creative responses, as they chose materials that reflected their thoughts and feelings. Wall displays and other examples of pupils’ artwork exhibit contrasting and imaginative celebrations of pupils’ joy in creativity, as seen in the collage techniques pupils used to create a cover for a story book entitled ‘The Three Owl Babies’.

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ART AND DESIGN

111. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 begin to develop a critical appreciation of artists and their work by experimenting with materials, trying out different processes and evaluating the effects of these. For example, pupils thought about an imaginary journey and how they could represent it on paper. The skilful teaching reminded them of aboriginal painting, maze pictures and of the Doodling Daniel story. Pupils worked well together, using stimulating ideas such as representing a bird in flight, a rocket going to Jupiter and string doodles. In one very good lesson, pupils were using the Internet for research purposes as they studied design for a container. Pupils explored different ideas before deciding on which shape they were going to use. The very skilled teaching developed pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding well. There are several very good examples throughout the school of pupils’ artwork, including work in the style of famous artists, such as Klee, Renoir and Van Gogh. In

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ART AND DESIGN

this way, art makes a valuable contribution to the cultural development of pupils. Some very good artwork was seen in the Year 6 corridor, where pupils had used different media to paint pictures representing the Second World War. Stimulating collage in the hall depicted different religions of the world. This was a very good example of art being used to underpin the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of all pupils.

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ART AND DESIGN

112. The quality of teaching and learning is very good overall, with one excellent lesson seen. Teachers have very good knowledge and understanding, which are well used to ensure that pupils gain knowledge and develop their skills at a good rate. Planning is good and ensures continuity and progression throughout the school. Teachers’ expectations are high and as a result, pupils’ productivity and pace of working are good. Teaching methods are effective and teachers make good use of time. Support staff are well used and this helps to raise standards.

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ART AND DESIGN

113. Subject co-ordination and overall provision for art and design are very good. The co-ordinator provides very effective leadership by inspiring pupils and teachers to take the subject beyond the classroom. This is a significant aspect of the subject. The artwork displayed around the school inspires pupils to St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 30 achieve well and provides a stimulating environment for the school and wider community. There are sufficient resources available, which enable the curriculum to be taught effectively. The subject makes a very good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, social, moral and cultural development. Very good use is made of information and communication technology.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

114. Few lessons were observed during the inspection, but evaluation of teachers’ planning and pupils’ work and discussions with pupils and teachers, show that pupils are on course to reach average standards by the end of both Years 2 and 6. All groups of pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and those who have English as an additional language, achieve as might be expected in relation to their prior attainment as they move through the school. This is because of the teachers’ close attention to the scheme of work, which is based on national guidance. Pupils have a satisfactory awareness and understanding of the design process throughout the school. This is very good improvement since the previous inspection, when standards were below the national average and progress made by pupils was unsatisfactory.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

115. Pupils achieve soundly in Years 1 and 2. They have followed the design process from the original idea to the finished product. In Year 1, pupils have used joining techniques for three-dimensional modelling and designed and made homes. They have made a simple moving picture incorporating a simple lever or slider. There is a good range of work in Year 2. Pupils have designed and made vehicles with moving axles and wheels and have designed and made a Christmas stocking.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

116. In Years 3 and 4, pupils have developed a satisfactory capacity to design and make a range of artefacts; pupils in Year 3 made designs for faces of a cube, which they constructed using a net and Year 4 pupils created efficient money containers. By Year 5, pupils have achieved well. They give thought to the suitability of an article for its intended purpose, as when designing bread for the future. Examples of work in progress were seen, such as Year 6 pupils’ designs for slippers, taking into account construction methods, appearance and function. Information and communication technology is used well throughout the school, as was seen as pupils in Year 6 used ICT effectively as they began the design process for a simple lighthouse.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

117. During the inspection, only one lesson was seen and this was taken by a visitor from a national bakery, who demonstrated the bread-making process over time. On the basis of the evidence presented by the school, teaching and learning are consistently satisfactory by the end of Years 2 and 6. This is because teachers have sound subject knowledge and use the nationally recognised scheme of work to support planning. Units of work give clear and appropriate learning objectives that have resulted in improved standards in both designing and making. The use of other subjects to support learning is good. For example, in Year 5, pupils learn about the history of bread from 1876 to the present day, giving them an understanding of the lives of people in those times compared with life today.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

118. Subject co-ordination and overall provision for design and technology are satisfactory. Assessment procedures are appropriate and used in future planning. Resources are satisfactory.

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GEOGRAPHY

119. Standards are similar to those noted at the time of the previous inspection and are in line with those expected nationally by the end of both the infant and junior phases. Nearly all pupils, including those with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language, achieve well. Pupils are developing a sound range of knowledge and geographical understanding, as well as building up skills in the subject.

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GEOGRAPHY

120. Pupils in Year 2 made good gains in new learning as they used a wide variety of photographs associated with the seaside. Good planning by the teacher, followed by good direct teaching on the differences between human and physical features together with good resources, enabled virtually all pupils to meet the objectives of the lesson. A pupil with English as an additional language, supported by a classroom assistant, made good progress during the lesson. Analysis of work completed earlier in the academic year shows that most pupils have gained a sound understanding of similarities and St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 31 differences between the pupils' own town of Middleton and the Isle of Struay. Higher attaining pupils use their literacy skills well when writing about what it would be like living on Struay; they write clear sequenced sentences to produce good reasoned accounts. All pupils show sound information and

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GEOGRAPHY

communication technology skills when using a mathematical program to produce block graphs on a computer, in support of their study on 'Places we like to visit in Middleton'.

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GEOGRAPHY

121. Pupils of all attainment levels in Years 3 to 6, including those with special educational needs, continue to make good progress and achievement in developing geographical skills and make sound gains in new knowledge and understanding of a range of different places and, in some cases, associated environmental issues. All pupils in Year 4, as a result of very good teacher input and the provision of good resources, build up a very good understanding of how traffic can be reduced, using a range of traffic calming measures such as speed ramps. By the end of Year 6, the majority of pupils can identify the main ranges of mountains in the world, make sound comparisons between two different coastal regions - Cardigan Bay and The Wash - and give good reasoned accounts of how coastal defences can be improved using breakwaters, sea walls and groynes. These pupils make good use of their mathematical skills as they develop a sound understanding of the use of contours in

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GEOGRAPHY

determining the height of physical features in their geography lessons. Good use of literacy skills are seen when pupils of all attaining levels write about the different views of people, on the advantages and disadvantages of making a coastal town into a seaside resort.

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GEOGRAPHY

122. Three lessons were observed during the inspection; these, along with the analysis of previously completed work, teachers' marking and assessments they make, indicate that teaching is good and that pupils are achieving well and attaining sound standards. Strengths in teaching include good reviews of previous learning in the introductions to lessons, high levels of challenge set for most pupils, good links made with mathematics in interpreting data, good and very good use of resources and good discussions at the end of lessons that enable pupils to review what they have learned. Areas to improve the quality of teaching include providing more extension work for the higher attaining pupils and giving more opportunities for pupils to express opinions on environmental issues; there is a tendency for teachers to over-lead in discussions.

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GEOGRAPHY

123. Pupils have a positive attitude to learning and apply themselves well, when undertaking the tasks set for them. Good provision is made for pupils to develop their spiritual, moral and social skills in a variety of lessons, but mainly when they are able to reflect and give opinions on environmental issues.

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GEOGRAPHY

124. The co-ordinator leads and manages her subject well. There is a clear policy in place and the scheme of work ensures that there is a good balance of skills and knowledge and understanding in planning for geography in each year group. Resources are adequate to meet the needs of the geography curriculum. However, the co-ordinator, in her action plan, has sought to increase the number of atlases, to ensure they are kept up to date. She is also reviewing the allocation of time to teaching geography (pupils in the infant phase have less time allocated to geography than pupils in the juniors). She is also considering changing the units of study to better match the age and abilities of the pupils, in order to raise standards further. Information and communication technology is used well to support learning.

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HISTORY

125. Standards, by the age of 11, have improved since the previous inspection; they are now above national expectations. By the age of seven, standards are in line with national expectations and this is similar to the findings of the previous inspection. Only one lesson was observed during the inspection, in the upper juniors. History was not being taught in the infant phase as the focus for the term is on geography. No judgement can be made on the quality of teaching from direct observations. Evidence for the inspection findings is drawn from the clear and informative history policy, the scheme of work, a thorough analysis of the work completed by the pupils during the present academic year and discussions with teaching staff; the co-ordinator was absent during the inspection.

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HISTORY

126. Pupils in Year 1 make good progress in learning about toys from the past and make good comparisons between old and new. The pupils' learning is supported well by a visiting speaker who discusses toys from her generation in the past. Pupils continue to make good progress in making comparisons, using evidence they are given, when they learn about Victorian houses. All pupils make St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 32 gains in new knowledge when they compare the size, shape and arrangement of the rooms, together with the use of servants in Victorian times, with their own homes and how they live today. There is clear evidence of good quality teaching, with good planning for pupils' learning based on a good knowledge and understanding of this period of history. Pupils in Year 2 learn well as they are taught about the events that led up to 'The Great Fire of London'. Higher and average attaining pupils

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HISTORY

accurately sequence the events; lower attaining pupils learn well but struggle to order the events correctly. Assessments to determine pupils' acquired knowledge and understanding at the end of the unit of study confirm these findings. The teacher’s careful matching of tasks to the pupils' differing needs results in all pupils learning about Samuel Pepys and his diary and the importance of his recordings in gaining evidence of events in the past. Evidence of good learning is seen from the crayon drawings the pupils make in their art lessons; houses are packed closely together, flames from the fire are shown being blown across the buildings, small characters are seen pulling their wares away from the burnt-out houses.

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HISTORY

127. In Years 3 to 6, pupils develop important skills associated with the study of various periods of history. Analysis of the work from pupils in Year 3 shows that nearly all have learnt well about life in ancient Greece and ancient Egypt. Higher and average attaining pupils show they have gained a good knowledge of the differences between the lives of children living in Athens and in Sparta. In their work on ancient Egypt, pupils show good levels in new learning on the usage of land in those times. From Year 4 onwards there is good evidence to show that the standards pupils attain are above expectations. All pupils in Year 4 make good progress in their study of invasions of Britain up to the Anglo-Saxons. Pupils write to a good standard on the excavations at Sutton Hoo and appreciate the use of both primary and secondary sources in building up evidence about different periods of history. Pupils in Year 5 learn effectively about 'Life in Tudor Times'. The pupils make good progress in new

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HISTORY

learning about the rich and the poor in this period of history. Good planning and organisation by the teacher has enabled the pupils to make good use of information and communication technology in their work. Additionally, good miniature portraits completed in art lessons show a good understanding of contemporary costume. By the time pupils finish their Year 6 history studies, they have gained a good knowledge and understanding of various periods of history, as well as developing good skills in the use of primary and secondary sources of evidence in coming to conclusions. The work all pupils produce is of a high standard and the written work in particular is exemplary. In the study of 'Britain since 1930', most pupils have built up a very good understanding of the events that led up to World War 2. Project work on 'Britain Since 1948', started in school and completed at home, shows very good application to detail. Pupils make good use of information and communication technology in

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HISTORY

producing individual folders. The content of their work is of a high standard and good use is made of illustrations by importing graphics from the Internet.

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HISTORY

128. Pupils' attitudes to work are very evident in the quality of the work they produce. In the one lesson seen in the upper juniors, when a visitor talked about her life in the 'land army' during the Second World War, the pupils' attitudes and manners were very good. They listened attentively and then asked questions to increase their understanding of living conditions in those times.

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HISTORY

129. Good use is made of pupils' numeracy and literacy skills, as well as their information and communication technology skills in history work. Time lines are evident in both infant and junior classes. Good and very good examples of written accounts focusing on events in history are to be found in the work of many pupils. For example, a pupil writes with feeling on a Jewish child's evacuation in the Second World War:

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HISTORY

“I was going to light a candle to celebrate Hannukah. I felt a warm tear falling down my cheek, I felt special."

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HISTORY

130. The history work planned by the teachers makes a very good contribution pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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HISTORY

131. The co-ordinator was absent during the period of the inspection but there is ample evidence to show that she is providing very good leadership and management for history. There is a good policy and scheme of work and all pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, make good progress and achieve very well, many reaching St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 33 standards that are above national expectations by the time they complete their junior years. Resources are satisfactory.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

132. Standards by the ages of seven and 11 fully meet national expectations. By the end of the infant phase, pupils use information and communication technology to assemble text in work on literacy. They are able to generate text and insert appropriate pictures and save and retrieve information. Pupils can predict the route to be taken by a Roamer from a given program. By the end of the junior phase, pupils understand that light sensors can trigger events and use them appropriately. They can present information in different forms, as seen in their work on “Sikhism”. Pupils are aware of their audience and the need for quality in their presentations. Their PowerPoint presentations include appropriate use of hyperlinks. Pupils’ work on control, monitoring and modelling is at least at nationally expected levels.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

133. Learning is very good throughout the school, due to the very good level of teaching provided by the technician employed by the school. He works very well in conjunction with the teachers; his great expertise and wonderful relationship with the pupils augur well for this subject. Indeed some areas of information and communication technology are edging above national expectations by the age of 11, notably control. All pupils, including those having special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, are making very good gains in their knowledge and understanding. It was possible to see three lessons in this subject, which were all taught at least very well, with one being excellent. The school makes very efficient use of its ICT suite; all classes are timetabled for two sessions per week there and the computers are networked to the computers in the classrooms, enabling further work to be carried out in class. Assessment is used effectively to monitor pupils’

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

134. Pupils’ response is very good indeed. They show great eagerness for and interest in, this subject. Pupils work hard in practising their skills and work co-operatively very well. They are not afraid to volunteer their own suggestions; relationships are excellent.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

135. The co-ordinator for this subject works well with the school’s technician in moving the subject forwards. The technician has already provided in-service training for colleagues and the co-ordinator has monitored and evaluated the work of colleagues. There are appropriate computers in every classroom, which are all networked together and networked to the suite. The school is linked to the Internet and has its own web site. There is an appropriate range of cross-curricular software. Great improvements have been made since the last inspection in terms of the hardware available and in the standards of attainment.

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MUSIC

136. Standards in music meet those expected at the ages of seven and 11 and have been maintained since the last inspection. Achievement for all groups of pupils is good, including those with special needs and those with English as an additional language.

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MUSIC

137. By the end of Year 2, pupils sing with enthusiasm and find out about sounds that are made from different sources. Pupils learn to clap the beat to a song or piece of music, such as ‘The Grand Old Duke of York’ and the very good teaching during this lesson developed pupils’ skills well, as they progressed to tapping and singing songs and rhymes in two parts to ‘This Old Man’. All pupils were included and high quality support was given to pupils with special educational needs to enable them to join in the lesson. In another lesson, pupils used a range of hand movements as they followed the music for ‘Jazzy Quacks’. Pupils demonstrated their skills as they accompanied well-known songs with a range of tuned percussion instruments.

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MUSIC

138. As pupils move through the school, they continue to develop their musical knowledge, skills and understanding. In Year 3, pupils accompany a song using voice and finger tapping to keep the beat. Pupils’ skills were extended as they performed in two parts, one part singing and clicking the beat and the second part singing a repeated pattern. Pupils continue to build on these early experiences and in an excellent lesson in Year 6, pupils developed their musical skills further as they performed St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 34 their own lyrics to the rest of the class. Different groups of pupils were chosen to evaluate each performance. When all performances had finished evaluations were given and these, through the excellent use of discussion, made suggestions for improvement. The class chose a winning song which was then performed again.

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MUSIC

139. All pupils have very good attitudes to their work and behave well. This is because teachers manage their classes well, channelling pupils’ energy and enthusiasm into organised performance. Teaching assistants work well alongside teachers to give appropriate support to pupils with special educational needs and those with English as a second language, to enable them to work as well as their classmates. Teaching and learning are very good overall, with examples of excellent teaching seen. Teaching enables pupils to extend and develop their skills and to evaluate their own and each other’s work.

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MUSIC

140. Co-ordination of the subject is satisfactory. There are opportunities for pupils to make music in extra- curricular activities, such as playing the guitar, which is taught by an external specialist. Information and communication technology is insufficiently used in weekly lessons to aid learning. Resources for the subject are satisfactory.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

141. Standards in physical education are broadly in line with national expectations at the end of both infant and junior phases and have been maintained since the previous inspection. Pupils have an opportunity to learn, develop and refine their skills in all areas of the physical education curriculum, carefully planned for them by their teachers. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, make good progress in their learning and achieve well. The school makes good provision for swimming, with the vast majority of pupils achieving their 25-metre certificate by the time they leave the school.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

142. Pupils in Year 1 made good progress in learning the skills of throwing and catching in a well-taught lesson. The teacher prepared the pupils well by getting them to warm up in a structured way; this was a notable strength in this lesson. Pupils responded well to the high expectations set for them. Good organisation and management of resources ensured that pupils were kept on task and all made constant progress, improving on the accuracy of their throwing. Pupils with special educational needs made equally good progress through the support of a classroom assistant.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

143. Pupils from Year 3 to Year 6 make good progress in developing skills in movement and in games. In a Year 4 lesson, the teacher made good links with the geography study on 'Invaders'. The pupils worked well in groups, developing sequences of movement in enacting 'Life in Viking Times'. Pupils of all attaining levels made good progress and were able to perform and refine their movements during the session. Year 3/4 and Year 5/6 pupils built on their invasion games skills in lessons and performed well, considering they had to carry out their lesson inside due to poor weather. Pupils in Year 6 are able to observe and discuss their performances as a result of the teacher’s use of a video camera to record their activities. The pupils improved their skills and were able to measure their progress by the end of a subsequent session.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

144. Teaching is never less than satisfactory and is good overall; in two lessons, one in the infants, the other in the juniors, the teaching was very good. The strengths of teaching are the careful, well- structured warm up activities, the high expectations set for pupils, the good use of resources, very good knowledge of rules associated with games and the time given for the analysis of performance. In the less than very good lessons, the pace slips occasionally, warm up activities are not as effective and some pupils have periods of inactivity.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

145. Pupils' attitude to learning in all lessons was good; in half the lessons observed, it was very good. The pupils applied themselves extremely well and showed a high level of interest and enthusiasm. Occasionally, lack of focus and over-excitement hinder the progress pupils make in developing their skills.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

146. Physical education makes a good contribution to pupils' spiritual and social development. Pupils are given many opportunities to reflect on the work they and their classmates do. They work well in pairs St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary - 35 and in larger groups, showing good social skills. Very good opportunities are provided for pupils in Year 5 to develop their social skills in 'Outdoor and adventurous activities'. The school organises training in canoeing and sailing skills on a local lake. The provision of extra-curricular sporting activities also adds to the development of the pupils' personal and social skills. Football, cross country running, netball and badminton are offered to the older junior pupils. The uptake is good and there are equal opportunities for girls and boys to take part.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

147. There is no subject manager at present for this subject. However, a teacher is monitoring the work planned and taught at the school. She has audited the resource provision and is reviewing how skills in each area of the physical education curriculum are being covered. Resources themselves are adequate and meet the needs of teaching physical education at the school.

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