The Friars Primary School

THE FRIARS PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 23 rd – 27 th June 2003

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THE FRIARS PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection number: 246535 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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THE FRIARS PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. The Friars Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Cannon Street Salford Lancashire Postcode: M3 7EU

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Colin Burke

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 12 - 15 January 1998 The Friars Primary School - 5

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

21945 Mr P Mathias Registered inspector History Music Physical education Equal opportunities What sort of school is it? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed What should the school do to improve further? 10965 Mrs P A Edwards Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 2759 Mr D Sleightholme Team inspector English Religious education Special educational needs The Unit For Pupils With Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD) The work of the Unit for Pupils with Moderate Learning Difficulties

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

24027 Mrs B Kutty Team inspector Science Art and design Design and technology Foundation Stage How well does the school care for its pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

19164 Mr S Dobson Team inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Geography English as an additional language How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? The Friars Primary School - 6 The inspection contractor was:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Full Circle division of Parkman The Brow 35 Trewartha Park Weston-Super-Mare North Somerset BS23 2RT

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE The Friars Primary School - 7

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 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? 13

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

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

With 235 pupils on roll the school is an average sized primary school. It caters for boys and girls between the ages of three and 11. A well above average number of pupils enter and leave the school at times other than normal. The most recent figures indicate that only about half of the pupils who took the national tests at the end of Year 2 remained at the school to take the end of Year 6 tests when they were 11. Overall, pupils enter the school with well below average levels of attainment. In the nursery and reception classes four children are considered to have special educational needs. There are 75 pupils in Year 1 to Year 6 who are considered to have special educational needs; of these, 22 pupils receive outside support for their difficulties. This is a well above average proportion for most schools. Since the last inspection the school now provides a unit for ten pupils who are considered to have moderate

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

Pupils come from homes with a range of social and economic disadvantage. The school is situated in an area considered to have a significant amount of social and economic deprivation. About 56 per cent of pupils are considered to be eligible for free school meals, which is well above most schools. Twenty three pupils have English as an additional language, of whom ten pupils are considered to be at an early stage of acquiring English.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The Friars is a successful school, which has made steady progress in building on its previous strengths. The school is well led. The headteacher who has been in post for two years has continued to ensure that there is a very positive tone to the school. Expectations of pupils are high and staff and pupils work well together.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The overall quality of teaching by teachers and support staff is high and is particularly successful in the nursery and reception classes where many children make good progress in most but not all areas of learning for children of this age. The school is a stimulating environment where the curriculum is wide and interesting and all pupils, including those with special educational needs are given good access to it. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• The quality of teaching by teachers and support assistants is good and is particularly effective in the nursery and reception classes. • Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are good. • The curriculum is rich and provides wide and interesting opportunities for pupils to learn. The overall provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good and adds significantly to what pupils learn. • There are very good arrangements to ensure that all pupils are treated fairly and receive the same opportunities to succeed, and are fully included in the life of the school. • The provision of resources for information and communication technology is a strength. These are used well in other subjects. • The headteacher provides a very good sense of direction to the work of the school and is very committed to raising standards. Teachers and support staff share in these aspirations and respond well to the challenges they face.

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What could be improved

• Standards of speaking and writing in English and across the curriculum are not high enough because pupils do not have enough opportunities to express themselves orally, to use language in a range of contexts and to extend their vocabularies. • The school development plan is not an effective working document and is not sufficiently detailed to use as a tool to manage improvements. • The school does not consistently utilise the information it has from its assessments of what pupils know and can do in English, mathematics and science to set short, achievable targets for individual pupils and groups of pupils to achieve. There are no procedures for pupils to monitor and record their own progress to these targets. • Standards in geography are below those expected at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. In religious education standards are below those expected in the locally agreed syllabus at the end of Year 2.

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What could be improved

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

When the school was last inspected in January 1998 it was found that standards achieved by pupils were requiring some improvement, the quality of education provided was good and the school’s climate for learning and its leadership and efficiency were very good. The report highlighted the need to raise standards in English by improving the quality of speaking and writing and to address some issues of health and safety. Overall, the school has made some progress towards addressing the key issues of that report, although there is still work to do in improving the quality of pupils’ speaking and writing. It is very well placed to improve further.

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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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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

The table shows that over the last three years standards have been generally well below average. Exceptions to this are in science in 2000 where standards were very high when compared to schools nationally and in 2001 where standards were well above schools nationally. When these results are compared to schools considered to be broadly similar, in 2002 results were below most of these schools in English and mathematics and in line with these similar schools in science. The Friars Primary School - 10 When the performance of 11 year olds is compared to the standards they reached in the national assessments when they were seven, these pupils made the expected progress in English, above expected progress in science and below the expected progress in mathematics. However these results should be treated with caution because just under half of those pupils who took the assessments at the age of seven at the school eventually

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STANDARDS

reached Year 6 there and took the tests for 11 year olds. This makes it difficult for teachers to build consistently on the work undertaken in the school when the pupils started school. Also included in the results are four pupils who had statements of special educational needs for moderate learning difficulties and overall a significant proportion of pupils taking the tests in 2002 had learning and behavioural difficulties. Taking these factors into consideration pupils achieved at least in line with what could reasonably be expected of them and pupils in the Unit made good progress, as did those with special educational needs. The percentage of pupils reaching the higher level, level 5 in English and mathematics is well above average for similar schools and above average for those similar schools in science. However, the proportion of pupils attaining the expected standard is low. Currently the trend of

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STANDARDS

improvement is below the national trend and did not meet its targets in English and mathematics due to the impact of pupil transfers. Standards in the 2002 national assessments for seven year olds, were very low in reading, writing and mathematics. In the teacher assessments in science standards were also very low. However, in previous years the trend was improving and was close to the national picture of improvement in 2000 and 2001.

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STANDARDS

In the national assessments of seven year olds in 2002, results in reading, writing and mathematics were very low compared to schools nationally. When compared to schools considered broadly similar these results were well below average in reading and well below average in writing and mathematics. In science teacher assessments for these pupils results were very low.

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STANDARDS

Pupils enter the school with well below average standards. Currently, standards for six year olds are such that many are ready to begin the National Curriculum in many areas of learning, although in language and literacy and in their mathematical development many children do not reach the expected levels. Standards at the end of Year 6 in classes are below average in English and mathematics and average in science. Standards are average in all other subjects except in geography where they are below the expected level. In religious education standards are below expected at the end of Year 2 and at the expected level at the end of Year 6 of the locally agreed syllabus.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Generally good and pupils nearly always concentrate well and have positive attitudes.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good, pupil share a clear understanding of what is expected of them. They concentrate well responding willingly to their teachers.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good. Relationships between pupils and adults are good and pupils take their responsibilities seriously. There is a strong commitment of care and optimism shown by staff.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Unsatisfactory, although there are thorough systems in place. The Friars Primary School - 11

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The standard of teaching is good with only a very small amount of unsatisfactory teaching. The teaching of English and mathematics is good and teachers have a good understanding of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. Teaching and support for pupils with special educational needs are good which helps pupils learn well and play a full part in their lessons. Pupils with English as an additional language get good support and many make good progress.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Where teaching is very good, teachers demonstrate clearly what is expected of their pupils, teachers have good subject knowledge so that their lessons are interesting. They have very high expectations of what their pupils are able to achieve and question carefully to encourage pupils to think things out for themselves. They ensure that all pupils are fully included in the lessons. Lessons are made interesting and pupils are successfully encouraged to learn because of the good quality of resources, which are used to support the lessons.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Where teaching has some weaknesses, insufficient attention is given to planning for pupils to speak in extended ways, sometimes the work set is too difficult for most of the pupils in the class to understand and the teachers do not explain clearly enough what exactly what pupils need to do to improve.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good, the curriculum is well planned to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum and significantly enriched by very good links with the local community.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good, across the school work is carefully matched to the needs of these pupils who are very well supported by teachers and their assistants. Individual educational plans are well organised and followed.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good, these pupils are well supported and many make good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal development, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good overall, provision for pupils’ moral, social and cultural development is very good. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is good. The Friars Primary School - 12 How well the school cares for its pupils Procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ academic performance are satisfactory. Procedures to monitor pupils’ personal development are good. Arrangements to eliminate bullying and to promote good behaviour are very successful.

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Aspect Comment

Links with parents, carers and other institutions Good. The school tries hard to make parents feel welcome into the school. They receive good information about the school. Links with the local community are very good.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good, the headteacher provides a dynamic lead to the school and has a strong vision for its future. There is a very positive ethos amongst all staff who work hard together. The roles of coordinators are very well developed.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good, many governors are experienced and knowledgeable about the school. They fulfil their responsibilities well.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance There are good procedures in place to evaluate pupils’ performance in national tests and other assessments and the school is in the process of introducing new technology to assist in this. There is a strong commitment amongst teachers to raise standards further. However the school development plan does not contain clear and measurable targets for improvement, information about the action to be taken to achieve the targets, procedures for monitoring progress, broad estimates of costs and time implications and ways of judging success. The school is beginning to address these weaknesses.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school uses a wide range of grants and additional funds well. These are well focused on the needs of the school. Resources for learning are good and there is a very good match of teaching and support staff to the demands of the curriculum. Staff work hard to make the building an attractive and stimulating environment for pupils to learn in.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• My child likes school. • The way the school makes me feel welcome. • The way the school expects my child to work hard. • The range of activities outside lessons. The Friars Primary School - 13 Of the 227 questionnaires sent out, 36 were returned. This is a very low rate of return and the views expressed represent a small minority of parents. Notwithstanding these low figures, the inspection team agrees with those parents who have very positive views of the school. The school is very successful in providing a very good range of activities out of school. However reports to parents do not always contain sufficient information to give all parents a consistent view of the standards and progress their children make.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

A meeting was held between the registered Inspector and parents. Fourteen parents were present. This small sample of parents was very happy with the school and the way it is led. The Friars Primary School - 14

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Standards are generally below average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 in English and mathematics and average in science. Pupils enter the nursery with well below average basic skills and make good progress towards many of the early learning goals and are generally ready to begin the National Curriculum. Exceptions to this are in language literacy and in mathematical development. During the inspection there was no significant variation between the performance of boys and girls. However, in the last three years at the end of Year 2 assessments in writing and reading, girls attained better than boys and about the same in mathematics. Over the same period in the end of Year 6 national tests, boys and girls attained about the same in English and mathematics and boys exceeded girls in science.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. In the national assessments for seven year olds in 2002, standards in reading, writing and mathematics were very low when compared to schools nationally. In science teacher assessment results for seven year olds were very low. When compared to schools considered broadly similar, results in reading were below average for these similar schools. In writing and mathematics standards were well below those similar schools. Since 1998, standards in these assessments have been well below schools nationally.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. In the 2002 national tests for 11 year olds in Year 6, standards in English, mathematics and science were well below average for schools nationally. When these results are considered alongside schools thought to be broadly similar, standards are below average for these schools in English and mathematics and average in science. Since 1998 standards in English and mathematics have been consistently well below average. In contrast, in science results have been high and in 2002 were in the top five percent of schools nationally. Exceptions to this were in 1999 when standards in science were below average. When a comparison is made in the standards achieved by pupils in 2002 with the standards they achieved in the end of Year 2 assessments when they were seven years of age, they make the expected progress in English, below expected progress in mathematics and above expected progress in science. In 2002 the percentage of pupils reaching the higher

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

level (Level 5) in English and mathematics is well above similar schools and above average for those schools in science. In 2001, pupils who took the tests at 11 years of age achieved well above what could be reasonably expected of them.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The school’s overall pattern of improvement is currently below the national trend although in 2000 and 2001 the trend of improvement was just above the national pattern. A number of significant factors impact negatively on the perception of the progress pupils make at the school. Just under half of the pupils who took the assessments at the age of seven remained in the school to sit the national tests at the end of Year 6. This is a very high turnover of pupils. When the progress of these pupils, who began their education in the school and remained until the end of Year 6, is considered records show that these pupils made at least the expected progress. Since the last inspection the school has accommodated a unit for pupils considered to have moderate learning difficulties. In 2002 four of these pupils sat the tests for 11 year olds and their results were included in the school’s overall performance. Also the

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

school receives an above average proportion of pupils of different ages who have English as an additional language. Many of these arrive at school with little English. The Friars Primary School - 15 Taking these factors into consideration, many pupils achieve well although their overall standards are below those expected nationally.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Currently standards of attainment at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are below average in English and mathematics as they are in literacy and numeracy. In science standards are average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. In all other subjects standards are in line with national expectations for seven and 11 year olds, except in geography where standards seen are below expected. In religious education standards are below those expected in the locally agreed syllabus for seven year olds and in line with those expected of 11 year olds. Pupils with special educational needs attain well and make good progress as do many pupils who have English as an additional language. The school identified some pupils who are considered to be gifted and talented when compared to the majority of pupils at the school. These also achieve well and make good progress. The school has set relatively low but broadly realistic targets for 11 year olds in the national tests in English and mathematics

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

bearing in mind the high turnover of pupils. In 2002 these targets were not reached and were adversely effected by the unexpected transfer of pupils to and from the school in that year group. There is evidence to suggest that in 2003 the school should be close to its targets for the current year.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Most pupils with special educational needs achieve well in relation to the targets that have been set for them. The findings are broadly similar to the previous inspection although good progress is now being reported in English and science as well as most other subjects.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

7. Throughout the school the majority of pupils have good attitudes to their learning. This is in line with the findings of the previous report. The majority of pupils enjoy coming to school. They respond well and show interest in the activities provided. For instance in a Year 3 religious education lesson pupils listened carefully and enjoyed the experience of studying Jewish bread, provided by a local specialist baker, and understanding its significance for the celebration of the Sabbath. Most pupils work hard and try to do their best. Parents are pleased with the progress their children make in their personal development. Standards of behaviour are good overall. The majority of pupils are courteous and treat staff, parents and visitors politely. They understand well the clear moral code. No instance of bullying or racism was seen during the inspection. There were no exclusions during the last reporting year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. Relationships are very good between staff and pupils and between most of the pupils. Pupils from different ethnic backgrounds get on very well with each other. Older pupils are supportive of those with special educational needs. Pupils like their teachers and feel well cared for. Relationships are open and friendly and pupils feel comfortable when talking to adults including those from outside agencies. Pupils willingly accept responsibilities and enjoy helping with the routines of class and school such as register monitors, water monitors, milk monitors and serving as class representatives on the school council.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. However opportunities for pupils to take personal initiative and responsibility for their own learning are uneven and greater in some classes than in others.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Attendance for the current year at 93.2% has improved since the previous reporting year and is only slightly below the national average. However despite the school’s The Friars Primary School - 16 best efforts a significant minority of pupils still arrive late for school, which causes interruption and disrupts pupils’ learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Most pupils with special educational needs show a positive attitude towards learning. They respond well to the regular opportunities in most lessons to work in small groups, often supported by a teaching assistant. In an English lesson for Year 3 the pupils enjoyed a writing activity where they worked with a teaching assistant to write simple sentences using photographs from a historical theme. The pupils also enjoy using computers, sometimes by working with a partner, to respond to on-screen tasks.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

12. The quality of teaching by teachers and their support assistants is good and has remained a strength of the school since the time of the last inspection, despite a significant change in the teaching staff. The good teaching is found across the school. A particular strength is the impact of this good teaching in the nursery and reception classes where children learn well and, as a result, many are ready to begin the National Curriculum in most areas of learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

13. Overall, in 98 percent of teaching seen the teaching is satisfactory or better. In 70 percent of lessons seen the teaching is good or better. In 15 percent of teaching seen the teaching is very good or excellent. In a very small percentage of lessons the teaching is unsatisfactory.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

14. The good teaching is linked to careful planning and the provision of wide and interesting opportunities inside and outside the school for pupils to enjoy their learning. The teaching of literacy is generally good and lessons are carefully organised to meet the structure of the literacy hour. Teachers teach the basic skills of reading well but sometimes miss opportunities to promote pupils’ skills in speaking and writing and do not consistently set short term achievable targets for individual pupils and groups of pupils to work towards and to help those pupils make the necessary small steps in their learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. The school’s approach to the National Numeracy Strategy is organised well. The elements of the strategy are taught systematically and the needs of those pupils identified as gifted and talented in the school are addressed well, as are those with special educational needs. The teaching of pupils who have English as an additional language is good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. Across the school where teaching is very good or excellent, the teachers demonstrate well what is expected of their pupils. For example, when introducing new ideas in a music lesson or ‘warming up’ in a physical education lesson, pupils are given a clear idea of the standards they should aim to achieve. Teachers have a very good knowledge of and background in their subjects so that for example, in a history lesson about the Roman army, pupils are made aware of how some aspects of a legionary’s way of life have continued to influence our language today. Teachers show realistically high expectations of what their pupils can achieve and praise warmly and consistently so that all the pupils are made to feel important.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. Lessons are made very interesting for pupils because of the way teachers assemble fascinating resources to enrich what is being taught for example, in religious education. Pupils are encouraged to think things out for themselves through brisk and The Friars Primary School - 17 purposeful questioning which prompt pupils to reflect on what they have learnt previously. 18. Nearly all of the teaching for pupils with special educational needs is good. Teachers and their support assistants have a positive impact on pupils’ learning. An example of this was at the start of a Year 2 literacy session, while most pupils were learning to pronounce the sounds made by letter combinations such as in “air”, an experienced teaching assistant provided an alternative activity for special educational needs pupils in the room, based on the sounds of the first and last letters of simple words such as “cat” and “mat”. This was appropriately matched to the pupils’ elementary level of

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

understanding. The pupils were skilfully integrated back into the class ready for the main theme of the lesson. In a Year 6 writing lesson sensitive marking by the class teacher ensured that pupils with special educational needs had clear and simple directions towards improving their writing. The teaching of those identified as being gifted or talented is good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Where teaching is unsatisfactory or is satisfactory but has some weaknesses, the teachers do not plan carefully enough to promote pupils’ skills in speaking and writing and are too ready to accept short, one or two word answers. In some lessons the work set is too challenging for many of the pupils to understand and complete in the time.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Overall, the quality of marking is good. Teachers regularly assess pupils’ work and use that information to judge the likely standards pupils should achieve in the future. They do not however consistently make the best use of this information to set short term practical targets for pupils and groups of pupils to work towards. There are appropriate arrangements for the setting of homework that is often closely related to the work pupils are doing in their lessons.

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PUPILS?

21. The learning opportunities provided by the school are very good. The curriculum is broad, balanced and relevant to the needs of the pupils. It fully meets statutory requirements for all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. It is enriched with very good opportunities for the personal and social education of the pupils, through the inclusion of many visits, a programme of outdoor activities and residential stays at centres in North Wales. All pupils have full access to the curriculum. Higher attaining pupils, pupils with special educational needs and those learning through English as an additional language are all very supported well by specialist staff. A learning mentor provides good support for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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PUPILS?

22. Pupils enter the school with poorly developed language skills and because of this the curriculum is biased in favour of English. The national strategies for literacy and numeracy have both been implemented, although in some circumstances the curriculum does not give sufficient emphasis to developing the skills of speaking and writing effectively. Teachers have a secure knowledge of each strategy. Higher attaining pupils in Years 5 and 6 are provided with specialist teaching in small groups in English and mathematics. This is effective in enabling them to achieve as well as they can and has a significant impact on the pupils’ confidence and self esteem. The quality and range of leaning opportunities for developing pupils’ information and communication technology skills is very good. The curriculum is planned through topics and the teaching and learning of information and communication technology

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PUPILS?

occurs in context with other subjects. This is very effective in enabling the pupils to The Friars Primary School - 18 see the relevance of information and communication technology and in stimulating their interest. Several of the topics across the school are planned to have a history and geography content. These include, the Victorians, the Egyptians, the Great Fire of London, Holidays and Toys. In teaching these topics there is an emphasis towards history and this is reflected in the pupils’ books, which contain comparatively little work on geography.

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PUPILS?

23. The provision for extra-curricular activities is very good. Physical Education is enriched by very good opportunities for activities such as fitness training, orienteering, rock climbing and water sports. There are very good links with local museums. Pupils visit ‘Larkhill Place’ to experience life in a Victorian street and regularly attend presentations in ‘living history’ at the Pumphouse Museum. They also visit the Science and Industry Museum for workshop sessions. After-school clubs include a good range of activities, such as netball, cricket, dance, art and drama. Most pupils in Years 5 and 6 participate in week’s stay at a residential centre and this contributes positively to their social development. A member of staff provides well organised games and activities for the pupils at lunchtimes.

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PUPILS?

24. Provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education through a planned programme of study is very good. There is a strong commitment to teaching about personal issues such as relationships, bullying and moral responsibilities. Time is dedicated to teaching about personal, social and health issues, including sex education. The school has a “health afternoon” for older pupils and makes good use of a ‘Life Caravan’ for teaching about the dangers of drugs misuse and smoking. This is supported by the School Health Service, which holds weekly drop-in sessions at the school for parents.

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PUPILS?

25. There are very good links with the local community. These make a positive impact on the pupils’ learning. Visitors to the school include, representatives of the police, fire and ambulance services. Their visits promote good relationships between the pupils and representatives of the community. A visit by the Groundwork Trust increased the pupils’ awareness of sustainability and led to a school project on recycling. The Birmingham Royal Ballet visits each year and holds workshops with each class and the school makes use of an artist in residence who works collaboratively with the pupils to produce paintings and decorations such as the large banner that decorates the entrance to the school.

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PUPILS?

26. The school has very good relationships with the local high school. In Year 6, teachers from the high school visit the Friars to talk to pupils and pupils visit the high school on open days. As part of the school’s participation in initiatives linked to attempts to improve the social, educational and economic conditions in the local area, a high school teacher, who focuses on fitness and gender, runs fitness tests for the older pupils. In addition, pupils are encouraged to become involved in helping in activities such as swimming and sport at the high school. This adds to the work that the school does as part of the taught curriculum in promoting a healthy lifestyle as well as helping in the transition of pupils from the Friars to the high school at the end of Year 6.

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PUPILS?

27. The school makes very good provision overall for pupils spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. This is an improvement on the findings of the previous inspection.

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PUPILS?

28. The school’s provision for pupils’ spiritual development is good. Teachers aim to encourage the spiritual development of pupils through helping them to recognise their The Friars Primary School - 19 own creativity and the creativity of others, for example in their painting after the style of Van Gogh and Monet and the display of paintings and collage work by Year 2 depicting mother nature. Collective worship meets statutory requirements and there is good provision for pupils to learn about the beliefs and celebrations of other faiths in assemblies and religious education lessons. Pupils of all faiths are encouraged to be proud of their own religious beliefs.

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PUPILS?

29. The provision for moral education is very good. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. Pupils discuss and understand school rules. The school has high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Staff expect pupils to be truthful and honest and try to ensure that all pupils become valued members of the community. Pupils learn about the difference between right and wrong and displays around the school emphasise care and consideration for others. Moral issues are discussed by pupils, such as the affect of pollution on the environment.

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PUPILS?

30. Social development is very well promoted. The development of understanding and empathy for others is an essential component of pupils’ personal and social education. The school provides very good opportunities, which help pupils’ manage their relationships confidently and effectively. Every attempt is made to ensure pupils work co-operatively collaboratively and there are very good procedures for resolving conflict, to decide on issues democratically and to give pupils responsibility.

p.19

PUPILS?

31. Provision for cultural development is very good. The school prepares pupils very well for a culturally diverse life through respect for different religions and cultures, as seen in the attractive displays on Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Pupils study other countries such as life in an Indian village at the present time. Pupils have studied the Romans and Victorians and have compared Salford in Victorian times with life in Salford today. Pupils have worked with artists in residence and theatre groups have visited the school. Visits have been made to many places of local interest, which enhances pupils knowledge of their own culture.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. The assessment procedures in the Foundation Stage are very good. Clearly focused observations are used to assess pupils’ basic skills as they enter and leave the nursery and reception classes. The information from these observations and parents’ views are used effectively to identify potential difficulties and to target specific groups for focused support. The school has prepared well for the introduction of the base line assessment profile for the Foundation Stage. The staff use the tracking system effectively to plan for focused observations. The outcomes of these observations are discussed in the planning meeting every week and actions are taken to incorporate these in to the planning. As a result pupils make good and sometimes very good progress in their learning and they achieve well.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. The school is continually revising and developing its assessment procedures. The systems in place to assess and monitor pupils’ attainment and progress in Year 1 to Year 6 are sound, overall. The school uses teacher assessments and standardised and optional tests to assess and set targets in English, mathematics and science. Through a recently set up assessment system using information and communication, the school is beginning to track pupils’ progress from one year to the next as well as achievement over a period of time. Teachers use assessment information and other data well to predict levels of achievement by the end of a year and to identify groups for additional support and extension work. However, procedures to monitor pupils’ progress towards these levels are less effective. There are no short-term targets The Friars Primary School - 20 identified or shared with pupils to help them overcome specific difficulties. Pupils do

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

not take responsibility for their learning by evaluating their progress against short-term targets set for them. The school has used the assessment information carefully to identify some areas for additional work in English, for example in speaking and listening and in writing skills. The school has revised the writing targets in the light of new assessment criteria set by the government. The assessment coordinator is currently trying out a system in her class to involve pupils in evaluating their own learning in English against the outcome of the lessons. However, these systems are fairly new, most of them were introduced at the beginning of this year, and are yet to have an impact on the standards pupils achieve by the age of seven and 11.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. The assessment procedures to identify and support pupils with special educational needs are good. Staff working with pupils with special educational needs have a good understanding of their individual needs and they use their observation and assessment information effectively to gauge pupils’ progress towards their targets. The identification and assessment of pupils with English as an additional language and the actions taken to support them are effective. As a result, most of these pupils attain well and make good progress.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. Teachers use the assessment information effectively to plan for work matched to pupils’ needs in most areas of the curriculum. In English and science, teachers use the information effectively to set tasks to match pupils needs and to offer extra support in lessons. However, in mathematics, work is not always targeted to meet individual needs. Marking of pupils’ work varies considerably across the school and between different subjects. Most comments are on how well pupils have done rather than what they did well and what they need to improve. Some good examples were also seen in English where teachers’ marking clearly identifies what pupils need to consider when they attempt their next work and their progress in these aspects are checked through consistently. Marking is one of the areas identified for further development. The school has introduced a new marking policy in the spring term and

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

plans are in hand to monitor the impact of this. Pupils are assessed at the end of each unit in most of the foundation subjects. There is a need to further develop the recording and monitoring of these subjects to have a consistent approach through out school.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. As found at the time of the previous inspection the staff work hard to provide a caring environment. Adults treat pupils with respect; they know their pupils well and value them as individuals. Teachers closely monitor pupils` personal development. The school places good emphasis on raising their esteem through for example stories in assembly emphasising everyone is ‘special’. The school’s agreed behaviour policy very successfully promotes good behaviour and staff apply the procedures very consistently. Staff, pupils and parents are aware of the school’s policy for dealing with incidents of bullying and racism. The school monitors attendance and punctuality well and any absence is followed up the same day by the learning mentor who is also working as part of the school’s behaviour improvement programme. Teachers call the registers at the beginning of each session and the school promotes and rewards

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. The school has a clear child protection policy. Procedures comply with those of the area child protection committee and all staff are fully aware of these procedures. Staff undertake appropriate training.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. The school successfully looks after the health of pupils, their safety and general well being. Older pupils have taken part in the “Crucial Crew Sessions” and the school is The Friars Primary School - 21 part of the healthy schools initiative. First aid boxes are appropriately stocked and sited and the school maintains an accident book for recording incidents. All the necessary checks on electrical and fire equipment are up to date. The governors have approved a comprehensive health and safety policy and carry out regular risk assessments. 39. Each class teacher has a detailed register of the pupils with special educational needs showing the stage on the Code of Practice and the range of needs. Pupils with moderate learning difficulties access the ‘Yellow Room’, the special educational needs unit where they are taught a programme strongly based on literacy and numeracy. Individual educational plans are reviewed twice each year, targets set

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

clearly and communication with parents maintained.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. As found at the time of the previous inspection the school’s partnership with parents has a positive effect on learning. The majority of parents in response to the questionnaire indicate that they are pleased with what the school provides. Parents have confidence in the school’s ability to meet the needs of their children.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41. The quality of information provided for parents is good. Termly newsletters successfully inform them about school events and activities. Parents of children in the nursery receive an informative starting school brochure to help them and staff work closely with these parents when they begin school. The school prospectus gives useful information about the curriculum and school organisation. Pupils` annual progress reports give details of what pupils know, broad targets for development and progress made. However there is a lack of consistency in the information provided for parents between year groups. There are termly parent teacher consultations and parents are pleased with the detailed information they receive at these meetings. The school has an ‘open door’ policy and the head teacher is available in the playground most days before and after school to speak to parents. Parents’ involvement in the

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

life and work of the school is good overall. Parents are supportive of the school homework policy and the majority ensure that the homework given is returned completed on the correct day. Parents are consulted by questionnaire, for example, regarding the recent change in school uniform. The school holds workshops for parents such as the parents’ survival course, which enables them to better support their children’s learning. The recently formed Parent Teacher Association organises fundraising and social events to support the school for example the nail art session and the forthcoming summer fair.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. As found at the previous inspection the school makes very good use of the facilities in the local community, for example the Victorian school room at Ordsall Hall, Manchester Urbis Museum and the Imperial War Museum North. Visitors, such as a theatre group and artist in residence enliven the curriculum. The school has very good links with its partner high school in the education action zone and benefits from coaching in rugby league, tennis, cricket and Manchester United Football Club for football in the community sessions. The high school organises tournaments between its nine feeder primary schools at the end of each group of lessons. A teacher from the high school teaches dance and drama as part of the curriculum and runs an after school dance club. Pupils attend workshops at the high school from time to time such as that recently held on making stained glass.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. Pupils gain experience of the world of work through activities undertaken through the Salford Business Partnership including visits to schools by a journalist to make a school newspaper and visiting the site of the new high school to learn about The Friars Primary School - 22 construction techniques. The Business Partnership also arranges for employees of the Guardian Newspaper and the local tax office to assist the school by hearing pupils read.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. The quality of leadership and management by the headteacher and key staff is very good. The governing body is effective and fulfils its duties well. This aspect was a strength at the time of the last inspection and the leadership of the new headteacher is also of a high quality. The headteacher has been very successful in ensuring that there continues to be a very high commitment from all those involved in the school to provide a high quality education for pupils and to raise standards further. Teachers and their assistants share these aspirations and respond well as a team to the challenges they face. A particular strength is the way coordinators manage their subjects and strive hard to make their subjects rich and interesting for pupils to enjoy their learning. The overall management of the nursery and reception classes is very good. Each member of the team plays a significant role in improving the provision

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

there. There are good procedures in place to assess the quality of teaching and learning going on at first hand and to work willingly with colleague to address any shortcomings. The school is very well placed to improve further.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. The school has made satisfactory progress towards addressing the key issues indicated in the last inspection. The health and safety issues raised in that report have been successfully dealt with and good use is made of specialist teaching for example, to help to raise standards in music and to provide additional challenges for those pupils who the school considers to be gifted and talented. However, the quality of pupils’ speaking skills is still low and not enough emphasis is given to ensure that pupils use language in a range of contexts. While the school has made significant efforts to enrich pupils’ language skills, the high turnover of pupils often militates against longer-term success in this area.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. The governing body fulfils its statutory duties well and many governors are well informed and provide a knowledgeable steer to the overall work of the school. They share the professional staff’s clear educational aims and objectives and the high expectations about achieving them. However, the school development plan has significant weaknesses, which prevent it from being a useful and effective working document to ensure school improvement. Currently it lacks clear measurable targets for improvement, information about the action to be taken to achieve these targets, procedures for monitoring progress, and broad estimates of cost, time implications and ways of judging success. The school has identified this as an area for improvement and is currently beginning a process of review to address these weaknesses.

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The leadership of special educational needs is good. The special educational needs coordinator assumed responsibility for this aspect two years ago and has attended appropriate training to ensure that the service provided meets the national code of practice. The special educational needs coordinator who ensures the special educational needs register is updated and available to each teacher, supports the early assessment of pupils where concerns are raised. The special educational needs coordinator, who manages the administration of individual education plans well preparing them with the aid of a software package, has a direct link to the many external agencies and specialists involved in pupils’ assessment and support. The funding, designated to support pupils with special educational needs, is strictly managed in order that pupils benefit as intended. The Friars Primary School - 23 48. With approximately two-fifths of pupils identified with special educational needs in

p.22

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

most year groups the governors have responded by appointing many teaching and special educational needs support assistants. They have also extended the provision, through an “Excellence in Cities” initiative to appointment of a teacher to work with those pupils identified as gifted and talented. These pupils are withdrawn for literacy and numeracy lessons and benefit from the opportunity to work in a structured learning programme appropriate to their needs.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. Although the present school development plan omits financial costings to support school priorities, the school budget is managed well. The governors have supported the headteacher in securing several grants and specialist funds such as those linked to central government initiatives to help improve educational, social and economic conditions in the area. In addition, considerable funding is received to support pupils with special educational needs who from a significant percentage of the pupil roll. The additional funding has helped provide many teaching assistants. The good progress made by pupils with special educational needs is directly related to the way teaching has improved by the positive contribution of many teaching assistants.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The school has an increasing projected surplus. However this relates to greater delegation by the local education authority from April 2003 of some special educational needs staffing and transport costs. The headteacher therefore has planned for the increase in budget needed in the coming year to support the present level of staffing and those elements subject to recharge.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The most recent report auditors noted all assessments of financial management at least satisfactory with good control of pupil welfare arrangements. There was a prompt response to recommendations made to improve practice and more recently the principles of best value are being increasingly adopted. For example the headteacher attended presentations by several financial service providers prior to approving the current service level agreement. The headteacher provides members of the finance sub-committee with timely financial information so that they can consider the costs when alternative proposals for school developments are being discussed. For example the fact that most pupils’ make good progress and behave well can be traced to the good adult to pupil ratio present at the school.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. Good progress has been made in ensuring the premises facilities provide support to pupils with special educational needs. Most of the internal areas are accessible by wheelchair; an external ramp is scheduled for construction for the autumn term 2003. The central skylight has been fitted with tinted glazing to reduce glare for pupils with sensitive vision.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The school’s resources are good overall. They are very good in mathematics, information and communication technology and art. In other subjects except music, resources are good. The music resources are satisfactory. The overall accommodation is good and teachers and support assistants make every effort to make the building an attractive and stimulating place for their pupils.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. There are satisfactory routines for day-to-day administration and financial practices. Good diary planning arrangements ensure the school administrator has access to dedicated time with headteacher. This results in prompt and efficient completion of returns, ordering of stock and services and updating of pupil information to the school database. Good progress has been made since the previous inspection in the use of information and communication technology to make school administration more efficient and the professional development of the school administrator has been The Friars Primary School - 24 appropriately considered. Bearing in mind the overall good quality of teaching and the education provided compared to the high income per pupil, the school provides satisfactory value for money.

p.23

THE UNIT FOR PUPILS WITH MODERATE LEARNING DIFFICULTIES (MLD)

55. The special unit for up to ten pupils with statements of special educational needs (MLD) is housed in a small teaching area with annexe and staffed by a teacher and nursing assistant. The pupils, who are mostly admitted from beyond the locality of the school, are taught in small groups of usually four pupils. The curriculum covers core skills of literacy and numeracy with some practical experiences that extend to other subjects. The provision is inclusive as pupils are fully integrated with their respective year group in mainstream classes for the foundation subjects and with a full programme of school activities.

p.24

THE UNIT FOR PUPILS WITH MODERATE LEARNING DIFFICULTIES (MLD)

56. Standards of attainment are well below the average for the pupils’ age. However, most pupils make good progress in terms of the targets written into their IEPs. This is because they benefit from the generous teacher/assistant to pupil ratio and consequently the high percentage of time give to their individual attention. Most of the teaching is good and focussed on the acquisition of basic skills within English and mathematics. Information and communication technology skills are regularly taught through these subjects and pupils learn to use a keyboard and programme an electronic turtle.

p.24

THE UNIT FOR PUPILS WITH MODERATE LEARNING DIFFICULTIES (MLD)

57. In a mathematics lesson for Year 4 pupils with MLD the teacher had carefully prepared practical resources to aid pupil’s understanding of fractions. The teacher asked questions sensitively and carefully using clear speech and elementary vocabulary as pupils rolled a fraction “dice” before placing shapes on a fraction base sheet. In another mathematics lesson, for pupils in Year 6, work on triangles developed well when the pupils programmed an electronic turtle to travel a route along the “sides” and round the “corners” on the classroom floor. The pupils enjoyed this well prepared activity, it helped them to learn how to estimate and it gave them the chance to cooperate with each other. English is also given high priority with many activities promoting reading speaking, listening and writing skills. During a Year 4 reading session, led by the nursing assistant, pupils occasionally skipped a word or

p.24

THE UNIT FOR PUPILS WITH MODERATE LEARNING DIFFICULTIES (MLD)

made a simple error. The assistant ensured they practised the word again so that their accuracy in reading improved. Sometimes corrections were made to improve the pupils’ speaking skills, particularly as some pupils regularly pronounce words incorrectly. This steady but determined approach to raising standards in literacy and numeracy is having a positive impact as pupils make good progress relative to their prior attainment.

p.24

THE UNIT FOR PUPILS WITH MODERATE LEARNING DIFFICULTIES (MLD)

58. Pupils also have opportunities to work practically such as art or design technology. Pupils have produced images of sunsets by drawing, painting, cutting and sticking. They have observed photographs of African painted houses and interpreted the designs by painted sequences of shapes using sympathetic colours.

p.24

THE UNIT FOR PUPILS WITH MODERATE LEARNING DIFFICULTIES (MLD)

59. Good records are kept of each pupil’s progress and a tracking system has been introduced to log reading and number assessment such as those covering each pupil’s understanding of words that are spoken and written most often. There is regular contact with external agencies. At present 8 pupils benefit from access to a speech therapist who visits on a three-week cycle. The Friars Primary School - 25 60. The special educational needs coordinator is the lead teacher in the unit and manages its day-to-day running well. Good use has been made of finance targeted for the unit and devolved to the special educational needs coordinator. As a result resources for learning are good. Some aspects of the staff professional development are undertaken with staff of a similar unit within Salford.

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

61. The governing body, headteacher and staff should:

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) raise standards in speaking and writing in English and across the curriculum by:

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(a) providing more structured opportunities for pupils to express themselves orally and to appreciate how to use language in a range of contexts; and

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(b) increasing the range of pupils’ vocabulary * ; (Paragraphs 5, 14, 45, 65, 79, 80, 95, 104, 119, 124)

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) raise standards in English, mathematics and science by using the school’s assessment procedures to identify short-term achievable targets for individual pupils and small groups of pupils to achieve and by putting in place arrangements for pupils to monitor and record their own progress towards them; (Paragraphs 14, 20, 33, 35, 90, 96, 106)

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) raise standards in geography across the school and in religious education at the end of Year 2; (Paragraphs 5, 118, 119)

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) strengthen the school development plan so that it is a more effective working document by including in it, clear measurable targets for improvement, information about the action to be taken to achieve the targets, procedures for monitoring progress, broad estimates of costs, financial implications and ways of judging success*. (Paragraph 45)

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

* W hich the school has identified as a priority.

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Other areas for development the governors need to include in their action plan are:-

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Review arrangements for the writing of pupils’ annual reports to parents so that each report consistently reflects each pupil’s standards of attainment and the progress they make. (Paragraph 42) The Friars Primary School - 26

p.25

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 33

p.26

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.26

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 one percentage point.

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 33 202

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 142

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 15

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 4 75

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 23

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 39

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 30

p.26

Attendance

School data 7.3 School data 0.1 The Friars Primary School - 27 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.26

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. The Friars Primary School - 28

p.27

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 6 19 25

p.28

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.28

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

Boys - - - Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 10 9 14

p.28

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

Percentage of pupils School 56 (67) 52 (67) 76 (79) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (840 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.28

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.28

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

Boys - - - Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 8 7 7

p.28

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

Percentage of pupils School 48 (67) 44 (79) 48 (92)

p.28

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Because fewer than ten boys took these tests individual boy figures are not provided.

p.28

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 13 34

p.28

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.28

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

Boys 9 7 18 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 6 7 11

p.28

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

Percentage of pupils School 44 (69) 41 (58) 85 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

p.28

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.28

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

Boys 9 9 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 9 9 10

p.28

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

Percentage of pupils School 53 (65) 53 (64) 76 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

p.28

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. The Friars Primary School - 29

p.28

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.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 2 0 0

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 4 0 0

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 5 0 0

p.29

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – any other Black background 1 0 0

p.29

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.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 13 Financial year 2002/2003

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 18.1

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR– Y6 Total income 759,125

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 9 Total expenditure 807,360

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 197 Expenditure per pupil 3,435.57

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 43,692

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 99,284

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 34

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 50 The Friars Primary School - 30 Number of pupils per FTE adult 11.3

p.29

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. The Friars Primary School - 31

p.30

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 5

p.31

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 5

p.31

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.31

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.31

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.31

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. The Friars Primary School - 32

p.31

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 89 11 0 0 0

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 61 28 0 0 11

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 50 44 3 0 3

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 69 31 0 0 0

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 83 17 0 0 0

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 78 22 0 0 0

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 61 36 0 0 3

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 64 33 0 0 3

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 72 28 0 0 0

p.32

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 36 44 3 3 14 The Friars Primary School - 33

p.32

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

62. The school has 39 full time equivalent nursery places. At the time of the inspection 34 children attended the nursery on a full time basis and 36 children attended the reception classes. The foundation stage is a strength of the school. All staff have high expectations of what children can achieve in their work and in their behaviour. Staff are knowledgeable about how young children learn and use this knowledge effectively to offer appropriate help and support.

p.33

Personal, social and emotional development

63. Children enter the nursery with low levels of skills in personal, social and emotional development. Most children when they enter the nursery find it hard to leave their parents and carers. The help and support offered by the nursery staff enables them to settle into the general routines of the nursery very quickly and they begin to play alongside others happily. Children make very good progress in this area of learning in both nursery and reception classes. By the time they leave the reception classes, the majority are well on the way to attaining at least the early learning goals in this area, particularly in their personal and social skills, although their emotional skills are less well developed.

p.33

Personal, social and emotional development

64. The teaching in this area is very good. The staff in the nursery and reception classes provide a calm, happy and caring environment where the children feel secure and valued. The well-organised resources help children to be independent as they gain confidence to choose and try out different things. The children show involvement and concentration as they attempt various activities independently. Children take responsibilities around the class willingly. Snack times are used effectively to develop children’s social skills and self-registration in the morning and afternoon enable children to develop their personal skills. Children have a good sense about right and wrong through listening to stories and discussions. Children know how to take turns and not to shout out when sharing their ideas and experiences. Most children in reception class are confident to try out new things.

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Communication, language and literacy

65. Standards in this area of learning are below those expected. When children start the nursery they have very limited communication skills and they need considerable support in communicating their needs. The majority of children in the nursery listen well and follow their teachers’ instructions but find it hard to initiate conversations. Most verbal responses are one word answers and gestures. Children in the reception classes are gaining confidence and some but not all speak in whole class and small group conversations with some confidence.

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Communication, language and literacy

66. The quality of teaching is good and teachers try hard to give these children every encouragement in this area but few are ready by the age of six to begin the National Curriculum.

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Communication, language and literacy

67. Children in the nursery know how to handle books and children in the reception classes are beginning to retell stories in the right order. By the end of the reception classes most pupils recognise letter sounds but very few can use this knowledge to sound out unknown words to make sense of what they are reading. The Friars Primary School - 34 68. The quality of teaching is good and children in both nursery and reception classes are given good opportunities to write for different purposes whether it is writing the invitations to the party or writing about what they have observed and experienced. Staff use some elements of the National Literacy Strategy effectively to extend children’s language and literacy skills.

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Mathematical development

69. Children do not reach the expected standards in this area of learning because of their well below average starting point. The teaching is good in both nursery and reception classes, staff in the nursery use a variety of activities to make learning about mathematics fun for young children. Teachers encourage children to join in with number rhymes and songs they are familiar with. The reception staff effectively build on these experiences and extend children’s mathematical knowledge. Teachers in the reception classes use some aspects of the National Numeracy Strategy well to begin to develop children’s ideas and ways of solving problems. A small number of higher attaining pupils have a sound understanding of basic numbers and their relationships. Older children in reception classes are beginning to identify some three dimensional shapes around the classrooms. They can order two objects according

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Mathematical development

to their heights. They are beginning to use the vocabulary related to size and position as they build and compare their models when using construction equipment.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

70. By the age of six children have made good progress in this area of learning and achieve the early learning goals. Individual children at the start of the nursery have very little experience of the world around them. The exciting learning environment and the carefully selected topics helps children to explore the world around them and find out how things work.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

71. Nursery children identify the changes taking place in a mixture as they add melted chocolate to rice crispies. Nursery children use simple tools and methods confidently to make models of their homes using recycled materials. Through their drawings and painting children identify some of the people who help them. Children in the reception classes use their senses to investigate objects. For example they can smell and taste the different types of crisps in an experiment and state their likes and dislikes.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

72. The quality of teaching is good, careful questioning by staff in both nursery and reception classes enable children to develop their thinking and speaking skills. Children in the reception classes can build and construct with a wide range of objects, they select appropriate materials and adapt their techniques to join and assemble different parts. Children in the nursery and reception classes use the computer confidently when using simple programmes. Children know about important events in their lives. They are given good opportunities to talk about and express their feeling through discussion times and through carefully planned activities such as when making a “wishing card”. They learn about the beliefs and cultures and others through stories and celebrations of different festivals.

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Physical development

73. Children are on course to reach expected levels in the early learning goals for children of this age by the time they leave the reception classes and they make good progress. The teaching in this area is good. Nursery children use space well as they play The Friars Primary School - 35 games and play on wheeled toys. They show increasing control and confidence when doing this and have a growing understanding of safety when playing outside. They take care when using tools such as scissors to make their models. In reception classes children are able to combine different movements as they explore different ways of moving around. They show a growing awareness of safety as they use space to explore different movements. They can identify that their heart beats faster after taking part in physical exercise.

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Creative development

74. Children make good progress in this area and reach expected levels. Carefully set up role-play areas and other resources help children to use materials as ‘props’ to create roles and situations. They enjoy singing and learning new songs. The use different materials to build, paint and draw. They know how to perform simple dances and how to interpret music in their movements. Children in the nursery use these opportunities effectively to develop their play. The quality of teaching is good and teachers use opportunities well for children to explore different materials and media.

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ENGLISH

75. Standards in English are below average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils’ results in the 2002 statutory tests were lower than those of the previous year at age seven. In reading and writing whereas two thirds of boys attained Level 2 at age seven, only half of girls reached this standard. In the period between 1998 and 2002, girls attained higher results than boys in the end of Year 2 national assessments in reading and writing. This can be traced to a higher proportion of girls with special educational needs and English as an additional language in that particular cohort. In 2002, the English results for girls and boys at age 11 were similar, they were 13 per cent below the published target for 2002. Given the proportion of pupils with special educational needs and the significant mobility of pupils both transferring into and out of the school, this target had been too ambitious. However the proportion of pupils

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ENGLISH

reaching the higher level (Level 5) in the national tests for 11 year olds in 2002 was above average for similar schools and reflects well on the extra help given to those pupils who the school considers gifted and talented. Between 1998 and 2002, at the end of Year 6 national tests for 11 year olds boys and girls attained similar results.

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ENGLISH

76. The school tracking data indicates pupils’ performance in the national tests at age 11 for 2003 is likely to be similar to last year with the percentage of boys and girls currently assessed by the school as reaching Level 4 proportionately similar. Test results continue to be low and affected by three factors:

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ENGLISH

• There is a high percentage of pupils with special educational needs, a significant percentage of who have moderate learning difficulties. • Few pupils have spent their full primary education at this school. Where this has happened many of these pupils have made the expected rate of progress between age seven and age 11. • These older pupils have not had the long-term benefit of the improvements in teaching reported in this inspection.

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ENGLISH

77. Although standards in this inspection are similar to those reported at the time of the previous inspection the attainment of pupils entering Year 1 continues to be below average. On this basis many have achieved well across all aspects of English by the time they leave the school. The Friars Primary School - 36 78. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in terms of the targets set for them because they benefit from the careful and sensitive support they receive from classroom assistants. Pupils with English as a second language also make good progress; some of these pupils are the most able or within the higher ability range in some year groups.

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ENGLISH

79. In speaking and listening, by the end of Year 2, most pupils listen to their teacher and respond using simple vocabulary. Some pupils can describe what is happening in photographs or in illustrations placed before them. However, many pupils pronounce words incorrectly. For example, in a Year 2 lesson some pupils used the incorrect tense when speaking the word “read”. Often pupils’ answers to questions are simple in the form of “yes” or “no”. Few pupils are sufficiently confident speakers to incorporate detail into their responses, which would be more typical of this age. Pupils easily slip into local dialect when speaking to their teacher; a few of them are starting to become aware of how important it is to speak clearly and properly. Generally pupils are attentive and listen satisfactorily as their teachers introduce them to the tasks they are to complete. Pupils listened carefully as their teacher read out

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ENGLISH

statements that were true or false such as “Can you bang a drum?” or “Can a dog start a car?” [This does not make sense] Through accurate listening in an activity they found amusing, many were able to make an appropriate response.

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ENGLISH

80. In speaking and listening, by the end of Year 6, pupils have regular opportunities to listen to each other’s contributions as discussion develops in lessons. Whereas many do listen carefully and are willing to make responses and suggest ideas, the range of vocabulary they draw on is more typical of that expected of pupils in Year 3 rather than those in Year 6. In conversation with an adult many pupils were reluctant to discuss at length what they like or dislike about school. Similarly when describing the characters of a book they have read pupils tend to use simple terms rather than make thoughtful, considered responses backed up by reason. However another pupil, formerly provided with support in a language unit, had made very good progress and was now able to approach an adult to ask very politely about the next steps in a writing task.

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ENGLISH

81. In reading, by the end of Year 2, most pupils can follow the lead of their teacher when reading stories together. Year 2 pupils had read frequently together the story “Not Now Bernard!”. Through regular practice most recognised the phrase used for the title on the large format book used for shared reading. They enjoyed this story with some beginning to introduce expression into their reading, as they were encouraged to read the title louder and with more feeling. Pupils are learning to read a variety of information such as the days of the week. However few pupils are reaching standards expected for their age. Although more able pupils, who can recall significant facts from the story, are fluent, with independent reading skills and can read words such as “envelope” and “patchwork” confidently very few Year 2 pupils reach these above average standards. Pupils within the average ability range struggle

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ENGLISH

with elementary but to them unfamiliar words, sometimes sounding out words incorrectly. Not all of these pupils recognise the contents page or index in information books and this limits their library skills. A significant percentage of Year 2 pupils are on the school special educational needs register, some have only attended the school for a short time and some rely very heavily on book illustrations to make chance guesses when attempting to read.

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ENGLISH

82. Many pupils, particularly those who have continued to attend school throughout the age range make good progress in reading and by the end of Year 6 have become more independent and confident readers. Book extracts, displayed on the class The Friars Primary School - 37 interactive board, are often used well in literacy lessons and pupils have good opportunities to read with their teacher. Most keep up with the pace of reading together. However, the reading standards of the more able pupils are more typical of the average in most schools with pupils having a satisfactory rather than good understanding of story characters, the plot, and the ability to recall key events and read with expression. Some Year 6 pupils of average attainment are keen to read but they still encounter difficulty at age 11 with words such as “wishing” or “muttered”. Overall many pupils lack reading attack skills when faced with difficulties and this

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ENGLISH

limits their understanding of how the story line is developing.

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ENGLISH

83. In writing, by the end of Year 2, pupils are writing for a variety of purposes such as re- telling stories, making lists and adding labels to diagrams. Work in other subjects provides good opportunities for writing. For example, Year 2 pupils learned how to write captions to accompany digital photographic images depicting themselves decorating Easter eggs. When writing stories, although some pupils use simple punctuation such as capital letters and full stops, they do not apply these writing skills consistently. As a result work from the Autumn term shows these skills being used well. Later in the school year some pupils have forgotten to apply the skills they were previously taught. More able pupils, of whom there are very few, have made good progress in writing techniques. These pupils, with English as a additional language and who have been at the school for a relatively short time, are linking sentences

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ENGLISH

together with terms such as “meanwhile” and using wider vocabulary such as “mulching” when writing about the way animals eat grass. Average ability Year 2 pupils, starting from a position of low writing skills, have made good progress and by the end of the first term are writing full sentences. By the third term in the school year some of these pupils were producing a full page of writing, although punctuation skills continued to be inconsistently applied. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in writing because they benefit from personal support. At the start of the year lower attaining pupils are still learning to form letters and their pencil control is uneven. By the spring term, with considerable individual support, pupils can set out a story using pictures and add simple words together as they start to construct sentences.

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ENGLISH

84. In writing, by the end of Year 6, average ability pupils are regularly constructing sentences using correct grammatical structure. Their use of punctuation now includes speech marks, commas and question marks. Some are enhancing their work by using bullet points. Inspection scrutiny of pupils’ topic books shows that by age 11 some pupils have made sufficient good progress to label science diagrams, enter data from experiments into tables and construct a key for map work in geography. Those pupils, identified by the school as gifted and talented, can write a two page account of an event, or review of a book in which they express a point of view using phrases such as “I think the speaker means ...” Sometimes these pupils have posed questions or developed an argument through their writing; as they do this they improve the quality by adding descriptive words drawn from a wider vocabulary. However, the overall standard of writing produced by these more able pupils is typical

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ENGLISH

of what would be expected by age 11 in most schools. Pupils with special educational needs, with focussed support, are improving their writing by using simple planning notes. They are writing simple sentences, sometimes punctuated with capital letters and full stops.

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ENGLISH

85. Standards of handwriting and presentation are below average across the school. Pupils’ ability to present work neatly is variable; some pupils achieve good standards of letter formation and have become confident in joined up writing, although a few others start a new exercise book well but then slip into careless presentation as the The Friars Primary School - 38 term progresses with erratic letter formation that does not follow the lines on the page. Some pupils write neatly in their handwriting practice books but do not carry over these skills to writing in other English exercise books or topics. Pupils are benefiting form the regular use of information and communication technology to help edit their work and improve spelling.

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ENGLISH

86. Although pupils are set spellings as part of homework, standards remain below average throughout the school. Significantly many pupils make mistakes when spelling despite being regularly taught about letter combinations such as “ow”, “ai” and “qu” that they use regularly in words such as “clown”, “hair” or “queen”. By age 11 this inconsistency in applying accurate spelling remains although by now pupils are attempting spellings such as “holiday” and “history” (average ability pupils), “skeleton” and “medicine” (above average pupils). Generally the standard of spelling of pupils aged 11 is more typical of middle age range juniors.

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ENGLISH

87. The quality of teaching is good. Teachers are confident and have satisfactorily implemented the National Literacy Strategy. Pupils’ work is marked regularly with good guidance provided to them on how to improve. In a very good Year 6 lesson the teacher skilfully used the positive comments made on a pupil’s piece of writing to help improve the standard throughout the class.

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ENGLISH

88. Very good use is made of additional support provided by teaching assistants in most lessons. Teaching assistants, who are well briefed on their role and are very knowledgeable about the progress of individual pupils, regularly provided a parallel teaching programme finely tuned to match the very low attainment of some pupils. In a Year 3 writing activity, while the teacher pushed average ability pupils to use nouns, verbs and adjectives more confidently, the teaching assistant sensitively encouraged pupils with special educational needs to work cooperatively to write simple sentences as they handled photographs based on a historical theme.

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ENGLISH

89. Pupils respond positively to these well-taught lessons. They enjoy the follow up activities such as writing text on a laptop computer as they develop their ideas. Year 6 pupils, motivated by the teacher to improve their writing, showed good effort as they produced phrases such as “rumbling like a tornado”.

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ENGLISH

90. The coordination of English is good. The coordinator has a comprehensive understanding of pupils’ standards and through a range of monitoring activities including planning, observing lessons and scrutinising pupils work, including English assessments, has secured valuable information on pupils’ progress. Although standards remain below average the information gained has been used appropriately in this subject to target improvement. The introduction of regular writing assessments has helped teachers’ to be increasingly confident on judging how pupils’ work is comparing with the average for that age and taking appropriate action. However, not all teachers set clear short-term achievable targets for pupils to work towards. Pupils are not sufficiently influenced in agreeing their targets and monitoring their own progress towards them.

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ENGLISH

91. Resources for learning are good. There is a very well organised area that houses the school reading scheme with considerable time spent on providing a variety of books at each level. This helps the school promote regular reading at home with parents. There is a good collection of books in the school library that is satisfactorily located near the entrance to the school. The use of information and communication technology is better than at the time of the previous inspection. With very good access to the Internet from portable laptop computers many pupils are now The Friars Primary School - 39 researching information on-line as they work from their normal seating location in class bases.

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MATHEMATICS

92. Standards in mathematics are below average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Standards in the 2002 National Curriculum tests were well below those of schools nationally. Results since 1999 have been consistently well below the national average for seven and 11 year olds. In comparison with similar schools, at the age of seven, standards were also well below average, whilst for 11 year olds they were below average. However, in comparison with similar schools, the percentages of pupils reaching the higher levels by the age of seven were high and by the age of 11 were very high.

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MATHEMATICS

93. Although pupil mobility is very high, those who remain in the school between the ages of seven and 11 years make satisfactory progress. Pupils with special educational needs and those learning through English as an additional language are supported well and make good progress. The few pupils who receive specialist teaching in mathematics in Years 5 and 6 also make good progress and attain standards in line with national expectations.

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MATHEMATICS

94. By the age of seven, most pupils can count sets of objects and count in twos and fives, although some have difficulty in listening and counting reliably, for example when listening to the sound of coins dropped into a jar. Many can add two numbers to make totals to 20, but are less secure with subtraction. They experience difficulty in solving problems involving reading and listening skills, such as “What number comes before 15?”. Although pupils can find answers to subtraction sums that are written out for them, they do not fully understand that subtraction is the inverse of addition. For example, they have difficulty in finding the missing number in a sum such as “n - 1 = 19”. Most can double numbers up to 10, although they do not realise that they are multiplying by two. Pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of the more common two-dimensional shapes, such as triangle, square and circle and can describe their

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MATHEMATICS

properties. They recognise right angles but see them in terms of shape, rather than as an amount of turn.

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MATHEMATICS

95. By the age of 11, the higher attaining pupils can solve number problems using the four operations, including the use of brackets. They have a clear understanding of place value when using four-digit whole numbers but they are less secure when calculating using two-place decimals. They recognise approximate proportions of a whole and use simple fractions and percentages to describe these. They can change a fraction to an equivalent fraction and improper fractions to mixed numbers. Higher attaining pupils have a satisfactory understanding of shape and measures. They estimate and calculate the lengths of the perimeters of different shapes and calculate areas of compound shapes. They use and interpret co-ordinates and rotate shapes and lines in all four quadrants. Pupils have a basic awareness of data handling. They use simple frequency tables to collect, record and produce block graphs using discrete

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MATHEMATICS

data. However, although similar opportunities are presented to most pupils, the majority find the concepts difficult. Scrutiny of their books shows that they make many errors. They find difficulty in understanding the concepts of division, equivalence of fractions and negative numbers, and in the addition and subtraction of decimal numbers. Some do not fully appreciate that subtraction is the inverse of addition. The Friars Primary School - 40 96. Teaching of mathematics is satisfactory overall. All staff plan thoroughly and working relationships with the pupils in lessons are mostly good and very good. Specialist teaching of the higher attaining pupils in small focused groups in Year 5 and Year 6 is particularly successful in enabling them to achieve as well as they can. A main contribution to the success of these groups is the ongoing dialogue between the pupils and the teacher. Pupils are encouraged to discuss the mathematics with each

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MATHEMATICS

other and the teacher. They are confident when explaining their methods and are unafraid to admit and ask for help when they are unsure. Their ability to express themselves has a positive impact on their learning and enjoyment of the lessons. By contrast, despite the teachers’ efforts to encourage them, most other pupils are reluctant to contribute orally in lessons, except when participating as a whole class, as seen for example when counting together in intervals of 0.2. Their shortcomings in speaking and listening skills have a negative effect on their learning in mathematics. Pupils fail to make the essential connections between the various aspects of mathematics because they are unable to express themselves clearly. Consequently they quickly forget new mathematical skills and knowledge and most pupils do not develop confidence in their mathematical abilities.

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MATHEMATICS

97. Despite the low overall standards in mathematics at the end of both key stages, teachers’ expectations of pupils throughout the school are high. On occasions, however, expectations are too high and many pupils fail to complete the tasks that they are set. For example, in one lesson, pupils were required to practice their skills of division. However, they were also asked to write out the problem as a multiplication sum, a repeated addition and as a calculation using fractions. Most pupils find the task too difficult. On another occasion, when adding together two decimal numbers, pupils were asked to select their numbers to try to make a particular total in a list. However, this complication resulted in several pupils abandoning the method they had been taught in order to “obtain” an answer in the list. In a few instances the marking of pupils’ work lacks rigour. This adversely impacts on the match of work to pupils’

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MATHEMATICS

98. Overall, pupils’ attitudes to mathematics are good. Most get on with the work that they are set without being directly supervised, although when they find difficulty they too easily accept that they cannot do it. Similarly, in whole class lessons most prefer to sit passively rather than volunteer answers. Behaviour in the lessons seen was good.

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MATHEMATICS

99. Leadership of mathematics is good. Assessment data is analysed thoroughly. The subject coordinator regularly teaches throughout the school and provides model lessons for others. He is aware of the challenges facing the pupils. Resources for the teaching of mathematics are very good. They are prominent and easily accessible in the school and are used well.

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MATHEMATICS

100. Although standards appear to have declined since the last inspection and outcomes do not yet indicate a significant improvement, the provision for numeracy is good. Taking into account the very high mobility rate of pupils and their low level of literacy skills, the school has made satisfactory improvement in mathematics since the last inspection.

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SCIENCE

101. Standards in science at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are average. This is an improvement since the time of the last inspection and most pupils make good progress. In the last two years standards in the national tests in science for 11 year olds have varied from well above the national average in 2001 to well below the The Friars Primary School - 41 national average in 2002. Teacher assessments in science for seven year olds in 2002 were well below the national average. Pupils’ limited language skills are a major contributory factors to this. Also pupils have limited opportunities to identify appropriate questions and to plan their investigations. There is no marked difference between boys and girls attainment in lessons. In the national test for 11 year olds results in science between 1998 and 2002 of boys and girls attained broadly the same. Pupils with special educational needs are also well supported and they make

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SCIENCE

good progress towards their targets. Pupils with English as an additional language make good progress and their attainment is similar or sometimes better than that of other children. For example, the few pupils who attained higher levels by the age of seven speak English as an additional language.

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SCIENCE

102. By the age of seven, pupils recognise that plants are living things and they need water and light to grow. They observe the changes that are happening to their bean plants and caterpillars as they grown and change. They compare their observations carefully. Due to the limited communication skills many pupils need support in explaining and recording their observations. Pupils have a good understanding of the properties of materials, they predict how materials change when they are placed in a freezer and compare those that are not. Pupils are able to collect and record data through simple bar graphs and pictures and to draw scientific conclusions from them. They use information and communication technology well in this area. In Year 1, pupils sort objects according to their qualities. In Year 2, pupils are beginning to explain how to make simple circuits. The higher attaining pupils in Year 2 draw

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SCIENCE

‘working circuits’ to show that the circuits need to be complete for the light to work.

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SCIENCE

103. The knowledge and skills pupils acquire in Year 2 are effectively extended in Years 3- 6. By Year 6 pupils are beginning to understand some of the methods that are used to separate simple mixes. They are beginning to understand that different types of forces react in different ways. They make good progress in this aspect of science. In Year 5, pupils show a sound knowledge of how to measure the pulse rate and give explanations as to why their hearts beat faster after exercise. Although most pupils in Year 5 identify what to include in a healthy diet, many cannot explain why some foods are healthier than others. Pupils in Year 6 are able to discuss the effect of yeast when making bread and know that yeast is a living substance. By the age of 11, pupils are able to explain the steps they need to take to complete an investigation. They use simple equipment and a range of methods including bar graphs, line graphs and

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SCIENCE

drawings to record their results. They interpret their data well using information and communication technology and draw scientific conclusions from them. They know the concept of fairness of a test but they have little understanding of how to go about setting up a fair test themselves.

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SCIENCE

104. Only two lessons in science were observed during the inspection. The exciting opportunities created by the teachers and support staff enable pupils to observe and investigate things at first hand. In the small number of lessons seen, each pupil took the role of scientist to investigate the changes that had happened to caterpillars that they have kept. The wonder and excitement on the pupil’s faces as they observe new features and their willingness to share this with the staff and other pupils indicated their confidence in undertaking independent observations and their positive attitude to learning. Although a number of pupils found it hard to describe the changes in detail because of their limited language skills, most pupils responded enthusiastically to teacher’s questions although mostly in one word answers. Very good relationships exist between staff and pupils and the careful selection of resources help all pupils to

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SCIENCE

participate fully in lessons. Support staff make a significant contribution to pupils’ learning. This is because they have a good knowledge of the individual needs of The Friars Primary School - 42 pupils whom they support well and use this information effectively to offer appropriate intervention and support.

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SCIENCE

105. All pupils have good access to the science curriculum. Science is taught through a topic approach. The school uses national guidance to carefully plan for science. Evidence shows that good links are made with other subjects to consolidate and extend pupils’ scientific knowledge and understanding. The teaching of science makes a satisfactory contribution to pupils learning in other subjects such as art and design and technology. Information and communication technology is used effectively to find more information on the topic they are covering as well as to collect and interpret data.

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SCIENCE

106. The marking of pupils’ work is consistent throughout the school and most marking contains evaluative comments about what worked well but very little on what pupils need to do to improve. Pupils present their work clearly. Teachers assess pupils’ work carefully at the end of each unit. However, there is a need to develop further the assessment procedures in science to identify more clearly short-term targets for pupils and to share this with pupils so that they can take ownership of their learning and check their own progress towards these targets.

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SCIENCE

107. The subject is well led. There is a realistic action plan for science. The coordinator has had good opportunities to monitor pupils’ progress through the scrutiny of pupils’ work, planning and observation of lessons. Time is set-aside for this. As part of a gifted and talented project the school has established good links with the local secondary school. The resources across the school for learning are adequate in quality and quantity.

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ART AND DESIGN

108. By the time pupils are seven and 11, they attain standards that are in line with the national expectations. This is the same as at the time of the last inspection. Pupils with specific talent are identified early and they are given extra support through special initiatives and projects the school is involved in. Pupils in both key stages make good progress in almost all aspects of art and design.

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ART AND DESIGN

109. Pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 are given opportunities to work with a wide range of media. Pupils in Year 1 use their observations effectively to draw and paint what they have observed in “Peel Park.” They are beginning to use their knowledge about natural materials to create sculptures using ideas they have gathered from watching and discussing the work of Andy Goldsworthy. The higher attaining pupils can use different techniques like bending and twisting the natural materials to create and join structures independently. Year 2 pupils’ preliminary work on creating a class mural shows that they record the information about different parts of the playground through their sketches effectively. They use lines, colours, patterns, shapes and tones to record information about different features of the playground like the tyre structure and the grass. A number of pupils know what a ‘relief’ is, but find it difficult to verbalise

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ART AND DESIGN

110. The skills pupils learned in Year 1 and Year 2 are systematically developed in Year 3 to Year 6. Pupils in Year 3 use the techniques they have learned about shaping different materials to create their sculptures of different part of the playground they want to improve. A number of pupils do this effectively to produce some intrinsic structures and figures. By the age of 11 pupils are given a wealth of experience to explore a variety of different materials and processes. Year 6 pupils drawing of the The Friars Primary School - 43 sewing machines show how they used lines and tones to create the effect of views from different angle. Their sketches and drawings on head wear show that they use different media to show the colour, texture and patterns. They could use a variety of methods and approaches to communicate observations, ideas and feelings through their work. Pupils make particularly good progress in developing and applying their

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ART AND DESIGN

drawing skills. However, their skills in evaluating and developing their work are less well developed. 111. Generally pupils show a keen interest and enthusiasm in their work. They work together sensibly sharing resources and ideas. They show respect for others’ views. Their attitude to learning is very good. This in some cases enables some pupils to achieve well and to produce work of a high standard.

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ART AND DESIGN

112. The quality of teaching is consistently good. The specialist teacher uses her subject knowledge well to develop pupils’ skills in different aspects of art and design. She also uses these lessons well to help to develop pupils’ speaking and listening skills. Pupils are encouraged to talk about what they have learned in the previous lessons. This helps pupils to revisit some of the new vocabulary they have learned. The very good questioning strategies and gentle reminders enable pupils to think through the techniques they use to develop their sketches and designs. The good use of support staff and the good support they offer helps all pupils to make good progress. The help and encouragement offered to pupils with special educational needs are very good. As a result work produced by a couple of these pupils are of high quality. This helps to raise their self-esteem and they are proud to share this with the rest of the class.

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ART AND DESIGN

The step-by-step approach helps to develop pupils’ skills systematically. As a result pupils acquire new knowledge and skills and make good progress in applying them.

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ART AND DESIGN

113. The leadership of the subject is very effective in identifying areas of strengths and areas needing improvement. The coordinator is given time to develop the subject. She provides a clear educational direction through her management of the subject and through her classroom practice. The resources are very good and staff and pupils make good use of this. The school has made good progress in raising the profile of the subject since the last inspection and it has a good capacity to improve the standards further.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

114. By the age of seven and 11 pupils attain standards that are in line with national expectations. This is the same as at the time of the last inspection. Evidence is based on a small number of lessons observed, a review of pupils’ work and from discussions with pupils and staff.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

115. By the end of Year 2, pupils sensibly choose materials, tools and techniques to make products. Pupils in Year 1 develop a sound understanding of different materials and simple techniques through designing models using recycled materials and textiles. The higher attaining pupils use their knowledge about materials to create the effect independently as they add details to their models. In Year 2, pupils plan what they have to do by suggesting how they might progress. They use labelled sketches to communicate the details of their design. They are beginning to explore different ways of joining materials, including those, which create movement. The models of the teddy bears with moving parts and their design of pop-up toys are good example of this. Pupils make useful links with what they have studied about pushes and pulls in science to create these designs. They can talk about what they like and dislike about

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

their design but very little on how they could have done differently or what they could do to improve them. Pupils make good progress in developing and planning their The Friars Primary School - 44 ideas and in using the appropriate tools and techniques using their knowledge about materials. They make sound progress in evaluating what they have done and how they might approach it differently to improve their products.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

116. The skills and knowledge pupils acquired in Year 1 and Year 2 are extended further in Year 3 to Year 6. Younger pupils in Key Stage 2 are beginning to think about the users and the use of their products as they plan and develop their ideas. Their work on picture frames show how they used the correct measurements, materials and techniques to make it aesthetically pleasing as well as to fit the purpose, which in this case was to make the frame to fit the pictures they have developed using information and communication technology. Pupils make good progress in this aspect of design and technology as they move through the school. Year 6 pupils produce a step-by- step plan of their work. They show a good understanding of how materials working characteristics influence its application. They use the knowledge and skills they have acquired in science to develop and create products. They explain why they had to

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

place the mirrors at a certain angle when making their periscope in order to see the image. In a discussion with a group of Year 6 pupils they show that they have a good understanding of the different techniques they have used to shape and assemble different parts to make their periscope. However, only one or two pupils could offer examples of how they might approach the task differently or what they need to improve their products. Their knowledge and skills in this aspect of the subject is less well developed. Pupils make good progress in the other aspects of design and technology. Their knowledge about materials and their characteristics and the way they organise their plans and ideas are particularly strong.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

117. The quality of leadership and management is good. The cocoordinator has taken over the responsibility recently. The monitoring arrangements are good. The coordinator gets specific time to monitor the subject. She had the opportunity to look at teachers’ planning and delivery of lessons and pupils’ work. She is clear about the strengths and areas for development. The resources are good and staff and pupils make good use of these.

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GEOGRAPHY

118. Standards in geography are below those expected nationally and lower than at the time of the last inspection. As a result of timetabling arrangements it was possible to see only one lesson of geography during the inspection. Pupils’ work and discussions with pupils indicate that, by the ages of seven and 11, standards are below those expected nationally. Even taking into account the their very low starting base, pupils, including those with special educational needs and those learning through English as an additional language, only just make satisfactory progress in acquisition of geographical skills and knowledge across the school.

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GEOGRAPHY

119. Pupils’ workbooks in Year 2 contain little evidence of geography, although when talking to pupils, they recall using maps and studying places that contrast with Salford. When discussing the local area, pupils can name a few different buildings but their knowledge of detail is poor. They describe only in very general terms the physical and human features of Salford. For example, they are unable to distinguish between the types of houses in the locality. Some are unsure of where Salford is in England and are unable to locate Scotland and Wales on a map of Great Britain. Progress of pupils across Year 1 and Year 2 is limited by their lack of literacy skills to help them gain information about geography. For example, they are unable to suggest how to find out about a place without actually going there. Pupils can describe the seasonal changes of weather in the locality and know that all places in the world do not

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GEOGRAPHY

The Friars Primary School - 45 experience the same weather patterns. However, they are unsure of where in the world the weather conditions are different, except in holiday destinations such as Spain. Pupils are aware of some of the ways that people affect the environment. They know that it is undesirable to have litter in the streets but put more emphasis on it being there by the wind blowing it, rather than as a result of human activity.

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GEOGRAPHY

120. By the time pupils reach Year 6, although their workbooks show evidence of curriculum coverage, the quantity of written work is minimal and standards of presentation are unsatisfactory. Often, pupils study geography as part of a topic, such as Britain since 1930. This enables them to learn about the location and the parts played by the different countries involved in World War 2. Similarly, they can describe how Salford has changed over the last century and suggest plausible reasons for the changes. However, much of their knowledge of geography is superficial and lacks detail. For example, they recall a visit to the source of the River Irwell but, unless prompted, remember it only as a trip into the countryside. Although work done in their books at the time indicates that they used geographical terms associated with rivers, in discussion they recall none of the specialist vocabulary. In

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GEOGRAPHY

addition, they have no understanding how a river might cause changes in the environment or how decisions about places and environments affect the future quality of people’s lives.

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GEOGRAPHY

121. Leadership of the subject is satisfactory. Resources are good and the curriculum is enriched by several trips and visits to places of interest, including a residential stay in North Wales. These visits contribute positively towards the pupils’ personal development and relationships. Pupils recall these excursions with enthusiasm, although much of the geographical content of the visits is forgotten from year to year. This is partly because of the limited amount of recorded work that pupils are expected to produce. In addition, combining history and geography in a number of the topics often results in more emphasis being given to history. Pupils have insufficient opportunities to become deeply involved in geography as, for example, by participating in role-play activities linked to conservation and land use.

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HISTORY

122. Standards in history are in line with those expected nationally at the end of Year 2 and at the end of Year 6. This is the same as at the time of the last inspection.

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HISTORY

123. Within Year 1 and Year 2 pupils are able to understand that toys which children use today are significantly different from those used 100 years ago. They know that Florence Nightingale had an important impact on improving standards of nursing care for the sick in Victorian times. They use information and communication technology well to find out about the Great Fire of London and to learn something of the personality of Charles II who ‘liked dancing and telling jokes’. They are able to write for the ‘London Gazette’ for 10th September 1666, an account of how the Great Fire began. Within Year 3 to Year 6 pupils know something of the features of a Tudor house and of the way of life for the rich and poor in Tudor England. They know about the way the Ancient Egyptians organised their society and how the Ancient Greeks established city states. They know that Athens and Sparta were rivals with conflicting

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HISTORY

ways of life. They know something of the achievements of the Victorians for example, how they constructed their railways. From visits to local museums they are reasonably knowledgeable about the dangers of working in the cotton mills in the area a long time ago and what it was like to be alive during World War II. However, many pupils find difficulty in expressing their ideas extensively themselves and in discussing issues which their studies have touched upon, for example whether the building of the The Friars Primary School - 46 railways by the Victorians was a good thing or not. While in some classes there are very good opportunities to link history to the skills pupils are learning in literacy, insufficient emphasis is given to organising and presenting written work neatly.

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HISTORY

124. In the small number of lessons seen, the quality of teaching is good. In the best lessons the teachers make good use of nearby places of interest to encourage pupils to develop empathy with the subject being studied. For example, a visit to the Roman remains at Chester was well used to bring home to pupils what life in the Roman Army was like. The teacher’s subject knowledge is strong for example, in explaining how part of the legionary’s pay was in salt and how the expression ‘worth your salt’ has remained in our language since then. Resources, photographs and artefacts are used well to hold pupils’ interest for example, when Year 6 pupils were learning about ‘the Blitz’ in World War II. Where teaching has some weaknesses, the teachers miss opportunities to encourage pupils to answer questions more fully. Sometimes teachers are too ready to accept simple one or two word answers. As a result pupils

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HISTORY

are not consistently expected to try to extent their vocabularies and to build up skills of speaking in different circumstances.

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HISTORY

125. The subject is managed well and the coordinator has well-established procedures to review the quality of teaching and learning at first hand. The annual allocation of funds is effectively used to maintain and extend resources in history and to ensure that the curriculum is wide and interesting. The local area is widely used as a source of information and inspiration.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

126. Standards in information and communication technology are in line with national expectations at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. This is the same as at the time of the last inspection. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and pupils learning through English as an additional language, make good progress across the school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

127. Only one information and communication technology lesson was seen during the inspection although there was much evidence of its use for teaching and learning in other subjects. Throughout the school, the teaching of information and communication technology skills is embedded in the teaching of other curriculum subjects. For example, from January to April pupils accessed the BBC Website on the Internet and recorded the daily maximum and minimum temperatures. They then used information and communication technology to sort and present the data in different graphical forms and commented on the usefulness of each graph. Also, at the time of the inspection, pupils were engaged daily in collecting data on what other children were eating for lunch. The data they collect forms part of a long-term study on healthy eating. Pupils, therefore, learn information and communication technology in situations relevant to its use. This makes the learning meaningful to them with the

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

result that pupils remember the skills taught.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

128. Pupils’ attitudes towards information and communication technology are good. They are proud of what they can do. Year 2 pupils were keen to talk about their work using laptop computers for word-processing, for example when writing poems in English lessons or when writing about using a programmable toy to carry out a set of instructions. They use a screen version of logo and describe how to draw pictures by giving instructions for the lengths and directions of lines, and where and by how much to change direction. Pupils load and save their work and know how to cut and paste pictures into their written work. However, their understanding of the use of information The Friars Primary School - 47 and communication technology in the wider world, beyond using a keyboard and monitor, is limited. Year 6 pupils talk enthusiastically and knowledgeably about their experiences using information and communication technology. They are confident in

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

the skills of word processing and in the production of graphs and tables using spreadsheets. They scan and import pictures into their documents and desktop-published work. They combine pictures, text and sound to make slide shows. Pupils make good use of their limited access to the Internet and use it and CD-ROMs to research and extract information. By comparison, pupils’ understanding and use of information and communication technology modelling and simulations, and their experience of using sensors is underdeveloped.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

129. The quality of leadership and management is good. Teachers know exactly which aspects of information and communication technology need to be taught each year so that pupils’ learning builds progressively on skills. By embedding the teaching of information and communication technology into other subjects of the curriculum, sufficient flexibility is created to allow the pupils to learn new skills at an appropriate time and in a particular context. Teachers work closely together to make good use of the pupils’ laptops and the interactive whiteboards. Records of information and communication technology skills achieved by the pupils are maintained by the class teachers and pass up the school each year with the pupils. The records serve to ensure that all aspects of the information and communication technology curriculum are covered, as well as providing an up-to date profile of individual pupils’ skills at any

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

time in the school year. The quality and quantity of resources for the teaching of information and communication technology is very good. They are used very well throughout the school

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MUSIC

130. Standards in music are in line with expectations at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. This is the same picture as at the time of the last inspection.

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MUSIC

131. Pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 are able to recognise ‘the beat’ and the ‘rhythm’ in a piece of music they are performing for example, when singing ‘Old Brass Wagon’. They are able to use their bodies to produce a musical accompaniment for example, when clicking and patting their chests. They are able to recognise simple notations. They are able to compose a piece of music to accompany a ‘rain dance’ and are able to follow a conductor’s instructions to perform it well. They are beginning to appreciate the differences of “timbre” and effect for example, when imitating the sound of rain falling on a roof. They are able to sing tunefully and to appraise the performance of each other sensibly.

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MUSIC

132. Within Year 3 to Year 6 pupils sing enthusiastically for example, in hymn practice. However, because they do not have the benefit of an experienced singing teacher, they do not always sing tunefully or expressively. They are able to use tuned and untuned instruments confidently to create a ‘sound picture’ of a city ‘waking up’. In Year 6, pupils are able to perform and explore rhythms for example, when accompanying a well-chosen example of W H Auden’s poem ‘Nightmail’. They are able to think critically about the way the author reads the poem. However, they express their ideas in simple, short responses and are not willing to explain in detail how the music influences their feelings.

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MUSIC

133. The quality of teaching is good and is significantly enhanced by the contribution from a visiting teacher, who has particular expertise in this subject. In the best lessons where the teaching is excellent or very good, the lessons begin with a purposeful and The Friars Primary School - 48 lively introduction, which catches the pupils’ attention. The teacher questions clearly to encourage pupils to think about the way the sounds rise and fall. The teachers use specialist vocabulary very well explaining its meaning clearly as the need arises. The teachers show high expectations of what can be achieved and recognise pupils’ efforts enthusiastically. They show how pleased they are in the way pupils are praised in a warm and confirming way. As a result all pupils are eager to give of their best and to behave well. The teachers ensure that all pupils are fully involved in the lessons and those who have English as an additional language and those with special

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MUSIC

educational needs know that they have big parts to play. Good links are made with English so that music, poetry and new composition are thoughtfully blended together.

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MUSIC

134. The quality of leadership and management is good. Very successful arrangements are in place for the specialist teacher to teach lessons which are also observed by the class teacher. This ensures that the skills of each aspect of the music curriculum are demonstrated to a high standard. As a result, all teachers are beginning to teach this subject thoughtfully and well. Resources are adequate and include an appropriate range of untuned instruments from other cultures. These are stored carefully and are readily available to pupils and teachers.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

135. Standards in physical education are in line with those expected nationally at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. This is the same picture as at the time of the last inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

136. Pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 are able to throw and catch with increasing confidence. For example when playing ‘bean bag golf’ they practise throwing accurately ‘over’ and ‘under’ arm at a target. They are able to follow the rules of a shuttle relay and know how to try hard to ‘catch up’. They know the importance of ‘warming up’ and ‘cooling down’ and of the effects of exercise on their bodies. Older pupils in Year 3 to Year 6 are able to hit and catch a ball reasonably accurately using appropriate techniques, which they are able to modify to play different ‘shots’. They know how to take turns fairly and to act responsibly when putting out and putting away equipment. They are able to evaluate their own performance and that of others fairly.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

137. The quality of teaching is good. In the best lessons the teachers show a very secure knowledge of their subject and demonstrate very well when for example, showing how to stretch when warming up ‘because it is really good for your legs’. The teachers use specialist terms well and explain the rules of an innovative new game called ‘liner’ clearly. The teachers ensure that all, including those with special educational needs or have English as an additional language are fully engaged in the activities and all pupils work enthusiastically and find the activities fun. The teachers’ high expectations are clearly expressed and passed on so that all pupils have a good idea of what they should aim to achieve.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

138. The leadership and management of the subject is very good and based on the coordinator’s own expertise and interest. There are particularly good opportunities for pupils to take part in a very good range of different activities both in and out of school, for example, to take part in multi-cultural dance initiatives and to experience ballet through a workshop with the Birmingham Royal Ballet. There are very good arrangements for pupils to take part in team games. These include cricket, rugby, soccer, gymnastics, netball, swimming, canoeing and cross-country running. These opportunities are significantly enriched by links with the local community and national initiatives. For example, pupils take part in the Salford Schools Dance Festival and there are links with Manchester United Football Club through its football development The Friars Primary School - 49 programme. Older pupils have good opportunities to take part in outdoor adventurous

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

activities through residential visits to Prestatyn and Lledr Hall in North Wales.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

139. The coordinator has a very good overview of the subject and regularly looks at the quality of teaching and learning at first hand. As a result of this the coordinator has been able to provide very good support to teachers through a programme of additional after school training to introduce the ‘Top Sport initiative’ and to ensure that all teachers teach the subject confidently. Resources are good in quality and quantity and are readily available.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

140. Standards at the end of Year 2 are below the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. However, by the end of Year 6, most pupils are attaining expected levels of religious education knowledge and understanding. This is an improvement on the findings of the previous inspection. Given the below average attainment on entry, high pupil mobility and significant proportion of pupils with low attainment in English, most pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as a second language, make good progress in Year 3 to Year 6.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

141. By the end of Year 2, most pupils have a developing understanding of Christian occasions that take place in a church such as a wedding. They have read the Lord’s Prayer and have learned about the birth of Jesus and been told the Easter story. They have also begun to appreciate some of the traditions of other faiths. Photographic evidence shows Year 2 pupils enjoying the opportunity to decorate their hands with Mendhi patterns using henna dye. Later in the year the pupils studied the Chinese New Year. Pupils have also been encouraged to think about their own conduct towards others as they discussed a number of ways they might help each other.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

142. By the end of Year 6, most pupils’ knowledge has improved and they can recall key facts from a principle world religion they have studied. Year 6 pupils spoke about Judaism; one pupil was able to compare it with Christianity, others remembered the significance of lighting candles when they learned about the Hanukah festival. Most pupils remember a visit to the local church and they can describe some of the key practices of a baptism or wedding. One pupil was able to describe the practice of being confirmed. Pupils have a satisfactory understanding of features of a church such as the pulpit, lectern and font. Pupils have an adequate knowledge of New Testament Bible stories such as remembering the main events of a miracle or parable. Pupils have written newspaper articles about the story of the leper and the events of the miracle associated with this topic.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

143. Whereas some good progress has been made in the development of religious understanding, progress in written work is often restricted by below average literacy skills. Nevertheless, good progress is made in the junior classes. Year 3 pupils studied the characters Rama and Sita and the Festival of Diwali. By Year 5 pupils have acted out drama sequences based on Bible stories such as “The Good Samaritan” and by Year 6 pupils have made sufficient good progress to be able to think about much more abstract topics such as the concept of the Holy Spirit.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

144. The lessons and scrutiny of pupils’ past work show that teaching is mainly good; this is similar to the findings of the previous inspection. The lessons are planned to follow the recommended themes set down in the locally agreed syllabus and teachers produce satisfactory plans to ensure this happens. Regularly the lesson content is taught orally, with pupils encouraged to observe photographs and handle religious The Friars Primary School - 50 artefacts. In a very well planned and organised lesson based on Judaism, Year 3 pupils sampled fresh “challah” bread that had been delivered to school that morning from a local Jewish bakery. When combined with the drinking of red grape juice this authentic resource brought realism to the pupils’ knowledge of the Sabbath and the symbolism of the breaking of bread and drinking of wine.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

145. Skilful questioning by teachers confident in the topics being taught, helps pupils make good progress in religious knowledge. In a Year 5 lesson the pupils learned how regular prayer was important to Muslims, they listened to a pre-recorded extract of a prayer being sung and in a link with geography they found out that the direction of praying has important significance. As the lesson developed pupils used the Internet to research factual information of mosques. They used their good computer skills to “copy” photographs of mosques, which they “pasted” into their own documents prior to adding captions. Pupils with special educational needs and English as a second language make good progress as they are supported in these practical sessions through sensitive guidance and explanation.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

146. Pupils respond well to these lessons where the subject is delivered through interesting activities. Pupils work well in pairs and small groups as they handle artefacts and search for information in books, photographs and through Internet websites. In some Year groups the pupils with English as a second language have the highest literacy skills and show good effort when responding to their teachers questions and completing individual follow up tasks.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

147. The co-ordination of the subject is satisfactory. A schedule of topics has been drawn up to ensure that the coverage meets the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus. The coordinator works with other team colleagues to support the planning of the topics and has helped to improve the resources, particularly for multi-religious themes. These good resources are prominently displayed throughout the school as pupils study both Christianity and other principal world religions. There is a good range of photographs and artefacts to support pupils’ learning. Internet access is good and used well. Although the requirement to report on pupils’ attainment and progress in religious education in annual reports to parents is met the quality of information is inconsistent between year groups and overall there is limited information on the progress made.

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