North Cheshire Jewish Primary School

SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Andrew Matthews RgI’s No. 19410

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SCHOOL

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

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SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. North Cheshire Jewish Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: St Ann’s Road North Heald Green Cheadle

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Ms G Swerling

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: January 1998 North Cheshire Jewish Primary School - 4

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Team members

19410 Andrew Matthews Registered inspector 9843 Sarah Drake Lay inspector 22545 Valerie Hobson Team inspector 20086 David Speakman Team inspector

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Team members

Higherland Bridge 49 West Street Gargrave Skipton North Yorkshire BD23 3RJ

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE North Cheshire Jewish Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 15

North Cheshire Jewish Primary School - 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

North Cheshire Jewish Primary School is a Beacon School situated in the Heald Green ward of Cheadle. The school is on a large, purpose built campus in three buildings. It is a voluntary aided Jewish school and devotes almost a fifth of its curriculum time to Jewish studies and Ivrit as a modern foreign language. Pupils come from a wide catchment area encompassing four different local authorities in an area south of Manchester. Pupils come from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds but the majority come from socially advantaged families. The roll has fallen since the last inspection in 1998 but the school is bigger than most other primary schools. There are 269 full time pupils – 133 boys and 136 girls, aged between four and eleven and taught in 14 classes. There is a higher than average proportion of pupils from different ethnic backgrounds with four per cent of pupils having English as an additional language.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The number of pupils eligible for free school meals is well below the national average. There is a below average proportion of pupils on the school’s register of special educational needs and an average proportion of pupils with a statement of special need. Pupils join the reception class in the September of the school year in which they are five, and attainment on entry is above average. The number of pupils joining and leaving the school at times other than the beginning or end of a school year is below average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

North Cheshire Jewish is a very good school with many excellent features. It is extremely well led and managed by a resourceful and reflective headteacher who is given very good support by knowledgeable governors and parents, and a dedicated and hardworking staff. The quality of teaching is very good overall and leads directly to well above average standards at the end of Year 6. The school provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The school is extremely well led and managed and promotes its aims very successfully. • Lively and imaginative teaching motivates pupils and helps them achieve high standards in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6. • Pupils have excellent relationships with each other, work very hard, take their responsibilities seriously and behave very well. • The school has excellent relationships with parents who are extremely satisfied with the standards that their children achieve and the rich learning provision.

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What could be improved

• There are no significant areas needing development . 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

Since the last inspection in January 1998, national tests results have risen strongly, particularly at the end of Year 6. The quality of teaching has improved and the school has developed a very good sense of teamwork, leading to a very strong commitment to continual self evaluation and improvement. The school has maintained a very good rate of improvement since the last inspection because the headteacher is not afraid to challenge weaknesses and gives very good support to staff to develop their strengths. Members of staff and governors have worked very successfully to address the three issues identified at the last inspection. Schemes of work are now being used very effectively to ensure there is a clear development of pupils’ skills and knowledge. Teachers employ a far more practical and investigative approach to lessons, which deepens pupils’ understanding of their learning. Assessment arrangements are now good and information from pupils’ assessments is used effectively by the

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

teachers in their planning. There have also been clear improvements in the curriculum, pupils’ behaviour, North Cheshire Jewish Primary School - 7 their relationships and attitudes to school, the provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, the school’s relationship with parents and the way in which the school is led and managed.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

Standards in the national tests at the end of Year 6 in 2002 were well above average in science and very high in English and mathematics – in the top five per cent of schools nationally. Pupils make very good progress in the reception class and in Years 1 and 2, where they benefit from a well balanced and very well taught curriculum. By the end of Year 2, they achieve well above average standards in reading, writing and mathematics. This progress is very well built on in the rest of the school where pupils’ progress accelerates even further when they reach Year 6. The present Year 6 pupils are achieving well above average standards in English, mathematics and science with a significant proportion working at the higher levels. Teachers’ predictions for this year’s National Curriculum tests show a slight decline from the very high standards of last year, mainly because of the higher proportion of pupils with special

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Key

The school has set very challenging targets for the Year 6 pupils to achieve in this year’s National Curriculum tests, and evidence from the inspection confirms they are on course to reach these targets. These pupils have very well developed speaking and listening skills and the standard of their reading is very high. Pupils make good use of their literacy skills in subjects such as science and history, and this experience helps them to develop their writing, spelling and grammar further. Pupils’ handwriting skills are not well developed and this spoils the presentation of some of their work. The school is addressing this area in its present improvement plan. Pupils are particularly good at developing their own investigations in science. The quality of pupils’ artwork is good and is very carefully displayed around the school. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional

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Key

language are well supported and make very good progress in lessons. Higher attaining pupils are well challenged by their teachers and achieve very high standards.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Excellent. Pupils are extremely keen and eager learners and try very hard at all times. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils are very well mannered and show great courtesy to each other. Personal development and relationships Excellent. Pupils are very mature, show great appreciation for each other’s work, and form excellent relationships. North Cheshire Jewish Primary School - 8 Attendance Very good. All pupils enjoy coming to school and therefore attend very regularly.

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Aspect Comment

The school has very high expectations of all pupils and the increasing responsibilities that they are given as they move through the school lead to the development of high self esteem and a very positive response to the high quality teaching.

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

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

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

Overall the quality of teaching is consistently high and this leads directly to the very good progress that pupils of all abilities make as they move through the school. This is particularly so in the development of their numeracy and literacy skills. Many very good and some excellent lessons were seen during the inspection. Teachers have very good subject knowledge, explain things clearly and create a very positive learning environment in which pupils feel valued and want to do their best. Teachers use questioning very effectively to challenge pupils’ thinking and deepen their understanding. As a result of the very good teaching, pupils develop increasing independence as they move through the school, with the oldest pupils showing a very marked degree of maturity. Pupils also benefit from the teachers’ encouraging and informative marking, which helps them make clear improvements in their follow up

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

work. Marking is exemplary in Year 6 and has a very positive impact on the progress that these pupils make. All pupils confidently use information and communication technology in their work. The high quality specialist teaching of Ivrit and music is leading to all pupils achieving very high standards by the time they leave the school.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The curriculum is broad and balanced and the school is rigorously applying the national strategies for literacy and numeracy. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils’ individual education plans have clear targets and pupils benefit from well focused support in lessons. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. Pupils are well supported in lessons and outside specialist teachers are brought in to support individual pupils when appropriate.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. Pupils are given many opportunities to develop their social skills and take responsibility for helping in the life and work of the school. The house system, much of which is organised by the pupils themselves, creates excellent opportunities for their social and spiritual development. Pupils have a particularly good knowledge of Jewish culture. How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. Child protection procedures are very well established and the school’s care for individual pupils clearly reflects the values and aims of the school that all pupils should do well. Pupils’ work is very carefully assessed, with the resultant information being used effectively by teachers in their planning. North Cheshire Jewish Primary School - 9 The school works incredibly hard to ensure that all pupils who take selective examinations are

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Aspect Comment

thoroughly prepared and this contributes significantly to their very high success rate in these exams. The school offers an excellent range of extra curricular activities that create rich opportunities for pupils of different ages to learn and play together. Parents give excellent support to their children with homework and a significant number give valuable help in the classroom, with extra curricular activities and when accompanying school trips. North Cheshire Jewish Primary School - 10

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff This is excellent. The headteacher is a first rate leader and manager and is very well supported by her deputy and coordinators who continually strive to improve the quality of learning in their subjects .

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. Governors are extremely knowledgeable and supportive, and work very hard to promote the ongoing development of the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The processes and systems that the school uses are very effective and ensure that the school is able to keep a very clear track of pupils’ progress and the school’s development.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. The school is well equipped and teachers use resources very effectively to enhance pupils’ learning. The school uses its budget most carefully to maintain high standards.

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Aspect Comment

The headteacher’s leadership and management are a great strength of the school and have been instrumental in developing and improving the school since the last inspection. The school’s commitment to constant evaluation of its practices is helping it to develop even more. There is good delegation to subject coordinators but, whilst they monitor pupils’ work very carefully, they need to create more opportunities to talk to pupils to judge their depth of understanding. The school applies the principles of best value very well, particularly in consultation with parents, when buying resources and in the monitoring of pupils’ attainment.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Pupils really enjoy school and make very good progress. • The school is very approachable and very well led. • Teachers know their pupils well and expect them to work hard. • There is a very good range of extra curricular activities, which are very popular with the children. • The school has very good relationships with the parents who make a significant contribution to the life of the school. • Quantity of homework. • Information about their child’s progress.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspectors fully endorse all the parents’ positive comments about the school but do not agree with parents’ two concerns. Homework is set regularly, with pupils having a clear understanding of how it helps to reinforce their learning. Parents at the meeting with the registered inspector commented that when their children were unable to complete all their homework, the teachers showed sensitivity and understanding when they received an explanatory note. Annual reports are informative and the high quality newsletters keep parents fully up to date with school happenings, including pupils’ reports of recent work and visits. North Cheshire Jewish Primary School - 11

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The school is extremely well led and managed and promotes its aims very

1 The headteacher provides excellent leadership and is very well supported by an experienced deputy. Much of the success of the school’s improvement has been due to the headteacher’s drive and her resolve that there must be no complacency over the very high standards that the school achieves. There is a thorough process in place for formulating the annual plans for school improvement. After staff discussion, the plan is taken to the full governing body for further discussion and ratification. It is carefully prioritised and financed. Very good use of the available funds has ensured that the developments have been appropriately resourced and due consideration given to the training needs of staff. As a result, the school has improved significantly in the last two years in many areas. The school provides excellent support for new teachers to the school through its well planned induction procedures. Likewise, experienced staff are

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The school is extremely well led and managed and promotes its aims very

encouraged to constantly update their own expertise and feed this back to colleagues. However, more opportunities could be developed for the excellent teaching practice, particularly at the top of the school, to be more widely shared with the less experienced teachers. Subject coordinators are very effective in their role of monitoring teachers’ planning and pupils’ work. Even greater benefit could be derived from their skills if they also interviewed pupils about their learning to enable them to gain even greater insights into the pupils’ knowledge and understanding.

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The school is extremely well led and managed and promotes its aims very

2 Governors share the headteacher’s determination to ensure the highest standards and she has their full confidence. Governors work very hard on the school’s behalf and bring a wide range of expertise into the school’s management. These have included the funding and development of the recently completed Carmel teaching block and the in house provision of school meals. Governors' committees are at present investigating the establishment of a school nursery and the draining and levelling of the school playing field: the governing body intends to raise the funds for both of these initiatives. Governors have a very good knowledge of the school’s strengths and weaknesses from their visits to the school and the headteacher’s detailed reports. For example, they have followed the initiative to introduce 'circle time' 1 carefully and understand the benefits this is bringing to the pupils as a forum for sharing feelings and ideas. While governors are

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The school is extremely well led and managed and promotes its aims very

fully involved in the setting of the school development plan and ensuring the timetable for developments is adhered to, the school could make even more use of their expertise in the evaluation of developments, for example, through discussion with groups of pupils. The results of the school’s National Curriculum tests and other assessments undertaken by pupils in other years are discussed in detail and action taken when there are concerns. For example, as a result of in depth discussion of last year’s results, pupils in Year 5 are now set by prior attainment in English and mathematics to ensure that the wide range of abilities in this year group is appropriately challenged.

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The school is extremely well led and managed and promotes its aims very

3 The school’s aims are extremely well reflected in its every day practice. These highlight the importance of good relationships and a commitment to equality of opportunity within a strong Orthodox Jewish ethos. There is a clear emphasis on high achievement, with

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The school is extremely well led and managed and promotes its aims very

The provision of a discussion period called Circle Time provides opportunities for pupils to talk over issues that face them as part of everyday life. North Cheshire Jewish Primary School - 12 pupils having a very thorough understanding of the importance of hard work and endeavour. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural and social development is very carefully planned and has been enhanced by the ‘Beacon School’ work on developing its citizenship and multi cultural provision. This has helped considerably in the further development of pupils’ tolerance to, and their understanding of, different religions, cultures and ways of life. Pupils are extremely well motivated in all aspects of their learning and in their genuine desire to play a full part in their vibrant community.

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Lively and imaginative teaching motivates pupils and helps them achieve high

standards in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6.

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Lively and imaginative teaching motivates pupils and helps them achieve high

4 For the last four years, pupils’ attainment has been consistently very high. The results for 2002 showed that Year 6 pupils made excellent progress since taking their National Curriculum tests in Year 2 and achieved very high standards in English and mathematics and well above average standards in science. Evidence from the inspection shows that the standards for the present Year 6 remain well above average for English, mathematics and science. The standards of these pupils’ reading, number and science investigative skills are particularly high. The very good progress that these pupils make is due to the high quality teaching, the very positive attitudes pupils have towards their work and a desire to do their best at all times. Whilst this is clearly evident in the high volume of work that pupils produce, the quality of its presentation is sometimes affected by some pupils’ under developed handwriting skills.

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Lively and imaginative teaching motivates pupils and helps them achieve high

5 The quality of teaching is very good overall and has improved since the last inspection, particularly in the proportion of very good and excellent lessons. Teaching is particularly strong in Year 6, where pupils make significant progress because of the very high expectations in all that they do. Teachers’ planning has also improved because they now make better use of ongoing assessment to ensure what they teach firmly builds on pupils’ previous learning. The curriculum for all pupils is now good and results in pupils having a wide range of quality experiences that successfully develop their skills, knowledge and understanding. What also makes the teaching special for the pupils, is the school’s emphasis on practical learning, such as was observed in a Year 6 music lesson where pupils worked on their keyboard compositions, which were improved by pertinent suggestions from their teacher and sensitive evaluations from their peers. As a

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Lively and imaginative teaching motivates pupils and helps them achieve high

result of such learning, pupils are genuinely excited and enthusiastic about their lessons.

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Lively and imaginative teaching motivates pupils and helps them achieve high

6 The quality of teachers’ questioning is consistently very high, successfully developing pupils’ speaking and listening skills. It also ensures a deepening of their knowledge and understanding, whilst expanding their technical vocabulary. For example, this was clearly evident in a Year 6 geography lesson when pupils used words such as ‘confluence, ‘deposition, ‘transportation’ accurately when discussing aspects of their field trip to Langley. Similarly in a Year 2 information and communication technology lesson, pupils confidently referred to ‘categories, ‘spreadsheets’ and ‘input’ when entering statistics from their questionnaires about favourite shops. Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work is thorough, supportive and clearly identifies what pupils need to do to improve their work further. Evidence from pupils’ books shows clearly that when pupils apply their teachers’ recommendations their work improves.

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Lively and imaginative teaching motivates pupils and helps them achieve high

7 In the great majority of lessons teachers showed very good subject knowledge. This not only contributes to the good quality questioning but to the clear development of pupils’ learning. For example, in a Year 2 numeracy lesson, the teacher made effective use of her subject knowledge to assess the difficulties pupils were experiencing in their division work so that a different approach could be made. Similarly the success of a reception class language and literacy lesson was due to the teacher’s clear understanding of how North Cheshire Jewish Primary School - 13 children’s speaking skills are developed and the importance of building on children’s responses to reinforce and develop their understanding. Due to the high quality language teaching in the school, many 'gems' were seen in pupils’ books, for example a Year 6 pupil wrote that she ‘ stooped into a mouth of curious darkness ’ on her journey. A

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Lively and imaginative teaching motivates pupils and helps them achieve high

Year 5 pupil described the Minotaur ‘lowering its head menacingly for the kill’ . Pupils’ writing skills develop quickly because teachers plan for them to use these skills regularly in other subjects. This was particularly evident in Year 3 pupils’ science work when they described in great detail how to waterproof a paper bag. Occasionally, such as in history in Year 5, there is too much use of photocopied worksheets, and this restricts pupils’ opportunities to write fully, such as about aspects of their World War 2 topic.

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Lively and imaginative teaching motivates pupils and helps them achieve high

8 Pupils want to work hard for their teachers and earn their praise because they appreciate the support they give them. “They are very friendly and have their own special, unique ways of doing things” said a Year 6 pupil. The very good relationships between staff and pupils has a very positive impact on pupils’ learning because it gives them confidence to volunteer answers and also to clarify their misunderstanding. This was evident in a Year 1 lesson when the teacher helped pupils overcome their initial difficulties recognising odd and even numbers.

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Lively and imaginative teaching motivates pupils and helps them achieve high

9 Both teachers and support staff have benefited since the last inspection from good quality in service training, which has helped to develop their professionalism across the wide range of subjects. As a result of this training, teachers are now confident to teach information and communication technology and the small class numbers enable whole class lessons to take place in the new computer suite. The introduction of an interactive whiteboard has expanded the range of teaching styles, particularly in Year 4. Older pupils make increasing use of the Internet to support their learning in other subjects. Computers are also used very effectively to present pupils’ work, as was seen in the older pupils’ posters about the artist Lowry. Teachers are also particularly good at ensuring that pupils with special educational needs are fully included in discussions at the beginning and end of lessons and are set appropriate work that is clearly related to

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Lively and imaginative teaching motivates pupils and helps them achieve high

the targets on their good quality individual education plans. As a result, these pupils become confident learners, with increasing levels of self esteem and make the same very good progress as their peers. Similarly, pupils with English as an additional language are well supported and achieve very well.

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Lively and imaginative teaching motivates pupils and helps them achieve high

10 Where the levels of need of pupils is beyond the skills of teachers, the headteacher is very quick to call in the services of outside agencies, which then work closely with the school in the development of individual pupils’ literacy skills. The school is also particularly good at supporting pupils with specific learning difficulties. For example, five pupils identified with dyslexia are given individual support by a specialist teacher, who is paid for by the school. Support given to gifted and talented pupils, who are withdrawn in small groups through the week to work on more demanding tasks, is particularly impressive. Pupils who are taking entrance exams for selective secondary schools also receive excellent support. Regular extra curricular sessions help to ensure that these pupils are as fully prepared for these exams as possible. It is for this reason, allied to the very high quality teaching, that the great majority of pupils are successful in gaining

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Lively and imaginative teaching motivates pupils and helps them achieve high

11 The school also places great importance on the development of pupils’ all round abilities. Good use of teachers' expertise results in extremely high quality singing by the school choir and high levels of musicianship by the time pupils leave the school. Football coaching is also provided by an outside agency. Pupils’ confidence was clearly evident in their discussions with inspectors and also in the video that the school has produced as part of their multi cultural work that they are developing as a Beacon School. In this North Cheshire Jewish Primary School - 14 work, pupils not only visit other local schools to show their play emphasising the similarities of all people, but also lead discussions on their Jewish backgrounds and the importance of confronting racism.

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Pupils have excellent relationships with each other, work very hard, take their

responsibilities seriously and behave very well.

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Pupils have excellent relationships with each other, work very hard, take their

12 There are excellent relationships through the school and this makes it a harmonious, vibrant and supportive community, where the atmosphere is clearly focused on learning and high standards. In lessons, pupils are eager, willing and cooperate very well. In a significant number of lessons, their behaviour and attitudes to work are excellent. All these very positive attitudes are a most significant factor in the very good progress that pupils make through the school. There is a very purposeful atmosphere in the classrooms, with teachers being able to concentrate on the lesson’s work, without having to dwell on behaviour. The excellent relationships are also evident at break and lunchtimes, with groups playing happily together. Older pupils show great maturity as monitors, particularly when, as ‘helping hands’, they carry out their duties with the younger pupils, aptly summed up by one pupil who said, “I feel very safe in this school

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Pupils have excellent relationships with each other, work very hard, take their

because there is always someone to help”. Older pupils also play a significant role as house captains and vice captains, in the organisation of very regular inter house events; they also act as monitors for teachers of the younger pupils. All these duties are carried out cheerfully and effectively and help these pupils develop a clear understanding of the importance of citizenship. Lunchtime is an enjoyable occasion, where pupils interact in lively discussion but at the same time show very good respect for the lunchtime supervisors.

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Pupils have excellent relationships with each other, work very hard, take their

13 Teachers make very good use of the high quality relationships, and wherever possible, teachers plan carefully to enable pupils to learn from each other in good quality group work. This was clearly evident in a reception class physical development lesson when the children worked effectively together in their activities with large hoops. Pupils’ very good collaborative skills are reinforced by perceptive and thoughtful comments they make in class discussions and the very good respect they show for each other’s views and opinions. For example, Year 6 pupils showed great sensitivity and understanding for their peers’ views on vivisection, although they clearly did not agree with them. The supportive environment that the school has built impacts most positively on pupils’ self esteem, their ability to express their feelings openly and their confidence to tackle new learning. Pupils really enjoy school and the challenges that their teachers give them.

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The school has excellent relationships with parents who are extremely satisfied with

the standards that their children achieve and the rich learning provision.

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The school has excellent relationships with parents who are extremely satisfied with

14 Very high levels of satisfaction were shown in the parents’ meeting and in the questionnaire. Parents are very happy with the way the school is functioning and the way in which the school actively promotes Orthodox Jewish values and beliefs. Parents are particularly pleased with the recent improvements the school has made in the development of the curriculum, discipline, computer suite, sports provision, school meals provision and the attention to pupils’ general health and well being. The only real point of concern was about homework, which some parents felt was excessive and placed too much pressure on pupils. Discussion with pupils from Years 2 to 6 indicated that this was not a major concern for them; they had a clear knowledge of when homework was to be set and the way in which it helped their learning. Occasionally some pupils did not finish homework and, when this occurred, teachers showed

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The school has excellent relationships with parents who are extremely satisfied with

appropriate sensitivity. North Cheshire Jewish Primary School - 15 15 Parents were very happy with their children’s reports, which they felt had improved since the school had abandoned the generic, computerised format. Teachers knew their pupils well and reports were honest and accurate. Parent teacher interviews were deemed to be useful and provide a regular forum for parents who are less confident about approaching teachers informally. The parents appreciated the school’s openness and teachers’ willingness to discuss children’s progress when parents felt there was a need. The recently introduced initiative of meeting pupils’ new teachers in July was considered very useful. This gave parents valuable opportunities to discuss the curriculum their child would follow in the next academic year and also a clear understanding of how they could work closely with the school in the education of their children. Parents also appreciated the good quality newsletters which are now much

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The school has excellent relationships with parents who are extremely satisfied with

more informative and the opportunities these letters gave them to comment on such issues as school uniform.

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The school has excellent relationships with parents who are extremely satisfied with

16 The school works very hard at its relationship with parents and constantly searches for ways to improve its practice in this area. The school rightly prides itself on its openness with parents and the headteacher makes herself available to talk to parents who have any concerns. Parents are completely confident that any worries they raise will be quickly, effectively and sensitively dealt with. Parents whose children had been to other schools, spoke in glowing terms about how the school’s response to concerns had made their children more confident, raised their self esteem and made the whole learning experience more enjoyable and effective. Parents are also extremely positive about the range of visits that the school arranges and the large number of good quality after school clubs, which parents felt provided a good antidote to the ‘intense’ school day. These clubs also give pupils of different ages and interests valuable opportunities

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The school has excellent relationships with parents who are extremely satisfied with

to work and play together, while developing their specific skills.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

There are no significant areas of weakness in the school. North Cheshire Jewish Primary School - 16

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 21

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 269

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 29

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 11

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 8

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Attendance

School data 3.8 School data 0.3 North Cheshire Jewish Primary School - 17 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. North Cheshire Jewish Primary School - 18

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 16 17 33

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys 16 16 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 17 17 17

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

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

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 16 16 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 17 17 17

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (98) 100 (100) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

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

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

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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 18 23 41

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 18 18 18 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 23 21 23

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (100) 95 (100) 100 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 18 18 18 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 23 21 23

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (100) 95 (100) 100 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. North Cheshire Jewish Primary School - 19 North Cheshire Jewish Primary School - 20

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 15 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

The table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. It gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 15 Financial year 2001/02

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 17.1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 593,770

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 7 Total expenditure 593,793

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 145 Expenditure per pupil 2,158

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 5,575

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) Balance carried forward to next year -448

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week North Cheshire Jewish Primary School - 21 Number of pupils per FTE adult

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 4

p.21

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 4

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. North Cheshire Jewish Primary School - 22

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Percentage of responses in each category 29%

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

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Percentage of responses in each category 29%

My child is making good progress in school. 62 34 4 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category 29%

Behaviour in the school is good. 45 51 4 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category 29%

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 45 34 18 3 0

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Percentage of responses in each category 29%

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 45 44 10 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category 29%

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 69 30 1 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category 29%

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 62 32 3 1 2

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Percentage of responses in each category 29%

The school works closely with parents. 54 39 6 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category 29%

The school is well led and managed. 62 35 1 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category 29%

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 56 36 6 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category 29%

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 54 38 5 0 3

p.22