St Pancras Catholic Primary School

ERRATUM – ST PANCRAS CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

URN 114568 INSPECTION NUMBER 247476 Inspection start date 3 rd February 2003

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ERRATUM – ST PANCRAS CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

REPORT PAGE 5 AND PARENTS’ SUMMARY PAGE 1

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ERRATUM – ST PANCRAS CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Last bullet point in “What could be improved” to be:

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ERRATUM – ST PANCRAS CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

• The school has an insufficiently clear view of the effect and the implications of the withdrawal of pupils from lessons and from the whole school act of collective worship.

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ERRATUM – ST PANCRAS CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

REPORT PAGE 8 AND PARENTS’ SUMMARY PAGE 4

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ERRATUM – ST PANCRAS CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Last sentence in “How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities” to be removed.

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ERRATUM – ST PANCRAS CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Although collective worship makes a significant contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, all pupils do not always take part in whole school collective worship.

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ERRATUM – ST PANCRAS CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Key issue for action number four to read:

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ERRATUM – ST PANCRAS CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

4. Review and revise the system of withdrawal of pupils from lessons and whole school collective worship to ensure that:

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ERRATUM – ST PANCRAS CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

• procedures for withdrawal are effective;

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ERRATUM – ST PANCRAS CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

• teachers are more clearly aware of what the pupils have missed and that procedures for them to catch up are consistently applied;

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ERRATUM – ST PANCRAS CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

• withdrawals are rotated wherever possible;

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ERRATUM – ST PANCRAS CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

• pupils receive equality of opportunity and are fully included in all aspects of the school’s life. See paragraph 27, 32,34,38

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ERRATUM – ST PANCRAS CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

First bullet point under “OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL” to be removed. St Pancras Catholic Primary School 2

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ST PANCRAS CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 3 rd – 5 th February 2003

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ST PANCRAS CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Full inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 St Pancras Catholic Primary School 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: De Montfort Road Lewes East Sussex

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body, St Pancras Catholic Primary School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr E Carpenter

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

19227 Paul Missin Registered inspector Mathematics, information and communication technology, design and technology. 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? 9446 Helen Griffiths Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 15271 Brian Farley Team inspector English, geography, history, physical education. Special educational needs. Educational inclusion, including race equality How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

18083 Judith Howell Team inspector Science, art and design, music. Children in the Foundation Stage. English as an additional language

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Phoenix Educational Consultants, “Thule”, 60 Joy Lane, Whitstable, Kent CT5 4LT Tel: 01227 273449

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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, The Office for Standards in Education, Alexandra House, 33 Kingsway, London, WC2B 6SE St Pancras Catholic Primary School 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 5

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? 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Pancras Catholic Primary School educates boys and girls aged from five to 11 years. There are currently 113 pupils on roll, 57 boys and 56 girls. This is smaller than most other schools of the same type. At the time of the inspection, the 11 children in the Foundation Stage were taught in a class with Year 1 pupils. Four pupils speak English as an additional language (3.5 per cent) and two of these are supported by a special government grant for minority ethnic pupils. None is now at an early stage of language acquisition. Six pupils are from non-white ethnic backgrounds. Three pupils have statements of special educational need, (Two point six per cent). This is broadly average. There are 19 pupils with special educational needs (16.8 per cent). This is broadly average. The nature of pupils’ need varies but the most common is moderate learning difficulties. Three pupils have statements of special

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

educational need (two point seven per cent). This is above average. In the last school year, 14 pupils joined the school other than at the usual time of admission and 14 left other than at the usual time of transfer. This is high. Ten pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals (11.3 per cent). This is below average. When they enter the school, most children are achieving standards that are in line with those expected for their age. There has been a significant movement of staff in the past two years. The number on roll has dropped from 141 in 1997 and the projected number on roll is likely to decrease further in the next few years.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

St Pancras is an effective school. The good leadership of the headteacher and the governing body, and the good support provided by the whole staff team, ensure that the caring, Christian ethos of the school is at the heart of its work. The good teaching across the school provides children with a good start to their time at school, and ensures that, by the time they leave, most are achieving standards in English and mathematics that are above those expected for their age. However, by Year 6, pupils do not make sufficient progress in science. Overall, considering the standards pupils achieve and the progress they make, the school provides satisfactory value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • The good teaching and the well managed provision for children in the Foundation Stage enable them to make good progress in the Reception Year. • The school’s spiritual and social aims are met well and this ensures that its ethos is strongly promoted and is at the heart of its work. • By the time they leave the school, most pupils are achieving standards in English and mathematics that are above those expected for their age. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good, and this enables them to make good progress towards their own learning targets. • The good leadership of the headteacher and the effective support provided by staff and governors ensure that the school is well placed for further improvements to be made. • The school has developed some good and very good procedures to involve parents and the local community in its work. What could be improved

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

§ Pupils are not achieving high enough standards in science in Years 3 to 6 and in history and geography across the school because the quality of teaching in these subject is not good enough. § There are weaknesses in the presentation of pupils’ written work in English and across other curriculum areas. § The current procedures for monitoring teaching and learning and checking the quality of pupils’ work are not sufficiently rigorous. • The school has an insufficiently clear view of the effect and the impact of the withdrawal of St Pancras Catholic Primary School 7 pupils from lessons. 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 it was last inspected in July 1997, the school has made good improvement. Good improvement has been made in addressing the key issues relating to the full implementation of schemes of work, the introduction of a comprehensive assessment system and increasing the clerical hours. National Curriculum requirements are now fully met. Satisfactory progress has been made in developing the monitoring roles of the headteacher and subject co-ordinators, although aspects of these have not been fully addressed. The good quality of teaching has been maintained despite significant recent changes in staff, and no unsatisfactory teaching was observed during the inspection. Standards have improved in mathematics and in information and communication technology but have declined in some subjects, most noticeably in science in Year 6. However, the overall above average standards in Years 1 and 2 have been maintained. Considering the good leadership of the school, the effective

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

teaching and the commitment of the whole staff team, the school has good capacity for further improvements to be achieved.

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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. compared with

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

The table shows that in Year 6, in 2002, standards in English were above the average of all schools and well above the average of similar schools. Standards in mathematics and science were well below those expected in all and similar schools. The small size of the year groups in this school makes the analysis of statistical data unreliable. Trends in attainment since 1998 show that standards have varied between well above and well below average but there was a significant drop in standards in mathematics and science into 2002. The school’s published targets for the proportion of pupils reaching the expected Level 4 and above in English and mathematics in the 2003 national tests are very ambitious and are unlikely to be met. The high mobility in the current Year 6 explains why revisions have needed to be made. The most recent targets for English and mathematics, which are lower than the published ones, are realistic and likely to be achieved.

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STANDARDS

The current inspection findings are that Year 6 pupils are achieving standards that are above average in English, mathematics, art and design and music. Standards are average in all other subjects except in science, history and geography where they are below average. Standards in mathematics have improved significantly since the last inspection and since the 2002 tests as a result of the school’s positive targeting of this area and the good level of support which has been put into the subject. Standards in information and communication technology have improved as a result of the introduction of new hardware and the effect of the increased confidence and expertise of the teachers. Standards in science in Years 3 to 6 and in geography and history across the school are low because topics are not taught to a sufficient depth for higher standards to be met. St Pancras Catholic Primary School 8 Pupils in Year 2 are achieving standards in reading, mathematics and science that are above

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STANDARDS

average. Standards are average in writing and in all other areas of the curriculum except in history and geography were they are below average. By the end of the Reception year, most children are on course to achieve standards that are above average in all areas of learning except for their mathematical and physical development where standards are average. Across the school, pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language achieve good standards for their capabilities. Most children are achieving average standards when they enter the school, and most make good progress in the Foundation Stage to achieve above average standards when they enter Year 1. Most pupils then make sound progress across the school and by the time they leave most are achieving above average standards in English and mathematics.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Pupils’ attitudes are good. They are well motivated, show interest in their lessons and concentrate well. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school is good. They are friendly and polite to visitors.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships These are good. Pupils are thoughtful of others’ opinions and feelings. All staff provide good role models. The school provides good opportunities for pupils to take responsibility.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Satisfactory overall, although in the previous year attendance rates were below average. This has been caused mainly by a small number of pupils who have recognised medical absences. The positive attitudes that pupils show towards their work and the school, and the good behaviour support the school’s strong sense of community.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Quality of teaching Good Good Satisfactory 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. Overall, the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning is good. Teaching and learning are good in just over a half of the lessons seen and just under a half are satisfactory. Over one in ten are very good. No unsatisfactory teaching was observed. This good teaching has been achieved despite significant changes in staff recently and some difficulties with recruitment and retention of teachers. Strengths in teaching are the clear and detailed lesson plans and the good range of challenging activities that teachers provide. Teachers manage their classes well and pupils are fully involved in their work. This helps pupils’ concentration and motivation and improves their learning. The effective

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

co-operation between teachers and their support assistants is also a strength. The teaching of English, including literacy, and of mathematics, including numeracy, is satisfactory. Some shortcomings in teaching are where teachers spend too long on their introductions and explanations and their expectations of the quantity and presentation of pupils’ written work are too low. Also some topics, especially in science, history and geography, are not taught to a sufficient depth for higher standards to be achieved. In Years 3 to 6, teaching is good in art and design and in music and satisfactory in most other subjects. In Years 1 and 2, teaching is good in mathematics and science and satisfactory in most other subjects. Across the school, teaching is unsatisfactory in history and geography. It is also St Pancras Catholic Primary School 9 unsatisfactory in science in Years 3 to 6. In these subjects, insufficient attention is given to teaching

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

specific knowledge and skills to an appropriate depth. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is good, with several very good features. Lessons are carefully planned, children are managed very well, and an interesting and challenging curriculum is provided. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is also good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is sound and it makes a good contribution to the school’s aims. Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good. The school provides a good range of school visits and extracurricular activities and has effective links with other schools. The school is not sufficiently aware of the impact of the withdrawal of some pupils from lessons for individual tuition or further support. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Provision is well managed and is very good overall. Pupils’ individual learning plans are relevant and detailed and clear records are maintained of what pupils have achieved.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language The few pupils with English as an additional language are now proficient in English and have full access to the National Curriculum.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall. The school’s promotion of an effective community provides very good opportunities for the development of pupils’ social awareness. The regular class prayer and reflection times, and the clear way the school encourages consideration of right and wrong, encourage pupils’ spiritual and moral development well. Pupils are not made sufficiently aware of our multicultural heritage. How well the school cares for its pupils Good. The school has effective procedures for ensuring the safety and well being of its pupils. Assessment procedures in English and mathematics are good and satisfactory in all other subjects. The newly introduced systems for tracking pupils’ attainment and the progress they make are good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Overall, the school provides a safe, secure learning environment. An important priority is placed on the care and well being of all the pupils and the school provides a well-balanced curriculum that is enhanced by clubs and visits to places of interest. The school works hard to utilise and improve the links between home and school and has successfully secured the support and confidence of most of its parents.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides good leadership and she is supported well by the deputy headteacher and other senior staff. All staff are well informed about, and involved in, the work of the school. Procedures for monitoring teaching and learning and reviewing pupils’ work are insufficiently rigorous. All staff work well together and are committed to the school’s continuing improvement. St Pancras Catholic Primary School 10 How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. Individual governors use their own interests and expertise very well to support the school. The encouragement given to arts provision in the school and the support provided for the new building extension have been particularly good. Through their various committees, governors have a good understanding of the school’s work and they are beginning to get a clearer view of standards being achieved across the school.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Governors have not ensured that the statutory requirement that all pupils should attend a daily act of collective worship is fully met. St Pancras Catholic Primary School 11 The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The recently revised school improvement plan provides opportunities for the school to evaluate standards achieved and other aspects of its work. The processes of devising and reviewing the school improvement plan are secure. The recent analysis of national tests scores in English and mathematics has been effective in devising priorities for improvement. The strategic use of resources Resources earmarked for special educational needs provision and for staff training have been used well. Careful and decisive financial planning has resulted in the provision of an effective recovery plan to cope with a forecast drop in numbers. The school is concerned to secure value for money when purchases are made.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The good leadership of the headteacher and the effective support provided by the governing body have enabled the school to plan well for the future. Overall, the school’s accommodation is satisfactory but there are some important shortcomings which the school is working hard to improve. There is a good match of teachers and support staff to the demands of the curriculum and learning resources are satisfactory overall.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved § The standards pupils achieve, particularly in the arts. § Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. § The caring and sharing ethos of the school is strong. § Behaviour is good. • The range of activities outside lessons

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The findings of the inspection confirm the parents’ positive views of the school but not their single area of concern. Good opportunities are provided for extracurricular clubs and for visits to support and enhance the curriculum. St Pancras Catholic Primary School 12

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. There are several features which have influenced the standards achieved in the school, the progress pupils make and the reliability of the analysis of available test data. The year groups in the school are relatively small; 19 in the current Year 6. This makes the analysis of data and the identification of trends unreliable. The high turnover of staff in the last two years and the high number of teachers that were used in some classes in the previous academic year have had a negative impact on the continuity of teachers’ approach and on the improvement in standards. This has also caused some changes in curriculum management and has meant that standards have slipped in some subjects. The relatively high mobility of pupils in the school makes the setting of improvement targets more difficult. For example, since the attainment targets for the current Year 6 were published, four pupils have joined the Year 6 group (20 per cent). One of these has English as an additional language and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

another has a statement of special educational needs. As a result, the most school’s most recent targets are significantly lower than those published earlier. 2. When children enter the school, most are achieving average standards. The quality of teaching and the quality of their learning are good and most make good progress. By the end of the Reception year, most children are on course to exceed expected standards in their communication, language and literacy, creative development, in their knowledge and understanding of the world and in their personal, social and emotional development. In their mathematical and physical development, standards are similar to those found in most schools. Most children are very independent and able to organise themselves in a responsible way. They socialise well, listen to the contributions of others well and offer their own views when necessary. Children are confident and take part in discussions eagerly.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Most children manage their own personal hygiene capably. They are very aware of the need to behave well and do so both in and out of the classroom. The quality of personal, social and emotional development is very good because the staff work hard to motivate all children to participate in the activities. 3. In the national tests for seven-year-olds in 2002, as compared with all and similar schools standards in reading were well above average and standards in mathematics were above average. Standards in writing were average compared with all schools, but below average compared with similar schools. The assessments made by teachers in science were well above average for the expected Level 2 attainment but below average for the higher Level 3 attainment. Trends in the recent results show some fluctuation between different years, especially in writing, but scores in mathematics and reading have shown greater consistency. There were no significant differences

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

between the attainment of boys and girls. 4. The findings of this inspection are that, in Year 2, pupils are achieving standards in reading, mathematics and science that are above average. Standards are average in writing and in all other areas of the curriculum except in history and geography where they are below average. Since the last inspection, standards have been maintained in reading, science, art and design, music and design and technology. They have been improved in mathematics and information and communication technology and have declined in writing including English overall, physical education, history and geography. Standards have improved in mathematics because of the implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy and in information and communication technology as a result of the improved resourcing of the subject and the increase in teachers’ confidence and expertise. Standards are below average in

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

history and geography because topics are not taught to a sufficient depth for higher standards to be achieved. 5. In the national tests for eleven-year-olds in 2002, standards in English were above the average of all schools and well above those expected in similar schools. Standards in mathematics and science St Pancras Catholic Primary School 13 were well below those expected in all and similar schools. Trends in attainment since 1998 show a marked variation between different years and a variation across different subject areas. Standards have varied between well above and well below average but there was a significant drop in standards in mathematics and science in 2002. The school’s published targets for the proportion of pupils reaching the expected Level 4 in English and mathematics in the 2003 national tests are very ambitious and the pupils are not on course to meet them. The high mobility in the current Year 6 explains why

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

revisions have needed to be made. The most recent targets for English and mathematics, which are lower than the published ones, are realistic and the school is on course to reach them. There were no significant differences between the attainment of boys and girls at this key stage. 6. The findings of this inspection are that in Year 6, pupils achieve standards that are above average in English, mathematics, art and design and music. Standards are average in all other subjects except in science, history and geography where they are below average. Since the last inspection, the high standards in English have been maintained, and standards in mathematics, information and communication technology, art and design and music have risen. Standards in history and physical education have declined, and there has been a significant drop in standards in science. No improvement has been made in the low standards being achieved in geography. Average standards in

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

design and technology have been maintained. Standards in mathematics have improved significantly since the last inspection and since the 2002 tests as a result of the school’s positive targeting of this area and the good level of support which has been put into the subject. Standards in information and communication technology have improved as a result of the introduction of new hardware and the effect of the increased confidence and expertise of the teachers. Standards in science, geography and history are lower now because topics are not taught to a sufficient depth for higher standards to be met. 7. Pupils with special educational needs generally make good progress with respect to their prior attainments. This is particularly so in English and mathematics when the co-ordinator for special educational needs and the teaching assistants provide well planned support. Good use is made of the assessment of pupils’ capabilities when they first enter the school to check their subsequent progress

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

as measured through tests and teachers’ assessments. The previous inspection reported that, ‘the levels of attainment reached by pupils with special educational needs are appropriate.’ 8. The very small numbers of pupils who speak English as an additional language are able to participate in all the school’s opportunities and do not require additional curricular support. The school has suitable systems in place to provide the support when needed. All pupils have sufficient command of English to have appropriate access to the full National Curriculum. 9. When they enter the school, most pupils are achieving standards that are as expected for their age. Analysis of the scores of recent tests on entry to the school shows some variation between different years. Provision in the Foundation Stage meets the needs of the children well, and most make good progress and are on course to achieve overall standards that are above average by the time they

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

enter Year 1. Pupils’ needs are met satisfactorily in Years 1 and 2, and most make sound progress and generally maintain their above average standards by the end of Year 1. However, pupils do not make sufficient progress in history and geography. The needs of pupils in Years 3 to 6 are also met satisfactorily. Most make at least satisfactory progress in several subjects. However, they make insufficient progress in history and geography and there is significant under-achievement in science in Year 6. Here, teachers have not ensured that the appropriate knowledge and skills are taught and developed in sufficient detail and, as a result, pupils do not reach high enough standards. Across the school, the needs of higher attaining pupils are met satisfactorily and they make sound progress.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Pupils’ attitudes to learning, behaviour and personal development are good, as they were at the time of the last inspection. During the inspection, pupils’ responses were good or better in over three- quarters of the lessons observed. In the Foundation Stage, they were very good in nearly half the St Pancras Catholic Primary School 14 lessons. For example, while they were watching a programmable toy moving around the classroom, they showed great concentration, enjoyment and wonder. Relationships among pupils and between pupils and adults continue to be good. For example, in their science lesson looking at skeletons and muscles, Year 4/5 pupils co-operated well in their work groups. Attendance, which was above average at the time of the last inspection, is now below average. Parents at the pre-inspection meeting and in response to the questionnaire felt very strongly that their children liked coming to school and that

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

behaviour was good. 11. In its mission statement, the school aims to promote the development of every pupil and to foster and maintain caring, tolerant, respectful and happy relationships between all members of the community. This is achieved very well. Pupils are keen to come to school and punctuality is good. They know right from wrong and are thoughtful of others. They are keen to participate in extracurricular activities. Their attitudes to learning are good. They are well motivated, show good interest in their lessons and concentrate well. They listen well to their teachers and are eager to contribute to discussions. For example, in a Year 1 mathematics lesson on number bonds, pupils were keen to share what they had learnt. Occasionally, when teachers’ explanations are too long, pupils become restless and their concentration lapses. Most pupils are keen to do well and value their teachers’ praise and encouragement. They know how to respond appropriately in assemblies. They

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

are capable of independent learning and work well together in groups. 12. The school functions well as an orderly community. Pupils know the school rules well and feel they are treated fairly. Pupils respond well to teachers’ expectations of good behaviour and, as a result, behaviour is good in lessons, assemblies and at play times. Pupils are friendly and polite to visitors. Teachers offer good role models of courtesy and fairness. Relationships are good and pupils are thoughtful of one another’s feelings: for example, in a personal, social and health education lesson, pupils spontaneously applauded the “special person of the day”. Bullying is rare and pupils are confident that if it occurs, it will be dealt with quickly and effectively. There have been no exclusions in recent years. These strengths confirm parents’ positive views of the school’s approach to behaviour expressed at their pre-inspection meeting.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils’ personal and social development is good. There are good opportunities for pupils to take responsibility and they take them seriously. They appreciate the rewards system and value the school council. Pupils understand the values of other cultures through art, music, religious education and geography and show respect for the feelings and beliefs of others. 14. Children in the Foundation Stage have positive attitudes towards their work and play. They interact with each other, the teacher and teaching assistants, very well indeed. Behaviour is good. Children enjoy coming to school and benefit fully from the range of activities, which is provided for them. Developing initiative and personal responsibility in learning is strongly encouraged by the teacher and most children are able to organise themselves well. Across the school, pupils with special educational needs have positive attitudes to learning. Their peers treat them with consideration and

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

respect. 15. Attendance is satisfactory overall, although attendance rates last year were below average and authorised absence was well above. These figures are due to a few families who take their children on holiday in term time and to a small number of pupils who have recognised medical absences. Registration takes place very quickly and effectively and ensures a calm start to sessions.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning across the school is good. This is broadly similar to the findings of the previous inspection which judged that teaching was ‘nearly always at least satisfactory, often good and sometimes very good’. The proportion of satisfactory, good and very good teaching was similar in both inspections, but there was no unsatisfactory teaching observed in this inspection. Currently, teaching and learning are good in just over a half of lessons seen and just under a St Pancras Catholic Primary School 15 half are also satisfactory. Over one in ten is very good. The strength in the teaching has been maintained well despite significant changes in staff recently and some difficulties with recruitment and retention. 17. Several of the strengths noted at the last inspection have been maintained and consolidated well. Lessons are still well planned and prepared. Teachers’ lesson plans show clearly the learning

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

intended in the lesson and this is shared with the pupils. Often the teacher links previous work well with current work. These features ensure that pupils know what they are expected to learn and how this links in with what they had done before. The effective co-operation between teachers and their support assistants is also still a strength. Most teachers managed their classes well. Pupils are involved well in class activities and teachers maintain pupils’ concentration and commitment to their learning through a combination of challenging work and good humour. The quality of the personal interactions in classes and the pupils’ positive responses improves their learning. The use of homework to support pupils’ learning is satisfactory. 18. Some shortcomings in teaching in otherwise satisfactory lessons are where teachers spend too long on introductions and explanations and do not provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to share

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

what they already know or to undertake their own activities. Sometimes teachers’ expectations of the speed and amount of written work which pupils can achieve are too low. A further weakness evident from the scrutiny of pupils’ work is that teachers’ expectations of the overall quality of the presentation of pupils’ work are too low. Also some topics, especially in history and geography across the school, and in science in Year 6, are not taught to a sufficient depth for average standards to be achieved. 19. The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is good overall, with several very good features. In the lessons observed in the inspection at this stage, in eight out of ten, teaching and learning were good or better and, in just under a half, they were very good. The Reception teacher knows the children very well as individuals and has developed warm relationships with them all. Consequently

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

the children settle into school happily and successfully develop very good attitudes to learning. The daily activities are well prepared and resources available indoors and outdoors are effectively used to stimulate interest and participation. The Reception teacher’s management of children is very good and overall, there is a good balance between teacher directed and child initiated activities. The well- organised routines enable all children to become used to the pattern of the day and respond quickly to the high expectations for behaviour, attentiveness and following instructions. The teacher and teaching assistants work closely as a team. They listen with interest to what the children have to say and, through careful questioning, maximise their learning. The teaching of social skills is especially good and the children quickly develop a good understanding of how to behave and a growing awareness of

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

others’ needs as well as their own. The use of assessment to monitor the progress and development of the children is good and enables the teacher to plan effectively for the children’s future learning. 20. In Years 1 and 2, the quality of teaching and learning is good. In the inspection, teaching and learning were good or better in over half the lessons observed and, in over a fifth, they were very good. At this key stage, teaching and learning are good in mathematics and science and satisfactory in all other subjects, except in history and geography where they are unsatisfactory. Here, teachers do not ensure that topics are taught to a sufficient depth for average standards to be achieved. Where comparisons can be made with the previous inspection findings, the quality of teaching has been improved in mathematics, has declined in English and physical education and remained the same in most other subjects.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. A numeracy lesson to pupils in Year 2 where pupils were reinforcing their knowledge of doubling and halving, and investigating positional language, illustrated several features of good, effective teaching. The oral starter to the lesson was introduced practically and then proceeded at a brisk pace which ensured that all pupils were involved well and successfully developed the speed an accuracy of their mental calculations. The teacher introduced the main activity well and encouraged St Pancras Catholic Primary School 16 the pupils to devise interesting hand actions to illustrate positional language such as next to, above and underneath. The group activities which followed were interesting and challenging and pupils were committed to trying their best to devise and copy patterns with building blocks made by their partners. As a result of the teaching, pupils made good gains in their understanding and had good opportunities to

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

discuss their ideas and work practically with appropriate apparatus. 22. In Years 3 to 6, the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. In the lessons observed in the inspection, over a half was good or better and a small proportion was very good. There were no significant differences in the quality of teaching in the different year groups, but the proportion of very good teaching was highest in Year 6. In Years 3 to 6, teaching and learning are good in art and music and satisfactory in all other subjects except in history, geography and science where they are unsatisfactory. Here teachers do not ensure that topics are taught to a sufficient depth for average standards to be achieved. Teaching is effective in art because teachers’ knowledge and expertise have been improved and the profile of the subject in the school has been raised. In music, standards are high because of the high quality teaching and the example provided by the co-ordinator. Where it is possible

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

to make comparisons with the judgements made at the last inspection, the quality of teaching has improved in art and music, declined in English and physical education and remained the same in most other subjects. 23. An art lesson to pupils in Years 3/4 illustrated several features of good effective teaching which had a positive impact on pupils’ learning. The class was considering the work of Henri Rousseau as they were undertaking their own sketches of tigers from pictures that had been provided. The lesson was carefully planned and useful strategies were outlined for each part of the lesson. The teacher quickly gained pupils’ interest by reminding them of their previous work and by showing attractive and interesting pictures of tigers in their environment. Pupils were given clear instructions on how to proceed which ensured that they all knew clearly what was expected of them. As the pupils began their sketches the teacher intervened expertly as they worked constantly encouraging them to

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

improve their observation and drawing technique. This showed the teachers’ secure, confident subject knowledge. The lesson then moved briskly to the point where the teacher introduced the concept of camouflage and made good reference to Rousseau’s work. Pupils were then able to complete their tasks showing high levels of commitment and enjoyment. The result was that pupils made good gains in their knowledge of the work of other artists, in their sketching skills and appreciation of colour and in their confidence in the subject. 24. The teaching of English, including literacy, is satisfactory. The National Literacy Strategy is being implemented soundly. The recent whole school focus on improving reading has been done well. The teaching of mathematics, including numeracy, is good. Teachers’ planning and lesson organisation follow the recommended format. The recent decision to target mathematics for improvement across

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

the school has been successful. 25. The quality of teaching and learning for pupils with special educational needs is good. The calm environment in lessons makes a good contribution to the progress that pupils make. Where pupils have individual education plans, these are carefully used to ensure that effective strategies are employed to help them reach their learning targets. However, there is less evidence that teachers’ general planning includes suitable detail for teaching these pupils. Teaching assistants provide a good level of support for pupils where appropriate. They have access to pupils’ individual education plans, know the targets set and have good liaison with teachers. From Year 2 upwards, pupils are aware of their own targets for learning. This contributes to the good progress that they make. Appropriate use is made of information and communication technology.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

26. The quality and range of learning opportunities provided by the school are satisfactory. The curriculum generally makes a good contribution to the overall aims of the school and has a good St Pancras Catholic Primary School 17 emphasis upon the arts. There is an appropriate focus on raising standards, particularly in English and mathematics, but it is less effective in history and geography and some aspects of science. All subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education are taught. The breadth, balance and relevance of the curriculum are generally satisfactory and good use is made of teachers who have specialist skills in areas such as music and special educational needs. All requirements of the statutory curriculum are met and this is an improvement since the previous inspection. 27. Good progress has been made since the last inspection to develop the curriculum. This is

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

because the school has worked hard to improve the weaknesses which were identified. There is now a full framework to guide curriculum planning. All subjects have a scheme of work to ensure appropriate coverage of the National Curriculum and the time available for teaching now meets nationally recommended levels. However, the curriculum for teaching science in Years 3 to 6, and history and geography across the school lacks sufficient breadth and depth to ensure that high standards are attainable. A further overall weakness is that the effect of the withdrawal of pupils from lessons for extra help is not monitored closely enough. 28. Strong emphasis is placed upon the teaching of English and mathematics. The National Literacy Strategy has been implemented and its use has had a sound effect overall, except for raising standards of writing in Years 1 and 2. However, a clear focus upon reading across Years 2 to 6 has

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

been particularly effective and plans have been established to increase the number of pupils who reach higher levels in writing in Years 1 and 2. The National Numeracy Strategy is also well established and with good effect upon raising standards at both key stages. The recent decision to target mathematics as an area for improvement has worked well. Further support and extension groups have been organised which have been successful in improving standards and raising the profile of the subject in the school. 29. The provision for extracurricular activities is good. Pupils’ education has been enriched by activities such as visits to Lewes castle, Anne of Cleeves house, the Hove Engineerium and a residential visit in alternate years to the Isle of Wight for pupils in Year 6. Visitors have included the diocesan Bishop, a ‘space lab’ for pupils’ work in science, a basketball team and an anti-bullying

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drama group. Pupils are able, at various times of the year, to engage in activities such as football, netball, art, drama, and board games and those in Year 5 and Year 6 can join a homework club or participate in extra mathematics. 30. Provision for pupils’ personal and social education is good. The way that the clear Catholic ethos of the school is fully embedded within all aspects of its work is one of its important strengths. Pupils are aware of the values that form the good relationships that exist within the school and respond to this in practical ways. For example, the ‘buddy’ system gives older pupils responsibility for those who are younger and the school council allows pupils to appreciate the values of democracy. Older pupils have appropriate teaching about health related issues such as drugs misuse and sex education. 31. The quality and range of learning opportunities for children in the Foundation Stage are good.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

The planning is suitably detailed and takes full account of the nationally recommended Early Learning Goals. Reading, writing and mathematics are sufficiently well structured to develop the children’s skills and there are a good range of activities that encourage children to write in a variety of role-play situations. Planning for role-play activities is detailed and clearly establishes the principles and purpose behind the opportunities provided. The development of children’s knowledge and understanding of the world is well planned. Children are very well supported in their personal, social and emotional development. 32. The individual learning plans for pupils with special educational needs have a clear layout with good detail to show what pupils should achieve and indicate ways in which this can be done. Particularly good records are kept of what pupils do and what are their strengths and weaknesses.

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Some pupils are withdrawn from lessons for individual or small group support, particularly in literacy and numeracy. The effect of this is positive and contributes well to progress made. However, this St Pancras Catholic Primary School 18 arrangement leads to some disruption to pupils’ learning in other subjects. This is because teachers are not always clearly aware of what pupils miss in lessons and because procedures for them to ‘catch up’ are not consistently applied. 33. Links with the local community and with partner institutions are good and make a positive contribution to pupils' experience and learning. For example, the school has worked with a local artist to engage the interest of pupils in the visual arts and this has developed into a rich source of aesthetic enjoyment. A significant amount of time has been given to sports activities that have enabled pupils to take part in a range of local events. There are strong links through families, the parish and the parent

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

teacher association. Sports events, drama and visits by teachers from local secondary schools and time spent by Year 5 and Year 6 pupils in some of those schools, add a further dimension. A link with the University of Brighton has been established and a project to enhance the emotional and social education of pupils in Years 1 and 2 and the Foundation Stage is now in place. 34. Overall, the provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. The previous inspection reported that it was satisfactory overall. Provision for spiritual development is good because it enables pupils to gain insight into values and beliefs, in order to develop their spiritual awareness. The mission statement has a clear declaration of spiritual aims and, in practice, Christian values and belief have a high priority in the maintenance of the school ethos. The importance with which the school approaches this area is shown by the staff’s full commitment to a shared prayer time

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at the beginning of each week. Collective worship and religious education form the basis upon which much of pupils’ spiritual education is developed. However, spiritual experiences are less well planned across the wider range of school subjects. This is because much spiritual content is incidental, although it is still often very valuable. There is a good emphasis upon the arts and this helps pupils to become aware of the different ways in which artists have responded to the wonder of the world around them. Although collective worship makes a significant contribution to pupils’ spiritual development, the school does not ensure that all pupils regularly take part in these activities. 35. Provision for pupils’ moral development is good. There is a strong and positive moral ethos that has clear links with the gospel teaching that is promoted in collective worship. ‘Golden Rules’ have the intention to promote pupils’ self-discipline and their understanding of being responsible for their

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

own actions. Pupils know what is right and wrong and there is an emphasis upon fairness in the way in which they and all adults are expected to behave. All adults that work in the school provide good role models for pupils. They demonstrate respect and courtesy balanced by firmness in their dealings with them. 36. The school makes very good provision for the social development of its pupils. For example, in collective worship there is a very good emphasis upon the social and practical aspects of religious belief and practice. Pupils are made aware of the wider world through good links with the local community and those who are older have the benefit of a residential visit to the Isle of Wight. There is a good emphasis upon the development of pupils’ respect and care for one another. In many lessons such as English, physical education and design and technology, teachers plan activities so that pupils

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learn to work together co-operatively. For example, in an English lesson, pupils worked well together to edit their written work. Overall, the school places considerable and consistent weight upon the promotion of good relationships, concern for others and living in a community. 37. The provision for pupils’ cultural development is satisfactory. A range of visits has been made by pupils to enhance their learning in subjects such as English, history and science. They have made visits to a number of places as described elsewhere in this report. A governor with particular interest in the promotion of the arts has given impetus to the development of a strong emphasis evident in displays of pupils’ work and that of artists. The school is actively working for an Artsmark award. Music is also well promoted. Pupils enjoy singing and a number are learning to play instruments. These activities have all made a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ general education and experiences

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of the world. Religious education and collective worship provide a good range of experience for pupils St Pancras Catholic Primary School 19 to gain some understanding and insight into the diversity of cultural practice and associated beliefs. However, wider aspects of multicultural education are less well developed. 38. The aims of the school show a commitment to equality of opportunity in education and in practice, satisfactory attention is given to the needs of all pupils. In general, more able pupils are challenged in their learning to reach their full potential in English and mathematics. The curriculum takes account of the needs of pupils who are artistically talented by providing an after school art club led by professional artists. The steps taken by the school to provide extra support for pupils with special educational needs are thorough. However, these pupils and those who are identified as

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needing additional support for their learning in literacy and mathematics are occasionally withdrawn from other lessons and although what they learn is worthwhile, there is not a consistent approach to help them catch up with what they have missed.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. The school continues to be a caring community, as it was at the time of the last inspection. It has a warm and friendly atmosphere. Good procedures ensure the health, welfare and safety of pupils. Arrangements for child protection are effective. The headteacher is the designated person and has been recently trained, as has her deputy. Informal training for all teaching and non-teaching staff takes place at the beginning of each year and formal training is to take place next term. Local authority guidelines have been adopted. Relationships with social services are satisfactory. 40. The school has effective health and safety policies, with all statutory procedures in place. Two members of staff have been fully trained in first aid. Accident books are properly kept. Risk assessments take place each term and are undertaken for trips and visits. Fire and electrical equipment is checked regularly. Teachers follow good practice in physical education, design and technology and

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

science. The caretaker has good procedures for health and safety. The Internet safety policy is effective. Supervision at play and lunch times is good. Security is good. 41. Comprehensive policies underpin the good procedures for promoting good behaviour and eliminating bullying. School rules are clear and communicated to parents through the prospectus. Good behaviour and hard work are rewarded through certificates and Golden Time. Sanctions are appropriate and parents are closely involved in any behavioural difficulties. The headteacher and the special educational needs co-ordinator run group activities for pupils who may be developing behaviour problems. 42. Pupils have good opportunities for taking personal responsibility. All pupils have tasks within class and older pupils help with assemblies and in the school office. There is a good buddy system at play times. Pupils are keen to volunteer for the school council. The many school clubs make a good

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

contribution to personal development, as do the personal, social and health education programme and circle time. Pupils’ personal development is monitored well, through good class records and reports. All teachers keep charts of Golden Time entitlement and these are carefully monitored. 43. Children in the Foundation Stage are very well cared for and it is evident that they feel at ease in their surroundings. They share very good relationships with the teacher and teaching assistants and will quite happily talk to visitors about their work. Assessment procedures are good and include on- going observations for each area of learning carried out by the class teacher and teaching assistants. The teacher has already introduced the nationally recommended profile record system and is using this to track the progress of individual children during their time in the Reception year. This, in turn, means that, by the end of the year, the teacher will be sufficiently well informed to make an accurate

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

assessment of each child’s attainment. 44. The school regards early identification of special educational needs as vital and records concerns as soon as they arise. Where pupils have individual education plans or statements of special educational need, these are regularly reviewed and new targets carefully set. Very good use is made of assessment and the tracking of pupils’ progress in lessons to ensure that the next steps in their St Pancras Catholic Primary School 20 learning are appropriate. Teachers and assistants are aware of the procedures to identify pupils who may have special educational needs. The school makes effective use of agencies such as the Psychological Service and learning support agencies to enhance its provision. 45. The monitoring of attendance is good. The school calls parents on the first day of absence. Registers are checked each week for patterns of lateness and absence. The educational welfare

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

officer visits the school each term. 46. The school’s procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and the progress they make are good. This represents good improvement in addressing a key issue at the last inspection which found that although assessment practice was developing it was not yet applied consistently across the school. Good assessment and record keeping procedures are in place in English and mathematics. Careful analysis of the end of key stage tests in both these subjects has led the school to identify weak areas and those that require emphasis. The tracking system for English and mathematics introduced by the assessment co-ordinator is detailed and designed to show the predicted progress, actual progress and the difference for each pupil, in each year group. Although these enable individual teachers to track pupils’ all round progress, a weakness is that data do not indicate likely achievement in the different

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

subject areas. This system is new to the school and is not, therefore, fully effective. The information provided is not sufficiently embedded to plan for the next stage of pupils’ learning in the individual subjects. 47. In the intervening period between the national tests in Year 2 and Year 6, the school uses optional tests for Years 3, 4 and 5, similar to those at the end of Year 6. Standardised tests are also carried out to test pupils’ capabilities in reading and spelling and, in mathematics, pupils are given regular tables tests. The school is beginning to analyse the data from these tests methodically to provide it with much useful information. For example, it enables teachers to set appropriate targets for each pupil in English and mathematics. It also helps the school to ascertain which pupils require additional literacy support and further support in ‘booster’ groups for mathematics. 48. Assessment procedures for all other subjects of the curriculum are satisfactory and are

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

carefully based on the assessment system of the national curricular guidelines. During the last academic year, the assessment co-ordinator has worked hard to define the systems in more detail. Overall, the monitoring and support of pupils’ academic performance and personal development are satisfactory.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. The good numbers of parents who responded to the questionnaire and attended their pre- inspection meeting were very supportive of the school and value all that it does for their children. All felt that the school was helping their children to become mature and responsible. Nearly all felt that behaviour and teaching were good and that children were making good progress. They were very satisfied with the teaching and with the leadership and management. They felt very strongly that they could approach the school with any problems. A substantial proportion of parents were dissatisfied with homework and with the range of activities provided outside lessons. The findings of the inspection support the parents’ positive views. Homework provision was felt to be satisfactory. The range of extracurricular activities was found to be good, although the school has recognised that more music activities could be provided.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. The school continues to have good links with parents. The information it provides for them is good. The prospectus is attractively presented and written in a clear and readable style. The governors’ Annual Report to parents is also easy to read and complies with statutory requirements except for details of progress on the Action Plan. The welcome booklet for new parents includes helpful information on preparing children for school. Newsletters are lively and well presented and the school calendar is a useful termly document. Parents are given advance information on the curriculum St Pancras Catholic Primary School 21 each term to enable them to help their children with their learning. The school has run a questionnaire to ascertain parents’ views on a variety of subjects. 51. Parents are kept well informed about their children’s progress. Reports are clear and include targets for pupils as well as opportunities for parents and pupils to comment. Homework diaries are

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

used well as a means of dialogue between home and school. All parents have signed the home/school agreement. The school has held workshops on literacy and numeracy and is planning a workshop on information and communication technology. There are an appropriate number of consultation meetings each term and letters are sent to parents who do not attend. 52. Parent governors are active members of the governing body. A member of the governing body runs a local outreach project, which aims to involve parents and businesses in the arts in schools. A good number of parents help in school on a regular basis and more help on trips and visits. The parent teacher association runs a good range of social and fund-raising events. Good sums of money are raised each year to help the school to buy equipment to enhance children’s learning. 53. Induction procedures for children are satisfactory. Children have the opportunity to visit the

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

Reception class three times before starting school. However, there are no visits made by the teacher to local playgroups or nurseries to observe the children due to start school. This has been identified as an aspect for improvement. A welcome booklet specially written for parents of children joining the school provides useful points to help them prepare their child for school. Parents are invited to attend an introductory session before their child starts school and again once they are in school to share the results of any initial assessments. Parents are kept well informed of their child’s work and their progress 54. Parents are informed as soon as the school has a concern that a child may have special educational needs. When appropriate, they are invited to reviews of individual education plans and statements of special educational needs and their views are sought about the progress made by their

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

children and the next steps to be taken. Appropriate contact with the Parent Partnership Service has been established. The special educational needs co-ordinator is readily available to discuss parents’ concerns.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The leadership and management of the headteacher are good. This is an improvement since the last inspection when they were judged to have been satisfactory. The headteacher’s clear leadership has ensured that the school’s identity and sense of purpose have been maintained during a time when several factors were limiting the school’s capacity for improvement. As at the time of the last inspection, the school has experienced significant staffing problems in the past two years. An equivalent of nearly five teachers have left and been appointed. Recruitment problems led to some staffing uncertainty in the last year which involved the headteacher resuming a full-time teaching commitment in the spring term. The headteacher herself was absent from school for much of the autumn term. These factors led to some loss of forward impetus for the school. Strengths in the leadership of the headteacher are the way in which she has quickly and effectively created a cohesive,

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

hard working staff team who are committed to further improvement. The headteacher leads well by example. She is prominent around the school and at lunchtimes and after school and she is involved with teaching groups to support the initiative to improve standards in mathematics. The ethos of the school, which brings together the school’s spiritual, educational and social aims, is very strong. This is an important strength of the school. Its Christian foundation underpins all its work and helps to create a strong sense of community within the school. The school has a sound appreciation of the areas where improvement is required and has satisfactory procedures for evaluating the effectiveness of its performance. 56. The headteacher’s management of the school is good. She is supported well by the deputy headteacher and other senior staff. This has been an improvement since the last inspection when there

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

St Pancras Catholic Primary School 22 was no deputy headteacher. The focus of the regular staff meetings is carefully planned and a useful timetable is devised to show the focus of meetings over the term. This shows when the curriculum subjects under particular focus and the elements identified in the school improvement plan are to be discussed. Performance Management procedures have been introduced well. Currently the headteacher is the team leader for all the staff but the deputy headteacher will be an additional team leader in the next round. There is a clear relationship between teachers’ objectives and their curriculum responsibilities and class teachers feel well supported and encouraged by the Performance Management process. The most recent school improvement plan, which was still being finalised during the time of the inspection, is relevant and clear. Its strengths are the way in which the aims and ethos

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

of the school underpin its work, and the priority which is put on raising standards. The improvement plan is prefaced by reference to the school’s Mission Statement and a list of its aims. There are important sections on leadership and premises issues and also the action plans of the subject co- ordinators which are appropriately focused on the priority of raising standards. 57. The financial management of the school is secure. The last school office audit in 1999 judged that financial systems were satisfactory. The process of setting the annual budget and of monitoring progress through it is done effectively and with the appropriate level of external monitoring. Priorities in the school improvement plan are appropriately costed. The headteacher and governing body have a very clear long-term view of the likely funding position of the school. It has become clear that the projected number of pupils on roll is likely to drop significantly in the next few years and the school has

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

acted decisively to plan for this change. A detailed recovery plan has been devised which has entailed making application to the Local Education Authority to run a deficit budget for three years, reaching surplus again in 2006. This plan is carefully costed and involves a possible reduction in teaching and support staff. This work shows very effective, proactive management of the school. Day-to-day finances are managed satisfactorily. Procedures in the school office are currently being revised after a recent change of responsibilities. The school ensures that it gets good value for the money it spends well as it considers carefully comparisons made with the position of other local schools. Also, when planning for building improvements, the school has a good view of cost effectiveness when purchases are made. 58. The school has made satisfactory improvement in implementing the key issue from the last

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

inspection relating to revising the procedures for monitoring teaching and learning across the school. Since the last inspection, a more regular system of monitoring has been established, but following the recent significant changes in staff and the absence of the headteacher at the beginning of the year, regular and rigorous procedures have not been re-established. Monitoring of teaching and learning in English and mathematics have been largely managed by advisers form the Local Education Authority and have identified areas for improvement in these subjects. The school has devised a monitoring timetable and an agreed procedure for releasing co-ordinators from class teaching. However, the subject co-ordinators, most of whom have been recently designated, have had insufficient opportunities yet to monitor teaching and learning in their subjects, and the planned opportunities for sampling pupils’ work have not been sufficiently systematic or rigorous.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The school has made good improvement in addressing the key issue from the last inspection which judged that there were insufficient clerical hours to provide effective administrative support. Since the last inspection, office procedures have been revised and a further clerical officer has been employed. The school office now gives the headteacher and the staff effective support. 60. The governing body supports the leadership and management of the school well. Governors are committed and enthusiastic and are maintaining a good view of the school through their regular visits and through the work of the full body and the several committees. Individual governors use their own interests and expertise very well to support the school. Governors visit the school regularly and have both class and subject responsibilities. The support and encouragement that an individual governor gives to the art work in the school, by organising clubs for pupils and parents and undertaking staff in-

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

St Pancras Catholic Primary School 23 service training are very good. Governors have been very realistic in their support of the school’s financial recovery plan and are very active in seeking to boost numbers on roll by promoting the school positively in the local community. A sign of governors’ commitment to the school and an example of the long-term vision which it is providing is in the plans being prepared for a very ambitious building extension programme. This will involve specialist art and design rooms, an information and communication technology suite and areas for further community use. Relative weaknesses in governors’ management of the school have been that the importance of raising standards and of rigorously monitoring and evaluating the progress made through the school improvement plan, have not, until recently, been sufficiently detailed. Governors have not ensured that the statutory requirement

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

relating to the provision of a daily act of corporate worship for all pupils is fully met. 61. Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is managed very well. The teacher responsible for these children is also the Reception year teacher and she has established an effective unit that successfully meets the needs of the different groups. The quality of relationships within the class is very good. The indoor accommodation is bright, reasonably spacious and well organised. Much thought has gone into developing an attractive outdoor play area and it is regarded as an extension to the classroom with activities and a suitable range of resources that can be accessed freely by the children throughout the day. Although learning resources overall support the children’s learning well, they do not reflect a variety of different cultures. 62. The provision for special educational needs is very good and is well managed by the co-

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

ordinator. Effective use is made of information and communication technology in management procedures. She works closely with teachers and assistants and has a teaching programme that focuses upon the specific needs of individuals or small groups of pupils. A clear policy, based upon the revised Code of Practice, is established, and staff have been trained in its implementation. Teaching assistants are well trained and feel valued and appreciated by both teachers and pupils. They have effective liaison with teachers and the co-ordinator. She meets with them regularly and gives guidance so that their role can be constantly refined and improved. The prospectus has no clear summary of the governors’ policy for special educational needs and their Annual Report to parents has no clear statement about the success of that policy. Apart from these omissions, of which the school is aware, all statutory requirements for special educational needs are met.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. Currently, the school has a good number of teachers and support staff in relation to the number of pupils on roll. The teaching staff have a good range of experience and expertise and several of the support staff have undertaken important in-service training. Some staff have achieved nationally recognised qualifications. These strengths positively influence the quality of education and support provided by the staff team. Procedures for inducting teachers new to the school and for introducing the teacher new to the profession are good. Support for the newly qualified teacher is provided by a mentor and the other staff in the school, as well as support provided by the Local Education Authority. 64. Overall, the school’s accommodation is satisfactory for the current numbers in the school. Classrooms are small, but they are adequate for the relatively small numbers in each class at the moment. The lack of specialist rooms for music, art or information and communication technology is a

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

disadvantage. The outside playground is small and the field is some distance from the school. Overall, the school has an appropriate range and quality of learning resources to support the teaching of the National Curriculum. St Pancras Catholic Primary School 24

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

65. In order to continue to improve the quality of education provided by the school the governors, headteacher and staff should:

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improving the quality of teaching thus ensuring that pupils are taught appropriate

knowledge and skills to a sufficient depth. See paragraphs 3, 4, 5, 6, 97-103, 114-117, 118-

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2. Improve the overall presentation of pupils’ work by:

• increasing teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve;

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2. Improve the overall presentation of pupils’ work by:

• ensuring that handwriting skills are applied consistently across all curriculum areas. See paragraphs 18, 85, 87, 88, 116, 119, 120

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procedures for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning and for checking the

quality of pupils’ work. See paragraphs 57, 89

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4. Review and revise the system of withdrawal of pupils from lessons to ensure that:

• procedures for withdrawal are effective;

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4. Review and revise the system of withdrawal of pupils from lessons to ensure that:

• teachers are more clearly aware of work that pupils have missed and that procedures for them to catch up are consistently applied; St Pancras Catholic Primary School 25 • withdrawals are rotated wherever possible. See paragraph 26, 31,37

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OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

§ Ensure that the statutory requirement that all pupils attend a daily act of corporate worship is met. See paragraphs 33, 59

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OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

§ Continue with the school’s endeavours to improve its accommodation. See paragraphs 60, 63

p.25

OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

• Improve pupils’ awareness and appreciation of our multicultural society. See paragraphs 36, 60, 68, 74, 109

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OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

• Increase the use of information and communication technology skills to support work done in other areas of the curriculum, particularly in design and technology, history, music and aspects of science. See paragraphs 103, 113, 121, 126, 132 St Pancras Catholic Primary School 26

p.25

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 25

p.26

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory 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 three percentage points.

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 113

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 10

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 3

p.26

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 19

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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 4

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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 14

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 14

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Attendance

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. St Pancras Catholic Primary School 27

p.26

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 2000 10 12 22

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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 * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls * * *

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (96) 95 (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 * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls * * *

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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 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 1 (Year 2)

* Data omitted because of small year groups

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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 2000 9 6 15

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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 * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls * * *

p.27

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

Percentage of pupils School 73 (75) 60 (79) 73 (92) 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 * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls * * *

p.27

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

Percentage of pupils School 73 (71) 67 (75) 73 (92) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

p.27

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St Pancras Catholic Primary School 28 * Data omitted because of small year groups St Pancras Catholic Primary School 29 Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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

p.29

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

White – British 101 0 0 White – Irish 5 0 0 White – any other White background 2 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 2 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 3 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 0 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0 Asian or Asian British - Indian 0 0 0 Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 0 0 0 Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0 Black or Black British – African 2 0 0 Black or Black British – any other Black background 0 0 0 Chinese 1 0 0 Any other ethnic group 0 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 0 0 0

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

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

Teachers and classes Financial information

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

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 6.66 Financial year 2001-2002

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

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 17.1

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

Education support staff: YR– Y6 Total income 298168

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

Total number of education support staff 5 Total expenditure 280925

p.29

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

Total aggregate hours worked per week 104 Expenditure per pupil 2484

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

Balance brought forward from previous year St Pancras Catholic Primary School 30 Recruitment of teachers

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

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 4.8

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

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 4.6

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

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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

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

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

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 48 46 4 2 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 46 50 4 0 0 My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 38 42 15 0 4

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The teaching is good. 56 40 2 0 2 I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 42 44 10 4 0

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 67 31 2 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 65 33 2 0 0

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 48 40 8 2 2

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 58 37 4 2 0 The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 71 29 0 0 0

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 46 21 23 4 4

p.30

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Other issues raised by parents § The standards pupils achieve, particularly in the arts are good. § Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. § The caring and sharing ethos of the school is strong. St Pancras Catholic Primary School 31 § Behaviour is good.

p.30

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

66. Children are admitted to school in September, either part-time or full time, depending on when their fifth birthday occurs. Most of the children have already attended either a pre-school playgroup or nursery. The initial assessments conducted with these children show a variation year on year but, in general, indicate that their attainment on entry to the school is average overall, with using and applying number and personal and social development being slightly below average. Judgements relating to standards at this time of the year also take into account the work completed by the children who are now in Year 1. By the end of the Reception year, most children are achieving well and are on course to exceed the Early Learning Goals in communication, language and literacy, knowledge and understanding of the world and in their personal, social and emotional development and creative development. In their mathematical and physical development, standards are average.

p.31

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

67. The children enter a class that has a group of Year 1 children. Planning id detailed and careful attention is paid to ensure that the children receive the appropriate curriculum for their age group and are provided with suitable activities that meet their needs. The quality of teaching and learning for children is good overall, with some very good features. In particular, the activities provided for the Reception children are carefully planned to facilitate the development of social relationships and language. There were no key issues for action dealing with the provision for children in the Foundation Stage in the school’s last inspection. However, the report stated that, due to the restrictions of the site, outdoor play for the under fives had not been established. Since then, the school has provided a secure, attractive outside play area that is suitably resourced for the youngest children.

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Personal, social and emotional development

68. Most children are on course to reach standards that are above average in this area of learning. This shows very good achievement and reflects the sensitive teaching, where children are constantly encouraged to feel confident about what they can achieve. The children settle very quickly into school and into the routines of the class. Well-organised routines help the children develop self-confidence and assurance and to take care of their own needs. They are eager to explore new learning and to make effective relationships with adults and other children. During whole class sessions, the children sit quietly and learn to listen to, and consider, the viewpoints of others. For example, when talking about what made them feel uncomfortable, the children listened to one another’s contribution with interest and respect. They are very polite and remember to use conventional phrases such as ‘please’

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Personal, social and emotional development

and ‘excuse me’ when making a request. Their behaviour in and out of the classroom is good and, when involved in any activity, the children understand the need to take turns and share fairly. They attend to their personal hygiene appropriately and independently tackle jobs such as putting on their own coats to go outside to play. The children enjoy learning, particularly when involved in play activities. They are eager to share what they have learnt and talk happily about what they are doing. 69. Personal and social development is strongly promoted in all areas of learning and the quality of teaching and learning is very good. The teacher has successfully created a calm, secure environment in which children are valued as individuals. The atmosphere is non-threatening and the children thrive. All adults working with the children are courteous and encouraging and this successfully promotes children’s learning. The trusting relationships and care of all children are particularly good and

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Personal, social and emotional development

encourage them to relate to others and recognise that each of them is valued. Very good use is made of time at the beginning of a day when groups of children have the opportunity to discuss issues that are important to them and consider how to overcome them. The provision for role-play, which supports the personal and social development of the Reception children, is a strength and many St Pancras Catholic Primary School 32 worthwhile activities are planned that enable them to initiate their own ideas and play co-operatively. Very good involvement of the teaching assistants extends ideas for the children and also provides many moments of fun. Children’s awareness of cultural differences is appropriately enhanced through stories and special events such as the celebration of festivals. However, there are few resources that provide children with the opportunity to experience the differences in cultures other than their own. A

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Personal, social and emotional development

strong sense of their own religious customs is well promoted.

p.32

Communication, language and literacy

70. Children enter school with average attainment in this aspect of their learning. They make satisfactory progress and by the end of the Reception year most children are on course to exceed the recommended Early Learning Goals. In particular, their language and communication skills are good. Many children speak clearly and interact with others well. Several are fluent and demonstrate that they have a broad vocabulary. They use language well to imagine and recreate roles and experiences. For example, while acting out the role as mechanic in the class garage a child told a customer, ‘I’ve fixed your car, all the wheels are on now’. Most children listen carefully and particularly enjoy listening to stories. The most confident children express their own ideas and feelings well and willingly talk about their favourite parts of a story in books. They know that pictures carry meaning and understand the concept of a word. The more able children recognise familiar words in simple texts

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Communication, language and literacy

and use their knowledge of sounds well to help them read simple regular words. Children who find learning more difficult are at the stage of understanding how books work, for example, by turning the pages and linking a narrative sequence with the pages of a book. Most children confidently ‘have a go’ at writing and express themselves by making marks on paper when involved in role-play activities. By the end of the Reception year, the more able children use their knowledge of letter sounds when they write a simple sentence such as, ‘ Once upon A time Percy got stuce (stuck) in the tunnol (tunnel)’. However, in general, a number of children are still at the stage where they use their ability to hear the sound at the beginning of words and use it in their writing. 71. Teaching and learning are good overall in this area of development. The children are provided with a wide range of activities to develop their use of language through role-play and to recreate

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Communication, language and literacy

imaginary situations for themselves. Opportunities to carry out ‘pretend’ writing activities are included within the role-play activities and these allow children to practise their skills regularly. The literacy work is well structured and closely linked to the enjoyment of stories. Imaginative efforts are made to provide active tasks and short activities suited to the children’s concentration spans. The well-planned activities and games provided effectively develop children’s understanding of how sounds build into words and, by the end of the Reception year, many children can identify the initial and ending sounds in simple words. The teaching assistants provide very effective support to the children as they play and work. They are well briefed and assist the teacher in maintaining ongoing assessments of individual progress.

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Mathematical development

72. On entry to the school, the children’s mathematical understanding is slightly below average for their ages. They make good progress and most are on course to reach the expected standards by the end of the Reception year. In numeracy, most children have gained sufficient knowledge to count and add two numbers when solving problems that involve ten objects. For many children, their use and understanding of everyday words, such as ‘before’, ‘after’ and ‘one more’, when talking about numbers are well developed. When working with water, they can describe whether a container is full or empty and use language such as ‘heavier than’ and ‘lighter than’ to compare the weight of different objects. The children recognise and name a triangle, circle, square and rectangle and make pictures using the different shapes. The classroom is used well to display numbers and encourage children to develop their mathematical ideas through play situations. In their early work, the children are provided

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Mathematical development

with a wide range of practical experiences, such as matching and counting games, puzzles and sand and water play. St Pancras Catholic Primary School 33 73. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is good. The teacher seizes every opportunity to reinforce basic skills through practical activities that make learning fun and enable children to apply their developing knowledge. The work is well planned with clear learning intentions and resources are carefully prepared and organised. The very good intervention in children’s play and support given by the teaching assistants quickly helps to establish mathematical ideas. Through the many different activities provided the children are constantly encouraged to discuss and develop their understanding of numbers. For example, when playing in the garage, the children take the telephone numbers of customers and write them down in the diary. Although the work is well developed throughout the year

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Mathematical development

and many children are able to record their numbers unaided, often they are reversed and unevenly spaced.

p.33

Knowledge and understanding of the world

74. Many children have a good level of general knowledge and experience on starting school. They show great curiosity in their surroundings and are eager to explore, investigate and ask questions. The good curriculum offers them a wide range of experiences to extend their knowledge of the world around them and ensures that they make good progress. The teaching and learning are good and most children are on course to exceed the expected standard by the end of the Reception year. The activities are well planned to enable children to explore aspects of the environment and to relate the work to their own experiences. Discussion forms an important part of the work and children are encouraged to be observant and describe what they see. Through their work on the theme ‘ Moving About’ the children have visited the local park and investigated how the play equipment can move in different ways. In the class garage, they explore which bits of the bicycles move and talk about what

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

is happening to the wheels. In work related to the theme ‘Toys’, they used their senses to explore toys and sorted them into groups on the basis of simple properties, such as wood, plastic and metal. Toys are also used well to help children compare the difference between past times and now. They are developing a wider knowledge of their local environment when they have the opportunity to walk around the nearby area of the school and notice the differences between the houses and other features. However, there was little evidence to show they have created simple maps or made drawings of imaginary places. A good range of construction toys and materials is provided for the children to explore and use their skills to make models. They use a range of simple tools and techniques competently to cut, shape and join materials to make models of playground equipment and moving puppets. 75. Many children have an increasing understanding of modern technology and the teacher

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

provides regular opportunities and good support for developing their information and communication technology skills. For instance, after demonstrating how to operate a programmable toy, the children quickly learned how to move it forwards and backwards and knew that they had to clear the memory before beginning each activity. When using the computers, they confidently use the mouse to click on items on the screen in order to make them move. Although consideration has been given to supporting children and developing their knowledge of a suitable range of cultures and beliefs through stories, there are few resources that reflect a variety of different cultures. Physical development . 76. In this area of learning, most children are achieving satisfactorily and are on course to reach similar standards to those found in most schools by end of the Reception year. The quality of teaching and learning in this area is overall satisfactory. Much thought has gone into developing the attractive

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

outdoor play area and it is regarded as an extension to the classroom with activities on offer that can be accessed freely by the children throughout the day. The children move freely and learn to respect the space of others when using items such as tricycles. Planning about how the outside play area is used reflects that of the indoor curriculum. For example, during the time of the inspection, it was set out as road works area where the children had to negotiate and follow different signs on their tricycles. Indoors, the class garage provided opportunities for children to repair any broken down vehicles. St Pancras Catholic Primary School 34 Although there is no large clambering equipment available in the outdoor area, the children receive regular physical education lessons in the school hall and, at times, have the opportunity to visit the local park. In the dance lesson observed, the teacher made good use of a story based on a balloon, to

p.33

Knowledge and understanding of the world

stimulate the children’s imagination and support their movement through dance. The children showed that they could negotiate the space in the hall successfully and avoid one another as they moved. The teacher managed the children well and, with much praise encouraged them to experiment with different ways of moving. As a result, most children moved with confidence and suitable levels of control when twisting, twirling and running. However, at times, the teacher spent too long talking to the children about their actions, which slowed the pace a little and, at the end of the lesson, missed the opportunity to help the children recognise the changes that had happened to their bodies when they were active. 77. Within the classroom, the children have frequent opportunities to develop their co-ordination skills in all aspects of the indoor curriculum. They make good progress in this aspect of learning and

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

develop increasing hand control in the use of a range of tools. Most children competently pick up small items of equipment when engaging in play activities and when manipulating scissors to cut and shape paper. They show increasing control in using a variety of painting and writing tools and make a variety of models with a range of construction toys and materials. Most children take care of themselves, when, for example, getting dressed to go outside and putting on aprons before playing in the water. Teaching fully maximises what the children can do in this aspect of their physical development.

p.34

Creative development

78. The quality of teaching and learning in this area is good. The children make good progress in developing their creative skills and many achieve high standards in their imaginative play and music. They explore colour, shape and form through their artwork and learn how to mix colours when painting. In a very good music lesson observed, the children showed they were able to listen carefully, copy a steady pulse when clapping and march on the beat in time to the chant ‘Marching in our Wellingtons’. The teacher provided a good sequence of musical activities that took full account of the children’s needs while at the same time allowing plenty of time for repetition. When singing, the children were able to match their voices to the size of the teddy bears on the picture cards, that showed a developing sense of dynamics. In the dance lesson observed, the children captured the movement of balloons effectively by twirling and twisting at different speeds and levels in response to

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Creative development

a story and music. 79. The teacher’s focus on developing confidence and independence is very effective in this aspect of learning. Many opportunities are provided for the children to engage in their own imaginative play. As a result, they use props and other resources with imaginative skill, are able to sustain aspects of characters for long periods of time and talk knowledgeably about what their character is doing. For example, while at play in the garage, the children re-enacted the role of mechanics, receptionists and customers. They became completely engrossed in their roles and played very well together as part of a group. Their creative play outdoors was directly linked to the theme and the children drew upon their own imaginations to re-enact their ideas as they manoeuvred the tricycles through the ‘road works’. They engage with delight in all the activities, which often link well with their knowledge and

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ENGLISH

80. Pupils achieve average overall standards in Year 2 and above average standards in Year 6. In Year 2, standards are above average in reading and average in speaking and listening and in writing. In Year 6, standards are above average in reading and writing and average in speaking and listening. Since the last inspection, high standards have been maintained in Year 6, but the current judgement in Year 2 shows a decline as standards were described in both key stages as, ‘above average in all aspects of English’. The reason for this decline is largely the result of the recent significant changes in teaching staff and the relative inexperience of some staff. St Pancras Catholic Primary School 35 81. The findings of this inspection show some similarity to the results of the 2002 national tests in Year 2 and 6. In the Year 2 tests, there has been some improvement in reading scores in the last few

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years, but there have been fluctuations in the standard of writing. Most significantly, no pupils reached the higher Level 3 in the 2002 writing tests. The Year 6 test results have shown a steady improvement in the last two years and are now above the national average. In both Year 2 and Year 6, the generally small size of the groups taking the national tests each year has an effect upon the statistical analysis of the results achieved. Over time, there have been no significant differences in the attainment of boys and girls in test scores but, in the Year 6 tests in 2002, girls did noticeably better than boys. 82. The school did not meet its target for the percentage of pupils expected to reach the national average in the 2002 tests. The school is not on track to meet the ambitious target for 2003. It is on course to meet its most recently revised targets which have been set at a lower but realistically

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challenging level. 83. Most pupils enter the school achieving average standards in their language skills. Their achievement is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2, and good in Years 3 to 6. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language attain good standards compared with their previous attainment. This is because support is well planned and effectively provided by teachers and assistants. No differences in the attainment of the small number of pupils from minority ethnic groups were observed in lessons. 84. In Years 2 and 6, standards attained in speaking and listening are average, but some pupils have better developed skills. In Years 1 and 2, teachers provide appropriate opportunities for pupils to discuss topics that interest them. For example, a teacher in Year 1 introduced her information and communication technology lesson with an interesting discussion about the uses of computers in the

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school and the home. Several pupils made perceptive comments about how important control mechanisms were. In a mathematics lesson, Year 2 pupils made their comments confidently in their dice game. However, in a physical education lesson, older pupils listened reasonably well to their teacher’s instruction, but some did not concentrate consistently and, as a result, they were not sufficiently confident about what they were to do. In a Year 6 lesson, pupils learned how to draft explanatory texts related to their work on the making of slippers in design and technology. They had to listen carefully to the teacher’s explanations of how this was to be done. They did this with varying degrees of interest and concentration. When they discussed what they were to do in small groups, most showed understanding of the main points and began to develop their ideas with some thought, but they showed less confidence in asking questions related to their work.

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ENGLISH

85. Standards in reading are above average across the school. In Year 2, pupils use a sufficiently wide range of skills to enable them to read simple tests with accuracy, express opinions about what they read and demonstrate a satisfactory level of fluency and expression. Pupils read with enthusiasm and are keen to talk about their reading interests. One higher attaining pupil was very expressive, fluent and eager to discuss her book preferences. Where pupils are less confident, it is because they have an insufficiently developed sight vocabulary of common words and lack the skills to decode those that are unknown. In Year 6, most pupils read accurately and with good expression. They use a wide range of strategies to establish the meaning in texts. One pupil was particularly keen to talk about his book, The Phoenix and the Carpet . He was able to recall the story in some detail, comment upon

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some of its significant events and eager to read another book by the same author in order to compare the two stories. Another pupil showed ability to use inference and deduction and use the text to explain her views in a difficult narrative, Tolkien’s Return of the King . Across Year 3 to 6, pupils demonstrate at least satisfactory understanding of how to access information in books with the use of an index and some showed an emerging understanding of ‘skimming’ texts for information. 86. Standards in writing are average in Year 2, and above average in Year 6. In Year 2, pupils show satisfactory acquisition of the necessary skills. They apply what they learn in lessons and make St Pancras Catholic Primary School 36 satisfactory progress over time. Pupils increase their understanding of the uses of writing by working on different types of narrative. They write for a broadly satisfactory range of purposes, but this is too

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ENGLISH

limited in other subjects such as history and geography. Most show interest in what they do and make good efforts to use a range of vocabulary and technique. In Year 6, pupils acquire and use relevant skills and make sound progress over time. They show a clear development of ideas in the way in which they structure their work. Their writing is often varied and interesting, choices of vocabulary are imaginative and they begin to use words with precision to create effect. The skills of punctuation are well developed and they have a good level of competence in the use of different styles to suit different purposes. However, their handwriting and the general presentation of their work is often untidy, inaccurate and carelessly completed and does not encourage higher standards to be achieved. 87. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory across the school, with several good features. This judgement is similar to that of the last inspection when it was judged that, ‘the quality of

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teaching is good overall and ranges from satisfactory to very good’. Across the school, teachers plan their lessons soundly and introduce activities which interest and challenge pupils. In Years 1 and 2, pupils are given a satisfactory range of writing opportunities and a scrutiny of their work shows that topics are well matched to pupils’ capabilities. Teachers’ marking encourages pupils’ efforts and gives them basic guidance about how to improve their work. In Year 1, a good lesson was very well presented and sustained at a good pace. Pupils were well engaged in learning the phonic elements of words and suitably challenged to gain and use appropriate skills. They made good progress in understanding as they extended their knowledge of this essential feature of learning to read and spell. 88. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning in Years 3 to 6 is satisfactory, but the analysis of pupils’ work indicates that teaching is good in Year 6. Strengths in teaching are the very detailed

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lesson plans that teachers use and the way in which the specific learning intended in the lesson is shared with the pupils. Teachers make effective use of explanations and questioning to help pupils understand how to improve their work and pupils are encouraged to discuss their work which helps to improve their learning. A lesson to pupils in Years 3 and 4 where they were learning to write organised notes illustrated several features of good effective teaching. The teacher enthusiastically presented the key ideas in a lively manner and sustained pace. Because of this, pupils responded well and worked with interest at the activity, which was to use a map to write brief notes about how to reach treasure. They mostly concentrated well because they had a good understanding of what were the objectives of the lesson. A teaching assistant competently supported a group of lower attaining pupils so they were able to develop their ideas and vocabulary and so make appropriate progress. In a

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satisfactory Year 6 lesson, pupils learned how to write explanatory text. 89. However, across the school, there are some shortcomings in the quality of teaching which limit the effectiveness of pupils’ learning and the progress they make. In a few lessons, pupils lose concentration during teachers’ introductions because teachers talk for too long and pupils become restless and too few take part in class discussions. The analysis of pupils’ work indicates that overall, there is often too little insistence upon high standards. This is because teachers’ expectations of what pupils should achieve with respect to handwriting, accuracy and presentation of work are not high enough. Marking does not always show pupils how to produce better work. In a few lessons, there was a tendency for some pupils to be too relaxed when they worked in small groups. Therefore, some produced an insufficient amount of work.

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90. The subject co-ordinators are enthusiastic and have a good understanding of the key priorities for its development. For example, they have identified the need and a strategy to improve the numbers of pupils who reach the higher levels of writing in Years 1 and 2. However, insufficient attention is given to the rigorous and systematic monitoring of pupils’ work to ensure that it is of high quality and that they make good progress. An adviser has monitored aspects of teaching, but there have been insufficient opportunities for the co-ordinators to carry out their own analysis of the quality of teaching. The National Literacy Strategy is well established and the school has made good use of initiatives such St Pancras Catholic Primary School 37 as the Additional Literacy Strategy to improve standards. Guided reading has been very well developed and has made a significant contribution to the above average standards that pupils have

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ENGLISH

attained in reading. Information and communication technology is being extended to support teaching and learning and pupils have regular homework to improve their literacy skills. The school makes good use of data from tests and from the assessment of pupils’ work to set targets for learning and attainment and to predict individual levels of performance in Years 2 and 6. Throughout the school, standards in literacy are generally above average. However, in other subjects, particularly history and geography, these skills are not utilised to any significant extent. There are insufficient opportunities for pupils to develop and use research skills and to produce a sufficiently wide range of interesting writing developed from their own investigations or ideas. Library provision is adequate, but situated in an area often used for group teaching. Resources for learning are satisfactory overall.

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MATHEMATICS

91. In Years 2 and 6, pupils achieve standards that are above those expected for their age. This represents an improvement since the last inspection when it was judged that standards were average across the school, and it represents a significant improvement on the scores obtained in the national tests for eleven year-olds in 2002 when standards were well below average. These improvements have been secured through a careful targeting of the subject and the successful implementation of several new initiatives. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language make good progress considering their previous abilities. 92. In Years 1 and 2, pupils achieve well in all elements of the subject. Pupils in Year 2 have a good understanding of the value of each digit in a number that contains thousands, hundreds, tens and units, and they deal confidently with additions and subtractions of money values up to £1-00. They

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MATHEMATICS

measure objects in the classroom using non-standard measures such as cubes and pencils and also in centimetres. They investigate number sequences and illustrate the patterns made by odd and even numbers. The weakest element of their achievement is in the ability of younger pupils to record and present their work accurately and attractively. 93. In Years 3 to 6, pupils achieve well and are given good opportunities to extend their understanding into areas above those expected for their age. In their number work, pupils deal confidently with co-ordinates in all four quadrants and they round numbers accurately to two decimal places. They investigate rotational symmetry and calculate the area and perimeter of irregular shapes. Pupils develop their data handling skills well as they gather information on a tally chart and then graph the results to show the favourite sports of pupils in the class. They have good opportunities of applying

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MATHEMATICS

their understanding as they solve mathematical problems given in words and are set interesting challenges to solve, such as is a day shorter than 100,000 seconds? The weakest element of pupils’ achievement is the opportunities which they have to devise and investigate their own problem solving activities. 94. The quality of teaching and learning in Years 1 and 2 is good with some very good elements. Teachers plan well and their lesson plans contain reference to the learning intended in the lesson, a range of appropriate activities, and often a useful time allocation for each part of the lesson. Teachers explain clearly what pupils are expected to do and their introductions often contain reference to pupils’ previous work. This improves pupils’ learning and helps them to see the relevance of their new work. The teacher’s introduction to a lesson to pupils in Year 2 which was about positional language such as

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MATHEMATICS

above, below and next to, included useful references to work that pupils had done in other subjects, such as information and communication technology and in geography. Where teaching is very good, teachers devise interesting and challenging practical activities, organise groups very well, and reinforce what pupils have learnt in effective summing up at the end of the lesson. 95. The quality of teaching and learning in Years 3 to 6 is satisfactory. Teachers’ planning is good and the learning intended in the lesson is clearly displayed and shared with the pupils. Teachers manage the pupils well. They have sound subject knowledge and introduce topics clearly and carefully St Pancras Catholic Primary School 38 ensuring that technical vocabulary is introduced and used appropriately. Teachers are enthusiastic and ensure that lessons are taught at a brisk pace. Other strengths in teaching are the effective use of

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MATHEMATICS

presentations using the multimedia projector. For example, in one lesson to pupils in Year 3, the teacher was able to demonstrate how shapes could be rotated around a given axis. This attractive display increased pupils’ commitment to the lesson and improved their learning. Weaknesses in teaching are where teachers spend too long in talking to the class and do not give pupils sufficient opportunities to contribute. A further weakness is that teachers do not have a sufficiently clear view of the organisation and impact of the oral starter to the lesson. 96. The subject is being well managed by the deputy-headteacher who is currently being shadowed by another member of staff who will assume responsibility next year. The co-ordinator has a clear view of the priorities required for the subject’s development and has been instrumental in introducing several initiatives which are important reasons for the significant improvement in standards recently.

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MATHEMATICS

An analysis of the results of recent national tests and a close scrutiny of recent test papers have helpfully identified strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ ability. The decision to put extra staff resources to support mathematics teaching has been effective. As well as the booster groups in Years 4, 5 and 6, further mathematics clubs are organised by the headteacher, other teachers and support assistants and the co-ordinator runs a separate mathematics homework club for pupils in Year 6. These initiatives are improving standards and raising the profile of the subject in the school. 97. Assessment is good. The recently introduced whole school tracking system allows the progress that pupils make to be carefully monitored, although the current database provides a general, overall attainment prediction and not separate subject targets. Pupils are assessed at the end of most taught units and attainment is helpfully matched to National Curriculum criteria. Assessment data are used

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MATHEMATICS

well to provide individual targets for pupils which are helpfully attached to pupils’ workbooks. These motivate pupils, involve them in their own learning and are helping to improve standards. The co- ordinator has devised a useful action plan for the subject which identifies appropriate targets for development. The National Numeracy Strategy is being implemented well, but some teachers do not fully use the opportunity at the beginning of the lesson to develop pupils’ mental and oral mathematics. Resources for the subject are satisfactory, as is the use of information and communication technology. Across the school, homework is used satisfactorily to support work being done at school. 98. Overall, the strategy for teaching mathematics across the school is good and mathematical work makes a useful contribution to other subjects. For example, in science, pupils in Year 2 devise a simple tally chart and then complete a block graph to show how far different shoes will slide down a

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MATHEMATICS

ramp. Pupils in Year 3 have carried out interesting analyses of local population data taken from the 1891 and 1901 census in their study of Lewes in history. Pupils in Year 6 use scales accurately to measure the mass of different objects in science.

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SCIENCE

99. By the end of Year 2, pupils achieve standards that are above average, but by the end of Year 6 standards are below average. The current inspection judgement for Year 2 is broadly in line with the findings of the previous inspection and the assessments made by teachers in the national teacher assessment tests in 2002. However, the current judgement on standards in Year 6 represents a significant decline since the last inspection and represents insufficient improvement on the results of the 2002 national tests. At the last inspection, standards were judged to have been above average and in the national tests for eleven-year-olds in 2002, standards were well below average compared with all and similar schools. Across the school, pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language achieve similar standards to their peers. There are no significant differences in the attainment of boys and girls.

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SCIENCE

100. In Years 1 and 2, pupils achieve well. A strength in their achievement is the way in which they confidently undertake investigations and experiments. For example, pupils in Year 2, demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of the properties of materials and by experimentation they discover St Pancras Catholic Primary School 39 how different materials can be altered by rolling, stretching and squashing. Other pupils have a good knowledge of forces and are developing a good scientific vocabulary to explain their work and predict outcomes. 101. In Years 3 to 6, pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory. Pupils at this key stage are given good opportunities to undertake investigations. For example, Year 6 pupils investigate how much an elastic band stretches when different weights are attached to it. They devise simple experiments, make predictions and make a series of records using a range of measurements. This work successfully

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SCIENCE

develops pupils’ skills of predicting, making inferences and drawing conclusions through systematic investigation. By Year 6, pupils have a sound knowledge of the main stages of the life processes of humans and plants. Evidence from the scrutiny of pupils’ work shows that their knowledge of separating mixtures of materials and their knowledge and understanding of solids, gases and liquids is at a generally lower level. There is an overall lack of attention to the promotion of scientific ideas that underlie the statements within the programmes of study. These shortcomings result in pupils not achieving high enough standards in their knowledge and understanding of scientific processes. 102. The quality of teaching and learning in Years 1 and 2 is good. This judgement is similar to that at the previous inspection. General strengths are teachers’ detailed planning and the way in which all aspects of the curriculum are appropriately covered and developed sequentially. The strong emphasis

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SCIENCE

placed on developing pupils’ enquiry skills and the range of activities provided ensures that all pupils are sufficiently challenged. Teachers’ knowledge is generally good and this enables them to make useful teaching points and results in pupils increasing their scientific knowledge well. Other features of good, effective teaching were observed in a Year1/2 lesson on forces and movement. The introduction to the lesson was effective. After establishing that pupils understood how pushes and pulls affect the movement of objects, the teacher encouraged pupils well to put forward their own ideas on what makes a difference to how far a toy car travels down a ramp. When setting up the investigation, the teacher reinforced pupils’ appreciation of fair testing. The group activities were managed well, and the teacher and her assistant provided good support. This enabled all pupils to achieve success in planning

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SCIENCE

and undertaking their investigation. 103. The quality of teaching and learning in Years 3 to 6 is generally unsatisfactory. There are some weaknesses in the depth of scientific knowledge being taught to pupils to enable them to reach the appropriate standards. Other weaknesses in teaching are that sometimes teachers spend too long talking and this means that a number of pupils lose interest. Also the quality and quantity of pupils’ recorded work are inconsistent across the classes. However, the most important reason for the lack of progress is that topics are not taught to a sufficient depth for higher standards to be achieved. There are insufficient opportunities for more able pupils to extend their understanding and to achieve higher levels. In contrast to this the opportunities and emphasis placed on investigative work are good and, as a result, pupils carry out a range of experiments and are able to plan a scientific enquiry for

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SCIENCE

themselves. Good teaching was observed in the Year 5/6 class when pupils were considering the effects of drugs and tobacco on the human body and in the Year 4/5 class where pupils were learning about the functions of the skeleton. 104. Teachers are well supported by a scheme of work that is linked to the nationally recommended guidelines through a two-year rolling programme of topics. This ensures that the appropriate National Curriculum programmes of study are covered in the mixed year group classes. This is an improvement since the school’s last inspection when there was no scheme of work in place. Two focused science investigations are carried out each term. The co-ordinator although new to the post is very aware of the need to give the subject the appropriate priority on the timetable and raise pupils’ standards by the end of Year 6. She has a clear vision for the future development of science in the school that focuses

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SCIENCE

on reviewing the curriculum framework and ensuring that consistent assessment procedures are linked to the planning. However, she has had insufficient opportunity to monitor the quality of teaching and learning across the school. St Pancras Catholic Primary School 40 105. Although the school uses the assessment system which is part of the nationally recommended guidelines, the information gained is not used to set work that is sufficiently demanding, particularly for pupils in Year 6. Information and communication technology is used appropriately to support the teaching of the subject, but insufficiently to enable pupils to record the results of their investigations in different forms. Learning resources are adequate and teachers make the best use they can of the limitations of a small site to study habitat areas. The curriculum is enhanced by visits to woodland areas and the beach at Brighton. The subject makes a satisfactory contribution to the pupils’ spiritual,

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SCIENCE

moral, social and cultural development. For example, through the study of positive and harmful effects of drugs on the human body and through the opportunity to develop a sense of anticipation when carrying out an investigation.

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ART AND DESIGN

106. Pupils in Year 2 achieve average standards, but those in Year 6 achieve standards that are above those expected for their age. At the last inspection, standards were judged to have been average in Years 1 and 2, but below average in Years 3 to 6. Therefore, standards in Year 2 have been maintained and the school has made very good progress to enable pupils to achieve above average standards. Overall progress since the last inspection has been very good. All statutory requirements are now met and the range of materials available to each class has been improved. Art now enjoys a high profile in the school. Pupils with special educational needs or English as an additional language achieve similar standards to their peers. Those pupils who have a particular talent for art are very well catered for through the support of a professional artist. As a result, they achieve well and produce some very impressive artwork.

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ART AND DESIGN

107. In Years 1 and 2, pupils achieve soundly. In Year 1, pupils experiment with different pencils to develop a greater awareness of line and pattern in order to create movement in their drawings. Their sketches and paintings of face parts show that they are beginning to use drawing techniques appropriately to communicate ideas about themselves. In Year 2, pupils observe collections of natural objects. They then make drawings of simple repeating patterns as designs for making block and press prints onto fabric. This good quality work is based on the work of William Morris and Andy Goldsworthy. Sketchbooks are introduced to pupils in Year 1 and, in general, as they move through the school pupils use them appropriately to collect visual information and develop their ideas. 108. In Years 3 to 6, younger pupils learn about the work of Henri Rousseau and explore the techniques he used to sketch tigers for his painting ‘Surprised’. They look at photographs of tigers to

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ART AND DESIGN

help them develop their ideas. They have produced portrait paintings in the style of Renoir, using skilful brushstroke techniques successfully to achieve good results. Older pupils also produce some very good paintings based upon the work of different artists. After closely studying the artists’ work and isolating sections of the paintings, the pupils carefully mixed colours to match their view to the painting. The final collaborative paintings showed that pupils had made carefully considered choices about paint and its application and controlled colour mixing skilfully to achieve special qualities of tone and intensity. 109. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2, and good in Years 3 to 6. No clear judgements were made about the quality of teaching at the last inspection. Across the school, pupils are introduced to an appropriately wide range of tools, materials and techniques for them

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ART AND DESIGN

to reach at least satisfactory standards. The good, specialist teaching in Years 3 to 6 enables pupils to reach higher standards. Here, teachers have high expectations and the expertise, support and encouragement provided by a professional artist promote higher standards. A good lesson to older pupils illustrated several features of good, effective teaching. The teacher challenged the pupils to concentrate carefully in an introduction to printmaking using the batik process. After describing the process, the teacher made good use of information and communication technology to demonstrate the technique to pupils. They learned that their designs should be simple and applied this thoughtfully with creative effort. Because the lesson was well organised and characterised by the teacher’s high expectations, the pupils made good progress and produced sketches that pleased them. The result was St Pancras Catholic Primary School 41

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ART AND DESIGN

that they learned basic design principles for batik work and how to translate these into practical application. 110. The art club, which is available for pupils across the school, enhances provision in the subject very well. Pupils in the club have produced some very impressive artwork based on the study of Picasso’s work. They make several drawings of each other from different angles and then superimpose them on top of each other. These are then used as a basis for their free standing sculptures all of which showed high levels of imagination and skill in using colour to create abstract faces. They have also designed and created mosaics of animals by using tiles, which show great attention to detail and provide a very eye-catching display on the outside walls of the school building. 111. The school’s scheme of work combines the best features of both the nationally recommended guidelines and those produced by the Local Education Authority. The subject makes a very good

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ART AND DESIGN

contribution to the spiritual, social and cultural development of pupils. This is done, for example, through the opportunities for pupils to work co-operatively, explore the work of artists, reflect on their significance and develop an appreciation of the many forms of art. However, there was less evidence of artwork based on the wider range of cultures in society. Information and communication technology contributes to the breadth of the curriculum. For example, pupils in the Year 3/4 class have produced colourful computer generated images of each other. The co-ordinator is new to the school but has made a good start towards developing assessment procedures so that the curriculum and teaching can be appropriately extended. She is enthusiastic and has identified the priorities necessary to continue the subject’s improvement.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

112. In Years 2 and 6, pupils achieve average standards. This was also the judgement of the previous inspection. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language achieve similar standards to other pupils. 113. A scrutiny of teachers’ planning and observation of some work on display indicate that pupils across the school are introduced to appropriate topics and are given the opportunity to use a range of materials to develop their measuring and making skills. For example, pupils in Year 2 use different fabrics as they design and make their finger puppets. Their work shows that they make useful labelled pictures and diagrams of their designs showing which materials they intend to use. Examples of their finished work photographed using the school’s digital camera show a good range of finishing skills and carefully made end products. Pupils in Year 3 investigated a range of different shelters and pupils in

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Year 6 undertook an interesting investigation into the design of different hats. In their project on slippers, Year 6 pupils were involved in disassembling slippers to see how they were made, then designing and then making their own. Several of these were attractively displayed in their classroom. 114. Across the school, the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. A scrutiny of teachers’ planning and records of pupils’ work show that topics are well chosen and well planned. Teachers ensure that the processes of identifying a design opportunity, designing and making an artefact and then evaluating what they have done, are well addressed. The quality of teaching and learning in the single lesson observed was satisfactory. Year 3 pupils were investigating the strengths of cylinders and triangular shapes in preparation for making their own model. The teacher’s planning was detailed and clear and identified an appropriate progression of activities and skills development. Opportunities were

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

not taken sufficiently to encourage accurate measuring and cutting skills as pupils constructed their structures. 115. The subject is well managed by two teachers who are job-share partners. This works well. Planning in the subject is securely based on the nationally recommended scheme of work and some which the school has devised itself. The topics to be studied have been planned on a two-year cycle to cater for the mixed age ranges in most classes. A strength in the planning is the way in which topics have been devised to fit in with work being done in other curriculum areas. For example, a study of St Pancras Catholic Primary School 42 control mechanisms in Year 3 links in well with the work in history on Victorian inventions and pupils in Year 1 consider different playground toys and games to link in with their work in science on pushing and pulling forces. The co-ordinators have produced an appropriate subject action plan for the coming

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

year and are beginning to build up a collection of evidence of work which the pupils have done. The newly introduced assessment procedures, which are linked to the key objectives in the National Curriculum, are satisfactory. However, information and communication technology skills are not used sufficiently in this subject.

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GEOGRAPHY

116. In Years 2 and 6, pupils achieve standards that are below those expected for their age. At the last inspection, standards were in line with national expectations in Year 2 but below average in Year 6. Since the last inspection, the low standards in Year 6 have continued and standards in Year 2 have fallen. There was insufficient evidence for a judgement to be made about the attainment and progress of pupils with special educational needs or English as an additional language in either key stage because too little teaching or work was seen. 117. Across the school, pupils do not make sufficient progress in this subject. A scrutiny of pupils’ previous work and conversation with pupils indicated that work lacked sufficient attention to the rigorous application of skills and had little depth in its content. Insufficient work had been done in the subject since it was started at the beginning of the spring term. Discussion with pupils indicates that

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GEOGRAPHY

they have little knowledge of the importance of location in understanding places and do not recognise the extent to which human and physical features affect people and the environment. 118. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning and the rate of pupils’ progress in the subject are unsatisfactory across the school. The previous inspection reported that teaching and learning were satisfactory. Currently, although no teaching was observed in Year 2, the analysis of pupils’ previous work indicates a limited amount covered or completed. Pupils have drawn types of buildings in the immediate area of the school and have produced simple maps of their routes to school. None of the work seen was of good quality because pupils have not been taught the necessary geographical skills in sufficient depth and the expectations of teachers are too low to ensure high standards. In the single lesson observed in Year 6, the quality of teaching and learning was good. The teacher used some

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GEOGRAPHY

effective strategies to engage pupils’ interest and they were challenged to develop their understanding of this difficult idea. In this lesson, good use was made of information and communication technology when pupils learned to identify six major European countries. Most pupils successfully learned to recognise that land size and population are not necessarily related. However, topics are not taught to a sufficient depth for average standards to be achieved. 119. The school has a scheme of work for geography and although standards are below average, the subject now meets National Curriculum requirements. This represents an improvement since the last inspection. There is a common curriculum framework for both history and geography. Although this emphasises shared areas of learning, there is often too much overlap between the subjects and skills appropriate to each are not fully identified and explored by pupils. Satisfactory use of information

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GEOGRAPHY

and communication technology to support pupils’ learning has begun. Although teachers make some assessment of pupils’ progress and attainment, the information is not used to any significant extent to plan the curriculum. The co-ordinator, who has a number of other major commitments, is eager to develop the subject and has identified priorities for improvement. However, there are insufficient opportunities to monitor either pupils’ work or the effectiveness of teaching, and this is a major obstacle to the improvement of the subject. Although there is an action plan, previously set targets have not been fully met. Resources are adequate.

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HISTORY

120. In Years 2 and 6, pupils achieve below average standards. These judgements represent a decline in standards since the last inspection when it was judged that, ‘standards in history are average St Pancras Catholic Primary School 43 by the end of both key stages’. The current judgements have been made from a limited number of lesson observations, and an analysis of pupils’ previous work. The latter shows that the work covered lacks both breadth and depth when compared with the scheme of work that the school has developed. There was insufficient evidence for a judgement to be made about the progress of pupils with special educational needs or those with English as an additional language. 121. Across the school, pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory. Pupils in Year 2 have worked on the theme of ‘Then and Now’. However, the quality of the work produced indicates a superficial approach to the skills of recording their knowledge. Expectations by teachers of what should be

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HISTORY

achieved by pupils and the quality of their work are too low. In Year 6, pupils have worked on changes in society since 1945. They have raised some appropriate questions and have looked at some sources of evidence to answer them. However, the approach used does not focus sufficiently upon the acquisition of suitable skills of research and, therefore, some of the work lacks coherence. The work produced varies in quality of presentation and marking does little to show pupils how all aspects of it can be improved. Discussion with pupils in Year 6 indicates that they have only a basic understanding of changes in society, but have an interest in the history of the period being studied. Pupils’ written work is too often characterised by unsatisfactory presentation, erratic spelling and insufficient marking. 122. Across the school, the quality of teaching and learning and the rate of pupils’ progress are

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HISTORY

unsatisfactory. There was insufficient evidence for a judgement to be made on the quality of teaching at the last inspection. Teaching and learning in the one lesson seen in Year 4/5 were satisfactory. This was a follow-up to a previous visit to Anne of Cleeve’s house and was appropriately organised. Pupils showed an interest in the discussion on the wives of Henry VIII and began to ask questions to extend their knowledge. Sound use was made of information and communication technology in this lesson to record pupils’ findings. However, there were several features which limited the effectiveness of pupils’ learning. The pace of written work was slow and some disruption was caused when, at various times, pupils left the lesson to work on unrelated mathematical activities. Overall, teachers’ expectations of what pupils should achieve are consistently too low. 123. A scheme of work based on national guidelines has now been implemented. This is a

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HISTORY

satisfactory improvement because the previous inspection reported that the subject had no scheme of work. However, lesson planning for the subject makes too little use of the scheme with the result that work prepared for pupils lacks appropriate breadth and depth. There has been some enhancement of pupils’ learning through visits to Lewes Castle and Anne of Cleeve’s House. Although some use has been made of information and communication technology and this is developing, its use is not sufficiently strong. For example, pupils in Year 6 have used the Internet to research the period after 1945. Assessment procedures are not sufficiently developed to check accurately on pupils’ attainment and progress and, therefore, have too little effect upon the improvement of the subject. The co- ordinator is enthusiastic, is aware of the priorities for development and has an action plan, although the targets set have not been fully met. However, it is difficult to improve standards because there is little

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HISTORY

opportunity to monitor the quality of teaching and learning or the standard of pupils’ work

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

124. In Years 2 and 6, pupils achieve average standards. This represents good improvement since the last inspection when standards were judged to have been below average at both key stages and a good response to the subsequent key issue. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language achieve similar standards to other pupils. 125. The main achievement of pupils across the school, which was evident during the inspection, was their use of instructions to make things happen and the development of simple programming. For example, pupils in Year 1 were being introduced to a programmable toy for the first time and they were enthralled that the toy could be made to respond to their simple instructions to move forward and to turn. Year 2 pupils were developing their programming skills to devise a series of instructions which St Pancras Catholic Primary School 44

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

would make the toy move along a predetermined course. Pupils in Year 5 were confidently using instructions in procedures for drawing repeated shapes and patterns on the screen turtle. 126. Other areas of pupils’ achievement in Years 1 and 2 are where younger pupils use word- processing functions to write and print their names and some simple instructions for the use of the computer. Older pupils use effective drawing and colouring techniques to produce pictures of Elmer the Elephant and pictures of fireworks. In Years 3 to 6, younger pupils use word processing functions to devise and print a questionnaire for a shopping survey in Brighton and older pupils know how to construct a spreadsheet. Older pupils have developed e-mail connections with e-pals in Venezuela and good use is made of the school’s digital cameras to take photographs of different school events. 127. Across the school, the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Teachers have worked

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

hard to raise the profile of information and communication technology in the school, and the regularity with which it appears on teachers’ timetables is evidence of the commitment the school is now making. Across the school, teachers are confident with the hardware and software and they use facilities like the programmable toys and the multimedia projector confidently in their teaching. This enhances work done in other subjects, such as in mathematics. In an effective lesson in Year 1, the teacher spent time in discussing pupils’ appreciation of computers and control mechanisms in the wider environment and then encouraged them to become familiar with computers and robotic toys. She was careful to introduce and reinforce the correct terminology. In Years 3 to 6, teachers show good subject knowledge and instruct pupils clearly. Some of the strengths and some weaknesses in the effectiveness of teaching were observed in a lesson to pupils in Year 4. The teacher introduced the

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

topic of programming the screen turtle well and the pupils were enthusiastic and keen to try skills out for themselves. However, there were only computers for a about half to practise their skills immediately and the others were then involved in a different but related activity. This was a weakness and limited the effectiveness of the teacher’s introduction. In another class, work on the computers was combined with more practical making activities in design and technology. This worked well. 128. The subject is well managed by an enthusiastic co-ordinator who has successfully raised the profile of the subject in the school. The revised and updated policy and guidelines statement is not yet available for teachers. This is a weakness. The school is now following a revised scheme of work which is substantially based on the one recommended nationally but it has been modified for the school’s use. The organisation of the curriculum so that all classes learn about a topic at the same time

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

allows the school, and the inspection team, a good view of the important progression in skills being developed. However, this has only been introduced from the beginning of the current term. The timetabled use of the multimedia projector in each class is effective. The school’s computer resources are broadly in line with the national average but their location in individual classrooms never provides opportunity for the whole class to reinforce quickly newly learned skills. This is a disadvantage. Staff in-service training has been effective in raising teachers’ confident and expertise. Computers are used satisfactorily across a number of different subject areas, such as mathematics and English, but not sufficiently in design and technology, history, music and aspects of science. The subject now meets National Curriculum requirements.

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MUSIC

129. In Year 2, pupils attain average standards, but, in Year 6, standards are above average, especially in singing. The previous inspection reported that attainment was average throughout the school. Pupils with special educational needs and those who have English as an additional language reach similar standards to their peers. There were no significant differences in the attainment of boys or girls. 130. At the time of the school’s last inspection a specialist teacher undertook the teaching of music on one day a week. This was judged to be ‘not entirely satisfactory’. This is not the case now and all teachers take their own classes for music lessons. This is complemented by the music co-ordinator taking a weekly singing session for pupils in Years 3 to 6 and hymn practice with the whole school. St Pancras Catholic Primary School 45 131. Pupils achieve satisfactorily in Years 1 and 2. Pupils demonstrate a good ability to control the

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MUSIC

pitch of their voices by following a graphic representation and perform simple patterns keeping to a steady pulse. With the help of the teacher the pupils are able to move their hands in response to the rise and fall of the melody. Pupils achieve well in Years 3 to 6. Records of pupils’ work in Years 3/4 show clear consolidation of composing skills in pupils’ own compositions written in both graphic and traditional notation. The taped recordings of their work, based on mythical beasts showed that the pupils were able to control their voices well and play a melodic ostinato using percussion instruments at the same time. The singing of pupils in the junior-age classes is above average. In the singing practice, for example, they perform with confidence and show very good pitch when singing songs with a variety of influences. 132. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2, and good in Years 3 to 6.

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MUSIC

In the one Year 2 lesson seen, the lesson was well presented with good use of questioning to stimulate pupils’ thinking. Most pupils responded well to this and, after a slow start, took part well in singing. Overall, pupils enjoyed the lesson and most concentrated well and made a satisfactory effort. At times, however, the control of the class was not always effective and the pupils were allowed to carry on chatting amongst themselves rather than listening and responding to given starting points. 133. In Years 3 to 6, the quality of teaching and learning in the singing practice led by the music co- ordinator was of a high standard. It was characterised by the teacher’s very good subject knowledge, a sense of fun and high expectations of what pupils should do. Their response was very good. Pupils joined in the various activities confidently by first singing a round in two parts and then four parts. The

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MUSIC

teacher used her own singing voice skilfully to lead the pupils and ensured all pupils were listening before moving on to the next activities. She placed good emphasis upon pupils’ clear diction and the importance of internalising sounds in their heads. As a result pupils made very good gains in their knowledge of different kinds of voices and how to vary pitch, tempo and dynamics in their own singing. Towards the end of the session, the teacher introduced pupils to ‘partner songs’, where they learnt to sing two new songs, ‘What shall we do with the drunken sailor?’ and ‘Oh sinner man where will you run to?’ as a counterpoint. This they did with confidence and demonstrated a good sense of melody when they sang together. 134. The school has a broad and balanced scheme of work that ensures that all pupils have full access to the National Curriculum. The co-ordinator is knowledgeable and provides good leadership.

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MUSIC

Priorities for development are known and written into an action plan. This allows the co-ordinator to check the progress made in improving the subject, but teaching is not monitored. Provision in the subject is enhanced as pupils take part in productions at different times of the year such as at Christmas. A good range of individual instrumental tuition is available to pupils through the East Sussex Music Service. A weakness is that there are no extracurricular activities provided by the school although the co-ordinator plans to introduce some soon. Spiritual and cultural education is enhanced through music heard and sung by pupils in assemblies. These activities make a good contribution to the music curriculum. Some use is made of information and communication technology but overall this is insufficiently developed. The school has an adequate range of resources including some that represent music from other cultures. Assessment procedures are satisfactory.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

135. In Years 2 and 6, pupils achieve average standards. These judgements represent a decline in standards since the last inspection when it was judged that attainment at the end of both key stages was above national expectations. Pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, attain satisfactory standards for their capabilities and make sound progress. Currently, pupils swim in Years 4, 5 and 6 and most are on track to reach average standards by the end of Year 6. 136. In Years 1 and 2, pupils achieve satisfactorily. In Year 2, pupils explore simple gymnastic skills and develop their co-ordination skills well. They begin to identify changes in their performance and that of others. They understand the need to ‘warm up’ before exercise and some of the effects of St Pancras Catholic Primary School 46 exercise on the body. In Years 3 to 6, younger pupils move with agility as they undertake their warm-

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

up activities and then throw and catch balls with accuracy and control. Pupils have appropriate opportunities to comment on their own performance and that of others and talk about passing and dribbling the ball, in paired and team game situations. They play competitive small group games which helps to develop their appreciation of defensive and attacking tactics. Boys in Years 4, 5 and 6 have opportunity to learn dance when a teacher comes to the school. In part of a session seen, they took part with interest, mostly worked hard and enjoyed their success when they created a sequence of linked movements that required concentration and agility. 137. The quality of teaching and learning across the school is satisfactory, with some good features. The previous inspection judged the quality of teaching to be good. In Years 1 and 2, teachers give pupils clear instructions and lessons begin with an appropriate ‘warm-up’. Activities are well organised

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

and teachers interact well with the groups as they undertake them. Pupils are reminded appropriately about the importance of being safe. In Years 3 to 6, teachers have appropriately high expectations of what pupils can achieve and they allow pupils sufficient time to practise their skills. A good lesson in Years 4, 5 and 6, in which girls learned a range of football skills, was well taught with a good structure so that skills were systematically acquired. The pupils responded well, despite the coldness of the day, to the challenges that the teacher presented and extended their understanding of some of the basic skills of possession and passing. Shortcomings in teaching are when teachers do not insist that all pupils listen attentively to instructions. 138. The school now has a scheme of work, based on national guidelines. This is an improvement since the previous inspection when statutory requirements were not being met. The co-ordinator is

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

new to the school and to the management of the subject. However, priorities for development have been identified and an action plan is in place to ensure that the subject is kept under review. Assessment procedures help teachers to record what pupils can do and this is used to help teachers plan lessons. A weakness in the management of the subject is that the co-ordinator does not monitor curriculum planning or the quality of teaching and learning. Provision in the subject is enhanced through the residential visit for Years 5 and 6 that includes outdoor and adventurous activities and by the use of a specialist teacher for dance in Years 5 and 6. There are a satisfactory number and range of extracurricular activities such as tag rugby, cross country running, football, netball and basketball. Space for outdoor activities, particularly for older pupils in Years 3 to 6, is limited, but the school is able

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

to use a local open grassed area when necessary. The subject now meets statutory requirements. St Pancras Catholic Primary School 47

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