Other · Ofsted report

St Paul's Catholic Primary School

Inspected — · published 14 Jan 2003 · URN 117492

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Full report text

St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Primary School

Dates of inspection: 7 th – 9 th October 2002

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St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Primary School

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

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St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Primary School

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and Junior School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School category: Voluntary Aided Roman Catholic

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Park Lane Cheshunt Herts.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs. Adrienne Hurrell

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 31 st October, 2000 St.Paul’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 10090 Kath Beck Registered inspector Science Information and communicatio n technology What sort of school is it? How high are the standards? How well are the pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 13481 Doug Binfield 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? 6436 Alan Andrews Team inspector English Physical education Special educational needs

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

1359 Lyne Lavender Team inspector Mathematics Geography History Equal opportunities How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to the pupils? St.Paul’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. - 5 17649 Diana Batt Team inspector Curriculum for the Foundation Stage Art and design Design and technology Music

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

‘Draycott’ Chappel Road Great Tey Colchester CO6 1JP

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St.Paul’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 30

St.Paul’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. - 7

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St. Paul’s is a small school for children aged from four to eleven years. It is situated in an area of owner-occupied housing with some local authority housing. Children come from a wider area, as the school serves the parishes of St. Paul’s, Cheshunt and St. Martin de Porres in Cuffley. Of the 163 children on roll, 12 are on the school’s register of special educational needs. This is less than usually found. Three have a statement of special educational needs. Eight children are eligible for free school meals. This is low in comparison to other schools. A few children come from ethnic minority backgrounds. The percentage of children who speak English as an additional language is a little higher than in most schools. None are at an early stage of learning English. There is one traveller child although from time to time others attend. Children’s attainment on entry to the reception year varies

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

from year to year but is largely similar to that expected nationally. Children start school in the September or January of the academic year in which they become five.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

St. Paul’s is an effective school. It recognises its strengths and areas for development and is working successfully to raise standards. The governors, headteacher and senior staff work together closely and the interests of the children are put first. The Roman Catholic ethos underpins the life of the school. There is a strong, caring atmosphere and a calm positive environment for learning. In Year 6, standards in English and mathematics are above average. They are below average at Year 2. The quality of teaching in Years 1, 5 and 6 is consistently good or very good. The parents hold the school in high regard. The children’s attitudes to work are good and their behaviour is very good. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Good standards in English and mathematics in Year 6. • Consistently good or better teaching in Years 1, 5 and 6. • The Roman Catholic ethos promotes a warm, welcoming and friendly atmosphere. • Children are cared for really well. • Provision for children’s spiritual, moral and social development. • The behaviour and attitudes of the children who show concern for one another and act accordingly. • Parents hold the school in high regard. • Staff act as good role models and set the tone for the very good relationships within the school.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Standards in Year 2, especially in English, mathematics and science. • The number of children reaching level 5 in mathematics and science at the end of the juniors. • The role of the subject coordinators, especially in the foundation subjects 1 ; • Provision for children to develop their investigative and problem solving skills consistently through the school. • Opportunities for children to use their initiative, develop their thinking skills and make decisions about their work. 2 The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection in 2000. A substantive headteacher has been appointed and fewer teachers are joining or leaving. All subjects are now planned and taught in line with national guidance about the programmes of work. The curriculum for the Foundation Stage 2000 has been implemented appropriately. In addition, there is a new senior management team that has the potential to move the school forward. Parental confidence in the school has been secured. The number of children on roll is increasing so that some year groups are now full.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

1 Foundation subjects are art and design, music, geography, history, physical education, design and technology. 2 All these issues are identified in the school development plan St.Paul’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. - 8 There have been substantial improvements to the building. The school has approval to build a nursery that is due to open in September 2003. St.Paul’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. - 9

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

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STANDARDS

Lesson observations and scrutiny of work indicate that children’s attainments in English and mathematics are good in Year 6. In science, information and communication technology, art and design, music, design and technology, geography, history and physical education, children’s attainments are similar to those found in most schools. In Year 2, children’s attainments are below those expected in English, mathematics, science, geography, history and information and communication technology. They are similar to those found in most schools at age seven in physical education, art and design, music and design and technology. These standards are due in part to the very small number of children in Year 2. Many of these children were born during the summer months and have had less time at the school. Some have special educational needs. In addition, staff illness disrupted their learning in the previous year. The school is fully aware of this and has set challenging

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STANDARDS

targets for the children to achieve by May 2003. Children’s attainments in the current Year 1 are higher than expected for their age. Provision for children with special educational needs and traveller children, enables them to make satisfactory progress. Children in the reception year are on course to meet the early learning goals in all the areas of experience. 3

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STANDARDS

Unverified results in national tests for children in Years 2 and 6 in 2002 are not as good as in previous years. The school expected these lower results. However, there have been significant fluctuations between years. It is important to bear in mind that one child represents almost 3%. The overall trend in the last four years shows an increase in the number of children reaching the nationally expected level 2 at age seven or level 4 at age eleven. Few are reaching the higher levels of attainment at the same ages 4 . This affects the average points score for the school and, in consequence, the school’s performance is not as good as other schools with children from similar backgrounds, especially in mathematics and science. Very challenging targets have been set for the present Year 6 and the school is on course to meet them.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Good. Children are eager to get to school and respond very well to the caring ethos.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good behaviour in and out of the classrooms means there is a calm purposeful atmosphere in which all children can learn.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Good. Older children carry out their responsibilities sensibly. All children show concern for each other and act accordingly, contributing

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

3 There are six areas of experience, personal, social and emotional development; communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; knowledge and understanding of the world; creative development and physical development. 4 The nationally expected level at age 7 is level 2. This is split into level 2C (lowest), 2B (average) and 2A (highest). Level 3 is a higher than expected level of attainment. At age 11, the higher level of attainment is level 5. St.Paul’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. - 10 much to the very good relationships in the school.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Good. Many have good attendance records and arrive punctually. Children present their work neatly. There is a strong family atmosphere in which older children are proud of their responsibilities to care for the younger ones. Children are friendly, polite and often show mature attitudes. These positive attributes impact positively on the school’s efforts to raise standards.

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching is particularly strong in Years 1, 5 and 6. A small amount of unsatisfactory teaching in Year 2 held back progress in numeracy. The daily literacy lessons are often taught well. Numeracy skills are taught satisfactorily. Strengths in teaching stem from challenging tasks that require children to think hard and make good progress in their learning, very good knowledge and understanding of the needs and ages of the children and the deployment of classroom assistants to enable all children to play a full part in lessons. Children are managed very well so that behaviour is very good and there is a calm learning environment. Examples of very good teaching were seen in mathematics, science and art. Teachers make the best use of information and communication technology and available computers to raise standards across the curriculum. In a small number of lessons, teachers’ expectations of what children

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

can do are too high and tasks are not sufficiently well matched to their abilities. In the Foundation Stage, staff have benefited from training and support from an advisory teacher so that knowledge is satisfactory. Planning for a wider range of play activities and the rigid structure of the timetable require review. Teaching of traveller children and those with special educational needs is satisfactory overall, although it is better in Years 1, 5 and 6.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum for all ages is satisfactory. It is enriched by a good programme of extra curricular activities and visits to places of interest.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory. Individual education plans are written well. Responsibility for their implementation depends on the class teacher.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language All children are fluent English speakers and there is no specific provision for these children.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision for children’s moral and social development is very good. Children are often asked to work in small groups in lessons and they respond very well. They know right from wrong. Provision for spiritual development is good and that for cultural development is satisfactory.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Pastoral care for the children is really good. Their progress is assessed frequently. This information is used appropriately to plan their work

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are really pleased with the way the school values their children and this contributes significantly to children’s confidence in lessons. Parents assist with their children’s learning effectively at home. They raise substantial sums of money for additional resources. Annual reports to parents about their St.Paul’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. - 11 child’s progress are detailed, but do not contain sufficient information about how to improve. The curriculum for the children’s personal, social and health education is a good one and is taught effectively. Some teachers rely too heavily on poor quality worksheets that limit children’s progress and opportunities to use their initiative and develop their thinking skills across the curriculum. All children have equal access to the many activities the school provides. St.Paul’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. - 12

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Satisfactory. The headteacher and deputy headteacher are newly appointed to their posts, but have a clear idea of the developments to be made to bring about higher standards. Most of the subject coordinators are new to their responsibilities and are just beginning to establish their roles.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors fulfil their responsibilities well. Their close working relationship with the staff is bringing about improved standards.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. Results of national tests are analysed and the information used effectively to bring about improvements.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Satisfactory. Resources are directed correctly to the priorities set out in the school development plan.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources are satisfactory. The school has extensive grounds, but some classrooms are small. The unsatisfactory accommodation for the Foundation stage is to be improved when the nursery is built in the coming year. Classroom assistants work well with the teachers to support children in their learning. The school’s aims are reflected well in its day-to-day work and promote a strong caring ethos. It now has the stability in leadership and management that it needed. The governors and senior managers have established a firm foundation on which they can build to bring about further improvements and raise standards. There is a need to raise the management skills of the subject coordinators. The school applies the principles of best value well, consulting parents about future improvements and obtaining tenders for expensive purchases.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Children work hard and make good progress. • Behaviour standards are good. • The friendly and supportive atmosphere. • Teaching is good. • The school is well led and managed. • Parents are well informed about their child’s progress. • The significant improvements that have been made in recent years. • The amount of homework set.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Inspectors agree with parents’ positive views. However, there is a need for further development in some aspects of teaching and management skills. The homework arrangements work well and make a helpful contribution to children’s learning. St.Paul’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. - 13

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Children’s attainments on entry to school are mostly typical for children aged four. Some children do not have any experience of pre-school education; others have attended a playgroup or a nursery school. Children in the Foundation Stage make satisfactory progress and are on course to reach the early learning goals in all the areas of experience by the end of the reception year. Children adopt a very positive attitude to reading at an early stage and this stays with them throughout their time in the school. The rigid timetable for each day inhibits opportunities for children to use their initiative and learn through a wide range of play activities.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Results in national tests for children aged eleven, have shown improvement over time. At the time of the last inspection in 2000, the school recorded its highest ever results. Unverified data suggests that results in 2002 are not as good as in previous years. This is because few children reached the higher level of attainment, level 5. The year group taking the tests consisted of a number of children with special educational needs. This said, results in reading remain very good and all children reached the expected level of attainment in science.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. In Year 6, lesson observations, scrutiny of previous work and discussions show that children’s attainments are good in English and mathematics. They are similar to those found in most schools in science, art and design, music, design and technology, information and communication technology, physical education, history, and geography. Many of the children in Year 6 started at the school and experienced unsatisfactory teaching earlier in their school career. They have also been subject to many changes brought about by a series of different headteachers. These factors have impacted attainment, as there are gaps in their knowledge, especially in investigative work.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The school has analysed the national test results for children at the end of Year 2 in 2002. This unverified data indicates that results are not as good as in previous years, including the time of the previous inspection. The number of children taking the tests was small and so the information needs to be treated with caution. Each child represents over three percentage points. In 2001, in mathematics and science, the number of children reaching the national average was high and placed the school in the top 5% of schools. The school has yet to analyse the information in relation to the traveller children and those with English as an additional language. St.Paul’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. - 14 5. Inspection evidence shows that in Year 2, children’s attainments are below those expected in English, mathematics, science, geography, history and information and communication technology. They are similar to those found in most schools at age

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

seven in physical education, art and design, music and design and technology. Lesson observations and scrutiny of work show that the children in Year 1 are attaining at a higher level than those in Year 2. There are several reasons for this. The children in Year 2 are very young. Many were born in the summer months and have not been in school as long those born in the autumn or spring. There are a significant number of children with special educational needs in the class as well as a traveller child who has only been in school a short time. The learning of this year group was interrupted in the previous year by serious staff illness. There are gaps in the children’s knowledge. The teacher in Year 2 is new to the phase and is still getting to know the precise needs and abilities of the children. Expectations are too high for these children and they struggle to make the progress they should in some

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Speaking and listening, reading and writing skills are below those expected in Year 2 and good in Year 6. Children welcome visitors and are pleased to include them in their conversations. Children in Year 2, use a limited range of vocabulary and do not always listen as carefully as they should. The picture is different in Year 6, where children listen attentively, communicate meaning clearly and confidently, often drawing on their experiences and offering opinions. Year 6 children read with confidence, fluency and expression demonstrating their enthusiasm for the activity. Research skills are good. There are difficulties in Year 2 as children read haltingly and find it hard to talk about what they have read. The school has worked hard to improve standards in writing. Many in Year 2 find this difficult as their skills in sentence structure, punctuation, spelling and handwriting are developing slowly.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

However, by Year 6, children write well, expressing their ideas clearly and using imaginative vocabulary.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Year 6 children are competent in the use of the four rules of number. They know about the importance of the accurate collection and interpretation of data in day-to day life, such as traffic surveys. In Year 2, children find mathematics difficult. This is because the work they are asked to do is not appropriate. Children are asked to complete workbooks and worksheets of poor quality that limit opportunities to investigate numbers and apply previously learned mathematical skills. Throughout the school, the mental and oral sessions at the beginning of lessons are not taken at a fast enough pace to enable children to develop the rapid recall of facts and numbers.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. In science, the curriculum is being covered thoroughly so that children acquire the knowledge they need. Progress is faster in the juniors than in the infants. Teachers are using the subject well to provide children with exciting opportunities to experience the awe and wonder of the natural world. Some teachers are using very effective strategies to improve children’s investigative skills. However, this is not yet consistent in all classes. The rate of children’s progress varies as they move through the school depending on the quality of teaching. Progress is satisfactory in the Foundation Stage, Years 2, 3 and 4. Children make much faster progress in Years 1, 5 and 6 where the teaching is stronger. St.Paul’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. - 15 9. In the infants, over the past three years, the boys out performed the girls in reading, writing and mathematics. The situation is reversed in the juniors. In the past, more

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

girls than boys have taken the tests. Teaching strategies have also favoured girls. In the juniors, children are engaged frequently in writing tasks that girls enjoy. To provide a wider range of teaching strategies, the school is seeking ways to develop children’s thinking skills and opportunities for them to use their initiative. Brighter children often complete the same work as their classmates before going on to other tasks. There is a need for teachers to provide work that meets their needs more precisely, especially in science and mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. The percentage of children identified as having special educational needs is lower than in most other schools. It includes three children with statements of special educational needs. All the support is given within class lessons and relies heavily on the programme of work provided by class teachers. The achievement of the children is satisfactory. The work of the classroom assistants is valuable in helping them to make progress.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. The school has done well to raise attainment in information and communication technology. Resources have been updated and each classroom has at least two up to date computers. The subject is taught explicitly. The main difficulty is that children cannot apply the newly taught skills immediately and must wait their turn on a computer. All children have to watch the teachers’ demonstration on a single computer and it is not always easy for them to see. A computer suite is to be established shortly to overcome this difficulty.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. The school does not have a specialist music teacher, but all staff promote children’s interest in music and singing using pre-recorded tapes to support them effectively in lessons. Children’s interest in history was inspired when the team producing the television programme ‘Time Team’ was carrying out an archaeological dig in the park behind the school. Children learned much about how discoveries of items from the past inform our knowledge of how life was lived in Roman Times. However, progress in subjects such as history and geography, is hindered by the excessive use of worksheets. In addition, there are some examples of good quality design and technology and art and design work on display. Usually much of the work completed to a similar format. This, together with poor quality worksheets, does little to challenge children to use their initiative or make decisions about their work. St.Paul’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. - 16

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Children’s attitudes to learning are good in all classes and are making an important contribution to the standards achieved. Children like coming to school, work hard and are keen to learn. During lessons they listen attentively, answer questions and contribute sensibly to class discussions. Children often help one another when working together in small groups and taking part in other joint activities. Written work and practical tasks are often undertaken with care and enthusiasm. Concentration levels lapse in lessons in Years 2 and 3 when tasks are too hard, too easy or the teacher spends too long on explanations. In addition, the children are not given enough opportunities to show initiative, develop thinking skills and to make more decisions about their work. An impressive feature is that many children take pride in the presentation of completed tasks. Particularly good examples of this were seen in

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

the scrutiny of work in Years 5 and 6 and in the displays around the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Behaviour is very good throughout the school. In lessons, teachers have high expectations of good behaviour. There is a calm, positive learning environment so that children work without interruption. Children behave very well in the playgrounds and as they move around the school. In the dining hall, they are well mannered and behaviour is exemplary. Instances of bullying and serious misbehaviour are comparatively rare. Such incidents are dealt with quickly and fairly. Exceptionally, last year there were three temporary exclusions involving two children. There were no permanent exclusions. The few children from minority ethnic and traveller backgrounds are integrated fully into the life and work of the school. Parents are rightly pleased with the high standards of behaviour that are a strong feature of the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Children’s personal development is very good. Staff are very supportive of their individual needs and are instrumental in securing the very good relationships seen throughout the school. Children are polite, mix well together and show respect for others. They take on responsibilities in class and helping with the organisation of assemblies sensibly. Young children are very fond of their ‘buddy’ in Year 6 and often give them a present or card when they leave. All children show concern for each other and act accordingly. This does much to contribute to the very good relationships within the school. Children in the Foundation Stage cooperate well with each other.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Membership of the many school clubs enables children to develop special interests and to enhance their social skills as well as get to know children in other classes and age groups. Speakers from a range of backgrounds give helpful presentations at assemblies or in classes to extend children’s understanding of the wider world. There is a well-planned programme of educational visits to support curriculum learning and to widen children’s experience. The residential visit of Year 6 children to Norfolk is a particularly good example.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Attendance is good. Last year attendance levels improved to 95.1% and there was a low incidence of unauthorised absence. This outcome compares favourably with the national average of recent years. A minority of children, including those from the traveller community do not attend regularly. Punctuality is very good, enabling a prompt start to be made to the school day. Lessons and other activities start and finish in line with the approved timetables. The problem mentioned in the previous report about the youngest children taking excessive time to change after physical education lessons has been resolved. St.Paul’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. - 17

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. Overall, teaching is good. Almost half the lessons observed were good or very good. Teaching is satisfactory in the Foundation Stage and infants. It is good in the junior stage. This is similar to the time of the previous inspection. All teachers manage the children very well so that there is a productive working atmosphere. This enables children to work hard and concentrate on their learning. 19. All lessons observed in the Foundation Stage were satisfactory. The teacher and classroom assistants work together well and this plays an important part in enhancing children’s progress. Children are managed with much kindness so that they behave well. Children’s progress is checked regularly and the information gained is used effectively to group the children according to ability for some lessons in numeracy and literacy. Homework that children complete is valued and displayed for all to see.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. The teacher’s and classroom assistants’ knowledge of this age group is satisfactory. Staff working in the Foundation Stage have benefited from attendance on courses and support from an advisory teacher. This needs to continue. The teacher’s expectations are appropriate for this time of the school year. The importance of enabling children to learn routines and to settle into school quickly is given precedence. The main weakness in teaching relates to the limited planning for a wider range of play activities. The structure of the day is too rigid inhibiting opportunities for children to spend time on emergent writing or personal and social development. The school has plans for significant development in the curriculum for the Foundation Stage when the nursery is built and the school admits younger children. 21. The strongest teaching is in Years 1, 5 and 6 where all the lessons observed were at

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

least good and often very good. The rate of children’s progress is often good and sometimes very good in these year groups and has a significant impact on standards especially at the end of the junior stage. The characteristics of this high quality teaching include: • very good subject knowledge and understanding of the needs of the ages of the children; • basic skills in all subjects, but especially English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology are taught very well. This means children can work confidently and do their best; • expectations of what children can do are high and children respond to this very well; • activities promote children’s personal, spiritual, moral and social development as well as challenge their intellectual effort and capture their interest and concentration; • classroom assistants are used very effectively to enable all children, especially those from traveller backgrounds or with special educational needs to play a full

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

part in lessons; • thorough planning that makes provision for differing needs; • very clear explanations and very good management of the children so that they work hard; • lessons build well on what children have done before; • teachers ask probing and thought provoking questions that involve many children in contributing to discussions. St.Paul’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. - 18 22. In Years 2, 3 and 4, much of the teaching was satisfactory and some of it was good. It was unsatisfactory in mathematics in Year 2. Teachers in these year groups manage the children very well, teaching basic skills well and use time, support staff and resources effectively. However, teaching methods are not always appropriate within these year groups, especially in geography and history. Too many worksheets, that do little to take children’s learning forward, inhibit the development of children’s

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thinking skills and prevent them making decisions about their work. In Years 2 and 3, expectations are sometime too high, as work is not closely matched to children’s abilities. Children do their best but find it hard to complete the tasks without a lot of help. These factors contributed to the small amount of unsatisfactory teaching observed. 23. Overall, the teaching of children with special educational needs is satisfactory. It is undertaken by class teachers who are sometimes helped by classroom assistants. Activities are mainly chosen to reflect the needs of the children, including those with statements of special educational need, as identified in their individual targets for development. However, these targets are not always used to match work to children’s requirements, especially in classes where relatively new teachers are still acquiring these skills. Relationships are good and children are usually keen to please

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and to do their best. Their self-esteem is maintained well and they take part fully in class activities.

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24. Work is marked frequently and in English, mathematics and science, teachers give children guidance about how their work can be improved. The work of the classroom assistants is effective and remains good when they are actively involved with children in small groups. The role of the classroom assistants in whole class sessions has been reviewed and they now enable children, including those from the traveller community, to contribute effectively to all parts of the lesson.

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25. The curriculum is satisfactory and enriched by visitors, visits and the provision of extra curricular activities and links with the community. All the required subjects plus religious education are taught. Each subject receives an appropriate allocation of time over the year. There are some shortcomings, in the provision for brighter children and in the development of investigative and problem solving skills in mathematics and science. Teachers are trying to put this right. Cross-curricular links are improving. History and geography overlap in several of the topics such as, Ancient Greece and the Aztecs and this makes learning more meaningful. Daily assemblies are an integral part of the curriculum promoting the school’s ethos, spiritual values and beliefs well.

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26. The previous inspection report stated that insufficient progress had been made in planning for the foundation subjects, including art and design, design and technology, history, geography, music and physical education. At that time, this adversely affected the quality of learning activities provided by the school. Since then, considerable efforts have been made to ensure that curriculum planning is more secure. Teachers' weekly plans are good but the medium term ones are not all written to the same format, which makes it difficult to check progress from one year to another and across subjects. St.Paul’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. - 19 27. The national strategies for literacy and numeracy have been implemented satisfactorily. This, together with the provision of work that can be undertaken by groups of children, has helped to raise standards in English and mathematics at the

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end of the junior stage. Subject policies are being updated on a regular cycle and national guidelines and published programmes of work are being used as a basis for lessons in history and physical education.

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28. Recent national initiatives for the Foundation Stage curriculum have been implemented satisfactorily, although there is still wok to be done to improve the range of provision. Activities generally engage the children’s interest and attention and promote knowledge, skills and understanding in all the areas of learning. The planning for teaching literacy and numeracy is detailed and based on the national strategies. Children have opportunities to use computers to enhance their learning. Many activities are linked to the development of phonic skills, that is, to learn about the sounds letters make and this helps the children read unfamiliar words. There is a good ‘reading culture’ in the Foundation Stage. Children enjoy reading and know that reading helps them to learn in other subjects. However, there are occasions when activities are not sufficient to develop children’s knowledge and skills, particularly early

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writing. For example, the range of activities that stemmed from the role-play in the ‘Travel Agents’ provided more potential for the development of early literacy and numeracy skills than was planned for by the teacher.

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29. The timetable for the Foundation Stage is too rigid and this limits opportunities for children to spend time on a range of tasks and engage in activities and experiences that allow them to plan and initiate for themselves. In addition, it hinders opportunities for children to explore, experiment, plan and make decisions. There is a need to review the manner in which the curriculum in the classroom is extended into the outside area. The school is aware of these issues and has prepared an action plan to improve the quality of provision in the Foundation Stage.

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30. The care and well being of the children are given a high priority. This is reflected in the successful personal, social and health programme which includes sex education and the use and misuse of drugs. Teachers take their responsibilities seriously and plan lessons where sensitive issues can be discussed in an objective way. Children show empathy for each other. One group demonstrated this in a games lesson when they slowed down the pace of the game to enable a child with disabilities to take part in a team activity. Strong links with the local community help everyone to understand the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

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31. There is a good programme of after-school clubs that support the curriculum effectively. Children learn additional skills in netball, football, rounders, cricket, keeping fit, athletics, computers and board games. An environmental club encourages children to investigate aspects of the environment and to care for the nature area. Educational visits to places such as St. Albans and Waltham Abbey are used to broaden their knowledge especially about the Romans. A residential visit to Norfolk for the older juniors provides opportunities for them to try challenging outdoor pursuits and a broad information and communication technology curriculum. In addition, it provides opportunities for them to live and work together as a community away from home over several days. Visitors to the school bring learning alive. Two former evacuees came and talked to the children and showed them items from the wartime.

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During the inspection, a nurse talked to Year 4 children about the importance of dental care as part of the good provision for health education. Special events, such as the Queen's Golden Jubilee, are actively celebrated. St.Paul’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. - 20 32. Girls and boys equally are encouraged to take part in all aspects of the curriculum and school clubs. Children of different nationalities and backgrounds work and play together in an atmosphere of racial harmony. They are generous in fund raising for different charities including money collected on Red Nose Day. 33. Overall, the school makes satisfactory provision for children with special educational needs. The procedures for identifying such children are sound and comply with national requirements. They are overseen by the experienced special educational needs co-ordinator who works closely with class teachers. The school liaises

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appropriately with outside agencies and the children benefit from this. Children’s individual education plans are up to date and generally written well. Targets for development show careful diagnosis of children’s learning difficulties and how they might be addressed.

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34. The provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall with particular strengths in social and moral education. A powerful mission statement underpins the life and work of the school and sets the tone for all its activities. This is strongly apparent in what the school aims for and is successfully carried out in practice.

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35. Provision for spiritual education is good, as it was at the time of the last inspection. Assemblies and acts of collective worship are significant features in the provision. Class prayers at the beginning and end of the school day and grace before mealtimes underpin the school’s Roman Catholic ethos and sets an atmosphere of calm. Children light candles on the prayer tables to create a sense of spirituality and time is set aside for reflecting on the beauties of the world we live in as well as on any public events which have caused sorrow. In one history lesson about the construction of ‘family trees’, a class wrote about giving thanks for the gifts and talents they have.

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36. Provision for moral education is very good. Assemblies that praise children’s efforts are held each week. They acknowledge good work and behaviour and children are rewarded with special certificates. This encourages children to think about how their behaviour affects others and to see the difference between right and wrong. The school's aims are clear and consistently promoted by all staff, who are themselves good role models. Children take responsibility for seeing the rules they devise are carried out. In one class, children had written their class rules in the form of promises, for example, "At St Paul's we are polite and show respect for others", and everyone had signed to keep them.

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37. The provision for social development is very good and is clearly seen in the way children welcome visitors warmly to the school. Lessons are organised well and allow children to work collaboratively and exchange ideas in small groups. Outside the classrooms, everyone plays harmoniously together. Older children are ‘buddies’ to the younger children and really enjoy their responsibilities for caring for other members of the school community. When asked what he would miss most about the school when he leaves, a Year 6 child said he would miss the child he cared for greatly. Many participate in extra-curricular activities and inter-school competitions and this too adds much to children’s social development. St.Paul’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. - 21 38. The last inspection report was critical of the provision for cultural education. There has been some improvement since then, and it is now satisfactory. Lessons on

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other nations and faiths help children to learn about other cultures. Children enjoy these lessons. In discussion, one boy said that the aspect of geography he particularly enjoyed was learning about the cultures of different countries, such as India. Work in art includes finger painting in the style of aboriginal designs and Roman mosaic patterns in the shape of fish. In literacy, Year 6 study the language and style of Shakespeare's play "Macbeth". Visits to museums and places of interest also broaden children’s cultural understanding.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Very good provision is made for the health, care and safety of the children. The Roman Catholic ethos of the school helps to promote an understanding and supportive environment. This is conducive to promoting children’s self-confidence and an enthusiasm to learn. Parents are right to be very pleased about this.

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40. The school places strong emphasis on the welfare and support of all children. This includes helping children with special educational needs, English as an additional language and those from travellers’ families, who join the school from time to time. Staff trained in first aid deal with accidents and illness competently. At lunchtimes, the midday staff supervise meal arrangements and activities on the playgrounds and field effectively and thoughtfully. They encourage children to play games and share playground equipment happily. The children receive good advice on health education as part of the science and the personal, social and health education programmes. There are appropriate arrangements for child protection procedures, including staff training. Governors give a high priority to health and safety issues carrying out regular inspections and risk assessments to make sure that staff and children work safely.

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41. The monitoring of children’s personal development is very good. Teachers and staff know the children well and give them good advice. This helps deal with any worries and gives children confidence in their ability to deal with new situations. Appropriate records are maintained and helpful information about each child’s personal development is given to parents at termly meetings and in the annual reports.

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42. There are very good procedures for promoting regular attendance. Parents are familiar with the school's expectations and co-operate by giving notice about the reasons for absence. Registration and follow up procedures are effective. The school works closely with the education welfare officer. This enables appropriate action to be taken when there are individual concerns about attendance.

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43. Arrangements for promoting high standards of behaviour are very good. Parents are given clear information about the school’s expectations of high standards of behaviour. The children understand the ‘Behaviour Code’ and this is prominently displayed around the school. All staff adopt a consistent approach. They place strong emphasis on praising and rewarding good behaviour. There is a clearly defined range of sanctions for dealing with any misbehaviour that occurs, including bullying. When serious issues do arise, the school works closely with the child and their parents to resolve the situation.

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44. The school has reviewed and improved its assessment policy recently. It is clear about the processes and procedures to be used and is a helpful document for staff in St.Paul’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. - 22 monitoring children’s progress. A satisfactory range of assessments and record keeping systems has been introduced. These enable teachers to track how well individual children are doing and to target resources so as to raise standards. However, the information gained from the school’s assessment procedures is not always used as effectively as it could be to match work closely to children’s needs.

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45. The baseline assessment of children when they start school at the Foundation Stage is carefully administered. It includes the local authority’s system for assessment together with the class teacher’s own assessments. The findings are used effectively to put children into different ability groups for lessons and to set individual targets for achievement to enhance the rate of progress.

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46. Emphasis is rightly placed on the early identification of children with learning difficulties. The co-ordinator for special educational needs works closely with class teachers to ensure this happens.

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47. Throughout the school, teachers’ planning includes key objectives that are used to assess children’s progress. Class teachers also complete daily assessments of what children can do and this is recorded on planning forms. Individual targets in literacy and numeracy are set for infant and junior children. These are written in the appropriate exercise books and are usually clear, precise and realistic. Regular reviews of children’s progress are carried out during each year. This helps track how well they are doing and enables adjustments to be made to individual targets. The school’s results in National Curriculum tests are analysed by the senior management team and discussed with governors and staff. Additional tests in literacy and numeracy are administered to junior children each February. However, the information gained from the school’s assessment procedures is not always used as effectively as it could be to match work closely to children’s needs, especially those of

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48. The marking of work is kept up to date and includes some helpful comments to tell children where they have done well and what could be improved. Home school reading records contain details of books read by individual children. They sometimes include comments from parents and children about how well they are doing. Portfolios are kept of each child’s work as they move up through the school. These are helpful in determining the progress made and what needs to be done next.

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49. Parents now have full confidence in the school. They are very pleased with the improvements made since the last inspection two years ago. Parents are right to say that behaviour is good; that the children work hard and that they make good progress. There is a friendly and supportive atmosphere and their children are happy at the school. Parents feel that the teaching is good and that the school is well led and managed. Inspection evidence generally supports this view, although there is still work to do in raising overall management and teaching skills. Parents are well informed about their child’s progress. Whilst most are pleased with the school’s homework scheme, about one sixth of the respondents to the questionnaire are not satisfied with the amount of homework set. For some it is not enough and for others it is too much. Inspectors judged that, the homework arrangements work well and

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make a helpful contribution to children’s learning. 50. The school has very good links with parents. At the start of each term parents are notified about the main areas to be studied. Regular newsletters keep them well informed about school events and activities. Parents are given clear information St.Paul’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. - 23 about their child’s progress at consultation meetings with the class teacher in the autumn and spring terms. Parents are pleased with the annual written reports issued towards the end of the school year. Inspectors find that in some instances the information about work covered is rather lengthy. There is a need for more consistency in the subject sections of the reports so that areas for development or improvement are identified. Parents are encouraged to raise concerns early and informally with the class teacher or the headteacher. These arrangements work

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extremely well and contribute to the effective partnership between parents and the school. The school prospectus gives comprehensive information about the school. The governors’ annual report to parents provided a good account of the school’s activities in the previous year.

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51. Parents make a very good contribution to children’s learning. A small number of parents help in lessons, with reading, computer studies, cooking and sewing. Others assist with swimming and school trips. An impressive feature is the encouragement that parents give to their child to complete their homework. Parents are very supportive of the activities organised by the school association. Last year the association raised nearly £7,000 that was used to provide resources for the reception class, mathematics, information and communication technology and physical education.

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