St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, Oxford

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 12 th – 15 th May 2003

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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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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 Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: London Road Headington Oxford

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Email address: office@st-andrews-first.oxon.sch.uk

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 22 nd February 1998 St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 2

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

20609 Carol Worthington Registered inspector Information and communication technology Design and technology Religious education How high are standards? How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? School improvement 9173 Sarah McDermott Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well the school cares for its pupils How well the school works in partnership with parents 4074 Roger Gill Team inspector English Art Physical education English as an additional language How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

22113 Aileen King Team inspector Mathematics History The Foundation Stage of learning 12116 Christina Morgan Team inspector Science Geography Music Special educational needs Educational inclusion

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

PPI Group Ltd 7 Hill Street Bristol BS1 5RW

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 3 London WC2B 6SE St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 4

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4 - 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 8 - 10

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 23 - 34

St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 5

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Andrew’s is an average-sized, voluntary controlled two-form entry Church of England First school with 245 pupils on roll between the ages of four and ten. There are slightly more girls than boys. Situated within the city of Oxford, the school caters for a rich social, cultural and academic mix of pupils. A significant number stay for a relatively short time, partly because of the transient professional population associated with the nearby hospitals and academic institutions. About 18 per cent are eligible for free school meals, which is broadly in line with the national average. A high percentage of pupils (11) do not have English as their mother tongue; currently two pupils are at an early stage of learning English. Thirteen per cent of pupils have special educational needs relating to moderate learning difficulty or emotional and behavioural problems. This figure is below average; three pupils have statements of special educational need.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Attainment on entry to the school in reception is currently slightly above average, but fluctuates from year to year. The school is part of the city reorganisation and will become a full primary school in September 2003, when pupils in the current Year 5 will stay as Year 6. Until last year, the school had only provided for children up to Year 4. Over the past year, there has been much disruption because of new building taking place, which has coincided with a high staff turnover and a relatively large number of newly qualified teachers over the past two years.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school gives a satisfactory standard of basic education which is enriched with many interesting and stimulating activities due to the headteacher’s good vision for the development of children’s talents beyond the National Curriculum. The school actively promotes music and other arts, and has recently been awarded the Artsmark. Standards are currently average in English, mathematics and science, though relatively higher for seven year-olds in English than for ten year-olds. Teaching, leadership and management are sound overall. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• Provision for music, information and communication technology (ICT) and religious education. • Attainment in music throughout the school and in religious education in Key Stage 2. • The good quality teaching and learning in the reception year. • The broad curriculum is enriched with excellent extra-curricular activities and links with the community. • Provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural education, and the resulting good attitudes and relationships. • Very good links with parents.

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What could be improved

• The standard of literacy throughout the curriculum. • The quality of education provided for upper Key Stage 2. • The challenge provided for brighter children in lessons. • The monitoring and evaluation of the school’s performance. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in February 1998, since when it has made satisfactory improvement overall. There has been good improvement in the provision for ICT, design and technology, art and design, and religious education. In addition, provision for the Foundation Stage, physical education and personal, health and social education has improved. Above average standards have been maintained in reading for seven year-olds until 2002. There has been less improvement in the monitoring and evaluation of teaching because the headteacher has been unable to delegate these management responsibilities to as many staff as she would like, because there has been a high proportion of newly qualified teachers appointed over the last two years. The specific issues relating to encouraging pupils to value and take greater pride in their work and to provide activities to further develop independent learning have not yet been fully addressed,

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 6 although both are priorities on the current school development plan. Provision for extra-curricular and enrichment activities has increased and is now excellent.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 2 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Key

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

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Key

The school’s performance in the 2002 National Curriculum tests and tasks for seven year-olds was above the national average for reading and mathematics and close to the national average for writing. When compared with similar schools, the standard of reading and mathematics was well above average, but the standard of writing was below. Over the past three years, above average standards have been maintained in reading and, generally, in mathematics, although in 2001, mathematics results fell to below average. Writing standards have been lower than those for reading and mathematics for the last two years. In the teacher assessment of science, St Andrew’s did better than most schools.

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Key

Currently, standards in Year 2 are average in reading, writing and mathematics. In Key Stage 2, standards are relatively higher in Year 4 than Year 5, being average in both years for mathematics and science; they are below in English in Year 5. Although there are more pupils with special educational needs in Year 5, teachers’ expectations of their standards and their presentation of work are too low. Attainment is average in all other subjects, except in music, which is above average, and in religious education, which is also above average in Key Stage 2. In the Foundation Stage, children are making good progress and should all achieve or exceed the Early Learning Goals by the time they enter Year 1.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Most pupils have a mature attitude to learning and a positive approach to school. They are enthusiastic and enjoy most activities; they respond well to teachers who motivate them. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Satisfactory. Most pupils behave well, but a small number of older pupils was seen to be too boisterous in the playground. After challenging pupils are controlled, behaviour in lessons is satisfactory. Personal development and relationships Good. Provision for personal, health and social education, assemblies and the school council are having a good effect on relationships. Pupils are learning to consider the feelings of others. Attendance Satisfactory. Attendance figures are broadly in line with the national average. Unauthorised absence is below average.

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 5

Quality of teaching Good Satisfactory Satisfactory St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 7 Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 5

Teaching is satisfactory overall; nearly half the teaching seen was good and a further one fifth was very good; there was a small number of unsatisfactory lessons. The teaching of English is satisfactory throughout the school, except in Year 5, where it is unsatisfactory because expectations are too low. The development of literacy – particularly writing - through all subjects is not good enough. The teaching of mathematics is satisfactory with some good features, especially for younger pupils. Numeracy is taught satisfactorily in subjects such as science and design and technology. Consistently good teaching was seen in the Foundation Stage, music, ICT and religious education lessons, where pupils achieve well. Pupils with learning difficulties and those whose mother tongue is not English make good progress when taught in small groups. Brighter children do not always make enough progress because teachers do not

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 5

consistently put plans into action to extend their capabilities.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The curriculum gives pupils a very wide choice of opportunities for learning, particularly in the arts. The excellent extra-curricular activities allow pupils to follow interests beyond their basic education. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory. Pupils receive good support from teachers and assistants in class and in special groups outside the classroom. This allows them full access to the curriculum, particularly where teachers and assistants plan together. Higher ability, gifted and talented pupils do not always receive sufficient challenge in lessons. Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. Pupils learn well as a result of the structured support they receive which allows them to follow the same curriculum as the rest of their class, but in a way that enables them to learn English quickly. Provision for pupils’

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Aspect Comment

personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development Good. This is the curriculum’s strongest feature; pupils’ awareness of key values such as trust and hope are developed well by class and assembly activities. Social and cultural education are greatly enriched by the excellent provision for extra-curricular activities and further developed by the personal, health and social education programme. How well the school cares for its pupils The site is safe and secure; pastoral care is good. Assessment procedures are satisfactory but they are not used well enough to ensure that all pupils always make the best progress.

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Aspect Comment

The school works very well in partnership with parents who make a very good contribution to their children’s education.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Satisfactory. The headteacher has good vision for the development of the all- round education of the child and ensures that the school provides a wide and rich variety of learning opportunities. The deputy head and subject leaders are supportive, but their management roles are underdeveloped. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory. Governors are highly supportive of the school and have responsibly overseen the recent building works. Their publications to parents are very good. They play a full role in performance management and ensure that statutory requirements are met, but could be more critical in their monitoring role, particularly regarding the education of upper Key Stage 2. The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. Design and technology, religious education and ICT have improved through the school’s self-evaluation, as has mathematics in Year

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Aspect Comment

2. However, monitoring of teaching and learning is not rigorous enough to ensure consistency of provision for all pupils and the sharing of good St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 8 practice. The strategic use of resources Satisfactory. The school development plan is clearly written with appropriate priorities towards which the budget is directed. The school compares itself with others and seeks competitive tenders for goods and services. It does not, however, provide sufficient challenge for all its pupils. St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 9

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The standards their children achieve, especially in music. • Extra-curricular activity. • The work of the headteacher. • The quality of teaching. • The school is approachable. • Structure, consistency and the use made of homework, including reading at home. • Breadth of the curriculum (physical education, art and drama).

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors agree with parents’ positive views about the school, although the quality of teaching does depend on which class their children are in. They also agree that homework is inconsistent between classes, although it is good in reception. The curriculum is very broad, with extra-curricular activity in physical education and art, but there is no extra-curricular drama. St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 10

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The school’s performance in the 2002 National Curriculum tests and tasks was above average for reading and mathematics and average for writing. When compared with similar schools, the standard of reading and mathematics was well above average, but the standard of writing was below. Over the past three years, above average standards have been maintained in reading and, generally, in mathematics, although in 2001, mathematics results fell to below average. Writing standards have been lower than those for reading and mathematics, for the last two years.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. In 2002, the school did well by its low ability pupils and those with special educational needs in reading. A much lower percentage than the national figure failed to reach the expected level 2. A slightly higher than average percentage gained the upper levels, so higher ability pupils also did well. In mathematics, this was also true; a much greater proportion than average gained the higher level 3, showing that higher ability pupils did particularly well in this subject, too. In writing, however, a slightly lower than average proportion gained level 3 and more pupils failed to gain any level at all.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Over the last three years, there has been no significant difference in the achievements of boys and girls, although boys do a little better than others in the country as a whole. In writing, girls are not performing as well as they do nationally.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. In the teacher assessment of science, St. Andrew’s did better than most schools, with standards above average for pupils gaining level 2 and well above average for pupils gaining level 3. Teacher assessment of mathematics showed the aspect of shape, space and measure to be relatively weak, but that of using and applying mathematics to be strong.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Current standards achieved by seven year-olds in the school are average for reading, writing and mathematics. The attainment of pupils in Year 5 is average in mathematics and science, but below average in English. The school has a transient population with significant differences of ability between year groups. The current Year 2 entered the school with average attainment and these pupils have made satisfactory progress during their time in the school. In the current Year 5, pupils whose Year 2 and Year 4 results were supplied to the school had below average scores overall; nearly one third of pupils have special educational needs. Nevertheless, the school’s tracking records show that many of the current Year 5 made too little progress in English in the first two years of Key Stage 2, and are lagging behind, particularly in their standard of writing.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The school has identified various strategies, such as writing marathons, to enthuse pupils. However, teachers’ expectations of pupils’ writing are too low, and they do not use literacy targets in all subjects. The general standard of presentation of work is below that expected, particularly for pupils in Year 5.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. The standard of reading in older children is lower than it should be for a significant number, and this is because the school does not consistently develop higher reading skills such as inference and deduction through guided reading in groups, as suggested by the National Literacy Strategy. The school spends too little time on this aspect of literacy, as it also does on extended writing. It does not separate these areas of the literacy hour for concentrated emphasis regularly enough in other subjects to achieve steady improvement. In some classes, guided reading records are not being kept up to date. By and large, pupils with special educational needs and those who are learning English as an additional language make good progress and often achieve standards that meet national expectations. This is because they learn quickly, receive much support from home, and the school offers extra classes of good quality for those who need them. Pupils with reading difficulties are well

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

supported in Year 2 and make good progress. As a result, the majority of pupils reach the nationally expected level in reading at the age of seven.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Numeracy develops satisfactorily in Years 1 to 5 through curriculum subjects, such as science and technology, although attention to the drawing of graphs could be more rigorous for the eldest pupils. St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 11 Attainment in science is average by the end of Years 2 and 5, which represents a drop from the above average standards reported at the previous inspection. However, since the eldest pupils are now in Year 5 and were then in Year 4, such comparisons are not truly valid. 9. Pupils have satisfactory skills in information and communication technology (ICT) throughout the school, and this is an improvement in Key Stage 2 since the previous inspection, as is the attainment in religious education, which now meets the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus in Key Stage 1 and exceeds them in Key Stage 2. Standards are also above average in music, which is a great

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

strength of the school, particularly in extra-curricular provision. In art and design, design and technology, geography, history and physical education, standards are average in both key stages. No judgement is possible in Year 5 geography as not enough work has been completed so far this year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Pupils have good attitudes to learning, and their positive approach to school has been maintained since the last inspection. Parents who returned the questionnaires are unanimous that their children enjoy coming to school. During the inspection, pupils spoke with enthusiasm about the events and activities in which they are involved, mentioning in particular the residential trip to Dorchester and the ‘golden time’ at the end of Friday afternoon. Reception children very quickly cope with the school routines because they are settled in methodically and sensitively. In an ICT lesson in the computer suite, children who had only been in the school for 11 days were confident and unruffled in potentially daunting surroundings. The attitudes of other pupils in lessons were judged to be always satisfactory and in most cases, good. Most listen well and follow instructions sensibly. However, the attention of

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

some wanes quickly when teaching lacks pace and structure, and fails to stimulate interest. Overall the school’s more organised approach to the personal development of the individual child is reaping good rewards in the pupils’ attitudes to learning. Pupils who are learning English as an additional language invariably have good attitudes to learning. They try hard and mix well with other pupils. After an initial period of settling in they begin to blossom and join in well with school life.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils’ behaviour is satisfactory; there have been no exclusions. The majority of pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. However, a few pupils, some of whom have special educational needs relating to emotional and behavioural difficulties, find it difficult to conform and are not sufficiently self- disciplined. These pupils often talk over the teacher or fidget while they should be listening. When there are clear management systems in place for these pupils, their behaviour improves and so does the learning for the whole class. The contribution of the ‘outreach’ worker for such pupils has been of great benefit. Her well-organised methods, including the exciting Book Quest project, have helped these pupils focus on their learning much better. Pupils enjoy their time out in the playground at break times. Most play sensibly and appreciate the games initiated by the support staff. However, a

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

small number of pupils - mostly boys - are very boisterous; they are not aware that they might bump roughly into others. Bullying is not significant.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. The personal development and relationships of the pupils are good, as they were at the time of the last inspection. Pupils are beginning to have a good understanding of the impact of their actions on others. In personal, social and health education (PSHE), assemblies and the school council, pupils are learning to put themselves in other people’s places and imagine how they would feel. However, the few pupils who frequently misbehave are still not aware of how their actions are disturbing their peers’ learning. Pupils have contributed thoughtfully to the ‘values books’ and ‘Our Book of Thoughts’, when they give their personal views on themes such as hope and thoughtfulness. One pupil wrote, “I talked to a friend when they were angry”. However, the general purpose of these books is being missed because most sentiments are rather self-centred rather than about the themes. This is understandable for the youngest pupils, but the attitudes of the older ones are not sufficiently

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

altruistic. Pupils very willingly take on responsibilities around the school, and the school council representatives are conscientious in their roles. However, this pride in community involvement does not always extend to personal work. Often, presentation in exercise books is scrappy and slapdash; older pupils in particular do not take sufficient initiative in checking and improving their work. In a similar vein, pupils often wait to be told what to do, rather than thinking for themselves.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils get on well together. Reception children play happily with the older children in their class in the playground, and some good collaborative work was seen in lessons. In assemblies most pupils, St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 12 particularly in the Key Stage 1, make the most of the quiet time for reflection. In one assembly, these pupils loved hearing about the nesting of the blue tits and showed good empathy for nature and wildlife. The response to assemblies is more variable in Key Stage 2 where some older pupils whisper through prayers and turn round to grin at their classmates. Many pupils are courteous and quick to hold doors open for other pupils and adults. The inspection finished very positively with a tea party arranged for the inspectors by some Year 4 pupils, who were polite, very well mannered and excellent ambassadors for their school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. The attendance of the pupils is satisfactory and similar to that achieved in most primary schools. As at the last inspection, the school continues to have no unauthorised absence, but there has been an increase in the number of holidays taken in term time. The regular attendance of most pupils helps them make satisfactory progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. The overall quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Fifty-seven lessons or part-lessons were seen during the inspection, of which nine out of ten were satisfactory or better: half were good and about one fifth very good. Five unsatisfactory lessons were seen, all in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science; most were in Key Stage 2. Work samples and other books seen during the inspection confirm judgements on lesson observation. The good and very good lessons were characterised by a high level of teacher expertise, high expectations of the work of pupils of all abilities, good control and management. These were all exemplified in a design and technology lesson in Year 5 in which pupils rose to the challenge of designing a water wheel, and in a Year 4 art and design lesson where pupils made good progress drawing peacock feathers.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. Until this year, the school has only provided for children up to Year 4, but is moving towards primary status. The current Year 5 will enter Year 6 in this school in September. The curriculum plans are now in place but teachers’ expressed expectations of Year 5 in particular are too low in several subjects. The teaching of English is satisfactory up to Year 4 but not in Year 5. There is a marked difference in the standards of work presentation and the quality of written work between these years, which cannot be solely accounted for by the larger number of children with special educational needs in Year 5. In addition, despite interest shown throughout the school, reading is not being consistently developed by teachers of Year 5 pupils, so many are not learning to read aloud with expression, for example, to show their full understanding of the text. Moreover, teachers are not developing writing

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

well in all subjects; their expectations of the standard of writing and presentation of work in general are too low. There is some good English teaching in both key stages, but it is not consistent.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. Teaching is good for pupils who are learning English as an additional language. They learn well as a result of the structured support that they receive. About half of the pupils concerned are given extra lessons with a specialist teacher. They follow the same programme as the rest of the class but in a way that enables them to learn English as quickly as possible.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. The teaching of mathematics is satisfactory, with some good features, particularly in Key Stage 1. Teachers have sound subject knowledge and their planning reflects the National Numeracy Strategy, although pupils’ ability in mental calculation is in need of improvement. The quick recall of number facts is sometimes insufficient and impedes learning. Children clearly do not know their tables well enough.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. In science, teaching is satisfactory overall; teachers plan their lessons satisfactorily and the scheme of work gives good coverage of the National Curriculum. There is, however, considerable variation in the quality of teaching within classes from good to unsatisfactory, because the science co-ordinator, although a specialist, is only part-time and has not monitored teaching and learning in the classroom, nor had much time for supporting colleagues, although she has looked at children’s books.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The teaching of ICT, religious education and music is good and pupils learn well in these subjects. Staff have worked very hard to increase their expertise in ICT and religious education since the previous inspection, when both were key issues for improvement. Now, pupils are making good progress in the acquisition of ICT skills and learning to apply them well across the curriculum, despite the computer room only having been in operation for one term. St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 13 21. In religious education, teachers have undergone extensive training and the standard pupils achieve is now above average in Key Stage 2. In music, the headteacher takes all classes for singing, and a specialist comes in to supplement lessons for older pupils. Talented pupils are well catered for by the abundance of extra-curricular opportunities for performance in orchestras, ensembles and choirs.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Teaching is also good in the Foundation Stage. In all other subjects, teaching is satisfactory overall. Teachers have sound expertise, and work samples show the full curriculum is taught, except in geography in Year 5, where there is not enough evidence.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Teachers’ planning is sound, although the school does not allocate specific time for liaison between teachers who share jobs. This is especially necessary because some teachers share the planning of literacy and numeracy for the week and do not have time to check each other’s evaluations properly to be able to modify their own plans. This was particularly noticeable in Year 5, where learning is too slow because expectations are too low. Teachers’ planning does not always take into account the full ability range of the class; often when it does, work planned for higher ability pupils in particular is not done.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Teachers use a satisfactory range of methods. Some are very good in the use of ICT in literacy, for example; others provide a good variety of activities for younger pupils to consolidate learning in religious education. In science, however, teaching is very structured, with the teacher often demonstrating to the children, discouraging the development of investigative skills. Most teachers make good use of teaching assistants, who do a good job in supporting children with special educational needs or those whose English is limited, enabling them to achieve better. Sometimes, however, assistants sit and watch a teacher, with no general observation responsibility for the class.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Teachers mark work promptly in most cases, and several put very helpful comments on work. They assess pupils’ work thoroughly and are building up assessment files for all pupils. These are beginning to be very useful to determine levels of attainment, but not so well used in establishing what pupils actually need to do to improve from one lesson to the next.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. In some classes, behaviour management is a problem which interrupts learning, especially of older pupils. In others, behaviour is managed very well and particularly disruptive pupils are very well controlled, spending time working as hard as the rest of the class. This does depend on the teacher and subject, however. Groups in Year 5 who were disruptive in the literacy hour, for example, were seen to work especially hard when they were well motivated in art, design and technology, and music.

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PUPILS?

26. The school provides all the subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education, which is taught in accordance with the locally agreed syllabus. Lessons are also provided in Italian by the Italian embassy. The strength in provision is made by a wide range of additional clubs, visits, visitors, special themes and events. The school is particularly good at seeking outside support to make its curriculum lively for all pupils. The school has recently been awarded the ‘Artsmark’ in recognition of this.

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PUPILS?

27. At the time of the last inspection the curriculum was judged as being generally good. It is still good overall, but several aspects, such as the way the school works with outside agencies to enrich the provision, have improved very well. The curriculum that pupils receive offers them a very wide choice of opportunities to mix socially with pupils of all ages and to follow interests designed to help them become well-rounded people. In this respect, the aims of the school are fulfilled well and the vision of the headteacher, in particular, is realised.

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PUPILS?

28. The curriculum in Years 1 to 5 is now well balanced. At the time of the previous inspection, ICT and design and technology were under-represented, but are in place now. The school has successfully improved the way it provides for ICT: learning now takes place in a well-equipped room that contains a good number of computers. Planning for activities in art and design, physical education and PSHE is also good. Pupils cover the required ground and, in the case of PSHE, work has a positive effect on St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 14 their attitudes and the relationships they form. Some weaknesses still exist, however. A lighter emphasis is placed on developing pupils’ spoken English, for example, compared to the time spent on reading and writing. Planning the curriculum for the full number of year groups in a primary school has not yet been completed. The school is rightly waiting until after the summer term testing to

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PUPILS?

decide upon grouping of pupils in English and mathematics.

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PUPILS?

29. The provision for children in the Reception class is a strength of the school. It has improved well since the time of the last inspection because the school has successfully implemented the national guidance for children of this age. Strong emphasis is placed on developing children’s abilities in reading, writing and mathematics as well as supporting their personal, social and emotional development. There is a good balance between short sessions, where children are taught specific skills, and opportunities for children to explore and experiment with activities independently. This emphasis, together with the good quality of teaching, enables them to make good progress and allows them to show increased confidence. Provision for outdoor learning is a weakness acknowledged by the school. Children have some opportunities, but they are restricted by the lack of space and equipment. Governors have identified this as a priority for development but cannot make

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PUPILS?

plans until the local reorganisation has been completed.

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PUPILS?

30. In some classes, tasks in lessons are insufficiently adapted to meet the needs of pupils with different abilities. The quality of additional in-class support is always satisfactory and often good; the focus of support is enabling pupils with special educational needs to have full access to the curriculum. However, in some classes, teachers do not plan effectively with support staff beforehand, and assistance is consequently not used to best effect in every lesson.

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PUPILS?

31. The National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy have been implemented satisfactorily since the last inspection. Teachers have worked hard to incorporate the requirements into their lesson plans and use the national advice about the teaching of letter sounds, for example. At the time of the last inspection, standards in reading and mathematics were above the national average and these levels were maintained up until 2002. The various components of the National Literacy Strategy have been put in place, but their effect is currently unsatisfactory in Year 5. Methods to teach pupils to read by concentrating on the same book with groups of pupils are not consistently planned for and pupils’ progress is not always recorded. Furthermore, the consistency of opportunities throughout the school for pupils to write well at length and in subjects beyond English is weak. Numeracy is developed satisfactorily through science.

p.16

PUPILS?

32. The school is successful in ensuring that all pupils have equal access to the curriculum. Provision for pupils with special educational needs was good at the time of the last inspection. It is still good in the reception class, but satisfactory overall in Year 1 to Year 5. The school continues to make effective use of additional adult support in classrooms, but pupils’ individual education plans for learning do not contain targets specific enough for progress to be measured accurately. Provision for the higher ability pupils, however, does not always provide sufficient challenge for them to make enough progress and reach the high standards of which they are capable. The school has a programme for pupils who have been identified as gifted or talented, which is working well. Pupils are encouraged to develop their talents further outside the school and join in with extra-curricular activities, such as chess club and mosaic club. They do not fare so well in lessons because not

p.16

PUPILS?

enough planning has taken place to make sure that they are given more demanding tasks to do. All but two of the pupils who are learning English as an additional language follow the same curriculum as the rest of their class. The two pupils who are at an early stage in their acquisition of English are provided with regular help from a teaching assistant who speaks their language. This enables them to join in well with regular activities in lessons.

p.16

PUPILS?

33. The school’s provision for pupils’ personal and social development - often beyond the classroom - is the curriculum’s strongest feature. Pupils’ attitudes and values are developed well by a programme of activities in class and in assemblies. As a result, their awareness of key values, such as trust and hope, is heightened greatly. Provision for extra-curricular activities is excellent. All pupils have the opportunity to join in with the many musical activities, sporting events and clubs, artistic endeavours such as a mosaic club and an email club. There is also an engineering club in which boys and girls study how to make rigid structures. St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 15 34. Links with the local community are very good and the programme of visits and visitors enhances the curriculum well. Pupils in Year 4 may take part in a residential visit to Dorset. This has a very good

p.16

PUPILS?

effect on their physical, social and emotional development. The many educational visits to museums and places of historical interest have a good influence on pupils’ work in lessons. Pupils also receive regular visitors to the school to support learning, such as authors and artists in the school’s Book Week. The school has forged good links with local schools, with whom they work very well together on joint projects. On one occasion, for example, pupils from several schools created a huge sculpture depicting a fantasy island surrounded by exotic trees and birds.

p.17

PUPILS?

35. Appropriate attention is given to teaching about drug misuse and sex education with some specific programmes provided in Year 5. The school responds to any questions by pupils in a sensitive manner that emphasises family values within a caring school community.

p.17

PUPILS?

36. The promotion of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. At the last inspection this aspect was judged to be a weakness and was identified as a key issue for action. The school has made good strides in methodically improving the cultivation of pupils’ personal development. An effective policy for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development has been agreed and underpins the school’s concerted approach.

p.17

PUPILS?

37. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is good. Assemblies are well organised and follow agreed themes to develop spiritual growth effectively. A time for reflection and quiet is regularly provided, and even children in Key Stage 1 were observed thoughtfully reciting the Lord’s Prayer. The visits of a variety of religious leaders give pupils a good chance to understand more about other faiths. Assemblies are often enhanced by suitable music to set the tone and awaken pupils’ sense of beauty. Across the school day most teachers are good at taking opportunities to promote the sense of awe and wonder. In an art and design lesson, for example, pupils’ attention was drawn to the shimmering beauty of the peacock feathers they were observing, and in a religious education session, pupils were reminded of the lovely effect that the sunlight has on stained glass. Many pupils have been encouraged to contribute comments to the Values Books and to think of a Millennium Wish.

p.17

PUPILS?

This has given them a good chance to think beyond the material and tangible, although a significant number is still too preoccupied with the latest computer game or trainers.

p.17

PUPILS?

38. The provision for moral development is good. Class rules are the same across the school so pupils are clear about expectations of behaviour. The school ensures that pupils know the difference between right and wrong and gives them good opportunities in assemblies and PSHE lessons to reinforce this fundamental knowledge. The visit of the Christian Aid representative allowed pupils to understand how special it is to help the less fortunate, in this case by de-activating land mines. However, as noted in the last inspection, there are still some inconsistencies between teachers in how misbehaviour is handled. A few pupils are not being sufficiently supported in developing their self- discipline so that they may take more responsibility for their actions.

p.17

PUPILS?

39. The school makes good provision for social development. All adults, whether staff, governors or parents, are very good role models in demonstrating the benefits of strong supportive relationships. Around the building are good examples of how pride is promoted in the school community, including the Readathon display and photographs of pupils participating in art and games activities. The school’s aim to ‘extend children’s social and cultural awareness’ is very well supported by the wealth of visits out of school and the excellent range of clubs in school. In PSHE lessons, pupils all have a chance to grow in confidence by articulating their feelings and listening thoughtfully to the views of their classmates. In one class, social development was well promoted as all pupils had been encouraged to contribute to a display identifying the good points of their fellows. However, there is still some work to be done in creating pride in work. Pupils are proud enough when rewarded for their

p.17

PUPILS?

achievement in the Readathon or Writeathon, but there are still too many pupils who do not put sufficient effort into presentation or take a more independent approach to learning.

p.17

PUPILS?

40. Provision for cultural development is good. The school has held a recent staff training day on racial awareness and cultural diversity that is already proving an effective foundation for improved cultural provision. Throughout the curriculum there is evidence of the influence of other countries, whether via the Bangladeshi display in religious education, the travels of Barnaby Bear in geography or the link to India in art and design. The standards in religious education are high because the teachers are St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 16 knowledgeable and pupils have a good understanding of several other faiths beyond Christianity. There is good promotion of British heritage, particularly through the residential visit to Dorchester. Although there is a display on cultural diversity for Year 5, the school does not pay enough attention to the many different cultures and ethnic groups within our country. The promotion of music and the

p.17

PUPILS?

arts is very good. The school is justifiably proud of its musical tradition and encourages a significant number of pupils to participate in concerts in and out of school.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The school has good procedures for child protection and for ensuring the pupils’ welfare, as at the time of the last inspection. The headteacher, as the person designated to liaise with the social services, is well up to date with the guidelines. Each member of staff knows the procedures, although no formal training has taken place because it had to be cancelled as training materials were not available. Support staff on duty at lunchtimes are vigilant and careful in making sure pupils are safe and out of harm. The site is safe and secure because the headteacher and governors ensure there is a regular risk assessment of health and safety. The new building work has been carefully monitored and fire exit procedures have recently been revised to take into account the extra classrooms. First aid and welfare systems are good, with knowledgeable, well-trained staff looking after the pupils who have bumps, grazes or more serious accidents. Details of incidents are effectively

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

logged in the accident book, but this is not regularly checked to find out trends or where potential hazards may be. The school is particularly committed to road safety because a busy and fast main road abuts the front entrance. The governors have asked a parent with relevant expertise to develop a school Travel Plan to identify measures that will improve safety, and to suggest safe ways of travelling to school.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. Procedures for checking and improving attendance remain as good as they were at the time of the last inspection. Registration is prompt and efficient at the beginning of the morning and afternoon sessions. The office staff and headteacher make good use of the computerised system to track attendance patterns and see where support is needed. Good links with the education social worker enable pupils and families with attendance difficulty to be helped to improve. There is evidence that pupils who had attendance under 80 per cent are now attending much more regularly because of the concerted efforts of the school and education welfare service. The benefits of regular schooling are effectively accentuated by the award of prizes to pupils for much improved or high levels of attendance.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. The school still has satisfactory systems to monitor and promote good behaviour. Most teachers are consistent in applying the recognised school and class rules. However, in some classes the management of inappropriate behaviour is not successful enough to ensure all the pupils can learn without disruption. The ‘star books’ are effective for the older pupils to work towards gaining points for good attitudes and behaviour. Pupils look forward to the recently introduced ‘golden time’, but this is not consistently awarded. Some teachers are liberal with this reward, whereas other teachers are quick to deduct time. Pupils with special educational needs who exhibit challenging behaviour are supported well through the school’s effective link with the local education authority’s outreach worker. Out in the playground the lunchtime staff often initiate activities, such as skipping or parachute games, to amuse and keep pupils out of mischief.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. Procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development are good. Young pupils are settled in very well and are soon able to cope with routines in their separate classroom and other activities in the main school building. They are given good opportunities to take on responsibility around the school, such as taking the register back to the office or representing their class on the school council. Personal, social and health education lessons provide a good foundation for pupils to learn how to keep safe, develop social awareness and to understand how they change as they grow up. Effective monitoring of personal development is mostly informal and culminates in a useful statement for parents in their child’s annual report. However, there is currently insufficient emphasis on promoting the personal development of some of the older pupils, particularly in self-discipline and pride in presentation and achievement in their work.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. Assessment procedures are satisfactory. The Oxfordshire entry and exit profile is completed in reception to give a sound baseline for further development. Pupils’ progress is tracked from this St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 17 baseline until they leave school. Statutory testing is carried out in Year 2. The results of annual testing are added every year for English and mathematics, and the whole is tracked using a spreadsheet. Teachers make regular assessments of their pupils’ work by marking and giving tests. They keep sample pieces of work by three pupils from each year to provide a benchmark for future assessments as pupils move up the school. Teachers are beginning to carry out simple ‘can do’ statements for subjects other than English and mathematics. In religious education, some formal testing takes place on factual knowledge.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. Although pupils’ progress is tracked carefully, not enough use is made of this information to identify groups of pupils who are underachieving and to put in measures to bring them back to their targets. The actual gain in levels and average National Curriculum point scores are not satisfactorily checked against those expected. The tracking records clearly show, for example, that pupils in Year 5 have been making less than expected progress in writing up to Year 4, and to achieve their targets set by the local education authority, these pupils will have to make extraordinarily large gains in Year 6. 47. Procedures for assessment and diagnosis of specific learning difficulties are good. However, the use of assessment information is more variable. The quality of individual education plans seen was not consistent, and some targets are insufficiently precise and measurable. The responsibility for

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

ensuring that targets are addressed lies with class teachers and the degree to which specific learning difficulties are addressed varies considerably as a result. Pupils who are learning English as an additional language are assessed well when they join the school and thereafter their achievements are checked and additional help is provided where necessary. The system of assessment employed for these pupils is thorough and helpful in providing guidance about they need to improve.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. Parents are very supportive of the school and feel that their children are benefiting well from their time at St Andrew’s. They particularly like the welcome and encouragement given to them as parents and the fact that their children enjoy coming to school. Many parents appreciate the strong musical tradition in the school and the wide range of clubs available. Many are happy with the quality of teaching and feel the school is well led and managed. The inspection team recognises the strengths in teaching and management; overall, both are judged to be satisfactory. There were very few concerns raised by parents, the main worry relating to the structure, consistency and use of homework. Overall, the inspection team judges the use of homework to be satisfactory, but agrees that it is not sufficiently clear in every class when homework is set, what the expectations are for return, or whether parents will see the finished work marked. Parents questioned the breadth of the

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

curriculum, but this is a strength of the school, despite there being no extra-curricular drama.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. In other respects, the quality of information provided to parents is very good. Of particular note is the excellent report of governors to parents, which is extremely professional and goes well beyond the minimum requirements to give parents a detailed overview of the past school year. There is plenty of informative display around the school to let the parents know about the activities of staff, governors and pupils. Parents are given regular information on the curriculum and many took advantage of the recent talk by the school’s literacy consultant to increase their knowledge of how reading and writing are taught. End-of-year reports give a satisfactory record of each pupil’s achievements. They cover each area of the curriculum effectively, but do not all give a sufficiently clear message on how the pupil has progressed over the year or what the pupil needs to do to improve. However, the school is

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

extremely open and welcoming, so parents feel able to talk to their child’s teacher at any time to find out how their child is doing and whether there is anything they as parents can do to help.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. The contribution of parents to their children’s education is very good. Parents are very keen to see their children succeed and to give the school all the support they can. Parents of children in the Foundation Stage receive good information about what to expect when their children start school, and comprehensive reports about their children’s attainment and progress. There are good activities for the children to share with their parents at home, for example 'Elmer' the toy elephant goes home regularly and the children write about and illustrate the elephant’s stay with them. The active school association (SASA) not only raises welcome funds, but also runs successful social events. The offshoot International Group is very welcoming to new parents from overseas and helps families settle into the English educational system quickly. Many parents help in class. The road safety Footsteps project relies heavily on the valuable contribution of several committed mothers and fathers.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 18 Attendance at school events is very good, not only for end-of-term productions and celebrations, but also for meetings such as the annual report of the governors. A good number of parents contributed well to a recent survey because they feel their views are valued. Parents now have a better idea of their child’s week at school, for example, because some felt it would be useful to have their children’s timetable. The school looked into the feasibility and acted in accordance. The shared values of parents and school provide a very effective foundation to support pupils’ learning and development; the strong partnership between school and home continues to be a strength of the school.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. Leadership and management of the school are satisfactory overall. The headteacher has good vision for the all-round education of the child and ensures that the school provides many opportunities for learning to be extended outside the prescribed curriculum. Very good use is made of the community and visitors to the school in the excellent provision for extra-curricular activities, particularly in music, which the headteacher herself leads very well. The day-to-day running of the school is good, and relationships between staff at all levels are professional.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. Some aspects of management relating to the evaluation of the school’s performance in writing, for example, are not developed well enough. Pupils’ progress is satisfactorily tracked from their entry to school until they leave, but not enough use is made of this information to establish why some pupils are not doing as well as they should and to put effective remedial measures in place. In mathematics, for example, teachers’ assessment of seven year-olds shows a relative weakness in shape and space, but this is not picked up for attention on the numeracy action plan. Conversely, careful analysis of National Curriculum tests in mathematics enabled the school to raise attainment by two grades last year.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The deputy headteacher and subject leaders loyally support day-to-day management, but are insufficiently involved in the improvement of standards by tracking progress and monitoring the taught curriculum. Co-ordinators in English, mathematics and science have insufficient knowledge of standards in their subjects in all classes in the school, and how they may be improved. Delegation of responsibility has been difficult for the headteacher over the past two years because of a higher than usual turnover of staff, which has resulted in the appointment of a large proportion of newly qualified teachers. Most subject co-ordinators are relatively new in post. The headteacher has, therefore, undertaken the monitoring of teaching quality herself, with some contribution from the local education authority. The inconsistency found in the quality of teaching and learning during the inspection and the instances of unsatisfactory teaching indicate that this has not been rigorous enough to ensure

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

that standards are maintained in all classes, particularly with job-sharing in Year 5.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The co-ordinator for special educational needs is knowledgeable and experienced. However, as a full- time class teacher in reception this term, she currently has no opportunity to monitor the effectiveness of provision. She has overseen the effective introduction of the new Code of Practice and moderation has ensured that pupils are placed on the appropriate level of the register. She has no responsibility for the training and support of support staff. She undertakes the initial assessment and diagnosis of specific learning difficulties. Provision for pupils who are learning English as an additional language is well managed. The specialist teacher is very active and works well with other teachers to make sure that good progress by the pupils in maintained when they are withdrawn from class. She makes good use of the Reading Quest room for teaching small groups of pupils, who make good progress during these sessions.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The governors are highly supportive of the school and have much respect for the resolute qualities of the headteacher in keeping the school running smoothly during the recent period of disruption caused by building work, which they have responsibly overseen. The uncertainty of the school’s composition following city reorganisation has prevented the governors from planning ahead. It is only recently that the school’s make up from September 2003 has been decided upon. Governors ensure that statutory requirements are met and up-to-date and have satisfactory ways of checking that the curriculum is being covered through their classroom observation and subject attachment. They have a very good relationship with parents, and their annual report and prospectus are of high quality. They are not critical enough about attainment in Key Stage 2, particularly Year 5, and do not challenge the school to do better. This will become critical next year when these children move into Year 6.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 19 56. The school development plan is a clearly written document with appropriate priorities for development, including the maintenance of standards during the city reorganisation. Educational outcomes on the specific action plans for literacy, numeracy and the Foundation Stage have especially clear success criteria which are easily measurable in terms of standards achieved. Governors are well aware of the major areas of development in the school and budget carefully to ensure that there are sufficient funds. The school has been using reserves to balance the budget over recent years to cover increased staffing. Day-to-day finances and office administration are managed very well by the efficient secretarial staff. Information systems are used well in the school.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. Although the school makes comparisons with other schools and always seeks the most competitive tenders for building work, resources and other services, it does not always consider the best value of staff deployment, particularly of teaching assistants who sometimes spend time listening to the teacher when they could, for example, be more usefully taking notes of pupils’ response during carpet sessions. In some classes – especially Year 5 – there is insufficient challenge for higher ability pupils and low expectations of those with special educational needs whose progress is not always sufficient to give good value for the resources put in.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. Staffing is sufficient to meet the requirements of the curriculum. The newly qualified teachers, who experience a well managed induction period, are satisfactorily beginning to take on positions of responsibility. Accommodation is good, with a large hall for physical education, a separate dining canteen, a library and a computer room. The playground is fairly small but there is a useful grass area for games, which is important for the expansion of upper Key Stage 2. Resources are satisfactory. The school is about to receive resources, such as computer equipment, from the closing-down middle school. However, there were several occasions when lesson observation revealed that more adult help in the classroom was needed, particularly in ICT lessons. The school does not have enough technical help to ensure that the facilities are kept working and that new equipment can be commissioned for use as soon as possible after purchase.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

59. In order to improve further, the headteacher, staff and governors should:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

i. improve the standard of literacy - particularly writing - throughout the curriculum by:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• better use of assessment to diagnose areas for development and put remedial action in place (paragraphs 28, 69, 71, 75, 77, 78 and 84);

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• using literacy targets in all associated subjects (paragraphs 6, 73 and 128);

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• promoting good handwriting and presentation of work in all subjects (paragraphs 6, 7, 12, 16, 31, 39, 44, 73, 74, 75 and 83);

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

ii. improve the quality of education provided for upper Key Stage 2 by:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensuring that teachers’ expectations and expertise are appropriate for Years 5 and 6 in all subjects, but particularly English, mathematics and science ( paragraphs 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 16, 22, 31, 44, 46, 57, 69, 72, 74, 76, 83, 89, 104, 107, 126 and 130)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

iii. provide more challenge for brighter children in lessons by:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• using assessment more consistently to establish the needs of all pupils in lessons (paragraphs 46, 52, 72, 77, 78, 84, 88, 91, 107 and 124);

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• making more use of differentiation by task not outcome (paragraph 32);

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• giving them more challenging activities, not more of the same (paragraphs 83 and 88);

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensuring they spend more time in practical lessons working with those of similar ability, not paired with those of lower ability (paragraphs 96 and 124); St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 20 iv. Improve the school’s procedures for monitoring and evaluating its own performance by:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• developing the management roles of key staff in monitoring the taught curriculum and standards achieved (paragraphs 16, 19, 22, 24, 53, 54, 75, 76, 78, 91, 107, 126 and 128);

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• sharing the good practice in the school (paragraphs 10 and 84);

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensuring that all staff and governors are involved in the evaluation process (paragraph 55).

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In forming their action plan, the governors should consider the following minor issues:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensure that all staff consistently follow the school’s agreed methods for behaviour management (paragraphs 11, 25, 38, 43, 70 and 74).

p.22

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 23

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very poor

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 245

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 43

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 3

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 32

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 29 St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 21 Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 20

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 34

p.23

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.23

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

p.23

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 23 28 51

p.23

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.23

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

Boys 22 21 22 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 25 24 27

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 92 (92) 88 (92) 96 (90) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

p.23

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.23

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

Boys 22 22 22 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 25 26 28

p.23

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

Percentage of pupils School 92 (94) 94 (94) 98 (98) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

p.23

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 22

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 16 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 9 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 2 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 3 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 3 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 12.3 Financial year 2001/2002

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y5 Total income 588,550

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 13 Total expenditure 612,140

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 206 Expenditure per pupil 2,498

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 0

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 0 St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 23

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 6.6

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 6.5

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 3

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.25

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 24

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 58 34 8 0 0

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 45 48 5 0 2

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 35 48 13 4 0

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 57 38 5 0 0

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 73 24 3 0 0

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 55 40 5 0 0

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 54 42 2 2 0

p.26

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 71 27 2 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 60 33 2 0 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 58 38 2 0 2 St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 25

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

60. Children’s attainment on entry to the school is average overall when they start in the reception class, with a wide range of ability across the year. They join the class just before their fifth birthday so spend different lengths of time in this class before they begin Year 1; some are only there for one term. Nevertheless, the provision for the youngest children in the Foundation Stage of learning is good. Children make good progress overall towards Early Learning Goals, some of them in a relatively short space of time. They achieve sound standards in all six areas of learning, especially in knowledge and understanding of the world. Those identified as having special educational needs and those whose mother tongue is not English progress well. Children are settled easily into school life and behaviour is good; new children make especially quick progress.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

61. The quality of teaching and learning is good, with a good balance of child-initiated activities and those directed by adults. Procedures for assessment are also good. Staff have a firm understanding of the curriculum for young children, they plan each session well, and have high expectations of what the children will achieve. They manage children's behaviour well and make perceptive observations about what is being learned. These observations are clearly communicated and also used to guide future planning. The well-organised curriculum, is broad, balanced and covers the six areas of learning. Where deficiencies exist in resourcing or facilities, good opportunities for learning are still provided. Knowledge and understanding of the world is a strength, with good activities provided to promote design and model making and good use of the information and communication technology suite. The good provision for the youngest children in the school has been maintained since the previous

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

inspection. Areas for development, which have been already identified, include improving and developing the learning environment, in particular the outdoor area.

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Personal, social and emotional development

62. Children's personal, social and emotional development is well promoted. Staff give high priority to ensuring children are happy, settled and free from anxiety at this important stage of their education. Children are taught to be considerate towards others, show respect and understanding and to share fairly and take turns. Staff are good role models, participate effectively with the children and interact well in the good range of activities which are provided. Snack time, for instance, is a social occasion when children are also taught to look after the environment, by putting their rubbish, such as banana skins, in the compost bin. They are encouraged to help to tidy up after activities and be independent. Children who forget or find sharing more difficult are reminded to help and take turns. There are also effective ways for supporting those children identified with special educational needs in their personal

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Personal, social and emotional development

and social development. Children’s confidence and self-esteem are valued and encouraged, and they are already quite self-assured for a relatively young age group. There are good opportunities for the children to be independent and to choose and select the resources, toys and equipment they need for their work, especially in designing and model making. An awareness of cultures and beliefs is well promoted in the reception class and supports the children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.

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Communication, language and literacy

63. Children are making good progress in learning about books. They know how to handle them and that words have meaning. The older children in the year group are secure in this knowledge and, with support from an adult, use the school library to find fiction and non-fiction books. Children are articulate and make good suggestions and contributions to discussions. They are learning about words and their meaning, and the sounds letters make within words; they are given good opportunities to use this knowledge in their independent writing, and such skills are emerging well. Children were seen successfully writing about different types of animals and making small booklets with illustrations to record their thoughts. Role-play areas, both indoors and outside, are provided for children to develop their own stories and ideas, although these are quite small due to constraints of space. St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 26

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Mathematical development

64. In promoting mathematical development, staff use planned activities and incidental opportunities well to help children learn about numbers, adding and subtracting and solving simple problems. All children, including those who have just started at school, have an increasing awareness of numbers, and many count accurately to 20 and beyond. They have a growing understanding about how to sort, classify and solve simple problems. They sort themselves into sets of boys and girls, for example, or group those wearing particular items of clothing, and then make simple calculations correctly. Children are aware of pattern and shape, and many make accurate repeating patterns. This type of work is reinforced well through creative development opportunities. Through work on the environment, children are learning about shape, space and measurement and this is well consolidated through practical activities in sand and water play. Their skills in recording simple arithmetic are developing at

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Mathematical development

a good pace; they have practice in forming numerals and are given good guidance on how to record calculations.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

65. Provision for and the teaching of children's knowledge and understanding of the world are strengths. Staff make every effort to ensure the children have a broad curriculum which includes studying living things, making models from wood and construction equipment, and learning about the environment. They compensate well for the deficiencies in the present outdoor area and provide a good range of learning experiences. These include observing living things in their natural habitats which have been created outside, using natural and recycled materials to build and make models, and observing, for example, how substances and elements react. Blue tits have inhabited the bird box in the outdoor area, for example, and the children identified them. They reacted with wonder when they realised that the young birds had hatched, and listened with rapt attention to their chirping. They also took great delight looking at the variety of bugs and insect life they had discovered, and observed them closely

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

using magnifiers. There is good use of the information and communication technology suite in the school. Even the youngest children use this facility well and their attainment in information and communication technology skills is benefiting as a result.

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Physical development

66. In physical development, children use the large climbing frame outdoors to develop their confidence and skills. They also have regular opportunities to use the school hall, and to develop their co- ordination and control of their movements. Photographic evidence shows them climbing, balancing, scrambling and jumping using large pieces of apparatus. They are also developing their awareness of space, and negotiate their way around, avoiding other children to find their own space. There are no bicycles available at present due to a lack of space. Hand control and manipulative skills are developing well, and the children have a wide range of activities to support this aspect of their learning. They use pencils, paint brushes and crayons in their writing and creative work. They cut properly using scissors, and tear paper to create collage. They squeeze, roll and mould malleable materials to create models and shapes. They use simple woodwork tools with increasing skill and

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Physical development

dexterity, and their skills using the mouse and keyboards on the computers are developing well.

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Creative development

67. Children's creative development is valued and encouraged effectively, with a good variety of creative experiences available, such as the use of musical instruments outdoors to explore sound and make their own music. They use paint, crayons, paper and three-dimensional materials to make their own designs, models and artwork. The process involved in this type of work is given due regard, alongside the finished result which the children produce. There are good opportunities for the children to re- apply the skills and techniques they have been taught, such as rolling paper to make cylindrical shapes to use in modelling three-dimensional structures. There is an increasing range and variety of materials and implements for the children to select and use in their creative work. They are encouraged effectively to use their imagination in role-play, music and singing, and a range of different St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 27

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Creative development

materials is used to inspire the children's creative ideas.

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ENGLISH

68. By the end of Year 2, pupils are attaining the national average for reading and writing. This is not as good as the last inspection, when pupils were above the average in both aspects. Pupils’ results in national tests over the last four years demonstrate that in reading, pupils usually attain above the national average and meet it in writing. This trend places pupils well above pupils in similar schools for reading, but below them in writing. The school has rightly identified writing as an ongoing priority in its development plan. Pupils this year are achieving satisfactorily compared with their attainment on entry to the school.

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ENGLISH

69. By the end of Year 5, pupils are below the expected levels for their age. This represents unsatisfactory achievement. It is not just in this year where pupils have failed to do as well as they should. Their progress in reading and in writing has not been good enough since they were in Year 3. Many pupils in Year 5 are capable of better results, but the school does not yet have a comprehensive plan to tackle the issues involved with their low achievement. Their progress has been assessed throughout the school but this has not been used well enough to put specific remedial action into place.

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ENGLISH

70. Pupils’ ability to speak with clarity and enthusiasm and to listen thoughtfully is sound. This level of achievement has been satisfactorily maintained since the previous inspection. Most pupils enjoy communicating with each other, showing good attitudes and behaviour. A small number of pupils in several classes have difficulties in controlling their behaviour and they sometimes prevent the class from sharing thoughts as well as they might. In Year 2, pupils speak and listen articulately when responding to the content of the lesson. Pupils with special educational needs are often prompted well by teaching assistants and make similar progress to the rest of the class. In a literacy lesson, for example, above average pupils spoke well when talking about the writing of instructions. Their speech was fluent and they captured the attention of their audience well. By Year 5, pupils speak very well when the atmosphere is calm, voicing their thoughts and listening to others. In an art

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ENGLISH

lesson, for example, pupils spoke expressively about their memories of sunsets they had observed. Pupils’ ability to talk about how well they have done in the lesson is not so well developed in many other lessons: not enough time is set aside for this kind of self-evaluation.

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ENGLISH

71. Reading is given a high profile throughout the school and this has a positive effect on pupils’ interest, but not always on their achievements. It is taught satisfactorily in general by the use of a variety of well-tried methods, including the approach that focuses on the sounding out of parts within words. Pupils enjoy the various methods employed. Year 1, for example, worked well with the teachers on a common text about transport that they had discussed. Teachers and their assistants listen to them read individually so that they can practise with understanding and expression. Parents are very well involved in this process. Pupils take books home regularly and communication between home and school is well established by the use of a reading diary. Pupils in Year 2 who have difficulty in learning to read have additional support from a Charitable Trust entitled Reading Quest, which is designed to help them catch up. This works very well and they often progress at a very fast rate.

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ENGLISH

72. The school’s methods to achieve high standards in reading are not always effective. Pupils could do better, particularly in Year 5. The nationally recommended method of teaching a group of pupils reading techniques by concentrating together on the same book is not managed well enough in many classes. The planning for this activity is not specific enough and records are not useful in identifying areas for improvement. Even good readers can be unaware that they lack expression in their voice, for example, or that they pay too little attention to punctuation.

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ENGLISH

73. Pupils’ achievements in writing meet the national expectations by the end of Year 2 and accelerate to the end of Year 4. Pupils in Year 4 reach a good standard, but in Year 5 the momentum drops and they are below the national expectation for their age and achievement is unsatisfactory. By the end of Year 2, pupils who achieve an average level write a reasonable piece of prose, but have made too little progress in the finer points of punctuation beyond full stops and capital letters. Those capable of St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 28 higher attainment are beginning to use a wide range of punctuation, but are often lazy about capital letters. Generally, work is not well presented. Handwriting is practised well in isolation but lessons learned are not applied well enough in regular activities. Moreover, pupils find it hard to sustain their ideas at any length.

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ENGLISH

74. By the end of Year 4, a great deal of progress has been made. Pupils write longer pieces, draft and edit their own work and present their work well. Above average pupils write long stories divided well into paragraphs, or compose short, sharp factual pieces giving instructions on how to care for a horse, for example. However, by the end of Year 5, standards are not so good. Pupils make slow progress in an atmosphere of lower expectations. Sometimes the behaviour of a few limits the progress of many, but more often it is the lower expectations that dictate the progress made. Higher ability pupils write with imagination and control in a way that engages the reader. One wrote, “It was a dark night. Someone or something was creeping around the bushes…”. However, although basic punctuation is satisfactory, presentation is not a strong feature. Teaching in Year 5 provides many exciting opportunities for writing and pupils have made some progress, but there is not enough

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ENGLISH

consistency between the two classes about how improvements might be made and checking that progress is good.

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ENGLISH

75. Pupils who find writing difficult make similar progress to the rest of the class. However, this varies from class to class. In some, teachers use assessment well and give good advice to pupils in the marking of work about how to improve, and in others, pupils receive praise but little advice. The quality of pupils’ handwriting and spelling also fluctuates for the same reason. In Year 1 and Year 3, for example, spelling is systematically taught and pupils treat their achievement seriously, but in other classes there is not such a strong emphasis. Pupils in many classes try hard to present their work well.

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ENGLISH

76. The teaching of English is generally satisfactory up until Year 4 after which it is unsatisfactory. The school has implemented the National Strategy for Literacy and it is reasonably successful until Year 5 when the teachers’ knowledge of methods to be used is not strong enough in some cases. Occasionally, teaching is very good and pupils buzz with excitement about the English language. In one lesson in Year 4, for example, pupils were using computers to write rhyming couplets based on ideas gleaned from a poem by John Agard entitled, ‘Who is de girl?’ Teaching made the learning fun, and higher ability pupils were challenged well. The level of discussion promoted between pupils was of a very good standard. Pupils sometimes make very good progress in writing in other year groups as a result of the combination of very good discussion and high expectations. In a Year 3 class, for example, one pupil wrote, “Joe gulped and went through the gate. It was very misty. Joe could

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ENGLISH

hardly see the moon through the tall trees.” This builds on the good sentence formation begun in Year 1. However, this kind of progress is not sustained and replicated evenly throughout the school.

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ENGLISH

77. The school has introduced a satisfactory system of giving pupils targets to help them achieve at a higher level in writing. In some classes these targets are stuck in the front of children’s books to provide a regular reminder. In Year 1 they are pasted directly onto pupils’ tables. However, there is no tightly organised system throughout the school, to make sure that any targets are successful in promoting higher achievement.

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ENGLISH

78. The subject is satisfactorily led and managed. Leadership has been good at making sure that the school’s special projects for raising pupils’ interest in reading and writing have been successful. The Book Week and the Read- and Writeathons, for example, are very effective in creating enthusiasm across the school. The school has correctly identified pupils’ writing as an ongoing area for development, but has not discovered the weaknesses in the teaching of reading. Statistical information kept on pupils’ progress in English is not recorded in a way that makes it easy to see at a glance how well classes are doing. This makes it very hard for the co-ordinator to judge the success of teaching or spot problems when they first arise. Information and communication technology is used well to supplement the work in English. Pupils use the computer for word processing and sometimes publish their work in visually exciting ways. The co-ordinator is well aware that there is

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ENGLISH

more to accomplish in order for standards to be consolidated and improved. Lessons and pupils’ work are not monitored regularly enough, for example, to judge the quality of teaching and learning. Weaknesses can, therefore, go undetected for too long. Higher ability pupils are catered for well in St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 29 some classes and not in others. Gifted pupils, who show particular aptitude, are encouraged to extend their interest by entering local poetry competitions, for example.

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MATHEMATICS

79. The standards in mathematics at the end of Year 2 are average; at the end of Year 5, they have attained the expected level for their age. All pupils achieve satisfactorily for their age and ability.

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MATHEMATICS

80. In Year 1, work covers numerals, addition, money problems and patterns. It progresses to two and three-figure addition, but progress at the beginning of Year 1 is slow and does not build quickly enough on the good progress made in the reception year. In Year 2, work includes ordering two- and three-digit numbers, calculating large numbers and making estimates, as well as problems involving time, measurement and the study of the properties of two-dimensional shapes.

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MATHEMATICS

81. From Years 3 to 5 the pupils in each year are taught mathematics in two specific groups, set according to their ability. These sets are most effective when there is a good match of tasks to the range of abilities in each group. Sometimes, however, pupils who learn more quickly in groups are not sufficiently challenged. The pace of the lesson is therefore too slow as it is geared to the pupils who need more support in their learning. In such groups, pupils in Year 3 satisfactorily learn place value, increasing and decreasing hundreds, tens and units by ten, and calculating using money. In Year 4, they study two-dimensional shapes such as polygons and triangles and their properties, and measurement and are able to convert from centimetres, to metres and centimetres and using decimals. In Year 5, pupils who learn quickly are working on notation, calculations involving thousands, hundreds, tens and units and simple equations. Those who need more support in their

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MATHEMATICS

learning are beginning to understand perimeter and area, and calculate these accurately.

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MATHEMATICS

82. The presentation of work in mathematics, whilst of a reasonable standard overall, is not always neat, tidy or set out properly. This can make correct calculations of two- and three- figures more difficult and causes problems when making graphs and charts, for example if rulers are not used, and may be inaccurate.

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MATHEMATICS

83. The quality of teaching and learning of mathematics is satisfactory overall, although some unsatisfactory teaching was observed during the inspection. Generally, the staff have a secure grasp of the necessary elements for teaching mathematics and plan lessons appropriately. Sometimes in Year 5, the teaching of basic skills has weaknesses and expectations are not sufficiently high. Methods overall in all year groups are appropriate and the management of the pupils' behaviour is usually effective. Lessons are generally at a reasonable pace, and teaching and resources are deployed and used appropriately in lessons. Sometimes, opportunities are missed for assessment observations to be noted, for example by teaching assistants. The mathematics curriculum is sound, broad and properly balanced, and the National Numeracy Strategy has been implemented appropriately in the school.

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MATHEMATICS

84. The co-ordination of mathematics is satisfactory overall. Some monitoring of teaching has been undertaken, but planning and sampling of pupils' work is still an area for development. Assessment procedures are appropriate, but the effective use of these in guiding future teaching is yet to be developed fully, especially to offer a good enough match of tasks to the pupils' different abilities. Resources for mathematics are satisfactory; links with other subjects and the use of information and communication technology are to be developed. Written recording of calculations have been identified as needing development, and pupils’ quick recall of number facts is sometimes not sufficient and impedes their learning.

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SCIENCE

85. At the time of the last inspection, attainment in science across the school was judged to be above national expectations. Teacher assessments in Year 2 in 2002 judged both the number of pupils reaching national standards in science and the proportion of those pupils achieving the higher level to be well above the national average. Evidence from the current inspection indicates that attainment in science in Year 2 and across the school as a whole is in line with national expectations. These pupils are achieving satisfactorily compared to their attainment on entry. St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 30 86. By Year 2, most pupils have a sound understanding of the principles of fair testing and have mastered basic classification, prediction and recording skills. They classify different materials as natural or man-made, for example, identify different types of forces, and show how materials change their shape

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SCIENCE

when subjected to different forces. They make a simple electrical circuit and identify which appliances use a battery and which work only from mains electricity. By Year 5, pupils understand what plants need in order to germinate and grow, and identify plants which have been deprived of essential elements. They understand the key differences between solids, liquids and gases, know the main features of a healthy lifestyle and have well-developed observational, predictive and recording skills.

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SCIENCE

87. The quality of teaching and learning of science is satisfactory overall. Teachers in the same year plan together to ensure parity of provision between classes. However, in practice, the quality of teaching varies considerably between classes and across the school from good to unsatisfactory. Science enjoys a generous allocation of curriculum time and planning adheres closely to the national curriculum and local authority guidelines which provide detailed lesson plans. There is an appropriate emphasis on the development of basic skills and good use of numeracy skills in recording and presenting findings from experiments. Good use is occasionally made of information and communication technology to support learning, for example in the use of a computer microscope to observe the structure of leaves in a Year 5 science lesson. However, in a lesson with the same class on recording information through graphs, no use was made of a computer data handling programme to

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SCIENCE

demonstrate simple methods of drawing graphs, as was done in mathematics; the opportunity to make cross-curricular links was, therefore, missed.

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SCIENCE

88. Throughout the school, the teaching of science is highly structured. Although regular opportunities for investigation are provided, all pupils carry out the same task or observe an experiment carried out by the teacher. The very structured teaching provides little challenge for higher ability pupils who are given too few opportunities to devise and test hypotheses and to carry out independent investigations. It also masks a lack of understanding by other pupils. Evidence from pupils’ books indicates that lower ability pupils and those with special educational needs do not always understand the purpose of tasks and fail to appreciate the reasons why things happen as they do. In a Key Stage 1 science lesson, for example, pupils were given no opportunities to predict and plan how ice melts and implement their own ideas and so learn from their own successes or mistakes. Marking is of variable quality across the school but too little of it indicates how pupils might improve their work. Errors of

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SCIENCE

understanding in pupils’ work are frequently uncorrected.

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SCIENCE

89. The management of behaviour is good in most classes and pupils settle well to tasks. However, expectations of what pupils can achieve are too low. Pupils are not in general expected to present their work neatly and accurately and too often recording is by labelled pictures rather than structured writing. Pupils in Year 4 are expected to record their observations at length and this gives teachers a more accurate means of assessing what pupils know and understand through written work.

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SCIENCE

90. The recently appointed science co-ordinator is experienced and knowledgeable. However, she is only in school for two days each week, has had no opportunity to monitor teaching and has had limited time for supporting colleagues. Although a subject specialist, she has no experience of teaching science to pupils under nine. Most teachers are reasonably confident in their subject knowledge and the newly qualified teachers have had additional in-service training, but the school had no science co- ordinator in the preceding academic year and this has restricted curriculum development. Resources are satisfactory for the teaching of the curriculum up to Year 5.

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SCIENCE

91. Manageable and informative assessment procedures are in place. Individual pupil records are completed progressively and if used properly provide a clear picture of pupil progress. However, they are insufficiently used to guide planning and to provide a range of activities which match the needs of the wide range of abilities in each class. This will be even more important if the school has mixed Year 5 and 6 classes in subsequent years.

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ART AND DESIGN

92. Pupils’ attainment in art and design meets the national expectations by the end of Year 2. This represents satisfactory achievement for all pupils. The school has improved standards well. They St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 31 were below the nationally expected level for seven year-olds at the time of the last inspection. By the time pupils reach Year 5 they attain the expected standard for their age, making satisfactory progress in their final year.

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ART AND DESIGN

93. A good scheme of work is now in place that is used well to guide teaching. This has been achieved after a great deal of hard work by the co-ordinator. As a result teachers are now clear about what they have to teach and how each topic fits into an overall plan. Information and communication technology is also used well to broaden the scope of pupils’ learning.

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ART AND DESIGN

94. Pupils achieve satisfactory standards by the end of Years 2 and 5 by painting or working with textiles, for example. They mix colours and use them carefully in Year 2 and choose and use materials effectively in Year 5 where pupils have produced some effective Egyptian scenes by using pieces of fabric and shiny foil papers.

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ART AND DESIGN

95. In some classes in Key Stage 2, teaching is very good because it is successful at ensuring that pupils speak well about what they have learned and make quick progress in response to the high demands placed upon them. In one lesson in Year 3, ambitious teaching ensured that pupils spoke very well about ‘The Red Balloon’ by Paul Klee. They voiced their own thoughts and commented positively on the ideas suggested by other pupils. One higher ability pupil commented that this abstract painting looked, “Like the beach with a coastguard’s red light….” This high expectation of pupils’ responses continues through to Year 5. In one lesson, pupils spoke emotionally about Turner’s painting of a sunset and several higher ability pupils recalled their own vivid memories of sunsets. In both cases the conversation was a very good preamble to painting or collage. In Year 4, the very good teaching extends the breadth of pupils’ learning. In a series of lessons, for example,

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ART AND DESIGN

pupils’ sketches of peacock feathers were used as a starting point to produce colourful drawings and then pictures on fabric using dyes and fabric crayons. Pupils, including those who have difficulty controlling their behaviour, were engrossed and rightly pleased with their finished products.

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ART AND DESIGN

96. Teaching is mostly satisfactory overall. The main strengths lie in providing pupils with interesting work to do in line with the expectations laid down in the school’s scheme of work. Pupils enjoy their work and have good attitudes. In most classes, they work with interest and concentration. However, in the otherwise satisfactory lessons, not enough direct teaching of artistic skills takes place and pupils are not involved in helpful discussions about their work or that of the artist. This limits the progress by talented pupils in particular. Sketchbooks are used in Key Stage 2, but only minimally to include a few quick sketches in pencil. The best sketchbooks in Year 4 contain sketches, written jottings about the artists being studied, trial and error practice attempts for other work and pupils’ own written self-evaluations about their work.

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ART AND DESIGN

97. The subject is enhanced by the very good extra-curricular activities provided, such as the mosaic club, and a visit to a Roman site in Dorset. Pupils made some effective Roman mosaic tiles after such a visit. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ cultural development by introducing them to a wide range of work including Indian and Islamic art.

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ART AND DESIGN

98. The subject is satisfactorily managed overall; developments have been well managed by the co- ordinator, despite being a part-time teacher with commensurately less time available. However, the teaching has not been monitored to judge its quality and to eliminate inconsistencies. Furthermore, there is no system of assessment to ensure that learning is on track and that pupils know what they need to do to improve.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

99. Standards of work seen are similar to those found in most primary schools. Pupils in Year 2 successfully design glove puppets, showing an awareness of the way in which they are to be used on the hand in their designs, which most pupils annotate with particular features; some indicated the use of specific materials. The eldest pupils in Year 5 show competent design ability and knowledge of mechanisms, as in a model watermill, for example, where they experimented with turning devices using cogs and making pulleys. Their project on sacred creatures shows sound knowledge of pneumatic systems to provide moving parts with some interesting designs based on their study of Ancient Egypt, although the finish could be improved. St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 32 100. The overall quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Teachers have sound expertise and pupils are enthusiastic and making good progress throughout the school in understanding the design

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

process at an appropriate level, particularly in Key Stage 2, where projects are becoming more adventurous. In Key Stage 1, teachers make good use of seasonal celebrations such as Christmas and Chinese New Year to inspire projects such as card-making, Chinese lanterns and decorated eggs. The distinction between art and design, and design and technology is small in some cases, but under the guidance of the new co-ordinator, this has been addressed and now much more use is being made of modelling, sometimes using kits such as Lego™ and K’nex™, but also using paper and card.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

101. In Key Stage 2, teachers use a scheme of work based in part on national guidance for the subject, and plan for pupils to design and make moving models, picture frames, vehicles and a desk-tidy. A good feature of design and technology is the way in which teachers encourage social development, for example pupils have occasion to design and prepare an afternoon tea for a visitor, which they do with great pride. They also learn to evaluate their own and each others’ work as they get older. Particularly good use is made of ICT skills; pupils learn to design ‘nets’ for boxes using computer- aided design. In Year 5, they learn how to programme traffic lights correctly after their teacher has set them the challenge by presenting a half-programme sequence to start with.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

102. The co-ordinator is only in school for one year, but brings great expertise. She is doing much to improve provision for the subject, and has already monitored standards and curriculum coverage in lessons in every classroom, identifying good practice and future training needs.

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GEOGRAPHY

103. At the time of the last inspection, standards in geography were judged to be above national expectations across the school. Evidence from the current inspection indicates that pupils’ attainment is in line with national expectations in Year 2 and up to Year 4 but is below national expectations in Year 5. There has been insufficient coverage of the curriculum this year; the bulk of the curriculum is due to be taught in Year 6. Provision is unbalanced in Year 5 with two terms allocated to history topics and only one term to geography; it is therefore difficult for curriculum continuity to be maintained in both subjects. This has implications for next year’s mixed Year 5/6 classes when this imbalance will need to be addressed.

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GEOGRAPHY

104. Across the school, there is a limited amount of geography work recorded in pupils’ books. Although there is a scheme of work and a supplementary scheme for the development of mapping skills, there is insufficient evidence that the scheme is adhered to. Some work is repeated in subsequent year groups and there is insufficient development of key geographical skills.

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GEOGRAPHY

105. Pupils in Year 2 look at the school and its immediate locality; they have completed a traffic survey for Headington. They are also beginning to understand the concept of climate and its effect on the environment. An attractive classroom display supported learning and pupils used correct geographical terms when discussing it. In Year 4, pupils study Bangladesh. In lessons they show a good understanding of the climate in Bangladesh and its effect on people’s lives. They understand the terms ‘monsoon’, ‘cyclone’ and ‘flood’ and use them in their own writing. A residential visit to Dorset included field work on Weymouth beach and at Maiden Castle. In Year 5 pupils look at the formation of a river and how it shapes the landscape. Pupils are beginning to use the correct technical vocabulary. Most pupils describe physical features relating to rivers while those of higher ability offer explanations as to how features such as a delta are formed.

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GEOGRAPHY

106. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. Classroom displays are used well to promote understanding and teachers use videos selectively to stimulate pupils’ interest. Local visits and residential trips are used effectively to support learning. Activities in lessons are matched to the range of abilities in the class and lower ability pupils are well supported by teachers and additional resources.

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GEOGRAPHY

107. The co-ordinator is experienced and provides support for colleagues. However, there has been insufficient monitoring of provision and the current allocation of curriculum time for geography is St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 33 inadequate in Year 5. Resources are satisfactory and used well, although additional resources are required for Years 5 and 6. The school recognises the need to develop pupils’ research skills and to provide opportunities for extended writing in geography. Manageable assessment and recording procedures are in place but are insufficiently used to ensure that skills are built on progressively as pupils move through the school.

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HISTORY

108. Standards in history are as expected at the end of Year 2 and Year 5. Progress by all pupils is satisfactory. In Year 1, they are studying the similarities and differences between the present and the past, such as in the modes of transport. They are generally becoming aware of the idea of events that happened in the past and the different lifestyles people had. In Year 2, topics include looking at life in the 1950s. Pupils have studied types of food and clothes and have considered primary sources of evidence. They are aware of ways of finding out about periods in history, for example an ex-pupil has visited the school and described how the school looked 50 years ago. Year 3 work covers Ancient Greece and the Victorians, with good links to literacy and some good evaluative marking from staff on how to improve work. In Year 4, topics include work on the Celts. Although quite a few worksheets are used, there are opportunities for independent work, for example, on the Romans. In

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HISTORY

Year 5, topics cover changes in Britain since the 1930s, including the depression, aspects of daily life in work, housing, transport and leisure. Work also covers VE Day celebrations in 1945, a timeline from 1800-2000 and major events in World War II.

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HISTORY

109. Few lessons were observed on the teaching of history in the school during the inspection, due to the way in which the curriculum is organised and when the subject is taught. Therefore it is not possible to come to a firm judgement on the quality of teaching. However, from work scrutiny, planning and some assessment procedures, it is possible to assess the pupils' progress as satisfactory, although in some year groups limited skills in literacy impede progress. Planning of the subject and the pupils' work also indicate that the staff have a reasonable grasp of the topics being covered in history. Pupils' acquisition of skills, knowledge and understanding about history and how to research evidence are satisfactory and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered appropriately, for example through the study of different cultures, in Roman, Greek and Egyptian times.

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HISTORY

110. The leadership and management of history in the school are good overall; the co-ordinator already has a clear view of areas for development and has made a good start in developing the teaching of enquiry skills. Assessment has been identified as an area for development as procedures and practice are not consistent across the school. Resources for history are satisfactory overall; the use of information and communication technology has also been identified as an area for development. There are several trips for the pupils to support their learning in history; these include visiting Dorchester, the Ashmolean museum and Gaydon Motor Museum.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

111. The standard of work seen in ICT is as expected for children this age throughout the school, which represents good improvement for those in Key Stage 2, where standards were below average at the last inspection. They are making rapid gains, having had insufficient resources until recently. Pupils in Year 2 analyse data satisfactorily – a weakness at the last inspection – and make pictograms, bar and pie charts depicting such differences within their classes as eye colour, type of pets, bedtime and birthday months. In Year 5, pupils are starting to use the Internet as a serious research tool, and have devised their own sensible rules, such as ‘keep your password secret’, and ‘do not give out your home address’. They are progressing satisfactorily in data analysis to the use of spreadsheets to draw graphs of different types in mathematics and science lessons. They are gaining a sound grasp

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

of control work from software such as ‘crystal rain forest’ and projects in their design and technology lessons.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

112. The computer room has only been in operation for just over a term, but pupils and teachers alike are learning fast. This is helped by having an expert temporarily on the staff available for training teachers, competent teaching assistants, and by the timetable, which includes time for each class to improve skills and to use them in the curriculum. Literacy, numeracy and religious education lessons took place during the inspection week, using computers as a resource. St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 34 113. Teachers make appropriate use of ICT on many occasions in all years, and this enables pupils to make rapid progress. This starts in reception, whose high quality work in drawing family members and ‘dressing Teddy’ for various activities and climates is displayed on the walls of the computer room.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

114. Teaching seen during the inspection was good overall, with some very good and some satisfactory lessons observed. A very good lesson was seen in which the literacy hour was taken to the computer room. The teacher took every opportunity to promote learning about the use of rhyming couplets in poetry and used the ICT facilities very well, inviting children to fill gaps in lines of poetry and then completing the couplets by highlighting matching pairs and placing them together, successfully using cut and paste. In this lesson, extension work for gifted pupils was also very well thought out and resulted in high quality English work.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

115. The school was criticised at the last inspection for not doing enough analysis of data using ICT, and this has now been well addressed. Teachers also encourage pupils to interpret data by using interesting methods, such as a database of imaginary crimes in which they have to make quite complex searches to find the culprit. 116. The curriculum meets the requirements for pupils up to and including Year 5, and is enhanced by extra-curricular activity such as to make the school’s website, attended by a few very keen boys and girls.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

117. The co-ordinator leads well. She is enthusiastic and works hard. Her teaching is an example of expertise which could beneficially be shared by more team teaching and peer observation. She monitors the curriculum plans and is leading teachers well into setting up a portfolio of work done by children for assessment purposes. She has also usefully monitored the taught curriculum for Years 4 and 5. Resources are much improved and staff training is steadily being completed. The interactive whiteboard was not used as such during the inspection, however, owing to the lack of time for training, but pupils were appreciative of its use for display. This is just one of the areas which has not yet been developed fully, but the school is making good progress in establishing average attainment in such a short time.

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MUSIC

118. At the time of the last inspection attainment in music was above that expected nationally. Evidence from the current inspection confirms that music has maintained its high profile in the school and that standards have remained above national expectations. All pupils make good progress as they move through the school and skills are built on systematically.

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MUSIC

119. Pupils from the reception class onwards are encouraged to sing rhythmically and in tune. All classes have weekly singing lessons as well as a class lesson which gives opportunities for composition and performance. By Year 2, most pupils understand how a pulse can be represented visually and can clap simple rhythms. By Year 5, most read simple conventional notation and play simple phrases on the recorder. They order bars of music into a structured composition and higher ability pupils compose additional phrases to add more interest and shape to their work.

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MUSIC

120. The overall quality of teaching and learning is good. Permanent staff are generally confident and those seen have sound subject knowledge. Specialist teachers have very good expertise. In Year 5, for example, a specialist wasted no time in the short lesson: the very good organisation and management of the class allowed pupils to settle quickly; all worked conscientiously and were keen to do well, including pupils with special educational needs, who had been observed making less progress in some other lessons. In a singing lesson in Year 1, the teacher developed vocal work well, giving good explanations of how to use breath correctly and the need to adopt the right posture. Literacy was developed well as pupils learned the words of a new song.

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MUSIC

121. The scheme of work covers all aspects of provision. Resources are good and information and communication technology is used effectively. A wide range of extra-curricular opportunities enables pupils to extend their talents. All pupils are able to learn an instrument free of charge as part of the local education authority foundation course. Pupils from the school play in local orchestras and sing St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 35 in local music festivals. Peripatetic teaching in a wide variety of instruments enables pupils to join local ensembles and Saturday morning music schools. Visiting musicians provide opportunities for pupils to listen to performance of a professional standard.

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MUSIC

122. The headteacher co-ordinates the wide range of curriculum opportunities very well, and ensures that teachers have sufficient expertise to deliver the basic curriculum effectively. She monitors provision and is committed to maintaining the importance of music in the school.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

123. Pupils’ attainment is in line with national expectations by the end of Years 2 and 5. This represents satisfactory achievement. Standards have been maintained since the time of the last inspection. The school has done well to maintain standards because lessons have been disrupted this year owing to the extensive building work that has taken place. Pupils with special educational needs achieve satisfactorily because they are often well supported by their teacher and an assistant. Those who are learning English as an additional language are included well and also achieve satisfactory standards.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

124. Pupils in Year 2 have a good sense of balance and many are agile, even when moving about quickly. In one country dance lesson, for example, pupils showed how adept they could be. They learned successfully to move in time with the music. By the end of the lesson most of the pupils had achieved well for their age. However, the lesson contained some shortcomings that prevented pupils capable of higher attainment from achieving better. There were no opportunities for pupils to talk about what they had done and how they could improve their movements. Furthermore, teaching did not identify how movements could be more polished and of a higher quality. These shortcomings are present in other lessons and limit the learning, in particular for more talented pupils.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

125. The school has adopted a thorough, commercially produced scheme of work that teachers use well to plan their lessons. This gives structure to learning, making sure that pupils receive a good range of activities. Teaching is satisfactory throughout the school because of the firm foundations provided by the scheme. An athletics lesson in Year 3 was a typical lesson in this respect. Pupils were taught how to run properly through a series of well-planned tasks. As a result their achievement was sound by the end of the lesson. Teaching was good, particularly in the way that all pupils succeeded, including a handful who found it hard to control their behaviour. Pupils’ attitudes to physical education are generally good. Most enjoy being active and try hard to achieve the targets teachers set for their performance. Pupils generally behave well in lessons, but some pupils find it hard to control themselves.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

126. In addition to the lack of ambition in teachers’ plans for talented pupils, no assessment of pupils’ progress is undertaken. This results in a lack of understanding amongst teachers about what has been learned and how pupils need to improve. This pattern of a wide range of activities that are not assessed to ensure improved standards is repeated in Year 3 to Year 5. As a result, the oldest pupils in the school reach satisfactory standards, and some are successful in local football tournaments.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

127. Pupils in Year 3 and Year 5 receive swimming lessons and by the time they are in Year 5 most can swim with confidence and about one third have reached the recommended minimum for pupils a year older of 25 metres.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

128. The school provides a very extensive range of extra-curricular activities for pupils. These include tennis, dance and football. Pupils have the opportunity to work with teachers from the local secondary school as well as qualified sports coaches. Gifted pupils are identified well and steered towards local clubs that can meet their needs. The school has the space and resources to satisfy the needs of pupils in Year 6 next year. Even the grassed area at the back of the school is good enough for much of the work designed for primary aged pupils. The subject has been managed satisfactorily in the absence of a full-time co-ordinator. However, this deficiency has resulted in lessons not being monitored to judge how well pupils are learning and there are no methods of assessment to help teachers plan for higher standards. Consequently, inconsistencies in teaching go unnoticed and very good practice, as in Year 1, is not recognised.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School - 36

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

129. Standards are above average in religious education in Key Stage 2 and meet the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus in Key Stage 1. This is a good improvement in Key Stage 2 since the last inspection, when standards reached by the eldest pupils were below average. Expectations for religious education have risen in the school, which has clearly made a great effort to improve standards in response to the key issue from the last inspection. Until the current year, pupils left at the end of Year 4; the standard of work at this age remains the highest in the school. The slight drop in standards in Year 5 is due to a diminished use of literacy to extend the subject.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

130. Pupils in Key Stage 1 have covered work according to the agreed syllabus and have a sound knowledge of Christianity and Islam. They know the story of Jesus’ birth, and the customs about Ramadan which culminate in the Muslim festival of Eid. In Key Stage 2, pupils’ learning extends to Judaism whilst also maintaining the focus on Christianity and Islam. Pupils recognise symbols of the Jewish faith, such as the Torah and Seder plate, and know that Jews worship in a Synagogue. Pupils increase their knowledge of Bible stories as they move up the school, and the eldest pupils relate the story of the Good Samaritan to bullying incidents. They know the story of Moses and compare the Ten Commandments with rules for everyday modern living. In Years 3 and 4, pupils write in their own words about stories such as the miracle of the fishing nets and the raising of Jairus’s daughter. There are some good examples of writing in these years. Pupils’ work in Year 5 does not match it in their

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

131. Overall the quality of teaching and learning is good. Teachers’ subject knowledge has improved since the last inspection and their planning is now firmly based on the Oxfordshire Agreed Syllabus, supported by a good teachers’ guide. Assessment is being developed well alongside planning and already, teachers are starting to test pupils on the knowledge they are acquiring before moving on to more formal levels of achievement; lesson evaluation is also used well by some teachers to determine progress, and this benefits all pupils. Three lessons were seen – two good examples in Key Stage 1 and one very good in Key Stage 2. Here, the teacher’s expectations of the quality and level of work was particularly high, and lower juniors drew good conclusions about the meanings of three passages from the Bible. The teacher built on pupils’ literacy particularly well in the use of ‘talking partners’, and used a simple translation of the 23 rd psalm. The teacher probed very well and directed children’s

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

thoughts with great sensitivity, encouraging them to think of times of trouble and darkness when people may want to read ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’. In response, some articulate pupils described how God would protect them like a shepherd looking after His sheep.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

132. Teachers develop pupils’ respect for religious customs and beliefs by enabling them, for example, to see Ramadan through the diary of a child. Good use is also made of pupils’ own religious practices in relation to others in the class. Often, religious themes are developed from lessons into class assemblies and circle time when, for example, pupils consider situations where they may be tempted to behave badly towards friends or peers. Teachers of younger children bring religious experience to life by planning a good variety of practical experiences, such as tasting honey whilst listening to the Imam calling Muslims to prayer, which relates to the Muslim custom of wiping a baby’s mouth with honey to ensure sweetness in life.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

133. The subject is well led and managed. The co-ordinator monitors the planning and uses her expertise as a resource. The school has also improved resources and increased time allocation. Many assembly themes now relate well to the religious education syllabus themes. Teachers are becoming more familiar with the syllabus and its assessment.

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