St Michaels CofE Primary School, Steventon Village

ST MICHAEL’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 7 th – 9 th October 2002

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ST MICHAEL’S CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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ST MICHAEL’S CE 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 Michael’s C of E Primary School 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: The Causeway Steventon Oxfordshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs Ann Dendy

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: October 2000 St Michael’s C of E Primary School 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

23744 Peter Howlett Registered inspector Mathematics Physical education Religious education What sort of school is it? How high are standards? How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 10329 Brian Sampson Lay inspector How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 32136 Lesley Brookes Team inspector English Foundation Stage Art and design Geography History 14509 Philip Mann Team inspector Science Information and communication technology Design and technology Music Special educational needs How good are curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Baker-Phillips Educational Communications Ltd The Croft Brierley Way Oldcroft Lydney Gloucestershire GL15 4NE

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE St Michael’s C of E Primary School 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

St Michael’s C of E Primary School is a Voluntary Controlled primary school for boys and girls between the ages of five and 11. It serves the small village of Steventon some four miles from the town of Abingdon in Oxfordshire. A smaller than average school, it has 131 pupils attending full-time from Reception to Year 6. The number in each year group varies considerably and pupils are organised into five mixed aged classes. There is a gender imbalance in some year groups but there is no significant difference in the numbers of boys and girls overall. Pupils generally come from favourable socio-economic circumstances and the number of pupils eligible for free school meals is below average. Nearly all pupils are of white ethnic backgrounds and all speak English at home. Seven per cent of pupils have been identified by the school as having special educational needs; this is below average. No pupil at the school has a statement of special educational need. Children enter full-time education

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

in the term they become five and levels of attainment on entry are broad but generally in line with those typically found nationally.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

St Michael’s is a caring and welcoming school, in which all pupils are valued. An improving school, it provides a sound education for its pupils and has a number of strengths. Standards are rising and are above average in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6. Teaching is good in the reception and infant classes and satisfactory with some strengths in the junior classes. The school is well led and managed. The headteacher gives clear direction to the school community and is well supported by enthusiastic and committed staff and governors. The school manages its financial resources well and gives satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils achieve well in the national tests at eleven and standards are good in English, mathematics and science. • Pupils’ enthusiasm for school and their attendance are very good. • Pupils receive a good start to school because of the good teaching in Reception and in Years 1 and 2. Teaching is also good in the Year 4/5 class. • Teachers’ good knowledge of their pupils enables them to plan work well for all ages and abilities. Support for pupils with special educational needs is good. • The school looks after its pupils very well and provision for their spiritual, moral and social development is good. • The good leadership of the headteacher has had a significant impact on the work of the school. She has good educational vision and leads the evaluation of the school’s performance well. • The school has very effective links with its parents and maintains good links with the local community. St Michael’s C of E Primary School 7

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What could be improved

• Standards in design and technology. • Pupils’ achievement in aspects of information and communication technology (ICT). • Pupils’ behaviour at lunch-times and at break-times. • Pupils’ understanding of what they need to do to improve further. 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 October 2000 when it was judged to have serious weaknesses in some aspects of its work. It has made good progress since then under the strong leadership of the headteacher. The school has addressed the key issues effectively. It has put in place a number of successful measures to address pupils’ underachievement and standards have improved appreciably in English, mathematics and science. The school has made good strides in improving provision for ICT where there has also been some improvement in standards. There has been good improvement in the quality of teaching. Most of the shortcomings in teaching identified during the last inspection have been addressed through appropriate training, effective procedures for monitoring and supporting teaching and the appointment of new staff. However, pupils’ standards of presentation and teachers’ marking of pupils’ work are still not good enough. The school is well placed to improve further

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

because it carefully evaluates what it does and the headteacher, staff and governors are firmly focused on raising standards.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

English E D A A well above average above average A B

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Key

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

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Key

Caution needs to be exercised in considering national test results as the number of pupils in each year group is often quite small. Results in the 2001 national tests for eleven-year-olds were well above the national average in English and science and very high in mathematics. They compared exactly with results for similar schools. Overall results have more than matched the national trend of improvement over the past five years. Results have risen considerably in English and mathematics. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected Level 4 was very high in English and well above average in mathematics. The school exceeded its published targets in both subjects. Results in 2002 are poorer. Results in the 2001 national tests for seven-year-olds were average in reading and below average in writing St Michael’s C of E Primary School 8 and mathematics. Results in 2002 were much better, with a significant increase in the

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Key

proportion of pupils reaching the expected Level 2 and achieving the higher Level 3.

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Key

Pupils’ achievement overall is satisfactory. Children in Reception achieve well and most are in line to achieve the Early Learning Goals by the end of the reception year. At the end of Years 2 and 6, standards are above average in speaking and listening, reading and mathematics. Standards in writing have improved and are now just above expected levels, although standards of presentation are unsatisfactory. Standards in science are average at the end of Year 2 and above average in Year 6. Standards in ICT are broadly in line with those typically found nationally, although there are still some gaps in pupils’ skills. Pupils achieve average standards in history, geography, art and design, religious education, physical education and music. They make unsatisfactory progress in design and technology and standards are below expectations. Pupils with special education needs make good progress in relation to their prior attainment.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils enjoy school and in lessons they show enthusiasm and keenness to learn and find out more.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Satisfactory. Behaviour within lessons and at assemblies is good. The pupils’ behaviour is sometimes unsatisfactory during break-times.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good. Relationships are good and pupils show respect for the feelings and values of others. They show sound levels of personal responsibility and initiative.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Very good. Attendance is well above the national average. Punctuality is very good.

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Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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

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Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

During the inspection, 36 lessons or parts of lessons were seen. Two-thirds of lessons were at least good, including a fifth very good and one excellent. There were no unsatisfactory lessons. Teaching is consistently good in the Reception/Year1 and Year 2 classes, good and often very good in the Year 4/5 class and satisfactory in the other two. Teaching of literacy is good in Years 1 and 2 and satisfactory in the junior phase. Teaching of numeracy is satisfactory. Teaching of science, ICT, history and religious education is good. There are shortcomings in the quality of learning in design and technology. Teaching of other subjects is satisfactory. Teachers are conscientious and hardworking and lessons are well prepared and planned. The strong features of teaching include teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the subjects they teach, the teaching of basic skills, very good use of support staff, and the

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Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

St Michael’s C of E Primary School 9 use of assessment to ensure work is matched to pupils’ learning needs. Other strengths in teaching are the positive, caring relationships and consideration shown to all pupils and the general expectation of good standards of behaviour. However, the quality of teachers’ marking remains unsatisfactory and teachers’ expectations on the presentation of work are still not high enough. Teachers could do more to involve pupils in their own learning.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. The school offers a broad and balanced curriculum for all pupils. The National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy are well established. Provision for personal, social, and health education is good. There is a good range of extra-curricular activities.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils’ needs are identified early. They receive good individual support in English, mathematics and science lessons and their progress is monitored well.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. The pupils’ spiritual, social and moral development is promoted well. There are frequent opportunities for pupils to reflect on their feelings, build secure relations and develop awareness of what is right and wrong. The provision for cultural development is satisfactory but more needs to be done to develop pupils’ multicultural awareness.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. The school looks after its pupils in a secure and caring atmosphere. The school has a caring ethos that values every pupil. Teachers know their pupils well and the school’s procedures for monitoring pupils’ progress in English and mathematics are good.

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Aspect Comment

Overall, the school has very effective links with its parents. Such strong ties contribute a great deal towards the successful learning of their children.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The headteacher provides good quality leadership. She gives the school a clear sense of direction and her vision and high expectations are significant factors in promoting the positive ethos of the school and in the improvement in standards and in the quality of education. The headteacher promotes a good sense of teamwork among teachers and support staff.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. The governing body plays a purposeful and effective role in shaping the direction of the school and fulfils its statutory responsibilities well. Governors are knowledgeable about the school and are fully involved in planning and decision and policy- making. St Michael’s C of E Primary School 10 The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The school has a number of effective procedures to monitor its work. It makes good use of performance data and procedures for monitoring and evaluating teaching are good. More could be done in developing measures to evaluate the results of planned actions.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. The school makes good use of its resources. Finances are managed well. The school ensures that its budget is spent prudently, although it should make clear the links between planned expenditure and its educational priorities. The school takes effective measures to ensure it gets best value for money.

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Aspect Comment

Staffing levels and resources are good and used well. Support staff make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning. The school has worked hard to improve the accommodation but some aspects remain unsatisfactory.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children like to come to school. • The behaviour of pupils in the school is good. • Teaching is good and children make good progress. • The school works closely with parents and staff are approachable. • The school expects their children to work hard, do their best and become mature and responsible. • The school is well led and managed. • Children do not get the right amount of homework. • The school does not offer a sufficient range of activities outside lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the positive comments, although having some reservations on good behaviour in all situations. However, it judges that the use of homework is satisfactory and the range of extra-curricular activities offered is good for this size of primary school. St Michael’s C of E Primary School 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Children’s attainment on entry to the school is broadly in line with that typically found nationally. The results of the local education authority’s assessments undertaken when children start school indicate that overall standards of attainment on entry vary from year to year, between below average and above average for the local area. Generally, children start their full-time education with a wide range of prior attainment, although most children arrive at school soundly equipped to begin full-time education. Standards of the current year’s intake, although broad, are in line with those typically found nationally. They achieve well and most children are in line to achieve the Early Learning Goals 1 by the end of the reception year in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development and knowledge and understanding of the world, and some are likely to be already working on National Curriculum levels. Children’s personal,

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

social and emotional development is good. Standards in creative development are average. However, opportunities to use large physical education equipment are limited and until resources are improved, it is possible that children may not achieve the Early Learning Goals for this area of the curriculum.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Results 2 in the 2001 national tests for seven-year-olds were average in reading, below national averages in writing and mathematics and well below the performances of similar schools in all three tests. The results in 2001 were generally lower than in the two previous years and despite the fall in results in 2001 the overall average for all three tests over the last three years slightly exceeds the national average. The fall in results in 2001 can be explained by the corresponding lower baseline assessments on entry for this year group. Results in 2002 were much better than those of the previous year, with a significant increase in the proportion of pupils achieving or exceeding the expected Level 2 and achieving the higher Level 3.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Results in the 2001 national tests for eleven-year-olds were well above the national average in English and science and very high in mathematics. When compared with the performances of similar schools, results were also well above average in English and science and high in mathematics. Overall results have more than matched the national trend of improvement over the past five years. Results have risen considerably in English and mathematics. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected Level 4 was very high in English and well above average in mathematics. The school exceeded its published targets in English and mathematics. However, results in 2002 are much lower than in 2001, reflecting the lower results that this group of pupils achieved in the national tests at the end of Year 2.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Pupils make satisfactory progress during their time at the school. This is an improvement on the findings of the last inspection when infant pupils and the younger pupils in the junior phase made unsatisfactory progress. The improvement in pupils’ achievement is due mainly to the improvement in the quality of teaching and the firm leadership of the headteacher.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1 The standards that children are expected to achieve or exceed by the time they leave Reception. Caution needs to be exercised in considering the results in the national tests. The number of pupils in each year group is often quite small and this leads to fluctuations in results. St Michael’s C of E Primary School 12 5. The small number of pupils identified as having special educational needs make steady progress towards achieving the targets identified in their individual education plans. They are well supported in English and mathematics and often make good progress. In each class there is a wide range of ability. Teachers know their pupils well and through effective assessment procedures group their pupils accordingly for literacy and numeracy. Lower attaining pupils make good progress when learning takes place in small teaching groups. Extra help is provided for reading through outside help and this

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

has a positive impact on the progress made. The recently introduced Personal, Social and Health Education curriculum has enabled pupils to progress in their speaking and listening skills and has raised pupils’ confidence in expressing themselves. The effective planning by teachers and good use made of classroom assistants enable pupils with special educational needs to make good progress in science. There is generally appropriate challenge in the work for higher attaining pupils. Girls tend to do better in English and mathematics tests than boys.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Standards in literacy are higher than at the time of the last inspection. Throughout the school, standards in speaking and listening are good. Pupils listen attentively and by Year 6 most pupils speak clearly and confidently. Standards in reading are good. Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to read regularly and an extensive range of books supports reading. Most Year 2 pupils can use a range of skills to decode unfamiliar words. Higher-attaining readers read with fluency and expression but a few pupils are still learning the basic connections between sounds and letters. In Year 6 most pupils are competent, independent readers and read aloud fluently, with good expression. The school’s focus on writing has led to a good improvement in standards, which are now just above average. Pupils in their early years in the school are making good progress in their writing through regular practice, such as labelling drawings and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

recording news. As they progress through the school pupils are encouraged to attempt different forms of writing, such as reporting, and making brochures and books. There is good use of writing in subjects other than English and ICT supports the development of writing well. However, weaknesses in the general standard of presentation, particularly in the upper school, noted at the last inspection, remain.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Standards in numeracy are higher than at the time of the last inspection. Standards at the end of Years 2 and 6 are above average. Throughout the school most pupils work confidently at or above the expected levels for their ages. By the end of Year 2, pupils’ written number skills and understanding of number concepts are good. At the end of Year 6, pupils have a secure understanding of place value and can undertake work in the four rules of number, including long multiplication and division. They understand percentages and recognise their fractional and decimal equivalents. Pupils’ ability to explain the strategies they use is good. Standards in areas of shape and measures are above average. Pupils’ mental arithmetic skills and abilities to use and apply what they have learnt in different contexts are sound. Standards in data handling are sound but could be higher. 8. Standards in science are higher than at the time of the last inspection. The school’s

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

shift in focus towards an investigational approach to the curriculum is raising pupils’ motivation, interest and progress. By the time pupils are seven years old, they have acquired satisfactory knowledge of scientific ideas and skills. They understood the importance of keeping the test fair and can make accurate measurements. The emphasis on practical activities and science investigations has helped to extend pupils’ knowledge of scientific processes and to enable them to make predictions and draw conclusions. Year 6 develop good observational skills and use their scientific knowledge well to explain observed processes during their practical activities. They show good knowledge and understanding when offering explanations, making predictions and St Michael’s C of E Primary School 13 reaching conclusions. There has been good improvement in provision for ICT and standards are rising. Standards in ICT are broadly in line with those typically found

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

nationally, although there are still some gaps in pupils’ skills.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. The school’s efforts to raise standards since the last inspection have rightly focused on English, mathematics, science and ICT. It has largely been successful in doing so. Although other subjects have not been high priority for development, the school has generally maintained standards in line with expectations at seven and 11 in art and design, history, geography, religious education, music and physical education. However, in some aspects of physical education, progress has been limited for seven to eleven- year-olds by the inadequate accommodation. In addition, there has been a decline in standards in design and technology and these are now below those expected in seven and eleven-year-old pupils. Pupils are not given sufficient opportunities to plan activities, communicate what they need to do and evaluate what they have done.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. The inspection confirms the overwhelming view of parents that children like coming to school. The pupils continue to have good attitudes towards their school. Within lessons their enthusiasm for learning is good. This was evident in the Year 4/5 class where the pupils specifically wanted to impress on their visitor how well they had enjoyed the mathematics lesson. The teacher had to appeal to them to finish what they were doing as she was ready to move on to the next lesson! Most pupils concentrate well and are good at showing an interest and involvement in their activities. For example, during a Year 6 religious education lesson, on morals and fairness, several pupils were keen to consult the Internet to find out all about Fair Trade as they considered this very relevant to their discussion. On joining the school, most young children show an enthusiasm for learning and a willingness to adapt to school routines.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. The behaviour of pupils is satisfactory. The behaviour of pupils during lessons remains good and where teaching is stimulating and pupils are well managed it is often very good and occasionally excellent. However, when the pace of the lesson slackens, interest diminishes, and on one occasion resulted in behaviour becoming unsatisfactory. Nevertheless, pupils’ behaviour in lessons generally has a positive impact on their learning. The behaviour of pupils during assemblies is very good but is sometimes unsatisfactory during break-times in the playground and around the school. This was particularly noticeable when a group of pupils were playing very boisterously in and around the toilets. Behaviour in the dining hall at lunch-times can be poor and pupils do not always get reprimanded for their misdemeanours. A number of pupils said that they were intimidated by the atmosphere at lunch-times and did not like going into the

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

hall. Although the school does not have any overt oppressive behaviour, including bullying, sexism and racism, and none was witnessed during the inspection, several pupils of different ages reported that they had been bullied, particularly in the playground. Most pupils do have a good understanding of the consequences of their actions on others and respond well to the school’s expectations of behaviour towards one another. Overall, behaviour is satisfactory and during the whole inspection no graffiti, rubbish or vandalism were seen. The school has had no exclusions within the twelve months previous to this inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Pupils’ personal development is good and relationships are good throughout the school. The school provides a good framework of values that guides pupils’ relationships and understanding of right and wrong. The pupils have a good respect for the feelings, values and beliefs of others. This was admirably displayed by listening to school council feedback representatives and Year 6 pupils during religious education. The pupils St Michael’s C of E Primary School 14 support the education of a girl in South Africa and are sending her Harvest Festival funds and the proceeds of a future, planned, sponsored race around the school. Most pupils are well aware that not everyone has the same quality of life and privileges that they do. The pupils work well together in pairs as was particularly noticeable in a Year 2 science lesson outside. In physical education and competitive sports, teamwork is well ingrained into the children. This was witnessed during a netball session on the outside

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

playground. Although each individual was keen to score, teammates were not forgotten in the process. Most of the pupils also like and respect their teachers and other members of staff and these feelings are clearly reciprocated. The school has a strong commitment to inclusive education which allows pupils with special educational needs to be very well integrated within classrooms. The good resources provided, the sensitive support and the quality of adult-pupil relationships mean that pupils enjoy the support work and, as a result, there is a secure atmosphere for learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. The initiative shown and the personal responsibility taken on by the pupils are satisfactory. The above mentioned school council is very democratically run by children of various ages. Assembly ‘buddies’ clearly enjoy helping the younger children, and library monitors and children collecting and returning class registers do a very worthwhile job.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Attendance at the school is very good and a definite strength of the school. It compares well with the previous inspection and is well above the national average for this type of school. The majority of the pupils come to school and into classes on time and most lessons commence promptly. The school has no unexplained absence trends.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. The overall standards of attitudes, behaviour and personal development within the school contribute positively towards the success of the pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. Taking into account the analysis of pupils’ work and lessons observed, the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. There has been a good improvement in the overall quality of teaching and learning since the last inspection. During the inspection, 36 lessons or parts of lessons were seen. There were no unsatisfactory lessons, in contrast to the significant proportion of unsatisfactory teaching at the last inspection. There was also a good improvement in the proportion of good and high quality lessons. Two-thirds of lessons were at least good, including a fifth very good and one excellent lesson, in comparison to less than half the lessons being good with only two very good lessons. Most of the shortcomings in teaching identified during the last inspection have been successfully addressed through appropriate training, effective procedures for monitoring and supporting teaching and the appointment of new staff. Teaching of

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

science, ICT, and religious education is good across the school. Teaching of English is good at Key Stage1 and satisfactory at Key Stage 2. Teaching of mathematics, music, history, art and design and physical education is satisfactory. There are shortcomings in the quality of learning in design and technology.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. The strong features of teaching throughout the school include teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the subjects they teach, the teaching of basic skills, very good use of support staff, lesson planning and the use of assessment to ensure work is matched to pupils’ learning needs. All staff work conscientiously and well together. Teachers generally insist on good standards of behaviour; the management of pupils is good in most classes, although in one lower junior class it is only satisfactory. Other strengths St Michael’s C of E Primary School 15 are the positive, caring relationships and teachers’ commitment to doing their best for all pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. Some shortcomings remain. The quality of teachers’ marking is unsatisfactory. Teachers’ expectations on the presentation of work are still not high enough.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. The good quality of teaching previously observed in the Foundation Stage 3 has been maintained since the last inspection. Teaching is always at least good and such a consistently good standard ensures that good learning takes place and children make good progress. The partnership between teaching and support staff and the relationships between the adults and children promote learning well. Staff know each child well and are able to cater for their individual learning needs and group work with the reception children ensures that they receive good individual attention and work well- matched to individual standards. There is a good focus on developing early numeracy and literacy skills and a range of resources and structured activities promote these and other skills well. For example, the stimulating environment of the classroom makes a strong contribution to children’s creative development, computer skills are developing

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

well and good use is made of the school’s extensive grounds to promote children’s awareness of their environment.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The school has been very successful in addressing the key issue from the last inspection on improving the quality and consistency in teaching of infant phase pupils. Unsatisfactory at the last inspection, the quality of teaching is now good or better in most lessons. Teaching of pupils in Years 3 to 6 has also improved. At the last inspection teaching in lower juniors was unsatisfactory. Teaching is satisfactory in two of the junior classes and at least good in the mixed year 4/5 class. In this class, teaching is often very good and on occasion excellent.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. The teaching of literacy and numeracy skills has improved significantly. Unsatisfactory in Years 1 and 2 at the last inspection, the quality of teaching of English and mathematics was at least satisfactory in all lessons. The teaching and learning of basic literacy skills are good in Years 1 and 2 and pupils achieve well because of good teaching. Teachers have a good understanding of the National Literacy Strategy, and lessons are well structured and feature all parts of the literacy strategy. Support staff are well briefed before lessons and, in most lessons, are used well to support groups of pupils. Teachers develop the use of literacy skills effectively across the whole curriculum.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. The teaching and learning of numeracy skills is satisfactory. The structure of lessons follows the suggestions included in the National Numeracy Strategy. Good organisation and management of activities keep pupils on task throughout lessons. There is a good emphasis on the teaching of number skills. Teachers’ clear explanations, instructions and demonstrations help most pupils to achieve well in developing their understanding of number and their competence with number computations. However, in some lessons there is insufficient focus on the development of quick mental calculations.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. The teaching of basic skills is also good in other subjects. The teaching of science skills is good because there is an emphasis on practical activities and investigations. The teaching of skills in physical education is good and there are appropriate opportunities for pupils to practise their games skills in small games situations. The acquisition of a computer room and teachers’ growing confidence in teaching ICT has led to

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

3 The Foundation Stage covers the period children school prior to the start of compulsory education in Year 1. St Michael’s C of E Primary School 16 improvement in pupils’ learning of skills, although some gaps in pupils’ skills remain as a legacy of past underachievement. Teachers make satisfactory use of ICT to support learning in other subjects. However, in design and technology not enough emphasis is given to the development of skills in planning and evaluation.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Teachers’ questioning in design and technology is generally effective. Their subject knowledge is generally good and, as in science, their questioning helps to extend pupils’ knowledge and widen their understanding. Likewise, in religious education, teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to reflect about their feelings. For example, in a lesson in Year 2 the teacher’s sensitive questioning encouraged pupils to reflect upon the story of Jonah and share their thoughts.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. Lessons are generally well organised and prepared. Teachers’ lesson planning is good because it is based on clear learning intentions and usually specifies activities appropriate for different levels of ability within the class. A good feature of teaching is the use made by teachers of their assessments of what pupils have achieved in planning the next steps in pupils’ learning. A feature of many good lessons is the teachers’ assessment of whether the objectives of the lesson have been met. Teachers have a good understanding of pupils’ different learning needs and plan appropriately work based on pupils’ prior learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. Support in lessons for pupils with special educational needs is good. Teachers use assessments well and ensure that, especially in literacy and numeracy, work is matched to pupils’ abilities. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress, partly because teachers make good use of learning support assistants to give additional help during lessons. These assistants receive good training and have a significant impact on the progress that pupils make. Some special educational needs pupils receive effective one-to-one support.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. Teachers generally cater appropriately for the needs of higher attaining pupils. The work in English, mathematics and science is suitably matched to pupils’ capabilities, enabling them to make appropriate gains in their learning. However, in mathematics teachers do not always ensure that they ask higher attaining pupils more challenging questions during whole class sessions. Extra provision is made for gifted and talented pupils where possible and a group of five Year 6 pupils have additional science lessons.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28. Teachers could do more to involve pupils in their own learning. In good physical education lessons, teachers give effective verbal feedback to pupils and provide them with appropriate opportunities to observe and evaluate the work of others. In mathematics, teachers provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to explain the strategies used. However, only some teachers use the concluding part of mathematics lessons to enable pupils to sum up what they have achieved and to identify how to improve. Teachers do not always share lesson objectives with pupils so that pupils know what they will be expected to do and learn. Although teachers regularly mark pupils’ work, they seldom offer comments to indicate to pupils how they might improve. The practice of providing pupils with individual learning targets in English and mathematics is so far insufficiently developed to have a positive effect on pupils’

p.16

PUPILS?

29. The curriculum for the children in the Foundation Stage is good. The teacher works hard to provide a stimulating and challenging range of activities. A good, well-balanced St Michael’s C of E Primary School 17 curriculum carefully linked to ‘the stepping-stones’ and the Early Learning Goals 4 in each of the six areas of learning ensures good progress. However, opportunities to use large physical education equipment are limited. The children are taught in a mixed aged class with Year 1 pupils and there is good transition to the National Curriculum when children move into Year 1.

p.16

PUPILS?

30. The school has maintained its broad and balanced curriculum, which meets statutory requirements in giving adequate coverage to all subjects of the National Curriculum. However, limitations in the accommodation restrict opportunities for gymnastics for junior aged pupils. In religious education the school meets the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus. Since the previous inspection the school has successfully addressed issues of providing increased opportunities for investigations in mathematics and science and for the increased use of literacy, numeracy and ICT across the curriculum. There are relevant policies and schemes of work for all subjects; however, appropriate planning for design and technology is not yet fully in place. The school has adopted the local education authority’s scheme of work for Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) and all classes make good use of this provision. There is an agreed

p.17

PUPILS?

programme of sex education linked to PSHE and science and it is supported by the school nurse.

p.17

PUPILS?

31. The school has implemented the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies well and both literacy and numeracy skills are developed through other subjects, such as literacy in history and geography and numeracy in science. Certain subjects are paired to assist timetabling; these include design and technology with art and design and history with geography, and pupils have access to these subjects on a half-term basis. The school has made good strides in improving ICT provision since the previous inspection with the establishment of a computer suite and purchase of interactive white boards and data projectors for each classroom. These are having a positive impact on standards and have enabled teachers to make better use of ICT to support their teaching and pupils’ learning in other subjects. However, to support the ICT scheme of work additional resources need to be available for the pupils to receive their full entitlement, such as

p.17

PUPILS?

control technology, desktop publishing and multimedia software.

p.17

PUPILS?

32. Subject policies have been systematically reviewed and revised. In most subjects the school has adopted the nationally recommended schemes of work. These enable teachers to plan effectively and in the two mixed-aged classes, Years 3/4 and Years 4/5, teachers make careful provision so that work is appropriately set to meet the range of needs in their classes. However, attention needs to be given to the provision for design and technology, where a more detailed scheme of work needs to be devised, allowing teachers to plan activities that enable pupils to progressively develop their skills.

p.17

PUPILS?

33. The school ensures that the subjects of the National Curriculum are accessible to all pupils. Pupils with special educational needs are given a great deal of consideration and take part in all of the activities offered. The curriculum is appropriately inclusive, ensuring that all pupils have equal opportunity and access to it, and has a positive effect on pupils’ social development and learning. Support for pupils with special educational needs is chiefly given in lessons. Teachers ensure that the learning support assistants are knowledgeable about individual pupils’ learning needs and are aware of the lesson activities and so they are able to support their pupils well. Individual educational plans are good; they contain targets for both learning and behaviour and help ensure that the needs of individual pupils are suitably addressed. The school does not have a register of

p.17

PUPILS?

The expected outcomes by the end of the reception year. St Michael’s C of E Primary School 18 pupils who are gifted and talented; however, extra provision is made for a number of pupils who have been identified as having particular talents.

p.17

PUPILS?

34. There is an extensive range of extra-curricular activities. A number of these are run by outside agencies, but both parents and staff also give generously of their time to provide extra activities. There is a good mix of academic and sporting activities including football, hockey and country dancing and recorder, choir and computer clubs. Additional music is available through the county peripatetic teacher scheme for clarinet and violin. The curriculum is further enhanced through many other opportunities for pupils either to go on visits or enjoy visitors in school. For example, Years 5 and 6 took part in the Abingdon Commonwealth Games in the summer and also enjoyed their residential visit to the Forest of Dean. The Bassistry Arts Group and Bozo and Zizi visited the school to offer music and environmental workshops for pupils of all ages. The school uses the local environment and resources very well to support the curriculum and to help pupils

p.18

PUPILS?

to develop both social skills and a social awareness. For example, Year 3 and the choir perform in the village hall to the Derby and Joan club and other visits include the Ashmolean Museum and Dorchester Abbey. Both the infants and juniors visited “Curioxity”, a science workshop held in Oxford.

p.18

PUPILS?

35. The school’s provision for pupils’ personal, social, and health education is good. The newly adopted scheme of work features important areas such as “Me, Family, Friends, Healthy Lifestyles and Community”. It provides well for both sex education and drugs awareness. It is a developing area within the school, is managed efficiently and is already having an impact on pupils’ behaviour and well-being. Lessons in this subject and circle time sessions are part of the school’s timetable so ensuring each class has one lesson a week. Links are made between the PSHE curriculum and assembly themes and as part of PSHE lessons the school council report back on their meetings so that all pupils can have an influence on school decisions.

p.18

PUPILS?

36. The school is well regarded in the community and has very good links with St Michael’s Church; pupils also visit Steventon Methodist Church. The local vicar and lay readers are regular visitors to the school. Parents are active within the school also, with weekly library story telling sessions and help within classrooms. The recently introduced school council is already involved in local community matters such as local road safety and improving the playground. Members of the community come into school to talk about first aid, and the making of corn dollies and the Christmas themed art day involves village friends, parents and governors.

p.18

PUPILS?

37. The school enjoys a good relationship with the neighbouring playgroup, from which many pupils join the school. In addition, there are good links with a number of secondary schools to which pupils transfer at the end of Year 6. Good use is made of the local Beacon Cluster of schools, including additional funds. Moderation of individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs takes place with other local schools. There are strong links with Oxford Brookes College and students visit the school as part of their training.

p.18

PUPILS?

38. There is good provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. This is a similar position to that at the time of the last inspection and represents a clear commitment by the school to encourage the pupils to think about themselves and their relationship with others.

p.18

PUPILS?

39. The pupils’ spiritual development is promoted well. In religious education lessons, pupils have good opportunities to express their personal feelings and thoughts and reflect upon and respond to Christian values and beliefs. There are frequent opportunities in St Michael’s C of E Primary School 19 assemblies and during circle time to reflect on their feelings and to think about those less fortunate than themselves. In the daily collective act of worship the school has an opportunity to come together as a group to talk, listen and pray. Assemblies have a special status where the lighting of a candle, for example, serves as a focus for pupils’ thoughts and prayers. Pupils collect money for a variety of charities including for a child in Africa and regularly for the NSPCC and the British Heart Foundation. Displays of pupils’ work and artefacts encourage the pupils to wonder at the world in which they live.

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PUPILS?

Outside the Year 2 classroom there is a series of poems about a collection of smooth stones; the pupils had thought about what feelings the stones may have had. There is a detailed account of the hatching of chickens in an incubator in an upper junior classroom. One pupil had written about and wondered at how such a small creature could make such a loud sound.

p.19

PUPILS?

40. There is good provision for pupils’ moral development. The secure relationships within the school provide a firm basis for the development of a clear moral understanding. There is a clear code of conduct within school and in general the pupils follow this. The school rules are posted in each classroom but they have not always been written in consultation with the pupils and are sometimes expressed in adult language. Behaviour is generally good in lessons but where teachers do not supervise pupils, pupils’ behaviour is found to deteriorate, especially at lunch-time. During circle time pupils’ awareness of what is right and wrong is consolidated and they have opportunities to be made aware of their effect on others.

p.19

PUPILS?

41. The pupils’ social development is generally promoted well. Adults encourage pupils to work collaboratively in lessons and to share resources. Lessons in the computer suite, for example, frequently require pupils to work in pairs whilst sharing the keyboards. During these lessons pupils work amicably and often one pupil will help the other. There are a number of organisational tasks carried out by pupils that help them to develop a sense of social responsibility: these include library duties, older pupils leading the younger into assemblies and the monitoring of classroom temperatures for their energy awareness programme. This programme has enabled the school to save a large amount of money by closely monitoring the school heating. The newly organised school council will enable further opportunities for pupils to develop their social awareness. The school gives the pupils opportunities to further develop social skills through the many

p.19

PUPILS?

visits pupils make, including residential visits where the pupils are encouraged to work and live together in a very different locality. The school is active in promoting a sense of community and social awareness, as the school and pupils work hard to include all in their work and play.

p.19

PUPILS?

42. The provision for cultural development is satisfactory but the school has not addressed the weakness in planned opportunities for multicultural awareness raised in the previous report. Activities that include the immediate environment, such as orienteering in Sutton Courtney, the hands-on workshop in the Ashmolean Museum and the school theatre visit to the Watermill Theatre in Newbury, help to promote an awareness of the pupils’ local culture. Opportunities to develop multicultural awareness need attention. Art and design, history, geography and religious education offer some opportunities for pupils to extend their multicultural awareness but the school needs to give more thought to the task and provide more multicultural artefacts in order to extend these opportunities.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

St Michael’s C of E Primary School 20 43. The school has very good procedures for ensuring the welfare of its pupils. This is a strength of the school. The school looks after its pupils in a secure and caring atmosphere, which contributes substantially towards the success of the pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. The school has very good procedures for child protection. The headteacher is the named and trained child protection person. One other teacher is also trained. The local educational authority reviews all relevant training annually. Every teacher and support assistant is well briefed by the headteacher and has her own personal copy of the school’s up-to-date written policy. Lunch-time staff are also made aware of relevant responsibilities. Newly joined teachers devote part of their induction training to child protection procedures. The school maintains separate incident reports and has good liaison with social services. Confidential documentation is securely locked away.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. Health and safety procedures are thorough. The school’s trained health and safety person is the relevant governor. She has ensured that all risk assessments are up to date and that a relevant written policy is available. All fire-fighting, physical education and portable electrical equipment is ‘in date’ tested. Fire escape routes are accessible and well marked. Fire exercises are held regularly and recorded. The school has efficient and caring procedures for recording and reporting accidents and administering medicines. Four staff are trained first aid persons. However, there is insufficient support for pupils at lunch and break-times. Very good use is made of outside professional help: the school nurse, educational psychologist, various therapists and special educational needs outreach personnel. The local police visit regularly and lead sessions on drug and alcohol abuse, cycling proficiency and road safety. The school has an up-to-date

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are very good. Computerised registration lists are marked both morning and afternoon and returned to the office for checking and safekeeping. All parents are made well aware of their responsibilities. If a child is unexpectedly absent, the school secretary tries to contact parents by 09.30. The school has a very secure lateness routine and very good liaison with the education welfare officer.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. The procedures for promoting good behaviour and eliminating that of an oppressive nature are both satisfactory. The school’s written behaviour policy contains realistic rewards and sanctions, of which most of the children are well aware. There are also school rules and separate class rules. Where poor behaviour warrants it, individual pastoral plans are produced and parents become involved. On the other hand, the children covet stickers and the headteacher’s gold award. However, although these total processes appear to be very good, they have little impact on those times when pupils are not sufficiently supervised.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. The pupils are encouraged in assemblies, circle time and discreet personal and social education lessons to have the confidence to recognise and report bullying and most of them do this. In extreme cases parents are involved and a specific pastoral plan is agreed. All staff are well trained to recognise symptoms of bullying and to follow these up.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. Procedures for promoting personal development are good. Many aspects are dealt with within PSHE lessons and clear messages related to values such as honesty, perseverance and care are evident at assemblies. This aspect is also closely linked to the school’s successful spiritual, moral, social and cultural provision. Some good examples were seen during the visit, such as the clear and unambiguous messages St Michael’s C of E Primary School 21 fed back to pupils by the school council and also moral issues discussed in religious education.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. The school has effective measures for assessing pupils’ attainment and tracking their progress in English and mathematics. National tests are carried out at the end of Years 2 and 6 and National Curriculum optional tests are carried out in Years 3, 4 and 5. These assessments are used effectively to project pupils’ likely achievement in terms of National Curriculum levels in future tests. Results and predictions are recorded on a detailed tracking system that enables staff to monitor pupils’ progress. These data are also used to set overall targets for the school. In science, assessment procedures are satisfactory. The school’s system of end of unit assessment enables teachers to monitor pupils’ progress satisfactorily. However, the use of this data to track and predict pupils’ future performance is at an early stage of development. In other subjects, the school uses the local education authority’s record system for noting the achievements

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

of the pupils. This provides information on standards of attainment at the end of each year but does not provide teachers with a useful picture of pupils’ ongoing progress.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. The school makes good use of assessment data in English and mathematics. There is effective analysis of pupils’ performance in tests. The results have been analysed to identify strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ learning. Pupils’ responses in tests are analysed and weaknesses identified, enabling the school to adjust teaching plans accordingly. The headteacher makes effective use of the data to evaluate the gains that pupils make in test results over time. In English, mathematics and science, the school makes effective use of assessment information to plan activities to meet the abilities and needs of all pupils and to inform future planning. For example, teachers often assess progress towards achieving the lesson objectives during oral sessions and use this information effectively in planning further lessons. However, assessment practices in ICT need to improve in order to ensure pupils are given activities that build on

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

previously learned skills and will also challenge them.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

52. Individual learning targets are set for pupils in English and mathematics but these are often too general and not linked to the next National Curriculum levels. Generally, teachers’ ongoing assessments are not shared sufficiently with pupils in such a way that they know how to improve. There are too few occasions when pupils know what they have achieved and how to improve. For example, the marking of work is seldom developmental. Pupils are not given sufficient opportunities to assess and record their own achievements.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

53. Assessment procedures are well established for children in the Foundation Stage. Appropriate assessments in line with the local education authority’s procedures are undertaken when pupils enter the school. Information from these assessments is used to evaluate standards on entry and as a baseline to measure future progress towards the expected outcomes at the end of the first year in school. The teacher keeps clear, detailed records of the children’s progress and uses the information gained to plan next steps in their learning.

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

54. Assessment and support for pupils with special educational needs is good. The school has improved its strategy for early intervention. Analysis of assessment on entry and efficient communication with the local playgroup ensure early identification of difficulties. Teachers use assessments well and ensure that, especially in literacy and numeracy, work is matched to pupils’ abilities. The school has a caring ethos that values every pupil. It provides security for pupils who experience learning difficulties. In addition, the procedures for assessing their needs, reviewing their individual education plans and providing realistic targets are good. The school has good relations with external support St Michael’s C of E Primary School 22 staff, including the county’s Language and Speech Unit and speech therapist. A regular visitor is an Outreach Teacher from the local special school, who supports both

p.21

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

teachers and classroom assistants. More work should now be carried out to increase the involvement of pupils in their own target setting and expressing their own views about problems and progress.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

55. The majority of parents believe that St Michael’s is a good school. In particular, parents said that: their child likes the school, the behaviour is good, the school has high expectations of the children and helps them to become mature and responsible and their child is making good progress. They also think that the school is well led and managed and the teaching is good. A very high percentage maintained that they were comfortable with taking a problem or question to the staff, knowing that it would be dealt with efficiently. A slightly smaller number of parents believe that they are well informed about progress and a significant minority do not believe that their children receive the right amount of homework, or that the school provides a sufficient range of activities outside of lessons. Whilst the inspection can agree with the positive comments, although having some reservations on good behaviour in all situations, it cannot concur

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

with the two adverse views. The use of homework is satisfactory and the range of extra- curricular activities is good. In addition, it is considered that parents do receive at least good information on their child’s progress.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56. The overall information that parents receive from the school is very good. Each parent receives a copy of the school prospectus and the annual governors’ report. Whilst the former complies with all current statutory requirements, the last governors’ report has minor omissions, of which the school is now aware. Parents also receive good annual pupil reports, which are individualised, state what their child can do and also set clear targets within the three core subjects. There is an annual meeting to discuss this report with teachers and parental consultations every term. Regular and informative newsletters are sent to parents every fortnight and the school displays a white board, outside the building, containing current information of interest. All parents have signed home-school agreements, although the current one does not contain the up-to-date homework policy that is in the school prospectus. Most parents do consider the home-

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

school diaries to be useful and valid as they are a convenient way for parents to keep in contact with the school. Another, well appreciated initiative is the curriculum outlines, which are sent regularly to parents from all classes. Curriculum workshops have been held and appreciated, for numeracy, literacy and ICT.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

57. Parents contribute well to their children’s learning. The school has a strong nucleus of parents who come in and help with reading, art and computer skills. Others willingly arrange sports events, help with extra-curricular activities and visits out of school. Many parents also aid their children’s homework by providing books on projects and topics and taking their children on relevant trips and visits, such as places of interest or museums. The close contact with parents of pupils with learning difficulties is very beneficial; the school provides good advice for parents seeking to support their children. Class teachers and the headteacher as special needs co-ordinator maintain good parental contact, especially whenever a pupil’s individual education plan comes up for review.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

58. The impact of parents’ involvement on the work of the school is very good. The school is indebted to its very hard working parent teacher association, which, by arranging social and sponsored events, has provided considerable funds towards the pupils’ St Michael’s C of E Primary School 23 education. A range of additional equipment has been provided and well-appreciated work has also been done on the school gardens. Groups of parents arrange and run fairs and concerts at summer and Christmas times.

p.22

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

59. The school has very effective links with its parents and this is a strength. Such strong ties contribute a great deal towards the successful learning of their children. Links with parents have improved since the last inspection.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The leadership and management of the school have improved overall since the last inspection. The school is now well led and managed. The headteacher offers good leadership to the school community and she is well supported by enthusiastic and committed staff and by an effective governing body. Parents have full confidence in the headteacher and believe the school to be well managed. The headteacher provides the school with a very clear sense of direction: her vision, high expectations and professional insight give a positive sense of purpose to the life of the school. Her leadership has a strong impact on the educational work of the school and is a significant factor in promoting a good sense of teamwork and commitment to achieving high standards.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The school has clear aims and values, which are consistently reflected in its policies and practice. The enthusiasm and hard work of the teaching and support staff, supported by parents and governors, create a good climate for learning. This positive ethos is also reflected in the good relationships between the school, the governors and the community and the commitment to inclusion and to the welfare of all pupils. All teachers work hard to provide and create positive expectations of pupils’ behaviour and self-esteem and to promote pupils’ personal, social and academic development.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. Given the limited number of teaching staff, there are appropriate levels of delegation and the management of the curriculum is satisfactory. The management of English, mathematics, science and ICT is effective. Co-ordinators for these subjects lead developments in their subjects well. However, some staff have responsibility for more than one subject area and measures to enable co-ordinators to make an effective contribution in all subjects are insufficiently developed. For example, ways of initiating improvements in subjects through effective action planning are not in place. Good procedures ensure the smooth running of the school. The quality of the work provided by the administrative staff contributes significantly to this. The management of provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and support for these pupils is well co- ordinated. The headteacher as co-ordinator provides clear leadership as she meets

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

regularly with classroom assistants, who have all undergone or are in the process of receiving specialist training in the support of pupils with special educational needs. These meetings consider pupils’ progress and help to identify further training needs. The co-ordinator maintains good working links with outside agencies ensuring that the best support is made available.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. Staffing levels are good and the school has sufficient suitably qualified teachers to teach the full curriculum. The school employs sufficient support staff, and teachers use them effectively. Learning support assistants make a useful contribution to pupils’ learning, especially of pupils with special educational needs. A teacher from a local special school, who visits the school on a regular basis, provides valuable additional support. The arrangements for the professional development of staff are good, based appropriately upon balancing individual needs with school priorities. Procedures for the St Michael’s C of E Primary School 24 appraisal of staff are good and the school has introduced the new performance management arrangements well. Induction arrangements for staff new to the school are very good.

p.23

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. Governors are effective in fulfilling their statutory duties. The governing body has developed a clear structure of committees with defined terms of reference. The experienced and knowledgeable chair of governors is a frequent visitor and voluntary helper in school. The rest of the governing body is committed to the effectiveness of its work. They are appropriately involved in the strategic planning through their input into the school development plan. There is a good understanding of the processes that underpin effective development planning and the development plan is a good working document that provides firm direction. Arrangements to monitor the progress of the plan, including the involvement of governors, are sound. Governors have a number of strategies for finding out about the work of the school, including visits to classes, reports from subject co-ordinators and a named governor linked to each key area of the curriculum.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. Management of the school’s finances is good. The school manages its budget prudently and makes efficient use of its financial resources. The school’s budget has a higher than recommended contingency figure, because it is forward-looking in its financial planning and has earmarked contingency funding for future expenditure on staffing and building works. The process for determining the school’s educational priorities is good, with effective teamwork assisting the decision making process. Governors have a good understanding of the principles of best value and are appropriately involved in monitoring expenditure. They test and question the best value principles, applying these to the school’s expenditure and checking that the spending supports the school’s educational priorities. However, proposals in the school development plan have not been not fully costed, which makes it difficult for the governing body to evaluate the cost-effectiveness

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

of its decisions. The high standard of financial control reported at the last inspection has been maintained. The quality of day-to-day school administration and financial control is good. Specific grants are used effectively for their dedicated purpose. Together, parents, governors and staff raise considerable sums of money to help improve the school environment and keep it well resourced and equipped. Expenditure per pupil is high by national comparisons but nevertheless the school gives satisfactory value for money.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. The school has a number of effective procedures to monitor its work. Procedures for monitoring and evaluating the performance of teachers are good, including a programme of formal classroom observations. These arrangements are thorough, positive and developmental. The headteacher observes all staff on a regular basis and provides appropriate feedback. Co-ordinators in the core subjects regularly monitor teachers’ planning, observe classroom practice, analyse test results and monitor pupils’ progress. However, there are too few monitoring opportunities for co-ordinators in other subjects to enable them to have an effective overview. The school’s analysis of performance data is soundly used. Staff are becoming more involved in discussing and analysing assessment data and using this information to set targets for pupils in English and mathematics. However, the informal nature of development planning in most

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

subjects does not enable the school to give sufficient consideration to ways of evaluating the success or otherwise of its actions.

p.24

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. The original school dates from 1864 and is therefore an old building that has been quite well adapted. It has retained much of its historic character. However, the accommodation it provides is still unsatisfactory for meeting today’s curriculum. The headteacher realises this and plans are in line for several improvements. Whilst the new play area is good, the hall is entirely unsuitable as it severely restricts the full St Michael’s C of E Primary School 25 physical education curriculum and is inadequate for use as a dining hall. The area for foundation pupils is good. It is secure and suitable as a learning area. The school does not have a suitable library. At present, it is very small and positioned in the foyer, making concentration difficult. The computer room is well equipped within the old bell tower room. Although there is occasional flooding of the pleasant and sizeable sports field, it is

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

extensively used. The exterior swimming pool is in satisfactory condition but can be used only during the summer months.

p.25

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. The school has at least satisfactory resources in all subjects except in design and technology where they are unsatisfactory. In English, mathematics and science, resources are good and well used. Computers are sufficient and modern but the school needs to acquire additional software and equipment to ensure all aspects of the ICT curriculum are met. The library is well stocked with non-fiction books and there is a new initiative to improve the fiction stock. Each class has its own sizeable stocks of fiction and these are well used by the pupils. The school has a range of sturdy outside play equipment. It also utilises the local environment well, for example, the local stream, fields and woodlands. St Michael’s C of E Primary School 26

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Raise standards in design and technology by: • developing a scheme of work that enables pupils to build on previously learned skills; • providing opportunities for pupils to plan their activities, communicate what they need to do and evaluate what they have done; • considering the adoption of planning and evaluation templates to support pupils’ learning; • developing procedures for assessing and recording pupils’ progress. (paragraphs 32,106,107,108,109 )

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Continue the good efforts to raise pupils’ achievements in ICT by: • increasing opportunities to use spreadsheets in Years 5 and 6; • extending pupils’ knowledge and understanding of control technology; • increasing the availability of desktop publishing software to extend studies beyond word processing; • developing procedures for assessing and recording pupils’ progress. (paragraphs 31,51,92,121,122)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Put in place measures to improve pupils’ behaviour at lunch-times and around the school. (paragraphs 11,47 )

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) Promote more effectively pupils’ involvement in their own learning by: • ensuring that teachers’ marking gives guidance to pupils on how they can improve their work; • sharing the learning objectives of lessons more consistently; • developing the practice of setting individual learning targets by linking them to the next National Curriculum level; • involving pupils in assessing their own learning. (paragraphs 28,52,84,92,93,99,100)

p.26

OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

• Improve the presentation of pupils’ work. (paragraphs 83,99) • Improve the effectiveness of the oral start of mathematics lessons in developing pupils’ mental arithmetic. (paragraph 91) • Increase opportunities for pupils to extend their multicultural awareness. (paragraph 42) • Increase opportunities to use large physical education equipment for reception children. (paragraph 76) • Devise classroom rules appropriate to the children’s age and stage of development in class 1. (paragraph 72) • Increase opportunities for extended writing in science by reducing the use of worksheets. (paragraph 99) • Consider the use of exercise books for science and humanities in Key Stage 1. (paragraphs 99,116) • Require subject co-ordinators to provide action plans for the development of their subjects. (paragraphs 62,109,127,133,139) St Michael’s C of E Primary School 27

p.26

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 26

p.27

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.27

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 two percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 131

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 5

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 9

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 4

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Michael’s C of E Primary School 28

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 11 11 22

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys 8 8 8 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 10 10 11

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

Percentage of pupils School 82 (100) 82 (100) 86 (94) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 84) 91 (90)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 8 8 8 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 10 11 11

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

Percentage of pupils School 82 (100) 86 (100) 86 100) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

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

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

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 7 5 12

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 7 6 7 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 5 5 5

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (67) 92 (83) 100 (92) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys 7 6 7 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 5 5 5

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (67) 92 (58) 100 (75) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79) St Michael’s C of E Primary School 29 Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

White – any other White background 1 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Mixed – any other mixed background 1 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British - Pakistani 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 6.2 Financial year 2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 330314

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3.5 Total expenditure 350106

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 100 Expenditure per pupil 2801 St Michael’s C of E Primary School 30

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 2.0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 1.5

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Recruitment of teachers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 51 43 1 0 5

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 46 51 1 0 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 25 46 19 2 7

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 41 46 7 0 5

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 71 29 0 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 61 37 0 0 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 43 48 5 0 5

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 57 40 1 0 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 60 36 2 0 2 St Michael’s C of E Primary School 31 The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 42 34 16 1 7

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

69. Children are admitted to the school in the year in which they are five, starting part-time and increasing to full-time attendance within the first week. They join Year 1 pupils in a mixed reception/Year 1 class. Many of the children have already attended the local playgroup and there is good liaison between the playgroup and the school. The class teacher visits the playgroup (which is on the same site as the school) and, as children approach their entry date, they make visits to the school. This partnership ensures that both settings are working together towards the Early Learning Goals and has a positive effect on standards at entry to school.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

70. Generally, children start with a wide range of prior attainment, although most children are soundly equipped to begin full-time education. Levels of attainment of the current year’s intake, although broad, are in line with those typically found nationally. Standards on entry in each of the six areas of the curriculum are generally in line with expectations for this age group. The results of the local education authority’s assessments show considerable variation in overall standards of attainment on entry and they vary from year to year.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

71. The school has maintained the good quality provision for Foundation Stage children since the last inspection. This provision is a strength of the school and children receive a good start to their school life. A good, well-balanced curriculum carefully linked to the stepping-stones and Early Learning Goals in each of the six areas of learning ensures that pupils make good progress. By the end of the reception year, most will reach the nationally expected standard in five of the six recommended areas of learning. Opportunities to use large physical education equipment are limited and until resources are improved, it is possible that children may not achieve the Early Learning Goals for this area of the curriculum. The partnership between teaching and support staff and the effect this has on the pupils’ attitudes to learning are a strength of the school. Teaching is always good or better and this ensures good provision for these children. Good

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

teaching in group work with the reception children ensures that they receive good individual attention. The relationship between the adults and children promotes learning well. Information from assessments that take place early in the first term is used to evaluate standards on entry and to ensure progress towards the Early Learning Goals. Clear detailed records of the children’s progress are kept.

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Personal, social and emotional development

72. Children make good progress in their personal, social and emotional development, an area which is well developed, and they are likely to achieve, or even exceed, the Early Learning Goals in this area of the curriculum. The strength lies in the good relationships between adults and children and the way the staff are able to cater for their individual specific needs. This makes the children feel important and valued. They work together in a friendly and supportive manner and show respect for each other, adults and visitors. Good teaching, and the example set by adults working with these children, St Michael’s C of E Primary School 32 ensures good development. School rules are displayed in the classroom but they have not been written in consultation with the children and are couched in adult language. This affects children’s ability to take responsibility for devising their own rules of behaviour. They sustain concentration when working and play well with others, sharing

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Personal, social and emotional development

and taking turns. Children respond well to adults. They are learning to follow instructions and to listen carefully to what they are told and they begin activities eagerly with enthusiasm. They take responsibility for a range of duties including taking the register back to the office and tidying up at the end of sessions. In physical education lessons, with some support, they are able to deal independently with their clothing.

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Communication, language and literacy

73. Children are making good progress and they are likely to achieve well in their communication, language and literacy skills by the time they complete their reception year. They are lively and articulate and eager to talk to adults and share their experiences. They take part in discussions and answer questions confidently using a good vocabulary. Through carefully chosen stories they are beginning to recognise an increasing number of words in familiar contexts and make basic links between sounds and letters. Paper, pens, pencils and crayons are supplied and children are encouraged to write freely. Children are starting to write their names on their work. There is good teaching in this curriculum area with targets well-matched to individual pupils’ prior levels of attainment. Staff pronounce words clearly, enabling children to hear the different sounds. Children enjoy listening to stories and readily share books with each

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Communication, language and literacy

other and adults. There is a broad range of easily-accessible books in the classroom. Talk is used to good effect by adults, showing that they value what all children have to say, and questioning is used well to extend learning.

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Mathematical development

74. The majority of children are likely to achieve this early learning goal and are already making good progress. Teaching is good and the school’s focus on developing mathematical skills extends effectively to the early years. Structured activities, together with good teaching, have a positive impact on standards. Sand and water, building bricks, computers and other resources are used well to promote learning. Children play activity games to reinforce counting skills and are becoming familiar with mathematical vocabulary. For example, they greatly enjoyed an activity where they compared sizes first of themselves and then with their teddy bears, using play dough to make ‘snakes’ shorter and longer than their bears. This enabled the children to progress well in their understanding and use of mathematical terms. They used comparative vocabulary well. Children are beginning to write numerals, and computer programs are used effectively

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

75. Children enter the school with a good understanding of the world around them. They are already developing knowledge of the pattern of the days of the week, months of the year and the seasons. Good use is made of the school’s extensive grounds and rural location to promote an appreciation of nature. Teaching is good. For example, in a very good lesson the school grounds were used effectively for children to identify what they could see, hear, touch and do at five different locations. They are developing a good understanding of the geography of the school and displays show ‘Barnaby Bear’ in different locations around the school. There are also plans of changes to the classroom layout which the children drew themselves. Pupils use construction apparatus with growing confidence. Computer skills are developing well with children learning to use St Michael’s C of E Primary School 33 programs independently and to control the mouse to ‘click and move’ items. Most of the

p.32

Knowledge and understanding of the world

children are likely to achieve the Early Learning Goals by the end of the reception year and very good quality teaching should result in overall standards being exceeded in some cases.

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Physical development

76. Children enter the school with appropriate standards of physical development. Teaching is satisfactory and children generally make suitable progress, particularly in their small muscle development. They handle pencils, brushes, scissors and glue tentatively at first, but are quickly becoming confident users with careful guidance by staff. The classroom is spacious and here, and in the hall, children are developing an awareness of space, themselves, and others, learning to move with confidence, safety and imagination. They have their own dedicated outdoor area, which can be used in most weathers, and has a range of small exercise equipment. The children use this with confidence. The school does not have sufficient space for large equipment and this limits children’s opportunities to improve their climbing and balancing skills. Until resources are improved, it is likely that children will not achieve all aspects of the Early

p.33

Physical development

Learning Goals for this area of the curriculum.

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Creative development

77. The majority of children enter school with satisfactory to good standards in their creative development, having already had the opportunity to experience a range of creative activities at home or in a playgroup. The stimulating environment at the school improves standards and children are likely to achieve the Early Learning Goals by the age of five. There are many opportunities for children’s self-expression through drawing and in the use of building bricks and construction equipment. In children’s attempts at portraits of bears, for example, results are recognisable with appropriate proportions and details such as ears, eyes and noses. Good teaching contributes well to development in this area. Teachers make a feature of displaying work to encourage pride, self-esteem and achievement and appreciation of each other’s efforts. Children use modelling materials to roll, pull and manipulate, being observed making play dough ‘snakes’. They play co-

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Creative development

operatively in the home corner house, ‘cooking’ meals and making telephone calls.

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ENGLISH

78. Standards at the end of Years 2 and 6 are above average. This is a good improvement since the last inspection.

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ENGLISH

79. Results in the national tests at the end of Year 2 in 2001 were average in reading and below the national average in writing. Results in both tests were well below the average for similar schools. The results for 2002 were much improved, reflecting improved teaching standards and better use of assessment to guide pupils’ progress. In reading, all pupils reached or exceeded the expected Level 2 and a high proportion of pupils achieved the higher Level 3. In writing, the proportion of pupils achieving expected levels was also significantly higher.

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ENGLISH

80. Results in the national tests in English at the end of Year 6 show a consistent upward trend over the last few years. Results at the end of Year 6 have risen at a better rate than the national trend of improvement over the last five years, particularly between 1999 and 2001. The results in the national tests at the end of Year 6 in 2001 were well above average in comparison to both national and similar schools’ averages. Results St Michael’s C of E Primary School 34 for 2002 show a fall from the very good results of the previous year but they were affected by a cohort of pupils who had achieved particularly poorly at the end of Year 2.

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ENGLISH

81. Throughout the school, standards in speaking and listening are good. Pupils listen attentively to their teachers and each other when working in groups. They make good progress in listening in classes where teachers are skilled in explaining things to them. For example, in Years 1 and 2 teachers speak clearly and reinforce instructions, ensuring that all children understand and participate. Constant emphasis on listening skills ensures that the majority of children progress well. By Year 6 most pupils speak clearly and confidently, contributing well to discussions and answering questions fully. Higher-attaining pupils are articulate, able to sustain discussions and have the assurance to summarise and put forward their own opinions and discuss the results of their research.

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ENGLISH

82. Standards in reading are good. By the end of Year 2 many pupils can use a range of skills to decode unfamiliar words. Higher-attaining readers read with fluency and expression, conveying the full meaning of the text. For example, a pupil in Year 2 could read an unfamiliar text fluently and was able to discuss at length the contents of her bookshelf at home: ‘I’ve got hundreds of books, a whole shelf full’. A few are still working hard to learn the basic connections between sounds and letters but all children listened to could read independently and with a degree of fluency. The majority of pupils in Year 6 are competent, independent readers and read aloud fluently with good expression. They have preferences for particular authors and can place fiction books into different categories. Higher-attaining readers are beginning to discuss the interaction between plot and characters and can predict how the story will develop.

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ENGLISH

Opportunities to read regularly are a feature of the timetable and all children show enthusiasm for these sessions. They are supported by an extensive range of books in the classroom.

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ENGLISH

83. Pupils’ progress in writing across the school shows a marked improvement due to a recent focus by the school and standards are much improved since the last inspection and are now just above average. There is some good quality work produced in both infant and junior classes. Work on display illustrates good attempts at creative writing. For example, in Year 2 pupils wrote competently about the visit of a tawny owl, describing well how the owl had to turn its head to look in different directions. A collection of written work on ‘Stones’, including examples of acrostics, shows that pupils’ creative writing is well developed. Pupils in their early years in the school are making good progress in their writing through regular practice such as labelling drawings and recording news. As they progress through the school pupils are encouraged to attempt different forms of writing such as reporting, and making

p.34

ENGLISH

brochures and books. In Year 6, pupils produce examples of journalistic writing, practising editing and improving their text. Some high-quality pieces of work were produced. There is good use of writing in subjects other than English. Information and communication technology supports developing literacy skills well and in some samples of work it was clear that the use of computers had raised standards in many children’s work. However, the general standard of presentation, particularly in the upper school, is unsatisfactory.

p.34

ENGLISH

84. Teaching is never less than satisfactory and is frequently good or very good. Teaching and learning are good overall in the infant classes where there are particularly strong features and satisfactory in the junior classes. Where the teaching is particularly strong, work is well matched to the range of learning needs in the class. Teachers in all classes choose texts well to interest pupils and provide a good balance of activities to develop speaking and writing skills. For example, in a very good Year 2 lesson, pupils gained St Michael’s C of E Primary School 35 much enjoyment from the book ‘Mog and the vee ee tee’ and, having retold the story in their own words, were writing their own pet stories. Teachers sustain a good pace of work and pupils receive careful guidance through marking of their work in the lower school. In Year 6 pupils have regular extended writing sessions where thoughtful input

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ENGLISH

by teachers ensures that their creative writing skills are satisfactorily promoted. Pupils who are confident readers are given good opportunities to enrich their reading with dedicated ‘quiet reading’ sessions and adults guide their choice of books effectively. The enthusiasm of most teachers inspires pupils’ interest and involvement and commitment to good quality work. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress, because work is appropriately matched to their learning needs and teachers make good use of learning support assistants to give additional help during lessons. However, in many cases in the upper school, marking is neither informative nor developmental.

p.35

ENGLISH

85. The provision for English throughout the school is good overall and has improved since the last inspection. Co-ordination of the subject is generally good and the school is implementing the National Literacy Strategy well. Although appointed relatively recently, the co-ordinator has already come to grips with management of the subject and is receiving good support from the headteacher. Test results are carefully analysed and pupils’ progress is tracked and recorded. The monitoring of standards is enabling the school to provide a consistently good standard of teaching and learning for all its pupils, including higher attaining pupils. Across the school work in subjects other than English contributes satisfactorily to the development of literacy skills. There are examples of the good use of computers to assist literacy throughout the school. The school has built up a good collection of resources for English, with a broad collection of reading schemes,

p.35

MATHEMATICS

86. Standards are above average at the end of Years 2 and 6. This is an improvement at both key stages since the last inspection.

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MATHEMATICS

87. Results in the national tests at the end of Year 2 in 2001 were below the national average and well below the average for similar schools. The results for 2002 were much higher, with all pupils reaching or exceeding the expected Level 2 and a high proportion of pupils achieving the higher Level 3.

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MATHEMATICS

88. Results at the end of Year 6 have risen at a better rate than the national trend of improvement over the last five years and have risen sharply since 1999. The results in the national tests at the end of Year 6 in 2001 were very high in comparison to both national and similar schools’ averages. Results for 2002 show a fall from the very good results of the previous year.

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MATHEMATICS

89. The analysis of the pupils’ work shows that standards in numeracy at the end of Years 2 and Year 6 in the last academic year were above average. By the end of Year 2 pupils’ understanding of number concepts is good and most pupils reach expected levels in their written number skills. Pupils can order and sequence numbers to 100, know what each digit represents in two-digit numbers and do simple addition and subtraction with numbers to 100. Most are beginning to understand multiplication. Higher attaining pupils are confident with numbers to 1000. The work observed in the current Year 2 on solving simple subtraction problems and seen in their books is indicative that overall standards are likely to be above average by the end of the academic year. At the end of Year 6 pupils have a secure understanding of place value and can undertake work in the four rules of number, including long multiplication and division. They understand percentages

p.35

MATHEMATICS

St Michael’s C of E Primary School 36 and recognise their fractional and decimal equivalents. Standards of work in the current Year 6 class, using calculators to solve money problems, are broadly similar to those typically found for this age. The activities for the higher attaining pupils’ work are challenging. Pupils’ ability to explain the strategies they use is good. Their mental arithmetic skills and abilities to use and apply what they have learnt in different contexts are sound.

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MATHEMATICS

90. Standards in areas of shape and measures are above average. Pupils’ knowledge of the properties of shape and measurement is good. Pupils have a sound knowledge of the names and properties of two-dimensional shapes and know many of the different units of measure. Pupils in a mixed Year 3/4 class have a good knowledge of the properties of a range of quadrilaterals and polygons and have progressed to converting from one unit of measure to another. Year 6 pupils work with coordinates in the four quadrants. Standards in data handling are sound but could be higher. Pupils record and interpret data represented on a range of graphs and have a basic understanding of the concept of probability.

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MATHEMATICS

91. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Lessons are always at least satisfactory and sometimes better. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and understanding of the National Numeracy Strategy. Planning is generally good. The weekly planning structure provides appropriate learning activities over a sequence of lessons. Individual lessons are well prepared and follow the structure suggested in the numeracy strategy. Lesson planning clearly identifies the learning intentions and specifies activities appropriate to different levels of attainment within the class. However, teachers do not consistently share the objectives for the lesson so that pupils know what they will be expected to do and learn. Good lessons start with a brisk whole-class session on developing pupils’ mental arithmetic skills and end with an assessment of whether the objectives of the lesson have been met. The opening part of lessons is not used effectively to develop

p.36

MATHEMATICS

pupils’ mental arithmetic in all lessons.

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MATHEMATICS

92. A good feature of teaching is the use made by teachers of their assessments of what pupils have achieved when planning the next steps in pupils’ learning. Teachers have a good understanding of pupils’ different learning needs and plan appropriately work based on their prior learning. The work is suitably matched to pupils’ capabilities, enabling them to make appropriate gains in their learning. Teachers make good use of learning support assistants to give additional help to pupils with special educational needs so they make good progress. Some special educational needs pupils receive effective one-to-one support. Teachers cater appropriately for the needs of higher attaining pupils, but do not always ensure that they ask them more challenging questions during whole class sessions. Teachers’ questioning is generally effective. There is a high proportion of direct teaching with clear explanations, instructions and

p.36

MATHEMATICS

demonstrations. This helps most pupils to make satisfactory gains in developing their understanding. Teachers promote satisfactorily the use of mathematical vocabulary and provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to explain the strategies used. Teachers make satisfactory use of ICT to support the teaching of basic number work. However, although there are some examples of pupils using ICT to produce graphs in geography and science, data handling is not supported well. Pupils have insufficient opportunities to use spreadsheet and programs. Although teachers mark pupils’ work regularly, they do not make sufficient comments to help pupils further. Teachers use displays effectively to promote pupils’ understanding. 93. The subject is soundly managed. The co-ordinator offers clear leadership and has a sound overview of standards and provision through effective analysis of pupils’ performance in tests. Pupils’ responses in tests are analysed and weaknesses

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MATHEMATICS

identified, enabling the school to adjust teaching plans accordingly. There is a regular St Michael’s C of E Primary School 37 programme of monitoring of teachers’ planning, pupils’ work and class observations. Development planning is weak. The curriculum is satisfactory but there is insufficient emphasis on progressive development of data-handling skills. Assessment procedures are good. The school has effective measures for assessing pupils’ attainment and tracking their progress. However, the use of assessment information to set individual learning targets for pupils is not yet well established.

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SCIENCE

94. Standards at the end of Year 2 are in line with those typically found nationally. This is a satisfactory improvement on the findings in the previous report. Standards at the end of Year 6 are above average. This represents a good improvement since the last inspection. The school’s shift in focus towards an investigational approach to the curriculum is raising pupils’ motivation, interest and progress.

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SCIENCE

95. In 2001, the results of teacher assessments at the end of Year 2 showed that the proportion of seven-year-old pupils achieving Level 2 was below the national average, while the proportion achieving the higher Level 3 was above the national average. The present cohort of Year 2 pupils has made a good start and, if progress is maintained, standards of attainment should improve. The quality of teaching and the increased emphasis within the school on investigative science activities contribute to this trend.

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SCIENCE

96. Results in national tests at the end of Year 6 fluctuate but in general the trend over the past five years has been one of steady improvement. There was a sharp rise in the 2001 results following a dip in 2000. Results in 2001 were well above average with a 100 per cent success rate at Level 4. Results in 2002 were lower than inthe previous year with nearly three quarters of eleven-year-olds reaching Level 4 and almost a third reaching Level 5. Current standards are higher than last year. The emphasis on practical activities and science investigations has helped to extend pupils’ knowledge of scientific processes and enabled them to make predictions and draw conclusions. Pupils use their scientific knowledge well to explain observed processes during their practical activities.

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SCIENCE

97. By the time they are seven years old, pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of scientific terms. They can categorise types of forces into pushes and pulls and can list a number of materials that can be changed using different forces. They can sketch a simple circuit accurately and know the requirements to light a bulb. They are developing their skills in drawing diagrams and are beginning to add appropriate labels. They can list the necessary commodities that keep humans and animals alive and describe clearly how a chicken’s egg hatched and how loud the chick was. They can list things that are alive and things that have never been alive. The introduction of a school investigation ‘planning house’ enables teachers to explain clearly the necessary processes for carrying out a science investigation. This is used in both Year 1 and Year 2. The Year 1 pupils investigate how the steepness of a ramp affects the distance a little car can travel

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SCIENCE

when let down the ramp. They measure the distance accurately using lolly sticks and enter their findings into a table and then several use ICT facilities to chart their findings and demonstrate the connection between the height of the ramp and the distance covered. The majority of pupils can make the connection. Year 2 pupils investigate the possible connection between how long their legs are and how far they can jump. Again the ‘planning house’ enables important aspects of the investigation to be highlighted. Pupils understand the importance of keeping the test fair and can talk about why keeping it fair is important. They make accurate measurements and can think up a St Michael’s C of E Primary School 38 number of reasons why the connection between the two is inconclusive, including their varying weights and how strong their legs are.

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SCIENCE

98. Pupils in the Year 4/5 class investigate the connection between exercise and heart rate. They follow the staged parts of their investigation from the teacher’s ‘planning house’ and know clearly what factors make their investigation fair. Year 6 pupils have carried out a number of investigations. There are good opportunities for pupils to use their knowledge and understanding when reaching conclusions and teachers expect their pupils to offer appropriate explanations. For example, in an investigation on evaporation, pupils initially thought that a damp cloth would dry more quickly in a sunny area. However, when it dried more quickly in a shaded area, they offered sensible reasons, for example “Perhaps it was more windy in the shaded area which meant the material dried more quickly.”. Pupils make good use of ICT: in an investigation on thermal insulation, temperature probes connected to a computer enabled cooling graphs to be

p.38

SCIENCE

drawn, illustrating that wool was a better insulator that metal foil. The emphasis on investigations promotes pupils’ good observational skills, their motivation to make sensible predictions and their abilities to draw increasingly accurate conclusions.

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SCIENCE

99. The teaching of science is good. The adoption of a whole school investigation planning system gives teachers firm guidelines from which to plan and reassures pupils of the common features of all investigations. These activities bring science alive and help to motivate pupils. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding of science is good and their questioning helps to extend pupils’ knowledge and widen their understanding. The effective planning by teachers and good use made of classroom assistants enables pupils with special educational needs to make good progress. The quality of marking of work is unsatisfactory. Teachers need to provide more developmental comments to bring their pupils’ understanding on further. The quality of presentation is poor, especially in Year 6. Teachers should demand a higher standard of handwriting and layout in all written work and especially for diagrams and labelling. There is sometimes

p.38

SCIENCE

overuse of worksheets, and this can limit opportunities for extended writing. Pupils’ work in Years 1 and 2 might benefit from being recorded in exercise books.

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SCIENCE

100. The management of science is good. The curriculum is enhanced through visits to places such as Sutton Courtney Study Centre and a local farm and there are some additional science lessons for a small group of higher attaining pupils in Year 6. Ongoing projects such as the energy conservation scheme and the egg incubator help to raise pupils’ awareness of the science around them, whilst also developing their observational skills and broadening their understanding. Assessment arrangements are satisfactory. The school uses end of unit assessments devised by the local education authority system. This enables teachers to monitor progress. However, the use of this data to track and predict pupils’ performance is at an early stage of development.

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ART AND DESIGN

101. Standards by the end of Years 2 and 6 are average and pupils make satisfactory progress. These findings are similar to those at the last inspection.

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ART AND DESIGN

102. No lessons, apart from some work with a small group of Reception and Year 1 children, were observed. Judgements on standards are based on analysis of work and of displays throughout the school. This analysis shows that the quality of work in Year 6 already shows improvement on last year’s work and, if maintained, should result in an overall improvement in standards by the time the pupils leave the school. Few examples of work in Year 2 were seen as most is displayed and then taken home. St Michael’s C of E Primary School 39 103. In the reception/Year 1 class, a group of pupils use wax crayons to draw portraits of their teddy bears. Work is of an acceptable standard with proportions generally good and features such as eyes and mouths placed correctly. In Year 2, plans show that pupils draw self-portraits and then compare their efforts to artists’ portraits of children. In the Years 3/4 class pupils study portraiture in more detail, including the work of Hans

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ART AND DESIGN

Holbein and his contemporaries, and there are good links with history and ICT, through the use of an art package, to draw portraits of Henry VIII. Examples seen were recognisable and of a satisfactory standard. In the Year 4/5 class, art work is linked to studies of the Saxons and Vikings. For example, in a history lesson children are fascinated to learn about illuminated manuscripts from a video about monastery life, and plan to make their own quills, mixing ink from soot, egg whites and honey. In Year 6, pupils study the work of modern artists such as Salvador Dali and Escher and projected activities include tessellation and a group montage. Designs for teapots in the style of Clarice Cliff in their art books include some good quality, original designs. This work had been extended to use computers to design teapots in the Cliff style. In general, work from the current year already shows an improvement on standards scrutinised in last

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ART AND DESIGN

104. Co-ordination of the subject is satisfactory. The indications are that the quality of teaching and learning appears to be sound overall and the curriculum is broad and balanced. The school sensibly uses national guidance as a basis for its scheme of work. There are some good links to other subjects and the scheme is generally cross- curricular and flexible. The school exhibits in the Oxfordshire Arts Exhibition each year. Other than a collection of photographs of displayed work, there is no assessment. It features in the school’s development plan but has not, as yet, been addressed. Resources for art and design are adequate throughout the school and collections on different themes are available on loan from the Oxford Art Resource.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

105. Standards are below those expected at the end of Years 2 and 6. There has been a decline in standards as the previous inspection found that standards were average.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

106. Evidence shows that in both key stages pupils carry out three projects a year, based on the nationally recommended guidance. There is an emphasis on the production of artefacts, and these are of a sound quality, generally in line with expectations. However, teachers do not give pupils sufficient opportunities to make progress in the development of their ideas, planning activities, communicating what they need to do and evaluating what they have done.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

107. Pupils make sound gains in their understanding and skills in the use of a variety of materials and joining techniques. Year 1 had made sock puppets, by sewing various materials and Year 2 used split pins and card to produce a moving picture. In the Year 3/4 class pupils produce attractively decorated mother’s day bags. Skills in the use of clay are developed by involving pupils in more demanding tasks. They also produced good quality Roman lamps that burn a night-light. These were decorated variously, using different stamping tools. Pupils in the Year 4/5 class are introduced to the technique of disassembly in order to see how things are made and design and construct musical instruments. Year 6 pupils design a box for a Christmas cake. Several of these designs were appropriately detailed. Although progress in the making of artefacts is satisfactory, not enough emphasis is given to the development of skills in

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

planning and evaluation. St Michael’s C of E Primary School 40 108. No judgement can be made on the overall quality of teaching because no lessons were observed during the inspection. However, teachers need to ensure that pupils have better opportunities to plan and evaluate their activities. The previous report suggested that greater use of ICT could be made in designing, planning and evaluations, but no evidence of this could be found. It would be beneficial if pupils were introduced to using staged illustrations in order to help them explain what they hope to do or what they have done. The adoption of planning and evaluation templates as have been used effectively in science investigations would help pupils focus on important aspects.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

109. The management of design and technology is unsatisfactory and provision has declined since the last inspection. The scheme of work does not offer pupils opportunities to build on previously learned skills. There is currently no effective action planning to address weaknesses in provision. There are no effective procedures for assessing attainment and progress.

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HUMANITIES: GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

110. By the end of Years 2 and 6, most pupils attain standards in geography and history that are in line with national expectations. These findings are similar to those at the last inspection.

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HUMANITIES: GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

111. Four history lessons were observed. However, due to the organisation of the overall timetable, only one geography lesson, with Reception/Year 1, was seen. Geography is often incorporated in topic work and judgements of the standards are therefore based on analysis of pupils’ work.

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HUMANITIES: GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

112. By Year 2, most pupils show an increasing awareness of their own locality. On walks around their local area, they can describe places of which they are proud and those that they believe should be improved. Traffic surveys alert them to the dangers of heavy traffic and provide good links with road safety. Simple geographic skills are promoted satisfactorily; for example, by labelling counties and major towns and cities on outline maps of the British Isles.

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HUMANITIES: GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

113. By the end of Year 6 pupils extend their knowledge of their locality in Steventon and Abingdon. They benefit from an annual field trip, which went last summer to the Wye Valley and the Forest of Dean. They produce detailed and sound accounts of what they studied, well illustrated with maps, drawings, and information obtained from the Internet. Most pupils understand how Britain’s geographical landscape is formed and how the landscape contributes to our lives through leisure and commerce. They build up their technical geography vocabulary well, for example, meanders, erosion and pollution. In general, care is taken with handwriting and diagrams are drawn neatly and labelled.

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HUMANITIES: GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

114. By the end of Year 2 pupils have experienced valuable oral history lessons. They welcomed visitors who brought a range of wartime and post-war toys. The pupils develop a good understanding of ‘now’ and ‘the past’ and prepare a list of perceptive questions for their visitors. There was much excitement and pleasure during the activity where pupils were permitted to handle the toys, showing a good understanding of the fragility of some and how precious they were to their owners. Work from last year shows that pupils complete a comprehensive range of work on the Great Fire of London and use computers to retrieve information and to prepare illustrations of the fire. They also compare the differences in fashion, customs and pastimes, when looking at seaside holidays one hundred years ago. They describe changes in time and, when St Michael’s C of E Primary School 41 reflecting on some elements, such as a ‘Punch and Judy’ show, understand some

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HUMANITIES: GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

things have not changed much. The school makes a good start in laying foundations for pupils to understand the passing of time. Most develop a good sense of chronology and begin to understand historical perspectives, especially through timelines, local studies and stories of famous people.

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HUMANITIES: GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

115. By the end of Year 6, most pupils attain satisfactory standards in history, and they make satisfactory progress. Most expertly use a range of source material to develop historical perspectives on, for example, Britain since 1945. Pupils use books, the Internet and the excellent range of photographs and logbooks preserved by the school, to inform their research about life in Britain since 1948. They have developed a good quality ‘museum’ supporting their work, which is displayed in the classroom and which has a wide range of artefacts, including toys and books. Standards in the written recall of historical facts are satisfactory but where pupils are required to produce reports of their findings, standards of work are much higher. These examples included work on Life in Ancient Greece, and in Ironbridge during the Industrial Revolution. In the Year 3/4 class, the pupils write descriptions of Henry VIII based on their own research and illustrate their

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HUMANITIES: GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

work. There are good examples of portraits of Henry, using an arts-based computer program. In the Year 4/5 class, pupils learn about the Anglo-Saxon invasion and good cross-curricular links have been made to religious education studies of Anglo-Saxon beliefs and the coming of Christianity.

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HUMANITIES: GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

116. Teaching in history is never less than satisfactory, and often better, with one excellent lesson seen. Teachers’ enthusiasm for the subject is evident in many cases and this has a beneficial effect on pupils’ learning. There is a suitable mix of direct teaching, successfully coupled with opportunities for children to research topics for themselves. In a very good geography lesson in Reception/Year 1, pupils visited different locations in the school grounds and made observations that adults helped them to record. These are recorded on a map and will link to previously completed mapping work inside the classroom. The lesson took place as part of an overall theme encouraging pupils to ask geographic questions, to observe and record, and make maps and plans. In an excellent lesson that combined oral input, drama and a good quality video, pupils’ knowledge was greatly enhanced and their interest fully engaged. Teachers generally

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HUMANITIES: GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

develop key skills of interpretation, enquiry and chronology suitably. There are examples of good cross-curricular links involving geography, religious education, information and communication technology and literacy, enabling most pupils, including those with special educational needs, to make satisfactory progress overall. Standards of presentation in Years 1 and 2 might benefit from their work being recorded in exercise books.

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HUMANITIES: GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

117. The co-ordinator for both subjects fulfils her role satisfactorily. Termly planning is successful in guaranteeing a suitable coverage of the National Curriculum and an interesting range of learning opportunities. Local trips are organised and the Steventon village is a useful source of historical buildings and sites. Procedures to record the progress pupils make are underdeveloped. Results of teacher assessments are included in end of year pupil records but ongoing progress is not sufficiently made or recorded. The school has a good selection of geography resources in classrooms including maps, atlases and aerial photographs and there is a satisfactory range of books in the library. History is generally well-resourced and topic boxes, for example on the Victorians and on World War II, have been developed. Good use is made of local museums, such as the Ashmolean in Oxford and the Oxford Museum, and of study

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HUMANITIES: GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

courses, such as those held at Reading University. St Michael’s C of E Primary School 42

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

118. Standards in ICT in both key stages are broadly in line with those typically found nationally. This is an improvement since the previous inspection where standards by the end of Year 2 were found to be below national expectations.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

119. As part of a science investigation, Year 1 pupils show a good level of confidence as they log onto their machines and load in a graph-plotting program. They enter the measurements that they had made earlier in their investigation and print out their graphs. By the age of seven, pupils can use word processing satisfactorily, use drawing and painting software to produce colourful illustrations for their written work and use a simple database to enter information and draw graphs to help interpret their findings.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

120. Pupils in the Year 3/4 class, as part of linked work in history and art, use ICT to produce portraits of Henry VIII. Results were effective as they were competent at changing the size of the brush tool, making accurate use of the geometric, spray and fill tools. They can both save and print out their portraits. In the Year 4/5 class, as part of their work in science, pupils use a database appropriately to collect information on shoe size, their change in heartbeat after exercise and the types of food they had eaten during the last five days. As well as printing out graphs, pupils can copy and paste these graphs into word-processed accounts of their investigations and can talk with confidence about how they carried this out. Information handling activities, using a branching database had also been used satisfactorily within the context of properties of materials in science and shape in mathematics. Year 6 pupils demonstrate their good knowledge of the school’s

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

email system when replying to emails from a school abroad. They use monitoring software in science where temperature probes are used to compare rates of cooling. The results from the school’s energy saving project are well presented using ICT.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

121. The teaching of ICT is generally good. Teachers are gaining in confidence through their increased understanding of computers as a teaching resource. Several lessons were observed where interactive white boards were being used. These enhanced the teaching process and enabled pupils to watch clearly and understand the use of particular software. In a mathematics lesson, for example, the interaction enabled pupils to see how a formula to calculate the perimeter of rectangles and squares could be built up. Using such resources gives the teachers improved opportunities to demonstrate and explain ICT processes. Pupils are then able to turn to their own computers and try out what they have just seen. This has a positive impact on the progress pupils make. Better use is now made of ICT to support literacy and numeracy across the curriculum; furthermore, teachers now plan for its use in most curriculum areas, resulting in pupils’

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

increased access to computer use. This has impacted on their progress in ICT skills, knowledge and understanding and pupils with special educational needs make good progress. However, the assessment of ICT requires increased rigour in order to ensure pupils are given activities that build on previously learned skills and also challenge them.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

122. Management is good. Effective action planning has ensured good improvement in provision for ICT since the last inspection. The school has worked hard at building ICT into the curriculum and this has had a positive impact on standards. The school has increased its resources, both through the setting up of the suite and undertaking the interactive white board scheme. Pupils now have regular access to ICT in the school’s new computer suite. The fifteen computers in the suite are not networked but all have access to the Internet. Teachers use the technology effectively and typically large groups of pupils use the suite. However, there are areas within the ICT provision that are not covered adequately and the school needs to ensure these are rectified: St Michael’s C of E Primary School 43 • availability of desktop publishing software to extend beyond word processing, such as the production of a newspaper;

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

• the use of a multimedia application which will introduce pupils to the facility of creating hyperlinks; • resources to extend their knowledge and understanding of control technology, such as a control box; • increased opportunities to use spreadsheets in Years 5 and 6.

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MUSIC

123. The school has maintained sound standards since the previous inspection and at the end of Years 2 and 6 pupils reach standards that are in line with national expectations.

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MUSIC

124. In Year 2 pupils are beginning to build up skills in recognising different rhythms. They are familiar with keeping to a steady pulse and can sound out the rhythm of their name. They copy other rhythms, using a variety of untuned percussion such as Chinese block, tambourine and sticks. They are beginning to get an idea of how to record these rhythms and understand that symbols closer together could illustrate a faster rhythm. They are beginning to sing with increased confidence and are able to comment on how their performance may be improved.

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MUSIC

125. The pupils in the Year 4/5 class use music from the ‘Lion King’ for both singing and musical accompaniment. They enjoyed singing and were confident and in tune. They can sing in two parts, follow complex rhythms and comment on and evaluate their performance. When untuned percussion was added pupils were able to accompany the singing accurately. In the song “Circle of Love”, pupils accompanied with recorders, glockenspiels, electronic keyboard and drums. Their performance was accomplished. Year 6 pupils as part of an appraisal exercise were comparing two Beatles songs. Pupils were able to compare styles, rhythms and mood. They could talk about why they preferred a particular tune: “it has a bouncy harmonica”, “it makes you want to dance”, “it is in a major key so is happy not sad”. Year 6 pupils have developed more sophisticated appreciation of rhythm and are able to improvise different rhythmic

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MUSIC

126. The quality of teaching and learning is at least satisfactory. During the inspection, only three lessons were observed, although there were other opportunities to judge standards, including pupils singing in assembly, appraising music and performing with instruments and untuned percussion . Teachers have secure subject knowledge and manage their pupils well. In lessons with a brisk pace and musical challenge the quality of learning is good. The school has adopted the nationally recommended scheme of work but teachers’ planning lacks sufficient detail. Teachers need to ensure they offer a regular balance of music appraisal, composition and performance. Teachers make very little use of ICT to enhance pupils’ learning.

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MUSIC

127. The management of music is satisfactory, although there is no action plan indicating how the school intends to develop the subject further. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual and social development. There are good opportunities for pupils to develop their musical skills and interest outside the classroom. Pupils attend a number of musical events in order to widen their musical experience. These include concerts in the Sheldonian Theatre and Oxford Town Hall and a visiting company called Bassitry Arts, offering a percussion and brass workshop. Teachers give generously of their time, as there are a number of recorder groups and a choir that practice regularly and perform out of school. Teachers help to maintain the school’s musical reputation St Michael’s C of E Primary School 44 through special occasions such as when the Goldcrest Trio, a recorder group, played in the Festival of Voices at Dorchester Abbey. Throughout the year there are a number of

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MUSIC

opportunities where the choir or instrumentalists perform out of school; these include the Youth Prom in the Albert Hall and the Abingdon Partnership Spring Concert. Assessment arrangements are unsatisfactory and there are no effective procedures to assess and record the progress that pupils make. The music room provides good opportunities for pupils to perform and compose but additional resources for the appraisal of music would help pupils to develop a wider understanding of historical and cultural contexts.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

128. Overall standards are in line with those typically found at the end of Years 2 and 6. These findings are similar to those at the last inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

129. Standards in gymnastics are satisfactory in Years 1 and 2. Year 1 pupils make satisfactory progress in developing their skills and performing simple actions with appropriate control and co-ordination. They show sound achievement in performing basic actions of balancing, stretching and travelling, using both the floor and small apparatus. They show a sound awareness of space. Pupils in Year 2 make good progress in developing their skills and performing simple actions with appropriate control and co-ordination. They show sound achievement in performing basic actions of balancing, stretching and travelling, using both the floor and small apparatus. They show a sound awareness of space when travelling and linking travelling movements to create a sequence. Their ability to perform short linked sequences with clear beginning, middle and end is satisfactory.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

130. Pupils’ games skills in hockey and netball are satisfactory in Years 5 and 6. They show appropriate ability to pass, dribble and stop a hockey ball. They can pass and receive in netball and can shoot. They know the rules of netball and in a games situation they can use their skills appropriately and show a sound awareness of defending and attacking through moving into spaces. In dance Year 6 pupils devise and perform movements in an imaginative way, demonstrating sound control and fluency in their performance.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

131. Standards in swimming are good. In Years 1 and 2 pupils use the school’s own learner pool and in Years 3 to 6 pupils have regular opportunities to swim at outside baths. By the end of Year 6 nearly all pupils can swim at least 25 metres and many exceed this distance.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

132. Teaching is satisfactory. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and appropriate awareness of health and safety issues. They are well organised, prepare lessons thoroughly and manage their pupils well. Pupils’ attitudes are good and they enjoy their lessons. In the best lessons, teachers give good verbal feedback to pupils and provide them with appropriate opportunities to observe and evaluate the work of others. In a good gymnastics lesson the teacher’s clear focus on developing skills and the positive response of pupils to prompts on improving the quality of their movements led to good learning. The teacher gave effective demonstrations of teaching points at appropriate places within the lesson, allowing sufficient time for pupils to practise and develop their skills and observe the efforts of others. However, not all teachers provide appropriate opportunities for pupils to demonstrate their efforts and for others to evaluate their

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

performances. In games, lessons build effectively upon pupils’ prior learning. There is appropriate emphasis on teaching basic skills and providing opportunities for pupils to practise these in small games situations St Michael’s C of E Primary School 45 133. The subject is soundly managed. The enthusiastic co-ordinator has a good understanding of the subject but should consider providing an appropriate action plan to indicate future developments. The curriculum is broad but the hall is too small for gymnastics for junior aged pupils. The school has a reasonable sized playing field and a hard area suitable for small games. Parents make an effective contribution to the teaching of games skills. There are no effective systems for assessing and recording pupils’ progress. The school participates in competitive games with other schools and there is a satisfactory range of extra-curricular activities.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

134. Standards achieved by pupils are in line with expectations of the locally agreed syllabus at the end of Years 2 and 6. These findings are similar to those at the time of the last inspection. Pupils have a good understanding of Christianity and a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of the beliefs and customs of other faith groups, in particular Judaism and Islam.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

135. Pupils in Year 2 know stories about special people in the Old Testament. They can recall key parts of the story of Jonah and know that the story also appears in the Torah. They have a sound understanding of why the story is important to the Jewish people. By the end of Year 2 pupils are beginning to have a clear understanding of the Jewish faith. For example, they know that there are special occasions and artefacts significant to the Jewish way of life.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

136. Pupils through Years 3 to 6 continue to develop their knowledge of the three faiths, Christianity, Islam and Judaism, and their understanding of their key distinctive features. They know that there is a range of festivals celebrated throughout the year in different religions. They understand the importance of signs and symbols and make appropriate comparisons between the religions. They have good understanding of the main events in the Christian calendar and their significance to Christians. They have a secure knowledge of stories and events in the Bible; for example, they have discussed the different accounts of the birth of Jesus in the Gospels. They have a sound knowledge of the Bible. In lessons, they express their personal feelings and can reflect upon and respond to Christian values and beliefs. For example, Year 6 pupils have a secure understanding of the Christian message and can relate the story of the Good Samaritan

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

to how charities support the teaching of Christ.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

137. The quality of teaching and learning is good and has improved since the last inspection. Lessons reflect the teachers’ good subject knowledge and make a good contribution to the spiritual and moral development of pupils. Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to reflect about their feelings. For example, in a lesson in Year 2 the teacher’s sensitive questioning encouraged pupils to reflect upon the story of Jonah and share their thoughts. Teachers have suitably high expectations that pupils will understand and succeed in developing their knowledge and understanding. Relationships are good and an atmosphere of respect is established that makes it easy for pupils to respond well, enabling pupils of all levels of ability to progress well. Pupils are being taught a deeper understanding of Christian beliefs and values and how they affect people’s lives.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

138. The subject makes a sound contribution to the development of pupils’ speaking and listening skills. Pupils with special educational needs contribute alongside their peers in discussions. However, a weakness in teaching is the lack of opportunity for pupils, particularly in Key Stage 2, to consolidate their learning through producing a range of St Michael’s C of E Primary School 46 written work to an appropriate standard. Teachers miss opportunities to develop pupils’ writing skills. Pupils’ written work is quite limited in breadth and presentation is unsatisfactory.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

139. Management of the subject is satisfactory. The subject is suitably planned to reflect the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus. The curriculum is enriched by visits to the local church but there are limited opportunities to visit other places of worship. However, pupils have opportunities to visit virtual places of worship through using a website. The school should consider providing an appropriate action plan to indicate future developments, including introducing suitable assessment procedures.

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