All Saints CofE Primary School

ALL SAINTS C.E. PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection:17 th – 19 th May 2004

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ALL SAINTS C.E. PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 All Saints C E Primary School - 2 Crown copyright 2004

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ALL SAINTS C.E. PRIMARY SCHOOL

This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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ALL SAINTS C.E. 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. All Saints C E Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Voluntary Aided Age range of pupils: 3 – 11 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 198

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Devon Street Farnworth Bolton Postcode: BL4 7PY

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01204 333083 Fax number: 01204 333085

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr A Meagan

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school is about the same size as most primary schools and has 198 boys and girls aged between three and 11. Children have a fairly wide range of attainment when they start school and overall their attainment is well below that usually found. The number of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds has increased in recent years. Currently, two thirds of all pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds. The largest groups are Asian British - Pakistani. Forty-four children have been identified to be from a home where English is not the mother tongue. There is an above average proportion of pupils with special needs. Of these, forty-three pupils have more complex needs, and this includes seven pupils who have a statement of special educational need. Pupils' needs relate to their learning, behavioural needs or visual impairment. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is above the national average. The socio-economic backgrounds are overall well below

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

average. Movement of pupils in and out of the school is slightly above that found in most schools but in some year groups it is well above average. There has been a high turnover in teaching staff in recent years. All Saints C E Primary School - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

20950 R W Burgess Lead inspector Information and communication technology Citizenship 9163 G Humphrey Lay inspector 32227 S Howard Team inspector English Geography History Special educational needs 32834 G Pinder Team inspector Science Art and design Design and technology 11608 A Dawson Team inspector Foundation Stage Mathematics Music Physical education English as an additional language

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Chase Russell Ltd Winnington Hall Winnington Northwich Cheshire CW8 4DU

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). All Saints C E Primary School - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 11

Teaching and learning The curriculum Care, guidance and support Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a good school . The leadership of the headteacher is very good. Pupils achieve well throughout the school, including pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language. Teaching is good, resulting in good learning in lessons. The school provides good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• The school endeavours to form a close and effective partnership with parents. • The school makes good provision for pupils’ personal development. • Provision for children in the nursery and reception classes is good. • Provision for pupils with learning difficulties is very good. • Improvements could be made in the use of assessment to track the achievement of different groups of pupils and individual pupils. • When teaching is only satisfactory, there is insufficient detailed planning for the lesson. • Skills are insufficiently developed in subjects other than English, mathematics and science.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

At the time of the last inspection in April 2002, the school was judged to have serious weaknesses. There has been a good improvement since then, effectively addressing all the issues raised. The school is no longer judged to have serious weaknesses. There is now a clear and comprehensive school improvement plan. Provision for the children in both the nursery and reception classes is now good. The provision for pupils with learning difficulties is now very good. The leadership by the headteacher is very good and has made a significant contribution to the improvements which have taken place in the school. The governance of the school is much improved and is now good overall.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 English E E D B Mathematics E* C D B Science E* E E C Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average, E* is the bottom 5% of schools Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Achievement is good. This is the case in each key stage. Pupils with learning difficulties and those for whom English is an additional language achieve well. The children currently in the Foundation Stage are achieving well because of good teaching. Standards in the nursery and reception classes are well below average overall. By Years 2 and 6, standards in speaking and listening are below average, in reading and in writing standards are average. Standards are average in mathematics, science and information and communication technology (ICT). The improvement in provision is reflected in the improved standards, particularly in Year 2. When levels of previous attainment are taken into account, the pupils throughout the school have improved greatly in recent years.

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Pupils’ personal development is good. The provision for their spiritual, moral, social and

cultural development is good. Attitudes and behaviour are good. Pupils behave well in class and most have positive attitudes to school. The staff have high expectations of the pupils' behaviour and teach the differences between right and wrong very well. The pupils like coming to school. They are All Saints C E Primary School - 7 punctual. Attendance is unsatisfactory. This is largely as a result of holidays being taken during term time

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided is good . Teaching and learning are good overall . The good quality teaching is resulting in good learning and improved standards throughout the school.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality and range of the curriculum are good in the nursery and reception classes, and satisfactory elsewhere. Throughout the school, pupils with potential difficulties are identified early and given very good levels of support. Pupils make good progress towards their individual targets. Pupils with English as an additional language are given very good support but there is a lack of sufficient dual language books. All pupils learn effectively in a secure environment where health and safety provision is fully in place, along with child protection. Links with parents are good.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The school is well led and managed. The headteacher shows very good leadership and is very well supported by the deputy headteacher. There is a shared vision and determination throughout the school to improve standards and the quality of educational provision. Management is good. The governance of the school is good. Governors are a committed team who know and understand the school and give good support to the work of the staff as they strive to improve the school. There is a continuing review of the way the school is heading and all aspects of the work of the school are kept under constant assessment. It has satisfactory resources, which are used effectively for the benefit of all its pupils. Statutory requirements are met.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Questionnaires and comments received from most parents were positive and supportive of the school. Most parents are supportive of the school but a few are concerned about aspects of leadership and management. The inspection team judges that these concerns are unfounded. Responses from pupils indicate a high level of pride in their school. They feel they are given very good help in understanding how they can improve and are listened to when sharing their views with staff.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

To continue to raise standards the most important things the school should do to improve are:

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Improve the use of assessment to track the progress of different groups and individual pupils to identify areas for improvement. • Ensure adequate short term planning in all lessons. • Identify opportunities for developing skills across all subjects of the curriculum. All Saints C E Primary School - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Achievement is good throughout the school. Pupils with learning difficulties and those at an early stage of learning English achieve well. When levels of previous attainment are taken into account, pupils have made very good progress in recent years. Boys in Year 2 do generally better than girls in reading, writing and mathematics. Girls in Year 6 do better than boys in English, mathematics and science. Standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics, science and ICT are below national average overall. However, there is an upward trend in recent years.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good provision for pupils with learning difficulties; • good teaching across the school which helps pupils to achieve well; • good provision for pupils with English as an additional language; • improved provision in English, mathematics, science and ICT; • a need to develop the use of assessment data to track and monitor all groups of pupils and individuals; • insufficient challenge and opportunities for the more able pupils to achieve; • insufficient opportunities to develop and extend speaking and listening skills across the curriculum; • insufficient opportunities for pupils to develop higher standards in non-core subjects by planning: more practical activities where pupils can explore and investigate problems; more opportunities to use and apply their literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology skills in other subjects.

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Commentary

1. When children start in school in the nursery, their levels of attainment are well below average. There is a wide range of ability. This varies from year to year, but most children come to school with very low skills in all areas of learning. This is particularly the case with language skills and their knowledge of the world. A significantly high proportion of children have English as an additional language and many are unable to communicate clearly.

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Commentary

2. From this low starting point, children achieve well and, by Year 2, standards are broadly average in mathematics, English and information control technology although standards in science remain below average. By Year 6, standards of average pupils are broadly average in the core subjects. This is as a result of the good teaching and very good provision for pupils with special educational needs.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2003

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results Reading 15.0 (15.1) 15.7 (15.8) Writing 13.7 (14.7) 14.6 (14.4) Mathematics 15.3 (14.8) 16.3 (16.5) There were 33 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

3. In the National tests and tasks in 2003, 88 per cent of Year 2 pupils reached or exceeded the expected level, level 2 in reading and 79 per cent in writing and 94 per cent in mathematics. This is broadly in line with national expectations. These results include a high number of pupils identified as having special educational needs. However, the percentage of pupils reaching the All Saints C E Primary School - 9 higher levels, level 3, was below national averages in reading, writing and mathematics and average in science.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2003

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 26.2 (24.1) 26.8 (27) Mathematics 26.0 (26.6) 26.8 (26.7) Science 27.0 (26.2) 28.6 (28.3) There were 29 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

4. In the National tests in 2003, 79 per cent of Year 6 pupils reached or exceeded the expected level, level 4, in English. This is broadly in line with national averages. However only 62 per cent achieved level 4 in mathematics and 79 per cent in science. This is well below national averages. The percentage of pupils reaching the higher level, Level 5, was well below average in English and science but broadly average in mathematics. These results include high numbers of pupils identified as having special educational needs and shows good achievement over time.

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Commentary

5. Pupils with learning difficulties are making good progress across the school. However, the majority are not yet reaching standards in line with their age and this is reflected in test scores at the end of Year 2 and Year 6.

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Commentary

6. The pupils learning English as an additional language achieve well. From a low starting point, many are fluent enough to attain the nationally expected standards by the end of Year 6. The bilingual assistants make a significant positive contribution to pupils’ learning. When the assistants are not present, some pupils at an early stage of language acquisition struggle to keep up in lessons and then their achievement is only satisfactory.

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Commentary

7. There are some slight gender differences. Girls tend to outperform the boys from the start but the boys begin the catch up by Year 6.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

The school makes good provision for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of its pupils. As a result, pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are good and they develop a strong understanding of moral and social values. They behave well in lessons and have positive attitudes towards their work. Relationships and racial harmony throughout the school are very good .

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

• There are very good relationships and racial harmony. • Learning attitudes and standards of behaviour are good. • Pupils’ moral and social values are well developed. • The school’s spiritual ethos encompasses all faiths. • The school provides well for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of all pupils. • Attendance is unsatisfactory and below that achieved by similar schools.

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Commentary

8. Pupils’ attitudes and engagement in their learning are good. Pupils say they enjoy school and find the work interesting and mostly challenging. They co-operate well with each other and demonstrate a good commitment to their work. This positive picture has been well maintained since the previous inspection. Many children in the reception year initially find it difficult to respond to structured activities and to play and work together because their social and language skills are underdeveloped when they first arrive in school. However, by the time they complete All Saints C E Primary School - 10 their reception year, they achieve well in relation to their starting point, particularly with their personal and social development.

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Commentary

9. The attitudes of pupils with English as an additional language are consistently positive. They behave well, listen carefully, are interested and demonstrate enthusiasm for their learning. The reaction of pupils with special educational needs is very similar. Both of these groups of pupils respond well to the supportive and caring school environment and, as a result, work hard and are proud of their achievements.

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Commentary

10. Very good relationships and racial harmony are strengths of the school. Pupils show care and consideration for others, are courteous and polite and welcoming to visitors. They feel valued and consider that their views are respected. There are good opportunities for them to learn to use their initiative and to take increasing responsibility, as they grow older. For example, pupils enjoy assisting their teachers with the preparation of lessons, clearing up afterwards and helping with the preparation of whole school assemblies.

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Commentary

11. The school provides well for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of all pupils. Pupils develop good self-awareness through the good teaching of moral and social values in assemblies, the wider curriculum and through lessons devoted to personal, social, health education, citizenship, religious education and the study of literature and poetry. The school’s spiritual ethos successfully encompasses all faiths. The school strongly promotes equality through making sure that pupils have an understanding and appreciation of faiths and cultures other than their own. As a result, pupils are well equipped for life in a multicultural society.

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Commentary

12. Pupils with learning difficulties and those for whom English is an additional language concentrate well in class and when they are withdrawn for additional tuition in small groups. They are keen to learn. However, at times, concentration tends to wane for those at the early stages of language acquisition. This is when they are not helped by a teaching assistant on a one-to-one basis or within a small group in class.

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Commentary

13. Pupils learn to act according to their own principles and to challenge injustice and discrimination. For example, no forms of bullying or harassment are tolerated and pupils have an expectation that any such issues will be dealt with effectively, quickly and fairly by their teachers or other adult members of staff. This expectation is fully justified. In order to maintain the expected standards of behaviour, the school takes a firm approach towards the use of exclusion and, in the past year, two boys have been temporally excluded.

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Commentary

14. Unauthorised absence has been substantially reduced in recent years as a result of improved co-operation between parents and the school. However, largely as a consequence of families taking extended trips during the school year, attendance overall is unsatisfactory. Although extended holidays are considered as being important for the maintenance of family ties and traditions, parents must appreciate that extended absence from school, particularly to an environment where English is not a used language, can have a serious impact on the progress and achievement of their children.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 6.5 School data 1.0 National data 5.4 National data 0.5 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. All Saints C E Primary School - 11

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Exclusions

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Exclusions

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 54 9 2 Asian or Asian British – Indian 1 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 123 Chinese 1 Any other ethnic group 3 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided is good. Pupils achieve well in English, mathematics and science as a result of good and sometimes very good teaching. In ICT, standards are average but could be better. The promotion of equality of opportunity for all pupils is very good. Provision for pupils with specific learning needs is very good. The breadth and balance of the curriculum are satisfactory. There is good provision for pupils’ support, care and guidance. Links with parents are good. The school’s links with the community are very good.

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Teaching and learning

The overall quality of teaching and learning are good . The quality of assessment is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers generally have a secure understanding of the subjects they teach. • Much of the teaching seen in mathematics was good. • Some good teaching was seen in most classes and in most subjects, but: • There is too much teaching that is still only satisfactory. • Teaching assistants make an increasingly good contribution to pupils' learning. • Teaching in nursery and reception year was consistently good. • Greater use needs to be made of assessment data to track the progress of individuals and groups of pupils.

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Commentary

15. Arrangements for staff training have improved well since the last inspection and are now good. Consequently, teachers have a better understanding of the subjects they teach and they work more effectively as a team to share their expertise.

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Commentary

16. Classroom organisation and preparation for lessons is usually good, and in most instances pupils are managed well. Teachers give increasingly good attention to the needs of different groups of pupils when planning and delivering lessons. The school has also invested a lot of time in training the teaching assistants and introducing systems for appraising their work. This has been effective in improving their contribution to pupils' learning. Teaching assistants were frequently seen talking to pupils, making sure they understood and supporting pupils' learning.

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Commentary

17. Pupils with learning difficulties and those for whom English is an additional language learn well overall, because they are taught well. During class lessons, teachers employ good methods and strategies to help the pupils achieve well. For example, there is a good emphasis on using All Saints C E Primary School - 12 effective visual resources, such as pictures, and giving visual demonstrations of teaching points. Learning objectives are communicated clearly at the beginning of each lesson, both orally and in writing, which the vast majority of pupils follow and understand.

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Commentary

18. The teachers are good role models for speaking and listening and provide effective opportunities for pupils to develop these skills as they work by using ‘talking partners’ or small group discussion work. Thorough assessments of pupils’ attainments in English are shared by the teachers and teaching assistants and used well to plan pupils’ work.

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Commentary

19. There are two bilingual teaching assistants who are deployed well throughout the school and provide very good support by assessing pupils’ needs and teaching pupils English in small withdrawal groups, in class or on a one-to-one basis. Help is less effective in classes when this support is not available. During class discussions, for example, pupils who are at the early stages of learning occasionally lose concentration when they do not understand the teaching point.

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Commentary

20. Teaching in the nursery and reception classes is good. Pupils' personal and emotional development is promoted very well. Teachers have high expectations in this area and, as result, pupils develop good learning habits. The basic skills in communication, language and literacy are taught well through a mixture of individual, small group and whole class teaching.

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Commentary

21. In Years 1 to 6, the basic skills in English, mathematics and science are taught at least satisfactorily, and often well. This is helping to raise standards. All teachers make good use of national guidelines for literacy and numeracy and the structure of lessons helps to support inexperienced teachers. A strength is that teachers usually strike a very good balance between pupils being required to sit and listen, and providing them with opportunities to practice their own skills. Where mathematics teaching was at its best, this was because teachers have very good knowledge of the subject and have high expectations of pupils. Questioning was used well to assess pupils' developing understanding, to challenge them to think, and then to think a bit harder. When teaching was satisfactory, this was usually because teachers were not clear enough about what exactly pupils were to learn or how this might best be achieved.

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Commentary

22. Some good teaching was seen in Year 2. Staff training has ensured that most teachers are confident in teaching the subject. In other subjects, teaching was effective because pupils had plenty of time to talk to each other and adults about their work, and to have a lot of practical, "hands-on" experiences. For example, in a Year 4 art lesson, pupils looked at and discussed the work of other artists, but they still had plenty of time to practice their own skills and paint their own pictures.

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Commentary

23. Pupils' work across all subjects is usually marked regularly and sometimes provides information to pupils about how they might improve. Extending this and setting small targets for pupils in English and mathematics are areas that can be developed further. At present, where teaching and learning is only satisfactory, assessment information is not used well when planning future learning and setting targets. There is not a clear picture of whether one particular group is achieving as well as another and some pupils' achievement over time is only satisfactory, rather than good.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 31 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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Commentary

0 (0) 2 (6) 14 (45) 13 (42) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0)

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Commentary

The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons ; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen .

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The curriculum

All Saints C E Primary School - 13 The curriculum is satisfactory . It provides a range of opportunities that meet the needs and interests of groups and individual pupils. It is satisfactorily enriched by experiences which draw on expertise from within and beyond the school. Resources and accommodation are satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school takes good account of the beliefs and cultures of minority ethnic groups which make up the majority of its families. • Visits and visitors are used well to enrich the curriculum. • Resources for pupils learning English as an additional language are unsatisfactory. • Storage is inadequate, resulting in equipment intruding into teaching spaces. • There are not enough attractive displays of pupils’ work.

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Commentary

24. The curriculum meets statutory requirements, including religious education and collective worship. Pupils with special educational needs are very well supported throughout the school. Pupils whose home language is not English also receive good support. The planned work enables pupils to achieve well in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. Foundation subjects, such as art, music, design and technology, geography and history are less well planned, and not enough is done to identify opportunities for pupils to improve their skills in these subjects. Pupils are taught the subjects of the National Curriculum in discrete lessons. There are opportunities for basic skills in mathematics and English to be practised and developed in other subjects. For example, in their science work, pupils often draw bar charts and line graphs, and write independently about experiments they have carried out. Lesson planning

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Commentary

does not include enough opportunities for ICT skills to be used across the curriculum. There are insufficient opportunities for pupils to develop and extend speaking and listening skills across the curriculum.

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Commentary

25. The school is developing the curriculum by seeking to make it as relevant as possible to the needs of the pupils. All staff work hard to make sure that individual pupils, including some with quite serious medical problems, are included in all the activities. The school is particularly aware of cultural sensitivities, and modifies aspects of personal, social and health education in a way that will make learning more acceptable to some minority ethnic families. Governors have decided not to include sex education, but science work includes life processes. Similarly, there is no work on alcohol abuse or smoking, but the way in which medicines should be used safely is covered, as well as issues of relationships and personal choice. The school often facilitates good communications between families and support agencies, such as the police and the health department.

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Commentary

26. The curriculum offered is sensitive to the needs of the pupils with English as an additional language. Major celebrations and festivals of the world and of the main world faiths are celebrated. Cultural influences from the arts and humanities from the pupils’ heritages are reflected in lessons. This helps the pupils to develop respect for one another and promotes racial harmony.

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Commentary

27. When pupils leave the school at the end of Year 6, they transfer to several different secondary schools. Their new teachers visit them before they transfer. However, closer links between the schools are not formed because of the number of establishments involved. A local education authority initiative results in some transition work being passed on to attempt to give a feeling of continuity.

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Commentary

28. All classes have educational visits, which enrich the curriculum. The youngest pupils visited the safari park to look at the animals, and older classes have visited Eureka Science Museum for work on buildings. There are also geography outings to study water and history visits to study the Victorians. There are no residential visits. Events such as Christmas shows and church festivals enable pupils to prepare readings, music and dance for presentation to parents. A All Saints C E Primary School - 14 continuing business link with ASDA supports World Book Day. Visitors, such as the police education officer, the vicar and representatives of other faiths also provide expertise and add interest to lessons. A limited range of after school clubs is available including football and chess.

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Commentary

29. The teaching staff includes two newly qualified teachers who are well supported in their new posts. Other teachers have a satisfactory range of qualifications and experience to meet the demands of the curriculum. The support staff offer good assistance to the teachers overall, and bring useful skills to the school.

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Commentary

30. The teaching resources are satisfactory overall. Resources for pupils learning English as an additional language are unsatisfactory. There are a few bilingual books, and teachers have made some. However, some of these are old and out of date and there are too few for the numbers of pupils in school. The youngest classes are well resourced, although there are not enough books for those whose home language is not English. Music, physical education and science are well equipped. The school does not yet have any electronic whiteboards linked to computers. Teaching accommodation is satisfactory in terms of space, and there is enough hard play area outside for the pupils in the school. However, there is insufficient space for storage. This results in corridors, some classrooms and the stage being cluttered with boxes, shelves and equipment. This gives a general air of untidiness which detracts from orderly activity. There is also a lack of

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Commentary

large, bright art work and other displayed work. The playing field is a generous size. A ‘peace garden’ has attractive plants and a memorial, and provides a valuable retreat area from the playground.

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Care, guidance and support

The standard of welfare provided and the care and support afforded to all pupils are good . There is a good degree of mutual trust and respect between pupils and staff. Child protection and health and safety procedures are good and well implemented. Pupils’ views and opinions are valued and the school responds to them well .

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Care, guidance and support

• There is good welfare support and pastoral care. • Pupils and staff have mutual trust and respect for each other. • Pupils know their views and opinions are valued. • There are good child protection and health and safety procedures.

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Commentary

31. The school supports its pupils well. Staff know their pupils and provide good care and guidance that is well matched to their individual needs. The school promotes an ethos within which pupils are encouraged to work hard and do their best. Pupils entering the reception class are very well supported and cared for and this helps them to adapt quickly and successfully to the routine of school life. A mark of the school’s success can be observed in the confident way that pupils with English as an additional language, and those with special educational needs, are totally integrated and happy members of the school community.

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Commentary

32. The quality of individual educational plans (IEPs) has recently improved. They have realistic targets set within tight time frames. Teachers monitor this with support staff and then liaise at regular intervals with the SENCO. She has developed good systems to liaise regularly with parents and this has helped them to understand their child’s needs and how this is being supported in school. Parents stated that there was a good range of consultation meetings, especially for those with special educational needs.

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Commentary

33. Good provision is made for the pupils learning English as an additional language. Assessments are made of pupils’ attainments on entry to school. There is very good liaison between the SENCO, outside agencies and the bilingual assistant to accurately determine pupils’ needs. The All Saints C E Primary School - 15 assessments are thorough and drawn from local and national guidance. Regular monitoring and record keeping by the staff helps to ensure that work is planned so that pupils consistently build on their skills, knowledge and understanding as they become older.

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Commentary

34. Relationships and the mutual trust between pupils and staff are very good. Pupils say that they are confident that when they have concerns, or need to seek support, there is always someone who will listen and respond to their needs. The racial harmony within the school is one of its strengths. While recognising the different faiths and historic cultures of pupils and their families, the school ensures that all are able to participate equally in the widest possible curriculum and educational experience. For example, the school has developed a good personal, health and social education programme that is sensitive to the divers needs of pupils, but still teaches them about personal hygiene, hazardous substances and promotes their social skills. Although a formal school council has not as yet been established, pupils’ opinions are well sought, valued and acted upon.

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Commentary

35. Child protection procedures are effective because those responsible are very experienced and staff well trained and alert to the needs of those who are vulnerable. Health and safety procedures are rigorous and risk assessment, incidents and consequent actions meticulously recorded. The school is cleaned and maintained to a good standard, but in some locations, the storage of learning resources and other consumable materials near to working areas does constitute a potential hazard. There is good provision for first aid and the controlled distribution of medication. The good standards of care, welfare and guidance reported after the previous inspection have been well maintained and in some respects further developed.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The partnership between the school and parents is good . Parents have positive views about the school and the quality of education and personal care that it provides. The engagement of the school with the wider community is very good . The links between the school and other schools and colleges are satisfactory .

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

• The quality of the partnership between parents and the school is good. • There are very good links with the wider community. • The links with other primary schools are well developed. • The links with secondary schools and other colleges are not sufficiently well established.

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Commentary

36. The positive views of the parents are reflected in their satisfaction with the quality of education and the personal care that it provides for their children. The partnership between school and parents is good. Parents receive good information about what their children will be expected to learn and the annual progress reports provide a good summary of their progress and achievement. The school has established good lines of communication with parents and listens to their views and responds accordingly. The school has good arrangements for dealing with complaints. It successfully includes parents who have different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. For example, translators are available for families who use English as an additional language so that they are well supported during discussions about their children’s progress and welfare, and the school calendar is arranged so that some of the religious festivals of other faiths can be

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Commentary

celebrated during official school holidays.

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Commentary

37. The bilingual assistant, who manages the assessments for the pupils learning English as an additional language, also acts as a very good informal home/school liaison officer. She has the trust of the community and the parents feel confident in approaching her to speak about their concerns or sort out queries on a day-to-day basis. She interprets for them at school meetings, makes home visits, helps parents to fill in forms, organises prayer meetings and encourages All Saints C E Primary School - 16 them to support the school policies. Additionally, she teaches a well supported mothers’ group English and encourages them to support their children’s learning at home by reading with them and by borrowing learning resources for language activities, such as toys and books.

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Commentary

38. Although there is no formal parent association, parents are supportive of the school and attendance at the regular consultation evenings and other school events is good. The school runs literacy and computing classes so that parents are better equipped to support their children’s learning. Parents of pupils who have been assessed as having a special educational need are fully involved in the school’s process if monitoring and evaluating their progress. They are invited to attend a termly meeting where their child’s individual educational plans are reviewed and new targets agreed for the coming term.

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Commentary

39. The school has very good links with the wider community. There is a close relationship between the school and its Parish Church and with other community leaders, including those who officiate at the local Mosque. The school works hard to remain at the heart of its community and this aspect of its work has developed significantly since the previous inspection. The links with other schools are satisfactory overall. There is regular contact with the local cluster of primary schools but, to date, this has not resulted in any joint projects or educational initiatives. Relationships with the receiving secondary schools are not well developed and this remains an area for future improvement. Pupils and their families do receive some guidance in connection with their choice of secondary school but the detailed arrangements for transfer, and pre-transfer contact, is largely determined by the policy and procedures of the receiving schools, of which there are a

p.16

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The overall leadership and management are good . The leadership of the headteacher is very good. The leadership of other key staff is good. Governance is good overall. The school is well managed.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher leads the school very well, has a very clear vision and has built an effective team. • The work of the deputy headteacher has had a positive impact. • Governors know the strengths of the school. They recognise how it has improved and are aware of how the school might improve further. • The school is well managed. • There are good opportunities for staff to develop their skills. • There is good capacity to continue to improve.

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Commentary

40. Since the last inspection, the school has improved significantly. Throughout this period, the headteacher has led and supported pupils, parents, staff and governors sensitively. She has created a team who are loyal to her, and feel that they can contribute to the development of the school, knowing that their opinions are valued and acted upon. This sense of team commitment is the foundation of the school's good ethos and good capacity to improve further. The headteacher's vision that all pupils should leave the school being able to do and be whatever they want is clearly understood by all. Everyone knows their roles and responsibilities in putting this vision into practice, and there is an open and professional approach to change and development. The headteacher communicates well with her staff.

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Commentary

41. Governors are very happy with the headteacher and the team she has built. They are supportive of the school and believe that it has improved a great deal since the last inspection. They talk in detail and with accuracy about the various improvements that have been made. Inspection findings support their opinion that there has been good improvement during this time. All Saints C E Primary School - 17 42. The school's senior management team is working and developing well. The deputy head is an example to others and has high expectations for the quality of teaching and learning. In each stage of the school, a more experienced teacher works alongside a new or less experienced member of staff to monitor their work and support the improving quality of teaching. There have been good opportunities for staff at all levels to improve their skills through training. The teaching assistants have benefited greatly from this and have a very professional view of their roles as a

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Commentary

result. English and mathematics are led and managed well. Both subjects are effectively co- ordinated and standards are improving as a result. Work in special educational needs is managed very well. These models of good practice are influencing and improving the work of other subject coordinators.

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Commentary

43. As a result of the school recognising the high number of pupils in each class with special educational needs and the effect this is having on national test and task results, the recently appointed co-ordinator (SENCO) does not have a class based teaching responsibility. This is allowing her good time to focus on the needs of these pupils and analyse data more effectively. She now has a very good understanding of which pupils are requiring additional adult support and has organised a structured programme of additional help. There is a very good ratio of additional adults in class, and working with small groups of pupils. They are suitably trained and supported in their role.

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Commentary

44. The leadership and management are good as a result of the SENCO’s current training programme at Manchester Metropolitan University. She has a good understanding of her role and ideas on how to further develop provision. She is aware that greater use needs to be made of ICT to support the development of pupils’ basic skills in class. This is particularly important when additional adults are not available to support these pupils. She is also aware that the assessment data can be used more effectively to monitor the progress made by boys, girls and those with English as an additional language.

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Commentary

45. The school is now in a position to evaluate all of its work more effectively, focusing primarily on systematically analysing test results and other outcomes to determine exactly how well different groups of pupils achieve and how well they participate in all aspects of school life. This has not been rigorously done in the past. The senior managers recognise the need to monitor how well each group of pupils is doing in order to make the right decisions about future developments. The role of the governing body in asking such questions and challenging senior managers to find the answers is developing well. While governors are quick to talk about the strengths of the school, they are less confident in suggesting the priority areas to develop further.

p.17

Commentary

46. The headteacher works closely with the bilingual assistants and the SENCO to manage effectively the provision for English as an additional language. Care has been taken to ensure the assistants speak the languages of the parents. Some of the teaching staff also speak some of the children’s home languages. Achievements are monitored well. However, the use of ICT to determine detailed trends and individual achievements is at an early stage. There has been good improvement in this provision since the last inspection.

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Commentary

47. The office staff are organised and efficient, supporting the day-to-day running of the school well, and providing a very warm welcome to every visitor. Finances are managed well and the school is successful in making bids for additional funding. This has supported much needed improvements to the fabric of the building and also helped the school to extend what it offers its pupils. Further improvements to the buildings are planned, which is why some money has been carried forward from previous years.

p.17

Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.17

Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) All Saints C E Primary School - 18 Total income 522905 Balance from previous year 60555 Total expenditure 524357 Balance carried forward to the next 59103 Expenditure per pupil 2351 All Saints C E Primary School - 19

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision for the Foundation Stage is good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children achieve well because they are taught well. However, there is not enough bilingual help for children. • There is a good variety of well-planned activities for both indoors and outdoors. • There is a good partnership with parents.

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Commentary

48. Children enter the nursery class after their third birthday and transfer to the reception class in the September of the year they will become five. The vast majority of children start with very low skills in their mathematical development and social skills. Their knowledge and understanding of the world is very limited. Although the children are fluent in conversing in their mother tongue, nearly all enter at the very early stages of learning English. There is very little difference between the language skills of all the children when they begin at the nursery. The vast majority have no experience of a pre-school play group. On entry to the nursery, a skilled bilingual assistant works full time with the children to help them settle into their new routines and to assess their needs for six weeks. Children with special educational needs are quickly identified and very good provision is made for them. After this time, the bilingual support is decreased to part-time. Although the

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Commentary

children achieve well overall in the Foundation Stage, there are occasions, despite good teaching, when bilingual help is clearly needed but not always available, for example, to help the children interpret the motives of the characters in a story. The teaching and learning are good. All the staff work well together to help the children achieve. Additional teaching sessions from the staff of the ‘Sure Start’ team provide good quality creative activities, such as weaving and music making. The curriculum is well planned. There are good quality resources which are used well as staff plan a wide range of indoor and outdoor experiences which interest and motivate the children to learn. There is a good balance between the activities children choose and those directed by the staff. The Foundation Stage is well managed and led. There is a very good partnership with parents which is encouraged with the help of the bilingual assistant. There are

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Commentary

bilingual induction booklets and a series of home-school visits. Consequently, this eases the transition from home to school and most children settle in easily and quickly.

p.19

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for children’s personal, social and emotional development is very good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The positive relationships help the children to become confident in choosing their activities. • The staff hold high expectations of the children’s behaviour. • The children find it difficult to play together and share their resources.

p.19

Commentary

49. Most enter the nursery with very low skills. The children achieve very well. By the time they leave the reception class, the majority of children are likely to be working towards the Early Learning Goals expected of children of this age. A minority are on course to achieve the expected goals. The children achieve very well because they are happy and feel secure. There is a consistent approach to building children’s confidence and self-esteem. Once in the nursery, All Saints C E Primary School - 20 the children quickly get to know the routines. Expectations for good behaviour are shared and good relationships are promoted which promotes rapid learning. In the reception class, the children become more independent in choosing their activities. They listen and follow instructions, such as lining up to leave the classroom. Their response to their teacher and the activities is very positive. Most try their best to achieve the learning objectives. However, many

p.19

Commentary

find it difficult to share their resources with others and take turns fairly. Others find it hard to work independently and sustain concentration when required to do so.

p.20

Commentary

50. The quality of teaching is very good. The teachers and teaching assistants hold high expectations of the children. They praise good behaviour and calmly explain why aggressive or selfish behaviour is not acceptable. As a result, the children develop their social skills very well.

p.20

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The staff teach language skills well in all areas of learning. • There is a positive reading partnership with parents. • There is too little bilingual support for those children learning English as an additional language. Many children lack confidence and skills in expressing themselves in English.

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Commentary

51. Most children who enter the nursery are from Pakistani heritages and may understand and speak fluently in their home language, but have little or no knowledge of English. A very few English speaking children have low attainments on entry to the nursery. The children achieve well. By the end of the reception year, most are likely to be working towards The Early Learning Goals. A small minority are likely to attain them. With very good help from the bilingual assistant on entry to the nursery and during the first six weeks, the children achieve very well to understand common routines and instructions. The children initiate their own conversations and are interested in discovering the experiences personated in the nursery. Because the staff place their emphasis on developing language and communication skills, the children make good progress in their language acquisition. They enjoy looking at books and know that print carries

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Commentary

meaning. In the reception class, most know their letter sounds and have begun to recognise and read simple words. A small minority read simple texts. The majority make a good attempt at writing but are at the early stages of writing recognisable single words. A small minority write a short sentence, unaided. Many are at the early stages of speaking in sentences.

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Commentary

52. The quality of teaching is good and, consequently, the children achieve well. They gain in confidence in speaking because the staff place a high priority on the development of skills and hold frequent conversations with the children. However, there is too little bilingual support. As a result, some children finding it frustrating and difficult when they do not yet have the required skills to make themselves understood or understand what is being said.

p.20

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

The provision for children’s mathematical development is good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum presents a wide range of activities to promote mathematical learning. • Most children are achieving very well but find it difficult to solve simple problems. All Saints C E Primary School - 21

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Commentary

53. The children achieve very well from their starting points but most are likely to be working below the Early Learning Goals expected for children of this age by the time they reach the end of their reception year. A minority are on course to attain them. There are good opportunities presented for children to develop their mathematical understanding through a wide range of interesting activities, both indoors and outdoors. On entry to the nursery, most are at the very early stages of learning mathematical concepts. In the nursery, most know some basic colours and shapes and are learning to count to five and beyond. In the reception classes, children learn numbers to ten and beyond and know basic mathematical vocabulary, such as ?more than? and ?less than?. The majority can identify and make a repeating pattern using two criteria. However, most find it difficult to solve simple mathematical problems of addition and subtraction. The children know

p.21

Commentary

some well-known rhymes and songs to help them remember number sequences and patterns.

p.21

Commentary

54. The quality of teaching is good. The children are encouraged to use mathematical vocabulary when answering questions. Teachers use visual resources well when giving explanations and instructions.

p.21

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

The provision for the development of the children’s knowledge and understanding of the world is good .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a well-balanced curriculum. • The children’s investigative skills are well below average.

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Commentary

55. In knowledge and understanding of the world, the children’s achievement is good. However, most of the children are likely to be working well below the nationally expected goals and a few are likely to attain them by the end of their reception year. Children in the nursery enjoy exploring the properties of materials and observe and learn to take care of living things, such as the seeds they are growing. In both the nursery and reception classes, there is a well-balanced range of purposeful activities. For instance, children have enjoyed a recent visit to Knowsley Safari Park which has broadened their knowledge and understanding of the animals they encountered. In the reception classes, children observe the changes and properties in materials as they, for example, make buns or build models. However, their skills in investigation, for example, in seeking to find out how things work are at an early stage of development.

p.21

Commentary

56. The children are well taught. The staff work hard at developing language skills through questioning and teaching the children correct vocabulary. The well-planned activities capture their interests and motivate them to learn.

p.21

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

The provision for children’s physical development is good .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children enjoy physical activities. • Many children find it difficult to manipulate and control small apparatus and equipment. All Saints C E Primary School - 22

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Commentary

57. Children develop their physical skills well and their achievement is good. By the end of the reception year, most are likely to be working towards the Early Learning Goals and a minority are likely to attain them. Role-play and simple games help children develop language skills as well as social skills as they learn to follow instruction, take turns and stop and start on command. Children are developing a good awareness of space as they manoeuvre their wheeled toys with a growing awareness of safety and the needs of others around them. Children use small apparatus and resources frequently during their daily activities. They cut different papers and under supervision use glue sticks and paint brushes. These activities provide children the opportunities to develop coordination skills. Many achieve well but skills in coordination is below what is normally expected of children of this age.

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Commentary

58. The quality of teaching is good. The outside area is used well to develop children’s social and physical skills. In most activities, there is a good level of adult support to help the children develop their vocabulary and skills.

p.22

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

The provision for children’s creative development is good .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The staff successfully develop children’s language and social skills through creative activities. • The children find it difficult to choose appropriate resources independently.

p.22

Commentary

59. Children enter the nursery with poor creative skills. By the end of the reception year, most are likely to be working towards the Early Learning Goals expected for children of this age and a minority are likely to achieve them. In both the nursery and reception classes, there is a good range of creative activities for children to explore. They use paint, recycled materials and textiles to make collages, painting and models. In the nursery, the staff from the ‘Sure Start’ programme provide music and weaving experiences that the children enjoy and benefit from. In the reception class, the children enjoy role playing a vet or the owners of the ‘animals’ needing treatment. All the staff are skilled in discussion and questioning to promote children’s thinking and learning. However, many children find it difficult without help to use their imaginations or choose appropriate materials for their models.

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Commentary

60. The quality of teaching is good. The staff are skilled in demonstrating how to take on the role of the vet. The staff develop children’s language and social skills as they work with them in small groups. They teach the correct vocabulary and question children to prompt them to consider the properties of materials when making choices for model making.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is good use of assessment to identify groups of pupils with learning difficulties for additional adult support. All Saints C E Primary School - 23 • There are improved opportunities for speaking and listening and extended writing in class. • Inconsistency in marking and record keeping reduces the effectiveness of assessment to track and support individual pupil achievement. • More able pupils require greater opportunities to achieve more highly.

p.22

Commentary

61. There has been good progress in the provision of English since the last inspection, where it was judged to be unsatisfactory. This is because very good use is being made of the additional adults in class and a more structured approach to the development of reading and writing skills. The use of assessment information has been used well to identify pupils with learning difficulties. The use of special needs assistants and other adult staff in supporting these pupils has helped them to make good progress. These assistants have made a positive and impact on the overall improving picture. This is seen in the school’s national test results.

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Commentary

62. Most pupils start Year 1 with reading, writing and speaking skills which are well below average. Pupils make good progress, and by the end of Year 2, those without learning difficulties reach average standards in reading and writing, although speaking and listening skills remain below average. The test results at the end of Year 2 in 2003 show standards below national expectations. When compared to standards achieved in similar schools, they are in line.

p.23

Commentary

63. By the end of Year 6, standards are still below average. When compared to similar schools, these same pupils are achieving above average results, considering their very low starting point. This is good achievement. In the work seen, and through discussions with pupils, standards for those pupils without learning disabilities or at early stages of learning English are broadly in line with national expectations in reading and writing. Standards in speaking remain below average but improving.

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Commentary

64. Recent initiatives, such as ‘story sacks’ in Year 1 and ‘talking partners’ across the school, have greatly improved the opportunities for speaking and listening. In Year 1, the props used in the retelling of the story of ‘Jim and the Bean Stalk’ excited the pupils. They were eager to retell the story and willing to take turns. They listened well to each other and the teacher and teaching assistant asked simple questions of those who were less confident or at an early stage of learning English. This recent focus on speaking opportunities has encouraged all teachers to include ‘talking partners’ in all their lessons, although there are inconsistencies in its use across the school. In the better lessons seen, not only did pupils have time to think first, then talk in pairs, but they were also encouraged to repeat what their partner had told them. This is helping them to focus on what they are being told as well as giving a reason to talk clearly, using full

p.23

Commentary

sentences. Interesting, well-planned activities were also seen in Year 6. Pupils worked in groups to refine questions suitable for a short interview with a journalist, army officer, police officer and lawyer. As a result, pupils were enthusiastic and then used this work to produce interesting power point presentations.

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Commentary

65. The newly appointed subject leader has been well supported by recent training from the local education authority. As a result, he now has a good understanding of the areas that have improved and those that still need further development. He has started to consider the details for the next stage of improvement. This is at an early stage of development.

p.23

Commentary

66. The National Literacy Strategy has been implemented well. The guided reading sessions are a good use of time because pupils read, discuss and review books. Reading is taught in a structured way and is helping to raise standards across the school. Pupils enjoy reading, take books home regularly and can talk about the books they have read. However, they have a limited understanding of different authors or how to use a book for research purposes.

p.23

Commentary

67. Attainment in writing is satisfactory overall. Most Year 2 pupils know that a sentence needs a capital letter and a full stop. The spelling of the most common words is usually accurate and shows and understanding of phonics. In Years 3 to 6, most of their writing is straightforward, with developing accuracy and an increase in quantity. Handwriting and presentation have All Saints C E Primary School - 24 improved well across the school since the last inspection. Letter shapes are well drawn with good spacing. In Years 3 to 6, there is an emphasis on developing a ‘joined up’ style.

p.23

Commentary

68. Procedures for monitoring pupil’s attainment and progress through the school are in place. This is well managed by the assessment co-ordinator, who has identified priorities for classroom support for those identified with learning disabilities. Information from standardised tests and tasks gives useful information for setting group and school targets. Work is marked regularly, although there are inconsistencies across the school when giving clear statements about what the pupil must do next to improve. The next stage is to use this information more effectively and plan learning steps for all pupils, including the more able. It also needs to monitor the progress being made for different groups of pupils, such as girls and boys, and adapt teachers’ planning where necessary.

p.24

Commentary

69. Teaching and learning are good overall as reflected in the good levels of achievement and pupils’ positive attitudes. Work is generally well planned, using the framework of the National Literacy Strategy. Learning objectives are shared with the pupils at the start of each lesson. Teachers have started to use the new initiatives, like ‘talking partners’ and ‘extended writing’ opportunities more regularly and this is having a good impact on standards.

p.24

Commentary

70. There are suitable resources to support the curriculum. This includes the recently purchased books for the library, the guided reading system and individual white boards. Books from the Library Services supplement ‘Topics’ well. However, there is a need for more dual language books and replacement or repair of tape recorders, so that those at early stages of learning English, and those with learning difficulties, can be better supported in class. This is particularly true for those lessons where there is no extra adult help. While there are plenty of dictionaries of different levels of difficulty, many have badly damaged spines and offer little incentive to be used. Greater encouragement is needed for pupils to attempt the spelling of words for themselves rather than over relying on adults. Resources are generally organised into clearly labelled areas in and around classrooms. The school recognises that there is still a need for this to be

p.24

Commentary

improved and developed so that pupils can collect and return items for themselves. This will help them to become more independent.

p.24

Language and literacy across the curriculum

71. Recent cross-curricular opportunities are being used well to develop and extend writing. However, opportunities to develop and extend speaking and listening skills need further development across the curriculum. In a Year 3 lesson, pupils were using their understanding of Roman life in Britain to write a letter home from a Roman soldier’s point of view. The teacher used the pupils’ ideas to model a suitable format. She also made good links to homework, asking the pupils to bring samples of different letters from home for them to discuss in class.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well and, excluding the pupils with special educational needs, standards are broadly average. • Pupils are taught well. • The teaching assistants are deployed well and significantly contribute to pupils’ learning. • Assessment is generally used well to plan work but is not always detailed enough to meet pupils’ individual needs. • The subject is well led and managed. All Saints C E Primary School - 25

p.24

Commentary

72. By the end of Years 2 and 6, and excluding the pupils with special educational needs, most attain the nationally expected standards. Within each year group, there are high proportions of pupils with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language. The achievement of all groups of pupils is good. However, the proportion of pupils with special educational needs tends to adversely affect the overall standards of the pupils taking the National Curriculum tests. All aspects of mathematics are taught. The strongest aspect of mathematics is pupils’ skills in number work. By Year 6, pupils are confident in using a number of different strategies to add, subtract, multiply and divide numbers to one thousand and beyond. The weakest aspect is reading, understanding and applying their skills to solving written problems.

p.25

Commentary

73. The quality of teaching and learning is good throughout the school. This is because there is a good consistency in agreed strategies and methods. For example, at the start of lessons, teachers share clearly the learning objectives with pupils. These are written down as well as spoken and any new vocabulary is explained. As a result, pupils are developing a good grasp of mathematical vocabulary and understand what to do. The learning objectives are generally matched effectively to the pupils’ needs. The work is prepared for the higher, average and lower attaining pupils and at times individually. A good emphasis is placed on solving word problems and demonstrating solutions on the teaching boards. Pupils are achieving well in this weakest aspect of the subject. They generally enjoy mathematics and respond enthusiastically. Teachers work hard to make the learning relevant to pupils’ lives, such as shopping problems.

p.25

Commentary

This helps pupils to understand the context for learning and sustains their interest. Occasionally, concentration wanes if they do not understand what is being said.

p.25

Commentary

74. The learning support assistants and bilingual assistants are well deployed across the school and give effective help where it is most needed. There is an effective balance between small group work and individual work, both in class and when pupils are withdrawn from lessons. There is good liaison between the class teachers, EAL and SEN assistants so that pupils’ needs are taken fully into account. Parents are fully informed about their children’s attainments and are often encouraged to help support work at home. Homework for English and mathematics provides good opportunities for pupils to practise their skills and consolidate their learning. However, the level of support for those at the early stages of language acquisition in classes is insufficient when there is no bilingual support. As a result, these pupils lose concentration when they find it too difficult to follow the teachers’ explanations, despite the good emphasis given by

p.25

Commentary

teachers to visual aids and explanations of mathematical vocabulary.

p.25

Commentary

75. The analysis of assessment information is used well to track pupils’ progress and set group targets for improvement in each class. Although these targets are clearly displayed in each class and shared with pupils, personal targets are not set for each pupil. This is reflected in teachers’ day-to-day plans which are not consistently evaluated well enough to plan individually for some pupils’ needs. This at times tends to restrict the pace of learning for a few pupils when they have finished their work early.

p.25

Commentary

76. There is good leadership and management of the subject. The subject leader has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the subject. Teaching and learning are monitored and the weaker aspects tackled well. Areas for improvement identified during the last inspection have been successfully overcome. There are good learning resources which are used well and are easily accessible. Consequently, there has been good improvement in standards and the curriculum since the last inspection.

p.25

Mathematics across the curriculum

77. The use of mathematics in other subjects is satisfactory. It is most evident in science, ICT and geography. In science, data from investigations is represented in tables and graphs, often by using the computer programs. ICT is also used to set up data bases, such as for the different All Saints C E Primary School - 26 weights of proteins in foods which pupils interrogate to find answers to questions. In geography, pupils employ their mathematical skills when they use coordinates to find places on maps.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The co-ordinator has been responsible for significant recent improvements to teaching and learning. • There is a good focus on the skills of science enquiry. • Not enough use is made of ICT in science.

p.26

Commentary

78. In the National Curriculum tests in 2003, results for Year 6 were below the average for similar schools. In 2000, they were very low compared to other schools, but there has been a steady improvement year-on-year since then. This improvement may not continue this year, as there are an unusually high proportion of pupils with special needs in Year 6 and standards are below average. Teacher assessments at the end of Year 2 also showed below average grades, as less than the expected number of pupils gained the expected level. However, several pupils did manage to reach the higher level. Again, this represents a steady improvement since the time of the last inspection when the grades were in the bottom 5 per cent nationally. When pupils enter the school, their understanding is well below that of pupils of the same age nationally. They make satisfactory progress in Years 1 and 2, and good progress in Years 3 to 6. There are no

p.26

Commentary

significant differences in the performance of boys and girls.

p.26

Commentary

79. Five lessons were seen during the inspection. The teaching in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory as pupils gain experience of handling equipment and discussing ideas. Where progress is not as rapid as it might be, there is sometimes a poor match of work to pupils’ ability. In particular, ideas are presented too quickly, or they are too difficult for some of the class to assimilate. In Years 3 to 6, more good lessons were seen. These are characterised by careful planning of the organisation of the class for practical experiments and a more accurate match of assignments to pupils’ ability. This includes different work for pupils with differing levels of understanding. In one very good lesson, groups of pupils tested ways of removing ketchup stains from material. They planned their experiments carefully, using a standard procedure, and co-operated very well. Work proceeded at a good pace, and the experiments were completed and conclusions drawn

p.26

Commentary

80. Pupils’ work in books and on display was analysed. Throughout the school, there is a good range of work, and an appropriate emphasis on making observations and how to carry out a fair test. Analysis of national test papers had shown teachers that pupils had difficulty understanding graphs and tables used to record measurements. In some classes, this was being remedied, but not by all. Very little use of ICT was seen in the work, and this is an area for development. In some classes, presentation was poor and unsystematic. There were good examples of pupils recording work individually, and thus developing their writing skills at the same time.

p.26

Commentary

81. Leadership and management of the subject are good. The co-ordinator analyses the answers in the national tests, monitors lessons and books and collects feedback sheets from colleagues each year. From this information, she draws up an action plan which accurately shows how to continue to improve science provision. There is also a summary of recommendations to teachers, again very well chosen to improve pupils’ learning. Assessment of pupils work is at an early stage, with teachers providing an overall level at the end of a unit of work. Resources for teaching are good. Science provision has improved well since the last inspection when it was unsatisfactory, as the co-ordinator has led improvements on many of the specific areas for development. All Saints C E Primary School - 27

p.26

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

The overall provision for information and communication technology is satisfactory .

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are broadly average at the end of Year 6, but pupils achieve well. • Subject developments have been well managed. • Standards are improving. • ICT is taught as a tool to aid learning in other subjects but not enough use is made of ICT in lessons.

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Commentary

82. Over the past year, the co-ordinator has effectively managed a whole school reorganisation of ICT resources, teaching and learning and the curriculum. The school now has a well-equipped suite of laptop machines, sufficient machines in each class and a range of good quality software. Teachers have completed training or have started at the school with relevant experiences. Most teachers are now confident to teach the subject and equipped to promote good learning. Good teaching and learning were seen in some lessons, despite some teething problems with the equipment. The co-ordinator has the relevant skills to support improvements in teaching. She has already monitored planning and observed lessons, and has a clear understanding of strengths and weaknesses. Her initial focus has been on the development of learning intentions for individual lessons, with the result that most lessons observed had a very clear purpose and

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Commentary

83. Standards are now in line with those expected by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Standards are improving throughout the school and pupils develop good word processing skills, make good use of design and draw programs, and are confident to suggest what they might do if a program does not respond as expected. Pupils throughout the school recognise the use of ICT as a tool to aid work in other subjects. For example, pupils in Year 1 understood how a design program would help them to produce symmetrical patterns linked to their work in mathematics, and experimented with the use of colour when creating Mondrian designs, linked to their work in art. On the computer, they tried one colour and then changed their minds without having to start the whole design again. In Year 6, pupils understood how computer-generated information more successfully captures the interest of the audience. However, there has been insufficient time for

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Commentary

improvements to fully impact on overall standards by the end of Year 6. Pupils have not yet had the opportunity to consolidate the new skills learned over a relatively short period of time.

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

84. Whilst good work was seen in lessons, there was limited use of ICT during other lessons. There were few lessons where the computer was used to add interest, support a specific learning need or develop and challenge standards achieved by individuals.

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HUMANITIES

One lesson was observed in geography and one in history . Pupils’ work was also sampled from their books and in displays around the school. Teachers’ planning shows that it is broadly based on National Curriculum guidance with an emphasis on the development of understanding through practical activities and the local area. Resources match the planned curriculum and are supplemented with books and items from the Library and Museum Services. Standards by end of Year 2 and Year 6 are broadly average for those not identified as having learning difficulties or at an early stage of learning English. This indicates that provision for the humanities is overall satisfactory and is a similar picture from that of the last inspection. All Saints C E Primary School - 28 85. In the geography lesson and history lesson observed, work was differentiated into three broad activities. Pupils with learning difficulties were well supported by teaching assistants during

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HUMANITIES

group work. Lesson objectives were clearly shared at the start of the lessons and the more able pupils in both lessons were encouraged to use their reading and writing skills to develop their understanding. As a result, suitable progress was made.

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HUMANITIES

86. There is now a basic system in place for recording teacher assessment in both subjects, based on National Curriculum levels. This is being entered into a simple database by the assessment co-coordinator so that she and the humanities co-ordinator can monitor pupil progress and set suitable targets. This is still at a very early stage of development and has not yet impacted on raising standards. The humanities co-ordinator states that provision is currently being reviewed to ensure it is broad and balanced enough with opportunities for more cross-curricular development.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Work in art and design, design and technology, music and physical education (PE) was sampled only. There was too little evidence to make a judgement about provision in these subjects.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

87. One very good lesson and one part lesson were observed in art during the inspection. Pupils made pencil drawings of fruit and vegetables, learning about the different effects to be obtained from pencils of different hardness. There were very good relationships, with the adults working as a team to help pupils improve their drawing skills. Analysis of collected and displayed work showed that overall the standard is lower than expected. Talking to pupils suggests that there is not enough artwork being done over time, and there is a lack of attractive displays. However, the art co-ordinator has made an effective evaluation and audit of provision and is working with colleagues to overcome weaknesses in the curriculum.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

88. No lessons in design and technology were seen during the inspection. However, there was evidence of a good range of work taking place. One class had made money containers, considering the features of good design and using words such as, ?seam?, ?press-stud?, ?gusset?. They made up their purses and evaluated their efforts well. Lessons also include food technology, including sandwich snacks and bread rolls. In some classes, work is restricted to learning simple skills, with not enough opportunity to complete a full design and make assignments, such as the purses mentioned above. The co-ordinator has identified suitable areas for development, for example, to organise courses for teachers to give them more confidence in helping pupils use tools and equipment, and improving the storage of resources.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

89. Evidence was gathered from talking with pupils and staff and observation of one music lesson, as well as observations of singing during assembly. In the Year 3 lesson observed, pupils satisfactorily developed their knowledge of composition as they composed simple tunes, using crotchets and quavers. The singing during assemblies is tuneful. The pupils in Year 6 say they enjoy music and sing some songs with a two part harmony. Pupils are familiar with a number of classical composers and know the difference between different types of music and whether the composition of the music is modern or from the past.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

90. The subject is satisfactorily led and managed. The subject leader has a good vision for the development of music across the school. There is a comprehensive scheme of work which supports effectively the non-specialist members of staff. The subject is enriched by the visiting local education authority (LEA) music ensemble, that demonstrates different kinds of music and instruments to the pupils each term. There are well organised, good quality resources, including those from a range of different cultures.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

91. In physical education , the curriculum meets statutory requirements, but there is insufficient evidence to make judgements about standards and teaching. In the two gymnastics lessons observed in Years 2 and 4, the quality of teaching and learning was good. The quality of the teaching was better than that seen at the time of the last inspection. At the beginning of the lessons, the teachers gave clear instructions and shared the learning objectives with the pupils. All Saints C E Primary School - 29 They managed their pupils well and held high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. As a result, the pupils knew what was expected and rose to the challenges set. The demonstrations by the teachers and the examples of good work from the pupils that were conveyed to others helped the pupils to improve their performance. Pupils enjoyed their lessons and worked enthusiastically. They showed good control in their movements and handled the apparatus safely. Standards

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

seen in both lessons matched the national expectations.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

92. The subject is satisfactorily led and managed. The subject leader has a clear vision of how to develop the subject further. The extra-curricular clubs for sport and the sporting events undertaken with other neighbouring schools make a good contribution to the pupils’ social development. Resources are good and there is a good sized hard surface and grassed area for outdoor games.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

No lessons were seen in personal, social and health education and citizenship. Throughout the school, this area of learning is managed well and planned carefully in the curriculum and makes a strong contribution to pupils’ behaviour and the school’s ethos. Teachers value what pupils think and feel, helping pupils to develop their self-esteem. The teachers listen carefully to pupils’ ideas and show that they appreciate them, and the pupils like the opportunities for talking about their opinions.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

93. A particular strength of the school is the way in which pupils from a wide range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds work and play together. Lessons and assemblies very well foster this aspect of the school's life.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

94. The school takes very seriously its responsibilities in preparing the pupils to develop an understanding of society and the part they can play in it. As part of this work, there is a regular programme of visits from the school's police liaison officer who supports the school in covering a wide range of topics that include bullying, road safety, ‘stranger danger’ and wider community issues of litter, vandalism and drugs awareness. All Saints C E Primary School - 30

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 3 How inclusive the school is 2 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 3 Value for money provided by the school 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 3 Attendance 5 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 3 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 3 How well the curriculum meets pupils’ needs 4 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 4 Accommodation and resources 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 3 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 3 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 3 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 The quality of the school’s links with the community 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 3 The governance of the school 3 The leadership of the headteacher 2 The leadership of other key staff 3 The effectiveness of management 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7). All Saints C E Primary School - 31

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