Colne Christ Church Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

COLNE CHRIST CHURCH CE VA PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 6 th – 8 th October 2003

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COLNE CHRIST CHURCH CE VA PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Colne Christ Church CE Primary - 2 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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COLNE CHRIST CHURCH CE VA 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. Colne Christ Church CE Primary - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Voluntary Aided Age range of pupils: 4 - 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 152

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Keighley Road Colne Lancashire Postcode: BB8 7AA

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01282 865398 Fax number: 01282 867004

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Reverend Kath Allen

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 8 th June 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

This is a small primary school with 152 boys and girls aged 4 to 11. The school is a Church of England Voluntary Aided school and has strong links with the local church and its community. It is situated on the edge of Colne in Lancashire and serves the local area, but also takes pupils from a wider area, including the centre of Colne itself. Although broadly average overall, the socio-economic circumstances of the families are very mixed, with over a third of pupils coming from areas identified as being socially deprived.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

There is a wide range of attainment on entry, but generally children enter the school with similar skills to most other children. All pupils are of white British ethnic origin and all speak English as their first language. Pupil mobility is low. The percentage of pupils on the register for special educational needs is below average, but the school has a much higher than average number of pupils with statements for special educational needs. Most of the pupils on the register have identified learning needs. The school received an Achievement Award last year and achieved ‘Investors in People’ status this year. There has been a change in headteacher since the last inspection, the current headteacher having been at the school for just over a year. Colne Christ Church CE Primary - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

21420 Paula Allison Lead inspector Science Information and communication technology 11437 Anthony Anderson Lay inspector 28320 Robert Willey Team inspector Mathematics History Geography Special educational needs 32954 Wendy Hawkins Team inspector English Art and design Design and technology Music Physical education Foundation Stage

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Serco QAA Herringston Barn Herringston Dorchester Dorset DT2 9PU

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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). Colne Christ Church CE Primary - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 12

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 providing good value for money. The positive ethos, the good quality of teaching and the strong leadership of the headteacher result in pupils achieving well and reaching high standards, both academically and personally. The school has had a difficult few years, which has hindered development, but is now moving forward again. The school is well regarded and supported by parents and the local community.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• Pupils achieve well and standards are usually above those in similar schools. • Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good; they enjoy being in school and behave responsibly. • The headteacher provides very good leadership and has made a considerable impact on the school in a short space of time. • The school is a caring environment where individuals matter and all pupils thrive. • Teaching is good. Teachers encourage and support all pupils and help them to do their best. • Teachers record what pupils can do, but do not always use this information as well as they could do. • The curriculum is broad, relevant to pupils’ interests and provides particularly well for pupils with special educational needs, but limitations in the accommodation can restrict some aspects of the curriculum.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Improvement has been good. Since the last inspection the school has gone through a difficult time, with the illness and subsequent death of the previous headteacher and the long term absence of some teachers. This had a profound effect on the whole school community and affected the achievement of some pupils. The new headteacher has worked hard to regain a sense of purpose and this is now obvious in all aspects of the work of the school. Standards are returning to the previous high levels and improvements in the quality of education, especially teaching, have meant that issues from the last inspection have been addressed well. Many aspects of the school are now better than they were. The strength of the leadership and the quality of the teamwork in the school indicates that the school has the potential to move forward with confidence.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2000 2001 2002 2002 English C A B B mathematics C B A A science E C A A Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Achievement is good. Children make good progress in the reception class and most reach the goals that children are expected to reach by the end of reception. Standards in reading, writing and mathematics in Year 2 have recently not been as high as usual, but in 2003 standards rose considerably and now compare well with similar schools. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 achieve well. Standards in English and mathematics in Year 6 are usually good and are often well above those achieved in similar schools. However, some recent discontinuity in teaching had affected the progress some pupils made and standards in 2003 were below those of similar schools. A Colne Christ Church CE Primary - 7 determined effort is now being made to ensure that high standards are regained this year and the current Year 6 are achieving well. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 achieve well overall.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils with special educational needs achieve particularly well because of the good quality of support they receive. Achievement in English, especially writing, is not as good as that in other subjects, but this has been recognised and strategies to raise achievement are in place and working effectively. Pupils achieve particularly well in science throughout the school, because of the good teaching, the well planned curriculum and pupils’ positive attitudes.

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Pupils’ personal qualities, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development,

are very good. The school provides very well for pupils’ personal development and the high standards of pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are a strength of the school. Attendance is above that achieved in other schools. Pupils enjoy coming to school and parents support the school in ensuring that their children attend regularly.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided by the school is good.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of teaching is good. Teachers encourage and support pupils very well, they have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and use a range of teaching methods. Because of this, pupils work hard, gain skills and make good progress. Support staff make a valuable contribution to the quality of teaching. There are some aspects of assessment and marking that need to be improved in order to involve pupils more with their own learning and thus make it even more effective.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The curriculum is broad and relevant to pupils, so that they are interested in the work and are keen to learn. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is particularly good. All pupils are included and are able to achieve. A very good partnership with parents and close links with the community support the ethos of the school and enhance the quality of education provided.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher has a clear vision and high aspirations for the school and is a very effective leader. She has brought together a strong team of teachers and support staff who now have a shared sense of purpose and a determination to raise standards. There is a strong emphasis placed on staff support and development, which lies behind much of the improvement that has taken place. The governing body is now much more involved with the work of the school and with planning for its future.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents and pupils have very positive views of the school. Parents are particularly confident in the care taken of their children, the quality of the teaching and the way the school is led and managed. Pupils are happy in school. They particularly like their teachers and the interesting things they do in school. A few parents feel that they would like more information about the progress their children are making. The quality of information provided is good, but more could be done to inform parents about what their children need to do in order to achieve more.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are:

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Ensure that all teachers use what they know about their pupils’ achievements to help them plan and set targets for the next stage in their learning. Colne Christ Church CE Primary - 8 • Improve the quality of teachers’ marking so that it provides pupils with the knowledge of how they can improve. • Seek to improve the accommodation in order to enhance the delivery of the curriculum. Colne Christ Church CE Primary - 9

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Achievement is good throughout the school . Standards in Year 2 are above average. Standards in Year 6 are currently average, but are usually above this.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• All pupils achieve better than might be expected, because of the good quality of education provided for them. • Pupils with special educational needs achieve very well as a result of the good quality of support they receive. • Standards in Year 2 have improved considerably this year and they are now above average. • Standards in Year 6 are usually above average, but are currently not as high as this because of some past teaching problems. • Pupils through the school achieve particularly well in science, as a result of the good provision for the subject and pupils’ positive attitudes. • Achievement in information and communication technology is sometimes limited by a lack of regular access to computers.

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Commentary

1. Children enter the school with a wide range of skills, but assessments made as children enter the school show that overall attainment on entry is broadly in line with what is expected of children of this age. Children make good progress in the reception class and the school’s own assessment data indicates that most reach the goals they are expected to reach by the end of reception. They achieve particularly well in personal, social and emotional development, mainly because of the high standards the teacher sets for children. They also achieve well in communication, language and literacy, but there are still a number of children who enter Year 1 with weak skills. These children are identified and given support in Year 1. Achievement in physical development is satisfactory, limited by the lack of an outdoor play area.

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Commentary

2. In Years 1 and 2 standards are high. Standards in the last two years have been lower, but with a more stable situation staffing-wise, improved quality of teaching, higher expectations and the provision of extra support for pupils, standards have improved considerably and the 2003 results compare very well with those achieved in similar schools. Teachers have worked hard to raise achievement and these results show how successful they have been. Almost all pupils reach the levels expected in reading, writing and mathematics and a high percentage reach levels above this. Standards in writing are not quite as good as those achieved in reading and mathematics. In the last tests most pupils achieved the expected levels in writing, but not as many reached the higher levels as they did in reading and mathematics and this affected the overall standards.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2002

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results reading 15.1 (15.4) 15.8 (15.7) writing 13.1 (14.7) 14.4 (14.3) mathematics 16.3 (16.4) 16.5 (16.2) There were 24 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year Colne Christ Church CE Primary - 10 3. Pupils achieve well in Years 1 and 2. During the inspection pupils were found to be achieving better than might be expected. The good teaching, particularly in Year 1, and the good quality extra support pupils now receive means that all pupils have the opportunity to gain skills and make good progress in their learning.

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Commentary

4. Standards in English, mathematics and science in Years 3 to 6 are usually above average and compare very well with similar schools. Last year the school received an Achievement Award for Year 6 achievement. The value added was impressive; pupils made much better progress than might have been expected given their prior attainment. However, during a difficult time for the school with long term absences and temporary teachers some pupils last year did not make the progress they might have done and there was an impact on the attitudes of a few pupils. Although the headteacher and other staff worked hard to make up for this, the results at the end of Year 6 this year were disappointing. They are below average and below those achieved in similar schools. Inspection evidence suggests that things will improve next year, although there are still some weaknesses, particularly in English.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2002

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 28.2 (29.3) 27.0 (27.0) mathematics 28.9 (27.5) 26.7 (26.6) science 29.9 29.3) 28.3 (28.3) There were 26 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

5. The school’s own tracking data shows that Year 6 pupils are achieving well, attitudes are positive and there is a determination on the part of the headteacher that they should reach the challenging targets they have set themselves. Achievement in Years 3 to 5 is good. Pupils are well taught, particularly when they are in the single age teaching groups that the school has striven to provide, and they make good progress in gaining skills, knowledge and understanding.

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Commentary

6. The school has an increased number of pupils with special educational needs and they achieve very well because of the good quality of support they receive. However, the standards many of these pupils achieve are still below average and this can have a marked effect on the standards overall. For example, this year over a quarter of the pupils in Year 6 was on the register for special educational needs.

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Commentary

7. Overall in the school standards in English are lower than those in other subjects, but this has been the priority of the school for the last year and continues to be so. Strategies that have been put in place have already had a marked impact on achievement in Years 1, 2 and 3.

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Commentary

8. Standards in science have improved considerably in recent years and now pupils achieve very well throughout the school. The reasons for this are the good, confident class teaching, the carefully planned curriculum and the positive attitudes of pupils. Achievement in information and communication technology can be limited by the lack of access to computers. Although pupils reach the levels expected, they could be doing much better than this, if they had more opportunity to consolidate their skills and become more independent users of ICT. Music has a high profile in the school, it is taught and led enthusiastically and pupils achieve well.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good. They make good progress in their personal, social and emotional development during their time at the school. The school promotes their spiritual, moral social development very well, and their cultural development well. Attendance and punctuality are good. Colne Christ Church CE Primary - 11

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ very positive attitudes to school mean that they work hard and achieve well. • Very good behaviour in lessons and around the school makes for a productive working atmosphere and a harmonious community. • The strong Christian ethos has a positive impact on pupils' personal development. • The attendance and punctuality levels for pupils at the school are good.

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Commentary

9. Pupils’ attitudes are very good. These are developed very well by the school and are a major strength. Pupils enjoy the direct, whole class teaching, which is a strong feature of lessons, and listen carefully. They are eager to join in, answering questions and sometimes asking them too. Those pupils who have learning difficulties are very well supported in lessons, so that they are able to follow and take a full part. Teaching assistants work hard to ensure that pupils are included in every aspect of school life. Pupils display very positive and caring attitudes to one another. For example, pupils in Year 6 read with the younger pupils, helping them become more fluent readers. The parents who communicated with the inspection team unanimously held the view that their children were happy at school.

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Commentary

10. Behaviour in and around school is very good. The school has a good whole school behaviour policy, the working of which is monitored and reviewed regularly. This is well known and effectively implemented not only by teaching staff, but also by support staff such as midday supervisors. As a result of the effectiveness of this policy and because the quality of education is good, there is little misbehaviour in lessons or at other times, such as at lunch and playtimes. Pupils are praised for good conduct, and this is supported by classroom management systems that foster a calm working environment. From the outset children in the reception class are taught to line up quietly and to respect each other's space as they move from their classroom to the hall. After only a few weeks they can accomplish this with ease.

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Commentary

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Commentary

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 152 0 0

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Commentary

11. Overall attendance at the school is good and is above the national average. The incidence of unauthorised absence is low and is below the national average. There is little evidence of pupil lateness and they are punctual in their attendance at school and in lessons. The vast majority of parents are very supportive of their children and the school in terms of ensuring that they attend school regularly and promptly. The school is proactive in following up all unexplained absences and in promoting good attendance and punctuality.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 3.7 School data 0.1 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. Colne Christ Church CE Primary - 12 12. Staff at the school, and especially the headteacher, provide excellent role models for the pupils; they behave with courtesy and respect. The pupils are expected to do like wise and indeed they do. Pupils play an active role in the daily life of the school, for example they water the plants and distribute the registers. They carry out these tasks eagerly and responsibly.

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Commentary

13. Pupils’ personal development is very good. The teacher in reception sets high standards from the beginning and effectively nurtures children’s development. By the time they leave reception most children reach the goals they are expected to reach in personal, social and emotional development. Pupils grow in maturity as they go through the school, a fact that is recognised and appreciated by parents.

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Commentary

14. The school's highly effective spiritual, moral and social education is underpinned by the strong Christian ethos of the school. Pupils with special needs are welcomed into the school community and the school is highly effective in promoting inclusion. In the lively and spiritually uplifting acts of worship children are given explicit moral and social guidance to shape their personal development. For instance, the parable of the Lost Sheep was acted out by pupils in Year 6 in a relevant modern setting, and the whole school was riveted. The headteacher endorsed clearly the moral, so it could be understood by even the youngest of pupils. Very effective use is made of music to set a tone when pupils enter and leave the hall and by wholehearted participation in singing.

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Commentary

15. Very good use is made of praising pupils’ achievements during assemblies and at other times. Throughout the school there are displays with photographs of pupils that celebrate their contribution to aspects of school life, such as serving on the school council, or their social, academic, artistic or sporting achievements. Pupils feel valued and strive to do more. They talk about their school with pride and eagerly participate in the wide range of extra-curricular activities on offer. The school is closely linked to the neighbouring church and takes part in Sunday Worship, like the recent Harvest Festival. The school works hard through the curriculum to make sure that pupils have the opportunity to appreciate their own culture. There are not sufficient opportunities for pupils to appreciate other cultures.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is good. There is good quality teaching and a broad curriculum. The very good partnership with parents and strong links with the local community enhance the provision.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching provided by the school is good and as a result pupils learn effectively. The assessment of pupils’ work is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers support all pupils and encourage them to do their best; pupils respond well to this and work hard. • Teachers have good subject knowledge and understanding and high expectations of what pupils can achieve, which has a direct impact on how pupils apply themselves in lessons. • Teachers use a range of teaching methods, and use resources imaginatively, which keeps pupils interested and attentive. • Support staff are well deployed and make a valuable contribution to the quality of teaching and learning. • Good systems for assessment are in place and teachers keep careful records of pupils’ achievements, but this information is not always used sufficiently well for matching work to pupils’ needs and setting targets for them. • Teachers’ marking is supportive, but does not always help pupils understand how they can improve. Colne Christ Church CE Primary - 13

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Commentary

16. The table below shows the judgements made on lessons seen during the inspection, but evidence from pupils’ work and talking to pupils about their work was also taken into account when making the overall judgement on the quality of teaching. There is good teaching throughout the school and pupils in every class learn effectively. Monitoring of teaching and learning has resulted in more consistency in planning and delivery, an improvement from the time of the last inspection. It is certainly a huge improvement from last year when the school had major problems with staff absences and discontinuity in teaching. Parents are very confident in the quality of the teaching now provided by the school, being particularly impressed with the way every child is treated as an individual.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 26 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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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.

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Commentary

17. Parents have every right to be confident in the care taken of their children. In all classes there are positive relationships and teachers and other adults support pupils and encourage them to do their best. Pupils respond well to this and they try hard in lessons. The inclusive ethos of the school pervades classrooms, making them effective learning environments for all pupils. Pupils themselves feel secure and happy with their teachers. They are not afraid to ‘have a go’ in lessons, knowing they may not be right but that their contribution will be valued.

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Commentary

18. Support staff are deployed well in lessons and they make a valuable contribution to the quality of teaching. This is particularly obvious in Year 1 and is one of the major factors that has brought about the improved achievement in Years 1 and 2. In a Year 1 literacy lesson the skilled teacher and a well experienced teaching assistant worked together to ensure the needs of all pupils were met, both during the whole class session and later when the class split into groups. The interaction between the adults added a further dimension to the lesson, pupils being provided with a very good model of how to relate to others.

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Commentary

19. Teachers and teaching assistants support pupils with special educational needs very well. Working relationships with each other and with pupils are very good. They focus on helping pupils meet the targets on their individual education programmes and maximise access to the curriculum for them. They review targets frequently, setting new ones as appropriate. The very competent team of support assistants use time, resources and strategies effectively, reporting daily on outcomes.

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Commentary

20. Teachers have good subject knowledge and understanding, which shows in the confident way in which they deliver class lessons, explaining things carefully and asking challenging questions. The high expectations that the headteacher has inspired mean that teachers ask a lot of their pupils and expect them to work hard. In the mental starter to a Year 2 numeracy lesson, the teacher used a fast pace, some ‘quick fire’ questioning and a range of different strategies, including some paired work, in order to keep all pupils totally involved for the whole session. Pupils made considerable strides in extending and consolidating their numeracy skills. Teachers’ enthusiasm in many lessons motivates pupils and keeps them interested and willing to involve themselves. In a Year 6 music lesson, the teacher used a mixture of teaching methods to keep pupils ‘on their toes’ and involved. He used pupils’ own interests to make the

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Commentary

learning relevant and inspired confidence in even the most diffident when it came to putting words to a melody or responding rhythmically to notation. Colne Christ Church CE Primary - 14 21. Effective assessment systems are in place and teachers record carefully what pupils know and can do. However, in some lessons teachers do not use this information as well as they could do to help them match work to the needs of pupils. This can result in some pupils at this stage in a lesson not being sufficiently challenged by the task given to them. Neither do teachers use the assessment information to help them to set targets for pupils and so involve them in their own learning. The assessment co-ordinator has worked alongside the headteacher in developing assessment systems. However, the co-ordinator does not take a strong enough lead in supporting teachers in using information from assessment to match work to individuals

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Commentary

and groups of pupils and to set targets for pupils’ learning. Teachers know their pupils very well and they mark their work in a supportive manner. However, marking is not used well enough to help pupils understand what they need to do to improve. The good quality of teaching that is particularly evident in whole class lessons is motivating pupils and encouraging them to work hard. Pupils now need to have more involvement in their own learning and take responsibility for improvements they make.

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The curriculum

The school provides a good curriculum for its pupils. It is broad and relevant, meets the needs of all pupils and is enhanced well by extra-curricular activities. Resources are much improved and are satisfactory. The accommodation is unsatisfactory for the full delivery of the curriculum.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• All pupils have fair and equal access to the curriculum, and this reflects the school’s high priority for inclusion. • A wide and expanding range of visits, visitors and extra-curricular activities enriches the curriculum. • Pupils with special educational needs access the full curriculum, as a result of the very good support they are given. • Limitations in accommodation are inhibiting development in a number of areas of the curriculum.

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Commentary

22. At the time of the last inspection, although the curriculum was found to be satisfactory overall, it was criticised for not providing sufficient help for teachers’ planning for classes with mixed year groups. This issue was addressed last year. The curriculum is now devised so that whilst topics vary using a three-year cycle, the same skills are taught to pupils of the same age. By dividing the six classes into seven teaching groups, literacy and numeracy are now taught in single age groups. The teacher: pupil ratio for half the week has, consequently, been improved and has resulted in an increased number of pupils reaching higher levels in end-of-year assessments. Pupils’ needs are now well met by the school’s curriculum and many parents commented on this during the inspection.

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Commentary

23. The curriculum is still enriched by a large range of extra-curricular activities. These are varied and, as well as sporting activities, range from clog dancing to board games and from recorders to Spanish. All classes visit places of interest related to subjects they are studying including farms, Victorian Seaside exhibitions and the Urbis Centre in Manchester for world environmental issues. The school is well supported by local churches and visitors from the community. An environmental officer from the Borough Council visited Year 6, for example, when they were studying litter and refuse in their geography topic. In addition, the new headteacher has instigated a residential visit for Year 6 pupils, which, as well as its curriculum contribution, fosters pupils’ independence and social skills very well.

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Commentary

24. The school is developing an effective programme for personal, social and health education as a result of the policy devised by the new headteacher. Time is ascribed to this for all classes in addition to aspects of health education featuring as part of the science curriculum, including the Colne Christ Church CE Primary - 15 dangers of misusing drugs. The school has joined the ’Healthy Schools‘ project. There is a definitive programme for sex education for pupils in Year 6 that is delivered by the school nurse and the head teacher. The new policy has been in place for less than a year so its real impact has yet to be realised.

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Commentary

25. The school is committed to enabling the inclusion of all pupils. In a physical education lesson, pupils with special educational needs showed a determination to succeed because of the support they were given. Marker boards and questioning in lessons are used well to ensure all pupils are included. This is a very strong area appreciated by parents. Pupils with special educational needs receive high quality support in order to access the curriculum. Each pupil has an individual education programme with well-defined targets that teachers and teacher assistants know well. These are regularly reviewed and evaluated. Support assistants are fully involved in reviews and meetings.

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Commentary

26. There are sufficient teachers to ensure curriculum delivery and they are well deployed. Well- informed and appropriately trained support staff contribute very well to motivating lower attaining pupils, especially those with special educational needs. There has been considerable investment in resources since the last inspection and this has had a positive impact on the delivery of the curriculum. For example, new books have helped in improving pupils’ motivation and raising their achievement in reading. Co-ordinators now have their own budget and this has meant that resources are more carefully targeted at what teachers need.

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Commentary

27. There have been significant improvements to the accommodation since the last inspection, and recent refurbishment and decoration has had a marked impact on the morale of staff and pupils. There are still some limitations that restrict development of the school curriculum. The resources room has had to be utilised as a teaching space when the classes are divided into year groups. This is so small that the teacher has no space to move and reach all pupils. The library is housed in a narrow corridor adjacent to the school entrance on a main thoroughfare through the school, which makes using the library for research and independent learning impossible. There is no room for a computer suite and this restricts computer use to already cramped classrooms and small areas around the school. The peripatetic violin teacher is re- sited three times during her visit; locations include the school entrance and the staff room. The

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Commentary

school playground and field have precipitous slopes and this greatly hampers the acquisition of games skills and the pursuit of team games. Accommodation thus presents major impediments to effective delivery of a number of areas of the curriculum.

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Care, guidance and support

The school takes good care of its pupils, and has good arrangements to ensure their welfare, health and safety. It gives them good support, advice and guidance and involves them well in its work and development. The good quality of care that pupils receive enhances their academic achievement and personal development.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils have very good relations with adults in the school and are confident that they will receive effective support and guidance from members of staff. • The school monitors pupils’ achievements and personal development well. • The school has good systems for ensuring pupils’ welfare, health and safety.

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Commentary

28. The school has good formal policies relating to child protection and to health and safety. It ensures through briefing sessions and staff training that members of staff understand the correct procedures and apply them effectively in practice. There are good arrangements for first aid, for supervision of pupils in the playground and for the security of the site, and these are very effective in safeguarding pupils’ physical well-being. The school also looks after pupils’ Colne Christ Church CE Primary - 16 emotional welfare very successfully. There is a colourful display that helps pupils understand emotional effects on body language. Arrangements for the induction of newcomers are caring and as a result they settle in quickly and are happy at school. Members of staff go out of their way to ensure the happiness of every child in every year group. They know pupils well as individuals and give them guidance that meets their needs. Pupils understand and appreciate

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Commentary

this. They speak very enthusiastically about the school’s friendly teachers and teaching assistants, and they praise the way in which members of staff give them effective support whenever they require help. Parents too are very pleased with the standard of care that their children receive.

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Commentary

29. Good monitoring of pupils’ progress enhances the quality of academic and pastoral support, and this in turn raises achievement across the school. Where personal development is concerned, much of the provision is informal, but nonetheless effective. It works well because it is founded on teachers’ thorough knowledge and understanding of the pupils in their class. This assists teachers to identify individuals who are having problems and to take effective action to help them. The school has good systems for assessing and tracking academic achievement, and these underpin its arrangements for supporting and encouraging pupils of all levels of attainment. This has started with the effective analysis of baseline data to target pupils needing extra support with literacy. Pupils’ successes in any aspect of their development are recorded and given due recognition, for example in celebration assemblies and through certificates of

p.16

Commentary

30. Pupils with special educational needs are very well integrated into the caring environment of the school. Pupils requiring specialist help have the necessary support and guidance provided. Teaching assistants as well as class teachers are closely involved in consultation and liaison with external agencies.

p.16

Commentary

31. The new headteacher believes strongly in taking all views into account and the school is starting to make arrangements to seek and act on pupils’ views. School council members take their remit very seriously. They describe how they sound out the opinions of the classes that they represent and put them forward at meetings and they are proud of the improvements that they have brought about, such as the new mirrors in the toilets and the installation of ‘worry boxes’ in classrooms. The school council is valued by pupils, who have a sense of ownership of the school as result of its work.

p.16

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Parents' views of the school are very good, as is the school’s partnership with parents. The school’s links with the local community, including other schools, are very good.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents have very positive views of the school. • Parents feel that the school is very well led and managed, the teaching is good and their children are taken good care of. • Parents feel that the school is approachable with any problems. • The school reaches out very well to all parents. • The school utilises the community and other schools very well to support the curriculum.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

32. The parents' meeting with the inspectors was reasonably well attended and the parental questionnaire was returned by a relatively high proportion of parents. Parents are very supportive of the school and of its aims and values. Parents feel that their children like school and that they are making good progress. Parents also feel that the teachers are good and that the school is well led and managed.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

33. The information provided by the school, through the prospectus, the governors’ annual report to parents and via regular and well designed newsletters, is of a very high standard. Annual Colne Christ Church CE Primary - 17 academic reports to parents are of a good standard, although targets for pupils' further development are not specifically highlighted. There are three parents' evenings each year during which parents have the opportunity to discuss their child's progress and these evenings are generally well attended by parents who take a keen interest in their children’s progress. Parents are kept well informed about the levels of homework to expect for each year group and suggestions are made as to how they might assist and support their child.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

34. Several parents provide very welcome classroom support and assistance with external visits and occasional residential trips. The regular sharing assembly is very well attended and one such observed assembly during the inspection included a rich seam of spirituality and vibrant singing by the children. All parents have been invited to enter into a home/school agreement, which is designed to promote improved communication between the school, parents and children. Parental attendance at school concerts, celebrations and sports days is very good. The Friends of the School are very active in their support for the school and have recently funded a portable stage for use on special occasions.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

35. Governors and members of the senior management are very committed to promoting the school’s links with the local church and its community, as well as with the wider local community. The school makes good use of the local environment to enhance pupils’ curricular access and the range of extra-curricular clubs and activities is good. The school has extremely good links with the local church and during a recent harvest festival celebration held on a Sunday, well over half of all the children at the school attended the service. Very close links are also apparent with the local community. The school has very good links with the local high school and with a nearby pre-school establishment. Positive industrial links are also being forged and these include work with the local bakery, which provides the school with good opportunities for curricular topic work. The school’s links with parents and the community

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

provide an effective contribution to pupils’ learning and personal development.

p.17

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good overall. The new headteacher is providing very effective leadership. The leadership of other key staff is satisfactory. The school is well managed. The work of the governing body is good. The school has been through a difficult time and this has hindered development, but now clearly has the potential to move forward again.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher is a very good leader; she has a clear vision of what the school can be and has high aspirations for it. • There is now a strong team of teachers and support staff working together with a shared sense of purpose and a determination to raise standards. • There is a strong emphasis placed on staff support and development, which has raised morale and increased responsibility. • The school has a positive ethos, based on the importance of the individual. • The governing body are strongly committed to the values promoted by the school and are now much more involved with the work of the school than they were. • The role of subject coordinator is developing well, but the deputy head does not currently have the amount of responsibility commensurate with her role.

p.17

Commentary

36. The headteacher has a clear vision for what the school can be and has high aspirations for it. She provided the much-needed direction after the school had been through a difficult period. In a short space of time she has gained the respect and confidence of governors, staff, parents and pupils. She provides very good leadership, having motivated staff at all levels and showed by example how high expectations can be. She has created a strong and stable team of teachers and support staff who work together well and now have a shared sense of purpose Colne Christ Church CE Primary - 18 and a commitment to raising achievement. The ethos of the school is positive. It is based on valuing the individual and making sure that all are included. This ethos is apparent in all aspects of the school’s work and is particularly recognised and appreciated by parents, many having chosen the school for this reason.

p.17

Commentary

37. The role of subject co-ordinator has been developing well, although staff changes have meant that currently many are new to their particular post. There is nevertheless a sense of enthusiasm amongst teachers and, with new systems of monitoring performance, they now have the means to improve the standards and quality of provision in the different subjects. This is a considerable improvement from the time of the last inspection, when co-ordinators did not have enough responsibility and were not involved with whole school issues such as quality of teaching and learning. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very well managed by the headteacher herself. She has considerably improved the efficiency and effectiveness of the systems and involved staff and governors at all levels.

p.18

Commentary

38. The deputy head managed the school satisfactorily during the absence of the previous headteacher and has now re-established herself as a class teacher. During the past year she has worked alongside and supported the new headteacher in all the development that has taken place. However, she does not currently have enough responsibility herself in the overall management of aspects of the school or in monitoring its performance and ensuring that improvements are brought about.

p.18

Commentary

39. The school is well managed. Systems for self-evaluation and monitoring have been established and now involve all staff. Everyone is now aware of how the school is performing and what needs to be done in order to bring about improvement. For example, close analysis of data from tests and assessments indicated that pupils were not achieving as well as they might in some aspects of literacy and as a result strategies were put in place that improved the quality of teaching and raised achievement. The impact of this was obvious in the much better results achieved in Year 2 tests this year.

p.18

Commentary

40. The headteacher is strongly committed to staff support and development and this lies behind many of the improvements that have taken place. For example, after a period of training and development in teaching literacy, teachers were more knowledgeable about what they were doing and taught more confidently and effectively. Throughout the school, people feel valued and encouraged and know that their contributions are recognised. Support staff are well trained and have a range of expertise that is used well to support pupils with special educational needs. The school recently achieved ‘Investors in People’ status as a result of its work in the area of staff development. The school has recently taken on new teachers and they have been provided with high quality support and guidance.

p.18

Commentary

41. The work of the governing body is good. Governors are very committed to the school and strongly uphold the values it promotes. They are now better organised and more involved with the work of the school. They are always supportive of the headteacher and the staff, but are now ready to question and make decisions. The investment in support staff that has made such a difference to the achievement of pupils, especially in Years 1 and 2, was a decision only reached after considering the many options and focusing on raising standards.

p.18

Commentary

42. The school has been through a difficult period with the illness and death of the previous headteacher and the long term absences of a number of staff. This has taken its toll on aspects of the school’s work and hindered development for a long while. There is still a legacy that the school has to cope with, for example in the achievement of some of the oldest pupils. However, in a short space of time the new headteacher has established a much a more stable situation and engendered a renewed sense of purpose. With such firm foundations, there is the potential for the school to move forward with confidence. Colne Christ Church CE Primary - 19 Financial information for the year April to March 2002

p.18

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 475,006 Balance from previous year 76,174 Total expenditure 484,173 Balance carried forward to the next 67,008 Expenditure per pupil 2,782

p.19

Commentary

Much of the balance carried by the school is earmarked appropriately as the governors’ contribution towards planned building developments. Colne Christ Church CE Primary - 20

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good. Children enter reception with attainment that is broadly in line with what is expected for children of this age. Positive attitudes are fostered. This is a strength of the provision and reflects the ethos of the school. Children are expected to achieve the early learning goals by the time they leave the reception class. Children achieve well as a result of the consistently good teaching and effective support from the teaching assistants. The curriculum is well matched to the children's interests but not enough use is made of the role-play area and the wet play space. The teacher in charge manages the class well and makes good provision for pupils with special educational needs. Since the previous inspection the school has maintained good provision and has improved assessment arrangements. However, children still do not have a secure outside play area or access to wheeled toys and climbing equipment.

p.20

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teacher and other adults actively promote good behaviour and respect for others. • All children achieve well.

p.20

Commentary

43. Children achieve particularly well in this area and most are on course to reach the goals expected by the time they leave reception. Teaching is good. The teacher is highly effective when role modelling good behaviour. She has a calm and respectful manner when addressing children and adults. In a lesson observed the teacher skilfully encouraged the class to participate in a circle time. They were willing to share thoughts and preferences, respecting their differences and developing trust through collaborative games that engendered a sense of community. The children were willing each other on. Children have roles as helpers and are keen to live up to the title; they give out biscuits and drinks which the others accept politely. Adults are quick to acknowledge good behaviour and children are praised appropriately for listening with attention and sitting with good posture.

p.20

Commentary

44. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well in the class. Activities are carefully planned by their support assistants to ensure that they have every opportunity for full participation. Every encouragement is given so these pupils have the confidence to take a full part in school life. The staff work effectively as a team to promote inclusion. As a backdrop to the main teaching area there is a large display with digital photographs of the staff and children as leaves on a big tree. This is a powerful image of inclusion and sends a reassuring message to all the children of their value in the school community.

p.20

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A structured teaching programme results in children achieving well with language development. • Parents are effectively involved with their children's learning. • Role play is not used sufficiently well to encourage children to develop their speaking skills. Colne Christ Church CE Primary - 21

p.20

Commentary

45. Children are assessed on entry and effective use is made of this information to target individual pupils. In recent years children have made better than expected progress. The teaching is good and the curriculum well structured. In one of their first literacy lessons children were encouraged to take part in a class exercise to recognise initial letter sounds. The teacher had high expectations and supported children with the task by exaggerating lip and mouth shapes and enunciating sounds. This type of lesson is a daily session using a phonic teaching programme. The teacher-led session was reinforced with activities that included sensory exploration of letter shapes with dough. Some children used multi-media software to give further practice with discriminating initial letter sounds. The activities were assessed and recorded to inform future planning.

p.21

Commentary

46. The children have regular homework derived from the phonic teaching programme. They take home worksheets to practise daily and reinforce previous learning. The parents have a regular correspondence with the teacher on progress. This sets a good precedence for an effective parental partnership to foster children's learning now and in the future.

p.21

Commentary

47. The children are good at listening to the teacher in class sessions, but some are reluctant speakers. In order to help children improve their speaking skills adults need to develop more open-ended ways of asking questions and plan an imaginative range of small world and role play to stimulate vocabulary.

p.21

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

It was not possible to make a judgement on provision in mathematical development or comment on the standards of the work seen. No lessons were observed and the children have insufficient recorded work at this early stage in the school year. There were prints of shapes on display, clearly labelled with correct mathematical vocabulary.

p.21

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

It was not possible to make a judgement on provision in knowledge and understanding of the world or comment on the standards of the work seen. No lessons were observed and the children have insufficient recorded work at this early stage in the school year. Children were competent in using a mouse to move images around a screen on a computer in the classroom. They have a good range of software to support their learning.

p.21

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is satisfactory.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Facilities for outdoor play are limited by the lack of a secure play space. • Activities for the development of fine control are varied and well planned, ensuring children have the opportunities to practise their skills.

p.21

Commentary

48. Teaching is satisfactory. The teacher plans well for outdoor play and delivers effective physical development lessons by using the school hall and grounds. However, the children do not have access to wheeled toys or a range of large equipment to develop and extend their large motor control on a regular basis.

p.21

Commentary

49. The teacher plans many activities for children to manipulate textures, small equipment; cut, stick and draw. Such activities are well laid out and pupils are confident to have a go. The wet Colne Christ Church CE Primary - 22 play area of the classroom is somewhat cluttered and could be put to better use for this purpose. Teaching ensures that children are expected to do things for themselves after demonstration and instruction. Many children are on course to reach the goals expected of them, but achievement in this area is not as good as in other areas.

p.21

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

It was not possible to make a judgement on the provision for creative development or for the standards of work in this area of learning. The work seen on the walls was of a good standard; the children had painted careful portraits of each other using large brushes. They had paid careful attention to skin tone, eye colour and shades of hair.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well overall but there are marked differences between different year groups of pupils. • The teaching has some very good features. • The school’s initiative to improve writing in Years 1 and 2 has been successful. • Not enough use is made of assessment in English. • Good leadership and management is improving standards and targeting resources.

p.22

Commentary

50. In the 2002 national tests pupils in Year 6 reached standards that were above the national average. Those of pupils in Year 2 were below the national average in reading and well below in writing. However, 2003 results in Year 6 dipped, but in Year 2 rose dramatically. The inspection shows that standards in the current Year 6 are likely to be average by the end of Year 6, and Year 2 standards are again likely to be above average. Standards are rising and should continue to rise as a result of the school’s vigorous response to the below average standards over the past few years at the end of Year 2. Factors that account for the dip in standards at the end of Year 6 have been addressed by the school. Standards in English were good at the time of the last inspection and, despite some fluctuations, these high standards have been maintained.

p.22

Commentary

51. Since the appointment of the current headteacher the school has introduced a raft of measures to raise standards. These have included an intensive and highly structured programme of group tuition in phonic skills – known as the Early Literacy Strategy – for pupils mainly in Year 1, but also some in Year 2. The school’s own analysis of pupils’ progress between starting school in reception and taking national tests at the end of Years 2 and 6, and that carried out by the national performance data comparative reports, indicate that most pupils achieve well over their time at the school.

p.22

Commentary

52. By the end of Year 2 most pupils read simple texts with accuracy and understanding. They recognise many common words readily and explain clearly the story so far. They have some helpful skills that they use to tackle unfamiliar words, such as ‘sounding out’ a word they do not recognise, or looking at the illustrations for clues. Most pupils write legibly, distinguishing clearly between upper and lower case letters. They make some use of basic punctuation, for instance using full stops to demarcate some of their sentences. They spell some common words correctly and more complex words are spelled plausibly, if not correctly. One pupil wrote, for example, “theres lods of restrants” . Colne Christ Church CE Primary - 23 53. By the end of Year 6 most pupils have very positive attitudes to reading and discuss books, stories and a number of popular authors with interest and obvious enjoyment. They understand

p.22

Commentary

a range of different texts, both fiction and non-fiction. They pick out and discuss features of a text and discuss the plot and some of the characters, making reference to appropriate words, descriptions or other information to support their point of view. They make some use of non- fiction in their studies. They have a good knowledge and understanding of reference skills, but have difficulty practising them as the school library is situated in the main thoroughfare of the school and has no facilities for study. Their handwriting is mostly joined and is neat and easy to read. Punctuation is mostly accurate. Pupils write for a range of different purposes. For example, they write autobiographically about their first day in a new class, and produce play scripts by transposing sections of recognised prose such as a scene from ‘A Christmas Carol’. They bring liveliness and interest to their writing, producing more complex sentences that make

p.23

Commentary

use of connecting words and phrases such as ‘whenever’ and ‘so that’, in place of the more common ‘but’ and ‘then’.

p.23

Commentary

54. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, and there is some very good teaching. Teachers follow the three-part lesson recommended by the National Literacy Strategy. The best teaching meets the learning needs of all their pupils, including those who find learning more difficult. In the very good teaching the most able were also identified, so that they could be set work that allowed them to achieve their full potential. Lessons usually start briskly, however there is a tendency for the teacher-led session to be overlong and then pupils do not have enough time to complete the tasks they have been given.

p.23

Commentary

55. The teaching of the individual Early Literacy Strategy programmes is particularly carefully structured and very good, comprehensive records are kept. This means that not only is each individual pupil’s progress carefully watched, but also the success of the programme itself can be monitored over time. There has been a dramatic rise in attainment in both reading and writing as a result. The school has made good use of its bank of assessment data to target groups of younger pupils. However, this focused use of assessment is inconsistent in the school and in some lessons not enough use of it is made to match work to pupils’ needs and to target learning. Marking is also inconsistent in quality. When it is used effectively it gives pupils focused feedback that helps them to improve.

p.23

Commentary

56. English is well led and managed. A very careful eye is kept on pupils’ achievements and the standards that they reach. The co-ordinator monitors trends in standards, comparing the school’s pupils with others both nationally and in the local area, and has led a successful initiative to raise standards. The quality of school improvement planning for English is very good.

p.23

Language and literacy across the curriculum

57. The school has recognised the need to develop pupils’ speaking and listening skills more so that pupils become more confident speakers, and teachers are now trying to identify opportunities to do this across the curriculum. Opportunities for pupils to use their reading and writing skills in other subjects are also developing. For example, pupils in Year 2 have combined geography and literacy objectives to produce a set of postcards from the popular children's book character Katie Morag, describing her life in a remote island off Scotland. The library has been recently stocked with a range of non-fiction titles that support pupils’ learning in other curriculum areas.

p.23

MATHEMATICS

Provision in Mathematics is good. Colne Christ Church CE Primary - 24

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in mathematics are rising across the school. • Good teaching is generating pupil enthusiasm for the subject. • Good co-ordination of the adoption of the National Numeracy Strategy has improved planning for pupils’ acquisition of mathematical skills. • Pupils with special educational needs are very well supported and as a result achieve well. • Higher attaining pupils are not always sufficiently challenged. • Assessment of pupils’ learning is at an early stage of development.

p.24

Commentary

58. Until this year, results in national tests had been improving steadily and in 2002 the school had received an Achievement Award in recognition of this. The school was, therefore, particularly disappointed in the 2003 Year 6 results, as they were lower than in previous years. However, there were reasons for this and pupils currently in Year 6 are on course to achieve better results. Evidence from testing for Year 2 pupils indicates that standards are above average and achievement is good. At the time of the last inspection standards were satisfactory and since then there has been a trend of improvement.

p.24

Commentary

59. The quality of teaching in mathematics is good. Teaching in all lessons seen during the inspection was good or very good which shows a significant improvement in the quality of teaching since the last inspection. Teachers have good mathematical knowledge and often present new information imaginatively, capturing the pupils’ attention. The use of a ‘magic fish’ to introduce number bonds to five to pupils in Year 1 created an atmosphere of awe that resulted in very good learning. The pace at which lessons proceed helps to maintain concentration. Challenging questioning and the use of marker boards ensure all pupils are fully included in lessons. Teachers know their pupils well. Good relationships help to foster an atmosphere in which pupils feel secure and unafraid of making mistakes. As a result pupils enjoy lessons and the majority are learning well.

p.24

Commentary

60. Careful planning for the development of the subject through the school is based on the National Numeracy Strategy. The new co-ordinator is a mathematics specialist and is setting high standards for the subject. Pupils are now taught numeracy in year groups, the co-ordinator teaching Years 4 and 5. This has addressed the criticism that in mixed groups some pupils’ needs were not met as well as creating smaller teaching groups. Booster classes for pupils in Year 6 and ‘Springboard’ in Year 5 are both taught by the co-ordinator and these are helping to raise standards. All teachers produce good weekly lesson plans in which learning objectives and vocabulary are clearly identified, as is homework.

p.24

Commentary

61. Support teachers and assistants provide very good support for pupils with special educational needs. They have very good rapport with these pupils and know the targets on their individual education plans. By sitting with them in class, they ensure that pupils understand the content of lessons and make good or very good progress. The needs of higher attaining pupils are, however, not always met. Most lessons are planned with three ability groups in mind and this provides appropriate challenges for all. In lessons not structured in this way, however, insufficient challenge is provided. This is particularly true for the most able older pupils, whose ability to think mathematically is not being developed as well as it might be.

p.24

Commentary

62. Assessment is, as yet, at a very early stage. Teachers’ planning and samples of pupils’ work are seen by the subject co-ordinator, who also tracks the progress of three pupils from each year group. Data collected by the school is not used well enough to set targets for pupil improvement. This is reflected in non-analytical marking of pupils’ books and in school reports. This area of weakness is not confined to mathematics and the newly appointed co-ordinator knows it is an area needing continued development. Colne Christ Church CE Primary - 25

p.24

Mathematics across the curriculum

63. Mathematics is used satisfactorily across the curriculum. In science pupils confidently measure and draw graphs and tables in order to record their findings. In geography pupils have carried out surveys and analysed data.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in science are consistently high and pupils achieve well. • Pupils enjoy science and make considerable gains in knowledge and understanding as they move through the school. • Teachers have a good grasp of the subject and make it interesting and often exciting. • The curriculum is broad, well planned and is relevant to pupils. • Investigation is an important part of what is offered, but pupils are not always given as much opportunity as they could be to carry out independent work.

p.25

Commentary

64. In both Years 2 and 6 standards are high. Results from tests and teacher assessments show that most pupils achieve the expected levels and a considerable number achieve higher than this. Overall standards are usually above or well above the national average and compare very well with those achieved in similar schools. Standards in Year 6 were slightly lower last year, but all the current evidence suggests that this year the school will achieve its challenging targets and standards will be back up again. Through the school pupils achieve better than might be expected, given their prior attainment.

p.25

Commentary

65. Standards were high at the time of the last inspection and provision was judged to be good. Since then the school has been through a difficult time and this had an impact on achievement in science, as it did in other subjects. The school has recovered well and pupils are now back to reaching standards that are at least in line with and often better than they were then. Certainly more pupils now achieve at higher than expected levels, indicating that the provision has continued to develop and expectations are higher than they were then.

p.25

Commentary

66. Pupils respond well to science. They enjoy the work and are keen to find out about the world. They are often excited by their discoveries. In one lesson, some Year 3 and 4 pupils had been carrying out an investigation and were very keen to find out what had happened to egg shells that had been exposed to different substances. They gasped quite visibly as the egg shell attacked by vinegar crumbled in front of their eyes. The very positive attitudes of pupils and their responsible behaviour in lessons mean that they can be trusted to work on their own and carry out their own investigations. This is not always exploited by some teachers, who sometimes retain too much control and do not allow enough independent learning to take place.

p.25

Commentary

67. Teaching is of a consistently good quality. Teachers display a good subject knowledge and understanding and go out of their way to gather suitable resources and present work in interesting ways that capture pupils’ imagination and motivate them. As a result, pupils attend well and work hard. They make considerable gains in knowledge and understanding and make good progress through the school. The most effective learning takes place when teachers encourage pupils to discuss issues and findings. In a Year 2 lesson, the teacher skilfully led a discussion about medicines. She drew on the pupils’ own experiences, asked for opinions and used various devices to ensure that everyone had the opportunity to take part. The pupils’ understanding had increased considerably by the end of the lesson. Homework is well used to help pupils continue their investigations outside the classroom and to involve parents in their

p.25

Commentary

learning. Colne Christ Church CE Primary - 26 68. The curriculum is well planned and this ensures that pupils, even those in mixed age classes, develop scientific skills and build on their knowledge and understanding from year to year. The curriculum is broad enough to cover all aspects of the subject. Investigation is an important part of the provision and the school has identified this as an area to develop further in order to ensure that there is more consistency in the way teachers plan for opportunities for independent investigation. Sometimes, however, limitations in space in classrooms can inhibit participation in investigative activities. The curriculum is relevant to pupils’ lives and interests. For example, all the lessons observed were related to life processes and living things and had a focus on healthy living. This was having a considerable impact on the way pupils of each age group thought about their own health and what they could do about it. Whilst Year 1 pupils were

p.25

Commentary

choosing what to put in a healthy packed lunchbox, Year 4 pupils were learning how harmful soft drinks were to their teeth.

p.26

Commentary

69. Leadership in science is satisfactory. Science has a history of being well led and managed and this has contributed to the good standards that have been achieved. The current co-ordinator has only recently taken on the role, but has a clear idea of how the subject needs to develop in the future.

p.26

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology (ICT) is satisfactory .

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers’ confidence has improved since the last inspection and the quality of teaching is now good. • Resources have improved, but pupils still do not have the regular access to computers that they need in order to develop confident skills. • Pupils enjoy working with computers and they are keen to find out new things. • Pupils are introduced to a satisfactory range of ICT experiences, but there is still insufficient use made of ICT to support their learning across the curriculum.

p.26

Commentary

70. Inspection evidence from observing lessons, talking to pupils and looking at their work indicates that Year 2 and Year 6 have had the experiences they should have and reach the standards expected. Achievement overall is satisfactory, but currently there are some gaps in their knowledge and understanding and some skills that are not as secure as they might be. Pupils enjoy working with computers, are keen to learn and they gain knowledge and understanding through the school. However, they are not sufficiently confident in their skills, and this shows itself in the way in which they often need adult support when carrying out tasks they have been set.

p.26

Commentary

71. From looking at their work and at teachers’ planning, it is evident that pupils are receiving a curriculum appropriate for their age. Pupils are introduced to a range of ICT tools, such as desktop publishing, using the internet for research purposes and working with spreadsheets, and they have the chance to use these in their work. However, pupils do not always get enough opportunity to practise their skills and so do not consolidate them sufficiently to enable them to use them confidently to support their learning in other subjects. For example, in a Year 3 and 4 lesson pupils were shown how to use ICT to organise and present some research into the Vikings that they had carried out in history. The particular focus was on combining text and pictures and using various effects to help them communicate their findings to a wider audience. Pupils were taught well, understood fully what they had to do and were keen to have a go.

p.26

Commentary

Unfortunately there were only four computers available and so the enthusiasm of most pupils dissipated and in subsequent days the teacher would have to remind them what they had learnt. This is not efficient or effective. Colne Christ Church CE Primary - 27 72. Teacher confidence in using ICT has improved since the last inspection and there are some good examples of skilful teaching promoting effective learning. In one lesson Year 4 and 5 pupils were being shown how to use graphics software to produce designs based on the work of Matisse. The teacher effectively used a digital projector and whiteboard in the demonstration and was able to involve pupils throughout, testing and challenging their understanding. Those teachers who have less confidence are well supported by their colleagues.

p.26

Commentary

73. There has been considerable investment in ICT since the last inspection and resources are better. A link with local schools, which brought much needed funding, helped considerably with this and had a positive impact on provision in the school generally. However, there are still not enough computers available for use and neither does the accommodation lend itself to pupils having the regular access to computers that they need. Teachers work hard to overcome these shortcomings and ensure that pupils have the appropriate experiences, but it is inevitable that pupils’ achievement is limited by the situation. The co-ordinator is knowledgeable about ICT, has been well supported by the headteacher and by some new and enthusiastic teachers and is working out ways of meeting the shortfall in the near future.

p.27

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

74. There is evidence that teachers are making a more determined effort to use ICT to support learning across the curriculum, although this can be limited by the access to computers. Some good work was seen linking art and design and ICT, and pupils confidently use word processing and desktop publishing skills to present their work in English. Similarly research work often supports learning in history and geography. However, opportunities in other subjects are still being missed. The school has identified this as an area to continue to develop as teacher confidence grows and the hardware situation improves.

p.27

HUMANITIES

It was not possible to see any history lessons during the inspection and so an overall judgement on provision in the subject cannot be made. However, evidence from pupils’ work and teachers’ planning indicates that there is a satisfactory curriculum and that pupils achieve well, particularly in Year 1 and 2. Good use is made of visits in the locality and resources from the local Museums Service to enhance pupils’ experiences.

p.27

Geography

Provision for the geography is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above national expectations for pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3. • Difficulties in subject planning in mixed age classes have been overcome. • Links with other subjects, particularly literacy and numeracy, are developing well. • Good use is made of visits, visitors and external resources to enrich the subject. • Limitations in accommodation restrict pupil opportunities for individual research.

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Commentary

75. Pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 produce a good volume of work of a consistently high standard. The topics in the established geography curriculum develop pupils’ skills and understanding logically, as thought has been given to the sequence in which they are taught.

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Commentary

76. Work in Years 4, 5 and 6 is more fragmented, but standards are similar to those found in most schools. Until last year, programmes of work for Years 3, 4 and 5 were not as well structured Colne Christ Church CE Primary - 28 as those for younger classes. As a result pupils’ achievement was hindered. A new three-year rolling programme has been devised to address this. The same skills are now taught to pupils of the same age although the topics covered by different classes are not identical. It is too soon, however, to determine the impact of this on standards.

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Commentary

77. All the topics covered in geography make good links with other subjects. Science and design and technology, as well as literacy and numeracy, are featured. The development of writing is an area for action across the curriculum this year and has been incorporated easily into both subjects. Pupils in Year 2 were observed writing postcards to Katie Morag telling her about life in Colne, and those in Year 4 were enthusiastically writing advertisements to sell a house in a village in India. The quality of teaching is satisfactory.

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Commentary

78. Visits bring geography to life for pupils. The Urbis Centre in Manchester is used to give pupils a flavour of different localities in the world and the environmental issues they face in an immediate way. The lack of suitable accommodation for the school library is handicapping the development of individual research skills especially for older pupils. The school has no space for a computer suite so that access to computers for information retrieval from web sites is limited.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Music was inspected in detail and is reported in full below. No lessons were seen in art and design . Work on display was in line with national expectations for the age of the pupils. There was an attractive display of watercolours in the local church of stained glass windows. The colour mixing was delicate. Learning resources have few references to traditions or artists that come from outside European culture. One satisfactory lesson was observed in design and technology in Year 2. A sample of pupils’ work was scrutinised; there were good cross-curricular links, particularly with history. Carefully constructed Viking ships and stationery folders decorated with William Morris designs were well displayed. The leadership of design and technology and art has recently been taken on by a new subject leader, whose role is ripe for development. Physical education is well led and the school tries hard to make up for the limitations in the grounds of the school. The school has

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

no level playing surfaces for outside sport, but the school hall is well equipped for gymnastics. Pupils take part in local matches with other schools in football and netball. One Year 4 games lesson, of satisfactory quality, was seen. From the evidence seen in art and design, design and technology and physical education, indications are that standards are satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Achievement is good and standards are above average by the end of Year 6. • The standard of singing is good throughout the school. • The subject is well taught and pupils are enthusiastic about learning. • The school provides an expanding range of extra-curricular activities and individual instrumental music tuition, and pupils have frequent opportunities to perform. • The subject is well led and managed.

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Commentary

79. It was not possible to judge the standards achieved in Year 2 as no music lessons were observed. Pupils in Year 6 are achieving well. They are likely to attain above average standards overall by the end of the year. At the last inspection provision for the subject was good, now achievement is also good. The particular enthusiasm of a new teacher working alongside the co-ordinator has helped to raise the profile of the music through the school. Colne Christ Church CE Primary - 29 80. In lessons seen pupils in Year 3 worked well in pairs to devise a sound map of a journey around a zoo; it was a simple introduction to notation. They selected and played instruments appropriately to represent animals they encountered along the path. Pupils enjoyed the sound variations when paths were altered. In Year 6 pupils made good progress with their understanding that song lyrics reflect the time and place in which they are written. The teacher

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Commentary

had very good curriculum knowledge and extended pupils’ learning with cross-curricular links to the history of the American Civil War. In assemblies pupils sang very well. Their diction is particularly clear. Younger pupils sing with a good sense of the shape of the melody and keep in time well, they are well supported as a teacher signs, giving them encouragement to join in. Singing in assemblies is joyful and adds a sense of celebration to the day ahead.

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Commentary

81. Teaching is good overall. Both teachers observed were very good role models for pupils to copy. Their enthusiasm, clear explanations and varied teaching methods engage pupils’ interest well and generate an enjoyment of music. The teacher’s good use of explanation and focused questioning enabled pupils in a lesson observed in Year 3 to make sound progress in their understanding of how different musical instruments are used expressively represent the characteristics of an animal: they selected a rainmaker to characterise the sound of a snake.

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Commentary

82. Pupils have good opportunities for individual musical instrument tuition provided by the local education authority and lessons are well supported. However, the school has difficulty in providing space for these well-attended lessons to take place. The school has a recorder club after school that is popular with pupils. There are regular musical productions and frequent opportunities to take part in church services, such as the recently held Harvest Festival. The subject is well led, ensuring that music has a high profile in the curriculum. The co-ordinator has considerable musical expertise and this is used to enrich many aspects of school life. The resources are well managed and there is a policy for regular replacement of instruments.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

There was not enough evidence to report on this area individually, but evidence from planning documents shows that a satisfactory curriculum is in place and it is developing well. Much of the provision is informal and takes place during religious education lessons, assemblies and ‘circle times’, but a more carefully planned programme is being developed. The headteacher herself teaches the subject in Year 6 and evidence of some good work on using parables in modern life was shown during a whole school assembly. Colne Christ Church CE Primary - 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 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2 Attendance 3 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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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 4 How well the curriculum meets pupils’ needs 3 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 3 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 4 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 2 The quality of the school’s links with the community 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 2

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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 4 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).

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