Melling St Wilfrid Church of England Primary School

Melling St Wilfrid’s Church of England Primary School

Dates of inspection: 16 – 17 September 2003

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Melling St Wilfrid’s Church of England Primary School

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Melling St Wilfrid’s 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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Melling St Wilfrid’s Church of England 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. Melling St Wilfrid’s 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: 38

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Lodge Lane Melling Carnforth Lancashire Postcode: LA6 2RE

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01524 221538 Fax number: 01524 222253

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Mrs P Bell

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Melling St Wilfrid’s Church of England voluntary aided primary school is much smaller than most schools. Its 38 pupils (22 boys and 16 girls) are taught in two classes. One caters for children in the reception class (the Foundation Stage) and for pupils in Years 1 and 2; the other for all pupils in Years 3 to 6. The children’s attainment on entry is, overall, typical of their age. However, it fluctuates greatly from year to year, due to the small numbers involved. The school serves a wide rural area, covering mainly farming and professional families, and very few pupils are eligible for free school meals. Virtually all pupils are from white British backgrounds. There are no pupils for whom English is an additional language. Eleven pupils (27.5%) are on the register for special educational needs, mostly because of moderate learning difficulties. This is above the national average. The school premises are used on two afternoons each week, to provide pre-school care for 6 to 8 three to four

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

year olds. Reception children join the pre-school children at these times. The headteacher, who also teaches the junior class for half of the week, was absent during the inspection due to bereavement. A supply teacher, working from the headteacher’s planning, was covering her lessons. The local education authority’s adviser met with the inspection team to provide background information about the school and its work. Inspectors interviewed staff, governors, parents and pupils, analysed pupils’ work and scrutinised all documentation made available before and during the inspection, in order to make secure judgements about the school, its context and its work. Melling St Wilfrid’s CE Primary 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

16413 Mrs D Bell Lead inspector English Information and communication technology Art and design Design and technology Music Special educational needs 11041 Mr M Moore Lay inspector 27677 Mrs D Davenport Team inspector Mathematics Science Geography History Physical education Foundation Stage

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Focus Inspections 113 -115 High Street Uppermill Saddleworth Oldham OL3 6BD

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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.oftsed.gov.uk). Melling St Wilfrid’s CE Primary 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 10

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

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

This is a small, rural, voluntary aided Church of England primary school in Lancashire. It has two classes, and was inspected on 16 and 17 September 2003 by an inspection team led by Mrs D Bell.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school is not as effective as it could be . The curriculum meets statutory requirements and the achievement of infant pupils is satisfactory. The headteacher, who also teaches the junior class for half of the week, was absent during the inspection due to a bereavement, and a supply teacher, working from the headteacher’s planning, was covering the headteacher’s lessons. The local education authority adviser met with the inspection team to help set the context of the school. There are serious weaknesses in leadership and management, most evident in planning, which lead to under-achievement for a significant proportion of pupils in Years 3 to 6. The weaknesses also mean that all pupils are not always fully included in all parts of a lesson. Value for money is unsatisfactory.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• Teaching is good in the infant class but unsatisfactory in the juniors, except in information and communication technology (ICT), where it is good. • Pupils throughout the school achieve well in art and design and ICT, and infant pupils also achieve well in music. Overall, junior pupils do not achieve well enough. • Pupils use their literacy, mathematical and ICT skills well in other subjects because teachers successfully encourage them to do so. • Governors are much more involved with school development planning than at the previous inspection but do not have rigorous enough systems for checking the school’s work. • Leadership and management are unsatisfactory. Management systems are not securely focused on bringing about sustained school improvement over time. • Attendance and punctuality are good. Parents co-operate well with the school to achieve this, and the school has good links with the community.

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How the effectiveness of the school has changed since the last inspection

The provision for reception children has improved considerably since the last inspection. Handwriting and presentation are now satisfactory, though not consistently so throughout the school. Although standards are at the national expectation, pupils in Years 3 to 6 do not achieve well enough in English, mathematics or science, because planning does not take sufficient account of their different levels of ability. Planning systems are not secure enough to sustain satisfactory learning for the pupils when their usual teacher is absent. Overall, there has not been enough improvement since the last inspection.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

In all subjects inspected, including English, mathematics and science, standards are satisfactory in reception, Year 2 and Year 6. Overall, achievement is unsatisfactory. It is satisfactory in reception and up to the end of Year 2, but unsatisfactory in Years 3 to 6. The table showing the results of the national tests for pupils in Year 6 in 2002 is omitted because there was only one pupil in the year group. The test results for pupils in Year 2 in that year were below the national average, and well below those of similar schools. The trend in the school’s Year 6 results is below the national trend. The results for 2003 are better than last year in both age groups. However, caution is needed when interpreting test data because of the small numbers in each year group. The school met its target for English and significantly exceeded its target for mathematics. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in literacy and numeracy in the sessions they attend away from class.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

However, they are not always as well supported with appropriate work in class, and are sometimes not fully included in lessons. Melling St Wilfrid’s CE Primary 7 Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are satisfactory overall, as is their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. In discussions with inspectors, pupils were polite and well-mannered and confidently gave their views of the school and how well they thought they were doing. However, some immature behaviour in the junior class slowed learning during lessons. A significant minority of pupils do not find it easy to work together, or to take responsibility for themselves and their learning. The school has started to address this through its developing personal, social and health education programme. Attendance and punctuality are good.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education is unsatisfactory. Teaching is good up to Year 2, but unsatisfactory in Years 3 to 6. Up to Year 2, the good use of a very competent nursery nurse, combined with good planning, ensures that pupils learn well in lessons. Planning is weak in Years 3 to 6. Pupils’ progress is regularly assessed and recorded in all subjects but the information is not used well enough in planning. This leads to some under-achievement for older and more able pupils, and to less able pupils not always being involved in learning. Although statutory requirements are met, overall curricular provision is unsatisfactory because it does not meet the learning needs of all groups of pupils. The care, welfare, health and safety of pupils are attended to well. However, the support, guidance and advice offered to pupils are not securely enough based on the monitoring of their achievement. The school’s partnerships with parents and other schools are satisfactory . Good links

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

with the community enhance learning, as do the good links made between relevant subjects. Resources are satisfactory and the school makes best use of its limited accommodation.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are unsatisfactory. The headteacher does not provide a sufficiently long term view for school development. Leadership and management structures are not based on rigorous self-evaluation, and there is no planning for sustained, long term school improvement. Management systems are not effective in ensuring that all pupils make the best progress possible in all lessons, and overall, achieve as well as they can.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The majority of parents and pupils are positive about the school and its relationships with them. About one quarter of the parents and one third of the pupils who responded to the questionnaires, have concerns about how well the school communicates with them to improve learning. The school does not systematically seek the views of parents or pupils about its work.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Improve the quality of teaching and learning in Years 3 to 6, and sharpen written planning to identify clearly the match between activities and the pupils’ different levels of ability. • Set a clear, forward-looking programme for school improvement that a) has a strong focus on raising achievement through improved leadership, management, teaching and learning, and b) establishes rigorous systems for checking on all of the school’s work. And to comply with statutory requirements: • Include a full budget statement in the governors’ annual report to parents. • Ensure the pre-school care group is registered with Ofsted’s Early Years Directorate. Melling St Wilfrid’s CE Primary 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Standards are at the national expectation in reception, Year 2 and Year 6. However, achievement is unsatisfactory . Up to Year 2, it is satisfactory overall, and good in art and design, ICT and music in this age group. Achievement is unsatisfactory in Years 3 to 6. Pupils in this age group do not do well enough in English, mathematics and science (the core subjects). They achieve well in art and design and ICT, and satisfactorily in geography and history. There was not enough evidence to make secure judgements about standards or achievement in music or physical education in Year 6, or in design and technology in either Year 2 or Year 6.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• In the junior class, pupils’ work is not well enough matched to their ages and ability levels. • Personal, social and emotional development is good in reception. • Speaking and listening skills are good throughout the school. • Except in science, pupils use their literacy, mathematical and ICT skills well in other subjects. While ICT skills are used appropriately for research in science, the over-use of worksheets prevents pupils using and extending their literacy and numeracy skills in that subject. • Improved provision and good teaching has improved standards and achievement in ICT.

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Commentary

1. Children make a good start in reception. They are taught alongside pupils in Years 1 and 2, and in most years, they start school with the levels of attainment expected for their age. The strong emphasis placed on their personal, social and emotional development means that only three weeks into school, they have settled well and are familiar with school routines. Much improved provision since the last inspection, combined with good teaching by the class teacher and the nursery nurse have contributed to this.

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Commentary

2. Because there were fewer than 10 pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 in 2002, the tables of national test results are not included in this report. Early indications from the 2003 test results are that all pupils in Year 2 reached the nationally expected level in reading, writing and mathematics. Teacher assessment shows that they also did so in science. In Year 6 in 2003, all pupils reached the nationally expected standards in the science tests. The school met its target for English and significantly exceeded its target for mathematics.

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Commentary

3. The trend in the school’s results is below the national trend. This is partly explained by the fact that the year groups are very small, and any differences in their make-up have a great impact on the results. However, there are weaknesses in teachers’ planning that mean that pupils’ learning needs are not being fully met in the juniors. Although there are good systems in place for recording and tracking pupils’ achievement in the core subjects, the information is not used explicitly enough in planning. This hinders the pupils’ learning when a different teacher has to take the class. Overall, pupils in Years 3 to 6 do not do as well as they could in English, mathematics and science because they are not sufficiently involved in evaluating how well they are doing, and are not clear about what they need to do to improve further. In the self-evaluation carried out with the local authority adviser, the school shows that it has

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Commentary

recognised some of the weaknesses described. However, the current school development plan does not provide a secure structure for tackling the issues over time. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress towards their literacy and numeracy targets when working with the visiting teacher. However, again, weaknesses in planning mean that their needs are not always met in class, and they are not always fully included in lessons. No differences were noted between the achievement of boys and girls. Melling St Wilfrid’s CE Primary 9 4. As at the last inspection, speaking and listening skills are good, and pupils’ reading, writing, mathematical and scientific skills are satisfactory. However, higher attaining pupils are not doing as well as they did then. Pupils mostly use their literacy, mathematical and ICT skills well in other subjects. The exception is science. While ICT skills are used appropriately to

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Commentary

research information in that subject, the over-use of worksheets prevents the pupils using and extending their literacy and numeracy skills as well as they could. Pupils achieve well in ICT because of good teaching and the effective use of improved resources. The pupils’ good use of ICT in other areas reinforces their learning in that subject, and enhances their learning in other subjects. The pupils’ good achievement in art and design is the result of the good development of their observational drawing skills, and their developing understanding of how famous artists worked. The very good teaching and management of music is a major contributor to the pupils’ good achievement in that subject by Year 2.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are satisfactory overall, as is their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Attendance and punctuality are good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ good attendance and punctuality • Good personal, social and emotional development for children in the Foundation Stage • Unsatisfactory attitudes and behaviour of a small number of pupils in the juniors • Lack of opportunities for older pupils to show initiative and take responsibility • Under-developed understanding of the range of cultures in Britain today

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Commentary

5. Sound induction procedures ensure that reception children quickly settle into school life. Three weeks into their first year at school, they are behaving well and showing positive attitudes to school. Pupils are encouraged from an early age to take on small responsibilities in the classroom and around the school. However, there are few opportunities for the older pupils to show initiative or take responsibility. This weakness was evident in the difficulty junior pupils had when asked to organise themselves into groups in a science lesson, and to work in pairs and help each other in an ICT lesson. Although their views were taken into account when the improvements were to be made to the school grounds, such consultation is not done regularly. The school is currently considering the setting up of a school council to address this.

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Commentary

6. The great majority of pupils enjoy school. They and their parents respond well to the school’s good procedures for ensuring regular 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: 4.6 School data : 0.0 National data: 5.4 National data: 0.5 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Commentary

7. Pupils play well together during playtimes and lunchtimes, and older pupils show care and consideration for younger pupils. Pupils feel that school is a happy and safe place to be, and that any instances of bullying are minor and are dealt with quickly by the staff. Pupils Melling St Wilfrid’s CE Primary 10 throughout the school are confident when talking to adults, and older pupils articulate their views and opinions of the school very clearly.

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Commentary

8. There have been no exclusions. The teachers’ praise and the displays of pupils’ work promote pupils’ confidence and self-esteem. The majority of pupils behave well during lessons, try hard to do well and form satisfactory relationships with adults and with each other. The school’s clear guidelines and the good role models set by the staff ensure that pupils know the difference between right and wrong. However, pupils are not involved in drawing up class or school rules, and the unsatisfactory attitudes and behaviour of a few older pupils disrupt learning in lessons, losing valuable teaching time. This usually happens when work is not stimulating enough for them. One quarter of pupils responding to the questionnaire indicated that others were not always nice to them, and nearly two fifths said that others sometimes misbehave. The school recognises this. It has recently started to tackle the issue through regular ‘circle time’ sessions, where pupils sit in a circle and reflect

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Commentary

on fundamental values such as friendship and caring. The majority of pupils welcome this opportunity and feel it is helping them to resolve their difficulties. However, some Year 6 pupils have an immature approach to this. For example, they explained to inspectors that although they have been asked not to identify individuals, they show by their body language the person to whom they are referring.

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Commentary

9. Opportunities for pupils to develop social, collaborative or independent skills are limited in lessons. However, sporting opportunities and musical activities help to develop social and team building skills, and several positive comments were received about the pupils’ good behaviour when out of school. Visits and visitors enhance pupils’ learning and their personal and social development, and help them to develop a good understanding of their own culture. Staff have undertaken training in teaching about cultural diversity and people from different cultures have visited the school. This aspect is very well promoted in the music curriculum through the teacher’s effective use of her own collection of ethnic instruments and the tales of where they come from and how they are used. Last year’s project on African music highlights this well. The school has a satisfactory race equality policy. However, discussions with pupils

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Commentary

indicate that they have a very limited understanding of the diversity of cultures in Britain today.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education, including the quality of teaching is unsatisfactory overall.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are good up to Year 2 but unsatisfactory in Years 3 to 6 in English, mathematics and science. They are good in ICT in this age group.

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Teaching and learning

Summary of teaching in the 10 lessons observed during the inspection. A further two sessions were observed where support staff were working with reception children, therefore they were not graded for teaching.

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Teaching and learning

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Teaching and learning

0 3 4 0 3 0 0 The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

The infant class ( reception children and pupils in Years 1 and 2): • Good subject knowledge, and the teacher’s good understanding of the pupils’ learning needs, though not always articulated in planning , lead to good learning in lessons. Melling St Wilfrid’s CE Primary 11 • Support staff are used well and contribute greatly to learning in this age group. • Focused teaching and well planned activities that link relevant subjects make learning fun and motivate the pupils well. • Clear explanations, instructions and demonstrations followed by good interaction with all pupils, promote successful learning

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Main strengths and weaknesses

The junior class (pupils in Years 3 to 6): • Although resources are well prepared, English and mathematics lessons are not well enough planned and organised to meet the learning needs of all pupils. • The teaching of ICT is good. • The specific needs of pupils with special educational needs are not always well enough catered for in class. • Homework is not used effectively to reinforce and extend learning. • Assessment information does not inform planning well enough.

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Commentary

10. In the infant class, the teacher and support staff work well together as a team. They plan a good range of stimulating activities for the reception children, securely based on the national guidance for this age group. They help the children to settle in quickly to school routines, and to form good relationships with other children and adults. During group activities in particular, reception children often work with the support staff, who in turn contribute greatly to the children’s learning and personal development.

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Commentary

11. Very good teaching was observed in three of the five lessons observed in the infant class. This occurred in science with Year 2 pupils, and in art and design and music with pupils in reception, Year 1 and Year 2. Very well planned activities ensured that the pupils further developed their literacy and mathematical skills alongside their work in all three subjects, and their physical skills through movement in music. The pupils’ obvious enjoyment shone through and they tried very hard to improve their work. Focused, imaginative and stimulating teaching made learning fun for them. Reading, writing, mathematics and science were all taught well in this age group during the inspection. Planning is securely based on national guidance adapted to meet the needs of mixed age classes. The teacher relies heavily on her own very good knowledge of the pupils, and it is difficult to see from the planning and the

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Commentary

school’s records how the needs of different pupils are fully addressed. Overall, however, the ongoing assessment of pupils’ work and its use in planning is satisfactory in this age group. The new assessment systems for music are very good. An excellent start has been made on recording pupils’ learning in different aspects of this subject each week and on using the information in planning. Sensibly, the procedures are being kept under review to assess their manageability, and their impact on pupils’ achievement, and they are to be used throughout the school. Homework is satisfactory in this age group. It reinforces and extends pupils’ reading, writing and mathematical skills appropriately.

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Commentary

12. A very different picture emerges in the junior class. Here, teaching and learning are good in ICT as a result of the teacher’s very good subject knowledge, effective planning and good classroom management. The way in which new learning is explained and demonstrated to the pupils and constantly reinforced throughout the lesson, promotes good progress in this subject, despite the difficulties pupils have in working together.

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Commentary

13. During the inspection, the headteacher’s lessons were being covered by a supply teacher known to the school and to the pupils. While identifying different activities for each year group, the planning left for her did not show what groups of pupils with different abilities needed to do to improve their learning. This important information is also missing from the school’s normal written planning for this age group. In the lessons seen, it resulted in whole class sessions not including all of the pupils effectively enough because the teacher’s questioning and the work expected from the pupils, did not meet the needs of the different ability groups. In English and mathematics, the time taken to work through examples with each year group in Melling St Wilfrid’s CE Primary 12 turn slowed the pace of the lesson and resulted in restlessness and misbehaviour amongst Year 6 pupils who had to wait till last. In a discussion with inspectors following a mathematics

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lesson, it was clear that the Year 6 pupils were capable of much more challenging work and that for them, a great deal of the lesson time had been wasted. They commented that this was often the case, that it often resulted in their not having enough time in lessons to finish their written work, and that they wished they had a teacher that had time specifically for them. The school said that specific challenges for Year 6 pupils are planned for Friday mornings when two teachers take the junior class and the age groups can be split. This was not apparent in the planning seen. Pupils with special educational needs are taught well when withdrawn from lessons. As a result they make good progress towards their literacy and numeracy targets. However, their work is not as well planned and organised in class. This occasionally results in their opting out of learning, and being allowed to do so.

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Commentary

14. Good procedures are in place to record pupils’ learning and progress in this age group. The procedures are very new in music, and have not yet become embedded in teaching. However, with the exception of ICT, the information gathered in other subjects is not used well enough in planning. Pupils have little understanding of the different levels of attainment in the subjects they are studying, and do not know what they need to do to proceed from one level to the next in the core subjects. Year 6 pupils feel it would benefit their learning if they did. One quarter of pupils who responded to the questionnaire indicated that teachers sometimes do not show them how to improve their work. Pupils are not given enough opportunities to become responsible for their learning, or to become involved in assessing it and suggesting how to improve it. Marking is not as helpful as it could be. For example, when asked what they needed to do to turn a piece of writing marked ‘good’ into a very good piece

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Commentary

of writing, Year 6 pupils did not know. Homework does little to reinforce or extend learning in Years 3 to 6. It is inconsistent, and most often involves finishing off what pupils described as ‘important’ work that they may not have had time to complete in class.

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The curriculum

Although statutory requirements are met, overall curricular provision is unsatisfactory. There is a satisfactory range of activities during and outside of the normal school day. Resources are satisfactory. Although the school makes best use of the accommodation, it is unsatisfactory overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good links are made between subjects and they enhance pupils’ learning. • Medium and short term plans do not detail clearly how the needs of different groups of pupils are to be met. • In the junior class, all pupils are not always included in all parts of a lesson. • There are no individual education plans for pupils with behavioural difficulties. • The indoor accommodation for physical education is unsatisfactory and reception children do not have regular access to outdoor play.

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Commentary

15. Curricular planning is satisfactorily based on national guidelines with some adaptations to meet the specific needs of this small school. It includes satisfactory provision for pupils’ personal, social, health, and citizenship education. Medium and short term planning makes good links between subjects such as science, art and design and history, and places good emphasis on promoting literacy, numeracy and ICT skills in other subjects. On the whole, this caters satisfactorily for pupils in different year groups. However, curricular planning does not meet the needs of pupils of different abilities. The school does not pay enough attention to trying to ensure that all pupils are fully included in all parts of all lessons, and fully challenged by the learning activities. In the junior class, the absence of this information in the planning left for the teacher covering the headteacher’s absence, resulted in unsatisfactory teaching and

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Commentary

learning in English and mathematics. The school has identified a number of pupils whom it Melling St Wilfrid’s CE Primary 13 considers to be gifted, able or talented. However, planning does not indicate that it is making provision for these pupils through work that provides additional challenge for them.

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Commentary

16. Overall provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. The pupils’ individual education plans have clear, measurable targets for literacy and numeracy. Good teaching by the visiting teacher, and the good resources prepared by her contribute in great measure to the pupils’ good progress towards their targets. The teacher reviews the pupils’ targets at least termly, discussing them with the pupils and their parents or carers. Class teachers are not as effectively involved in this process as they could be. In the juniors, there was no indication in the planning or in the teaching observed, that the targets influenced the work given to these pupils in class. The absence of individual education plans and targets for pupils with behavioural difficulties means that there is little guidance for those who teach the junior class on how to manage the difficult behaviour of a small number of pupils. This leads

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Commentary

to disruptions in learning for the pupils concerned and for others in the class.

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Commentary

17. Junior pupils are not well prepared for the next stage of their education. In science, for example, pupils in Year 6 do not record their findings in investigative work well enough to prepare them for the demands of the curriculum as they transfer to the high school. There are limited opportunities for pupils to take responsibility for themselves and for their learning. The size of the school and the demands on the staff mean that there are no lunchtime or after school clubs in the traditional sense. However, the school compensates satisfactorily for this by arranging inter-school sporting activities and providing opportunities for pupils to learn musical instruments and to participate in performances away from school, including in the local community. In addition, pupils have opportunities to work with authors, artists and theatre groups at different times. These activities enrich the curriculum and make a positive

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contribution to pupils’ personal development and to their overall progress and achievement.

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Commentary

18. The school makes the best use it can of its staff, accommodation and resources. However, despite the teacher’s best efforts, there is limited space for freedom of movement around the areas of learning in the infant classroom for children of reception age, and the children do not have regular access to outdoor play. The limited hall space means that the indoor accommodation for physical education activities is unsatisfactory, particularly for pupils in Years 3 to 6. The school does what it can to minimise the effect of this on pupils’ learning by using a nearby hall for physical education lessons, by using its extensive outdoor space whenever weather permits, and by timetabling physical activities for reception aged pupils alongside the pre-school sessions that take place on two afternoons each week. There are no suitable areas for visiting staff to work with pupils, and no private space for the

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Commentary

headteacher to work or to meet visitors. Improvements to the accommodation to provide such a space are a priority in the current school development plan. The library, which is situated in the hall, is adequately stocked but under-used as a teaching and learning resource, particularly to promote research skills and independent learning.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Child protection procedures are efficient and effective. • There are good procedures to ensure the pupils’ welfare, health and safety. • Pupils have trusting relationships with staff but the advice, support and guidance given to them is not securely enough based on the monitoring of their achievement.

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Commentary

Melling St Wilfrid’s CE Primary 14 19. Training in child protection issues is relevant and up-to-date, although the governor with responsibility for child protection, who liaises well with the headteacher, has not yet been able to attend training herself. Staff know their pupils well. They have a trusting relationship with them, and pupils know who to go to for help and advice. Pupils are supervised properly at work and at play. The school grounds and equipment are safe and checked regularly. The good levels of support offered away from class, to pupils with learning difficulties, aids their progress. However, similar levels of support are not available to pupils with behavioural difficulties. Pupils with special educational needs are not always effectively integrated into whole class sessions. Older pupils feel that although a good range of play equipment is available for younger pupils, they do not have enough structured play equipment to use at

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Commentary

breaks and lunchtimes. Apart from some consultation on this issue, the school does not regularly seek pupils’ views or involve them well enough in the school’s work and development. While pupils’ progress in the core subjects is assessed regularly, they do not receive explicit enough guidance from their teachers about how to improve it. The school has appropriate systems in place to help pupils new to the school settle in quickly and parents appreciate the school’s help in this area.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Links with parents, and with other schools and colleges are satisfactory. Links with the community are good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school has good links with the community; a flourishing parent/teacher association supports the school well. • Pupils’ annual reports are inconsistent in their reporting of attainment and progress, and in informing parents what their children need to do to improve. • The school does not involve parents well enough in its development by seeking, valuing and acting on their views.

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Commentary

20. Parents have largely positive views of the school, although a significant minority are concerned that they do not receive enough information about how their children are getting on. They feel that homework is inconsistently set, and that their views are not taken into account sufficiently. The school’s links with parents are satisfactory, and the active parent/teacher association supports the school well. It has provided, for example, much of the playground equipment that has enhanced the outdoor provision. However, apart from seeking the parents’ views as required when the timing of the school day was altered, the school does not have a mechanism in place to consult parents or to seek their views on matters related to the school’s work and development. The governors’ annual report does not fully comply with current legislation, as it does not contain full financial information.

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Commentary

21. Parents welcome the opportunity to approach the staff informally at any time to discuss their child’s progress. However, the pupils’ annual reports do not provide parents with enough information about their children’s attainment and progress, or what they need to do to improve. The school brochure is factually written and gives good information about school policies and the aims of the school. Regular newsletters give parents full information about school events and activities. However, the school has only one parents’ evening each year, and although parents are invited to comment on their children’s annual reports in the summer term, there are no formal opportunities for them to discuss their children’s progress at this stage. Staff make themselves available each day for informal chats. However, a small number of parents feel that the school’s response to their request to show them how to help

p.14

Commentary

their children with mathematics has not been at all helpful. This could not be explored with the teacher concerned because she was not in school during the inspection. Melling St Wilfrid’s CE Primary 15 22. The school has good links with the community. Community members support the school well by attending events and by talking to pupils about their lives and work. Parents receive good information about secondary schools, and the school has good relationships with the Lune Valley cluster of schools; there is a good interchange of information which is of great benefit to parents and pupils. The school liaises satisfactorily with a range of pre-school providers, and two sessions of pre-school care take place in the school each week. This has not yet been registered with the Ofsted Early Years’ Directorate as required under current legislation.

p.14

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership, management and governance are unsatisfactory because they are not sufficiently focused on ways of raising achievement over time.

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Governors are very supportive of the school and are better involved in school development planning than at the last inspection; however, they have a limited view of the school’s effectiveness. • The headteacher’s leadership is not clearly enough focused on raising the achievement of all pupils through effective whole school planning based on rigorous and perceptive self-evaluation. • Management systems are not focused on sustained improvement over time and do not effectively ensure that all pupils achieve as well as they possibly can.

p.15

Commentary

23. Despite their improved involvement in school development planning, governors rely too heavily on the headteacher for information about how well the school and the pupils are doing. The school development plan does not provide a secure structure for the long term development of the school, or for school improvement. It contains few targets that are clearly focused on ways of improving standards. Governors do not have effective systems for checking whether their decisions are having the desired effect of helping pupils to achieve well and are not influential enough in determining the school’s priorities or monitoring its work. While fulfilling almost all statutory requirements, governors have omitted to include a full budget statement in their annual report to parents. Governors and staff are unclear as to whether the pre-school group that uses the school is registered with the Ofsted Early Years’

p.15

Commentary

Directorate as required by current legislation.

p.15

Commentary

24. The headteacher, though very committed to the care and welfare of the pupils, does not provide a strong enough lead in school development planning by setting a secure long term view for the school’s work. The school sees any reduction in the budget as a threat to staffing levels and therefore a barrier to learning because it does not give enough thought to establishing ways of securing and maintaining the best achievement for all groups of pupils over time. Teaching and learning are not well enough checked. Management systems are not effectively ensuring that all pupils make the best possible progress in lessons and achieve as well as they can. There are insufficient checks on how well the school meets the needs of individual pupils, or on whether the school is fully inclusive in its practices at all times. Music and ICT are well managed by the visiting specialists. The leadership and management of

p.15

Commentary

English, mathematics and science are unsatisfactory. The weaknesses in planning in terms of matching work to pupils’ ability levels have not been identified because teachers rely heavily on their good knowledge of individual pupils to adapt work in lessons, and do not record such detail in their planning. This is unhelpful when the class is taken by a different teacher. In their role as subject leaders, the teachers do not check teaching and learning well enough in the age groups that they do not themselves teach. Therefore they do not have a totally secure overview of provision, learning and achievement throughout the school. The management of special educational needs is satisfactory overall. However, there are not Melling St Wilfrid’s CE Primary 16 enough checks on how well pupils’ individual education plans are used to ensure the pupils have appropriate work and are fully included in class lessons. There are no individual plans

p.15

Commentary

for pupils with identified behavioural difficulties.

p.16

Commentary

25. Financial management is satisfactory. However, decisions are not securely based on school improvement. Governors have earmarked some of the considerable surplus in the budget for maintaining staffing levels in the short term, and for part funding the proposed building improvements. However, they do not yet give sufficient attention as to how finances might be best used to improve pupils’ achievement in the longer term. Overall, however, finances follow the school development plan priorities and grants are used appropriately for their designated purpose, including those for pupils with special educational needs. Expenditure per pupil is high as a result of the school receiving additional money because it is so small. While governors are clear about checking whether the improved computer provision has resulted in the better use of ICT, they do not yet fully apply the principles of best value by rigorously checking whether spending decisions result in improved standards and better

p.16

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.16

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 164422 Balance from previous year 32746 Total expenditure 169396 Balance carried forward to the next year 27773 Expenditure per pupil 4235

p.16

Commentary

26. The wide range of evidence gathered before and during the inspection confirms that, independent of the headteacher being on site during the inspection, there are serious weaknesses in leadership and management, and in the planning and organisation of teaching and learning in Years 3 to 6. The judgements are based on:

p.16

Commentary

a) before the inspection: • the analysis of the documentation received prior to the pre-inspection visit; • the pre-inspection visit, which included discussions with the headteacher, staff, governors, parents, pupils in the 2002/3 Year 6 group, and a preliminary analysis of a range of school documentation, including the planning and assessment files; • an analysis of the parents’ and pupils’ responses to their questionnaires;

p.16

Commentary

b) during the inspection: • lesson observations; • analyses of pupils’ work; • discussions with pupils about their work and about school in general; • discussions with all available staff, governors and parents; • a discussion with the local education authority’s representative; • the analysis of documentation not previously available to inspectors, including additions to the school development plan, and a school self-evaluation document. Melling St Wilfrid’s CE Primary 17

p.16

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision is satisfactory in all areas of learning and has improved since the previous inspection.

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

27. Although it fluctuates depending on the make up of the very small year groups, the initial assessments of children when they start school show that their attainment is usually as expected for their age. The area is led and managed well. The quality of teaching is good and all children are on course to reach the goals expected for the end of the reception year in all six nationally agreed areas of learning. Support staff contribute in great measure to the children’s achievement. Reception children are either taught as a group, working with the nursery nurse for language and mathematics, or alongside pupils in Years 1 and 2. In both cases, staff are careful to choose activities suited to the age group. Work is usually well matched to the children’s stages of learning and the staff focus well on developing individual abilities. Work is assessed regularly and the information is used satisfactorily in planning.

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

However, in last year’s work there were few annotations to show what work the children had done independently and what work they had done with the help of a member of staff. This makes it difficult to assess their overall achievement.

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

28. Curricular planning is satisfactory. It is closely linked to national guidance. The children’s learning is enriched and enhanced by a good range of visits and visitors. The restricted nature of the accommodation means that they are not free to move around the classroom, and do not have regular access to outdoor provision, both of which are expected at this age. The school does its best to compensate for these issues by using the extensive outdoor space for learning from time to time, and by arranging for reception aged children to work alongside the pre-school group on two afternoons each week. This practice, as well as the sound induction procedures, has been instrumental in helping the children to settle quickly into school routines.

p.17

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good . It permeates all other areas of learning and promotes good attitudes to school and to learning.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Adults provide good role models and are sensitive to the children’s needs. • Good teaching promotes good behaviour and good attitudes to school. • Children work and play well together. • Children have good personal skills and readily take on little responsibilities

p.17

Commentary

29. Three weeks into their first year at school, the children have settled well. They know and follow the well-established routines. They work and play amicably together and form good relationships with other children and with adults. They listen attentively, follow instructions carefully and show good levels of concentration for their age. Their good personal skills are evident in the way in which, with minimal help, they undress and dress for physical education sessions. The children readily take on monitoring duties in class. They handle equipment and resources with care and help to tidy up after activities. The staff know all of the children well. They are sensitive to individual needs, use praise well to boost the children’s confidence, and they foster enjoyment in learning. Melling St Wilfrid’s CE Primary 18

p.17

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is satisfactory .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Speaking and listening skills are good. • Teaching is good and support staff contribute in great measure to the children’s progress. • Children are successfully encouraged to use their reading and writing skills in other areas of learning.

p.18

Commentary

30. Children listen with interest to stories and, stimulated by good questioning, they show a satisfactory understanding of the main points. They engage wholeheartedly in role play with puppets and in doing so, use their voices confidently, following the good example set by the staff. As they listen attentively to an adult telling a story, they follow the text correctly, showing good understanding of text direction, and the difference between print and pictures. This early in the school year there is little written work available, but it is clear from the work of pupils now in Year 1 that handwriting skills are taught well over the year. Children make a good start on learning to read and spell accurately through the planned approach to the teaching of letter sounds and patterns. The staff successfully encourage the children to use their language and literacy skills in the other areas of learning.

p.18

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision is satisfactory in mathematical development.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Well planned practical activities and good teaching promote good learning. • High expectations of children’s work rate lead to good levels of concentration.

p.18

Commentary

31. Children count and add numbers together reliably up to 5, and consolidate this work through number rhymes. They accurately name simple shapes such as circle, square and triangle, and use with understanding an appropriate range of mathematical vocabulary for their age, for example, ‘full’ and ‘empty’, as they work in the sand and water areas. Their work is well planned, and good emphasis is placed on practical activities such as sequencing patterns, and sorting and counting objects.

p.18

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision is satisfactory in this area of learning.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A good range of activities is planned that stimulate children’s curiosity.

p.18

Commentary

32. Children show good levels of curiosity as they investigate the best conditions for growing seeds, and the school environment is used appropriately to enhance their learning about living things. Sound planning includes opportunities for children to make appropriate progress in all subjects included in this area of learning, with a good emphasis on learning through practical activities. Good links are made between the subjects , for example, as the children learn Melling St Wilfrid’s CE Primary 19 about seaside holidays in the past and compare them with places people go to on holiday today.

p.18

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is satisfactory .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school does its best to compensate for the lack of outdoor provision but because of it, children have limited access to large play equipment and outdoor play and learning activities.

p.19

Commentary

33. Children develop their manipulative skills appropriately through the good range of opportunities presented to them to use, for example, scissors, pencils and paintbrushes, and to complete jigsaws and use small construction apparatus. Working alongside pupils in Years 1 and 2, the reception children kept up well in a physical education session, and in a music session based on movement, demonstrating different ways of moving, and using space appropriately. They follow instructions well, starting and stopping on given signals, and, in the physical education session, demonstrated good hand-eye co-ordination as they threw and caught beanbags. The school provides appropriate opportunities for pupils to use large play equipment and to engage formally in outdoor play and learning activities on the two afternoons each week when the pre-school group meets.

p.19

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision is good in this area of learning.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The quality of teaching is very good in art and design and music. Both teachers take great care to meet the needs of these children as they work alongside pupils in Years 1 and 2. • Children have good observational drawing skills, and a good sense of rhythm. • The music curriculum is very well planned with very good links to other subjects.

p.19

Commentary

34. The stimulating and varied range of activities presented to the children in art and design and music promotes very good learning and progress. Working alongside pupils in Years 1 and 2, the children confidently use and blend charcoal, pastels and pencils to produce recognisable drawings that show a well developed use of line, shade and tone for their age. As they move to music, they respond well to changes in tempo, and show a good sense of rhythm. They have a good understanding of how sounds are produced on an appropriate range of percussion instruments. They name them accurately and play them properly. The teacher’s very good use of visual aids ensured that these young children were fully included in a lively singing session which extended their listening skills and very much aided their concentration and co-ordination skills as they performed with movements. Melling St Wilfrid’s CE Primary 20

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is good in the infants and pupils learn well in class; overall achievement is satisfactory in this age group. • Teaching and pupils’ achievement are unsatisfactory in the juniors. • At different times, different year groups in the junior class do not learn well enough because the work planned for them is not sufficiently matched to their different levels of ability. • Pupils apply their language and literacy skills well in other subjects. • Pupils are not sure how to improve their work because they are not adequately involved in assessing their learning.

p.20

Commentary

35. As at the last inspection, speaking and listening skills are good, and reading and writing skills are satisfactory in Year 2 and Year 6. However, higher attaining pupils in Years 3 to 6 are not doing as well as they did at that time. The quality of teaching is unsatisfactory overall, and there has not been enough improvement since the last inspection. Teachers plan using the nationally recommended strategy for literacy. However, it is not always adapted well enough to meet the learning needs of the different abilities within the class.

p.20

Commentary

36. Pupils develop a satisfactory general and subject related vocabulary throughout the school. By Year 6 they are articulate youngsters who express their views and opinions confidently and show a considerable degree of maturity in their responses. Infant pupils quickly learn to read, building well on the work they did in reception. By Year 2 they read an appropriate range of texts satisfactorily. Pupils in Year 6 enjoy reading. They talk knowledgeably about books, expressing their preferences well. They acknowledge the recent improvements to the school library’s stock of books, but say they do not use it much because they prefer to use ICT for research, or the library van to borrow books. Nevertheless, they have a good understanding of how to use the library, and how to use books for research. In the literacy lesson observed, the texts chosen, while aimed at the different year groups in the class, were not used

p.20

Commentary

effectively enough to engage pupils of different abilities. Combined with a too lengthy introduction, this slowed the pace of the lesson. In the lesson observed, this resulted in different groups of pupils losing interest and opting out of learning for short but significant periods of time. During the whole class session, inadequate use was made of the teaching assistant to help pupils who were struggling.

p.20

Commentary

37. Handwriting and presentation skills, though not always consistently good, have improved since the last inspection, and are now satisfactory. Pupils usually set their work out correctly, and use an appropriately wide range of vocabulary in their writing. Year 2 pupils create simple stories using sequences of sentences that are accurately punctuated. By Year 6, pupils write imaginative stories and poetry, and have a satisfactory understanding of how to alter their writing to suit purpose and audience. However, from discussions with them, it is clear that some of their work presents them with little challenge. They do not have enough knowledge of how to improve their writing, accepting that if the teacher marks it ‘good’ then they have achieved well enough. This is because they are not involved in assessing their own work, and do not know what they need to do to reach the next National Curriculum level, or part of a

p.20

Commentary

38. The leadership and management of English are unsatisfactory. The co-ordinator does not take a strong enough lead in improving planning throughout the school. There are few formal checks on teaching, learning or pupils’ work to ensure that pupils of all ability levels are Melling St Wilfrid’s CE Primary 21 achieving as well as they possibly can. While teachers assess pupils’ work regularly and the school keeps good records of their progress, the information is not used well enough to promote better achievement. For example, although the school has identified some pupils as gifted, able and talented in terms of language and reading, it does not have clear, written structures in place, including in planning, to show how it will accelerate their achievement, so that whoever teaches them can pick up on this. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in English when they work with the support teacher away from class.

p.20

Commentary

However, they are not always fully included in whole class lessons because work is not well enough adapted to their learning needs. The school development plan does not provide a suitable structure for raising attainment in literacy in the longer term. It focuses only on this year, and on linking literacy with other subjects, which the school already does quite well. Homework is inconsistent. It is not sufficiently focused on reinforcing and extending pupils’ learning.

p.21

Language and literacy across the curriculum

39. Pupils use their language and literacy skills well in other subjects. Some of the best writing was seen in the pupils’ history and religious education work from last year. During the inspection, spelling and phonics [jargon]skills were reinforced well in a science activity with infant pupils as they learned to name and label the main parts of a flower. Writing skills are not used well in science. Here, the over-use of worksheets precludes the pupils’ recording the scientific process in different ways. Information and communication technology is used effectively to promote language and literacy skills through, for example, word processing and elements of desk top publishing.

p.21

MATHEMATICS

40. Provision in mathematics is unsatisfactory. All aspects of the subject are taught, with particular emphasis on number work.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is good in the infants but unsatisfactory in the juniors because work is not well enough planned to meet the needs of all of the pupils in the class. • Pupils apply their mathematical skills well in other subjects. • Resources are used well to support learning. • Some pupils in Years 3 to 6 are not fully included in all parts of lessons.

p.21

Commentary

41. Standards of work are satisfactory in Year 2 and Year 6. Achievement is satisfactory in the infants but unsatisfactory in the juniors. Improvement since the last inspection is unsatisfactory. The quality of teaching is unsatisfactory overall .

p.21

Commentary

42. Teachers have a secure knowledge and understanding of the subject and the nationally recommended strategy for numeracy. However, in the junior class, it is not used well enough to plan explicitly a range of activities to meet the needs of pupils of different ages and ability levels within the class. As a result, lessons do not always include the wide range of questioning techniques that successfully involve and develop the abilities of all pupils. In the lesson seen, the counting activities provided insufficient challenge for the Year 6 pupils. Valuable learning time was lost as, at different times, each group waited for others. This resulted in the pace of the lesson becoming too slow to sharpen the mental skills of all pupils. Older pupils lost interest and concentration and this further impeded their learning. In the infants, clear learning objectives are identified, explanations are precise and helpful, and as a

p.21

Commentary

result, pupils are secure about what they are expected to learn. Time is used well, resulting in a good pace and productivity in learning. Activities are appropriately challenging and pupils use aids such as number lines and number fans well to support their thinking. The well- Melling St Wilfrid’s CE Primary 22 established class routines and the teacher’s high expectations are reflected in the pupils’ good attitudes and behaviour, thus enabling successful learning to take place. However, throughout the school, there are no clear targets set for pupils and they are not sufficiently aware of what they need to do to improve. The use of homework is inconsistent and does little to reinforce or extend the work being done in lessons.

p.21

Commentary

43. The leadership and management of mathematics are unsatisfactory. Weaknesses in planning have not been recognised and tackled. Procedures for assessing and recording pupils’ progress are satisfactory and enable teachers to track pupils’ progress throughout a year. However, this information is not used well enough in teacher’s planning, especially for pupils in Years 3 to 6, to ensure that the needs of different groups of pupils are being met at all times. Teachers’ written marking gives pupils little information as to how well they have achieved or what they might do to improve the quality of their work or raise their attainment. Overall improvement since the last inspection has been unsatisfactory.

p.22

Mathematics across the curriculum

44. Pupils use their mathematical skills well in other subjects as, for example, they construct times lines in history and learn about compass points in geography. Information and communication technology is used well to support pupils’ learning in mathematics. For example, younger pupils consolidate their knowledge and understanding of number patterns, whilst older pupils confidently input data and produce spreadsheets using various mathematical formulae.

p.22

SCIENCE

Provision in science is unsatisfactory .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good use of practical activities fosters infant pupils’ interest and curiosity well. • Unsatisfactory attitudes and behaviour of Year 6 pupils and the over-use of inappropriate worksheets.

p.22

Commentary

45. Standards are satisfactory in Year 2 and Year 6. Achievement is satisfactory in the infants but unsatisfactory in the juniors. The quality of teaching is unsatisfactory overall, although very good teaching was seen in the infant class. There has not been enough improvement in science since the last inspection.

p.22

Commentary

46. All aspects of the subject are satisfactorily covered to ensure that pupils’ learning is continuous as they move through the school. Teachers use their secure subject knowledge to plan an appropriate range of practical activities that help pupils develop a sound knowledge and understanding of the subject. The very good teaching in the infant class, including well prepared practical activities and a wide range of teaching techniques, moved pupils’ learning on apace. Highly motivated, the pupils were fully involved in describing the different parts of a plant and demonstrated a good knowledge of the function of these parts. Pupils’ learning was further extended as they showed a good understanding of fair testing by observing seeds planted under different conditions.

p.22

Commentary

47. Pupils in Year 6 have a sound scientific knowledge and show a satisfactory understanding of the testing process as they make sensible predictions and test hypotheses, for example, the conditions that most quickly turn bread mouldy. However, teaching is unsatisfactory. In the Year 5/6 lesson seen, the unsatisfactory behaviour of the majority of Year 6 pupils was not well managed. Pupils were unable to organise themselves sensibly into groups, wasting valuable learning time, and some insensitive comments caused upset to others, resulting in Melling St Wilfrid’s CE Primary 23 these pupils not being fully involved in the lesson. Further interruptions during the lesson resulted in the pace becoming too slow and learning was impeded for all pupils.

p.22

Commentary

48. Examples of pupils’ work in the junior class show that planned follow up activities do not take sufficient account of the different ages and ability levels. Pupils are often asked to complete the same work, mainly on printed work sheets, resulting in underachievement for the more able pupils and for Year 6 pupils. This also results in Year 6 pupils not being sufficiently prepared for the next stage in their learning because they have little opportunity to record their findings independently. Information and communication technology is used appropriately to research information but there are few opportunities pupils to apply or extend their literacy and numeracy skills in this subject.

p.23

Commentary

49. Leadership and management are unsatisfactory. The subject co-ordinator took responsibility for the subject only two weeks prior to the inspection and has not yet had the time to develop a clear overview of the subject across the school. Science is a priority in the school development plan. However, the stated objective does not focus clearly enough on raising standards or improving pupils’ achievement throughout the school, and the success criteria are too vague in terms of how the school will measure whether this happens. Assessment and recording procedures are satisfactory but the information gained from them is not used well enough in planning. Written marking gives little information about how well pupils have achieved or what they need to do to improve their work and its presentation. Resources are satisfactory but little use is made of the local environment to promote scientific learning.

p.23

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

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

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good specialist teaching • Progressive scheme of work linked well to most other subjects • Good leadership and management

p.23

Commentary

50. Standards are satisfactory in Year 2 and Year 6 and achievement is good throughout the school. The quality of teaching is good and the subject is well led and managed by a specialist teacher who spends one day per week in the school. Improved provision and resources have resulted in overall good improvement since the last inspection.

p.23

Commentary

51. Pupils of all ages use the computers confidently and competently, and throughout the school, develop their skills well in all aspects of this subject. Word processing skills are good, and pupils have a satisfactory understanding of how to create and interrogate databases, set up spreadsheets and use them to collate and evaluate information. The teacher’s good plan of action shows appropriate awareness of the needs of small year groups and mixed age classes, and work is well planned to meet the pupils’ different abilities. This enables all pupils to achieve well. All aspects of this subject are well planned, and progression in skills is clearly identified in planning, supporting the pupils’ continuous progress throughout the school. The teacher assesses and records pupils’ progress and uses the information in planning. Many pupils have different computers at home from the ones used in school, and the teacher uses

p.23

Commentary

his own good subject knowledge well to ensure that they understand the different commands they need to use so that their learning continues to improve. Good classroom management and motivating teaching of the small steps required to make progress reinforces pupils’ learning well. Good classroom management ensures that pupils remain on task, and that they are grouped in a way that enables them to support each other. However, some pupils find it difficult to collaborate with their partners. They constantly interrupt the teacher when he is supporting other pupils, highlighting their lack of ability to work independently or with each other. This slows their learning despite the teacher’s best efforts. Melling St Wilfrid’s CE Primary 24

p.23

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

52. Samples of pupils’ work show that they use ICT well in most other subjects. For example, they use word processing and elements of desk top publishing in English, and learn to use spreadsheets, and to create and interrogate databases in mathematics. They also use ICT, including the Internet, to research information in all other subjects. They make appropriate use of suitable programs to design and print Christmas cards in art and design, and menus in design and technology. Overall, pupils’ use of their ICT skills across the curriculum consolidates their learning in ICT, and contributes to their learning in other subjects.

p.24

HUMANITIES

53. No lessons were seen in history or geography. However, evidence from a variety of sources indicates that standards and achievement for all pupils are satisfactory. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection. Provision is satisfactory in both subjects and appropriate use is made of national guidance in curricular planning. Learning is enhanced by visits and visitors and there are good links to literacy, mathematics and ICT. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic and this enthusiasm is transferred well to the pupils. Assessment and recording systems are good, although there is little evidence as to how the information is used in planning. Well mounted displays of pupils work in these subjects are used well to enhance the school’s learning environment. Religious education is the subject of another report.

p.24

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

One lesson was observed in each of art and design, music and physical education. All three involved infant pupils. No lessons were observed in design and technology. There was, however, sufficient art and design work available to make an overall judgement on achievement and standards in art and design, though not on teaching. In music, design and technology, and physical education, overall judgements on achievement, standards, and the quality of teaching by Year 6 are not possible. In music, the teacher’s planning, and the pupils’ African projects from last year were sampled, and show appropriate coverage of the subject. Given the timing of the inspection, there was no current design and technology work available for analysis. However, photographic evidence from past work indicates that pupils’ experiences cover all aspects of the subject adequately.

p.24

Art and design

Provision in art and design is good . Only one lesson was seen, with infant pupils, and therefore judgements about teaching are made only about the infant class.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good teaching based on very secure subject knowledge. • The teaching of good observational skills is given due emphasis in all work.

p.24

Commentary

54. Standards are satisfactory and achievement is good throughout the school. The evidence for Year 6 is securely based on work on display, and in sketchbooks, and on discussions with pupils.

p.24

Commentary

55. Very good teaching, based on secure subject knowledge results in infant pupils acquiring good observational skills, and using a wide range of media to produce creative works of art in different sizes. Effective planning links art well to other subjects, and successfully Melling St Wilfrid’s CE Primary 25 encourages pupils to use their artistic knowledge and skills to illustrate their work in other subjects. As pupils progress through the school, they learn about the techniques used by an appropriate range of famous artists, and represent these well in their work. The art and design curriculum was enriched and enhanced last year as pupils worked with a willow artist creating large scale willow sculptures, including one for the playground. In a project on Africa, infant pupils produced creative batiks based on African patterns. This work contributed well to their understanding of other cultures.

p.24

Commentary

56. The subject is well led and managed by a skilled and enthusiastic co-ordinator and pupils praise highly the impact that this teacher has had on their artistic development. Planning is securely based on national guidance, and suitable procedures are in place to assess and record pupils’ progress. However, the use of this information in curricular planning is not evident, and there is no action plan to guide the development of the subject.

p.25

Music

Provision is good . Only one lesson was seen, with infant pupils, and therefore judgements about standards and teaching are made only about this age range. Music is taught by a visiting specialist who comes to the school on one day per week. She had re-arranged her timetable to be in school during the inspection.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good teaching in the infants linked to very good subject knowledge • Pupils’ good sense of rhythm and their enthusiasm and enjoyment of learning

p.25

Commentary

57. Standards are as expected for pupils’ ages in Year 2, and achievement is good in the infants because of some very effective teaching by a skilled, experienced and enthusiastic music specialist. An engaging start to the lesson focused reception children and pupils in Years 1 and 2 very effectively on what they were to learn. Very good relationships and highly motivating activities of just the right length covered elements of singing, listening, composing and performing very effectively and ensured that pupils of all ages concentrated well and tried hard to succeed. This very well planned work was suitably adapted to meet the needs of the musically able, and those who found difficulty keeping a beat or responding to a rhythm. The teacher’s effective use of pupils’ particular skills to demonstrate learning made the pupils proud of their work, and further stimulated learning for all. Pupils joined in all activities very

p.25

Commentary

well. They named and played a suitable range of percussion instruments, and were particularly pleased to finish learning a new song and to perform it with a series of actions. The teacher’s good use of graphics enabled all pupils to be fully included in the activity, even though they could not yet read well.

p.25

Commentary

58. The subject is very well managed. The recently updated scheme of work ensures that all musical activities are securely linked to national expectations and to the topic work happening in the school. Very new, very good assessment procedures are now in place and the teaching assistant is effectively involved in recording pupils’ progress in different aspects of this subject. The information is already used to plan work for the next lesson to address identified areas for development. The music curriculum is suitably enhanced by the provision of instrumental music tuition for a good number of junior pupils. Opportunities are presented for these pupils to perform in assembly, and they do so confidently. This provision and the opportunities pupils have to perform outside of school enrich the curriculum. The music specialist plans activities that develop pupils’ cultural understanding by using her own

p.25

Commentary

collection of ethnic instruments from around the world. Thus music makes a good contribution to pupils’ personal, spiritual, moral and social development. There has been good improvement in this subject since the last inspection. Melling St Wilfrid’s CE Primary 26

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Physical education

All aspects of the physical education curriculum are taught at times throughout the year. Only one lesson was seen, in the infants, but evidence shows that provision is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is good in the infant class • Indoor accommodation for physical education is limited

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Main strengths and weaknesses

59. There is insufficient evidence to make an overall judgement on the quality of teaching and learning or on the standards and achievement for pupils in Year 6. However, all Year 6 pupils attain the expected standard in swimming. Standards and achievement are satisfactory by Year 2.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

60. In the good lesson seen appropriate warm up activities engaged pupils’ interest. They responded well to clear instructions and moved around the room at different speeds with good control and good spatial awareness. Following the examples set by the teacher, pupils showed good co-ordination when throwing and catching, and improved their skills by observing and evaluating each other’s work. The teacher extended the skills of the more able pupils by adding challenge to the activities, and worked sensitively with those having difficulty. The pupils showed good attitudes to their work because the teacher made learning interesting and fun. Their behaviour was good and they worked well in pairs, taking turns and sharing resources sensibly. Pupils in the junior class enjoy their sports and the opportunities to play in inter-school competitions. Their skills are greatly enhanced by visiting coaches and pupils

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Main strengths and weaknesses

would like to see the re-introduction of football coaching. The local high school offers appropriate opportunities for pupils to extend their gymnastic skills.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

61. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. Assessment and record keeping systems are satisfactory in tracking the development of pupils’ skills as they move through the school. However, there is no clear action plan to identify the strengths and areas for development in the subject in order to raise standards further, and it is not clear how assessment information informs planning. Resources are satisfactory overall. However, the hall is very limited for most forms of physical education, particularly for the older pupils. The school makes best use of its extensive outdoor accommodation for this subject. A residential outdoor activity holiday further develops pupils’ physical skills, for example, in canoeing and climbing, while providing them with social and team building opportunities.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The introduction of circle time as part of the curriculum is a positive move to address the negative attitudes that some pupils have towards others. • Pupils’ independent learning or personal skills are not developed consistently. • This area of the curriculum is not supported well enough through school development planning.

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Commentary

62. The arrangements for personal, social and health education and citizenship are satisfactory and include appropriate attention to teaching pupils about the dangers of drugs. The school does not have an overall policy for this area and provision is often through other subjects. For Melling St Wilfrid’s CE Primary 27 example, pupils learn in science and physical education about the importance of healthy eating and exercise. Having highlighted the problem that some pupils have in relating to others in a positive manner, the school arranged training for staff in the use of circle time to give pupils a forum to express issues of concern to them. This is the only aspect of personal social and health and citizenship education highlighted in the school development plan. This initiative is in its early days, but the majority of pupils report positively about it. A small number show some immaturity of approach, however, that detracts from the impact it is intended to

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Commentary

have. Few opportunities are presented to pupils to develop independent learning or personal skills, or to extend their social skills in a structured way throughout the curriculum. Melling St Wilfrid’s CE Primary 28

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 5 How inclusive the school is 5 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 5 Value for money provided by the school 5

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 5

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 4 Attendance 3 Attitudes 4 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 4 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 5 The quality of teaching 5 How well pupils learn 5 The quality of assessment 5 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 5 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 4 Accommodation and resources 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 3 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 5 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 5 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 4 The quality of the school’s links with the community 3 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 5 The governance of the school 5 The leadership of the headteacher 5 The leadership of other key staff 5 The effectiveness of management 5

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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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