Peter Hills with St Mary's and St Paul's CofE Primary School

Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s

Dates of inspection: 22 nd – 25 th September 2003

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Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 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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Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s

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. Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Voluntary Aided Church of England School category: Primary Age range of pupils: 3-11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 212

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: 2 Beatson Walk Rotherhithe London

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 020 7237 2654 Fax number: 020 7231 5600

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Reverend C N Richards

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school is about the same size as most primary schools and has 212 boys and girls aged between three and 11. Children have a fairly wide range of attainment when they start school and overall their attainment is below that usually found. The number of pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds has increased in recent years: currently two fifths of all pupils are from ethnic minority backgrounds. The largest groups are Black African, Black British, Mixed Race and Black Caribbean. Only one child has been identified to be from a home where English is not the mother tongue. There is an average proportion of pupils with special needs. Of these, twenty-one pupils have more complex needs, and this includes five pupils who have a statement of special educational need. Pupils’ needs relate to their learning, behavioural needs or visual impairment. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is in line with the national average. Pupils are drawn from a fairly

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

wide range of social backgrounds. The socio-economic backgrounds are overall below average. The school is popular and frequently oversubscribed. Movement of pupils in and out of the school is generally low, except that quite a number of new children join the school in reception, and there is some movement out of the school in Year 6. There has been a high turnover in teaching staff in recent years and some difficulties in recruiting teachers. The school offers additional sessional day care for pupils after school and for breakfast before school. These are financed through a combination of grant funding and parental contributions. The school received a School Achievement award in 2003. Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

22424 Kathryn Taylor Lead inspector Mathematics, Foundation Stage, history, geography, art and design, design and technology. 9619 Bob Miller Lay inspector 23233 Jo Cheadle Team inspector English, information and communication technology, provision for pupils learning English as an additional language, special educational needs. 32372 Gareth Davies Team inspector Science, music, physical education.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

The inspection contractor was: Altecq Education 102 Bath Road Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL53 7JX

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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 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). Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 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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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 28

Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 6

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school is a happy place. It has a very warm, welcoming family ethos that pupils, parents, governors and staff all value highly. The school provides a satisfactory education: standards and pupils’ achievement are sound. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Staff care about pupils, support them well and help them to develop and mature. The headteacher leads the school well. There is a clear focus on raising standards. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are :

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• The headteacher provides a clear educational direction. The deputy headteacher and senior managers support her well. • Standards are improving. Pupils’ skills in mental mathematics and physical education are above those usually found, but standards in speaking and listening are below those expected. Standards in information and communication technology are below those expected at age eleven because children still have some catching up to do. • Facilities for sport and information communication and technology are good. Resources in nursery and reception need extending and updating. • The school provides many activities both during the school day and after school. These enhance pupils’ learning and their social development. • Good attention is given to promoting pupils’ social skills and moral understanding. This helps them to develop confidence, good attitudes, behaviour and relationships, as well as a clear

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OVERALL EVALUATION

understanding of fairness and of the difference between right and wrong. • Although there is some good and very good teaching, pupils do not learn as much as they should in some lessons because the teaching is unsatisfactory. • Pupils and parents are largely very happy with the school and what it offers but the staff and governors could do more to formally seek parents’ and pupils’ views so as to involve them in making decisions.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school is much more effective than it was last time it was inspected.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has improved well since its last inspection . The weaknesses identified in the previous report have been addressed. There have been very good improvements to the curriculum and the way in which the school works with parents, governors and the wider community. The school is now much more self-critical and responsive to change. It has well-established procedures that provide it with a much firmer base on which to develop and continue to improve. The school works hard to overcome what sometimes gets in the way of improvement, such as recruiting teachers and difficulties in accessing support from outside of the school. The school’s positive outlook and determination, contributes well to its good capacity to continue to improve.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Overall the children’s speaking skills are the weakest area when they start school. Standards do vary across classes and this is largely because of how classes are made up. For example, in some year groups there are very few children who have special educational needs, whereas in others there are a high number of pupils who need extra help. Pupils of all abilities nevertheless make satisfactory progress during their time at the school.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Although test results at the end of Year 2 in 2002 were below the national average in reading, writing, mathematics and science, achievement for this group was satisfactory. Pupils did as well as pupils in similar schools in mathematics and better in reading. They did not do as well in writing or science as pupils from similar schools. In the tests in Year 6 in 2002, pupils’ English and mathematics results were in line with those found in schools nationally and better than those in Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 7 similar schools. Science results were below those in similar schools and well below those in schools nationally. Standards in the tests also vary from one year to the next as the following table highlights.

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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 D E C A mathematics E E* C B science E E* E D Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average. Similar schools are those whose pupils have a similar number of pupils entitled to free school meals.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

In the current Year 2 and year 6 classes, standards in most subjects inspected are broadly in line with those expected.

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well in class because staff insist on this and set a good example. Attendance levels and

When not directly supervised or in informal settings, some pupils do not behave as well as they should. Pupils who have specific behavioural difficulties are supported well. The school promotes personal development well and this has a good impact on pupils’ attitudes and behaviour.

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pupils are well cared for and safe at school. The school works well with other schools and

the local community. This makes a significant contribution to pupils’ learning.

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pupils are well cared for and safe at school. The school works well with other schools and

There is some variation in the quality of teaching and learning, which is good in some classes but is unsatisfactory in some lessons in other classes. There are strengths in the curriculum and the way teachers teach it. In many lessons, pupils have lots of opportunities to learn from hands-on experiences and practical activities, and teachers do not expect pupils to sit listening for too long. There are a good number of activities after school.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The headteacher knows exactly what she wants to achieve and has made sure all staff know what this is. The senior management team effectively support her in putting this vision into practice. They work well together as a strong team. The governors give good support to the school and carry out all of their statutory responsibilities, as they should. They do not yet ask the school challenging questions to help them gain a clearer knowledge and understanding of what the school should do to improve.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents like the school and feel part of it. They particularly like the way in which staff make them welcome and give time to talk with them if they are concerned about something or simply want information. If they have complaints, most parents are happy that these will be resolved quickly. Pupils enjoy school and are proud of it. They are very happy that there are so many activities to be involved in and think that learning is good fun. They give examples of how the staff and teachers have helped and supported them. They say how much they enjoy their school dinners. Parents and Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 8 pupils are very happy with how well the school cares for pupils not just in school time but also before and after school in the breakfast and after school clubs.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

Attention should be given to the following areas. • Continuing to address any weaknesses in teaching. • Extending the curriculum and resources in the nursery and reception classes. • Providing more regular opportunities for all pupils to develop and extend their skills in speaking and listening and, to develop their skills in reading, writing and information and communication technology as part of their work in other subjects. • Improving the way that information is collected about pupils’ home languages in order to assess whether some pupils need specific help . Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 9

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in the achievements of boys and girls, pupils with special education needs or between

groups of pupils from different ethnic backgrounds.

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Main strengths and areas for improvement:

• Pupils’ skills in speaking and listening are below those expected and an increasing number of children joining the school have specific difficulties. • Throughout the school, standards in mental mathematics are above average and pupils achieve well in this area. • Standards in information and communication technology are below those expected at age eleven. • Standards in physical education are above those expected by age eleven. • Pupils with special educational needs are making good progress in many lessons because they receive good support.

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Commentary

1. When children start school in nursery and reception, an increasing number of children have weak speaking skills and some children have specific language difficulties. In response to this, the school now employs a part-time speech therapist who works with the children and assesses and determines their precise difficulties and needs. This is helping to make sure that suitable provision is put into place. For some children their skills in English are limited when they join the school because English is not the main language spoken at home. Discussions with pupils shows there are more children in the nursery and reception, and elsewhere in the school, for whom English is not the mother tongue than the school’s own information, gained when children join the school, would suggest.

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Commentary

2. During their time in nursery and reception, children make satisfactory progress in communication, language and literacy, in mathematical development, creative development and their knowledge and understanding of the world so that most children attain the goals they are expected to reach by the end of the reception year. They make good progress in their physical development and personal, social and emotional development and many children exceed the expected goals in these areas. When children join Year 1 the number of children who attain the early learning goals, however, does vary from one year to the next, and this is dependent on factors such as the number of pupils in the class who have special educational needs.

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Commentary

3. Pupils achieve satisfactorily as they move through Years 1 and 2. In the current Year 2 class most pupils are on course to achieve the expected standards in English, mathematics and science by the end of the year. Speaking and listening skills improve steadily, but are still below those expected for a good number of pupils. In the national tests in 2002, the last year for which national and similar school comparisons are available, standards in reading were below those found nationally but above those in similar schools, that is schools where a similar proportion of pupils are entitled to free school meals. Test results in mathematics were below those achieved nationally but in line with similar schools. Standards in writing and in science were well below those found nationally and below those in similar schools. Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 10

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

Standards in: School results National results Reading 15.3 (17.0) 15.8 (15.7) Writing 13.2 (13.8) 14.4 (14.3) Mathematics 16.1 (16.2) 16.5 (16.2) There were 26 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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

4. In the English and mathematics tests at age eleven in 2002, standards were in line with schools nationally. Results in English were well above those in similar schools, those in mathematics were above them. Standards in science however, were well below those found nationally and below those in similar schools. Standards in science at age seven and eleven have improved since then as a result of the whole school focus on raising standards.

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

Standards in: School results National results English 27.6 (24.9) 27(27) Mathematics 26.6(22.5) 26.7(26.6) Science 27.0 (25.3) 28.3(28.3)

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

There were 31 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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

5. Pupils continue to make satisfactory progress in English, mathematics and science as they move up through Years 3 to 6. At the current time, pupils in some classes from Year 1 to 6 are achieving well in English, mathematics and science across most subjects because teaching is consistently good and because of improvements to the way that teaching assistants are being used to help pupils to learn. The rate of progress is not always even from one class to the next, however, and pupils’ progress has sometimes been affected by the turnover of teachers and some recruitment difficulties. Pupils in the current Year 6 class are making good progress so that the majority are on course to achieve standards that are in line with national expectations in all three subjects by the end of the year.

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

6. Throughout the school, standards in mental mathematics are above those usually found and pupils achieve well. This is because good emphasis has been given to developing pupils’ mathematical thinking and encouraging mathematical discussion. Pupils’ skills in information and communication technology (ICT) have improved well since the last inspection and are now as expected by the end of Year 2. Although pupils’ skills are progressively developed throughout Years 3 to 6, standards in the current Year 6 are still below those expected because pupils still have some catching up to do. In all other subjects standards are broadly in line with national expectations, except in physical education where pupils develop good skills, especially in games. Pupils do well in sporting competitions and events, such as those in football, cricket, volleyball and tennis due to the strong sporting tradition and wide range of

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

7. Pupils with special educational needs, including those pupils with a statement of special need achieve as well as their classmates. The school has worked hard and successfully, during the past year in particular, to improve the overall provision for these pupils. In lessons seen across all subjects during the inspection period, pupils with special educational needs frequently achieved well. Few pupils are identified as requiring support with learning English, and improving the identification of pupils is an area in need of development. There is no evidence to suggest such pupils achieve less well than their peers. Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 11

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The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. As a

result, pupils’ attendance, behaviour and attitudes to school and learning are good.

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Main strengths and areas for development

• Attendance levels are good and pupils arrive at school on time. • Pupils’ behave well and their attitudes to learning are good, although in informal settings some pupils sometimes lack self-control. • Relationships are good. • Some pupils sometimes make racist comments. The school deals promptly with incidents such as these. • Overall, the school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well, but could provide even more opportunities to learn about a range of cultures.

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Main strengths and areas for development

8. Pupils continue to have positive attitudes to school and learning. Attendance rates are above the national average and pupils arrive on time. Attendance would be even higher if the number of extended family holidays in term-time were reduced. Registration procedures have improved since the last inspection but the school could be more rigorous in promoting even better attendance.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 95.1 School data: 0.5 National data: 94.1 National data: 0.5

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. (2001/2002).

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

9. Pupils like school. Parents and pupils agree that this is largely because the staff are very caring, the school is a very friendly and welcoming place to be and is at the heart of the local community. Pupils develop good attitudes to learning because most teachers make lessons interesting and provide lots of first-hand experiences. Pupils’ ability to listen, work productively together, concentrate and be independent develops well as they move up the school. As a consequence, pupils in Year 6 were frequently seen to show exemplary behaviour and attitudes. Pupils of different ages and backgrounds have lots of opportunities to work and play together, in lessons and in activities outside of the school day. Parents are very pleased with the way the school helps their children to develop and mature.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

10. Pupils behave well in lessons because the staff encourage and expect them to, and because good behaviour is rewarded. Staff set a very good example. They treat pupils’ firmly but very kindly so that misbehaviour is usually quickly addressed and put right. The vast majority of pupils pay attention to the teacher and to each other and follow instructions well. Assemblies, the school’s systems of rewards and sanctions and its programme for personal, health and social education are also used well to promote good behaviour and relationships, and to encourage pupils to think about how their actions affect others. In the playgrounds and dining hall pupils are lively and friendly and good-natured. At these times however, some pupils sometimes behave inappropriately, are noisy and forget their manners. There are a few pupils who have specific behaviour difficulties and they can be very challenging. These pupils are well

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

managed by the staff, who demonstrate a sensitive understanding of their needs and good encouragement to improve. There have been no exclusions as the table below shows. Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 12

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 124 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 4 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 4 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 1 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 4 0 0 Black or Black British – Caribbean 5 0 0 Black or Black British – African 27 0 0 Black or Black British – any other Black background 36 0 0 Chinese 1 0 0 Any other ethnic group 4 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

11. Relationships within the school at all levels are good. All adults know pupils well and show care and respect for the children in their charge. Boys and girls and pupils from different social and racial backgrounds are most frequently kind and polite to each other. No bullying or aggressive behaviour was seen during the inspection although racist comments were noted. The school’s records show other such incidents have occurred recently. The school deals very promptly and firmly with such unacceptable behaviours. Although pupils do learn about other cultures as part of their work in a number of subjects, such opportunities can be extended.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 33 lessons

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 33 lessons

0 (0%) 5 (15 %) 14 (43%) 10 (30%) 4 (12 %) 0 (0%) 0 (0%)

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 33 lessons

The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages.

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Main strengths and areas for development:

• Most teachers have an at least secure understanding of the subjects they teach. • Much of the teaching seen in mathematics and English was good. • Some good teaching was seen in most classes and in most subjects, but there is also too much unsatisfactory teaching. • Teaching in Years 2 and 6 was consistently good or very good. • Teachers make lessons relevant and interesting, and ensure that children have a lot of practical experiences. • Teaching assistants make an increasingly good contribution to pupils’ learning. Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 13 Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 14

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

13. Classroom organisation and preparation for lessons is usually good, and in most instances pupils are managed well. Teachers give increasingly good attention to the needs of different groups of pupils when planning and delivering lessons. The school has also invested a lot of time in training the teaching assistants and introducing systems for appraising their work. This has been effective in improving their contribution to pupils’ learning. Teaching assistants were frequently seen talking to pupils, making sure they understood and supporting pupils’ learning. Occasionally when this was not the case it was because they focussed too much on managing pupils’ behaviour, or because they elected to work with only one or two children throughout the course of the lesson.

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Commentary

14. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well in lessons. Teachers plan appropriate work and they, or the teaching assistants, support pupils effectively. There are good procedures for identifying pupils’ needs and their progress is monitored and reviewed regularly. Pupils who learn English as an additional language are soundly supported in lessons.

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

16. In Years 1 to 6 the basic skills in English and mathematics are taught at least satisfactorily, and often well. This is helping to raise standards. All teachers make good use of national guidelines for literacy and numeracy and the structure of lessons helps to support inexperienced teachers. A strength is that teachers usually strike a very good balance between pupils being required to sit and listen, and providing them with opportunities to practise their own skills. Where English and mathematics teaching was at its best, most frequently in Years 2 and 6, this was because teachers have very good knowledge of the subject and have high expectations of pupils. Questioning was used well to assess pupils’ developing understanding, to challenge them to think, and then to think a bit harder.

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Commentary

17. Science teaching was good in Years 1 and 2 but ranged from unsatisfactory to good in Years 3 to 6. When teaching was unsatisfactory this was usually because teachers were not clear enough about what exactly pupils were to learn or how this might best be achieved. Some good teaching was seen in information and communication technology. Staff training has ensured that most teachers are confident in teaching the subject. Pupils’ work across all subjects is usually marked regularly and sometimes provides information to pupils about how they might improve. Extending this and setting small targets for pupils in English and mathematics are areas that can be developed further.

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Commentary

18. Some good teaching was seen in other subjects, for example history, art and design and physical education. Teaching was effective because children had plenty of time to talk to each other and adults about their work, and to have a lot of practical, “hands-on” experiences. For example, in art lessons, pupils looked at and discussed the work of other artists, but they still had plenty of time to practise their own skills and paint their own pictures. Much of the history teaching is based around visits, use of the local area, using artefacts, dressing up and re- enacting scenes from history, and pupils say how interesting they find this approach.

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Commentary

19. Teaching was unsatisfactory in four lessons seen during the inspection period. This occurred in three different classes. In some instances this was because the teacher had difficulty in managing pupils’ behaviour. In two lessons, this was because teacher was neither well Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 15 prepared nor clear about what exactly pupils were expected to learn and how this was to be achieved. In one of these classes, scrutiny of pupils’ past work also shows weakness here and expectations of pupils that are too low.

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Main strengths and areas for development

• The school ensures that all pupils are included in activities. • The facilities for ICT and physical education are good and the new library is very well equipped. • Resources in the Foundation Stage need extending because there are now more children in this part of the school, and some need replacing because they are old and drab. • The school uses visits, the local area and Pumphouse Museum very well to support pupils’ education, and offers a good number and a wide range of activities after school. • The school does not yet make the best use of relevant links between some subjects, especially English and ICT.

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Main strengths and areas for development

20. Children in nursery and reception follow the nationally prescribed curriculum. Recent changes mean that all children start full-time education at the beginning of nursery and will now spend longer here than was previously the case. In response to this the school plans to review the Foundation Stage curriculum to make sure it continues to meet all of the children’s needs.

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Main strengths and areas for development

21. The curriculum in Years 1 to 6 meets all statutory requirements and the staff ensure that all pupils are included in activities, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, social background or prior attainment. The school provides well for pupils with special educational needs. The school should find ways of more frequently developing pupils’ skills in speaking and listening, reading and writing through their work in other subjects because too much time is being spent on English at the expense of some of the other subjects, physical education for example. Similarly, ICT skills are not practised regularly in lessons other than designated computer lessons. There is good provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education. In physical education, for example, teachers take care to highlight health and safety issues, all staff work hard to consistently promote good behaviour and social skills, and pupils are taught sex

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Main strengths and areas for development

education, about healthy living and the dangers of harmful substances.

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Main strengths and areas for development

22. The school provides a good range and very good number of extra-curricular activities which enrich pupils’ learning and social development. After-school activities include sports such as cricket, netball, cross-country running, football, table tennis and tennis and there are sporting links with local professional football and cricket clubs and with other schools. Other after- school activities include the environmental club, music club, computer club, booster classes, Saturday School at Bacon’s College, breakfast and after school provision. All of the pupils in Year 6 go on a residential visit. Pupils also benefit from very regular visits to museums, galleries and other places of educational interest. Very good use is made of the local facilities, including the nearby Pumphouse Museum with its specialist teaching provision. All of this makes learning more interesting and supports pupils’ education beyond the school day.

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Main strengths and areas for development

23. Accommodation and resources are satisfactory overall and enable the school to meet the needs of the pupils and the curriculum. The facilities for physical education and ICT are good. Some of the resources in the nursery and reception classes are old and in need of replacement. More resources are needed to cater for the increased number of pupils now in these classes, and the length of time they are here. Difficulties in recruiting teaching staff have been managed well. There are enough teachers and a good number of teaching assistants. Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 16

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environment. The school provides pupils with effective support, advice and guidance and

involves them satisfactorily in its work and development of the school.

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Main strengths and areas for development

• The school’s caring ethos ensures that when children join the nursery they settle quickly. • The care given to all pupils ensures they feel secure and try to do their best. • The relationships between pupils and adults in the school are of a high quality. • Breakfast Club and after-school provision is well used and valued by both parents and the pupils concerned. • Consultation with pupils could be more regular and constructive.

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Commentary

24. Policies and practices relating to health and safety and child protection are well considered and properly carried out and governors monitor their effectiveness. Staff have undertaken training in child protection issues, which is an improvement since the last inspection. All staff know pupils very well and recognise and respond to their individual needs, a number live in the local area and their attention to the children’s needs extend beyond the school gate and after school hours. New pupils to the school are helped to settle in quickly. Pupils’ and parents alike particularly value the breakfast and after-school clubs. Pupils say there is always someone they can go to for help. They told inspectors how happy they were in the school and it was evident that this made them want to do their best.

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Commentary

25. There is a school council, which provides some opportunities for children to be consulted. However, the council does not meet regularly enough and pupils from across the whole school are not represented on it. The potential for it to impact on the day-to-day life of the school and decision making process is therefore untapped. There are no regular consultations with pupils and systematic feedback to them on important school matters, for example, through class discussion or questionnaires. Pupils do however say that informal opportunities to talk about school, made them feel they were valued and listened to. Discussions with staff also shows that individual teachers do periodically seek out pupils’ views through other means. Older pupils are given good opportunities to help the younger ones.

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Main strengths and areas for development

• Parents like the way complaints and concerns are handled and the progress pupils make. • Parents believe that the leadership and management of the school are good and teachers expect their children to work hard. • Parents are well involved in the life of the school and contribute to their child’s learning at home. • The local environment is well used as a learning resource and the local cluster of schools are having a positive impact on school improvement. • Information provided for parents’ is satisfactory but parents would like more curriculum information, and the end-of-year reports well in advance of the meetings with parents. • Consultation with parents, to seek their views, needs to be formalised and more frequent.

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Commentary

Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 17 26. The school works hard to involve parents and to inform them about their children’s progress. A recent review of homework revealed that the majority of parents contribute to their child’s learning at home. The Parent Teacher Association has remained active since the last inspection and makes a valuable contribution in helping the school to purchase resources. It provides a useful forum for parents to express their views. Some parents at the meeting before the inspection however, said that the timing of these meetings directly after school makes it difficult for working parents to attend. Most if not all parents say the school handles any concerns, complaints or suggestions that parents may have promptly and in an effective manner. Parents particularly like the school’s open-door policy because it means they are made welcome and can easily get to talk to the headteacher and staff. This was very evident

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Commentary

during the inspection period and is an aspect that has improved very well since the last inspection.

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Commentary

27. As a church school there is a strong affiliation with the local churches, and members of the clergy are regular visitors to school. Pupils’ visit local museums and the library , and parents and members of the community very regularly come into school to help out, accompany children on visits and listen to children read. Local football and sports teams have close connections with the school and a number of pupils are able to train and play at professional clubs. The community police officer and school nurse are not now as frequent in visiting the school as they used to be. The school has good links with local schools. For example, they welcome students on work experience, and links with the local secondary school provides expertise, staff training and consultation on different aspects of the curriculum. The school liases well with other primary schools to share expertise on joint training.

p.17

Commentary

28. Although parents regularly receive information, they would like more curriculum information to be provided to ensure they can make an even greater contribution to their child’s education. They feel that the end-of-year reports would serve a more useful purpose for discussions between them and the child’s teacher if they were circulated well in advance of consultation evenings. Inspectors felt that the school works well with parents, maintains regular contact with them and responds to their suggestions. Staff seek parents’ views on important issues, but now needs to formalise these arrangements and ensure that they are carried out on a regular basis.

p.17

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The overall leadership and management are satisfactory. The school is well managed. Governance is satisfactory.

p.17

The main strengths and areas for improvement:

• The headteacher leads the school well and has built an effective team. • The headteacher has a very clear vision of what all pupils should achieve. • The work of the new deputy headteacher has already had a positive impact. • The school is well managed. • Governors know the strengths of the school and recognise how it has improved, but are not as aware of how the school might improve further. • There are good opportunities for staff to develop their skills.

p.17

The main strengths and areas for improvement:

29. Since the last inspection, the school has changed significantly. Throughout this period the headteacher has led and supported pupils, parents, staff and governors sensitively. She has created a team who are loyal to her, and feel that they can contribute to the development of the school, knowing that their opinions are valued and acted upon. This sense of team commitment is the foundation of the school’s very good ethos and good capacity to improve further. The headteacher’s vision that all pupils should leave the school being able to do and be whatever they want is clearly understood by all. Everyone knows their roles and responsibilities in putting this vision into practice, and there is an open and professional approach to change Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 18 and development. The headteacher communicates well with her staff. Her deputy sees this as an important aspect of the headteacher leadership style. She explains that because the

p.17

The main strengths and areas for improvement:

headteacher has not forgotten the stress of being a new teacher, or taking on a first deputy head’s role she is able to support as well as challenge the staff. This gives her enormous credibility with staff. Governors are very happy with the headteacher and the team she has built. They are supportive of the school and believe that it has improved a great deal since the last inspection. They talk in detail and with accuracy about the various improvements that have been made. Inspection findings support their opinion that there has been good improvement during this time.

p.18

The main strengths and areas for improvement:

30. With the appointment of the new deputy headteacher, the school’s senior management team is working and developing well. As a gifted teacher, the deputy head is an example to others and has high expectations for the quality of teaching and learning. Her first two terms in school were put to good use, observing and supporting teaching. She already has a good handle on the strengths and weaknesses of teaching so that strategies have been put in place to improve it. In each stage of the school, a more experienced teacher works alongside a new or less experienced member of staff to monitor their work and support the improving quality of teaching. There have been good opportunities for staff at all levels to improve their skills through training. The teaching assistants have benefited greatly from this and have a very professional view of their roles as a result. The office staff are organised and efficient,

p.18

The main strengths and areas for improvement:

supporting the day-to-day running of the school well, and providing a very warm welcome to every visitor. English and mathematics are led and managed by the deputy and another member of the senior management team. Both subjects are effectively co-ordinated and standards are improving as a result. Work in special educational needs is managed well. These models of good practice are influencing and improving the work of other subject co- ordinators. History and geography are effectively co-ordinated by the fourth member of the team and these two subjects make a strong contribution to the overall quality of the curriculum. The reasoning behind the decision to change the intake arrangements in the Foundation Stage indicates a clear focus on developing and improving the current provision there.

p.18

The main strengths and areas for improvement:

31. The school is now in a position to evaluate all of it’s work more effectively, focussing primarily on systematically analysing test results and other outcomes to determine exactly how well different groups of pupils achieve and how well they participate in all aspects of school life. This has not been rigorously done in the past. Systems have been informal and have tended to rely on personal knowledge of pupils rather than any detailed analysis. The school population is now more ethnically diverse and senior managers recognise the need to monitor how well each group of pupils is doing in order to make the right decisions about future developments. At present, where teaching and learning is not good enough, senior managers can see that pupils’ achievement is affected. They are less able to answer such questions as why pupils’ achievement over time is satisfactory, rather than good. There is not a clear picture of whether

p.18

The main strengths and areas for improvement:

one particular group is achieving as well as another, how the curriculum should be developed, or where teaching may need to improve. Additionally, the role of the governing body in asking such questions and challenging senior managers to find the answers is not well established. While governors are quick to talk about the strengths of the school, they are less able to suggest the priority areas to develop further and therefore cannot contribute fully to strategic development planning.

p.18

The main strengths and areas for improvement:

32. Finances are managed well and the school is successful in making bids for additional funding. This has supported much needed improvements to the fabric of the building and also helped the school to extend what it offers its pupils, for example, providing before and after school care for pupils. Further improvements to the buildings are planned, which is why some money has been carried forward from previous years.

p.18

Financial information

Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 19

p.19

Financial information for the year April 2001 to March 2002

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 773, 062 Balance from previous year 72, 337 Total expenditure 761, 705 Balance carried forward to the next year 77, 638

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

The overall provision for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory.

p.19

Main strengths and areas for improvement:

• There is a very caring and welcoming ethos in both the nursery and reception classes. • Children in the nursery class achieve well in understanding the expectations of how they should behave and learn. • Initial assessment procedures do not ensure that teachers have the best possible information about children and their needs when they start school. • The development of children’s speaking and listening and writing skills is not always consistent. • In some lessons in reception, there is not enough support for children who are unsettled or find it hard to behave well at all times.

p.19

Commentary

33. During the inspection period, some of the youngest children in the nursery and new children in the reception class joined school for their first day. Children’s attainment when they begin in the nursery class is below that usually found. Some children have good knowledge and understanding, but as a general rule, children’s language skills are not well developed and this affects their rate of learning. For some children, language skills are limited because their families do not speak English at home. Teachers view the increasing wider mix of ethnic backgrounds very positively. They recognise that the change in the school’s intake will require them to have more detailed knowledge of children when they start school so that learning can be planned to meet the specific needs of individuals. The current induction procedures, while satisfactory, do not meet this need effectively enough. There has been discussion about the

p.19

Commentary

early involvement of parents and methods of collecting the right sort of information about children before they start school and the local education authority has offered some support and guidance. However, the pace of Foundation Stage developments in this area has been slow which means that curriculum planning has not developed as quickly as it should have in response to the needs of the changing intake.

p.19

Commentary

34. Children’s achievements are satisfactory. In the nursery class, children learn the expectations and routines of school life well, which means that they begin their reception year settled and confident. Generally, by the time children join the reception class standards remain below those expected in language and communication, but broadly in line with those expected in other aspects of their learning. Children’s attainments in physical development exceed those usually found. In their physical development however, because some of the new children starting in the reception class may not have attended any sort of pre-school facility, overall standards can vary considerably each year. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory, and some good teaching was seen in both classes. Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 20 The overall provision for children’s personal and social education is good.

p.19

Main strengths and areas for improvement:

• The happy, caring atmosphere in both nursery and reception helps children to settle quickly. • Children’s personal development is fostered well from the time when they join the school.

p.20

Main strengths and areas for improvement:

35. Children achieve well in their personal, social and emotional development. The happy, caring atmosphere in both nursery and reception helps children to settle quickly. They begin to understand the teachers’ high expectations of how they should behave and the attitudes they should have towards learning. This is not easy for all children, but staff are patient, kind, supportive and consistent in their approach, so that children are clear about how they should conduct themselves. In the nursery class, the teacher and her assistant work very effectively to help children get ready for learning. As a result, children grow in confidence, are communicative and show interest in their work.

p.20

Main strengths and areas for improvement:

36. In the reception class, the welcoming and friendly atmosphere ensures that new children are generally happy to leave their mums and dads at the door, even when they are new to the school and have not been to any sort of pre-school group. Morning activities are well prepared, so that as soon as reception children have hung up their coats, they make a quick start and are immediately occupied by the business of learning. The new reception teacher has little experience of working with children of this age, but sessions observed at the start of the day revealed her growing skills in providing the right sort of activities to engage the children, promote their learning and allow her to focus on the needs of individuals. However, some of the children in the group are lively, noisy, and demanding at times and the management of their behaviour was not effective in all lessons. In one unsatisfactory lesson, children did not learn

p.20

Main strengths and areas for improvement:

enough because many of them were left to their own devices for too long. The teacher and her assistant were involved with small group activities, focussing on a few individuals. This resulted in other children misbehaving so that they did not learn as much as they could.

p.20

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

The overall provision for children’s communication, language and literacy is satisfactory.

p.20

Main strengths and areas for improvement:

• Many children’s speaking skills are weak when they start school. • Although children achieve satisfactorily, some of the teaching in this area needs to be more focussed.

p.20

Main strengths and areas for improvement:

37. In the current reception class, around two thirds of the children are on course to achieve the expected goals in this area of learning. The majority of children achieve satisfactorily in developing early reading and writing skills during their time in the Foundation Stage. They learn to recognise and copy their names and most learn initial letter sounds through a wide range of activities. For example, when registration is taken in the reception class, children collect their own nametags, most unsupported, and place them in the box when their number is called. They know which letter is at the beginning of their name and higher attaining children copy accurately, some even writing independently. Children enjoy books and feel proud of their “homework”. They retell a story with good detail and follow the text under pictures using their finger appropriately to guide them through the text. As they recreate a story from memory,

p.20

Main strengths and areas for improvement:

higher attaining children are beginning to recognise that some of the words that they use do not match the written text, and they hesitate to look more closely at a word. Often they use picture clues well to have a good go at reading the story. Spoken language skills are the weakest aspect of children’s standards when they start school. Currently, while there are numerous opportunities for them to experience language through play, story time and conversations with adults, work is not always effectively matched to individual needs and this hinders progress. Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 21 For example, writing work is a group activity that all children experience at the same level of difficulty, rather than being a specific activity prepared to support individual children’s progress from the point they have already reached. Similarly, children’s speaking and listening skills are not developed systematically, and those who find it hard to listen are not taught how to do so

p.20

Mathematical Development

The provision for children’s mathematical development is satisfactory.

p.21

Main strengths and areas for improvement

• Resources should be improved to enable children to more easily learn through practical activities. Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 22 38. Most children in reception will achieve the early learning goals in mathematics by the time they join Year 1. Number skills on entry to nursery are better than their language skills and children are confident in counting and matching numbers to objects. At registration time, the children count from one to 25 and beyond to see how many are present. With the teacher’s support, they count back in ones to take away the number of children who are away. Higher attaining children count on in twos. These children will easily exceed the expectations of the early learning goals. Children know the names of simple shapes and colours. They count the number of sides a shape has and know whether the sides are curved or straight. In reception, children’s learning is being satisfactorily extended through a mixture of practical activities,

p.21

Main strengths and areas for improvement

small group work and short sessions of whole class teaching. The current range and quality of resources does not support opportunities for children to learn mathematics through play and exploration as well as they should. For example, during the inspection some children in reception were using sand and containers to explore capacity, but there was not enough sand and the range of containers was limited.

p.22

Other areas of learning

39. In their physical development most children will exceed the early learning goals, because they have regular access to climbing, hanging, rolling and pushing equipment in a suitable and safe outdoor area. Teaching assistants have been given good guidance in working with children in the outdoor area and they help the children to take turns, play safely and carry out the rules of simple games fairly. In some games, adults support children’s language skills by using rhymes and repeated phrases. This is particularly helpful to those children who do not use English regularly beyond school or have weak skills when they start. Moreover, good supervision and interaction supports those children who are overly boisterous and unaware that they could cause harm to other children, therefore promoting their personal and social development. Children’s small movement skills are developed through many opportunities to

p.22

Other areas of learning

cut, stick, paint and draw. Their creative development is satisfactory, and they paint, draw and use building sets and scrap material to build and make. In some cases, higher attaining children need greater challenges set for them in this aspect of their learning. During the inspection, some children became quickly bored with the construction kit they had been given and began to wander around the room, distracting other children. Other resources are a little jaded and not as vibrant and interesting as they might be.

p.22

Other areas of learning

40. Children have plenty of opportunities to explore the natural and man-made environment and extend their knowledge and understanding of the world . For example, during the inspection, as part of the topic about “The Family and Ourselves,” one of the mums brought her baby into school. This led to children talking about what the baby could and could not do and about how they themselves had changed over the years. In reception class, children were learning about growth and had planted some seeds. Children in both nursery and reception classes learn about the locality and places further afield. They visit the local museum where they can use the excellent facilities, or staff from the museum bring artefacts into school for children to investigate. Children have learned about different forms of transport. Last term they visited the seaside, and as a result could make simple comparisons between the seaside and

p.22

Other areas of learning

their own locality. The computers in both the nursery and reception classrooms are easily accessible and continually used. Most children work independently at the computer, moving the mouse accurately and creating pictures using drag and drop. This relaxed approach to computer work means that children quickly gain confidence in trying things out, without fearing that they will break something. Use of the keyboard also reinforces their letter recognition and word building skills. Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 23

p.22

ENGLISH

The overall provision for English is good.

p.23

Main strengths and areas for improvement:

• Much of the English teaching is good and teaching is of a particularly high quality in Year 6. • The subject is well led and managed. • Standards in writing are improving, but standards in speaking and listening are below those expected. • Some teaching is not good enough because teaching methods do not interest pupils • Monitoring of pupils’ achievement is not thorough enough. • Pupils should be given more opportunities to read and write as part of their work in other subjects

p.23

Commentary

41. Standards in English are similar to those found at the time of the previous inspection and are in line with nationally expected levels. There are variations in standards between classes because the ability range within each of the classes varies quite considerably. For example pupils in Year 1 started school with skills that were better than average and standards are still above average in this class reflecting their satisfactory achievement since starting school. In Year 3, standards are below average, because there is a high proportion of pupils who need particular support for their learning and behaviour and fewer higher attaining pupils. Pupils’ achievements in English are satisfactory across the school. Recent developments in the subject are already having a positive impact on improving rates of learning and, during the inspection, pupils often achieved well in lessons. Handwriting skills are above average as

p.23

Commentary

pupils have frequent opportunities to practise and improve.

p.23

Commentary

42. Teaching and learning was often good in the lessons seen during the inspection. One aspect of teaching and learning in need of improvement is pupils’ speaking and listening skills. There are few planned opportunities to extend pupils’ skills. Although pupils have lots of opportunities to speak and are confident to do so, teachers do not always correct their contributions when it would be appropriate to do so. Having listened to an answer, which may have been correct, teachers do not often enough model a good version of the answer to prompt improvements. This leads pupils to believe that it is acceptable to use incorrect word order, say words such as “thingy” and mispronounce initial letter sounds, “th” being the greatest offender.

p.23

Commentary

43. Monitoring has clearly pinpointed where teaching is not yet good enough and in which classes pupils do not make enough progress. Although no unsatisfactory teaching was seen in lessons during the inspection, samples of work show that not all pupils are being challenged in their current class, and teachers do not always use teaching methods which interest and motivate pupils to take part. In a Year 5 lesson, lower attaining pupils were not as “tuned in” as they could have been, because the lesson was not interesting enough for them. They were expected to listen for too long and lost concentration. Work was not as well planned to match their needs as it was for the average and higher attaining pupils. In addition, boys who found it difficult to concentrate sat at the back of the room and felt at ease to start swinging on their chairs and lolling on the table. This did not promote high standards, or good attitudes to work.

p.23

Commentary

44. The deputy headteacher co-ordinates work in English. She is a leading literacy teacher and her own teaching in Year 6 is of a particularly high standard. There is a wide range of needs in the class, with some pupils needing very specific support for their special educational needs and a group of pupils who are on course to attain higher than the expected levels by the end of the year. Teaching here is effective because the needs of most pupils are clearly understood and they are given appropriate work that helps them to make good progress. The teacher has very high expectations about how pupils will behave and concentrate. Lessons are lively and keep Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 24 pupils interested. A lesson on the use of bullet points to summarise non-chronological writing, for example, was made interesting and pupils enjoyed the work. As a result, almost all pupils knew the main characteristics of this type of text by the end of the lesson. The teaching

p.23

Commentary

assistant was effectively used to support lower attaining pupils, so that they were able to keep up with the teacher’s pacey questioning and contribute as often as other pupils.

p.24

Commentary

45. As a result of recent and rigorous monitoring of work in English, the curriculum has been adapted to make sure that pupils’ writing skills, which is an area of concern, are more effectively developed. After studying a range of texts and being given the opportunity to plan their work, pupils now have appropriate opportunities to write at length for two lessons in each week. Standards in writing are improving as a result and pupils have more positive attitudes about their work, because they see a final, complete result more often. Teachers have responded positively to the reworking of the curriculum and make optimum use of lessons earlier in the week to teach the language skills and devices that pupils will put into practise in their independent writing.

p.24

Commentary

46. While there is now a clear overview of strengths and weaknesses in the subject, more detailed information of which groups of pupils do best and why is not yet collated. In reading for example, while standards are average overall, a detailed analysis of which groups of pupils do not do as well, has not been made. There is, therefore, little information that can be used to make specific improvements to the provision.

p.24

Language and literacy across the curriculum

47. Pupils have some but not enough opportunities to develop their skills in speaking and listening, reading and writing as part of their work in other subjects. This should be extended because in subjects such as science, history and geography, pupils experience lots of very interesting hands on activities, which would prompt them to talk, read and write.

p.24

Main strengths and areas for development:

• Overall standards are improving, especially in mental mathematics and problem solving. • There are strengths in much of the teaching and some good and some very good teaching, particularly in Years 2 and 6. • The subject is well led and managed. • Pupils in different classes sometimes do not progress at the same rate. • Setting individual targets for pupils would help them to have a clear idea about where they need to improve.

p.24

Main strengths and areas for development:

48. Most pupils attain standards that are at least in line with those expected by age seven and eleven. Pupils’ skills in mental calculations are a strength and are above average. For example, most pupils in Year 1 confidently make number stories with totals of 10 and 20 using addition, and higher attaining pupils use subtractions. By the time they are in Year 6 the majority of pupils have a good understanding of place value and use this when working things out in their head, as for example when pupils were adding numbers to four decimals places and, discussing both confidently at length why some answers couldn’t possibly be right. Pupils’ ability to solve everyday mathematical problems, are now improving well as a result of the focused attention which has been given to developing these aspects of mathematics.

p.24

Main strengths and areas for development:

49. Pupils’ achievements are at least satisfactory, during their time in school. Standards do vary from class to class however, largely because the composition of each class is different. In the Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 25 current Year 3 class for example, overall standards are below average and this is confirmed by test results last year. Nevertheless, a scrutiny of pupils’ past work and lesson observations show that there is a large proportion of pupils with special needs in this class and pupils’ achievements are at least satisfactory.

p.24

Main strengths and areas for development:

50. Inspectors did not see mathematics being taught in all classes during the inspection period. Evidence from work scrutiny, lessons that were seen, and the school’s own monitoring, indicates that much of the teaching is good. Teachers give good attention to problem solving and enable pupils to develop a range of strategies. In those classes where teaching was seen teachers demonstrate a good knowledge of their pupils and the needs of different ability groups, even at this early stage in the term. They use a range of teaching methods and questioning is effective. Teaching seen in Years 2 and 6 was particularly strong and challenging. Teaching was both challenging and well matched to the needs of pupils’ of different abilities. Pupils with special educational needs made good progress because they received well-directed support from the class teacher or teaching assistant. All of this resulted in pupils achieving well, developing confidence and increasingly positive attitudes to their work.

p.25

Main strengths and areas for development:

51. Despite the high teacher turnover and the fact that some teachers were not trained in this country, work samples from last year show overall a good level of consistency in teaching methods and a good breadth to the curriculum. This is because the subject is well led and managed. The co-ordinator is very experienced, has given good attention to monitoring and developing teaching and learning. She has had opportunities to work alongside other teachers in their classroom, including giving demonstration lessons. This has ensured that whole school developments have been implemented well. Nevertheless, in one class this support has not resulted in teaching that has been consistently good enough. Scrutiny of work here shows that pupils’ progress has been slower than that found elsewhere and that expectations have been too low.

p.25

Main strengths and areas for development:

52. Marking is satisfactory and there is some good marking where pupils are given guidance about their mistakes and how they can improve. Setting small individual targets for pupils is an area for development that would help pupils to be more involved in assessing their own progress.

p.25

Mathematics across the curriculum

53. There are some good examples of teachers linking work in mathematics to their work in other subjects indicating that links are at least satisfactory and are developing. For example, in an art lesson in Year 2 shape was a major theme. In history, in Year 1, pupils were counting how many old and new toys were in a set and making a simple time line. In science in Year 5, pupils measured the amount of liquid they poured into different soils. The school is beginning to make better use of ICT to support work in mathematics now that the ICT provision has been improved.

p.25

SCIENCE

Science provision is satisfactory with some good features.

p.25

Strengths and areas for development

• The school makes good use of the Pumphouse Museum and the specialist teaching. • Although much of the science teaching is good or very good, there is too much variation in teaching across Years 3 to 6. • Marking of pupils’ work does not give enough guidance to pupils about how to improve.

p.25

Strengths and areas for development

54. Standards in Years 2 and 6 are broadly in line with national expectations. This is a better picture than the results in national tests last year. The Year 2 class is a stronger cohort than last year’s group, and in Year 6 attainment is better because the quality of teaching here is helping to raise standards quickly. There have also been some variations in overall test results Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 26 from one year to the next, because of variations in the number of pupils in each class who have special educational needs.

p.25

Strengths and areas for development

55. Pupils in Year 2 can suggest how to investigate and find things out and they understand what constitutes a fair test. They recognise that things grow and reproduce and use simple classifications when sorting living things. They identify some of the properties of materials and have a basic knowledge of electrical circuits. In the current Year 6 class, pupils have a secure understanding of the programmes of study, know how to carry out experiments and investigations. They can tabulate and record their results.

p.26

Strengths and areas for development

56. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. Better attention is given to investigations than was the case at the time of the last inspection. Scrutiny of pupils’ work shows that in Years 1 and 2 the quality of teaching is good, and in some lessons observed during the inspection, teaching was very good. In Years 3 to 6, teaching is more variable with good teaching seen in Years 4 and 6 and unsatisfactory teaching seen in Years 3 and 5. Where teaching was good, the particular strengths noted were: • clear learning objectives made known to pupils at the start of the lesson. • effective questioning to challenge pupils’ thinking. • good relationships giving rise to a positive working atmosphere where pupils want to learn. • good deployment of teaching assistants to support pupils with special educational needs.

p.26

Strengths and areas for development

57. Where these strengths were evident, pupils worked with great interest and enthusiasm and achieved well as for example, in Year 1 when all pupils used photographs to help them sort and classify living things and identified changes that occur as they get older.

p.26

Strengths and areas for development

In lessons where teaching was unsatisfactory, the particular weaknesses noted were:

p.26

Strengths and areas for development

• insufficient challenge for most pupils. • inappropriately high levels of noise. • lack of clarity in pupils’ understanding of what is expected of them.

p.26

Strengths and areas for development

In these lessons, pupils do not achieve well enough. A general area for development is marking of work. Although work is marked regularly, it could provide more information about what pupils might do to improve.

p.26

Strengths and areas for development

58. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. Following a period of uncertainty caused by staff turnover, the headteacher and senior management team took over the shared co-ordination of the subject. They have a clear vision of where improvements need to be made. The time allocated to the subject is sufficient to ensure coverage of the curriculum. Good work has been done to improve the provision, including the use of specialist teaching at the nearby Pumphouse Museum and better attention to learning from practical experiences.

p.26

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

The overall provision for information and communication technology is satisfactory.

p.26

Main strengths and areas for improvement:

• Standards are below average at the end of Year 6, but pupils achieve satisfactorily. • Subject developments have been well managed. • Resources are good. • Standards are improving. • ICT is taught as a tool to aid learning in other subjects but not enough use is made of ICT in lessons. Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 27 59. Over the past year, the co-ordinator has effectively managed a whole school reorganisation of ICT resources, teaching and learning and the curriculum. The school now has a well-equipped ICT suite, sufficient machines in each class and a wide range of good quality software. Teachers have completed training or have started at the school with relevant experiences. Most teachers are now confident to teach the subject and equipped to promote good learning. Good teaching and learning was seen in some lessons, despite some teething problems with the school’s network. The co-ordinator has the relevant skills to support improvements in

p.26

Main strengths and areas for improvement:

teaching. She has already monitored planning and observed lessons, and has a clear understanding of strengths and weaknesses. Her initial focus has been on the development of learning intentions for individual lessons, with the result that most lessons observed had a very clear purpose and encouraged good progress.

p.27

Main strengths and areas for improvement:

60. Standards are now in line with those expected by the end of Year 2. Standards are improving throughout Years 3 to 6 and pupils have good word processing skills, make good use of design and draw programs and are confident to suggest what they might do if a program does not respond as expected. Pupils throughout the school recognise the use of ICT as a tool to aid work in other subjects. For example, pupils in Year 5 understood how a design program would help them to work quickly and efficiently on planning the layout of an office space. Pupils in Year 2 experimented with the use of colour when creating Mondrian designs. On the computer, they tried one colour and then changed their minds without having to start the whole design again. In Year 6, pupils understood how computer-generated information more successfully captures the interest of the audience. However, there has been insufficient time for

p.27

Main strengths and areas for improvement:

improvements to impact on overall standards by the end of Year 6, which are below those expected. Pupils have not yet had the opportunity to consolidate the new skills learned over a relatively short period of time. In addition, simple programming work to control the movement or state of a non-moving object has not been fully introduced into the curriculum, as teachers have only just been trained in this aspect of the subject.

p.27

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

61. While good work was seen in lessons taken in the computer suite, there was limited use of ICT during other lessons. With the exception of the nursery and reception classes, where computers were always switched on and independently used by children, there were few lessons where the computer was used to add interest, support a specific learning need or develop and challenge standards achieved by individuals.

p.27

HUMANITIES

62. Religious education was not part of this inspection. A separate inspection is to be carried out by the Suffolk Diocesan Board. Work in history and geography was not inspected in depth but was sampled. Evidence about history and geography was drawn from discussions with pupils in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6, discussions with the co-ordinator and the teacher from the Pumphouse Museum, a scrutiny of work on display, teachers’ planning and the teaching seen in a lesson in Year 1.

p.27

HUMANITIES

Provision for History and geography is good.

p.27

Main strengths and areas for development:

• The school makes very good use of the local area, the Pumphouse Museum and visits to places of interest to support pupils’ learning. • Although history teaching was seen in only one lesson, inspection evidence indicates that teaching and learning are good. • Pupils’ attitudes to learning are very good. Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 28 • The way that history and geography are used to develop pupils’ literacy skills should be extended. • Both subjects make some contribution pupils’ understanding of life in a multicultural society, but this needs to be extended.

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Commentary

63. Discussions with staff and pupils, and observations of a lesson in the local Pumphouse Museum, shows that the school makes very good use of this excellent resource as a starting point for almost all of its work in history. Pupils visit the museum very regularly. They say, “We go there about two or three times a month. It’s just like another classroom for us!” Pupils also say that lessons at The Pumphouse Museum are really enjoyable, because there are just so many real artefacts that they can look at and handle, which helps them to learn about and understand the past. Pupils also regularly visit to other museums and they like the way that these visits help them to learn from the expert knowledge of museum staff.

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Commentary

64. The area surrounding the school has a wealth of history attached to it, and, its proximity to Central London and The River Thames also provides an excellent resource for geography work. Discussions with pupils, and evidence from work that is on display around the school shows that staff use the locality very effectively in their teaching. Pupils regularly explore the local area to find out about the past and to study the geographical features.

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Commentary

65. The teaching seen in a lesson at the Pumphouse Museum was good and pupils were interested and learned well as a result. Pupils from Year 1 were busy sorting an excellent range of toys into sets of old and new toys. They quickly learned that clues such as the colour and the materials used could help them with this task. When pupils’ own teddy bears were compared with an old teddy bear belonging to the museum, they learned some important clues about how a teddy bear’s age might be determined. Although it was not possible to see any other teaching during the inspection period due to other inspection demands, indications are that teaching and learning overall is likely to be of the same good quality because it is all planned and delivered in conjunction with the staff at the Pumphouse Museum. In this way teachers can also benefit from the expertise of museum staff.

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Commentary

66. Work in both history and geography is due to be reviewed during this year. The co-ordinator rightly identifies the need to consider the contribution that both subjects make to developing pupils’ literacy skills. At the current time, although pupils do have some opportunities to read and write about their work in each subject, these are not maximised. Similarly, while the school does celebrate Black History Month and does incorporate the multicultural dimension into some of its work in history and geography, there is also the potential to extend this aspect.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

67. Design and technology was not inspected. None of the other subjects were inspected in detail but some work was sampled. Two music, two art and two lessons in physical education were seen and discussions were held with the co-ordinators.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

• The school has good facilities for physical education, but the current timetables do not provide enough time for teaching the subject. • There is some specialist music teaching in all classes. • The very recent emphasis on improving the provision for art and design is beginning to impact on improving teaching and standards. • Pupils with special educational needs are supported well in lessons. • Work in these subjects could greatly contribute to pupils’ understanding of a range of cultural traditions. Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 29

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Commentary

68. The facilities for physical education are good and include a playing field and astro turf pitch. These good resources help pupils to achieve well by the time they leave the school. In a lesson seen in Year 6, pupils achieved well. They demonstrated precision, control and fluency in performance and many were able to compose short sequences using a variety of movements and balances. Good teaching ensured that all pupils were fully included, worked well together and paid good attention to health and safety.

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Commentary

69. Facilities are good including the number and range of extra-curricular sporting activities, and these make a positive contribution to standards. Pupils frequently do well in competitive games, and pupils, parents and governors also support these activities well. Recent reductions in the time spent on physical education means that not enough time is being given to teaching the subject to all pupils.

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Commentary

70. Specialist music teaching was not taking place during the days that inspectors were in school. In the two lessons seen that were taught by class teachers, teaching and pupils’ achievements were at least satisfactory and pupils attained the expected standards. In a good lesson in Year 1 for example, pupils listened attentively to several sources of pre-recorded sounds and were able to identify these and answer the questions posed. All pupils responded positively and clearly enjoyed the lesson.

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Commentary

71. Recent improvements to art and design provision, including new, good quality materials for art appreciation and for teaching the basic skills, are beginning to impact on improving teaching and pupils’ achievements. Standards achieved in lessons in Years 2 and 4 were broadly in line with those expected. Pupils’ work in Year 2 based on the work of William Morris, shows pupils’ observational skills are developing well. In Year 4, pupils talked about their drawings at length and explained the techniques they used to reflect the mood they wished to portray. Teaching had some strong features, including teachers’ good subject knowledge and high expectations. Pupils were also given plenty of time for hands on experience, as well as time to discuss and reflect on their own work and that of other artists. As a result, pupils’ attitudes were very good and pupils behaved well.

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Commentary

72. A strength in most of the lessons seen in these subjects is in the provision for pupils with special educational needs, including pupils with a statement of special need. Pupils were well supported by their teachers, teaching assistants and other pupils. An area for development is to increase the contribution that the creative, aesthetic, practical and physical subjects make to the development of all pupils’ awareness of the diverse cultural traditions found in Britain and elsewhere. A number of these subjects are co-ordinated by teachers new to this role. They will need support to develop work in these subjects, which have not been a major focus of development in recent years. Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 30

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Inspection judgement Grade

The overall effectiveness of the school 4 How inclusive the school is 4 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 3 Value for money provided by the school 4

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Inspection judgement Grade

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 4

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Inspection judgement Grade

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

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Inspection judgement Grade

The quality of education provided by the school 4 The quality of teaching 4 How well pupils learn 4 The quality of assessment 4 How well the curriculum meets pupils’ needs 4 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 4 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 4 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 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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Inspection judgement Grade

The leadership and management of the school 4 The governance of the school 4 The leadership of the headteacher 3 The leadership of other key staff 3 The effectiveness of management 3

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Inspection judgement Grade

Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7). Peters Hills with St Mary’s and St Paul’s - 31

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