St Andrew's and St Mark's CofE Junior School

St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School

Dates of inspection: 8 th – 11 th September 2003

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St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 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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St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Junior School category: Voluntary aided Age range of pupils: 7 - 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 244

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Maple Road Surbiton Surrey Postcode: KT6 4AL

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 020 8390 2976 Fax number: 020 8255 7447

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Ms A Gibbs

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

This average sized junior school serves the local area, from which most pupils come. Although the area is very mixed, it is an advantaged area. The school is popular and parents choose the school because it is a caring school. Few pupils join or leave during the school year. About three quarters of the pupils are White – British. About a sixth of the pupils speak English as an additional language. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs is average and includes moderate and specific learning difficulties; social emotional and behavioural problems; speech and communication and physical disabilities, and autism. The proportion of pupils claiming a free school meal is below average. Pupils’ attainment on entry to Year 3 is above average. The school has been granted the Basic Skills Award, to reflect its good work in this area. St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

20086 Mr D Speakman Lead inspector Science, design and technology, physical education. 9619 Mr B Miller Lay inspector 20003 Mrs S Metcalfe Team inspector English, information and communication technology, English as an additional language. 32226 Mrs T Quick Team inspector Mathematics, art and design, geography, history, music.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Altecq Education 102 Bath Road Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL53 7JX

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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). St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 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 11

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 27

St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 6

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a very effective school that provides a good quality of education and gives good value for money. As a result of good teaching with many very good features, high levels of inclusion and a very good ethos of care, pupils are interested in school, achieve well and attain well above average standards in English, mathematics and science and generally good standards in other subjects. Leadership and management is very good overall, with the head teacher providing excellent leadership.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • Standards in English are well above average, although the quality of pupils’ handwriting is only of an average standard. • Standards in mathematics and science are well above average. • Standards in geography and history are much better than expected for pupils of this age. • Attainment in music is above that expected for pupils by the end of Year 6. • All groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs, pupils with English as an additional language and those at different levels of attainment, including gifted and talented, achieve well. • As a result of good provision for their personal development, pupils have very good attitudes towards school and their behaviour is good. • The quality of teaching and learning is good in all year groups. • Assessment procedures are very good, and the information is used very well to ensure that pupils at all levels of attainment are provided with challenging work to do.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• The curriculum is of a very good quality and benefits from very good levels of enrichment. • The school looks after its pupils well and this reflects its caring ethos. • Links with parents are very good and the school has productive contact with other schools which pupils come from and move on to. • The leadership of the head teacher is excellent and is fundamental to the school’s drive to improve. • Other staff with responsibility support the head teacher very well, but some curriculum co- ordinators, especially those with responsibility for non-core subjects, are new to their role and have not yet had chance to make a significant impact. • The governors make a good contribution to the school’s development.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The level of improvement since the previous inspection has been very good. Less than two years ago, the school was identified as having serious weaknesses in leadership and management and in its assessment procedures and their use. The head teacher, who was very new to her post at that time, staff and governors have worked very hard and the identified areas of weakness are now strengths. There are now very few minor issues for the school to address. As a result standards have risen.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2000 2001 2002 2002 English C C B A mathematics A B A A science A B B B Key: A – well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average. Similar schools are those with similar percentages of pupils eligible for free school meals. St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 7 Pupils start Year 3 with above average attainment. All pupils achieve well and by the time they reach the end of Year 6, standards in English, mathematics and science are well above average. Although attainment in writing is well above average, the standard of pupils’ handwriting is only average. Standards in most other subjects are good. In history and geography, they are well above those expected for pupils of this age. In music attainment is good and is as expected nationally in art

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

and design, information and communication technology and physical education.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ personal development is good. This is supported through good provision for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils’ attitudes towards school and learning are very good and their behaviour is good . Attendance is satisfactory . Punctuality is good and the vast majority of pupils arrive to school in good time.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided by the school is good.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

Teaching and learning are good throughout the school. Teachers use assessment data very well to ensure that pupils at all levels of attainment are given work that is challenging and moves them on effectively. Activities are interesting and lessons generally move at a brisk pace ensuring that pupils sustain interested and learn quickly. Pupils are generally managed very well and as a result, behaviour in class is good and supports the good quality learning well. In some physical education lessons, although still satisfactory, the pace is slower and the organisation of lessons results in pupils not being actively involved enough and having to queue to use apparatus.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The curriculum is very good. Very good curriculum development means that activities provided are appropriate and relevant to all pupils, all of whom are fully involved in all the school has to offer. The curriculum has a very good level of richness and this comes from a high level of participation in activities outside of school and interesting visits and visitors. Targeted provision for pupils with special educational needs, pupils with English as an additional language and for higher attaining pupils is good. All pupils receive good levels of help, guidance and support through effective monitoring of their personal and academic progress.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership is very good and that of the head teacher is excellent . She has an extremely clear vision of the needs of the school which is based in rigorous and reliable self evaluation and analysis of assessment data. Plans for school improvement are extremely well thought out and highly effectively worked through. She is very effectively supported in this work by other staff with leadership responsibility and subject co-ordinators, some of who are new to their roles, but nevertheless they have clear ideas about how to move their subjects forward. The governors provide good levels of support and contribute well to the work of the school. Together, the head teacher, staff and governors have developed very good management systems that are very effective in identifying the school needs and moving it forward at a rapid pace.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are happy with the school. They feel their children are making good progress and that the quality of teaching and learning is good. Parents are confident that their children like school, are cared for whilst there and are expected to work hard and do their best. A number of parents do not feel listened to, nor informed about how their children are getting on. Some have concerns about homework. The inspection team looked into these concerns, but could find no weaknesses. Pupils have positive views about the school. They enjoy school and feel that they are finding out new things. They express confidence that they will be well supported if they have problems.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 8 • Improve the quality of pupils’ handwriting. • Extend the role of the curriculum co-ordinators for non-core subjects in order to identify areas for development in provision and thereby raise standards even further. (The school is aware of these issues and has appropriate targets in their improvement plan) St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 9

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Standards are well above average in English, mathematics and science. Standards in most other subjects are better than expected for pupils of this age. Pupils’ achievement is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in English are well above average by the time pupils leave the school, but pupils’ handwriting, although satisfactory, is the weakest aspect of standards in English. • Standards in mathematics and science are well above average. • Attainment in geography and history is well above average. • Pupils’ attainment in music is good and above that expected for pupils of this age. • All groups of pupils achieve well throughout the school.

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Commentary

1. Pupils enter the school in Year 3 with levels of attainment that are above average overall. They achieve well, mainly because the quality of teaching is good, with many strong features. They do so well in English, mathematics and science because of the quality of teaching and learning and because teachers use assessments very well in order to plan focused tasks that are challenging for all groups of pupils. Results of the National Curriculum attainment tests at the end of Year 6 have been maintained at a consistently high level year on year. Progress is steady from the beginning of Year 3 through to the end of Year 6.

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Key Stage 2

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

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Key Stage 2

Standards in: School results National results English [28.2].(27.7) [27]. (27) mathematics [29.4].(27.8) [26.7].(26.6) science [29.2].(29.1) [28.3].(28.3) There were 69 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Key Stage 2

2. Attainment in all aspects of English is well above average. Standards in speaking and listening, reading and in writing are well above average. However, the quality of pupils’ handwriting is not as good and is the weakest area in their literacy skills. Standards in mathematics are supported by the school’s arrangements for the teaching of mathematics. Pupils are arranged into groups according to their prior attainment and this enables teachers to focus closely on pupils’ learning needs. Standards of Literacy and numeracy in other subjects are again very good. In science there is an emphasis on practical investigation as a learning method and this helps to ensure that what pupils learn is understood by them and therefore secure and attain standards that are well above average.

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Key Stage 2

3. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress overall and sometimes very good progress. The number of pupils supported by the special educational needs co-ordinator has gradually declined to 14 per cent of the school, reflecting the success of provision. Two pupils have statements of special educational needs, with one educated off site. Gifted and talented pupils also make good progress. There is the added benefit in mathematics of grouping by ability in which the mathematically able pupils achieve high results. Pupils with English as an additional St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 10 language make good progress and where necessary, are well supported so that they are able to access the full range of learning opportunities.

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Key Stage 2

4. Despite past limitations with resources, the school has managed to enable pupils to maintain standards in information and communication technology and to achieve the standard that is expected from pupils of this age. Standards in information and communication technology in other subjects are also satisfactory. Standards in music are above those nationally expected for pupils of this age. Good quality teaching and a good range of musical experiences support the good progress that pupils make. There are good opportunities for pupils to learn to play musical instruments and the school enables pupils to perform in order to consolidate their learning. Learning in history and geography is good and enables pupils to achieve well and attain standards that are well above those nationally expected. Again pupils are taught in a way similar to that used in science. They are taught the skills of historical and geographical enquiry well and

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Key Stage 2

to use and apply their knowledge and understanding to consolidate.

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Provision for pupils’ personal development including their spiritual, moral, social and

cultural development is good. This results in very good attitudes towards school, good behaviour and good personal development. Attendance is good and the vast majority of pupils are punctual.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils attitudes to the whole of school life are very good. • Behaviour is good. • Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and this supports their good level of personal development. • Procedures for monitoring of and promoting good attendance are effective. • Unauthorised absence is a bit above the national average for this type of school.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 4.9 School data: 0.6 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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Main strengths and weaknesses

5. Attendance is broadly in line with the national average percentage. The authorised absence figures are below that of similar schools nationally. This is due, in the main, to the good systems for follow-up devised by the school. Where pupils are absent without authorisation there is an adverse effect on their achievement. Most parents and carers however, strive to ensure the attendance of their children and very few pupils arrive late for school. St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 11

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Exclusions

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Exclusions

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

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Exclusions

White – British 181 1 0 White – Irish 3 0 0 White – any other White background 14 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 1 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 7 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 7 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 1 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 4 0 0 Black or Black British – Caribbean 3 1 0 Black or Black British – African 4 0 0 Chinese 3 0 0 Any other ethnic group 11 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 2 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Exclusions

6. Central to the work of the school is the way it leads pupils to a clear set of values based on its Christian commitment, which permeates all aspects of school life. Very good relationships, based on caring for all individuals equally, are at the heart of this provision. Pupils are taught to value themselves and each other and to understand and follow the rules that govern the school community. Pupils are involved in the drawing up of the rules for their classes, having to consider the opinions of others, seeing and evaluating different points of view. There is a School Council whose deliberations have resulted in a new school badge, the Friendship Bench and Buddy System being put in place. Environmental issues, which included the planting of bulbs, the need to have flowers planted around the school and playground resources have all been part of their brief. The school helps them to understand and aim for a high standard of behaviour and hard

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Exclusions

7. The school effectively encourages positive attitudes and relationships. Pupils are happy to come to school, enjoy their learning and want to learn. There have been no permanent exclusions. The school is a racially harmonious community. With only very rare incidents of bullying or any other form of harassment, parents say they are dealt with speedily. In more formal and structured situations behaviour is very good but in lessons, which have more free flowing activities for example music and physical education, where pupils have to accept responsibility for their own attitudes and behaviour, it is good. All understand right from wrong and show care for each other. Assemblies and class discussions place these ideas into a spiritual context. Opportunities are taken to encourage pupils to appreciate the wonders of the world, the arts and music. Pupils learn of the need to help others and willingly support differing charities.

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Exclusions

8. The playground is a happy and safe place to be. Good use is made of the Friendship Bench, which is a strategy that supports pupils who might be left out of the groups with whom they could play. Within the school, the many different religious groups work and play happily together. The St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 12 school also prepares pupils well for life in a more culturally diverse society than that represented in the immediate area, for example they celebrate religious festivals such as the Chinese New Year and they visit places of worship. Pupils learn to appreciate their own and others’ cultural traditions.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided is very good. Teaching is consistently good with many strong features. The assessment of pupils’ achievement is very good and used very effectively to ensure good achievement and high standards. The curriculum is very good and highly enriched through very good opportunities for enrichment.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are good. Teaching is consistently good across all year groups and there are many very strong features. All groups of pupils learn equally effectively.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers have good subject knowledge. • Planning is very good, based on reliable assessment data, which effectively meets all pupils’ needs and enables good learning for all. • Teachers have very high expectations of their pupils; set challenging tasks and invariably expect high standards of behaviour in lessons. • Lessons are conducted at a brisk pace and sustain pupils’ interest and motivation. Occasionally teachers’ organisation in physical education means that the pace of lessons slackens. • Teaching assistants provide valuable support and are effective in what they do. • All pupils are fully included in all learning opportunities, regardless of ability, gender or background. Teachers and assistants are fully aware of inclusion issues.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 41 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

[1] (2.5 %) [13] (32%) [24] (58.5%) [3] (7%) [0] (0%) [0] (0%) [0] (0%)

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

9. Based on their good subject knowledge teachers give clear explanations in their teaching and give good guidance so pupils feel confident to move forward. This has a positive impact on pupils’ learning and the progress that they make. All teachers are fully trained in teaching the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, and the quality of teaching and learning in English and mathematics is good and often very good. In English, assessment data is used very well and work is carefully matched to individuals’ needs so that pupils feel confident and learn well. In mathematics there is a strong emphasis on developing and using mental and investigative skills to support effective learning.

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Commentary

10. Pupils are taught well to use their knowledge and understanding, such as in science, so there is clear purpose to their learning. Teachers ask appropriate questions focused on pupils of different ability, and these are effective in furthering all pupils’ progress and ensuring all pupils are fully included in activities. The best questioning was vigorous and made pupils think carefully about answers to their questions. This was seen in a Year 6 science lesson, when the teacher moved St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 13 from group to group and whilst they were investigating their tasks, she asked searching questions that made pupils think and find out answers for themselves. St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 14 11. Planning is very good. In all classes, teachers’ plans include specific provision for pupils with special educational needs, for pupils who learn English as an additional language and for

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Commentary

potentially high attaining pupils. Teachers’ expectations of pupils are therefore high, but well focused on their ability. This is well rooted in the use of assessments carried out at the end of lessons, when a plenary session might be used to check up on what pupils have learned. At the end of a Year 6 Literacy lesson for example, the teacher referred back to the beginning of the lesson, focused on the learning objectives and surveyed pupils’ success for each part before setting extension work for each ability group. Teachers share learning objectives with pupils at the beginning of lessons, and this is good because pupils know what is expected of them as a result. The use of assessment to inform planning and support learning across the school is very good. Teachers have a secure understanding of National Curriculum levels and what skills and understanding pupils need to make progress. They use previous learning to identify next steps

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Commentary

and this is reflected very well in their lesson planning.

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Commentary

12. Teachers have very high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Their management of pupils is very good and teachers consistently apply the school’s agreed approach to behaviour management, so pupils are well aware of what is expected of them and that there is no compromise of standards. All teachers recognise and comment on those pupils who are co-operating and others soon follow the example and quickly settle at change of activity for example. Because these approaches are applied consistently, Year 3 pupils, who only started the school two days before the inspection soon learn the classroom routines and comply. Because teachers have a positive approach to pupils’ behaviour, pupils feel valued and this forms the basis of good relationships between pupils and teachers. Even when the pace of lessons slows down, behaviour is still good, because pupils are aware of the school’s expectations in this respect.

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Commentary

13. Pupils with special educational needs benefit from the additional support given to them, and learn successfully as a result. Learning is enhanced by the committed and professional teaching assistants who support pupils with special educational needs well, both in class and when withdrawn to receive individual or small group support. As a result, pupils make good progress towards the targets on their individual educational plans. Pupils who speak English as an additional language, who also have special educational needs achieve as well as other groups of pupils in the school. This is because of the good support and precise planning that help them learn in the small steps required. Regular assessments are made and detailed records are kept on pupil progress.

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The curriculum

The school provides a very good curriculum with a broad range of learning opportunities matched to the interests, aptitudes and specific and particular needs of pupils. The curriculum helps pupils build up their skills, knowledge and understanding very well in each subject studied.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• A very clear whole school curriculum plan ensures full coverage of the National Curriculum and religious education. • The school’s curriculum for literacy and numeracy is very good. • There is a very good focus on linking skills across subjects. • Very good use is made of visits and visitors and a good range of extra curricular activities enrich the curriculum very well. • Very good curriculum management and monitoring of the curriculum by the head teacher and senior staff ensure innovations such as the personal, social and health education programme give effective support to pupils’ learning. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs and for those whose mother tongue is not English, is good. St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 15 • There are good links with other schools and the curriculum is carefully planned across the three stages of infant, junior and secondary education.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 16

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Commentary

14. The school has a very good curriculum that meets all statutory requirements including providing for religious education. There are very good systems in place for reviewing and updating policies and schemes of work for the different subjects by the senior managers of the school. The amount of time for each subject is carefully monitored by subject co-ordinators and resources are well selected to enhance provision. There is a very good focus on linking skills across each subject, with pupils especially using their English, mathematics and information and communication skills very well to support other subjects such as history, art and music. The curriculum is well enriched by a good range of activities extra to the curriculum, activities drawn from sport, drama and music. Pupils especially have good opportunities to learn a range of musical instruments from the local authority music services.

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Commentary

15. The school provides very well for all pupils regardless of ability or need. All have ease of access to the building and a very good curriculum planned to meet their needs whether they have special educational needs, are from homes where English is not the mother tongue or are capable of working on an accelerated curriculum. The programme to support pupils personal, social and health education has been carefully constructed and linked well to other areas of the curriculum including science, music and English as well as collective worship.

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Commentary

16. Pupils’ with special educational needs have good quality individual educational plans which outline targets. These targets are regularly reviewed in co-operation with the parents, teachers and relevant support agencies. This ensures that pupils’ progress is recorded and new challenging but achievable, targets set.

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Care, guidance and support

Provision for pupils’ care, guidance and support is good. Staff are caring and supportive and deal with any health, safety and child protection issues that may arise, in an effective and professional manner. The school consults with pupils on a regular basis and takes action as necessary.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The head teacher and staff manage this area of the school’s provision very well and ensure that the school provides a caring environment in which all children are equally valued. • Although health and safety arrangements are good, the present building works and refurbishment taking place present its own problems. • Detailed records are kept of pupils’ individual needs. Nominated staff help pupils, whose academic and personal progress is monitored carefully. • The arrangements for child protection are good. • Pupils are well involved in the school’s work and development.

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Commentary

17. Pupils are well supported by the good relationships that exist within the school. The induction processes for new pupils and the links with partner schools for leavers are good. This ensures that pupils are able to feel comfortable in the school, work effectively and achieve well. There is a suitable policy for health and safety and despite the current building works the school handles any potential hazards with due regard to the children and staff present. There are effective procedures in place for child protection with a reliable designated person to manage and oversee them. St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 17 18. Nominated staff are placed at the disposal of the pupils to offer support and guidance to those who may have difficulties. All pupils have their achievements and personal development closely monitored as they move through the school.

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Commentary

19. Through the School Council, pupils’ views are sought concerning the work and development of the school. A number of issues have been raised by them and they have been acted upon.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

There are very effective links with parents . There are good links with the community and other schools in the area.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents are provided with very good information, including that about their children’s progress and this is an improvement on the last inspection. • Parents think highly of the school. • They support the school and make a very good contribution to the education of their children. • Links with other schools support a continuous curriculum provision and pupils’ personal development well.

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Commentary

20. Parents have positive views of the school and think highly of it and what it is doing for their children. They consider that the leadership and management of the school to have improved significantly since the last inspection. They feel strongly that the school encourages children to become mature and independent. Parents are confident that their children are not bullied or harassed at school. A small number of parents consider homework could be better organised, they could be better informed about their child’s progress and that they could be more regularly consulted and action taken on their views. This is despite having a Parents’ Consultative Group. The inspection team looked into these concerns and could find no weaknesses.

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Commentary

21. The contribution of parents to pupils’ learning, both at home and school is very good. This makes a highly effective contribution to pupils’ achievement. The school makes good efforts to involve parents through the Parents Association and Parents Consultative Group and inform them about new initiatives in education. The school does all it can to deal effectively with any concerns or complaints that parents may have.

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Commentary

22. There are good links with the local community. There is a strong association with the church. A good range of local community groups use the school premises for their meetings. The school is making provision for pupils to take part much more in local competitive sports events with other schools and this is an area that the school is developing further. Curriculum and pastoral links with other schools in the area are good. There are regular visits by staff to the infants’ school to discuss curriculum matters and the induction procedures for these pupils are of a high quality. There are a large number of secondary feeder schools, including those in the independent sector as well as grammar schools. There is a regular dialogue with these establishments. The school works particularly well with external support agencies in order to provide specific professional support for pupils where needed.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The quality of leadership and management is very good overall. Management systems are very effective. St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 18

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The head teacher shows excellent leadership qualities and she provides an extremely clear and effective vision for the future development and improvement of the school. • The support for the head teacher by other staff with leadership and management responsibility is very good. • Management of special educational needs provision is very good. • The governors are actively involved in the school and provide a good level of support for the work of the school. • The school’s self evaluation procedures are very good and highly effective. • School improvement planning is very good and supports very secure financial planning.

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Commentary

23. The head teacher was appointed to her post at the time of the previous inspection and the quality of leadership and management was judged to be unsatisfactory, based on the problems the school had experienced in this area prior to her appointment. The quality of her leadership is now outstanding and represents a huge improvement on the judgements made at the time of the previous inspection. She receives very effective support from the assistant head and deputy head teacher, and curriculum co-ordinators. Together they provide a strong team, lead a hard working and dedicated staff that are committed to achieving high standards in all aspects of school life. Parents are right in their opinion that the school is well led and managed.

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Commentary

24. There is an extremely clear vision for the future of the school and all staff and the Governing Body share this. They share the commitment to constantly seek excellence in all they do. The head teacher maintains a very strong ethos, which supports improving standards, building on the school’s many strengths and dealing effectively with any concerns. The school’s mission statement focuses on providing a broad and balanced education, developing pupils’ personal qualities enabling them to cope in the wider society, fostering respect for others and promoting teamwork, all within a Christian setting. Each of these statements is evident in the work of the school and these principles underpin all aspects of their work. The head teacher and members of the management team clearly communicate these to all adults concerned with the school and they all share the common goal of providing excellence. Their work together enables pupils to

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Commentary

achieve their best across a range of academic skills and knowledge, to become good learners, and to develop personally. The reflection of the school’s mission in its work is excellent.

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Commentary

25. The monitoring of the school’s work is thorough and rigorous and is one of the cornerstones of the school’s success. The school’s highly effective and constant drive for improvement is deeply rooted in self-evaluation. Specific representatives from both the teaching staff and the governing body carefully monitor all aspects of the school. The head teacher very effectively monitors the performance of the teachers. She herself has had considerable experience in school improvement and is in a strong position to judge the skills and capability of other teachers. She uses reliable criteria when making judgements on the quality of teaching and learning in lessons observed. Outcomes of her observations are discussed and targets are set for development. These are then reviewed at a later stage. The head teacher’s monitoring has led to an improvement in the quality of teaching, which is supported by inspection evidence. The quality of

p.18

Commentary

teaching is still good throughout the school, but there is now a greater proportion of good, very good and excellent teaching than at the time of the previous inspection and bears testimony to the effectiveness of the school’s monitoring process.

p.18

Commentary

26. Curriculum co-ordination is highly effective and positively contributes to the very good curriculum and high academic standards. This represents a significant improvement on the previous inspection when the monitoring role of the curriculum co-ordinators was part of the key issues to improve leadership and management of the school. Curriculum co-ordinators for English, mathematics and science now monitor provision and standards in their subjects rigorously by scrutinising teachers’ planning and samples of pupils’ work and use analysis of assessment data very effectively. They also have the opportunity to watch other teachers teach their subjects. This St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 19 provides them with very valuable opportunities to monitor standards and provision across the school. This has resulted in good teaching and high standards in all these subjects. Curriculum co-ordinators of other subjects have not had as many opportunities to monitor provision and

p.18

Commentary

standards and some are new to their roles. Nevertheless, they have a good knowledge of what is going on in their subjects and through their high levels of commitment have already formed very good ideas on how to bring about improvement.

p.19

Commentary

27. The co-ordinator for special educational needs attends and leads courses to keep the staff up-to- date with developments in her area. There is very good co-operation between all staff for the benefit of the pupils with special educational needs. Good links exist between the co-ordinator and the teacher responsible for special educational needs at the Infant School which aids the smooth transition for both pupils and their parents when the child moves school.

p.19

Commentary

28. The management team has a very good idea about how effective the school is through a thorough analysis of assessment data for different groups of pupils, such as boys and girls, those with special educational needs, those pupils with English as an additional language and those from different religious backgrounds. It is extremely effective in identifying what pupils do well and where improvement is needed. This data is then used reliably to inform the school improvement plan or to provide individual and group support where needed. There is a good school improvement plan and the priorities are highly appropriate and relevant to the school moving forward. All staff and governors contribute to the school improvement plan through self- evaluation and review. Each subject has its own action plan, prepared by the curriculum co- ordinators and reviewed by them in collaboration with the head teacher. This contributes very

p.19

Commentary

well to the high level of importance the school places on self-evaluation.

p.19

Commentary

29. Governors make a good contribution to the leadership and management of the school, and their contribution is significant in ensuring its successful future. This represents a good level of improvement in their work in the time since the previous inspection, less than two years ago. They know the school well through regular visits to make themselves aware of what is happening. The governing body is also very well informed through the head teacher’s reports to them, which they describe as being highly informative, frank and honest and of an excellent quality. Those responsible for specific areas of the curriculum are all involved in monitoring. Governors are fully involved in the school improvement planning process and through this they have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They receive reports from curriculum co-ordinators’ reviews and have a good awareness of the strengths and

p.19

Commentary

weaknesses of their subjects and how improvement will take place. All governors speak with knowledge and understanding about their role, responsibilities, and what they see in school.

p.19

Commentary

30. Financial management of the school is very good through the high level of financial knowledge of the bursar. He provides very good advice to the head teacher and governing body and together they monitor this area very efficiently. All funds, including specific grants, are carefully matched to the priorities that have been established in the school improvement plan. There are very clearly defined routines, which enable the head teacher, bursar and governors to monitor the deployment of resources and their impact on standards. Best value principles are used well when measuring improvements in the quality of teaching and standards achieved, and when purchasing resources. The school is in the middle of an extensive building improvement programme and the high financial carry forward is to support this development.

p.19

Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.19

Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 665,749 Balance from previous year 77,932 Total expenditure 684,749 Balance carried forward to the next 58,932 St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 20 Expenditure per pupil 2,633 St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 21

p.19

ENGLISH

Provision in English is very good. Pupils achieve well as a result of high quality teaching based on very good assessments of pupils’ work.

p.21

ENGLISH

• Pupils’ results in statutory tests and tasks are well above average and attainment in speaking and listening, reading and writing are all well above average by the end of Year 6. Handwriting is weaker and standards are average. • All pupils achieve well throughout the school. • The quality of teaching is good. Some excellent very good teaching was seen during the inspection. Well planned and well paced lessons encourage pupils to enjoy their work. • Assessment of pupils’ work is very good and information gained is used very well to target teaching and learning. • The school has implemented the national literacy strategy in full but adapted areas such as group reading to meet pupils’ learning needs. • Homework is used effectively. • Resources are good and include a good range of both fiction and non fiction books. • The leadership and management of English are very good.

p.21

Commentary

31. The school has made very good progress in developing pupils’ English skills since the previous inspection. Pupils enter the school with standards that are above average. Pupils achieve well and leave school at the end of Year 6 with standards in each area, especially speaking and listening, that are well above the average. The school has made very good use of the national literacy strategy. This use, combined with good improvements to the quality of teaching and learning and the assessment of pupils’ work, has enabled the school to make high quality improvements very rapidly.

p.21

Commentary

32. While pupils achieve very high standards overall, their handwriting skills are weaker and are an area for development. By Year 6, all pupils are writing with a cursive style in ink. However, many pupils across the school are unable to write with fluency because their pen or pencil grip is poor. A number of left handed pupils in particular curl their hands with the wrist high, thus finding it difficult to write along a line and see their previously written work. Although teachers are careful to ensure pupils are seated so that their writing arms are unimpeded, pupils have few opportunities to actually watch each other write. Pupils have handwriting practice sessions but are not reminded to check that they are sitting correctly and that their pen grip is accurate.

p.21

Commentary

33. Pupils’ reading is of a high standard. Pupils read a variety of texts, ranging from autobiography to classic and popular fiction. Most are confident and enthusiastic readers who have reached the stage of more advanced reading skills. They explain preferences in their reading and give good reasons why they prefer certain types of books. They can infer and deduce from what they have read and predict what might happen next in the story. When appropriate they respond very well to, and appreciate, the humour in books. Discussion about their reading experiences highlights pupils’ very good command of English and their very good speaking and listening skills. This was also noted when older pupils at all levels of attainment talked clearly about their work in science.

p.21

Commentary

34. The quality of teaching has improved well since the previous inspection and is now good. Some very good and excellent teaching was observed during the inspection. The subject manager’s very clear vision and very effective identification of areas for development, has resulted in all staff St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 22 having had full training in planning for the national literacy strategy, group reading and extended writing. The school has made evaluation of pupils’ progress the key aid to effective teaching and learning. Teachers use the school’s assessment strategy very well to monitor learning and apply this knowledge to their planning. Work is very carefully designed to match the needs of all the pupils in each class. Because of this, pupils feel confident and respond very well indeed. In most lessons seen, pupils enjoyed their work, concentrated hard and responded with maturity to their

p.21

Commentary

teacher’s very high expectations. By the end of every lesson there had been a clear development of learning with pupils gaining and practicing new skills, acquiring new information and putting a lot of effort into their work.

p.22

to how the school teaches the national literacy project

In this lesson the teacher gave pupils new to the school confidence, skills and knowledge by making the whole session highly enjoyable in a language rich and challenging atmosphere. The teacher made very good use of clear, step by step structures, evaluating each part of the lesson to ensure that pupils had confidence, understanding and receptiveness before reinforcing and developing learning further. The lesson was filled with sparkle and flair that give pupils frequent opportunities to evaluate their own performance and learning. Especially valuable was the teacher’s very well developed ability to adapt the lesson planning as she went along. This helped pupils to concentrate and remain focused right to the last minute of the lesson.

p.22

to how the school teaches the national literacy project

35. Although there has been a lot of building work in the school of late, teachers have worked hard to provide a language rich environment within their classes. Pupils see English supporting well their work in mathematics, science and history to name but a few subjects. Even though the computer suite has been out of action, teachers have ensured that the in-class or work-bay computers are used effectively to support pupils’ literacy skills development. Pupils complete grammar exercises or write directly into a word processing programme and use edit facilities to enhance the presentation of their work.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are well above average and pupils’ competence in mathematics is very good. • Achievement for all pupils is good. • Teachers’ expectations are high. • There is a well balanced curriculum with an appropriate emphasis on investigative mathematics. • Subject leadership is good.

p.22

Commentary

36. Most pupils enter the school in Year 3 from the Infant School with above average standards in mathematics. Throughout all years, lessons build systematically on pupils’ previous learning so good progress is made. The setting strategies of grouping pupils with similar prior attainment employed by the school ensure that all pupils achieve well through accurately focused work. This enables teachers to move learning on at a pace appropriate to need, extending learning by specifically targeted tasks. By Year 6, standards are well above average, with a higher percentage of pupils achieving Level 5 than the average nationally and a lower percentage of pupils achieving Level 3. Standards have improved since the time of the last inspection, when they were judged to be above average. The achievement of boys and girls is similar. St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 23 37. Pupils have a good recall of number facts and a range of problem solving strategies. High

p.22

Commentary

standards are supported through joint planning across the groups, clear careful monitoring and assessment of standards, teaching and learning. The pupils enjoy their mathematics lessons because they are kept occupied, feel confident and know they are achieving well. In particular Year 6 pupils enjoyed manipulating numbers at a very high standard and pace from whole to hundredths and thousandths.

p.23

Commentary

38. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall, with some very good teaching seen. Lessons follow the National Numeracy Strategy, with a strong emphasis on improving mental arithmetic and investigative skills. In lively introductions to lessons, teachers encourage pupils to explain how they work sums out to help them consolidate and extend their learning. Pupils respond to these challenges with enthusiasm and effort, showing great pleasure in getting answers right. Teachers prepare activities that enable the pupils to apply newly learned skills, often in a practical way in other areas of the mathematics curriculum. The use of correct mathematical vocabulary is encouraged and this widens pupils’ mathematical knowledge and understanding.

p.23

Commentary

39. The special educational needs teacher and classroom assistants provide useful support during lessons and for identifying the pupils in need of further support. They are particularly skilled at getting insecure or reluctant pupils to take part in lessons and encouraging all to do their best. The very good teaching seen was characterised by the sessions being lively and challenging to the pupils, moving at a good pace with pupils rising to the high expectations of the teacher. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well because they are provided with suitably planned tasks and good support from assistants who know their needs well.

p.23

Commentary

40. Pupils relate well to each other during practical work generating a purposeful working atmosphere. The attitudes to learning in all mathematics lessons throughout the school are very good. Teachers keep pupils learning actively throughout most lessons, and generally make good use of a range of resources to clarify ideas and make lessons more interesting. Pupils have mathematics targets, which are regularly updated. Teachers mark work against these targets, which reliably informs pupils how well they are doing.

p.23

Commentary

41. The challenging exciting curriculum is delivered to pupils through very good planning, based on detailed assessment of what pupils know and understand and can do. Tasks are constructed to develop pupil thinking skills but are enjoyable and the majority of the pupils find the learning exciting. Pupils are encouraged to assess their own learning and they are confident to talk with the teacher and other pupils about their progress.

p.23

Commentary

42. Good leadership and management of the subject help teachers to make the most of their lessons. The subject leader attends and leads courses to keep up-to date with developments in the subject and ensures that good resources are available. The co-ordinator monitors standards and teaching through observing lessons, checking pupils’ work against teachers’ plans and the regular assessments. Statutory tests are analysed looking for patterns to improve delivery and learning and the curriculum altered as necessary. The school is developing portfolios of moderated work to exemplify judgements and ensure a consistency through the school.

p.23

Mathematics across the curriculum

43. Mathematics is used well in other subjects. Secure numeracy skills and a good understanding of how to apply them, supports the pupils achievement of high standards in subjects such as science and geography.

p.23

SCIENCE

Provision in science is good . St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 24

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are well above the national average by the end of Year 6. • Pupils at all levels of attainment achieve well. • There is a good emphasis on experimental and investigative science and pupils develop good skills in this area of science. • The quality of teaching and learning is good. • Assessment data is used very effectively to target work well to pupils’ individual needs. • Leadership and management in science are good.

p.24

Commentary

44. Attainment is well above average and pupils achieve well throughout Years 3 to 6. Pupils are given good opportunities to investigate and experiment and this helps them build a secure understanding of different areas of science. High standards have been maintained and the most recent test results are likely to be well above average, although this is not yet confirmed.

p.24

Commentary

45. Pupils in Year 6 of all levels of attainment are able to talk with good understanding about their work. Both higher attaining pupils and those with special educational needs, talk knowledgeably, for example, about air resistance as a force. Their good level of understanding enables them to apply what they know to practical situations and they are able to give good examples of why wind can be useful to sailing ships, and situations where it creates an obstacle and streamlining becomes necessary. This level of understanding enables pupils to justify and give reasons for their statements and is demonstrated in all areas of science, where standards are well above average.

p.24

Commentary

46. Investigative approaches to learning science are well promoted throughout the school, although the very youngest pupils do not yet show sufficient collaborative working skills. Teachers are aware of this and strive to improve this method of learning for all pupils. Pupils make good progress in developing these skills and by the time they reach Year 6 they know how to design appropriate investigations to answer a particular question. In doing this they make hypotheses detailing what they think the outcomes will be, choose appropriate resources to check their predictions and give explanations of why things happened. This was seen when Year 6 pupils investigated sound. They worked effectively with different resources, including rice on a drum skin, tuning forks on water and vibrating rulers. From their observations they were able to talk in very good detail and with high levels of accuracy, about how sound is created and how they are

p.24

Commentary

able to alter sounds. Pupils worked in mixed ability groups and those at all levels of attainment made significant contributions to the investigation and all made good progress in developing their knowledge and understanding of the nature and making of sound.

p.24

Commentary

47. High standards in pupils’ knowledge and understanding of science are maintained throughout the school. Although pupils in Year 3 experience some difficulty in collaborative group work, good quality teaching, ensures that they are given appropriate opportunity and guidance to develop these skills. These pupils were expertly supported through investigating how shadows are formed and how the position of the light source can change the size of a shadow. The teacher explained clearly how they were to go about this investigation and assessed their progress at regular stages in the lesson. She intervened with support at appropriate moments, ensuring that all pupils were able to access the activity and make good progress in finding out about shadows. As well as building a good knowledge and understanding on the subject, pupils also developed their investigative skills well. These are further developed systematically as pupils get older.

p.24

Commentary

Pupils in Year 4 use the Internet to good effect to research bones in the human body, locating them in the human skeleton. In Year 5 they study food labels and packaging, and combined with their knowledge of food groups, make decisions on the value of different food products.

p.24

Commentary

48. The quality of teaching is good and is characterised by high expectations, good subject knowledge, very good pupil management and very good use of assessment information. Very good subject management also makes a significant contribution to pupils’ good achievement and St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 25 very high standards. The subject co-ordinator has made a very thorough assessment of the provision in this subject and she has identified relevant areas for development. Recent past initiatives included the promotion of experimental and investigative science and the linked staff development to enable teachers to provide this effectively. This has been successfully achieved and is already impacting on standards of attainment and the next identified improvement is to develop and implement assessment procedures for this attainment target. The subject co- ordinator has a strong knowledge of how to manage science through her own extensive

p.24

Commentary

professional development and ensures that all teachers have the necessary skills to teach science well. This is achieved through staff training in important development areas, such as teaching science through an investigative approach.

p.25

Commentary

49. Teachers also use assessment procedures well to assess pupils’ attainment and achievement. They use the information gained effectively to ensure that pupils at all levels of attainment are provided with work at an appropriate level, which they can cope with, but which is still challenging and moves them on at a good pace.

p.25

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is good.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school has been able to maintain standards for pupils by the end of Year 6 in spite of the closure of the existing computer suite during widespread build work in the school and all pupils achieve well. • There is good use of information and communication technology in other subjects. • The leadership and management of the subject is very good. • Assessment of pupils’ progress and achievement is good. • The accommodation and resources for the subject will be very good when the building and equipping of the new suite is complete.

p.25

Commentary

50. The achievement of pupils throughout the school is good and standards by the end of Year 6 are in line with those expected for pupils of this age. In spite of wide scale building work, teachers have been able to maintain the good provision for all pupils seen at the time of the previous inspection. All, boys and girls, pupils with special educational needs and those not having English as a mother tongue are fully involved in all lessons and make good progress. The pace of learning has sometimes slowed as only half of a class are able to work on computers at a time. Learning is reinforced effectively by the careful use of support staff working with half a class in the classroom in preparation for or on follow up activities linked to developing computer skills or program knowledge. During the inspection for instance, half of a Year 6 class were working well in the work-bay with the co-ordinator on the computers while in the classroom the teacher

p.25

Commentary

reinforced the computer formula using pupils’ good mathematical skills. The pace within lessons is generally brisk, with each pupil challenged to work hard and learn well, achieving as high as they possibly can. As pupils progress from year to year teachers ensure that a secure skills base is established for all pupils. The curriculum is well designed so that knowledge and understanding deepens as pupils’ progress through the school. Year 6 pupils for instance recalled work in Year 5 on spreadsheets before moving from simple data handling to using a spreadsheet program to solve mathematical problems.

p.25

Commentary

51. The very good leadership given by the co-ordinator has been particularly evident during this period of building development and the setting up of a larger computer suite. As a well-skilled and very knowledgeable teacher, she has managed development well. She has ensured that all teachers have had training, particularly to gain the skills necessary to make good use of use St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 26 information and communication technology resources and programs in their classrooms along with the confidence to do so.

p.25

Commentary

52. The co-ordinator has put into place a series of assessments to help identify attainment and track pupils’ achievement. Although standards are satisfactory with the majority of pupils reaching national targets, she is now planning how to extend those pupils who are capable of working to a higher level. At the same time she has carefully planned the fitting out of the new suite with flat screen monitors, printers and a fixed interactive white board. She has effectively organised resources so as to leave computers within classes so that pupils can have immediate and spontaneous use of the Internet and technological equipment and programs rather than only having access during timetabled lessons or when the suite is free. It is hoped that this opportunity will make information and communication a formidable tool to support learning across the curriculum.

p.26

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

53. The curriculum co-ordinator has worked hard to ensure that the scheme of work is matched to the resources available and support to pupils’ learning in other subjects such as English, mathematics, science and history. Information and communication technology is used effectively to support learning in other subjects. Pupils are also given good opportunity to reinforce information technology skills whilst working in other subjects, and attain standards expected in the National Curriculum for their age.

p.26

GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

The provision for both subjects is good .

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in geography and history are well above average. • The very good attitudes of pupils to learning. • Very good support for the curriculum through the residential visits in Years 5 and 6.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

54. Pupils enter the school with above average standards in history and geography. By Year 6, attainment is well above expectations in both subjects and pupils achieve well.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

55. Pupils learn geographical skills and the skills of historical enquiry well. The curriculum is being developed to include more investigative work. Teachers build on the pupils’ prior knowledge and use teaching strategies which often catch the pupils’ imagination. For example, many pupils were completely involved in the life of a Victorian Child, and a Year 3 pupil described in fine detail what had been taught about the rain forests.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

56. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. Lessons follow the units in national guidelines, with detailed joint planning taking place between the teachers in each year group to ensure all pupils share similar learning experiences. Teachers prepare activities that enable pupils to apply newly learned skills, often in a practical way, and pupils respond to the challenges given with enthusiasm and good effort. Pupils with special educational needs are supported by well trained support assistants or an extra teacher and achieve well because they are also provided with suitably planned tasks.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

57. Pupils relate well to each other during practical work, generating a purposeful working atmosphere. Teachers keep pupils learning actively throughout most lessons, and generally make good use of a range of resources to clarify ideas and make lessons more interesting. Year 3 pupils are capable of looking up words and pictures on the Internet as part of their geographical St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 27 research. In Years 5 and 6 pupils’ historical and geographical knowledge is enhanced by visits. There are residential visits in Year 5 to Hindleap Warren in the Ashdown Forest and in Year 6 to the Isle of Wight. Visitors are invited into each year group to enhance the curriculum well, for example the Roman soldier.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

58. There is good leadership and management of both subjects which help ensure consistently good standards. The co-ordinator keeps an overview of standards and teaching by scrutinising pupils’ exercise books, monitoring planning and checking assessment. However, no lessons have been observed. Staff share good practice. Progress is monitored at the end of each unit of study using the ‘ I can do’ method. This encourages pupils to assess the quality of their own work.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

59. History and geography have well planned cross curricular links with English, art, music, information and communication technology and design and technology as well as very good multi-cultural elements for example the India topic. The school has very good geographical and historical resources, which are used well to support learning.

p.27

ART AND DESIGN & DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Insufficient work was seen in both subjects in order to form overall reliable judgements.

p.27

Commentary

60. No lessons were seen in art and design and design and technology during the inspection, and there was little evidence on which to base judgements. There is a portfolio available of pupils’ work in art and design and some samples from both subjects on display throughout the school. Standards in both subjects, based on limited evidence are in line with those nationally expected for pupils at the end of Year 6.

p.27

Commentary

61. Samples of weaving show pupils have developed a good sense of colour and tone and they are able to select wool and other weaving materials effectively of different tones within a single colour. Satisfactory early weaving techniques are consolidated using paper and card, before pupils use these skills in a creative way to produce weavings on different themes. A weave made predominantly from red materials is based on the theme fire and a blue one was inspired by the literature ‘Why the Whales came’. Some pupils have usefully laminated their card weavings and added a practical use as a table mat. Pupils ‘rub’ leaves with wax so that they can study the structure of a leaf and then make printing blocks out of string based on their ideas and interpretations of the leaf patterns, thus building skills and sound ideas of shape and pattern.

p.27

Commentary

62. In design and technology, older pupils have designed and made slippers of a satisfactory quality. These work samples indicate the pupils follow the complete designing and making process satisfactorily in their design and technology work.

p.27

Commentary

63. There is a single co-ordinator for both subjects and she has only recently been given the responsibility for both subjects. She already has some good ideas about how she would like to see art develop and improve. Based on early and initial assessment of pupils’ work, she feels that standards are at present satisfactory, but there is much more creativity in the pupils which needs to be released. To achieve this there are thoughts about extending pupils’ artistic and cultural experiences with a much wider range of media, different artists from different cultural backgrounds and ages, and to develop significantly pupils’ three-dimensional work.

p.27

MUSIC

Provision in music is good. St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 28

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Achievement is good throughout the school and standards are better than nationally expected by the end of Year 6. • The quality of teaching and learning is good. • There are good opportunities for pupils to learn to play instruments and for them to perform publicly. • Leadership and management of music are effective.

p.28

Commentary

63. By the end of Year 6, the standards attained by pupils are above those expected nationally. Standards in singing are good and in class assemblies, pupils join in enthusiastically, singing well as a group. They sing hymns enthusiastically, showing a growing sense of rhythm and dynamics. Pupils clearly enjoy singing and their voices are mainly well controlled, showing pleasing evidence of good practice. Pupils are taught good techniques, are challenged to do their best and to improve.

p.28

Commentary

64. The quality of teaching and learning is good, with very good teaching being seen. Pupils consequently achieve good standards. In a very good lesson in Year 3, pupils responded enthusiastically to very good teaching offered by a teacher with specialist musical skills. They learned how to identify different aspects of music in pieces such as The Carnival of the Animals. The main aim of the lesson was to appreciate the descriptive nature of music and how to interpret tunes. Their imaginations were developed as they identified their thoughts whilst listening. Other music appreciation skills were developed simultaneously and their musical vocabulary was effectively widened. They learned how to identify the sounds of different musical instruments. Planning for this lesson reflected the teacher’s good musical skills and her good knowledge and understanding of how pupils learn to appreciate music. In Year 4, pupils’ music

p.28

Commentary

appreciation skills were further developed. They learned how music can be used to describe a personality. Whilst doing this they learned about pitch, tempo and timbre and by the end of the session, pupils at all levels of attainment were able to talk confidently about these aspects of music and recognised how changing one or more of these alters the music and therefore their interpretation of the piece. A strong feature of teaching is that pupils are taught and encouraged to use and apply their skills, knowledge and understanding in a practical situation. Older pupils began to learn to use different rhythms, including rap, to perform a ‘round’ and pupils enjoy this kind of activity. Pupils mostly have positive attitudes towards music and enjoy both learning to appreciate music and to perform their own and others’ compositions.

p.28

Commentary

65. A good contribution to musical development is the very good link with outside agencies and in particular the local education authority music and arts service. Pupils are given the opportunity to learn to play a wide range of instruments and a high proportion of pupils take advantage of this provision. The opportunity provided to perform at both local and school events enriches pupils’ musical experience outside the formal curriculum. The school holds musical evenings, where pupils are given the opportunity to perform to an audience what they have learned during the year. This is a valuable opportunity and individual and small group performance is reported to be of a good quality. A good range of visitors, including a rock band, a cellist, a string quartet and an African drum group add a wide dimension to pupils’ musical experiences and provide well for their cultural development.

p.28

Commentary

66. The co-ordinator leads the subject well, monitoring teachers’ planning, advising and supporting teachers effectively. She has had the opportunity to monitor teaching and learning in order to ensure consistency of teaching across the school and good achievement for all pupils supported by good quality teaching.

p.28

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 29 Provision in physical education is satisfactory.

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses

• All pupils have good opportunities to learn and make progress because of the rich and varied curriculum, which makes learning interesting. • Good involvement with the community. • Opportunities to develop good social skills and the ability to work in teams with others are good. • Leadership and management of the subject are good. • Organisation of pupils in lessons does not ensure that all pupils are actively involved at all times.

p.29

Commentary

67. Standards in physical education are as expected nationally for pupils by the end of Year 6 and all pupils achieve satisfactorily. Pupils work across a wide range of activities and build appropriate skills progressively as they move through the school. In Year 4, they learn how to control a ball with both feet, which they do satisfactorily. They successfully change direction, whilst controlling the balls and these skills, once developed, are satisfactorily used in game situations. During outdoor and adventurous activities, Year 5 pupils develop satisfactory balancing skills through travelling along the school ‘trim trail’, where they walk along ropes and beams. They are supported safely by other pupils, whom they learn to trust. Collaborative work is further developed through opportunities to develop strategies for a team of pupils to move across a fixed distance, whilst obeying set rules. This encourages pupils to plan and work together. These

p.29

Commentary

lessons in Year 5 were effectively planned as extension activities to the residential visit, which took place the previous week. Although pupils learned satisfactorily, the organisation of pupils by the teacher in the early part of the lesson meant that not all pupils were sufficiently involved in the activity. At this point in the lesson, too many pupils were queuing unnecessarily to use the trim trail and no alternative activity was provided. Likewise, pupils who had not brought their kit were not given any related task, such as time keeping or assessing performance to do, and their time was not used profitably and made no progress in their learning. It was not possible to see any indoor physical education lessons during the inspection because during building work, the hall was being used as a storage facility.

p.29

Commentary

68. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory although some other aspects of teaching are good. Teachers are enthusiastic and encourage pupils to want do well. Pupils are managed effectively, leading to good standards of behaviour, although some became unsettled whilst waiting for their turn on the apparatus.

p.29

Commentary

69. Leadership and management of the subject are good and there has been some significant development in provision since the time of the previous inspection. After a period of not taking part in many community opportunities offered, the school now takes a full role in out of school competitions. The school takes part in a good range of tournaments at borough level, such as swimming galas, or in competitions with other schools, such as netball. There is an interesting range of highly skilled professionals visiting the school to train pupils in developing football and rugby skills. Activities are open to both boys and girls and pupils of all ability, ensuring that all have good opportunities to learn new skills and to consolidate old ones. These activities add richness to the curriculum and the school ensures that the National Curriculum requirements are fully met and enhanced. The co-ordinator has not yet had the opportunity to monitor the quality of

p.29

Commentary

teaching and learning, but through discussions with teachers, has identified the need for teachers to receive training in teaching dance. This has been arranged and the curriculum co- ordinator intends to lead this soon.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

The provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education is good. St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 30

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Attainment is very good for older pupils and satisfactory for younger pupils. Pupils achieve well throughout the school. • The quality of teaching and learning is good. • Personal, social and health education makes a very good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and pupils have positive attitudes to the subject. • A broad and well balanced curriculum is provided and supported by a good range of resources. • Leadership and management are good.

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Commentary

70. The school has a good, carefully constructed, broad, balanced and appropriate curriculum. It is designed well to help all pupils to develop the confidence to make the most of the skills and abilities that they possess. Pupils are especially encouraged to feel positive about themselves, to be actively involved in the life of the school and the wider community and to make wise choices about developing a healthy and safe lifestyle. This well developed curriculum, which is well taught, results in pupils attaining high standards by the end of Year 6 and achieving very well. The school’s needs for supporting pupils’ personal development have been successfully identified as a result of rigorous analysis by the co-ordinator and management team. Science, food technology, physical education and religious education have been drawn together well to enhance and enrich the curriculum. Residential visits to Hindleap Warren by Year 5 pupils and

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Commentary

the Isle of Wight by those in Year 6 effectively support pupils’ social development with pupils recognizing the need for rules for living and working together. Year 5 pupils for instance, remembered how, by co-operating with others in a group, they successfully completed a range of activities in competition with other teams. They applied this learning well to working and socialising together on their return to school. Visitors to the school, including the police and medical services, also support pupils’ learning through giving them reliable knowledge and understanding of sex and relationships and on the dangers of drugs and other harmful substances. Good quality class resources, including workbooks and videos relating to healthy living, have been purchased. Whole staff training has been undertaken to improve staff confidence and give advice on how to use these resources well in the classroom and this, in

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Commentary

turn, enhances the quality of teaching and learning. The work in classes has been well monitored by the management team and the co-ordinator for effectiveness and to identify areas in need of further support. St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School - 31

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 2 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2 Attendance 4 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 2 The governance of the school 3 The leadership of the headteacher 1 The leadership of other key staff 2 The effectiveness of management 2

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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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