St John's Primary School and Nursery

ST JOHN’S PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: June 7 th -10 th 2004

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ST JOHN’S PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 St John’s Primary 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 JOHN’S PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3-11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll; 243 School address: Mortimer Road Kenilworth Warwickshire Postcode: CV8 1FS Telephone number: 01926 854450 Fax number: 01926 851981 Appropriate authority: The Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mrs Vivienne Mann Date of previous inspection: 23/03/1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

This is a large primary school close to the centre of Kenilworth with 260 pupils. There are 32 more boys than girls. Numbers have fallen steadily over recent years, and there are 30 fewer pupils than at the time of the last inspection. Pupils’ standards on entry to the school are average. Very few pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds, and none speaks English as an additional language. Just over eight per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is fewer than in most schools. Around 23 per cent of pupils have special educational needs, mostly with specific difficulties in Literacy and moderate learning difficulties, and ten have a Statement of Special Educational Need. These figures are higher than average. The school has a unit for six hearing impaired pupils. The school has encountered considerable staff changes recently. Over the last two years, eight teachers have left, and there have been

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

four different headteachers. St John’s Primary 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

20704 Terry Elston Lead inspector Mathematics, geography, history, physical education, special educational needs, English as an additional language. 13526 Richard Barnard Lay inspector 21235 Marjorie Graham Team inspector Foundation Stage, science, music, religious education. 18331 Jon Sutcliffe Team inspector English, information and communication technology (ICT), art and design, design and technology.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Inspire Educational Limited The Coach House 132 Whitaker Road Derby DE23 6AP Telephone 01332 362901

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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 John’s Primary 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 10

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a sound school that is making significant improvements following a period of decline. The high turnover of staff and many recent changes of headteacher have affected standards. Now, with good leadership and management, standards are starting to improve and pupils’ achievements are satisfactory in nearly all subjects. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. The very good care and support make this a happy school where pupils behave very well and enjoy learning. Parents are very well informed and speak very highly of the provision for their children. The funds are managed well and the school provides sound value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • The headteacher’s very good leadership has brought about many improvements in a short time. • Standards in writing by Year 6 are too low. • Children get off to a very good start in the Nursery and Reception classes where the teaching is very good. • Girls do not achieve well enough compared with boys. • The school cares for pupils very well and there are very good systems to ensure that all pupils, whatever their background or ability, have equal opportunities to learn. • The school does well in developing pupils’ creative skills and standards in art and design and design and technology are above average.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection, but most improvements have happened in the last two years. The main improvements have been in pupils’ attitudes and behaviour, the curriculum, standards of care, links with parents and the school’s leadership and management. Standards, however, are lower in English and science than at the last inspection.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 English B B D D Mathematics B A C C Science B D C C Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average; E* - very low and in the bottom five per cent nationally. Similar schools are those with similar percentages of pupils eligible for free school meals.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Pupils’ overall achievements are satisfactory . In the 2003 national tests, they attained average standards in mathematics and science but not in English where their writing let them down. Over the last three years standards have been affected by the many staffing problems and constant changes in leadership. As has been the case over many years, boys did better than girls in all subjects, with the biggest difference being in English. Pupils’ progress from Years 3 to 6, based on their national test results was average in mathematics and science but below average in English. St John’s Primary School - 7 The 2003 Year 2 results showed that standards were average in reading and mathematics but below average in writing. Again, boys fared much better than girls. Compared with national figures, boys’ results were above average while those of girls were significantly below.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Children make a very good start in the Nursery and Reception classes because the teaching is very good. They achieve very well and nearly all meet the expected targets in all areas by the time they leave the Reception. The findings of this inspection are that by Year 2, standards are average in speaking and listening, reading, writing (which is much improved since last year’s national tests), mathematics, science, ICT, religious education, history, geography, music and games. In art and design and design and technology, standards are above average. By Year 6, standards are above average in art and design and design and technology, and average in all other subjects except writing, in which they are below average. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress, especially in their reading. Pupils in the hearing impaired unit achieve very well. Very good support enables them to take a full part in lessons and make very

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OVERALL EVALUATION

good progress. The development of pupils’ personal qualities is very good. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good and is illustrated by their considerable concern for the feelings of others, very good behaviour and attitudes to work and the very good relationships. Pupils’ attendance is very good and they are very punctual to school.

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The overall quality of education is satisfactory. Teaching and learning are satisfactory

overall, but very good in the Nursery and Reception. In these classes, the high quality of the planning and the adults’ high expectations ensure that children make very good progress. The teaching for pupils in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory. Pupils make steady progress overall, but do very well in Year 1 as a result of the consistently high quality of teaching. In Years 3 to 6, teachers make lessons interesting so that pupils enjoy learning. Most lessons move at a fast pace, but when the teaching is uninspiring pupils quickly lose interest. Teachers manage pupils’ behaviour well with clear expectations of how they are expected to work. Teachers use questions well to make pupils think about their work, but do not always see that it is usually the boys that do most of the answering. Girls often sit on the sidelines and let boys do the work. The school has good assessment systems to show how well pupils are learning and what they

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The overall quality of education is satisfactory. Teaching and learning are satisfactory

need to do to improve. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good and they make good progress towards their targets. The very skilled teaching of deaf pupils means they make very good progress. The curriculum is planned well to provide teachers with a good basis for their lessons. A good range of activities after school and at lunchtime enriches the curriculum. Very good guidance and support keep pupils safe and feeling secure. There is a very good partnership with parents and very strong links with the community.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management are good , overall. The headteacher, whose leadership is very good, came with much to do after a long period of uncertainty in the school, and showed a very good understanding of how to make improvements in the most important areas. Good management ensures that the school runs smoothly and staff work very well as a team. The governance is good by a knowledgeable and hard working governing body that ensures that the school fulfils all statutory requirements.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL St John’s Primary School - 8 Parents’ views are very positive. They are particularly pleased with their children’s progress, the very caring ethos of the school and the huge difference made by the headteacher. The pupils are very proud of their school and feel that they do well.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Raise standards in writing • Do more to ensure that girls achieve as well as they could St John’s Primary School - 9

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Achievement is satisfactory overall. Boys achieve well, overall, but a significant number of girls underachieve. Standards in the core subjects are average overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children achieve very well in the Foundation Stage • Standards in art and design and design and technology are above average • Girls’ achievements are not as good as those of boys • Standards in writing by Year 6 are below average • Deaf pupils make very good progress • The school has raised standards in writing dramatically in Years 1 and 2 this year

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results reading 16.1 (17.0) 15.7 (15.8)

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Commentary

There were 35 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

1. In these tests, standards were broadly in line with those found nationally in reading and mathematics but below average in writing. Compared with similar schools, these results represented satisfactory achievement in reading and mathematics but poor achievement in writing. Boys fared much better than girls. Compared with national figures, boys’ results were above average while those of girls were significantly below. Results over time have followed a similar pattern.

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 26.2 (27.8) 26.8 (27.0) mathematics 27.0 (28.8) 26.8 (26.7) science 28.5 (28.1) 28.6 (28.3) There were 31 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

2. At Year 6, pupils achieved satisfactorily in mathematics and science, where standards were broadly in line with the national average, but unsatisfactorily in English where standards were below average. The analysis of pupils’ national test results over the last four years shows a good overall improvement from their low point in 2000, when standards were well below average in all subjects. However, they represent a decline over the last two years coinciding with the significant staffing changes since 2001and the many changes in the leadership. As St John’s Primary School - 10 has been the case over the last three years, boys did better than girls in all subjects, with the biggest difference being in English. The overall upward trend is broadly similar to that of most schools and shows a very good improvement from the national tests in 2000 when Year 6 pupils’ results were well below average in English, mathematics and science.

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Commentary

3. The findings of this inspection are that children achieve very well in the Nursery and Reception classes. Children start school with average skills, overall, but some have weak language and social skills. Children make very good progress so that nearly all meet the expected targets in all areas of learning by the time they leave the Reception.

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Commentary

4. By Year 2, standards are average in speaking and listening, reading, writing, mathematics, science, ICT, religious education, history, geography, music and games. In art and design and design and technology, standards are above average. Following the poor writing results last year the school put lots of work into improving the way writing skills were taught, and provided pupils with far more opportunities to write at length. The results have been impressive, and nearly all pupils in the current Year 2 are writing at least at the levels expected nationally.

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Commentary

5. By Year 6, standards are above average in art and design and design and technology, and average in all other subjects except writing where they are below average. The impact of recent improvements in writing has yet to work through the school, but there is some evidence of good achievement in Years 4 and 5.

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Commentary

6. Throughout the school, boys continue to do better than girls. The most able girls achieve well, but there are many who lack the drive or confidence to make the best of their talents. There are many more boys than girls in the school and, too often, girls just sit back and let the more assertive boys answer the questions and do the work.

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Commentary

7. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress. They are supported well so that they keep up with the others in lessons and make good progress towards their challenging targets. Deaf pupils do very well. The high quality of the support and teaching in classes and in small group sessions means that they make very good improvements in their speaking, listening and social skills.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils have very good attitudes to their work and behave very well in lessons and around the school. Their personal development is very good as a result of their confidence and the very good provision by the school for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Attendance is very good. Standards of behaviour have improved since the previous inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

• Pupils are interested in their work and like coming to school • Pupils are very confident, mature and willing to take on responsibilities • Children across the school show very good attitudes • Relationships and behaviour are very good • Attendance levels are well above average and pupils are rarely late

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Commentary St John’s Primary School - 11 8. Throughout the school pupils show positive attitudes in lessons. They concentrate well, show a good interest in their work and try hard to please their teachers. Parents and pupils themselves say they enjoy school and this is evident in the very good interest they show towards the life of the school and their very keen attitude to the range of activities provided outside lessons. For instance over 20 pupils from Years 2-4 were seen enjoying and keenly improving their steps as they took part in the after-school Country Dancing club. In the pupils’ own newsletter they stated, “We are very enthusiastic about sports. We really like playing basketball and football at playtime and lunchtimes.”

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

9. The school builds well on pupils’ positive attitudes through the very good provision for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils show high levels of confidence and responsibility. Talented musicians are encouraged to perform solos with great success at whole school assemblies. These give pupils the chance to develop their musical skills further and add much to the spiritual and cultural impact of these occasions. Pupils are very keen members of the School Council and enjoy playing their part in improving the school by, for example, choosing the colour scheme for the toilets. This helps them develop a good understanding of what is involved in belonging to a community, and is demonstrated very well in the sums pupils raise for a range of charities. A recent ‘Spellathon’ raised about £1500 for a national charity. Pupils are encouraged to express their feelings very well from an early age.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

The emphasis on spirituality is shown very well in the display in the school hall where pupils were asked questions such as, “Have you ever gazed at the sunset?” or, “How do you think the world and what is in it was made?” Pupils’ reflections were very thoughtful and included such responses as, “The sun was shining so bright like a crystal in the light” and, “How was the first sheep designed?”

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

10. The children in the Nursery and Reception classes respond very well to the very good stimulation provided for them, and the very keen interest they show in all their activities has a significant impact on the good progress they make.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

11. Relationships throughout the school are very good and pupils co-operate very well with each other in pairs and groups. Older pupils play with younger ones very keenly helping, foster positive relationships from an early age.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

12. Behaviour in lessons, around the school and at playtimes is very good. Pupils and parents speak very highly of the school’s strategies to prevent bullying, which are very effective. This is confirmed by the absence of any exclusions over the last two years. Pupils have a very good awareness of right from wrong and know what to do if minor squabbles or accidents happen. The school has a very clear and positive behaviour policy that is implemented consistently by the great majority of members of staff. The poor manners of a small minority of younger pupils are not always picked up and dealt with in the dining hall. The very good space and range of activities and quiet areas outdoors are much appreciated by the pupils and contribute very well to the very good behaviour and relationships at playtimes.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

13. Attendance and punctuality are very good. Procedures to record and monitor attendance are very good and parents follow them well, ensuring that there are very few cases of unauthorised absence. Parents and pupils appreciate the importance of regular and prompt attendance in relation to education.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

St John’s Primary School - 12 Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 4.4 School data 0.0 National data 5.4 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.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education is satisfactory overall, but the school’s care, support and guidance, partnership with parents and links with the community and other schools are very good.

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Teaching and learning

The teaching and learning are satisfactory, and very good in the Nursery and Reception classes. Assessment is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The very good teaching in the Nursery and Reception gives children a very good start to school • The teaching and learning are very good in Year 1 • The very good teaching of deaf pupils ensures they make very good progress • Good assessment makes it clear where pupils need to improve • Teachers’ marking does not always show pupils how to improve their work

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Commentary

14. The overall quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. During this inspection, there were temporary teachers in two of the Year 5/6 classes.

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Commentary

15. The teaching and learning for children in the Foundation Stage are very good and they achieve very well. Adults have a very good knowledge of the needs of very young children who make very good progress as a result. Staff in the Nursery are very good at getting children to settle quickly and learn the routines. This is helped by the welcome given to parents to stay with their children at the start of the day. This ensures that children are happy to start work and that parents have a good awareness of the expectations of staff. Activities are planned very well and help children of all abilities to work at their own pace. There are very good relationships between the adults and children that create a busy working atmosphere. In Reception, the very good teaching maintains this fast pace of learning. The very effective literacy and numeracy lessons give children a good early grasp of reading and number skills

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Commentary

and prepare them well for Year 1. Adults’ high expectations of children’s work and behaviour mean that they learn quickly and make the most of their time in class. Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 35 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

0 (0%) 10 (29%) 13 (37%) 11 (31%) 1 (3%) 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. St John’s Primary School - 13 16. In Years 1 and 2, the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Teachers build soundly on the work that pupils have done earlier and plan carefully to challenge all groups of ability. In Year 1, the teaching and learning are very good, and pupils make very good progress. The teacher makes learning fun by using exciting resources that stimulate pupils’ interest. The lessons move at a fast pace and the teacher uses the summing up session very well to assess pupils’ learning and plan the next steps. Relationships are so good that all pupils have the confidence to take risks by answering hard questions. In a very good numeracy lesson, the teacher used a picture of a three-legged octopus (called a ‘tripus’) to help pupils count in

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Commentary

threes. By placing more and more of these pictures on the board, pupils were able to see clearly how to see the next number in the sequence and all were shooting up their hands to provide their answer. The teaching and learning in Year 2 are satisfactory. Some good teaching was seen in science when pupils were busily conducting experiments on forces, but the expectations of all pupils are not always high enough and not all pupils are sufficiently involved in question and answer sessions.

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Commentary

17. In Years 3 to 6, the teaching and learning are satisfactory. Teachers make a point of sharing the lesson’s aims with pupils at the start, and this works well. It helps pupils to focus on the task, gives them a secure knowledge of their own learning and helps teachers assess their progress at the end. Teachers are good at asking the right questions to make pupils think, and all are careful to pitch their questions so that each pupil can contribute to these sessions. As a result, pupils with special educational needs are fully included in lessons and more able pupils contribute at their own level. Teachers use whiteboards attached to computers very effectively in many lessons. These work very well because pupils see clearly what the teachers are doing and they love making their own marks on the screen. Most lessons are taught at a brisk pace so that pupils learn quickly and enjoy their successes. Where teaching has shortcomings, the

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Commentary

pace of teaching is slow and pupils soon ‘switch off’.

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Commentary

18. Teachers generally have good regard for the different groups of pupils in the class, but they sometimes miss the fact that the boys are answering most of the questions. This helps to explain why some girls underachieve.

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Commentary

19. The quality of teaching and learning for pupils with special educational needs is good. Pupils’ targets set by teachers are challenging but achievable. They focus mainly on literacy, numeracy and behaviour, and provide a good structure for pupils’ learning. Pupils are supported well in many lessons by well-qualified teaching assistants, who ensure their inclusion into all aspects of lessons.

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Commentary

20. Deaf pupils are very well supported by knowledgeable staff and make very good progress. Specialist staff provide very good teaching of language skills that make important contributions to the way the pupils learn to speak, read and listen.

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Commentary

21. The school’s assessment systems are good. Regular tests give teachers accurate information on pupils’ attainment and progress and provide clear targets for improvement. Teachers give pupils individual targets to put in their books and these work well. They show clearly the next steps in pupils’ learning and are reviewed regularly to challenge them further. Teachers’ marking is satisfactory, overall, but varies from class to class. In the best examples, the teachers state clearly how pupils can improve their work and recognise in future work how much pupils have listened to their comments. Too often, however, teachers just tick work and give little guidance on how to make it better. St John’s Primary School - 14

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The curriculum

The curriculum is good. It is planned well to build on pupils’ previous knowledge and meets the needs of all groups of pupils well. A good range of activities after school enhances the curriculum. The resources and accommodation are good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is very good provision for the pupils in the Foundation Stage • The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and they make good progress as a result • The curriculum is enriched by a good range of activities outside lesson times • There is good provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education

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Commentary

22. The curriculum is planned well to meet the needs of all the pupils. The curriculum for the Foundation Stage is well organised and ensures that the children receive a good grounding in the early skills of literacy and numeracy. In the rest of the school, the national literacy and numeracy strategies are used effectively to support the pupils’ learning of reading and number skills. The pupils have some good opportunities to apply these skills to other subjects, but the opportunities for writing are too often restricted to note making or report writing. This prevents the further development of pupils’ writing skills.

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Commentary

23. The school makes good efforts to ensure equality of access and opportunity for all pupils in all aspects of its provision. The school has identified the gifted and talented pupils but is still developing their programmes of work. The well-organised provision for pupils with special educational needs ensures they make good progress. Their targets are well thought out and they are reviewed regularly to make sure that pupils are on the right track.

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Commentary

24. The school has an effective approach to personal, social and health education. Discussions with the pupils indicate that they understand clearly the need for rules in school and in the wider society. The members of the teaching and support staff set good examples of how to respect each other’s views and feelings. This helps the pupils to develop a good understanding of what is involved in belonging to a community. Teachers provide some special times when pupils have good opportunities to discuss their thoughts and feelings and share their anxieties and concerns. Through science and physical education lessons, the pupils learn much about the importance of personal hygiene, diet and exercise. Sex education and awareness of drug and alcohol abuse are taught effectively through science lessons. The school is encouraging the pupils to develop an awareness of the responsibilities of citizenship with the successful establishment of the School Council.

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Commentary

25. There are close and effective links with the other schools in the area. Pupils benefit from good information about their next school that helps the transfer go smoothly.

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Commentary

26. The school makes good provision for extra-curricular activities. The curriculum is supported by a good programme of visits to places of historical, geographical and cultural interest. The after school clubs provide effectively for the pupils who are interested in music, sports, dancing, engineering, computers and wildlife. St John’s Primary School - 15 27. There are sufficient teachers and support staff to meet the needs of the curriculum. Resources are generally good. Since the last inspection the school has improved the equipment in the Foundation Stage outdoor area and this provision is now good. There are good quality fiction and reference books and easily accessible computers and software to support the development of the pupils’ research skills.

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Care, guidance and support

The school takes very good steps to ensure pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety. Very good support, advice and guidance are provided to each pupil. The school involves pupils very well in its work and development. Standards have improved since the previous inspection.

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Care, guidance and support

• The school works hard to ensure pupils’ health and safety • Pupils are given good opportunities to be involved in the school’s development • The very good induction arrangements help new pupils settle quickly

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Care, guidance and support

28. All members of staff know the pupils very well, and the strong caring ethos ensures every pupil feels valued and cared for. Provision of a school council is one example of how the school enables pupils to contribute their views on how it is run. Pupils are very appreciative of this provision; for example their ideas about the introduction of goalposts and a rota for the football area have been adopted successfully. In addition, the very good relationships ensure that pupils feel confident to raise issues or concerns openly and in the confidence that they will be listened to and acted on. Close attention to health and safety, child protection, fire precautions and first aid procedures ensures pupils work in a safe, secure and healthy environment. Parents agree that the school takes very good care of their children. Very good induction arrangements and continuing care and support ensure the youngest pupils quickly

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Care, guidance and support

settle into school. Very good assessment of personal and educational development and teachers’ detailed knowledge of every pupil ensure their very good support and guidance. The recently introduced ‘Bumper Book of Information’ gives pupils in year 3 excellent advice on transition from key stage 1 to key stage 2, and covers a wide range of issues, such as the expectations of their behaviour in the playground or what to do if the bell rings. Pupils in Year 6 are very confident about their move to secondary school and speak with praise of the help given by the school even though they will be sad to leave.

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Care, guidance and support

29. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well. Their needs are identified at an early stage and they benefit from good guidance in lessons by teachers and knowledgeable teaching assistants. As a result, these pupils grow in confidence and make good progress.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school’s links with parents, the community and other schools are very good, and much improved since the previous inspection. Main strengths and weaknesses

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

• Parental support is encouraged and used very well by the school • The Parent-Teacher Association is very supportive • The school provides very good information to parents St John’s Primary School - 16 Commentary

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

30. Parents both in their response to the pre-inspection survey and at the parents’ meeting expressed very positive views about the school. Following a period of instability where parents’ support for the school waned, the headteacher and staff have regained their confidence. This strong support is recognised and nurtured very well by the school and is a key factor in pupils’ very positive attitudes to school and their pride in their work. Parents ensure their children attend regularly and promptly.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

31. Parents support the school well by providing valuable help in classes, particularly with reading. They also give very good support to pupils in the regular visits made, especially the weekly ‘Welly Walk’ for the younger children.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

32. The school builds on parents’ interest and enthusiasm very well by providing them with very good information about their children’s progress, and lots of encouragement to be involved in their education. Annual reports are very informative about progress and standards, and also indicate areas for improvement, including how parents may help. A very good feature is pupils’ own evaluations of their work that does much to help them see their strengths and weaknesses.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

33. Very good consultation sessions are much appreciated and well attended by parents. The well-presented newsletters are very informative about school activities and actively encourage parents to be involved. Parents see staff as very accessible, and this helps develop the very good relationships in school. The very good efforts to engage parents in their children’s learning in the Nursery are particularly effective. These include a very helpful notice area, which includes, for example, copies of weekly plans and details of songs to be sung during the week.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

34. Pupils are involved in a good range of local community activities and the school uses the local area well to support learning. Community support has a very positive impact on pupils’ achievement especially in relation to their personal development and involvement in activities such as sport, music and dance. The close partnership with the local secondary school means pupils are very well supported on their move from Year 6. Pupils speak very keenly about their sporting matches with other local schools. The school makes very good use of local business support, especially in areas such as reading through the local education business partnership.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management are good overall. The headteacher provides very good leadership and is supported well by the deputy headteacher. Management and governance of the school are good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher has made a very good start to the task of improving standards in the school • The governors provide good support and fulfil their responsibilities well • The financial management of the school is good St John’s Primary School - 17 • Too little attention has been given to the continual underachievement of girls in the junior aged classes in English, mathematics and science

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Commentary

35. The headteacher is strongly committed to the school and its community and has a very strong determination to drive up standards. The leadership has a clear vision of how to improve the school and has implemented successful strategies to rectify some key areas of weakness.

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Commentary

36. The headteacher is well supported by the deputy headteacher, all the staff and the governing body. The recently appointed deputy headteacher sets a very good example by the high quality of her teaching and in her action plans to improve standards in literacy.

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Commentary

37. The governance is good. Governors are knowledgeable and fulfil their statutory duties well. They are aware of the challenges facing the school and are very active and determined to meet them. This was evident from their discussions on implementing strategies to manage the school’s falling roles and their determination to work with the staff to drive up standards in writing. The governors work closely with the headteacher and share her vision for future development. All members of the school community work well as a team and a good community spirit is evident in their work. The school believes strongly in equal opportunities and this is reflected in the way that all pupils, including those with special educational needs, have access to a wide and varied curriculum.

p.17

Commentary

38. The leadership and management of the provision for pupils with special educational needs are good. Teachers are given good support in setting pupils targets to achieve and their progress is tracked carefully. The leadership and management of the provision for deaf pupils are very good. These pupils are provided with very effective individual teaching and very good opportunities to work alongside other pupils. In many cases it is hard to see which pupils have hearing difficulties in a class.

p.17

Commentary

39. A well-focused school improvement plan clearly identifies the school’s priorities. These are rightly concerned with raising standards and levels of achievement, particularly in writing across the school. The headteacher and senior staff generally use assessment data and the analysis of work in the pupils’ books well to see where standards can be raised. However, the school has been slow to identify and rectify the continued underachievement of girls in the junior aged classes. Over the last few years the girls have not performed as well as the boys in English, mathematics and science and this issue has adversely affected the results of the national tests for the eleven year olds.

p.17

Commentary

40. The evaluation of teaching and learning is good. The headteacher and senior staff observe lessons regularly and provide staff and pupils with good ideas of how they can improve.

p.17

Commentary

41. The leadership has responded well to the main weaknesses identified in the last inspection. The school improvement plan is now of good quality and sets out measurable priorities clearly. Curriculum planning has improved and the school complies with the legal requirements for the daily act of worship. The evaluation of teaching and learning is much more clearly focused now, although it is mainly directed towards the core subjects of English, mathematics, science and ICT. St John’s Primary School - 18

p.17

Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

p.18

Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 591,969 Balance from previous year 33,564 Total expenditure 620,176 Balance carried forward to the next 5,357 Expenditure per pupil 2,552

p.18

Financial information

42. The school benefits from good financial management. Good account has been taken to identify the longer term implications of the recent fall in pupil numbers, necessary cuts in the budget and the high cost of teaching staff. Finances are well targeted so that the governors and the headteacher can apply the best value they can for the school’s expenditure. Day to day financial administration is good and allows accurate monitoring of the budget to take place. The recommendations of the latest audit report have been implemented fully.

p.18

Financial information

43. There is an effective programme of staff training and performance management and staff targets are closely linked to the school improvement plan. The school has successfully applied to be part of the Primary Leadership Strategy as part of its drive for improved assessment, higher expectations in teaching and learning and the increased use of ICT in all subjects. St John’s Primary School - 19

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

44. The children are usually admitted to the Nursery on a part time basis at the beginning of the autumn term which follows their third birthday. This year as a ‘trial’, six children have been admitted at the start of the summer term following their third birthday. They transfer to the Reception class at the beginning of the school year in which they become five.

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

45. There is a wide range children’s abilities on entry to the school but, on the basis of assessments carried out soon after they start the Nursery, their attainment is average overall with a significant minority whose language and social skills in particular are below average. All the children, including those with special educational needs, make very good progress. Most are likely to attain the expected levels in all the areas of learning and a few are likely to exceed them by the time they transfer to Year 1. These standards are the result of the very good teaching.

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

46. The provision is led and managed very well by the Nursery and Reception teachers. Along with the nursery nurse and the teaching assistant, they are knowledgeable about the children’s stages of development, their individual needs and their individual learning styles. They provide the children with a welcoming, supportive and well-ordered environment with rich and stimulating experiences. The teaching is very good in all the areas of learning. The teachers provide work that is very challenging and the children’s progress is checked carefully. They focus clearly on what the children are learning and this enables them to assess accurately what has been achieved and plan the next steps that have to be taken.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children make very good progress because the teaching is very good • The teaching and support staff value the children, understand their individual needs, promote their self esteem and develop their confidence • There are carefully planned opportunities to develop the children’s independence

p.19

Commentary

47. The children achieve very well in all aspects of this area. Before they start school there is a thoughtfully planned programme of visits and talks for parents when the routines and activities are explained clearly. The staff make every effort to involve the parents in their children’s education and this helps the children to become more confident in school. They settle quickly into the carefully organised routines because they are secure and know that the staff will support them. There is a wide range of activities that require the children to make decisions and to take responsibility. These do much to develop the children’s independence and raise their self-esteem. They are encouraged to voice their likes and dislikes, share and take turns. The children respond very well and develop positive attitudes because the staff are consistent in their approach and show them that they are valued. The children learn to work together well

p.19

Commentary

and develop a good awareness of other children’s feelings. St John’s Primary School - 20 St John’s Primary School - 21

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children respond very well to the very good teaching • The staff are very good at developing the children’s spoken language, listening and early reading and writing skills • Adults link sharing and using books well to the different activities

p.21

Commentary

48. Adults provide a rich supply of carefully planned and supervised activities as well as opportunities for independence. This is evident in discussion times when the children are encouraged to ask and answer questions about topical and personal issues. They listen carefully to the adults and the other children. During imaginative play, they achieve very well as they adapt their speech and mannerisms to the characters they are portraying. The children are keen to learn to read, and their early reading skills are developed effectively through the sharing of books and stories. The staff provides useful advice for the parents about how they can use books at home to support their children. The children handle the books carefully. When they share their books with adults they are keen to predict what will happen next and enjoy recounting the story. The Reception children explain clearly how they can get information from

p.21

Commentary

the words and the pictures. Very good teaching of word building skills helps children develop a sound knowledge of the alphabet and the sounds that letters make. Some use this information well when they read unfamiliar words or when they are writing and need to decide how to spell.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teachers are very good at getting children to explain their working out • There are many well- planned opportunities for the children to solve practical problems and to begin to calculate

p.21

Commentary

49. The children make very good progress throughout the Foundation Stage because adults provide a very wide range of opportunities for developing mathematical skills. They make a good start in the Nursery by learning the numbers and playing counting games. Adults in the Reception give numerous opportunities for the children to explain how they work things out. The children learn quickly the correct mathematical vocabulary in stories, rhymes and games and enjoy using it as they count, match, sort and order objects according to shape, size, weight and colour. When they weigh and measure the babies attending the ’clinic’, or discuss the holiday choices of the customers at the ‘travel agents’, they are good at using the correct language for weight, height, length, money, days and dates. The role-play activities at the ‘station booking office’ and on the ‘train’ are exploited effectively to develop the children’s knowledge and

p.21

Commentary

understanding of time, distance and shapes. St John’s Primary School - 22 St John’s Primary School - 23

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children achieve very well because they are given many opportunities to explore the world around them • Teachers ask very good questions to make children think carefully about the world

p.23

Commentary

50. The children achieve very well as they investigate the grounds and the local area. They gain much from the well-planned weekly walks, when they explore the natural and man-made features of the area. Some talk knowledgeably about the skills and services provided in the town. They make very good progress in learning about why things happen, how things are made and why changes occur. The Nursery’s current theme of the ‘clinic’ helps the children to gain a good understanding of their own bodies and the changes that occur over time. In the Reception class’s ‘travel agent’ and ‘passport office’ they develop a good knowledge of the main characteristics of holiday destinations and the documents that are needed for travel abroad. These valuable experiences are great fun and do much to broaden children’s language. Through taking part in celebrations and festivals the children begin to appreciate the variety of religious and cultural beliefs. The children achieve well as they solve simple problems

p.23

Commentary

by making and modifying models. They use construction kits well to make decisions about the ways of joining parts. When they create collages and models of their walks around the area, they are sensible about the safety rules for using scissors and glue. When they use the computer, they operate the mouse and become increasingly confident in clicking on icons when using programs. The teachers are very skilled at questioning and they use the children’s answers effectively to assess their understanding and plan the next tasks. All the adults are skilled at giving the children the support they need to develop the confidence to think for themselves.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children improve their physical skills well as they use a wide range of equipment • Outdoor facilities are very good and help children make very good progress

p.23

Commentary

51. Adults plan these activities very well to provide lots of challenging work for children, and they make very good progress. The Nursery and the Reception children have good access to their own well equipped outdoor areas and to the school hall, and this is an improvement since the last inspection. Children use the wide range of indoor and outdoor equipment well to improve the control of their bodies. They run, climb, push, pull, balance and slide confidently. When they use the wheeled toys they demonstrate sound control as they change speed and direction. The children gain a good awareness of space, of their own safety and the safety of St John’s Primary School - 24 others. They develop sound skills of throwing, catching and kicking. They use tools carefully as they dig and fill containers in the sand and water trays and when they explore the thickness and texture of different types of wood. They develop their manipulative skills well when they use

p.23

Commentary

small equipment such as scissors and brushes and when they connect and assemble jigsaws and construction kits. Many show good skills as they control the computer cursor.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children achieve very well because of the very good teaching • There are very good opportunities for role-play to stimulate and develop the children’s imagination • A very good range of materials is available for the children to use to explore colour, texture and shape

p.24

Commentary

52. The children make very good progress through careful observations of what they see, hear, smell, touch and taste. They achieve well when expressing their feelings in activities such as drawing, painting, modelling, role-play and music making, and this is an improvement since the last inspection. The activities are challenging, carefully planned and well supervised. The teachers ensure that the children learn how to use and control the materials well, and this helps them to gain a sound awareness of shape, pattern and colour. There is a high degree of individuality in the children’s work as the adults value their imagination and creativity. They enjoy the opportunities for imaginative play and they are provided with a good range of equipment and costumes for the clinic, travel agent, passport office and railway station. These activities develop children’s language very well as they adopt the voices and mannerisms of

p.24

Commentary

the characters. There are frequent opportunities to sing and make music to support other areas of learning such as number and action rhymes.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The pupils achieve well in speaking and listening and in reading • Standards in writing are below average in Years 3 to 6 • Teachers use assessment effectively to raise standards • There are too few opportunities to develop literacy in other subjects • Older girls do not do achieve as well as boys

p.24

Commentary

St John’s Primary School - 25 53. Pupils achieve satisfactorily overall. There is some good achievement across the school in speaking and listening and in reading where standards are average by Years 2 and 6. Good recent strategies to improve the teaching of writing skills have been very effective in Years 1 and 2; standards have risen sharply since last year and are now average. In Years 3 to 6 these strategies have yet to work through and standards in writing remain below average. Girls in these year groups do not perform as well as boys and this has been evident for the last few years. There are far more boys than girls in most classes, and they tend to be quicker to put their hands up to answer questions. Girls often sit on the sidelines.

p.25

Commentary

54. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well. They have good targets to improve their reading skills in particular, and they make good progress in working out unfamiliar words.

p.25

Commentary

55. Throughout the school the pupils are competent at expressing their ideas and they enjoy conversations with other children and adults. The teachers encourage high quality discussions and many use questions well to challenge ideas and to check understanding. Most pupils listen well and are sensitive to other points of view. By the end of Year 6, many pupils use mature language to express their feelings and experiences.

p.25

Commentary

56. Throughout the school the pupils enjoy reading. This has a positive impact on their achievement and ensures that they make steady progress as they move through the school. They develop a sound range of strategies for reading new words and the teachers plan a range of interesting activities to help them improve their understanding of texts. For example, a group of Year 6 pupils read “The Brooktrout” by Ted Hughes with great expression and feeling. They understood how similes and metaphors improved their comprehension of the poem. Younger pupils use the well-stocked library regularly to further their reading skills. However, the use of the library by older pupils is more limited and, as a result, they are not developing fully their research skills.

p.25

Commentary

57. The priority to improve pupils’ writing is leading to higher standards by Year 2. Nearly all are now attaining the levels expected of them and many have a good grasp of different forms of writing. The teachers are providing the pupils with many valuable opportunities to learn from and write in different styles and formats. In Years 3 to 6, standards in writing remain below average. Pupils have too few opportunities for writing lengthy pieces of work and so they lack the skills to organise stories with good structure, exciting language, accurate punctuation and paragraphs. In some of these classes, insufficient attention is given to handwriting, and some pupils’ presentation, even in Year 6, is poor. The marking of pupils’ work is inconsistent, and while a few teachers give pupils lots of help to show how to improve their work, others just tick the page and offer congratulatory comments.

p.25

Commentary

58. The teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. The strongest teaching was observed in Year 1, as was illustrated in one very good lesson where the tasks were clearly explained, targets for improvement were identified accurately and the teacher excited pupils by her high expectations of what they could achieve. All pupils in this lesson made very good progress using lively adjectives and interesting vocabulary to write their fantasy stories. In classes where the teaching was less successful, the pace of the lesson was slow, the teacher’s delivery was hesitant and uninspiring and, as a result, pupils were not motivated to learn.

p.25

Commentary

59. The subject is well led and managed. The school has a realistic and well-paced action plan to rectify underachievement in writing. There are effective assessment systems to track pupil progress and set targets. The recent purchase of a range of good quality literature to promote the pupils’ guided reading sessions is having a positive effect on progress. St John’s Primary School - 26

p.25

Language and literacy across the curriculum

60. The use of language and literacy across the curriculum is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 but unsatisfactory in Years 3 to 6 where teachers provide too few opportunities to develop pupils’ writing across the curriculum. In history, geography and religious education, for example, there are far too few examples of writing that makes full use of the skills that pupils learn in literacy lessons. Written work in these subjects is often limited to brief notes and many opportunities are lost to encourage pupils to write accounts of their findings about the Great Fire of London, for example, or life in Africa. A very good example of what pupils can achieve was in Year 6, when pupils wrote some moving ‘diaries’ in the role of a child in the Second World War. These made full use of pupils’ writing skills as they wrote imaginatively, used interesting words and showed a very good sense of the audience for their work.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teaching and learning are good, and very good in Year 1 where pupils achieve well • Pupils with special educational needs benefit from good support and make good progress • Good leadership and management are raising standards

p.26

Commentary

61. By Year 2 and Year 6, standards are average. These are similar to those reported in the last inspection. Pupils achieve satisfactorily, overall, and very well in Year 1 where the teaching is very good. Boys achieve better than girls, overall. They are often quicker to answer questions and have higher expectations of their mathematical ability than girls. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well and make good progress. Teaching assistants support these pupils effectively so that they understand the work, get help when stuck and enjoy their success. In a Year 2 lesson, for example, the careful prompting by a teaching assistant helped a pupil with little confidence to provide the correct answer to a sum. He beamed with delight as the teacher praised his skill.

p.26

Commentary

62. The teaching and learning are good throughout the school. Recent improvements in the use of assessments are enabling teachers to target areas of weakness and this is beginning to raise standards.

p.26

Commentary

63. In Years 1 and 2, teachers use the first part of the lesson well to give pupils lots of practice in learning the basic number skills. As a result, by Year 2 nearly all pupils count confidently, add and subtract accurately and have a good understanding of shape. Teachers provide plenty of opportunities for pupils to work out problems, and this helps them gain a deeper understanding of mathematics. In Year 1, the pace of lessons is very brisk and teacher is very skilled at pitching the work at the right level for all groups of ability. As a result, they learn very quickly and some are already working at levels expected of pupils at the end of Year 2. Teachers generally manage pupils’ behaviour well but, when the pace of learning slows, pupils become restless when they sit for too long on the carpet and forget what to do. St John’s Primary School - 27 64. In Years 3 to 6, teachers have put lots of work in developing pupils’ use and understanding

p.26

Commentary

of number, and this does much to improve their feel for number. It means that, by Year 6, pupils are confident when asked to solve problems to do with patterns of numbers, for example, or the times of trains on a complex timetable. Teachers use questions well, encouraging pupils to explain their thinking and share their methods with others. This helps pupils clarify their thoughts and begin to question other’s strategies. The ability groups work well. Teachers working with more able pupils pitch lessons at a very challenging level, and this makes the most of pupils’ talents. In the lower ability groups, the good focus on basic skills ensures that pupils have a sound grasp of number, even if their recall of facts is still slow.

p.27

Commentary

65. Systems for assessment are good. Pupils’ work is checked regularly by a good system of testing, and their progress is tracked carefully through the school. Teachers’ marking, however, does too little to show pupils how to improve. Teachers write enthusiastically about how well pupils have done in their work but say too little about what they need to do to get to the next steps. This limits their further progress. The school is aware of this shortcoming following a useful analysis of pupils’ books, and has just written a marking policy to achieve consistency between teachers.

p.27

Commentary

66. Leadership and management of the subject are good. The subject co-ordinator is well aware of how to raise standards, and has done much to improve the provision by introducing a good scheme of work, evaluating the quality of teaching and learning and improving the teaching and learning of problem solving skills.

p.27

Mathematics across the curriculum

67. The school makes sound use of mathematics in other subjects. In science and geography teachers encourage mathematical skills in handling and recording data and using the computer to produce graphs. In art and design, teachers built well on pupils’ work in mathematics by designing shields in history that were tested for symmetry using mirrors. In ICT, pupils use spreadsheets well to make calculations and investigate the characteristics of different shapes.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The pupils have good opportunities to design and perform their own experiments • The subject is managed well • The pupils are not always given enough opportunities to talk about their learning

p.27

Commentary

68. Standards are broadly average by Year 2 and Year 6. Throughout the school the pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve satisfactorily.

p.27

Commentary

69. The teaching and learning are satisfactory. The teachers plan the lessons carefully and their explanations are clear so that the pupils understand what is expected of them. Often, their imaginative presentation captures the pupils’ interest. In a Year 2 lesson, for example, the teacher soon gained pupils’ interest when explaining the task and they quickly became St John’s Primary School - 28 absorbed in investigating the uses of different shapes and sizes of batteries and recording their observations. The teachers’ questioning skills are sound, and they use pupils’ answers effectively to assess their understanding. The pupils are given too few opportunities to discuss their learning and this makes it hard for them to assess their own progress.

p.27

Commentary

70. There is a new emphasis on the development of the skills of scientific enquiry that takes good account of weaknesses found in this aspect of pupils’ work. The pupils are given many opportunities to think creatively about a problem, to consider what kind of evidence they need to collect and what materials they need to use and, by Year 2, pupils are starting to plan an investigation with a fair test. By Year 6, systematic teaching of scientific skills means that most pupils have a sound knowledge of the human body, the characteristics of different materials and how forces work. A few pupils are using their knowledge well to design their own experiments and draw conclusions. Teachers make some good links between science and other subjects, as was seen to good effect when pupils in Years 5 and 6 used their literacy and numeracy skills very well to record their observations of the way plants disperse seeds.

p.28

Commentary

71. The subject makes a good contribution to the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development as they experience the wonder of discovery, the satisfaction of working co- operatively and appreciate the range of the other pupils’ knowledge.

p.28

Commentary

72. The curriculum is planned well to cope with the demands of mixed aged classes. There is a good system for assessing the pupils’ work, the development of their skills and tracking their progress. The leadership and management are good, with regular evaluations of pupils’ work, national test results and teachers’ lessons providing a clear picture of what needs improving. There is a good range of resources to support the subject.

p.28

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

The provision in information and communication technology (ICT) is satisfactory.

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• A good supply of computers in the suite ensures that pupils have regular opportunities to use them in order to learn new skills • Good training has improved the expertise and confidence of the teachers • There is no clear way of tracking the pupils’ progress as they move through the school • Insufficient use is made of computers to develop learning across the whole curriculum

p.28

Commentary

73. Standards in ICT by Years 2 and 6 are average and, as they move through the school, pupils achieve satisfactorily. This includes pupils of all ability levels and particularly those with special educational needs. While this is a broadly similar picture to that found at the last inspection the school has significantly improved its ICT provision over the last few years and the pupils, particularly in Years 3 to 6, now have more opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge. The weekly sessions in the well-equipped computer suite for all classes and the introduction of computers attached to whiteboards for Year 3 to Year 6 classes have had a positive impact on pupils’ achievement.

p.28

Commentary

74. The analysis of pupils’ past work and the observation of lessons show that a wide range of work is covered and it is of sound quality. The range of work and the pace of learning are higher in Years 3 to 6, where the teaching and learning are good, than in Years 1 and 2 where St John’s Primary School - 29 they are satisfactory. This is due to teachers’ better expertise in the junior classes and the positive impact of the computer-whiteboards to show pupils clearly how to make programs work.

p.28

Commentary

75. By Year 2, pupils use the digital camera well to photograph objects in the school grounds, and direct a floor robot effectively to plan routes. Year 3 and 4 pupils create databases to illustrate and record their favourite musical instruments. Teachers provide these pupils with good opportunities to experiment with different forms of presentation and pupils format their work well using a variety of the computer’s tools.

p.29

Commentary

76. By Year 6, pupils have created some good multimedia presentations focusing on staying healthy; they use sound and animation effectively for their project. They compile useful spreadsheets to record and calculate mathematical work on multiplication, area and perimeter. They show good keyboard skills and can use menus well to amend their work. In a good Year 5/6 lesson in the ICT suite, the teacher’s good subject knowledge resulted in most pupils being able to use spreadsheets well to create graphs on high jump statistics.

p.29

Commentary

77. The leadership and management are good. Teachers have benefited from some very good training, and there is a good plan to improve hardware and software resources. The school uses national guidelines well to plan work that builds effectively on what pupils have learned before. However, there is no assessment of the pupils’ achievements and this makes it hard to track the progress of groups and individuals to raise standards further.

p.29

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

78. There are some good examples of computers being used to support learning in other subjects such as English, mathematics, science and art and design but this is not yet planned systematically. As a result, there are far too few opportunities for the pupils to practise and develop their ICT skills. Teachers have computers in their own classroom but, during the inspection week, they were rarely switched on in lessons. The school recognises the need to plan the use of computers more rigorously to ensure that these important opportunities are not missed.

p.29

HUMANITIES

79. No lessons were observed in history and geography and only one was seen in religious education, so these subjects were sampled. Evidence was gained from talking to pupils and looking at their work and the displays. These show that standards in history and geography are average throughout the school and pupils’ achievements are satisfactory. In geography by Year 2, nearly all pupils have a sound knowledge of their local area and have conducted a good traffic survey as part of their work on protecting the environment. Their best work was on features of the seaside. Pupils located the main seaside towns accurately on a map of Great Britain and completed a good table of the main human and physical features of these areas. By Year 6, pupils have developed a sound awareness of important environmental issues and wrote good notes on fossil fuels. Teachers do not, however, provide enough opportunities for

p.29

HUMANITIES

pupils to write at length about topics and therefore miss the chance to extend pupils’ writing and geographical skills further. In history , pupils in Year 2 write knowledgeably about the Great Fire of London and show a good awareness of the life of Florence Nightingale. In Year 3, pupils have used ICT well to write about the Roman invasion of Britain, illustrating their work with pictures pasted into the text. By Year 6, nearly all pupils have an average historical St John’s Primary School - 30 knowledge gained by some sound research into subjects such as World War Two and changes in Britain since then. As in geography, however, teachers provide too few opportunities for pupils to write extended accounts of their findings. On the few occasions that pupils do write at length, they achieve well. For example, their ‘diaries’, written in the role of a child in the war, showed how well they understood some of the hardships faced by families at

p.29

HUMANITIES

80. In religious education, standards are in line with the expectations of the Agreed Syllabus. All the pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress. The one lesson observed and evidence of pupils’ work show that, by Year 2, most have a clear idea of how people such as a nurse and a vicar care for people. They showed this well in a very good lesson when the teacher stimulated pupils very well at the start and encouraged them to discuss how different people help them. The teacher listened carefully to pupils’ ideas and made it very clear how highly they were valued. This made other pupils keen to join in. By Year 6, most pupils have a sound knowledge and understanding of Christianity and other world religions. They demonstrate a good understanding of what is involved in belonging to a faith community in terms of the beliefs, practices and values. They identify some important

p.30

HUMANITIES

similarities and differences in places of worship, holy books, festivals and celebrations. They understand clearly that religious faith is important to many people and that their beliefs have an impact on their lives and on their communities. The pupils are taught much about the significance of ceremonies and practices of particular forms of worship. Teachers make good links with subjects such as art and design, geography, history and music. The subject makes a good contribution to the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, as they are encouraged to develop their own responses to issues and dilemmas.

p.30

HUMANITIES

81. Assessment is satisfactory with brief checks on pupils’ understanding made at the end of each topic and regular recording of pupils’ progress. The good range of resources and religious objects is used well to stimulate the pupils’ interest.

p.30

HUMANITIES

82. The leadership and management in religious education are good. The school shows a good awareness of how to make improvements in the subject, based on a good analysis of pupils’ work and observations of lessons.

p.30

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

83. It was not possible to observe lessons in design and technology or music, and only two lessons were seen in physical education and one lesson in art and design. All these subjects were sampled and evidence was gained from talking to pupils, analysing their work for the last year and listening to them sing in assembly. Standards in music are average throughout the school. Pupils sing tunefully in assembly and most know the words of a wide range of songs. Those pupils whose parents choose for them to have specialist instrumental tuition at school achieve well, and a few play to a high standard. Other pupils gain much enjoyment from listening to instrumentalists in special assemblies. Standards in art and design are above average throughout the school, and pupils achieve well. Year 2 pupils produce good collages using a wide range of interesting fabrics. Pupils develop their skills well and, by Year 4, paint

p.30

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

lively portraits with effective use of colour. In years 3 and 4, pupils achieved very well when making vivid masks as part of their work on the African culture. Their use of tone and colour is a real strength that makes their work come to life. By year 6, pupils achieve very well in their ‘Still Life’ paintings. Pupils also achieve well in design and technology where standards are above average by Year 2 and Year 6. The specialist room provides pupils with very good facilities to plan and make their models. By Year 2, pupils have produced some good models St John’s Primary School - 31 of houses, and their puppets showed a good attention to detailed. In Years 3 and 4, pupils have designed and made attractive plant containers and written useful evaluations of their work. Pupils improve their skills well as they get older, and the vehicles made with wheels and pulleys by those in Year 6 are of a good quality.

p.30

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

84. In physical education , pupils’ games skills are average. By Year 6, most throw accurately and catch reliably. They use racquets well to hit balls. Pupils try hard in running and enjoy competing against the clock when being timed by their classmates.

p.31

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

85. Only one personal, social and health education lesson was seen during the inspection, but the evidence of planning and the use of visitors from outside the school, illustrated further in the paragraph about the curriculum, shows that provision is good. The subject is managed well and gives pupils a good understanding of the need to live healthily. St John’s Primary School - 32

p.31

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 4 How inclusive the school is 2 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 4 Value for money provided by the school 4

p.32

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 4

p.32

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7).

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