St Margaret Clitherow Catholic Primary School

ST MARGARET CLITHEROW RC SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 13 th - 15 th October 2003

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ST MARGARET CLITHEROW RC SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 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 MARGARET CLITHEROW RC 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 Margaret Clitherow RC School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Cole Close Thamesmead London

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: (0208) 310 1699 Fax number: (0208) 312 2177

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Patrick Winston

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 1 st June 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

St Margaret Clitherow Roman Catholic Primary School serves 212 boys and girls between three and 11 years old. Fourteen per cent of pupils are entitled to a free school meal, which is average for primary schools. The pupils come from a broad range of socio-economic and heritage backgrounds. Attainment varies considerably between children on entry, but it is generally well below that of pupils of a similar age. Forty-one per cent of pupils are from a White British background and 31 per cent are Black African. No other group is above ten per cent of pupils. Twenty-one per cent of pupils are on the register for special educational needs, three of whom has a specific statement for their provision. Thirteen pupils do not have English as their first language and are at an early stage of English acquisition. A number of teachers have left the school in the last two years for personal and professional reasons, but, although it has had a stable teaching staff since September 2003, it has

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

been unable to recruit a deputy head and this post is still vacant. St Margaret Clitherow RC School - 2

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

18394 Maria Marsh Lead inspector Foundation Stage English Physical education 14347 Joan Lindsay Lay inspector 25254 Tom Shine Team inspector Mathematics Geography History Art and design 17756 Heather Monaghan Team inspector Science Information and communication technology Design and technology Music

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Tribal PPI Barley House Oakfield Grove Bristol BS8 2BN

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). St Margaret Clitherow RC School - 3

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 10 - 14

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

St Margaret Clitherow is an effective school. It provides a caring ethos which promotes very good inclusion and good achievement. Pupils have good attitudes to school and behaviour is very good. This leads to standards which are at the national average for pupils at the end of Year 2 in reading, writing and mathematics, and in Year 6, in English, mathematics and science. Improvements in the school have been good despite significant staff changes. The school provides good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • Pupils achieve well as a result of the good teaching throughout the school. • Overall provision within the school is good as a result of the very good leadership of the headteacher, together with the good leadership and management of key members of staff and the governing body. • Very good provision for pupils’ moral, social and cultural development underpins the inclusive ethos of the school and supports the very good behaviour. • Pupils reach above average levels of attainment in information and communication technology (ICT) as a result of the very good leadership and management, and the good teaching. • Opportunities for speaking are not as systematically planned as other areas of the curriculum.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has made good progress since the last inspection in the areas which were identified as weak. Pupils at the end of Year 2 now reach average levels in science and English. Information and communication technology (ICT) is much improved and has moved from an area of weakness to an area of strength in the school. Pupils at the end of year 6 now reach above average levels of attainment. Teaching in the Reception class is now good. The school has maintained standards in all other areas inspected, apart from music, where pupils now reach average levels.

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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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

English B C C B mathematics A B B B science A D C C Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average. Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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Pupils’ achievement throughout the school is good, including pupils with special

educational needs (SEN) and English as an additional language (EAL). Overall, pupils enter the school at levels in the Nursery which are well below average. As a result of the good achievement in the Foundation Stage, children are in line to reach the goals they are expected to reach in personal and social development, mathematical, physical and creative development. They are not in line to reach expected levels in communication, language and literacy, and knowledge and understanding of the world. However, their knowledge and application of letter sounds is at levels expected for their age.

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Pupils’ achievement throughout the school is good, including pupils with special

Pupils’ achievement is good in the other year groups. Pupils in Year 2 are in line to reach average levels in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils in Year 6 are in line to reach average levels in English, mathematics and science. St Margaret Clitherow RC School - 5

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The development of pupils’ personal qualities, including their moral, social and cultural

development, is very good. Their spiritual development is good. Pupils show good attitudes to their work and behave very well. Attendance and punctuality are good.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides a good quality of education . Teaching is good overall in all areas of the school . As a result of the good teaching in the Foundation Stage, children like coming to school and they learn to work with each other. The good teaching in the rest of the school enables pupils to learn effectively and make good progress in English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The curriculum is good. All subjects are valued and the school adapts the curriculum to meet the interests, aptitudes and particular needs of pupils. As a result, pupils enjoy learning and take an interest in what they are doing. The school has a caring ethos and pupils therefore feel secure and they are able to learn well. Pupils’ progress is well monitored and consequently they make good progress.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are good . The leadership from the headteacher is very good. She has a clear vision for the school and establishes high expectations for staff and pupils, whilst providing good support. She has developed an effective team of key staff, including two assistant headteachers, and together they have secured good teaching and learning throughout the school, despite recent changes of staff.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The governance of the school is good. The governing body shares the headteacher’s high expectations and provides a good level of challenge and support. The governing body adopts a good strategic overview and the budget has been used well to support staffing and secure good adaptations to the building so that it provides a good working environment in which pupils can learn.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The school has formed good links with parents and carers. Parents feel well informed about events and the curriculum. Parents appreciate the regular letters which are sent home and the termly programmes telling them what children are going to learn. No significant concerns were addressed by any parents at either the parents meeting, or on questionnaire returns.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Pupils are positive about the school. Pupils feel very secure and they talk to adults in a very friendly and open way. The school values their opinions and their comments are often acted upon by the headteacher and other members of staff.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Plan the development of speaking more systematically throughout the school.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

To meet statutory requirements: • Ensure necessary information is included in the prospectus and the governors' annual report to parents. St Margaret Clitherow RC School - 6

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Children in the Foundation Stage are on target to reach the national average in personal, social and emotional development, and mathematical, physical and creative development. They are not on target to achieve the Early Learning Goals in communication, language and literacy across the curriculum, and knowledge and understanding of the world. Achievement is good in all areas.

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Standards in Years 2 and 6 are average in English, mathematics and science. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are above average.

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Achievement throughout the school is good in English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in personal, social and emotional development in the Foundation Stage have improved since the last inspection and are now in line with national expectations. • Standards in reading, writing and science in Years 1 and 2 have improved since the previous inspection and are now average. • Standards in information and communication technology have improved since the previous inspection and are now above the national average in Years 2 and 6. • Pupils achieve well, including those who are more able, those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language. • Standards in music are average; lower than at the time of the previous inspection.

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Starting school

1. As at the last inspection, attainment on entry is very low. In the last inspection, pupils’ achievement was good in the Nursery and unsatisfactory in the Reception class. It is now good in both classes. Therefore, unlike at the time of the last inspection, pupils are now on target to reach the Early Learning Goals in personal, social and emotional development. Children are also listening with more attention and using their knowledge of letter sounds more consistently than at the time of the last inspection. However, their speaking skills remain below national expectations. Children do not use spoken language sufficiently in imaginary role play, or to support their learning when they are constructing objects.

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Starting school

2. Pupils’ achievement is good because teachers know them well and use the assessments they make of individual children’s learning to ensure that they are teaching at the right level for them. Pupils with behavioural difficulties respond very well to the caring atmosphere and the clear expectations of teachers, and make particularly good progress. Their achievement is very good in both the Nursery and the Reception class. St Margaret Clitherow RC School - 7

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

Standards in: School results National results reading 93 (87) 84 (84) writing 97 (94) 86 (86) mathematics 93 (90) 90 (91) There were29 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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

3. As the table above demonstrates, in 2002 pupils at the end of Year 2 reached above average standards in reading and writing, and average standards in mathematics. Results have been rising since 2000. However, recent tests in 2003, using unvalidated data, indicate a drop in standards in all three areas, particularly in girls’ writing. Nevertheless, observations, work scrutiny and discussions with pupils show that those in the current Year 2 are on target to meet standards typical for their age group. There are no consistent differences between the attainment of boys and girls.

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

4. Pupils in the current Year 2 entered the Reception class at levels below national expectation in communication, language and literacy, and their achievement in English is therefore good overall, although their progress in reading, writing and listening is more systematic than in speaking.

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

5. Achievement in mathematics is also good because, although pupils in the current Year 2 were reaching expected levels of attainment in number when they entered school, they were below expected levels in areas such as shape and space, and their progress overall has been good.

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

6. The achievement of pupils with special educational needs and of those with English as a second language is also good in English and mathematics.

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

Standards in: School results National results English 83 (79) 75 (75) mathematics 90 (72) 73 (71) science 90 (86) 86 (87) There were 29 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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

7. The above table shows that pupils in 2002 reached the national average in English and science, and above average in mathematics. Overall, the school has maintained standards at average levels for the previous three years. Unvalidated results in 2003 indicate that standards in English have remained at nationally expected levels for all groups of pupils. In mathematics and science, standards were below national expectations, particularly for more able pupils. However, findings of the inspection team show that pupils are currently on target to reach national standards in all three subjects. The dip in mathematics and science was the result of disruptions in staffing which have now been settled and because those particular pupils had more difficulties than those currently in the school. St Margaret Clitherow RC School - 8 8. When pupils in the current Year 6 took tests in Year 2, their results were well below the

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

national average in reading and writing, and below the national average in mathematics and science. They have made good progress in Years 3, 4, and 5 and in the first few weeks of Year 6. Achievement in these areas is therefore good in all three subjects. The achievement of pupils with special educational needs or English as a second language is also good.

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Other subjects of the curriculum

Standards have improved considerably in information and communication technology because the school has made a significant investment in this area of work. The strategic planning for development has been very good. The school now has very well resourced accommodation, including a range of laptops, and all pupils have access to good teaching in this area of work. The good standards make an important contribution to other areas of the curriculum.

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Other subjects of the curriculum

In Years 2 and 6, standards are now broadly typical for that age group because teaching is satisfactory, although opportunities for pupils to extend their musical opportunities outside the classroom are good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attendance and punctuality are good . They have good attitudes to school life and behave very well . Very good provision is made for their moral, social and cultural development. Their spiritual development is good . In the last report, these aspects of school life were judged to be excellent.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Attendance is good and reflects pupils’ positive attitudes to all aspects of school. • Most pupils enjoy coming to school and consistently behave very well. • Relationships are very good. • The school promotes pupils’ personal development very effectively.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 4.3% School data 0.7% National data 5.4% National data 0.5% The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Commentary

9. The above average rate of attendance is similar to that reported at the last inspection. The above average rate of unauthorised absence is higher than in the last inspection. This is because one pupil attended the school for just three days whilst remaining on roll, and the children of two families have poor attendance. The vast majority of pupils arrive punctually.

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Commentary

10. Pupils like coming to school. This is evident from discussions with them and in their responses to the questionnaires. This was confirmed by parents in their questionnaire returns and at the parents meeting. Pupils particularly enjoy lessons of good quality, such as in Year 6, when they used a computer program called ‘Power Point’. In this lesson, pupils eagerly and effectively demonstrated their achievements in their history project about ‘The Ancient Greeks’ through their use of information and communication technology. St Margaret Clitherow RC School - 9 11. Behaviour is generally very good in most lessons and in the dining hall. In assemblies, behaviour is excellent. In the playground, it is occasionally rather boisterous, but it remains very good. When they have the opportunity, pupils are very keen to talk about their school.

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Commentary

12. Pupils’ very good personal development is illustrated by the very strong relationships that are the result of the school’s efforts to promote a happy, racially harmonious community. Pupils respect each other’s feelings. In the dining hall, for example, different age groups sit together and know each other well. The good provision for pupils with special educational needs enables them to become increasingly mature and to develop self-esteem.

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Commentary

13. The school encourages pupils to take increasing responsibility for themselves and others. For example, pupils in Year 4 “buddy” with pupils in the Nursery to share stories and generally promote early literacy. Pupils throughout the school know the difference between right and wrong, as a result of the emphasis placed on the development of their moral awareness. In the playground, they generally take turns well on the climbing apparatus and are aware of the rules and rotas for the use of the playing fields. Pupils’ high degree of social awareness is shown in the way they treat each other with great respect, regardless of backgrounds and beliefs. In assemblies, they listen frequently to each other’s presentations and musical performances. They also have a high degree of respect and understanding for each other’s cultural backgrounds and customs. For example, they listen with genuine interest when girls

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Commentary

from Africa and Cameroon display and talk confidently about their native costumes. Many pupils are happy to loan personal artefacts to contribute to a good display to celebrate Black History Month. The school promotes spiritual awareness well through such times as assembly and lessons where good storytelling entrances and captivates pupils’ imaginations, and takes them to imaginary, exciting worlds.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 84 0 0 White – Irish 2 0 0 White – any other White background 16 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 5 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 9 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 3 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 4 0 0 Asian or Asian British-Indian 7 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 17 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black or Black British – Caribbean 4 0 0 Black or Black British - Africa 63 0 0 Black or Black British – any other Black background 7 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Chinese 2 0 0 St Margaret Clitherow RC School - 10 Any other ethnic group 4 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

This table confirms that there were no pupils excluded last year. This is an improvement since the last inspection. St Margaret Clitherow RC School - 11

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Teaching and learning

Teaching is good . Teachers make good assessments of pupils’ work and they use the information to support their teaching. This results in good learning. This is an improvement since the last inspection, when teaching was found to be good in the Nursery and Years 1-6 but unsatisfactory in the Reception class. However, as at the last inspection, opportunities for extended speaking were found to be restricted throughout the school.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers make good use of assessment and understand what pupils know, understand and can do, although there are still areas for further development. • Teachers are good at planning. • Teachers are good at matching work to pupils’ levels of understanding, and this leads to very good inclusion and good achievement. • Teaching does not consistently ensure enough opportunities for pupils to develop their speaking.

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Commentary

14. Throughout the school, teachers take good account of pupils’ stage of development and ability, and this leads to good achievement by all pupils, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language. Teachers in the Nursery create a welcoming environment in which children feel safe to explore the many well-planned activities. Teachers assess the children’s abilities in all the areas of learning soon after they enter the Nursery. Therefore, adults are well able to encourage and direct children to learn at a level and pace suitable for their stage of development. Consequently, children are confident learners when they go into the Reception class and are ready to learn in whole class sessions for longer periods of time. This in turn prepares them well for the infant classes. Children’s individual progress is assessed regularly through the Nursery and Reception classes. In the

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Commentary

Nursery this is recorded in such a way that the progress of the whole class can be seen and analysed. This is helpful in planning teaching activities over a period of time, although the records in some areas of learning, like knowledge and understanding of the world, require updating to meet the new government guidelines. This system does not yet operate across the Nursery and Reception classes.

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Commentary

15. The school is developing its marking, and in the last term-and-a-half, teachers have worked very hard at using their written comments in pupils’ books to explain more fully what pupils have done well and what they need to do to make their work better. This helps teachers to understand what children know, and it helps pupils to improve their work. In English, pupils also have target sheets at the end of their books. These identify what specific targets they need to work on. Sometimes, teachers’ marking refers to the progress pupils have made towards their targets. Where this happens, it is particularly useful in helping individual pupils see what they need to do to reach their targets. This very constructive development is not yet sufficiently consistent to have an overall impact on learning across the school.

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Commentary

16. Teachers use the knowledge they have of pupils’ progress to plan their work effectively. They are usually very clear about what they want pupils to learn. For example, in English during the inspection, teachers in Year 2 and Year 6 explained and had written up exactly what pupils had to do in order to do well. Work is nearly always planned so that, after an introduction by the teacher, pupils work individually or in groups, at levels which are within their capability, but are sufficiently challenging. For example, in design and technology, more able pupils were working out the cost of making slippers, as well as aspects of designing and making, while pupils working at a lower level, were guided through the processes using well-structured worksheets. St Margaret Clitherow RC School - 12 Additional adult support is used to assist the learning of all groups of pupils, as and when appropriate. This makes an important contribution to pupils’ achievement across the school,

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Commentary

but particularly those with special educational needs or with English as an additional language. For example, in a Year 4 history lesson on evacuation, pupils with learning difficulties worked with a learning support assistant during the time that others were working in groups. As a result, these pupils had sufficient confidence to talk and answer questions, standing in front of the whole class. The good teaching throughout the school makes a significant contribution to the very good behaviour within the school and to the very good inclusive ethos which makes pupils feel part of the school.

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Commentary

17. During lessons, teachers often ask questions to enable them to assess what pupils know. There are also examples of teachers planning opportunities for pupils to talk in pairs, as happened in a Year 2 English lesson, and to learn technical vocabulary. For example, in mathematics, Year 6 pupils use words such as “frequency”, “horizontal” and “vertical”. However, observations in lessons show that there are insufficient opportunities throughout the school for pupils to use language on a regular basis to explore ideas and develop their thinking. In one lesson, the teacher spoke for too long, and in another lesson, insufficient use was made of open-ended questions to encourage language development. Talking partners, or equivalent strategies, were not used as a regular feature during the inspection. The only role-play observed was in the Nursery and that was limited to a few children. Speaking opportunities are

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Commentary

also lost in subjects like music, because pupils were not asked to evaluate their performance. Although achievement overall is good in English, progress in listening, reading and writing is more systematically developed than speaking.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 30 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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Commentary

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

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The curriculum

The curriculum is good . All subjects are valued and the school adapts the curriculum to meet the interest, aptitudes and particular needs of pupils. It is well planned and pupils make good progress in their learning. The school provides good opportunities for additional curriculum enrichment. Resources and accommodation are good overall. The curriculum has improved since the last inspection, when insufficient emphasis was placed on the skills of design and technology, and information and communication technology.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Planning is effective and time is well used. • Activities are relevant to pupils’ experiences and this helps them to learn. • A good range of extra-curricular activities are provided. • Teaching is enhanced by the very good resources, in particular, provision for information and communication technology (ICT). • Space is too small in some classrooms, and the Nursery and Reception classes are too far apart.

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Commentary

18. The curriculum covers all the National Curriculum subjects well. Teachers use nationally- recommended schemes of work and this supports them in their planning of the curriculum, and ensures that all aspects are taught, and that pupils usually make consistent progress St Margaret Clitherow RC School - 13 between classes. This has been particularly helpful at a period of time when there have been a number of staff changes. The school has carried out a helpful audit and there is a specific plan of development for each subject. This is carefully monitored by the headteacher, who makes sure that necessary changes are made. For example, as a result of the audit, art has been recently developed in order to improve provision.

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Commentary

19. The allocation of time has improved since the last inspection. For example, more time has been given to science in Years 1 and 2 and to the development of investigative skills in science in all year groups. This has helped raise standards in Year 2. All lessons begin on time, and movement around the school is efficient, so that no curriculum time is wasted. Subjects are planned separately, but good links are made between English, mathematics and information and communication technology and other subjects. These support the good achievement across the school.

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Commentary

20. Teachers make sure that the curriculum is well adapted to take account of pupils’ interests and experience, and this is shown in the good teaching and learning. The curriculum is interesting to pupils because it is well linked to everyday happenings in the world. This occurs through references in lessons and through many visitors into school, such as the dentist who talks to infant children to encourage healthy eating, and the volunteer worker in the Nursery who helps the children with gardening. Theatre groups also help make the use of English more meaningful to pupils.

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Commentary

21. The school makes good use of additional government funding from the project “Excellence in Cities”. It is used to offer a wide range of additional curriculum activities from Year 2 upwards. There is a good balance between sport and creative arts. These include football, music, singing, drama, art, dance and homework clubs. There is also a popular sports session at lunchtime for older pupils. This supports the very good behaviour in the school because the majority of pupils go back into school ready for work.

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Commentary

22. The curriculum for pupils with special educational needs and pupils with English as an additional language is good. Work is planned to match their stage of learning. Their contribution to lessons and classroom displays is valued, and they take a full part in all areas of the curriculum. Pupils with learning difficulties receive valuable additional support from the learning mentor. Pupils who are gifted and talented are also identified and their learning is extended through the guidance of class teachers, who make good use of additional resources. The achievement of all these pupils is therefore good.

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Commentary

23. Provision is much improved for information and communication technology. Teachers have been well trained to use the new equipment. Information and communication technology is used regularly throughout the curriculum, standards are now good and the subject has become a strength of the school.

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Commentary

24. The school uses the accommodation to best advantage and makes particularly good use of the open areas between classrooms. These attractive areas are effectively organised and used well for small group teaching. Teachers manage the small classrooms well, so that the curriculum is not restricted. The Nursery is well located at the end of the building so that parents have easy access. At the moment, because of restrictions caused by the building, the Reception class is placed at the other end of the school. Teachers are overcoming these difficulties through joint planning and some joint teaching. Provision in the Foundation Stage is good despite these problems. Resources for teaching are very good; they are well managed and stored for easy access and, as a result, are well used to support teaching in all areas of the curriculum.

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Care, guidance and support

Overall, the care, welfare, health and safety of pupils are good . Pupils receive very good support, advice and guidance based on monitoring. The school has good arrangements to involve pupils St Margaret Clitherow RC School - 14 through seeking, valuing and acting on their views. Although overall care for pupils is similar to what it was at the time of the last inspection, procedures are not as tight as those described in the last inspection report.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils feel secure and very well included; they are therefore able to learn well. • Pupils’ views are sought and acted upon. • The way pupils are monitored ensures that they make good progress in the core subjects. • The written procedures for the welfare of pupils require further attention.

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Commentary

25. The school has a very caring ethos. Pupils are very sure that they can go to an adult if they are worried. Consequently, they feel very secure and talk to adults in a very friendly and open way. They respond to teachers very positively and this supports the good learning that is going on in the school. The school values the opinions of pupils and asks for their views about the school through a termly questionnaire. Pupils often write comments, which are taken seriously, and are often acted upon by the headteacher and other members of staff.

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Commentary

26. The school monitors the achievement and behaviour of pupils carefully and makes sure that extra support is given when pupils need it. Special targets are identified for pupils with special educational needs and those who are gifted and talented. Both groups of pupils achieve well.

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Commentary

27. Although the care for pupils is very evident, some necessary paper work is not completely up to date. For example, names of responsible adults have not been altered in documentation to reflect changed responsibilities. When there are accidents, parents are informed, but governors do not have access to a central record and it is therefore difficult for them to monitor this area of work. These procedural aspects have partly been caused by instability of staffing during the last two years. However, now that the school has a more stable staff, it feels that it should be able to return to its previous excellent record.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has formed good links with parents and carers. Good links have also been established with the community and with other schools. In the last inspection report, this area of work was described as being very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents feel well informed about events and the curriculum. • Pupils’ end of year progress reports do not provide sufficient detail. • The school has good links with other schools.

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Commentary

28. The community of the school is changing, there is an increasingly wide range of socio- economic and ethnic groups represented, and the school is adapting well to these changes. Comments at the parents meeting, and the responses from parents to the questionnaire, show that the majority feel that the information they get from the school is very helpful and supports their children’s learning. They appreciate the regular letters which are sent home and the termly programmes telling them what children are going to learn. Parents also feel that they are clear about school routines, such as Friday spelling lists and the way reading books are changed. This documentation for parents is helpful and friendly. However, inspectors found that pupil progress reports do not always provide parents with enough detail about how their children are doing. Different teachers give different levels of information, and many of the

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Commentary

St Margaret Clitherow RC School - 15 reports are too short and do not always make it clear to parents how their children can improve. However, parents are informed about key points of learning through the school’s system of termly target setting and review.

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Commentary

29. The school is part of a government project called “Excellence in Cities.” As a result, the school has been able to develop its links with other schools. This has enabled teachers to extend their ideas and has contributed to the good teaching in the school. The school also has very good links with the secondary schools to which the majority of pupils transfer. Pupils know where they are going and, although pupils in Year 6 are sorry to be leaving the primary school, they are very positive about moving on to secondary school.

p.17

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are good . The governance of the school is good . Leadership overall is good . The school is currently without a deputy head, but the leadership of the headteacher is very good , and she has delegated responsibility to key members of staff, who share her commitment to the school’s aims and values. Management is good . These aspects were found to be similar at the last inspection.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher has a very clear vision for the school. She establishes high expectations for staff and pupils, whilst providing appropriate support. This enables very good inclusion for all pupils. • Governors provide a good level of challenge and support. • The headteacher and key members of staff have secured effective teaching and learning, despite recruitment difficulties. • The school manages its finances effectively to support good achievement by all pupils. • The very good long-term planning enables the school to use the accommodation to best effect for the development of good teaching and learning.

p.17

Commentary

30. The headteacher is very clear about what the school should achieve and how it is going to do this successfully. Her ideas are shared and developed by the governing body. They know the school well and have a good level of involvement in setting challenging targets and accounting for the results. With the headteacher, they also have a strong commitment to ensuring high quality staff through recruitment, professional development and the effective management of staff workload.

p.17

Commentary

31. For a number of years, the staffing in the school was very stable. However, for personal and professional reasons, four teachers left the school in the last year. This included the deputy head, who took up a headship after 16 years at St. Margaret Clitherow. These changes in staff partly resulted in lower than expected test results in 2003. Two teachers within the school are currently acting as assistant headteachers until a permanent deputy headteacher is recruited. Led by the headteacher, they work effectively as a team with the special educational needs co- ordinator (SENCO) and co-ordinator for the Foundation Stage. Their monitoring and evaluation of children’s progress play an essential role in the management and delivery of the curriculum.

p.17

Commentary

32. Two new members of staff were appointed six weeks before the inspection. As a result of carefully planned training and support, these new members of staff are making a significant contribution to the good teaching and the good progress made by all groups of pupils in the school. St Margaret Clitherow RC School - 16

p.17

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 702,614 Balance from previous year 49,698 Total expenditure 697,339 Balance carried forward to the next 1,201

p.18

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

33. The school has additional funding because it is in an area of deprivation. It uses its money well to promote the strong caring ethos in which all children feel included and valued. Under the very good leadership of the headteacher, they have created a very useful teaching area, which is used effectively, particularly by the SENCO. Money is also used to ensure that additional staff are employed to broaden the curriculum. For example, the sports coach takes the lead in games lessons, provides a lunchtime activity and an after school club four evenings a week. Additional staff also give valuable support to teachers in helping pupils to learn.

p.18

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

34. Over the years, funding has been used very wisely to adapt the building. Although some teaching areas will always be too small for pupils to move in easily, the building, together with the good wall displays, now provides a good working environment in which all pupils can learn. St Margaret Clitherow RC School - 17

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

There has been a significant improvement since the last inspection, when the Reception class was found to be unsatisfactory. The co-ordinator of the Foundation Stage has a good overview of provision, which is developed through joint planning between classes. Overall provision is good, teachers assess and monitor individual children well and use this knowledge effectively to support their learning. Pupils with special educational needs are very well included and make good progress.

p.19

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for personal, social and emotional development is good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The children are very well behaved. • Adults are good at identifying what children need so that they can help them develop skills in those areas where they need the most help. • Pupils with behavioural difficulties achieve very well.

p.19

Commentary

35. Children come into the Nursery with levels of attainment which are below expectations in this area of their development. The good teaching ensures that they achieve well and are on target to reach the Early Learning Goals by the time they leave the Reception class. Teachers observe children carefully and have realistic expectations of what they can manage next. Children learn to take turns so that by the time they are in the Reception class they are good at praising each other. The positive, caring approach by adults enables very good achievement by children with behavioural difficulties.

p.19

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teaching of early reading skills is good. • Adults provide lots of good opportunities for children to listen carefully. • Adults do not always spend enough time asking children what they think and therefore they are not as good at talking as they are at listening and reading.

p.19

Commentary

36. Overall, teaching is good, and children make good progress, and their achievement is good. Children come into the Nursery at levels which are well below expectations in this area of learning. They make good progress, but are not yet on target to reach the Early Learning Goals. Teachers assess and plan well for the development of listening, and children learn to pay good attention to what people are saying. Children also respond very well to the games and activities used to develop early reading, and they are able to recognise the sounds at the beginning of words. Children’s achievement is very good in these areas. However, children’s progress in speaking is satisfactory, because teachers do not provide as many opportunities for planned speaking as in other aspects of this area of the curriculum. St Margaret Clitherow RC School - 18

p.19

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

There was insufficient evidence to make an overall judgement, as no teaching was seen in the Nursery.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Achievement is good. • Children enjoy working with numbers.

p.20

Commentary

37. Children come into the Nursery with low levels of attainment, and records show that they make good progress. There was insufficient evidence to make a judgement about teaching overall as none was observed in the Nursery. However, teaching in the one lesson seen in the Reception class was good because it was well planned with a variety of activities, and children learned to count, take away and add up in ways which they found fun. Children are on target to reach the Early Learning Goals in this area of work.

p.20

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are confident in using the computer without help. • More able pupils in the Reception class are able to share their computer skills with children that find this work more difficult. • Although children make choices when they are designing and making objects, they do not explore ideas through speaking.

p.20

Commentary

38. Overall, teaching is good and pupils’ achievement is good. They have regular access to the computer, which makes them more confident in using information and communication technology. By the time they reach the Reception class, many pupils can use the mouse, and click and drag objects on screen. They work in pairs very well and, when they are able, share their experiences. Teachers provide a wide range of interesting activities, and adult support encourages children’s involvement in learning. Adults help children explore new experiences, such as how leaves feel when they are dried. On these occasions, pupils are introduced to new vocabulary. However, adults do not sufficiently encourage children to use language to plan and explore ideas when growing plants and making things. For example, when children were making masks in the Reception class, they picked what materials they felt would be suitable,

p.20

Commentary

but were not sufficiently encouraged to say why they wanted particular materials or what effect they wanted to achieve. Children come into the Nursery with well below average knowledge about the world and make good progress, particularly in using computers, but their understanding of the wider world is lower than average.

p.20

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The wide range of outside play equipment provides children with good opportunities to learn to control their bodies. St Margaret Clitherow RC School - 19 • Pupils control the fine movements in their hands very well and this leads to good control of their pencils in writing.

p.20

Commentary

39. The outside play equipment is available on a daily basis and adults are good at encouraging children to try different activities, such as using the bats and balls. Adults are also good at encouraging children to work carefully when they use construction materials. Children’s good achievement in learning to handle objects carefully helps them make good progress in using pens and paintbrushes. When children come into the Nursery, their ability to handle such equipment is below expectations but, as a result of using the wide variety of resources, they are on target to meet the Early Learning Goals in this area.

p.21

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision for creative development is good .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils enjoy making sounds with musical instruments and everyday objects. • Pupils are good at playing and working together in the home corner and the painting area. • Adults in the Nursery do not systematically encourage children to use their imagination in the role-play areas.

p.21

Commentary

40. Overall, teaching is good and children’s achievement is good. Adults plan and support a wide range of activities in the Nursery and, as a consequence, children confidently explore and respond to activities, such as painting, printing and making music. Children come into the Nursery at levels below those expected nationally and they enjoy working with the wide range of activities. As a result, they are on target to achieve the Early Learning Goals before they leave the Reception class. However, although teaching is good overall, insufficient time is given to encouraging all children to join in make believe activities, such as using the home corner. Therefore, this group of children do not use speaking sufficiently to develop their imagination in games of pretend.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in Year 2 have improved since the last inspection, when they were found to be below average. • Pupils achieve well in Years 2 and 6. • Teaching is good and teachers work well with learning support assistants, and this enables pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language to achieve well. • Teachers do not sufficiently systematically plan for pupils to use speech to extend and explore their ideas or imagination.

p.21

Commentary

St Margaret Clitherow RC School - 20 41. Standards in speaking and listening in Years 2 and 6 are broadly average. Pupils enter Year 1 at levels which are generally below those expected nationally; they make good progress and their achievement is good. Teaching is good overall, but opportunities for listening are incorporated into lessons more systematically than opportunities for speaking. In Year 2, pupils listen very well to the teacher and to each other and, as a result, pay good attention to the teacher’s explanation of story structure; they also respond confidently to questions from the teacher. However, the teacher frequently only requires short oral responses and pupils do not get the opportunity to extend their speaking skills. Pupils in Year 6 listen very well, and during the inspection they listened for about half-an-hour to complex explanations about the way suspense stories are developed. Individual pupils responded well to questions about

p.22

Commentary

descriptions of characters, but there were insufficient opportunities for all pupils to discuss their ideas; for example, through talking in pairs or small groups. Therefore, although they make progress in speaking, they do not use speech sufficiently to extend their ideas.

p.22

Commentary

42. In reading and writing, pupils attain standards expected for their age in Years 2 and 6. Teaching and achievement are good. In 2002, pupils in Year 2 reached levels in national tests which were above average in reading and writing. They did not do as well in 2003, but there are clearly identified reasons for this dip in standards. Records show that pupils in the current Year 2 have made good progress since they entered the infant classes. They read accurately and, when they are unsure of words, sound out individual letters and are able to correct their mistakes by referring to the context of the story. More able readers can talk about their favourite authors and identify books that they have written. The majority of pupils write independently and can follow a simple story structure. Pupils in Year 6 in 2002 reached average levels, and were above the average for pupils in similar schools. However, unvalidated

p.22

Commentary

data shows that more able pupils in 2003 did not do as well as those in similar schools. The school has analysed pupils’ responses and addressed the reasons for this dip. Teachers now plan well for these pupils, who are making good progress. The majority of pupils are confident writers; they use interesting vocabulary and they can apply their knowledge about how different types of writing are structured, such as developing suspense in narrative writing. Pupils’ work is neat; they spell at expected levels, but mostly write in pencil, unless they are writing final drafts.

p.22

Commentary

43. Teaching is good overall because teachers plan very carefully to make sure that the work is suitable for all ability levels in their classes, and this results in good achievement for all groups of pupils. However, they create more opportunities for the development of listening, reading and writing than speaking. As a result, pupils work hard and feel successful, but their speaking is not as consistently well developed as the other three areas of the English curriculum. Teachers mark carefully and frequently identify where and why work is good, but they do not make sufficient reference to targets written at the end of the pupils’ books. Teachers work well with learning support staff and ensure that withdrawal sessions dovetail into the main lessons, so that pupils with special needs or English as an additional language are included in general learning opportunities. This structure contributes to their good achievement.

p.22

Commentary

44. The leadership and management of the subject are good. There are two English co-ordinators, who have been working together since January 2003. They work with the headteacher and the special needs co-ordinator to examine the progress made by pupils and ensure that resources are well deployed to help all groups. There have been significant improvements in English since the last inspection, when standards in Year 2 were found to be below average. However, opportunities for speaking remain under-developed.

p.22

Language and literacy across the curriculum

45. In other subjects observed, teachers use reading and writing effectively to help children learn, as in lessons seen in geography and history. They also encourage children to listen carefully. They ask good questions to check children’s understanding of topics, but are not as good at asking questions about why and how things happen. St Margaret Clitherow RC School - 21

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well in Years 2 and 6. • Teaching is good overall; teachers use technology well, but do not give pupils enough opportunities to extend their language skills. • Learning support assistants are used effectively to help pupils with SEN and EAL to achieve well.

p.23

Commentary

46. Pupils in Year 2 are working at levels broadly typical of those achieved by pupils of a similar age. These standards are not far short of the most recent National Curriculum test results, when the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard was slightly above the national average. Standards in Year 2 are similar to those reported at the last inspection. Compared to their attainment when they enter the school, all pupils, including those with special educational needs and the very small number with English as an additional language, are achieving well. Work in the books of the current Year 2, undertaken since the beginning of term, indicates that pupils are making good progress. This is a result of the good teaching. As well as the expected emphasis on numeracy, for example, learning different strategies when adding and subtracting two-digit numbers, due regard has also been given to other aspects of

p.23

Commentary

mathematics, such as learning about two-dimensional shapes, including circles, triangles, pentagons and hexagons. Although the standard of work for the more able is above average, the overall standard is broadly in line with expected standards. In one lesson observed, most pupils were reasonably confident when solving problems, such as adding a set number of pencils to a batch of 21.

p.23

Commentary

47. In Year 6, pupils are making good progress overall, and often very good progress, as a result of the quality of teaching. These pupils are achieving well. Work in their books shows that it has been appropriately set to match their abilities. A wide range has been covered by this point in the term, including higher attaining pupils multiplying and dividing by tens, hundreds and thousands, and pupils solving word problems using their knowledge of place value and the links between fractions and decimals. In a very good lesson for mainly higher attaining pupils, most were confident when mentally multiplying and dividing by tens and hundreds, and did so at a rapid rate. These pupils have a good grasp of the probability scale, including the vocabulary of probability. There are a few pupils of lower attainment in this class, and they respond well to the very good teaching, in which work is well matched to their needs, and are

p.23

Commentary

achieving well. In a good lesson taught by another teacher to a smaller group of pupils in the middle range, most were confident in multiplying and dividing by numbers up to ten, and have reasonable understanding of how to extract data and display it in appropriate tables and charts. These pupils are also achieving well.

p.23

Commentary

48. The good teaching arises for a number of reasons. Lessons are well planned and have clear learning objectives. Teachers take account of their knowledge of pupils’ previously-acquired skills and understanding through questioning that is generally good and incisive. In some lessons, however, questions are framed in such a way that they demand a one-word answer and pupils are not encouraged to practise their speaking skills to increase their confidence. There is good emphasis on increasing pupils’ technical vocabulary; pupils in Year 6 are confident when using terms such as ‘product’, ‘frequency table’ and ‘integers’. In both Years 2 and 6, the teachers use interactive whiteboards effectively to present material clearly to their pupils, and capture their attention very successfully. Teachers manage their classes well and lessons move at a good pace. Their marking is generally helpful to pupils.

p.23

Commentary

St Margaret Clitherow RC School - 22 49. Learning support staff are deployed effectively to support pupils; they are well trained and work well with pupils under the direction of the class teachers. They provided good support for pupils with SEN and the few with EAL. The subject is well managed and pupils use computers effectively to help them learn effectively. Resources are very good. Since the last inspection, levels of attainment have improved in line with national averages.

p.24

Mathematics across the curriculum

50. Mathematics is used well in some subjects, such as in science, ICT and history.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well in Years 2 and 6 and reach average standards. • The school has made good progress since the last inspection, when standards were judged to be below average in Year 2. • Teaching and learning are good overall; planning and assessment are good and work is well matched to pupils’ abilities.

p.24

Commentary

51. Pupils in Year 2 are mainly working at levels which are expected for that age group. This is reflected in the assessments by teachers published in 2002 and unpublished results in 2003. Since the last inspection, teaching has placed more emphasis on making science more interesting by giving pupils more opportunities to experiment. Achievement is good. Records show that the majority of pupils, including those with special educational needs and those with English as a second language, have made good progress since they entered Year 1. This reflects the good teaching, which challenges pupils well. They have a good understanding of the work done this term. They can explain about healthy food and know why it is good for you. They understand where light comes from and that the sun is its main source. They can also categorise metal and non-metals, and the most able pupils know that the further away sound

p.24

Commentary

52. In Year 6, pupils are working at levels broadly typical for their age. This was demonstrated in the 2002 test results, which were in line with the national average. There was a dip in the results of unpublished tests in 2003, when Year 6 pupils were working at levels below the national average, but this was partly as a result of staffing arrangements, which have now been changed. Standards in science have not been consistent since 2000, but a review of the work in the books of pupils in the current Year 6, and their responses to questions, show that the majority of pupils’ understanding of topics such as circuits and setting up a fair test with pendulums is at average levels. The attainment of the majority of Year 6 pupils was below average when they came into the junior part of the school. They have made significant improvements and their achievement is good. In topics being taught in Year 6, more able pupils

p.24

Commentary

are reaching higher levels, although they have not sufficiently consolidated work completed in earlier years. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language respond well to the additional support available, and their achievement is also good.

p.24

Commentary

53. Overall, the good teaching supports the good progress made by pupils. Teachers prepare their lessons well and usually have clear learning objectives. Work is well matched to pupils’ ability. Teachers use open-ended questions which encourage pupils to think, and they often present work which is challenging. Pupils enjoy the activities and learn well when science is linked to other areas of the curriculum. For example, in a lesson on differences between people, pupils St Margaret Clitherow RC School - 23 in Year 1 learnt to put the information about eye colour into graphs and constructed a class bar chart of eye colour. All could identify that most pupils had brown eyes and only one pupil had green eyes. The work was well adapted to pupils’ abilities, and the support of a teaching assistant meant that the more able pupils could use the computer suite to enter their data and print out their charts.

p.24

Commentary

54. Teachers make good use of assessment to help pupils learn. There is a common system for identifying the learning objectives of lessons and sharing them with the children, so that they know what they have to do to succeed. This is supported by helpful marking. The school has carried out a detailed analysis of Year 6 tests and has identified areas of weakness in the teaching of some topics . This information has been used to improve the resources and teaching programme of these topics, although there has been insufficient time for this work to have an impact on the further improvement of standards.

p.25

Commentary

55. With four new teachers in the school, temporary arrangements have been made for the co- ordination of science. The leadership and management of the subject are good. It is successfully maintaining standards at a time of staff change. There is a comprehensive plan of development, which includes future plans for team teaching. Teachers new to the school have been supported in planning and this has assisted their understanding of the science curriculum.

p.25

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

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

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Very good improvement since the last inspection, leading to above average standards in Years 2 and 6. • The quality of teaching and learning is now good; teachers are well trained and the very good resources are well used to promote learning. • Very good leadership and management.

p.25

Commentary

56. Pupils in Years 2 and 6 are on target to reach above average standards. As a result of the good teaching, achievement is good for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language. Pupils in Year 1 are able to enter data from a science experiment and print out their charts, and in Year 2 pupils learn to program through the use of the Roamer. By Year 6, pupils can confidently use the “Power-Point” program for presentations, and are able to manipulate text and add animation and sound. They use a computer program to sequence a series of instructions to control a model clown.

p.25

Commentary

57. Teaching is consistently good. ICT skills are timetabled and taught regularly. Planning is thorough and learning outcomes are clearly thought through. As a result, pupils are confident and able computer users. The good teaching supports and encourages pupils to find solutions to problems. Consequently, older pupils edit and improve text as they go. The good emphasis on behaviour management throughout the school enables pupils to work together and learn from each other. The very good resources are used well to promote access and skill development. The school has set up a computer suite, which, together with computers in all classrooms and laptops, enables pupils to practise the skills they learn and apply them regularly in a range of subjects.

p.25

Commentary

58. The development of ICT has been a major initiative since the last inspection. The leadership and management of this subject are very good and have enabled provision to move from being a weakness in the last inspection to a position of strength. The “Excellence in Cities” budget has been used very effectively to promote ICT resources, and national funding has been used St Margaret Clitherow RC School - 24 very well to provide training to develop teachers’ skills. Although still being developed, assessment using the Greenwich checklist is making an important contribution to an analysis of pupils’ attainment and is enabling the school to examine its teaching approaches in the light of the results.

p.25

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

59. ICT is used well in other subjects; for example, designing pictures in art, map work in geography and creating a key to identify animals in science.

p.26

HUMANITIES

Only one lesson was observed in geography and little work was available to sample, as the emphasis this half of the term is on history. There is therefore insufficient evidence to make overall judgments on pupils’ standards and achievement, or on teaching and learning. Two history lessons were seen and there was more work available on which to base judgements. Standards are typical of those achieved by pupils of a similar age. However, there is insufficient evidence to make judgements on the overall quality of teaching.

p.26

Geography

60. In an effective lesson in Year 5, all pupils made good progress in recognising rivers on a map and in tracing the River Thames to its source. They used maps of the local area to find the River Shuttle and were reasonably confident in identifying the main features and landmarks in the area. Standards were broadly typical of those achieved by pupils of this age. Teaching was good. The lesson was well planned as a result of the teacher’s good subject knowledge and she managed the class effectively. Pupils, therefore, learned well and used computers confidently. Work on display in the classroom shows good links with literacy. When writing about a visit to the local river earlier in the term, one pupil wrote, ‘I had a superb time at the River Shuttle on 25 th September 2003’. Another wrote, ‘My trousers were too long so they got wet. My wellies were too long, so I got wet!’

p.26

History

61. In a satisfactory lesson in Year 2, the pupils were spellbound by their teacher’s skill in telling the story of Mary Seacole. They listened intently and in this part of the lesson made good progress, as they were able to answer their teacher’s questions eagerly and confidently. However, this good standard was not maintained in the second part of the lesson, when the work was not challenging enough for most pupils and they were given too much time to complete the tasks. Despite these shortcomings, work in pupils’ books indicates that they are achieving as well as their peers. In a good lesson in Year 4, pupils were learning well when studying the evacuation of children during the Second World War and they wrote imaginative postcards to their parents. By the end of the lesson, all pupils, including those with SEN and a pupil in the early stage of learning English, who was well supported, made good progress.

p.26

History

They had a clear understanding of why children were evacuated. Their standards were as expected for their age. In this lesson, teaching was good and, as a result, pupils learned well. The teacher made good use of the knowledge that resided in the class; for example, a pupil talked about his grandfather, who had been evacuated. As a result, pupils’ interest was sustained. Good resources were used.

p.26

Art and design

62. Two lessons were observed and some pupils’ work was displayed on walls in classrooms and in the hall. This was insufficient evidence on which to make firm judgements about standards or the quality of teaching. At the last inspection, standards were judged to be above average St Margaret Clitherow RC School - 25 for pupils’ ages. Some work on display, particularly in digital art, where pupils in Years 5 and 6 produced portraits of good quality, is above that typically achieved by pupils of this age. Pupils in Year 6 used the digital camera again when Peter Bruegel’s ‘Children’s Games’ served as a model. Some of the pupils acted out sections of the picture, while others photographed them and used the computer for editing. The standard of this work is of good quality.

p.26

Art and design

63. In a lesson in Year 2, pupils were given photographs of images that had been cut or ’cropped’ and were learning to use part of the image to draw their own larger picture around it. They enjoyed drawing their detailed picture around the ‘cropped’ image in pencil and using crayons to colour. The outcomes were broadly in line with expected standards for this stage of the school year. Teaching in this lesson was good. In Year 4, standards were typical of those achieved by pupils of a similar age, and pupils were achieving well. Pupils used the work of Paul Klee as inspiration as they explored dream ideas through colour, using various media such as tissue, charcoal, paint and collage. In this lesson, teaching was satisfactory, but there was insufficient emphasis on developing pupils’ skills.

p.27

Design and technology

64. Only one lesson was seen during the inspection and it was not possible to make an overall judgement about teaching. However, past and current work was reviewed and discussions took place with pupils and teachers.

p.27

Design and technology

65. Pupils’ standards in Years 2 and 6 are typical for their age. The standard of work completed varies between year groups, and progress is, therefore, uneven. Good research and design by pupils at an individual level were evident in photographs from Year 2 and photo frames from Year 3. In contrast, Year 5 pupils had not designed their own work and their balloon-powered buggies were identical. However, there was some skill development across years; for example, in pupils’ cutting and joining skills. The use of a wider range of techniques progressed as pupils got older. In the good teaching in Year 6, pupils had the opportunity to develop a design for slippers. As a result of the well-planned teaching, pupils were familiar with the use of technical terminology; for example, “template”, “pattern” and “prototype”. They also had a good understanding of how the way the slippers were used would affect the way they

p.27

Design and technology

were made. The match of work to ability was good. Less able pupils were supported in their written work by prepared worksheets, and the more able pupils developed their understanding through challenging questions. They were also asked to relate their design to the cost of materials. The potential for profit was discussed and realistic parallels were drawn with industrial production.

p.27

Music

Provision for music is satisfactory . In the previous inspection, provision was good and standards were well above average in Years 2 and 6.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good access to instrumental teaching. • Good range of resources.

p.27

Commentary

66. Although only one lesson was seen, music was seen in assemblies and in other lessons. Pupils in Years 2 and 6 reach standards broadly typical for their age group, and achievement is satisfactory. A specialist teacher comes into the school to take all class lessons in music. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. There is appropriate coverage of the curriculum and, in the lesson seen, pupils in Year 3 could identify main percussion instruments and were able to select those appropriate to compose short musical representations on the theme of a frosty St Margaret Clitherow RC School - 26 morning. When listening to a tape of orchestral percussion, pupils were able to identify some of the instruments played. Teaching was well prepared and progressed logically, and pupils could reach the expectations set. However, during this lesson and during the lunchtime recorder group, they were not encouraged to be analytical about their own playing. They were

p.27

Commentary

not therefore able to identify what they needed to improve.

p.28

Commentary

67. Music is sometimes introduced in other lessons. For example, a teacher who enjoys playing the guitar shared her enthusiasm with her class by playing an accompaniment for their short song at the beginning of a lesson on sharing in personal, social and health development.

p.28

Commentary

68. The school provides good opportunities for pupils to learn an instrument. They all learn the recorder and then, if they wish, have the opportunity to learn the flute or clarinet, and some pupils take external musical exams. Some learn an instrument outside school and are encouraged to take part in Saturday music school. All pupils’ achievements are celebrated by the school, and during the inspection some played in assembly. Pupils therefore become confident at playing in front of an audience at an early stage in their learning. Achievement for this group of pupils is good.

p.28

Commentary

69. The management of music is satisfactory. An appropriate programme of work is prepared for all pupils, and teachers have access to a good range of resources.

p.28

Physical education

70. Two lessons were seen, one in Year 1 and one in Year 5. There was insufficient evidence to make judgements about standards and teaching. Both lessons seen were games lessons taken by a sports coach with the teacher taking a support role. In these lessons, standards were above average and teaching was good. The lessons were well planned and the coach kept pupils engaged by going through a large range of activities, which developed pupils’ skills in handling large balls. His manner was very encouraging and, with the active support of teaching staff, pupils enjoyed the lesson and improved the way they controlled the ball. The majority of Year 1 pupils were able to pass the ball backwards and forwards to a partner while walking. Year 5 pupils demonstrated good control of the ball when passing to a partner.

p.28

Physical education

71. Swimming is taught appropriately, and 91 per cent of pupils can swim 25 metres by Year 6.

p.28

Physical education

72. There was insufficient evidence to judge the effectiveness of leadership and management. However, teachers’ workload is to some extent helped by using the coach. He also supports lunchtime activities and after school clubs four days a week. Consequently, he knows most of the pupils very well, which enables him to encourage them more effectively by using their names.

p.28

Personal, social and health education

During the inspection, no lessons were seen and therefore it is not possible to make an overall judgement about provision.

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Personal, social and health education

73. The school gives a very high priority to pupils’ personal and social development. Throughout the school, pupils are encouraged to give a high level of respect to adults and each other. In the Foundation Stage, children are given well-structured opportunities to play and work together. This learning is reinforced in all of the other classes. For example, in lessons, pupils are consistently expected to listen to each other and respond courteously. Personal, social and health education is reinforced and developed through regular social skills lessons (circle time) in which pupils are encouraged to discuss relevant issues. The school’s policy on sex education was reviewed in 2002 and parents have been informed. St Margaret Clitherow RC School - 27

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The overall effectiveness of the school 3

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

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 3

Attendance 3 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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The quality of education provided by the school 3

The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 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 3 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 2 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 3 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 The quality of the school’s links with the community 3 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

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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 St Margaret Clitherow RC School - 28 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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