St Mary's CofE Primary School, Penzance

ST MARY’S CE AIDED PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 3 rd – 5 th November 2003

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ST MARY’S CE AIDED PRIMARY 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 MARY’S CE AIDED 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 Mary’s CE Aided Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Voluntary aided Age range of pupils: 4 - 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 140

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Redinnick place Penzance Cornwall

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: (01736) 363 009 Fax number: (01736) 363 009

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mrs Sylvia Quixley

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 16 th – 19 th March 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

St Mary’s is a Church of England Voluntary Aided school, occupying Victorian buildings on a restricted site close to the sea front in Penzance. It has large classrooms, one of which is rented to a private playgroup with which the school works closely. There is a large playground, but the field is a short distance away. The number on roll has increased since the last inspection, from 97 to 140 and a fifth class has been created. The school is, nevertheless, smaller than the national average. The planned admission number, towards which the school roll is rising, is an awkward 22, making class organisation difficult and requiring mixed-age classes. Staffing is stable but there is higher than average pupil mobility, due to the seasonal nature of work opportunities and the availability of cheaper rented accommodation in the winter months. Last year 14 pupils left at other than the normal time and 15 joined. The school admits pupils from other schools, consistent with its

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

philosophy to include all and treat them as equally valued individuals. There have been no exclusions in the last year. Thirty-six pupils are on the register of Special Educational Needs, higher than the national average. Four have statements, broadly in line with the national average. The school has a good record of reducing the number of pupils at the various stages, and provision for these pupils is very good. The percentage of the pupils entitled to a free school meal is, at 19.4 per cent, broadly in line with the national average. The percentage of the pupils with English as an additional language was, at 3.4 per cent, higher than the national average, but two pupils left just before the inspection. The standards of attainment of the reception pupils entering the school has been well below the national average for many years, but in the current reception class is about average. The parents say that the reputation of the school is improving.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

17651 Michael J Pipes Lead inspector Science Music Physical education

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

9406 Roy Cottington Lay inspector 17718 Mrs Stephanie Denovan Team inspector The Foundation Stage English History Geography

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

12116 Mrs Christina Morgan Team inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Art and design Design and technology

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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 Mary’s CE Aided Primary School - 3

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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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 9 - 13

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

St. Mary’s is an effective school that gives good value for money. The school is providing a good quality of education, underpinned by good teaching and learning, where the pupils’ attitudes are very positive and their behaviour is very good. There is a very good social, moral and spiritual ethos. The school works very well with the local community and has good links with other schools. There is a wide spread of pupil capability. Over the past few years the attainment on entry to the school has been well below average, and pupils admitted to other year groups have included a high proportion with learning difficulties. In the upper years, more than forty percent of the pupils are on the register of special educational needs. Nevertheless, as it slowly expands, the school is admitting to the infant section an increasing proportion of pupils with better-developed communication and social skills. Standards are rising faster than the national trend in tests for the seven year olds and

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OVERALL EVALUATION

the recent focus on writing took results to well above the national average in 2003. At the end of the junior years, despite a higher than average turnover of pupils, a core of pupils admitted seven years ago reached standards just below the national average in 2003, but above average compared with similar schools. This represents good achievement for these pupils, and the improvement in results over the last five years is in line with the national trend.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• The very good ethos in the school, where every pupil is valued as an individual; • The good teaching and learning leading to the pupils’ above average achievement; • The very good provision for the pupils with special educational needs; • The support mechanisms for the higher attaining pupils are not as good as those for the pupils with special educational needs; • Learning strategies in mathematics, particularly investigation work in the junior classes, need improvement; • The teaching assistants are deployed effectively and make a good contribution; and • The accountability of subject coordinators is not clearly enough defined.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

When last inspected in 1999, the school was judged to be ‘very good with a very good ethos’. Much has happened since then. The headteacher left, another came and went, and the deputy was promoted to the headship. Results fell to a low point in 2001 (see below). Through this period the governors became much more involved and their strategic management of the school is now very good. The school is now matching its former effectiveness and is improving.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 English E A D A mathematics E C D B science E C D B 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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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The pupils’ achievement, overall, is good. All the pupils achieve well, especially those receiving extra support to meet their special educational needs. Some of the seven-year olds achieved the first higher level (Level 3) successes in writing for many years in 2003. By the end of the junior years, there had been good progress from the Year 2 tests in 1999. Standards seen in lessons observed were about average in most subjects: above in physical education, but below in mathematics in the junior year classes. Some of the more capable pupils are not being stretched quite enough and are not receiving the same level of support as those with special learning difficulties. Nevertheless, overall, the school is giving good added value. St Mary’s CE Aided Primary School - 5

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

development are very good. The pupils’ attitudes to school and their work are very good. Behaviour is very well managed and is very good. Attendance is, however, below the national average and unsatisfactory, though due to known and understandable causes such as seasonal workers taking winter holidays. Punctuality is good and there have been no recent exclusions.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided by the school is good. The teaching is good. Learning proceeds logically and in most lessons at a good pace. The schemes of work take into account the year-by-year variations in class constitution, with seven different age groups of differing size in five classes. In the junior years, for instance, a four-year programme ensures that every pupil covers an appropriate range of topics. The governors are active in monitoring the curriculum and the progress of every pupil with special educational needs. Many of them help in the school, for instance with reading in the infant classes. The range of opportunities to broaden and enrich the curriculum is very good. The school maintains very good links with the community and prepares its pupils well for transfer to secondary education. Overall, assessment is satisfactory, but the quality and usefulness of marking are variable. The school has used the results of external testing well, for instance to

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

diagnose weaknesses in writing and tackle them successfully. The care, welfare and happiness of the pupils is well managed. The school has occasionally admitted, sometimes for a short period, pupils with English as an additional language, and they receive good attention and guidance.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The overall leadership and management of the school are satisfactory. The governors have seen the school through a recent difficult period and have shown very good leadership and commitment. They work well with the headteacher; for instance, showing good expertise and knowledge about school organisation and the curriculum implications, and in deciding spending priorities. The headteacher, promoted internally, has brought stability, sense and good order and has won the confidence of governors, staff, parents and the pupils. Her leadership is good and the school is improving. However, one of the outstanding needs is for clearer accountability for curriculum and standards to be delegated to the subject coordinators. The quality of subject leadership is too variable. Overall, therefore, management is satisfactory.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The views of parents and of pupils are very positive. The parents understand the nature of the school and its pupil population. They support the governors and headteacher fully in the way they are developing the school. With the consent of the headteacher, groups of pupils from Year 3 and Year 6 were interviewed and invited to fill in the optional pupil questionnaire.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

There are more strengths than weaknesses, but to improve further the school should now: • Improve standards in mathematics by giving more emphasis to investigative work, especially in the junior classes; • Give the same level of support and guidance to the higher attaining pupils as is given to others with special needs; and • Define more clearly the roles and accountability of subject co-ordinators. St Mary’s CE Aided Primary School - 6

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Standards by the end of Year 6 are close to the national average and above average compared with similar schools . Twenty-eight lessons were observed during this inspection, with an average of over 40 minutes spent in each session. Standards were judged to be above average in eight lessons, including well above average in a French lesson with Year 1 and in a literacy session in the reception class. Overall, standards are above average in the physical education and the pupils were making good progress and improving to average standards in most lessons in the reception and infant classes. In one of the literacy sessions in the junior section standards were below average. In a mathematics lesson with the top year, the range of learning strategies was too narrow and standards below average.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The pupils with special educational needs are very well served. • All the pupils achieve well. • The range of strategies for learning in mathematics in the junior classes is too limited. • The higher attaining pupils are occasionally not given sufficiently challenging work.

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Commentary

1. Though in previous years below and well below average, the attainment of the reception pupils on entry in the current year is about average. Standards are above average in personal, social and emotional development. The children are achieving well and on track to reach the early learning goals by the end of the foundation years, possibly exceeding them in personal, social and emotional development and in communication, language and literacy, because the teaching is well-planned and effective.

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Commentary

2. The pupils currently in the lower of the infant classes were less well advanced when they entered the school, but they are making good progress. Recent emphasis on improving writing is raising standards and the pupils now in Year 3, who took national tests in 2003, achieved well above average standards in writing compared with other school with a similar level of free school meals entitlement. This represents a marked advance since 2000, when there was a dip after the last inspection. The school is continuing to look carefully at its approach to teaching the boys this year. The trend in the improving results at the end of the infant years is, over the period 1999 to 2003, above the national trend.

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

Standards in: School results National results reading 16.4 (15.8) 15.7 (15.8)

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

There were 20 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 2003

3. In the junior classes, the pupils are in mixed-age classes. At the parents’ meeting it was suggested that this has its benefits, as the summer-born pupils are not the youngest in the class every year. On the whole, full-class teaching is pitched high and help is given to the younger pupils; but they respond well and develop quickly. On the other hand, the highest St Mary’s CE Aided Primary School - 7 attaining pupils are not always challenged sufficiently, though some attain the higher-level successes in the end-of-Year 6 national tests.

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

4. The pupils with special educational needs, and the very few with English as an additional language receive very good support. Individual programmes for their development are very perceptive and result from regular talks between a part-time specialist, special needs co- ordinator and the class teachers. The designated governors know about the progress of these pupils in considerable detail. These pupils achieve well and the standards they achieve relative to their capability are above average.

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

5. By the end of the junior years standards are currently above average in art and physical education but below average in mathematics, where there is a particular weakness in investigative mathematics. Insufficient teaching was seen or other reliable evidence available in music or geography. These are the pupils who entered the school as a cohort with overall well below average capability. Despite relative high pupil mobility, the pupils in the school for the seven years are achieving well. Current standards are just a little lower than at the time of the previous inspection.

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

Standards in: School results National results English 26.3 (27.0) 26.0 (27.0) mathematics 26.0 (26.0) 26.8 (26.7) science 28.0 (28.0) 28.6 (28.3) There were 18 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 2003

6. The trend in results at the end of the junior years has improved with the better results in 2002 and 2003 after a marked dip, due to unsettled teaching and a generally difficult period for the school leading up to the 2001 tests. The trend over the period 1999 to 2003 is now back up to being broadly in line with the national trend.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good . Their personal development is also very good . Their spiritual, social and moral development are strong features whilst their cultural development is satisfactory . Although attendance is unsatisfactory , punctuality is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Behaviour, attitudes and relationships are very good and make a very good contribution to teaching and learning. • Pupils’ moral, social and spiritual development are very good. • Attendance levels remain below national averages but there have been some recent improvements.

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Commentary

7. The pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development are very good and are strengths of the school. Nearly all pupils are well behaved, very polite and courteous, and respond well to the caring and welcoming ethos of the school. It is consistent with the school’s philosophy that it welcomes pupils with emotional and behavioural needs from other schools and, with support and care, nurtures these pupils so that they develop their potential and do well. The school is very successful in this area and attracted very favourable comment from senior staff spoken to at local secondary schools. St Mary’s CE Aided Primary School - 8 8. Children in the Foundation Stage respond well to the very positive ethos and learn the rules and routines quickly. Parents say that their children enjoy school, as do the pupils themselves. They tackle tasks enthusiastically and are fully involved in the range of other activities. Pupils’

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Commentary

behaviour in lessons and around the school is good overall. Staff deal quickly and effectively with the few incidents of inappropriate behaviour that occur. No incidents of bullying were seen during the inspection and, as the table below shows, no pupils have been excluded from school. There have been no recorded incidents of racism.

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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 139 0 0 White – any other White background 1 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 3 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 1 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 1 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 1 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 2 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

9. Pupils’ relationships with each other are good. When asked what pupils liked most about their school nearly all rated friendships very highly. Relationships with staff are very good and these are achieved through the high levels of mutual respect, the sensitivity shown to every pupil and the very good role models provided by staff. The very good relationships have a positive impact on their learning.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

10. Pupils help and support each other and respect their teachers. Pupils are very happy, feel secure and enjoy school life in an atmosphere where all are made to feel important. When given opportunities to work independently or in groups, pupils work co-operatively, sharing and valuing ideas, and concentrating well on the task. They show good levels of maturity and concentrate well. Pupils respond well to the help provided, and enjoy the praise that is often given. They enjoy receiving rewards, not just for achievement, but also for being helpful or kind. Pupils of all ages mix well at playtime and lunchtime, and pupils with special educational needs take a full and active part in class and activities at playtimes.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

11. From their first days in school pupils develop a very good understanding of right and wrong. The eight school rules underpin the social and behaviour expectations. The pupils know and respect these rules: for example, in a booklet, “All About St Mary’s”, produced solely by the pupils, the rules are prominently reproduced on the first page and include a note “Never Break Rules!”. The pupils benefit from the very good role models set by the adults in school. Qualities such as honesty, politeness and kindness, are praised and recognised. These values are promoted through the school assemblies. There are ample opportunities for pupils to further their social development, through taking responsibility, which they do with commitment and pride. Examples include pupils in Year 5 and 6 acting as ‘buddies’ for Foundation Stage children and helping during lunchtime. All the pupils interviewed said they

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

12. The range of extra curricular activities, excursions and camps contribute significantly to the pupils’ social development. Pupils are encouraged to be polite and well mannered. Feedback from members of the community and other schools is very complimentary about the pupils’ St Mary’s CE Aided Primary School - 9 social maturity. The development of the pupils’ spiritual awareness is very good. Pupils are given the opportunity to reflect and record the meaning of religious faith, support by good displays in the school.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

13. Pupils develop a good understanding of local and western cultural heritage in subjects such as history, art, music, and English. The pupils were recently able to discover something about Tibetan and Turkish culture from children from those backgrounds who attended the school, but there are few opportunities for pupils to develop their awareness about the make up of contemporary British society.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

14. For some time attendance has been an issue. In 2001/2002 the poor attendance levels were due mainly to a minority of the parents taking their children on holiday during term time and the long-term illness of one pupil. Many parents work in the local seasonal holiday economy and take family holidays outside the traditional holiday periods. This has a adverse impact on the school’s authorised absence rate, which is much higher than national averages. However, as the table below shows, the latest attendance figures for 2002/3 show a significant improvement. Unauthorised absence is below the national average whilst the high level of authorised absence in 2001/02 is now much nearer to the national average. Pupils’ punctuality is good, with only occasional lateness at the start of the school day.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 5.8 School data 0.1 National data 5.2 National data 0.2 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence in 2002/3.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is good . The governors are active in monitoring the curriculum and the progress of every pupil with special educational needs. Many of them help in the school, for instance with reading in the infant classes. The range of opportunities to broaden and enrich the curriculum is very good. The school maintains very good links with the community and prepares its pupils well for transfer to secondary education. The care, welfare and happiness of the pupils are well managed. The pupils with special educational needs are particularly well served. The school has occasionally admitted, sometimes for a short period, pupils with English as an additional language, and they receive good attention and guidance.

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Teaching and learning

The teaching is good . Learning is good . In most lessons it proceeds logically and at a good pace. The schemes of work take into account the year-by-year variations in class constitution, with seven different age groups of differing size in five classes. In the junior years, for instance, a four-year programme ensures that every pupil covers an appropriate range of topics. Overall, assessment is satisfactory, but the quality and usefulness of marking is variable. The school has used the results of external testing well, for instance to diagnose weaknesses in writing and tackle them successfully.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The majority of the teaching is good; no unsatisfactory teaching was seen. • The quality of learning mirrors the quality of teaching closely and is predominantly good. • The needs of the pupils with special educational needs (SEN) are particularly well met. • The quality and usefulness of marking is too variable. St Mary’s CE Aided Primary School - 10

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Commentary

15. During this inspection 28 lessons were observed, including full literacy and numeracy sessions in each class. No unsatisfactory teaching was seen and in five the teaching and learning was very good. The good teaching was characterised by good pace, appropriate expectations and the teachers’ confidence in their knowledge and understanding of the subject. In the satisfactory lessons, some of the slight relative weaknesses observed included: expectations not quite high enough for the higher attaining pupils; lack of clarity in exposition and explanation when the topic involved, as in science, concepts that were quite demanding, even for the teacher.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 28 lessons

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 28 lessons

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

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 28 lessons

16. Overall, good teaching was seen in the reception class, where the pupils were learning well and making good progress. Planning is good; there is a good balance of tuition and activities to ensure progress in all the expected areas of learning. These pupils achieve well.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 28 lessons

17. The best teaching seen was in the infant section, and included a very good session learning French, seen in Year 1 with some of the older reception pupils present. Two very good English lessons were seen. Year 1 pupils were working to their capacity within a very well structured guided reading session. Year 2 pupils were responding very well to the teacher’s encouragement to think and learn for themselves; including two pupils working at the computer drafting their work directly.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 28 lessons

18. At Key Stage 2, the teaching and learning seen in mixed-age classes were predominantly good, with the pupils making good progress and learning well. The headteacher shares the lower junior class of Year 3 and Year 4 pupils with a part-time teacher. Their joint planning is very good, ensuring continuity and the benefit of variety in teaching styles and expertise.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 28 lessons

19. Scrutiny of written work showed good progress and achievement by all of the pupils. The progress since September until the inspection in November as evident, but the extent and quality of the teachers’ marking was too variable. Where it was clear that the teacher had talked with the pupil rather than mark the written work, there was rarely evidence of focus on particular aspects in subsequent work.

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The curriculum

The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum, which meets statutory requirements and the needs of all pupils. It is enriched by very good extra-curricular activities, and the pupils learn from visits and visitors to the school.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. • The curriculum is enriched by visits and visitors to the school. • There is a very good range of extra-curricular opportunities. • The programmes for pupils with special educational needs are very well planned. • There is too little specific provision for gifted and talented pupils. St Mary’s CE Aided Primary School - 11

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Commentary

20. The National Literacy Strategy is implemented effectively and is successfully adapted to the needs of pupils through the blocking of units. Although the National Numeracy Strategy is in place, its interpretation has been structured to conform to a published scheme and this has limited its effectiveness. Only this academic year has the school taken steps to address this through the adoption of unit plans.

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Commentary

21. The schemes of work for other subjects are based on national guidelines and have undergone some evaluation and revision in order to create a meaningful and relevant curriculum, which meets the needs of the school. In particular very good use is made of the local area in history and geography.

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Commentary

22. Provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education including citizenship is satisfactory, although many of the opportunities tend to occur incidentally, and systematic planning of this element of the curriculum is still at an embryonic stage.

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Commentary

23. There is very good provision for pupils with special educational needs. The planning for their educational progress is very thorough. The class teacher has a session with a part-time expert teacher and the special needs coordinator every half term, when progress, individual education plans and targets are discussed and set. The learning support assistants play a full and active part in this process. The governors are very well represented by two designated special needs governors in a school with a high percentage of such pupils. They understand the circumstances of the individual pupils and fulfil the governors’ responsibility in this area very well.

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Commentary

24. There is considerable enrichment of the curriculum through a wide range of visitors to the school and educational excursions, including residential visits. Support for the creative and aesthetic aspects of the curriculum is particularly strong and includes a regular arts week. Much of the work in history and geography is based on work in the locality. For example, pupils trace the course of a local river, investigate the mining industry of Cornwall and visit local Victorian country houses.

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Commentary

25. A wide range of extra-curricular activities enhances overall provision, particularly in sport. Good use is made of the local secondary school’s sports facilities and the school takes part in local swimming galas. There is some provision within extra-curricular activities for pupils with specific musical and sporting talents. However, structured provision for gifted and talented pupils within the mainstream curriculum is limited.

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Care, guidance and support

The care, guidance and support for pupils are good .

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Care, guidance and support

The provision for their welfare is satisfactory. Pupils value the support, help and the fairness of all staff. The school has yet to develop formal procedures for seeking pupils’ views. There are good procedures for helping new pupils settle in quickly.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils with special educational needs are well supported. • Good levels of academic and personal development are provided. • The condition of the infant toilets is unsatisfactory and poses a potential health risk. • New pupils are made to feel welcome and settle in quickly. St Mary’s CE Aided Primary School - 12

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Commentary

26. The school’s procedures for ensuring the safety and well-being of pupils are satisfactory. All adults are qualified to give first aid and they provide an effective response when minor injuries occur. Risk assessments are carried out in relation to all aspects of the school environment, work and procedures, which ensures that potential risks are identified and dealt with. Whilst there is currently no obvious risk to the safety of the pupils the state of the infant toilet block is unsatisfactory and poses a potential health risk. The school has already identified this as a major issue and the need for refurbishment has been agreed. There has however, been considerable delays in carrying out the work. Given the age of the building, members of staff have worked hard to provide a pleasant and welcoming learning environment.

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Commentary

27. Child protection procedures are in place and meet legal requirements. Key members of staff are well aware of the issues involved and have taken effective action in the past when concerns have come to light.

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Commentary

28. Induction arrangements are good. Most of the pupils move into school from the on-site private playgroup. Close working relationships exist between the playgroup and school staff. These lead to very effective levels of communication so that the needs of every child are discussed. Children from the playgroup are gradually introduced to the life of the school before they enrol. Activities include walking around the building, attending whole-school events and borrowing books. These arrangements help these very young pupils to settle in very quickly.

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Commentary

29. In lessons, the teachers provide very good support to individual pupils. All know the pupils well especially in relation to their abilities, needs and social circumstances. This knowledge enables teachers to help those pupils effectively who need additional support. The sample of pupils who completed the recommended pupil questionnaire during the inspection all agreed that teachers are fair and help them to work better.

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Commentary

30. Pupils with special educational needs are supported very well . Their individual education plans are shared with parents and there is good cooperation where home support can be provided. This is a small school where there are very close and trusting relationships. Staff find out about pupils’ views as a result of informal discussions or through parental contact. All the pupils questioned during the inspection stated that there was at least one adult whom they could approach if they had concerns.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The partnership between the school and the parents is good and with the community is very good .

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The parents who attended the pre-inspection meeting or completed the recommended questionnaire, shared very positive views about all aspects of the school. Where it is at all possible, the partnership between school and home is good. The links and work with other schools and the community is very good overall and contributes very effectively to pupils’ academic and personal development.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents are very happy with what the school provides for their children. • Communication with parents is very good. • Links with the community give pupils a wider understanding of the society in which they live and make a very good contribution to their lessons and personal development. • The services provided to help parents are very good. St Mary’s CE Aided Primary School - 13

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Commentary

31. The parents hold the school in high esteem and express very positive views about all aspects of its work. They are particularly pleased that children behave well, that their children are expected to work hard and the effective arrangements that help children settle into school life. They say that their children like school. The children, and the inspection evidence, confirm these positive views. A small minority of parents express some concerns about the information that parents receive about pupils’ progress, concerns about bullying and the limited range of activities available. Inspectors found that where bullying is identified, it is quickly and effectively dealt with. Inspectors judged that newsletters and general information provided to parents are good and that annual progress reports are also good. Progress reports show clearly what has been covered in lessons and how well each individual child has coped. They

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Commentary

also show what improvements are needed. There is a wide range of activities available to pupils. The results of a pupil survey carried out during the inspection revealed that they find other children are friendly and that they are expected to work hard most of the time.

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Commentary

32. The school has yet to establish a formal system for establishing parental views. However, this is a small school where the relationships between staff and parents are close. Parents state that the school deals very promptly with any concerns raised and they are made to feel very welcome in the school. Teachers and senior managers are very approachable.

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Commentary

33. Nearly all parents show an interest in their children’s education and most provide good support at home by helping with reading and homework. Parents give active support to the school, either by helping in lessons, or by helping with clubs and outside visits. Parents’ evenings and whole-school events are very well supported.

p.15

Commentary

34. The Friends of St Mary’s, the school’s parent/teachers association, is run by a small but hardworking committee and successfully raises funds to provide additional resources and learning opportunities for pupils. Although parents show a reluctance to serve on the committee, they nevertheless give very good support to organised functions. As a result the funds raised make a substantial contribution to providing additional resources and enhancing the school environment for example the purchase of a digital camcorder; painting the playground; and the purchase of sports and playtime equipment. The work of the association makes a very good contribution to pupil learning, and staff and pupils alike appreciate their efforts.

p.15

Commentary

35. Links with the community are very good and a strong, positive feature of the school. Pupils benefit from involvement in a range of community events, for example local festivals. There is a very strong association with the activities of St Mary’s Church including support for senior citizens. Pupils also benefit from a range of visits and visitors all of which provide good enrichment of the curriculum and support pupils’ personal and social development.

p.15

Commentary

36. Links with other schools are good. Close working relationships with playgroups and local secondary schools have resulted in effective procedures for preparing pupils to settle in smoothly and quickly to their new schools. For Year 6 pupils these activities include pre- enrolment visits, taster days and very effective arrangements for sharing information. A very good example, organised by a secondary school, involves inviting prospective Year 7 pupils to attend a summer camp where pupils meet others of the same age from different schools. This leads to new friendships and creates a sense of involvement when starting school. Infants from the on-site private nursery are introduced gradually to the school and attend some whole- school events, especially at Christmas. They also borrow reading books from the primary school. These activities help the very young pupils to become familiar with the school setting

p.15

Commentary

and routines. St Mary’s CE Aided Primary School - 14

p.15

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The overall leadership and management of the school are satisfactory .

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The governors fulfil their role very effectively. • The headteacher provides good leadership. • The quality of curriculum leadership is too variable, ranging from good to poor. • The provision for pupils with special needs is very good. • The needs of the higher attaining pupils in the mixed-age classes are not met well enough.

p.16

Commentary

37. The governors are providing very good leadership and all of them are generous in giving time and commitment. Since the last inspection, there have been difficulties in finding settled leadership of the right quality. The school went through a difficult period when results were well below average at the end of the junior years in 2001. Governors work well with the headteacher; for instance, showing good expertise and knowledge about school organisation, curriculum implications, and in deciding spending priorities.

p.16

Commentary

38. The finances are in good order, but reserves had to be committed this year to maintain staffing. The governors, with the headteacher, are persistent and tenacious in seeking school improvements, not only in standards and the quality of education, but also in improving facilities. Currently they are agitating for the upgrading of a toilet block, necessary for health and safety reasons. Money is set aside from the capital allocation towards the cost; this is a voluntary aided school.

p.16

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 258,661 Balance from previous year 54,232 Total expenditure 263,340 Balance carried forward to the next 49,553 Expenditure per pupil 1,980

p.16

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

39. The headteacher, promoted internally, has brought stability and good order and has won the confidence of governors, staff, parents and the pupils. Her leadership is good and under her guardianship standards are rising and parents say that the reputation of the school is improving. However, there are still areas for improvement. One of the needs is for a clearer understanding of their accountability by the subject coordinators. Leadership of subject areas is delegated to teachers, but not always well enough matched to specialist interest and expertise. The curriculum coordination ranges from good to poor; the quality of subject leadership is too variable.

p.16

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

40. The provision for pupils with special educational needs, and the very few who have English as an additional language, is very good. However, the needs of the higher attaining pupils, particularly in the mixed age junior classes, are not always met well enough.

p.16

COMMUNITY PROVISION

Links with the community are very good .

p.16

COMMUNITY PROVISION

The school has developed very effective links with the local community and has more recently, become involved in several major local initiatives. These have a very beneficial impact on learning. St Mary’s CE Aided Primary School - 15

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school has recognised the potential benefit of joining forces with a local secondary school to raise standards. • The school has become part of a major new project designed to share resources, information and training. • Parenting skills are enhanced through the acquisition of understanding and skills.

p.17

Commentary

41. School management has decided to take advantage of working with a local secondary school with Sports College status. Although this is a recent initiative, there have already been discussions and agreement about to what extent the secondary school can help raise standards in PE and sports. A member of the secondary school staff has already visited the school and helped with the teaching of PE. A summer camp has also been held for the elder pupils who have benefited from the range of activities provided. Plans are well in place to further develop these links in other areas for example, use of secondary school resources.

p.17

Commentary

42. The Penwith Learning Community has been established to enable joint training and development across all areas of school development. St Mary’s has only recently joined the network of 26 other local schools and has therefore not had time to fully benefit from the services available. These include sharing resources and expertise. Among the activities already carried out by the group include joint staff development, behaviour management and creative leadership. The outside expertise is impressive and is have a good impact. The school is very enthusiastic about the potential benefits and membership will undoubtedly help raise standards.

p.17

Commentary

43. The school has established a parenting course run by a charitable organisation. Parents attend a series of two hourly workshops designed to develop their parenting skills. The course results in a qualification for successful completion. Some 14 parents, including five from the school, currently attend. Learning includes learning techniques and skills associated with behaviour management and communication. The participants are very keen and the success of the course is spreading by word of mouth within the community. This project enables parents to better help their children and thereby raise educational standards.

p.17

Commentary

44. Other beneficial and successful examples of involvement with the community include use of the school premises for a summer playgroup and student placements from a teaching college.

p.17

Commentary

45. Overall the level of community involvement reflects an outward looking and imaginative school leadership aiming to continually improve standards across a range of school activities. In the long term the aim is that the pupils shall benefit from this approach and the range of initiates involved. St Mary’s CE Aided Primary School - 16

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision in the Foundation Stage is good .

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Children are admitted to school in September and January each year and attend for mornings only in their first term. This enables them to settle well and feel secure. Almost all children join the school from the on-site pre-school. Children receive a good start to their school life. The attainment of children on entry this year is average although at the time of the last inspection in 1998 and in the years between, attainment has been below or well below average. The quality of teaching and learning overall is good and there is very good support from a number of other adult helpers. The quality of leadership is satisfactory. Appropriate records of children’s progress are kept, and planning from the Early Learning Goals and their stepping stones is satisfactory. Standards are generally average although above average in personal, social and emotional development. The children generally achieve well. The quality of written reports is very good. Children contribute to

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

them with pictures to show their learning. Children are on track to achieve the Early Learning Goals by the end of the reception year, and may well exceed them in personal, social and emotional development and communication, language and literacy.

p.18

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are good relationships. • The classroom is organised to develop the pupils’ independence.

p.18

Commentary

46. Children benefit from the use of a very large space, which is appropriately resourced. There is a wide range of exciting opportunities to stimulate children’s learning. They work together well, sharing and taking turns and they show high levels of involvement in tasks. Children are developing good relationships with adults and friends. Their behaviour is very good.

p.18

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is very good .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teaching of writing skills is good. • The children have opportunities to write independently as part of their play. • There are good procedures to develop children’s reading skills.

p.18

Commentary

47. Children achieve well because of the frequent teaching of phonics: matching letters to sounds. In a very good lesson seen, the teacher challenged the children to write ‘a pig in a wig’ and ‘a fox in socks’, which about half of the oldest children achieved with support. Their progress in matching sounds with letters is very good. When the teacher realised children struggled to write the letter ‘w’, extra practice was given. There are good opportunities for children to write as part of their play. A group who were in the class boat, following the reading of a story about St Mary’s CE Aided Primary School - 17 Grace Darling were successfully practising writing sea charts! Most of the older children are reading simple words and sentences. All adults, including a frequent parent governor hear children read regularly. As a result of this very good provision, children’s achievements in reading and writing are very good.

p.18

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is satisfactory .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are appropriate opportunities to develop counting skills. • The most able children are not challenged sufficiently.

p.19

Commentary

48. Children are making good progress when counting back from ten. They recognize and sequence numbers one to nine. There are some good practical activities to reinforce pupils’ understanding, such as when building Lego towers, counting how high and then matching with a written number. However in a lesson seen, limited opportunities were provided for children who wanted to count beyond ten. Good opportunities are provided for children to join in with number rhymes and counting songs.

p.19

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is satisfactory .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are good opportunities to develop information and communication technology skills. • There are only limited opportunities for children to learn about other cultures.

p.19

Commentary

49. The youngest children are developing confidence when using computers. They show good control when using the mouse and drawing on screen. Children are aware of their surroundings and took part in an autumn walk as part of this term’s work on weather. They are aware of feelings associated with being happy and sad. Too few opportunities are provided for children to learn about the cultures and beliefs of other people.

p.19

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are good opportunities to be taught by a specialist coach.

p.19

Commentary

50. Children are taught each week by a visiting coach. In a good lesson seen they were developing their skills of controlling a ball well. They can bounce a ball back accurately and most can catch a ball with both hands. Children show good co-ordination when running between cones. When using equipment such as construction sets and when working in sand and with water, they show increasing skills and control. Since the last inspection the school St Mary’s CE Aided Primary School - 18 has had an outdoor area resurfaced for the youngest children to play safely. The range of outdoor toys is satisfactory.

p.19

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good .

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a wide range of opportunities to develop these skills.

p.20

Commentary

51. Children enjoy exploring colour, shape and textures. When decorating kites they confidently chose the patterns and colours. Children successfully use resources to create props to support their role play. In a lesson observed, a group of children confidently re-enacted preparations for a party and dressed for the occasion. They play together well.

p.20

English

The school provides curriculum enrichment through French lessons of half and hour for each class each week. One of these lessons was sampled; the teaching and learning were very good.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is very good provision for pupils with special educational needs. • The pupils’ achievement is good. • The quality of teaching and learning is good. • The leadership and co-ordination of the subject are unsatisfactory. • Standards in writing at Key Stage 2 are not yet high enough, particularly for boys.

p.20

Commentary

52. Standards in speaking and listening and reading throughout the school are average. Those in writing are average by the time pupils are seven and below average by age 11.

p.20

Commentary

53. Pupils’ achievement is mainly good. This is because there is very good provision for all pupils with special educational needs and the very few with English as an additional language. For example, the oldest children receive specific help to improve their speaking and listening skills. In a good lesson seen with a teaching assistant, the carefully matched ‘Socially Speaking’ work enabled children to make significant gains in speaking clearly and listening intently. In other snippets of lessons seen in Year 1, the teaching assistant working on ‘Progression in Phonics,’ was very skilled at improving pupils’ reading and writing skills, as the games selected challenged pupils. Intervention programmes to improve literacy skills are used well across the school.

p.20

Commentary

54. Achievement is good because the pupils behave well and they have very good attitudes to work. They are productive and many make good progress. The exceptions to this are the higher attaining pupils’ and boys’ writing in Years 3-6. In one mixed age class, all pupils were given the same groups of nouns, verbs and adverbs to construct sentences. This meant that the most capable were not stretched to the limit of their capacity. Standards in writing are not St Mary’s CE Aided Primary School - 19 yet high enough, particularly for the boys in Years 3-6. Improving the underperformance of boys is not a strong enough feature of the current school improvement plan or last year’s literacy action plan. By the time boys leave the school their attainment in writing is much too low. The co-ordinator is not tracking boys’ progress sufficiently and the impact of monitoring is slight. Leadership by the co-ordinator is unsatisfactory. Insufficient rigour is provided by the

p.20

Commentary

co-ordinator to pursuing the most appropriate curricular targets to raise attainment.

p.21

Commentary

55. The quality of teaching and learning across the school is predominantly good. This is because there has been an improvement in the quality of teachers’ planning and assessment since introducing the two-week blocked units of literacy work. Writing standards are showing signs of improvement. The key to the school’s success in improving this over the last year is the use of ‘toolkits’ and ‘marking ladders’. These identify with children the learning objectives for a successful piece of work at its start and the criteria for assessing it when finished. A good example was seen of assessment informing future planning in a Years 5/6 lesson on writing poetry. Pupils’ vocabulary improved dramatically following previously poor attempts to reveal expressions, such as: ‘jagged trees standing proud and tall’ and ‘squirrels shoot up trees and disappear into foliage.’ Specific guided reading sessions have a significant impact on

p.21

Commentary

improving pupils’ reading skills. In a very good lesson seen with Year 1, the teacher challenged and tested pupils’ knowledge of matching letters to sounds; the questioning was excellent and this led to pupils’ vocabulary improving as a result. The pace of teaching is good, which enables pupils to achieve the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to achieve well. The interactive whiteboard was seen being used well in Year 1 as part of a very good lesson on writing captions. Progress in English since the last inspection is good. Although standards are still average across the school, the pupils’ achievement has improved because of the improved quality of teaching.

p.21

Language and literacy across the curriculum

56. There are good opportunities for pupils to write across the curriculum, notably in history and science. In a Year 1 science lesson, opportunities were provided for pupils to offer opinions and explanations and to test out their understanding when exploring the properties of materials. When writing about what life was like for a child in Victorian Britain in a Years 5/6 history lesson, pupils captured the mood well of working in a factory and they understood the health concerns of the time. These opportunities are developing pupils’ ability to write at length and for a range of purposes.

p.21

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory .

p.21

MATHEMATICS

Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory across the school in terms of their prior attainment.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards have declined in junior classes since the last report. Older pupils’ basic number skills are poorly developed. • Very good relationships make a strong contribution to pupils’ learning. • There is insufficient emphasis on developing pupils’ problem solving and investigative skills. • The monitoring of teaching and learning is not sufficiently developed. • The marking of pupils’ work does not make clear what pupils must do to improve their work. • Recent curriculum developments are having a beneficial impact on pupils’ progress, particularly in Years 1 and 2.

p.21

Commentary

St Mary’s CE Aided Primary School - 20 57. Standards in mathematics are average in Year 2 but below average in Year 6. Pupils’ ability on entry has been average in the last few years but at the time of the last inspection was well below average. The attainment of pupils in the current Year 6, in their national tests in mathematics at age seven was well below average. In the light of this, pupils’ overall achievement is considered to be satisfactory.

p.22

Commentary

58. However, other factors within the school’s contro, which they have now begun to address, have prevented achievement from being better than satisfactory. In particular, there has been insufficient monitoring of teaching and learning. Evidence from a scrutiny of the [pupils’ written work indicates that the teaching of mathematics throughout the school has been primarily structured by close adherence to a commercial scheme of work. As a result, much of the work has not met the needs of the wide range of ability and age in each class. Although, additional support was provided for lower attaining pupils, most of the tasks set were the same for the lower attaining pupils in the younger year group as for the higher attaining pupils in the older age group. In particular, insufficiently challenging work was provided for higher attaining pupils.

p.22

Commentary

59. Until this year there has been insufficient emphasis on the development of pupils’ investigative and problem solving skills. In Years 3 to 6, pupils’ mastery of basic number skills is poor and their ability to solve mental number problems through a range of mental strategies is insufficiently well developed. A change of approach by the school is beginning to address these problems. There is an increasing emphasis in lessons on improving pupils’ skills in explaining mathematical reasoning, their use of mathematical vocabulary and their recognition of number patterns.

p.22

Commentary

60. Information technology is being increasingly used to support learning in mathematics and particularly good use is made of data handling programmes.

p.22

Commentary

61. Although mathematical skills are used in science and geography, for example when measuring or carrying out surveys, evidence from a scrutiny of pupils’ work revealed limited opportunities for the application and development of mathematical skills across other areas of the curriculum.

p.22

Commentary

62. The quality of teaching in the mathematics lessons observed was good in Years 1 and 2 and satisfactory in Years 3 to 6. Across the school lessons proceeded at a brisk pace and there was a good balance between direct teaching and opportunities for pupils to consolidate their learning. In Years 1 and 2, there was an appropriate emphasis on practical activities to reinforce learning.

p.22

Commentary

63. In most classes, support staff are used effectively to support lower attaining pupils. However, there is no indication in pupils’ books of how much support they have received in completing their work. Relationships between pupils and between adults and pupils are very good and this makes a positive contribution to pupils’ learning. The atmosphere in lessons is invariably calm and purposeful, routines are well established and no time is wasted.

p.22

Commentary

64. Teachers are beginning to use information from assessment to plan more carefully for the range of different abilities and ages in each class. However the quality of marking is such that pupils do not have a clear idea of how to improve their work further. Pupils are not helped to understand fully how work builds on previous learning and find it difficult to apply knowledge gained in one aspect of mathematics to another. For example, in a lesson in the Year 5/6 class pupils were unclear about the relationship of fractions to the probability of a spinner landing on a particular number.

p.22

Commentary

65. The quality of management of mathematics is satisfactory although the co-ordinator’s role is underdeveloped and she has had no opportunity to observe teaching throughout the school. Resources are satisfactory and used well. St Mary’s CE Aided Primary School - 21

p.22

Mathematics across the curriculum

66. Awareness of mathematics across the curriculum is less well developed than literacy. Nevertheless, class teachers who teach nearly all of the subjects are conscious of interlinking and interdependence, and number manipulation is regularly practised. For instance, at the beginning of the day, number rhymes and songs in the reception class and counting on and back in the infant classes are regular features of morning registration routines. In the junior years, aspects of mathematics are involved in subjects such as science, and the teachers’ knowledge of what has been taught informs expectations.

p.23

SCIENCE

Two long lessons of 60 minutes each were observed, one in the infant section and one in the junior department.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a good programme of work in the infant section, especially for the Year 2 pupils. • The teaching seen in the infant class was very good. • The explanation of a demanding concept being taught in the junior class was not clear enough. • There is a good approach to investigations and fair testing. • Planning is not flexible enough for the wide range of needs and ages in each class in the junior section.

p.23

Commentary

67. Standards are close to average in the junior years. In 2003 the test results of the eleven-year olds were just below the national average but, when compared with similar schools, were very well above average, and in the top five percent of such schools. This was because all the pupils in a small cohort reached the expected Level 4, though well below the national average reached the higher Level 5. At Key Stage 1, in one very good lesson observed, standards were above average. At the end of the 2002/3 academic year, the teacher assessments placed the overall standard at just below the national average, but this was with a Year 2 cohort of pupils with well below average standards in speaking and listening. Standards at the time of the last inspection were judged to be above average throughout the school, so despite the good achievement of the current pupils, standards are currently a little lower.

p.23

Commentary

68. Over their time in the school,l the pupils achieve well. There is a sound scheme of work ensuring appropriate coverage, but too much reliance is placed on worksheets copied from a commercial scheme. There is good emphasis on the concept of fair testing, and good records of investigations conducted by the pupils. An investigation in Year 2 about the speed at which ice melts at different temperatures led to some good extended writing, reinforcing the planned link with literacy and the school’s focus on writing. However, at Key Stage 2, the higher capability pupils needed a more rigorous approach to a demanding concept.

p.23

Commentary

69. The coordinator is new to the post and has not seen colleagues teaching this subject. The specialist part-time special educational needs teacher works closely and very successfully with the designated coordinator and governors; these pupils’ progress is reviewed regularly and their needs attended to well in lessons. There is, however, some lack of teacher confidence and conviction with concepts more difficult to explain. Resources are good and imaginatively used: for instance, using farmyard animal models to create shaped shadows. St Mary’s CE Aided Primary School - 22

p.23

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

Provision for information and communication technology is satisfactory .

p.24

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

One lesson in the infant section was seen. There was evidence of work in other classes and some use of ICT in other lessons.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The provision strikes a good balance between the teaching of basic skills and supporting learning in other areas of the curriculum. • There are a good number of computers in classrooms but too few in the computer suite to meet the needs of pupils. • Procedures for monitoring teaching and learning are not fully established. • Staff are generally confident in teaching the subject.

p.24

Commentary

70. Standards of attainment are average and have been maintained since the last inspection. By Year 6, pupils’ skills in information technology are average, although even the youngest pupils demonstrate confidence when accessing and using a range of different programs.

p.24

Commentary

71. Although government funding has resulted in the purchase of a wide range of software to support learning across the curriculum, there are too few computers in the computer suite to allow a whole class to be taught basic skills at one time. This causes problems only partially alleviated by the purchase of an interactive white board.

p.24

Commentary

72. The scheme of work is based on national guidelines and a commercial scheme and all strands of the subject are covered over the course of the year. Both teachers and support staff are confident in teaching and demonstrating the full range of skills and all pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress. Information and communication technology is used well to address the needs of pupils with specific learning difficulties. Procedures for assessing and recording pupils’ progress are well established in Years 3 to 6 but have yet to be implemented in Years 1 and 2.

p.24

Commentary

73. Leadership and management of the subject are enthusiastic and knowledgeable but the co- ordinator’s monitoring of teaching and learning is underdeveloped, as she has no opportunities for observing teaching.

p.24

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

74. Good opportunities are provided in classes for pupils to consolidate their skills and to apply them in different areas of the curriculum. Evidence from a scrutiny of the pupils’ work and from displays around the school indicates that opportunities for using and incorporating information technology are regularly built into teachers’ planning.

p.24

HUMANITIES

No geography lessons were seen throughout the school during inspection as it is not taught this term. One lesson at each key stage was seen in history. Pupils’ written work in both history and geography was examined. Religious education was covered by a separate inspection in this voluntary aided school.

p.24

History

Provision in history is satisfactory . St Mary’s CE Aided Primary School - 23

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Historical study of the local area is a good feature. • The alternate teaching of history and geography each term does not allow pupils’ skills to be built on progressively. • There are gaps in the pupils’ knowledge of sequencing events in history.

p.25

Commentary

75. Standards are in line with those expected at both key stages. The National Curriculum is in place fully at both key stages. Good use is made of the local area when studying the Victorians. Working with a local artist the children visited sites in the local area popular with the Victorians. Some good observational drawings were produced as a result. The oldest children carry out historical enquiries using a range of sources from census information, the Internet and books. In a good lesson seen with Years 5/6, pupils wrote some good accounts about what life was like for children in Victorian times. Their achievement is good because they are very interested in the subject and enjoy researching from the wide range of resources available. Good opportunities are provided for children to work together by reading each other’s work and discussing it. Television clips are used selectively to enable history to come

p.25

Commentary

alive. Pupils with special educational needs are included well. In the lesson seen they made gruel with the teaching assistant for all children to taste. The good level of questioning enables pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills to be consolidated. Standards are not as high as they were found to be at the time of the last inspection.

p.25

Commentary

76. The quality of teaching and learning is mainly good across the school. In a good Year 2 lesson, pupils learned to ask a range of questions based on their observations of a famous person – Florence Nightingale. The teacher challenged pupils to observe differences from a range of prints to compare and contrast similarities and differences in dress and everyday items. Pupils listen to instructions well and work very hard to complete tasks. All children were given the same task as they were in mixed ability groups. The work sampled indicates that the difference in expectations of groups of pupils is not strong enough.

p.25

Commentary

77. The co-ordinator provides satisfactory leadership. A useful file of work is being compiled by the co-ordinator to demonstrate the range of work covered, both from photographs of classroom display and examples of pupils’ work. From this file some good work could be seen from the study of the Greeks. Clay work and masks from papier-mache were particularly successful.

p.25

Geography

Not enough evidence was available to make a judgement on the quality of teaching, standards and achievement. However the best work stems from the local coastline studies. Some high quality booklets, advertising the local area, could be seen from the pupils work last year. However, there are some weaknesses in knowing where places are in the world.

p.25

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

No lessons were available to be seen during the inspection in art and design, design and technology or music. No judgement is possible about standards and teaching in music.

p.25

Art and design

The school appears to make little distinction between the art and design and design and technology. Whereas art and design appears strong, there is a need to implement a clearly defined programme in design and technology. Evidence from displays and planning documents indicates that art St Mary’s CE Aided Primary School - 24 continues to have a high profile in the school and that standards are at least average by Year 6. Pupils’ work indicates that most aspects of art and design including drawing, painting, collage and three-dimensional work are all regularly covered. The main visual elements are systematically built into teachers’ planning.

p.25

Art and design

The curriculum strikes an effective balance between the development of specific subject skills and the use of art to illustrate other areas of the curriculum. Effective cross-curricular links are made. For example, a visit to the local art gallery was used as a stimulus for creative writing.

p.26

Art and design

Good use is made of visiting artists and crafts people to enrich the curriculum.

p.26

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Provision in physical education is good . Four lessons were observed, two in each of the infant and junior sections. One of the junior department lessons in swimming was visited at the town swimming pool. A scheme of work was seen, and the resources inspected for suitability and quality.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teachers are keen, and learning from a visiting specialist. • The visiting male teacher is a good role model and experienced subject specialist. • The lessons contain the recommended elements, including discussion about performance.

p.26

Commentary

78. Standards throughout the school are above average. In the three lessons observed on the playground, there was a good warming up session, followed by some discussion and tuition. Thereafter there was a session on skill development, in each lesson appropriate to the needs of the pupils of that age. The pupils then enjoyed a period of competition, usually involving further application of the skill just practised. All the pupils were changed into appropriate clothing. In two cases where pupils were not taking part, they were usefully occupied taking notes for the teacher. In the swimming lesson, there was professional oversight, though school staff, with extensive teaching assistant support, took the lesson. The class was split between swimmers and others still learning and gaining confidence. The school has records of good progress in swimming.

p.26

Commentary

79. The quality of teaching is good overall. The lessons seen had been well planned and were conducted at a lively pace. There are no fields attached to the school, but good use is made of the playground, and visits every other week to the swimming pool. There are good resources, safely and tidily stored. The hall is small for the full range of activities. The coordinator is learning from the experienced visiting expert.

p.26

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Provision in personal, social health education and citizenship is good .

p.26

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

No timetabled lessons in this subject were seen, but all the elements are present and taught well through other subjects. St Mary’s CE Aided Primary School - 25

p.26

The overall effectiveness of the school 3

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

p.27

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2

Attendance 5 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

p.27

The quality of education provided by the school 3

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

p.27

The leadership and management of the school 4

The governance of the school 2 The leadership of the headteacher 3 The leadership of other key staff 4 The effectiveness of management 4

p.27

The leadership and management of the school 4

Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7). St Mary’s CE Aided Primary School - 26

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