St Mary's Lewisham Church of England Primary School

INSPECTION REPORT

ST MARY’S CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL

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INSPECTION REPORT

Dates of inspection: 15 th – 17 th September 2003

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INSPECTION REPORT

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 1 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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INSPECTION REPORT

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 Church of England Primary School - 2 INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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INSPECTION REPORT

School address: 329 Lewisham High Street

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INSPECTION REPORT

Name of chair of governors: Rev. Canon David Garlick

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INSPECTION REPORT

St Mary’s Church of England is an inner city school with 241 pupils plus facilities for 50 part-time pupils taught in the nursery. Around 80 per cent of pupils have English as an additional language, including English Creole speakers which is very high, and over 83 per cent of pupils come from minority ethnic groups. Mobility is exceptionally high with over 50 per cent of pupils in the current Year 6 not having been at the school in Year 2. More than a third of pupils are on the register for special educational needs, a small but significant number of these are identified as having either moderate learning difficulties or emotional and behaviour difficulties, and four pupils have statements of special educational needs. Approximately 36 per cent of pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals; again this is above the national average. There are four pupils who are refugees or asylum seekers. Attainment on entry to the school is very low. There has been a large turnover of

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INSPECTION REPORT

staff since the last inspection, with three different headteachers. An acting head teacher has been in place since Easter. St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 3 INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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INSPECTION REPORT

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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INSPECTION REPORT

22476 Mrs S Vale Lead inspector Foundation stage, standards, teaching and learning, leadership and management of the school, creative arts. 9563 Mrs J Reid Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour, the care of pupils, partnership with parents. 24528 Mr G Muton Team inspector Mathematics, special educational needs, the curriculum. 26232 Mr C Grove Team inspector English, English as an additional language, Information and communication technology, humanities. 27629 Mr P Brooks Team inspector Science, design and technology, physical education.

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INSPECTION REPORT

Tribal PPI Ground Floor Barley House Oakfield Grove Bristol BS8 2BN

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INSPECTION REPORT

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.oftsed.gov.uk). St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 4

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REPORT CONTENTS

PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE MAIN INSPECTION FINDINGS

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REPORT CONTENTS

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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REPORT CONTENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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REPORT CONTENTS

QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 12 - 17

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REPORT CONTENTS

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

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REPORT CONTENTS

PART C: THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION IN AREAS OF LEARNING, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 19 - 31

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REPORT CONTENTS

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

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REPORT CONTENTS

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 32 St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

St Mary’s Church of England school is a slightly larger than average sized, multi–ethnic school in the middle of Lewisham in London, inspected 15 th – 17 th September 2003 by an inspection team led by Mrs S Vale.

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HOW SUCCESSFUL THE SCHOOL IS

This is an improving school that provides a satisfactory standard of education overall, although standards in English, mathematics and science are low. The school provides good educational inclusion. The leadership and management by the acting headteacher are good. The curriculum is satisfactory. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, with teaching in the Foundation Stage and Year 6 consistently good . The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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THE SCHOOL’S MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• Children receive a good start to their time at school and teaching in nursery and reception and in Year 6 is consistently good, but not all teachers have high enough expectations of what children can achieve; • This is an inclusive school with good racial harmony amongst pupils, who work and play well together; • Standards of attainment in English, mathematics, science, and the humanities are unsatisfactory ; • Pupils’ achievement in relation to their prior attainment is satisfactory ; • The procedures for monitoring pupils’ attainment and for tracking individual pupils’ progress in the school are good, but this information now needs to be used in the planning of what children are to be taught, in order to raise standards; • The leadership and management by the acting headteacher are good ; • The provision for the social and cultural development of pupils is good and pupils’ improving behaviour and good relationships make a positive impact on learning; and

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THE SCHOOL’S MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• There are good links with the local community.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL SHOULD DO TO IMPROVE

• Stabilise the leadership and management of the school; • Raise standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science; • Raise standards in geography and history; • Raise teachers’ expectations of what children can achieve, through the regular monitoring of teaching and learning; • Ensure that assessment information is being used to inform lesson planning and what is to be taught next; • Develop a more consistent approach to the marking of pupils’ work; and • Take immediate action to promote good attendance and punctuality.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS CHANGED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

School improvement since the last inspection has varied considerably . There have been 3 headteachers since the last inspection with many changes of staff. There is also a very high percentage rate of pupil mobility and this, with the many changes of staff, has had a negative impact on standards. Standards of writing in Key stage 1 have not improved sufficiently to show good St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 6 progress. However attainment is rising in mathematics in both key stages. In recent times there has been real improvement in assessment procedures, although marking of work is still not consistent throughout the school. The quality of teaching still needs to be improved in areas where it is unsatisfactory. The school has a strong commitment to improvement.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS AT THE SCHOOL

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS AT THE SCHOOL

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS AT THE SCHOOL

English D D E* E well above average above average A B

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS AT THE SCHOOL

mathematics E E E* E average below average C D science E C E* E well below average E

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS AT THE SCHOOL

For pupils in the 2003 cohort, achievement is satisfactory . The high turnover of both pupils and staff has had a negative effect on attainment especially in Year 6 where there has been more than 50 per cent mobility since these children were in Year 2. Children enter the school with standards well below those normally found. Children in the Foundation Stage achieve satisfactorily although by the age of five most children do not reach the goals expected in language and literacy. Attainment in physical development is above the goals expected for children of this age. By the end of Year 2 , standards are below average in reading, writing and mathematics, but achievement at age 7 is satisfactory . By the end of Year 6 , standards in English, mathematics and science are below national expectations. Previously, boys achieved better than girls but this trend has abated and girls and boys both achieve to a satisfactory level.

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THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

Teaching and learning Teaching is satisfactory overall . There is consistently good teaching in the Foundation Stage and Year 6. Learning is satisfactory across the school but with significant progress made in Year 6 . Curriculum Satisfactory. There is a broad and balanced curriculum with some opportunities for enrichment.

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THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

Care, welfare and support Good. Pupils are cared for well, and there is good provision of support, in particular for those pupils with special educational needs. The learning mentor has a particularly positive effect in supporting pupils. The school provides an inclusive education for all pupils.

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THE ETHOS OF THE SCHOOL

Attitudes and behaviour Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are improving. The good strategies which the school has instigated to reward good behaviour are starting to have a positive effect.

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THE ETHOS OF THE SCHOOL

Pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development Pupils’ spiritual and moral developments are satisfactory. Their personal, social and cultural developments are good, resulting in good racial harmony. St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 7 Attendance Both attendance and punctuality are unsatisfactory. There are insufficient procedures to monitor reasons for absence.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership The acting headteacher provides good leadership of the school. The senior management team is newly empowered. As yet members have not had sufficient opportunity to fully develop their role. The governing body understands the strengths and weaknesses of the school, and now needs to act more as a critical friend.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Management Good . The acting headteacher and other key staff manage the school well.

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WHAT PARENTS AND PUPILS FEEL ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Parents: The very small number of parents who responded to the questionnaire are reasonably satisfied with the quality of education which their children receive. A small but significant group would like more communication between the governing body and school. Parents are pleased about the improving behaviour in the school and most feel that there are good links with the community.

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WHAT PARENTS AND PUPILS FEEL ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Pupils: The majority of pupils spoken to really like school and would recommend their school to a friend if asked. Several children said that they felt behaviour was getting better. Several pupils in discussion commented that they like learning but would like more challenge in their lessons. St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 8

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PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE INSPECTION FINDINGS

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE INSPECTION FINDINGS

Achievement overall is satisfactory. In the Foundation Stage achievement is satisfactory in all areas of learning except communication, language and literacy where children are unlikely to reach the early learning goals, and in physical development where they exceed what is expected for children of this age. In Years 1 and 2 achievement is satisfactory. In Years 3 to 6 it is also satisfactory. Standards in English and science are below average and well below average in mathematics. Previously, girls achieved better than boys but currently there are few differences in their achievements.

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PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE INSPECTION FINDINGS

• For pupils in the 2003 cohort, achievement is satisfactory ; • The high turnover of both pupils and staff has had a negative effect on attainment; • More than 50 per cent mobility of children throughout the school has also affected standards; • Children enter the school with standards well below those normally found; • Standards in the core subjects are below national averages, but they are rising, particularly in mathematics; • There has been a positive improvement in the standards achieved in ICT; and • Standards in the humanities are below national expectations.

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PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE INSPECTION FINDINGS

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

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PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE INSPECTION FINDINGS

Standards in: School results National results English 25.2 (23.3) 27.0 (27.0) Mathematics 24.1 (22.8) 26.7 (26.7) Science 26.2 (24.8) 28.3 (28.3) There were 34 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE INSPECTION FINDINGS

1. Children in the foundation stage achieve satisfactorily although by the age of five most children do not reach the goals expected in language and literacy. Attainment in physical development is above the goals expected for children of this age. By the end of Year 2 standards are below average in reading and writing and well below in mathematics. Achievement at age seven is satisfactory . By the end of Year 6 standards in English and science are below national averages and well below in mathematics. Achievement at age 11 is satisfactory. Although standards are below average, pupils achieve as well as they can because they make progress both in lessons and over time. Many factors have impinged on pupils’ attainment; large numbers of pupil and staff mobility have affected results. The large number of pupils with English as an additional language also impacts on standards attained, but the school works hard to include all pupils and to ensure that they all have access to the

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PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE INSPECTION FINDINGS

curriculum. This is why pupils achieve satisfactorily but their standards are still low. Previously, boys achieved better than girls but this trend has abated and girls and boys both achieve to a satisfactory level.

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PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE INSPECTION FINDINGS

2. The achievement of pupils with English as an additional language is satisfactory . School evaluation information also provides no evidence of under-achievement in relation to ethnic background. St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 9 3. In 2002 standards in Year 2 in reading, writing and mathematics were well below when compared to national averages. When they were compared to similar schools, standards in reading were as expected, but below average in writing and well below in mathematics. The provisional results for 2003 show a slight improvement and show that the recently instigated teaching and learning policy is starting to have a positive impact. Mathematics shows particular improvement as a result of the school concentrating on trying to raise standards throughout the school in this subject. This cohort has had many changes of pupils over the last 2 years, and has a high proportion of pupils with special educational needs and

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PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE INSPECTION FINDINGS

English as an additional language; all of these factors have had an impact on the standards pupils have reached.

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PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE INSPECTION FINDINGS

4. The results of the 2002 national assessments for pupils in Year 6 show that standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science were in the bottom five per cent of all schools nationally. When compared to similar schools, these results remained well below national averages. In this particular cohort, many pupils were new to the school, and school records show that few pupils had remained at the school since Year 2. It is also important to note that due to the high number of changes in teaching staff, this particular cohort in all their time at St Mary’s had never had one class teacher for a whole year. This obviously has had a negative impact upon standards achieved. The preliminary results of the 2003 national assessments show improvement for pupils aged eleven. Inspection evidence confirms that there is a general rise in standards and that pupils are achieving much more.

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PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE INSPECTION FINDINGS

5. Pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills are unsatisfactory and this limits the standards that can be obtained in subjects such as history and geography, which are well below national expectations. Pupils’ handwriting skills are inconsistent. Not enough use is made of subjects such as history and geography to develop pupils’ literacy skills.

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PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE INSPECTION FINDINGS

6. Pupils have reached satisfactory standards in information and communication technology. This is an improvement since the last inspection.

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PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE INSPECTION FINDINGS

7. In all other subjects where a secure judgement is possible, pupils’ knowledge and understanding is in line with national expectations at ages seven and 11. Judgements in art and design and technology are based upon samples of work seen.

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PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE INSPECTION FINDINGS

8. Pupils with special educational needs receive good support and as a result they achieve satisfactorily in relation to their prior attainment. Potentially higher-attaining pupils do not achieve as well as they should, due to the fact that teachers’ planning does not always identify enough work to challenge this group, nor are all teachers’ expectations of what these pupils can achieve high enough.

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PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE INSPECTION FINDINGS

9. Pupils with EAL are well supported and make satisfactory progress. The achievement of pupils with English as an additional language is satisfactory. In nursery and reception they make particularly good progress in developing their speaking skills because many of the activities are geared to this important development. Although pupils make satisfactory progress, their attainment still remains below or well below those expected of their age nationally, particularly in the core subjects.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes to school are satisfactory, and they behave reasonably well in lessons and around the school. The provision for pupils’ personal development is satisfactory. Attendance and punctuality is unsatisfactory. The provision for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is satisfactory . St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 10

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Attitudes to school are satisfactory • Behaviour is satisfactory overall, but there is play-fighting in the infants’ playground and some rowdy behaviour in both playgrounds; • Personal development is satisfactory overall; • Attendance and punctuality are unsatisfactory. There has been a lack of action by the school to promote good attendance and punctuality; and • Provision for pupils’ personal, social and cultural development is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 7.6 School data 0.6 National data 5.4 National data 0.5 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 50 1 0 White – Irish 2 0 0 White – any other White background 3 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 16 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 3 3 0 Mixed – White and Asian 3 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 6 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 4 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 1 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 4 0 0 Black or Black British – Caribbean 131 5 0 Black or Black British – African 51 0 0 Black or Black British – any other Black background 18 0 0 Any other ethnic group 16 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 9 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Commentary

10. The Christian ethos of the school provides a sound foundation for the development of a set of values, concern and respect for others, and good racial harmony. Teachers and staff overall are developing an ethos where pupils can grow and flourish in a community with common inclusive values. Most pupils enjoy coming to school and are keen to take the opportunities St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 11 they are given. Overall, they generally work well in class and take an evident pride in their work, especially when the lesson is stimulating. However, instances were seen when pupils worked noisily, were not always engaged in their work, and some did not contribute to discussions. This was mainly seen when teachers did not have high enough expectations of what pupils could achieve and so the more able pupils were not being challenged enough.

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Commentary

11. Attendance is unsatisfactory and well below the national average. This is mainly due to some parents taking their child on holiday in term time, and to the high mobility of pupils who sometimes remain on role after they have left the school. The school has not carried out a detailed analysis of the reasons for absence to help it address the problem. Too many pupils arrive late to school so there is a ragged start to the school day. This means that often pupils miss the start of lessons and teachers have to spend a lot of time explaining over and over what the lesson is about. These pupils are then spending the rest of the lesson ‘catching up’. There has been a lack of action by the school to promote good attendance and punctuality

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Commentary

12. The school has a calm and orderly atmosphere. The behaviour of pupils has improved over the last term. Serious incidents are rare and fewer pupils were given fixed term exclusions last term. In a few lessons, instances of unsatisfactory behaviour affects the learning of others. The Learning Mentor works very well with groups of pupils on issues such as anger management. Pupils whose behaviour is good or improving are publicly recognised and celebrated in assemblies, for example, the Golden Book Assembly. These initiatives have contributed to the recent improvement in behaviour

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Commentary

13. The school is successful in promoting racial harmony. However, there are instances of play- fighting in the infant playground and some boisterous play that is occasionally too boisterous in both playgrounds. This means that teachers on occasions have to spend time in calming pupils down at the start of lessons after playtimes. There are rare incidents of bullying. This is generally by one of the many pupils arriving new to the school, before they absorb its culture. When incidents of bullying or harassment are brought to the attention of the staff they are taken seriously, and dealt with appropriately.

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Commentary

14. Pupils’ personal development overall is satisfactory. However, there is no whole school plan to show where spiritual, moral, social and cultural themes are taught across the curriculum, and therefore opportunities to develop these areas fully are missed.

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Commentary

15. Pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory. Pupils are given some opportunities to foster spiritual aspects of worship in their assemblies and good support is provided by the local vicar. In a Year 1/2 science lesson where pupils were learning about the many different types of food with different tastes, they were encouraged to explore what animates themselves and others, and showed obvious enthusiasm during the experiments. It is an uplifting experience to be in the Year 6 classroom, with its beautiful displays, magnificent decorations and area for reflection. There are satisfactory opportunities to develop insights into values and into a range of religious beliefs. However, opportunities in lessons for pupils to reflect on the beauty of literature, art, and nature are often missed.

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Commentary

16. Pupils’ moral development is satisfactory. Principles of knowing the difference between right and wrong underpin the Positive School Discipline Plan and Circle Time lessons. Most teachers manage behaviour consistently and are good role models. All classes discuss and formulate rules that reflect the school ethos and promote a sense of community. Pupils learn how to say sorry and how to befriend those who are feeling lonely. However, a minority show little self-discipline in unstructured situations and do not consider the impact of their actions on others.

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Commentary

17. Pupils’ social development is good. The school fosters a sense of community, free from racial tensions, and pupils learn to co-operate with one another. All pupils in one class worked well together to build an enormous tetrahedron with the help of the Lewisham Business Partnership. Pupils’ relationships with staff and with one another are good. St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 12 Opportunities are provided for pupils to take responsibility and show initiative. Some pupils are involved in whole school decisions and represent pupils’ views on the school council. Recently they have contributed ideas for the refurbishment of the playground. There are school prefects who are proud of their position and know their responsibilities. Residential school journeys are popular and pupils develop independence and teamwork skills. Pupils develop social skills well in the after-school games clubs.

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Commentary

18. Pupils appreciate their own and others’ cultural traditions well. They are interested and keen to participate in music from different cultures. Teachers use resources from a wide range of cultures, which are much in evidence around the school. They participate in cultural events such as Black History month and Black Women’s week, and make visits to museums, concerts and galleries. This has a positive impact on the pupils’ social development and educational inclusion and is starting to have a positive impact on standards.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a satisfactory quality of education. Strengths include some aspects of teaching, the leadership and management of the acting headteacher, and the links with the local community. Weaknesses include teachers expectations of what pupils can achieve and work that is sufficiently challenging.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. There is consistently good teaching in nursery, reception and Year 6. In Years 1 and 2, teaching is satisfactory overall, but varies between unsatisfactory and good. In Years 3 – 5, teaching overall is satisfactory but it varies between unsatisfactory to good . As a result of good teaching, learning in nursery, reception and Year 6 is good . In Years 1 – 5 learning is satisfactory. The examples of good teaching are seen throughout Years 1 – 6. The specific emphasis on the teaching of language ensures that children with English as an additional language learn well. Assessment is good , and the individual tracking of pupils and target setting are also good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Consistently good teaching in nursery, reception and Year 6; • Good subject knowledge by most teachers; • Good use of teaching assistants and learning mentor in most classes; • Good assessment procedures; • Good procedures for the individual tracking of pupils; • Assessment, however, not yet fully used to inform curriculum or what to teach the pupils next. This leads to work lacking challenge and low expectations; • Insufficient monitoring of teaching and learning leads to not enough challenging work being set to cater for individual needs of pupils, particularly those of higher ability; and • Not all teachers have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve, and therefore learning is not as successful as it should be.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 40 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. St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 13 19. Since the last inspection there have been many changes in teachers. Examination of pupils’ work and discussions held during the inspection show that the quality of teaching has improved during the last few weeks under the leadership of the acting headteacher. The teaching and learning policy is starting to have a positive impact on the raising of standards.

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Commentary

20. There is consistently good teaching in the nursery and reception. There is a good balance between teacher-directed and child-selected activities which meets the needs of this age children well. The particular emphasis which the early years staff place on the development of language is very positive and shows that they understand well the learning needs of the youngest children. There is also consistently good teaching in Year 6. The good points include:

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Commentary

• Good knowledge and understanding of subjects and this helps set challenging and interesting work; • Work set is relevant and stimulating for the needs of individual pupils; • Imaginative and interesting work is a strong feature of many lessons; and • Good use of resources to stimulate pupils’ interest and help them concentrate on their work.

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Commentary

19. Teaching assistants and the learning mentor provide valuable support to pupils in this school. They work closely with the teachers and know the pupils well. This leads to pupils being supported effectively. They make a positive contribution to managing behaviour by working closely with individual pupils. All of this helps pupils to concentrate and thus to learn more effectively.

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Commentary

20. Teachers have good subject knowledge and use this effectively, for example, when teaching information and communication technology lessons. There are good procedures for gathering information about the pupils’ abilities and the standards they are reaching. There are also good procedures for tracking individual pupils’ progress in English and mathematics. This information is not yet fully utilised to support teachers in their planning of work. Marking is inconsistently used across the school; some teachers use good explanations to explain what individual children need to do to improve their work, others just tick it. In some classes there is a lot of unmarked work. Information gathered from looking at pupils’ work is not used sufficiently well enough to plan what needs to be taught next to help pupils to achieve more.

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Commentary

21. Examination of pupils’ previous work and of teachers’ planning shows that not enough work is planned to extend the most able pupils. These pupils do not attain well enough and this has an effect upon the overall standards in the school. Not all teachers have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve, and therefore learning is not as successful as it should be. As a result, pupils are often set the same tasks in lessons instead of teachers planning a range of tasks with varying levels of difficulty and challenge for different abilities. In a significant number of lessons very few pupils were working above the expected level as work was not planned to allow this to happen. This is a significant area for improvement if overall standards of attainment are to rise further.

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Commentary

22. Teachers work with the special educational needs coordinator to write individual education plans (IEPs) for pupils in their class who have special educational needs (SEN). The targets in these plans are usually appropriate although on occasions they are too broad and unrealistic for pupils to achieve in the short term. The IEPs are easily accessible to support staff so that they can refer to them when leading a group of pupils. However, the contents of the IEPs are not specifically incorporated in teachers’ overall planning. Pupils with SEN receive good support from teaching assistants. During the inspection, pupils with SEN were seen tackling slightly easier or modified tasks on occasions and an adult, including the classroom teacher, often supported them. However, in general, teachers’ planning does not indicate clearly the different approach to be tried with pupils with SEN or the different level of

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Commentary

difficulty of the learning task provided for them. The SEN co-ordinator provides very good in- class support in Years 1 and 2 and also provides very good specialised teaching for groups St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 14 withdrawn from the classroom for short sessions. The SEN co-ordinator also withdraws older pupils from their classes for individual teaching.

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Commentary

23. There are examples of pupils with SEN achieving very well and making good or very good progress. However, overall the teaching of pupils with SEN is satisfactory and these pupils make satisfactory progress.

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Commentary

24. A range of tests is used to assess the progress of pupils with SEN and their IEPs are reviewed regularly to check progress against their targets. The SEN co-ordinator keeps very clear and precise records. All pupils at the ‘School Action Plus’ stage of assessment have individual discussions with the SEN co-ordinator about their progress and the next steps to take. When asked, a sample of these pupils were very clear about their personal targets.

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The Curriculum

Both the quality of curriculum opportunities provided by the school and the opportunities for learning outside of school hours are satisfactory. The quality and quantity of accommodation and resources at the school are satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The overall curriculum planning ensures that all pupils have access to the learning opportunities provided; • Teachers often provide a cultural dimension to the curriculum; • Specialist learning opportunities provided for pupils with special educational needs is good; and • Whole school plans do not include specified links for learning between subjects.

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Commentary

25. The curriculum meets statutory requirements. Two classes in the school have mixed ages which presents challenges in curriculum planning to ensure equal opportunities for all pupils. However, the overall planning framework ensures that pupils do not repeat units of work and do not miss any important aspects of learning as they move through the school. The curriculum is planned in such a way as to facilitate links between subjects but it is left to individual teachers to identify these links. This is not always achieved and on occasions leads to teachers not challenging pupils enough. Teachers are aware of the diversity of cultural background of the pupils and often provide cultural aspects to the work. In music for example, pupils have experience of African and Indian music and in art they look at art produced by African and American artists as well as the work of Europeans.

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Commentary

26. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is overall satisfactory although the specialist support offered by the SEN co-ordinator is good. The arrangements for pupils’ personal and social education are satisfactory. The provision for drugs education and sex education is being reviewed. There is currently little development of the curriculum owing to the priority of stabilising the staffing situation. However, teachers are taking on the challenge provided by the introduction of the innovative ‘interactive whiteboards’.

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Commentary

27. The school’s range of out-of-school learning opportunities has been greatly enhanced by the introduction of after-school football clubs. There have been difficulties in running after school ’booster classes’ as the pupils in most need of support have not stayed to take advantage of this extra learning opportunity. A group of teachers runs a similar class using their lunch break. The school is situated in a very busy road and this precludes the possibility of short walking excursions to enrich pupils’ classroom experiences. However, a number of visits are undertaken, including visits to art galleries and museums. Both Years 5 and 6 are offered residential visits. A recently formed football squad is hoping to take part in inter-school tournaments. Groups of pupils have occasional opportunities to give musical performances St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 15 in the community and pupils with musical talent are encouraged to join instrumental classes

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Commentary

28. There are sufficient teaching and support staff to meet the demands of the curriculum. Professional development has been hindered over the past few years by high staff turnover so there is a wide range in professional expertise and experience. The school enjoys the benefit of having a recognised lead teacher in mathematics, and her positive input has started to have an impact on rising standards in mathematics. The use of a specialist music teacher amongst the teaching staff also allows pupils to achieve well and to experience all aspects of music thoroughly. It is a current priority to stabilise the staffing situation. The accommodation is satisfactory although the small size of the classrooms makes the organisation of practical work difficult. The new extension to the original Victorian building provides a satisfactory space for the nursery class. The school has worked hard and succeeded in making the outside areas look attractive but there is no playing field. The Year 6

p.16

Commentary

classroom decoration and displays create an exemplary learning environment. The teaching and learning resources are satisfactory overall. The new interactive white boards are used effectively by some teachers.

p.16

Care, guidance and support

The care, guidance and support for pupils are good and support pupils’ learning appropriately. Health and safety procedures are satisfactory. Achievement and personal development are monitored s atisfactorily. The involvement of pupils in the school’s work and development is satisfactory.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The care and support given to pupils is good. The teaching assistants, midday meal supervisors and learning mentor all contribute to the positive ethos of the school; • The school inducts new pupils of all ages and those who arrive throughout the school year well. Pupils feel secure; • The system of targets is specific and well-structured; and • Not all staff are updated on Child Protection procedures, partly because of the mobility of staff. They all have detailed written information.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

29. The procedures for ensuring pupils’ welfare, health and safety are good. The person responsible for health and safety together with a governor and the caretaker tour the site each term and record any concerns. Action is taken. Fire drills are carried out and the electrical and physical education equipment are checked annually. Child protection procedures are securely in place. However, not all staff are up-to-date on these, partly because of the mobility of staff, and this is an unsatisfactory situation. They all have detailed written information.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

30. The support, advice and guidance given to pupils is good. The school provides a supportive, caring and happy environment. Pupils who have been in the school for a time say that there are staff they would go to if they had a problem. The school is sensitive to the needs of the many pupils who arrive during the school year so they settle in quickly. Teaching assistants, midday meal supervisors and the learning mentor play an important part in the school. They liaise well with teachers and contribute to the calm caring ethos, where each child is treated as an individual.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

31. The school uses assessment information to provide specific targets in mathematics and writing for each pupil. These are discussed with pupils and they and their parents each have copies. Pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning and the pupils spoken to all knew and understood their targets. However, teachers have not yet established St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 16 time to discuss and give feedback to pupils on their progress in meeting these targets, and therefore this is a weakness. The learning mentor and school identify pupils who have poor behaviour. Targets are set for these pupils and he works with both parents and the child to meet these targets. This approach is having very positive results.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

32. The school council represents the views of pupils from Year 2 upwards. They take their duties seriously and have contributed ideas on the refurbishment of the school playground and the Golden Book Assembly arrangements. The regular planning of Circle Time in all classes offers the opportunity for pupils to raise and discuss issues and problems.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

33. Pupils with special educational needs receive very good support from the special educational needs (SEN) co-ordinator and the learning mentor. All pupils at the ‘School Action Plus’ stage of assessment have individual discussions with the SEN co-ordinator about their progress and the next steps to take.

p.17

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Partnership with parents is satisfactory . Links with the community are good . Links with other schools are satisfactory

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Information for parents on their child’s progress and day-to-day matters is good, with the exception of the annual reports. Parents are told their child’s specific targets in mathematics and writing twice yearly and the level at which they are working, so that parents know how to support their child’s learning; • The school acknowledges that it needs a climate of greater openness on major issues to develop the partnership with parents; and • There are very productive links with the local community.

p.17

Commentary

34. The determination of the acting headteacher to inform and involve parents is clearly shown by the frequent communications home and the accessibility of herself and the teachers. Since she took up her post, parents’ views have been sought on the Newsletter format and on the playground refurbishment. Home-school agreements are in place. The school acknowledges that it needs a climate of greater openness on major issues. Many parents attend the parents’ evenings and other events that involve their child. However, despite the school’s efforts, parents have very limited involvement in the general life of the school. There is no parent-teacher association, few parents attended the meeting on the playground refurbishment, and few help in the school. Very few responded to the OFSTED questionnaire or attended the meeting, so their views are in no way representative.

p.17

Commentary

35. Parent Plans are sent home each term giving full curriculum information and specific advice on how parents can help their child learn. A letter from the class teacher accompanies them. This explains routines, expectations and the homework timetable. However, there is no homework policy. Newsletters are sent every two weeks. Parents' meetings are held in the autumn and spring terms to discuss their child’s progress. They are told their child’s specific targets in mathematic and writing and the level at which they are working. Parents say that they find the new target system very helpful as it involves them in their child’s learning. However, this information is not transferred to the computer generated annual reports to parents, which are unsatisfactory. Meetings have been held on specific issues such as pupils’ targets, mathematics, SATs and sex education. The learning mentor works well with

p.17

Commentary

parents to obtain a consistency of approach to improve childrens’ behaviour and to raise their self-esteem. St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 17 36. There are very productive links with the local community. Lewisham Business Partnership has provided enjoyable educational workshops for some classes. Representatives from the police and fire brigade work with classes on a regular basis to provide suitable preventative advice and guidance. Groups of pupils sing to residents in sheltered housing and in community centres. Pupils participate in Lewisham People Day. The school won the ‘Clean and Green’ award for raising awareness of the environment. These links and more, together with visits to museums, galleries, etc., provide pupils with a wide range of learning experiences beyond the school.

p.17

Commentary

37. The school has long established links with the church. Pupils attend services there on Mothering Sunday and at other times. The priest is Chair of the Governing body, and regularly takes services in the school. Some members of the congregation have volunteered to hear pupils read in school.

p.18

Commentary

38. The school is in partnership with London Metropolitan University and students have work experience in the school as part of their training. The school has recruited new teachers through this connection. Links with the many secondary schools are satisfactory. Teachers visit the school to meet their new pupils. The school provides work experience for Year 10 pupils from several local secondary schools. Pupils have attended science workshops provided by students and teachers in some secondary schools.

p.18

Commentary

39. The arrangements for consulting parents of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) are good. However, pupils’ individual targets are agreed before the parent consultation so that the parents’ contribution to the discussion is handwritten on to pupils’ individual education plans. The SEN co-ordinator is available for parents to speak to at all parent consultation evenings as well as before and after school. The appointment of a learning mentor has had a very positive effect upon relationships between the school and parents.

p.18

Commentary

40. There is a very good working relationship between the school and a special educational needs support group in a nearby school. Pupils who are offered support in this joint venture are shown to make good and sometimes very good progress with their emotional and behavioural difficulties.

p.18

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management by the acting headteacher are good overall. Governance is satisfactory, with some good areas . Leadership is good. The acting headteacher provides good leadership, with a clear vision for how to improve the school. Subject co-ordinators are keen and enthusiastic but their leadership is less effective. Management is good by the headteacher. The newly-empowered senior management team is a recent development and it is still too soon to see the full impact it has on raising standards.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• It is a matter of priority that the leadership and management of the school should be stabilised; • Good leadership and management by the acting headteacher; • The enthusiasm of the newly empowered co-ordinators; • The commitment of key staff and other teachers to improving the school; • Governors have good knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the school; • The governing body is not always sufficiently challenging; • The role of the senior management team is still in the early stages of development but gaining strength; and • The school improvement plan is in the very early stages of creation. St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 18

p.18

Commentary

41. The acting headteacher has taken over the school after a difficult and turbulent time. She provides good leadership and is well supported by other key staff. Staff are newly united and work well together as a team. This is a positive aspect of the school and means that a more consistent approach to the management of whole school life is possible. In recent weeks the school has moved considerably forward in many areas. The acting headteacher has clear knowledge and vision of how the school should develop. She is responsible for effective systems being established to ensure that all staff are enabled to contribute to the school’s developments, and to take on responsibilities in their own areas.

p.19

Commentary

42. The headteacher and key staff have recently started to evaluate teachers’ planning and lessons. The information gained has enabled them to determine how the curriculum and teaching and learning in the school should be developed. Slowly but steadily this is starting to raise standards. The senior management team has only recently been empowered to take on a more structured role in the school. Its members are keen to do this. The acting headteacher has put in place strategies to help to improve all aspects of school life, to ensure the best possible provision for pupils.

p.19

Commentary

43. The governing body has been through a difficult time but have supported the school throughout the many changes of headteacher and staff. They are keen to make improvements. The governing body is now well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the school, but until the recent appointment of the acting headteacher was not fully informed about standards or all the developments which were happening in school. The governing body now needs to take on a more pro-active critical friend role in its support of the school, and to stabilise the leadership and management of the school. The school improvement plan is still in the earliest stages of being written, but the acting headteacher, senior management team and governing body have a clear vision of the needs and areas for development that are necessary to improve the school.

p.19

Commentary

44. Professional development has been hindered over the past few years by high staff turnover, as staff are trained so they move on and are replaced by new members of staff and so there is a wide range in professional expertise and experience.

p.19

Commentary

45. Budgets are set in accordance with statutory requirements but there has been a very large amount of money spent on supply teachers and staff over the last financial year. The governing body monitors the budget. As yet the principles of ‘Best Value’ are applied in most areas but the governing body still needs to monitor this against the raising of standards.

p.19

Commentary

46. The SEN co-ordinator is a member of the senior management team. However SEN does not yet appear as a standard item on the agenda. The co-ordinator monitors school performance with regard to pupils with SEN and deploys herself and her support staff appropriately. A process involving the review and development of all teaching assistants and other staff who work with SEN and EAL pupils is in place, led by the SEN co-ordinator. Professional development is hampered by staff turnover. However, the co-ordinator undertakes some training herself and is making good progress towards building an effective team. Within the support team there are examples of good and very good practice. St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 19

p.19

The provision for children in nursery and reception is a strength of the school. Teaching is

consistently good in this area of the curriculum . Children enter the nursery on a part time basis from the age of three. They move into the reception classes in September and January. At the time of the inspection, for many children it was their first taster of school.

p.20

The provision for children in nursery and reception is a strength of the school. Teaching is

Many children enter nursery with very low levels skills in communication, language and literacy and in personal, social and emotional development. The good teaching in the nursery and reception classes enables children to make rapid progress in these skills. Children are assessed on entry to the nursery and again when they enter reception. The results of these assessments last year, the teachers’ observations so far and the lesson observations indicate a wide range of attainment, but overall, it is below the expected levels for children of this age range. The good teaching in the reception classes enables all children to make good progress and they are on course to attain standards in line with the national expectations of the early learning goals in most areas of learning. Children with special educational needs and those who are learning English as additional language do equally well because the support offered to them is very good. The staff in nursery and reception

p.20

The provision for children in nursery and reception is a strength of the school. Teaching is

classes work well together as a team to provide a happy, safe and secure environment where learning is made fun for these very young children.

p.20

The provision for children in nursery and reception is a strength of the school. Teaching is

The school has made good progress since the last inspection. There are secure separate outdoor play areas for reception and nursery children and staff make good use of this in developing pupils’ physical and social skills as well as providing them with opportunities to follow their interests.

p.20

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• children start in nursery with very low levels of personal, social and emotional development; • children make good progress in this area of the curriculum; • consistently good teaching; • children rapidly gain in confidence; and • many activities well planned to ensure that children’s personal and social development is clearly enhanced.

p.20

Commentary

47. Children make good progress in this area of development in both the nursery and reception class. This is as a result of the consistently good teaching in this area throughout the Foundation Stage. Given the very low level of attainment with which children start nursery, they rapidly gain in confidence in exploring the various activities set out for them and are happily settling in to the general routines of the day. In reception classes, children display high levels of concentration and involvement in their activities even at this very early stage in the school year. For example, children were fascinated when looking at a picture by David Hockney. Through stories and role play they are beginning to learn about the importance of sharing and caring. The circle times and stories are used well to give children the opportunity to reflect on their feelings as well as those of others. St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 20

p.20

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• well organised and planned activities to support children’s language development; • all staff working in the foundation stage take every opportunity to encourage children to speak and to develop their vocabulary and their language skills; • children with English as an additional language very well provided for; and • Children start school with very low levels of language acquisition, and therefore are unlikely to achieve the language and literacy goals by the age of five.

p.21

Commentary

48. A number of children start the nursery with delayed speech and language development. The nursery teacher and other staff provide good opportunities for children to develop their spoken language. There is a lot of emphasis on talk through play. In the sessions observed, staff developed children’s spoken language by often repeating what they have said. They often talked about what they were doing and encouraged children to do the same. This also really supported those children who are learning English as an additional language. By the time they leave the nursery, the majority of children can recognise their own names and are beginning to recognise initial sounds of words. Good teaching in reception builds on this knowledge. For example, in a phonics session in reception, children know that ‘mirror’ begins with ‘m’ and ‘snake’ with ‘s’. Children transfer this knowledge to other areas of the curriculum;

p.21

Commentary

for example when looking at a picture by David Hockney, one child commented that the path in the picture was the same shape as an ‘S’ for snake. There are good opportunities for children to learn how to write and children are encouraged from a very early age to make marks on paper and to draw and paint.

p.21

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• children are given many opportunities to count; and • songs and rhymes support children’s learning of mathematics.

p.21

Commentary

49. Children are provided with a range of activities to support their learning in this area. Although many children start the nursery with low-level skills in this area, the good learning opportunities children have while they are in the nursery enable most to make good progress. Children are encouraged to count whenever the opportunity arises; for example, when using the computer, counting programmes are available for children to use to improve their knowledge of numbers. Teachers frequently repeat numbers when, for example, giving out drinks so that children learn about and use numbers in their every day lives.

p.21

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good activities planned to enhance children’s’ learning of this area of the curriculum. St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 21

p.21

Commentary

50. Many children enter the nursery with a limited knowledge of the world around them. The well- planned activities succeed in helping children in nursery and reception to learn more about the world around them. For example, children really enjoy planting bulbs, and watering the herb gardens. Activities related to this area of learning were not specific during the time of the inspection and therefore it is not possible to make a secure judgment of teaching in this area.

p.22

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• there are good opportunities for children to increase their physical development; • children achieve very well; and • they exceed the early learning goals in this area of the curriculum.

p.22

Commentary

51. Most children are likely to exceed the early learning goals by the time they leave the reception classes. The teaching in this area is consistently good through out the Foundation Stage. The newly-developed outdoor areas are used effectively to develop children’s physical skills. Children in the nursery and reception class are developing their skills in putting an apron on and fastening the buttons on their clothes. They are given opportunities to learn about and practise how to hold a brush and how to cut and paste materials to make their pictures in an uninterrupted way. This helps children to learn and correct their mistakes and learning is made fun. They can use wheeled toys with confidence. Opportunities to develop their emergent writing and handwriting skills are very good.

p.22

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• there are many opportunities for children to develop their imagination; • good creative activities are available; and • well-planned activities support other areas of the curriculum in this area.

p.22

Commentary

52. Children are given the opportunity to experiment with different materials, for example, play dough, water, sand and paint. The role play areas are used effectively to develop children’s imagination. The staff are very knowledgeable about how young children develop a theme to their play and intervene only when necessary. Through their questioning, they enable children to move their play forward. Children in reception classes paint freely and confidently using their imagination and experiences. They are beginning to learn about how to create new colours by mixing two primary colours. Teachers use these opportunities well to develop their literacy skills. They encourage children to talk about how it feels and describe the colours. Children are beginning to use the resources in role play areas as prompt and develop a theme to their play.

p.22

Commentary

53. There is good leadership of the foundation stage and all staff work very well together. The guidance and support they offer for children, parents and staff are very good. The nursery nurse and learning support assistants make a significant contribution to children’s learning. St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 22

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The leadership and management of the acting co-ordinator are good; • Target-setting for pupils is effective; • The action plan for English is not focused on a small enough number of major aims; • The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, with some good teaching and good use of support staff; • English standards in speaking and listening, reading and writing are below average overall, and are lower than they were at the last inspection; • The quality of marking is not consistent and is not helping pupils to know how to improve their standards; • Older pupils are not learning to write more independently; and • Oral and written tasks for pupils are not being matched to their abilities and previous learning

p.23

Commentary

54. Overall standards achieved by pupils at the ages of seven and eleven are below average.

p.23

Commentary

55. Standards of pupils’ speaking and listening are below average in Year 2, and are broadly in line with the national average in Year 6. Many younger pupils do not find it easy to learn to listen to others, and need to be taught to develop this skill. Their answers to teachers are often quite limited. Older pupils have more opportunities to become confident to answer questions or to speak in front of the whole class, as, for instance, some Year 6 pupils did in a history lesson about the 1960s. Pupils by the age of seven and 11 make good progress and achieve well, considering the very low starting points from which they begin school.

p.23

Commentary

56. Reading standards are below average in Year 2. Higher-attaining pupils read accurately and fluently, with good use of expression to indicate meaning, but other pupils do not always have enough knowledge of the sounds of letters to read less familiar words and are not making sufficient use of the pictures to make sense of their reading. Not enough attention is paid to full stops when they read. Lower-attaining pupils are very hesitant readers and can read only very common words. In Year 6, reading standards are also below average. Higher-attaining pupils read accurately and fluently and understand the meaning of what they are reading. Other pupils also read confidently, correcting themselves where necessary, but with less fluency. They show less understanding of plot and characters than more able pupils.

p.23

Commentary

57. Standards of writing are well below average in Year 2. Only a minority of present Year 2 pupils can write well enough for adults to read their work clearly but past Year 2 work shows that the quality of spelling and of handwriting of higher-attaining pupils is satisfactory overall. At Year 6, standards of writing are below average. Present Year 6 pupils of all abilities are presenting their work well and are writing clearly. The standard of their note-taking is satisfactory. Previous Year 6 work shows that higher-attaining pupils mostly spell and punctuate to a good standard and have sound control of language, but other pupils have unsatisfactory handwriting and presentation and are often unable to spell and to write well enough to communicate meaning clearly.

p.23

Commentary

58. The overall quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory, although marking is not consistent and insufficient attention is paid to basic grammar corrections. Where teaching is good, teachers first ensure good levels of attention, have very good classroom management skills and give pupils a clear framework. For example, before Year 6 pupils analysed a piece of writing during the Literacy Hour, the teacher discussed with the class how to undertake the St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 23 task, making good use of the interactive whiteboard. Pupils then made good progress in analysing another piece of writing. In good lessons, teachers had effective questioning techniques. However, in one ineffective lesson, the pace of teaching was slow so that pupils lost concentration, and were not sufficiently challenged to achieve more. When pupils were working in groups, the teacher did not ensure that every child was checked at some point.

p.23

Commentary

The result was that some pupils worked without the teacher assessing the quality of their work or helping them to achieve a higher standard.

p.24

Commentary

The inspection identified three particular weaknesses:

p.24

Commentary

i. marking of pupils’ written work is not always being regularly carried out, and it is not sufficiently focused on how pupils could improve their standards of work; ii. older pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to apply their writing skills through writing more independently; and iii. neither the oral nor the written tasks in English lessons are being adequately matched to pupils’ levels of attainment.

p.24

Commentary

59. The acting co-ordinator has a good understanding of the subject. She and the acting headteacher have checked samples of the written work of pupils, and diagnosed some weaknesses. Targets are effectively set for individual pupils based on the school’s judgement of their current rate of progress. The school’s action plan for English is ambitious but needs a sharper focus. However, positive steps have already been taken towards its achievement. The school is making good use of strategies and initiatives to provide additional support to improve pupils’ literacy at various ages and also uses the optional national tests in Year 3 to Year 5.

p.24

Commentary

60. At the last inspection, the improvement of writing standards by infant pupils was a key issue. This remains the case. Standards at Year 2 are now below average in reading and well below average in writing. In Year 6, standards are below average in reading and writing. In speaking and listening, standards are below average at Year 2 but are in line with the national average at Year 6. The quality of teaching remains satisfactory overall. No overall judgements were made at the previous inspection about the quality of leadership and management in English. Both the leadership and the management of the present acting co-ordinator are good, but the lack of a permanent co-ordinator is an unsatisfactory position.

p.24

Language and literacy across the curriculum

Pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to apply and develop their literacy skills in other subjects such as geography and history and this is a weakness.

p.24

English as an additional language

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language is satisfactory.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school ensures that there is equality of opportunity for all; • Teachers work hard so that children with EAL have access to the full curriculum through the specific teaching of specialist vocabulary; • The early years environment is particularly supportive of children’s early language acquisition; • The school has teachers whose specific role is to support the achievement of minority ethnic pupils; • The school’s action plan for minority ethnic achievement shows its commitment to social inclusion and race equality; and • Effective targets are being set for the achievement of minority ethnic pupils. St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 24 61. The achievement of pupils with English as an additional language is satisfactory . School evaluation information shows no evidence of under-achievement in relation to ethnic background. The large number of pupils with English as an additional language impacts on

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

standards attained but the school works hard to include all pupils and to ensure that they all have access to the curriculum.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

62. The school employs two ethnic minority achievement service (EMAS) teachers on a part- time basis whose job descriptions relate to improving the achievement of minority ethnic pupils. The teachers support pupils in the early stages of learning English as an additional language, and also undertake some work with individual pupils and their families. The school is planning to increase the involvement of the parents of these children. The school admissions process helps to identify pupils for whom English is an additional language. A consultant from the local education authority has also worked with teachers about issues concerned with ways of supporting pupils in the early stages of learning English as an additional language. More advanced speakers are targeted for support through the Raising Achievement initiative. 63. The EMAS budget is being used to raise achievement of minority ethnic pupils. The school

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

has a detailed action plan related to minority ethnic achievement and this underlines the school’s commitment to inclusion in general and race equality in particular. The plan focuses on priorities for raising minority ethnic achievement. The school is setting realistic but challenging targets for the achievement of its minority ethnic pupils.

p.25

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The mathematics coordinator has strong subject knowledge; • Appropriate long-term targets are set for pupils, but they are not always sufficiently challenging; • Pupils’ work is checked by subject leader and senior teacher and suggestions for improvement and development are given to teachers; • There is insufficient emphasis upon the need to vary the level of difficulty of tasks according to the abilities of pupils; • Teachers’ planning does not take sufficient account of pupils’ previous learning; and • The quality of marking is inconsistent.

p.25

Commentary

64. Eleven lessons were observed, pupils’ books and school records were scrutinised and discussions held with the subject leader, senior staff, teachers, support staff and pupils.

p.25

Commentary

65. Standards achieved by both seven-year-olds are 11-year-olds are well below average. However, inspection evidence shows that the decline in standards over the last few years has been stabilised. As a result of this, standards have risen slightly and a good start has been made to establish secure school systems and practice in order to continue this improved trend.

p.25

Commentary

66. The subject leader is very experienced and recognised as a lead mathematics teacher by the local education authority. She is very aware of the low standards of work produced throughout the school and the quality of teaching. However, the high turnover of teaching staff over the last few years has mitigated some of the benefits of the strong subject leadership and this in turn has had an effect upon the overall achievement of pupils. Some teachers who have received extra help and training have left the school and the mathematics expertise and experience of new teachers joining the school is variable. However, the quality of teaching overall is satisfactory with evidence of some good teaching. No unsatisfactory St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 25 lessons in mathematics were observed during the inspection. There is evidence of pupils making very good progress in their last year in school, suggesting very good teaching in Year

p.25

Commentary

67. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall. A good system of tracking pupils’ progress in the school and identifying essential learning targets for them has been established. However, this information is not being used effectively in teachers’ planning. As a result, pupils are often set the same tasks in lessons instead of teachers planning a range of tasks with varying levels of difficulty and challenge for different abilities. These teaching methods allow pupils to learn and make satisfactory progress but there are times when some pupils, especially the more capable and those who find mathematics difficult, could achieve more. The expectations of some teachers are not sufficiently high for these groups of pupils. New planning systems have been tried and there is a willingness by senior staff and teachers to continue to develop the quality of teachers’ planning. The high proportion of pupils who leave

p.26

Commentary

and join the school has a negative effect upon the overall achievement of pupils and underlines the importance of teachers developing good planning systems so that new pupils are helped to continue their learning at the appropriate level.

p.26

Commentary

68. The majority of teachers expect pupils to work hard and they complete a large amount of work during the year covering all aspects of the subject. Behaviour and attentiveness is satisfactory and often good. However, teachers’ marking does not give sufficient help to pupils to know how to improve. Although many pupils are aware of their long-term targets, they are not sure about the purpose of particular lessons and how well they are doing. Time is sometimes wasted in lessons with pupils taking a long time to write down ‘lesson objectives’ (the purpose of the lesson) in words they do not understand.

p.26

Commentary

69. Resources for the subject are good. Some teachers are starting to use the new interactive whiteboards effectively and during the inspection there were good examples of teachers using a good range of teaching and learning resources so that, for example, pupils would have apparatus or number lines to help them with their calculations.

p.26

Mathematics across the curriculum

There is little evidence of pupils having the opportunity to use and apply their mathematics skills and knowledge in other subjects.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is good teaching at the end of both Key Stages; • The co-ordinator has a clear vision of how to raise standards; • A lack of differentiation leads to a lack of challenge for some pupils; and • Investigative science and assessment need to be developed further.

p.26

Commentary

70. The majority of pupils are working below national expectations however, when considering the previous attainment of the pupils, good progress is being made in science. This is an improvement on the comparison made with similar schools at the time of the previous inspection. There is no significant difference in the standards attained by boys and girls. Pupils with special needs are well supported in the classroom and as a result of this they St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 26 also make good progress. The school has set itself challenging targets for the end-of-year assessments in 2004 and has identified pupils who will benefit from extra support.

p.26

Commentary

71. The quality of teaching is at least satisfactory with examples of good teaching in both a Year 1/2 and a Year 6 class, at the end of both Key Stages. Here there are good examples of investigative science with activities overall well planned to match the needs of pupils, although there are some missed opportunities to stretch the more able pupils. During these lessons, all children are very actively involved in extending their skills of investigation and further developing their knowledge of scientific facts, showing a real enthusiasm for the subject. This good practice needs to be shared with other teaching staff. On other occasions, pupils are provided with numerous worksheets and written exercises, which provide experiences in literacy; however the science content is minimal.

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Commentary

72. The setting of targets for individual pupils has recently been introduced and this is a good feature which is starting to raise levels of achievement. Teachers now need to use these targets, together with pupils’ currently assessed levels, to improve their planning to meet the needs of all pupils. Currently, in many classes all pupils are given the same task and this clearly provides a lack of challenge. Targets, together with the further development of procedures for assessment, particularly in the regular marking of pupils' work, will also ensure that teachers gain a greater understanding of the needs of all pupils. Currently, marking of pupils' work is not consistent and there are very few written comments indicating what they should do to improve. The recently written policy outlining a consistent approach to marking needs to be adopted by all.

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Commentary

73. The leadership and management of science are good. The co-ordinator has developed a good, effective action plan, showing how standards can be raised through regular monitoring, target-setting and developing a whole school approach to investigative science. A particularly good feature is the development of individual targets for pupils, written in 'child-friendly language', which will allow pupils to gain an understanding of how they can improve.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology (ICT) is satisfactory

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The standards of pupils’ work meet national expectations; • The computer suite is satisfactorily resourced; • Teachers are developing confidence to demonstrate programs and techniques in the suite; • Pupils are responding positively to the opportunities provided for ICT work, and co-operate well with one another; • The ICT assistant is playing a useful role in supporting teaching and learning; • Very few pupils are working at a level higher than that expected for their age; • Teachers’ expectations of pupils, particularly higher-attainers, are not high enough; • Pupils’ standards are not yet being checked by the co-ordinator; and • The amount of floor space for pupils when they sit to view the whiteboard in the computer suite is currently inadequate and means that not all pupils can see what the teacher is teaching.

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Commentary

74. Four lessons were observed, and pupils’ recorded work was examined. Discussions were held with the co-ordinator, teachers, support staff and pupils.

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Commentary

75. Standards achieved by pupils at the ages of seven and eleven are in line with national expectations. Year 2 pupils have the expected level of skills in accessing programs St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 27 confidently. Year 6 pupils reach expected standards in ICT applications and undertake some of their English, mathematics and science work using ICT. Pupils are making satisfactory progress overall but very few are working at a level higher than that expected for their age. The resources in the new computer suite are satisfactory and are providing a sound basis for developing the use of ICT.

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Commentary

76. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Teachers have a satisfactory or better level of knowledge about the programs used. They are developing confidence in using the interactive whiteboard in the suite to demonstrate programs or techniques and are providing pupils with good starting points for their work. A teacher of older juniors, for example, demonstrated how to create a geometric figure on the screen and then how to move and rotate it, alter its size and colour-fill it. This resulted in all pupils developing proficiency in applying the techniques demonstrated. In the best lessons, teachers ensure that the lesson is well-paced and allow sufficient time for pupils to complete tasks before the end.

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Commentary

77. Pupils of all ages show enthusiasm for the subject. They often have to share their computer terminal with another child and co-operate well with each other in this arrangement. The ICT assistant and other teaching assistants, regularly play important roles in supporting pupils to understand and complete their tasks.

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Commentary

78. Teachers are, however, not setting sufficiently high expectations in ICT lessons, particularly for higher-attaining pupils. All pupils undertake the same work, yet some children show greater proficiency than others and could be asked to complete more challenging tasks involving more advanced skills and techniques. Teachers thus need to assess the capabilities and progress of individual pupils more thoroughly.

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Commentary

79. The leadership and management of ICT are satisfactory. The local education authority has now assumed responsibility for hardware maintenance, which until recently was the responsibility of the co-ordinator. Her job description includes the checking of pupils’ standards and the quality of classroom teaching but this function has yet to be systematically undertaken. The subject’s current action plan indicates improvements are now being set in place, but the plan would benefit from more sharply-focused objectives and criteria for success. In the computer suite, there is currently insufficient space for all pupils to be seated on the carpet to view the interactive whiteboard during demonstrations. Re-positioning the library shelving would allow for improved viewing.

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Commentary

80. At the last inspection, pupils’ standards were in line with the national average at Year 2 and Year 6. The present inspection confirms that standards continue to meet national expectations for these two year-groups. The quality of teaching and learning remain satisfactory, as at the previous inspection. No overall judgement was made last time on the leadership and management of ICT. The leadership and the management of the subject are currently judged to be satisfactory.

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

Some teachers are using ICT to support other subjects but more could be done. Classroom use of ICT is limited.

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HUMANITIES

Religious Education was not inspected under this section 10 inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

Provision in geography is unsatisfactory, and provision in history is poor. St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 28

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

• Good use of practical learning in geography to develop pupils’ understanding; • Good use of the interactive whiteboard in history to develop pupils’ skills of observation; • Pupils are not having sufficient opportunities to record geographical knowledge and develop geographical skills; and • Pupils are not having sufficient opportunities to record historical knowledge and develop historical skills.

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Commentary

81. One lesson of geography in Year 3 was observed and one lesson of history in Year 6. In order to assess standards in each subject, pupils’ exercise books from the previous year were also examined.

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Commentary

82. Standards in geography are below national expectations in Year 2. Pupils have had only limited opportunities to record geographical knowledge, and there is little evidence that they are developing geographical skills, such as recording observations, learning fieldwork techniques, and learning about maps and plans on various scales. In Year 6, standards in geography are also below national expectations. Pupils have recorded only a limited amount of simple factual knowledge of limited geographical value, such as the names of some European countries. Again, there is little evidence that they are acquiring as expected skills and techniques which develop their geographical understanding.

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Commentary

83. Standards in history are well below national expectations in Year 2. Pupils have not had sufficient opportunities to record their understanding of historical events and personalities. There is no evidence that they have had experiences which enable them to develop an understanding of chronology, to discover aspects of the past for themselves, or to make sense of historical information. In Year 6, standards in history are also well below national expectations. Similarly, there is no evidence that pupils have had sufficient opportunities to develop as expected the skills of historical interpretation and enquiry.

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Commentary

84. From the two lessons inspected, it is not possible to make judgements about the overall quality of teaching and learning in geography or history. However, some good features were observed in the teaching seen. Younger junior pupils made good progress in learning about aspects of rainfall when the teacher demonstrated how puddles form and thus developed their understanding from the practical experience. Older junior pupils began learning about the 1960s by focusing on John Lennon. The teacher made good use of the interactive whiteboard to project pictures so that pupils could make observations about aspects of 1960s life. She encouraged initial thoughts from pupils but neither confirmed nor denied them. In this way, pupils’ interest was aroused. Several Year 6 pupils studying history also had the opportunity to speak about the 1960s in front of the whole class after they had undertaken some reading and discussion. Both of these teachers also showed good skills in

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Commentary

managing pupils’ attention and behaviour.

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Commentary

85. At the last inspection, standards in geography at Year 2 and Year 6 were in line with the national average. On this inspection, they are judged to be below national expectations. At the previous inspection, standards in history were unsatisfactory at Year 2, but satisfactory at Year 6. On the present inspection, they are judged to be well below national expectations at both ages. There is no doubt that pupils’ weak language skills are affecting their writing and ability to achieve to an acceptable standard in the humanities. The quality of geography teaching was seen as satisfactory at the last inspection, but history teaching was not judged. It was not possible to judge the quality of either geography or history teaching on the present inspection. No judgements were made about leadership and management on either inspection. St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 29

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

The provision for the creative, aesthetic and practical subjects of the curriculum is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• A specialist teacher provides good teaching in music for all age groups; • The music room is small and restricts the range of learning opportunities; and • The time available for music lessons is limited.

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Commentary

86. Two lessons were seen in music and other lessons visited. In both lessons seen, the quality of teaching was good. The specialist teacher is knowledgeable, energetic and has good classroom management and teaching style which encourages and motivates pupils. The music teacher has long associations with the school and enjoys very good relationships with pupils of all ages. Lessons are happy occasions and the subject contributes well to the development of pupils’ personal qualities. A scheme of work has been adopted which includes all aspects of the music curriculum. The strengths of teaching and learning are in singing and rhythm work. However, pupils have opportunities to listen to and discuss different forms of music including a range of music from different cultures. They have opportunities to compose short musical pieces and they play drums and some tuned instruments but there is a limited stock of the latter. Performances by the whole class are given in ‘class assemblies’

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Commentary

and there are musical contributions to Christmas productions.

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Commentary

87. The short time that the music teacher is in school restricts the number of performances and the number of opportunities for learning in out-of-school hours. However, there is an expanding junior choir and plans in hand after a short break following the retirement of a specialist teacher to offer opportunities for the learning of brass instruments and some stringed instruments. From time to time, various groups of pupils sing at inter-school events and perform for community groups. The music room is small and does not easily facilitate group performances or group work in general. The short lessons provided by the specialist teacher are not supplemented by further music teaching by the class teachers.

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Commentary

The provision in art and design in satisfactory

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Strong subject leadership from a talented and enthusiastic teacher; • Practical training sessions in school have increased teacher expertise and confidence; and • Pressures on curriculum time limits the time devoted to the subject in Years 2 and 6.

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Commentary

88. Three lessons in art and design were observed, pupils’ work on walls, pupils’ folders and the school portfolio were examined and discussions held with the subject leader, teachers and pupils. 89. The quality of teaching in lessons observed ranged from good to unsatisfactory. However, from the evidence of lessons observed and an examination of pupils’ work, the quality of teaching is judged to be satisfactory overall, with pupils producing paintings, drawings, printing and 3D models of a standard in line with national expectations. Some pupils exceed these levels and although good work is praised, more could be done to celebrate the St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 30 achievement of particular pupils, especially when this applies to pupils who have difficulties in other areas of their schoolwork. In two of the lessons observed, the support staff provided good support for the pupils and in one good lesson, all pupils achieved well and met success.

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Commentary

Achievement overall is satisfactory. The restricted size of the classrooms makes the organisation of practical work difficult. Some teachers choose to have longer lessons over short periods which improves the effective use of the time available.

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Commentary

90. The subject leader provides a very good role model for other teachers. Her classroom is very richly decorated with many interesting displays and artefacts, providing a stimulating learning environment for the pupils. She encourages teachers to use a range of starting points for creative work such as the inspiration of famous artists, she has introduced the use of sketchbooks and arranges visits to the National Gallery and Tate Modern. The subject leader also provides practical training sessions for teachers in a wide range of creative ideas that teachers try out themselves. This process is having a very positive effect upon teachers’ professional development in the subject although this is undermined somewhat by the high turnover of teaching staff. The emphasis upon raising standards in the core subjects has a limiting effect upon the time devoted to art and design, especially in Years 2 and 6.

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Commentary

Provision in design and technology is satisfactory

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Commentary

91. Due to the timetable arrangements, no lessons were observed in design and technology. At this early time in the school year and from the limited evidence available, standards are in line with those found nationally, with both teaching and learning judged as satisfactory. This is similar to the findings of the previous inspection. Evidence from displays of pupils' work shows that at both key stages they have been given opportunities to design and make things. For example, pupils worked for a real purpose creating a range of designs to improve the environment and in particular the school playground.

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Commentary

92. The planning for design and technology is based on the national guidance and therefore fully meets the demands of the national curriculum

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Commentary

Provision in physical education is satisfactory

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are actively involved and respond positively to their lessons; • Too many pupils miss physical education lessons due to not brining in their PE clothes; and • Assessment does not appear in teachers planning.

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Commentary

93. Three lessons were observed in physical education and in all three, pupils were very actively involved practising and developing their skills. Standards are in line with national expectations and are therefore similar to those found at the time of the previous inspection. Children with special educational needs are well supported by their teaching assistants and take a full part in all activities.

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Commentary

94. Teaching and learning are mainly satisfactory. Where this is not the case, it is marked in particular by difficulties with organisation of the class, which results in much time being wasted. Teachers, quite correctly, do not allow pupils without the necessary clothing to take part in the lessons. However, there was a significant minority of pupils who fell into this category and this is having a negative effect on both their development and achievement in this subject. The practice of having these pupils complete a sedentary activity such as St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 31 drawing is not satisfactory. The school needs to explore ways of ensuring that all pupils take part and are not excluded from this important part of their development.

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Commentary

95. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. A scheme of work has been developed that meets all the requirements of the national curriculum. There are no assessment procedures so not all teachers are aware of the pupils' abilities and therefore do not always provide further challenges. There is an after-school football club for both boys and girls and use has been made of outside agencies to provide other activities, such as a cricket project, during the summer. The school suffers from a lack of a field. It is hoped that use may be made of a local arena for future sports days.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

The arrangements for pupils’ personal and social education are satisfactory although the provision for drugs education and sex education are being reviewed, and therefore cannot be commented on at present.

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

St Mary’s Church of England Primary School - 32 Inspection judgement Grade

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 4 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 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 5 Pupils’ achievement 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 4 Attendance 5 Attitudes 4 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 4 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 4 The quality of teaching 4 How well pupils learn 4 The quality of assessment 4 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 4 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 4 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 4 The quality of the school’s links with the community 3 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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