Holy Saviour Roman Catholic Primary School, Nelson

HOLY SAVIOUR ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 1 st –3 rd March 2004

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HOLY SAVIOUR ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under Section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Holy Saviour RC Primary School - 2 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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HOLY SAVIOUR ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Voluntary aided Age range of pupils: 4 to 11 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 190 pupils

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Holland Place off Reedyford Road Lancashire Postcode: BB9 8HD Telephone number: 01282 612319 Fax number: 01282 612319

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Father M Haworth

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: October 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Holy Saviour Roman Catholic Primary School is situated on the outskirts of Nelson in Lancashire. It serves two parishes and is oversubscribed. Pupils attend the school from a housing estate and a semi-rural area around Barrowford. The area around the school is mixed with a high level of social and economic deprivation in some parts. As a result, the school benefits from additional funding to provide well-supported before and after school care and help to improve attainment in reading. It is of average size with 190 pupils on roll. Thirteen per cent of pupils are from other ethnic backgrounds, mainly Asian British of Pakistani heritage with a small number of Chinese, Black African and Indian pupils. There are no pupils in the early stages of learning English. The percentage of pupils identified as having special educational needs, including two pupils with a statement of special educational needs, is below the national average. Most of these pupils have moderate learning difficulties or

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

speech and communication difficulties. A below average proportion of pupils join or leave the school at times other than the usual time for admission or transfer. Attainment on entry is below average based on the results of the assessments made shortly after the pupils start school. Holy Saviour RC Primary School - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

10347 Mrs R S Rodger Lead inspector Science, Foundation Stage, special educational needs, equality of opportunity and racial equality. 9843 Mrs S Drake Lay inspector 18911 Mr D Nightingale Team inspector Mathematics, information and communication technology, geography, history 19774 Mrs M Docherty Team inspector English, art and design, design and technology, music, physical educational, English as an additional language

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Tribal PPI Barley House Oakfield Grove Bristol BS8 2BN

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Holy Saviour RC Primary School - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 10

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is an effective school. Children enter school with standards below average. By the time they leave school, standards are above average in English, mathematics, science, design and technology, music and physical education. Pupils achieve well throughout the school and particularly well in the Foundation Stage. Pupils’ excellent attitudes and behaviour contribute significantly to their good achievement. Pupils with English as an additional language (EAL) achieve well. Leadership and management are good. Based on the average costs per pupil, good achievement and good quality of education, the value for money provided by the school is good.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • the attitudes and behaviour of the pupils are excellent; • standards are above average in English, mathematics, science, design and technology, music and physical education by Year 6; • leadership and management by the headteacher are good; he is well supported by the deputy headteacher, the senior management team and hardworking staff; • the provision in the Foundation Stage is very good; • the provision for spiritual, moral and social development of the pupils is very good; • the provision for out-of-school sport’s activities is very good and contributes well to good standards in physical education; • The provision for outdoor learning is unsatisfactory for the Foundation Stage; • The use of target setting to set pupils challenging work and to raise expectations for all pupils, especially the most able, is unsatisfactory.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Overall, the school’s improvement since the last inspection has been good. There has been good improvement in the provision for special educational needs and achievement in art and design and design and technology. Standards have improved in mathematics and science and been maintained in English. The quality of teaching and learning has improved considerably and there is now more very good teaching. Most of the key issues from the last inspection have been dealt with successfully.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 English D C D C mathematics D C C A science C B C B Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Achievement is good. Standards in lessons in Year 6, especially in English, have improved since the 2003 national tests and are now above average in English, mathematics and science. By the time the children leave the reception class the majority have reached the early learning goals in all six areas of learning and in personal, social and emotional development standards are above those expected nationally. Achievement in the reception class is very good based on the below average attainment on entry to the school. Standards in Year 2 are above average in speaking and listening, reading, writing, mathematics and science. Standards in design and technology, music and physical education are above average throughout the school. They are average in all other subjects, including information and communication technology (ICT). All pupils, irrespective of their background, achieve well. Holy Saviour RC Primary School - 7

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ personal qualities are very good. Attitudes and behaviour are excellent and contribute very well to the pupils’ good achievement. Spiritual, moral and social development are very good. Cultural development is good. Attendance is well above average and pupils are rarely late for school.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided by the school is good. Teaching and learning are good, with a fifth of teaching very good. Teaching is very good in the Foundation Stage. Good teaching has a positive impact on pupils’ learning and they achieve well as a result. Very good lessons are well planned, pupils are very interested and keen to learn and pupils with special educational needs are well supported by learning support assistants. Good use has been made of assessment information to target pupils who are underachieving. National test data is analysed rigorously, but the identification of targets to help the pupils know what to do to improve their work is not well developed. The curriculum is enhanced by a wide range of out-of-school activities and by visits and visitors. Literacy is used very well to support learning in other subjects. Pupils are very well cared for. Parents are well informed about their children’s work. Links with the community are good.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management are good. The headteacher is well supported by the deputy headteacher and very hard-working staff. Arrangements to check how well the school is performing are rigorous for analysing national test data and tracking the progress of individual pupils. Arrangements to check the quality of teaching and learning are more informal. The budget is well managed and the school benefits from extra funding that the headteacher has successfully bid for. The governors are effective ambassadors of the school. They have a good level of commitment to improving the work of the school and understand what is does well and where it needs to improve. The arrangements for performance management have lapsed in the last year.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are pleased with the work of the school in all respects. Their children make good progress and ‘love the school’. The school motto of ‘sharing and caring’ is well reflected in all aspects of the school’s work. Pupils enjoy their time in school. Year 6 pupils spoke very positively of their weekly time helping younger pupils in shared reading time.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• continue to improve the use of target-setting to set pupils’ challenging work and raise expectations for all pupils, especially the more able; • improve the outdoor provision for the Foundation Stage, as soon as funds permit. and, to meet statutory requirements: • ensure that all arrangements for performance management are up to date. Holy Saviour RC Primary School - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Achievement from the reception class to Year 6 is good for all pupils, irrespective of their gender, special educational need or ethnicity. It is very good in the reception class. Standards are above average in English, mathematics, science, design and technology, music and physical education. They are average in all other subjects, including ICT.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in the 2003 national tests in writing and mathematics in Year 2 were in the top five per cent of similar schools. • Standards in lessons are above average in English, mathematics, science, music, physical education and design and technology. • Achievement throughout the school is good; it is very good in the reception class.

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

Standards in: School results National results reading 16.5 (16.2) 15.7 (15.8) writing 16.9 (14.1) 16.6 (14.4) mathematics 17.7 (15.7) 16.3 (16.5)

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

There were 30 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

1. The 2003 national test results in Year 2 were well above average in reading and in the top five per cent of similar schools in writing and mathematics. Teacher assessments for science were also in the top five per cent of similar schools. The overall trend in performance in the past five years has been above the national trend. Pupils of all abilities, irrespective of their gender, special educational needs or ethnicity achieve well. Very good teaching in Years 1 and 2 contributes to the good achievement of pupils in the Year 2 national tests results. Pupils achieve well. Standards of attainment in Year 6 in 2003 were above average in English, well above average in mathematics and science based on the pupils’ prior attainment at the end of Key Stage 1. The value-added measure compared to all schools nationally and to similar schools was well above average.

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

Standards in: School results National results English 25.8 (27.2) 26.8 (27.0) mathematics 27.2 (26.9) 26.8 (26.7) science 28.6 (29.7) 28.6 (29.7) There were 26 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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

2. Standards in lessons are above average in English, mathematics, science, design and technology, music and physical education. Achievement throughout the school is good as a result of consistently good teaching and in Years 1 and 2 there is some very good teaching. Holy Saviour RC Primary School - 9 The impact of the high priority given to improving standards in writing by the senior management team has been good. Consequently, standards in lessons have improved, particularly by Year 6. Weaknesses in standards in art and design and design and technology have been addressed well since the previous inspection. Standards in music are good as a result of the support provided by the new co-ordinator through the introduction of a new scheme of work, the specialist teaching and demonstration lessons.

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

3. Achievement in the Foundation Stage is very good and as a result, the pupils reach the early learning goals in all six areas of learning by the time they leave the reception class. They are exceeded in personal, social and emotional development. Based on their below average attainment on entry and their very good teaching, the children make very good progress in their first year in school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development are excellent. The school promotes their spiritual, moral and social development very well, and their cultural development well. Pupils’ attendance is very good and their punctuality is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils enjoy coming to school and working hard. • Pupils’ excellent behaviour enhances the quality of their learning. • Very good relationships ensure that the school operates as a happy community. • Staff members act consistently in their promotion of pupils’ personal development. • Provision for spiritual, moral and social development is very good.

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Commentary

4. Pupils and parents agree that children like belonging to Holy Saviour’s school. This is borne out by the way that they arrive in the morning with smiling faces, quickly organise themselves, and are happy to talk about their school and their work. In lessons they listen with interest to what their teachers have to say and sustain their concentration well, whether working on their own or in a group, understanding that it is by their own efforts that they will make progress in their learning. Pupils’ positive attitudes are also shown by their well above average levels of attendance, which are significantly higher than at the time of the previous inspection, and their generally punctual arrival at school.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 4.2 School data 0.0 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Commentary

5. Throughout the day, in a variety of situations, pupils from the youngest to the oldest behave very well. All pupils are very clear about the school’s rules and willingly abide by them. Staff are consistent in their high expectations of behaviour and pupils respond to these in a very positive manner. They move around the building very quietly, are patient about waiting their turn, greet each other and adults in a friendly manner and generally show a very good understanding that society works best when everyone co-operates. Pupils, as well as staff, expect their peers to behave well and so it seems natural for all pupils to follow others’ good examples. Because of this, there have been no exclusions in recent years. Holy Saviour RC Primary School - 10 6. At break-times and in lessons the very good quality of relationships between pupils and with staff creates a harmonious atmosphere. Initiatives, such as paired reading or the way that

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Commentary

older pupils partner younger ones when walking to services at the local church, encourage pupils of different ages to mix amicably. There is a real sense of family within the school which encourages tolerance and thoughtfulness for others. Pupils of different ethnicity form strong friendships while boys and girls work and play together well. Pupils appreciate others’ skills, as was demonstrated in a rugby lesson where one boy’s classmates were filled with admiration for his talents. The school has recently introduced two Year 6 bullying monitors, who take their responsibilities seriously and are known to all pupils, but even they feel that bullying is not an issue in school; they are mostly used to help resolve minor fallings out. Pupils are happy to show initiative and ‘muck in’, whether working out a problem in lessons or helping to fill others’ water bottles at the beginning of the day.

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Commentary

7. The whole atmosphere of the school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development very well and results in the very positive qualities outlined above. Pupils are encouraged to think of others, reflect on their actions, be thankful for their blessings and to value themselves. The diversity of pupils’ backgrounds is welcomed as a very positive feature of the community and pupils have good opportunities to learn about different faiths and ways of living both today and in the past. Through different curriculum areas pupils’ cultural knowledge is increased.

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Commentary

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll White – British 160 Mixed – White and Black African 1 Mixed – White and Asian 2 Mixed – any other mixed background 2 Asian or Asian British – Indian 1 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 24

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided throughout the school is good. The quality of teaching overall is good; it is very good in the reception class and in a fifth of lessons overall. Good teaching has a good impact on pupils’ learning and they achieve well as a result. A very good range of out-of school activities, especially the high quality sporting activities, very effectively enriches the curriculum. Pupils are very well cared for and links with parents are good.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are good overall. The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is very good. Teaching is good in English, mathematics and science. Teaching was very good in a Year 2 music lesson and in small group work for ICT. Assessment has improved since the previous inspection and has many good features.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage are very good, although opportunities to enrich the curriculum outside are limited. Holy Saviour RC Primary School - 11 • Pupils with EAL are very well included in all lessons and in each year group they are taught as a discrete group for a short time weekly. • Teaching throughout the school is good and pupils learn very effectively as a result of their excellent attitudes and very good behaviour in lessons. • Procedures for tracking pupils’ progress in test results and setting appropriate standards to achieve are good. • The use of target setting to check individual progress is unsatisfactory.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 37 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

8. Children in the reception class learn very effectively as a result of a very good level of challenge and high expectations in all areas of learning. The nursery nurse effectively supports pupils with special educational needs and less confident children. For example, children learned how to respond to the rhythms of a simple rap and to join in with everyone else. Challenging questions and very good use of bright, bold resources meant that pupils quickly learned to order numbers and name shapes, count the number of sides and corners. Planning is very good and builds very effectively on the children’s prior learning. The use of the outdoor area to extend learning is less well developed because of lack of resources.

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Commentary

9. There are a high number of pupils who speak English as an additional language (EAL), especially in the reception class and Year 6. In the recent past, the school’s assessment procedures have identified underachievement by this group of pupils. Effective steps have been taken to track their progress by the EAL co-ordinator and to provide training for staff. In addition, weekly sessions take place for EAL pupils in each year group to work in a discrete group out of their classroom to enhance their speaking and listening skills. In the session observed with Year 6 pupils, very good progress was made as a result of the increased opportunities to talk in their small group. However, the same pupils were also seen making very good progress in whole-class lessons and in many cases their attainment is as good as or better than other pupils in the class, especially in the reception class. The school does not

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Commentary

as yet assess the EAL pupils’ level of language development on entry to school which would determine the level of need for additional support, if at all, and enable support to be targeted where it is most needed.

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Commentary

10. Good teaching is a consistent feature throughout the school with significant strengths in the quality of lesson planning which includes clear learning objectives shared with pupils, the high level of interest and involvement of pupils in lessons and the clear and efficient organisation of lessons, the well-targeted support for pupils with special educational needs and the very good opportunities provided to apply literacy skills across the curriculum. A very good emphasis is placed on developing mature behaviour and well-established work habits. As a result, pupils are well motivated, keen to learn and make good progress as they go through school. Holy Saviour RC Primary School - 12 Example of outstanding practice There is some specialist teaching in the school. Year 2 pupils are taught music by the subject leader. They are learning how to use beat and rhythm to create an accompaniment for a song.

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Commentary

Building on pupils’ homework which was to identify the value of different notes, the pupils explained the name and value of each note. Excellent encouragement was given to ensure all pupils took part and understood what to do. Pupils moved on to apply their understanding of the different patterns and how to represent these using their instruments or using actions to match the rhythm. An excellent build up to the end of the lesson occurred when the pupils, confidently and with an above average level of skill, picked up the appropriate beat and rhythm for a final song. Throughout, the teaching held the pupils’ spellbound as encouragement, challenging questions and high expectations ensured the pupils achieved as well as they could.

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THE CURRICULUM

The school has made good improvement in its procedures for assessing pupils’ attainments and progress. A programme of annual testing identifies what level of the National Curriculum each pupil achieves. This information is recorded and procedures for tracking pupils’ progress in test results and setting appropriate levels for each child for the year takes place. During each year a record of pupils’ attainments in English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology is completed to support the test results and help identify what children need to learn next. These records are informed by effective day-to-day records kept by teachers. However, the targets set for pupils to help them know what to do to improve their work are too general, for example, ‘to improve my handwriting’, and are not reviewed or reset frequently enough.

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THE CURRICULUM

Overall the school provides a broad curriculum that is enhanced very well by a wide range of out-of - school activities and by visits and visitors. The systematic planning of each subject contributes to the good standards achieved. Literacy is well developed across the curriculum. There is an appropriate level of staffing, adequate accommodation and a good level of resources.

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THE CURRICULUM

• The provision for out-of-school activities, visits and visitors to support pupil’s learning is very good. • Literacy is well developed across the curriculum. • Improvements to the provision for special educational needs have been good. • Resources to support teaching and learning are good. • The full programme of study for ICT is not in place.

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Commentary

11. The curriculum is supported very well by a wide range of activities held at lunchtime or after school. Some of these, such as the mathematics club, support the work pupils do in class while most extend the opportunities available to pupils. They have very good opportunities to take part in a variety of sports such as badminton, hockey, cricket and athletics. The school choir is popular with a large number of both boys and girls attending regularly and this makes an important contribution to the quality of the pupils’ singing. Pupils’ work in subjects such as history is supported well by visits to places such as Turton Tower and visitors such as those who led the Viking Day.

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Commentary

12. The National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy are well used by teachers. Good and effective use is made of pupils’ writing in other subjects providing good links between subjects. For example, Year 5 pupils wrote history reports, sometimes using wordprocessing to attractively present and illustrate their finished work. Holy Saviour RC Primary School - 13 13. The school is committed to ensuring equality of access and opportunity for all pupils. Good support is provided in lessons by adjusting tasks for those who need additional support when necessary. Lesson planning does not always clearly identify how work will be adapted to provide more challenge to the most able pupils.

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Commentary

14. There are a suitable number of teachers and support staff. A skilled teaching assistant works in the ICT suite with groups of pupils. A good range and number of resources meet the needs of teaching all subjects in the curriculum.

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Commentary

15. Accommodation overall is adequate with a good shared area for the pupils under the age of seven. There is no suitable outside play area for children in the reception class and this restricts opportunities to use large toys and suitable climbing equipment. The school has strived hard to provide good resources for teaching ICT including the establishment of a computer suite for small groups of pupils and an area close to the classrooms for pupils in Years 1 and 2. Pupils do not achieve well over time because they have limited access to the suite. The computers for Years 1 and 2 are not always used to full effect and are too few in number to help children develop at an appropriate rate.

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Commentary

16. The curriculum is broad with an appropriate balance given to all subjects. Planning in most subjects ensures that relevant skills and knowledge are taught systematically so that pupils make good progress and build well on previous knowledge and understanding. The exception to this is ICT where planning does not ensure that pupils are taught all the relevant skills included in the National Curriculum programme of study. Consequently, pupils’ progress in developing appropriate skills is limited.

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Care, guidance and support

The school provides good quality care and support for pupils. It provides good guidance for pupils and involves them in its work to a good degree.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils feel very confident to approach staff when they have difficulties because staff listen and try to help them. • Although the care of individuals is good, formal procedures relating to these areas are not sufficiently secure. • Teachers check pupils’ progress and as a consequence are well informed.

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Commentary

17. Staff are very welcoming to pupils, show an interest in them and treat them with kindness. They nurture them well, understanding, for instance, that unhappiness about a missing sweatshirt if not resolved could impinge on a pupil’s capacity to work for the rest of the day. There are good arrangements to care for those who have accidents or feel unwell and suitable procedures to ensure health and safety as well as child protection. However, the school does not yet conduct risk assessments covering a sufficiently wide area of its work nor does it provide enough, readily accessible, guidance for all staff about what action to take should they have concerns about pupils’ care. Staff know the pupils well as individuals and are quick to notice changes in mood or attitude, but formal procedures are not secure enough. The very good relationships mean that pupils happily express their feelings and opinions to staff and there are opportunities to discuss, for example, classroom rules.

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Commentary

However, there is no school council or other regular, formal arena through which the school could seek pupils’ views and give reasons for acting on them, or not.

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Commentary

18. Parents are very happy with the well thought-out arrangements that help pupils settle into school when they arrive. Nursery children visit the school on three occasions, may borrow toys and start their time in reception on a gradual basis, so that newcomers receive Holy Saviour RC Primary School - 14 particularly close attention in their first days. Staff throughout the school monitor pupils’ progress on a regular basis, making notes about individuals, which are discussed when pupils move class so that their new teacher has a good idea of their particular needs. Teachers’ encouraging manner with pupils helps them to grow in self-esteem and they also provide extra activities, such as the mathematics club, to support those who are less confident. Older pupils’ targets are attached to their desks, forming a constant reminder. Individual interviews that Year 6 pupils have with their class teacher prior to parents’

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Commentary

discussion evening contribute well to their personal development.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school’s partnerships with parents, other schools and the wider community are all good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents of all ethnic groups are very positive about the school’s provision. • Most information for parents is of good quality but pupils’ progress reports are only satisfactory. • Good links with other schools and the wider community enhance the quality of pupils’ education.

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Commentary

19. Both through their responses to the questionnaire and when talking with inspectors, most parents expressed very positive views about the quality of the education provided by the school. With very few exceptions, they feel that it lives up to its ‘caring and sharing’ motto and, particularly parents of the younger children, feel that it is easy to approach staff about concerns as they collect their children at the end of the school day. They appreciate the regular newsletters and termly ‘topic webs’ which keep them abreast of events but a minority do not feel sufficiently well informed about their children’s progress. Although the school holds an open day in the spring term, the only formal meeting to discuss pupils’ progress is held in the autumn term, which is unusual. Rightly, pupils’ written reports contain information about their attainment and progress as well as attitudes to work but the comments do not

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Commentary

make clear whether the individual is working above, at, or below average levels for their age. Similar to the ones on pupils’ desks, the targets for improvement are generalised rather than specific. Parents support their children’s work at home and are willing to provide an extra pair of hands on educational visits but there are few regular helpers in school and the parent teacher association has recently closed due to lack of anyone willing to take on an organising role. Staff initiate some events which parents are willing to help with and support, including ICT lessons for parents.

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Commentary

20. Close relationships with local nurseries and the secondary school to which almost all pupils transfer mean that the transition arrangements for pupils moving from one institution to another run very smoothly. High school staff teach some lessons at Holy Saviour in the summer term as well as Year 6 pupils visiting the secondary, which helps them settle swiftly into Year 7. In the wider community, in addition to its close links with the church and parishes, pupils take part in music and country dance festivals as well as sporting events with other schools. Asian families, most of whom are Roman Catholic, form an important part of this close-knit community and invite school representatives to, for instance, an Urdu Mass and Christmas celebrations. Local businesses provide sponsorship and some help in curriculum areas, such as Year 1 pupils’ work on vegetables and healthy eating. Recent partnership

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Commentary

working between the school and the Groundwork Trust has helped to enhance the grounds through tree planting.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are good . Holy Saviour RC Primary School - 15

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher has created a good climate for learning. • The impact of curriculum co-ordinators on improving their subjects is good. • The impact of the special educational needs and EAL co-ordinators is good. • Procedures to track pupils’ progress are good. • The school improvement plan does not take a sufficiently longer term view of the school’s development. • Arrangements for the formal monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning have lapsed in the past year.

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Commentary

21. The headteacher, deputy headteacher, senior staff and all other staff work with a strong sense of purpose. They are hardworking and effective as a team. The very strong ethos of care and excellent behaviour of the pupils contributes very significantly to the strong climate for learning seen in all aspects of the school’s work.

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Commentary

22. Subject leaders have worked hard and there is a good improvement in their impact which has improved since the last inspection. For example, the science co-ordinator has written a comprehensive scheme of work that ensures full coverage of the National Curriculum programmes of study and the recently appointed music co-ordinator has introduced a new scheme of work and supports the teaching of music in several classes as well as her own. The Foundation Stage is managed very effectively by the deputy headteacher who has supported the Foundation Stage teacher since she began her career in teaching. Plans to check the quality of teaching and learning in lessons have been effective in the past, although there has been a lapse in recent months. Informal discussions and observations ensures that all subject leaders are well-informed of the progress being made in their subjects.

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Commentary

23. The management of special educational needs is good and improved since the previous inspection. The co-ordinator has time to carry out her role. She always attends special educational needs review meetings, ensures that parents receive a copy of their child’s individual education plan and learning support assistants check pupils’ progress against their individual education plans. Individual education plans contain clear, measurable targets for improvement that are regularly reviewed. A successful bid for external funding provides additional support for boys’ reading development. Generally, pupils with special educational needs are provided for well in the classroom. The match of the work to their individual needs is more effective in some classes and subjects than others.

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Commentary

24. The school’s procedures for tracking the progress of pupils are effective. An analysis of the achievement of pupils based on their ethnicity has shown a disparity between the progress of a group of pupils with English as an additional language (EAL) and other pupils. The school acted promptly to remedy this situation by appointing a co-ordinator for learning EAL, tracking the progress of the pupils with EAL and providing support in small groups to develop aspects of their language in different subjects. While some parents expressed reservations about the withdrawal of pupils from lessons for additional support, the inspection team’s view is that the support for pupils withdrawn to improve their expressive language is good. The pupils completed the same work as monolingual pupils in their class, but worked in a smaller group. The Year 6 pupils said they enjoyed being able to talk in the small group sessions. Further

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Commentary

observations of pupils learning EAL in lessons shows that they achieve as well as other pupils in the class and generally make very good contributions to whole-class discussions and to work in small groups. The school does not have a means of checking the extent of any language delay shown by EAL learners when they start in school to identify those who may need additional support.

p.15

Commentary

25. The school improvement plan remains as it was at the previous inspection and only provides a yearly overview of school development. This makes longer term financial planning difficult. Holy Saviour RC Primary School - 16 Currently, the plan does not identify long-, medium- or short-term priorities that would help to identify priorities year-by-year and provide a programme for monitoring and evaluation of the curriculum linked to performance management and the needs of the school. The management of the school is effective. Much of the recent checking of teaching and learning is informal, but has been very thorough in the past. Arrangements for the formal monitoring of teaching and learning linked to performance management have lapsed in the past year. However, teachers set and review their targets on a yearly basis in some detail, which is good practice.

p.15

Commentary

26. The governance of the school is good. The governors are effective ambassadors of the school. They show a good level of understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and have a good level of commitment to maintaining and improving the school. Governors are well supported through their association with the local cluster of Catholic schools. They have a good understanding of the importance of the wider curriculum and fully support the school’s motto of ‘caring and sharing’. Individual governors linked to aspects and subjects are well briefed and support subject leaders well. Arrangements for meetings are well documented and measures to check that statutory requirements are met are now in place. The governors have a good understanding of the value-added to the pupils’ education by the school. They are supportive of the headteacher, but perhaps less of a ‘critical friend’ because they are well pleased with the work of the school and generally over the years have

p.16

Commentary

had no cause to challenge decisions made by the headteacher.

p.16

Commentary

27. The financial management of the school is secure. Plans to improve the building and to maintain current staffing levels will absorb any budget underspend in the future. Care is taken to ensure that the current level of staffing, especially the employment of additional support staff can be sustained. The headteacher knows where he can bid for additional funding to support raising standards and is successful in this capacity. Neighbourhood Renewal funding has been secured to give help to underachieving boys in reading. The Lancashire Children’s Fund provides funding for a support worker to work with Year 3 girls and their mums. These initiatives have a good impact on raising standards.

p.16

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.16

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 510,152 Balance from previous year 78,561 Total expenditure 491,969 Balance carried forward to the next year 93,744 Expenditure per pupil 2,472.21 Holy Saviour RC Primary School - 17

p.16

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision is very good in the Foundation Stage as a result of very good teaching and learning. All the children in the Foundation stage are in the reception class. Children start school at the beginning of the year in which they are five. Attainment on entry to the reception class is below average based on the results of the assessments completed shortly after they start school. By the time they leave the reception class, the majority of children have achieved the early learning goals in all six areas of learning. Standards are above average in personal, social and emotional development by the time the children start Year 1.

p.17

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is very good .

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children are very happy and confident in all aspects of their work; they are learning to relate very well to each other and other adults and persevere with their work. • Social development is very good and the children co-operate very well.

p.17

Commentary

28. Relationships in the reception class between the teacher and children are very good. Children thoroughly enjoy being at school. For example, they listened and joined in with very good levels of concentration and complete delight to a three bear rap, then responded with high, medium or low pitched growls as expected. They persevered with care as they sketched daffodils. The quality of teaching is very good.

p.17

Commentary

29. Children share and co-operate well with each other. They know the classroom rules and expectations when playing outside. All children, irrespective of their ethnicity are very well integrated and learn well as a result. In small groups discussions, the children listened to each other and discussed where they were going on holiday eagerly with the inspector.

p.17

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good .

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Achievement in early writing development is very good • A high priority is given to speaking and listening and all children, especially those children with English as an additional language, make very good progress. • Teaching is good.

p.17

Commentary

30. Children’s written work showed very good achievement in just over a term as they moved from being barely able to write letters correctly to copying a simple sentence using correctly formed letters and labelling objects in small story books. In lessons, children were encouraged to recognise a capital letter at the start of their name. Many achieved this very successfully as a result of high expectations and very clear explanations. The majority are likely to achieve the early learning goals by the time they leave the reception class. Holy Saviour RC Primary School - 18 31. Small group lessons are used effectively to develop reading skills and to include all children. Children are encouraged to talk about a story and to talk about their own lives. A pupil learning EAL, shared that he was going to Disney World ‘when it was really cold’. Another pupil learning EAL voluntarily shared how old she was and vividly described the preparation for her

p.17

Commentary

party and the buns she made. Both of these children are targeted for additional language support in line with the school’s policy of withdrawal.

p.18

Commentary

32. Relationships are excellent between children and adults in the reception class. Children are very keen to learn as a result of good teaching, based on detailed planning, very good use of a range of bright and bold resources and high expectations. Assessment is thorough and there is good checking of the coverage of the small learning steps for each area of learning.

p.18

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is very good .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is very good and the children achieve very well as a result. • Children learning EAL make very good progress.

p.18

Commentary

33. Based on the lesson seen and the very good quality work in the children’s books, teaching is very good and all children achieve very well in this area of learning with a large number likely to reach the early learning goals by the time they start Year 1. Very enthusiastic teaching helps to encourage the children to take part in the whole class part of the lesson. For example, one by one the children felt the shapes in a bag and accurately described what they were. The children enjoy the challenges presented to them. For example, one by one they put a line of children in the correct order according to the number they were holding. Higher attaining children completed horizontal addition with an understanding of the symbols representing equals and addition.

p.18

Commentary

34. Children learning EAL are fully included in lessons and make very good progress because they are confident and keen to take part. For example, one child counted the sides and corners of a two-dimensional shape and named them with pride. Children work hard and take a full part in all lessons.

p.18

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

35. It is not possible to make an overall judgement on provision or standards, but the work on display and photographic evidence shows that standards are as expected. As part of a topic on people who help us, the children have talked with a local police officer and fire officers and learned about the emergency services. The story Rosie’s Walk was used to help the children learn about journeys and travelling around to different places. When investigating materials, children learned about their properties. The children showed good levels of confidence and familiarity with ICT. There are many high quality, attractive displays of significant events. For example, the Month of Mary and linked to that the children talked about the early life of Jesus.

p.18

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is very good .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are very good. Holy Saviour RC Primary School - 19 • Achievement is very good. • Best use is made of the limited accommodation outside.

p.18

Commentary

36. Teaching and learning are very good. Good use is made of the large hall for well-planned and challenging dance sessions. Children mimed fish-like movements using a sequence of stretching movements with good levels of control and concentration. Very good encouragement was given to the children to feel how their hearts beat faster after a lot of activity.

p.19

Commentary

37. Children achieve very well as a result of high expectations and very clear instructions. As the children are so enthralled by their teaching they try very hard to please and, as a result, in some aspects of the area of learning they achieve above average standards. Levels of control of their bodies are very good. Levels of concentration are excellent. The children are very eager to please their teacher.

p.19

Commentary

38. The outdoor area is segregated from the rest of the playground, but is not a dedicated area for the Foundation Stage. All resources have to be taken outside for each session. The children play outside each day for a short time, but it is impossible for them to go in and out as they please during the day. Current resources limit the areas of learning the children can take part in outside. There are good resources to develop co-ordination and co-operative skills on the tricycles and scooters.

p.19

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is very good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Creativity and expressiveness are well developed in whole-class musical and dance sessions. • There are several good opportunities for the children to explore and learn about mixing different colours.

p.19

Commentary

39. Children learn to sing simple songs from memory and sing enthusiastically. In a dance lesson the children learned to go through a sequence of movements involving stretching and pretending to move like fish. They bent and twisted their bodies in different ways and showed great amazement as they felt their beating hearts after moving quickly around the hall. Children experimented with mixing different combinations of paint colours and painted pictures using different media. They are encouraged to talk about their work and to share it with others in the class. Teaching is very good. Lessons are well planned and there is good deployment of the support assistant in the class.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are improving by the end of Year 6. • Pupils’ achievement is good overall and current standards in Years 2 and 6 are above average in speaking and listening, reading and writing. Holy Saviour RC Primary School - 20 • Good opportunities are planned for writing across the curriculum. • Teaching is good overall and very good in Years 1 and 2. • There is a lack of challenge for higher attaining pupils in Years 3 to 6. • Assessment data are not currently used to set targets to help pupils’ progress.

p.19

Commentary

40. Standards in the 2003 national tests in Year 2 were above average in reading and well above average in writing, they were high compared to similar schools, particularly in writing. In Year 6, standards were below average, which represented a drop in standards compared to the previous year. When compared with similar schools, however, standards were average, and above national expectations when compared to pupils’ prior attainment in Year 2. Current standards are above average in reading and writing in Year 2. In Year 6, standards in reading and writing have improved since 2003, with a significant percentage of pupils achieving expected levels and some attaining better than this as a result of the steps taken to improve writing across the school. The difference between current standards in Year 6 and those in 2003 reflect variation in the numbers of pupils with the potential for high achievement, very

p.20

Commentary

good achievement in Years 3 to 5, particularly Year 5, and improved effectiveness in the teaching of writing. There are good opportunities for pupils to use writing across the curriculum. Much of this high quality work is displayed in beautifully produced anthologies of writing. Improvement since the last inspection has been good.

p.20

Commentary

41. Standards in speaking and listening are above average. Pupils have many opportunities to talk in class about ongoing work. Year 6 pupils confidently talked about the work they did. In Years 2 and 6, pupils talked about their reading, summarising stories and predicting what might happen with clarity and a growing awareness of story types. Standards in reading are above average in Years 2 and 6. In Year 2, pupils read with good attention to punctuation, illustrations and expression. They used their knowledge of the sounds to help read unfamiliar words effectively. By the time they are in Year 6, pupils read with confidence a range of books, including biographical, information and fiction books by popular authors. They summarised well what they were reading and talked about how non-fiction and fiction texts differ. Higher attaining pupils were able to talk about the deeper meanings at the heart of

p.20

Commentary

stories, for example the injustice of blaming the children for damage caused by their pet goat. Standards in writing are above average in Years 2 and 6. Year 2 pupils, wrote in full sentences, demonstrating an awareness of irregular verbs and using ambitious vocabulary to bring additional meaning. Speech punctuation is well used and higher attaining pupils are beginning to use authors’ techniques to bring emphasis to their writing, including words in bold and ellipses to build in drama. In Year 6, pupils demonstrate that they understand the conventional style required for a range of writing tasks. Work is generally well written and edited by the teacher before a final copy is produced for publication. There is little evidence that higher achieving pupils edit the work for themselves, drawing on their knowledge of writing types and grammar appropriate for different writing assignments.

p.20

Commentary

42. Teaching and learning are good overall, and very good in Years 1 and 2. In good or better teaching, resources are used well and probing questions effectively check pupils’ understanding. Pupils use enlarged texts effectively to focus on particular features of grammar and punctuation and also to help pupils understand how authors’ choice of vocabulary and punctuation can bring deeper meaning to reading. Teachers understand when to intervene to help pupils make progress. They use visual prompts well and change the focus of the lesson to maintain pupils’ interest. Pupils with special educational needs and learning EAL benefit from these approaches. In Year 6, pupils are not given enough opportunity to edit their own work for publication in writing anthologies.

p.20

Commentary

43. Leadership of the subject is good. Effective action is being taken to raise standards, for example end-of-year test results are analysed and pupils’ performance is tracked as they move through the school. These data identify strengths and weaknesses in each year group but are not used to set precise improvement targets for particular classes or individuals. Holy Saviour RC Primary School - 21 Currently targets are over-generalised, teachers’ marking does not indicate progress in achieving these targets, nor identify what pupils need to do to improve. The school has recently introduced an assessment book for each pupil, and this is an important development. These carefully collected pieces of writing have not been assessed against National Curriculum levels, however. Such information would allow teachers to set ‘next-step’ targets to support pupils’ learning.

p.20

Language and literacy across the curriculum

44. In most lessons, pupils have the opportunity to talk about what they are learning. Teachers are generally skilful in asking questions to allow pupils to demonstrate what they have come to understand. Year 6 pupils talked with confidence about subjects which were not the focus of the inspection, using appropriate language. About design technology, for example, pupils used specialist language - ‘designing’ ’fixing’, ’evaluation’– and about art and design, the importance of blending colours to produce a range of tones in the sky as the sun rises. Strategies for developing pupils’ language and literacy through other subjects of the curriculum are well developed. Speaking and listening opportunities are built into lessons and opportunities to use writing in other subjects, are routinely planned, for example recording findings in science, producing historical accounts and writing balanced articles on

p.21

Language and literacy across the curriculum

controversial matters in personal, social, and health education. Pupils have very good opportunity to reinforce what they have learned in English and other subjects through a broad range of beautifully produced writing anthologies in all years, but particularly in Year 6.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in mathematics are above average and pupils achieve well throughout the school. • The quality of teaching and learning is good. • Leadership of the subject is good. • Test data is used effectively to track pupils’ progress through the school. • Curriculum is well planned to ensure children learn skills and knowledge systematically. • The setting of targets for individual children is not precise enough. • Planning for each lesson does not sufficiently identify how higher attaining pupils will be challenged to achieve at higher levels.

p.21

Commentary

45. Standards in mathematics in Year 2 and in Year 6 have improved since the last inspection. Achievement, based on their below average attainment on entry to the reception class is good. The results of the 2003 national tests in Year 2 were high compared to similar schools and well above average compared to all schools nationally. This was a very good improvement compared to the previous years’ results. Standards in lessons are above average. The results of the 2003 national tests in Year 6 have shown a steady improvement and observations during the inspection confirm this trend. Standards in lessons are above average. The inspection evidence indicates that the school is likely to achieve its challenging target in the 2004 national tests.

p.21

Commentary

46. Throughout the school the pupils, irrespective of their gender, ethnicity or special educational needs make good progress, building well on their previous experiences so that their achievement overall is good. As their understanding of the structure of numbers develops children become more adept at using the four main number operations. They develop skills in measuring from using non-standard units to precise measures by Year 6. They develop their understanding of how graphs can be used to show information and look at other ways of Holy Saviour RC Primary School - 22 handling mathematical data. As a result of the progress they make pupils have a very good attitude towards the subject.

p.21

Commentary

47. The quality of teaching and learning throughout the school is good. Teachers manage the short mental mathematics session at the beginning of lessons well ensuring that pupils are challenged by the tasks given. The pace of these sessions is sustained so that pupils concentrate and respond quickly to questions. Good use is made of individual whiteboards to help teachers assess pupils’ responses. Most teachers have a good knowledge of what is to be taught and this helps provide clear explanations to the pupils so that they are able to approach their work with confidence. Expectations of pupils’ behaviour and concentration are high with the result that they settle quickly to work and usually complete the tasks set. In the best lessons the short session at the end of the lesson is used very effectively to summarise pupil’s learning through imaginative ideas that develop learning from the main part of the

p.22

Commentary

lesson. A good example of this was seen in Year 2 when pupils had to find the value of their name given a code which placed a monetary value on each letter of the alphabet. Not only did pupils calculate confidently they greatly enjoyed the challenge of ‘finding who was worth most’.

p.22

Commentary

48. Planning for most lessons does not identify clearly enough how work for the most able pupils will be further extended so that they can achieve the higher levels. The use of worksheets, particularly when it replaces an explanation by the teacher, limits the pace at which some pupils’ work as they find the instructions difficult to understand. For example, a group of more able pupils in Year 2 found the challenge they had been given difficult because they had not fully understood the task. When this was explained they achieved the answer quickly. Teachers in Years 3 to 6 have set individual targets for pupils to achieve. Most of these targets, however, are not precise enough in detailing what mathematical knowledge each pupil needs to develop in order to achieve a higher standard. 49. Leadership and management of the subject are good. The co-ordinator leads by example and has a good understanding of how to improve standards. Improvements to assessment

p.22

Commentary

arrangements and tracking pupils’ progress are good. Detail records of pupils in each year group enable the co-ordinator to work with teachers to set precise expectations on what level children should achieve each year. This helps teachers to track pupils’ progress well. The co- ordinator has ensured that the curriculum is well planned so that children learn new skills and knowledge systematically. Resources are well managed to ensure that they easily accessible in classrooms and that infrequently used resources are stored so that they are available when needed.

p.22

Commentary

50. Since the last inspection improvement in mathematics has been good. Standards have risen steadily partly due to the improved assessment arrangements. Not only is pupils’ progress tracked closely but records of each child’s progress in mathematics is assessed against the targets of the National Curriculum. Effective records kept by each teacher inform these assessments. They supplement the school’s testing procedures well and together provide a clear picture of each pupil’s achievements.

p.22

Mathematics across the curriculum

51. The use of mathematics across the curriculum is satisfactory. Examples of mathematical skills used in other subjects includes exploring rotational symmetry in ICT and using coordinates in a geography lesson.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

Holy Saviour RC Primary School - 23 • Standards are above average. • The quality of teaching is good, but work is not always well matched to the needs of pupils. • The use of literacy in the subject is good. • Good leadership has resulted in good progress since the last inspection. • Spiritual development is well promoted in lessons

p.23

Commentary

52. Pupils achieve well as a result of high expectations and well-planned and organised lessons. This results in above average standards in several year groups. Good attention to investigative aspects of the subject also contributes to good achievement, especially for those pupils with special educational needs and learning EAL. As a result of a practical activity, Year 4 pupils persevered with an investigation to link cause and effect as they experimented with different ways of creating high and low sounds. The teacher’s good subject knowledge contributed significantly to the pupils’ understanding of the link between differently pitched sounds. Much of the work in Year 6, was revision for the forthcoming national tests. However, the completion of a unit on microbes showed that the pupils understood the conditions under which microbes grow, used the internet to find out about the human body and predicted changes to various substances with some success. Standards in

p.23

Commentary

the 2003 national tests were high in Year 2 and an average proportion of pupils achieved the higher level 3. The results were high in Year 6 and an average proportion of pupils achieved the higher Level 5 in the national tests. There has been very good improvement in Years 1 and 2 since the previous inspection and good improvement in Years 3 to 6 as the above average standards have been maintained.

p.23

Commentary

53. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Year 2 pupils learned to compare the ways in which different substances changed when heated. They discussed with confidence the link between their predictions and observations in the review session as a result of the encouragement and inspiration provided by the teaching. Clear explanations and directions meant that pupils knew what to do and recorded their predictions with a good degree of accuracy. Checks of pupils’ work showed that they were generally all completing the same worksheet in too many instances. This led to a lack of challenge for higher attaining pupils, although this was less evident in Year 3.

p.23

Commentary

54. A brisk pace, very good attitudes and excellent behaviour contributed to a successful lesson in Year 5. Pupils recorded an explanation of an investigation into solutions as four sequential paragraphs explaining what happened to different solutions. Literacy skills were very well applied in the subject, especially in relation to recording investigations. Younger pupils labelled diagrams with accuracy. There were fewer examples of pupils using mathematical skills, such as drawing graphs or interpreting data.

p.23

Commentary

55. The subject is well led. A scheme of work introduced since the previous inspection is very comprehensive and has planned opportunities for pupils to revisit topics. The scheme is used consistently in all classes and resources to support investigative work are plentiful and accessible. Most of the work completed in Years 1 and 2 is practical and not recorded to accommodate the needs of pupils with English as an additional language. Assessments are carried out at the end of each topic in the form of an appropriate checklist. The co-ordinator has not observed any teaching or had any recent training, as the subject has not been given a high priority in recent years.

p.23

Commentary

56. Year 1 pupils enthusiastically watched their teacher pull flowering bulbs from a pot and expose their trailing roots. They expressed amazement as they felt the texture and compared the roots of seed grown plant with a flowering bulb. This effectively promoted an understanding of the natural world. Older pupils, study living organisms and the human body, all of which contributes very effectively to their spiritual development. Holy Saviour RC Primary School - 24

p.23

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is satisfactory .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are average in what is covered in the subject, but there are several skills not taught. • Pupils are very enthusiastic about learning and using ICT skills. • Teaching is good when children are in small groups.

p.24

Commentary

57. Pupils use computers capably to research information on the Internet, record their work using word processing and confidently import pictures to illustrate their work. Appropriate programs let pupils draw pictures, such as a diagram of parts of a flower, and repeat patterns, such as a border design. However, pupils have not made enough progress in using computers to handle and interrogate data. No work was seen on recording information either on spreadsheets or using programs to represent findings using different graphs. Text and pictures are used effectively to present work. Pupils learned how to send and receive e-mails in Year 3 when they e-mailed messages to Father Christmas. Achievement of all pupils, irrespective of their gender, special educational need or ethnicity is satisfactory.

p.24

Commentary

58. The pace of pupil’s progress in learning new skills is inhibited by the small space available in the ICT suite. Although this is well equipped it is only big enough to allow a small group of pupils to work at any one time. This limits the amount of work that can be covered each week, as it will take up to three sessions a week for the whole class to cover one topic. It also means that there is insufficient time available for the pupils in Years 1 and 2 to use the suite.

p.24

Commentary

59. The pupils’ very positive attitudes to using computers are a significant factor in the progress they make during lessons. They concentrate well on the tasks set, work independently and offer advice to others when needed. As a result they build effectively on the skills they have learned previously so that they improve their expertise and understanding. What they have been taught they learn well.

p.24

Commentary

60. Only two lessons with small groups of pupils were seen. The teaching was good. A capable teaching assistant leads most lessons in the ICT suite. A particular feature of these lessons was the sharing of the lesson objective to ensure that the pupils clearly understood the terminology being used. Consequently the pupils spoke confidently about importing graphics into their text. Clear explanations enable the pupils to follow instructions closely and achieve the expected outcome. For example, the pupils in Year 3 quickly learned how to import two pictures from the Internet to illustrate a piece of writing. The pace of the lessons was brisk so that the pupils completed their work in the time available.

p.24

Commentary

61. The management of the subject overall is satisfactory. The co-ordinator has been very influential in improving the resources available for teaching ICT. Resources have improved since the last inspection. The installation of an ICT suite, despite its limitations, has been beneficial and the co-ordinator is aware of the need to further improve this facility and provide other resources. Monitoring of the subject is less effective. Although samples of work are seen there is no regular monitoring of teaching and no development of an effective overview of what should be taught. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection when they were judged to be in line with national expectations.

p.24

Information and communication technology (ICT) across the curriculum

62. Information and communication technology is used well to support learning in some subjects. Word processing helps pupils use skills learned in literacy lessons and importing pictures from the Internet or other sources help improve the overall presentation of their writing. Holy Saviour RC Primary School - 25 Researching information on the Internet enhances work in geography, history and science lessons. The ability to manipulate shapes on the computer helps pupils’ understanding of rotational symmetry in mathematics.

p.24

HUMANITIES

63. In humanities, work was sampled in history. Geography is reported in full below. In history, pupils enjoy learning about the past and as a result, they have a very positive attitude to the subject. They acquire a knowledge and understanding of the topics they study appropriate for their age. They particularly enjoyed days such as the Viking Day when they recreated life in the past as well as enjoying visits to places such as Turton Tower as part of their Tudor topic. Pupils’ work is enhanced by their use of skills learned in English and ICT. Pupils in Year 5, for example, used skills in non-chronological writing to record information found out about life in Tudor times. When researching the Aztecs they made good use of information stored on CDs and from the Internet. A knowledgeable subject co-ordinator provides an example of good teaching and ensures the availability of a good range of resources.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils have very good attitudes to the subject and behave very well in lessons. • Quality of teaching and learning is good. • Good use is made of ICT to support learning. • Leadership of the subject is good.

p.25

Commentary

64. The pupils enjoy learning about their own and other countries. Their positive attitudes towards their work help them to gain a knowledge and understanding that is in line with the expectations for their age. These standards have improved since the last inspection. The pupils, including those with special educational needs and EAL, achieve well.

p.25

Commentary

65. Teaching in Years 3 to 6 is good. No teaching was seen in Years 1 and 2. The planning of lessons provides a good structure that gives pupils good opportunities to work independently. This they do well, showing high levels of concentration and good collaboration when sharing resources and ideas. For example, Year 3 pupils worked enthusiastically in small groups to produce information on different locations around the world. Teachers use an appropriate range of strategies and resources to help pupils learn through their own research. An effective example of this was seen in Year 6 where pupils used symbols on an ordnance survey map to find out information about towns in Lancashire.

p.25

Commentary

66. Good use of ICT helps pupils locate suitable information on the Internet and to record their findings in interesting ways. The successful deployment of a teaching assistant helps with this. Effective use of pupils’ literacy skills makes a good contribution to pupils’ ability to present their work clearly and logically. Lessons proceed at a good pace so that a suitable amount of work is covered in the time available. All pupils have access to work and receive appropriate support when necessary. Good use is made of pupils’ personal experiences of other countries to provide pupils with a wider understanding of other cultures.

p.25

Commentary

67. Effective leadership by the co-ordinator ensures that an appropriate range of topics are taught. A good level of resources is available and is regularly maintained. The co-ordinator keeps teachers up-to-date with relevant information. Through good teaching the co-ordinator provides a good example to other teachers. Although the co-ordinator sees teachers’ Holy Saviour RC Primary School - 26 planning and samples of children’s work there are too few opportunities to observe lessons to assess the quality of teaching and to offer appropriate support.

p.25

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

There was not enough evidence to report on art and design, design technology and music individually, but work was sampled in these subjects. Physical education is reported in full below.

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

68. All aspects of art and design are taught throughout the school, and standards are in line with national expectations. This is an improvement from the previous inspection. Year 2 pupils worked in the third of a sequence of lessons, focusing on the work of Georgia O’Keeffe, a nineteenth century American artist. Classroom displays indicate that pupils had previously looked carefully at this artist’s work, and produced closely observed pencil drawings, moving on to experimentation with size and colours with poster paint. In the lesson observed they developed their ideas further to include textural detail by the overlay of tissue, polystyrene beads, sequins, etc. Pupils evaluated their work with good judgement. Year 6 pupils talked with appropriate subject terminology of their work on head-dresses, describing the designing and making details, and evaluating their own and others’ work with good judgement. Displays around the school from each year group indicate the breadth and quality

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

of work produced. Displays do not always include a detailed and dated annotation to allow other pupils and parents to understand the learning objectives achieved by particular pieces of work.

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

69. Inspection evidence shows that all aspects of music are taught throughout the school and standards achieved in Year 2 and in singing across the school are above average. This is an improvement since the last inspection. Breadth and balance are assured by the introduction of a new scheme of work. The appointment of a teacher with specialist knowledge and very good teaching skills ensures that the teaching in Years 1 and 2 and work with the choir and recorder club benefit from her expertise. In one lesson observed in Year 2, standards achieved in recorder playing and singing were above those typically expected for their age as a result of very good teaching. Pupils learn to follow notation and to sing with good expression and harmony. Instrumental music skills are developed in Year 3 through a recorder club. Music is played as pupils enter and leave assembly and they are given some information about the composer. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 are given additional opportunities to sing in the

p.26

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

choir, and the continuing commitment of large numbers of boys and girls is testament to the quality of teaching and sense of achievement this opportunity offers them. During school Mass and assemblies all pupils sing hymns with good expression, including one specially arranged for them by their music teacher. Year 6 pupils talk with appreciation about the choir, proud to have sung at important parish events, including the weddings of members of staff.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

70. Only one lesson of design technology was seen. Co-ordination was discussed and Year 6 talked about the design technology projects they had completed. Portfolios of work from current and previous years were examined. Inspection evidence shows that all aspects of design technology, including food technology, are taught throughout the school, and displays of work indicate appropriate focus on the essential elements of design, making and evaluating. Above average standards are evident around the school, and this suggests a good improvement since the last inspection. The school has adopted a nationally approved scheme of work and is building up a portfolio of completed work, including photographs of completed products to show range and attainment levels achieved. The assessment procedures included with each unit of work are used to track progress and to report to parents annually. In one design technology lesson observed in Year I, planning indicated a

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

sequence of lessons to allow pupils to build up understanding and complete preparatory investigations to produce their own vehicle. Pupils worked to produce a lorry transporting goods, with a decorative logo to suggest its load. Pupils looked at wheeled toys to help them understand and produce a simple mechanism to move their own vehicles. A good focus on speaking and listening was built into the activity, which supported all pupils and made the lesson inclusive. In Year 6 pupils talked about the work they had completed, using appropriate Holy Saviour RC Primary School - 27 language to describe the assignments, including product investigation, designing, making, and evaluation. They recognised the achievement of particular classmates, including those learning with special educational need, with good judgement. There was little evidence of pupils developing their information and communications technology to support the subject.

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Physical education

Provision in physical education is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The full programme of study is taught effectively. • The use of talented pupils to support other pupils through coaching is very good. • Achievement is enhanced by participation in a wide range of out-of-school sporting activities.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

71. All aspects of physical education are taught, including gymnastics, dance, athletics and swimming. Further outdoor and adventurous activities are planned, for example orienteering. A newly introduced scheme of work supports teaching the subject well. Pupils achieved above average standards in the Year 5 lesson observed as a result of the good teaching.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

72. The quality of teaching and learning is varied in Years 4 to 6, with good standards achieved in Year 5, where pupils’ hockey skills were developed progressively as the lesson proceeded. The teacher’s feedback, which focused on the skills of hockey helped pupils learn to control and to move with the stick and ball, achieving good standards by the end of the lesson. In contrast, a teacher’s feedback on pupils’ performance in a rugby lesson was not precise enough in terms of the rules and movements of the game to raise standards beyond satisfactory levels.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

73. The school participates in a wide range of sporting activities, some of them competitive but with a good expectation for personal effort and sporting behaviour. Expert coaches support many of the after-school sports clubs and the school is well resourced through these partnerships. There are a number of talented pupils who demonstrate high skills in diving, rugby, football and gymnastics. The pupils with more advanced skills, for example in Year 4 rugby, demonstrated their expert knowledge to support less experienced pupils. All pupils in Years 3 and 4 have swimming lessons, and a very high percentage achieve the 25 metre swimming target. Year 6 pupils talked with great appreciation of all of the physical education opportunities, especially the after-school clubs. Most are eager and willing participants.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

74. The school places a high value on ‘caring and sharing’ which reflects the school motto well. There are planned lessons for personal, social and health education. In the observed lesson, pupils revised the need for care and caution in relation to road safety. The majority of the class recorded their understanding, although pupils learning EAL worked with a very skilled teaching assistant to extend the work to discuss directional language as part of the planned support for learning EAL. Year 6 pupils learning EAL discussed matters of differences in lifestyles in the UK and Pakistan with a very good level of understanding of the differences in the customs and way of life. Holy Saviour RC Primary School - 28

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The overall effectiveness of the school 3

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

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 1

Attendance 2 Attitudes 1 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 1 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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The quality of education provided by the school 3

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

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The leadership and management of the school 3

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

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The leadership and management of the school 3

Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7). Holy Saviour RC Primary School - 29

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