St Lewis Catholic Primary School

ST LEWIS CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 27 – 29 January 2004

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ST LEWIS CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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ST LEWIS 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. St Lewis Catholic Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Voluntary aided Age range of pupils: 5 – 11 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 204

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Mustard Lane Croft Warrington Cheshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01925 762268 Fax number: 01925 767784

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr Derrick Davies

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 19 th October 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school is situated in the village of Croft north of Warrington. It has 204 pupils in seven classes and is a smaller than average sized primary school. There are currently 30 children being taught in the reception class. Approximately half the pupils come from Croft and the immediate area surrounding the school while the rest of the pupils come from further away. Most pupils are of White-British origin and no pupils are at an early stage in the acquisition of English. The percentages of pupils with special educational needs and of those who are eligible for free school meals are both below national averages. The school received DfES Achievement Awards in 2001 and 2002, is a Beacon school and received an Eco Schools Award in 2003. St Lewis Catholic Primary School - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

21184 Mr Alan Fullwood Lead inspector Science, Information and communication technology 19418 Mrs Alison Birch Lay inspector 20815 Mrs Patricia English Team inspector Foundation Stage, Mathematics, Art and design, Geography, Music 3942 Mr Keith Sanderson Team inspector English, Design and technology, History, Physical education

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Parkman Ltd in association with PkR 35 Trewartha Park Weston-Super-Mare North Somerset BS23 2RT

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 12

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

St Lewis Catholic Primary is an effective school that provides a satisfactory standard of education for its pupils. Pupils achieve well in attaining well above average standards in English and mathematics. Leadership by the new headteacher is good. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• The standards pupils attain in national tests at the end of Years 2 and 6 in English and mathematics are high. • Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) at the end of Year 6 are good. • Older pupils have insufficient opportunities to develop the skills of collaboration and enquiry and to develop independence in their learning. • The school’s behaviour policy is not consistently applied and the behaviour of a minority of pupils is unsatisfactory in some lessons and around the school. • The provision made for pupils with special educational needs is good. • Insufficient use is made of assessment information to plan suitably adapted work to meet the needs of pupils of different abilities. • Pupils have good attitudes to their learning and are supported well by their parents. • The provision made for developing children’s physical skills in the Foundation Stage is unsatisfactory.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory. The good standards noted at the time of the last inspection have been maintained. The school has made satisfactory progress in addressing the key issues from the last report but there is still work to be done in monitoring classroom practice to ensure that skills in all subjects are taught well, particularly learning through enquiry and investigation and ensuring that information from assessments is used to inform teachers’ planning to meet the needs of all pupils in classes. The role of subject leaders is in need of further development. The new headteacher has a clear view of the improvements the school needs to make to improve further.

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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 A* A A* A Mathematics A* A A* B Science A* B A C Key: A* -top five per cent; A-well above average; B-above average; C-average; D-below average; E-well below average Similar schools are those whose pupils attained similarly at the end of Year 2.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The achievement of pupils is good overall. Inspection evidence indicates that standards in the current Year 6 are well above average in English and mathematics and pupils’ achievement is good. Standards in science are above average and pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. Pupils make good progress in their knowledge and understanding of the different aspects of the subject but their skills of scientific enquiry are not as good and they underachieve in this area. Pupils’ achievement is good in ICT and standards by the end of Year 6 are above average. The progress of pupils with special educational needs is good due to the good provision that is made for them. St Lewis Catholic Primary School - 7 Standards of attainment in the current group of Year 2 pupils are above average in English and mathematics and average in science. Pupils make satisfactory progress and achieve as well as they should. Standards in ICT are at expected levels and pupils’ achievements are satisfactory.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Overall, children’s attainment in the Foundation Stage is on track to be above the goals children are expected to reach by the end of the reception year. Pupils make satisfactory progress and achieve appropriately in their communication, language and literacy skills and in their mathematical development. They make good progress and achieve well in the development of their personal, social and emotional skills.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Overall, pupils’ attitudes to school are good and their behaviour is satisfactory. The promotion of pupils’ personal development is satisfactory but there are insufficient opportunities to develop their skills of enquiry and investigation and develop independence in their learning. The provision

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spiritual development is good. However, the provision made for developing pupils’

awareness of other cultures is unsatisfactory.

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The school provides a satisfactory quality of education. The quality of teaching and learning

are satisfactory. Teaching and learning in English are good and satisfactory in mathematics, science, the Foundation Stage and ICT. Assessment procedures and the marking of pupils work are satisfactory. However, assessment information is not used satisfactorily to plan suitably adapted work to meet the needs of the different ability groups within classes, as most pupils complete the same work.

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The school provides a satisfactory quality of education. The quality of teaching and learning

The curriculum is satisfactory overall but there are good opportunities for enrichment outside of the school day. The school has good links with parents, the community and other schools. The school provides good care, guidance and support for all its pupils.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management of the school are satisfactory. The governance of the school is sound. The headteacher provides good leadership and gives a clear educational direction to the work of the school. The role of subject leaders in monitoring their areas of responsibility is in need of further development.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents’ views of the school are satisfactory and the vast majority are very supportive of it. However, some changes made by the governors and the new headteacher have upset a significant minority of parents who, consequently, feel that the school is not communicating with them as well as it could. A number of parents also feel that they are not kept well informed about how their children are getting on. Pupils’ views of the school are positive but as with their parents they do not always feel that their views are sought before changes are made. Pupils enjoy coming to school and particularly like the practical and enquiry work they sometimes receive.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Provide more opportunities for pupils to develop their skills of collaboration and enquiry and develop independence in their learning. • Make better use of assessment information to plan suitably adapted work to meet the needs of pupils of different abilities, particularly the more able. • Apply the school’s behaviour policy more consistently and raise teachers’ expectations of their responsibilities in ensuring that pupils move about the school in an orderly manner. St Lewis Catholic Primary School - 8 • Ensure that the school’s well-advanced plans for improving the provision made for the development of children’s physical skills in the Foundation Stage come to fruition. • Improve the development of pupils’ understanding of the range of cultures evident in Britain today. St Lewis Catholic Primary School - 9

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Achievement is good overall. In English and mathematics pupils attain well above average standards and their achievement is good . In science, standards are above average in Year 6 and pupils’ achievement is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children in the Foundation Stage make good progress in their personal, social and emotional development. • Standards in English and mathematics are well above average. • By the end of Year 6, pupils’ standards of attainment in ICT are above average and they achieve well. • Pupils with special educational needs are supported well and achieve well.

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Commentary

1. Children make satisfactory progress and achieve appropriately in the Foundation Stage. They make satisfactory progress in relation to their above average attainment on entry to the school. Most pupils are on track to exceed the Early Learning Goals in the communication, language and literacy skills and in their mathematical development. They make good progress and achieve well in their personal, social and emotional development due to the high priority given to this area of learning. There was insufficient evidence to make secure judgements about children’s attainment and achievement in their creative development and their knowledge and understanding of the world. The development of children’s physical skills is limited by the lack of opportunities and resources to develop this area of learning.

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results reading 17.8 (18.0) 15.7 (15.8)

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

2. The results of national tests in reading and writing in 2003 for pupils at the end of Year 2 were well above average in comparison with all schools. In reading they were well above average in comparison with similar schools and in writing above average. Generally, standards have shown a downward trend since the last inspection. Girls and boys perform similarly. Inspection evidence indicates that standards in the current group of Year 2 pupils are above average and that pupils are achieving satisfactorily in relation to their above average attainment on entry to the school. Pupils’ speaking, listening and writing skills are above average and their reading skills well above average. Pupils enjoy talking about their work and respond well to adults’ questions. They generally present their work neatly, although this is not always the case, and demonstrate good grammar and spelling skills.

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Commentary

3. The results of national tests in mathematics in 2003 for pupils at the end of Year 2 were well above average in comparison with all and similar schools. Standards have shown a downward trend until 2003 when they improved. Generally, boys perform better than girls but this was not evident in pupils’ work seen during the inspection. Inspection evidence indicates that standards St Lewis Catholic Primary School - 10 of attainment in the current group of Year 2 pupils are well above average and that pupils are achieving well in all aspects of mathematics including number.

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Commentary

4. Teachers’ assessments for Year 2 pupils in science showed their attainment to be above average in 2003, particularly the high number of pupils who achieved the higher Level 3. Inspection evidence indicates that the current group of Year 2 pupils are attaining average standards. There is little evidence of more able pupils attaining Level 3 and achieving appropriately in relation to their attainment on entry to Year 1. This is a decline in the standards noted at the time of the last inspection.

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Commentary

5. Standards in ICT are at expected levels at the end of Year 2 and pupils’ achievement satisfactory.

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Commentary

6. There was insufficient evidence to make a judgement of pupils’ attainment in other subjects where lessons were only sampled.

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 31.4 (29.0) 26.8 (27.0) Mathematics 30.8 (29.5) 24.6 (22.3) Science 31.0 (29.7) 28.6 (28.3) There were 33 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

7. The results of national tests in English in 2003 for pupils at the end of Year 6 were in the top five per cent when compared to all and similar schools. They made very good progress in comparison with their attainment at the end of Year 2. The school’s ambitious targets for the percentages of pupils who would achieve Level 4 or Level 5 in 2003 were exceeded. Standards, although fluctuating from year to year, have improved in line with the national trend. Generally, girls perform better than boys in national tests but this was not evident in pupils’ work seen during the inspection. Inspection evidence indicates that standards in the current group of Year 6 are well above average and that pupils are achieving well due to the good teaching they receive. Most pupils are articulate and confident speakers and listen well to their teachers and classmates. Pupils enjoy reading, both at school and at home, and are fluent and confident

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Commentary

readers. Most pupils write using a wide vocabulary and structuring their work well and by the age of 11 their standards in writing are well above average.

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Commentary

8. The results of national tests in mathematics in 2003 for pupils at the end of Year 6 were in the top five per cent when compared to all and similar schools. The school’s ambitious targets for the percentages of pupils who would achieve Level 4 or Level 5 in 2003 were likewise exceeded. Standards, although fluctuating from year to year, have been maintained since the time of the last inspection. Inspection evidence indicates that standards in the current group of Year 6 are well above average and that pupils achieve well. Pupils systematically develop their knowledge and understanding of all aspects of mathematics and their ability to make mental calculations.

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Commentary

9. The results of national tests in science in 2003 for pupils at the end of Year 6 were well above average in comparison with all and similar schools. Pupils made satisfactory progress in relation to their attainment at the end of Year 2. The trend in results has varied from year to year but standards are not as high in national tests as they were at the time of the last inspection. Unusually girls perform better than boys in national tests but this was not evident in pupils’ work seen during the inspection. Inspection evidence indicates that standards in Year 6 are on track to be above expected levels this year. Pupils make particularly good progress in their knowledge of scientific facts but their attainment in scientific enquiry is average due to the inconsistent opportunities they have to carry out practical activities themselves or to organise and carry out their own investigations in response to a question posed by their teachers.

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Commentary

St Lewis Catholic Primary School - 11 10. In ICT standards of attainment in the current group of Year 6 pupils are above average and pupils achieve well. Pupils are confident in using their word-processing and data-handling skills and knowledge of the Internet, to organise information from a range of sources and to present it an understandable way for different audiences.

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Commentary

11. There was insufficient evidence to make a secure judgement about standards and achievement in other subjects where work was only sampled.

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Commentary

12. Pupils with special educational needs receive good support and make good progress in relation to their prior attainment. By the end of Year 6 many achieve the same level as other pupils of their age.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes are good and their behaviour is satisfactory. The school’s provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory overall, but that for their cultural development is unsatisfactory. The school has maintained the very good level of attendance since the last inspection. Pupils are punctual, enabling lessons to start promptly.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils have good attitudes to their learning. • The school’s appropriate behaviour policy is not applied consistently. • Pupils’ have few opportunities to develop their knowledge and understanding of the range of cultures in Britain. • The school’s action to promote attendance and punctuality are good.

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Commentary

13. Pupils’ attitudes in lessons are good. They listen carefully to their teachers and show enthusiasm in their contributions to class discussions. Many pupils sustain their concentration well when having to listen for long lengths of time during lesson introductions. They apply themselves well to their work and when given the opportunity, generally cooperate with other pupils well.

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Commentary

14. Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school are satisfactory overall. Improving pupils’ behaviour has been a current focus for development in the school. However, the application of the school’s behaviour policy is not consistent and teachers do not always insist on good standards of behaviour in lessons or when pupils move around the school. Many pupils run in the school when not directly supervised and are noisy when they are dismissed from their classes. This is evident even with the oldest Year 6 pupils. Behaviour on the playground at break and lunch times is satisfactory but staff do not always direct pupils towards more constructive play activities when occasionally their boisterousness unintentionally becomes intimidating to other pupils. In a significant minority of lessons, the behaviour of a few pupils slowed the pace of all pupils’ learning and time was wasted while the teacher dealt with this.

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Commentary

Generally, most pupils are well behaved and enjoy good relationships with their teachers and other pupils. There were no exclusions in the last reporting year.

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Commentary

15. The provision made for pupils’ personal development is satisfactory. The school’s strong Catholic ethos permeates the school day. There are frequent opportunities for reflection in assemblies and throughout the day as pupils say their prayers and reflect on their significance. Provision for pupils’ moral and social development are satisfactory. They are taught to distinguish right from wrong but do not always take responsibility for their own actions as they are too often over directed and do not have to think for themselves. This is particularly evident in lessons where pupils, when given the opportunity to carry out practical enquiry work, find it difficult to co-operate with others and take the opportunity to be silly in their behaviour. This was St Lewis Catholic Primary School - 12 seen, for example, in a science lesson when a few pupils, mainly boys, displayed poor behaviour in making boats using foil to see if whatever the shape or surface area of the material

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Commentary

they would float or sink. They were noisy and rude and sometimes unpleasant with other pupils. The provision for pupils’ cultural development is unsatisfactory. They are given satisfactory opportunities to learn about their own culture but opportunities to learn about other people’s cultures are underdeveloped. Pupils do learn about other faiths in religious education but the school has few resources to encourage a better understanding of the cultural richness of British society today.

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Attendance

The school has maintained its good level of attendance since the last inspection. The vast majority of parents are keen for their children to learn and send them to school regularly and on time.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 3.9 School data 0.2 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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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a satisfactory quality of education. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. The curriculum is satisfactory overall. Staffing, accommodation and learning resources are satisfactory. Links with parents, the community and other schools are good. Pupils’ care, guidance and support are good.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are satisfactory. The quality of assessment of pupils’ work is satisfactory but the use made of assessment information is unsatisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Generally, teachers manage pupils’ behaviour well, but the behaviour policy is not always implemented consistently. • In the good lessons observed, teachers have high expectations of what all pupils can achieve. • A narrow range of learning styles are used in a few classes. • The teaching of English is good. • Assessment information is not consistently used to plan suitably challenging work to meet the needs of pupils of different abilities. • The marking of pupils’ work is too variable. • Pupils with special educational needs are supported well.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 35 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

0 (0%) 1 (3%) 11 (31%) 21 (60%) 2 (6%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 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 Lewis Catholic Primary School - 13 16. The strengths in the teaching outweigh the areas for improvement. Generally, teachers manage pupils well and insist on high standards of behaviour. This is based on mutual respect and the good relationships teachers have established with their pupils. However, this is not always the case and was the main cause of the judgements in the unsatisfactory lessons observed. The weak management of a few pupils’ inappropriate behaviour was the cause of the lack of progress that many pupils made in these lessons. This resulted in too much time being wasted in controlling the class rather than effectively promoting the pupils’ learning. Where teaching is

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Commentary

good, teachers provide stimulating experiences and have high expectations of what all pupils in the class can achieve. Lessons are tightly structured so that pupils work quickly and concentrate well. This was evident in a Year 4 English lesson when pupils improved their skills in extending their stories by adding greater description and expressive language. Pupils were given 15 minutes to write each of four paragraphs giving a setting to their stories, use adjectives and imagery to build up feelings of fear and horror and to bring their stories to a successful conclusion.

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Commentary

17. A strong criticism of the last inspection remains with teaching, particularly in Years 5 and 6, lacking flair and excitement. Here, teachers make use of a narrow style of learning where pupils’ good attitudes allow teachers to spend long periods of time imparting knowledge while they listen. From the lessons observed and a scrutiny of pupils’ work, opportunities for practical work are few. As a result pupils’ learning is constrained and opportunities to be involved in their own learning restricted.

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Commentary

18. In English, there is good teaching of the basic skills of spelling, punctuation and grammar, and as a result, very few pupils have problems with these skills. However, teachers are not consistent in their expectations of how pupils present their work and as a result this ranges from very good to untidy. Pupils are given frequent opportunities to use their good speaking and listening skills in lessons but more could be done to provide opportunities for pupils to speak to a wider range of audiences and for different purposes than is presently the case. Teachers successfully promote pupils’ reading skills. They choose challenging texts and when reading extracts to the pupils they do so with enthusiasm and skill. As a result pupils enjoy reading and are confident in reading a wide range of books. They also receive good support from their parents in reading at home. Teachers make good use of individual target setting and the

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Commentary

marking of pupils’ work to give pupils a clear idea of what they need to do to improve their work. Pupils use language and literacy skills well in other subjects but this is not planned for.

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Commentary

19. Pupils’ work and teachers’ planning do not always identify sufficiently challenging activities for pupils of different abilities within the class. As a result, in many lessons seen during the inspection and in a scrutiny of pupils’ books, they make satisfactory rather than good progress in their learning. Staff are developing their assessment practices across the school but are not using the information sufficiently, to plan different starting points to suit the needs of individual pupils. The activities provided in many lessons are the same for all pupils. As a result lower attaining pupils are not supported well enough or more able pupils sufficiently challenged as they complete the same work as other pupils. This hinders the progress some pupils make and their level of achievement.

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Commentary

20. The school’s marking policy is inconsistently applied, being good in English, and variable elsewhere. Pupils’ work is regularly marked and comments are always supportive. However, marking is often a series of ticks with little information given to pupils about how they could improve their work.

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Commentary

21. The few pupils with special educational needs are taught well. They are supported in a variety of ways both in the classroom and in focused, specific learning groups. Particularly effective is the specialist one-to-one support pupils receive, and support in small groups outside the classroom. Teachers and teaching assistants work hard to explain, discuss and to boost these pupils’ confidence. There is a good range of learning resources to support this work. St Lewis Catholic Primary School - 14

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The curriculum

Curriculum provision is satisfactory overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Opportunities for enrichment are good and include environmental education. • Provision for special educational needs is good. • The innovative nature of the planned curriculum, to include cross-curricular and ‘excellence and enjoyment’ initiatives, is currently underdeveloped.

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Commentary

22. The curriculum in Years 1 to 6 meets statutory requirements. The quality and range of opportunities provided are satisfactory, with some good elements. The national strategies for literacy and numeracy have been adopted well and are contributing to the current high standards in these areas. A good range of additional curriculum opportunities enriches pupils’ learning outside of class, and the external environment is very well used to enrich national curriculum studies.

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Commentary

23. At present the school uses national guidelines, in addition to commercially produced programmes of work, as its planning framework. However the overall curriculum plan does not give the perspective necessary to enable links between subjects to be planned systematically. Evidence of the school developing effective, cross-curricular links between subjects, of responding in an innovative way to initiatives such as the ‘Excellence and Enjoyment’ and or personalising its curriculum specifically for St Lewis pupils is at present at an early stage of development. The school has acknowledged this as a key area for development.

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Commentary

24. The school tries hard to ensure that all pupils have equal access to the opportunities it provides. There is a current focus on provision for gifted and talented pupils through the Network Learning Community, and provision for pupils with special educational needs is good.

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Commentary

25. Provision for special educational needs is good overall. The co-ordinator supports class teachers in writing individual education plans (IEPs) for pupils, and regular monitoring meetings with all of the staff help ensure that support for pupils with special educational needs is a whole- school responsibility.

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Commentary

26. The accommodation is satisfactory. Recent improvements have included an extension to the staffroom, a new stockroom, a new special educational needs room and an extension to the outside hard play area. There are firm plans to develop an ‘external classroom’ to provide facilities for outdoor physical development for Foundation Stage pupils. Resources to support learning are satisfactory overall. They are good in ICT but there are weaknesses in the provision of resources for multicultural education.

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Care, guidance and support

Pupils’ care and welfare are secure. The school provides sound support, advice and guidance for pupils based on thorough monitoring of attainment, behaviour and personal development. The school seeks, values and acts on pupils’ views in a satisfactory manner.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The security of the pupils is of paramount importance. • There are good relationships between pupils and staff. • Induction arrangements for pupils are good. • The school council, amnesty group and eco committee are good initiatives to involve the pupils in the work of the school and the wider community. St Lewis Catholic Primary School - 15

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Commentary

27. The headteacher is effective in working in the pupils’ best interest to safeguard their welfare and safety. For example, there are rigorous health and safety risk assessments in place in the classrooms, around school and for the many educational and residential trips organised by the school. The school employs effective child protection procedures. However, there is one health and safety issue which has been brought to the attention of the headteacher and the governing body.

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Commentary

28. There are good relationships between pupils and staff. These are endorsed by the pupils and parents interviewed during the inspection and by observations of lessons, especially in physical education and science for the younger pupils. The induction arrangements are good for the very young children. As a result, the pupils settle in quickly and learn the school routines well.

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Commentary

29. The school is good at acknowledging pupils’ achievements through its rewards schemes. For example, pupils strive hard to behave well in class to gain ‘Golden Time’, rather than yellow or red cards, so that they can have an extended playtime. Pupils interviewed during the inspection were aware of the sanctions for bad behaviour and bullying and agreed that they work.

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Commentary

30. The school council, amnesty group and eco committee are good initiatives to involve the pupils in the work of the school. The pupils on the school council, who represent each year group, have discussed educational issues with a local councillor, and have had direct dealings with the contractor who is going to paint games onto the newly extended playground. The active parent association is funding this project. The purpose of the amnesty group is to consider other people in the world and their cultures. The eco committee involves all the Year 6 pupils. They work towards improving their environment through recycling rubbish, caring for the good sized ecology area situated in the school grounds and actively linking in with the National Curriculum. For example, in ICT they design and make environmental posters to raise awareness of the dangers to wild animals of leaving rubbish around. These posters are displayed around the

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The links the school has with the parents and the local community are good , as are the links with other local schools.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents are highly supportive of the school. • The school is good at asking parents for their views about how to improve further. • Links with the local secondary schools prepare pupils well for a smooth transfer from Year 6. • The school is forging good links with the local colleges, the local cluster of schools, and a local environmental group.

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Commentary

31. The vast majority of parents give good support to the school. Parents are provided with good information, especially through the achievement newsletters issued each half-term and the detailed annual reports on their children’s progress. Information on the curriculum being taught each term was well received by the parents interviewed during the inspection. Parents agree that the headteacher and staff are approachable and make themselves readily available to listen to them and discuss any concerns they may have.

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Commentary

32. The school consults well with parents to seek their views. Detailed analysis of the parents’ responses enables the school to develop procedures to fulfil the parents’ requirements. There is good support by parents who help in the school, especially with listening to pupils read. The St Lewis Catholic Primary School - 16 parent-teacher association is active in raising funds for the school, such as playground games and equipment, and other items from the school’s ‘wish’ list.

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Commentary

33. The school has developed good links with the community. There is a close liaison with six other local schools and the local secondary schools. The majority of parents and pupils are confident about how smooth the transfer is to these schools. The Networked Learning Community initiatives are particularly effective in sharing good practice with partner schools and others from within the local education authority. The staff believe they have gained tremendously from this interaction between schools. A local environmental group works closely with the pupils and a number of other local schools in the school’s ecological area. This enriches the curriculum provision for the pupils.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The quality of leadership and management is satisfactory. The headteacher provides good leadership. Overall the management of the school is satisfactory. There are strengths in the management of provision but some areas are, as yet, in the early stages of development. The governance of the school is satisfactory overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher has a clear educational vision for the school and an understanding of how it can be achieved. • Financial management is effective and best value principles are adhered to. • The management of provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. • The monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning are insufficiently developed. • The governors’ understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school are developing.

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Commentary

34. The headteacher, in post for two terms, has a clear understanding of the strengths of the school and the areas for development. She is committed to raising achievement and maintaining high standards of attainment in English, mathematics and science. Alongside this is an equally strong and practicable vision of what must be done through good quality teaching and the management of a rich range of learning opportunities to ensure continuing improvement across all areas of the curriculum.

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Commentary

35. To support this vision and strengthen a team approach to development, effective management strategies have supported the role of other key staff. For example, the opportunity to have the deputy headteacher without class responsibility has effectively provided valuable time for senior management training and development opportunities. As a result a review of curriculum planning has been undertaken and areas for improvement identified. It has also provided valuable non- contact time for all staff to review the provision for the subject for which they are responsible and to prepare action plans to inform the overall school development planning.

p.16

Commentary

36. Subject leaders are anxious to support their colleagues through sharing their expertise and experience and through careful budgeting of allocated funding to provide resources. This represents some improvement since the previous inspection. However the role, currently, remains underdeveloped in practice. The head teacher has developed useful guidance on teaching and learning and undertaken some informal monitoring herself. She is now anxious to extend the role of subject leaders to include these monitoring responsibilities. There is no agreed understanding of how valuable monitoring is or how best to organise it. Without the information provided by effective monitoring, the evaluation of strengths and weaknesses in provision for pupils is significantly restricted and hinders planning for improvement. This reflects the findings of the previous inspection where improvement in this feature of management was

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Commentary

designated as a key issue. St Lewis Catholic Primary School - 17 37. The management of provision for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory overall. This broadly reflects the findings of the previous inspection. The management of the provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. This is an improvement since the last inspection. This is especially creditable as the co-ordinator is part time, working three half days per week, and only a part of this time is for management, the rest taken up with teaching responsibilities. The documentation is so well organised and up-to-date it clearly reflects the lengths that the school, parents and support services go to in order to offer educational opportunities to pupils with a range of difficulties. It also reflects well on the amount of time the co-ordinator puts in to managing the system, a lot of the time her own. The school makes good

p.16

Commentary

use of the local education authority support services.

p.17

Commentary

38. The governing body is very supportive of the headteacher, staff, pupils and parents. The governors work hard to ensure that they carry out their statutory responsibilities. They are appropriately involved in school development planning and fully involved in the budget setting process. The chair and vice chair of governors visit the school on a regular basis to be briefed by the headteacher. Other governors visit when they can. However, governors rely heavily on the headteacher for the knowledge they have about the effectiveness of the school. Until recently little action had been taken in addressing a few of the key issues from the last report, such as the development of the role of subject leaders or providing more opportunities for pupils to develop their independence and skills of enquiry. However, they do monitor the school’s performance in national tests and set targets for improvement when results decline. With the

p.17

Commentary

good leadership of the new headteacher, governors have a good idea of the school’s strengths and are beginning to be more active in addressing its weaknesses, such as the decline in pupils’ standards of behaviour. Appropriate systems are in place for the performance management of staff, and governors are clear about their role in setting targets for the headteacher.

p.17

Commentary

39. The headteacher and a very effective finance committee work together to efficiently link development priorities and available funding. The accompanying table illustrates the current position which ensures that planned building work, which has been delayed, can be financed promptly and still meet the changes in funding from any fall in pupil numbers. The administration staff provide good quality monitoring information for the head-teacher and the governors’ finance committee.

p.17

Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.17

Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 608,644 Balance from previous year 18,433 Total expenditure 598,092 Balance carried forward to the next 28,985 Expenditure per pupil 2,641 St Lewis Catholic Primary School - 18

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

40. The teacher and support staff have developed an effective team approach. Appropriate use is made of national and local authority advice to plan the curriculum for children of this age so that they have a broad experience where learning builds on what children already know, understand and can do. Most children entering reception have had nursery experience and the links with these nurseries and information from parents provides a sound start to a practice of continuous assessment. There being no formal assessment on entry to reception the information from informal assessment indicates that on entry overall attainment is above average. Inspection evidence shows that overall the achievement of these children over time is satisfactory.

p.18

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in this area of learning is good.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good induction procedures are in place. • There is a commitment to developing positive attitudes to learning. • Good relationships are established between children and adults who work with them.

p.18

Commentary

41. A high priority is placed on development in this area. Support for it permeates all activities. The well organised induction procedures and links with parents ensure that children enter school with a good measure of confidence. All adults consistently model the strategies involved in forming and sustaining relationships. Teaching and support staff have a shared understanding of expectations when encouraging the development of social conventions and establishing acceptable behaviour. As a consequence children know school and classroom routines well and can move around the school with appropriate confidence. Adults unfailingly appreciate children’s positive attitudes. This raises self-esteem and helps children to recognise their good achievement.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Overall attainment in this area is above expectations for pupils of this age. • Development of these skills is supported across all areas of learning. • Whole-class direct teaching sessions are too often protracted.

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Commentary

42. Informal assessment on entry indicates that attainment overall is above expectation for children of this age. Most children are on target to attain the Early Learning Goals for children of this age with a significant minority attaining beyond by the time they transfer to Year 1. The promotion of children’s speaking and listening skills permeates all activities. The adults consistently use a varied range of everyday and subject-specific vocabulary and model grammar and the structures of spoken language encouraging children to use these when sharing their ideas. Direct teaching is used effectively to develop children’s knowledge of letter sounds and names and how to use a pencil. For example a child browsing in the book corner explained that her book was about a boy wanting a bucket and pointing out, ”There is the word for bucket. It starts with ‘b’.” A child in the St Lewis Catholic Primary School - 19

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Commentary

café busily wrote ‘Cuc Patrik’ as a name badge for his friend in charge of cooking. In preparation for transfer to Year 1 the teacher uses whole-class sessions. Where these sessions become protracted, and children are sitting on the carpet for 30 minutes, they become distracted and for a significant proportion of that time the children are not engaged in active leaning. This is an unsatisfactory use of time.

p.19

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision for this area is satisfactory.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Most children are on target to attain the Early Learning Goals, with a significant minority attaining beyond this by the time they transfer to Year 1. • Pupils’ learning is well supported by a practical approach. • Self-chosen activities, which are unsupervised, do not always ensure a clear and purposeful learning focus.

p.19

Commentary

43. The progress pupils make in using and applying mathematical knowledge, skills and understanding owes much to the use made of practical situations that arise across all areas of learning. For example, children count how many children are in their group and talk about the size of their tower or height of their bulbs. In an activity, supported by an adult, children apply what they know and can do when using one and two-pence coins to make enough money to buy an item costing eight pence. Teachers intervene as children work to pose pertinent questions to assess understanding or move learning on. However, the planning of self-chosen activities is insufficiently structured to ensure that there is a range of suitably resourced and purposeful tasks available, each with clear learning intentions, which offer opportunities to explore mathematical features or consolidate prior learning. Without such structure activities often

p.19

Commentary

become aimless and time is not used to best advantage.

p.19

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

44. There is insufficient evidence to judge the quality of provision or overall attainment. However, children use a computer program with a good measure of confidence and readily support each other where necessary. In the session observed, children used a mouse effectively to activate icons of their choice to add to the composition of their design or picture. Almost all found much pleasure in the printed outcome and were eager to talk about what they had created and how it could be printed.

p.19

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

The provision for the development of fine motor skills is good but there is insufficient evidence to make overall judgements on the development of gross motor skills.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Opportunities within other areas of learning are used effectively. • Appropriate use is made of direct teaching of techniques. • The facilities for outdoor vigorous and creative activities are unsatisfactory.

p.19

Commentary

45. The good development of finer physical skills owes much to the opportunities to handle pencils, scissors and construction equipment that are integrated in activities across all learning areas and to the readiness of adults to directly teach skills and techniques to improve control. St Lewis Catholic Primary School - 20 However, the absence of a secure outdoor area with appropriate equipment for creative and vigorous play has a significantly negative effect on the development of children of this age. This was noted at the time of the previous inspection. Plans have been developed and finance arranged to improve the provision in this academic year.

p.19

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

46. It was not possible to observe more than one aspect of this area. Judgements on the quality of provision and standards overall are therefore inappropriate. The children enjoy experiences such as printing with vegetables or creating faces using pasta. They eagerly explore the shapes generated by each vegetable and the range of colours and effects. The level of pleasure sustains attention well.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• By the age of 11 standards are well above average. • Teaching is good overall. • The subject is well led. • The use of targets and positive marking comments indicates to pupils how they can improve. • The presentation of work is sometimes untidy. • There are too few opportunities for pupils to experience drama and role play within the curriculum.

p.20

Commentary

47. Recent national tests show standards that are consistently well above average for seven and 11 year olds. Inspection findings show that by the age of seven pupils’ language and literacy skills are above average and by the age of 11 they are well above average. This shows good achievement in Years 3 to 6. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress, with a good number of them receiving very good specialist support.

p.20

Commentary

48. Throughout the school, pupils’ speaking and listening skills are above average. Many pupils are articulate and confident speakers, and teachers’ questioning encourages pupils to reflect, and explain what they can recall. Discussion in lessons is often lively, and pupils enjoy conversing with each other and with other adults. Some pupils attain standards that are very high, but the school could do more to plan opportunities for pupils to speak for a range of purposes and to an increasing range of audiences. The school is planning to focus on such ‘techniques’ as role play, debating and drama.

p.20

Commentary

49. Standards in reading are well above average. Reading is successfully promoted as an enjoyable activity and as a result, pupils achieve well. Pupils take home both fiction and non-fiction books. In lessons, teachers act as good role models through their own reading aloud. Many families belong to local libraries and pupils are very well supported in their reading at home. All of these factors help to promote pupils’ learning and the standards they attain. Pupils are clear about the strategies they need to use to work out unfamiliar words, and they talk confidently about the books they are reading, giving opinions about the characters and reasons for events. Authors that pupils indicate are their favourites include Jacqueline Wilson, Roald Dahl, Anthony Horowitz and J K Rowling. One pupil, comparing reading ‘Harry Potter’ stories to seeing the films, said “I prefer to read the story myself so that I can create my own images in my mind.” Whilst book

p.20

Commentary

areas are generally well organised, there is little in the way of vivid display to capture pupils’ St Lewis Catholic Primary School - 21 interest, and one of the oldest pupils, commenting about the school library and the range of fiction there, said, “Its okay but I have read all of the best ones.”

p.20

Commentary

50. By the time pupils are 11, standards in writing are well above average. There is good teaching of the basic skills of spelling, punctuation and grammar, and by the age of 11 very few have problems with these skills. Writing is well structured and pupils enjoy the activity. When given the opportunities, many pupils write with style and a feel for words and images. Older pupils’ work about ‘What is a rainbow?’ said, “It is a giant’s set of paints on a day for art,” or, “It is a goblin’s belt stretched as far as far”, writing about the moon, one pupil wrote said “The moon is a blind eye, looking down at earth.”

p.21

Commentary

51. In the lessons seen, teaching was good overall. High standards of work have been maintained, and the National Literacy Strategy has been well integrated into the school’s work. Teachers make good use of setting individual targets, and this, allied to positive, forward looking marking, gives pupils a clear indication of what they have to do to improve. The school could do more to raise expectations of presentation and organisation of written work, which range from very good to untidy.

p.21

Commentary

52. The leadership of the subject is good. The subject leader is knowledgeable and has a clear idea of strengths and areas for development. Monitoring systems, including looking at planning, scrutinising pupils’ work and analysis of assessment data are used well to guide developments in the subject. Good liaison with the special educational needs co-ordinator helps provide lots of appropriate support for pupils with learning difficulties.

p.21

Language and literacy across the curriculum

53. Pupils use language and literacy skills well in other subjects but planned opportunities for linking subjects together are underdeveloped at present.

p.21

MATHEMATICS

The provision for mathematics is satisfactory overall.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards of attainment by the ages of seven and 11 are well above average. • The advice of the National Numeracy Strategy is used effectively. • The planning of differentiated learning activities to suitably challenge all pupils is insufficiently rigorous. • The monitoring of teaching and learning is unsatisfactory.

p.21

Commentary

54. The standards of attainment at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are well above average for pupils of these ages when compared with national averages and those for similar schools. Most pupils securely reach the level of attainment expected for pupils of these ages with a significant minority of pupils attaining beyond. Pupils achieve well over time.

p.21

Commentary

55. It is clear that teachers use the advice of the National Numeracy Strategy effectively. This ensures that children systematically develop knowledge, skills, and understanding as they move through the school. The emphasis made on developing mental agility, the exploration of the range of methods of calculating and insistence that pupils explain their thinking has a significantly positive impact on overall attainment. This was well illustrated in a Year 2 lesson where pupils buying items from a café demonstrated a range of approaches to finding the total cost and the range of coins to pay for the purchase. Year 6 pupils enjoyed a brisk session identifying square and prime numbers before tackling the complex problem of costing the landscaping of a garden. Most pupils readily calculated costs mentally using multiplication and St Lewis Catholic Primary School - 22 division facts involving large numbers, and they used strategies, including estimation, to check

p.21

Commentary

56. The school is concerned to develop ways of providing for pupils identified as gifted or talented. Those pupils with particular ability in mathematics have access to more demanding work if class tasks are completed quickly. They also have opportunity to attend workshops along with pupils from other schools. However, evidence in lessons and in examining prior work indicates that the planning of adapted learning activities to suitably challenge all pupils across a range of abilities is rarely used. This has a limiting effect on standards of achievement.

p.22

Commentary

57. The subject leader is anxious to support colleagues in sustaining the high standards of attainment and has prepared an action plan. However, without an agreed programme for the monitoring of teaching and learning there is insufficient information on which to evaluate the strengths and areas for development in this subject. This has a significantly negative impact on planning for improvement.

p.22

Mathematics across the curriculum

58. Pupils use mathematical skills in other subjects such as measuring in design and technology and simple block graphs in geography, but the planning to provide such opportunities is insufficiently developed.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards at the end of Year 2 are average. • Standards at the end of Year 6 are above average and pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. • Good emphasis is given to pupils’ knowledge of scientific facts. • The development of pupils’ skills in scientific enquiry is inconsistent and unsatisfactory overall. • Good use is made of the environmental area to promote pupils’ understanding of plants, animals and habitats. • The quality of marking is variable.

p.22

Commentary

59. Standards of attainment of pupils in the current Year 2 are average. Evidence from a scrutiny of pupils’ work and discussions with them indicates that most pupils are on track to achieve the expected Level 2 by the end of the year but there is little evidence of more able pupils working at Level 3. This is a decline in the standards noted at the time of the last inspection. In discussion, Year 2 pupils had a good understanding of the work they had covered so far. They were aware of the dangers of electricity and could point out that if an electrical circuit was not complete then the bulb would not light. However, when asked they could not describe what a force was without prompting. There is little evidence of recorded work in Year 2 and a lot of worksheets are used in Year 1. In a lesson seen in this year group pupils showed good attitudes to their work and for homework had brought in a number of artefacts made from wood. However, the challenge and

p.22

Commentary

pace of the lesson was only satisfactory and the teachers’ expectations of what pupils could achieve were not high enough. Unfortunately, due to a misunderstanding over her timetable, no lessons in Year 2 were observed. Inspection evidence points to a decline in standards in comparison with teacher assessments last year and that pupils are underachieving in relation to their capabilities.

p.22

Commentary

60. Standards attained by pupils in Year 6 are above average and they achieve satisfactorily in relation to their capabilities. This is particularly so in their knowledge of scientific facts. Pupils have good attitudes to science, particularly when given practical activities to undertake, which St Lewis Catholic Primary School - 23 they say they have rarely had in Years 5 and 6. Evidence from the scrutiny of pupils’ completed work in these year groups confirms this. In Years 3 and 4, pupils are given frequent opportunities to carry out scientific investigations and develop a good knowledge of what makes a test ‘fair’. In discussion, Year 6 pupils were aware of the need to do the same thing when carrying out an investigation but were unused to using such terms as the ‘control’ or ‘controlling variables’ when talking about their work. Provision for the development of pupils’ scientific enquiry skills are clearly inconsistent and as a result pupils do not achieve as well as they

p.22

Commentary

61. Good use is made of the school’s good quality environmental area to develop the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of ecology. Evidence from displays and records around the school show that pupils have frequent opportunities to observe and discuss environmental issues and to learn about plants, animals and habitats. Year 5 pupils were observed looking at a grassy bank and noting the changes taking place in the flora and were questioned about what it showed about the season they were in. Other pupils were composting leaves and knew that leaf mould provided an important source of nutrition for plants to grow. However, they were less clear about how the process of composting worked. Good links are made with other subjects, such as art, and a group of pupils were making designs based on evergreen leaves to use when they made clay pots later in the term. Good use is made of this facility by other schools and the

p.23

Commentary

school employs two adult volunteers, paid for by money from the school’s Beacon status.

p.23

Commentary

62. In the lessons seen, teaching and learning were satisfactory and overall teaching and learning across the school are satisfactory. Teachers have a sound knowledge and understanding of the curriculum and this is evident in their correct use of terms such as ‘upthrust’ or ‘displacement’ and their insistence that pupils make use of these terms when talking about their work. They have good rapport with pupils and generally manage their behaviour well even when their introductions are protracted and pupils have to listen for too long. In more practical work, teachers’ management of pupils is not always secure and time is lost and progress slowed by teachers having to spend too long controlling pupils rather than promoting their learning. Little use is made of assessment information in teachers’ planning and results in pupils’ achievement being satisfactory rather than good. Teachers generally provide opportunities for pupils to carry

p.23

Commentary

out experiments, but analysis of work indicates that these are insufficient in Years 5 and 6. Across the school, pupils have insufficient opportunities to plan their own investigations in response to a question set by their teachers. The quality of the marking of pupils’ work is variable. In many classes it is just ticks with occasional supportive comments. In some instances these comments sum up what pupils have achieved in the lesson, such as when a Year 2 pupil was told how well she had done to identify so many electrical appliances in the school, or in Year 6 when a pupil had not drawn any conclusion, they asked why the results were as they were. Rarely does marking point out what pupils need to do to improve their work and this is a missed opportunity to involve them in their learning.

p.23

Commentary

63. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The co-ordinator monitors teachers’ planning and has sampled pupils’ work. She has regular opportunities each term to monitor the provision made for the subject and has monitored some of her colleagues teaching. However, when asked about analysing results in national tests at the end of Year 6, 1999 was the last year when she had done this. The co-ordinator is aware of the need to develop a wider variety of teaching approaches in some classes and to further develop the provision made for developing pupils’ skills of scientific enquiry. Resources for the subject are adequate. Satisfactory use is made of pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills in science but there is little evidence of pupils using their ICT skills to graph and tabulate their results.

p.23

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in ICT is satisfactory. St Lewis Catholic Primary School - 24

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards of attainment are above average by the end of Year 6. • Teachers do not adapt work to meet the needs of different ability groups within their classes. • Resources for the subject are good. • There are no assessment procedures in place.

p.24

Commentary

64. Pupils attain average standards by the end of Year 2 and achieve as well as they should. From a scrutiny of pupils’ work and discussions with them, they develop expected skills in word- processing and are able to write simple sentences and alter the size and type of the font they use. They show some appreciation of audience in choosing which fonts and sizes to use. Pupils can log on and access programs they wish to use and save and print their work when required. They make use of data-handling programs in constructing graphs and charts about their favourite pets and ice-cream flavours. Year 2 pupils spoken to had not yet completed any work in controlling devices, such as programmable toys, as this is planned by the teacher for the summer term. However, Year 3 pupils remembered covering this work and were able to demonstrate how to program these devices to follow a simple route. There is little evidence in

p.24

Commentary

pupils’ books of pupils’ using their ICT skills in all subjects but work saved on the hard drive shows pupils using an art program to compose pictures emulating the style of Jackson Pollock.

p.24

Commentary

65. Pupils’ standards of attainment at the end of Year 6 are above average and they achieve well in relation to their attainment at the end of Year 2. Pupils are confident in accessing the Internet to find relevant information and pictures and importing this into the power point presentations about the life and living conditions of children in Warrington in Victorian times. Pupils show confidence in clicking on icons, dragging test or resizing pictures. Many pupils have computers at home and enjoy using them but they say that they mainly play games rather than extend the skills they have learned at school. Work in Year 5 shows that pupils are given good opportunities to use spreadsheets and enter formulae to use the computer, for example, to calculate costs.

p.24

Commentary

66. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. Teachers have a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of the subject and provide pupils with relevant experiences to develop their computer skills. They generally manage pupils satisfactorily but levels of noise are not always conducive to aiding pupils’ concentration and rate of work. This is particularly so when Years 2 or 3 classes go to and from the hall, as the computer suite is situated in what used to be a wide corridor. High expectations by teachers of pupils’ behaviour is not always evident and time was wasted in a few lessons observed as teachers ensured that pupils listened attentively to their instructions. Lessons have satisfactory pace and challenge but teachers’ rarely adapt work to meet the needs of different ability groups of pupils.

p.24

Commentary

67. Leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The subject leader has good expertise and provides training and informal advice to his colleagues. He monitors teachers’ planning and samples pupils’ work through displays around the school. The co-ordinator has begun to develop a collection of pupils’ work to aid teachers’ assessment of the work. However, there are no effective assessment procedures in place as yet, although a number of different systems have been trialled by the school. There is a networked computer in each classroom as well as those in the computer suite, and resources for supporting teachers are good. Two computer clubs take place after school each week and give interested pupils good opportunities to extend their skills.

p.24

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

68. Pupils make satisfactory use of their ICT skills in other subjects of the curriculum, such as using the Internet to find information about Victorian children in history or using art programs to draw stained glass windows in religious education. During the inspection there was very little of pupils’ work on display throughout the school. St Lewis Catholic Primary School - 25

p.24

HUMANITIES

69. It was only possible to observe one lesson in geography . Planning documentation and scrutiny of recorded work indicates standards are broadly in line with expectation for pupils of these ages. Whole-school planning has improved since the previous inspection. The advice of the Qualification and Curriculum Authority has been adapted to support the breadth of study as pupils move through the school. The curriculum co-ordinator is developing advice to support more appropriate use of available teaching time to promote and sustain pupils’ interest and application to practical learning tasks. The management of provision in this subject is hampered because there is no established programme of monitoring teaching and learning other than by discussion with teachers and checking planning. Consequently, the subject leader has insufficient information on which to evaluate strengths and identify areas for improvement.

p.25

HUMANITIES

70. Only two lessons were seen in history so no judgement can be made about the overall provision made for this subject. However, in both lessons teaching was good and pupils’ standards of attainment were above those expected. It is clear that a range of visits and visitors plays an important part in making the work interesting and relevant. In the lessons seen, the use of primary evidence, both from people and from written sources, was integral to the success of both lessons. Pupils and staff participate with enthusiasm when finding out more about child labour in Victorian England and about life in England after World War II.

p.25

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

71. Few lessons were observed in art . An overall judgement on provision is therefore inappropriate. Evidence from samples of work, planning documents and discussions indicates that the curriculum is suitably broad and standards are broadly in line with expectations. The advice of the Qualification and Curriculum Authority has been adapted to provide a whole school framework. This indicates when elements of the subject are to be taught as pupils move through the school. It represents improvement since the last inspection although there is still no specific guidance for teachers related to the systematic development of skills and techniques. The co- ordinator is anxious to support colleagues requesting help in developing techniques such as ceramics but without the information from monitoring of teaching and learning evaluation of strengths and areas for development is significantly limited and this hampers planning for

p.25

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

72. In music it was only possible to observe one class lesson and a hymn practice. An overall judgement on provision and standards is therefore inappropriate. The breadth of the curriculum for music is suitably supported by the advice of the Qualification and Curriculum Authority and a published scheme. This represents improvement since the previous inspection. Children clearly enjoy singing and do so with good articulation. They sustain pitch effectively. There are good opportunities for pupils to learn to play a good range of instruments through the work of the peripatetic service. This contributes significantly to the attainment and achievement of the pupils involved.

p.25

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

73. Only one lesson was observed in design and technology and therefore it is not possible to make an overall judgement about provision in this subject. Discussions with the subject leader and scrutiny of past work, indicates that from a limited range of evidence, standards are in line with those expected. Pupils are gaining experience of a range of materials and techniques and developing the expected subject skills through designing and making a variety of products. Older pupils learn a variety of joining techniques, including stitching, in order to make “money containers”. Year 6 pupils have created a range of “fairground rides” using a variety of materials, with some moving and controlling devices using their science and ICT skills.

p.25

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

74. It is not possible to make an overall judgement of provision for physical education as only one lesson was observed during the inspection. Discussions with the newly appointed subject leader and a scrutiny of teachers’ planning, as well as evidence from the one dance lesson observed, indicate that an appropriate programme of activities is offered. The school uses national St Lewis Catholic Primary School - 26 guidelines as a planning framework and feels that a programme of training for teaching indoor activities, such as gymnastics and dance, would help raise staff confidence and expertise. Pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6 visit a local leisure centre for swimming (one term each) and by the time they leave school, the vast majority of pupils can swim at least 25 metres.

p.25

Personal, social and health education

75. It is not possible to make an overall judgement about provision in this area as no lessons were seen during the inspection. However, a policy for this area is only now being developed. A school council has been set up but some of the oldest pupils spoken to during inspection said that they did not want the responsibility of being councillors. The council is meeting regularly and has elected members from Years 1 to 6. The pupils themselves keep the minutes of the meetings and they have recently had tea with a local councillor to discuss the workings of local government. Pupils are in direct contact with the contractor who is to mark out games on the playground. There is an amnesty group and an eco committee who develop their understanding of global and environmental issues. The science curriculum includes a programme of sex and relationships education and drugs awareness. Whole-class discussions of personal and social

p.26

Personal, social and health education

issues called ‘Circle time‘ are timetabled in most, but not all, classes. St Lewis Catholic Primary School - 27

p.26

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.27

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 4 Attendance 3 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 4 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 4

p.27

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

p.27

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.27

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).

p.27