All Saints Church of England Primary School

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996

All Saints C of E VC Primary - 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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Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996

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. All Saints C of E VC Primary - 3

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

This smaller than average one-form entry primary school with 7 classes is situated close to the centre of Coventry. There are 186 boys and girls on roll aged 4 to 11 years. Whilst most pupils are of white British heritage, about one-third of the pupils are from other ethnic groups, the largest minority group being Asian or Asian British Indian. The properties surrounding the school are small low cost homes, although many pupils also come from a much wider area. Several of the pupils live in rented properties and the percentage of parents who apply for free school meals is well above the national average. Several pupils speak English as an additional language and 7.8% of the pupils are at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is above average. Fifty-three pupils have special educational needs, mainly for learning and behavioural difficulties, and one pupil has a statement of special educational need. The percentage

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

of pupils joining or leaving the school at times other than the start of the academic year is much higher than usual. During the last school year, 40 pupils joined the school and 26 pupils left. Overall, the attainment of the pupils on entry is below average. The headteacher is still in her first year of leading the school and a new deputy headteacher had commenced duties two weeks before the inspection began. Some of the reception children were in their first week at the school. All Saints C of E VC Primary - 4

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CW8 4DU

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.oftsed.gov.uk). All Saints C of E VC Primary - 5

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REPORT CONTENTS

PART B: COMMENTARY ON THE MAIN INSPECTION FINDINGS

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REPORT CONTENTS

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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REPORT CONTENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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REPORT CONTENTS

QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 11

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REPORT CONTENTS

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

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REPORT CONTENTS

PART C: THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION IN AREAS OF LEARNING AND SUBJECTS 19

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REPORT CONTENTS

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

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REPORT CONTENTS

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 31 All Saints C of E VC Primary - 6

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school is emerging from an unsettled period and provides a satisfactory education for its pupils, with strengths in the Foundation Stage and the infants. Pupils achieve well in these year groups and standards are often above average compared with similar schools at age seven. Pupils’ achievements are more variable by age 11 and comparative standards are not as good, partly due to a large turnover of pupils and some staffing difficulties. The recently appointed headteacher is well supported by an effective governing body and she has a clear sense of purpose. She holds the respect of a united staff that cares very well for its pupils. 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

 Good teaching in the Foundation Stage and in the infants enables pupils to achieve well in these classes.  Pupils’ achievements in the juniors are not as consistently good as in the infants.  Pupils’ mental skills in mathematics in the juniors and their understanding and application of number are not developed well enough.  The headteacher has made a good start to her headship and leads and manages the school well.  The governing body is well organised and has a good knowledge of the school’s strengths and its areas for development.  Not enough notice has been taken of pupils’ views about the way the school is run or of their reactions to the curriculum provision in lessons.  The staff take very good care of the pupils and give very good attention to their welfare.  Despite the good efforts of the school, too many pupils arrive late for school and attendance is below the national average.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection. Pupils’ attainment has improved in the infants and standards in reading and science have risen throughout the school, though writing and mathematics standards are not as high by Year 6. Teaching is better in the juniors. There is better provision for drugs education and better library arrangements. The accommodation for the Foundation Stage has improved.

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Year 6 results

All schools Similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 English B C D E Mathematics C C E E* Science A B E E* 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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Year 6 results

From a below average level of attainment when they enter, children achieve well in the Foundation Stage and in the infants and they achieve satisfactorily in the juniors, except in mathematics. Most children reach the national expectations for the end of the reception year. The trend of improvement in the infants in national tests in reading, writing and mathematics over the last five years has been above the national trend, whilst being broadly in line in the juniors. However, in 2003, Year 6 results against similar schools on the basis of prior attainment were well below All Saints C of E VC Primary - 7 average for English and very low in mathematics and science. Results improved very significantly in 2004 in which just over half the pupils reached the higher level in reading, which is a strength in the school, and in science, although weaknesses in mathematics and writing were still apparent.

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Year 6 results

Currently, standards are above expectations in Year 2 in science and English and meet expectations in mathematics. In Year 6, attainment is in line with expectations in science and reading, but below in writing and mathematics. Pupils meet local expectations in religious education and ICT. Pupils’ attainment in other subjects was not judged. Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language and most pupils from minority ethnic groups make similar rates of progress to other pupils, but there is a tendency for some Afro-Caribbean pupils not to progress as well. The school exceeded its target in Year 6 in 2004 in English and just missed it in mathematics.

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Overall, pupils’ personal development is good. Their spiritual, moral, and cultural

development is good and their social development is satisfactory. Pupils’ behaviour and their attitudes to work are good in the infants and satisfactory in the juniors. Though improving, pupils’ attendance is below average and several pupils are regularly late for school.

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Overall, pupils’ personal development is good. Their spiritual, moral, and cultural

The school provides a satisfactory quality of education. Teaching and learning observed during the inspection were satisfactory overall and good in the infants and the Foundation Stage. Assessment of pupils’ work is satisfactory overall with some good features. The curriculum is planned well, with good opportunities to broaden their experiences through residential and day visits. The range of extra-curricular activities is satisfactory. Overall, the provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. The staff take very good care of the pupils and make very good arrangements for their welfare.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good. The new headteacher has a clear vision and sense of purpose and has the respect of the staff. Subject leaders work hard in managing their several responsibilities. The governing body is well organised and fulfils its statutory duties.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Most parents have positive views of the school. They find it easy to approach the school to discuss any concerns. They are supportive of many events, but shy away from curriculum evenings, which are designed to assist them to help their children. A small number of parents do not ensure that their children attend regularly enough and some parents do not get their children to school on time. Most pupils enjoy school, but more of the younger pupils find their activities interesting.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

 Take steps to help pupils in the juniors to maintain the good progress that they make in the infants.  Develop pupils’ mental skills in mathematics in the juniors and improve their understanding and application of number.  Take more notice of pupils’ views about the way the school is run and use their responses in lessons to amend the curriculum and improve their levels of interest.  Work more rigorously with parents and seek out best practice nationally to improve pupils’ attendance and punctuality. All Saints C of E VC Primary - 8

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Children achieve well in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2, and usually satisfactorily in Years 3 to 6. Overall, standards meet expectations and sometimes exceed them in some aspects of work in Year 2. Reading is a strength throughout the school. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language achieve satisfactorily overall as do pupils who are gifted and talented.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

 Pupils achieve well in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2.  Pupils make good progress in reading.  Pupils do not achieve well enough in mathematics by Year 6.

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Commentary

1. Half the Foundation Stage children were in their first three days of school and the other seven children had just completed their first week, but all had settled in well and were making good relationships with each other and with adults. This is due to the good preparations for their entry, including home visits. Scrutiny of last year’s work, which relates to pupils who have just started Year 1, indicates that the children achieve well from a below average level of attainment when they enter. They achieve well in all aspects of their work, with most children reaching the expectations for the end of the reception year in all areas of their learning. Since the last inspection, better provision is made for outside activities. The direct access to the outside contributes well to the children’s early independence and sense of responsibility.

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Commentary

2. On average over the past three years, Year 2 pupils have matched the national average in reading with little difference between the results of boys and girls. Boys have been doing better than boys nationally, but girls less well than the girls. In writing and mathematics, both boys and girls have performed better than boys and girls nationally and this is an improvement since the last inspection. Overall, the school’s girls have attained more highly than the boys in writing and the boys have done better than the girls in mathematics. The trend of results in Year 2 over the past five years for reading, writing and mathematics has been above the national trend of improvement. Teacher assessed results in science in Year 2 in 2003 were above average.

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Commentary

3. The trend of results in national tests in Year 6 over time has been broadly in line with the national. In English, results have been below the national average with girls performing better than the boys by more than the national difference. The reverse is true in science and mathematics, although results for both boys and girls have been below the national average. The 2003 results for pupils in Year 6 science tests placed the school in the lowest 5 per cent of all schools nationally. These poor results in Year 6 were the result of a great deal of instability for that year group, which had an adverse effect upon how well the pupils achieved. In all three subjects, combined results for boys and girls have been significantly below the national average. In 2003, results against similar schools on the basis of prior attainment were well below average for English and very low in mathematics and science. The school did not meet its targets in

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Commentary

2003 when the school was without a substantive headteacher. The Year 6 results improved significantly in 2004 and the school exceeded its target in English and just missed it in mathematics. Just over half the pupils reached the higher level in reading and science, although weaknesses in mathematics and writing were still apparent. Comparative results against all schools nationally for 2004 are not yet available.

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Commentary

4. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 achieve well in reading and writing. By Year 2, pupils have good strategies for tackling unfamiliar words. This good achievement in reading continues into Years 3 to 6 and their reading skills are above expectations by age 11. Whilst pupils also achieve well All Saints C of E VC Primary - 9 in writing in Years 1 and 2, their progress slows down in Years 3 to 6 and their overall attainment is below expectations. This is partly due to the high rate of mobility in these year groups which upsets their progress. Given the circumstances, the pupils achieve satisfactorily in writing, given the often below average level of attainment when pupils enter from other schools during the juniors, whereas their skills in reading when they enter are more frequently better than their writing. The speaking and listening skills of those who enter the school in the juniors midstream are often below expectations, though most Year 6 pupils reach expectations. Pupils’

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Commentary

handwriting is often of a good standard with a good level of accuracy in spelling due to a coherent and well structured approach to this aspect of English.

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Commentary

5. In mathematics, pupils in Year 2 are currently meeting expectations for their age and achieving well because they are gaining a good understanding of number through discussing mental strategies. As a result, most are secure in their conceptual development of number. Currently, standards in Year 6 are below expectations because they do not have a secure enough grasp of place value, particularly when dealing with decimals. Several of the pupils have special educational needs. Many Year 6 pupils are not achieving well enough because they had a succession of teachers when they were in Year 5 and this has affected their mathematical skill development.

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Commentary

6. Pupils achieve well in science by Year 2 and reach above average standards in their work. This represents good improvement since the last inspection. They achieve satisfactorily by Year 6 and are reaching expectations for their age. In information and communication technology, pupils achieve well to reach average standards by Year 2 and achieve satisfactorily in the juniors to reach expected standards by Year 6.

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Commentary

7. Pupils reach the expected level in religious education against local expectations and achieve satisfactorily in both the infants and the juniors, but it was not possible to judge attainment in other subjects because of limited lesson observations.

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Commentary

8. Pupils with special educational needs, who have English as an additional language and who have special gifts and talents, achieve satisfactorily overall. They achieve well in the reception class and in Years 1 and 2 and satisfactorily in Years 3 to 6. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported. Pupils from ethnic minority groups generally achieve as well as other pupils in their year groups but there is a tendency for black Afro-Caribbean pupils to do less well.

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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 16.4 (15.2) 15.7 (15.8) Writing 16.4 (14.9) 14.6 (14.4) Mathematics 17.2 (16.1) 16.3 (16.5) There were 28 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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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 25.2 (26.1) 26.8 (27.0) Mathematics 23.4 (26.1) 26.8 (26.7) Science 25.7 (28.7) 28.6 (28.3) There were 28 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year All Saints C of E VC Primary - 10

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

The pupils’ attendance is unsatisfactory . Their attitudes and behaviour are satisfactory . The pupils’ personal development is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

 Pupils’ punctuality is poor and attendance is below the national average.  Pupils’ spiritual, cultural and moral development is good.

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Commentary

9. Although there has been less unauthorised absence than nationally, the overall level of attendance is below the national average, similar to the last inspection. However, attendance has been increasing year on year in the last three years. Pupils’ punctuality is poor and several pupils arrive late for school. There are good initiatives to promote attendance and it is carefully monitored. The school is active with parents in trying to improve both attendance and punctuality and there is a very good link with the education welfare officer, who is regularly involved with parents and their children in emphasising their responsibilities. A few serious cases of non-attendance and lateness as a result of family problems exaggerate the overall percentage of absence and incidences of lateness. In the past year, there have been several exclusions but limited to a very few pupils with serious behaviour problems who have been

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Commentary

excluded more than once. Two of these pupils are now being educated elsewhere.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 7.0 School data : 0.1 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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Exclusions

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Exclusions

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 131 15 White – Irish 2 White – any other White background 3 Mixed-White and Black Caribbean 10 Mixed – any other mixed background 1 Asian or Asian British – Indian 11 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 1 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 6 Black or Black British – Caribbean 8 Black or Black British – African 5 Black or Black British – any other Black background 2 All Saints C of E VC Primary - 11 Chinese 1 Any other ethnic group 2 No ethnic group recorded 1 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Exclusions

10. Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to school are satisfactory overall, but both are good in the Foundation Stage and in the infants. Many more of the younger pupils state that they enjoy school and find their lessons interesting than the older pupils. Pupils also state that behaviour is better in the infants than in the juniors, and inspectors agree. A small number of pupils, often new arrivals in the junior classes, find it difficult to manage their own behaviour, as at the last inspection, and their outbursts of inappropriate behaviour can disrupt other pupils and cause lessons to be less effective. Working habits are affected and pupils can then be noisy when engaged in their activities. The majority of pupils in the juniors are, however, compliant and want to learn and do their best. There is little evidence of bullying, but some pupils dislike the occasional playground fights and arguments. Midday supervisors report that pupils’ behaviour is

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Exclusions

generally good during the midday break. Pupils are confident that any classroom disputes are resolved when they report such incidents.

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Exclusions

11. Relationships amongst the pupils reflect the differences in judgements about behaviour. There is more classroom harmony between individuals in the younger classes. Pupils are mostly respectful to one another and pupils of different ethnic backgrounds mix well together. In one class, a Sikh pupil talked about his religion and the pupils’ questions which followed showed that they were most interested.

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Exclusions

12. Overall pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. It is good for their spiritual, moral and cultural development and satisfactory for their social development. Acts of worship are sincere with a good sense of occasion. Pupils respect one another’s faiths and the good range of religions studied in religious education helps to cement respect for one another’s beliefs. Pupils’ awareness of different languages through the modern foreign language initiative, pupils’ different own home languages and the inter-mixing of different ethnic backgrounds in each class promote further their respect for one another’s cultures. Class rules and the simple and well established school ethos, assemblies and work in religious education promote pupils’ good moral development. This is furthered well in personal, social and health education. Pupils have a clear perception of what is right and wrong. Currently, opportunities for pupils to develop

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Exclusions

socially are not as strong. Pupils undertake a variety of jobs around the school and a significant feature is the way older pupils look after the younger as when they engage in sharing texts with younger pupils, share in writing together and accompany younger partners on trips out. They take part in a residential visit, but opportunities are missed to give pupils greater responsibilities and to give them a relevant and consistent voice in the way that the school operates.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a satisfactory quality of education. Teaching and learning observed during the inspection were satisfactory overall, with strengths in the infants and Foundation Stage. The curriculum is planned well with a good range of opportunities to learn from the environment. There is sound provision for pupils with special educational needs. Assessment of pupils’ work is satisfactory with some good features. The staff take very good care of the pupils and make very good arrangements for their welfare. There are good links with parents and good links with the community.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall . Assessment is satisfactory . All Saints C of E VC Primary - 12

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Main strengths and weaknesses

 Good teaching in the Foundation Stage and in the infants enables these pupils to achieve well.  Teachers make good use of information and communication technology in mathematics lessons.  Records are kept in a wide range of subjects, but sometimes not used well enough to plan the next stages in learning.

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Commentary

13. Overall, the quality of teaching is satisfactory and better than at the time of the previous inspection because no unsatisfactory teaching was observed. Teaching is good in the reception class and in the infants. It is satisfactory in the juniors, although some good teaching was observed. The secure environment and good teaching in the Foundation Stage help the children to settle quickly and get them off to a good start. The classroom and outside area are well organised so that the children can profit from a good range of activities, some chosen by the teacher and some selected by the children. Expectations for their conduct are set from the start and they are expected to tidy up after activities. They are taught good routines for answering, and puppets are used effectively to model good learning habits, such as looking at the person who is speaking and good listening techniques. In the infants, pupils are well known and good

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Commentary

relationships are fostered which support learning effectively. Pupils in the infants are managed well and there are clear expectations of behaviour. Good use of praise encourages their efforts. There is a good match of work to the pupils’ capabilities and an effective challenge, which promotes their learning.

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Commentary

14. Though there are some strengths in the teaching in the juniors, including their hard work, good explanation of activities, and good use of resources, it is more variable in quality than for the younger pupils. Teachers in the juniors are clearly aware of the need to set work which matches pupils’ understanding in English and mathematics. This match is more successful in English. Teachers had not got the match of work to pupils’ understanding accurately enough in mathematics at the start of the term when the inspection took place. This resulted in some frustration for the pupils as they tried to understand their work. The teaching of literacy is good throughout the school and good in numeracy in the infants. Good use is made of ICT in mathematics lessons throughout the school. There is some variability in the success with which teachers share the learning objectives with the pupils at the start of lessons in getting pupils to

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Commentary

understand the purpose of their learning. They do not often refer to these objectives during or at the end of lessons and the intended outcomes are not made clear enough so that the pupils understand whether they have been successful or not. Teachers make good use of resources in lessons, as in history and science.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 32 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

0 (0%) 6 (19%) 14 ( 44)% 12 ( 38%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%)

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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

15. Many pupils are diligent and conscientious and enjoy their learning. Teachers are persistent in coping with some difficult and challenging behaviour by a few junior pupils and, in the main, they manage this satisfactorily according to the school’s behaviour strategy. On occasions, teachers lack consistent strategies to promote learning confidence, diligence and a good work ethic and so at times pupils can be noisy when they work. This affects the amount of work completed because they disrupt others. Teachers are patient in dealing with pupils who are disruptive and deal with it head on. Teachers obviously care greatly for the pupils and understand the difficult circumstances which some pupils have to contend with out of school.

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Commentary

16. Teachers value pupils’ contributions to lessons and there is often a good interaction in question and answer sessions. At times, they make good use of paired discussions so that all pupils are All Saints C of E VC Primary - 13 thinking. However, in the mental sessions in mathematics, there are occasions when pupils can sit back and let others do the work because too many individual questions are asked.

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Commentary

17. Teachers carefully intervene with pupils who have special educational needs and English as an additional language and enable them to make similar rates of progress to other pupils in the class. The school uses a complex package of support staff and teachers to give targeted support for these pupils. Pupils’ work is clearly linked to their individual education plans. Those who find it difficult to behave well are given good support to help them to behave better. A good blend of withdrawal arrangements and extra support in class are given and teachers try to ensure that all pupils have equal access to the curriculum by flexible timing of the withdrawal of pupils from class for extra support. Pupils from minority ethnic groups mix in well.

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Commentary

18. Assessment of pupils’ work is satisfactory overall with some good features. The school has good record keeping systems, although some records have only recently been put in place and are not yet fully effective. Good records are kept of pupils’ progress in reading and writing, mathematics and science and the school has recently put in place systems to analyse pupils’ progress in other subjects. Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and some of the marking helps pupils to improve, particularly in English. Additionally, all pupils have individual or group targets which make them aware of how they can make better progress. Currently, however, there is scope to make better use of record data in matching work more accurately to the work that pupils are asked to do, especially in mathematics. Nevertheless, good observation of pupils’ response assisted teachers’ flexibility in returning to new work at a more simple level when

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Commentary

pupils did not understand. The school analyses the results of national tests well and makes good use of internal tests to track pupils’ on-going progress. The individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs are of good quality and shared with pupils so that they understand what they need to do to improve. There are developing systems to plot more accurately the progress in English of pupils with English as an additional language.

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The curriculum

The curriculum is good . It is broad and balanced and provides a range of well-planned curricular opportunities for the pupils. There are good opportunities for enrichment of the curriculum, which give greater depth to the pupils’ learning. There is a satisfactory range of extra-curricular activities. Accommodation and resources are good overall and both are used well.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

 The curriculum is managed effectively.  Teachers’ planning is good and clearly focuses on pupils’ learning.  The curriculum is enriched by innovative ideas and many planned visits to places of interest.  The pupils do not always maintain their interest in extra-curricular activities offered by the school.

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Commentary

19. The school provides a good curriculum for the pupils. All statutory requirements are met in all subjects. The curriculum places a good emphasis on the core subjects of English, mathematics and science and, as a result, there are indications of improving levels of attainment. The school has improved the curriculum further since the last inspection by encouraging and developing links across different subject areas and also by adding innovative features, such as special weeks, which have a particular focus of work and more practical opportunities. The school has worked effectively to build on curriculum areas that will support each other and areas identified by the school for further improvement. For example, writing is an area identified by the school for improvement and teachers ensure that opportunities in science, history and geography are not lost and pupils have the chance to practise their writing skills developed in literacy lessons,

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Commentary

in these subjects. Teachers plan cross-curricular days very effectively. During the inspection, All Saints C of E VC Primary - 14 Year 2 pupils had a ‘Muffin Day’ in which all their learning for that day in different subjects revolved around making and sampling their muffins. In some subjects, information and communication technology is at present under represented. However, the imminent introduction of interactive electronic white boards in every classroom has the potential to make a significant improvement in this provision.

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Commentary

20. The curriculum for the children in the reception class is good and extends the children’s learning through play. The classroom and outside areas are used effectively to promote learning. Particularly effective is the use the classteacher makes of the interactive white board to captivate the children’s interests and extend their learning. Pupils with special educational needs are soundly catered for in the school. The pupils are all carefully checked and individual plans are constructed to enable them to make at least satisfactory progress. These plans are used in the classroom to make sure that the pupils’ learning in lessons is planned to match their individual needs. As a result of this careful organisation and good support from the teachers and support assistants, the pupils make sound progress. Pupils new to the school are quickly assessed and so no time is lost in ensuring that they have work carefully matched to their needs

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Commentary

and in this way their learning is disrupted as little as possible.

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Commentary

21. The school makes good use of a wide variety of visitors to the school and visits to places of interest to enrich the pupils’ learning. The school is skilful in the way that it uses the large variety of city facilities to enrich the pupils’ curriculum. Many of the places visited by the school offer specific expert tuition and are within walking distance for the pupils. They have opportunities to have a taster of a variety of ancient and modern languages, which enliven the subjects they study. For example, the pupils learned some Latin when they studied the Romans and some Norse when they were studying the Vikings. As the school is part of the Intensive Support Programme, there is a great emphasis in the school on ensuring displays in the classrooms are interactive. The teachers have become skilled at creating an active working environment in the classes with work displayed to stimulate, encourage and remind pupils about

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Commentary

their learning. The accommodation in the school and the levels of resources to support learning are good. The school has an adequate number of teaching and ancillary staff who are well qualified for their roles in the school. Staff have good opportunities for in-service training.

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Commentary

22. There are a satisfactory opportunities for extra-curricular activities. The art and design club is well attended. The school is keen to develop this aspect of its provision more. Expertise is being sought to enable other clubs to take place. However, sometimes the activities provided by the school, although initially well attended, lose members after a short space of time. The school provides good educational experiences during residential visits.

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CARE, GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT

Pupils are very well cared for, guided and supported by the school with very good care, welfare and health and safety arrangements. Support, advice and guidance based on monitoring are good . The school’s involvement of pupils through seeking, valuing and acting on their views is satisfactory .

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Strengths and Weaknesses

 Governors and staff work together to ensure pupils’ health and safety.  Induction procedures for pupils who start school during term time are of very high quality.  Pupils’ personal and educational well-being is a priority in the school.  The school is beginning to involve pupils in the day-to-day life of the school, but as yet they have no means of expressing their individual or corporate needs as pupils. All Saints C of E VC Primary - 15

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Commentary

23. All those involved with the school are very vigilant about the pupils’ well-being and these arrangements have improved since the last inspection. The school premises are checked at very regular intervals and any problems sorted immediately. Risk assessments are continually revised and updated and outside visits carefully considered. Child protection arrangements are well known and there are supportive relationships with local services. The school is well maintained, well presented and very clean.

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Commentary

24. The school has systematic and well-managed assessment systems in place to track pupils’ progress and these are being used to create targets for groups of pupils. Those pupils who attend the pre-school provision are well known to the staff through the regular visits and sharing in activities such as playtimes and assemblies. The school has very good procedures in place to support pupils of all levels of ability and needs, and works with a large number of support agencies to ensure their needs are met.

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Commentary

25. The induction of pupils into the reception class and for those who begin mid-term is very well planned and ensures all pupils have a supportive and considerate start to life at the school. Those pupils starting in reception have a staggered start, with the youngest pupils entering school first, so they then have the confidence to deal with the older children in the class. Mid- term starters are supported both in the class and pastorally, and have a pupil mentor to support them in the first crucial stage.

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Commentary

26. The school recognises the need to involve pupils more directly into the life of the school and is making a start through the use of the buddy system, peer mentoring and a pupil questionnaire. As yet, there is no way that pupils can make their views known about wider school issues. Nor do they have a supportive routine, such as circle-time discussions, when worries and issues can be discussed. Similarly, there are no anonymous routes for putting forward problems too difficult to be spoken of, face-to-face.

p.15

Commentary

27. Sound relationships between pupils and staff mean that pupils are aware of their achievements against the targets in their individual education plans. Parents are kept fully involved in their children’s learning and there are regular opportunities for discussion about the children’s next steps for learning.

p.15

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Links with parents and the community are good and those with other schools satisfactory .

p.15

Strengths and Weaknesses

 The school provides parents with a wide range of good information about their children’s progress and the life of the school.  Parents feel the staff are approachable and easily accessible for discussion.  The school makes good use of community facilities and resources for learning.  Parents support events where their children are involved, but are reluctant to attend formal or informal information sessions.

p.15

Commentary

28. Good communication keeps parents very well informed about their children’s progress through the termly consultation meetings, well written reports and regular availability and approachability of staff. The regular newsletters are informative about school life, and the advance notice they receive of the curriculum to be provided during the term enables parents to support their children’s studies. Parents appreciate this level of information and are delighted with the way they can approach staff easily and comfortably with any problems or concerns they may have. All Saints C of E VC Primary - 16 29. As at the last inspection, parents are very supportive of events in the school that involve children, such as achievement and class assemblies to which they are invited, and the seasonal celebrations often held in the church. They also help to accompany pupils to swimming and on visits to the town and on trips. However, many parents are less confident about helping in the

p.15

Commentary

school. They are also reluctant to attend meetings, such as mathematics and science workshops, which might help them to assist their children.

p.16

Commentary

30. The school makes good use of the local area to widen the curriculum on offer, being close enough to the town centre to make full use of the facilities, and also adjacent to fields and trees to enhance the study of the environment. Through the governors and the Local Education Authority, the school has developed supportive ties with local industry, offering pupils experiences and finance for visits that broaden their horizons considerably.

p.16

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff are good . Governance is good , with governors playing an effective and active role in the leadership and management of the school. Because the school is led and governed well, the drive for self-improvement is effective.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

 The school is well led. The headteacher has a clear vision for the school and she is well supported by the senior management team.  The management team provides a good model of leadership for all staff, which helps to drive improvement forward. Leadership has ensured that this is an inclusive and caring school.  The governors know the school well. Governors play a full part in helping to shape the direction of the school and they support and challenge the leadership team effectively.  The good school development plan enables all staff to identify their roles and responsibilities in the drive for improvement. The governing body is involved very closely in the process of planning and monitoring school improvement.  Regular meetings of the senior management team, with a clearly defined agenda, help the headteacher to monitor school improvement and plan for further development. The procedures for checking the performance of the school are good.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Good strategic and day-to-day management of the school enables the headteacher and subject co-ordinators to be effective. The school’s finances are well managed.  There is insufficient consultation with pupils about the development of the school.

p.16

Commentary

31. The headteacher has a clear vision for the improvement of the school. She is well supported by a recently appointed deputy headteacher and an effective senior management team. The headteacher’s commitment to maintaining a caring school is high and is a significant feature in her overall good leadership and management of it. Under her direction, and with the able support of the senior management team, the school has responded well to the issues highlighted in the last report. New accommodation has greatly improved the learning environment for the youngest pupils; the national strategies for literacy and numeracy have been introduced to good effect and the overall quality of teaching in Years 3 to 6 has improved. The school has good systems for checking on its performance, for example, through good analysis of test results, enabling the management team to have a clear view of where there are strengths

p.16

Commentary

and where there are areas for improvement. Strategic planning is good and looks to the future needs of the school and the community it serves. The school has taken effective action to raise standards across all ages and is meeting with some success, as shown in the good results in Year 2 and the high proportion of pupils reaching the higher level in science and reading in 2004 at age 11. All Saints C of E VC Primary - 17 32. The headteacher has delegated management responsibilities wisely so that effective teams have been formed. The senior management team is very effective and influential, not only in the day-to-day running of the school, but also in the development of strategies and the raising of standards. By making key appointments to strengthen the staff team and by giving clear guidance on roles and responsibilities, the leadership of the school has delegated important improvement initiatives to staff with the determination to succeed. For example, careful and

p.16

Commentary

effective monitoring of teaching, learning and achievement in the core subjects provided the evidence needed to show that standards in some aspects of a subject could be higher. This is how the school identified the potential to raise standards in writing, resulting in involvement in the local authority’s intervention support programme (ISP). The resulting good practice that follows is influencing the quality of teaching and learning.

p.17

Commentary

33. Governance is good. Governors are involved actively in the life of the school and in the school improvement process. They are well informed and have an effective role in strategic planning. Consequently, they have a very good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and are able to carry out their statutory duties well. A healthy balance is struck between support and challenge. The school improvement plan, with the full involvement of governors, is thorough and enables the school to measure accurately the progress made towards its targets. Governors play a full and active part in checking on the work of the school. There are good links between governors and subject co-ordinators, which help governors to have a clear picture of what is being done to improve the provision for each subject. The good governance of the school is largely the result of strong chairmanship and good teamwork within the governing

p.17

Commentary

body. Governors know the school well. The committee structure enables the governors to manage their workload effectively and to be decisive and constructive.

p.17

Commentary

34. The school is well managed. Good improvements to the school development plan, following up issues raised from the previous inspection, show that the school has successfully addressed the principle of taking a longer-term view of strategic development. So, the school development plan shows clearly how key objectives will be addressed in the medium-term and met in the longer term. Performance management is used well to determine training needs in line with school improvement planning. There are good opportunities for teachers to take part in training linked to school and personal priorities, helping to build up their own professional development. The headteacher regularly scrutinises pupils’ work and the work of teachers. This is taken into consideration alongside teacher and school needs, to provide direction and training to continue to raise standards.

p.17

Commentary

35. The school budget is well managed and efficient systems are in place to ensure that the finances are carefully controlled and expenditure regularly reviewed. There is a good understanding of the principles of best value, which are applied well when comparing costs for purchases and their effect on standards attained by pupils. The good work of the finance officer makes an effective contribution to the efficient management of the school. Other support staff also make a positive contribution to the effective day-to-day running of the school which means that the leadership can be directly involved in monitoring the work to develop the school further. Prudent management of financial resources means that the school is able to focus its spending on key aspects of improvement. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

p.17

Commentary

36. Teamwork and the commitment of staff and governors are positive features in moving forward the work of the school. The school shows every willingness to accept pupils from different cultures and backgrounds. However, the high rate of mobility, particularly in the juniors, can be an impediment to ensuring that the school’s values are built into the individual conscience. This is particularly so when incoming pupils have behavioural problems, which have not been resolved before they arrive. The inspection found that pupils felt that they could make a stronger contribution to the decision-making processes of the school. Some parents also expressed a wish for greater consultation with them about the school’s spending plans and how this spending would benefit their children. All Saints C of E VC Primary - 18 Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

p.17

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income £572,560 Balance from previous year £37,154 Total expenditure £582,695 Balance carried forward to the next £27,019 Expenditure per pupil £3,274 37. The leadership of special educational needs is strong within the school. The school’s vision of care for the individual is exemplified in this provision. Early intervention reflects concerns from both teachers and parents and support is given sensitively. Professional expertise within the school is good and further support is sought promptly. The management of the provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The co-ordinator for special educational needs ensures regular review of provision that involves pupils and parents with strong input from support assistants and teachers. Pupils’ achievements are checked regularly and specific support targeted to improve individual performance.

p.18

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision for the children in the reception class is good .

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

38. The children start in the reception class in the year in which they are five. At the time of the inspection, there were 14 children in the reception class. Half had been in school for one week, whilst for the other children it was their first few days in school. The final group of six children was due to start school the week following the inspection. There is a clear stepped induction programme for the children and parents to ensure that the children feel confident in school. Most of the children have had some pre-school experiences before they start school.

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

39. The school has worked effectively to strengthen further the strong provision reported in the last inspection. Considerable improvements have been made to the accommodation. Teaching and learning are at least good and often very good. The class teacher and teaching assistant work very well together and have a very clear educational direction and vision. The reception teacher demonstrates good leadership and management of the class. Good observations are made of children’s achievements so that their development over time is well documented, enabling appropriate work to be provided to match individual children’s needs. This contributes significantly to their good achievement. The curriculum is well planned and provides a wealth of first hand and exciting experiences. On entry to the reception class, the children’s attainment is generally below average. Areas of particular weakness are in communication, language and

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

literacy and personal and social development. Most of the children reach the Early Learning Goals in the six areas of learning 1 expected of children by the end of the reception year.

p.19

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Good teaching provides a secure environment in which the children flourish.  Well-organised daily routines help the children to become confident and independent.

p.19

Commentary

40. Good teaching encourages the children to learn and achieve well. The staff are very patient with the children and spend time ensuring that they feel confident and secure. At snack time, the children learn to sit in a sociable circle and choose what they would like to eat. The staff work hard to create a happy occasion which enables the children to develop their social skills appropriately. The children are at present very new to school and are being helped to learn the social conventions of school. For example, they learn to put up their hands when they want to speak and to take turns with equipment. The staff create an exciting environment in which the children feel safe and thrilled, and this ensures they want to learn.

p.19

Commentary

41. The classroom and outdoor areas are well organised and activities are well planned. The children are beginning to work in small groups. They are encouraged to wait for their turn when using equipment, share and help each other. For example, when putting on paint aprons, the children were encouraged to fasten each other’s aprons and so they quickly learn to help each other. They learn to tidy up at the end of a session so that the equipment ‘will be nice when

p.19

Commentary

The six areas of learning comprise communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, creative, physical and personal, social and emotional development. All Saints C of E VC Primary - 20 someone else comes to play’. Their learning is effective in an environment that is supportive to their needs.

p.19

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Good teaching and learning encourage children to achieve well, especially in their speaking and listening skills.  The children are learning to be active learners.

p.20

Commentary

42. Good teaching encourages the children to achieve well in their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. They are encouraged to listen carefully to what people are saying to them. The children observe how well ‘Literacy Lion’ sits when he is listening to the teacher. Literacy Lion in this way acts as a good role model. The children were asked to introduce themselves to the class. Patient supportive encouragement allowed them to speak clearly and with confidence.

p.20

Commentary

43. Children enjoy working with the alphabet jigsaws alongside the staff as they arrive in the morning. Staff help the children to decide which letter is next, find it and then put it in correctly. The staff work very effectively together to promote learning in a busy, happy environment. The children join in well and show good levels of perseverance with their tasks. They watch as the teacher reads a storybook. They identify key features in the illustrations and search diligently until they find the mouse, which is repeated on every page. The teacher inspires good confidence as she demonstrates for the children how they are already good readers. The teaching assistant worked effectively, for example, with a child who had limited English and made sure that he was able to take an effective part in the learning during the lesson. The children write happily on the flip chart and one child demonstrated that she could already write

p.20

Commentary

her name. By the end of the year, most children in the reception class write simple sentences independently. Children’s learning and achievement are good because of the good and very good teaching.

p.20

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Effective use of new technology enables children to achieve well.  The outdoor environment is used effectively to promote good learning.

p.20

Commentary

44. The teacher makes very effective use of an electronic interactive whiteboard as a tool for learning and the children are amazed by its reactions to their responses to it. For example, they sat spellbound as they watched the teacher demonstrate a counting and a matching program. The children were keen to have a go and tried hard to wait their turn. The children are learning to count to 10, although this is hard for some of them and their accuracy in counting is still developing. They play a matching game with magnetic fish when they come into school in the morning and this helps then to acquire a knowledge of number recognition. They take turns as they play this together and this contributes to their social development. As a result of the good provision in the class, the children develop their mathematical awareness well. They enjoy counting the number of children present and how many want carrots for their snack and how

p.20

Commentary

many apples. Here the children need support to be accurate. There is very good teamwork All Saints C of E VC Primary - 21 between the staff and a consistent teaching approach. All staff, for example, use very good supportive questioning and this results in clear responses from the children. They are confident as they approach new tasks.

p.20

Commentary

45. Resources in the class and outdoor areas are good and staff use them well. Children have first hand experiences at ordering numbered ladybirds, and also putting socks into their correct pairs on a washing line. They play basketball and, with good support, record the goals they score. Many different activities, including water play and construction kits, provide opportunities for the children to extend and develop their positional language of up, down, side and front and also their mathematical language of full and empty. As a result, the children make good gains in their learning and this helps them to understand mathematical ideas.

p.21

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Effective use of the interactive whiteboard entrances the children and enables them to achieve well.

p.21

Commentary

46. The children are amazed by the new technology in the form of an interactive whiteboard in the classroom. The classteacher is very effective in its use and capitalises on the children’s engagement with it. They have become adept in its use in a very short space of time. They use the pointer to good effect and use a variety of programs well. Their use of construction kits, garages, and dolls house extends their play in familiar settings and furthers their ideas. They create their own collage pictures and are shown by the staff how to select materials and use scissors and glue effectively. The children enjoy looking after their pet goldfish and guinea pigs and are beginning to understand what these creatures need to make them happy. The discussions that they have with staff help the children to develop their confidence in speaking and the range of activities presented for them helps them to develop successfully their

p.21

Commentary

manipulative skills. They make a good start with their ICT learning. They become familiar with the computers and they quickly gain in confidence as they use them.

p.21

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

 The outdoor environment is used well to promote learning.

p.21

Commentary

47. The children enjoy using the equipment in the outside areas. They show good skill in manoeuvring the wheeled vehicles round a track. They develop bodily awareness by using the balancing trail area and gain much pleasure in its use. They have lots of help and enjoy the facilities these areas provide for their play. A wide range of activities allows them to make choices and also to take responsibility for what they want to do. They use equipment with confidence and are beginning to share without fussing.

p.21

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good . All Saints C of E VC Primary - 22

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Effective teaching of skills enables the children to achieve well.

p.22

Commentary

48. The children experience a wide range of planned opportunities to develop and extend their creative ideas. They have enjoyed decorating the letters of their names and are already learning to use paint and paintbrushes correctly and effectively. Good teaching allows the children to talk about their learning in small groups and to make good gains in their knowledge and understanding of different tools and techniques. Role-play areas allow the children to act out familiar scenes and to develop their imagination. The teacher plays music to add a background for the children. This helps to build an atmosphere resulting in a calm, busy, learning environment where the children have good help and, as a result, they are settling well and becoming focused on learning.

p.22

MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

 From a below average level on entry at age 5, pupils achieve well in Years 1 and 2 and so they reach good standards overall in reading and writing by the end of Year 2.  Standards are average overall by the end of Year 6 because, although standards in writing are a little below average, those in reading are good.  Teaching is good overall. However, some teaching relies too heavily on published materials and is not creative enough.  Teachers pay good attention to developing pupils’ basic literacy skills. They place strong emphasis on the pupils using these skills in other subjects of the curriculum.  Most pupils have positive attitudes to learning.  The subject leader has a good awareness of what needs to be done to improve standards and where expertise can be harnessed to improve teaching and learning.

p.22

Commentary

49. Standards in English are above expectations in Year 2 and have improved on the last inspection report. They mirror recent above average national test and assessment results. From an overall level of attainment below average on entry to the reception class, pupils achieve well in their reading and writing throughout the infant classes. This is because teachers encourage the development of speaking and listening skills well, which helps pupils to be good learners. This is reflected in the good standards in reading and writing seen during the inspection. By the end of Year 2, pupils develop good strategies in reading for tackling unfamiliar words and higher attaining pupils use the context well to guess meaning. By the end of Year 6, the more able pupils express clear preferences and justify their choice of books or authors. The effective teaching of reading by ‘guiding’ groups of pupils through a text (guided reading), such as that

p.22

Commentary

seen in Year 6, provides pupils with a good level of challenge for the development of their reading skills and makes a good contribution to the good standard of reading overall.

p.22

Commentary

50. A significant number of pupils join at a time other than the normal first admission into the reception class. This transition, particularly of pupils from other schools into Years 3, 4, 5 and 6, has a downward impact on the overall standard in English, particularly writing. The standard in speaking and listening for these new pupils is below average, impacting on their learning skills and their overall ability to achieve as well as they should in their reading and writing skills. All Saints C of E VC Primary - 23 However, the standard of reading remains good overall and, although the standard of writing is below average, overall standards in English are satisfactory by Year 6. This is reflected in the national tests for Year 6 pupils, where averages show reading results above those of similar schools and writing results below the national average. Pupils’ achievement in English is satisfactory through Years 3, 4, 5 and 6. The standard of spelling is above average because the

p.22

Commentary

school emphasises the basic skills of phonics and gives regular spelling practice tests. Regular practice also promotes a good standard of handwriting. The resulting neat presentation of written work shows pupils’ pride in their handwriting. Intervention strategies, including early, additional and further literacy support have a good impact on the achievement of pupils who need targeted guidance to support their learning.

p.23

Commentary

51. Teaching and learning are good overall. Teaching is consistently good in Years 1 and 2, where good learning results from a strong focus on teaching the basic skills of literacy. Teaching is mainly good in Years 3 to 6, with some that is satisfactory. As a result, learning varies from satisfactory to good, although it is good overall for the key stage. Teachers have a sound knowledge and understanding of the subject. Some good examples were seen of teachers using challenging and probing questioning to support pupils’ responses and good prompting to encourage less able pupils to respond to questions. In all lessons seen, there was a strong emphasis on promoting good speaking and listening skills so that pupils develop effective learning skills. However, the use of the National Literacy Strategy planning for teaching in most lessons leads to some of these lessons becoming formulaic and uninspiring, as when reading a

p.23

Commentary

text to develop comprehension skills does not have relevance to learning in other subjects. In the good lessons seen, links were made between the content of the literacy lesson and topics being covered in other subjects, so that the pupils’ interest was sustained. A good example of this was seen when a writing activity was linked with research that pupils were carrying out for a geography topic on rainforests.

p.23

Commentary

52. The needs of pupils with learning difficulties and of those whose first language is not English are met effectively through intensive, focused support. Teaching assistants play a key role in this work. As a result of the teachers’ effective planning and the joint intervention of teachers and teaching assistants to support their learning, pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language achieve as well as they can. Teachers mark work well, showing that they are using their marking to assess pupils’ learning and to identify what individual pupils need to do to improve. As a result, learning targets reflect the learning needs of each pupil. These targets are clearly explained to the pupils so that they have a good understanding of what they need to do to achieve them. The result is that pupils make satisfactory, and sometimes good, steps in their learning by working towards the targets they have set with their teachers.

p.23

Commentary

53. Pupils generally have positive attitudes to learning. Mostly, they respond well to lessons but occasionally, such as when the learning does not appear to be relevant to other interests, they do not all listen as well as they should. As a result, some are unclear about the purpose of their work and they are not as conscientious as they should be, producing work of poor quality. However, the majority of pupils work diligently and produce work of a satisfactory standard. When they see their learning as meaningful and relevant to topics they are studying in other subjects, and when stimulating and inspiring teaching enliven their learning, they produce good work.

p.23

Commentary

54. Good leadership of the subject ensures that there is good capacity for the improvement of provision and standards. From her own evaluation, the subject leader is very aware of the strengths and weaknesses in the subject and that there is a continuing need to improve standards in writing. She recognises that improving pupils’ speaking and listening skills is the key to raising standards in reading and especially writing. To achieve these targets, she has tapped into the local education authority’s ‘Intensive Support Programme’ (ISP). This provides expert support from consultants for the improvement of teaching and learning within the school. With this support, the teachers can identify pupils’ needs and target pupils who need help to achieve their learning potential. The effective use of this programme is having a positive effect on the learning of pupils who otherwise would not make the progress they should. Improvement

p.23

Commentary

since the previous inspection has been satisfactory, with better standards in Year 2, the full All Saints C of E VC Primary - 24 implementation of the National Literacy Strategy, the improvement in teaching overall and a clear focus on providing targeted support for pupils with poor speaking and listening skills to raise standards.

p.23

Literacy across the curriculum

55. Literacy is supported well through other subjects and the good reading skills taught and learned are used to good effect when pupils research topics, for example, in geography, when the pupils research information about the rainforest, and in history, when pupils write newspaper reports of the November 1940 blitz on Coventry during World War II. Other examples seen during the inspection included writing about an investigation into the water cycle in science, writing explanations of how daily life was different in Tudor and Victorian times in history and recording their experiences of a visit to Coventry Transport Museum. There are good examples of the use of computers to enrich learning in literacy, such as when pupils produce advertising leaflets for school events.

p.24

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Good teaching in the infants helps these pupils to achieve well and many Year 2 pupils develop a good understanding of their work.  Pupils’ attainment in Year 6 is below expectations.  Pupils present their work neatly.  Unavoidable long-term absence of the subject co-ordinator has hindered development initiatives. 

p.24

Commentary

56. Current standards in mathematics in Year 2 meet expectations for the pupils’ age and are similar to those at the last inspection. Year 2 pupils achieve well because of good teaching and they show a good understanding of what they do. This is forming a very good base for future work. They are becoming very confident in indicating the strategy they use to work out number examples mentally, such as ‘putting the bigger number first’, and ‘jumping in multiples of ten’. These good strategies also help pupils who have special educational needs. One such pupil, having been given 2p, 1p and 5p to add up, began with the 5p and this enabled her to calculate accurately in her head. The attainment of the current group of pupils in Year 6, which contains an above average proportion of pupils with special educational needs, is below expectations, and many pupils are not achieving well enough because of a succession of teachers when they

p.24

Commentary

were in Year 5. Current standards in Year 6 are not as those at the previous inspection. Pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language make similar rates of progress to the other pupils in their year groups.

p.24

Commentary

57. There is a good coverage of different aspects of work in Years 1 and 2 which includes graphical representation and work is well matched to pupils’ different needs, with a good challenge in the content. In the juniors, there is a good emphasis on number but insufficient attention is given to investigation, to number patterns and relationships and to the application of mathematics. There is a clear attempt to match the work to different needs in the juniors. Work is well prepared, but despite the good mathematical record structure of pupils’ progress, pupils cannot always manage the work set because of some inadequacies in their skills, such as the understanding of place value and insecure mental strategies. This hinders their progress. Pupils with special educational needs are sometimes lost in the opening oral session because they do not have any visual materials or resources to help them.

p.24

Commentary

All Saints C of E VC Primary - 25 58. Pupils’ work throughout the school is generally presented well. They set out their figures neatly and this helps their accuracy. Pupils in the infants, however, have a better attitude to their work than they do in the juniors. They get more done in lessons. This is linked to their good understanding and confidence. Some pupils in the juniors are unsure of the skills they need to work out the calculations and Year 6 pupils are insecure in their understanding of place value, particularly of decimals, and this affects their accuracy and level of interest.

p.25

Commentary

59. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. It is good in the infants and satisfactory in the juniors. All teachers plan and prepare their lessons well. They all make good use of computers to support on-going work. They also make good use of whiteboards in mental sessions for pupils to record their answers and this helps to ensure that all are thinking. However, the quality of the opening mental starter to lessons is very variable. Whilst teachers make good use of mathematical terminology, on the whole, they are not developing pupils’ mental strategies sufficiently well in the juniors to build on the good start they have in the infants. As a result, pupils’ overall skills in the four rules of number are not secure enough by age 11 and this is affecting their progress.

p.25

Commentary

60. There have been interruptions to the leadership of the subject because of staff absence and temporary arrangements have had to be made. A new appointment has now been made to this position, but as the subject co-ordinator had only just commenced the post, it is not possible to judge the quality of leadership and management. However, the school recognises the current difficulties in standards in the juniors and intends to turn the situation around. It has wisely taken professional advice and is to make mathematics a major focus for improvement.

p.25

Mathematics across the curriculum

61. Satisfactory use is made of mathematics in other subjects and good use is made in ICT and science. In this latter subject, pupils interpret their results using graphs and tables and they apply their measuring skills. In history, pupils compare changes over particular periods of time and calculate the age gap. In geography, they work out position on maps, using co-ordinates and refer to scale.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

 Standards in science have improved significantly and achievement is improving.  New initiatives have brought about improvements in standards.  The co-ordinator has a clear and precise understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the subject throughout the school.

p.25

Commentary

62. Standards in science at the end of Year 2 are above average. By the end of Year 6, they are average. Achievement is good in Years 1 to 2 and satisfactory in Years 3 to 6. This is a good improvement since the last inspection. The schools results in 2004 for Year 6 pupils are expected to show a good improvement over the previous year, with many more pupils reaching the higher level. The school anticipates that the current Years 2 and 6 will build upon the previous results. This demonstrates the drive within the school for improvement. However, this is set against a picture of a school were the numbers of pupils who leave and join the school are high and this disruption to learning has a significant effect on how these pupils achieve, particularly in Years 3 to 6.

p.25

Commentary

63. The quality of teaching and learning in Years 1 to 2 is good and it is satisfactory in Years 3 to 6. During the inspection, the quality of teaching and learning observed was satisfactory overall. All Saints C of E VC Primary - 26 There are significant strengths in teaching, in particular, the emphasis on scientific experimentation and the use the teachers make of accurate scientific language to promote learning. Interesting displays in classrooms encourage this learning and sharpen the pupils’ use of the correct scientific terms. Pupils who speak English as an additional language receive good support from the teaching assistants and are assisted to understand the technical terms that the teachers use. Planning is good and shows clearly the intended learning. Practical activities are packed with interest, as when Year 1 pupils experimented with darkness, lighting their torches under a huge blanket!. Year 5 pupils were amazed at the way seedpods exploded, hurling their

p.25

Commentary

seeds far and wide. The teachers make good use of different mathematical methods for recording the pupils’ work, for example, in graphs, charts and diagrams. There is, however, in some lessons, a lack of sharpness in the matching of tasks to the specific needs of the pupils so that occasionally there is a lack of challenge for some pupils. Furthermore, some time is lost, mainly in the juniors, whilst the teacher maintains discipline and sets out clearly the ground rules for learning.

p.26

Commentary

64. The school has been very clear where improvements have needed to be made and the good leadership and management of the co-ordinator have secured improvement. She has checked teaching and learning throughout the school. This has enabled her to gain a clear picture of the strengths and weaknesses in the school. In-service training for staff and a whole school drive for improved achievement have had a positive impact on standards.

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Commentary

65. The curriculum co-ordinator gives good educational direction for the subject in school. She has ensured that good improvement has been made since the last inspection. She has a clear sense of purpose and through critical monitoring has helped to bring about improvements. She recognises that the next steps forward are to be found in a closer match of task to the pupils’ needs and an increase in the use of information and communication technology in science learning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is satisfactory .

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

 There has been a good improvement since the last inspection in resources and the teachers’ subject knowledge.  All staff are enthusiastic about the teaching of information and communications technology. They see the potential of the subject and are committed to developing their own skills to make the best use of improving resources.  The co-ordinators are keen, enthusiastic and effective in their leadership of improvement.  The use of ICT in science is underdeveloped.

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COMMENTARY

66. Standards are at the expected levels by the end of Years 2 and 6. Pupils particularly enjoy using, and learning from, the interactive whiteboard in their classroom. The pupils in Years 1 and 2 achieve well to attain average standards. Pupils enjoy using the computers, including the floor robot ‘Roamer’ which they program successfully for direction and distance. They talk about their learning knowledgeably. In Years 3 and 4, the pupils learn to use different fonts, how to change the size and colour of their text and how to import graphics into a word-processed document. The older pupils show how they can use animation in presentations, such as those created using ‘PowerPoint,’ and they can add buttons to link to another page. Pupils achieve satisfactorily through Years 3 to 6 and attain average standards. They have a wider range of skills than those at the time of the last inspection and the teachers are more confident in the

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COMMENTARY

subject. All Saints C of E VC Primary - 27 67. The range of skills that pupils develop has improved since the last inspection as they have made use of the considerably improved range of resources, including Internet facilities for research purposes. The provision of an ICT suite has been central to this and has resulted in pupils having lots of opportunity to learn new skills and to apply them in their work in ICT and in other subjects. Good improvement is also seen in the better opportunities for learning, resulting from staff training which has increased their skills and in the wider curriculum provision. The school now has a comprehensive set of plans for the teachers to use and statutory requirements are fully met.

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COMMENTARY

68. All staff are enthusiastic about the teaching of ICT. The teachers value the training they have received to help them make good use of the resources available. As a result, pupils increasingly use computers for researching and presenting information. Teachers feel that training has developed their skills and increased their confidence to plan the use of ICT into lessons and to teach specific skills to their pupils. Only one ICT lesson was seen during the inspection, where pupils learned well how to merge graphics into text. ICT was used well within other lessons, though, such as when pupils used Internet web-sites to research the natural history of rainforests in geography and the dispersal of seeds in science. Other evidence of good learning is seen in the portfolio of work produced by each year group, in the displays that show ICT content within the topic and in the work displayed that shows how pupils have developed and

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COMMENTARY

used specific ICT skills. These include:

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COMMENTARY

 Year 1 pupils using a simple design software package to make symmetrical pictures;  Year 2 pupils word-processing accounts of visits to places of interest and using software to analyse information and produce pictograms about the use of materials;  Year 3 pupils making posters linked to their project on dental health by merging text and graphics and sending e-mails to ‘Santa’ via a web site;  Year 4 pupils combining text and graphics to advertise a cake sale and a Christmas Fair at school and using graphs to compare temperature and rainfall in Mombasa;  Year 5 pupils scanning images to import into their text and  Year 6 pupils producing ‘PowerPoint’ slide presentations.

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COMMENTARY

69. The subject is jointly co-ordinated by two teachers. Both are keen, enthusiastic and effective in their leadership of the subject. Interactive whiteboards have been installed and are being used in every classroom. This has the potential to increase the use of ICT throughout the school and to stimulate interest and enrich the experiences of all pupils. They have identified clearly the strengths in the subject and the areas for development, such as the need to provide training to make best use of this new technology. They see that the staff are also keen and enthusiastic and that the subject is well placed to move forwards. The school recognises that resources will need to be improved still further, such as updating the operating system on the suite of computers, to maintain and develop the positive start the school has made.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY ACROSS THE CURRICULUM

70. Teachers throughout the school are making increased use of ICT to support the pupils’ learning in other subject areas. The subject co-ordinators have been looking at software to support learning in each of the subjects of the curriculum. Pupils have good opportunities to use the computers in the classroom to investigate aspects or complete work in other subjects. For example, the pupils use the computers to draft and redraft their work in literacy lessons. In geography, younger pupils have used the floor robot ‘Roamer’ to investigate turns and direction and a model roadway. Older pupils search Internet web sites to find out which animals live at which level below the rainforest canopy. Some other pupils discover which plants use which methods to disperse their seeds. This was a good example of ICT being used as a teaching tool in science, but more needs to be done across the school to increase the use of ICT as a way of

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY ACROSS THE CURRICULUM

stimulating interest and enriching learning in science. Pupils with learning difficulties are given good opportunities to use ICT to support their learning. ICT is also used well to help with the language needs of pupils who have English as their additional language. All Saints C of E VC Primary - 28

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GEOGRAPHY, HISTORY AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

71. Inspectors observed one lesson in each of the subjects of geography and history , both in Years 3 to 6. It is not possible, therefore, to make valid judgements about the overall quality of teaching throughout the school. Inspection evidence includes scrutiny of pupils’ previous work on display, teachers’ planning and discussions with the co-ordinator for both subjects. No judgements on overall provision are made, as geography and history were not focus subjects for the inspection, so only limited evidence was gathered. In the two lessons observed, teaching and learning were good overall and attainment was at the expected level. In the Year 6 geography lesson, good use was made of resources in order to help pupils develop their knowledge and understanding of the features of rainforests as a habitat. The classroom computers were used well to enable pupils to use the Internet to research and investigate how

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GEOGRAPHY, HISTORY AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

wildlife adapts to the different levels below the tree canopy. In the history lesson about the daily life of a wealthy ancient Egyptian, Year 5 pupils watched and made notes about a stimulating video. Some of them learned about the challenges of making papyrus with the help of the teaching assistant, while some others also used the computer to research ancient Egyptian life on the Internet. The planned curriculum for history and geography meets national requirements. Good use is made of local resources, such as Coventry Transport Museum, stories about Lady Godiva and local history sources about the wartime blitz on Coventry, giving history local interest and making it meaningful for the pupils.

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Religious education

Provision in religious education is good .

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

 The curriculum is well organised and pupils explore the meaning of religious symbols across a range of faiths.  There are good links with the community in learning about religious faith.  The subject is keenly led and managed well.

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

72. Only two lessons could be observed in religious education, one in the infants and one in the juniors and one of these was unavoidably curtailed. It is, therefore, not possible to judge the overall quality of teaching and pupils’ achievements. Standards of attainment in the two lessons met the locally agreed recommendations and the teaching was satisfactory. In one lesson, pupils discussed the choosing of David from among Jesse’s sons. Pupils were able to discuss the personal qualities Samuel would be seeking. The lesson engaged the pupils’ thinking and enabled them to understand how a Biblical story has relevance for their own lives and relationships. In the other, pupils listened to a story from the Sikh faith and considered who helped them in their daily lives. Good use was made of role-play in pairs to re-enact part of the story that they had heard and to which they listened very attentively.

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

73. A good feature of the religious education curriculum is the well planned series of lessons and the good contact with the parish church and the gurdwara to compare them as places of worship. The school has also participated in the Coventry Festival of Peace which brings different faiths together. Pupils study a range of different faiths during their school career and this helps the pupils to appreciate different cultures and some of the common features of religious faiths. Themes, such as food in religion, bring out the importance of symbolism and the reasons for their use and exploration of customs promote pupils’ cultural and spiritual development. There is a good breadth to the studies of different faiths and religious artefacts, including music and art and pupils further develop their literacy skills by researching on computers and note taking. Good use is made of videos to present the practice of religion in a realistic way and this adds

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MAIN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

interest for the pupils. A weakness is sometimes evident in the recording of work when pupils merely write answers to questions and this does not help the pupils to organise their own thinking and to write in prose. All Saints C of E VC Primary - 29 74. The co-ordinator leads and manages the subject well. She has assembled a good range of artefacts and resources which help the pupils’ understanding. The curriculum is well structured with good ideas to help pupils understand how the practice of religion affects the way people live their lives and this is supported by pupils’ attendance at exhibitions about different faiths.

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Art and design, design and technology, music and physical education

One lesson was observed in art, two in physical education and none in design and technology or music.

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Commentary

75. The art and design curriculum allows the teachers to develop the pupils’ artistic ideas through creative opportunities. The pupils develop a variety of skills and produce some interesting pieces of work. For example, in Year1, the pupils created some fascinating animals from clay in response to close observations of work produced by famous sculptors. The pupils had also brought to school a good selection of models and pictures from home. They used a range of techniques to join the pieces of clay together and add texture to their work. The pupils had a lot of adult support and encouragement and, because they were happy and involved, they achieved well. Older pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5 produce some effective pieces of work to support their learning in other subject areas. For example, in Year 4, the pupils produced some effective portraits of Tudor monarchs, whilst in Year 5, the pupils drew pictures of penny-farthing bicycles

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Commentary

and Victorian steam ships. In a session observed in Year 6, the classteacher provided many photographs from the Olympics, to give the pupils ideas of how the body moves when ‘In Action’. The pupil’s engagement in the lesson was positive and they used the photographs carefully, noting, not only body shapes, but also facial expressions. Pupils state that they enjoy their art and design lessons.

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Commentary

76. No lessons could be observed in design and technology but it is clear from planning and work sampling that a good emphasis is placed on the subject and that National Curriculum requirements are met in both the infants and the juniors. A good feature of the work is the close observation of the assembly of manufactured articles before pupils create their own. Their analysis of these provides a good focus to pupils’ own evaluations of their work, which informs their future efforts. In an evaluation of the making of shelters, one Year 6 pupil had written, ‘Our problems were the corriflute walls (plastic corrugated strips) because we couldn’t find four pieces of corriflute to fit. We solved the problem by pulling the base apart and making it smaller’. The pupils engage in a variety of making designs, including slippers, biscuits and moving toys operated by a cam.

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Commentary

77. In music , all pupils have the opportunity to sing a range of songs together. They listen to music at the start of assemblies, and music is used by staff to achieve a pleasant background during some lessons. Year 4 pupils listened to a tape of African drumming with useful observations of African drums. Year 2 pupils created their own animal footprint patterns with different untuned percussion instruments. The pupils are to use these patterns to add sounds to accompany the story, ‘Rumble in the Jungle’, in their next music lesson. Year 6 pupils composed rain forest music with untuned percussion and the pupils responded well to the group conductors. Regular visits to the school by individuals from different musical traditions help the pupils to develop insights to a wide range of musical customs and cultures. A number of pupils are learning to play the violin and viola and the school hopes that more pupils will avail themselves of this

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Commentary

78. Only two lessons were observed in physical education and so it is not possible to judge the quality of teaching or pupils’ attainment across the range of physical activities. Teachers’ All Saints C of E VC Primary - 30 planning indicates that a range of physical activities takes place, including dance and swimming. A satisfactory range of extra-curricular activities enhances pupils’ physical activity, though currently, little is available for the boys. Both lessons observed were in the infants. One lesson was good and the other satisfactory. In one of the lessons, pupils supported the weight of their body in various movements of their own choice at different heights. Pupils really tried hard to create their movements. In the other lesson, pupils were imaginative in thinking of different ways to move along upturned benches and travel up a sloping plank.

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Commentary

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

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Commentary

79. The school gives good attention to educating pupils about personal, social and health matters. This is sometimes achieved through specific lessons with a major focus on issues, such as controlling anger or keeping healthy through the well planned yet flexible scheme so that curriculum content can be matched to work in other subjects. Within specific subjects too, the content has a personal, social and health education focus of its own. In science, studies of healthy food, a balanced diet and the positive features and the dangers of drugs are considered, and pupils are prepared well for their developing bodies through a structured programme of sex and relationships education. Year 6 pupils know that healthy living includes exercise, not smoking, and eating such items as fruit, and are aware of the dangers of eating too much ‘junk food’. The two lessons observed, both in the juniors, were of a satisfactory quality and enabled

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Commentary

the pupils to consider choices about their own life styles. All Saints C of E VC Primary - 31

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 4 Pupils’ achievement 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 4 Attendance 5 Attitudes 4 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 4 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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