Christ Church CofE Primary School

CHRIST CHURCH C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 25 th – 27 th April 2005

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CHRIST CHURCH C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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CHRIST CHURCH C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils: 4 - 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 54

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Delph Road Denshaw Oldham Lancashire Postcode: OL3 5RY

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01457 874554 Fax number: 01457 874554

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Rev Sydney Clayton

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

This is a voluntary controlled, Church of England, school with a curriculum and ethos that reflects its Christian designation. The school serves the local village and surrounding area, where the population is made up of a wide range of social and economic backgrounds. Almost all pupils are from white British families and all speak English as their first language.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

With 54 boys and girls in two classes from reception to Year 6, this is a small school. The number of pupils on roll is fairly stable and, as it is a popular school, most year groups are fully subscribed. When they start in the reception class, most children have the skills and knowledge that are typical for their age. However, the proportion of pupils who start school after the reception class is higher than the national picture. Eight pupils have special educational needs linked to learning, emotional, behavioural or communication difficulties. None has statements. These figures are lower than most other schools. A small number of pupils have been identified as being gifted or talented.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school has awards for Achievement, Investors in People and Healthy School and is part of the Small Oldham Schools Network. In May 2004 the previous headteacher took up a secondment for the local education authority and since then the school has been led and managed by acting headteachers. The present acting headteacher has been in post for just over a term. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 2

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities 20267 K Manning Lead inspector English Science Information and communication technology Religious education Music Physical education English as an additional language Special educational needs 9652 C Herbert Lay inspector 29188 G Ulyatt Team inspector Foundation Stage Mathematics Art and design Design and technology Geography History

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Eclipse Education (UK) Limited 14 Enterprise House Kingsway Team Valley Gateshead Tyne & Wear NE11 0SR

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Christ Church C of E Primary School - 3

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 9

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a fairly effective school . Teaching that is mostly satisfactory enables pupils to achieve steadily and standards are high enough in all subjects except information and communication technology. There is good leadership from the headteacher but leadership and management by other staff is unsatisfactory. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • Good teaching ensures that standards in mathematics are above average by Year 6. • The school’s provision for information and communication technology is unsatisfactory and consequently standards are below those expected. • The most able pupils are not always challenged by their work in English and science and do not achieve as well as they should. The school makes good provision for pupils’ social and moral development. • Teachers do not make sufficient use of assessment to track pupils’ progress. • Staff take good care of pupils. • Pupils benefit from the good partnership between parents and school. • Senior staff are not monitoring standards rigorously enough though the good leadership and management of the headteacher provide a clear starting point for improvement.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school continues to be fairly effective and has improved at a steady rate since the previous inspection in 1999. Standards have risen in mathematics, but fallen in information and communication technology. The quality of governance has improved and teachers use homework more effectively. However, issues of assessment and challenge for the most able pupils have not been tackled satisfactorily and staff continue to work on these.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2002 2003 2004 2004 English E B C E mathematics D A B D science E D D 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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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils achieve satisfactorily overall. The school’s results in national tests need to be treated with caution for two reasons. One pupil can have a significant effect on results because the numbers involved are so small. A higher than average proportion of pupils start school after the reception class so measures of progress are not based on the same pupils.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Children have the skills and knowledge that are typical for their age when they start school. They achieve satisfactorily in the Foundation Stage and attain many of the early goals by the end of reception. The schools results in national tests for pupils in Year 2 indicated that, in 2004, standards in reading, writing and mathematics were well above average. Current inspection findings are that pupils in Years 1 and 2 achieve satisfactorily and standards in Christ Church C of E Primary School - 5 reading, writing, mathematics and science match those expected. This apparent dip in standards reflects the fact that more than a third of the pupils in Year 2 have special educational needs.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

In 2004 the national tests for pupils in Year 6, showed that standards were average in English, above average in mathematics and below average in science. Far fewer pupils achieved the higher levels but this was a group where more than a quarter of pupils had special educational needs. Current inspection findings are that pupils in Years 3 to 6 achieve satisfactorily in English and science and standards match those expected. In mathematics, good teaching means that pupils achieve well and standards are above those expected by Year 6. This means that standards have been maintained in English and mathematics and they have risen in science. Pupils who have special educational needs continue to achieve well in Years 3 to 6 but the most able pupils do not achieve well enough in English and science because their work is not challenging. Throughout the school, standards in information and communication technology are below those expected. In

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

religious education, standards meet those prescribed by the syllabus used in local schools.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ personal qualities, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are satisfactory . Pupils behave satisfactorily and are keen to come to school. Attendance is well above the national average and pupils arrive on time.

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The quality of education is satisfactory. There is satisfactory teaching and learning

throughout the school, though procedures for assessment are unsatisfactory overall. Teaching is strongest in mathematics. It is unsatisfactory in information and communication technology where pupils do not have enough opportunities to use computers. Good provision is made for pupils who have special educational needs but the most able pupils are not always challenged by their work in English and science. An appropriate range of sports and activities enrich a curriculum that is satisfactory. Pupils are cared for well but arrangements for tracking their academic progress are unsatisfactory. Teachers have forged a good partnership with parents and there are satisfactory links with the church, the community and other schools. In general the school’s resources and accommodation are adequate but computers are unreliable and this prevents standards in information and communication technology from being higher.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory overall . The headteacher leads and manages the school well and is setting firm foundations for future development. However, senior staff are not monitoring standards rigorously enough and their leadership and management of subjects and the Foundation Stage are unsatisfactory. Governance is now satisfactory and governors fulfil their statutory requirements. The most pertinent barriers to learning are caused by inadequate systems for monitoring standards and assessing pupils’ attainment and progress. These are key issues for improvement.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are happy with what the school provides and very few have concerns that are not dealt with to their satisfaction. Pupils like school and talk animatedly about the lessons and activities that they most enjoy. They want more opportunities to have their views taken into account when decisions are made about the running of the school. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 6

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Improve provision and raise standards in information and communication technology. • Ensure that senior staff monitor standards more rigorously. • Provide greater challenge in English and science for the most able pupils. • Make more effective use of information from assessments to track pupils’ progress. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 7

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Most pupils achieve satisfactorily and boys and girls perform equally well. Though pupils who have special educational needs achieve well the most able pupils do not achieve as much as they should. Children in the Foundation Stage gain many of the goals that they are expected to reach by the end of reception. Inspection findings are that, in English, science and religious education, standards match those expected. Standards in mathematics match those expected by Year 2 and are above average by the end of Year 6. In information and communication technology standards have fallen since the previous inspection and are now below those expected.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good teaching ensures that standards in mathematics are above those expected by the end of Year 6. • By Year 6, standards fall below those expected in information and communication technology because pupils do not have enough opportunities to practise and develop skills. • Good provision ensures that pupils who have special educational needs achieve well. • The most able pupils do not always achieve as well as they should.

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Commentary

1 The school’s results in national tests need to be treated with caution for several reasons. The small numbers of pupils in each year group means that one pupil can make a tremendous difference to percentages and this explains the fluctuations in results from one year to the next. The higher than average mobility of pupils means that comparisons with what pupils have previously attained are also unreliable because the group taking the tests in Year 6 is not the same one that took the tests at the end of Year 2. Teachers take these facts into consideration when setting targets for raising standards in English and mathematics. Last year targets were met in both subjects, but this year, with a more able group of pupils, targets are rightly much higher.

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Commentary

2 Most children have the skills and knowledge that are typical for their age when they start school. Satisfactory teaching and an appropriate curriculum ensure that they make steady progress during their year in the Foundation Stage and they are set to achieve many of the early goals by the end of reception.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2004

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results reading 17.0 (16.8) 15.8 (15.7) writing 17.0 (17.0) 14.6 (14.6) mathematics 18.1 (17.0) 16.2 (16.3) There were nine pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year Christ Church C of E Primary School - 8 3 In 2004, the results of national tests for pupils in Year 2 indicated that standards in reading, writing and mathematics were well above average. All pupils reached at least the level expected in reading, writing, mathematics and in teachers’ assessments of science. This shows that the good teaching and support provided for pupils who had special educational needs helped them overcome their difficulties and achieve well. Current inspection findings are that most pupils achieve satisfactorily in Years 1 and 2 and standards in reading, writing, mathematics and science match those expected by Year 2. Standards are affected by the fact that more than a third of the pupils in the current Year 2

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Commentary

have special educational needs and this is having a marked impact on standards. However, good teaching ensures that this group of pupils achieve well and attain the standards of which they are capable. Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2004

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results English 27.0 (28.2) 26.9 (26.8) mathematics 28.1 (29.4) 27.0 (26.8) science 28.1 (28.2) 28.6 (28.6) There were 11 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

4 In 2004, the results of national tests for pupils in Year 6 indicated that standards were average in English, above average in mathematics and were below average in science. Far fewer pupils achieved the higher level in English, mathematics or science but this was a group where more than a quarter of pupils had special educational needs. This had a marked affect on the school’s results in national tests though it did not prevent them from rising at a similar rate to the national trend.

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Commentary

5 Current inspection findings are that, in English and science, most pupils achieve satisfactorily between Years 3 and 6 and by Year 6 standards are average. Comparisons with national tests indicate that standards have been maintained in English and have risen in science. The main reason for the rise in standards in science is that greater emphasis is given to experimental and investigative science. In mathematics, where teaching is good, many pupils are working at standards that are above those expected by Year 6. In Years 3 to 6, pupils who have special educational needs achieve well and attain the standards of which they are capable but the most able pupils are not sufficiently challenged by their work in English and science and do not achieve as well as they should. The headteacher’s monitoring has identified lack of challenge and teaching at the higher level as key areas for development and staff are beginning to plan work that is a better match of pupils’ abilities.

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Commentary

However, the changes have not had time to have an effect on standards.

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Commentary

6 Standards in information and communication technology have fallen since the previous inspection and are now below those expected in Year 2 and Year 6. The teaching is unsatisfactory and this is linked to the fact that computers are often unreliable and the school has not worked out an effective way of overcoming this problem and ensuring that pupils get the opportunities they need to develop skills in information and communication technology.

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Commentary

7 In religious education, standards have been maintained and continue to meet those prescribed by the syllabus used in local schools. They are prevented from being higher because of the limited first-hand experiences that pupils have of religions other then Christianity.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Christ Church C of E Primary School - 9 Pupils gain steadily from the school’s satisfactory provision for their spiritual moral, social and cultural development and for other aspects of their personal development. They respond by behaving satisfactorily and no pupil has ever been excluded. Pupils have satisfactory attitudes to learning. Attendance last year was well above average and pupils arrive at school on time.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school promotes pupils’ social and moral development well. • When activities fail to inspire pupils, they lose interest and behaviour deteriorates. • The school’s provision for promoting pupils spiritual and cultural development has improved and is now satisfactory. • Pupils do not have enough first-hand experiences of other cultures and this prevents standards from being higher. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 10

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Commentary

8 Pupils enjoy coming each day because they say the school is a small and friendly community. Attendance is well above the national average. Pupils quickly form good relationships with adults and other pupils and learn to respect the views and feelings of others in the school. In the playground and around the school pupils behave well. Older pupils act with responsibility and show care and concern for younger pupils. All pupils feel safe and secure in a positive environment. Parents say there is no bullying and pupils confirm this. Pupils speak well about the ‘Worry Box’ into which they can place matters of concern. These are always dealt with in a fair and consistent manner. This ensures pupils’ individual and personal needs receive appropriate attention. Provision for moral development is good because pupils understand the need for school rules. Teachers are good role models and expect pupils to get along with each other in a friendly and caring

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Commentary

9 The school’s efforts to stimulate in pupils a desire to learn are reasonably effective and as a result, pupils have positive attitudes to learning and are interested in the activities provided. Staff expect pupils to behave well. They insist that they follow instructions and pay attention, consequently pupils behave satisfactorily in most lessons. Pupils try hard to achieve merits and value the rewards offered. In some lessons where activities are interesting and when pupils are challenged to think deeply pupils’ behaviour is good. In other lessons where activities and discussion fail to capture pupils’ interests or match their stage of development, behaviour soon deteriorates. At times it can be unsatisfactory and pupils do not listen to the teacher or to each other. This does not happen often. Staff and the school’s local education authority advisers recognise that behaviour is not as good as it

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Commentary

was at the time of the previous inspection and are looking at strategies for improving this.

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Commentary

10 The school fosters pupils’ self-awareness and understanding of those around them. Pupils feel cared for and have confidence to speak out in lessons knowing their ideas will be valued. They are willing to try out new ideas. Pupils attend assembly but sometimes there are missed opportunities to create an atmosphere of reflection and spirituality. Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures through religious education, history and geography. The Unity for Community Project gives pupils an opportunity to engage in sporting activities with pupils from other ethnic backgrounds. However pupils have limited opportunities to learn about cultural diversity in today’s society from first-hand experiences. Children in the Foundation Stage are on course to achieve the early learning goals by the end of reception.

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Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (96%)

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Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 3.6 School data 0.0 National data 5.1 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 Christ Church C of E Primary School - 11 White – British 50 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 3 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 1 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a satisfactory quality of education for pupils. Teaching is satisfactory and an appropriate curriculum is enriched sufficiently by a number of first-hand experiences planned for pupils. The school’s partnership with parents is good and pupils benefit from satisfactory links with the community and other local schools. The ethos of the school is friendly and welcoming and staff take good care of pupils in their charge.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and pupils’ learning is satisfactory overall; it is good in mathematics and unsatisfactory in information and communication technology. The school’s procedures for assessing and recording pupils’ attainment are unsatisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The most able pupils are not sufficiently challenged by their work and consequently do not achieve as well as they could. • Assessment procedures are unsatisfactory and do not enable teachers to track the progress of pupils. • Teaching assistants make a significant contribution to the quality of teaching. • Teachers now make good use of homework to support what pupils learn in class.

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Commentary

11 The quality of teaching is satisfactory and similar to that at the time of the previous inspection; it varies from very good to unsatisfactory. One of the weaknesses is that teachers are not ensuring that the most able pupils are challenged by their work. In part this is because of the difficulties faced by teaching several year groups in the same class. A check on pupils’ books showed that in many subjects the work done by average and higher attaining pupils was the same. The headteacher and teachers recognise that this is a key area for development and that little progress has been made since the previous inspection. However, with strong leadership from the headteacher staff are beginning to plan work at a higher level. During the inspection, most lessons included some challenge or extension activity for the most able, but this has not had time to ensure that this group of pupils achieve their full potential.

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Commentary

12 The school’s procedures for assessing, recording and tracking pupils’ attainment and progress are unsatisfactory overall. Teachers are good at assessing what pupils have remembered from the previous lesson; they do this through pointed and careful questioning. They find out what pupils know when marking work in books. However, the marking is inconsistent and is better in some classes than others. When it is done well pupils know what to do to improve their work, but occasionally the marking is little more than ticks and praise. The key issue for improvement with regards to assessment is that teachers are not yet using the information gained from tests to track pupils’ progress throughout the school and plan challenging work in English and science for the most able pupils in Years 3 to 6. Teachers recognise that this is a key priority for development and have begun to review Christ Church C of E Primary School - 12

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Commentary

how they do this in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. At present there are no agreed procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment in religious education or information and communication technology. Co-ordinators judge this to be a priority if they are to raise standards.

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Commentary

13 Throughout the school, teaching assistants make a significant contribution to the quality of teaching and learning. This is a strength of the teaching and is largely because teaching assistants are trained and know the pupils well. In lessons, teaching assistants often work with small groups of pupils, who benefit from this extra attention. For example, groups of pupils in Years 3 and 4 made steady progress in their reading and extended their knowledge of Queen Victoria because of the careful questioning and prompting of a teaching assistant who read with them. In the reception year, the teaching assistant frequently works with children to ensure that the activities they are offered provide a suitably practical curriculum. This works well, freeing up time for the teacher to devote to groups of pupils in Years 1 and 2. The teaching assistants who work with pupils who have special educational needs do a good job of ensuring that they have equal access to the curriculum

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Commentary

and the same opportunities to make progress as other pupils. This stems from their thorough understanding of the problems that these pupils face and an up-to-date knowledge of how to help them overcome these barriers.

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Commentary

14 The way that teachers use homework has improved considerably since the previous inspection and is now good. Throughout the school, teachers set homework regularly. This is an improvement since the previous inspection and most parents say that they are happy with the current arrangements. Pupils are expected to learn spellings and tables and to read regularly. On occasions they are given research to do and several older pupils said that they enjoy seeking information on their computers. Teachers go over homework at the beginning of lessons and check that it has been done properly. All of this has a beneficial effect on pupils’ learning in many subjects and supports the work they do in school.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 15 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

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

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The curriculum

The curriculum is satisfactory and is enriched by an adequate range of sports and other activities. Though it caters for the needs of most pupils it does not provide sufficient challenge for the most able pupils. There are sufficient teaching and support staff and the quality and quantity of accommodation at the school meet the needs of the curriculum satisfactorily. Unsatisfactory resources in information and communication technology prevent standards from being higher, though resources are adequate overall.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum does not satisfactorily provide for the most able pupils and those who are gifted or talented. • There is good provision for pupils who have special educational needs and they achieve well. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 13 • Equipment that is out of date and unreliable prevents standards in information and communication technology from being higher. • Arrangements for promoting pupils’ personal and social development are effective.

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Commentary

15 The curriculum is satisfactory though staff and local education authority advisers feel it lacks breadth and to this end they have begun to revise planning and provision. As a result, the curriculum is improving, though it is too soon for it to have had an impact on standards. With purposeful leadership from the headteacher, staff have begun to review the school’s resources and accommodation in order to determine whether they can be put to better use to provide a curriculum that reflects current thinking and guidance set down in the document Excellence and Enjoyment . In doing this they have improved the quality and quantity of reading books and purchased some new equipment for information and communication technology. However, this does not overcome the problems of having different specifications of computer in classes and the fact that many of the school’s computers are getting older and work unreliably. This not only prevents standards in

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Commentary

information and communication technology from being higher it also limits the range of experiences that pupils can access through the Internet and educational websites.

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Commentary

16 The curriculum does not sufficiently take account of the most able pupils and those who are gifted and talented. There are few after-school clubs or activities that would promote and develop musical, artistic or sporting talents and in lessons, much of the work is pitched at the same level for all abilities. The school recognises that this is an area that needs considerable work if the curriculum is to be fully inclusive. In contrast, the provision for pupils who have special educational needs is good. Good use is made of experts and agencies to provide specialist help for pupils who need it and staff are well aware of the specific requirements that need to be made for individual pupils. Pupils who have special educational needs have full access to all aspects of the curriculum and there is regular contact with parents to ensure that pupils are happy in school. Parents of pupils who have special educational needs say that they are very happy with what the school provides for

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Commentary

17 Pupils’ personal and social development are promoted well. A sound programme of lessons helps the oldest pupils learn about sex and relationships and throughout the school pupils are taught about healthy lifestyles and issues, such as the abuse of medicines and drugs. Most classes have some time each week when pupils can talk about their difficulties or concerns. In the reception year, children’s personal, social and emotional development is a key element of the curriculum and they learn many of the skills that they need to succeed in school, such as co-operating with others, taking their turn and making friends. Each year there is a residential visit, where, in addition to experiencing a variety of outdoor and adventurous pursuits, pupils from all year groups except reception develop self-esteem and learn the importance of teamwork. Pupils say that this visit is one of the highlights of their year and that they enjoy it tremendously.

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Care, guidance and support

Arrangements for the care, welfare, health and safety of pupils are good. Teachers provide pupils with good pastoral advice and guidance but academic guidance is not based on accurate assessment or tracking of what pupils know and can do. Pupils are satisfactorily involved in the work of the school and have a say in matters that are important to them. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 14

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers and governors give a high priority to ensuring the health and safety of pupils. • Relationships are good and each pupil has a trusting relationship with at least one adult in the school. • Pastoral advice and guidance is good and promotes pupils’ personal development. • Procedures aimed at tracking pupils’ academic progress through assessment and recording are unsatisfactory.

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Commentary

18 The school continues to take good care of its pupils. Health and safety procedures, including risk assessments, are well established and form the basis of setting priorities for the repairs and maintenance of the school building and grounds. Procedures for child protection are in place. The headteacher has recently taken on responsibility for child protection matters and, although she has not had training she is aware of procedures to be followed and all staff have been updated on their responsibilities. Arrangements for first-aid and dealing with sick children are sound and pupils say they know who to go to if they are sick or have an accident.

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Commentary

19 The school has gained a Healthy School Award because of its efforts to encourage a healthy lifestyle. Water and fruit is available every day and the food that pupils are given at lunchtimes is cooked on the premises and provides a balanced diet. Kitchen staff know all of the pupils and encourage them to eat sensibly. Parents say that they are informed straight away if their children are off colour or not eating. Pupils say that they have favourite meals and that the food is good.

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Commentary

20 Teachers are able to provide useful support, advice and guidance for pupils because the relationships they have with them are good. In return, pupils feel that all staff in school give them good support and advice with their work. Pupils in Year 6 feel that they are well prepared for tests and yearly examinations though they admit to feeling nervous about these. Pupils are also happy with the level of personal support that they get from teachers. They say that everyone takes the ‘worry box’ seriously and that if they have a concern or problem it is generally dealt with quickly. However, pupils say that there is no bullying or harassment in this school and most parents share these views.

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Commentary

21 Effective systems for tracking pupils’ progress are not yet in place. The school has portfolios of pupils’ work and Records of Achievement where reports, certificates and test results are collected. However, because most of the school’s procedures for assessment and recording are unsatisfactory, teachers cannot accurately measure pupils’ progress or predict future attainment. The exception to this is in the procedures for assessing and recording the progress of pupils who have special educational needs. Reviews are carried out regularly and progress towards targets in pupils’ individual programmes of work are assessed and discussed with parents. Staff are aware of the need to improve this aspect of their work and are discussing ways to improve and develop systems to ensure that tracking begins with baseline information and follows each pupil through the school.

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Commentary

22 The involvement of pupils through seeking, valuing and acting on their views is satisfactory. There are class councils through which pupils discuss ways to improve their school. The introduction of a ‘buddy’ system, whereby pupils make sure no one is left out during playtimes was devised through discussion. Class councils provide opportunities for pupils to be involved in day-to- day decisions but there is no school council although some of the older pupils are members of the Christ Church C of E Primary School - 15 Oldham Schools Council. Pupils say their views on additional playground improvements are discussed but are not having as much impact as they would wish.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

Pupils benefit from the good partnership that the school has with parents and from satisfactory links with the local community and other schools.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The home-school partnership is a measure of how parents are keen to be involved in their children’s learning. • The school’s links with the church are improving and there are substantial links with the wider community. • Although the school works closely with the local secondary school there are few contacts with pre-school groups.

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Commentary

23 The school’s partnership with parents continues to be good. Parents say that they are happy with what the school provides and believe that children benefit from attending a small village school. Many are closely involved in the school’s work; some help out in classes or at lunchtime and as such have a part to play in managing discipline and organising activities for play. Other parents support the school through their involvement with the hard-working parent teacher association, which arranges social events for parents and staff. These include the well-attended summer fayre and line dancing classes for adults. The association also raises funds, which are used to increase resources such as books, provide furniture for classes and has paid for children to visit a pantomime. Many parents make a meaningful contribution to their children’s learning by helping with homework. Pupils say that they enjoy working with their families and that this helps them

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Commentary

with reading, spellings and multiplication tables.

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Commentary

24 The school and church work hand-in-hand to ensure that the religious ethos of the school is apparent. Each day there is a time when pupils come together to sing hymns and pray and displays in the entrance and hall reflect the school’s Christian nature. The vicar is a regular and welcome visitor and pupils go to church to celebrate religious festivals and as part of the curriculum. Pupils know the vicar well and say that they like going to church. All of this helps to promote pupils’ sense of belonging and community spirit.

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Commentary

25 A widening range of links with the community helps to enrich the curriculum and enliven pupils’ learning. Through their involvement in several charitable events pupils learn to have compassion for others and recognise that they can make a difference. Visits from the local police and fire forces provide pupils with opportunities to talk about safety and the law. They further learn to keep safe through events such as Child Safety Week.

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Commentary

26 Links with other schools continue to be satisfactory overall. Most pupils go to the local secondary school at the end of Year 6. The school liases regularly with teachers in Year 7 to ensure that the transfer runs smoothly and a number of pupils said that they are looking forward to the move. One of the strengths of the links is the sharing of information about pupils who have special educational needs. Parents and staff from the secondary school are involved in discussions aimed at ensuring that they do not lose any ground in the new school. In contrast, there are very few links with local playgroups and nurseries. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 16 Governors see this as a priority for development in order to maintain the numbers of pupils on roll.

p.17

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

There are some weaknesses in the leadership and management that make it satisfactory overall. The headteacher provides good leadership and management and governance is satisfactory. Leadership and management provided by senior staff is unsatisfactory. The most pertinent barrier to learning is the unsatisfactory system for assessment and lack of monitoring of standards.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher has brought clear direction and purpose to the work of the school. • Senior staff are not monitoring provision or standards rigorously enough. • Governance has improved and is now satisfactory.

p.18

Commentary

27 Although the headteacher has been in post for less than two terms the time has been used profitably to create a close team of teachers and governors and to evaluate much of the school’s provision and in particular teaching and the curriculum. With clear direction from the headteacher, staff have been involved in a careful and systematic review of what the school does well and what needs improving. This has led to the formation of a detailed long-term plan for school improvement that has identified relevant key areas for work over the next three years. In evaluating the school’s provision the headteacher was able to give an accurate evaluation of the schools’ strengths and weaknesses and recognised that previous issues relating to assessment and challenge for the most able pupils have not been tackled and these remain key areas of work for governors and staff. Though the quality of leadership and management are good, the present headteacher is

p.18

Commentary

acting in a temporary capacity and many of the changes made in the last two terms have not had time to come to fruition or have an impact on standards or pupils’ personal development. Governors and the local education authority consider that the school requires support and challenge as teachers make the changes necessary to be more effective. Parents and pupils say that they are happy with the way the school is led and managed at present.

p.18

Commentary

28 Staff have not, in the past, been involved in monitoring the curriculum or teaching and learning. As a result, they have not been in a position to identify weaknesses in the school’s provision. In addition to this, because it is a small school, staff have a heavy burden of responsibility for several subjects and aspects of the school’s work. Governors have begun to address this issue by initiating reforms to the workforce and remodelling practice. Teaching staff now have ten per cent of their working week to plan, prepare and carry out assessment duties. This has made a huge difference to the leadership of subjects by co-ordinators, who are now in a position to be able to plan together and consider procedures for assessment and their effectiveness. The headteacher has been a catalyst for change and, as a result of her firm direction staff are looking to review the curriculum in order to take greater account of the Excellence and Enjoyment document and to put in

p.18

Commentary

place strategies whereby the most able pupils will be challenged by their work. However, most of the current initiatives have been instigated and led by the current headteacher and Christ Church C of E Primary School - 17 it is uncertain whether the school has the capacity to continue with these improvements without continued support and guidance from a substantive headteacher. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 18 29 The governance of the school has improved since the previous inspection and is now satisfactory. Following criticisms in the previous report governors have grasped opportunities to improve their performance, through training and a far greater involvement in the school’s work. They are better informed about what goes on in the school and take positive steps to ensure that they are kept up to date about curriculum, staffing and finances. Governors fulfil their statutory duties, such as having and implementing a race

p.18

Commentary

equality policy. They help shape the direction of the school and have managed workforce reforms and performance management well. Though they have forged a close professional relationship with the acting headteacher, governors are very keen to make a permanent appointment because they see this as crucial to the school’s continued improvement.

p.20

Financial information

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

p.20

Financial information

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 219,046 Balance from previous year 7,053 Total expenditure 208,376 Balance carried forward to the next 17,723 Expenditure per pupil 3,931

p.20

Financial information

30 Financial planning is sound. After identifying priorities, the headteacher and governors allocated funds towards planned improvements to ensure they are achieved. Governors have set aside part of the school’s budget in order to maintain levels of staffing in the coming year and to pay for building work. Administrative systems are computerised and through the conscientious work of the school’s secretary the school runs smoothly, despite the severe shortage of administrative space. The school makes good use of funds to increase teachers’ knowledge of the curriculum and to buy in specialist support when it is needed. Though governors make every effort to ensure that they get the best price for equipment and work they are not yet looking at the value for money that is gained from spending. For example, a considerable amount of money has been spent on interactive whiteboards but the effect that these have had on raising standards has not been

p.20

Financial information

considered. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 19

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

31 The six children in the Foundation Stage are taught in a class with pupils from Year 1 and Year 2. Their curriculum is appropriate and meets statutory requirements and the limited space outside does not affect their physical development. When they start school most have the skills and knowledge that are typical for their age. Teaching and learning are satisfactory and as a result, children achieve steadily and are set to reach the early goals by the end of reception. The assessment procedures are satisfactory and used to pitch activities at the right level for children’s age and ability. There is no specific leadership and management of the Foundation Stage but the current arrangements for monitoring standards and provision are unsatisfactory.

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

32 Insufficient work was seen to form overall judgements about provision or on children’s knowledge and understanding of the world, or in physical and creative development. These areas of learning were sampled by observing children at work and play and looking at displays, books and photographs.

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

33 In knowledge and understanding of the world adults take children on walks around the village so they get first-hand experience of the locality. In lessons they investigate batteries and find out that they have to be inserted in the correct way for them to work. Photographs show children enjoy cooking tarts. They play with construction equipment and learn to join components. They use scissors with confidence and draw pictures with the computer mouse. Children learn about special days, such as St George’s Day and celebrate a range of cultural and religious events as they occur.

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

34 In physical development children have regular opportunities to play outdoors each day with older pupils. Children have good eye-to-hand co-ordination, which is evident when they use paintbrushes. They have healthy snacks each day and lunch is cooked on the premises. They play with tricycles in the schoolyard.

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

35 In creative development children paint regularly and learn to mix colour. They use various materials and techniques in their work to make collage pictures and models. They play in role and the scenario changes to match the topic. Children dress up and pretend in an imaginative way. Children listen to music in assembly, sing songs and play with instruments.

p.21

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is satisfactory

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is satisfactory and adults are good role models and expect children to behave well. • Children are encouraged to make choices for themselves and be independent.

p.21

Commentary

36 Most children achieve satisfactorily and attain the early goals by the end of reception. One of the main reasons for this is that adults in the Foundation Stage are fine role models for children. They treat children with respect and are interested in their well- Christ Church C of E Primary School - 20 being and development. Children know that their views are valued by adults and consequently they quickly come out of their shells and start to talk confidently about themselves. At all times, adults are polite and well mannered and they never lose patience. Children emulate this behaviour and their own behaviour in lessons and around the school is satisfactory.

p.21

Commentary

37 Children enjoy their activities and concentrate well when painting, showing pride in what they do. They know where resources are kept and make choices about what they want to do. However most free-choice activities generally lack focus so there are missed opportunities for independent learning. Children play amicably together and have established good friendships. They share resources and invite each other to play. They care for seedlings they have planted. Staff expect good behaviour and children behave well when activities are interesting. Overall they sit quietly in assembly. Older infant pupils are good role models for reception children and help the youngest children to feel part of the school community. They learn about other cultures through planned sessions.

p.22

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is satisfactory

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Staff are good at promoting children’s speaking and listening skills and consequently children pay attention and are keen to offer their opinions. • Though satisfactory, teaching of writing does not always inspire children to write. • Children achieve satisfactorily with reading as a result of sound teaching and the good partnership between home and school.

p.22

Commentary

38 Teaching is satisfactory and most children are likely to reach the early goals by the end of reception. Staff support children well during directed activities and teach them many new words. Adults encourage children to talk with each other about their ideas especially when playing in role. The school has recently adopted a new reading scheme. Children are successfully learning to read because letter sounds and whole words are taught in a systematic way. Children are also taught how to use picture clues to make sensible predictions about what might happen in the story. They handle books carefully and turn pages correctly. They enjoy browsing each day. Although children learn through role-play that writing is part of everyday life, activities are not challenging enough for some children. Children learn to write their name and to write simple words because adults make sure that letters and words are clearly displayed to help them. Children sometimes copy over

p.22

Commentary

adults’ writing and learn to form letters correctly.

p.22

Commentary

39 The school is keen for children to develop a love of reading and staff do all that they can to ensure that this is something that happens at home as well as at school. Children take home books to share with parents, who are encouraged to read with them regularly.

p.22

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is satisfactory

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Sound teaching ensures that children achieve satisfactorily. • A good feature of the teaching is that children get to work with numbers every day. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 21 • Occasionally, the teaching is not practical enough and this prevents children from using their mathematical knowledge to solve problems.

p.22

Commentary

40 Teaching is satisfactory and children are set to reach the early goals by the end of reception. In lessons staff are well focused on what they want children to learn. Teachers use mathematics in everyday activities. This means that children practise their counting, adding and taking away many times each day and most have no difficulty in working out how many pencils are needed or how many more batteries they have to find.

p.23

Commentary

41 Much of the teaching is based on practical activities, which help children explore the pattern and relationship between numbers. However, occasionally, activities are not practical enough and it is at these times that children lose interest. For example, in one activity, when children were asked to identify the value of coins, the teacher had not planned enough opportunities for them to handle real coins and exchange them for other coins to the same value.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards match those expected by Year 2 and Year 6 and most pupils achieve satisfactorily. • Pupils who have special educational needs achieve well because of the extra help they get from staff. • The most able pupils are not always challenged by their work and do not achieve well enough. • Leadership and management are unsatisfactory and monitoring is not rigorous enough. • Assessment procedures do not enable teachers to track pupils’ attainment and progress. • Teachers and parents work in partnership to promote a love of reading and raise standards.

p.23

Commentary

42 Though teaching is satisfactory overall, the teaching of pupils who have special educational needs is good. Pupils who have speech and language difficulties get all the help they need to achieve well. A combination of help from specialists and carefully planned programmes of learning help them to overcome their problems so that they are confident when answering questions and taking part in discussions. Teaching assistants work closely with teachers to ensure that, in literacy lessons, pupils who have special educational needs make good progress towards their individual targets. Individual education plans are very specific and are linked to pupils’ learning needs. For example, a pupil’s target might be to spell five words or read all of the words on a given list. Throughout the school, teachers are good at matching work to the abilities of these pupils and this is one of the reasons why a number of pupils in Year 2 did well to reach the level expected for their

p.23

Commentary

age in last year’s national tests in reading and writing.

p.23

Commentary

43 The most able pupils do not have the same opportunities to make progress and do not achieve as well as they should. Books show that they are often set the same tasks as average Christ Church C of E Primary School - 22 attaining pupils and this is one of the main reasons why standards match those expected by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 and fewer pupils than in other schools achieve a higher level in national tests. For example, though pupils in Year 6 read fluently they do not always comprehend the crucial features of plot or character. Similarly, though pupils write at increasing length as they get older and use appropriate grammar and punctuation they are not skilful at adapting their language and style for the intended reader. The leadership and management of the subject have been unsatisfactory and not enough has been done to remedy this situation, which was identified as an issue in the

p.23

Commentary

previous report. However, with firm direction from the headteacher the co-ordinator has begun to analyse the results of national tests in order to spot gaps in teaching and learning and a clearer picture of how to improve provision is emerging from this early evaluation.

p.24

Commentary

44 One of the benefits of being in a small school is that teachers know their pupils well. When this is combined with judicious questioning, to determine what pupils have remembered from previous lessons and careful marking, teachers are able to set targets for most pupils to work towards. Pupils know what these targets are and talk about them when discussing their work. For example, a lower attaining pupil in Year 2 said that his target was to ‘get better at spelling’. The weakness in assessment is that teachers are not yet monitoring standards rigorously enough to ensure that each target is challenging and that their predictions and judgements about what pupils know and can do are accurate. Once again, this is the result of unsatisfactory leadership and management that has resulted in teachers having very little experience of this aspect of their work.

p.24

Commentary

45 Many pupils benefit from reading with their parents at home. This has a positive affect on standards in reading. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 say that the new books are much nicer to take home and read than the old ones that have recently been replaced. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 have reading diaries to record and write comments about the books they have read. Most pupils say that they enjoy reading and from a young age have their favourite stories, authors and genres and are keen to talk about these. Boys say that the books in school generally suit their tastes because teachers choose stories that are full of action and adventure.

p.24

Language and literacy across the curriculum

46 Pupils make satisfactory use of their literacy skills in other subjects. Many activities involve discussion with adults and other pupils, where the focus is on acquiring and using specialist vocabulary and talking about their work. Lessons and homework often involve reading and writing, which most pupils say that they enjoy.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers place considerable emphasis on number work and consequently, standards have risen since the previous inspection and are now above those expected by Year 6. • Pupils of all abilities achieve well in mathematics. • Lack of rigorous monitoring prevents standards from being higher. • Procedures for assessing and recording pupils’ attainment and progress are unsatisfactory.

p.24

Commentary

47 Teaching is good overall but stronger in Years 3 to 6. This is largely because of the greater emphasis given to number work in these classes. As a result, standards in Year 2 Christ Church C of E Primary School - 23 match those expected, while those in Year 6 are above those expected. Each day, pupils have opportunities to work with numbers and apply what they know to solve mathematical problems. During brisk paced mental activities at the start of each lesson pupils are taught to recognise number patterns and use different strategies when calculating. They say that this is something they are good at and are keen to show off their skills. By Year 2 most pupils have achieved satisfactorily and standards match those expected for their age. In Years 3 to 6, most pupils achieve well. They have a quicker recall of number facts and a good understanding of the order of numbers, which they use to solve problems when

p.24

Commentary

dealing with data. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 used their knowledge of decimals to calculate the median and mode of a group of numbers.

p.25

Commentary

48 Another reason why teaching is good in mathematics is that teachers plan work that meets the needs of pupils of all abilities. Lower attaining pupils and those who have special educational needs achieve well because of the extra help they get in lessons. They are given extra help from teaching assistants and their work is planned carefully so that any difficulties they have with reading and writing do not prevent them from succeeding in mathematics. As a result of this positive intervention these pupils often reach the levels expected for their age in national tests. These pupils also benefit from structured homework that supports what they have learned in class and gives them an opportunity to practise and consolidate skills in number, shape and space and handling data. In addition, the most able pupils are regularly set more challenging work, which often involves applying their mathematical knowledge to solve problems. For example, while other pupils were set

p.25

Commentary

the task of subtracting single digit numbers from numbers lower than 20 the most able pupils in Year 2 were challenged to subtract two digit numbers from higher starting numbers. Similarly, in a well-taught lesson in Year 5 and 6, the teacher worked with the most able pupils to explain how to calculate to three decimal places. This type of challenge is helping a significant number of pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 achieve a higher level in national tests.

p.25

Commentary

49 Although good teaching has ensured that standards are above those expected by Year 6, unsatisfactory leadership and management have prevented them from being higher. In the past, there has been very little rigorous monitoring of standards or provision and gaps in teaching and learning have not been identified. With positive direction from the headteacher this situation is improving and the co-ordinator has begun to analyse the results of national tests and tackle the issue of unsatisfactory assessment procedures. This is viewed as being crucial to further raising standards because at present teachers are not tracking pupils’ attainment.

p.25

Mathematics across the curriculum

50 Pupils make satisfactory use of mathematics in other subjects. In science, they are encouraged to incorporate graphs, charts and tables to communicate the results of investigations and experiments. In history they create time lines of major events and in geography they use mathematics to read information about temperature and rainfall.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to carry out scientific experiments and investigations and consequently pupils attain the standards expected for their age. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 24 • One of the reasons why pupils achieve satisfactorily is that teachers share the aims of lessons. • The most able pupils are not always challenged by their work. • Unsatisfactory leadership and management means that gaps in learning have not been identified. • Assessment procedures are unsatisfactory.

p.25

Commentary

51 One of the reasons why standards match those expected in Years 2 and 6 is that teachers encourage pupils to find things out for themselves. For example, most pupils in Years 1 and 2 were able to describe the physical process of electricity after making a simple circuit. As their experience of investigations grows pupils use their scientific knowledge to predict what might happen in their experiments and try to ensure that tests are fair. Pupils say that they enjoy science lessons and set about their investigations enthusiastically. They are used to working in pairs or small groups and generally share the workload so that everyone has a part to play in setting up, carrying out and recording the experiments.

p.26

Commentary

52 There are strengths and weaknesses to the teaching but it is satisfactory overall. One of the good features is that, throughout the school, teachers take some time at the beginning of the lesson to explain what pupils are going to learn. Teachers refer to them during the lesson, often prompting pupils to think about what they are doing by comments such as ‘what is it we are trying to do and have we done it yet?’ This strategy is effective because pupils know what they should be learning and understand how well they are doing. A second good effect is that, in understanding what they should be doing, pupils generally settle to their tasks quickly and sensibly.

p.26

Commentary

53 One of the weaknesses of teaching is that the most able pupils are not always challenged by the work. Books show that much of what they do is the same work as average attaining pupils and consequently few pupils achieve a higher level in standardised tests. This was also evident in a lesson when pupils of all abilities were set the same task. As a result, pupils who struggled to understand what they needed to do to set up a fair task to measure the force on an elastic band took up most of the teachers’ time and the most able pupils were prevented from achieving more by considering how the pattern in force and stretch could be extrapolated.

p.26

Commentary

54 The leadership and management of the subject are unsatisfactory but improving as a result of the good direction provided by the headteacher. The co-ordinator has begun to analyse the results of national tests and in doing this has identified the need for greater challenge for the most able pupils. Procedures for assessment, which are also unsatisfactory, are seen to be a key priority for improvement and steps have been taken to review how pupils’ progress and attainment are judged and recorded. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 25

p.26

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology is unsatisfactory

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are below those expected in Year 2 and Year 6. • Pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to use good quality computers and software to practise skills and this prevents standards from being higher. • Resources are unsatisfactory and this has a significant impact on standards. • Leadership and management are unsatisfactory.

p.27

Commentary

55 Standards have fallen since the previous inspection and are now below what is expected for pupils’ ages. Pupils of all abilities do not achieve as well as they should. The main reason for this is that pupils do not get enough opportunities to use computers and consequently do not have many of the basic skills associated with exchanging or sharing information or developing ideas and making things happen. For example, though pupils in Year 2 know how to use a familiar word processing program to share ideas as text, they are unsure how to create tables and graphs. Older pupils present information in a wider variety of forms, including decision tree diagrams showing how they would classify mini-beasts. However, many are unable to discuss how to use computerised databases or spreadsheets and cannot say why these would be more useful than traditional methods.

p.27

Commentary

56 The teaching is unsatisfactory. Once a week pupils are taught information and communication technology by a visiting specialist who brings a number of laptop computers to the school. These laptops are not the same specification as some of the computers in classes and consequently the software is also different. This means that pupils do not get the chance to practise their skills during the week and computers are often left idle. Teachers try hard to make the best use of software available to support pupils’ learning in other subjects. For example, pupils in Years 1 and 2 used a science program to extend their knowledge of electrical circuits and the associated language. This worked well and was a good feature of the science lesson. However, though they enjoyed the activity and it helped them gain scientific knowledge it did very little to promote pupils’ skills in information and communication technology. Most pupils say that they enjoy working with computers

p.27

Commentary

and would like to do more of it in school. Pupils in Year 6 say that they often use computers at home to help them with their work and it is on these computers that they have learned many of their basic skills.

p.27

Commentary

57 The leadership and management of the subject are unsatisfactory and rely heavily on direction from the headteacher. Not enough has been done to maintain the quality of computers and limited resources are preventing standards from being higher. Though governors have recently approved the purchase of interactive whiteboards for all classes, at present these are only being used as teaching aids and are not having a significant impact on standards in information and communication technology. The co-ordinator knows that raising standards is a key priority for the school and has made a start by attending training and beginning a review of the curriculum and procedures for assessment. At present there are no agreed systems for assessing or recording what pupils know and can do, which means that teachers are unsure about where to pitch work and cannot ensure progression in the development of skills. However, with clear direction and support the school has the

p.27

Commentary

capacity to raise standards. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 26

p.27

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

58 The use of information and communication technology in other subjects is patchy. Pupils have used digital cameras to record the results of experiments in science. Pupils say that they rarely use the Internet to research information about any subject but during the inspection one teacher regularly used websites to provide visual aids for lessons. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 27 HUMANITIES

p.28

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

59 In geography and history insufficient work was seen to form reliable judgements about provision. These subjects were sampled by talking with pupils about their work and looking at books and displays.

p.29

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

60 In geography , pupils in Years 1 and 2 develop geographical skills through first- hand experiences. Teachers plan walks around the village, when pupils are encouraged to compare different types of buildings and the materials from which they are made. They look at local landmarks and compare these with what they know of other places, including those that they have visited on holiday. Part of the curriculum for pupils in Years 1 and 2 involves making maps of the local area, while older pupils learn to read maps and locate places in an atlas. In Years 3 to 6 pupils learn about the physical and human geography of India and talked knowledgeably about its weather, buildings and inhabitants.

p.29

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

61 From discussions with pupils it is clear that they enjoy history and recall many facts about the periods they study. Pupils in Year 2 explained the differences between old and modern toys and those in Year 6 spoke at length about the Tudors, their voyages and the impact they have had on life today. Older pupils talked excitedly about the ancient Greeks and remembered the names of Socrates, Plato, Hippocrates and Archimedes and how these men influenced education and knowledge today. A good feature of the history curriculum is that the topics planned by teachers incorporate other subjects, such as art and design, music and literacy. This means that pupils have opportunities to practise these skills at the same time as they widen their historical knowledge and understanding.

p.29

Religious education

Provision in religious education is satisfactory

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Religious education lessons contribute significantly to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. • In a small number of lessons, teachers talk for too long, preventing pupils from researching independently or discussing their views with others. • Teachers use assemblies to enrich the curriculum. • Pupils do not have enough opportunities for first-hand experiences of religions other than Christianity.

p.29

Commentary

62 One of the main reasons why teaching is satisfactory is that the curriculum helps promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Their cultural development is promoted through learning about Christianity and other major faiths and, as a result, pupils have a sound understanding of the similarities and differences between religions. For example, pupils in Years 1 and 2 talked about how Ramadan is a time of fasting for Muslims and, in the Christian faith, Lent has similarities. Teachers give pupils the opportunity to explore values and beliefs and how they impact on lives in discussions about religion. This promotes pupils’ spiritual development and prompted pupils in Year 6 to write about the five Pillars of Islamic faith and talk about how Muslims and Christians pray. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 28 63 Teachers aim to get a balance of facts and discussion in lessons and in Years 3 to

p.29

Commentary

6, and they share the objectives of the lesson with pupils. This means that pupils are generally aware of what they should be learning. However, in some lessons teachers talk for too long and pupils lose interest. When this is combined with a lack of practical tasks such as research or sharing opinions, pupils’ behaviour and attention wanes considerably.

p.30

Commentary

64 In the past, the leadership and management of the subject have been unsatisfactory and consequently gaps in the curriculum have not been identified. At present, staff are reviewing all aspects of the curriculum and recognise that pupils are missing a number of opportunities to learn about other religions through visits to mosques and synagogues and from visitors to the school. Though teachers try to bring the subject alive by visiting websites this is not always effective. For example, though pupils were interested to see pictures of the Book of Kells the images did not convey the feeling of special scripts or texts. Pupils say that the subject is sometimes interesting and that they particularly enjoy visiting the parish church because it has ‘lots of atmosphere’.

p.30

Commentary

65 Teachers make good use of assemblies to promote pupils’ religious education. Pupils said that they enjoy listening to stories from the Bible and were keen to talk about their favourites. Teachers use assemblies to promote pupils’ knowledge of major religious festivals, rites and leaders and older pupils can name the holy books of the religions they study. The vicar regularly attends assemblies and in this way the school’s Christian ethos and nature is promoted.

p.30

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

66 In art and design, design and technology, music and physical education insufficient work was seen to form firm judgements about provision. These subjects were sampled by observing a small number of lessons, talking with pupils about their work and looking at books and displays.

p.30

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

67 Pupils enjoy art and design and talk enthusiastically about the pictures and models they have made. Pupils are given many opportunities to explore a range of media and employ a variety of processes to create pictures and models. In Years 1 and 2, pupils made models of landscapes of places they have visited on holiday and enjoyed talking about these. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 learn techniques for sculpting and collage and produced good quality models and pictures. The school employs a specialist teacher to work with pupils in Years 3 to 6 once a week. Pupils say that they look forward to these lessons because they are interesting. They have recently produced paintings on an animal theme that were exhibited at the Oldham Primary Heads’ Conference. Teachers link much of the work in art and design with other subjects. For example, pupils produced models of Tudor houses as part of their work in history.

p.30

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

68 Lessons in design and technology are planned to ensure that skills are taught in a systematic way so that pupils have opportunities to develop their ideas through investigation and making. Pupils say they enjoy design and technology and older pupils in Years 5 and 6 are enthusiastic about the way they designed and made musical instruments. Their designs show the materials needed and how to join a variety of found materials and different components. They write clear instructions that can be followed easily. Younger pupils, in Years 1 and 2, designed finger, hand and string puppets. They annotated their sketches indicating the types of materials they needed to use. Displays and photographs show pupils have designed and made Easter bonnets, a simple crane, a roundabout and a plate containing healthy food. Pupils have opportunities to evaluate their work and say how they would improve their products.

p.30

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Christ Church C of E Primary School - 29 69 The music curriculum includes performing, composing and listening to the work of modern and classical composers and pupils talked knowledgeably about Beethoven, Vivaldi and Mozart. They have regular opportunities to sing in assemblies and to perform for parents in Christmas productions. Pupils say that they enjoy these concerts very much and that they are good fun to do. Teachers often link work in music with other subjects; at the moment pupils in Years 3 to 6 are learning Victorian songs from the period they are studying in history.

p.31

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

70 Pupils say that they enjoy physical education lessons, particularly games. The school’s severely sloping field and yard does nothing to quell their enthusiasm and they try hard to overcome this problem when passing balls and playing team games. A number of pupils play sports as part of the Unity in the Community project, where they compete or play alongside pupils from other city schools. This helps promote pupils’ social and cultural awareness. Many pupils have visited a residential adventure centre on several occasions and talk animatedly about the activities on offer. All pupils have swimming lessons, which they say they enjoy tremendously. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 30

p.31

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

71 The school’s provision for promoting pupils’ personal, social and health education and citizenship was sampled by talking with pupils and observing a small number of lessons. Teachers follow a programme of work that reflects the recent document Every Child Matters ; it focuses on being healthy, staying safe, making a positive contribution to the community and learning to manage money. In discussions about healthy living and being safe, pupils of all ages knew the dangers involved with smoking and the misuse of drugs and alcohol and the advantages of healthy eating and exercise. The school does not teach sex and relationships education as a separate subject, but aspects of reproduction and growing up are covered in science lessons and in the programme for health education. A small number of pupils are members of the school council and the Oldham Schools Council and they learn about democracy through this membership.

p.32

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Parents said that their children gain confidence and maturity during their time in school and are happy that personal, social and health education is part of the curriculum. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 31

p.32

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 4 How inclusive the school is 5 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 2 Attitudes 4 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 4 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 4 The quality of teaching 4 How well pupils learn 4 The quality of assessment 5 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 4 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 4 Accommodation and resources 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 3 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 4 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 4 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 The quality of the school’s links with the community 4 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 4 The governance of the school 4 The leadership of the headteacher 3 The leadership of other key staff 5 The effectiveness of management 4

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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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