St Anne's CofE (VC) Primary School

ST ANNE’S C of E (VC) PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 14 th – 16 th March 2005

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ST ANNE’S C of E (VC) PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 St Anne’s CE (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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ST ANNE’S C of E (VC) PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Voluntary Controlled Age range of pupils: 4 – 11 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 178

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: St Anne’s Vale Brown Edge Stoke-on-Trent Staffordshire Postcode: ST6 8TA

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01782 503102 Fax number: 01782 503102

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Mrs V McMahon

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 21 st June 1999

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

St. Anne’s is a village school serving the surrounding semi-rural community and, with 178 pupils on roll, it is slightly smaller than average for primary schools. Two-thirds of the pupils live in Brown Edge or Endon. All pupils are from white/UK heritage backgrounds. Numbers have fallen since the last inspection, most significantly this year, as the number of children in the Reception Class has fallen. Socio-economically, the area in which the pupils live is very mixed but average overall. Few pupils take free school meals. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs is less than that in most other schools but the number of pupils with a statement of special educational needs is above average. Attainment on admission to the school is average overall as it was at the time of the last inspection. The school has before and after school clubs and holiday care provision. It is inclusive and has

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

admitted several pupils with challenging behaviour over the last two years. The school was awarded the School Achievement Award in 2000. St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

20911 Judy Dawson Lead inspector Mathematics; Art and design; Design and technology; Music; Religious education. 13526 Richard Barnard Lay inspector 2766 John Collins Team inspector Foundation Stage; English as additional language; Science; Geography; History.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

21094 John Brennan Team inspector Special educational needs; English; Information and communication technology; Personal, social and health education and citizenship; Physical education.

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 11

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

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

OVERALL EVALUATION This inclusive school provides a satisfactory quality of education. Though older pupils achieve well in English and mathematics, achievement is satisfactory overall. Leadership and management are satisfactory overall and the school gives satisfactory value for money.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• Standards in English and mathematics are above average by Year 6 • Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good and children achieve well • The management of pupils’ behaviour requires further development in some classes • Some teachers do not expect enough of their pupils • The school’s evaluation of its performance and planning for long-term improvement lack rigour • Test and assessment data are used well to identify pupils who need additional support and to set targets • The school offers a good range of extra-curricular activities • Pupils do not have enough opportunity to use writing and computer skills in other subjects

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

The school has made satisfactory improvement since the previous inspection in June 1999. Two of the issues raised have been addressed satisfactorily although there is still too much reliance on commercial materials in Year 2, which inhibits challenge, especially for more able pupils. Standards and provision for the Foundation Stage and information and communication technology (ICT) have both improved. Behaviour, although satisfactory overall, is not as good as it was in 1999 and the recent initiatives work well only in some classes. The use of school self-evaluation to plan for future improvement is underdeveloped.

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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 B A A C Mathematics A B A B Science C C B D 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

Almost all pupils start school with the expected levels of skills, knowledge and understanding. The majority of children in the Foundation Stage are younger than usual this year and their social development is below average. They make good progress and most achieve the expected goals for their age in all areas of learning.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Overall, achievement is satisfactory . Pupils in Year 2 attained above average standards in reading, well above average in writing and average standards in mathematics in the 2004 teacher assessments. Compared with similar schools, attainment in reading and mathematics was below average. The present Year 2 pupils have above average reading skills. Standards in writing and mathematics are now in line with most other schools nationally, and are similar to those attained in previous years. Achievement is satisfactory overall in Years 1 and 2; pupils achieve well in reading. More able pupils do not achieve as well as they could in mathematics and science. St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 7 Achievement remains satisfactory in the juniors until Years 5 and 6 when pupils achieve well in English and mathematics. At least above average standards have been maintained since the last inspection. Standards in science are average throughout the school and have

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

fallen in recent years. ICT standards have improved and are now at the expected levels. Pupils’ standards in religious education are in line with the expectations of the Agreed Syllabus. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well in the Foundation Stage and in the withdrawal groups and satisfactorily in their classes.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Taken overall, the pupils’ personal qualities, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are satisfactory. Most pupils express positive attitudes about school and when teaching is good they work hard. Some pupils do not behave well in lessons where the teachers do not manage behaviour effectively or lessons are too long to sustain interest. The levels of attendance are good and above the national average.

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The school provides a sound quality of education. Teaching and learning are

satisfactory overall, with some weaknesses in Years 3 and 4 and strengths in Years 5 and 6 and the Foundation Stage. Assessment is good. The consistently good teaching and support for children in the Foundation Stage enable the children to make good progress. Throughout the school the skills of literacy, numeracy and ICT are taught rigorously but pupils do not have enough opportunities to apply writing and computer skills within other subjects across the school. The good relationships and high expectations of the class teachers in Years 5 and 6 motivate and challenge pupils but the weaknesses of a minority of teachers in managing pupils’ behaviour make learning less effective in some lessons.

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The school provides a sound quality of education. Teaching and learning are

The school offers a broad curriculum and a good range of educational visits and additional sporting and musical activities. The help given to pupils in the support group has a positive effect on their learning and attitudes. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is good but in the rest of the school the best use is not always made of time and some lessons are too long. Limited planning for links between subjects results in missed opportunities to consolidate and extend learning. The school council has made a good start, helping pupils understand the responsibilities of living in a community and links with the local community are good.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The headteacher and senior management team care deeply for the pupils and encourage them to succeed. Leadership and management are satisfactory. Staff share responsibilities conscientiously and most have plans for developing their subjects. Governors fulfil their statutory responsibilities and have a good understanding of standards and target setting. The school responds to immediate needs well. Concern about the attitudes and behaviour of some pupils resulted in the introduction of new strategies for managing behaviour and developing pupils’ self esteem. While these are working well in most classes, some teachers need more support. The reviewing and evaluation of the schools’ position and the impact of initiatives are less well established and the schools’ development planning lacks long-term goals or priorities linked to raising standards. Financial management is satisfactory and the school made good use of money saved from

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

building work to provide additional adult support but as yet there are no formal plans to address the implications of the falling roll or the end of the additional funds next year.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Most pupils are pleased with the support they receive, enjoy the extra-curricular opportunities and like their teachers, but some feel there is some poor behaviour. Overall, St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 8 parents are happy with most aspects of the quality of education provided although some would like the school to consult them more. Others feel leadership and management could be better. A few express concerns about some pupils’ behaviour.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Establish consistent and effective management of behaviour throughout the school • Ensure the need of all pupils, including the more able, are met in all classes • Implement strategic long-term planning and priorities for development based on regular evaluation of the school’s performance and new initiatives • Provide more opportunities for pupils to use writing and computer skills across all subjects St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 9

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Overall, achievement is satisfactory. Standards in the core subjects of English and mathematics are broadly average in Year 2 and above average in Year 6. In most other subjects standards are at expected levels.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well in English and mathematics in Years 5 and 6 and in reading throughout the school. • Children in the Foundation Stage achieve well in all areas of learning • The progress of the more able pupils in Years 1 and 2 could be better, especially in writing and mathematics

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Commentary

1. Children generally enter school with average knowledge, understanding and skills for their age. The present cohort is young and some children’s social skills were below average on entry. Good teaching and consistent modelling of good behaviour and social skills enables children to make good progress across the areas of learning. Most achieve the early learning goals by the end of the Reception Year. Standards in national assessments at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2004

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Commentary

Standards in: School results National results Reading 16.4 (15.3) 15.8 (15.7) Writing 16.3 (14.3) 14.6 (14.6) Mathematics 16.4 (17.3) 16.2 (16.3) There were 29 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

2. Although standards in the 2004 assessments had improved in reading and writing on the previous year, standards in mathematics have been falling over the last three years. Compared with similar schools standards in reading and mathematics were below average but writing skills were above those of pupils in similar schools. Boys’ attainment was better than that of the girls in 2004 but generally girls outperform boys. The present pupils in Year 2 read well and attain average standards in writing and mathematics. Although pupils have the secure secretarial skills of spelling, handwriting, punctuation and sentence construction, they have few opportunities to apply these skills through extended writing tasks for English or within other subjects. The use of workbooks and worksheets for mathematics and science does not provide enough challenge for more able pupils. This resulted in fewer than average pupils achieving the

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Commentary

higher level 3 in the 2004 national assessments and little higher level work observed in the pupils’ work for both subjects. The generous support from a retired teacher has made a positive impact on standards in reading.

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Commentary

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 28.7 (28.8) 26.9 (26.8) Mathematics 29.1 (27.9) 27.0 (26.8) Science 29.6 (28.8) 28.6 (28.6) St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 10 There were 35 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Commentary

3. Inspection evidence shows that standards in English and mathematics are above average in Year 6 and pupils have maintained above average standards since the last inspection. The pupils achieve well, especially in the acquisition of basic skills. Girls’ achieved higher results than boys in 2004 but in 2003 boys were more successful than girls. No significant differences between the genders were found during the inspection. Analysis of the pupils’ books from Years 3 to 6 shows that pupils make most progress in their last two years in school and the inspectors found that teaching skills were most effective in Years 5 and 6. Standards in science were average in the national tests and have been falling since the last inspection but a higher than average number of pupils attained the higher Level 5. Standards in science of present pupils in Year 6 remain average. Opportunities to use literacy and numeracy skills to support other subjects are

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Commentary

limited and pupils do not get enough opportunities to write extensively using different genre. This prevents pupils developing the desire to write for pleasure and purpose. Reading skills are above average throughout the school and pupils achieve well, partly due to the very effective support from a retired voluntary teacher.

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Commentary

4. As a result of the greater amount of individual attention and the good quality teaching, pupils with special educational needs who are part of the support groups for Years 4 and 5 achieve well. Pupils with special educational needs elsewhere in the school do not benefit from the same level of personal support but teachers and teaching assistants adjust work to their needs and these pupils achieve satisfactorily. More able pupils do not achieve as well as they could by Year 2, but their overall achievement is satisfactory throughout the school and good in English and mathematics in Years 5 and 6.

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Commentary

5. Due to the improved provision, standards in ICT have risen throughout the school and are now average. Pupils’ achievements are satisfactory. Links with other subjects are limited so pupils are not yet using computers as tools sufficiently to support learning across the curriculum. Standards in religious education meet the expectations of the Agreed Syllabus. Pupils work through a scheme of work, heavily reliant on worksheets. When teachers deviate from these and introduce debate or drama, pupils achieve well. Pupils’ work shows that they work at the expected levels in the other subjects. A significant number of pupils play musical instruments and they achieve well.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are satisfactory. Personal development is satisfactory, as is the provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Attendance and punctuality are good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Behaviour and attitudes in lessons are sometimes not good enough due to inconsistent approaches to classroom management • Most pupils enjoy school and their activities • Pupils are developing well as good citizens • Attendance is above average • Some older pupils sometimes behave inappropriately in playground

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Commentary

St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 11 6. Some pupils and a few parents have expressed some concerns about behaviour in school. The school has a high level of temporary exclusions over the last two years compared to most primary schools. These relate to a small number of older pupils some of whom have been taken on by the school following their exclusion from another school. While overall levels of behaviour are satisfactory, and good in the Reception Class, in some lessons and in the playground there is some boisterous, and sometimes unsatisfactory behaviour. The school has recognised this and has started to introduce new procedures based on the “Family Nurture” initiative with an emphasis on pupils making the right choices. It is too early to judge the success of the new procedures. Most pupils view the “house points” and other reward systems as fair. When pupils behave badly in lessons it is because teachers are struggling to apply behaviour

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Commentary

management strategies effectively. Pupils in Year 6, for example, while being taught by their class teacher behave very well but behave badly when being taught by a less skilled teacher. Younger pupils behave well at playtimes. They have plenty of space in their separate playground and an improving range of playground activities and equipment. Although most incidents can be put down to boisterous play, the behaviour of older pupils, although satisfactory overall, is not as good. The application of the playground rules and the organisation of activities are inconsistent. Supervisors do not always insist on older boys playing football in the designated area, which leaves little space for others and causes some anxiety amongst younger pupils. Pupils and parents show some concerns over bullying but feel incidents are generally dealt with promptly and effectively. Pupils do know right from wrong and what to do if squabbles

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Commentary

or accidents happen. There is no evidence of any sexist or racist attitudes.

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Commentary

7. The school has a number of pupils who have social and emotional needs. While the school has given some consideration to whole school strategies for managing behaviour, too little has been done to identify the specific needs for these pupils. As a result the behaviour of a few of these pupils continues to be a concern.

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Commentary

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Commentary

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 177 7 0

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Commentary

8. The pupils and most parents say they like school and the majority of pupils appear happy. They participate keenly in the good range of extra-curricular activities especially sports and music. They say they enjoy most lessons and subjects but find some lessons boring.

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Commentary

9. Pupils’ understanding of becoming good citizens is promoted well. The new School Council, representing pupils from Years 1 to 6, is working on projects such as the improvement of playground facilities and has developed a Friendship Stop in the playground. One member had thought very carefully about the implications of this, observing that pupils who stand alone at the stop may feel even more isolated and be the subject of further ridicule. The council generated the “Buddy” initiative to prevent this happening. Pupils are very eager and successful in raising funds for local, national and international charities. They enjoy responsibilities such as acting as House Captains and setting out resources in the hall. They contribute to local cultural events such as St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 12 Arts festival, maypole dancing and well-dressing. The good provision of residential experiences for older pupils makes a valuable contribution to the pupils’ personal

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Commentary

development. Pupils’ awareness of the multi-cultural nature of life in Britain is limited.

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Commentary

10. Overall attendance levels are good and above the national average. Punctuality is good allowing lessons to start promptly. Good systems to record and monitor attendance place appropriate emphasis on promoting good attendance. Parents support these well. St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 13

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

School data 4.8 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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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a sound quality of education that enables pupils to achieve satisfactorily . Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall and assessment is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is consistently good in the Foundation Stage, by the support teacher and by the class teacher in Year 6 • A few teachers struggle to employ effective strategies for managing pupils’ behaviour, which adversely effects pupils’ learning • Teaching assistants are skilled and make a good contribution to pupils’ learning • The overuse of commercial materials prevents more able pupils achieving as well as they should in Years 1 and 2 • Some specialist teaching is unsatisfactory and pupils do not achieve well enough

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Commentary

11. The teaching in the Foundation Stage has improved since the last inspection. The teacher, the nursery nurse and other adults work together very well and are skilled in bringing out the best in the children. Consistent modelling of good personal and social skills is enabling the children to become more mature and to learn to interact positively with each other and adults. The adults plan the day very well, giving children good opportunities to learn across the curriculum. They make good use of the accommodation and good resources to make learning interesting and fun. Careful and regular assessments of the children’s progress are used to match support and tasks to individual needs. As a result, pupils learn well and make good progress.

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Commentary

12. Teaching is satisfactory in Years 1 and 2. The teachers have an appropriate understanding of the curriculum. Much of the work for mathematics and science is recorded in commercially produced workbooks or worksheets. While this ensures Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in [number] lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

0 4(13%) 14(45%) 10(32%) 3(9.5%) 0 0 The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen. St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 14 curriculum coverage, pupils’ efforts are limited by the constraints of the printed tasks that prevent them, especially the more able pupils, from extending their learning. As a consequence, their progress is no more than satisfactory. This was a feature of the teaching at the time of the last inspection. In the best lessons, clear explanations and good use of resources enable pupils to achieve well. In a design and technology lesson for Year 2 pupils, for example, the clear discussion about the criteria for a chassis enabled pupils to experiment for themselves as they made vehicles. The teacher and teaching assistant supported the pupils well. Secure behaviour management strategies

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Commentary

generate a calm working environment in this class. The teachers in both classes question pupils effectively but the noise level and interruptions by younger pupils prevent pupils learning from each other and concentrating on their tasks. The teacher uses a range of strategies to address this but often gives mixed messages by responding to pupils calling out answers or comments in spite of insisting on “hands up”. 13. The teachers in Years 3 and 4 have similar problems with the management of behaviour. This occasionally results in unacceptable noise levels and a lack of concentration. In a minority of lessons taught by these teachers, pupils’ learning and the teaching were unsatisfactory, predominantly when the teachers were working with Year 6. These pupils behave well with their class teacher. In another lesson the teacher’s problems with managing behaviour were compounded by over complex planning for science, so pupils were not clear what they were expected to do or what

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Commentary

the objectives of the lessons were. Generally, however, most Year 3 and 4 pupils make satisfactory gains in learning in their lessons.

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Commentary

14. Teaching is good in the upper part of the school and often very good in the lessons taught by the deputy headteacher in Year 6. In a very good mathematics lesson, for example, pupils were asked to use numerals from 1 to 9 just once to create addition and subtraction sums using decimals. Their challenge was to use the remaining 3 digits to make a total as near to 10 as possible. This challenged all abilities. The most able pupils manipulated their numbers from the beginning to help achieve the target. Others began to switch digits to get closer to 10. Pupils with special educational needs were supported very well. The teaching assistant is skilled in breaking down tasks into small, manageable steps. Those who wished were encouraged to move the decimal point in some numbers to reach 20. The lesson was great fun, all pupils concentrated and achieved very well. The good teaching for the oldest pupils is instrumental in raising

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Commentary

standards in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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Commentary

15. The best teaching for pupils who have special educational needs is to be found in the support group for pupils in Years 4 and 5. Here very good quality teaching creates a calm environment and exploits this well by breaking learning down into small steps. Writing Greeks myths, for example, took place over a series of activities involving sequencing story events, note taking and specific work on character description. This gave pupils a framework for writing, helping improve vocabulary and writing skills. The very good partnership established with the teaching assistant is a key factor in the good achievement of these pupils. Elsewhere in the school teaching assistants follow up on the main themes of lessons well and ensure that pupils meet with success in completing tasks. Assistants are also effective in the beginning of lessons where they often help less confident pupils by echoing key questions and helping pupils join in with the rest of

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Commentary

the class. However, help given to pupils who have difficulty behaving is less effective in some lessons where staff rely too heavily on whole class strategies for managing behaviour. This, and the lack of strategies tailored to individual needs, adversely affects the learning for pupils who have social and emotional difficulties. Overall, the teaching for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 15 16. The school makes satisfactory use of teachers’ expertise and there is some specialist teaching, for example, in music and ICT. Two such lessons were observed in Year 6, in both of which teaching and learning were unsatisfactory. Although in both lessons the teachers had a good knowledge of their subjects, they struggled to manage the pupils behaviour effectively. In one lesson there was not enough challenge while in the other too much was planned and many pupils did not receive the support they needed. In

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Commentary

other subjects, for example physical education, specialist teaching works well resulting in sporting successes.

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Commentary

17. All teachers assess pupils’ achievements and progress well. They make good use of data showing pupils’ results in national and internal tests and analyse their answers to identify any weaknesses and plan future learning. Pupils are given targets for English and mathematics and all who were asked knew what these are and what they have to do to achieve them. Written comments in pupils’ books vary in quality but several teachers have systems for identifying were oral support is needed. Teachers’ expectations of the quality and quantity of pupils’ written work is variable and in one year group pupils books are very untidy and handwriting deteriorates. Overall, however, most teachers expect pupils to take a pride in their work. Pupils have regular homework and both pupils and parents know what to expect each week.

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Commentary

18. There has been little formal monitoring of teaching and learning. The headteacher and senior management team are aware of teachers’ strengths and weaknesses but as yet the school does not have the structure to rigorously identify where improvement is needed and to generate action to address weaknesses. There are no systems to monitor the immediate impact of the new behaviour management strategies, recently introduced. There is little sharing of good practice. Some of the specialist teaching, while giving pupils the opportunity to benefit from other teachers’ expertise in some subjects, has not been evaluated to establish the impact on pupils’ learning and behaviour. The over reliance on commercial materials, identified at the time of the last inspection, has not been addressed. The overall quality of teaching although satisfactory, is not as good as at the time of the last inspection. There have been some

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Commentary

staff changes and there are more pupils with challenging behaviour.

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The curriculum

The school provides a broad curriculum that meets the needs of pupils and includes good opportunities for enrichment and extra-curricular activities. Accommodation and resources are satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The good Foundation Stage curriculum gives children a flying start to their schooling • The school does not always make best use of curriculum time • The school’s attempt to improve provision for pupils’ personal development is not yet fully effective • A good range of clubs and visits help make pupils’ time at school enjoyable, especially in the arts and sport • There are too few opportunities for pupils to use their writing and computer skills.

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Commentary

St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 16 19. All subjects of the National Curriculum are planned to ensure that pupils cover the requirements for each subject. While the balance of subjects over the year is appropriate, the weekly timetable includes some very long lessons in the afternoons. This tests the stamina of pupils and teachers. Pupils’ behaviour and the quality of learning noticeably tails off towards the end of these lessons. The arrangements for teachers other than the class teacher to teach their specialist subjects sometimes result in unsatisfactory lessons.

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Commentary

20. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is good and provision has improved since the last inspection. The strong team of adults ensure that the children’s needs are met, especially in the promotion of good personal and social skills. Good resources are used creatively so the children are eager to learn. The wide range of experiences provides the children with a good foundation for future learning. The weekly physical education or dance lessons with the playgroup prepare these children for school well.

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Commentary

21. The school has recently appointed a teacher to teach pupils with special educational needs in Years 4 and 5 together to help them improve their literacy and numeracy skills. This arrangement is working well and provision for these pupils is good. The very good partnership that exists between the special needs co-ordinator, the special needs teacher and the teaching assistant creates an oasis of calm in which pupils benefit from extended periods of close attention. This ensures that these pupils achieve well against their personal targets and helps boosts their self esteem as they feel able to shine within a very supportive environment. Elsewhere in the school pupils who have special educational needs are taught largely within their usual classrooms. Provision for these pupils is satisfactory. While teaching assistants are well deployed and give pupils good support in group work, these pupils do not benefit from the same level of personal

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Commentary

22. In an attempt to improve the attitudes and behaviour of pupils the school has sought the help of the behaviour support service to revise the curriculum for personal, social and health education and to help teachers acquire skills and strategies aimed at boosting pupils’ self image and self control. These are meeting with mixed success. Teachers are selecting from a menu of activities but as yet these have not been formed into a progressive curriculum that builds over time. The school has a number of pupils who have social and emotional needs. The criteria for considering whether or not these pupils require individual plans are not as clearly defined as for those who have learning led needs. The personal development plans that do exist are not as clearly written and consequently there are few strategies tailored to individual needs.

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Commentary

23. Whether it be visiting a local art gallery, performing in musical concerts or representing the school in cross country running, there are plenty of occasions aimed at making school more rewarding for pupils. Pupils are able to go on a good range of visits, including residential experiences. Additional classes in French and German give older pupils an early taste of learning another language. The school also offers pupils in the juniors a chance to take part in a good range of sporting clubs. In some instances these are proving to be a stepping stone for particularly talented pupils to receive more specialist coaching.

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Commentary

24. The school ensures that there are satisfactory ways in which pupils can use their mathematical skills when studying other subjects. The same cannot be said for writing and ICT. Most of what pupils write in other subjects is restricted to factual writing, while in some classes the use of worksheets limits what pupils write for themselves. In ICT computers are underused as a tool to promote thinking, as skills are often acquired in St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 17 isolation from pupils’ other areas of study. Lessons put aside for using ICT in other subjects are not always used and tend to concentrate on routine work rather than tasks that demand thinking and the application of skills.

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Care, guidance and support

The provision for pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety is satisfactory. Pupils are given satisfactory support, advice and guidance based on the monitoring of their achievements. The involvement of pupils through seeking and acting on their views is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses:

• Pupils are well cared for overall but there are some issues relating to health and safety that need addressing • Arrangements to support children when they start school are good • Pupils‘ views are valued

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Commentary

25. Good induction arrangements ensure pupils quickly settle into the Reception class and achieve well. The strong links with the local playgroup make a good contribution to these arrangements. Good systems assess pupils’ educational needs, including those with special educational needs, and the school provides good support to help pupils improve their work. Satisfactory arrangements give pupils and parents support and advice about transferring to secondary school. Plans are underway to improve them. Support for pupils’ personal development is satisfactory.

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Commentary

26. The school has established good systems to consult pupils about their views on school life, including the recently appointed School Council. Pupils feel confident to approach teachers, especially the headteacher, who has a good rapport with them, if they have worries or concerns. Members of the School Council were appreciative of the budget they have been allocated to purchase additional playground equipment.

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Commentary

27. The school has adopted a thorough, sensitive approach to child protection procedures, secure fire precaution arrangements and good first aid procedures. Good arrangements ensure that younger pupils are collected by a responsible person at the end of the school day. Potential health and safety risks are properly identified, though not all of the issues raised have been dealt with satisfactorily. Outstanding issues have been notified to the headteacher and governors. Due to current staffing problems supervision of pupils before school and at lunchtimes is lacks rigour.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has a satisfactory partnership with parents. Links with the local community are good and with local schools satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Many parents support the school and their children’s education well • Parents are given good information to help them be involved in their children’s learning • School plays an important part in the local community

p.17

Commentary

St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 18 28. The majority of parents support their children’s education well. The Parents Teacher Association provides good financial support providing a good range of fundraising events. Funds provided are used well to support school development priorities across the curriculum. Parents support performances and class assemblies well and a small number provide regular help in school.

p.18

Commentary

29. Annual reports give good information on progress and achievements and targets for improvement are shared with parents at the regular consultation sessions. Parents are given good information before their children start school in the Reception class and this helps their children to settle quickly. Parents are given a good range of information about the curriculum and how they can help in their children’s learning, ranging from the informative prospectus, regular newsletters and reading records. Particularly helpful are the “termly class letters”. For example, a recent letter to Reception class parents encourages them to develop their children’s independence and how to help them in their reading. The school is open to parents. Teachers are available at the start and end of the day but some parents feel that issues are not always dealt with promptly. Communication with individual parents is satisfactory overall.

p.18

Commentary

30. The school plays an important part in the local community and makes some good use of it to support learning. The local church is used well to support school life especially in relation to Christian festivals and the vicar takes assemblies regularly. Pupils play a key role in local community events such as Maypole dancing and well-dressing. Visits to local places of interest support learning well. There is no local industry but pupils use the supermarket to gain an insight into commerce. The partnership with the local schools, especially the local cluster, benefits pupils especially in relation to rounders, athletics, swimming, football, and cross-country. The school achieves well in competitive sports. The school is working well to improve liaison arrangements with the high school. St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 19

p.18

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The governance is satisfactory.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher responds to individual needs well and is committed to developing pupils’ self esteem • There is limited long term planning for improvement based on regular evaluation of the school’s effectiveness, including teaching and learning • The Foundation Stage is managed well, resulting in good quality provision • The governors are knowledgeable and question effectively to ensure that the school’s initiatives and practices are having an impact on pupils’ learning • Day-to-day administration is good and the school made appropriate use of the windfall from the building work to provide additional adult support for pupil with special educational needs

p.19

Commentary

31. The headteacher provides a good pastoral role model for the pupils and staff. He shows great concern for the individuals in his care and is supported in this by the senior management team. His strong commitment to promoting the arts has generated enthusiasm and particular success in instrumental music and school productions. The greatest challenge facing the school at present is the increased number of pupils with behavioural and social problems, some as a result of the commitment to inclusion. The school has recently adopted new strategies for dealing with this and has a clear programme for extending them over the year. The teachers and support staff have had initial training in behaviour management to support this initiative. The headteacher’s strong commitment to the care of the pupils and his concern that they should learn to take responsibility for their actions is already having an impact in some classes. There

p.19

Commentary

is, however, some way to go to ensure that the initiative is effective and, at present, limited monitoring or support for less effective teachers, results in some poor behaviour in classes. The arrangements for some teachers to teach their specialist subject to other classes cause particular behaviour problems and some unsatisfactory lessons.

p.19

Commentary

32. The headteacher, teachers and governors plan the improvements they wish to make in the short term. Subject leaders have drawn up development plans for their subjects but only some of these show clear objectives based on the impact on pupils’ leaning or the cost in money or time. These are designed to reflect the teachers’ professional development and, as such, are useful tools. While the school development plan includes these, there is no clear identification of immediate or long-term priorities. The plan does not extend beyond this year. Although the school tracks pupils’ progress well in order to set targets there are no systems to regularly monitor its effectiveness across all aspects of school life. This prevents the school making plans for improvement over time with clear success criteria linked to raising standards. The day-to-day running of the school is satisfactory but at present the school lacks a clear vision for the future.

p.19

Commentary

33. The governors have a good understanding of the school’s successes and support the headteacher very well. They are well aware of the challenges facing the school and many offer practical support in school as well as fulfilling their governorship. They question effectively based on a clear analysis of data. There has been much discussion about the impact on the falling roll and they have put forward practical suggestions for St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 20 fundraising and advertising. They fulfil their statutory duties conscientiously and most oversee curriculum subjects. They have been involved in discussion of the school development plan and have the skills to support the headteacher with strategic planning and school self-review.

p.19

Commentary

34. The Foundation Stage is led and managed well. The teacher has a very good understanding of the needs of the children and makes very good use of her own expertise and that of the nursery nurse to meet these needs. She has created a very good team and established strong links with the playgroup, including weekly joint dance sessions, so children are confident about starting school. The resources are well- organised and used well.

p.20

Commentary

35. Since assuming responsibility for managing special educational needs the co-ordinator has developed good systems for meeting the needs of pupils who have learning needs. As a result many of these pupils reach nationally expected standards. This reflects good leadership. For example, good use is made of assessments information to target resources where they are needed most. The co-ordinator is aware that there are gaps in teaching provision for pupils who have social and emotional needs. However, plans lack detail and leadership in respect of these pupils is not as strong.

p.20

Commentary

36. The school administrator is effective and day-to-day systems run smoothly. The finances are appropriately managed and the school made good use of an under spend from the recent building projects to fund additional support for pupils with special educational needs and those who need additional support and to maintain single aged classes. The school hopes to maintain staffing levels but has no formal plans to support this.

p.20

Commentary

37. All teachers have allocated non-contact time and the school aims to extend this in September to comply with workforce reform. It welcomes students in school and is committed to providing staff with training to support their professional development.

p.20

Commentary

38. A few parents have expressed some concern about the leadership and management of the school although well over two-thirds of the questionnaires indicated that parents are happy with the way the school is run. In spite of some concerns about leadership at the meeting, all parents agreed that the headteacher and teachers work very hard and are fully committed to the school. The school was lacking two lunchtime supervisors during the inspection and over the last few weeks the headteacher has shown great commitment and no little skill in keeping the school running smoothly while adopting the role of two lunchtime supervisors daily.

p.20

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

p.20

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 513,540 Balance from previous year 119,150 Total expenditure 541,151 Balance carried forward to the next 63,928 Expenditure per pupil 2,733 St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 21

p.20

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

39. At the time of the inspection there were 18 children in the Reception class, all of whom have attended local playgroup. Improvement since the last inspection has been good. Teaching and learning are now consistently good, so that most of the children make a good start to their education. Leadership and management are good. The provision is well managed and planned so that the children benefit from good continuity of learning. The teaching staff have created a very strong team that makes a valuable contribution to the children’s learning. Links with the play group are good and this benefits the induction procedures that help all the children to settle in well. The parents are very positive about the start their children receive to their education. The attainment on entry of most children was average, except in personal and social skills which was below average. All the children enjoy learning and most achieve well. Most children are likely

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

to achieve, and some will exceed, the early learning goals by the time they transfer to Year 1.

p.21

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

40. This is a happy classroom where pleasure and learning go hand in hand. A good range of purposeful learning experiences excites the children and makes them want to learn. All the adults are very clear about what children will learn and this gives direction to the teaching and purpose to the work. Good resources are used imaginatively to create interesting activities, so that the children want to join in. The adults make detailed and accurate assessments of what children achieve and this gives them a clear idea about what each child already knows, understands and can do. This is an improvement since the last inspection. The provision for outdoor play has also been improved and resources are generally good.

p.21

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Most children are interested, hard working and greatly enjoy their learning • Relationships between children and adults and among children are good • Teaching is consistently good with the teacher and teaching assistants planning a good range of opportunities for children to develop both independent and collaborative working.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

41. The great majority of the children are happy and enthusiastic learners and are achieving well from a lower than average starting point, as many are younger than average this year. Most will achieve the expected standards by the end of reception. They have developed good relationships and are benefiting greatly from learning to work together. Good teaching and support have led to children developing a thorough understanding of classroom routines, and expectations of behaviour are consistently reinforced. This leads to a very secure and ordered environment. The carefully planned mix of activities helps children to develop their independence by making choices in activities and in the way they use resources. As a result, the free choice activity sessions are well ordered and give children real opportunities to make decisions about their learning activities. St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 22 This is an improvement since the last inspection. The classroom is stimulating and

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

motivates the children to work together and learn from each other. The behaviour of the great majority of children in the classroom is good and reinforced by the good role models of all staff.

p.22

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

The provision in communication, language and literacy is good.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teaching and learning are good • Role-play extends and enhances the children’s speaking and listening skills

p.22

Commentary

42. Language based learning sessions have already established elements of the Literacy Hour. Most children start with average language and literacy skills and they make good progress in learning to listen to what others say and in developing their own speaking skills. All the adults value talk, encouraging the children to describe what they are doing and explain what they have done. The teaching staff model speech well and give the children many opportunities to express their thoughts and feelings. In question and answer sessions at the beginning and end of lessons, the children are encouraged to develop their ideas and express themselves.

p.22

Commentary

43. Children enjoy the challenges of their early reading activities and are developing a real love for stories and books. Regular story time sessions are popular with the children and are often re-enacted by children in their directed activities. Children join in the repeated phrases from stories such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar with accuracy and enthusiasm. The teaching of phonics is very effective and, as a result, children’s reading and writing skills have developed well since the beginning of the year. Children regularly look at books individually and in groups, and all are making good progress in developing their understanding of how the text connects with the illustrations and in their recognition of common words.

p.22

Commentary

44. More able children can identify the correct use of capital letters and full stops in sentences but are not yet using them in their own writing. The teacher provided a good range of writing opportunities that enable the children to acquire early writing skills and most children can write some simple words and their own names independently.

p.22

Commentary

Provision in mathematical development is good.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children enjoy learning because of the lively practical activities. • Some children are able to demonstrate good number skills. • Reception class children have a good knowledge of common shapes

p.22

Commentary

St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 23 45. Most children will meet all of the goals expected for their age by the time they start Year 1, and they achieve well because of good teaching. Mathematical skills are broadly average when children enter the Reception Class. Most children show interest in numbers and a few more able children can count correctly up to 20 and beyond. These children are able to record additions of two numbers to make 5 and are moving towards written recording. The majority recognise numbers zero to nine and are beginning to be secure in matching numbers and objects beyond five. They write numerals 1 to 5 with a good degree of accuracy. Children’s knowledge and use of time is particularly good as was seen in a lesson using small clocks. All the children were able to recognise their own time and that of others to play a ‘swap places’ game. This was an enjoyable as well as an effective learning session. Most of the children understand the concept of

p.23

Commentary

‘more than’ and ‘less than’, and a scrutiny of their work so far shows that the majority can identify common shapes such as squares, triangles, circles and rectangles. The planning of mathematical experiences has already established elements of the Numeracy Hour that will greatly benefit children when they move to Class 1.

p.23

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good .

p.23

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

• A range of imaginative activities develops children’s excitement in the world around them. • Good use is being made of the computer to support children’s learning.

p.23

Commentary

46. Most children are well on course to meeting the early learning goals in their knowledge and understanding of the world. When using construction kits they are interested and curious about how things work. They are developing a good understanding of how they themselves change as they grow as was seen in a successful lesson that made good use of photographs. The children were able to sequence correctly a series of pictures showing how we change as we grow. Talking to them showed that most of the children were able to justify their choices sensibly. The children are benefiting from the new computer suite and its’ resources. Most are able to log on to the computer with support and can use the mouse to access a programme. Good use is being made of the classroom computer to consolidate and extend children’s learning in different areas and this could be planned for on a more regular basis.

p.23

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is good .

p.23

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

• Good quality teaching successfully develops children’s confidence, co-ordination and collaborative skills of working together. • The school makes good use of the outside play area.

p.23

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Commentary St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 24 47. The quality of teaching for children’s physical development is good, with the majority of children achieving the expected standards by the end of the reception year. All the children are enthusiastic about physical education lessons, which move at a fast pace and successfully develop the children’s co-ordination, use of space and collaborative skills. The joint session at the start of the week in the school hall with the local play group is beneficial in the induction of these children later when they start school. They are familiar with the school and the staff and this helps them to settle in well. The children use large play equipment and apparatus with confidence and growing skill. Careful timetabling ensures good use of the present outdoor play area, as for example when a lesson on time started off in the classroom and then a group of children with a

p.23

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

teaching assistant went outside to play What time is it Mr. Wolf? , effectively reinforcing the lesson objectives on time. The development of children’s control of small objects, such as pencils, paintbrushes and scissors, is good. Children handle a wide range of tools, construction kits and malleable materials safely because their use is carefully taught.

p.24

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children have good opportunities to try out their ideas in a range of play situations and by using different skills. • Too few opportunities are taken by adults to join in imaginative role-play activities.

p.24

Commentary

48. Teaching and learning are good, the children are achieving well, and most will meet the goals set for their age by the end of the Reception year. They benefit from good resources to support imaginative play in which they can take act out different roles. Children act as adults and children in the ‘home’ play area and use the props imaginatively. The teaching staff could be more aware of the opportunities these occasions present to further develop and expand children’s language skills to sustain their play. Children paint, print and make collages, as well as models from recycled materials and construction kits. They are given the freedom to try out the different skills they have learned and were delighted with their choices of colours to make symmetrical butterfly wings. When presented with the opportunity to choose materials they do so sensibly.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school meets with more success in developing reading than writing and more success in fostering speaking than listening • Good teaching leads to good achievement in Years 5 and 6 St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 25 • Teachers succeed in helping pupils acquire key skills but do not always require them to use them in interesting enough ways • Assessment is of good quality and targets work well • The school strikes a good balance between teaching reading to groups of pupils and giving individuals the attention they need • Pupils have a good knowledge of what they need to do to improve.

p.24

Commentary

49. Throughout the school pupils achieve well in reading so that standards are above average in Year 2 and in Year 6. This was also the case in the last inspection. A combination of good teaching and a well organised curriculum serve pupils’ needs well. Teachers and teaching assistants are good at working with groups of pupils to question them about texts. These focus on skills that help pupils know what to do when they come across an unknown word and to examine the motives of characters and predict what might happen next. These group sessions are backed up by additional attention given to individuals. Teaching assistants are good at snatching moments to hear pupils read, while the extra attention given to pupils who have special educational needs is working well. Many of these pupils go on to reach expected standards. Provision is enhanced by the good range of books available in the school library. This helps develop

p.25

Commentary

50. Teachers on the whole are better at teaching speaking than listening. Teachers often use books as starting points for discussion. As with reading, the use of good quality texts is important. Questions routinely ask pupils to give their opinions of extracts. This is most successfully done in Years 5 and 6 where the teaching is often good. In Year 6 for example, the teacher elicited good responses from pupils about what two key characters would say to each other in the next part of the story. However, not all teachers are able to manage pupils well enough to encourage widespread response. This is particularly the case in Years 1 and 3. For example, in Year 1 the teacher’s well intentioned and interesting task of getting pupils to question one of their peers who assumed the role of the ‘selfish crocodile’ was undermined by pupils who were allowed to shout out. On occasions, teachers miss opportunities to set clear intentions for

p.25

Commentary

listening with purpose. For example, extracts from books may be read with pupils told to listen carefully but without being asked to listen for particular features that might drive the next stages of discussions. As a result of this mixed picture pupils’ achievements overall in speaking and listening are satisfactory, although achievement is good in Year 5 and 6. Standards meet expectations in Year 2 and Year 6. This represents a decline since the last inspection.

p.25

Commentary

51. This pattern of stronger achievement and better quality teaching in Years 5 and 6 is also a feature of writing. Here, teachers are better at using texts as a stimulus for writing. For example, pupils in Year 5 having studied George's Marvellous Medicine were set the interesting task of adapting it for a younger audience. When the link between the language of good reading material and pupils’ writing is made clear pupils respond with interest and the quality of what they produce improves. The good quality of teaching in Years 5 and 6 is instrumental in raising standards from average throughout the school to above average by Year 6. Teaching in the support group for pupils in Year 4 and 5 is also good at using text to stimulate writing. For example, discussion about Greek myths led to one boy writing ‘tall trees, crinkled with triangular leaves’ as a way of painting a picture for the reader. However, English teaching is not always of this quality and is

p.25

Commentary

satisfactory overall. In some year groups, most notably 2, 3 and 4, too much of what St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 26 pupils do is concerned with the secretarial aspects of writing. In these areas pupils acquire a good level of skills. However, opportunities for personal writing are more limited. In Year 2 in particular not enough is asked of the more able pupils. For example, they were asked to extend a word list by writing a sentence for each one. Sentences such as; ‘A dog has a paw’ were common. Such teaching does little to instil flair and imagination into pupils’ work. This was a weakness noted in the last inspection. As with reading, some potentially interesting tasks flounder when behaviour is not well enough managed. In Year 3 for example, the teaching assistant made a mask in response to the teacher’s written instruction. However, too little was done to involve pupils who became restless and so valuable teaching points about the features

p.25

Commentary

of instructional writing were lost and pupils’ own writing was not as successful as it could have been.

p.26

Commentary

52. The system of setting targets for pupils is working well. Pupils are well aware of these and in the main have a good idea of what they need to do to improve their work. The bedrock of this is good assessment. In both reading and writing, records are well kept and, as well as making the next stages of learning clear, they are used to direct additional resources. For example, a larger than usual group of pupils in Year 4 and 5 who have special educational needs has successfully been targeted by the special needs teacher. Teachers mark pupils’ work conscientiously. Most of this tends to concentrate on aspects such as handwriting. There are fewer comments about the quality of pupils’ ideas. With the help of an outside consultant, the relatively new co- ordinator has monitored the quality of teaching. However, plans to address weakness lack the necessary detail to guide future actions. Leadership is, therefore, satisfactory

p.26

Commentary

53. The school makes satisfactory provision for developing reading and speaking and listening skills in other subjects. For example, pupils have suitable opportunities for carrying out research. However, not enough is done to develop writing through other subjects. There are examples of this being done well. For example, pupils in Year 6 after a reminder of the features of journalistic writing went on to write their own vivid accounts of the Passion of Christ. One boy, for instance, wrote; ‘The crowd fumed with rage.’ However, much of what pupils across the school write is often factual in nature. Pupils’ work may get longer as they become older but the tasks and style remain fundamentally the same. The situation is exacerbated by the overuse of worksheets, which places limits on what pupils write, in some instances restricting this to labelling.

p.26

MATHEMATICS

Provision in mathematics is satisfactory.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are above average by Year 6 because older pupils are taught well • More able pupils do not achieve as well as they should by Year 2 • Teachers make good use of assessment data to set targets for pupils

p.26

Commentary

St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 27 54. Standards in Year 2 have been falling over the last three years in the national tests and assessments and they are now in line with pupils in other schools nationally but below those of pupils in similar schools. Although the number of pupils attaining the average Level 2 is above average, fewer than average achieve the higher Level 3. Most of the recorded work in Year 2 is in commercial workbooks or on worksheets. While these ensure that all aspects of the curriculum are covered and enable pupils to make steady gains in understanding and skills as they work through the books, more able pupils do not have sufficient challenge. In one lesson, for example, the teacher supported less able pupils well when the class completed a worksheet to find three numbers with factors of 10 to make 100. The most able pupils finished this rapidly. They had not been set extension work and wasted some time before the teaching assistant

p.27

Commentary

suggested trying again with 1000, which pupils again achieved swiftly. This overuse of commercial materials was a weakness at the time of the last inspection.

p.27

Commentary

55. Teachers in Years 3 and 4 plan appropriate work for their pupils. In a lesson in Year 3, for example, the lesson started with a table test. Each pupil had their own “target table” so that when the teacher asked for “Your target table times 6”, pupils of all abilities were equally challenged. Well-matched group work to consolidate links between addition and subtraction showed the teacher has a good understanding of her pupils’ needs and the teaching assistant provided very good support for pupils with special educational needs. But the teacher struggled to manage pupils’ behaviour and control the noise level. Many did not listen or could not hear instructions and pupils wasted a lot of time preparing to work and tidying up. Her good questioning that would normally have extended learning well fell on many deaf ears and pupils made no more than satisfactory progress in the lesson. Some books in the lower juniors are very untidy,

p.27

Commentary

work is incomplete and in some cases, the presentation deteriorates during the year, showing some pupils have little pride in their work. The class teacher does not expect enough of his pupils’ written work.

p.27

Commentary

56. Pupils with special educational needs in Years 4 and 5 are supported very well in the withdrawal group where the teacher is skilled in setting work and targets to meet individual needs. Pupils in these lessons make good progress. The teaching assistants also support pupils effectively in the classes to enable pupils to achieve in line with the rest of the class.

p.27

Commentary

57. The teaching is at least good in Years 5 and 6. The teachers have high expectations of their pupils’ effort, achievement and behaviour, and pupils make good progress. Pupils’ achievements are particularly impressive in Year 6 where the teacher generates enthusiasm and challenge. He manages time very effectively and is sensitive to the way pupils are performing during the lesson, adjusting the task to suit the learning needs of the class. He promotes one of the school’s initiatives very well, encouraging pupils to take control of their learning by accepting more challenging tasks when they feel able. Pupils in his class work hard so that their attainment is above average by the end of the year.

p.27

Commentary

58. The subject leader has analysed the outcomes of national and internal tests to identify any common weaknesses in pupils’ skills. As a result the school has concentrated on improving number skills. He has observed the end of lessons in the past but there has been no monitoring of the outcomes of the recent focus. Assessment data is used well to set targets for both cohorts and individual pupils and all pupils know what these are. This aspect of leadership is good but the reliance on commercial materials in Year 2 has not been addressed since the last inspection and subject leadership is satisfactory overall. St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 28

p.27

Mathematics across the curriculum

59. Pupils use their mathematical skills satisfactorily to support work in other subjects. For example, to make measurements to construct models in design and technology lessons and in science. One session a week in the computer suite allows pupils to use ICT in other subjects, including mathematics. However, there are no planned links between learning in the mathematics lessons and the use of mathematics in other subjects. Pupils studying graphs in one class, for example, used data that was not related to any of their studies in other subjects and opportunities to make learning relevant were lost.

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards in science are average and most pupils achieve as well as expected. • Science investigations are developing well across the school. • Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is sound • Good use of support assistants helps lower attaining pupils to achieve as well as other groups • Teachers’ marking is not always helping pupils to improve

p.28

Commentary

60. Current inspection evidence indicates that by the end of Year 2 and Year 6, standards will be in line with national averages. Achievement is satisfactory. These findings indicate a drop in standards in Year 6 since the last inspection, while standards in Year 2 have been maintained. The recent development of investigational science skills throughout the school is beginning to have a positive impact on standards by the end of Year 6, but this has not yet had time to contribute to an overall rise in standards. Pupils who have special educational needs make the same progress as their classmates in relation to their abilities. There are no differences in the attainment of boys and girls.

p.28

Commentary

61. In most lessons, teachers give suitable emphasis to learning through investigation. As a result, pupils are developing a sound understanding of the need to carry out a ‘fair test’ in order to make any investigation meaningful. The pupils are learning to make a prediction about outcomes before testing, but the skill in drawing conclusions is not as developed as it could be. All pupils recognise the importance of recording the results of their investigations, but there is still an inconsistency in the way that pupils do this and in the care they take with their work. The lower attaining pupils are given good support here, and the presentation of their work is often satisfactory. There are however, insufficient opportunities for higher attaining pupils to choose their own method to record their findings or to write up their experiments, using their own ideas and skills acquired in literacy.

p.28

Commentary

62. Teaching is sound overall, with stronger teaching in Year 6. All lessons are planned so that the practical nature of the work supports pupils’ learning and helps to develop pupils’ understanding of scientific concepts. In a good Year 1 lesson seen, the pupils developed a clear understanding of what was meant by ‘waterproof’, as they decided on the best material for Teddy’s umbrella. Scientific vocabulary was consistently used, a steady pace kept pupils on task and, by the end of the lesson, pupils were given opportunities to talk about what they had found out from their findings. Where teaching is good, most of the pupils want to learn and respond well to the activities planned for them. Where lessons are less successful they last too long so that pupils’ interest and sense of engagement is lessened as the lesson goes on. This leads to a lack of St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 29 attention and less than acceptable behaviour from a number of pupils, which affects the learning

p.28

Commentary

of others. Over complex planning with too many learning objectives in one such lesson stopped pupils learning effectively and their achievements were unsatisfactory. In some cases, the inconsistent use of the strategies for behaviour by teachers does not help pupils to develop positive attitudes to their learning. A scrutiny of pupils’ present work shows that there are inconsistencies also in how well pupils’ work is marked. Often the marking praises pupils’ efforts but does not indicate what it is that the pupils must do next in order to improve.

p.29

Commentary

63. Currently, leadership and management are satisfactory. Science has not been a strong focus for development in the school. For example, there are no targets for pupils in science as there are in English and mathematics. Science is not a priority in the latest school improvement plan, and the co-ordinator has not yet developed his role of monitoring teaching and learning in science across the school. While the coordinator looks at pupils’ work and oversees teachers’ planning, he is not yet able to build up an accurate picture of how well pupils are doing.

p.29

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communications technology (ICT) is satisfactory.

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Improved resources and a better planned curriculum have helped raise standards • Teaching places too much emphasis on the acquisition of skills and not enough on the use they are put to • Pupils are given a range of opportunities to use the ICT suite outside of lessons

p.29

Commentary

64. The co-ordinator has seen to it that resources have been added to since the last inspection. The creation of a spacious suite has increased the opportunities pupils have to study ICT. In the main this is well laid out. However, the lack of a large screen makes it difficult for teachers to orchestrate whole class teaching. Most manage this well by either giving instructions in the classroom or by using the network facility to lead pupils through demonstrations which they follow on their own screen. This is not ideal and makes it difficult, for example, for the teachers to stop the class in mid lesson to make further teaching points. Pupils are reluctant at these times to stop work and so do not always give the teacher their full attention. The curriculum has been strengthened since the last inspection and now ensures that statutory requirements are met. As a result of these improvements standards are at expected levels in Year 2 and in Year 6 and

p.29

Commentary

pupils’ achievements are satisfactory. This is an improvement since the last inspection.

p.29

Commentary

65. While leadership has been successful in providing clear guidance for teaching it has not been as effective in identifying strengths and weaknesses in teaching and learning. Overall, therefore, the quality of leadership is satisfactory. The strengths in teaching lie in the accurate teaching of skills. Teachers have sufficient subject knowledge to teach skills with accuracy and clarity. This can be seen in the good quality multi-media presentations pupils in Year 6 produced by combining text, images, sound and links that allowed users to make choices in how they moved through the presentation. This showed what pupils are capable of when they are given a clear purpose for their work. However, work of this level of challenge is not commonly found and in the main pupils acquire skills in isolation. For example, in a less successful lesson in Year 6 pupils spent a lesson using the Internet to carry out a random range of searches. While this

p.29

Commentary

taught pupils the importance of giving some consideration to the key words when St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 30 searching, at no point did pupils actually follow through to locate and use information in any meaningful way.

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Commentary

66. The school ensures that it gets good use out of improved resources by making them available to pupils at lunch time and in an after school club. Supervision is on hand to ensure that pupils use computers and, in particular, the Internet with safety, and these occasions provide further opportunities for pupils to spend time practising their skills. Some of what pupils do in these sessions extends their learning, for example, older pupils are videoing aspects of the school to act as a visual history log. However, on occasions not enough direction is given and pupils often choose to play games. Some find the temptation to revisit these too great in subsequent lessons and when left to their own devices will continue with these. This undermines the quality of learning.

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Information and communications technology across the curriculum

67. Although classes are allocated additional times when they can use computers, in other lessons not enough consideration has been given to making best use of these. There are examples of teachers using these times well, as was the case in Year 1, when a science topic on materials was extended by pupils using a click and drag option to sort waterproof and non waterproof materials. However, this is the exception rather than rule and, on the whole, pupils are not using the computers to aid study in other subjects well enough. Some classes do not always use their allocated sessions and on other occasions the work pupils do in these sessions bears too little resemblance to pupils’ usual work. For example, pupils in Year 4 used a literacy lesson to study the life cycle of plants and record their writing in a particular way. However, they were not studying plants in science at the time, nor was the literacy aspect building on earlier lessons.

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Information and communications technology across the curriculum

Sessions are therefore interludes within the week rather than as an integral part of study.

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HUMANITIES

68. Due to the way in which history and geography are taught, only one geography lesson was seen during the inspection. No overall judgement on the quality of teaching can therefore be made. Other judgements are based on a scrutiny of the pupils’ previous work, talking to the pupils and looking at the teachers’ planning and displays. Current inspection evidence indicates that the average level of attainment reached in both subjects identified in the last report has been maintained. Both subjects are taught consistently throughout the school, supported by planning based on national guidance. Most pupils achieve as well as expected, because they are able to build on their previous learning and make sound progress.

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HUMANITIES

69. Skills, knowledge and understanding in geography are developed satisfactorily as pupils move through the school. In the Year 6 lesson seen, very good use was made of resources to interest and engage the pupils as groups tackled a series of life-styles of people from an African country. The pupils showed a good understanding of the issues of why people live differently from themselves. Good use was made of an atlas and globe to extend the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of places in other countries.

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HUMANITIES

70. The series of topics taught in history enable pupils to build up a sound sense of chronology. Most pupils in Year 6 are able to sequence correctly a number of topic areas and recall their past experiences with clarity and confidence. The pupils in Year 2 have compared their own holidays with those in the past and linked this well to their geography work on other places by using Blackpool as an example. However, the use St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 31 of prepared worksheets is restricting writing opportunities for the pupils to record their own ideas and opinions. Year 3 pupils have looked at the impact of Viking invaders and settlers and the Year 6 pupils have linked their topic on ancient Greece with design and technology by making Greek helmets. There are some visits and visitors which have helped to bring the subject alive, but this aspect of the school’s provision is only satisfactory.

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HUMANITIES

71. Leadership and management of both subjects are satisfactory and the co-ordinators have not yet had opportunities to build up a secure picture of teaching and learning. Future plans include the development of better systems of assessment to support future planning and learning.

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Religious education

Provision in religious education is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The teaching was good or very good in the two lessons observed and pupils achieved well • The almost universal use of worksheets in Years 3 to 6 prevents pupils exploring issues in depth, organising their own work or consolidating their knowledge of different writing genre

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Commentary

72. Only two lessons were observed during the inspection, in Years 5 and 6. Judgements on pupils’ achievement and the quality of provision for the subject are also based on discussions with pupils and teachers and an analysis of the pupils’ work throughout the school.

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Commentary

73. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 study aspects of religious education based on Bible stories and famous Christians. They show an appropriate understanding of major events in the Christian year. The curriculum is linked to aspects of personal development and there is evidence that pupils are encouraged to think about their feelings and how they respond to other people.

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Commentary

74. Although the work is almost entirely on commercial worksheets through the rest of the school, most of these provide some opportunities for pupils to explore issues arising from their learning. Some of these are challenging. Pupils in Years 3 and 4, for example, study Rites of Passage and the significance of light in major world faiths. The curriculum allows for an appropriate balance between learning about and learning from religion. Teachers encourage pupils to discuss and record their response to their leaning and some work encourages pupils to empathise with people in their studies. In the lesson in Year 5, pupils had written simple play scripts about aspects of the story of Jesus’ Passion. It was evident that they have a good understanding of the motivation behind the acts of Judas, Caiaphas and Pilot from their scripts. The teacher encouraged them to extend this through discussion. The cramped classroom made

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Commentary

rehearsal and organisation very difficult but pupils listened attentively and thoughtfully to each performance. In the very good lesson in Year 6, pupils used the Bible as a source to write newspaper articles about the Passion. Pupils were prepared for this very well. They were questioned to test their understanding of the text, for example; “All who take St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 32 up the sword will die by the sword”, and watched a carefully selected section from Jesus Christ, Superstar . Pupils were reminded of “the five Ws” of effective report writing before moving to the computer suite to do more research from the internet. They worked cooperatively in pairs to compose their reports, selecting suitable titles for their newspaper. This was the only example observed during the inspection where the teacher combined literacy and ICT skills to complement learning in another subject.

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Commentary

75. The subject makes a satisfactory contribution to the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. There are good links with the local church and much of the curriculum explores issues related to the pupils’ personal and social development. The curriculum fully complies with the requirements of the Staffordshire Agreed Syllabus. Pupils in Year 2 told the story of Palm Sunday with understanding and some humour in their class assembly. Subject management is satisfactory, although the good lessons observed during the inspection showed that teachers and pupils do not need worksheets to achieve well.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

76. Inspectors observed two art and design lessons during the inspection, but only one each of design and technology, music and physical education. It is not possible to evaluate the quality of overall provision in these last three subjects. In addition, inspectors looked at teachers’ planning, samples of work and engaged in discussion with pupils and teachers. The planning for all these subjects meets the requirements of the National Curriculum and there are regular opportunities for pupils to study each subject. The school is committed to developing the arts and physical education.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

77. Samples of pupils work in design and technology show appropriate skills for their age. The curriculum is based on government guidance and gives pupils an appropriate range of experiences. The subject is a focus in the school development plan as the impact of the scheme of work has not been evaluated. During the inspection pupils in Year 2 designed a vehicle. The teaching was good as the teacher ensured pupils understood technical vocabulary such as “chassis” and provided a good range of materials to help pupils achieve their task. Most pupils were creative as they experimented with the construction of the cab. The parent helper provided valuable support in the lesson and pupils achieved well overall. Pupils are putting their design skills to good use as they plan improvements to the school grounds.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

78. The headteacher is committed to developing pupils’ enjoyment and skills in music. The school has adapted its planning for the subject to accommodate this, and older pupils focus on a musical instrument each year. Pupils play the violin, recorder and keyboard in their lessons over three years. More pupils than average for primary schools learn to play musical instruments and peripatetic teachers provide a range of instrumental tuition. The headteacher, himself a talented musician, gives additional support to brass and keyboard players. School concerts are an important part of the school year and much of the music taught in school is geared towards these. Pupils’ enjoyment and confidence are very apparent in the recording of the recent productions. Pupils also perform in the community. In assemblies pupils sing with vigour and accuracy. In the lesson observed during the inspection the teaching and learning were unsatisfactory.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

The teacher, who coordinates the subject throughout the school, set a challenging task as pupils in Year 6 were asked to create a composition using keyboards and a computer program based on the pentatonic scale. Alongside this she attempted to coach pupils on a range of instruments. Few pupils at the computers coped with the task and the teacher was too busy to help them. As a result, pupils’ behaviour St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 33 deteriorated, several played unrelated computer games and many pupils achieved little during the lesson.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

79. The school provides a varied curriculum for physical education including outdoor adventurous activities during residential visits and a thorough swimming programme. In a gymnastic lesson in Year 6 pupils showed expected levels of movement in gymnastics. They were able to put a sequence of actions together; working in small groups to creatively interpret African music. This imaginative lesson linked well with pupils’ work in geography. They performed with care and precision, largely because of the very good quality of teaching. This gave pupils precise teaching points and enabled pupils to evaluate the performance of their peers. With the help of the local secondary school, the curriculum for gymnastics has been strengthened. Pupils have access to a good range of after school clubs and regular opportunities to compete against other schools. The girls have just become the overall cross country champions amongst the

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

local small city schools. The emphasis given to physical education has helped pupils with particular talents go on to compete and be coached at a more advanced level.

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Art and design

Provision for art and design is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school has good links with the local art gallery that enrich pupils’ learning • The teaching was good in both lessons and pupils achieved well • The development of records and samples of pupils’ work has just begun and few pupils can see how their skills are developing

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Commentary

80. In both lessons the pupils were taught by teachers who were not their class teachers. Both teachers have a good knowledge of the subject and are skilful at encouraging the pupils to explore techniques and to develop their skills. The teacher in Year 3 used pictures and three-dimensional objects to help pupils develop an understanding of three dimensional art in preparation for their art gallery workshop the following week. Most pupils created well-crafted sculptures based on the theme of natural objects. Some used their knowledge of structures to support their work, for example, when creating a tree. There was some frustration because of the limitations imposed by the flimsy card but pupils worked hard to overcome this.

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Commentary

81. Pupils in Year 6 painted a landscape based on a scene from The Witch’s Daughter , a book the class is studying. The teacher was very enthusiastic and pupils were clearly enjoying the task. The teacher encouraged and supported individuals well and pupils became confident in their abilities. About a third of the class produced good quality work and the rest worked at levels appropriate for their age.

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Commentary

82. The quality and range of work on display around school shows average standards overall and pupils have access to an appropriate curriculum, based on government guidance for the subject. This has not been planned to link with other subjects and there is no clear evidence of the development of pupils’ knowledge and skills through St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 34 the school. Some pupils have enjoyed a “Talking Textiles” workshop as well as working with the local art gallery. Local artists, including the curator, work with pupils in school. The emphasis is on the development of pupils’ skills and pupils’ knowledge of other artists and especially the art of other cultures is limited. Subject coordination is recent and the teacher responsible for the subject has appropriate plans for its development.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

83. Only one lesson was seen in pupils’ personal social and health education and so it was not possible to make an overall judgement about provision. In an attempt to help pupils accept responsibility for their actions and to boost their self esteem the school has recently undertaken training to help teachers acquire techniques that facilitate this. However, the curriculum is not yet fully organised. At the moment teachers are experimenting with activities but these are yet to be formed into a coherent scheme of work that builds sequentially from year to year. In the one lesson seen the teacher made satisfactory efforts to help pupils think about what made them angry but, because the lesson was too long and pupils were unsettled, the teacher tended to skip through a raft of activities without fully exploiting their potential. For instance, pupils did not consider how they might react to situations that made them angry and so the potential

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

for the activity to change behaviour was lost. At present too little has been done to evaluate how well new approaches are working. St Anne’s CE (VC) Primary - 35

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

In spectors 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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