St Charles Catholic Primary School

St Charles RC Primary School

Dates of inspection: 27 June 2005 to 30 June 2005

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St Charles RC Primary School

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

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St Charles RC 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 Charles RC Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Voluntary aided Age range of pupils: 3 - 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 338

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: 83 St Charles Square London Postcode: W10 6EB

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 020 89695566 Fax number: 020 89604338

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Father Marcus Winter

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 04-May-1999

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

St Charles RC Primary School serves a multi-cultural area with very high levels of overcrowded households. There are 338 pupils in the school, which is larger than average. There are 164 girls and 174 boys. This includes 41 full time children in the nursery. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is rising and is now 35 per cent, which is above average. Sixty-nine per cent of pupils are from ethnic minorities from 34 different groups. Thirty-six per cent of pupils have English as an additional language, which is very high. Eighteen per cent are at the early stages of learning English. Fourteen per cent of pupils have special educational needs and 2 per cent have Statements of Special Educational Needs. Both of these percentages are average. The school identifies pupils with special educational needs early in their schooling and work hard to get them off the register. Children’s standards on entry are well below average. This is partly due to children

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

having very little English language at this point. There is a mixture of experience of teachers both in terms of their time in the teaching profession and their time in this school. Many teachers move on to promotion. Teachers supporting pupils with English as an additional language and pupils with special educational needs work both within the whole class and in small withdrawal groups. Many support staff are working on educational qualifications to extend their expertise. St Charles RC Primary School - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

11328 Margaret Shepherd Lead inspector Information and communication technology Foundation Stage 1 9986 William Twiss Lay inspector 22452 Mary Farman Team inspector English Music Special educational needs 34175 Sara El-Hassani Team inspector Science Art and design Design and technology Physical education English as an additional language 32614 Marion Hunter Team inspector Mathematics Geography History

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

ALTECQ INSPECTIONS LTD 102 Bath Road Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL53 7JX Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk).

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

1 The Foundation Stage begins when children reach the age of three and ends at the end of the reception class. It is a distinct stage in preparing children for later schooling and is based on six areas of learning. These mainly refer to communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; and personal, social and emotional development, but also includes knowledge and understanding of the world; physical and creative development. St Charles RC Primary School - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses 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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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a very good school with excellent features. Achievement is very good. Attitudes and behaviour are very good and there are very good levels of racial harmony. Teaching is very good with excellent features. Leadership and management are very good. The school provides good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • Pupils achieve very well and, by Year 6, standards are well above average in English, mathematics, science, history and physical education. • Pupils with special educational needs, pupils with English as an additional language and more able pupils achieve very well. • There is a very strong Christian ethos throughout the school, with excellent relationships. Social development is excellent. Spiritual, moral and cultural development are very good. • The very good provision in reception and nursery gives children a very good foundation for their future education. • The very high quality headteacher works very closely with the very effective deputy headteacher and the very good governing body. Co-ordinators lead their subjects very well. • Teaching is very good and the partnership with support staff is excellent. Assessment is very good, but pupils’ self-assessment in mathematics and science is not effective

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OVERALL EVALUATION

enough, and opportunities are missed to use ICT in these subjects. • The school provides a very good quality curriculum, with excellent support for learning outside of the school day. • Links with the community are excellent. They are very good with parents and with other schools. Care and welfare is very good.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

There has been very good improvement since the previous inspection. All the previous key issues have been resolved. All the strengths have been maintained. Standards overall have risen by Year 6.

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Year 6 results

All schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2002 2003 2004 2004

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Year 6 results

English A A B A Mathematics B D B A Science C C C B Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those where there are similar free school meals.

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Year 6 results

The value added between the national test results in 2004 for Year 6 and these pupils’ Year 2 national tests, was very good. Standards fell in mathematics in 2003 because several pupils just missed getting the expected level for their age. The school worked hard to improve this weakness. Standards dropped in English in 2004 because there were more pupils with English as an additional language in this year group. The inspection judges St Charles RC Primary School - 7 achievement as very good . Standards have risen and are well above average in English, mathematics and science. Standards are well above average in history and physical education because the school provides such a rich curriculum in these subjects.

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Year 6 results

Standards in Year 2 in the 2004 national tests were above average in reading and writing and average in mathematics. Compared with similar schools standards were well above average in reading, writing and above average in mathematics. The higher standards in reading and writing are due to the very high priority given to the teaching of English. The inspection judges standards as well above average in reading, above average in writing and average in mathematics and science. Standards in ICT are above average at the end of Year 2.

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Year 6 results

Children in reception are on track to reach the expected level in all the areas of learning 2 except for communication, language and literacy and mathematical development, which is below this level. These lower standards are due to the many demands on children with English as an additional language to learn their new language.

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Year 6 results

Pupils have excellent relationships across all the different racial groups. Pupils are very interested in the many opportunities available in school and thoroughly enjoy taking responsibility. They behave very well. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good overall. The school has good systems that ensure satisfactory attendance and punctuality.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of teaching is very good with excellent features. Teachers work in extremely effective partnerships with the high quality classroom assistants. Assessment is very good, although pupils’ self-assessment is not effective enough in mathematics or science.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of the curriculum is very good with very good enrichment. ICT links with English are very good, but they are not effective enough in mathematics or science. Accommodation and resources are good. Every member of the school team plays a valuable role in its provision.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The care and welfare of pupils are very good . Pupils have very trusting relationships with adults.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

Links with the community are excellent , links with parents and other schools and colleges are very good . The outreach programme for parents is excellent.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are very good . The leadership of the headteacher is excellent and his management is very good. Leadership and management of key staff are very good. The very effective chair of governors works very well with the very good quality governing body.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Both parents and pupils greatly value the many opportunities that the school provides.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

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

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

2 The six areas of learning for nursery and reception children are personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical and creative development. St Charles RC Primary School - 8 • Make the self-assessment strategies in mathematics and science more effective. • Extend the use of ICT in mathematics and science. St Charles RC Primary School - 9

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Achievement is very good throughout the school. Standards in Year 6 are well above average in English, mathematics, science, history and physical education.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Achievement in the junior classes in English, mathematics, science, history and physical education is very good. • Infant pupils achieve very well overall and extremely well in reading. • Children in the nursery and reception make a very good start to their education and achieve very well. • Pupils with special educational needs and pupils with English as an additional language achieve very well.

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Nursery and reception

1. Children achieve very well in the nursery and reception classes because of the very good quality leadership and management, the rigorous assessment systems, the very good teaching and learning and the well-balanced curriculum. Children enter the school with standards well below the expected level. This is partly due to high proportion of children with English as an additional language. Standards in communication, language and literacy and mathematical development are on track to be below the expected level by the end of reception. This reflects the considerable amount of learning that children need in order to handle the acquisition of another language. In all the other areas of learning, standards are average.

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Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2005

Standards in: School results National results Reading 16.6 (15.4) 15.8 (15.7) Writing 15.8 (14.5) 14.6 (14.6) Mathematics 16.2 (15.3) 16.2 (16.3) There were 45 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2005

2. Standards in the national tests in 2004 in Year 2 were above average in reading and writing and average in mathematics. Standards are rising faster over time than the national trend. Compared with similar schools, standards were well above average in reading and writing and above average in mathematics. Achievement is very good. The inspection confirms the standards from 2004, apart from reading, where standards have risen and are now well above average. This is due to the high emphasis given to reading in the infant classes, which builds on the very thorough grounding that children receive in the nursery and reception. Standards are above St Charles RC Primary School - 10 expectations in ICT in Year 2. This is due to the regular use of the good quality computer suite.

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Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2005

Standards in: School results National results English 27.9 (28.8) 26.9 (26.8) Mathematics 28.0 (26.2) 27.0 (26.8) Science 28.6 (28.5) 28.6 (28.6) There were 37 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year

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Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2005

3. The value added between the national test results in 2004 for Year 6 and these pupils’ Year 2 national tests, were well above average compared with all types of schools. Standards in the 2004 national tests were above average in English and mathematics and average in science. Compared with similar schools, standards were well above average in English and mathematics and above average in science. Achievement is very good. The school has worked hard to increase the challenge to more able pupils. This has had a significant impact on standards this year. A much higher proportion of pupils are now reaching the higher Level 5 in English, mathematics and science. This has had a significant impact on standards overall this year, which the inspection judges as well above average in English, mathematics and science. Standards are well above average in history and physical education because the school provides a

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Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2005

very rich curriculum and uses the expertise of specialists from the community so effectively.

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Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2005

4. The school sets a high priority in supporting pupils with special educational needs. The extremely carefully structured support and the use of additional teachers to work with these pupils ensure that they achieve very well. Pupils with English as an additional language also achieve very well. Teachers introduce key vocabulary very carefully in lessons and the support of additional specialist staff works very well. Of the three pupils taking part in the World Class Tests in mathematics, two pupils have English as an additional language.

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Standards in national tests at the end of Year 6 – average point scores in 2005

5. Improvement since the previous inspection is very good. Standards have risen considerably by Year 6.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils have very good attitudes and behaviour. They have excellent relationships with each other and adults. Spiritual, moral and cultural development are very good overall. Attendance is satisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Relationships in the school are excellent and lead to very good levels of racial harmony. • Pupils really appreciate the rich variety of opportunities that the school provides. • Standards of behaviour are consistently very good in lessons, around the school and in the playground. • Social development is excellent, spiritual, moral and cultural development is very good. St Charles RC Primary School - 11 • Attendance and punctuality have improved and are now satisfactory.

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Commentary

6. Relationships between pupils themselves, and between adults and pupils, are excellent. All adults provide excellent role models for relationships. They listen carefully, respond sensitively and show respect for adults and children alike. Pupils follow this example, showing care and sensitivity towards each other. The level of racial harmony is very high.

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Commentary

7. Pupils demonstrate a real enthusiasm for their school, showing high levels of interest and eagerness to learn. They show real appreciation for all the learning and social opportunities provided for them. Pupils express very positive attitudes to their school and clearly take pride in their academic and social achievements.

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Commentary

8. Pupils consistently behave very well at all times during the school day. They are polite and thoughtful towards adults and towards each other. They respond very well to the moral guidance from the school.

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Commentary

9. Pupils’ social skills are developed outstandingly well through confident and sensitive exploration of issues such as relationships, death, and bullying. Guided discussion in class provides very good opportunities for discussing sensitive issues. The regular use of mixed ability ‘chatterbox’ partners and small group discussion throughout school leads to excellent levels of collaboration between pupils. The provision for cultural development is very good. Various subjects provide pupils with a fuller understanding of the world around them as seen in displays and in lessons. The school celebrates diversity and promotes racial harmony very effectively in various ways. A highly popular annual international day involves members from all the different communities represented at the school. Opportunities for pupils to gain insight into values and belief to develop their spiritual awareness are very good. The school uses assemblies very

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Commentary

effectively to develop a strong sense of community, both in the school and beyond.

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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 5.9 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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Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

10. Whilst the data for last year shows attendance below the national average, the school has applied its very good procedures rigorously to improve it. It has also worked closely with the education welfare officer and has constantly reminded parents of the need for good attendance. As a result, the current attendance rates are in line with the national picture and the vast majority of pupils come to school on time. Exclusions are very rare and are only used as a very last resort after all other possibilities have been exhausted. Only two exclusions occurred in the last year as a result of extremely unacceptable conduct. St Charles RC Primary School - 12

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 106 0 0 White – Irish 17 0 0 White – any other White background 73 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 1 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 37 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 15 1 1 Asian or Asian British – Indian 2 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 1 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 1 0 0 Black or Black British – Caribbean 19 0 0 Black or Black British – African 50 0 0 Black or Black British – any other Black background 16 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education is very good . Teaching and learning are very good . The curriculum is very good quality, with very good enrichment. Care, guidance and welfare are very good . Links with the community are excellent ; links with parents and other schools are very good .

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are very good , with excellent features. Assessment is very good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The partnership between teachers and support staff is excellent. • Teachers give great encouragement to individuals and pupils work very hard in lessons. • Staff provide very effective support for pupils with English as an additional language and pupils with special educational needs. • There is excellent teaching and learning in each age phase. • Assessment is very good quality.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 48 lessons

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor St Charles RC Primary School - 13 7 (15 %) 28 (58 %) 12 (25 %) 1 (2 %) 0 (0 %) 0 (0 %) 0 (0 %) The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 48 lessons

11. The headteacher sets a high priority on the importance of staff working harmoniously in teams. This has a very positive impact on the organisation of teaching teams in lessons. Teachers have very effective systems for sharing the key learning expected with the high quality support assistants and, as a result, the use of support assistants is excellent. This has a very significant impact on learning throughout the school for all groups of pupils. All staff have a very good understanding of the individual learning needs of pupils, which ensures that their interactions are well focused. This results in pupils acquiring skills and knowledge at a very good rate. The high quality teaching teams are particularly effective in nursery and reception in supporting children’s personal, social and emotional development. This strong foundation ensures that children develop a very positive work ethic that prepares them very effectively for their

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 48 lessons

12. Staff have high expectations of each pupil and expect them to do their best. Pupils respond very well to these expectations and work very hard in lessons. Teachers take every opportunity to celebrate success and give pupils great encouragement in tackling new learning. Pupils thoroughly enjoy showing their new skills to the rest of the class.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 48 lessons

13. The school is very aware of the many different needs of their pupils with English as an additional language. Staff introduce key vocabulary very carefully. This provides pupils with the language they need to communicate their thinking. Staff are equally effective in supporting pupils with special educational needs. Individual education plans are carefully written to match individual needs. Staff show flexibility in responding to these pupils’ individual needs and provide carefully structured work to ensure that their learning is successful.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 48 lessons

14. There is excellent teaching in reception, infant and junior classes. Features of these lessons are a high level of enthusiasm, which stimulates pupils to give of their best, a fast pace, high expectations of every pupil and an in-depth understanding of the prior learning of each pupil.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 48 lessons

15. The assessment co-ordinator is very effective. She is keen to continually improve the assessment systems and works hard to ensure that they are used consistently throughout the school. The school has just introduced an extremely detailed tracking system that identifies different groups of pupils’ progress very well. Teachers use target setting very well in English, but not as well in mathematics or science. The co- ordinator has clear plans to remedy this inequality. Assessment systems are extremely good in reception. There are very well organised systems to ensure that each child’s progress is tracked in detail.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 48 lessons

16. Improvement since the previous inspection is very good. The proportion of very good teaching has increased significantly and there are excellent features in every age phase.

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The curriculum

St Charles RC Primary School - 14 The school provides its pupils with a very good curriculum. There is very good enrichment. Out of school activities are excellent . Accommodation and resources are good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school covers the curriculum very thoroughly and provides a very wide range of activities well matched to the needs of all pupils, particularly those who speak English as an additional language. • The curriculum is carefully planned in order that pupils with special educational needs receive maximum support. • Curriculum links between ICT and literacy and history are good. Those between ICT and science and mathematics are not so well established. • The school makes outstanding provision for learning outside the school day for pupils and their families.

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Commentary

17. The school makes very good provision for all pupils to have relevant experiences in all National Curriculum subjects. This stimulates and interests pupils and makes them want to work. The curriculum for personal, social and health education is very good. The nursery and reception classes provide a very rich and interesting curriculum. It is very well balanced and matches the children’s needs and interests very well. The school ensures that the curriculum builds on the strengths that its multi-cultural community offers. Together with the carefully organised curriculum for pupils with English as an additional language, this ensures that they achieve very well. All statutory requirements are met, including sex and relationships education and drug education.

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Commentary

18. Pupils with special education needs receive high quality support. The school organises this extremely carefully both within whole-class sessions and in withdrawal groups. Staff identify pupils’ individual needs very quickly as they enter the school and the quality of support is extremely well focused. Staff understand the needs of individual pupils extremely well and they receive very high quality input from teachers and support staff. All of these features ensure that pupils move off the special educational needs register because they make such good progress over time. Pupils with special educational needs play a full part in all aspects of school life.

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Commentary

19. The school plans the curriculum carefully and identifies meaningful links across subjects. There are good strategies for ICT to reinforce learning in English and history, but opportunities are missed to create links between ICT and science and mathematics.

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Commentary

20. The school makes very good provision for enriching the curriculum and extending pupils’ experiences. The media resource officer plays a valuable role in supporting pupils develop library skills. Staff use the school mini buses very well to extend pupils’ learning in the community. There is a wealth of visitors and specialists who enrich the curriculum through sharing their expertise with pupils. The gardener ensures that the school grounds are kept in very good order and pupils thoroughly enjoy using these facilities to develop their learning. The very good range of enrichment opportunities reinforces learning and develops pupils’ self- confidence very effectively. St Charles RC Primary School - 15 21. The after school provision is excellent. There is a wide range of clubs, sporting and creative activities, and the school takes part in inter-school sport competitions. The family learning initiatives are an outstanding feature of the school and parents work

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Commentary

with their children to grow and develop together.

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Commentary

22. The school has sustained the strengths of the previous inspection. There has been very good improvement in the provision for pupils with special educational needs and for activities outside the school day.

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Care, guidance and support

Procedures for ensuring the pupils care, welfare and health and safety are very good . The support, advice and guidance given to the pupils are very good . The school has very good procedures for involving the pupils in its work and development.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school supports the pupils learning and personal development very well. • The pupils enjoy trusting and respectful relationships with staff. • Induction procedures enable newcomers to settle in very well. • The school has very good procedures for encouraging pupils to put forward their ideas and views.

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Commentary

23. The headteacher and all staff support the pupils’ care and welfare very well. The school’s Christian ethos places very high value on every pupil. The staff carefully monitors their academic and personal development. Consequently, staff are able to target help very effectively wherever it is needed. The school greatly values the rich and diverse cultural heritage of pupils and all staff very effectively support pupils who are learning English and those who need extra help and challenge with their learning. Personal development is strongly promoted. As a well as a strong personal, social and health education programme, the school encourages all pupils to succeed in enjoyable activities such as sports and music. Procedures for child protection and health and safety are very robust and all staff adhere to the guidance and high standards that they set. The site manager ensures that the accommodation is kept to a high standard

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Commentary

24. The pupils enjoy very positive relationships with the staff. They trust and respect them and often look up to them as role models. As a result, the pupils feel that there is always someone that they can talk to about their achievements and any concerns. The classroom and lunchtime support staff and kitchen staff make a valuable contribution to the school. They develop a high degree of trust from individuals, which helps the pupils to enjoy school and develop into confident learners.

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Commentary

25. The school’s induction procedures are very good and welcome all newcomers. They provide easily understandable information for the parents and very good opportunities to visit the school. The staff visit the children at home before they start in the nursery and this gives them an immediate picture of each child’s needs. Children make a very good start and quickly settle into their new surroundings and routines, St Charles RC Primary School - 16 26. The procedures for taking pupils’ views into account are very strong. All staff value the good quality school council. This enables elected members to invite views from their peers and to take them to the school’s leaders for action. Pupils feel that their views are fairly considered and are keen to offer ideas such as those for the design of the playground.

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Commentary

27. The previous inspection recorded very good standards of care, support and guidance. The same positive picture is apparent and continues to make a powerful contribution to the pupils’ achievements.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school’s links with the parents are very good . Its links with the local community are excellent . The school’s links with other schools are very good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The high quality of communication between home and school keeps parents well informed • Courses for the parents make an excellent contribution to raising standards. • The links with the community are excellent and help to make learning stimulating. • The school values parents’ views and responds promptly and effectively to them.

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Commentary

28. The school works hard to encourage all parents to support its work. A revitalised Friends’ Association is successful in raising funds and in building bridges between home and school. The quality of information for the parents is very good. Parents receive regular and clear information on what is being taught and on how their children are doing. They appreciate and make good use of the consultation meetings with the staff. They also like being able to talk to staff informally at the start and end of the school day.

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Commentary

29. An excellent feature of the school’s work is the high quality courses that it offers to the parents. In partnership with a local college, it offers family literacy and numeracy courses that have encouraged parents to learn, keep up with their children and help them at home. These courses have made an excellent contribution to the pupils’ learning and have had a definite impact on raising standards. Helpfully, the school offers a parenting course, which develops skills needed in meeting the challenges of looking after a family. Parents value these courses highly and feel that they have developed them into confident and supportive educators. They are keen to see them continue.

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Commentary

30. The school’s links with the community make an excellent contribution to the children’s achievements. Visitors come into the school to make learning about art and music stimulating. The school uses local history well to help the pupils learn about their locality and how it has changed through time. The school makes sure that the local community is used well to provide new and enjoyable experiences for the pupils. Visits to local theatre and well-known landmarks help the pupils to learn more. Links with other schools are very good, as are arrangements to ease pupils into the next stage of their education. St Charles RC Primary School - 17 31. The school regularly evaluates its work with the parents and community. It takes their views, ideas and concerns seriously. This is an excellent feature of its work and helps to build positive relationships. Parents believe that the school is very responsive to

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Commentary

their needs and concerns and that it acts quickly to resolve any difficulties that may occur.

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Commentary

32. Since the previous inspection the school has succeeded in improving its links with the parents and community. Both are now of a higher standard and impact very well on the pupils’ achievements.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are very good . The leadership of the headteacher is excellent and his management is very good . Leadership and management of key staff are very good . The effectiveness of management is very good . Governance is very good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher sets an extremely clear direction for the work of the school and sets up very effective management systems. • Key staff have great enthusiasm for their roles and a very good understanding of the work of the school. • Governors have a very good understanding of the work of the school and ensure that senior staff are accountable for their work. • Management is very efficient and makes very good use of available resources.

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Commentary

33. The headteacher has an extremely clear vision of how the school can provide a high quality education for its pupils. He sets a high priority in raising standards, setting up systems throughout the school to ensure that pupils’ progress remains consistently very good. This results in pupils achieving very well over time. He is determined to provide a curriculum that offers opportunities for every pupil to excel in both academic and personal development. This is evident in the success pupils have in areas such as the World Mathematics Tests and representation of the borough in London competitive games. He has very high expectations of every pupil, knows them all personally and is quick to celebrate their successes. He manages the school very effectively and creates a series of very successful teams throughout the school. He sets great store on honouring the many different ethnic groups within the school,

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Commentary

which results in very good levels of racial harmony. The headteacher creates many opportunities for every member of the school community to take a pride in their contributions and successes.

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Commentary

34. The headteacher works very closely with the very good quality deputy headteacher. She is an excellent special educational needs co-ordinator. Key staff work very hard at their areas of responsibility. They have a very clear view of what they need to do to improve the work of the school and work sensitively with staff to extend provision. There are very well managed systems throughout the school to allow them to carry out their roles.

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Commentary

35. The governing body has a wide range of expertise that contributes very well in both monitoring the work of the school and in taking it forward by improving provision. Governors support senior leaders very effectively through sharing in decision-making. St Charles RC Primary School - 18 They also ensure that senior managers are accountable for their actions. The chair of governors has an extremely clear understanding of the work of the school. This is due to his very regular visits into school and his great understanding of the community from which the pupils come.

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Commentary

36. The school works very hard to gain additional funding to extend its provision. This has a major impact on aspects such as the upgrading of the accommodation. The management of finances and daily running of the school is very efficient due to the high quality administrative team. There is a high emphasis on professional development of all staff and the school uses the expertise of the local education authority very effectively. The cost per pupil is high, but the consistently very good achievement in both academic and personal development together with the very good levels of racial harmony ensures that the school provides good value for money.

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Commentary

37. The considerable strengths identified in the previous inspection have been sustained and the leadership of the headteacher is even better.

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Financial information for the year April 2004 to March 2005

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 1,607,576 Balance from previous year 16,972 Total expenditure 1,545,055 Balance carried forward to the next 79,493 Expenditure per pupil 4,571 St Charles RC Primary School - 19

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AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

38. Provision in the reception and nursery is very good . Children achieve very well because the teaching teams work so effectively together. Staff cover the full curriculum systematically and base activities very effectively around central, carefully chosen themes. Planning is very effective and is based firmly on the very good assessment systems. Children enter the school with standards well below the expected level. This is partly due to the high proportion of children with English as an additional language, who are in the early stages of learning English. These children achieve very well through the systematic introduction of key vocabulary in lessons. Pupils with special educational needs are identified early and receive carefully focused support. This results in very good achievement. Leadership and management are very good and ensure that the four classes work together as a very efficient team. All the

p.19

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

key strengths identified in the previous report have been sustained and teaching and learning are better.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Staff set up consistent systems that give children very good levels of security for their learning. • There is a very good mix of whole-class, group and independent activities, which develops personal skills very effectively. • Every adult in the teaching teams has high quality relationships with children.

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Commentary

39. Teaching and learning are very good. Children achieve very well and despite their low starting point on entry standards are on track to be at the expected level by the end of reception. Children settle very quickly into their learning at the beginning of each part of the lesson. This is due to the very well established systems staff set up. The regular pattern of each day results in high levels of concentration because new learning builds very carefully on previous learning.

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Commentary

40. Children co-operate very well with each other. Staff expect them to share resources and play sensibly together and children respond very well to these expectations. Whether children are working in a small group with an adult or involved in independent activities, they play very harmoniously together across different ethnic groups in mixed groups of boys and girls.

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Commentary

41. Children show great confidence when interacting with adults. This is due to the great care that adults show in respecting and supporting individuals. Children try their best to complete their tasks and thoroughly enjoy the praise that they receive to celebrate their achievement.

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COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

St Charles RC Primary School - 20 Provision in communication, language and literacy is very good overall and excellent in reading development.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children gain confidence in talking because staff take every opportunity to interact verbally with individuals. • The teaching of reading is excellent and children gain great confidence in basic skills. • There are very well organised systems to develop technical writing skills.

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Commentary

42. Teaching and learning are very good overall and excellent in reading. Standards are on track to be below the expected level by the end of reception. This represents very good achievement when the high proportion of children who are learning English is taken into account. All children try hard to use new words as staff introduce them. They enjoy this challenge because the new vocabulary is linked carefully to interesting tasks. Children with English as an additional language make an extremely good start to their new language because staff give them such high quality individual support.

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Commentary

43. Staff introduce letter sounds and names systematically through both the nursery and reception classes. The change of scheme in reception works very well because children get a chance to learn using different types of learning. Teachers organise guided reading very systematically and this is extremely good in the co-ordinator’s class. She has extremely high expectations and challenges children to respond to key details in the stories.

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Commentary

44. Children receive very carefully structured support to extend their writing skills. They are proud to form their letters in simple tasks, such as writing their own names.

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MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is very good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children thoroughly enjoy the interesting tasks staff provide for developing mathematical learning. • Staff take every opportunity to develop children’s confidence in simple counting and matching.

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Commentary

45. Teaching and learning are very good. Standards are on track to be below the expected level by the end of reception and this represents very good achievement from the low starting point on entry. Teachers plan mathematical tasks carefully to ensure that children systematically build on previous learning. They provide interesting tasks that are carefully linked into the theme for the half term. Children thoroughly enjoy taking part in activities such as adding extra spots to ladybirds in reception or counting the different parts of their caterpillars in the nursery. The carousel system 5 in reception works very well and allows children opportunities to work directly with the support of adults or to investigate different activities independently.

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Commentary

46. All adults work hard to offer children opportunities to count when they are carrying out other tasks, such as climbing over barrels or counting the number of legs on a beetle. St Charles RC Primary School - 21 This gives children confidence in getting the order of numbers right. Children with English as an additional language achieve very well because staff emphasise key mathematical vocabulary and give these children great encouragement to use the new words themselves.

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KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is very good .

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers plan very interesting explorations and investigations and children develop a great sense of curiosity. • Children work very confidently with ICT. • The school provides well-structured opportunities for children to learn about Christianity.

p.21

Commentary

47. Teaching and learning are very good. Children achieve very well and they are on track to reach the expected level by the end of reception. Staff provide fascinating activities for children to develop investigational skills, using a very good range of learning styles. The use of the outdoor area is particularly good, with children developing confidence in explorations, such as searching for mini-beasts in different contexts.

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Commentary

48. Teachers organise children to use the computer suite very effectively. This extends children’s use of simple keyboard skills very well. Opportunities for children to use the whiteboards in classrooms complement the use of the computer suite very well. Children use the different facilities with confidence and thoroughly enjoy producing huge pictures on these boards.

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Commentary

49. Children develop an understanding of simple Christian rituals through their attendance at assemblies and through involvement in the Mass in the parish church. They understand the importance of acting differently and respectfully at these occasions.

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical development is very good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Staff plan very carefully for the development of movement and a sense of space through formal lessons in the hall and activities in the outdoor areas. • Children learn how to handle tools and materials through a very good range of different tasks.

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Commentary

50. Teaching and learning are very good. Children achieve very well and are on track to be at the expected level by the end of reception. The systematic use of the hall in both reception and nursery classes develops children’s physical movements very well. It ensures that they gain confidence in co-ordinating their movements in a large space. This combines well with the carefully structured challenges that children receive in the outdoor play areas. The nursery area at present does not allow the use of large St Charles RC Primary School - 22 wheeled vehicles. However, this will be rectified this summer when this area is to be developed further.

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Commentary

51. Teachers provide many different opportunities for children to learn skills such as holding a pencil or using scissors. Children handle these skills with confidence and try hard to complete their tasks.

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CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is very good .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children play very confidently in the role-play 6 areas. • Staff have high expectations in children’s use of paint and other media.

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Commentary

52. Teaching and learning are very good. Achievement is very good and children are on track to be at the expected level by the end of reception. Children enter fully into the different roles in their imaginative play. This is due to the very careful setting up of the role-play areas with a wealth of different opportunities to extend these skills. Children take these settings very seriously and interact well with each other and extend their language skills at the same time.

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Commentary

53. Standards in the use of paint are above the expected level in reception. Children produce beautifully composed pictures because staff provide a range of subtle colours and set up the tasks very carefully. Children produce three-dimensional objects well and use simple designs to plan the final outcome.

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Commentary

Using a theme of mini-beasts in reception to develop basic skills.

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Commentary

This reception provision was alive with opportunities for children to experience first hand the range of different mini-beasts. The role play area was a mini environment for all kinds of artificial creatures, where children reinforced key language the teacher was introducing. A lively display of children’s work based on spiders and their webs led to the use of phrases such as “shiny, silver webs,” in a story time. The teacher organised small groups of children to explore the outdoor area and they were astounded to find ants crawling over a lollipop that had been located to attract these creatures. Children watched spellbound as the ants marched over this food source, developing skills in using more key vocabulary to describe their observations. They went on to discover woodlice, ladybirds and snails, developing simple number skills as they went through counting the different numbers of these animals. The teacher capitalised on these experiences through her very high

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Commentary

quality guided reading session. Her choice of The Angry Ladybird was very challenging and she matched her questioning extremely carefully to each group of children’s needs. She combined the teaching of technical reading skills very subtly with discussion about character and plot. Every child was caught up in the story through her skilful use of the narrative. They could not stop offering ideas about what would happen next and were thrilled to identify key words or letter sounds they recognised.

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ENGLISH

Provision in English is very good . St Charles RC Primary School - 23

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils of all abilities achieve very well because of adults’ consistently high expectations and excellent provision for pupils with special educational needs. • Pupils who have English as an additional language achieve very well because of the very good quality support they receive. • Excellent teamwork and use of classroom support and very good quality assessment, along with high quality pupil self-assessment, ensure pupils develop very positive attitudes to learning. • The very good leadership ensures that pupils receive a very rich and stimulating curriculum. • Staff use ICT very effectively to support learning in lessons.

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Commentary

54. Pupils’ achievement is very good throughout the school. This, and the very significant rise in standards, represents very good improvement since the previous inspection. All adults have very high expectations of what each pupil should achieve. Pupils respond magnificently and, as a result, achieve well above average standards in reading and writing by Year 6. The school has also been successful in increasing standards in Year 2 since the previous inspection. Pupils achieve well above average standards in reading and above average standards in writing. The excellent provision for pupils with special educational needs ensures they achieve very well and many reach average standards by Years 2 and 6. They receive very high quality support and make very good progress towards the targets on their individual education plans.

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Commentary

55. Pupils who have English as an additional language achieve very well. They quickly increase their spoken and written skills because they receive sensitive and very effective support in lessons. This ensures they are fully included in all class activities and achieve standards similar to their classmates.

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Commentary

56. Teaching and leaning in English are consistently very good throughout the school. They have many excellent features and have a very positive effect on pupils’ attitudes to learning. The excellent teamwork and very good relationships between adults gives pupils very good models to follow. This enables pupils to work together very well and makes a very strong contribution to their personal and social development. There is excellent use of support in the classrooms. This gives pupils very high levels of motivation and eagerness. They want to succeed and work very hard. Very high quality planning ensures that all work interests pupils and makes them want to learn. Adults encourage pupils to speak clearly and make very effective use of drama to increase their speaking skills. This ensures that, by Year 6, most pupils each above average standards in speaking to an audience. All pupils enjoy joining in class discussions

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Commentary

because teachers target different abilities very skilfully. They ensure that all work builds on very good assessment of previous learning. This makes pupils eager to achieve more. Pupils also assess their own achievements. They write down what they think they should do to improve their work. This very good system of self-assessment increases pupils’ awareness of their learning very effectively.

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Commentary

57. Leadership and management of English are very good. The co-ordinator has a very clear picture of achievement and standards across the school. She is determined to give each individual the best possible chances to improve their skills in English and achieve well. To achieve this she ensures that all pupils have a very rich curriculum. The curriculum is enhanced very well by performances in which all pupils take part, St Charles RC Primary School - 24 theatre visits and visitors. These stimulate and interest pupils and make learning fun. The co-ordinator’s introduction of a structured and systematic guided reading programme throughout the school is already having a positive effect on standards. Systematic and thorough tracking systems give a clear picture of individuals’ achievement and progress across the school. Staff use these findings very effectively to make pupils aware of what they need to do to improve their work.

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Commentary

58. There is very good use of ICT in English. This increases pupils’ understanding of the usefulness of computers. Pupils enjoy using computers in their work and produce mature and very well finished pieces of work.

p.24

Commentary

59. Improvement since the previous inspection is very good.

p.24

Language and literacy across the curriculum

60. Pupils use their literacy skills very effectively in other subjects and this has a very positive impact on developing and consolidating these skills. There is very good promotion of speaking, listening and writing in history. Writing is promoted very well in science and design and technology. For example, pupils write up experiments accurately and give clear instructions for making products. Technical vocabulary is developed very well and helps pupils use language precisely. Pupils receive very good training that enables them to use books effectively to research information across a range of subjects.

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MATHEMATICS

Provision for mathematics is very good .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• All pupils, including those who speak English as an additional language, achieve very well. • Teachers’ knowledge of the needs of individual pupils ensures that those with special educational needs receive a high quality education. • Teachers have very good subject knowledge and use it very effectively to support learning. • Staff use the very good assessment systems very effectively, but pupils are not always sure how to improve their work. • The high quality co-ordinator uses systems very effectively for tracking pupils’ progress to monitor teaching and learning.

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Commentary

61. Pupils achieve very well because the school works hard to provide a well-balanced and stimulating curriculum. Standards in mathematics in the national tests in 2003 were lower than in English. The school has worked hard to identify the causes for this and standards have been rising since then both in Years 2 and 6. There has been an emphasis on challenging more able pupils and last year a much higher proportion of pupils reached the higher Level 5 7 . The inspection confirms that this year an even larger proportion of pupils reached this level. Standards in Year 6 are well above average across all of the different aspects of mathematics. Standards rose considerably in the 2004 national tests in Year 2 and were average. Inspection confirms that these higher standards have been sustained. St Charles RC Primary School - 25 62. Pupils with special educational needs achieve extremely well. This is because the

p.24

Commentary

school has meticulous systems for analysing progress and can plan intervention whenever it is needed. The teachers and support staff give these pupils skilful and effective support. Pupils with English as an additional language achieve very well because the school ensures that these pupils steadily acquire the vocabulary that they need to communicate their mathematical understanding. This achievement is evident in the school’s high quality results in the World Mathematics sets where two of the three pupils had English as an additional language and still managed to get some of the best results in the international tests.

p.25

Commentary

63. Teaching and learning are very good throughout the school. Teachers have very good subject knowledge and teach with confidence and enthusiasm. They have well- established class routines and pupils work together in a calm and supportive atmosphere. As a result pupils work hard and are keen to learn.

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Commentary

64. Assessment systems are very well organised and teachers use them very effectively to ensure their planning meets individual and group needs. However, although there are some systems for pupils to evaluate their own work, these are not consistent through the school and are not used regularly enough. This reduces pupils understanding of how to improve their work further.

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Commentary

65. Leadership and management are very good. The co-ordinator is very knowledgeable about mathematics in the school and supports other staff very effectively. Through the analysis of data she has a very good overview of the progress of pupils and plans necessary intervention. She is very well placed to further develop the monitoring of teaching and learning in the subject.

p.25

Commentary

66. There has been very good improvement since the previous inspection.

p.25

Mathematics across the curriculum

67. The long-term curriculum plans make very good quality links between different subjects. This makes learning more relevant to pupils. Teachers plan well to extend mathematical skills by using them in other subjects. However, opportunities are missed to develop numeracy through ICT.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards have risen considerably this year and all pupils achieve very well. • The school provides an interesting and well-balanced curriculum. • Teachers plan and prepare very thoroughly for lessons and have very good subject knowledge. • Assessment systems are very good, but pupils are not all sure about how to improve their work.

p.25

Commentary

St Charles RC Primary School - 26 68. There has been very good improvement since the previous inspection. Overall, pupils achieve very well throughout the school. Standards in Year 6 have been consistently average in the national tests over time. This year they have risen considerably in this age group and observed standards are well above average. This is due to the very hard work of the school to develop investigative science and to challenge more able pupils. This has been very successful and nearly three quarters of the current Year 6 pupils are working at the higher Level 5. Infant staff provide a well-balanced curriculum and by Year 2 standards are at the expected level. Pupils with special educational needs achieve very well because staff give them additional support in lessons. The emphasis on key vocabulary ensures that pupils with English as an additional language understand new learning and develop confidence in using the new

p.26

Commentary

69. The breadth of coverage across the school is very good. Pupils enjoy a wide range of stimulating activities to help them learn more effectively. The school provides many opportunities for pupils to carry out investigations and to learn from first hand experiences. Pupils thoroughly enjoy talking about their work and they believe that they learn very well. Although suitable opportunities are provided for pupils to develop their numeracy, language and literacy skills, opportunities to develop ICT are missed. The school is looking at ways of developing and including ICT more effectively in lessons in order to extend learning in science.

p.26

Commentary

70. Teaching and learning are very good overall, with excellent features in Year 6. Where teaching is excellent, probing questions lead to a deeper level of thought and understanding. A particular strength in all classes is the opportunity for pupils to work collaboratively. This helps pupils to engage in stimulating and focused discussion. All teachers plan very carefully and prepare their resources thoroughly. In being fully prepared for their teaching, teachers demonstrate a high level of subject knowledge. Such thorough knowledge and preparation ensures that pupils learn and achieve very well.

p.26

Commentary

71. Leadership and management are good. The co-ordinator is clear about what needs to be done to ensure continuing improvement. He monitors and evaluates new initiatives effectively. There are very effective procedures to track pupils’ progress. However, opportunities are missed to ensure that pupils have a good understanding of what they need to do to improve further.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well and develop very positive attitudes towards the subject. • Achievement of pupils with special educational needs and pupils with English as an additional language is good. • Teachers organise learning well in the computer suite. • The co-ordinator provides regular support for staff. • Links with literacy are good, but opportunities are missed to develop numeracy and scientific development.

p.26

Commentary

St Charles RC Primary School - 27 72. Teachers ensure that pupils develop their skills systematically through regular use of the computer suite. Standards are above average in Year 2. These pupils have had the advantage of using the updated computer suite systematically in the infant classes. Pupils handle different menus confidently and use the keyboard and mouse skilfully. Standards are even higher in Year 3 and are well above average. This is because the teacher has very good subject knowledge and chooses programs carefully to match the pupils’ needs and interests. Achievement continues to be good in the junior classes, but standards are average in Year 6. This is due to the disruption caused when the school changed their hardware across to PCs when it became apparent that the previous choice of computers was not matching the needs of the pupils. This reorganisation now benefits both pupils and staff because it matches the

p.27

Commentary

computers they use at home. Despite this disruption, Year 6 pupils handle programs, such as multi-media presentations confidently, and dip into the Internet to retrieve data or images. Pupils throughout the school thoroughly enjoy learning about ICT and co- operate very well in sharing keyboards and solving problems.

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Commentary

73. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well. Teachers organise paired work on computers carefully and this ensures that these pupils receive good support in carrying out their tasks. The paired strategy also supports pupils with English as an additional language well, who also achieve well. If a pupil does not understand a feature of the new learning, they talk it through with their partner.

p.27

Commentary

74. Teaching and learning are good, with some very good features. Teachers organise the use of the computer suite carefully, combining whole-class discussions effectively with practical work on the computers and well-organised discussion at the end of lessons. This ensures that pupils have time to develop practical skills based on their understanding of the new techniques. The management of behaviour is very good. Pupils have a very clear understanding of the rules for working in the suite and respond to them respectfully.

p.27

Commentary

75. Leadership and management are good. The co-ordinator has good subject knowledge and makes himself available to support staff in developing their technical skills. He has introduced a new assessment system, but has not yet organised systems to allow pupils to save their work systematically over time.

p.27

Commentary

76. Improvement since the previous inspection is satisfactory. Standards have been sustained in Year 2, but have dropped in Year 6. However, there has been a considerable investment into new hardware and programs, which is now ensuring that achievement is good throughout the school.

p.27

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

77. This is satisfactory overall. It is very good in literacy. Teachers plan very interesting lessons, closely linked to the content of the literacy lessons. This extends word processing skills well. Links are very good in history. Pupils thoroughly enjoy finding out about topics using computers, such as the Fire of London. They develop great confidence in using the Internet because teachers choose the programs very carefully. Opportunities for the development of numeracy and scientific development are inconsistent through the school. Teachers do not consistently link the ICT tasks to either of their subjects, which results in a lower level of interest for pupils in these lessons. St Charles RC Primary School - 28

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HUMANITIES

It was not possible to make overall provision judgements in geography or history because insufficient teaching was seen. Judgements are made based on a few lessons, a scrutiny of pupils’ work, including photographs, teachers’ planning, displays and discussion with teachers and co- ordinators.

p.28

HUMANITIES

78. In geography, achievement is satisfactory and standards are average throughout the school. In Year 2, pupils understand about different environments and enjoy talking about their work. Teachers make good links between history and geography. In both lessons observed, teaching was well organised and pupils settled quickly to their tasks. Staff make effective use of displays to extend geographical learning. Opportunities for residential trips extend pupils’ understanding of different geographical areas very well.

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HUMANITIES

79. In history, achievement is very good. Teachers use ICT very effectively to extend pupils’ understanding. They provide carefully chosen programs to develop pupils’ knowledge of different historical periods and pupils thoroughly enjoy finding out different facts and discussing them with their partners. Teaching in the Year 6 class is excellent and the standard of work seen was well above average. Pupils have very confident historical skills including a very good understanding of historical sources. Analysis of pupils’ work shows that pupils work systematically at developing skills and understanding throughout the school. The very good teaching of history is reinforced by high quality displays of pupils’ work. These reflect the rich range of visits and visitors to the school, which broaden pupils’ understanding of the subject. Pupils in Year 2 talk with confidence about what they had learnt in history. They describe the

p.28

HUMANITIES

differences between life in the past and their own experiences. Standards at the end of Year 2 are above average. There has been very good improvement since the previous inspection.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

It was not possible to make overall provision judgements in these subjects because insufficient teaching was seen. Judgements are made based on a few lessons, the scrutiny of pupils’ work including photographs, teachers’ planning, displays of pupils’ work, music in assemblies and in the whole-school Mass, and discussion with teachers and co-ordinators.

p.28

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

80. In art and design, pupils experience working with a range of two and three- dimensional media as they progress through school. Pupils regularly attend workshops at the nearby secondary school, which has visual arts status. This enables them to experience a breadth of art experiences. Both pupils and staff benefit from the expertise of the art teacher at the secondary school. In addition, pupils’ skills have developed through working with an artist in residence over the past three years, as part of the annual arts week. The artists selected have specialised in painting, sculpture and architecture. The co-ordinator supports staff well. She regularly monitors sketchbooks and provides developmental feedback. Displays show that the school promotes cultural diversity well through art.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

81. In design and technology , pupils make good use of their sketchbooks to plan and evaluate their design work. Designs are thoughtfully planned and well executed. Reflective evaluations show what worked well and what could be improved. Pupils systematically build on their skills through accessing a very well resourced programme of study. Teachers are ably supported by the co-ordinator who evaluates all work and St Charles RC Primary School - 29 plans for training needs to be met. There are strong cross-curricular links between design and technology and science, particularly during the annual science week.

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CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

82. In music , the quality of singing in assemblies is above that expected for most pupils by Year 6. All pupils sing enthusiastically in unison, harmony and rounds. This reflects the findings of the previous inspection. Pupils clearly enjoy making music. This is evident in the very good quality school orchestra. Instrumental tuition makes a very positive contribution to developing the skills of pupils who have a particular talent for music. The choir sings beautifully in harmony and includes a very good balance of pupils, older and younger, girls and boys and many different ethnic groups. All pupils have the opportunity to take part in Mass and school performances. They sing solo parts confidently. These opportunities increase their self-esteem and ability to work together co-operatively. They make a very positive contribution to their social and cultural development.

p.29

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

83. In physical education, the school provides a very good curriculum for all pupils. There are many specialists supporting the school and very good extra-curricular opportunities. In the Year 2 lesson observed, standards were above the expected level. The expertise of the specialist tennis coach in this lesson developed pupils’ learning well. His support across the school throughout the year ensures that pupils have opportunities to systematically develop their skills. In the Year 6 lesson observed, teaching was very good, pupils achieved very well and standards were well above the expected level. Pupils worked very well independently to improve their personal best scores in athletics. They were clear about what they needed to do to improve and they demonstrated this very well, both physically and orally, to the rest of the class. Pupils worked very effectively in small groups, which is the expectation in all

p.29

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

lessons. There are very good opportunities for pupils to take part in extra-curricular sporting activities in both infant and junior age ranges. Pupils talk with great enthusiasm about their sporting activities. In competing with other local schools, they have enjoyed a high level of success. The improvements to the junior play area now provide a very good surface for sporting activities.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

84. It was not possible to make an overall judgement about provision in this aspect. Judgements are based on a meeting with the school council and discussions with pupils and staff. Pupils develop a very good understanding of citizenship through the work of the school council. Every class is represented on the council apart from the nursery. This ensures that every pupil has a voice in decision-making through a councillor. The Year 6 pupils go to the nursery to report back on discussion, which ensures every child is included. The chair of the school council is very skilled and leads the meetings very effectively. Pupils develop a very good understanding of democracy through carrying out elections. Pupils understood the importance of making their case and persuading the rest of the school to vote for them. The headteacher places a high emphasis on pupils understanding their responsibilities around the school and pupils are proud to be a member of the school community.

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 2 How inclusive the school is 2 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 2 Value for money provided by the school 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 2 Pupils’ achievement 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities (ethos) 2 Attendance 4 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 2 The quality of teaching 2 How well pupils learn 2 The quality of assessment 2 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 2 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 2 Accommodation and resources 3 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 2 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 2 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 2 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 2 The quality of the school’s links with the community 1 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 2 The governance of the school 2 The leadership of the headteacher 1 The leadership of other key staff 2 The effectiveness of management 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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

p.30