St James' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Inspection Report St James' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

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107995 Unique Reference Number Leeds LEA 277878 Inspection number 21 June 2006 to 22 June 2006 Inspection dates Mrs Rosemary Rodger CfBT Lead Inspector Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Hallfield Lane School address Primary Type of school Wetherby Voluntary controlled School category West Yorkshire LS22 6JS 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 01937 583379 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01937 583379 Fax number 128 Number on roll Mr Paul Andrews Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority D Walsh Headteacher 6 November 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277878 21 June 2006 - 3 to 11 22 June 2006 Inspection Report: St James' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 21 June 2006 to 22 June 2006

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report 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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This is a small primary school situated in Wetherby in an area of mixed social and private housing. An above average number of pupils are eligible for a free school meal. A small number of pupils have learning difficulties and/or disabilities and there are no pupils with a statement of special educational need. All pupils are of White British heritage. There is a pre-school on site.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: St James' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 21 June 2006 to 22 June 2006

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Grade: 3

The effectiveness of the school is satisfactory with some good features in pupils' personal development and well-being. It provides satisfactory value for money. The inspection team disagree with the school's over-generous judgement of its effectiveness. The main reason for this is that pupils' standards and achievement, the quality of teaching and learning, curriculum and leadership and management are only satisfactory. There is currently underachievement in mathematics for higher attaining pupils throughout school. Personal development and well-being are good. Pupils enjoy school because they are encouraged to keep fit and take responsibility. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Teaching of mathematics is just satisfactory because there are weaknesses in planning, the use of resources and challenge for higher attaining pupils. Assessment procedures are satisfactory. The curriculum is

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Grade: 3

satisfactory with good aspects in the enrichment through educational visits, additional provision for instrumental tuition and a good range of sporting fixtures. Mathematics is not given a high enough priority either in displays, time allocated to teach it or opportunities to apply mathematical skills in other subjects. Care, guidance and support are satisfactory overall. Pupils say their teachers help them feel safe. However, there are currently no trained first aiders in school. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are well supported. Provision and standards in the Foundation Stage are good. Leadership and management are satisfactory. Delegation of responsibilities and communication with colleagues has some weaknesses. The actions to improve mathematics by the headteacher have had too little impact on improving standards because staff have not been provided with any training. Parents are very happy with

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Grade: 3

what the school provides for their children. Improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory and the school has a satisfactory capacity to improve.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards of the more able pupils throughout the school in mathematics. • Provide informative wall displays, resources for pupils and more effective planning to improve the teaching of mathematics. • Improve the delegation of responsibilities to staff to ensure a more rapid rate of improvement. • Provide training in first aid and appoint a named first aider.

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Grade: 3

When they start school, many children have skills below expectations in all areas of learning. They make good progress throughout the Foundation Stage in all areas of learning. This good progress continues, so that by the end of Key Stage 1, standards are generally average in reading, writing and mathematics. However, higher attainers could do better, particularly in mathematics. Standards in Key Stage 2 in English and science are above average, but broadly average in mathematics. Achievement in English 2 Inspection Report: St James' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 21 June 2006 to 22 June 2006 and science is good, but just satisfactory in mathematics. The school has rightly identified mathematics as a priority and put some strategies in place to bring about improvement. However, some underachievement remains because of low expectations and lack of challenging teaching for more able pupils. Teacher assessments show that

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Grade: 3

the current Year 6 pupils are likely to meet the targets set for them in English, but not in mathematics. Achievement of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is satisfactory. Pupils make good progress in art and design and design and technology judged by the high quality displays of work.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development is good. The school encourages healthy lifestyles, which is acknowledged by the recent Healthy Schools award. Pupils know how to keep fit by eating fruit regularly and drinking water. They know that 'exercise helps to build up your muscles, to keep you strong and not to be a couch potato'. Pupils say their teachers help them to feel safe in school and other dangers are fully explained to them by the police and others. They value the 'ideas' box that enables them to share their personal concerns in confidence. This initiative was put in place following a survey of pupils' views that identified bullying as a concern. Actions to deal with this have had a good impact and there is very little bullying reported now. Behaviour is good. Most pupils enjoy school and look forward to residential visits. The pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils take good

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Grade: 2

responsibility around the school. The school council represents pupils' views well and has brought about improvements to the playground and fun activities' equipment. Useful contributions are made to the local community through raising money for a range of charities, all of which prepares pupils well for their future well-being. The attendance of pupils is below the national figure, but the school does all it can to discourage parents from taking holidays in term time. A consequence of this is an increase in unauthorised absence. Independence is well fostered in the Foundation Stage both indoors and outside and, as a result, children begin to take good responsibility and learn to cooperate well.

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall with good teaching in English and science. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is good because good use is made of play to help children in the Nursery develop basic skills, for example, when they made passports and numbered their bus tickets. All pupils generally enjoy learning and behave well in lessons, especially in Key Stage 1. Relationships between teachers and pupils are good. Teachers' good subject knowledge is used well to make learning exciting, for example, in science. There are some weaknesses in the teaching of 3 Inspection Report: St James' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 21 June 2006 to 22 June 2006 mathematics due to an over-reliance on a commercial scheme. This leads to too little recording of calculations and lack of challenge for the more able. Sometimes, teaching assistants are not involved sufficiently in whole class sessions in Key Stage 2 to enable

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Grade: 3

them to have a positive impact on learning. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are well supported by teaching assistants, however, and have work well matched to their needs. Assessment procedures are thorough. Marking of pupils' work is generally helpful and older pupils are encouraged to assess each other's learning and to self-assess by referring to their targets. Good steps are taken to involve parents in their children's mathematical learning.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory. The Foundation Stage curriculum is good and enables children to progress well in all areas of learning. However, some shortcomings in the curriculum in Years 1 to 6 mean that more able pupils do not achieve as well as they should in mathematics. The grouping of pupils by age and ability is beginning to make a difference to meeting the needs of pupils more effectively, overall in English and mathematics. However, the extra support provided for older, more able pupils in mathematics is not having a marked impact on achievement, as yet. Pupils' speaking and listening skills are well developed in lessons and twice-yearly performances. Literacy skills are further fostered through a wide range of cross-curricular work, for example, in the elaborate folders completed by Year 5 and Year 6 pupils in preparation for a yearly residential visit to Robin Hood's Bay. Mathematical skills are satisfactorily

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Grade: 3

promoted, but could be given a higher priority across the curriculum and in classroom displays. Provision for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is sound. A good range of additional activities contributes to pupils' learning and enjoyment. These include: sporting activities coached by professional sportspeople; drama; art and design; and instrumental music tuition taken up by two thirds of the school. The yearly residential visit successfully brings together learning in many subjects.

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Grade: 3

The school's care for its pupils is satisfactory. Arrangements for child protection are in place. Staff have received recent training for child protection, but first aid training is not up to date and the school does not have a qualified first aider. The support and guidance for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are good. There are several recently introduced systems in place to track pupils' progress, but they are not used well enough to improve pupils' achievement in mathematics. The health and safety of pupils is adequately attended to. Risks are identified and effective steps are taken to ensure the safety of pupils on educational visits. Care and guidance for pupils to improve behaviour and personal development are effective and have resulted in a reduction in bullying. Pupils are well informed of the rewards and sanctions linked to bullying. As one pupil said, 'we get stricter punishments each time'.

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Grade: 3

4 Inspection Report: St James' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 21 June 2006 to 22 June 2006

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher has led the school for many years with the support of a committed and hard working team of staff. He is conscientious and thorough in all aspects of management, but does not delegate or communicate well enough with his colleagues. This has resulted in a slight backlog of actions that need to be taken to bring about improvement. For example, steps to improve achievement in mathematics have not yet had sufficient impact on raising standards because of a high priority given to improving standards in writing and staff have had insufficient training. Development planning has too short a timescale for all that the school intends to do. The contribution of subject leaders to development planning is beginning to make an impact on standards in English and science, but less so in other subjects. Systems to check teaching and learning are comprehensive, but

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Grade: 3

do not provide teachers with targets for improvement and are sometimes too generous in their judgements. A number of governors are new to their roles. They support the school well, but are less confident in holding the headteacher to account for the standards achieved. Parents are very supportive of the school. As a very small school, the cost to educate each pupil is very high. Value for money is satisfactory. The headteacher knows what needs to be done to raise standards and the school has satisfactory capacity to improve as long as all staff understand their roles and responsibilities in doing this. Improvements since the last inspection have been satisfactory. 5 Inspection Report: St James' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 21 June 2006 to 22 June 2006 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: St James' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 21 June 2006 to 22 June 2006

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 3 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 3 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 3 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 3 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 3 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for welcoming me to your school. I enjoyed talking to you and visiting your classrooms to observe your lessons. These are the things I discovered about your school. - You like to keep healthy and enjoy your twice weekly PE lessons and all the sport you take part in. - You feel safe and secure in school and know you can share your worries in a confidential 'ideas' box. - You like art and design, science and PE best of all, but you do not always like mathematics. - You know you have to work hard in mathematics because if you do you say you will be able to help your own children. I have asked your teachers to improve the school by doing the following. - Improve the teaching of mathematics. - Make sure that you all reach the standards you are capable of in mathematics, especially those of you who find mathematics easy. - You need to know who will help you if you hurt yourself in school. - Make sure that all teachers carry out their roles and responsibilities.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

You can all help by completing mathematics homework with your parents. I hope you continue to enjoy the rest of your time at St James' school and that the trip to Robin Hood's Bay was good fun.

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