Setting

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE 08456 404040 020 7421 6855 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

Ms D Newman Acting Headteacher Corpus Christie Catholic Primary School Langbank Avenue Coventry CV3 2QP

p.1

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Thank you for your hospitality and co-operation, and that of your staff, during my visit on 24 September 2007 to look at work in ICT.

p.1

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

As outlined in my initial letter, as well as looking at key areas of ICT, the visit had a particular focus on the impact of ICT on whole-school improvement.

p.1

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

The visit provided valuable information which will contribute to our national evaluation and reporting. Published reports are likely to list the names of the contributing institutions but individual institutions will not be identified in the main text. All feedback letters will be published on the Ofsted website at the end of each half-term.

p.1

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

The evidence used to inform the judgements made included: interviews with you, your subject manager, Year 2 and Year 6 pupils, scrutiny of relevant documentation, analysis of pupils’ work and observation of reception, Year 1 and Year 5 lessons.

p.1

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

The overall effectiveness of ICT was judged to be satisfactory.

p.1

Achievement and standards

Standards in ICT are satisfactory. Achievement is good. The contribution to pupils’ personal development and well-being is good.

p.1

Achievement and standards

 Pupils enter school with standards below expectations. By Year 6, standards are in line with expectations. Pupils’ achievement is good.  Throughout the school, pupils have good basic skills. They are not afraid to experiment with ICT should things go wrong.  Pupils enjoy using computers, interactive whiteboards and floor robots. They work well together and are proud of their work.  Older pupils in particular, have a very good understanding of the need to work safely when using the internet.  ICT has a satisfactory impact on raising standards in other subjects. Strategies are now in place to ensure that all subject managers include the use of ICT in their planning, especially to support pupils’ writing and their higher level mathematics development.

p.1

Quality of teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning is good.

p.2

Quality of teaching and learning

 Teaching is good, which results in the good achievement of pupils.  Pupils are well managed and consequently work well together in a calm and purposeful atmosphere, especially in the ICT suite.  ICT subject knowledge is good overall but confidence varies amongst teachers and teaching assistants. The ICT manager has identified this and is providing additional training for teaching assistants and support staff.  Not all teachers in Years 3 to 6 have access to an interactive whiteboard. This causes frustration for some teachers as they recognise that the lack of a whiteboard reduces the impact of their teaching on some lessons. However, this will be addressed when the new building is completed.  Assessment is in its infancy and is only now beginning to inform planning.

p.2

Quality of the curriculum

The quality of the ICT curriculum is satisfactory.

p.2

Quality of the curriculum

 Although ICT is being used well in some subjects, it is not embedded across all areas of the curriculum. The programmes of study are being taught and there are good plans to further develop the curriculum following the completion of the new building and the multi-media area.  Provision for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is good and so they make good progress in ICT.  There is good provision for gifted and talented pupils in Year 6, through the work of a volunteer teacher. The school recognises that the ICT curriculum is not yet addressing the needs of all gifted and talented pupils in the school.  ICT is well resourced. The opening of the new suite will lead to further distribution of computers across classrooms, to increase class provision.

p.2

Leadership and management of ICT

Leadership and management of ICT are good.

p.2

Leadership and management of ICT

 Recent changes in leadership and management, including the recent appointment of the deputy headteacher as ICT manager are leading to improvement.  Although very new to the post, the ICT manager has already made a significant impact on the development of the subject. She has a very clear vision for the future and has quickly identified the strengths and weaknesses in order to improve ICT provision.  Good use is being made of the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA) self review framework. This has provided a good base for the planned development of the subject.  The action plan is good, with measurable success criteria.  There is good technical support and the policy for safe use of the internet is shared with and understood by parents and pupils.  The quality of teaching and learning has not yet been monitored but plans are in place for this to begin shortly.

p.2

Subject issue - the impact of ICT on whole-school improvement

The impact of ICT on whole school improvement is satisfactory.

p.3

Subject issue - the impact of ICT on whole-school improvement

 The use of ICT to raise standards is beginning to be well documented but has yet to make an impact.  The acting headteacher and the ICT manager are leading the drive on improvements and are ensuring that all subject managers now plan for ICT.  Overall effectiveness has been evaluated well but opportunities to monitor teaching and learning are still at an early stage.

p.3

Inclusion

 Good use is made of ICT to motivate pupils.  Good use is made of ICT to support pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities and vulnerable pupils.  Planned opportunities for supporting more able and gifted and talented pupils is insufficiently planned for but is recognised as an area for development.  Assessment of ICT is at an early stage but good systems are now in place to support the tracking of pupils and planning for individual needs.

p.3

Areas for improvement, which we discussed, included to:

 develop ICT as a tool to raise standards, especially in writing  use assessment to track pupils’ progress and to support future planning  develop planned opportunities to provide more challenge for pupils who are gifted and talented  providing further training for teachers and support staff to ensure that all are confident when teaching ICT.

p.3

Areas for improvement, which we discussed, included to:

I hope these observations are useful as you continue to develop ICT in the school.

p.3

Areas for improvement, which we discussed, included to:

As I explained in my previous letter, a copy of this letter will be sent to your Local Authority and will be published on the Ofsted website. It will also be available to the team for your next institutional inspection. Yours sincerely

p.3