Cheadle Catholic Junior School

Cheadle Hulme

Dates of inspection: 27th – 29th March 2000

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Cheadle Hulme

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

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Cheadle Hulme

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. Cheadle Catholic Junior School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Conway Road Cheadle Hulme Cheshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: January 1997 Cheadle Catholic Junior School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Mr N Sherman Registered inspector Mrs B Sinclair Lay inspector Mrs J Oliver Team inspector Mrs A Dakin Team inspector

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Lynrose Marketing Ltd

Old Bungalow Farmhouse Six Mile Bottom Newmarket Cambs CB8 OLT

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Lynrose Marketing Ltd

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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Lynrose Marketing Ltd

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Lynrose Marketing Ltd

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Cheadle Catholic Junior School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 10

Standards in English, mathematics and science are well above average by the time the pupils leave school The quality of educational leadership is very good and the school makes very good use of assessment information to track trends in pupils’ attainment. The quality of teaching is good overall and for English it is very good and occasionally excellent The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 13

The rate of pupils’ progress in information technology. Aspects of pupils’ personal development.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Cheadle Catholic Junior school is situated in a privately owned housing estate in Cheadle Hulme. There are 189 boys and 179 girls, 368 pupils in total who are taught in 12 classes. Attainment on entry is above the national average for seven year olds. Most pupils come from the local Catholic infant school that is on the same site. The school serves the various Catholic parishes that are located in the area. The socio-economic circumstances of the pupils are generally above average. Around four per cent of pupils, a proportion that is well below the average, are known to be entitled to free school meals. Ten per cent of the pupils have special educational needs which is below the average. One per cent of pupils have a statement of special educational need, which is around average. There are very few pupils from ethnic minority families.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school is very effective. Pupils enter school with above average levels of attainment and they continue to make good progress. By the age of 11, pupils attain standards well above the national average in English, mathematics and science. Pupils demonstrate very good attitudes to their learning, the school and to each other. The quality of teaching is good, and, in English is very good. This has a significant impact on the good progress pupils make. The curriculum is good and the overall provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. The use to which assessment data is put in order to track the rate of pupils’ progress is exemplary. The school works very well with parents who fully support the ideals and values that characterise the school. Pupils are cared for very well. The headteacher is a pivotal figure for the school and, together with a hard working and dedicated staff, provides the school with a clear yet sensitive educational

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

direction. The school gives very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards in English, mathematics and science are well above average by the time the pupils leave school • The quality of educational leadership is very good and the school makes very good use of assessment information to track trends in pupils’ attainment. • The quality of teaching is good overall and for English it is very good and occasionally excellent • The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good.

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What could be improved

• The rate of pupils’ progress in information technology. • Aspects of pupils’ personal development. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good progress since its last inspection in January 1997. Effective action has been taken on most of the key issues identified for the school’s further development. Good attention has been paid to the issue of improving the quality of planning of learning for pupils of different abilities. In many lessons, pupils have work that is very Cheadle Catholic Junior School - 7 effectively planned, challenging, and takes into full account their different levels of ability. Consequently, the percentage of pupils who attained the higher Level 5 and above on the basis of the 1999 National Curriculum test results was well above average. The relationship between planned initiatives in the school’s Development Plan, and how to measure the success of these are now clear. Improved playground facilities have reduced the number of minor accidents noted at the time of the last inspection and the school has plans to improve

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

the school grounds even further. Slower progress has been made in terms of developing ways to measure the cost effectiveness of spending decisions against the standards that pupils attain. Over and above the action taken on the key issues, the school has made significant gains in raising the standards that pupils attain in English, mathematics and science, and these are now well above average. Not enough progress has been made in ensuring the pupils make the progress they are capable of in information technology.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

1997 1998 1999 1999 well above average A

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

mathematics A A* A* A average below average C D science A A A B well below average E

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

The results of the National Curriculum tests place the school in the top five per cent of schools nationally for mathematics and well above average in English and science. The school has maintained these high standards over the past three years. In comparison to similar schools, standards are well above average in English and mathematics and above average in science. Inspection findings confirm that pupils attain well above average standards in all three subjects. There are particularly strong features in the quality of pupils’ writing, which is extremely vibrant, and in their mental mathematical abilities. The school exceeds the targets that have been set in consultation with the local authority although in reality, these could be more challenging. Pupils, including those with special educational needs make good progress in the development of their literacy and numeracy skills as they move through the school. However, while standards in information technology are in line

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

with national expectations, the rate of pupils’ progress could be more rapid. Cheadle Catholic Junior School - 8

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Aspect

Attitudes to the school Very good. In lessons, pupils are attentive, work hard and are keen to succeed. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils are respectful to one another and are often sensitive and patient with each other. Despite the restricted nature of the playground, pupils play effectively with each other during break times. Personal development and relationships The quality of relationships is very strong. While pupils are keen to take on the responsibility, for example, answering the telephone at lunchtimes, the school does not provide as many opportunities as it could to extend pupils’ personal development. Attendance Good. Attendance is above the national average.

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Teaching of pupils: aged 7-11 years

31 lessons seen overall Good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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Teaching of pupils: aged 7-11 years

Overall, the quality of teaching is good. During the inspection, teaching was very good or excellent in around 35 per cent of lessons and good in a further 48 per cent. It was never less than satisfactory. The teaching of English is very good and sometimes excellent. During the inspection, this amounted to nearly 60 per cent of all English lessons seen. The skills of literacy are taught very well as are those for numeracy. As a result, pupils make good progress and attain standards that are very high. Pupils who have special educational needs are taught well. However, the use of information technology to support pupils’ learning is not extensive.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good throughout the school. There is a very high degree of consistency in how teachers plan pupils’ learning from class to class. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Pupils with special educational needs have their needs well planned for and as a result, make good progress in their learning. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good overall. The planned provision for pupils’ spiritual development is excellent. Pupils are given many opportunities through their writing, for example, to ponder and reflect on matters of interest to them. How well the school cares The very good procedures in place ensure that pupils are very Cheadle Catholic Junior School - 9 for its pupils well cared for.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. Ably supported by a hard-working and dedicated staff, the headteacher provides the school with a clear agenda for improvement. The school focuses strongly on pupils attaining high standards. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors provide good support to the school. Their active involvement gives them a clear insight into the school’s many strengths and enables them to fulfil their legal responsibilities. The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The school is particularly creative in the way it uses new technology in highlighting trends in attainment by pupils. The strategic use of resources Very good. Staff are deployed effectively and, with the exception of information technology equipment, classrooms and teaching resources are used very effectively to support pupils’ learning.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The ‘community feel’ of the school. • The standards pupils attain. • The caring attitudes of all who work in the school. • The high expectation teachers have of pupils. • The manner in which the staff promote the aided status of the school • The high standards of behaviour. • A small minority of parents would like to see the structure of the pupils’ end of year reports improved.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors fully support the many positive comments made by parents about the school. While the structure of pupils’ reports has changed in recent times, they do in fact, contain all the information they should for parents and their quality is satisfactory. Cheadle Catholic Junior School - 10

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pupils leave school

1. The overall results pupils attained in the 1999 end of key stage National Curriculum tests were well above average in English, mathematics and science. Results at the higher levels were particularly impressive with over fifty per cent of pupils attaining Level 5 in English and over sixty per cent attaining Level 5 in mathematics. In comparison to similar schools, standards were well above average. Standards in all three subjects have been consistently high since 1997 and show an improvement over those noted in the school’s previous inspection. The school has been very successful in ensuring that the strategies for literacy and numeracy have been very effectively implemented, and the teachers’ planning for each year group is regularly overseen by the co-ordinators for literacy and numeracy which ensures consistency from year to year. Together with the improvements noted in teaching, this has contributed significantly to the raising of standards. The school exceeded its targets

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pupils leave school

for the previous year in terms of the numbers of pupils attaining the expected levels. Given that the pupils enter the school with above average levels of attainment, and that the school’s procedures for tracking pupils’ attainment are exemplary, the targets could in fact, be set at a higher level.

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pupils leave school

2. Pupils make good progress in many aspects of English as they move through the various year groups. Standards in speaking and listening are well above average with consistent attention paid by teachers to promoting this aspect of pupils’ language development. Teachers provide rich and varied opportunities to develop pupils’ speaking and listening skills. These include the use of assemblies as pupils read out their work to a wider audience and the use of educational drama. Many pupils are given plenty of scope through other subjects of the curriculum to develop their reading skills. Many pupils are voracious readers and have a good knowledge and understanding of the works of children’s authors.

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pupils leave school

3. Standards in writing are often excellent. Although pupils enter the school with above average levels of attainment in writing, the school successfully extends these. The high expectations many teachers have of pupils is a major factor in ensuring that pupils attain high standards in their written work. Pupils are strongly encouraged to present their work neatly and are effectively taught to appreciate that how their work is presented has an impact on the reader. Teachers place equally high regard on ensuring that pupils’ handwriting is well formed and they encourage the development of pupils’ handwriting skills through other subjects. All teachers are creative in the way they seize opportunities to develop pupils’ imaginative and expressive writing. Fiction is used well in this regard as is poetry as a means of further stimulation. Pupils are given writing tasks such as writing in role as an inhabitant of the town of Hamelin following an exploration of Robert Browning’s

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pupils leave school

poem, ‘The Pied Piper of Hamelin.’ The consistency of teachers’ planning in their year groups contributes significantly to the breadth of writing experiences pupils are provided. At the same time, teachers creatively seize those spontaneous moments to provide other writing opportunities for pupils – including how they may feel about events that take place in their lives. For example, sadly but poignantly, as part of their remembrance of their previous infant headteacher who had recently died, one Year 4 pupil noted, ‘Her face was like a beam of sunlight, smiling at everyone she met. Her dresses were often flowery with roses or forget-me-nots. That is what I will do, forget her not!’

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pupils leave school

4. Standards in mathematics are equally high. By the end of Key Stage 2, many pupils have Cheadle Catholic Junior School - 11 developed a very good knowledge and understanding of many mathematical ideas. Standards in numeracy are well above average. Pupils are given rich and varied opportunities during lessons to work out for themselves a range of given problems both mentally and by more traditional pen and paper methods. Through being given opportunities to work collaboratively in groups, many pupils are fully able to show and explain how different strategies may be used in solving a problem. Pupils have a very good understanding of the properties of shape and are quite comfortable in using formulae, for example, in working out the area of right angled triangles. There are too few opportunities given to pupils to develop their mathematical understanding of how information technology can also be used as a means of exploring and handling data.

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pupils leave school

5. Standards in science are well above the national average. The manner and expectation teachers have of pupils in organising and laying out their science work makes a significant contribution to their literacy development. Pupils have developed a very good knowledge base of scientific ideas and are well versed in understanding the need for approaching their investigation work with an open mind knowing that any recklessness can invalidate the results of their work.

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The quality of educational leadership is very good and the school makes very good

use of assessment information to track trends in pupils’ attainment.

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The quality of educational leadership is very good and the school makes very good

6. There is very good educational leadership of Cheadle Catholic Junior School. Since the last inspection, the headteacher spent a year out of the school on secondment to another school. However, despite his absence, the school has not been complacent and continued to move forward being proactive in a number of ways. In particular, the implementation of the National Literacy and National Numeracy Strategies has been very effectively undertaken. The leadership offered by the co-ordinators in accomplishing the implementation of these has been very good. Following the headteacher’s return, the same momentum has been maintained. For example, plans have been drafted to enable a new information technology suite and library to be built. If approved, these have the potential to add to the quality of education further. The headteacher provides very good educational leadership and is extremely mindful of the need to draw other viewpoints from staff, parents

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The quality of educational leadership is very good and the school makes very good

or governors before setting a clear educational direction for the school. His strong, yet equally sensitive relationships with his colleagues, effectively ensure that a strong team spirit is engendered. The strong sense of team work is sharply focused on providing all pupils, regardless of their ability, with a high quality of education. He is ably supported by the deputy headteacher and other members of the staff – both teaching and support. The headteacher has a very good understanding of the individual strengths of the school and where, despite the high quality education currently provided, further improvements could be made. While he regularly and systematically monitors teaching, there is further scope to allow subject co-ordinators opportunities for similar work.

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The quality of educational leadership is very good and the school makes very good

7. The quality of the School Development Plan is very good and provides a clear focus and agenda for the school’s improvement. This is devised and drawn up after careful discussions and consultations between staff, parents and governors. From such work come action points that are clear, have clear times, and are suitably supported by realistic financial planning. Evaluation of the plan is undertaken, but at present, further work could be undertaken to measure the cost effectiveness of spending decisions against the standards pupils attain.

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The quality of educational leadership is very good and the school makes very good

8. The Governing Body is highly supportive of the school and works tirelessly on its behalf. Its various committees meet regularly and they are given clear and up-to-date information by Cheadle Catholic Junior School - 12 the headteacher on how the school is working and moving towards its goals. Many governors often visit the school and this gives them a good working knowledge of what the school is doing well. The Governing Body ably fulfils all of its legal requirements and takes seriously its responsibilities in respect of pupils with special educational needs and in relation to equal opportunities. The school’s aims, that fully encompass the Catholic status of the school, are well met. Governors are mindful to draw into their thinking what parents think of the school. Many parents equally support the values that underpin the school, and the aim of the school to work in close and visible partnership with parents is very evident.

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The quality of educational leadership is very good and the school makes very good

9. The school makes excellent use of assessment information to measure and track the rate of pupils’ progress. The range of procedures are consistently used across the school. The quality of marking, for example, particularly in the upper part of the school, is exemplary. Teachers make both sensitive comments yet at the same time offer skilled guidance to pupils on how they may possibly improve their work. Pupils are assessed in each year group using a range of tests to measure their progress in English and mathematics. The results are very carefully evaluated and the information gained is used by teachers to group pupils and to plan further work for pupils at an appropriate level. This successfully ensures that pupils are challenged to the best of their abilities. The headteacher, through the use of information technology software, uses the assessment information well to highlight the degree of pupils’ progress in each of the classes and to identify where additional support

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The quality of educational leadership is very good and the school makes very good

may be necessary. Tentative plans are in fact in place to possibly make the information available to individual parents through the Internet. Governors are regularly presented with the results of the tests and this helps them get a good overview of standards in the school.

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excellent

10. A major reason for the high standards achieved by the age of 11 is the quality of the vast majority of teaching. During the inspection, the overall quality of teaching for English was very good or excellent in nearly 60 per cent of lessons. Across many lessons, teachers have high expectations of the pupils and lessons proceed at an almost electric pace. Added to this is the good subject knowledge that teachers have. Furthermore, they effectively use the assessment information that they gather on the pupils to plan interesting and stimulating lessons, to which the pupils respond very well.

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excellent

11. The teaching of English is highly imaginative. The National Literacy Strategy has been very successfully integrated all classes. Teachers in year groups plan their work very carefully. This ensures pupils in each of the classes have much the same breadth of language work as their classmates in each of the other classes. Where necessary, extension work is often built into many lessons ensuring that pupils are fully challenged and extended. In many classes, literature and poetry are very well used as a stimulus for pupils’ writing. Teachers successfully develop the pupils’ understanding of the writing process acknowledging and providing good scope for pupils to draft and redraft their writing. Pupils are taught to appreciate that the way they present their work has an effect on the reader. To this end, high standards of presentation, neat work and producing writing using a fully joined script are actively promoted in all parts of the school and in all subjects. Pupils’ work is well

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excellent

displayed and this helps to ensure that pupils appreciate that writing is for an audience. The quality of marking is excellent with both clear and sensitive comments offered to pupils on what they have done and, at the same time, still containing guidance as to how they may improve their efforts even further. The quality of teaching would be enhanced further if perhaps greater scope was given to pupils to use information technology as a means of communication such as using more frequently and creatively a word-processor or desk top Cheadle Catholic Junior School - 13 publishing programme.

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excellent

12. Good attention is paid to promoting pupils’ speaking and listening skills. Drama is used by some teachers very effectively to further promote these skills. In upper Key Stage 2, one lesson involved pupils exploring the basic ideas from Shakespeare’s, ‘The Tempest’. Pupils worked in mime as they explored the characteristics of the main characters from the story. Other teaching techniques such as ‘Hot seating’, for example, where pupils are asked to take on the role of another character, are used well to promote pupils’ speaking skills. Teachers successfully promote high standards in reading and many pupils have a wide knowledge of the works of famous authors both contemporary and more classical.

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excellent

13. One result of the very good teaching in English is the very good attitudes that pupils have towards their learning. Many, for example, go to great length to present their work as neatly as they are able and to produce imaginative pieces of writing. The same care in the presentation of their work is demonstrated across many subjects, with many pupils’ science work being neat, easy to follow and showing the level and depth of pupils’ scientific thinking. The rich and varied stimulation of many lessons ensures that pupils concentrate very well, including those with special educational needs. Pupils listen very carefully demonstrating sensitive appreciation to others who may be not as confident as themselves in voicing an opinion or reading aloud. Pupils are taught to treat resources with respect appreciating the fact that others may well have to use the same equipment at a later date. Many pupils are prepared to push and extend themselves in all that they do.

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The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good

14. Overall, the provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good and a strength of the school. This represents an improvement on standards reported at the time of the last inspection.

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The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good

15. The school successfully fulfils the aims of its Mission Statement by providing all pupils with a secure, caring and Christian environment which aims to fully develop all aspects of each child’s potential. Parents are fully supportive of the aims, values and attitudes offered by the school.

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The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good

16. The school makes excellent provision for pupils’ spiritual development. Assemblies and many lessons include appropriate opportunities for pupils to reflect and consider their place in the world. Good provision is made to develop pupils’ feelings of awe and wonder. Opportunities are provided in literacy lessons for pupils to reflect on a wide range of poetry and stories with morals. Provision for moral development is excellent. Pupils are encouraged to have a clear understanding of right and wrong and to treat property with respect. Staff work alongside parents to guide pupils to be honest, fair and sensitive to the needs of others. Self-discipline is encouraged and good behaviour is openly rewarded. Consequently, behaviour is good in lessons, the playground, and when pupils move around the school. Pupils are very aware of how their actions can impact on the well being of others. Moral issues are raised in assemblies, in lessons and through personal and social

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The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good

education which is successfully developed in classroom discussions. Relationships are very good throughout the school and teachers offer themselves as role models.

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The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good

17. Provision for pupils’ social development is good. The school has established a real sense of community, in which all staff and pupils co-operate well and show genuine interest for one another’s actions and well being. It is encouraged further by the good working relationship created with the school, parents, the various parishes that the school serves and the local community. Pupils interact well and are encouraged to develop initiative and to take Cheadle Catholic Junior School - 14 responsible action in the routine day-to-day activities within school. Tasks are regularly allocated and several instances were seen where pupils were involved in helping one another.

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The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good

18. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is good. The very good display allows pupils to celebrate their artistic and other achievements. For example, there are very colourful displays in school depicting pupils’ work in the style of Monet and Picasso. The provision for the multi-cultural education is the weaker element of the school’s work but this has improved since the school’s previous inspection.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

The rate of pupils’ progress in information technology.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

19. By the time they reach the age of 11, pupils attain standards in line with national expectations in information technology. While this is the same judgement as that found at the time of the school’s previous inspection, the progress pupils make is slower than that expected when one takes into account their higher than average levels of attainment and the standards they attain in English, mathematics and science.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

20. Most pupils have a secure knowledge and understanding of how computers can assist them in their work. They are able to use a word-processor as part of their literacy efforts and close examination of their poetry work indicates that pupils are able to use the alignment keys within such packages to good purpose by, for example, centring a poem on a page. Pupils appreciate how compact discs have far greater storage facilities enabling text, graphics and multimedia facilities to be combined, for example, to form electronic encyclopaedias. Pupils also have a secure understanding of how information technology is playing an ever increasing role in their lives. They know, for example, that the quality of television pictures is improving rapidly with the advent of digital communication and that information can be sent world wide via the use of the electronic mail.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

21. However, there are noticeable gaps in pupils’ understanding of how the computer can assist them in some aspects of their learning. Given the very good knowledge they have in mathematics, and in shape and space, pupils’ perception of how the computer language of ‘Logo’ can be used as a further means of exploring angles, rotation and procedures is insufficiently developed. In addition, pupils have a very limited knowledge of the language normally associated with spreadsheets, such as ‘cells’ or ‘formulas.’ Scope for pupils to develop their awareness of control, modelling or aspects of data logging, is not effectively planned for by teachers. Given that a significant number of pupils have access to computers at home, the school does not build sufficiently on pupils’ personal development, the skills they demonstrate, or their undoubted enthusiasm for working with computers.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

22. Part of the explanation for the above is the clear attention that the school has paid to ensuring that the national strategies for literacy and numeracy have been effectively embedded into the school’s work. Development in bringing staff up-to-date with how computers can be used to support these developments has not been at the same pace. Current equipment is now starting to look a little dated. However, the work by the co- ordinator, recently appointed to the post, has the potential to raise the quality of pupils’ learning in information technology. A planned programme to extend the school’s range of equipment is in now in place, a new scheme of work is being developed and further plans include the possible provision of an information technology suite to support pupils’ learning. There is a need, however, to ensure that where possible, information technology is used to Cheadle Catholic Junior School - 15

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

support pupils in their learning in lessons, and that teachers’ plans show clearly what information technology skills pupils are expected to learn during the course of a session. Cheadle Catholic Junior School - 16 Aspects of pupils’ personal development.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

23. It is clear that the pupils of Cheadle Catholic Junior School have very good attitudes to the school. However, given these strengths and the fact that the pupils enter the school with higher than average levels of attainment, further opportunities to allow pupils to become even more independent in their learning and, perhaps to take more responsibility in other aspects of school life would extend these skills even further. Pupils are given some areas of responsibility, for example, older pupils answer the telephone at dinner times, taking messages and greeting visitors to the school. They do this sensibly and ably. In addition, they collect funds for others less fortunate for themselves and regularly take part in various activities in terms of developing community or parish links. Pupils would benefit from a ‘school council’ or, for example, older pupils having direct responsibility for the younger

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

ones when they first enter the school, or by taking increased responsibility for some of the direction their learning could take. The plans that are being laid to improve the range of information technology provision in the school would go some way to enabling this.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

24. Cheadle Catholic Junior School has many strengths. In order to extend these even further, the headteacher, Governing Body and staff should:

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(1) improve the rate of pupils’ progress in information technology by:

• ensuring that, where possible, teachers effectively integrate the use of computers in the course of their everyday teaching; • ensuring that lesson plans highlight clearly the information technology knowledge and skills pupils are expected to learn during the course of a lesson; • arranging for the quality of resources to be brought up-to-date; • developing a whole school approach to assessing pupils’ progress so that their future learning successfully builds on what they already know.

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(2) further extend opportunities to allow pupils to become more independent and

develop more initiative in certain aspects of their personal development.

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(2) further extend opportunities to allow pupils to become more independent and

(Para 23) Cheadle Catholic Junior School - 17

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 14

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

13 23 48 16 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 368

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 15 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 49

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 8

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 8

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Attendance

National comparative data 4.7 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Cheadle Catholic Junior School - 18

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 43 36 79

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 37 42 40 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 33 32 34

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 89 (91) 94 (91) 94 (92) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 39 41 39 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 33 32 33

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 91 (94) 92 (92) 91 (95) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (71) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group Other minority ethnic groups

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Cheadle Catholic Junior School - 19

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 14 Financial year 1998/99

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 28.3 £

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Average class size 30.6 Total income 505 098

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: Y3 – Y6 Expenditure per pupil 1 409

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3 Balance brought forward from previous year 19 275

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 80 Balance carried forward to next year 28 342 Cheadle Catholic Junior School - 20

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 68 28 2 0 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 59 41 0 0 0 My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 42 43 12 2 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The teaching is good. 71 26 2 0 0 I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 51 38 8 2 1 I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 71 25 2 2 0 The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 80 15 2 2 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 57 36 3 2 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 72 28 0 0 0 The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 69 29 2 0 0 The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 40 42 10 4 3

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