1.

Number of Reports received

1.1

Reports have been received from 34 schools in the primary phase.

· 18 Primary schools

· 8 Junior schools

· 8 Infant schools

2.

Main Findings

2.1

Reports have been analysed by key stage in relation to:

· Attainment of pupils

· Quality of teaching

· Improvement since the last inspection

· Leadership and Management

The reports have also been scrutinised to identify particular trends or needs in the provision of religious education in county schools.

2.2

The following tables indicate the findings for each key stage (figures from the previous 3 academic years are included for comparison).

Above average

Average

Below average

2004/2005

35%

65%

0%

2003/2004

32%

54.5%

13.5%

2002/2003

26%

61%

13%

2001/2002

29%

61%

9%

Good or Better

Satisfactory

Less than Satisfactory

2004/2005

68%

32%

0%

2003/2004

45%

45%

10%

2002/2003

56%

44%

0%

2001/2002

58%

39%

3%

Good or Better

Satisfactory

No improvement

2004/2005

43%

57%

0%

2003/2004

44%

44%

12%

2002/2003

40%

47%

13%

2001/2002

58%

33.5%

8%

Good or Better

Satisfactory

Less than Satisfactory

2004/2005

55.5%

39%

5.5%

Above average

Average

Below average

2004/2005

50%

45.5%

4.5%

2003/2004

46%

48%

6%

2002/2003

18%

68%

14%

2001/2002

44.5%

48%

7.5%

Good or Better

Satisfactory

Less than Satisfactory

2004/2005

72%

28%

0%

2003/2004

47.5%

45%

7.5%

2002/2003

40%

60%

0%

2001/2002

75%

15.5%

9.5%

Good or Better

Satisfactory

No improvement

2004/2005

54.5%

45.5%

0%

2003/2004

58%

26%

16%

2002/2003

35%

46%

19%

2001/2002

41.5%

47%

11.5%

Good or Better

Satisfactory

Less than Satisfactory

2004/2005

42.5%

47%

10.5%

3.

Commentary

3.1

The figures for the academic year from autumn term 2004 to the summer term of 2005 should be read bearing in mind that each line of statistics represents a different cohort of schools. The figures have been achieved through analysis of individual reports and extracting information from the prose. Ofsted reports do not follow a set formula and there is considerable inconsistency in the level of detail Ofsted reports provide about the provision of RE in different schools. Ofsted reports, therefore, cannot be regarded as a precise tool for analysis. The figures do provide, however, a broad picture of how Ofsted inspectors have reported on a cohort of schools within the education authority.

3.2

At Key Stage 1, 35% of schools were reported to be achieving above average standards for religious education and 65% of schools achieved satisfactory standards for the subject. All schools have been reported as maintaining or improving the provision for RE since the last inspection. All teaching of RE was judged to be satisfactory or better.

3.4

At Key Stage 2, 50% of the schools inspected were reported to be achieving above average standards in religious education. 95.5% of schools achieved average or above average standards in the subject. The quality of teaching was judged to be good or better in 72% of schools, with a total of 100% of teaching judged to be satisfactory or better. 54.5% of schools were reported to have made good or very good improvements in the provision for the subject. Overall, all schools have made satisfactory or better improvements for religious education since their previous inspections.

4.

Other Key Findings

4.1

At Key Stage 1 and at Key Stage 2 the majority of reports made a judgement about the management of religious education. Out of those reports 55.5% judged management of RE to be good or very good at Key Stage 1 and the corresponding figure at Key Stage 2 is 42.5%.

4.2

Less than half the reports received made reference to assessment arrangements for RE. At Key Stage 1, two of those schools were judged to be managing assessment and monitoring of the subject satisfactorily, but within four of the reports assessment and monitoring of RE in the schools was identified as in need of development. A similar picture emerges for Key Stage 2 where seven of the reports that identified assessment and monitoring judged it to be unsatisfactory for RE. In one school the arrangements for assessment in RE were judged to be very good.

4.3

In the reports that identified resources, it was, without exception, in positive terms. Schools were judged to provide a wide range of resources and use them well. It was also noted how well schools used visits and visitors. 41% of the reports that made reference to visits and visitors indicated that this had a positive effect on pupils' learning.

4.4

At Key Stage 1, seven reports indicated that very good links had been made between pupils' learning in religious education and other areas of the curriculum and at Key Stage 2, six reports made positive judgements about cross curricular links made. However, at both key stages , 11 of the reports indicated that insufficient opportunities were made for linking literacy with RE and for pupils to engage with writing tasks in RE lessons.

4.5

A few of the most recently received reports made comments about the implementation of the new Agreed Syllabus for RE. Comments were, without exception, positive. The following extracts provide an illustration:

"The school has quickly implemented the new locally Agreed Syllabus, and this provides a good guide for teachers."

"Very helpful guidance (is) given in the locally Agreed Syllabus, particularly on concept development."

5.

The overall picture

5.1

In the 2004/2005 cohort of reports on schools a number of common features have emerged:

· there is high quality management of the subject

· schools provide a range of resources and use them effectively

· schools make good use of visits and visitors

5.2

Reports indicate areas in need of further development:

· continue to develop cross curricular opportunities for RE, particularly with literacy

· continue to develop assessment and monitoring of the subject

2002

2003

2004

2005

ALL

1439

1351

1460

2029

BOYS

472

439

474

776

GIRLS

967

912

986

1253

2002

2003

2004

2005

ALL

59.14

64.4

67.5

76.8

BOYS

48.5

54.4

56.75

68.8

GIRLS

64.3

69.2

72.72

81.7

2002

2003

2004

2005

A*

5.49

4.89

5.48

8.7

A

13.48

14.88

18.29

23.8

B

18.55

23.98

24.04

23.3

C

21.61

20.65

19.73

21.1

A*-C

59.14

64.40

67.5

76.8

D

12.16

14.06

13.90

11.8

E

10.63

9.70

10.48

7.1

F

7.92

6.00

8.14

2.5

G

5.70

3.85

4.90

1.2

LEA Subject Residual

2004 2005

National Subject Residual

2004 2005

Adjusted LEA - National Residual

2004 2005

Boys

-0.32 0.25

-0.25 -0.80

-0.07 1.05

Girls

0.08 2.56

0.12 1.21

-0.04 1.35

All

-0.05 1.68

-0.04 0.34

-0.01 1.34

RS

2002

2003

2004

2005

ALL

3194

4646

4905

4455

BOYS

1410

2664

2225

GIRLS

3236

2441

2230

RE

2005

ALL

25

BOYS

13

GIRLS

12

RS

2002

2003

2004

2005

ALL

59.46

50.73

56.7

57.7

BOYS

52.1

40.98

48.9

49.1

GIRLS

67.2

61.22

64.52

66.2

RE

2005

ALL

83.3

BOYS

92.3

GIRLS

72.7

RS

LEA Subject Residual 2005

National Subject Residual 2005

Adjusted LEA - National Residual 2005

All

-0.56

-1.45

0.89

Boys

-3.06

-2.61

-0.44

Girls

1.93

-0.31

2.24

RE

LEA Subject Residual 2005

National Subject Residual 2005

Adjusted LEA - National Residual 2005

ALL

5.51

-4.46

9.61

BOYS

4.40

-5.52

9.92

GIRLS

5.97

-3.57

9.54