Christ Church Church of England Primary School, Shooters Hill

CHRIST CHURCH C of E PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 5 th – 8 th February 2001

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CHRIST CHURCH C of E PRIMARY SCHOOL

Full 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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CHRIST CHURCH C of E 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. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs Maria Vinante

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 19 th - 22 nd June 1995 Christ Church C of E Primary School - 2

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responsibilities

24254 Tom Shine Registered inspector Science Music Physical education How high are standards? How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? 09092 Ron Elam Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 21171 Sally Handford Team inspector English Geography History The foundation stage Equal opportunities English as an additional language 3630 Mary Wilkinson Mathematics Information and communication technology Art and design Design and technology Special educational needs How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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responsibilities

PPI Group Ltd 7 Hill Street Bristol BS1 5RW

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responsibilities

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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responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Christ Church C of E Primary School - 3

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4 - 7

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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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 8 - 11

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This voluntary aided primary school is for 4 to 11 year-olds and there are 164 pupils on roll. Because of limitations of space, pupils in Key Stage2 (aged 7 to 11) are organised into three mixed aged classes. There is an equal number of girls and boys. Attainment on entry to the school fluctuates because the intake can be disproportionately affected in quite small year groups (no more than 25), but this year’s entry was broadly average in most of the expected skills. About 22 per cent of pupils are on the special needs register, which is about average. These range from moderate learning needs to communication and emotional and behavioural needs. Only one has a statement of special educational needs (SEN). The social backgrounds on the estates, where most of the pupils live, are broadly average, although the number of pupils entitled to free school meals is below average. The majority of pupils are white, but 20

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

per cent are from ethnic minority groups, with Black Caribbean and pupils from the Indian sub-continent being the most prominent groups. All are fluent in English and a few speak another language in addition to English, including Spanish and Bengali.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Christ Church is a good school that is increasingly providing well for its pupils in English, mathematics and science. Pupils with SEN are supported well and are fully integrated into the school. The headteacher leads the staff very effectively and all, including the governing body, are committed to raising standards. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Overall, teaching is good, with two in five lessons being very good or better; clear learning objectives and good questioning are but two of many features contributing to pupils’ good progress. • The headteacher is determined to raise standards and he has the management skills to succeed; there is good team spirit among the staff and all are supported well by the governing body. • By age eleven, pupils’ standards in English, mathematics and science are above average. • Pupils’ very good attitudes and behaviour help them to learn well. • Support for pupils with SEN is very good; it is well managed, helping pupils make good progress. • Children in the reception class are well supported and they make good progress in most areas.

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What could be improved

• Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are unsatisfactory and most teachers’ skills are insufficiently developed. • The school does not have sufficient computers and pupils do not use ICT enough in other lessons. • There is no dedicated play area for children in the reception class nor outside equipment to provide challenging activities for their physical development. • Annual reports to parents do not give sufficient information about what their children have learned. 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 was last inspected in June 1995 and the present headteacher, appointed in September 1999, is the fourth since then. Because of the lack of continuity in management, there has not been the improvement in the school that might have been expected in nearly six years. Most of the major improvements have taken place since the present head was appointed and progress following his appointment has been good. However, accommodation was improved just before his arrival. Assessment procedures to monitor pupils’ progress are now much better and information from these is being used to guide teachers’ planning, although it needs to be extended to all subjects. The co- ordinators’ roles in monitoring standards are being developed now that stability in staffing has been achieved. Most of all, under the leadership of the present headteacher, the standard of teaching is now much better than it was at the last inspection.

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STANDARDS

Christ Church C of E Primary School - 5 The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Key

science E C A A well above average above average average below average well below average A B C D E

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Key

This table shows that, taking account of the performance of all pupils in the year group, standards were below the national average in English and were also below the performance of pupils in similar schools, that is, schools with a comparable proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals. In mathematics, they were in line with the national average and those in similar schools, whilst, in science, they were well above the national average and those in similar schools. Compared to their performance in the National Curriculum tests and assessments in 1996, when these pupils were aged seven, their progress was below average in English and mathematics and well above in science. Taken together, the overall trend in results over the last five years is below the national trend.

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Key

These results however, do not tell the whole story. The disappointing trend reflects the lack of continuity in leadership over that period, but that is not the case for the most recent results. Because of the absence of the teacher in Year 6, due to illness for much of the year, two supply teachers took the class on a job-share basis. They were both science specialists, which explains the very good results in the subject, but had less expertise in the other subjects, especially English, where standards in reading were good, but there was insufficient emphasis placed on writing, which was unsatisfactory.

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Key

Inspection findings show that the standards of pupils currently in Year 6 in English, are above average, overall, with standards in writing improving and benefiting from the additional time given for extended writing. Standards in mathematics and science are also above the standards expected nationally. The school’s targets for English and mathematics for this year group are much more challenging than those for last year which were set before the appointment of the present headteacher.

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Key

The results of the National Curriculum tests for seven-year-olds show that standards in reading are well above average and are above average in writing. A similar picture emerges if they are compared with similar schools. In mathematics, they are in the highest five percent both nationally and compared to similar schools. Inspection findings show that standards in reading, writing and mathematics are above average and are also above average in science. There is an above average number of pupils with SEN in this year group, and in relation to their prior attainment, pupils are achieving well. In most other subjects standards are broadly typical for seven and 11-year-olds. The exceptions are in geography and history where, at age seven, standards are above average. In ICT, standards throughout the school are unsatisfactory. These standards have slipped back since the last inspection. Although it fluctuates, the

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Key

attainment of children on entry to the reception class this year is broadly average. Children benefit from the very good teaching and are well on course to achieve the early learning goals by the time they enter Year 1. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 6 Christ Church C of E Primary School - 7

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school These are very good and contribute well to pupils’ progress. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good, in and around the school. Pupils are well mannered and polite to all. Personal development and relationships Pupils have very good relationships with each other and with all members of staff. They willingly take on responsibilities when given the opportunities. Attendance Very good. Unauthorised absence is very low.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils’ very good attitudes and behaviour have positive effects on their learning.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Lessons seen overall Very good Good 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 up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

At the last inspection, the overall quality of teaching was sound. In this inspection, findings show that teaching has improved significantly and is good, overall. In the lessons seen, teaching is very good in the foundation stage (for children up to the age of five) and is good in Key Stage 1 (for pupils aged 6 and 7) and in Key Stage 2 (for pupils aged 7 to 11). Teaching was satisfactory or better in 100 per cent of lessons (there was, therefore, no unsatisfactory teaching) and was very good or better in 40 per cent of lessons. The teaching of English and literacy skills, and mathematics and numeracy skills is good, overall. Most teachers have a good grasp of the national strategies to teach these skills. The best teaching occurs in the reception class and in Years 2 and 6; and in these classes examples of outstanding teaching were seen.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

The needs of all pupils are met well, including pupils with SEN. Pupils respond well to this good teaching and generally learn well. The exception is in ICT, where most teachers’ subject knowledge is weak and pupils are not given the opportunities to learn than they could reasonably expect. In the majority of lessons, teachers have clear learning objectives, which they share with their pupils who are, therefore, aware of what needs to be done. They plan their lessons well and ask incisive questions that test pupils to think about the topic and enable the teacher to assess their knowledge and progress.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The curriculum is broad and balanced and meets statutory requirements. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. The school identifies these pupils early and support provided by the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO), other teachers and support staff is very effective. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good for personal development, overall. Provision for pupils’ social and cultural development is very good. Areas of the curriculum such as art, poetry and visits to museums and art galleries contribute positively to pupils’ personal development. How well the school cares for its pupils The school provides good levels of care.

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Aspect Comment

The school works well with parents, but the annual reports fail to comment on their children’s progress in developing their skills and knowledge in subjects. The school places strong emphasis on literacy and Christ Church C of E Primary School - 8 numeracy and does well to provide additional time for pupils to practise writing at length. The curriculum for the foundation stage is good and would be better if an improved play area and large outdoor equipment were provided for reception children.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff The head teacher provides very effective leadership and management to raise standards. The deputy’s role is developing and is becoming increasingly effective under the headteacher’s leadership. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors are very supportive and fulfil their statutory responsibilities well. The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. Under the present head the school monitors both teaching and data for pupils’ progress very well. The strategic use of resources Satisfactory. Funding for SEN is used effectively and teaching resources are steadily being built up, but there is a large under-spend in the budget.

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Aspect Comment

The number, qualifications and experience of the teaching and support staff are good. Learning resources are adequate, overall, but some are good. Resources for ICT are inadequate, but the school has plans to improve these. The outdoor play area and play equipment for children in the reception class are also inadequate. The headteacher provides clear educational direction for the work of the school and, although there is an under-spend in the budget, the use for which needs to be identified, it applies the principles of best value appropriately.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children like school. • They make good progress. • Behaviour is good. • Teaching is good. • The school is approachable. • It has high expectations. • The school is well managed and led. • It helps children become mature and responsible. • The amount of homework. • The range of activities outside lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors agree with parents’ positive views. Inspectors found that the provision of homework was satisfactory. They also found that the range of activities outside lessons was satisfactory, although there was no provision for younger children below eight years of age. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 9

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. When children enter the foundation stage in the reception, their attainment fluctuates from year to year, depending on the proportion of children with special educational needs (SEN) and the gender balance of boys and girls, but baseline assessment shows it to be about average. Children benefit from very good teaching and make progress that reflects this teaching in most areas of learning. They make a good start to their education and quickly begin to build on the skills and knowledge they bring from home and a wide range of pre-school experiences. At the time of the inspection, no child had been in the foundation stage for more than five months and some had been in the school for less than a month. However, it is clear that most children are on course to reach the early learning goals in creative development, knowledge and understanding of the world and in most aspects of physical development. In personal, social and emotional development, communication,

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

language and literacy and mathematical development, learning is very good and almost all children are on course to exceed the goals. The high quality of teaching in the foundation stage, contributing to this quality of learning, has been in place only since last September, when the present teacher took up her post.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The performance of seven-year-olds in the most recent National Curriculum tests shows that standards in reading were well above the national average and were also well above average when compared to the performance of pupils in similar schools. In writing, they were above average, both when compared to the national picture and to similar schools. In mathematics, they were in the highest five percent both nationally and when compared to similar schools. Teacher assessments in science were above average. Inspection findings show that standards in reading, writing and mathematics are above average and are also above average in science. Given the relatively small size of the age group (24), the differences between test and inspection findings in reading are not significant, especially taking account of the above average number of pupils with special educational needs. In relation to their prior attainment, pupils are achieving well.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Inspection findings show that standards in English for eleven-year-olds are above average, overall, with standards in writing improving and benefiting from the additional time given for extended writing. In mathematics and science, standards are also above average, overall. Pupils with special needs are strongly supported and achieve well. These standards are higher than the National Curriculum tests in 2000 for eleven-year-olds would suggest, when the standards of all pupils in the year group were below the national average in English and were also below the performance of pupils in similar schools. In mathematics, they were in line both with the national average and with the performance of similar schools. In science, they were well above both the national average and when compared with similar schools. Account should be taken of the disruption to these pupils’ education because of the absence of their teacher due to illness. The

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

two teachers who covered in her absence on a job-share basis for most of the year, were science specialists, whose expertise in this subject was not matched with that in some others. The overall trend in results over the last five years is below the national trend, but can be expected to improve significantly under the direction of the new headteacher.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Standards are improving in English and mathematics, as teachers find the national strategies for literacy and numeracy have added greater structure and rigour to their lessons. In addition, the general quality of teaching has improved significantly. Targets for last year, which were set before the appointment of the present headteacher, were insufficiently challenging. Those for the current year in English and mathematics are realistic, but much more challenging.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. At age seven, pupils’ skills in speaking and listening are above average. They build well on the progress they have made in the foundation stage, where their early diffident attempts at speaking and their impatience at listening are quickly replaced by increasingly confident speech and an awareness of the need to listen to the views of others, including their teacher. They speak clearly Christ Church C of E Primary School - 10 and answer questions and express their opinions confidently. They help each other whilst discussing their tasks together. As pupils leave Year 2 and move with older pupils they continue to improve their ability to express themselves. By the age of eleven, they confidently discuss their ideas, use carefully chosen vocabulary and are not afraid to express their feelings, as was seen in some lessons, such as personal, social and health education. Pupils discuss their ideas together

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

and prepare well when discussing the structure and content of the texts. In so doing, they give themselves time to think through their responses before they share these with the rest of the class.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. At age 7, pupils’ standards in reading are well above average and are above average when pupils are 11 years-of-age. Younger pupils read a range of books enthusiastically and read regularly at home. Average and above average pupils read fluently and with expression and clearly have a good understanding of what they are reading. Below average readers are keen and confident and, although they may lack some reading skills, they are, nevertheless, very enthusiastic. Older readers choose from and enjoy a wide range of reading material. During a quiet reading session in the class for Years 5 & 6, for example, pupils of all reading abilities were reading biographies and auto-biographies of popular celebrities from the worlds of television, popular music and football, as well as reference books about the human body, and dictionaries. They understood what they were reading and were able to summarise the stories well.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. The overall standard of writing is above that expected for pupils aged 7. Their skills are improving significantly and benefit from additional time for extended writing. They use their developing skills well in a range of writing, including narrative, instructions, diaries, and dialogue. Average and above average pupils use punctuation, such as capital letters, full stops and speech marks accurately, but could use more imaginative and descriptive language in their writing. By the age of 11, pupils’ writing covers a range of styles for different purposes and audiences. Drafting is used effectively to help pupils plan their writing and pupils work well together in editing their work before producing their final draft. Handwriting and presentation are consistently good. There are some good examples of the use of word-processing to present final versions of pupils’ work, but, overall, information and communication technology (ICT) is under-used in English throughout the school.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Literacy is used well in other subjects, for example, in science and in geography and history.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. At age 7, pupils benefit from quick-fire sessions in mental calculations at the beginning of lessons and are very secure in adding and subtracting sets of objects to 10. They are able to explain their methods of how they arrived at their answers and know that halving is the opposite of doubling and many show awareness that subtraction is the reverse of addition. They count accurately to 100 in 2s, 5s and 10s and can count backwards confidently from 100. Above average pupils use a variety of strategies to check their mental calculations such as the use of a hundred number square. By the time they are 11, most pupils multiply and divide accurately. They are familiar with the application of the four operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) to money or measurement and have good knowledge of tables. In shape, space and measures pupils work with 3D shapes and squared paper to find which nets will form cubes. In handling data, they use graphs

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

well to plot or extract information. Pupils show secure skills in using and applying mathematics and develop well the use of technical language in mathematics. Numeracy is used well in many subjects, such as science and in design and technology (DT), but there are insufficient opportunities generally for pupils to use ICT in mathematics. The school is on course to achieve its targets in English and mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. In science, standards are above average. Work in pupils’ books, when they are seven, shows appropriate emphasis on scientific enquiry where, for example, they study the effects of baking on dough and make careful observations about the length of time it takes for ice-cubes to melt in different settings. In life processes and living things pupils have sound knowledge about healthy eating and the importance of exercise. They study the use of a range of materials such as glass and how it is used in objects, such as windows and bottles, in materials and their properties. In physical processes, pupils know that pushes and pulls are examples of forces and used this knowledge in a lesson to carry out a fair test, making predictions about the distance toy cars would travel on ramps made of materials of varying resistance. They used their mathematical and numeracy skills well in measuring and recording their findings. At age eleven, work in pupils’

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

books shows continuing emphasis on scientific enquiry , although all the areas of science are Christ Church C of E Primary School - 11 covered. They write about their experiment, in which they test the thermal insulation qualities of various materials, such as wood, metal and plastic. Pupils use their literacy and numeracy skills well in this and much other work in science. In a very good lesson in Year 6, pupils studied the effect of exercise on their pulse and used pulse meters according to the principles of fair testing. They recorded their systematic observations well in tables and graphs and the standard of their work was good. All pupils, including those with SEN, made very good progress.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. In ICT, standards are below those expected for pupils aged seven and 11-years-old. At the last inspection, standards were broadly in line with those expected for pupils’ ages. However, national expectations in the subject have risen significantly with the emphasis on new technology and the school has not kept pace with this national level of development. Word processing skills are developing, but they are not consistently used to support work in other subjects. At age seven, pupils begin to control devices such as a programmable toy, like a Roamer, to manoeuvre in a four- stage sequence. Other aspects, such as modelling and internet use, are very much under- developed. There is insufficient emphasis on presenting data such as text and tables electronically. At age eleven, pupils have made satisfactory progress in word processing but this is used rarely to support other subjects. An example of data handling is found in geography, where

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

pupils compare and contrast the manual and computerised handling of pre-loaded weather data, but this is not at the level expected for pupils this age. Other applications, such as computer control and measuring and monitoring, are very under-represented.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. In most other subjects, standards are broadly in line with the standards expected when pupils are seven and 11 years olds. The exceptions are in geography and history where, at age seven, standards are above average. These represent improvements since the last inspection when they were broadly average. In music, attainment is in line with the standards expected, but has slipped back since the last report where it was described as good. This is because the school no longer benefits from the services of a music specialist. In the questionnaire and at the meeting, most parents were happy with the standards in the school and with their children’s progress.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Pupils' attitudes, behaviour and relationships with each other and adults are strengths of the school and make a very good contribution towards promoting their attainment and progress. Their personal development is good. These findings are very similar to those at the time of the previous inspection and reflect the widespread views of parents, who believe that their children enjoy school and have good attitudes to school. The attendance of the pupils is very good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. When children enter the reception they respond well to the calm, caring and orderly atmosphere and the encouragement they are given to work and play together cooperatively. Their teacher and the support assistant provide very good role models and have high and consistent expectations of the children’s conduct. They make a good start to their education and quickly build on the skills and knowledge they bring from home and, for most, their pre-school education. Throughout the school, the attitudes towards learning of all pupils, including those with SEN, are very good. They concentrate well and enjoy what they are doing. This was seen in many lessons. In the class with most of Year 4, for example, a group of pupils were fully involved in adding suffixes to words and responded very well to their teacher’s expectations that they would do well and to her continued encouragement. In Year 6, pupils expressed their opinions confidently when discussing the text of

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

a German folk tale, knowing that their classmates would respect their ideas. In most classes, pupils settle quickly to group work and maintain their interest even when not being directly supported by adults in the classroom.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils behave very well in lessons, at play and at lunch times. They are open, well mannered, and polite to adults and to each other; they are courteous and welcoming to visitors. They move around the school in an orderly way and show respect for property, for example, when using the computers and take care collecting and putting away instruments during music lessons. They wait patiently in line in the playground for other classes when going into school at the beginning of the day. They follow their teacher’s instructions to walk sensibly when on their way to the hall for assembly or lessons for physical education. There was no bullying observed during the inspection and the Christ Church C of E Primary School - 12 school has appropriate procedures to deal with any aggressive behaviour that might occur. There were no exclusions in the last school year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Relationships between pupils and with adults are also very good and contribute to the quality of work in lessons. Pupils get on well with each other when playing games at break and lunch times. In the classroom, even the youngest co-operate with each other as, for example, when children in the reception class helped each other to sort shapes. During an English lesson in Year 2, in which pupils used texts that were arranged alphabetically, they moved sensibly into groups and organised the work they were expected to do. They are concerned for the well being of others and, during the inspection, a pupil in Year 6 was seen sympathetically comforting a tearful reception child who had left her lunch-box at home. Boys and girls and pupils from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds work together very well when doing group work in the classroom and when playing at break and lunch times.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. The pupils' personal development is good. In Year 6, pupils had sympathetic understanding of the feelings of others in a personal, social and health education lesson, when they discussed refugees leaving their homes. Pupils in Year 2 showed maturity in the way they phrased positive remarks during a physical education lesson, when commenting on the performance of their classmates. They are starting to use their initiative, but the occasions in which they can do so are limited. Some lessons, for example, are directed too much by the teacher and reduce the opportunities for the pupils to develop independence in their learning. In a recorder lesson, for example, the teacher distributed the instruments to the class when the pupils would have been very happy to do this task themselves. When given the opportunity, pupils act responsibly; they take on various tasks both within the classroom and outside. For example, the older pupils help to look after the youngsters

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Attendance is very good and was well above the national average over the past year. This makes a significant contribution to the standards achieved by the pupils. Besides the usual childhood ailments, absences are mainly due to a few parents who take their children on holiday in term time. Unauthorised absence is very low and reflects the efforts the school has made to ensure that parents do not take their children out of school for inappropriate reasons. Pupils are keen to come to school and punctuality is also very good. Registration takes place promptly at the start of the morning and afternoon sessions.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. Teaching has improved since the last inspection, when its overall quality was sound. During this inspection, teaching was good, overall. In the foundation stage, it is very good, with all lessons being good or better and 83 per cent being very good or better. For pupils aged 6 and 7 it is good, overall, with 80 per cent being good or better and 33 per cent being very good or better. The rest are satisfactory. For pupils aged 8 to 11, it is also good, overall, with 65 per cent being good or better and 35 per cent being very good or better. The rest are satisfactory.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. The school believes this improvement in teaching is due to a number of factors:

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

• most teachers have a good grasp of the national strategies to teach literacy and numeracy; • teachers use clear learning objectives in their lessons and share these with their pupils (a criticism in the last report); • there is more monitoring of teaching; • there has been significant teacher turnover since the last inspection, with a number of very good appointments having recently been made.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. The teaching of English and literacy skills and mathematics and numeracy skills is good, overall. In English and literacy, nearly 55 per cent of teaching is very good or better, 18 per cent is satisfactory and the rest is good. Teachers throughout the school generally have a good understanding of the structure of the literacy hour. In a few lessons the time spent on the different elements of the lesson was not as well balanced as it might have been. Teachers emphasise younger pupils’ phonic skills well, supporting their reading and spelling effectively. In mathematics Christ Church C of E Primary School - 13 and numeracy, over 71 per cent of lessons are good or better and, of these, nearly 29 per cent are very good or better. The rest are satisfactory. Teachers place most emphasis on numeracy, including skills in mental dexterity, but they still maintain an appropriate balance across all

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

aspects of the mathematics’ curriculum. In the best lessons, teachers provide plenty of opportunities for pupils to use and apply their mathematical skills and the use of technical language is encouraged. Some outstanding teaching was seen in the foundation stage and in Years 2 and 6. However, in Year 6, although the quality of teaching is often good and very good, this quality is not consistently maintained. The teaching of science is good, overall. In the lessons seen, all teachers were confident in most aspects of the subject and placed appropriate emphasis on scientific enquiry .

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. Although at least one lesson was observed in every subject, there was insufficient evidence to make overall judgements about the standard of teaching in some subjects, such as design and technology and geography.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. Throughout the school, the good standard of teaching reflects the very good relationships between teachers and their pupils. They know all of them well and ensure that the atmosphere in their classroom is one in which all pupils feel valued. They have high expectations of academic and behavioural standards and classroom routines are well managed. It follows that the management of classes is very good. Teachers are particularly skilled in ensuring that the needs of all pupils, including those with SEN, are met well at all times and this is a particularly positive feature of the school. All staff, as well as class teachers, are fully involved in pupils’ learning, because they are valued and are made to feel part of an effective team. These include:

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

• the SENCO who works well with the class teachers, and provided some outstanding class teaching during the inspection; • the support assistant in the reception class who gave effective support, working alongside the exceptionally good reception teacher; • other support assistants who, under the direction of the SENCO, are becoming a well-informed and highly motivated team and help pupils with SEN and others to make good progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. Good, effective planning is a particularly strong feature in the best lessons; they are based on the teachers’ high expectations of what the pupils can produce and move along at a good pace, maintaining pupils’ interest. Work is appropriately directed to the needs of different groups in the class. In an outstanding English lesson in the class for Years 5 and 6, taught jointly by the class teacher and the SENCO, the pace was very good and maintained its focus and impetus and so pupils’ interest. In this lesson, pupils were given just fifteen minutes to develop and write down their ideas. The tasks were related to the literacy group targets and were appropriately matched to the attainment of each group. All teachers had clear objectives which they shared with their pupils at the outset of the lesson. In a good lesson in the class for Years 3 and 4 in mathematics, the teacher explained, “Today we are going to practise counting on and back in tens and hundreds and

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

then we are going to be able to sort a variety of 2-D shapes, using different ways.” The class was fully involved and understood clearly what had to be done.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. Good questioning challenges pupils effectively to think about what they have already learned and also enables the teachers to assess whether pupils have sufficiently grasped the concepts to move on to the next stage of learning. In an English lesson in Year 2, the teacher asked, “Who can remember what sort of writing we did last week?” A number of children raised their hands and one replied , ”An A to Z book” . In response to the teacher’s further questioning such as, “What sort of information are we going to need?” she was able to establish that the class had a good command of the vocabulary required by the pupils’ confident use of technical terms, such as illustrator, publisher and first or rough draft . Examples from this good, on-going teacher-assessment are recorded in their own records and used to guide their immediate planning.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25. Many teachers’ lack sufficient knowledge and expertise in ICT to develop the subject and generally do not encourage pupils to use the subject in other areas of learning. There are a few teachers, whose overall standard of teaching, although satisfactory, needs further support to bring it up to the level of the best. The marking of pupils’ work is often supportive and is carried our conscientiously. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 14 The setting of homework is satisfactory, overall, although a minority of parents were not happy with the setting of homework. In the response to the questionnaire, the vast majority of parents were happy with the quality of teaching.

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

26. The curriculum is broad and balanced and meets statutory requirements. This is an improvement since the last inspection when the school was failing to provide the nationally recommended minimum number of hours. The length of the school day is now appropriate and strong emphasis is given to literacy and numeracy. There are good strategies in place for teaching these skills. There is satisfactory provision of out-of-school-activities, although these are restricted to older pupils. The provision of music is not as good as at the last inspection, as, unlike then, there is no music specialist to teach the subject. The provision for ICT throughout the school is unsatisfactory. There are insufficient computers in the school and pupils are not guided sufficiently to use the technology as a device to help learning in other subjects. There are plans, and money has been set aside, to improve the provision for ICT and to provide pupils with a richer experience

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27. Good policies are in place and, together with good management plans, offer an appropriate structure to staff. All teachers for the older pupils organise their teaching effectively and have particular regard for the mixed age classes in Key Stage 2. Teachers plan well to ensure that there is appropriate continuity and progress between the year groups and that unnecessary repetition is avoided.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. The curricular provision made for pupils with SEN has improved since the last inspection when the school was just becoming familiar with the then recently introduced Code of Practice. The provision of SEN is very good. The emphasis is on early identification and intervention and all pupils on the SEN register receive additional support from either the SENCO or the classroom assistants. This support is effective and these pupils make good progress. Provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education is satisfactory. There are suitable arrangements for sex education and drugs awareness.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29. Provision in the foundation stage is very strong and the teacher plans very effectively to ensure that, by the time they leave the reception, children are comfortably on course to reach the early learning goals in most of the areas of learning and, in certain cases, to exceed them. The exception is in physical development where the play area for the reception children is inadequate and there is no large equipment to provide challenging activities for the children.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. There are good links with the community and the school has very strong links with the church. The school supports several charities and children visit local places of educational interest such as galleries, museums and places of worship. These enrich pupils’ knowledge and understanding of many aspects of the curriculum. Pupils in both Years 5 and 6 have opportunities to enjoy two residential experiences to extend their knowledge and awareness of aspects of subjects such as science, geography, history and physical education and to enhance their personal development and their social skills.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. The curriculum is inclusive and all pupils, including those with SEN, have full access to it. There is an effective equal opportunities statement in the school prospectus and the school’s commitment to equal opportunities is reflected in its mission statement. All pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds are confident speakers of English. The curriculum has been enriched to provide pupils with positive experiences of the diverse beliefs and backgrounds that make up contemporary society.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. The school’s provision for pupils’ social and cultural development is very good and it makes good provision for their spiritual and moral development. These aspects of pupils’ personal development are a strength of the school and represent an improvement since the last inspection. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 15 33. The opportunities for pupils to gain insight into values and beliefs to develop their spiritual awareness are good. They are underpinned by the school’s Christian ethos and heritage. School assemblies help pupils to develop an understanding of their faith and to relate to the faiths of other people. In the reception classroom there was a peace table and pupils were given time to reflect on what had happened in assembly. Pupils gain insights into the values of others, such as Mary Seacole, in history and other lessons. The school provides opportunities within science and art

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

lessons to enable pupils to appreciate fully the exciting nature of the world around them and to consider their own feelings.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. The school’s approach to pupils' moral development is good. It has positive values and there are clear expectations of high standards of behaviour and acceptable conduct to which the pupils respond well. Golden and class rules, also enhance pupils’ behaviour and promote pupils’ awareness of right from wrong. Pupils are generally self disciplined and this makes for an orderly school. The staff provide good role models and the overall positive approach of the school to encouraging pupils' moral development is evident in the way all adults deal with pupils. The school’s approach is continuing to develop with an appropriate personal, social and health education policy.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35. The provision for encouraging the social development of the pupils is very good. The school values its members and encourages pupils to integrate well both at work and at play. In the classroom, there are many opportunities to work together in pairs or groups and even the youngest children are developing their social skills at an early age. Pupils are encouraged and are willing to undertake various tasks appropriate for their age, such as giving out and collecting resources and tidying up at the end of the session. Older pupils have duties around the school, such as supporting other pupils at lunchtime and helping in the library. Nevertheless, such opportunities are generally limited to a few pupils. Their awareness of the outside world is enhanced by sports matches, the school journey, choir and visits from people in the public sector, such as the police and fire brigade.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36. The provision for cultural development is also very good. Pupils are starting to appreciate their own cultural background and that of others from nursery rhymes, stories, music and studies of the Anglo-Saxons. Lessons introduce pupils to life in other countries, such as the use of a Caribbean counting rhyme and work on the earthquake in India. In addition, festivals provide opportunities to be aware of, for example, the Chinese New Year. Painting, music, and visits to art galleries help the development of aesthetic awareness.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. Staff show appropriate concern for the needs of the pupils and provide good role models to encourage their development. Parents are pleased with the level of support in the school, seeing it as a caring community where staff are approachable if there are any problems.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. Overall, the school has good procedures for child protection and for ensuring the welfare of the pupils. The deputy headteacher is the designated officer and the school follows local procedures. All teachers are aware of these and know how to respond when necessary. The school is aware that all staff in the school should be familiar with the guidance and intends to ensure that this is so. The provision for first aid is good. There are several trained staff, with records kept of any treatment and letters are sent home to parents as appropriate. An appropriate health and safety policy is in place. Specific governors tour the school each term to carry out a risk assessment and identify any potential hazards. Outside contractors regularly check appliances such as fire extinguishers, electrical items and equipment for physical education. The teachers ensure that pupils are made fully aware of health and safety issues during lessons such as science, physical education and

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

design and technology. The school reminds parents to exercise care in parking when bringing and collecting their children.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. The procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are good. This is an improvement since the previous inspection, when the need to develop the use of assessment for planning Christ Church C of E Primary School - 16 teaching and learning, so that the needs of all pupils were met consistently, was identified as a key issue. Good progress has been made since then in gathering, analysing and using data to improve learning opportunities and to raise standards. Good use is made of the assessment information to guide the planning of the curriculum. Pupils’ attainment is carefully monitored and appropriate steps are taken to meet the needs of all pupils. The SENCO, for example, has set up a register of pupils whom the school considers to be talented and gifted. The procedures for monitoring pupils’ academic progress and personal development make a good contribution to raising pupils’ achievement.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The school gathers and analyses a wide range of data from formal and informal sources. The emphasis is on writing and mathematics and involves a two-fold approach: one is to note pupils’ current competencies and the other is to analyse pupils’ errors made in tests. The headteacher holds discussions with class teachers and subject co-ordinators to consider the findings and together they devise action-plans for classes, cohorts and other groupings. The resulting action includes the setting of individual and group targets, establishing a homework programme, tracking individuals and groups, selecting members of booster classes for literacy and numeracy, targeting the deployment of staff for SEN and running a Saturday School for pupils in Year 6. There is evidence that this good use of information is raising both pupil motivation and their attainment.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. The monitoring of progress of pupils' personal development is good, although it is less structured and relies mainly on the teachers’ knowledge of the individual pupils. The school encourages pupils by highlighting their good work and positive attitudes during Friday assemblies. Their self- esteem is raised in one class by the introduction of positive personal profiles where pupils record what they feel good about in themselves. This approach is being extended with the development of the personal, social and health education programme. The school methodically assesses pupils with SEN to gain a good picture of their needs. They are placed at appropriate levels on the SEN register and their targets together with the necessary support is clearly explained in pupils’ individual education plans.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The procedures for promoting discipline and good behaviour are very good. Class and golden rules are prominently displayed and teachers discuss these with their pupils, both in the classroom and in assemblies. The behaviour policy has been developed after consultation with pupils and governors and contains a good balance of rewards and sanctions. Pupils are able to quote examples of what they should and should not do. In lessons, teachers frequently praise good behaviour. The well-established routines at the beginning of the day result in pupils settling down quickly to work. Although parents could not recall any instances of bullying or racism, the school has appropriate procedures should they occur.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. There are very good procedures for monitoring and promoting attendance and punctuality. Pupils are keen to come to school and this enthusiasm, together with the good relationships with parents, result in little absence. The school uses the newsletter and prospectus to remind parents of the need for regular attendance and the importance of arriving on time. The headteacher monitors the registers each week and contacts parents as necessary. The school awards certificates to pupils who have no absence. Registration takes place promptly, ensuring that punctuality is monitored consistently.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. In their responses to the questionnaire and at their meeting, parents showed that they are generally very pleased with all that the school does. The school works closely with parents and they feel comfortable approaching staff with any questions. These views are similar to the comments made at the time of the previous inspection. A minority of parents feel they are not well informed about the progress of their children, although the great majority are satisfied with the amount of information provided. Inspection finds that whilst much of the information provided is satisfactory, the end-of-year-reports give inadequate information about the children’s progress. In the summer term, an open day takes place and the annual report on progress is sent home. This report is unsatisfactory. For most subjects the comments are very general and concentrate on the work Christ Church C of E Primary School - 17

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

covered or their child’s attitudes, rather than the knowledge acquired and progress made.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. The school has established satisfactory links with the parents and these contacts are effective. The headteacher sends newsletters home every fortnight providing general administrative information as well as encouraging good attendance and highlighting the links with the community. Every half term, class teachers send details of what their pupils will be taught. Other letters refer to more specific matters. The school welcomes parents to talk to the teachers, although the layout of the site and the necessary arrangements on safety grounds for pupils leaving at the end of day, limit the opportunities for informal interaction with parents. Nevertheless, instances were observed of discussions taking place in the afternoons between parents and teachers and it is clear that parents feel very welcome to talk to staff. Almost all parents come to the formal meetings with teachers in the autumn and spring terms to find out what their children will be doing and to discuss

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

their progress. Parents of children with SEN are appropriately involved in the setting and review of their individual education plans.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. Parents’ involvement with the school makes a good contribution to its work and to the attainment of their children. Pupils are happy in school and work hard and are keen to learn. These attitudes reflect the extent to which parents encourage their children to respect the school and the educational process. The meetings for new parents and others on numeracy and literacy explain how they can help at home. In order to enable as many families as possible to attend, the curriculum and other meetings held in the morning are repeated in the early evening. Written material includes government publications and other guidance on helping at home. Reading books are taken home every day. The parents and friends association is very supportive and arranges both fund raising and social events, including some for the pupils. Up to approximately twenty parents go to help in the classroom on a regular basis, with more willing to help on trips out.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. At the last inspection, the management of the school was satisfactory, but there were weaknesses in the use of the assessment of pupils’ progress in planning to meet the needs of all pupils. These weaknesses were identified as a key issue. This inspection finds that the leadership and management of the headteacher are very good and this issue has been addressed well in the relatively short time he has been in post. However, the good procedures in place have not yet been extended to all subjects. This is because the significant change of staff in recent years has meant that the new subject co-ordinators have not had time to address this issue fully in all subjects. He provides very effective leadership and clear educational direction for the work of the school. Both the headteacher and deputy head recognise that her role needs to be further developed and there are promising signs that this is beginning. Both are keen for her to take on additional

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

responsibilities and to attend joint training in management. She feels she has learnt much from the headteacher and they have started to develop a strong professional relationship. The headteacher says, “The building of a strong, supportive team is a priority for the coming year”. Inspection finds that he is well on his way to achieving this aim.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The school is fully committed to educational inclusion in its policy on anti-racism and equal opportunities, “Our school is totally opposed to racism and is positive in its aim to prevent racist language and racist behaviour. All children have equal freedom of expression and equality of opportunity, irrespective of colour, creed, sex or culture. There is no segregation of boys and girls for any activity.” It is not surprising that the school is a very harmonious community . By the appointment of very effective staff the headteacher ensures that children in the foundation stage and pupils with SEN are particularly well managed and supported. The school does well by all its pupils. The SENCO works closely with the Head Teacher. She has set up a new system for caring for pupils with SEN and for monitoring their progress and provides high quality leadership. Policies and procedures for monitoring and assessment and the headteacher’s systematic

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

approach to monitoring, supported by the deputy head, with the emphasis initially on standards of teaching in literacy and numeracy, have contributed to the raising of standards. These have been his main priority. Consequently, attainment in these subjects is improving year-on-year throughout the school and the school’s targets for these subjects have been raised to more challenging levels. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 18 A final draft of a self evaluation and monitoring policy has recently been agreed with teachers, although it is too early to judge its effectiveness. The contribution of subject co-ordinators is variable and, although good, overall, there are weaknesses, in ICT, for example. One of the first actions of the headteacher after his appointment was to produce a teaching and learning policy, that reflects the school’s commitment to ensure the highest quality of education for all children

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

regardless of their age, race, gender, ability or social background. The improvement in the quality of teaching throughout the school has been the most significant factor since the last inspection.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. There is a purposeful, working atmosphere in the school and a good ethos for learning. Staff new to the school are inducted very well and it is now being used for the training of new teachers. When the headteacher arrived at the school he set up an appraisal programme for those permanent members of staff that were staying. Performance management has replaced this and an outside consultant has been appointed.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The school improvement plan contains clear targets related to raising standards. These reflect well the school’s stated aims and objectives. For example, it contains proposals to improve ICT, including the provision of additional computers.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The governing body is very supportive and fulfils its statutory responsibilities effectively. Governors are well informed and many, particularly the chair and both vice-chairs, visit the school regularly. They have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in the school and are effective in their role as a critical friend. The governor with oversight of SEN visits the school every term to meet with the SENCO. The governing body is committed to raising standards further and at the first meeting in the new school year, it meets with the headteacher to analyse the results of the National Curriculum tests. It has established a Standing Committee to take responsibility for monitoring standards.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The chair of the finance committee is experienced, knowledgeable and committed. Spending decisions are linked appropriately to educational priorities. Grants to support SEN are effectively and efficiently used and grants from the Standards Fund have been well used in buying texts for the literacy hour and for a range of fiction and non-fiction books. There is a large under-spend, which has grown up over a number of years. In the early years of delegating the management of schools to the governing body a cautious approach to spending was taken and this practice, to a lesser extent, has continued. Some uses of these funds have been identified in the improvement plan, for example to improve ICT provision, but other uses for the underspend, including a reasonable timescale and a prudent balance for contingencies, ought to be more clearly identified. The governors have considered all of the recommendations in the recent auditor’s report, although some

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The administrative officer provides effective support and ensures that office routines run smoothly. There is appropriate use of new technology for financial control and school administrative work.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. Apart from weaknesses in teachers’ knowledge in ICT, the quality of teaching and support staff is appropriate to meet the demands of the curriculum and to enable pupils to make good progress. Accommodation, although recently improved, is still limited. There are only six classrooms, for example, involving mixed-age classes for pupils aged 7 to 11. However, during the inspection, there was no adverse effect observed on teaching and standards. The school has no hall of its own and is fortunate in being able to use the adjacent church hall for lessons such as physical education and for assemblies. Whilst this necessitates children having to walk outside, even in inclement weather, and takes slightly longer than usual, there was no negative effect noticed on standards. Resources are satisfactory, overall and, in some subjects, are good. In ICT, they are unsatisfactory. The building work, to begin imminently, will provide a new reference library and

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

facilities for computers. There is no dedicated play area and there is a lack of large outdoor equipment for reception children. Parents are happy with how the school is led and managed. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 19

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

55. To raise standards and improve the quality of education, the headteacher, staff and governors should:

p.21

i. raise pupils’ attainment in ICT throughout the school by:

- improving teachers’ knowledge and skills in the subject (paragraphs 25, 54,115); - monitoring teaching to ensure it is adequate to enable pupils to make appropriate progress (paragraph 115); - strengthening the role of the co-ordinator (paragraph 48, 115, 119 ) ; - providing more computer equipment to enable pupils to improve their skills (paragraphs 26, 50, 54, 115, 117).

p.21

ii. improve the physical development of children in the reception class by:

- improving the outside play area and providing a range of appropriate but challenging equipment for the outside area (paragraphs 29, 54, 69).

p.21

iii. improve the annual reports to parents by:

- giving specific information about what their children have learned and the progress they have made (paragraph 44).

p.21

OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL:

- the school improvement plan does not contain full proposals to spend the budgetary surplus within a set time frame (paragraph 52);

p.21

OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL:

- more opportunities for pupils to take on responsibility could be encouraged (paragraph 16). Christ Church C of E Primary School - 20

p.21

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 33

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 164

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 14

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 36

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 4

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 2

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 0

p.22

Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5

p.22

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 21

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 10 14 24

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 100 (92) 92 (92) 100 (88) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 85 (83) 90 (87)

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 100 (92) 100 (92) 96 (88) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 17 7 24

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 71 (92) 71 (83) 100 (88) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 63 (79) 63 (88) 88 (88) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 80 (75)

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

p.23

Individual data for boys and girls are omitted as there were less than 11 boys in Key Stage 1 and

less than 11 girls in Key Stage 2, and the results of such small age groups would be unreliable. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 22

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 4 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 3 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 10 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

p.24

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.

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8 Financial year 1999/2000

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20.5

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 361,902

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4 Expenditure per pupil 2,141

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 70 Balance brought forward from previous year 53,088

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent Balance carried forward to next year 61,726

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 23

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 64 27 9 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 64 29 2 0 4

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 42 31 20 7 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 40 47 11 2 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 69 29 2 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 78 20 0 0 2

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 58 33 9 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 64 31 4 0 0

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 69 29 0 0 2

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 22 49 18 4 7

p.25

Summary of parents’ and carers’ responses

Inspectors agree with parents’ positive views. A minority were not happy with the amount of homework given and the range of activities outside of lessons. Inspectors found that homework was satisfactory and the range of activities was also satisfactory, although the activities were restricted to the older pupils. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 24

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

56. As there is no nursery, the foundation stage in this school consists of the reception class. Currently there are 25 children in the class. Children start at two points, September and January. At the time of the inspection, the ten youngest children had recently entered at the beginning of the spring term, so these children had had only a few weeks in the school. Whilst children’s pre- school experience is varied, most have attended a nursery provided either by the local authority or privately, on either a part-time or full-time basis. Assessments made when the children enter the school indicate that their attainment is broadly in line with that which is expected of children of this age and better than that found in the local authority area. However, compared to the national picture, the general level in the local authority area is below that normally found.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

57. Teaching in the reception class is very good and the teacher and support assistant work well as a team to create a secure and effective learning environment. Planning ensures that the experiences children have enable them to meet the early learning goals . A particularly strong emphasis is placed on children learning to work and play together well and the reception teacher and the support assistant provide very good role models and have high and consistent expectations of children’s conduct.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

58. Children make a good start to their education and are beginning to build on the skills and knowledge they bring from home and from pre-school education. During their time in the reception class, they are well taught and all children, including those with SEN, make at least good progress. By the time they leave the foundation stage, most children are likely to attain most of the early learning goals in creative development, knowledge and understanding of the world, and physical development. In personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy and mathematical development learning is very good and almost all children are likely to exceed the goals.

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Personal, social and emotional development

59. The teacher provides a calm, caring and orderly atmosphere in which children develop well their personal, social and emotional skills. The provision of activities is well thought out so that children can make choices freely and organise themselves independently. Adults work with them to play “taking-turn” games so that they learn to share and be responsive to each other. The establishment of good routines helps the most recently arrived children to settle well and learn from their classmates. For example, a small group of children played a game of their own where they raced to complete the threading of shapes. The more recently arrived child introduced a new dimension to the game – giving the shapes the name of food, “Here’s chicken and aki and ice cream – look I’m winning!”

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Personal, social and emotional development

60. Very good moments are provided for children to reflect on their behaviour and the need for rules. Children were heard to say, “If the teacher says something you should do it” and, “It is important to be nice, not naughty.” They learn about other beliefs and to care for each other, so that, for example, children placed the names of absent children on the Peace Table , so that “ We can think about them when they are not here”. A different monitor is chosen each day to take the register to the office and it is emphasised that this is this child’s special day. All children are expected to tidy up and put away equipment.

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Communication, language and literacy

61. The teacher provides many formal and informal opportunities that are good in encouraging children Christ Church C of E Primary School - 25 to communicate effectively. Inspection findings suggest that, by the time children leave the reception class, they will all have gained confidence in expressing their ideas and a significant number are on course to exceed the early learning goals for letter recognition, recognising the sounds of letters and reading. The majority of the older children are keen to express their ideas and younger ones were observed growing in confidence as they spoke. The teacher helps children to develop their speaking skills by maintaining a constant dialogue with them and praising their responses. For example, she introduced a letter from one of the other teachers and asked the children why the teacher had written – “Because she’s a long way away”. The children then discussed in pairs who had sent them letters and why and are encouraged to contribute to the

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Communication, language and literacy

shared writing of a reply. They listen well to each other and to the teacher and to the support assistant.

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Communication, language and literacy

62. Most children know the alphabet by the letter names and can write their names from memory. There is a daily literacy session in which children listen to stories and begin to build up a sense of narrative and contribute to class books. The teacher makes the early development of learning letter sounds enjoyable and encourages the children to hold their pencils and crayons correctly. They are invited to make attempts at spellings and to have a go at their own writing. Many of the older children produce writing that exceeds the early learning goals. Some are skilful in using letter sounds to spell common words and are beginning to use capital letters accurately, for example, by beginning a letter with ‘Dear Mummy’.

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Communication, language and literacy

63. Most children understand that print conveys meaning and are given many opportunities to listen to stories, look at reference books and “read” books for themselves. They handle books carefully, turning the pages one by one. They are able to point out the title of the story and the name of the author. They join in the refrains in books such as Peace at Last and The Hungry Caterpillar and the more confident can retell the story and talk about what they think will happen. Most children can recognise whole words and identify letters and initial sounds.

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Mathematical development

64. This area of learning is well provided for through an appropriate choice of activities and by the daily numeracy session. Inspection findings show that the majority of children are on course to exceed the early learning goals by the end of the reception year. Many can already count to twenty and this is reinforced daily during registration, when a number line is used to encourage the children to say how many are present and how many absent. Older and higher attaining children begin to add and subtract, for example when singing the number rhymes, such as “Beehive” and “ I’ve got sixpence.”

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Mathematical development

65. There are many good opportunities provided for children to develop mathematical awareness. For example, children sort and put shapes and colours in order and match objects to the corresponding numbers. They experiment with objects in the water tray and learn to classify them by weight – “Let’s put all the soft things in here and all the heavy things in there” . They estimate whether there are enough objects to fill the threading sticks and one child who did not have enough said, “I’ve done less more”.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

66. Children enter the reception class with a basic understanding of the wider world. The planned provision broadens children’s knowledge and understanding, so that the majority are on course to meet the early learning goals. They build up their knowledge of themselves, their families and their environment in their personal books entitled, “All About Me.” They record details in these about their families, where they live, the changes over time and what they want to be, “When I grow up I want to be a fairy.” They learn about the seasons and the weather and contribute to a class poem about the wind in autumn, “Today is strong, naughty and wild.” In the autumn, they explore the local wood and collect leaves and twigs to sketch, paint and examine the textures.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

67. Adults support children well in investigations and encourage them to question and work things out Christ Church C of E Primary School - 26 for themselves. Children explore objects to decide what will sink and what will float and learn to see the similarities and differences. Two children experimented independently and one chose a balloon, “Now I’ll see if this will float – No” and a marble, “I think this is definitely going to sink – Yes.” Children use the computer with growing confidence. They learn to use the keyboard, shift key and space bar to draft a letter and produce artwork, using a painting programme. The teacher provides opportunities for the children to grow seeds and bulbs and they learn to care for their pet gerbils. The opportunities to explore the world outside are limited by the lack of scope they have to move freely out of the classroom

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Physical development

68. Children have limited opportunities to develop their physical skills and are unlikely to meet all the early learning goals by the time they leave the reception. In the hall, they learn to move in different ways, maintaining a safe space and being aware of others. During a music and movement lesson, they moved imaginatively, whirling and turning and following instructions carefully. They used space creatively and responded imaginatively to the music, interpreting well the rhythm and pitch. The teacher and support assistant interacted with them very well and encouraged the children to develop and refine their skills. In physical development lessons, they follow instructions well.

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Physical development

69. However, because there is no access to a secure play area where children can play outside spontaneously, they are entirely dependent on the few structured lessons in physical development. There are limited opportunities therefore, for children to develop the skills of running, climbing and balancing and to use wheeled vehicles to develop their gross motor skills. In bad weather, when outdoor lessons are cancelled, there is no alternative space for physical development lessons and, as children go out to play with the rest of the school there is restricted space for them to run around and use equipment on these occasions.

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Creative development

70. There is good emphasis on a wide range of creative experiences in the reception planning and children are on course to meet the early learning goals. Children discussed ways to keep their teddies warm in the Winter Wonderland role-play area and decided to add a fireplace. The teacher introduced the activity through discussing the colours of flames. Children painted freely, choosing their ready mixed colours carefully and remembering to give the flames movement. They paint and sketch from nature, learn to weave coloured threads around twigs and branches, and create colourful pots from clay.

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Creative development

71. Children play imaginatively in the role-play area. They cook, clean and tidy away and care for the teddies that live in the house. They extend the literacy activity of writing a letter to this play and spontaneously send letters and notes to each other. They dress up and give each other parts, “He is the queen and I am the king.” The play area is varied during the year, with the addition of different props and dressing-up clothes. They use construction material to make cards and cut shapes from play-dough. They join in with rhymes and songs and experiment with musical instruments and enjoy all these activities.

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ENGLISH

72. Standards in the National Curriculum tests for seven-year-olds in reading were well above both the national average and the performance of pupils in similar schools. In writing, they were above both the national average and that in similar schools. The performance of pupils when they were 11 was below the national average when compared to the national average and to similar schools. Overall, standards for seven-year-olds have remained above the national average since 1996, but there was a significant dip in standards for eleven-year-olds in 2000. This was because the new class teacher was absent on sick leave shortly after her appointment and was replaced by two teachers on a job-share basis. They had significantly less expertise in the subject than the newly appointed teacher and did not place sufficient emphasis on writing, which was reflected in the test results.

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ENGLISH

73. Inspection findings show standards for seven-year-olds in reading and writing are above the national Christ Church C of E Primary School - 27 average. These are better than those seen in the previous inspection. Although standards in reading at this age are not as high as the test results would suggest, there is an above average number of SEN pupils in this year group and pupils respond well to good teaching and are achieving well. Similarly, in Year 6, pupils are achieving well as a result of good, and often very good, teaching and, although there are a significant number of pupils with SEN in this class, standards in English, overall, are above average. The National Literacy Strategy is being well implemented and this, together with the additional time allocated to extended writing, is having a positive impact on standards throughout the school. Pupils with SEN are identified early and given

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ENGLISH

appropriate learning targets, helping them make good progress. Above average pupils are generally given work that is appropriately challenging and this is beginning to raise their level of attainment. Children are given a very good grounding in communication, language and literacy in the foundation stage, so that they are on course to exceed the early learning goals by the time they are ready to start in Year 1. However, it should be noted that the outstanding teacher, who has only recently arrived at the school, has brought about this good start. Other children in the school have not had such a solid foundation.

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ENGLISH

74. At both ages seven and 11, pupils’ overall attainment in speaking and listening is above that typically found in most schools. Younger pupils speak clearly and are confident in answering questions and in expressing opinions. They listen carefully to instructions and work well together in groups and in pairs, discussing their tasks together and helping each other. Because the teachers take care to use new technical vocabulary, pupils are quick to pick up and use new words, such as glossary, index and illustrator. As pupils get older they improve their ability to express themselves. By the age of eleven, they are confident to discuss their ideas and use carefully chosen vocabulary. For example, in a personal, social and health education lesson, they described how they would feel if they had to leave their homes because of war; “ Distraught”, “Shocked”, “Despair” were typical examples of their reactions. Good opportunities are given for

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ENGLISH

pupils to discuss their ideas together, whether on the structure or content of the texts, so that they have the time to think through their responses before sharing these with the class. When comparing two instructional texts, after discussion with a partner, a pupil in Year 3 understood that “They are both to do with art”. Pupils have some opportunities for role-play, which is used effectively in history, but was not seen in an English lesson. In response to their teacher’s questions they reply clearly and confidently and use appropriate vocabulary. For example, in response to their teacher’s question, “How would you describe this story?” with reference to the text they are studying (The man who lost his shadow), a pupil replied, “This is a cliff-hanger because it ends with a question”.

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ENGLISH

75. Pupils’ attainment in reading is above the expected standard at ages 7 and 11. Younger pupils are enthusiastic readers. They read a range of books and read regularly at home. Average and above average readers show fluency and read with expression and have a good understanding of what they are reading. One reader explained, “I have to say the words in bold loudly.” Below average readers are keen and confident and, although they may lack some reading skills they are not short on enthusiasm. One child was so keen to read and talk about her book that she continued to read and talk about it to an inspector, even though the inspector had moved on to listening to other children read. In one lesson, pupils showed that they could skim and scan a page of information on the body and picked out key words. A group of above average pupils identified unknown words from their reading books and looked up the meanings which they later shared with the class. One

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ENGLISH

outcome was that the whole class learned that “beserk” came from the name for a wild Viking warrior. Older readers choose from a wide range of reading material. They enjoy reading fiction, but also read biography, poetry and information books. During a quiet reading session in Year 5 and 6, pupils of all attainments were reading, for example, a biography of Martine McCutcheon and reference books about “The Body”, dictionaries and poetry books. An SEN pupil was reading a biography by Sir Alex Ferguson . They understood what they were reading and gave good summaries of the stories. An analysis of their work shows that pupils are able to give good answers to comprehension questions on texts.

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ENGLISH

76. Standards of writing for 7 year olds are developing well and they are benefiting from the additional time recently allocated for extended writing. They are introduced to a range of writing, and are extending well the skills of narrative writing, as well as learning to write instructions, diaries and Christ Church C of E Primary School - 28 dialogue. Spelling is mainly accurate and shows a good knowledge of letter sounds and spelling rules. Average and above average pupils are beginning to use punctuation such as capitals, full stops and speech marks accurately. However, more consistency is needed in using imaginative and descriptive language in their writing. By the age of 11, pupils write in a range of styles for different purposes and audiences. Frameworks are used effectively to help pupils plan their writing and there is a good emphasis on pupils working together to edit their work prior to producing the

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ENGLISH

final draft. Handwriting and presentation is consistently good. Pupils in Year 6 produce effective alternative endings to a story, deciding what genre to use, for example, happy, sad, or a cliff- hanger . In the review, session they are encouraged to reflect on whether their endings fit the historical context of the story and to consider whether they have managed to introduce complex sentences. Word-processing has been used well on occasion by pupils to present their final versions of their work and is used in the full range from poems to extended writing, but is not used frequently. Overall, the use of ICT in the subject is unsatisfactory throughout the school.

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ENGLISH

77. The quality of teaching is good overall, but there are examples of very good teaching. For pupils aged 6 and 7, 100 per cent of the teaching is good or better and 66 per cent is very good. For pupils aged 8 to 11, it is also good overall, with 75 per cent being good or better and 50 per cent being very good or better. Teachers across the school have a good understanding of the structure of the literacy hour, although in the two satisfactory lessons there was a lack of balance in the time spent on the different elements and the pace of the lesson slackened. There is a strong emphasis on developing younger pupils’ skills in recognising letters and identifying sounds to help them with their reading and spelling. The chosen texts link well with the structure and writing objectives and the teachers move the lessons on with a good pace, managing the transition between the different elements well. Teachers have good subject knowledge and clear objectives, which they share with

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ENGLISH

their pupils. Pupils of above average attainment are given work that challenges them and below average pupils and those with SEN are helped to achieve well through well-targeted work and the help of the learning support assistants. Evaluation of pupils’ progress in lessons is used effectively to review what they have learnt and to guide teachers’ future planning. Marking is good and helpful to enable pupils to improve. Homework is set regularly.

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ENGLISH

78. Management of the subject is good. The newly appointed co-ordinator is experienced and has a good understanding of where improvements can be made in standards and how to achieve these. There has been appropriate emphasis on raising standards in writing across the school and weekly plans have been amended to ensure that there is allocated time for extended writing. Booster classes for below average pupils in Year 6 and additional literacy strategy sessions for pupils in Year 3 and 4 are helping to raise standards. The school is well placed to build on the good skills that children will bring with them from the foundation stage to ensure that standards are raised still further. There has been good and appropriate emphasis on extending the range of texts for the literacy hour and to increase the range of fiction and non-fiction reading books. A new library is planned which will enable pupils to browse and research. The library areas in classrooms are

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MATHEMATICS

79. At the time of the last inspection, standards of pupils aged seven were broadly in line with national expectations and were above for pupils aged eleven. The results in the most recent National Curriculum tests for pupils aged seven were exceptionally high, being in the highest five per cent nationally and also when compared to similar schools. The number of pupils reaching the higher levels of attainment is above the national average and the trend over four years indicates rising attainment. At age eleven in the tests, the performance of pupils was in line both with the national average and with similar schools. This was not as good as their performance in the tests in 1996, when they were seven, might have suggested. This is because there was some disruption to their education because of the unavoidable absence of their teacher due to illness and the teachers covering for her on a job-sharing basis did not have the same level of expertise.

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MATHEMATICS

80. Inspection findings show that, at ages seven and eleven, pupils are reaching standards that are above the national average. These good standards are directly related to the good quality of the Christ Church C of E Primary School - 29 teaching. Because teachers have clear objectives, make accurate assessments of pupils’ understanding and create interesting tasks, all pupils learn successfully.

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MATHEMATICS

81. For pupils aged 6 and 7, learning is good in lessons for all pupils, including those with SEN. At age eleven, progress is also good for all pupils, including those with SEN, measurable by a comparison with their National Curriculum tests when they were seven.

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MATHEMATICS

82. At age seven, pupils have good skills in mental mathematics and there is good emphasis on number skills. Because teachers discuss approaches and encourage pupils to reflect on the different ways they calculate, pupils are able to explain their personal methods of arriving at their answers. In discussing the strategies they use, pupils also consider what makes some ways of working more successful or more efficient than others. One girl said that to add 40p and 30p, “I added 40p and 10p and 10p and 10p” . They have different ways of explaining doubling, with one pupil saying, “Double is 4 plus 4.” Some are confident that halving is the opposite of doubling and some have a growing sense that subtraction is the reverse of addition. Some pupils know that 50 and 90 are multiples of 10 and a few are secure with place value. These able mathematicians use a variety of strategies for checking their work. For example, they use a hundred number square to

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MATHEMATICS

check their mental calculations. The less confident mathematicians recognise numbers and find patterns on the hundred number square. “It’s right underneath!” said one girl. “Is it?” asked the well-trained support assistant, “Is it always underneath when you add on 10?”

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MATHEMATICS

83. By the time they are 11, most pupils have good knowledge of shape, space and measures and for example, know the number of sides on 3D shapes such as a triangular prism and work with 3D shapes and squared paper to find which nets would form cubes. This group works quickly and confidently. They explain a factor as, “A number that will go exactly into another” . In answer to the teacher’s question, “One factor is 28, what is the other?” one child replied, ”I halved it”. Some use their knowledge of tables to find factors, whilst above average pupils do not need to rely on their tables. They use graphs very effectively, in handling data, to plot or extract information, for example using their knowledge from science or geography. Their good numeracy skills are used well in other subjects such as science and design and technology. Standards in numeracy are good; pupils are especially strong in mental mathematics.

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MATHEMATICS

84. Pupils’ behaviour in mathematics lessons is always good. They listen attentively, collaborate well and support each other. They are not afraid to experiment and work hard. Pupils in Year 1, for example, are keen and respond enthusiastically to the teacher’s challenges. They double numbers within 20, including double zero, at great speed and the above average pupils sort out how to make 74p with five coins. Pupils’ attainment is directly related to the levels of challenge they are offered. Teachers set demanding tasks but, because they are based on assessment of exactly what each child is able to do, they are set at the correct level, demanding but achievable. The challenge stretches each child that bit further and they enjoy it.

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MATHEMATICS

85. The quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection and is good throughout the school, with much of it being very good. Teachers plan work on a theme for different attainment levels. They engage the pupils’ interest by using skills across the curriculum. All the teaching is characterised by using resources to support pupils’ learning, by good assessment of their knowledge and skills and by incisive questioning accompanied by a good pace, ensuring that pupils maintain concentration and work hard. The best teaching is marked by good opportunities for pupils to use and apply their mathematical skills. Support staff are used well. They have been trained to clarify issues with the below average pupils and to help them work systematically. They are usually well briefed and they make a strong contribution to pupils’ good learning. Whilst in Years 3 and 4 pupils were asked to follow an instructional text (the key features of which were

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MATHEMATICS

learned in the literacy lesson) on how to make a turn in logo, such examples of the use of ICT in mathematics are few. This inhibits pupils making even better progress.

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MATHEMATICS

86. There are sufficient resources in the classrooms and in every class the teacher organises them very well. They ensure that pupils have constant access to squared paper or real money or games, with tasks that are appropriately matched to the lesson objective and to the pupils’ skills. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 30 87. The co-ordinator provides good leadership and has clear understanding and vision. She has ensured a suitable balance of work and attainment across all the attainment targets for mathematics, including significant emphasis on working with using and applying mathematics. She has successfully led the introduction of the Numeracy Strategy into the school and confirms that it has given structure and clarity to the organisation and teaching of the subject.

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SCIENCE

88. Teacher assessments for seven-year-olds in 2000 indicate that standards were above the national average. The National Curriculum tests for 11-year-olds show that standards were well above average and were also well above average compared to the performance of similar schools. These pupils were taught by two science specialists on a job-share basis for much of the year, covering for the absence of their sick teacher, and benefited from their expertise. Inspection findings show that when pupils are seven and 11, standards are above average.

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SCIENCE

89. An analysis of work in pupils’ books, when they are seven, shows work has been covered in all areas of science (scientific enquiry; life processes and living things; materials and their properties; and physical processes). In scientific enquiry, pupils study the effects of baking on dough and produce good written explanations of what happens when ice-cubes are placed on the window sill in their classroom, in the staff-room and in the fridge. They make careful observations of the length of time it takes for the ice to melt in each setting. In life processes and living things, work covers healthy eating and the importance of exercise. In writing about growing up, pupils write clearly about what they can do now that they could not do as a baby, “I can walk, I can ride a bike, I can dress myself”. In materials and their properties, pupils study the uses of a range of materials such as glass and how it is chosen for specific uses in objects such as windows and

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SCIENCE

bottles. In physical processes, pupils discover that pushes and pulls are examples of forces. In a very good lesson in Year 2, the pupils used this knowledge and combined it with their knowledge of fair testing. Under the very effective direction of their teacher, they made predictions about how far toy cars would travel on ramps made of materials of varying degrees of roughness and smoothness. They recorded their predictions of which ramp would provide the longest and shortest distance for the car to travel and measured their findings, using tape measures that they had been taught to use in a previous lesson. In this lesson, all groups, including pupils with SEN, made very good progress and the general standard of work was above average. All pupils were fully involved in the lesson, they concentrated well, shared equipment willingly and were very well behaved.

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SCIENCE

90. Work in the books of pupils aged eleven is above average, overall, and shows an emphasis on materials and their properties and on scientific enquiry . In materials and their properties, pupils write that, “To classify is to put things into groups or categories where they have similar purposes”. They fuse this knowledge with their investigative skills and write about their experiment, testing the thermal insulation qualities of various materials; ”We took a bowl or jug and filled it with hot water (not boiling). Into the water we put a wooden chopstick, a metal spoon and a plastic spoon”. They complete a table clearly showing the length of time the utensils stay hot and write up their conclusions, “We found that metal conducts heat very well but plastic and wood don’t conduct heat well”. They know that some changes in materials can be reversible, such as candle-wax melting, and others are non-reversible and result in the formation of new

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SCIENCE

materials, such as wood burning. In physical processes, pupils make predictions about the effect of adding more batteries to an electrical circuit on the brightness of the bulb. In a very good lesson in Year 6, pupils studied the theory and practice of the effect of exercise on their pulse and this was set in the context of carrying out an investigation fairly. They learned to use pulse meters appropriately and consolidated their skills in making systematic observations using tables and graphs. Pupils understood the importance of recording clearly and the standard of their investigations and written work was above average. In this lesson, pupils were excited in carrying out the experiment and enjoyed the tasks. They were very well behaved and had very good relationships with their teacher. All pupils, including those with SEN, made very good progress.

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SCIENCE

91. Teaching ranged from being satisfactory to very good and was good, overall. There were a Christ Church C of E Primary School - 31 number of strengths that contributed effectively to pupils’ good progress:

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SCIENCE

• Clear learning objectives are set out and shared with the class. In Year 1, for example, the teacher began her introduction by saying, “Today, we are going to learn about what sort of materials are going to be magnetic and what sort are not”. The pupils’ attention was immediately caught and they became focused immediately on their teacher’s explanation and their tasks. • Good planning ensures that new learning is built on the knowledge that pupils had previously learned; that pupils use a range of appropriate skills and lessons move along at a brisk pace. In Year 2, for example, pupils used their knowledge of how to use a tape measure to test the resistance of different fabrics on ramps. The teacher reminded the class, “We learned last week how to use the tape measure, so we can measure this week. It’s important that we remember all the skills we learned”. In this lesson, pupils used their numeracy skills to

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SCIENCE

record their findings. There was plenty of variety in the best lessons and they maintained the interest of all groups of pupils. • Good incisive questioning tests pupils to think about what they have already learned and enables the teacher to gauge whether they are ready to move on to the next stage of learning, or whether she needs to consolidate on work already taught. In Year 6, it was important to the teacher that her pupils knew how to carry out investigations fairly and realised the importance of using systematic observations. She asked, “If you exercise for four minutes, does your pulse take twice as long to return to resting than if you had exercised for two minutes?” “How are you going to find out?” Her pupils responded well and made sensible, although not always correct, suggestions. In Year 2, in a lesson concerned with predictions and the surfaces of ramps, the teacher needed to know that the class understood the basics, “What is the

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SCIENCE

opposite of rough?” A child replied, ”Smooth”. She then moved on, ”What’s another word for prediction?” Another child replied, “We think which one it will be”. “Yes” , said the teacher, “it means thinking through what’s going to happen”.

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SCIENCE

92. In one otherwise satisfactory lesson, the teacher spent too much time demonstrating how to make electrical circuits. The pace was too slow and the lesson was too teacher-directed and did not allow the pupils to investigate the electrical circuits themselves.

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SCIENCE

93. In most lessons, the needs of all groups of pupils are met well, including those with SEN. Much of the marking of pupils’ work is good, with helpful comments showing how they can improve, for example, ”Make sure that you have explained clearly: remember to label diagrams”, and “Remember to leave spaces between your words”. Literacy and numeracy is used well in science. The co-ordinator has been in post only recently, but is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. She intends to review the scheme of work, but has not yet had time to monitor standards in all classes.

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ART AND DESIGN

94. During the inspection, two lessons were seen in Key Stage 1 and one was observed in Key Stage 2. Judgements about attainment, therefore, in addition to these lessons, are based on an examination of pupils’ work, including work displayed around the school and an analysis of school documents and teachers’ planning.

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ART AND DESIGN

95. Attainment in art broadly matches the standards expected for pupils’ ages, although there were examples of higher standards in classes where the teaching was good. At the last inspection, standards in art broadly matched those expected for pupils’ ages and similar standards have been maintained. In the class for Years 4 and 5, the pupils gained good insights into art from their study of a large reproduction of Leonardo da Vinci’s sketch of St Ann and the Virgin . A boy spoke appreciatively of the faint colouring in the background and the half-hidden village. He noted the underlying sketch of the bodies beneath their clothing, seated and relaxed, “Like you can see it” . Some pupils worked on their sketches of seated figures with great concentration, handling the charcoal carefully and glancing up to check on a detail. Their sketch-books are used well as working documents. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 32

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ART AND DESIGN

96. At the age of seven, children are provided with a range of opportunities to develop their sketching skills. For example, they observe very carefully when drawing fruit. The teacher’s simple but imaginative layout of the fruit prompted a creative response from her pupils. They noticed that not all of the leaves on the pineapple were green. One child described the soft colour as foggy , but they also used the formal language of art, so extending their command of literacy through their art. Pupils looked closely and worked with good concentration. They explored shape, pattern, texture and line in a range of media with very personal interpretation. Some responded with bold lines, some with delicate colouring, while another depicted the grapefruit in a flowing pattern.

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ART AND DESIGN

97. The full range of art, design and 3D work was seen but there were no large projects where pupils combine their efforts. Progress in the acquisition of skills and knowledge in art is satisfactory across the school. Pupils with SEN participate fully in art sessions. Pupils gain satisfaction from using their skills and making artistic decisions. They are confident in their abilities and they enjoy art lessons.

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ART AND DESIGN

98. Where art is taught well, pupils make swift gains in knowledge, and are inspired to experiment with the skills used by established artists. They are able to make judgements about the quality of their own work. A good feature of the teaching of art was seen in Years 4 and 5, where the teacher modelled the charcoal sketching of seated figures to demonstrate specific skills to her pupils. The teacher’s knowledge was such that she was able to attract and maintain her pupils’ interest and sustained their concentration. In one lesson, the time allowed for the tasks was too long and, therefore, the pace slackened, although many of the children persevered with their tasks of sewing and making individual collages. Art work is well displayed all round the school. There are many links with other areas of the curriculum. For example, the pupils in Years 3 and 4 made Anglo- Saxon brooches as part of their study of history.

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ART AND DESIGN

99. Resources are sufficient and the co-ordinator has made every effort to ensure that art and design maintains its place within the curriculum. Further art workshops for staff are planned on batik and sculptures. Art is enhanced by annual visits to galleries.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

100. Only one lesson was seen during the inspection week; judgements about standards, therefore, are based on an analysis of pupils’ work, teachers’ planning and discussions with pupils. There was insufficient evidence to make judgements about teaching.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

101. Standards of work broadly match those expected for pupils’ ages and are similar to those at the last inspection. In Year 2, pupils developed their skills as they designed a juice drink and made vans, with wheels that were able to turn. These products resulted from a development process over several weeks. Pupils examined their vehicles, learned technical words such as axle and designed , and made and suggested improvements to their vans.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

102. In Year 6 pupils made slippers from templates they had designed. In discussion, they were able to recall the design and technology work they had done throughout the school. They demonstrated an understanding that design and technology skills involved making, designing, constructing, using materials, producing products appropriately designed for their purpose, decorating and team work. They also realised the need to be creative with regard to finding solutions. Not all classes are approaching this good level of understanding of the design and technology process and it is clear from the work produced that not all teaching is giving pupils this degree of insight into the processes involved.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

103. In talking to pupils, it is clear that pupils are enthusiastic about their projects and have a growing understanding of the skills and knowledge involved in designing, making and testing outcomes. They work very well with each other. One girl explained their success, ‘We operate together and listen to each other’s ideas”.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

104. Pupils talk eagerly about comparing the different breads, both made by themselves and by Christ Church C of E Primary School - 33 professional bakers. One girl explained the process of evaluation by saying, “It is like a book review” .

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

105. In the lesson seen in Years 3 and 4, the teaching was satisfactory. The teacher planned carefully and linked the subject well to other areas of the curriculum such as literacy and history. This was achieved by a lesson on book-making as the books were to be used for the pupils’ project on the Anglo Saxons. All children know that the book was folded and cut from a single sheet. They know that the cover needs a title, illustrations, the name(s) of the author(s) and the illustrator.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

106. The older pupils discussed how they sometimes have to work within a time constraint and limits, on occasion, are set on the materials they can use. Pupils enjoy responding to these challenges. They appreciate the success criteria by which their products are assessed and are able to recall the items they were given to make land yachts. The design brief included manoeuvrability, balance, safety of the passenger and the smoothness of their movements and the simplicity of their design.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

107. Resources need to be supplemented, notably with a wider range of basic tools, to meet the requirements of the subject adequately. The new co-ordinator for design and technology is very well-informed and she has a strong management plan to take the subject forward.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

108. A limited number of lessons were observed during the inspection. In addition to these, therefore, judgements are based on an analysis of pupils’ previous work both in books and on the walls, talking to pupils and teachers and an examination of teachers’ planning.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

109. By the time they are seven, pupils’ standards in history and geography are better than those reported at the last inspection and pupils reach levels better than those expected for their age. The satisfactory standards in history and geography, identified in the previous report for pupils aged eleven, have been maintained. Teachers plan for a broad and balanced curriculum that covers the required elements of the National Curriculum for both subjects. They ensure good continuity and progress and plan for a two-year cycle to avoid pupils in the mixed-age-classes in Key Stage 2 covering the same work. There are good links between the two subjects, which are enhanced by visits to local places of interest.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

110. Younger pupils learn about the immediate past through studying toys, new and old, and street games of the fifties. They imagine what it would be like to be evacuated and record, for example, that they would “feel frightened and very, very scared”. Pupils in Year 1 learn about famous people in history who they are able to link to their own experiences, for example, Alexander Graham Bell and telephones ; George Stephenson and trains ; and Mary Seacole and nursing . In this class, in the lesson observed, they watched a video about Neil Armstrong, The Man on the Moon, and recalled the events of his moonwalk in fine detail. The teacher led them to understand that the video is first-hand evidence and they saw him placing the American flag on the moon “because it was a race”. However, they understood that the medal and teapot given to Grace Darling is not first-hand evidence.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

111. In geography, younger pupils build from their knowledge of the local area. They study maps and make plans of the school and its grounds and are led to a wider understanding of the British Isles and the World. They know that “a map is flat and a globe is a sphere”. At age seven, storybooks are used effectively to introduce the idea of travel and the distinctive characteristics of different capitals and countries, such as The Eiffel Tower in Paris and The Pyramids in Egypt. In one lesson, based on the story of The Magic Bicycle, pupils used maps and globes to plan which places they would like to visit on the route and recorded what they would see. A child who had personal knowledge of New York from a family holiday wrote, “In New York it would be crowded and very noisy. It would be good fun.” Another wrote that “ Brazil is a hot country with lots of trees”, incorporating knowledge gained from a homework project. For this, he had brought in food labels

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

and identified on the world map where the food was produced. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 34 112. Older pupils in the class for Years 5 and 6 are studying the Second World War . In a very good lesson, they applied the knowledge they had gained on a visit to The Winston Churchill War Experiences Museum to the study of photographs of evacuees. The photographs sparked some discussions of high quality, in which they observed, for example, that the children were carrying gas masks and that some of them were carrying their dolls and teddies. Later, they studied contemporary news reports and quickly understood that the up-beat language of the reports was, “For mums and dads – so that they’ll feel comfortable about it”. Effective role-play in which the pupils act out their feelings on their journeys away from home successfully consolidates their learning, so that “ They press their noses eagerly to the train window” or “Slump miserably in their

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

seats”, and one comments, “I’d fall over at the sight of all that grass.” Throughout Key Stage 2, good links are made between the two subjects, so that pupils’ geographical knowledge is combined with history when, for example, they study the ancient civilisations of the Greeks and Egyptians. One highlight illustrating pupils’ learning about history is the creation of their own personal time-line, linking events in their lives with world events. For example, “I was born in 1990 when Martina Navratilova won Wimbledon”. Pupils also deepen their geographical knowledge of their own locality and learn about the climate and features of European countries.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

113. There is insufficient evidence to make overall judgements about teaching in geography. In the one lesson seen, it was good. In history, in the lessons seen, it was good in Key Stage 1 and very good in Key Stage 2, and was good, overall. Teachers motivate students through the selection of materials and resources and use their good questioning skills, enabling pupils to learn how to apply their previous knowledge to new learning. Homework is used effectively to extend pupils’ understanding and there is good evidence that parents support homework projects. Teachers develop pupils’ literacy skills well through the study of texts, research in books and by using CD- ROM. There are good displays of current topics, in which pupils have recorded their findings. For example, there are clear records on their research on the European Economic Community, in which pupils have produced information pages on different countries, and accounts of holidays they

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

have spent in different parts of the British Isles. However, particularly in Key Stage 2, there is an over-reliance on worksheets as a method of recording and insufficient examples of pupil-generated enquiry and research.

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GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY

114. The co-ordinator, new to the posts, provides good leadership for both subjects. She is developing them well and has ensured that resources have been up-dated and added to so that they fit with the revised curriculum. Nevertheless, they are adequate for the subjects. New policies for both subjects have been drafted and there are plans to produce portfolios of work that will provide accurate assessments of standards. Pupils of all ages are given the opportunity to go on visits and there are school journeys for pupils in Years 5 and 6, providing opportunities for field studies.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

115. In the last inspection report, standards were described as matching those expected for pupils’ ages. Since then, progress in ICT has not risen at the same rate as other schools nationally and, throughout the school, standards are below those that would be expected for pupils’ ages. National expectations in the use and application of new technology have risen significantly as standards throughout the country have improved since the last inspection, but the school has not kept pace with these developments. There are a number of reasons for this unsatisfactory position, the most important of which is inadequate subject knowledge and expertise of most teachers. Other factors contributing to low standards are:

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

• insufficient computer equipment to provide pupils with a worthwhile technological experience; • lack of monitoring of teaching to assess standards and identify weaknesses to be improved by training; and • lack of leadership by the co-ordinator.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

116. The emphasis in the subject throughout the school is mainly on word-processing. The quality of what is produced is adequate but there is an inadequate amount of work produced because of a lack of hardware. Many of the pupils’ skills are developed from using computers at home, but they do not have the opportunities to use these skills within the learning context of the school. It is not Christ Church C of E Primary School - 35 surprising that ICT is used infrequently in other subjects to help pupils learn. There is evidence of some control work being done with a Roamer and logo, but both are at very early stages of development, although the Roamer is being used in simple manoeuvres when pupils are seven. Whilst statutory requirements are just met, there is no desk-top publishing and only limited internet use and very little evidence of pupils using recording text, tables, images and sound to develop

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

their own ideas. The older pupils can use information drawn from a CD for wartime reports to support their work in history, but, because they have not had the grounding, few are able to develop and refine their ideas by assembling and organising text and data, for example in mathematics and science. However, some use is made of programs for developing numeracy skills and, although some new programs have been acquired, they are not integrated into the mathematics curriculum. ICT is used mostly in literacy work and there is evidence of word-processing being used in the full range of written language from poems to extended writing.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

117. Progress within sessions when ICT is used is satisfactory, for example, when pupils in Years 3 and 4 drew a square following logo instructions. Two lessons of direct teaching of ICT were seen. In Year 1, in word processing the objective was to correct text, using highlighting, delete and type to replace. Pupils’ attainment in word processing in this class was broadly in line with what is expected. However, whilst the majority of pupils were involved, some became restless as there were only two computers for over 20 children. In a lesson for older pupils in Years 5 and 6, the class collated weather data before it was loaded onto the computer. However, the objectives of the lesson could not be properly achieved, as there was only one computer in the class.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

118. In these two lessons, teaching was satisfactory, but the objectives of these lessons were limited and the teachers were lacking in confidence. Most teachers lack the knowledge and expertise to develop the subject and to use it to enhance learning in other subjects of the curriculum. There are some favourite software programs used for skills’ practice. Pupils are very keen to use ICT and are often frustrated by the lack of opportunities and lack of computers.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

119. Resources are presently very limited and, during the inspection, at least two computers were not working fully. There are firm plans to purchase a bank of laptop computers and to install a number of personal computers in the resources room for both practice and research purposes. Leadership in the subject needs strengthening. There is currently no audit of staff skills and no monitoring of pupils’ competencies. ICT is a planned focus for development in the next academic year.

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MUSIC

120. At the last inspection, standards were described as good and the school had the services of a very good music specialist. This is not the case now and, whilst some of the teaching in the lessons seen was good, most teachers do not have the knowledge or expertise to lift the subject above expected standards. Teachers follow a commercial scheme and all aspects of the subject are taught. Standards throughout the school broadly meet those expected for pupils’ ages. Over time, all pupils, including those with SEN, make satisfactory progress, although in some lessons seen they made good progress. Three lessons were seen during the inspection.

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MUSIC

121. In Year 2, pupils sang well as part of the teacher’s warm-up exercises. They were developing a good awareness of pitch as they sang, “I can sing a low note; I can sing a high note”. They followed the instructions of their teacher well. These listening skills were used well throughout the lesson as the main objective was to control instruments and to follow signals. Pupils were placed in groups of three, with one acting as a “conductor.” The task was to develop signals which were clear enough for one of the other two to play and stop on the command of the signals. They built on the signals developed in an earlier lesson and played un-tuned instruments such as tambourines, beaters and shakers, increasing or decreasing the volume as commanded by the “conductor’s” signals. Their performance overall was satisfactory. Pupils enjoyed this lesson and made good progress, responding well to the good, lively teaching. The teacher gave clear

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MUSIC

instructions and monitored individual group’s work well. She also made good use of a student teacher to help her in this task. Christ Church C of E Primary School - 36 122. In Years 3 and 4 there was a recorder lesson. The class is in an early stage of learning, but the majority played a two-note tune in time and at the correct pitch. They are learning to read music and showed satisfactory awareness of basic notation such as crotchets and quavers, the stave and treble clef . In this lesson, teaching was good. The teacher was well-prepared and there was a good pace to the lesson. He managed the class well, ensuring that all pupils remained focused. All had good attitudes to music and followed instructions well.

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MUSIC

123. In Years 4 and 5, pupils sang satisfactorily and controlled the dynamics well, with the teacher using taped music. They listened well and some were able to identify the individual notes in a chord. They learned a new song during the lesson and sang in unison and in two parts. They showed reasonable knowledge of musical terminology such as accelerando, pitch and chord . Teaching was satisfactory, overall. The teacher followed the scheme appropriately and planning and preparation were sound. Good quality recording was used. More variety of activities could have been introduced into the lesson.

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MUSIC

124. The development of the subject, including the policy, is identified in the school improvement plan for next year. The headteacher is the acting co-ordinator and he is keen to raise standards to their former level. The school is prepared to purchase the services of a music specialist, but, so far has had no success in recruiting a suitable candidate. Some children have recently begun to have instrumental lessons in brass, flute and clarinet from visiting teachers. There is a satisfactory range of resources for music, including tuned and un-tuned instruments.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

125. Based on limited evidence, standards are broadly in line with those expected for pupils’ ages. These standards are similar to those recorded at the last inspection. Although four lessons were seen, they all covered dance. The school blocks aspects of the subject each term and last term gymnastics was taught. All statutory aspects of physical education are taught and, in addition to dance, gymnastics, games and athletics, all can swim 25 metres before they leave the school. The residential school journey which pupils attend in both Years 5 and 6 provides appropriate opportunities for orienteering. During the inspection, all lessons observed took place in the church hall, although the playground is also used depending on the content of the lesson and the weather.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

126. In Year 1, the pupils listened well to their teacher’s instructions and used their bodies satisfactorily, developing a short repetitive dance of two movements to music. Their rhythmic sense, although not well developed, was appropriate for their age. The progress of all groups of pupils was satisfactory. In Year 2, pupils’ rhythmic sense was better developed and most pupils kept their movements in time to the pre-recorded music. In pairs they all developed a sequence of appropriate movements and demonstrated that they knew that they should bend their knees and land on their toes when jumping up and down. In this lesson, the quality of learning was very high. In Years 4 and 5 pupils danced to the music of the Masai tribe as they tried to incorporate into their movements the actions of spinning and rocking. Their performance was variable, as some pupils moved together well rhythmically and followed the sequence of the dance correctly. However, others displayed

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

little sense of rhythm. Overall, progress was satisfactory. In Years 5 and 6, pupils revised their dance steps and added turns and, in pairs, practised the gentle push of their palms on those of their partner, using a sequence of up, down , sideways and turn . Some movements are good, but not all are sufficiently rhythmical. Their performance overall is broadly in line with that expected for pupils aged 11. In this lesson, progress was good. All pupils have good attitudes and behave well. On occasion, noise levels were high; this was partly because the pupils were excited and were enjoying the lessons. The hall’s acoustics are such that sound is significantly amplified.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

127. Teaching ranged from satisfactory to very good and was satisfactory, overall. In the best lessons, good planning was a particularly strong feature, with the lesson objectives and tasks being clearly identified: “Today we are going to refine and develop further our dance steps.” All lessons were well managed and the teachers monitored the performance of their pupils effectively. There were good links to other subjects in many lessons. For example, in one lesson the teacher asked at the beginning, “Why do we warm up?” This prompted her pupils to think of what they are studying Christ Church C of E Primary School - 37 in science and the effect of exercise on the pulse and heart beat. In the same lesson, the music to which they were dancing was that of the Second World War – Glenn Miller’s In the Mood . This linked well with their Second World War topic and pupils were reminded that dances in wartime

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

helped to keep people’s spirits up. In another lesson, the dance to the music of the Masai tribe linked well with geography, where pupils are studying Kenya. In one lesson, the teacher was not entirely appropriately dressed and was wearing shoes.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

128. The co-ordinator provides sound leadership of the subject. She agrees that some staff training is required to raise pupils’ standards further. Resources are adequate, but storage of the equipment presents difficulties and makes them fairly inaccessible.

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