The Spinney Primary School

CHERRY HINTON, CAMBRIDGE

Dates of inspection: 1 st. - 4 th. November, 1999

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CHERRY HINTON, CAMBRIDGE

Inspection carried out under Section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 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. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school.

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CHERRY HINTON, CAMBRIDGE

Under the Education (Schools) Act 1992 and the Education Act 1993, 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.

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Information about the school

School address Hayster Drive Cherry Hinton Cambridge CB1 9PB

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Information about the school

Telephone number: 01223 568836 Fax number: 01223 568836

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Information about the school

Appropriate authority: Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mr A MacEachern

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Information about the school

Date of the previous inspection:27 th Feb.-2 nd March, 1995

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Information about the inspection team

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities Mr. R. Passant Under-fives; English; Information technology; Physical education. Attainment and progress; The quality of teaching; Leadership and management; The efficiency of the school.

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Information about the inspection team

Mrs. E. Fraser Attendance; Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare; Partnership with parents and the community. Dr. G. Plummer Mathematics; Design and technology; Music; Religious education. Equal opportunities; The curriculum and assessment; Attitudes, behaviour and personal development. Mr. M. Woods Science; History; Geography; Art. Special educational needs; Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development; Staffing, accommodation and learning resources.

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Information about the inspection team

National Educational Services Linden House Woodland Way Gosfield Nr. Halstead Essex C09 1TH

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Information about the inspection team

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

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Information about the inspection team

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE

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Introduction

Characteristics of the school 1 - 7 Key indicators 8

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Educational standards achieved by pupils at the school

Attainment and progress 9 - 28 Attitudes, behaviour and personal development 29 - 34 Attendance 35 - 37

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Quality of education provided

Teaching 38 - 50 The curriculum and assessment 51 - 64 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 65 - 70 Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare 71 - 78 Partnership with parents and the community 79 - 86

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The management and efficiency of the school

Leadership and management 87 - 95 Staffing, accommodation and learning resources 96 - 102 The efficiency of the school 103 - 108

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PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

Areas of learning for children under five 109 - 117

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English, mathematics, science, information and

communication technology and religious education 118 - 178

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PART C: INSPECTION DATA

Data and indicators 217 The Spinney School

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

§ . The school’s ethos is very good. § . The high quality of teaching is a strength of the school. § . Work in reception provides an excellent foundation for later work in the school. § . Pupils’ attitudes to learning and their behaviour in and out of classrooms are very good. § . Relationships throughout the school, between pupils and between adults and pupils are very good. § . The provision for pupils’ moral and social development is excellent. § . Financial planning, control and school administration are very good. § . Throughout the school, there is a strong sense of a team working to support and extend the pupils in their care. The quality of support, guidance and concern for pupils’ welfare is very good. § . The headteacher provides very good leadership and along with a very effective governing body provides a clear educational direction for the school. § . The partnership with parents is very good.

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WHERE THE SCHOOL HAS WEAKNESSES

§ . The provision for information technology, both as a subject and to support learning in other subjects, is poor throughout the school and standards of attainment are below average. The subject does not meet statutory requirements. § . Progress in geography is unsatisfactory in Key Stage 2. The strengths of the school are many and very significantly outweigh its weaknesses. Nevertheless, these will form the basis of the governors’ action plan, which will be circulated to all parents.

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WHERE THE SCHOOL HAS WEAKNESSES

In addition to the identified weaknesses there are a number of development areas which will help the school raise standards even higher. These relate to: • . issues of planning and assessment in religious education and some foundation subjects to ensure the rigour and pace of learning match the standards the school has achieved in English, mathematics and science.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE THE LAST INSPECTION

The school has made very significant improvements since the last inspection. In particular, there have been improvements in the quality of teaching, aspects of management and the curriculum. The school’s ability to make further improvements is very good.

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STANDARDS IN SUBJECTS

The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds in 1999 based on the National Curriculum tests: The Spinney School · Performance in Compared with all schools Compared with similar schools Key well above average A above average B English C C average C

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STANDARDS IN SUBJECTS

** The definition of similar schools is based upon the number of pupils eligible for free school meals. The official figure for pupils eligible for free school meals at The Spinney School is 5.2 percent. However, the inspection team concluded that this figure gives an inaccurate picture of the school intake and therefore comparison with similar schools is shown against the next free school meals benchmark group. The comparison with similar schools in the original benchmark group would have been English D, mathematics C and science D.

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STANDARDS IN SUBJECTS

Over the period, 1996 to 1998 pupils’ SATs performances have shown a rising trend in both key stages.

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STANDARDS IN SUBJECTS

Standards of attainment in English, mathematics and science of the current Year 6 are good.

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QUALITY OF TEACHING

The quality of teaching is a major strength of the school.

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QUALITY OF TEACHING

Teaching is, overall, of high quality throughout the school, across nearly all subjects and classes. It is this quality teaching which ensures that pupils, overall, make good progress.

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QUALITY OF TEACHING

The quality of teaching is never less than satisfactory. It is seldom less than good and in almost a half of lessons, it is very good. Occasionally it is outstanding.

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Teaching in: Under 5 5 - 7 years 7-11 years

English Very good Good Good and often very good Mathematics Very Good Good Good and often very good Science Very good Very good

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Teaching in: Under 5 5 - 7 years 7-11 years

Information technology None seen Good The Spinney School Religious education Satisfactory Very good

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Teaching in: Under 5 5 - 7 years 7-11 years

Other subjects At least satisfactory and often good Generally at least good

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Teaching in: Under 5 5 - 7 years 7-11 years

Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor and very poor. 'Satisfactory' means that strengths outweigh any weaknesses.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour Behaviour throughout the school, in and out of classrooms is very good. There is a calm atmosphere and often a rigorous work ethic in classrooms. Attendance Attendance is satisfactory. There are some issues relating to the recording of lateness and some confusion remains about distinguishing authorised and unauthorised absence Ethos* The ethos of the school is very good.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management The leadership of the school by the headteacher is very good. The governing body is very committed and supportive of the school. There is good communication and governors are sufficiently informed to be in the position to challenge and hold the school to account. The senior management of the school is effective and supportive of the headteacher. Curriculum Planning for English, mathematics and science is detailed and of good quality. Planning and assessment systems for other subject areas lack similar precision. Special educational needs The provision for special educational needs is very good.

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Aspect Comment

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The provision for moral and social development is excellent. The provision for cultural and spiritual development is good.

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Aspect Comment

Staffing, resources and accommodation There is a good range of expertise and experience on the staff. Learning support assistants provide good and effective support. The school provides a good quality environment. Resources are satisfactory except in information technology. Value for money The school provides good value for money. There are some aspects within that judgement, such as the very good ethos and the overall high quality of teaching which are very good.

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Aspect Comment

* Ethos is the climate for learning: attitudes to work, relationships and the commitment to high The Spinney School standards.

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

At the parents’ meeting parents said they included in the school’s strengths: § . the reception class; § . the caring nature of the school and its welcoming atmosphere; § . the very good information; § . the help and guidance and concern for pupils’ welfare; § . the support the school gives parents in their religious beliefs; § . the support for bi-lingual pupils. § . One or two parents were confused about the rationale for the mixed-age classes. § . A couple of parents were concerned about their child’s experience when staffing problems meant many changes of staff. During this time, they said, information was not passed on to the next teacher.

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

The inspection team support parents’ very positive views of the school. Staffing problems have been reconciled and internal communication is now good at an informal and formal level. Parents need more information about the time spent in mixed-age and age-setted groups in Key Stage 2.

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Key issues for action

Building on the many strengths of the school, the headteacher governors and members of staff should:

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Key issues for action

• . improve standards in information and communication technology by: § . planning and teaching the subject in a progressive manner through the school; § . ensuring that all pupils receive the full range of information and communication technology entitlement; § . using appropriate assessment systems to monitor closely pupil progress in information and communication technology; § . make significant investment to improve the computer to pupil ratio. (references in paragraphs: 50.54,160-167)

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Key issues for action

• . improve progress in geography in Key Stage 2 by: § . developing a scheme of work or skills list for geography, which identifies clear progression in the acquisition of geographical knowledge, concepts and skills which reflect the programmes of study in the National Curriculum; § . ensuring that the subject or aspects of the subject are included in thematic planning; § . refining assessment systems so that pupils’ progress in geography can be monitored more precisely. (references in paragraphs: 50,56,57,188-192)

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Key issues for action

In addition to the identified weaknesses there are a number of development areas which will help the school raise standards even higher. These relate to: § . issues of planning and assessment in religious education and some foundation subjects to ensure The Spinney School the rigour and pace of learning match the standards the school has achieved in English, mathematics and science. (references in paragraphs: 50,57,58,62,173,174,179,185,186,205) The Spinney School

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Characteristics of the school

1.The previous report noted that the school opened in 1989 and that the majority of pupils were drawn from Cherry Hinton, a suburb in the city of Cambridge. There were ranges of different economic, social and cultural backgrounds. The level of admissions and departures to and from the school because of family movement was higher than might be expected. These characteristics currently apply.

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Characteristics of the school

2.The governing body decided to reduce the size of classes and the roll has now been reduced to 209 from a peak of approximately 240. The governors are aware of the subsequent financial implications of this reduction. The size of the school is broadly average.

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Characteristics of the school

3.The official percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is 5.2 percent. The inspection team feels strongly that this does not give a true reflection of the nature of the school’s intake and that the school’s estimate of 14 percent is more accurate. About a third of pupils attending the school come from out of the immediate area. The range of ability on entry to the school is broadly average.

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Characteristics of the school

4.There is a high percentage of pupils (7.6 percent) who come from homes where English is not the first language. Pupils start in the Reception class at the beginning of the academic year in which they become five.

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Characteristics of the school

5.There are 11 pupils on the register of special educational needs levels three to five. There are four pupils with statements. There are 38 on stages one to two. The percentage of pupils with statements is high in comparison to national average although the percentage on the register is average.

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Characteristics of the school

6.The school’s focus has been on raising standards. Target-setting is being used to promote this.

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Characteristics of the school

7.The school places a very high priority on developing an effective partnership with parents. The Spinney School

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Results

Reading Writing Mathematic s Number of pupils Boys 7 (18) 8 (16) 8 (20) at NC Level 2 or Girls 14 (12) 16 (6) 14 (13) above Total 21 (30) 24 (22) 22 (33) Percentage at NC School 78 (86) 89 (63) 81 (94.) Level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83 (81) 87 (84)

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Results

Teacher Assessments English Mathematic s Science

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Results

Number of pupils Boys 9 (16) 8 (20) 10 (17) at NC Level 2 or Girls 17 (11) 15 (13) 17 (12) above Total 26 (27) 23 (33) 27 (29) Percentage at NC School 96 (77) 85 (94) 100 (82) Level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 87 (86) The Spinney School

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Curriculum

Test Results English Mathematics Science

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Curriculum

Number of pupils Boys 12 (6) 16 (7) 16 (7) at NC Level 4 or Girls 12 (6) 9 (5) 12 (7) above Total 24 (12) 25 (12) 28 (14) Percentage at NC School 71 (71) 74 (71) 82 (82.) Level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

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Curriculum

Teacher Assessments English Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 12 (6) 15 (7) 16 (7) at NC Level 4 or Girls 12 (6) 11 (6) 12 (5) above Total 24 (12) 26 (13) 28 (12) Percentage at NC School 71 (71) 77 (77) 82 (71) Level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (72)

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Attendance

Percentage of half days (sessions) missed %

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Attendance

through absence for the latest complete Authorised School 5.2 reporting year: Absence National comparative data 6.2

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Attendance

Unauthorised School 0.0 absence National comparative data 0.5

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Exclusions

Number of exclusions of pupils (of statutory school age) Number

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Exclusions

during the previous year: Fixed period 1 Permanent 0

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Quality of teaching

Percentage of teaching observed which is: % Very good or better 42.6 Satisfactory or better 100 Less than satisfactory 0.0

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Quality of teaching

Percentages in parentheses refer to the year before the latest reporting year The Spinney School

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Attainment and progress

1.Pupils arrive in the Reception class with broadly average levels of attainment. They make very good progress and by the end of the year, the excellent foundation of work means that they are well on target to achieve beyond the ‘Desirable Learning Outcomes’ (the curriculum for five-year-olds) and many children will be working at the early stages of the National Curriculum.

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Attainment and progress

2.Standards in English, mathematics and science at the end of Key Stage 1 are good.

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Attainment and progress

3.From 1996 to 1998 pupils’ performance in National Curriculum tests show a rising trend greater than that nationally in both key stages.

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Attainment and progress

4.The small size of the cohort at The Spinney School means that there is likely to be considerable variation in percentages between one year and the next. These variations and the performance of one or two pupils being able to make considerable impact on the overall percentages, mean that considerable care is necessary in the interpretation of change in the school’s National Curriculum results from one year to the next.

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Attainment and progress

5.The 1999 National Curriculum tests and tasks show that the performance of pupils aged seven was above the national average in writing and slightly below in mathematics and reading.

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Attainment and progress

6.In 1998 National Curriculum tests at the end of Key Stage 1, in reading showed that the percentage of pupils reaching levels 2 or above was above the national average. The percentage of pupils reaching levels 3 or above was well above the national average. In writing the percentage of pupils reaching level 2 or above was close to the national average and at level 3 or above was well above the national average. In mathematics the percentage of pupils reaching levels 2 or above was above the national average, as was the percentage reaching levels 3 or above

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Attainment and progress

7.Average levels enable the best overview of pupils’ results in National Curriculum tests because they take full account of the achievements of all pupils. When the performance of the pupils is compared using average levels then the figures for 1998 show that the performance in reading and mathematics was well above the national average. The performance in writing was above the national average.

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Attainment and progress

8.When the performance is taken over the three years 1996 to 1998, then the figures show that the performance was above the national average in all three aspects. Boys performed above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. Girls performed above the national average in mathematics and well above the national average in reading and writing.

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Attainment and progress

9.In the 1999 SATs pupils performed at eleven broadly in line with the national average in English, mathematics and science.

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Attainment and progress

10.The National Curriculum tasks and tests for eleven year olds show that in 1998 in English the percentage of pupils reaching level 4 or above and level 5 or above was above the national average. In mathematics, the percentage of pupils reaching level 4 or above was above the national average. The percentage reaching level 5 or above was well above the national average. In science the percentage reaching level 4 or above was above the national average. The percentage reaching level 5 or above in science was below the national average. The Spinney School 11.Over the past three years, the performance in English was above the national average. It was close to the national average in mathematics and below in science. When boys’ performance is averaged over the period 1996 to 1998 they performed above the national average in English, close to it in mathematics and below in science. Girls performed close to the national average in English but below

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Attainment and progress

in mathematics and science. When the performance in all three subjects is averaged over the period, the performance of pupils was close to the national average.

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Attainment and progress

12.Standards in English are good across the school. Standards in speaking and listening are good by the end of Key Stage 1. Pupils listen well to each other and their teachers. They are confident to speak clearly in front of the class and include detail in their accounts. Individuals are able to make extended confident responses to questions. Standards in reading are good. By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils read a range of demanding classical texts with interest and enthusiasm and are able to talk about the events and characters in detail. Pupils make good use of reference books and use thesauri and dictionaries well across all subjects. Standards in writing are good across the school. Pupils by the end of Key Stage 2 use increasingly complex sentences and have a good understanding of punctuation. Spelling is usually accurate and work is presented well with a fluent joined style of handwriting.

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Attainment and progress

13.Standards in mathematics are good across the school. By the end of Key Stage 2, most pupils’ understanding of the relationships between fractions, decimals and percentages is well developed for their age. They can read off a decimal fraction scale, order mixed numbers up to three decimal points, convert decimals to percentages and fractions to decimals. Pupils have a good knowledge of multiplication facts and quick recall. They are confident in using the four number operations including division with remainders. In work on shape and measures pupils can sort different types of regular and irregular quadrilaterals correctly, measure angles, and name the types of triangles. They know and use appropriately the formula for measuring area and can calculate the perimeter of given shapes successfully. Metric and imperial units are used with confidence. In work on data handling pupils can accurately present information in tables and use a range of graphs and charts. They solve problems by

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Attainment and progress

extracting and interpreting information accurately.

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Attainment and progress

14.Overall, standards in science are good. By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils develop a body of knowledge about forces and motion at an appropriate level and through their work in that field are developing an appreciation of fair testing. The emphasis in their programme of study is leading them to plan experimental work in precisely planned sequences, to obtain and record evidence and to draw conclusions from what they find. They are under-achieving in this aspect of their work at present but are on target to attain satisfactory standards by the end of the key stage.

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Attainment and progress

15.In religious education, the evidence available indicates that at the end of both key stages pupils’ attainment is in line with the expectations of the locally Agreed Syllabus. Standards in information and communication technology are below average at the end of the key stages. Pupils have not had, until this term, a coherent and progressive experience in information and communication technology.

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Attainment and progress

16.Standards in art, design and technology and physical education are satisfactory. In swimming standards are good. In music, some good work was seen and overall standards are satisfactory. In history and geography, it was not possible to make a fair judgement about standards at the end of the key stages. On the evidence available, pupils make satisfactory progress in history across the school. In geography, progress is satisfactory in Key Stage 1 but unsatisfactory in Key Stage 2.

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Attainment and progress

17.Overall, progress is good in seven out of ten lessons. Pupils in Reception make very good progress. In Key Stage 1 progress in lessons is never less than satisfactory and is generally good. In Key Stage 2 pupils make good progress in seven lessons out of ten and progress in lessons is never less than The Spinney School satisfactory. 18.Over time, pupils make consistent, good progress in English, mathematics and science. The most significant factor in pupils making the good progress they do is the consistent high quality of teaching and the good quality of planning in these subjects.

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Attainment and progress

19.In geography, the fact that the new scheme has not yet been fully implemented leads to unsatisfactory progress at Key Stage 2; without carefully planned coverage, geography work of quality is not being fitted into the thematic planning. In information technology, the lack of a scheme, until this term, has led to below average standards. Current progress in information and communication technology, now that a scheme is being followed, is at least satisfactory and sometimes good. In other subjects, progress over time is at least satisfactory but where there is a lack of a detailed scheme of work or skills list to support teacher planning, progress is less assured.

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Attainment and progress

20.Pupils with special educational needs make good progress towards the targets set for them. This reflects the detailed planning of their work and the good quality of staff support in most lessons.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

21.Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and relationships are a strength of the school.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

22.Pupils’ responses to learning are very good throughout the school. The vast majority of pupils show interest, enthusiasm and enjoyment in their work. For example, Year 4 pupils discussed their work in mathematics with animated interest. Pupils’ postiveness is apparent in their good responses in lessons, their demonstration of high levels of concentration and the fact that many take a pride in the presentation of their work. Most pupils sustain interest throughout lessons whether working individually, in pairs or small groups. Pupils listen and respond well to teachers and learning support assistants and are confident to respond in whole-class groups. This is seen in mental arithmetic sessions and in story contexts from an early age. Older pupils are at ease putting forward their own ideas and asking questions. Good examples of this are seen in discussions in religious education based around the story of Moses in Year 5/6.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

23.Very good behaviour is seen during the inspection in classes and around the school enabling good quality of learning to take place. The school rules are well-known and staff have very high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. These are met. Pupils know what is acceptable behaviour. Pupils play well together in the playground. As they move around the school, they are polite and courteous to each other and to all adults. During school time they look after their own property and are careful with the property of others. They value highly their pleasant environment. Though the behaviour of a small number of pupils can be challenging, there are relatively few instances of less than satisfactory behaviour. Pupils are managed well by teachers. Parents perceive pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to be very good and pupils meet this expectation. During the last year, the school excluded one pupil for

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

24.The quality of pupils’ relationships is very good and pupils enjoy coming to school. This is having a good effect on pupils’ attainment and progress across the school. Teachers are very good role models to pupils in respecting their individual needs and in working well together as a team. Pupils also show respect and consideration for each other and adults. This mutual respect contributes significantly to the school’s caring environment. A strong sense of community is developed within the school where pupils and others are valued. Friendship and the importance of friendship are explored in religious education from an early age in the school. Pupils enjoy and value the mix of pupils from different ethnic backgrounds and are aware of the importance of getting on with each other. The Spinney School Relationships are harmonious. Pupils with special educational needs are also integrated well into the

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

school. There is a positive working atmosphere in all classes and well-planned opportunities for pupils to work together and support each other. This is seen in design work in technology and in group compositions in music. Pupils work well together. Parents see the school as a caring school where older pupils look after younger ones, and they do.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

25.The personal development of pupils is very good. There is a scheme of work for personal, social and health education and emotions and feelings are well-explored and developed in, for example, English, music and religious education. Pupils respond positively to these opportunities. Within classrooms pupils are encouraged to take responsibility in getting themselves organised quickly and most year groups do this successfully. The school has a school council and the pupils on it take their elected role seriously. For instance, funds for national organisations are raised and concerts put on for senior citizens in the community. Sixty pupils in the school have also taken part the school’s exciting musical production of ‘Joseph’ put on in a Cambridge theatre. At the time of the inspection, pupils responded well to a request for volunteers to send a shoebox of their toys to children in Eastern Europe

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

for Christmas. Older pupils willingly accept other responsibilities; for example, they operate the audio system and overhead projector in assemblies. They apply and are interviewed to be playground assistants helping at lunchtimes and organising the games. These activities are carried out responsibly.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

26.The majority of pupils with special educational needs are difficult to identify in class settings. Their attitudes and behaviour are entirely positive and they tackle their work with interest and enthusiasm. This is very much due to the variety of ways in which teachers and learning support assistants provide support to ensure that pupils can find satisfaction in their work. There is a minority of pupils with behaviour difficulties who are more obvious during lessons. They find concentration difficult but their impact is minimised by support arrangements. Other pupils in classes have a sympathetic understanding for those with learning difficulties.

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Attendance

27.The overall level of attendance at 94.8 percent is a little better than national averages and there is minimal unauthorised absence. The good attendance of the majority of pupils contributes to their attainment and progress. Parents keep the school well informed about the reasons for any absence, although the school is concerned about the adverse effect of holidays taken in term time on the attendance of some pupils.

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Attendance

28.The school has addressed the concerns raised in the previous inspection and recent audit of registration procedures. The punctuality of the great majority of pupils is good. While the late arrival of pupils is noted, no record is kept of the actual time of arrival. The school needs to ensure that all staff are clear that, because a parent has informed the school of the reason for an absence, or of the intention to have holidays in term time, this does not automatically mean the absence is recorded as authorised.

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Attendance

29.The school does not meet fully recording and reporting requirements to report the school attendance statistics in the prospectus.

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Teaching

The Spinney School 30.The quality of teaching is a major strength of the school.

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Teaching

31.Teaching is, overall, of high quality throughout the school, across nearly all subjects and classes. It is this quality teaching which ensures that pupils, overall, make good progress.

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Teaching

32.The quality of teaching is never less than satisfactory. It is seldom less than good and in almost a half of lessons, it is very good. Occasionally it is outstanding.

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Teaching

33.The previous inspection noted that teaching was satisfactory or better in nine out of ten lessons with consistently good teaching in pre-Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. The report was critical of the way teachers made limited inputs into the work of particular groups, because of the range of different activities underway in the classroom.

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Teaching

34.There has been a significant improvement in the quality of teaching since the last inspection.

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Teaching

35.Teaching in the Reception class is consistently very good. Occasionally it is outstanding. Planning is very detailed and there is clarity of objectives coupled with experience and skill, which ensures pupils make good progress. Presentations to the class are lively, group work is organised very well and work carefully matched to the abilities of the children. Expectations of pupils are very high and the teacher uses her energy and enthusiasm to create a positive environment and support pupils’ enjoyment of learning.

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Teaching

36.Teaching in Key Stage 1 is good. It is never less than satisfactory and often very good. Planning is detailed, often reflected in precise learning objectives for English and mathematics. It is less detailed in other subjects. Expectations of work and behaviour are high but appropriate; tasks are prepared well and relevant to pupils’ experience, which has a positive effect on pupil attentiveness. Assessment is effectively used to plan the work in English, mathematics and science. In lessons teachers notice quickly pupils’ concerns. There is often a good mixture of open questioning and assisting pupils to question each other. Classroom management and control is good and teachers are confident in their knowledge in most subjects and use effectively technical language.

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Teaching

37.Teaching in Key Stage 2 is good. It is never less than satisfactory and in just under a half of lessons it is very good. Occasionally it is outstanding.

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Teaching

38.All teachers display confidence and good subject knowledge. Very good use is made of technical language. Expectations of pupils’ work and behaviour are demanding and challenge pupils appropriately. Planning is detailed and very effective for English, mathematics and science and objectives for the lesson are precise and shared with pupils. Planning in other subjects, although broadly satisfactory is less detailed. In some subjects there are not schemes of work to support teacher planning and sometimes planning is not taking sufficiently into account pupils’ differing learning needs so that the work presents appropriate challenge to all pupils.

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Teaching

39.Class management is at least good and very often, very good. Where teaching is very good the teacher engages groups and individuals in a seemingly effortless way, and at some length, so that direct teaching takes place and pupils’ thinking and response are extended. Teachers ‘read’ the class well, anticipating where to move to next but retaining the pace and direction of the lesson.

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Teaching

40.Throughout the classes, there is sympathetic support, encouragement and guidance and teachers maintain full attention nearly all of the time. There is evidence of assessment being used in planning in English, mathematics and science and on-going use of assessment and the highly developed professional ‘antennae’ of the teachers to monitor progress of learning and to adapt the lesson to The Spinney School ensure that pupils understand.

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Teaching

41.Throughout the school teachers have very positive relationships with the pupils which support the learning. They often show the good skill of listening, valuing what the pupil has to say and reinforcing their confidence and sense of self-esteem. Homework is used appropriately and effectively to extend the learning opportunities. Teachers make good use of time and the resources available.

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Teaching

42.Teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good throughout the school. Awareness of special educational needs issues is high among teachers and their relationships with, and direction of, learning support assistants is good. Planning is effective and regular reference is made to the clear targets in individual education plans. When teachers are alone with their classes, they use a variety of successful support strategies. These include grouping by ability and working personally with the lower attaining pupils, grouping in mixed-ability groups and encouraging peer support and providing work tailored to meet the needs of individuals. The latter approach is not as well developed in some of the foundation subjects, religious education and information technology as it is in English, mathematics and science. An extra teacher is employed to reduce the pupil teacher ratio and supports teachers in

p.19

Teaching

Years 1 and 2. She does this by working within a class or by withdrawing a group and providing much more intensive teaching than could be offered in a whole-class lesson. This arrangement is proving beneficial and raising standards. When teachers have the support of learning support assistants, the roles of these extra adults have been meticulously planned. Their work is well organised and their management of pupils is always sympathetic, firm when necessary and consistent. This support makes a substantial contribution to the attainment and progress of the pupils concerned. Teachers also make very good use of ‘Learning Friends’. These valuable volunteers from the local community befriend groups of pupils and work with them at set times each week.

p.19

The curriculum and assessment

43.The curriculum for children under the age of five is very good. It provides an excellent foundation for work later in the school.

p.19

The curriculum and assessment

44.Since the last inspection, significant improvements have been made to the school’s curriculum and assessment provision.

p.19

The curriculum and assessment

45.Curriculum provision is good overall. It is broad and balanced. The school now meets the requirements of the locally Agreed Syllabus in religious education, a key issue in the last report. A strong emphasis is being placed on literacy, numeracy and science and the school has been successful in raising attainment in these subjects. The school’s provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education is very good. It is well-planned and taught formally and informally. The school has a detailed action plan to promote health, which includes aims for appropriately addressing sex education and drug misuse. The school is participating in the ‘Health Promoting Schools’ initiative.

p.19

The curriculum and assessment

46.Provision for ensuring pupils have equality of access to the curriculum is good. Provision for access to information technology is unsatisfactory. Pupils of all abilities are given sufficient opportunities to make good progress in literacy, numeracy and science and in Key Stage 1 lower and higher attaining pupils are given extra targeted support to raise the standards they are attaining in literacy and numeracy.

p.19

The curriculum and assessment

47.Provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good.

p.19

The curriculum and assessment

48.The school has made considerable improvements in its approach to whole-school planning of the The Spinney School curriculum since the last inspection. This is best reflected in its two-year planning cycle, which takes into account its mixed-aged teaching if not mixed ability groups. The whole-school thematic map provides an appropriate structure for identifying what subject is to be taught when across the school. Planning overall is satisfactory, though planning for English, mathematics and science informed by national strategies is of good quality. In other subjects, planning is not as detailed. It does not always take sufficiently into account pupils’ differing learning needs so that the work presents appropriate challenge to all pupils. The emphasis in these lessons is on good teacher support within the lesson, which pupils receive.

p.19

The curriculum and assessment

49.Subject policies to guide staff are in the process of being updated or completed. Schemes of work and skills lists showing what pupils will learn as they move through the school do not exist for religious education and some foundation subjects, for instance design and technology. Published schemes are being used as support materials for some subjects. Where schemes and skills lists exist, they promote educational standards. It is the school’s intention to develop its on-going medium-term plans to form schemes of work in the longer term. These are developing and are of good quality though not yet complete. Teachers also carefully produce plans termly, which show what will be learnt and how for combined year groups. Additional weekly or fortnightly plans and lesson plans set out additional details. This process is very demanding of teachers’ time and involves a certain degree of unnecessary repetition.

p.20

The curriculum and assessment

50.It is difficult for teachers to ensure that pupils build on previous years’ experiences in subjects and for the school to assure itself that pupils are making good progress without the help of schemes and skills list clarifying concept and skills development as pupils move across the school. It is particularly difficult when incorporating subjects within thematic planning. The integration of subjects in themes can hinder the development of higher level skills. This occurs when the subject is attached loosely to an area of experience as seen with design and technology.

p.20

The curriculum and assessment

51.The school offers equal access to the curriculum for all pupils, through a combination of effective planning, setting arrangements for some subjects, and in-class and withdrawal support such as the additional literacy strategy teaching programme. The needs of pupils identified as having special educational needs are met very well. These pupils are valued members of the community and are integrated fully into the life of the school. The targets set in individual education plans and in statements of special educational need are central to daily planning. The school has begun to address the needs of higher attaining pupils through setting arrangements during literacy and numeracy hours. Assessments of the behaviour, attainments and difficulties of pupils with special educational needs are recorded daily by learning support assistants. These notebooks are shared with parents.

p.20

The curriculum and assessment

52.The school makes very good provision for extra-curricular activities. They cover a wide range of skills and offer pupils the opportunity to improve the standards they attain. Clubs are provided for learning musical instruments such as the guitar and recorder. In addition, there is choir, drama, dance and parachute club, chess, cookery, clay and homework clubs. Football and hockey also take place and the school plays league netball matches with local schools.

p.20

The curriculum and assessment

53.There are some good whole school procedures for assessing attainment and progress. This marks a notable improvement since the previous inspection when the school’s assessment policy was not being fully implemented. For the under-fives baseline assessments are made as children enter the school and at the end of the year to measure their progress. At Key Stages 1 and 2 progress is monitored termly through individual pupil assessments in English, mathematics and science. These are carefully annotated and levelled according to National Curriculum criteria. Optional national tests to measure the standards pupil are attaining in these subjects year on year have recently been introduced in Key Stage 2. Termly targets are set for individual pupils involving parents. This is having a positive effect The Spinney School on raising the standards of pupils. Teachers are regularly involved in moderating pupils’ written work

p.20

The curriculum and assessment

and test results as part of their on-going assessment practice. There are instances at the end of Key Stage 1 where teachers’ assessment of pupils at the higher levels does not match national test results. There is no document or portfolio of levelled work to act as a reference point.

p.21

The curriculum and assessment

54.Assessments are clearly identified in short-term plans. Teachers assess pupils’ previous success on a theme of work and plan assessment opportunities for the lessons ahead. There are, however, no formal recording systems in place to monitor individual pupils’ attainment and progress in information technology, religious education and some foundation subjects, although informal assessments take place. Without adequate whole-school assessment systems for these subjects, it is difficult to be sure of the progress over time of pupils of mixed abilities and ages. Teachers do not always use their informal assessments to plan for differing needs in these subjects.

p.21

The curriculum and assessment

55.The school’s use of assessments to inform curriculum planning is satisfactory overall. It uses well the assessments it has. While baseline assessments are used well to monitor pupil progress, Key Stage 1 assessments in English and mathematics are used to identify pupils who will benefit from support and extension work in literacy and numeracy. There is good early intervention. These assessments are also used effectively to group pupils for English and mathematics and are helping teachers raise standards in these subjects. A mathematics audit carried out to show curriculum strengths and weaknesses is effectively being used to identify points of action in raising standards in, for instance, mental arithmetic.

p.21

The curriculum and assessment

56.The school has a very detailed marking policy, which is implemented successfully. Marking is consistent across the school in most subject areas. Teachers make positive comments and give instructions on how pupils might improve their work.

p.21

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

57.The school’s promotion of social and moral development is excellent and the provision for spiritual and cultural development is good. Statutory requirements for collective worship are met fully. This represents a strengthening of the position since the last inspection. These broad judgements hide some detail and there are still some aspects of spiritual and cultural development that need attention.

p.21

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

58.Provision for spiritual development is made mainly through assemblies and the associated acts of worship and through religious education teaching. It is during these activities that pupils are given planned opportunities to reflect upon values and beliefs and to relate these to their own experiences. This was seen being done in an assembly, when thoughts about how all pupils could contribute to bringing some comfort to refugees at Christmas time, were used to raise awareness of their plight. The quality of individual assemblies is good but the teachers have not yet developed planning to ensure that content over a week builds upon a theme.

p.21

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

59.There are examples in class teaching where opportunities for reflection and possible spiritual experience are planned into the lesson, for example, in listening to and appreciating music and in parts of the religious education syllabus. Evidence from lesson observations and scrutiny of pupils’ work reveals planned occasions when emotions have been stirred by the study of literature or through the development of empathy with people of the past in history lessons. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 had written deeply felt observations about the plight of the Jarrow marchers during the depression of the 1930s. Teachers have the skills necessary to take hold of opportunities that arise in lessons and offer moments of spirituality. The Spinney School 60.The provision for moral development is a strength of the school. Discussion with pupils reveals a clear understanding and appreciation of the code of conduct worked out, in assembly, by the whole

p.21

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

school community. There is a real sense of possession of, and pride in, that code. Individual classes also have their own sets of understandings about behaviour and pupils appreciate the worth of this. Assemblies, literacy lessons, story time and personal, social and health education lessons are all used to promote moral messages, helping pupils to build a strong awareness of much wider questions of morality such as concerns about pollution and wars in Europe. Very good example is given in the care and support all adults show towards pupils.

p.22

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

61.As a direct consequence of strong moral development, the school provides pupils with a secure environment in general terms. Because it is secure, it is a happy school and relationships are very good in classrooms and across the school as a whole. When large numbers are together in assemblies, in the dining hall or in the playground, understandings about behaviour result in consideration for each other and co-operation in play. The atmosphere around the school is very much supported by pupils who act as playground assistants. They enjoy the responsibility and are respected by the other pupils. The large number of visits pupils make out of school, including two residential field trips, enhances social responsibility. Membership of the school council is seen as another privilege and here the seeds of citizenship are sown as ideas for improvements in the life of the school are discussed and developed.

p.22

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

Access to the school grassed area by a pathway was an outcome from deliberations. Co-operative and collaborative learning is strong in most classrooms. Pupils work together on tasks and interact well.

p.22

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

62.Cultural development is promoted through several subjects of the curriculum and by a number of clubs. History teaching is a major contribution to helping pupils to explore the cultural traditions of this country. The strong programme of class visits designed to support thematic work is also valuable. Musical work is strong in the school. Pupils listen to music, play music and participate in productions. The study of literature is making a positive contribution to cultural growth. Religious education teaching offers some insight into the faiths of other cultures. The personal and social education programme includes teaching that raises issues about relationships with people from other cultures. There are examples of pupils from ethnic minorities sharing something of their traditions with their classes but this is informal rather than carefully planned. There is a very positive ethos in the school, which respects other cultures. This is evident in the signing around the school and in

p.22

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

pupils’ respect for the skills of bi-lingual pupils. The school also plans significant events, such as a theme on India, to explore specifically the cultural dimensions. Nevertheless, planning to develop the multi-cultural dimension as part of the on-going curriculum work is limited.

p.22

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

63.The quality of support, guidance and arrangements for pupils’ welfare continue to be very good and this makes a positive contribution to the ethos of the school, to pupils’ attitudes to learning and the very good standards of behaviour. Members of staff know pupils well and pupils feel safe and enjoy school. Parents value the care and concern staff show for the pupils, their well-being and progress and how the ‘Spinney Way’ supports and promotes pupils’ personal development.

p.22

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

64.There are effective procedures for monitoring and assessing pupils’ academic progress in English mathematics and science and the information is used to inform lesson plans in these subjects and the grouping of pupils, particularly for literacy and numeracy. Assessment is used less well in some other subjects. The support and guidance given to pupils with special educational needs are very good. The school chooses to use Stage 1 of the stages of assessment as a screening system, involving parents and writing action plans as soon as learning or behaviour difficulties are detected. By this prompt action some difficulties are met and dealt with early on. Learning support staff are involved fully in assessing The Spinney School and evaluating the progress of pupils with learning difficulties and in supporting their progress through withdrawal and in class support. A local education authority learning support teacher spends four

p.22

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

hours in the school each week working with selected pupils. Full use is made of other outside agencies available to advise the school on such matters as advising and supporting teachers and learning support assistants, for example in behaviour management, with English as a second language, and for supporting pupils with speech and language difficulties and hearing impairment.

p.23

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

65.Procedures for monitoring pupils’ personal development are very good. Staff use registration time and thematic work to promote pupils’ personal and social education. Parents are confident that members of staff are accessible to pupils and responsive to their needs. Arrangements for the induction of the youngest pupils into the school are excellent and well resourced; the well-structured part-time start ensures new pupils settle quickly and confidently in the Reception class.

p.23

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

66.Members of staff expect a good standard of behaviour from all pupils. There is an appropriate emphasis on the promotion of positive attitudes and the reinforcement of good behaviour and effort through praise and rewards, which raise pupils’ self-esteem and motivates them to succeed. Display is used effectively throughout the school to celebrate pupils’ work and achievement. Monitoring of all incidents of unacceptable behaviour or attitudes is very good and members of staff meet regularly to discuss pupils whose behaviour gives cause for concern. Although pupils do not express any concerns about bullying, they feel anti-bullying strategies and awareness have a high profile; pupils are confident that they can disclose concerns and that staff will take appropriate action. Mid-day assistants are a highly motivated and able team, and are supported by the very mature and responsible band of Year 6 playtime assistants. Between them, they promote positive attitudes and good behaviour

p.23

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

through the encouragement of co-operative play at lunchtime and in supporting pupils to take responsibility for others.

p.23

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

67.Parents are expected to keep the school well informed of reasons for absence, and there have been improvements in the monitoring of attendance and punctuality since the last report. The Education Welfare Service is involved where there are concerns about poor punctuality or intermittent attendance. The school could give parents specific information on what constitutes an unauthorised absence in order to discourage them taking holidays in term time.

p.23

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

68.The school's arrangements for child protection are good and reflect those adopted by the local Area Child Protection Committee and local education authority procedures. Key members of staff have received appropriate training and are effective in communicating and sharing any concerns over pupils’ well-being and safety.

p.23

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

69.The school gives high regard to ensuring the safety and well-being of pupils in lessons, around the school and on visits. There are appropriately fully qualified first-aid staff on duty throughout the day. All accidents and incidents are dealt with skilfully and recorded by the responsible staff. However, there is no appropriate treatment room for dealing with sick and injured pupils.

p.23

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

70.The school is very involved in developing its programme for the safety and well-being of pupils through a number of health and safety related initiatives. These include developing the personal, social and health education programme to focus on a programme of child safety and child protection issues and work by staff, parents and pupils on a ‘safer routes to schools’ action plan. Subject policies and lesson planning take due account of health and safety issues and the school carries out regular risk assessments and health and safety checks of the premises. For example, the headteacher accompanied the swimming group to the new swimming pool to undertake a health and safety check. The school is actively looking at ways to reduce minor injuries in the playground by developing the school grounds. These minor injuries are due, in the main, to a shortfall in the hard play area provided. The recently

p.23

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

The Spinney School constructed ‘activity path’ as part of that development has proved very successful and is very popular with pupils.

p.24

Partnership with parents and the community

71.The school has maintained and developed further its positive and effective partnership with parents and the community. This makes a valuable contribution to the life of the school, the strong sense of community and to raising expectations and to developing pupils’ interests. Parents are confident that they are kept well informed about the life of the school and that their involvement is encouraged and valued. Parents appreciate the accessibility of staff, the way the school consults them and keeps them informed well about developments and changes and how the school deals with any concerns raised.

p.24

Partnership with parents and the community

72.The prospectus gives a very good picture of the school, its ethos, aims, values and procedures. More explanation of the balance of time spent in Key Stage 2 in mixed-age and single-age classes would help parents understand the rationale for mixed-age classes. This is supported by a well-written and extremely helpful booklet on the National Curriculum, which explains levels and targets in each subject. Communications with parents, including the regular newsletters, are written well, are informative, positive and often humorous, giving parents a full picture of the life of the school, pupils’ activities and achievements as well as what is expected of them and how they can support their children’s education, development and progress. Display throughout the school is used effectively to illustrate and celebrate pupils' achievement, to encourage parents' and visitors’ interest and involvement in learning and to inform them about events and opportunities in the community, which

p.24

Partnership with parents and the community

might be of interest to them and their children.

p.24

Partnership with parents and the community

73.There are now three parent-staff consultations each year, including a review of pupils’ attainment, progress and effort, where individual attainment targets are set for the rest of the academic year. Parents of pupils with learning difficulties are involved in annual reviews of their children's progress and agreeing individual education plans. End-of-year reports give good information about pupils’ progress and attainment and targets for improvement, comparing progress with targets set in the previous mid-year report. Homework is progressive, in line with government recommendations, set regularly, is relevant to class work and encourages pupils to research or prepare for forthcoming areas of study. However, the school is aware that some parents would prefer tasks to be more specific and less open ended and the homework sheets sent home have been revised to give greater clarity about what pupils should do.

p.24

Partnership with parents and the community

74.The great majority of parents of pupils with special educational needs are very positive about the arrangements made for their children. They attend review meetings and keep in touch with the school through the use of a home-school diary and often through daily contact with teachers.

p.24

Partnership with parents and the community

75.The school offers a wide range of opportunities for parents to be involved in the life and work of the school. Parents enthusiastically support school events and productions and attendance at consultations is very good. Staff and pupils benefit from the commitment and skills of a significant number of parents and friends who help regularly in class. A greater number of parents help with visits, trips and after-school activities. The committed and active parents teacher association support the school with fund-raising and put on a varied programme of popular social and family events.

p.24

Partnership with parents and the community

76.There is a well planned programme of visits both locally and further afield to support many areas of the curriculum, and these are used most effectively to develop and widen pupils’ interest in a range of subjects as well as for their personal and social development. Older pupils enjoy the residential visits to Grafham and north Norfolk. The community productions of, for example, ‘Joseph and The The Spinney School Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ give excellent opportunities for pupils to work together, take responsibility and enjoy the fun and excitement of a major school production.

p.24

Partnership with parents and the community

77.The school is an active member of the local education community. The school has expanded its positive and active partnership with the main secondary school and this has an impact both on the pastoral and academic curriculum. Members of staff at both schools work effectively to ensure a smooth transfer of all pupils to the next stage of education and collaborate on a number of curriculum initiatives and developments for ensuring that pupils’ learning is progressive. There is a most effective two-way exchange of skills, knowledge and expertise supporting staff training and development and benefiting both schools.

p.25

Partnership with parents and the community

78.The school makes good use of local community and business links developed through personal contact and school initiatives, and the school has received support from local businesses and community groups. Pupils gain in their knowledge and understanding of society and the responsibility of citizenship from talks by visitors from such charities as the NSPCC. In their turn pupils are involved in and contribute to the community, entertaining senior citizens, taking part in environmental initiatives and in fund-raising for local and national charities which develop their understanding of the responsibilities of citizenship and an awareness of the needs of others.

p.25

Leadership and management

79.The previous report noted that the management of the school was sound. Greater involvement by staff and governors in the school development plan was particularly identified as needing development. There have been very significant developments in this and in other management aspects particularly relating to putting management systems in place.

p.25

Leadership and management

80.Overall, leadership and management of the school are very good.

p.25

Leadership and management

81.The leadership of the headteacher is very good. He is reflective about the school and its progress, thoughtful and generous to the team of staff he has around him. He clearly values teamwork and values and respects individuals’ skills. There is an open communication amongst school staff and information is shared. He has a participative style. Parents, according to the questionnaire find it easy to approach the school. He knows all the pupils and many of the parents. These elements help to foster a very positive climate in the school and a very strong sense of partnership between parents and school staff. He prioritises development and there is a clear focus on pupils’ attainment and achievement. He makes very good use of benchmarking and comparing the school to others in the benchmark group. This focus is reflected back into the classrooms effectively. He is able to focus on specific school priorities because of the very effective support given by the deputy headteacher and

p.25

Leadership and management

Key Stage 1 co-ordinator who take responsibility for specific areas of the school. They meet regularly on a formal and informal basis to discuss and implement strategy and monitor the school development plan.

p.25

Leadership and management

82.The governing body is very effective. It has within it a considerable range of expertise and management experience. They are very committed to, and supportive of, the school. There is an effective committee structure. Information is shared through minutes but there is a strong sense of teamwork. The governing body is prepared to challenge the school, for example, questioning closely the headteacher about the results of the National Curriculum tests. They are effectively involved in the strategic development of the school and in ensuring that the school obtains value for money. A major The Spinney School factor of their effectiveness is the detailed knowledge they have as a body of the workings of the school. This is gained, not only through intimate day-to-day knowledge that some governors have by working within the school, but also through the designated governors who are linked to specific

p.25

Leadership and management

subjects or aspects of school life. The chair of governors, in particular, shows significant commitment to the school. He works regularly in the school as a ‘friend’, knows staff and pupils well and is therefore very aware of any issues that might require governor support or intervention. In addition, the governing body requests presentations and reports from the school in order that they are more fully acquainted with the requirements and have sufficient information to guide to inform their decisions. They are very aware of the financial challenges facing the school.

p.26

Leadership and management

83.There is a consistency of approach throughout the school, which ensures a strong sense of community, a welcoming atmosphere, very good behaviour and relationships and a clear commitment to all the pupils and their achievements, particularly in English, mathematics and science. ‘The Spinney Way’ is seen as a key document in this regard which clearly lays out the aims of the school and the expectations to fulfil them. The school is successful to a very large degree in meeting these aspirations and aims.

p.26

Leadership and management

84.The school development plan is very detailed and has achievement as a key focus. Information and communication technology is clearly identified as the area of focus as is geography. Success criteria focus on achievement but could be more specific. A digest in calendar form would help track the critical path of developments, prevent slippage and allow for easier monitoring. The governors are involved in monitoring the school development plan as is the senior management team.

p.26

Leadership and management

85.Curriculum co-ordinators have been appointed who are responsible for ensuring the development of their subject. They monitor planning effectively, as does the headteacher, who comments directly to individual members of staff about the quality of planning. There is a professional culture whereby individuals are able to work alongside other colleagues, to challenge or support the work going on. Members of staff see themselves as part of a team bringing specific skills to the team. However, their role particularly in monitoring of standards is weak and there remains the need for significant development of their roles as managers of the subject and its standards. The Spinney School 86.Special educational needs are well managed. The school has an active and efficient special needs co-ordinator and a nominated governor who takes her responsibility seriously. The special educational needs co-ordinator works to a clear job description and has, together with the governors, established a

p.26

Leadership and management

detailed and appropriate policy. Individual records and development plans are carefully kept. Lines of communication among all involved with special educational needs are functioning effectively. All aspects of special educational needs work meet statutory requirements.

p.27

Leadership and management

87.Statutory requirements are not met fully. In particular, requirements relating to information and communication technology and the fact that the school does not publish attendance information fully as required in the school prospectus.

p.27

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

88.There were no key issues in the last inspection relating to staffing, although there was no formal staff development plan and staff appraisal had not commenced. These matters have now been attended to satisfactorily.

p.27

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

89.The school has sufficient teachers who are appropriately qualified to teach the full curriculum to primary school pupils and to children under five. The teacher without full-time responsibility for a class is being used creatively to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio in Key Stage 1, to provide support for pupils with special educational needs and to provide extension work for groups of higher attaining pupils. She is also able to release the special needs co-ordinator for half a day each week.

p.27

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

90.The school has a good allocation of learning support assistants who are primarily employed to meet the needs of statemented pupils. The members of this team are experienced, well qualified and confident. Their work is planned carefully and this enables their expertise to spread beyond individual pupils to groups of pupils with special educational needs. They provide very good support for pupils’ learning.

p.27

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

91.Induction of new staff is well organised. A major strength of the school is the teamwork evident in the planning of the curriculum and the ready availability of colleagues to provide assistance when needed. The appraisal system is effective. It has been extended to the learning support staff and provides the information necessary to ensure that professional development opportunities are appropriately used. A balance of personal development and school development is sought from in- service training expenditure. These support and development systems add significantly to the effectiveness of all staff.

p.27

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

92.All other non-teaching staff – clerical assistants, mid-day assistants and the cleaner-in-charge, help to ensure that the school functions smoothly as a community.

p.27

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

93.The accommodation allows the curriculum to be taught appropriately in all respects but one. The Reception class admits children at the commencement of the year in which they attain the age of five. This class has no secure outdoor area, which restricts the range of learning activities the teacher can offer. The space for this facility is available. At the time of the last inspection, it was noted that there was some difficulty with noise transfer in open plan areas. This problem has been successfully tackled and through the introduction of glazed divisions, noise transfer has been reduced without losing the visual contact between classes. The school is very well ordered, maintained and cleaned to a very high standard. The plants and flowers in the public spaces make a significant contribution to The Spinney School the school environment. The school building is set in attractive and well-maintained grounds. There is

p.27

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

access to a sports field owned by the local authority immediately beside the school, which extends the physical education facilities. There is also the added bonus of access to a piece of natural woodland that provides experiences relevant for several subjects of the curriculum and is used well. The hard standing available for recreation is well under the required amount and leads to congestion and minor accidents because it is not possible for robust and quiet play to be offered separately at present. This is being addressed in partnership with the relevant authorities.

p.28

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

94.Resources for teaching the planned curriculum are at least adequate with the exception of information technology and geography. Materials necessary for the study of places and geographical themes are limited. The resources for science are good. There is a good general collection of books of quality in the main reference library. Equipment and materials for special educational needs work are also good with the local support services able to help when there is a shortfall. There is a carefully planned programme of visits to enrich their studies and good use is made of local people for the same purpose and to help with the assembly programme. The ‘Learning Friends’ scheme puts pupils in touch with a number of enthusiastic volunteers of all ages and is of clear benefit both in terms of curricular learning and social development.

p.28

The efficiency of the school

95.There is very good financial planning. The discretionary amount available to the governing body is limited. A very large part of income is taken up in staff salaries. Expenditure per pupil lies between the median and lower quartile figures when compared to other local education authority maintained primary schools. In the recent past the school expanded to its then figure of approximately 240 pupils. The governors were aware of the then growing parental discontent at the resultant large classes and with the encouragement of the local education authority decided to reduce the school size. They are keenly aware of the impact this falling roll has on the school’s finances.

p.28

The efficiency of the school

96.Expenditure is carefully planned and linked to school development plan. Co-ordinators make prioritised bids. The finance committee monitor the budget out-turn figures very carefully.

p.28

The efficiency of the school

97.It seeks to identify any undue expenditure through close working with similarly designed schools. Because of this comparison, it made, for example, significant savings to water charges by turning off the water to the boys’ urinals over the summer holidays.

p.28

The efficiency of the school

98.The financial control is very good. The school subscribes to the local education authority scheme for financial control. There has not been a recent audit but the financial officer has prepared schemes of delegation and monitors carefully the budget. School administration is efficient and good.

p.28

The efficiency of the school

99.The school makes very effective use of its staffing. Class sizes in Key Stage 1 are reduced as a result of the government and school initiative. Classes in Key Stage 2 are taught in mixed ages. In literacy and numeracy, they are taught by age. There are several occasions when a ‘specialist’ teacher teaches a particular group. The swimming teacher takes the whole school, which helps to ensure progression in the subject.

p.28

The efficiency of the school

100.In the light of the above average standards in English, mathematics and science, the excellent foundation in the early years and the overall good progress the school provides good value for money. There are some aspects within that judgement, such as the very good ethos and the overall high quality of teaching which are very good. The Spinney School

p.28

Areas of learning for children Under Five

101.Pupils start in the Reception class at the beginning of the academic year in which they become five. The well-structured part-time start ensures new pupils settle quickly and confidently in the Reception class. At the time of the inspection, many of the children were four and this was their first full-time week at the school. They follow a curriculum based on ‘Desirable Outcomes’ (the curriculum for five-year-olds and younger.) As the year progresses, children follow a programme of work, which prepares them for the National Curriculum.

p.29

Areas of learning for children Under Five

102.Pupils arrive in the Reception class with broadly average levels of attainment. They make very good progress in all areas of learning and by the end of the year, the excellent foundation of work means that they are well on target to achieve beyond the ‘Desirable Learning Outcomes’ and many children will be working at the early stages of the National Curriculum.

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Areas of learning for children Under Five

103.The personal and social development of children is very good. Children are confident to talk to a visitor and look forward to their work in the class. They play co-operatively and take turns, for example using the tricycles outside. They are very responsive; keen to answer questions and share ideas. They listen attentively, often for relatively long periods to their teacher or visitor explaining, for example, how to look after their teeth. They take care of themselves and others, for example in the hall in physical education activities, and are very eager to try out and explore new experiences. They show trust and considerable enjoyment in their work. They are very sensible and responsible in group work, for example working on number counting activities or recording their work on teeth. They enjoy music in dance and the story ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’. They fetch their coats sensibly at the end of the

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Areas of learning for children Under Five

day. They are developing a good understanding of right and wrong and respond well to praise. Children are familiar with The Spinney School Code of Conduct and could explain what it meant in terms of ‘consideration, co-operation, courtesy and caring.’ In dance, they wear bangles supplied by a parent contributing to their development of their understanding of another culture.

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Areas of learning for children Under Five

104.Children’s development in language and literacy is very good. Their listening skills are very good. They listen, for example, to a tape recording of a train and explore ‘ing’ words or taking part in an initial sound game against the clock or noting opposites. Their vocabulary is carefully extended by the poem of ‘ing’ words, ‘whistling, talking.’ Children listen to instructions carefully and carry them out, for example in the hall or programming the robot. They use and enjoy books and understand how they are organised. They read with enjoyment with their Year 6 reading partner. They recognise some familiar words, understand that there are parts of a word, which can be sounded separately, and enjoy stories and poems and anticipate repeated words and phrases. Children talk confidently about alliteration, the ‘wicked water witch.’ They can read letters in the alphabet and know the sound they

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Areas of learning for children Under Five

make. They talk about their experiences, for example their journey to school, with confidence.

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Areas of learning for children Under Five

105.Children’s development in mathematics is very good. They use mathematical language well and understand what ‘longer’, ‘shorter’ and ‘more than’ mean. They recognise shapes and use words such as ‘triangle’. They count to ten with confidence and then within a whole group are carried along to count to 20 and in 10s to a 100. With support from the group, they can read numbers off a bar chart. They are able to match and take away money in single digits. Children develop their skills of sequencing by stories and giving their account of their journey. They can match and sort a variety of objects by their characteristics and are developing their mathematical understanding to solve practical problems. The Spinney School 106.Children’s knowledge and understanding of the world is very good. They are able to identify features that they pass on their journey to school and record the different ways they travel on a bar

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Areas of learning for children Under Five

chart. They talk about their observations and can ask questions. They look at leaves in some detail and are aware of the changes, patterns and differences. They explore and recognise features of living things and an interest in their own body for example, their teeth or the effects of exercise. They explore different materials and use skills such as cutting and building for a variety of purposes. Children use a variety of building materials well. Technology, such as the programmable robot or a software programme where they have to identify the missing initial letter of a word, is used very effectively to support their learning. They talk readily to adults in the Reception class about day-to- day life at home and events important to them. They develop a good sense of safety, for example only using apparatus to a certain height, and know the colours of the traffic light sequence.

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Areas of learning for children Under Five

107.Children’s physical development is very good. In dance, they respond well to the music and show increasing control, marching and moving in a variety of styles to fit with the different tunes and rhythms. In their movement, they show an imaginative expressive response to the music’s atmosphere. They use small and large apparatus with increasing skill within the hall. There are no permanent outdoor climbing facilities. They handle tools and small objects such as buttons and toy cars with increasing dexterity.

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Areas of learning for children Under Five

108.The creative development of children is very good. They use a variety of materials to explore sound, shape, colour and texture such as clay and play-dough. They sing a song, which links to their work on religious events and their spiritual development. They recognise a painting by Monet and work on a collage using leaves, following their walk in the woods looking at Autumn colours. They are given good opportunities to develop their imagination through their work in dance and story and by imaginative role-play in the classroom vegetable shop. They recognise primary colours and understand that mixing two colours creates a third. They use creative tools well.

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Areas of learning for children Under Five

109.The quality of teaching is very good. Occasionally it is outstanding. The teacher is very skilled at exploiting the language potential and ‘Desirable Outcomes’ of every experience. Classroom organisation is excellent and is based on meticulous planning. The clarity of learning objectives coupled with depth of experience of young children’s learning and skill ensures that children’s progress is at least good and often better. Relationships are very good and praise is used well. There is good attention paid to health and safety in all activities. Work is presented in a lively enthusiastic manner and draws on a wide range of resources, for example when counting. The teacher successfully retains the full attention of pupils throughout by her energy and creates a highly participative atmosphere where children are obviously enjoying learning. Group work is organised very well and matched carefully to the needs and abilities of the children and quality intensive tutoring takes place between the

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Areas of learning for children Under Five

adult and the children with very good questioning used to extend the child’s response and to check understanding. Assessment is very good. A learning objective is identified for each activity and the detailed planning, involving the classroom assistant and the student nursery nurses, ensures that all adults have a sharply defined role and record children’s achievement. There is a strong sense of partnership amongst all adults and transitions from one activity to another are managed very well and are seamless. No time is wasted. Whilst one activity is taking place the hall is set up for physical activities and a student then works intensively with two children who are not able to participate, noting the ‘opposite’ words-following up the class activity. Children take work home, for example their book on safety and the partnership with parents is valued and developed effectively. The Spinney School

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English

110.Standards in English are good at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. There has been a significant improvement since the last inspection when standards were judged sound.

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English

111.Results in the 1998 National Curriculum tests in reading show that by the end of Key Stage 1 the percentage of pupils reaching level 2 or above was above the national average. The percentage of pupils reaching level 3 or above was well above the national average. In writing the percentage of pupils reaching level 2 or above was close to the national average and at level 3 or above was well above the national average. When the performance is taken over the three years 1996 to 1998, then the figures show that boys perform above the national average and girls perform well above the national average in reading and writing.

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English

112.The 1999 National Curriculum tests and tasks for seven-year-olds show that the performance of pupils was above the national average in writing and slightly below in reading.

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English

113.Standards in speaking and listening are good by the end of the key stage. Pupils listen well to each other and their teachers. They are confident to speak clearly in front of the class and include detail in their accounts. Pupils work well together in collaborative work and show considerable enthusiasm to answer the teacher’s questions. Lessons provide a good context for developing speaking and listening skills.

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English

114.Standards in reading are good by the end of Key Stage 1. The majority of pupils can talk at length about the context of the story they are reading and their favourite authors and books. The majority of pupils read with understanding and accuracy. Picture clues are used well but skills in attacking new words are variable. Pupils have a reading diary. The comments in it tend to be supportive rather than evaluative and note when the pupil has read to an adult. Teachers keep reading notes on the group reading sessions in the literacy lessons.

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English

115.Standards in writing are good by the end of the Key Stage. Ideas are developed into sentences. The focus on sequencing instructions or a story clearly helps in this. All pupils are beginning to write at length with reasonable accuracy in spelling. Where it is inaccurate, it is usually phonetically plausible. Pupils are beginning to use punctuation such as capital letters and full stops. Some pupils show inconsistencies in letter formation but handwriting practice addresses this.

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English

116.By the end of Key Stage 2 the National Curriculum tasks and tests show that in English in 1999 pupils performed in line with the national average in English and when compared to similar schools.

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English

117.In 1998 the percentage of pupils reaching level 4 or above and level 5 or above was above the national average. When averaged over the previous three years the performance in English was above the national average. Boys’ performance was above and girls’ performance was close to the national average in English during this period.

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English

118.Standards in speaking and listening by the end of Key Stage 2 are good. Pupils listen carefully to pupils reading their work and are able to make supportive comments about it. Individuals are able to make extended confident responses to questions. They listen carefully to each other in discussion, question each other and are responsive to each other’s ideas and views. The Spinney School 119.Standards in reading are very good by the end of the Key Stage. Pupils read a range of demanding classical texts with interest and enthusiasm and are able to talk about the events and characters in detail. The range of texts that some individuals have read is impressive. Pupils make good use of reference books and use thesauri and dictionaries well.

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English

120.Standards in writing are good. Year 5 pupils are developing the skill to write in a specific style and there is good emphasis on developing, for example, descriptive writing which is vivid and captures the humour of the original example. ‘His nose is a slide … teeth sharp as splinters.’

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English

121.Year 6 pupils are able to write as another character and to a specific audience. For example, one pupil writing as an unemployed Jarrow marcher wrote a letter to the local paper: ‘Follow my example and advertise the event and when it comes sign the petition and maybe we alone can force the government to let us live normally again … ..’

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English

122.They develop the skill of writing increasingly complex sentences using subordinate clauses and pupils have a good understanding of punctuation. Spelling is usually accurate and work is well presented with handwriting, which is joined clear and fluent. There is good emphasis on enriching their vocabulary through displayed lists e.g. words ending in ‘ough’ or lists developing their technical vocabulary e.g. ‘symmetry, perpendicular’

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English

123.Progress is good in both key stages. In Key Stage 1 this is due to lessons which are structured and taught well with high expectations in terms of attainment and behaviour and the amount of work to be covered. Work is planned well to meet diverse needs of the pupils. At Key Stage 2 progress is good because of the nature of progressive challenge and good and often high quality teaching. Pupils are motivated, engaged and clearly enthused about the subject. In addition, because objectives are shared the older pupils have a clear idea of what they have to do in their learning to improve. In all lessons there are good opportunities to discuss and put forward ideas hence, pupils are confident in speaking and listening.

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English

124.Progress of pupils with special educational needs is good in both key stages. Their work is planned carefully. In Key Stage 1 additional teaching support is used well. Learning support assistants work very effectively supporting individuals. Pupils with English as an additional language also make good progress. A very good example was seen in one lesson where a bilingual pupil provided the correct pronunciation and translation of a phrase from a story, reinforcing not only the pupil’s skill but enhancing his self-esteem and his cultural identity to the rest of the class.

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English

125.Pupils’ attitudes to English are good at Key Stage 1. Pupils listen attentively to their teacher and are ready to participate, often enthusiastically answering questions. They concentrate well and work carefully. They use their wordbooks naturally when writing and the great majority of pupils are on task throughout the lesson. They are motivated by the work.

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English

126.At Key Stage 2 pupils’ attitudes are also good. They work in groups collaboratively and co- operatively well, for example in practising their play reading and they are attentive, often for relatively long periods. They provide good support to each other. Behaviour is generally very good although in one or two lessons there was a slight restiveness towards the end of the period. In one lesson, a pupil became somewhat disruptive. His behaviour was managed well by a learning support assistant whilst another moved naturally in to cover her support activities. Other pupils accepted he needed support and their positive attitude towards the individual remained. Pupils settle to tasks quickly. They are used to class routines. There is often a very positive work ethic developing in classes and pupils are engaged by the activity and want to contribute. Older pupils show very good concentration and are

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English

The Spinney School very able to work independently in a mature manner. These pupils are enthusiastic about their work, want to do well and are confident to discuss their work with a visitor.

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English

127.The quality of teaching at Key Stage 1 is good. Planning is detailed and very good with assessment opportunities in-built. Learning support assistants are fully involved in the planning and make a very effective contribution and good use is made of volunteer helpers. Teachers are very clear what they want pupils to learn within a lesson. These learning objectives are precise and consequently tasks, designed to further the objectives, are prepared well and set an appropriate challenge. Teachers generally have a calm organised approach to lessons and their class management skills are good. They are confident in their material and knowledge and have high expectations. Questioning is particularly effective, teachers seek the involvement of pupils by drawing out ideas and information from them. They also help pupils question each other. Plenary sessions provide a valuable time for sharing and

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English

explaining content of work to whole class and referring back to the aims of the lesson.

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English

128.The quality of teaching at Key Stage 2 is good and often very good. Many of the aspects of good teaching are present in both key stages. Teachers have good listening skills, valuing pupils’ contribution and encouraging their self-esteem and self-confidence. Questioning is skilled and used to evaluate whether a pupil understands a particular point and to extend her or his thinking. Teachers respond well to pupils’ questioning, for example when asked what ‘pleading’ meant. As in Key Stage 1 teachers are very positive role models, they are kind courteous and pleasant in their manner and dealings with individuals. They are also natural and open, responding to difficult concepts with integrity and are not afraid to say if they are not sure about something. Planning is very detailed and lessons are prepared well. With the older classes, an excellent work ethic is developed which establishes the rigour of the subject. Class management is always good and teachers are quick to pick

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English

up any problems as classes make the transition to group work. Teachers make very good use of appropriate praise and humour to reassure and support the pupils. They are very confident in their knowledge and skill and the pitch of work is demanding but matched well to the abilities of the pupils. Marking of work, including homework is detailed and supportive, often with extended comments. There is a good sense of partnership with the learning support assistants. Older pupils are encouraged to make connections between one idea and another and to think for themselves. Faced with an occasional pupil who is being disruptive the teacher maintains a professional coolness and manages the behaviour well not allowing the individual to slow the pace of the lesson. On-going assessment is good, not only checking on who has responded and who has not but also using the results of the work yesterday to inform the work today. Relationships throughout the school in both key stages are good

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English

129.The curriculum for English is good and meets statutory requirements. It is planned well, follows the suggested schemes in the National Literacy Strategy, and ensures that opportunities for reading, writing, speaking, and listening are inter-related. There is a good sense of pupils meeting progressively difficult but appropriate challenge. The English co-ordinator is relatively new to the school and has had yet only limited opportunities to undertake her management role with regard to monitoring of standards. Nevertheless there are clear and identified plans for her to be engaged in this activity.

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Mathematics

130.Standards in mathematics are good. Attainment overtime is consistently above the national average at the end of Key Stage 1. At the end of Key Stage 2 results overtime shows that attainment has risen from below the national average to well above in recent years. This indicates a significant rise in standards since the last inspection.

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Mathematics

131.In 1999, the school’s national test results in mathematics for seven year olds were below the The Spinney School national average. In 1998, national test results in mathematics were well above the national average. When compared with those of similar schools, the results were above average. The pupils did well in attaining the higher levels. In number work most pupils by the end of Year 2 can use numbers up to a hundred confidently and understand place value in two digit numbers. They are familiar with patterns in the multiplication tables for two, five and ten and recall them quickly. Addition and subtraction in money problems using number up to 50 are accurately calculated and pupils know halving is the inverse of doubling. In work on shape, space and measurement pupils can recognise common two- and three-dimensional shapes and use appropriate mathematical terms to describe them. Most can estimate

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Mathematics

and measure with reasonable accuracy using centimetres.

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Mathematics

132.National test results in mathematics for the eleven-year olds in 1999 were broadly in line with national average but above when compared to similar schools. In 1998, they were well above the national average. Pupils did very well in attaining the higher levels. In 1999, pupils performed in line when compared to all schools and above average when compared to similar schools. By the end of Key Stage 2, most pupils’ understanding of the relationships between fractions, decimals and percentages is well developed for their age. They can read off a decimal fraction scale, order mixed numbers up to three decimal points, convert decimals to percentages and fractions to decimals. Pupils have a good knowledge of multiplication facts and quick recall. They are confident in using the four number operations including division with remainders. In work on shape and measures pupils can sort different types of regular and irregular quadrilaterals correctly, measure angles, and name the types of

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Mathematics

triangles. They know and use appropriately the formula for measuring area and can calculate the perimeter of given shapes successfully. Metric and imperial units are used with confidence. In work on data handling pupils can accurately present information in tables and use a range of graphs and charts. They solve problems by extracting and interpreting information accurately.

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Mathematics

133.Numeracy is a particular strength across the school and it is the area in which standards are rising most notably. Standards in shape, space and measure, and handling data are generally good but there are gaps in pupils’ knowledge, for instance Year 6 pupils’ concept of area. Standards in using and applying mathematics are sound at the end of Key Stage 2. Pupils do not have a wide range of strategies for finding quick ways to approach problem-solving situations or even awareness that this is important.

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Mathematics

134.Progress in pupils’ mathematical knowledge, understanding and skills over time is good. Progress in the use and application of problem-solving skills and the development of mathematical reasoning is satisfactory though pupils’ progress in mental arithmetic is good. It is enhanced in both key stages through daily practice in mental calculation and the continual revision and application of number facts. Progress in other areas of mathematics is good, particularly at the end of the key stages.

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Mathematics

135.Progress in the lessons seen during the inspection is good overall. Good progress is seen for instance, in Year 2 where pupils are revising mathematical names for three-dimensional shapes and in Year 4 where they are beginning to recognise patterns in multiplication tables. Very good progress occurs in Year 5 when naming and describing the attributes of two-dimensional shapes. Across the school the work given to lower attaining pupils is usually matched well to pupils’ needs and pupils with special educational needs are supported well to enable them to make good progress. In Key Stage 1 focused extension work given to higher attaining pupils is raising their standard of work.

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Mathematics

136.Overall pupils' response to mathematics is good and at times very good. Most pupils are attentive during whole-class introductions. They sit quietly, listen well in introductory sessions and show enthusiasm in practical work. As they move up the school, there is a growing confidence to ask questions and to state when and why they are stuck on a task. Responses to teachers’ challenging questions are generally good, particularly in the upper school where pupils enjoy demonstrating their The Spinney School mental arithmetic skills and knowledge of mathematical vocabulary. When working on activities, pupils can organise themselves quickly and concentrate well. Their good levels of concentration contribute significantly to the progress they make during this time. Year 6 pupils are taking slightly longer to get themselves organised and focused on their work. Pupils work well with others, sharing

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Mathematics

resources and occasionally ideas, though most of the work done is individual. Collaborative skills are good by Year 6, though not fully developed. Pupils do not challenge each other to find quick ways to tackle work, or organise themselves to reduce the workload. Relationships between pupils are good and the majority of pupils are very well behaved. Work is often presented well. The Spinney School 137.The quality of teaching seen during the inspection is good overall. It has improved since the last inspection when teaching was satisfactory. Examples of very good and excellent teaching were seen in Key Stage 2. In a third of lessons, teaching is satisfactory. No unsatisfactory teaching was seen.

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Mathematics

138.Teachers’ planning is good and at times very good. It is clear what pupils are to know and what is to be assessed. Activities are well structured and work is planned carefully to take into account pupils of differing abilities. In the best lessons, teachers have very secure subject knowledge, which they use well to develop and reinforce mathematical language and concepts. Good examples are seen in shape work in Year 2 where pupils are learning the terms faces, edges, corners and in Year 5 where pupils are revising perpendicular, vertical, horizontal. High expectations in lessons are evident in the way every opportunity is used to raise standards. Very challenging tasks are set, for example, ‘name this shape and describe all its attributes’ and pupils are supported well to attain this level of expectation. Good use is made of time through setting time limits and the notion that learning time is valuable is

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Mathematics

conveyed clearly. This is apparent in the quick pace in mental arithmetic in Year 4 where pupils are counting forwards and backwards in two then fours looking for patterns. The lessons are organised well using a range of activities, which require a high involvement of pupils and requires them to show their knowledge and understanding. This enables very good progress to be made. Informal assessments are used well to establish what is known by means of open questioning, ‘what shape is a parallelogram?’, ‘what do we mean by equal sides and length?’ These questions extend pupils’ thinking and the responses consolidate and test pupils’ mathematical knowledge as well as inform teachers when to introduced new concepts. Marking is also used well to inform pupils when they have attained the lesson aim and to ensure understanding is clear, for example ‘How did you get your estimate?’

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Mathematics

139.All teachers have very good relationships with their pupils and manage pupils well. There are well-established rules and high standards are expected. Good use is made of learning support assistants who make a good contribution to enabling lower attaining pupils and pupils with special educational needs to raise the standard of their work.

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Mathematics

140.In most lessons, greater emphasis could be placed on pupils explaining how they have calculated something and on challenging pupils to find quick ways of working out problems. In a few instances in Key Stage 1, the work is challenging but extension work involving colouring is not. Again, in rare instances, teachers are too quick in saying pupils are wrong, rather than asking what other pupils think or who can help. In Key Stage 2, occasionally, teachers let the pupils set the work pace, which can be leisurely.

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Mathematics

141.The strategies in place for improving numeracy are good and the curriculum meets statutory requirements. Mathematics lessons are structured in accordance with the National Numeracy Strategy. The co-ordinator, who is very competent, has carried out a mathematics audit to establish areas of curriculum strength and weakness and to assess pupils’ attitudes to mathematics. A useful action plan has been outlined. Termly assessments are made in mathematics to monitor progress within and across the year. Additionally national optional tests are being used in Key Stage 2 to assess standards and to identify pupils who need further support. Work is marked regularly and positive comments and instructions are recorded in pupils’ books. There is no reference document against which all teachers can agree their judgements about standards in mathematics though work is levelled against the National Curriculum criteria. In the light of small mismatches in teacher assessment and

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Mathematics

test results in Key Stage 1 this may be useful. The school is aware that overtime girls are not doing quite as well as boys in the national tests at eleven years of age. This may be due to differences in self-confidence. The Spinney School 142.The development of numeracy across the school curriculum is good. It is planned into thematic areas. The quantity and range of resources used to meet National Curriculum requirements in mathematics are satisfactory. Accessibility and quality of resources are good.

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Science

143.Attainment in science overall, is above the national average in both key stages. This represents an improvement since the last inspection when attainment was ‘appropriate for age’ at Key Stage 1 and ‘appropriate or higher for age’ at Key Stage 2.

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Science

144.In 1999 pupils performed above the national average for seven year olds. There was a dip in attainment at Key Stage 1 in 1998 which took it below national averages, but over a four-year period attainment has been above national averages.

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Science

145.Pupils in their final year in Key Stage 1 are showing a good understanding of the properties of everyday materials and items that are made from them. They are exhibiting well-developed scientific vocabulary and can describe some of the ways in which materials can be changed both by physical pressure and by heating. They are developing the skills of systematic enquiry and learning how to record their findings. Pupils show every indication that they will be attaining above national expectations by the end of the Key Stage and that they will have satisfactory skills in experimental and investigative science. Progress is good over the Key Stage now that there is a well-planned scheme of work for teachers to follow. Progress seen in the one lesson observed in Key Stage 1 was very good and was a reflection of the very good teaching.

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Science

146.Attainment at Key Stage 2 has been in line with or better than national attainment for the past three years in terms of the percentage of pupils attaining level 4 or above in the national end of key stage tests. The school has not been as successful in challenging the higher attaining pupils to reach level 5 and the percentage reaching level 5 in 1998 was below the national average. In 1999, performance was average when compared both to all and to similar schools.

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Science

147.Pupils in their final year of Key Stage 2 have developed a body of knowledge about forces and motion at an appropriate level and through their work in that field are developing an appreciation of fair testing. The emphasis in their programme of study is leading them to plan experimental work in precisely planned sequences, to obtain and record evidence and to draw conclusions from what they find. They are under-achieving in this aspect of their work at present but are on target to attain satisfactory standards by the end of the Key Stage. They make good progress in lessons overall because the teachers are working to meet carefully assessed needs. The tracking of pupils who have been in the school over the whole of the Key Stage reveals that they have made good progress through the National Curriculum levels of attainment. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress towards the targets set for them

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Science

148.Attitudes to learning at both key stages are very good. Pupils are motivated by the well-presented lessons. They behave well, are attentive during discussion, co-operate and collaborate well in pair and group work. This all augurs well for the continuing development of standards of attainment in experimental work. All pupils are keen to share their findings in plenary sessions. There is a small amount of off-task behaviour by a minority of Key Stage 2 pupils.

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Science

149.Teaching is very good in both key stages. Teachers are confident in what they are teaching because they plan and prepare their work very carefully. They use a wide range of techniques to keep the attention of the pupils, have high expectations of behaviour and pace and quality of work. Good The Spinney School questioning techniques reveal levels of understanding and ensure that pupils are challenged as they work. Natural discipline leads to a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere in classrooms. Where a few pupils do present challenging behaviour, teachers have the skills to deal with them satisfactorily. Learning support assistants give very good support to groups – often those with special educational needs – and make an important contribution to standards of attainment. The Spinney School 150.The co-ordinator has established a well-planned rolling programme of science work to ensure that coverage meets the requirements of the National Curriculum. There is appropriate emphasis upon

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Science

skills and vocabulary development. Satisfactory assessment systems are in place and are informing planning. For example, the school’s analysis of science attainment at Key Stage 1 showed there to have been unsatisfactory attainment in experimental and investigative science, which it subsequently addressed effectively.

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Science

151.Insufficient time is provided for the monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning in this important core subject. A good bank of resources has been built-up over some years and this, together with a substantial library, is well organised and readily available. The co-ordinator is aware of the need to weave information and communication technology much more evidently into the science scheme.

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Information technology

152.Standards in information technology are below average at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. This is because pupils have not received, until recently, a progressive experience of information and communication technology across the full range of experience. The school has adopted the Department for Education and Employment’s scheme of work for information and communication technology this term and a more coherent programme has been introduced and progress is at least steady.

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Information technology

153.Pupils in Year 6 use a software programme defining angles of turn in a maze. In Year 5, there is clear evidence of word processing skills being developed, using different font sizes but pupils observed show very limited knowledge of the keyboard. Pupils in Year 4 are confident in estimating numbers required to manoeuvre around in a maze and pupils in Year 3 are able in a limited way to enter the text of their play. However, some pupils are unsure how to create capital letters or the functions of some of the keys e.g. the delete key. Year 2 pupils similarly are able to type in text using one finger, hunting for the correct keys. Pupils in the Reception class are able to estimate distances and programme successfully the robot to travel to them.

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Information technology

154.Overall, where teaching takes place in information and communication technology pupils make steady and sometimes good progress. In the case of the very young children, they make very good progress with programming the robot. Progress where pupils are carrying out a specific task, often on their own with some teacher intervention, is usually steady.

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Information technology

155.Pupils’ attitudes to the work in information and communication technology are good. They are focussed, interested and stay on task and show good skills of concentration.

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Information technology

156.Where direct teaching takes place with information and communication technology the quality is good and sometimes very good. Preparation and planning for information and communication technology is good, for example in preparing acetate mazes attached to the computer screens. Information technology is often taught within literacy and numeracy lessons and teachers manage impressively the range of learning experience very effectively with support of learning support assistants. In these lessons, the teacher uses assessment to identify pupils’ information technology skills and their ability to, for example, reason using numbers. Teachers make good interventions not only about technical aspects but also the way the text is written. For example, in one lesson where pupils were word processing their play the teacher asked ‘With the speech marks there, do you say, “Donna how are you?” or is it Donna “How are you?”’ Some interventions over technical matters are

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Information technology

The Spinney School repetitious and might be raised and discussed in a group rather than individually. The Spinney School 157.In other lessons pupils use the computers to carry out a specific task which the teacher has set up. Tasks set are appropriate and teachers make appropriate interventions when there are difficulties, although pupils often use other class members to give specific help.

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Information technology

158.Information and communication technology is identified for development in the school development plan from September 1999. The school currently has approximately 12 computers giving a ratio of approximately 1:17.5 pupils. However, some are old and are not reliable and significant investment in both hardware and software is required in order to bring the ratio of computers to pupils up and ensure that pupils have access to the full range of information and communication technology entitlement. This was noted in the previous report. At Key Stage 2, the school sensibly uses the concept of grouping the computers and sharing them between two classes. Whilst they are attached to one class pupils have a greater opportunity to develop their skills and the teachers plan for integration into the work for that period of time. This is expedient given the resources but it does not provide the recursive opportunities for pupils to consolidate and practise their skills.

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Religious Education

159.Only two religious education lessons were seen during the inspection and relatively little written evidence is available. Much of the work in lessons is discussion based. The evidence available indicates that at the end of both key stages pupils’ attainment is in line with the expectations of the locally Agreed Syllabus.

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Religious Education

160.By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils are aware that the Bible is a special book. They listen well to stories such as the parable of ‘The Workers in the Vineyard’. Pupils can recall key aspects of this story and give reasons why the workers felt dissatisfied. These are given at a literal level. Most pupils can express a view on what fairness is and give examples of when they are being fair though concepts of fairness, sharing and kindness become merged.

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Religious Education

161.By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils studying the Jewish religion and learning about the major festivals know what the term ‘exodus’ means and that Moses leads his people out of slavery. They have a good concept of what freedom from slavery might feel like. Most pupils can offer insightful reasons why meals are important at festivals, the social aspect and the symbolism of specific foods. They can draw a time line from before the birth of Christ and incorporate different religions. Through work on different religions of the world they are aware of the meaning of different Buddhist symbols and can compare a Christian Church with a Sikh place of worship.

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Religious Education

162.Pupil progress is satisfactory, overall, across the school and examples of good progress are seen in Year 5/6. In Key Stage 1 pupils are aware of Christian festivals such as harvest festival. They visit the local church. They are also introduced to other religious practices such as Hinduism. Concepts of friendship and trust are introduced and expanded as pupils move across the school. These provide opportunities for pupils to explore their own feelings. In Year 3/4 pupils return to studying aspects of the Christian religion and are also introduced to aspects of the Jewish religion. The festival of New Year for Jewish people is not clearly understood. Pupils’ understanding of the Jewish religion is being built on in Year 5/6 as pupils draw out differences and similarities between faiths. Recorded work in pupils’ books does not always sufficiently reflect differences in pupils’ knowledge and understanding

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Religious Education

despite there being a wide range of abilities and ages in class groups. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well in their work.

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Religious Education

163.In the two lessons seen, pupils’ responses are positive. The younger pupils listen attentively to a The Spinney School story and concentrate for a good period during teacher’s questioning. Only a third respond to questions. Working individually, they organise themselves well. By the time they are in Year 5/6 pupils are confident to answer and ask concerned questions heard in the context of the slavery of the Israelites, ‘if no one stopped it, would it still be going on?’ They absorb information well and add to it with interest. Working individually most can quickly organise themselves, though a third are slow to get started. Work is well presented.

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Religious Education

164.Insufficient teaching is seen to judge the quality of teaching. However, in the two lessons seen teaching was sound in Key Stage 1 and very good in Key Stage 2. In both lessons, questioning was used well to assess pupils’ understanding but in the latter it was more extensive and raised the standard of pupils’ knowledge and insight significantly. Resources were also being well used to demonstrate the concepts being developed, the traditions associated with Seder table in the Jewish religion. Very good use was being made of praise to motivate and increase pupils’ confidence to share their ideas. The teachers’ knowledge was also very good as seen in the use of religious vocabulary and information. In both lessons, the pace of the introductions was good but they were too long and insufficient time was left for the follow up activity. The older pupils were allowed to set their work pace and a significant

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Religious Education

number were slow to get started. This had a negative affect on their progress in the lesson.

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Religious Education

165.Teachers’ planning across the school does not always take in to account the widely varying ages and abilities of the pupils in their classes ensuring that all pupils can make maximum progress and raise their standards of work. There is no whole-school recording system for religious education to provide the evidence that pupils do this. Teachers mark work but often this does not inform pupils how they can improve it.

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Religious Education

166.The school’s planning indicates that there have been satisfactory improvements in provision since the last inspection report. The curriculum is now implemented across the school meeting statutory requirements and a more balanced curriculum is being offered. Pupils study a variety of different religions and look at aspects other than the celebration of major festivals.

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Religious Education

167.The co-ordinator is positive about the subject and has produced a policy for guidance to teachers. The school largely follows the Cambridge Agreed Syllabus. Teachers plan from this listing what skills, knowledge and understanding are to be developed in lessons. When religious education is incorporated within other subject areas there is no cohesive approach to ensure that key aspects are covered in the depth planned and that lessons are not reduced or missed because of time constraints as seen during the inspection. The monitoring role of the co-ordinator needs developing, a point raised in the last inspection report.

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Religious Education

168.Resources are satisfactory in quality and range with the exception of materials covering Christianity. There is a reliance on teachers bringing in materials. The school is addressing this. Good use is made of visiting speakers and the school is to contribute to a millennium collage of what being a Christian means. The Spinney School

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Art

169.Pupils make satisfactory progress in art across both key stages, although this progress is more limited in Key Stage 2 by the fragmented nature of the experiences given. Standards are satisfactory, similar to when the school was last inspected.

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Art

170.During Key Stage 1, artwork is strongly linked to thematic work and thus there is usually a clear purpose for the work. In Year 1 a study of natural materials in science led pupils on to dyeing from naturally occurring pigments. In Year 2 the local study had included carefully observed pencil drawings of nearby shops. Throughout Key Stage 1 there is an emphasis upon provision of a range of experiences with different tools, techniques and media. Techniques taught are sometimes linked to the work of artists, as in the study of a snail in the style of Matisse. At the end of the Key Stage, pupils are ready for a more structured curriculum.

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Art

171.The school is still in the process of developing its scheme of work. Teachers are using their knowledge and skills to provide experiences through Key Stage 2 that continue to offer pupils a wide range of techniques. The introduction of sketchbooks for making notes and recording experiments is a positive move to developing observational skills. Throughout the Key Stage, some pieces of work of sound quality are being completed. The pattern work in Years 5 and 6 for example, has grown from close observation of naturally occurring patterns prior to the completion of richly decorated panels. In all classes, there is evidence of carefully executed ‘one-off’ exercises. In Years 3 and 4 there is some very effective collage work on Greek battle scenes but the similarity between pictures indicates heavy guidance. There is no evidence of exploration of collage before the pictures were made or of developing the technique in following work. What is missing for most of the time is evidence of skills

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Art

and ideas being developed over a series of lessons, culminating in pupils drawing upon their experiences to make their own pieces of work. The good work in Years 5 and 6 on the designs of Clarice Cliff has such an approach but is strongly teacher-led and resulting in similar output from all pupils. Until the school adopts a scheme of work that is solidly based in the development of skills, upon which work relating to themes can be built, then standards in art will not rise markedly.

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Art

172.In the small number of lessons seen, teaching was at least good and on one occasion very good. Good progress was seen at all times. Teachers are prepared well, plan their work carefully and support the pupils sympathetically. Interventions are designed to raise pupils’ expectations of themselves and to promote thought and critical evaluation of what they are doing. Closely observed drawings of Greek artefacts were greatly improved by the stress put on the analysis of the different visual elements that could be used in drawing. Pupils respond positively to art activities and work conscientiously and carefully. There are a small number of pupils who take advantage of practical sessions to be disruptive but, where this happens, teachers are confident in taking the right steps to modify such behaviour.

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Art

173.The newly appointed art co-ordinator is confident about what she has to do to establish and promote a scheme of work in the subject. At the same time the range and quality of the art resources needs to be improved. What is available now is satisfactory but not stimulating. The school is fortunate to have a kiln, which is frequently used to fire the work of a clay club. It would be advantageous to ensure that the new scheme of work makes full use of this valuable facility. The Spinney School

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Design and Technology

174.No lessons were seen in design and technology and little pupils’ work. Evidence is taken from teachers’ plans and available pupils’ work. There is insufficient evidence to enable a judgement to be made about teaching.

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Design and Technology

175.The previous inspection report stated that standards in design technology were sound. The majority of pupils continue to reach a sound level of skill in design and making. Some good examples of design are seen at the end of both key stages. No evidence was available of pupils’ skills in evaluation in Key Stage 1 or at the end of Key Stage 2 but good examples were seen in Year 3/4 classes.

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Design and Technology

176.Progress in design and technology is sound. In Year 1 pupils successfully cut out a net to make a windmill. They can glue the join with support and draw features on the net the right way up. They struggle with adding the sail. Year 2 pupils are able to work well with a partner to design and make a model of a shop using recycled materials. They can draw their design and list the materials they need to make it. At the making stage they can cut, glue, assemble and decorate successfully. Year 3/4 pupils have designed, made, modified and evaluated wooden mazes. Using a table hook and hack saw they cut balsa wood to the appropriate size and join it to a satisfactory standard using glue. Whilst their evaluations of what they are pleased with and not pleased with lack focus on the design and making process, their suggestions for improvement are focused and realistic. By Year 5/6 pupils’ ability to design is significantly more sophisticated. In designing a simulator they can brainstorm what

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Design and Technology

mechanisms they will need such as cams and pulleys. Their design proposals arrived at after reviewing and evaluating their initial ideas, clearly demonstrate the use of measurement and an awareness of materials, tools and joining techniques they will use. Pupils can successfully sequence what has to be done in the construction process. There is no available evidence of making and evaluating a product.

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Design and Technology

177.There is no school scheme of work, curriculum map or skills list in place to ensure pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding of design and technology are consistently built upon across year groups. Although the co-ordinator monitors planning, no time is given for monitoring classroom practice. The co-ordinator has started to produce a policy document to guide staff and intends to produce a scheme.

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Design and Technology

178.Teachers’ plans show appropriate coverage of the subject. However, planning does not take into account pupils’ differing abilities with the view to raising the standards all pupils, particularly higher attaining pupils. End products do not always reflect accurately pupils’ varying abilities within the mixed aged groups. There is no effective system of assessment or formal record keeping taking place to guide teachers at the planning stage.

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Design and Technology

179.When linking design and technology with other themes the level of skill development can be undemanding for pupils’ ages and abilities as seen in work on wartime ration books. Resources are adequate to meet National Curriculum demands and are used well. Good use is made of the kitchen. The Spinney School

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Geography

180.Pupils make satisfactory progress in geography in Key Stage 1. Progress is unsatisfactory in Key Stage 2. This is largely because the new scheme of work, in the process of development, has not been implemented fully. Teachers in Key Stage 1 are able to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum programme of study within their thematic work. In Key Stage 2 requirements are much more detailed and, without carefully planned coverage, geography work of quality is not being fitted in.

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Geography

181.During Key Stage 1 pupils are using geographical terms, mapping places they know or have visited, learning about features of the local environment, making and discussing the findings of traffic counts and considering how places can be made better suited for their purpose. Good quality work was seen in Year 2 where, in a cross-curricular study, pupils had made a three dimensional map of their local shopping area and made written records of their findings concerning, for example, the nature of the traffic using the area. During the inspection, this same year group was making a plan of a play area with a view to improving provision.

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Geography

182.Just one Year 2 lesson was seen during the inspection. It is not possible to generalise about teaching and pupil response, but indications are, from that one observation, that in well planned lessons pupils would be well motivated to carry out geographical investigation and record their findings.

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Geography

183.Pupils in Key Stage 2 make and use maps for a variety of reasons and become aware of different scales and levels of information included. They record similar traffic counts to those seen in Key Stage 1. Evidence of work outside of a narrow diet of skills is thin. Geography is not being accorded the same status as history, where pupils are researching and recording in some depth, even though the subject is allocated the same amount of curriculum time. The field trip to North Norfolk has considerable geographical potential but the pupils did not do justice to their experiences upon return to school in written work. The main attraction on this trip was the programme of outdoor adventurous physical education activities.

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Geography

184.The subject co-ordinator is well aware of the shortcomings in geography teaching and is preparing a more prescriptive programme of work to be introduced in the year 2000. An audit of resources will need to be carried out at the same time as the present stock is heavily weighted towards map-work.

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History

185.Pupils make sound progress in history throughout the school and standards are satisfactory. In Key Stage 1 they are developing an awareness of the past and identifying ways in which it was different from today. In Year 2 this was recently done through the study of photographs of Cherry Hinton taken in Edwardian times and comparing them with what is there today. Pupils recognise ways in which we find out about the past and use photographs, reference books and visit museums. A trip to the aircraft museum at Duxford provided the stimulus for written work about the story of flight. They develop historical vocabulary through their discussions and from stories with a historical theme. Much of the work done with pupils in Key Stage 1 is oral and is planned as part of cross-curricular themes. For example, in the study unit ‘Me and My Family’ the work done on the human body includes recognition of changes in human beings as they grow from infancy to adulthood.

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History

The Spinney School 186.In Key Stage 2, there is an increase in the formality of history teaching and some of the themes are history based. At the time of the inspection, Years 3 and 4 were working on ‘The Greeks’. Pupils gain an understanding of the way of life of the Ancient Greeks through study of their pottery, their clothes and their buildings. They know some stories of the period and reinforce that knowledge through making pictures in art. During the inspection, close scrutiny and careful drawing of reproduced artefacts was leading to interesting discussion about those artefacts and connections were being made. Years 5 and 6 study ‘Britain since the 1930s’. Their written accounts and letter writing demonstrate a good understanding of the reasons for the rise in unemployment before World War 2 and showed considerable empathy developing with the plight of families with no wage packet. They also develop a feel for life in general in the 1930s and the tensions growing in Europe

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History

immediately before the outbreak of war. Scrutiny of previous work showed a sound variety of experiences in chronology, interpretation and enquiry and many different ways of recording what they find out. Visits are an important part of the programme for both key stages. Reinforcement of work on the Tudors took place during a visit to Kentwell Hall and a better understanding of the way of life of the Anglo-Saxons was gained at West Stow.

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History

187.Planning is clear and detailed and being drawn together as the terms pass to make a detailed scheme of work effectively by the subject co-ordinator. Resources for this subject are satisfactory with additions being made to the project boxes each time the work is revisited.

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Music

188.Standards in music have been maintained since the last report when standards were sound with some particularly good work.

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Music

189.During the inspection, the emphasis in lessons is on instrumental work rather than singing, listening and appraising. Progress across the school in composing music and singing is sound in both key stages though there is evidence of good progress being made in upper Key Stage 2. Pupils in Year 1 play percussion instruments. They are able to use various instruments to play simple rhythms though are not confident. They do not know the names of all the instruments. By Year 3/4 pupils can follow a rhythm and have a satisfactory understanding of using high, middle and low sounds. In composing for an audience they show good interpretations of the Greek story of Orpheus and use instruments appropriately and in a controlled manner whilst focusing on loud and quiet. When singing they are able to attain the appropriate pitch though have difficulty with the high notes. Good standards and good progress are seen in a Year 5/6 lesson requiring pupils to listen, perform and compose using

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Music

the pentatonic scale, drone and ostinato patterns, and improvisation. Pupils making music together as a class can follow and compare rhythms, name a range of string instruments, follow instructions in simple compositions and create their own music to match a mood with confidence.

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Music

190.Pupils respond well to music. They concentrate in the warm-up sessions and listen carefully to teachers’ instructions. Enthusiasm and self-control are shown in using musical instruments. Pupils are good at taking turns and handle the instruments sensibly. Working in groups, the majority behaves responsibly, especially in the upper school. Listening to each other perform takes place in silence and positive suggestions are made. Extra-curricular music clubs are well attended.

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Music

191.Too little teaching was seen to judge the overall quality of teaching, particularly in Key Stage 1. In the one lesson seen in Key Stage 1 pupils were well managed and the learning support assistant is deployed effectively. However, there was a lack of focus on skills teaching, such as the names of instruments, and pupils’ performance skills were not being developed sufficiently. Good and very The Spinney School good teaching was seen in Key Stage 2 where the skills being taught were clearly identified in lesson The Spinney School planning and the activities for the lesson were well-structured beforehand. Both teachers have very good subject knowledge and use it effectively to introduce or revise technical language, to assess what terms pupils already know, and to increase understanding. The teachers have high expectations of their pupils and provide good levels of support for pupils to achieve these, individually and in groups.

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Music

There is a good balance of teacher input of knowledge and pupils’ practice. In one lesson too long was spent on listening and recording for pupils’ attention to be held fully.

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Music

192.The music co-ordinator is a subject specialist, relatively new to the role, and very good. She is extremely enthusiastic and committed to raising the standard of music in the school. This can be seen in the writing of a comprehensive scheme of work and skills list for music that ensure pupils’ musical skills and knowledge can be built upon as they move through the school. There is no record of individual pupil assessments within or across years.

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Music

193.Extra-curricular activities for music are good. Teaching staff who are musical are using their skills well to enable pupils to attain higher standards in instrument playing and singing in guitar, recorder and choir clubs. Some of the older pupils are also involved in the county choir run by the co- ordinator. The school also provides opportunities for individual tuition in woodwind instruments and these sessions are well taught. In addition, there are termly visiting musicians, which are offering pupils insight to music around the world. Pupils, plus parents, staff and governors have also been involved in performing publicly the musical ‘Joseph’ at a professional theatre in Cambridge. Resources for music are of good quality, well stored and used and adequate in amount for National Curriculum requirements.

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Physical education

194.Standards in physical education at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 are satisfactory. Standards in swimming are good by the end of Key Stage 2.

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Physical education

195.Pupils in Year 2 run with a partner, shadowing their actions in a warm up. They are able to practise and refine a skill such as throwing a bean-bag into a target area or developing their skipping skills. Year 1 pupils balance on a beam and make a high dismount. They are confident in using the apparatus. Pupils in both year groups are able to discuss their work and make simple judgements about their work. Skills are appropriate to the age of the pupils.

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Physical education

196.Pupils in Year 6 show increasing control in developing a sequence using types of travel and level. They are able to respond to descriptions such as ‘sharp spiky’ with an appropriate movement vocabulary and contrast that with movements associated with ‘soft and smooth’. Pupils demonstrate with confidence and some élan. Pupils at this stage use the apparatus imaginatively. The work rate, sustaining the activity over a period, is good. Pupils have an appropriate awareness of safety issues and they are able to watch others’ work in a critical but supportive manner and use the observation to improve their own performance.

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Physical education

197.Progress is always at least satisfactory, principally because of the good quality of teaching and support. Overall planning is satisfactory. Within the mixed-age classes, planning for progression sometimes lacks precision. In these classes, expectations of pupils’ skill performance tend to be considered in terms of the whole class rather than being specific to each year group. In the mixed-age classes, pupils can undertake the same activity. When the pitch of the activity, the implicit level of challenge, is planned as being the same for both year groups and the teacher’s expectation of pupil performance is broadly the same for each year group, this leads to pupils being insufficiently challenged to achieve higher standards. The Spinney School 198.The attitudes of pupils are never less than satisfactory overall and they are sometimes good or better. Behaviour is never poor but there are a few occasions where pupils, often boys become very

p.48

Physical education

excited, fussy and chatty, when changing for physical education and in the early stages of the lesson. In one class, a group of boys wanted to pursue their own agenda and managed to spend some of their time in a group practice situation not achieving very much until the teacher intervened. All pupils in Years 5/6 show good levels of concentration and want to improve their work and achieve higher standards. Their work is developing a sense of rigour. They have supportive attitudes towards each other.

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Physical education

199.The quality of physical education teaching is good in both Key Stages 1 and 2. This is an improvement since the last inspection where teaching in physical education was sound or better. Relationships are good and support learning. Teachers are skilled at managing behaviour in a positive way and maintaining a patient, calm, professional approach. Good use is made of pupil demonstration with good follow up questioning to develop pupils’ ability to evaluate their own and others’ work. Teachers watch activities carefully and give praise appropriately for good performance. Good attention is paid to health and safety issues. Assessment is used very effectively to inform teacher planning. This is particularly evident in swimming, for example. Teacher expectations of pupil performance in mixed-age classes can be somewhat generalised, rather than relating to the year group. Consequently, the work for pupils can sometimes lack the challenge to take their attainment to higher

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Physical education

standards. Where objectives are focussed, these are shared effectively with the pupils.

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Physical education

200.There is a policy for physical education, which outlines the areas of experience offered in the school. Outdoor activities are taught effectively during the residential experiences. The school uses published schemes of work to support teacher planning. The co-ordinator has considerable physical education expertise but has only recently taken responsibility for the subject and has yet had had only limited opportunities for monitoring the work other than through the planning.

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Swimming

201.The inspection of the school included a focussed view of swimming, which is reported below.

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Swimming

202.Standards in swimming are good. By the end of Key Stage 2 almost all pupils are able to swim 25 metres. They use a variety of strokes and are confident in the water. Progress was satisfactory in the session observed because it was being used to identify pupils’ levels of proficiency. Progress in normal sessions is likely to be good because of the overall very good quality of teaching. In the class observed there were three non-swimmers in Year 5. By the end of the six swimming sessions, they should be able to swim a few consecutive strokes.

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Swimming

203.Pupils’ attitudes are very good. They are enthusiastic and want to do well. They are supportive towards each other and positive about other pupils’ success. They are very well behaved on the coach and in the pool. They listen to and follow instructions carefully and there is a good work rate when they are swimming.

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Swimming

204.The quality of teaching is very good. The school has designated one member of staff as the school’s swimming teacher. She has undertaken specific in-service training to enable her to carry out her responsibilities. A volunteer parent, who gives the school a regular commitment, supports her. All teaching adults have at least good specialist knowledge. At the pool, a teacher employed by the County’s swimming service carries out the main teaching. Teachers are very proficient and capable, very used to working with groups of pupils and getting them organised quickly. Relationships are friendly. Discipline is good. All adults are sensitive to less confident swimmers. Pupils are managed The Spinney School well in the changing rooms and in the pool. Teachers are skilled in establishing routines and developing pupils’ confidence and skill. Assessment is used very effectively to establish the level of

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Swimming

pupil proficiency and this informs the subsequent swimming programme. The Spinney School 205.Throughout the swimming visit there is very good attention paid to health and safety issues. The school invites parents to make a voluntary contribution to pay for the entrance to the pool and the coach fare. It funds any shortfall. Ideally, the school would prefer to offer swimming to a limited number of year groups for a longer period. However, because of the financial implications for parents it maintains the current system of every pupil, except children in the Reception class, receiving a swimming session for half a term each academic year. The Spinney School

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PART C: INSPECTION DATA

216. Summary of inspection evidence A team of four inspectors inspected the school during the course of one week: 45 lessons or parts of lessons were observed covering all subjects; observations were made of assemblies, registrations, playtimes and lunchtimes; the school’s budget, attendance records and pupils’ records were examined in detail; informal and formal discussions were held with many pupils, teaching and non-teaching staff; the entire work of a sample of pupils from every class was inspected in detail, representing a cross- section of ability.

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PART C: INSPECTION DATA

Prior to the inspection week: a meeting was held for all parents; a questionnaire was sent to all parents and the responses analysed; school documentation, including the individual education plans of a sample of pupils in each class, was examined. The Spinney School

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Qualified teachers (YR – Y6)

Total number of qualified teachers (full-time equivalent) 9 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23.2

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Education support staff (YR - Y13)

Total number of education support staff 7 Total aggregate hours worked each week 111.0

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Education support staff (YR - Y13)

£ Total income £339,383.00 Total expenditure £334,229.00 Expenditure per pupils £1485.46 Balance brought forward from previous year -£5750.00 Balance carried forward to next year -£596.00 The Spinney School 213. PARENTAL SURVEY

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Education support staff (YR - Y13)

Number of questionnaires sent out: 209 Number of questionnaires returned: 61** ** The number of parents responding to particular questions varied. For example, 54 parents responded to questions 3 and 4. Responses to the other questions varied slightly from 58 to 61.

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Education support staff (YR - Y13)

Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

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Education support staff (YR - Y13)

Strongly agree Agree Neither Disagree Strongly disagree I feel the school encourages parents to play an active part in the life of the school 46.7 53.3 0 0 0

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Education support staff (YR - Y13)

I would find it easy to approach the school with questions or problems to do with my child(ren) 59.3 33.9 5.1 0 1.7

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Education support staff (YR - Y13)

The school handles complaints from parents well 9.3 63.0 24.1 1.9 1.9

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Education support staff (YR - Y13)

The school gives me a clear understanding of what is taught 25.0 66.7 6.7 1.7 0

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Education support staff (YR - Y13)

The school keeps me well informed about my child(ren)’s progress 30.0 55.0 11.7 3.3 0

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Education support staff (YR - Y13)

The school enables my child(ren) to achieve a good standard of work 23.3 68.3 5.0 3.3 0

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Education support staff (YR - Y13)

The school encourages children to get involved in more than just their daily lessons 25.9 63.8 8.6 1.7 0

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Education support staff (YR - Y13)

I am satisfied with the work that my child(ren) is/are expected to do at home 14.8 68.9 8. 8.2 0

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Education support staff (YR - Y13)

The school’s values and attitudes have a positive effect on my child(ren) 33.9 59.3 5.1 0 1.7

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Education support staff (YR - Y13)

The school achieves high standards of good behaviour 30.0 58.3 6.7 1.7 3.3

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Education support staff (YR - Y13)

My child(ren) like(s) school 50.8 44.3 1.6 1.6 1.6

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Education support staff (YR - Y13)

Percentages in parentheses refer to the year before the latest reporting year

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