Ashdene Primary School

ASHDENE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: February 29 th – March 1 st 2000

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ASHDENE PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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ASHDENE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Ashdene Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Thoresway Road Wilmslow Cheshire Postcode: SK9 6LJ

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr. N. Williams

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: November 1995 Ashdene Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Mr. Peter Belfield Registered inspector Mr. Bernard Eyre Lay inspector Mrs. Marjorie Graham Team inspector Mr. John Brooke Team inspector

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

8 Spenbeck Drive Allestree Derby DE 22 2UH

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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 that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Ashdene Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 10

Results in national tests by the end of both key stage are high. The headteacher, governors and teachers are committed to raising standards for all pupils. Overall, the teaching is very good, with 60 per cent of lessons observed being very good or excellent. The pupils are eager to learn. They work very hard and enjoy school. The school is very well led by the headteacher and is well supported by senior staff and governors in developing and managing the school. The pupils’ social, moral and cultural development is promoted very well. The pupils’ behaviour is very good and they get on well together. Parents support the school very well and are satisfied with the education it provides.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 13

Ensuring that the quality of the teaching is raised to the level of the best. The provision for information and communication technology. The information provided for parents about the work their children are to do and the targets that have been set for them.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Number of full-time pupils: 369 (bigger than other primary schools) Pupils with English as an additional language: 6 1.6% (a little higher than in most schools) Pupils eligible for free school meals: 13 2.45% (well below the national average) Pupils on the register of special educational needs: 42 11% (below the national average) Average class size 30.7

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Since the school opened in 1991 the number of pupils attending has increased significantly. The attainment of the four year olds when they start school covers a wide range but, overall, it is well above average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Ashdene Primary is a very effective school. The teaching is very good and the pupils achieve high standards. The school is very well led and there is a clear vision about what needs to be done for the school to improve further. The school gives good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Results in national tests by the end of both key stage are high. The headteacher, governors and teachers are committed to raising standards for all pupils. • Overall, the teaching is very good, with 60 per cent of lessons observed being very good or excellent. • The pupils are eager to learn. They work very hard and enjoy school. • The school is very well led by the headteacher and is well supported by senior staff and governors in developing and managing the school. • The pupils’ social, moral and cultural development is promoted very well. The pupils’ behaviour is very good and they get on well together. • Parents support the school very well and are satisfied with the education it provides.

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What could be improved

• Ensuring that the quality of the teaching is raised to the level of the best. • The provision for information and communication technology. • The information provided for parents about the work their children are to do and the targets that have been set for them. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good progress since the last inspection in November 1995 and has continued to improve in many areas. The results achieved by pupils in the national tests at age 11 over the past three years have been consistently well above average. The role of curriculum co-ordinators has been developed and there are schemes of work in place to assist teachers with their planning. Lesson planning is of a high quality and clearly identifies what the pupils are to learn. Physical education and music in Key Stage 2 are now taught well and religious education is planned carefully across the school. The school’s work is carefully evaluated and the information gathered is used well to plan new initiatives. The school has worked hard to address the underachievement of the more able pupils and by age eleven their work is of a high standard. In most lessons the teachers ensure that the work meets the

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Ashdene Primary School - 7 differing needs of the pupils in the class. However, in some mathematics lessons in Key Stage 1and the lower Key Stage 2, higher attaining pupils are not sufficiently challenged by the work.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

English A* A A* A* well above average above average A B Mathematics A A* A A average below average C D Science A A A A Well below average E

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STANDARDS

These test results are high. They are in the top 5% nationally and the school is meeting its targets. The trends over the past three years indicate similar high standards. Inspection evidence confirms these high standards for 11 year olds. Standards in reading, writing and mathematics are high. The pupils are very skilled in writing. They read well for pleasure and information and their speaking and listening skills are very good. In mathematics they are able to solve problems and they have a good understanding of number.

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STANDARDS

The results in the national tests for pupils at the age of seven were well above average. The children enter the school with a wide range of abilities but, overall, their attainment on entry is well above average. The school builds on this advantage and all pupils, including those with special educational needs, make very good progress in their reading, writing and number.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good indeed. The pupils enjoy school and work hard and take a pride in their achievements.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. The pupils are polite and considerate. They behave very well in and around the school.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. The pupils’ personal development is very good and they willingly accept responsibility. They have very good relationships with each other and with staff.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. The pupils are keen to come to school.

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Aspect Comment

The pupils are polite, considerate and friendly. They get on well together, both in work and play and are keen to be helpful. Ashdene Primary School - 8

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

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

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

The teaching in the school is very good. In 80 % of what was seen, the teaching was good, very good or excellent. Of the rest, 16 % was satisfactory and 4% was unsatisfactory. The pupils are interested in their work and they are keen to do well. They make good progress in their learning in lessons and over time. The teaching of English and mathematics, including literacy and numeracy is very effective. In over 50% of what was seen, it was very good or excellent. A key issue at the time of the last inspection was for teachers to improve the quality of day-to-day planning so that learning outcomes are more clearly identified. The high levels of very good teaching are a measure of the school’s success in addressing this issue. The setting of targets for groups and individual pupils in most classes is very effective in raising standards and improving the quality of the pupils’ learning in some classes. In these

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

lessons the needs of all of the pupils are met very well and teachers build very successfully on their prior learning. The arrangements for reducing class sizes in Year 5 and 6 are enabling teachers to target pupils more effectively in English and mathematics. In a minority of lessons some pupils, particularly the more able, are not sufficiently challenged and they do not achieve as well as they should.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is well balanced between basic skills in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science and a wide range of interesting activities in the other subjects. Residential and other educational visits are used well to enrich and extend the pupils’ learning. Provision for pupils with special educational needs The school has very effective systems to identify and support pupils with special educational needs and these pupils make very good progress . Provision for pupils with English as an additional language There is a very good level of support for pupils and they make very good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Staff are very good role models. There is very good provision for the pupils’ personal, social and moral development. The curriculum reflects a wide range of cultural traditions and there is good provision for the pupils’ spiritual development mainly through collective worship.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils There are good procedures for ensuring pupils’ welfare and guidance. Pupils receive a high level of care and support as soon as they enter the school. Health, safety and child protection are all effectively managed.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum is very good. Literacy and numeracy are given a high priority and the curriculum is enriched by interesting work in history and geography, residential visits and field trips. These make a significant contribution to the pupils’ personal and cultural development. Standards of achievement in speaking and listening are very high. Information technology is under-used to support Ashdene Primary School - 9 the pupils’ learning. The school has established a good partnership with parents and they express confidence in the school.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The school is very well led and managed. The headteacher, senior staff and governors are extremely good in analysing the school’s strengths and weaknesses and in deciding what needs to be done to raise standards and to improve the school.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors are strongly committed to the school. They fulfil all of their responsibilities.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good in analysing the overall strengths and weaknesses of the school.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good use is made of specific grants. The staff are well deployed to support the pupils’ learning. Resources are used well but the school is short of computers. The school gives good value for money.

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Aspect Comment

The leadership and management is a significant strength of the school. The headteacher and governors are skilled in comparing the performance of the school with similar schools and ensuring that appropriate action is taken to raise standards and improve the quality of education provided. They are particularly effective in using funds to provide additional staffing to raise the pupils’ performance in English and mathematics. The school seeks to apply the principles of best value.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The quality of the teaching. • The school’s expectation of hard work and achievement. • The progress that their children make. • The way in which the school helps their children to become mature and responsible. • The very good behaviour. • More information about their child’s progress and the amount of homework that is expected of them.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the strengths identified by the parents. There is an appropriate level of information provided about the pupils’ progress but the parents could be better informed about the work the pupils are to cover and the amount of homework that their children are required to do. Ashdene Primary School - 10

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Results in national tests by the end of both key stage are high; the headteacher, governors and

teachers are committed to raising standards for all pupils.

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Results in national tests by the end of both key stage are high; the headteacher, governors and

1. The results of the national tests for 11 year olds in English, mathematics and science in 1999 were impressive. Taking all of these subjects together, the performance of the pupils was well above the national average and when compared with similar schools. In addition, the percentage of pupils reaching the higher Level 5 was well above the national average. Taking the four years 1996 – 1999 together, the performance of the Ashdene pupils is equivalent to an advantage of around three term’s progress in their work compared to the national picture. Year 6 pupils’ writing reaches a high standard and they are able to use a wide variety of approaches in their written work including persuasive writing, play scripts and poetry. In mathematics they are confident in using paper and pencil methods in all the four operations and can apply this to the calculation of fractions and percentages. A strong feature of the work is the application of

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Results in national tests by the end of both key stage are high; the headteacher, governors and

mathematics to ‘real life’ situations with Year 6 pupils calculating the value for money when choosing from a set menu or the a la carte menu in a restaurant. A very clear emphasis is given to the teaching of English and mathematics within a broad and balanced curriculum. Opportunities to extend and reinforce literacy and numeracy are planned for other subjects. In science the pupils are encouraged to record their work in data and charts; their reports are well structured and they are clear about what they did and what they found out. The pupils’ work in subjects such as history and geography provides very good opportunities for them to use their writing and mathematical skills to present information in different forms. This provides a very good context for developing the pupils’ writing and mathematical skills. But the high standards and pupils’ achievements are also a result of careful planning and targeting of the work in Key

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Results in national tests by the end of both key stage are high; the headteacher, governors and

Stage 2. The teachers plan the lessons together and know which areas are likely to require additional work. The school’s budget and Standards Fund Grants have been used well to provide additional teachers for English and mathematics in Years 5 and 6. The pupils are taught very effectively in smaller class groups and they are making very good progress. A year 5 pupil commented “I have learned a lot since joining the booster class and the teacher has more time to help us. I can punctuate better and I am more confident with my maths.”

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Results in national tests by the end of both key stage are high; the headteacher, governors and

2. The results for 7 year olds in the national tests in reading, writing and mathematics in the years 1996 – 1999 are well above the national average and when compared with similar schools. The pupils make very good progress. In Reception they recognise letters and the sounds they make and most children are beginning to sound out combinations of letters and sounds as a way of reading unfamiliar words. By Year 2 they read a range of books confidently and enjoy them and they are able to draft their stories, and use complex sentences. They spell common words correctly and have a good understanding of basic punctuation. In mathematics most of the pupils in Year 2 are working confidently with numbers to 100 and they are able to choose the appropriate paper and pencil method when solving addition and subtraction problems.

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Results in national tests by the end of both key stage are high; the headteacher, governors and

3. In both key stages the pupils achieve high standards in speaking and listening. All of the staff are committed to achieving high standards in reading, writing, speaking and listening and number and they are successful. The school has very effective systems for assessing pupils’ work, judging their progress over time and identifying what they need to learn next. This has a significant impact on the very good standards that are attained. The school effectively supports those pupils who need extra help. The teachers set clear targets for their achievement. Ashdene Primary School - 11

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Overall, the teaching is very good, with 60 per cent of lessons observed being very good or

4. Since the last inspection, the quality of teaching has improved. Overall, the teaching is very good and occasionally it is excellent. The lessons are very well planned and they are clear about what it is the pupils are to learn. The measure of their success is demonstrated in the range and the quality of the work that the pupils’ produce. The quality of the pupils’ work, their good behaviour and their obvious enjoyment in lessons, is a response to the high quality of the teaching.

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Overall, the teaching is very good, with 60 per cent of lessons observed being very good or

5. Throughout the school there are very effective teachers who have high levels of expertise. The teaching of children aged under five is firmly based on the teacher’s very good understanding of the needs of young children. The planning takes very good account of the requirements of the Desirable Learning Outcomes and it is linked to the National Curriculum. Within Key Stages 1 and 2, the teachers plan their lessons very effectively, sharing with their pupils the purpose of the lesson so that they fully understand what they will be doing and why they will be doing it. The teachers provide exciting activities to challenge and extend the pupils’ thinking. The National Strategies for literacy and numeracy are well used but are also modified to meet pupils’ differing needs and to develop these skills in other subjects. This is clearly seen in the pupils’ writing in history and in the work they do with mathematical tables, graphs and number

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Overall, the teaching is very good, with 60 per cent of lessons observed being very good or

in science and design and technology. Teachers and pupils enjoy lessons. The pupils are eager to talk about the work they are doing and to explain why they have chosen to work in a particular way. The teachers respect their pupils and thus pupils respect their teachers, leading to very good relationships and behaviour.

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Overall, the teaching is very good, with 60 per cent of lessons observed being very good or

6. Teachers make very good use of time and resources. Lessons generally proceed at a very brisk pace. The teachers ask challenging questions. This was evident in a science lesson in Year5/6 when the teacher developed a lengthy discussion about the importance of immunization and the use of vaccines. In many lessons there is a good match of work to the differing needs of the pupils. Where group work is used, the teachers intervene appropriately and good use is made of learning support staff and parent volunteers. The learning support staff provide very good support for pupils with special educational needs. The teachers’ planning and the pupils’ individual education plans are clear about the targets that are to be met and guide the staff in what the pupils need to learn from the work.

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Overall, the teaching is very good, with 60 per cent of lessons observed being very good or

7. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is very good in the classes at the end of each key stage. In a Year 2 mathematics lesson the teacher makes very good use of resources such as number ladders to improve the pupils’ skills in sequencing numbers. The lesson moves at a brisk pace and pupils of all abilities learn effectively through targeted questioning and carefully prepared tasks. The setting arrangements in Years 5 and 6 are particularly effective. In these classes assessment is used very well to target individual pupils and they make very good progress in both English and mathematics. This was evident in a Year 5 numeracy lesson where the teacher had very high expectations of the pupils. As a result, their ability to convert fractions to percentages improved considerably during the lesson.

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Overall, the teaching is very good, with 60 per cent of lessons observed being very good or

8. If all of the teaching is to reach the level of the best, then some improvement is required to ensure that in all classes the pupils are challenged by the level of work that is provided in group activities. Ashdene Primary School - 12 The pupils are eager to learn. They work very hard and enjoy school.

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Overall, the teaching is very good, with 60 per cent of lessons observed being very good or

9. The pupils’ attitudes to school are very good. They look forward to school, enjoy their lessons and give of their best. They listen attentively, settle quickly to their work and sustain concentration. These factors significantly influence the progress that they make. The high quality of the teaching captures the pupils’ interest, secures their attention and ensures good levels of participation. The pupils appreciate the support given by teachers. A Year 5 pupil stated, ‘ I get help quickly when I have difficulties in maths’ . The pupils listen carefully, follow instructions and are always ready to offer their own ideas. They are willing to accept suggestions about improving their performance. For example, in Year 5/6 and Year 4 lessons the pupils sensitively evaluate their own and each other’s performance when composing music and when creating a sequence of movements in gymnastics. Older pupils make mature and

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Overall, the teaching is very good, with 60 per cent of lessons observed being very good or

relevant contributions in discussions about the quality of brochures and persuasive writing. A very positive attitude by the pupils is that mistakes are accepted as a necessary part of learning. Across the school the pupils are friendly to each other and courteous to teachers and visitors. They have good relationships with the teachers and support staff.

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The school is very well led by the headteacher and is well supported by senior staff and governors

10. The headteacher provides very good leadership and works very successfully towards common goals with staff, parents and governors. With the support of the governors and staff, he creates an ethos that strongly supports achievement and learning. The headteacher is well supported by the deputy headteacher and all teachers share responsibility for curriculum leadership and other aspects of the school’s work. The school has developed the role of curriculum co-ordinators and a good feature of their work is the way they keep governors informed of curriculum initiatives through regular presentations about the developments in each subject. The governors share the vision for the school and are well guided by the clear direction that the headteacher provides. Governors make regular visits to the school, both formally and informally, to support their decision-making process. They function very effectively and are extremely good in analysing

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The school is very well led by the headteacher and is well supported by senior staff and governors

the school’s strengths and weaknesses and in deciding what needs to be done to raise standards and to improve the school. A school improvement committee ensures that the focus on high standards is maintained and reflects the headteacher’s determination never to be complacent. The school development plan is the result of extensive consultation with staff and governors. It is clear and detailed and appropriately identifies the targets for improvement over a three year period.

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The pupils’ social, moral and cultural development is promoted very well. The pupils’ behaviour

is very good and they get on well together.

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The pupils’ social, moral and cultural development is promoted very well. The pupils’ behaviour

11. This is a strength of the school. The school sets out to teach the principles that distinguish right from wrong and all staff work hard to foster the values of fairness, truth and justice. The quality of relationships within the school is very good and adults and children treat each other with affection, courtesy and respect. Assemblies promote a strong sense of right and wrong and current events are discussed and used to draw out moral issues. During the inspection the headteacher led two very good assemblies that emphasized the importance of following rules and the difficulties that can occur when they are broken. The lively and interesting way in Ashdene Primary School - 13 which the issues were presented had a marked impact on the pupils and helped them to reflect on the social and moral problems involved.

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The pupils’ social, moral and cultural development is promoted very well. The pupils’ behaviour

12. The pupils’ social development is promoted very effectively. The youngest children quickly learn to carry out routine classroom tasks and to work in harmony with others in their group. They share equipment and take turns. Everyone is expected to perform duties within the classroom and around the school. In all classes, the pupils are encouraged to help each other and work co-operatively on projects and investigations. The older pupils are mature, sensible and confident in their relations with others and with adults. In an art lesson in Year 4 the teacher placed the pupils in groups of six and they worked together with one pupil acting as the leader. They demonstrated very good negotiating skills as they discussed and agreed the materials to use to create a collage. After school activities provide opportunities for pupils to co-operate in team games and to compete against other schools in inter-school sports and

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The pupils’ social, moral and cultural development is promoted very well. The pupils’ behaviour

participate in music competitions and festivals. The very good links with the local community make a significant contribution to the pupils’ social development.

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The pupils’ social, moral and cultural development is promoted very well. The pupils’ behaviour

13. The cultural development of pupils is promoted very well and is assured through careful planning in lessons and visits and visitors to the school. Through much of their work the pupils are introduced to their own culture and that of others from different backgrounds. The pupils enjoy performing and they have opportunities to sing and play a variety of musical instruments. Visits from groups such as the North Indian Bangra dancers and drama groups regularly perform in the school. The pupils are taken to places of interest such as the Heritage Centre and visits are made to the theatre. The pupils study world religions and have a good understanding of life in a multi-faith society.

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The pupils’ social, moral and cultural development is promoted very well. The pupils’ behaviour

14. The school operates as a calm and orderly community. The pupils’ behaviour during lessons, moving around the buildings, during meal-times and in the playground is very good. Boys and girls relate well to each other. Pupils understand what is expected of them and respond willingly to the agreed codes of conduct that are displayed around the school. There are very few instances of unacceptable behaviour. Pupils are respectful of each other and polite to visitors. Pupils value and care for the school’s and other people’s property.

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The pupils’ social, moral and cultural development is promoted very well. The pupils’ behaviour

Parents support the school very well and are satisfied with the education it provides.

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The pupils’ social, moral and cultural development is promoted very well. The pupils’ behaviour

15. Parents are interested in the school and support their children very effectively. This is confirmed by the large number who returned the questionnaire and attended the meeting prior to the inspection. Parents help in classrooms and join pupils and staff on local and residential visits. They support their children very well with their homework. They provide practical help, for example in assisting in the conversion of a workshop into a classroom. The Parent Teacher Association is very effective in raising money for the school. Many parents support the social events that are organised such as the Summer Barbecue and Pantomime . The parents recognize the good teaching that their children receive and are pleased with the progress that they make.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

Ensuring that the quality of the teaching is raised to the level of the best.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

16. Overall the quality of teaching is very good and in some classes across the school it is excellent. In other classes it is satisfactory and this teaching could be better if the expertise available was used to evaluate teaching and set targets for further improvement. The school has Ashdene Primary School - 14 already carried out some monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning. The headteacher, deputy headteacher and senior staff have observed teachers and evaluated the quality of their work. Better use now needs to be made of the information gathered and for teachers to observe the best practice in the school and to receive feedback on the quality of their own teaching.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

The provision for information and communication technology.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

17. There is an appropriate scheme of work for information and communication technology and the school has identified the skills that should be taught across the school. However, there is a shortage of resources and the equipment available to the pupils is a mixture of older, outdated computers and a limited number of newer machines with CD-ROM facilities. The use of information technology to support the work in other subjects is limited. Some teachers lack confidence in teaching the subject and there is a need to provide additional in-service training to develop staff skills. The co-ordinator has only recently taken up his post but he has a good understanding of the strengths and the weaknesses in the subject and a clear view of what needs to be done to improve it.

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The amount of information provided for parents about the work their children are to do and the

targets that have been set to improve the level of their achievement.

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The amount of information provided for parents about the work their children are to do and the

18. The parents raised concerns at the meeting prior to the inspection and in the questionnaire about the information they receive about their children’s progress. The inspectors judge that sufficient information is provided in relation to pupils’ attainment and progress but they do not set targets for improvement. The information provided for parents about the work that their children will be doing each half-term could be better. This particularly relates to topic work and, at the meeting prior to the inspection, the parents indicated that they would value information about the topics to be covered so that they could help their children to find books and other information related to their work.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1. Raise the quality of the teaching to the level of the best by monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching and sharing the very good practice with all teachers.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2. Increase resources for information and communication technology and provide in-service training for teachers to raise their confidence in teaching the subject.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

3. Provide parents with more information about the work the pupils are to cover and identify more clearly in the pupils’ annual reports the targets for their future learning. Ashdene Primary School - 15

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 12

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 369

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 13

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 42

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 28

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 10

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Ashdene Primary School - 16

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 26 29 55

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 24 25 25 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 29 29 29

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 96 (96) 98 (98) 98 (98) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (78) 83(81) 87 (84)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 24 25 25 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 29 29 29

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 96 (96) 98 (98) 98 (98) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 87 (86)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 21 24 45

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 20 19 20 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 23 21 22

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 96 (89) 89 (85) 93 (85) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (58) 78 (69)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 19 19 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 21 20 19

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 89 (76) 87 (76) 78 (76) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (58) 75 (69)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Ashdene Primary School - 17

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 1 Black – Caribbean heritage

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 4 Other minority ethnic groups

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 14.8 Financial year 1998 - 1999

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24.8

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: Y[ ] – Y[ ] Total expenditure 558,890

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4 Expenditure per pupil 1,616

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 100 Balance brought forward from previous year 17,023

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 12,134

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Ashdene Primary School - 18

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 47 43 7 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 49 41 7 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 28 49 17 5 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 22 45 28 3 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 53 32 10 4

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 55 41 3 1

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 28 49 13 3 6

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 47 40 7 3 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 49 41 6 4

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 31 46 12 5 5

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