Fairstead Community Primary and Nursery School

FAIRSTEAD COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Mr John Messer OIN: 15477

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FAIRSTEAD COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 26 – 29 November 2001

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FAIRSTEAD COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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FAIRSTEAD COMMUNITY 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. Fairstead Community Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: William Booth Road King’s Lynn Norfolk Postcode: PE30 4RR

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Kevin Baldwin

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 7 December 1999 Fairstead Community Primary School - 4

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responsibilities

15477 John Messer Registered inspector Information and communication technology Art and design Equal opportunities English as an additional language What sort of school is it? How high are standards? a) The school’s results and achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? 19743 Ann Taylor Lay inspector How high are standards? b) Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 3687 Godfrey Bancroft Team inspector Mathematics Music Religious education Physical education How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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responsibilities

21500 Graeme Bassett Team inspector Foundation stage English Special educational needs 20380 Neville Pinkney Team inspector Science Design and technology Geography History Fairstead Community Primary School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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responsibilities

Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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responsibilities

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

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responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Fairstead Community Primary School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT [ ]

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? [ ]

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This community primary school has 292 pupils on roll and is bigger than most primary schools. There are rather more boys than girls. Pupils are admitted to the school in the September of the year in which their fifth birthday falls but those whose birthdays are in the spring term attend on a part-time basis until January and those whose birthdays fall in the summer term do not start full time until after Easter. Children’s attainment on entry to the school is very low although a small minority enter with relatively advanced stages of development. Most have poorly developed speaking and listening skills and many have poorly developed social skills. Many have experienced some form of pre-school provision but there are no nursery schools in the area that serves the school. Most pupils live on the nearby housing estate, built in the sixties, that comprises mainly rented accommodation. Unemployment in the area is high.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Nearly 40 per cent of pupils are entitled to free school meals, which is twice the national average. Nearly three per cent of pupils have statements of special educational need and nearly a half of pupils are entered on the school’s register of special educational needs because they require some extra learning support. This is well above average. Nearly all the pupils are from English-speaking backgrounds. A very small minority are from ethnic minority backgrounds and several are from travelling families. Several pupils speak English as an additional language and a few are at an early stage of developing English-speaking skills. A very small number are refugees. There are high levels of mobility as a large number of pupils enter and leave the school part-way through the primary phase of their schooling. It is not easy to recruit teaching staff and the school has to rely on the services of temporary

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

teachers until suitable permanent teachers can be found. The characteristics of the school are similar to those at the time of the last inspection.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an effective school that helps pupils to achieve well. Most children enter the school with very low levels of attainment. Their achievement in the foundation stage is satisfactory and it is good in Years 1 to 6. By the time they leave the school at the end of Year 6, although still below average, standards are getting steadily closer to national averages. There is a high proportion of exceptionally good teaching, especially in Years 2 and 6, and in these year groups, pupils’ achievement is particularly good. Teaching in Years 4 and 5 is inconsistent and a significant proportion is unsatisfactory, so pupils do not always achieve as well as they should. The leadership and management of the school have been successful in creating an ethos that is rooted in a determination to improve standards further. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Teachers are hardworking; they share a determination to improve standards and much of the teaching is of a high quality. • Music is a strength of the school and pupils sing well; the choir and steel band are particular strengths. • Physical education, dance, games and sports are strongly developed. • Pupils are friendly, eager to learn and willing to please. • Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and these pupils learn well. • Learning support assistants are effective in helping pupils to learn. • The provision of activities outside the classroom is very good. • The headteacher, staff and governors work well as a team to give the school a clear direction for improvement.

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What could be improved

• The standards pupils attain in art and design are not high enough. • The consistency of teaching, especially in two of the classes for pupils in Years 4 and 5 where there is a significant proportion of unsatisfactory teaching due mainly to the poor management of pupils’ behaviour. • The analysis of reading to identify areas for development; there is insufficient analysis of what pupils can read and reading records are not developed consistently across the school. • The curriculum for children in the foundation stage; insufficient attention is paid to following national guidance on curricular planning to promote effective learning. • The teaching of speaking and listening skills; there is no systematic programme designed to improve pupils’ speaking and listening skills. • Systems for assessing pupils’ progress are not sufficiently well developed across the school to help Fairstead Community Primary School - 8

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What could be improved

teachers with their lesson planning. 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

Since the school was last inspected in December 1999, the quality of teaching has improved significantly; there is now a high proportion of particularly good teaching and a much lower proportion of unsatisfactory teaching. The leadership and management of the school have improved and are now good. The governing body gives good support. Standards are improving steadily, especially in English, mathematics and science. Standards in information and communication technology have improved and the school is now well placed to make much greater progress in this subject. Attendance has improved but is still well below the national average. The roles and responsibilities of all members of staff are clear and systems for the management of performance are good. The school received a ‘School Achievement Award’ from the Department for Education and Skills in recognition of its improved performance in national tests between 1999 and 2000. The school has successfully addressed the key

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

issues for action raised in the last inspection report.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests. The * symbol indicates that results are among the lowest five per cent in the nation.

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Key

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

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Key

Children’s achievement in the foundation stage is satisfactory but, by the end of the reception year, very few are likely to attain all the early learning goals specified in national guidance. In Years 1 and 2 pupils achieve well although, by the end of Year 2 most attain standards that are well below average in reading, writing, mathematics and science. Pupils continue to achieve well in most of the classes for pupils in Years 3 to 6, although achievement is less consistent in Years 4 and 5. As a result of particularly good teaching, progress accelerates in Year 6 and, by the time they leave the school, pupils attain standards that, although below average, are much closer to the standards normally expected of eleven-year-olds. Across the school, standards are above average in music and in physical education although below average in art and design and history. In this year’s National Curriculum tests, the school met its target

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Key

of 60 per cent of pupils attaining the national target of Level 4 in English and narrowly missed its target of 57 per cent in mathematics. It is well on course to meet its targets in 2002. The school’s improving trend over the past five years in the national tests has been above the national trend.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils are keen to rise to challenges and are eager to please.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Satisfactory. Most pupils behave very well in lessons and around the school. A small minority cause unnecessary disturbances in lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and The good relationships developed in most classes help to promote a Fairstead Community Primary School - 9 relationships willingness to learn.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Well below average attendance is caused mainly by a few pupils with very poor records of attendance. Pupils are keen to learn and are prepared to try hard. They co-operate well with each other and are pleased to take on responsibilities.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Quality of teaching satisfactory good good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses. Teaching is generally good; much of it is very good and a significant proportion is excellent. Teaching is especially good in Years 2 and 6. Teaching and learning in English and mathematics are good. There is an element of unsatisfactory teaching, particularly in two of the classes for pupils in Years 4 and 5 where the challenging behaviour of a few pupils is not well managed. In these classes, learning is less effective; in all the other classes, pupils learn well and make good progress. Literacy and numeracy are taught well and pupils’ achievement in developing basic skills is good. Generally, teachers manage pupils well and develop good relationships that support learning effectively and lead to good levels of

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

interest and concentration. Several teachers are developing excellent assessment systems that help them to plan the next steps in learning, based on pupils’ prior achievements, but these systems have not yet been shared across the school. The needs of the very few pupils with English as an additional language and the most able pupils are met successfully and their achievement is satisfactory. Music and physical education are taught well and pupils attain standards in these subjects that are above average.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Sound overall but the curriculum for children in the foundation stage is underdeveloped. The provision of activities outside lessons is very good and enhances pupils’ learning opportunities.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Learning support assistants help pupils to learn effectively.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Adequate but there is no specialist support. Those pupils who attend regularly develop sound English-speaking skills.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. Provision for personal, spiritual and social development is good and for moral and cultural it is satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good pastoral care is provided. Assessment systems to plot pupils’ attainment and progress to inform the next steps in learning are not sufficiently well developed in all classes.

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Aspect Comment

The school works hard to involve parents in a partnership to support pupils’ learning but meets with limited success.

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Aspect Comment

Fairstead Community Primary School - 10 Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The school has been successful in promoting good attitudes to learning and standards are rising steadily. The headteacher provides determined leadership and has united the school in striving to make further improvements. Fairstead Community Primary School - 11 How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors give good support and fulfil their responsibilities well.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. There are good systems to analyse the performance of each individual within each year group but no action has been taken to compensate for pupils’ widely acknowledged poor ability in speaking.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Satisfactory. The learning environment in the foundation stage is underdeveloped and there is not enough equipment to meet children’s learning needs.

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Aspect Comment

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources are mostly adequate to teach the curriculum but resources to support teaching and learning in the foundation stage are inadequate. It is difficult to recruit staff. Most subject co-ordinators have a good overview of provision and recognise their accountability for raising standards in their subjects. The co-ordinator for English has not been successful in promoting a whole school approach to developing procedures for plotting progress in reading and writing. Resources, including computers, are used satisfactorily to support teaching and learning. Financial planning is good and is linked to the priorities described in the school management plan, which focus appropriately on initiatives to improve standards. The school applies the principles of best value to financial decisions.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school and make good progress. • Behaviour is good. • Teaching is good and the school expects children to work hard and to do their best. • They would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. • The school is well led and managed. • The school helps children to become mature and responsible. • The range of activities outside lessons. • A small minority of parents do not feel that they are kept well informed about how their children are getting on. • A minority feel that the school does not work closely with parents.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Parents are supportive of the school but very few actively involve themselves in forming a partnership with the school to support pupils’ learning. The inspection team agree with the parents’ positive views. Inspectors found that the information provided for parents on pupils’ progress is appropriate. The school works hard to involve parents in pupils’ learning but the response is disappointing. Fairstead Community Primary School - 12

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Pupils’ attainment on entry to the school is poor. Most have poorly developed speaking and listening skills, poorly developed early reading and writing skills and poorly developed knowledge and understanding of the world. Most have difficulties with personal and social adjustment and many have poor emotional control. A minority have well developed early learning skills and a relatively good understanding of the world. On entry to the school, children’s physical development is typical of four-year-olds.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. In the foundation stage pupils achieve satisfactorily but by the end of the reception year few have attained the early learning goals specified in national guidance. In Years 1 and 2 pupils achieve well and make good gains in their learning. By the end of Year 2, however, pupils’ attainment in English and science is still well below average and in mathematics it is below average. In Years 3 to 6, pupils achieve well in most classes and by the end of Year 6, they attain standards in English, mathematics and science that, although below average, are much closer to national averages. The standards reached by the pupils with special educational needs in English, mathematics and science are well below the expected levels for their ages, but the progress made by nearly all is good. The tiny minority of pupils with English as an additional language are well supported and they achieve well. Gifted and talented pupils are not formally identified but

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

work is modified appropriately to challenge higher attaining pupils who achieve satisfactorily.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Inspection findings are reflected in National Curriculum test results. In the tests for pupils at the end of Year 2 in 2001, the school’s performance, when compared with all schools nationally, was well below average in reading and writing. In mathematics pupils attained average standards. When compared with the attainment of pupils from similar social backgrounds the school’s performance was below average in reading and writing but well above average in mathematics. Language skills are a particular area of difficulty for many pupils. As mathematics is less dependent on the ability to read and write, pupils do relatively well in the tests though general class work indicates that standards are still somewhat below average. Since the time of the last inspection there have been significant improvements in writing and mathematics but little improvement in reading. As a result of the particularly good teaching in Year 2, the group of

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

pupils currently in this year group are on course to attain higher standards in the tests than last year’s group.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. In the national tests for pupils at the end of Year 6 the school’s performance, when compared with all schools nationally, was well below average in English, mathematics and science. When compared with schools that have pupils from similar backgrounds, however, the school’s performance was below average in English and mathematics, although still well below average in science. The school succeeded in reaching its target in English by ensuring that 60 per cent of pupils attained Level 4, although it narrowly failed to meet its target of 57 per cent in mathematics. A slightly more challenging target has been set in English for 2002 but the target in mathematics, although challenging, is similar to this year’s. The school is highly likely to attain its targets. Standards, as measured by test results, have not improved much since the last inspection but, as a result of very good teaching in the upper part of the school, the group of

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

pupils that are due to take the tests next year are well on course to attain higher standards than last year’s group.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Across the school, there is a much clearer understanding than at the time of the last inspection of how standards can be improved. Teaching is now much better and this is mirrored in pupils’ good achievement and their enthusiasm for learning. It is, however, a battle to compensate for the impoverished language skills that most pupils possess. The school has rightly concentrated on improving the basic skills of reading and writing but has not placed enough emphasis on improving speaking and listening skills. By the end of Year 2, most pupils can read sufficiently well to enable them to achieve satisfactorily in other areas of the curriculum where reading skills are needed, such as history and geography. They are also sufficiently numerate to tackle tasks in Fairstead Community Primary School - 13 science and design and technology, for example, that require skills involving measurement and data handling. They have a sound understanding of how to conduct a fair test when investigating

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

the distance vehicles travel over different surfaces as part of their work on friction, for example. Most find it difficult to express themselves clearly although one pupil in Year 2 responded to Ogden Nash’s poem ‘Winter Morning’ by commenting, ‘It looks like icing sugar when it’s all white on the roof’. Pupils in Year 2 understand how to draft work and describe it as, ‘A time for thinking and jotting down ideas’. They successfully jot ideas on their white boards so that they can easily rub out and rearrange text. The classroom assistant often photocopies the white boards for assessment purposes and to provide a paper copy of ideas to be used by pupils when polishing their drafts. Most pupils find difficulty in writing a sequence of sentences without support. Test results indicate that on average over the past three years girls perform better than boys in reading, writing and mathematics but during the inspection there was no significant difference in the

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. In Year 6, many pupils still find difficulty in expressing themselves clearly and many find reading and writing difficult. A significant proportion does not take books home to practise reading and this impedes progress. Great enthusiasm for writing is generated by teachers, however, and in one class for pupils in Years 5 and 6, they wrote good poems about fog that included such phrases as, ‘The sinister fog swarms towards me.’ The older pupils are interested in language and enjoy using the computer as a thesaurus to find alternative words to fit into their poems. Their enthusiasm is such that they enjoy writing pieces at home to bring in to show their teachers; ‘Look I writ two poems at home’. Pupils were eager to show their poems to the teacher before morning registration. Most are keen to share their work and read it out to the class. Pupils in Year 5, however, experienced great difficulty when required to debate the pros and cons of

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

starting school at 8am and finishing at 1pm. They were excited by the prospect of a debate but most mumbled a few disjointed phrases and were mostly inarticulate.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Pupils in Year 6 have an enthusiasm for number work and are particularly good at work that involves shape, pattern and graphs where there is a strong visual element in the work. They are less successful in work that involves solving problems because many have trouble in teasing out the language that is often associated with such work. In science, higher attaining pupils were good at explaining how all variables had to be considered when comparing results in their experiment on making gas; the amount of baking powder used, the amount of vinegar, the tightness of the seal around the neck of the bottle and even the relative thickness of the rubber balloon used to collect the gas. Such clear explanations are not the norm however and most pupils experience difficulty in describing what they have observed in their experiments.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. The standards pupils attain by the end of Years 2 and 6 are above average in physical education and music. Particularly good work was seen in music both in lessons and in activities after school, such as the school choir and steel band. In physical education, there is particular enthusiasm and expertise among the teaching staff and this contributes well to the standards attained. The school does well in competitive games against other schools. Standards in information and communication technology are in line with national expectations of seven and eleven-year-olds and in religious education standards meet the expectations described in the locally Agreed Syllabus. The standards pupils attain in art and design and history are below national expectations partly because the school has focused attention on other areas of the curriculum, such as reading and writing. There was insufficient evidence across the school on

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

which to base judgements about design technology. In geography, there was too little evidence from the limited amount of work produced to make judgements about standards by the end of Year 6 although, by the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment meets national expectations. Overall, since the school came out of being subject to special measures two years ago, standards have been rising steadily.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Pupils have good attitudes towards school, their behaviour is satisfactory overall and relationships in the school are mostly positive and friendly. The picture described during the previous inspection, where most pupils had positive attitudes with a minority of pupils whose behaviour was Fairstead Community Primary School - 14 difficult to manage and whose engagement in lessons was difficult to achieve, still remains very much the case.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Pupils are interested in their lessons and most enjoy them. Many teachers use ‘talking partners’ where pupils are asked to spend five minutes sharing their knowledge with the person next to them. Pupils enjoy doing this, they are sensible and very rarely does the conversation turn into general chatter. 11. The better quality the lesson, the more pupils are interested, keen to respond and eager to learn. For example, in a literacy lesson for the oldest pupils, they were learning about active and passive verbs and producing a shared poem about fog. The interesting way the teacher presented the lesson, the way he involved them, by asking them to suggest different verbs such as grab, snatch, capture, seize and then challenging them to pick out the most powerful verb, meant they were fully involved in learning, careful in listening in case they missed anything and eager to volunteer ideas for the class poem. Every opportunity was taken to ensure their clear

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

understanding, even by personifying the overhead projector, as an example! As a result, their behaviour was excellent, they wanted to please and the teacher’s continuous praise for the good work they were producing provided a catalyst for yet even more high quality contributions from pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. The quality of behaviour is satisfactory overall and most pupils are helpful and polite. Behaviour is very good in some classes where there are frequent examples of good, very good and excellent teaching. Teachers work extremely hard to maintain pupils’ interest and, by doing so, maintain good behaviour. They have to be ready to change activities that are not working well and respond to different situations in the class, as they arise. There are some pupils with very challenging behaviour, who, if not fully involved and interested in what they are doing, have the capacity to cause serious disruptions in lessons. These are the pupils who often need an adult with them to help them focus on their work. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are better in the mornings than they are in the afternoons, when they find it more difficult to concentrate for long periods of time and some start to become tired.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. The school is a happy, friendly place and, because of the good relationships, pupils are pleased to talk to adults if they have a concern. Occasional incidents of bullying or oppressive behaviour are soon noticed and dealt with well by the school, usually involving the headteacher and parents. There have been two temporary exclusions over the past year. This is a sanction the headteacher does not use lightly, only in extreme circumstances where the safety of staff and pupils is compromised.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils take on a good degree of responsibility for school organisation, especially the older ones. The well established school council, composed of Year 6 House and Vice Captains, involves them canvassing their peers by making a speech to say why they should be elected. The council organises various events to raise money, such as the popular penalty shoot out competition. Last year, they handed over a considerable sum of money to the British Heart Foundation and this year the pupils have already chosen to support the Imperial Cancer Research Fund.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. A good number of older pupils are playground ‘buddies’. They wear yellow armbands and their prime role is to offer help in the playground. When interviewed by inspectors, who asked them about this role, they spoke about helping the younger pupils, preventing arguments and stopping pupils chasing each other on the playground. Many younger pupils have jobs in their classrooms and pupils show themselves to be capable of being trusted to work sensibly on the computers before school and at lunchtimes without direct adult supervision.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. A good number are involved in the wide range of extra- curricular actives provided by the school and speak about these clubs with enthusiasm and obvious enjoyment.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Pupils’ attendance is well below average but has risen since the previous inspection. This poor attendance is as a result of a small number of families whose children attend sporadically. Signs for this academic year, however, are encouraging with attendance averaging around 94 per cent, which is close to the national average. The rate of unauthorised absence is high and above national averages. The school is strict in only authorising absences where there are genuine reasons, such as illness. A number of parents do not see the importance of regular attendance Fairstead Community Primary School - 15 and will keep their child off for shopping trips and other incidental occasions. This accounts for the high figure. Timekeeping in the mornings is satisfactory with most pupils arriving promptly, although those same families where there are attendance concerns often have difficulty in getting their child to school on time.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Apart from a small minority of pupils who find it difficult to sustain concentration in one or two classes, most pupils with special educational needs have good attitudes towards their work. Nearly all behave appropriately because of the good intervention and care shown by the teachers and the learning support assistants.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. The quality of teaching is good. Teaching has improved significantly since the time of the last inspection. There is now a high proportion of very good teaching as well as a significant proportion of excellent teaching and a much lower proportion of unsatisfactory teaching. The school has experienced difficulty in recruiting teachers but the new recruits, four of whom only joined the school a few months ago, have contributed well to the improved standard of teaching. There has not, however, been a sufficiently long period of sustained and consistently good teaching to have a major impact on standards. The particularly good teaching in Years 2 and 6 is supported well by good teaching in other year groups so that the school is well on course to improve its performance in the National Curriculum tests and assessments next year. Overall, nearly a third of teaching is at least very good and, of this, a significant proportion is excellent;

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

just over a third is good and well over a quarter is satisfactory. Approaching a tenth of teaching is unsatisfactory, mainly in two of the classes for pupils in Years 4 and 5.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20. Teaching in the foundation stage is satisfactory. In the lessons seen, a third of the teaching was good and one lesson was unsatisfactory. Teaching is more successful when children are provided with activities that are designed specifically to assist the learning of particular skills. Where the learning intention is vague, as in ‘To extend vocabulary based on experiences’, learning is unfocused. Where the learning intention is precise, such as ‘Children will be taught to use capital letters to start their names’ or, ‘To teach children to recognise the letter ‘k’, to understand the sound it makes and to use it in writing simple words’, then learning is purposeful and effective. Learning is less effective when children are permitted to wander from activity to activity without any precise task that they are expected to finish. One lesson started well as children shared a ‘big book’ with the teacher. They listened attentively and initially settled well to activities, such as

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

listening on headphones to a taped story whilst following the text in their books. The latter part of the lesson was less successful because, having completed the initial tasks, the secondary tasks were unclear and children grew fractious as a result. This was because no clear goals were set. Many children do present very challenging behaviour and this is best managed in lessons where pupils have a clear understanding of what is expected of them and where tasks are organised so that all can achieve a good measure of success. Several children present disturbed behaviour patterns and are emotionally fragile. In the main this is handled well by teachers and support staff who manage a good balance between firm control and sensitive intervention. The management of behaviour is not easy, especially when a small minority of children are openly defiant and will not, for example, gather with the others to sit on the carpet. Planning is imprecise and assessment of

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

children’s progress and of their widely varying stages of development is unsatisfactory. The lack of effective on-going assessment means that teachers have little idea of how to plan the next steps in learning in order to meet the children’s specific needs. Insufficient attention is paid to planning in accordance with national guidance on teaching children in the foundation stage. There is a lack of equipment to support teaching and learning. Teachers are beginning to introduce elements of the national literacy strategy and in these lessons teaching is mostly good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is good. The national strategies for teaching these areas of the curriculum have been implemented well and the structure contributes to purposeful teaching and learning. There are opportunities for pupils to use the skills they have developed in literacy and numeracy in other areas of the curriculum. They are encouraged to write accounts of the Ancient Greeks in history, for example, and to measure the distance vehicles travel over different surfaces in science. Pupils’ writing skills are poorly developed, however, and they find it difficult to express themselves clearly in written or oral forms. Opportunities to enable pupils to practise developing oral and written expression are often not sufficiently well developed in lessons. In Fairstead Community Primary School - 16 particular, there is no planned approach to teaching speaking and listening skills, nor any

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

thorough analysis of pupils’ stages of development in these areas. As a result, it is possible for pupils to reach Year 5 or 6 before specific difficulties are identified. Even the oldest pupils use ungrammatical patterns of speech and these are often not commented upon or remedied by teachers.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. Across the school the teaching of English, mathematics, science history, music and physical education is good; it is satisfactory in information and communication technology and religious education. There was insufficient evidence on which to base judgements about teaching in art and design, design and technology and geography.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

23. In the two classes for the older pupils in Years 1 and 2, teaching is always at least good and in three quarters of lessons it is very good. In the class for the older pupils in Year 2 a third of the teaching is excellent. The teachers in these classes work well together as a team. The classrooms are well organised for effective learning and the walls are covered with captivating displays of pupils’ work as well as items of interest, such as a good account, illustrated with posters, French comics and photographs of Barnaby Bear’s visit to Paris. Each table has been thoughtfully organised as a workstation that provides good support for pupils’ learning. The tables have an alphabet and number line taped to them as well as a list of commonly used words. Equipment is neatly stored in special containers in the centre of each group of tables. Pupils’ individual short-term targets are displayed on the corner of each table. These are referred to

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

regularly and as soon as pupils have mastered their specific target, such as being able to spell ‘does’, then it is replaced with another. In this way, pupils develop a good understanding of the progress they are making and are keen to rise to new challenges. The exemplary learning environment is further enhanced by numerous class awards, such as ‘Artist of the Week’ and ‘Author of the Week’. In these classes, relationships are excellent and, although pupils are sometimes awkward or difficult, behaviour is managed exceptionally well. Pupils develop a clear understanding that they are respected unreservedly by their teachers. They know that their efforts are appreciated and this leads to highly effective learning. In these classes, teachers had developed good systems for assessing and recording pupils’ progress and these records were used well to plan the next steps in learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. Teaching in the seven classes for pupils in Years 3 to 6 is good overall but there are marked inconsistencies. Teaching is always at least good and occasionally very good in the first two classes for the youngest pupils in Years 3 and 4. In the next three classes it is much less consistent. In the two classes for the oldest pupils it is very good, and occasionally excellent, in over two fifths of lessons. In two classes, teaching is unsatisfactory in a high proportion of lessons. In one class the teaching was not organised efficiently and one large group of pupils were, on occasion, left waiting to be taught while the teacher attended to a different group. Pupils did not learn effectively. In another class relationships were poor and pupils’ behaviour was not managed well. Bad tempered teaching resulted in fractious behaviour and pupils being ejected from the classroom. This led to a significant amount of wasted time and underachievement. In

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

these classes, assessment systems were not maintained and lesson plans were not sufficiently modified to meet the learning needs of all pupils. Reading records in particular were scant.

p.16

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25. In Years 3 and 4, examples of excellent teaching were seen in music and mathematics and in Year 6 there were examples of excellent teaching in mathematics and science. These excellent lessons share common characteristics. In each, the teacher used good questioning strategies that challenged pupils’ thinking and helped to assess levels of understanding. In the music lesson, for example, the introductory session established what pupils already knew about composing and learning developed well from the agreed starting point. It concluded with a good performance from each group whilst the others listened appreciatively. In the mathematics lesson for pupils in Year 4, the teacher carefully targeted questions during the introductory session to ensure that all pupils were involved. Discussion was encouraged with questions such as, ‘Did anybody have a different method?’ During the review session towards the end of the lesson,

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

questions were skilfully targeted at different ability groups to check on the learning of each. The lesson concluded with an examination of the learning objectives that were shared with the pupils at the beginning of the lesson to establish how successfully they had been met. In the science lesson in Year 6, pupils were asked to explain all they knew about gases and where gas comes from. Theological answers, such as ‘God put it there’, were dealt with appropriately. Great Fairstead Community Primary School - 17 enthusiasm was generated and a mark of the excellent relationships that had been developed was the teacher’s affirmation that it was good to be excited because learning is fun. Pupils were encouraged to predict what might happen when vinegar and baking powder were mixed and to explain what they saw happening. In the mathematics lesson, the teacher insisted on teasing out the correct terminology and was intolerant of the use of inaccurate terms. In each of these

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

lessons, teachers demonstrated good levels of subject knowledge. They maintained high expectations of pupils’ performance and behaviour. The lessons were all characterised by exceptionally clear explanations and this clarity rested largely on clear plans of what learning was required of pupils. In each lesson, pupils’ interest was captured and maintained throughout the lessons. Learning was highly effective in these lessons. Although learning was fun, the pupils appreciated the serious intent and were proud of their achievements. Homework is used satisfactorily to extend and consolidate learning although there are a large number of pupils who do not read regularly to an adult at home. Pupils are tasked with finding out, for example, the name of the gas that they produced in science and several were so enthusiastic about writing scores in music that they wrote more at home.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

26. Learning support assistants make a good contribution to the quality of teaching provided. They are particularly effective in helping the large proportion of pupils with special educational needs to achieve well. Although gifted and talented pupils are not formally identified, it is clear that in most lessons tasks are modified appropriately to ensure that higher attaining pupils are challenged sufficiently. The achievement of these pupils is satisfactory.

p.17

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

27. The pupils with special educational needs are taught effectively. This is particularly so in literacy and mathematics lessons in Years 5 and 6 where they receive additional help and follow carefully structured tasks. Pupils throughout the school are set clear targets in their individual educational plans. The teachers provide good guidance to the learning support assistants who often help these pupils. This has a beneficial impact and encourages them to join fully in lessons and consequently they make good progress. A significant number of pupils have been taken off the school’s special needs register or have needed less support due to the good progress they have made. For example one boy, whilst in Year 3, was supported for language development and by the time he reached Year 5, he scored the highest marks for the whole year group in a reading test.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

28. The tiny minority of pupils with English as an additional language are supported well and make good progress. Nearly all have well developed English-speaking skills and their understanding in lessons is good. A teacher visits once a week to check on progress and support teachers and pupils but she has had no specialist training in teaching English as an additional language.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

29. The quality and range of opportunities for learning provided by the school are satisfactory and there are good features, such as provision for after school activities. Those aspects of the curriculum required by law are in place. The curriculum for children in the foundation stage is underdeveloped. Assessment procedures are not sufficiently well developed so that children’s learning needs are clear and learning is not planned in a systematic way. Insufficient attention is paid to national guidance on developing the curriculum for the youngest children.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. Provision for developing literacy in other subjects is satisfactory. However, there are not enough opportunities to develop pupils’ speaking and listening skills systematically. This applies particularly to the younger pupils. The introduction of the national strategy for literacy is helping to raise standards in reading and writing. Strategies for teaching numeracy skills in mathematics and in other subjects are used effectively. Because of this, pupils are making good progress. Opportunities for pupils to use information and communication technology in many subjects are also good, making a significant contribution to the rising standards.

p.17

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. There is equality of opportunity and access to all aspects of provision for all pupils. Teachers are meticulous in ensuring that no pupil is excluded from any activities. For example, if pupils miss Fairstead Community Primary School - 18 work care is taken to ensure they are able to catch up. There is no formal policy for inclusion. However, pupils from minority groups, such as travellers and those who speak English as an additional language, participate fully in all aspects of provision and often make good progress.

p.17

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. The provision for extra- curricular activities is very good. It does much to enhance the quality of education by raising pupils’ self esteem and making them proud of their school and their community. Provision for music is particularly strong. There is an excellent choir and steel band and pupils love to sing and play instruments. Provision for extra-curricular physical education includes a successful dance club. Pupils work towards regular public performances that are much admired by their audiences.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33. The provision made for pupils’ personal, social and health education is satisfactory. Arrangements are in place to ensure pupils receive appropriate sex education and parents approve the procedures for this. Arrangements to ensure pupils are appropriately aware of the dangers of drug and substance abuse are also in place. Opportunities for pupils to consider issues of concern to themselves and others are frequent and used well. These sessions, particularly for older pupils, are sometimes led by learning support assistants. They do this well, often helping pupils to address the challenges that are part of their daily lives.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. The quality of links with the community, partner schools and other organisations is good. The school is well regarded by the people in the neighbourhood it serves. Members of the community visit frequently and contribute to the quality of education provided. Pupils also go out into the neighbourhood. For example, they distribute food at harvest time, perform songs and play music for older members of the community. There is a pre-school group, housed on the school site, and many children attend this before they are old enough to attend school. The support provided by teachers for the pre-school group helps to smooth the transition of the children from the group into school. Links with the partner high school are strong. Teachers meet regularly to discuss the provision they make and to ensure arrangements for the transfer of pupils between the schools are successful. The high school has specialist status for the arts and this contributes to the high

p.18

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

quality of provision made for music and dance. Links with nearby schools for pupils with special educational needs are also strong. Pupils from this school visit regularly and take part in classes. This helps them to prepare for their integration into a typical primary school setting.

p.18

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

35. The provision made for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is good overall. Provision for their moral development is satisfactory. Pupils know the difference between right and wrong and usually apply this principle effectively. They are caring and supportive towards each other. This is based firmly on the consistently good examples provided by the adults who help them to learn. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is satisfactory. Pupils gain insights to the values and beliefs of the followers of Christianity and other faiths during religious education lessons and during assemblies. They also benefit from the contribution of visitors, such as when the chairman of the governing body leads assemblies. However, pupils’ understanding of the life styles and traditions of people from other ethnic backgrounds within Britain is not developed sufficiently well.

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TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36. Provision for pupils’ spiritual and social development is good. During lessons and assemblies, opportunities are created for pupils to reflect and consider the experiences that raise their spirits and make them feel at ease. For example, in many classrooms calming music is played at the beginning of the day to help pupils to settle down. Pupils sing beautifully during assemblies, dance during physical education lessons and make music during choir in preparation for school productions. They take great pride in their endeavours. Their social development is enhanced greatly by frequent opportunities to work together closely during lessons. A good range of educational visits helps to extend this considerably. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 have the opportunity to take part in a residential visit to the Isle of Wight.

p.18

TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

37. The planning of the curriculum and the provision made for the pupils with special educational needs is good throughout the school. All pupils have full access to the whole curriculum. They are given particularly good support in lesson with specific tasks designed to help them make good progress. Fairstead Community Primary School - 19

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. Pupils are well cared for in a safe and secure learning environment where there is a clear focus on improving their academic performance.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Child protection procedures are good. The named person is very experienced and there is good liaison with external agencies. There has been recent staff training to ensure all are familiar with the procedures to adopt, if there is a concern. Health and safety are in order and due care and attention is given, by the site manager and governors, to making sure there are regular checks on the premises and careful records are kept.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The school has satisfactory procedures for encouraging good behaviour. Discussion and training on ways to handle pupils’ behaviour is a constant theme in the school, especially as several new staff have joined recently. There is a very new behaviour and discipline policy, although this is not yet fully operational because staff are currently taking part in behaviour training associated with the new policy. The school’s approach is to be upset with the pupils’ poor behaviour but not with the pupils themselves. Most staff understand this approach.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Individual teachers have their own class systems that are providing effective encouragement for pupils to behave well. In one class, this consists of warnings, leading to names on a red and then yellow board if behaviour does not improve. This is linked to the use of behaviour charts, which many use, where pupils receive stars and stamps for being good and for improving their behaviour.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. There are inconsistencies in the way in which staff cope with pupils’ challenging behaviour. Many teachers have high expectations of how pupils should behave and these high expectations lead to good behaviour. Most teachers use positive tactics to manage behaviour, such as offering praise and rewarding pupils when they behave well. Most have a pleasant non-confrontational approach and they teach lessons that are interesting, move at a fast pace and fully involve all pupils. This is particularly effective in promoting good behaviour. In contrast, where behaviour is not managed well, teachers do not offer enough praise and reward, their expectations for good behaviour are too low and the quality of the lessons is not high enough to keep pupils interested. Sometimes, when a confrontational approach develops, behaviour starts to deteriorate and raised voices serve to escalate the situation, rather than defuse it. The management of pupils’ poor behaviour in two of

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

the classes for pupils in Years 4 and 5 is an area for urgent improvement.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. The school takes any instances of bullying or oppressive behaviour seriously and procedures are appropriate, with the headteacher involving pupils and their parents. Training pupils to be special helpers, identified by their yellow armbands, means there are people on the playground whose job is to look out for anyone in difficulties. This is helping to avert any bullying types of behaviour. Recent training of three pupils in mediation skills shows promise for the further development of the helper scheme, in promoting positive play at break and lunchtimes.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. Procedures for encouraging attendance and keeping track on absence are good. The school has made good progress in improving attendance over the years, although it remains below national averages. The headteacher and administrative staff have a clear insight into the reasons why attendance is low, because they know their families and circumstances well. There is good support from the educational social worker who visits regularly and keeps a close eye on the small number of families whose children attend only sporadically. The school has an effective system for rewarding attendance. For example, in the Friday assemblies, the class with the best attendance each week gets an extra two minutes playtime.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The school has improved its end of year procedures for monitoring the pupils’ academic progress. The headteacher keeps a careful track of each pupil’s progress by recording test and assessment data centrally on a computer. This is then analysed to show the achievements of each pupil and to predict their targets for the end of Key Stage 2. This information is shared with teachers and helps them to plan the overall curriculum for each term.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The teachers and the learning support assistants know the pupils very well. However, too many teachers rely too much upon their memory and tend to carry too much information about the Fairstead Community Primary School - 20 pupils’ progress and achievements in their heads. This is unreliable. However, at the end of lessons some teachers, with the help of the assistants, jot down judgements about which pupils exceed the objectives for the lesson and those that have trouble. This is a good procedure and helps the teachers to adjust the content of the next lesson so that the pupils who have not fully understood can be taught once more. However, there is no whole school system for transferring this valuable information to individual pupil’s long-term records. There is no whole school procedure for recording at the end of a topic or task what skills, knowledge and understanding each pupil has acquired. The teachers cannot easily re-group pupils with similar learning needs

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

so that additional work can be given effectively to them. Several teachers are trialling systems that involve plotting the progress of each individual pupil over a period of time. These systems are potentially good and could provide a model on which the school could build.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. The targets set for the pupils’ with special educational needs are relevant and build well upon what they have previously learned. Their individual education programmes are maintained effectively and regularly reviewed.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. Parents are supportive of the school and are starting to appreciate the way it is improving. The school has a satisfactory relationship with them. Teachers use the start and end of the day to make informal contact and the headteacher is easily accessible and welcoming. The school works hard to involve parents and get them more interested in helping their child, but the response is often disappointing. They conducted their own survey to gauge how happy parents were with the school, and using an innovative prize draw as part of the questionnaire proved an additional incentive for parents to reply, guaranteeing a good response.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. The quality of information the school sends out is satisfactory overall, with regular letters to keep parents up-to-date about school news and events. The school has produced a new leaflet, currently at a draft stage, to tell parents what is to be covered in each subject area. This is a move in the right direction. It does not, however, offer encouragement by explaining ways parents can help their child at home.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. The results of the questionnaire about the school, only 35 of which were returned, shows that parents are pleased with the standard of behaviour, the good teaching, that the school expects their child to work hard and that the school is well led and managed. They are also pleased that the school helps their child to become mature and responsible and they feel there is a good range of activities outside lessons. Inspectors agree with all these positive views.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. A small number of parents do not feel the amounts of homework are right and they do not feel well informed about their child’s progress. In relation to homework, the amounts given are satisfactory and similar to that seen in many primary schools. The information parents receive about their child’s progress is also satisfactory. Pupils’ annual reports are thorough. In addition to a chart that shows how successful pupils are in coping with various areas within a given subject, there are extra comments, and areas specified where pupils need to improve. Parents’ evenings are held twice per year, with afternoon and evening appointments, and teachers are more than willing to see parents at other times if they want to know how their child is getting on.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. Parents are having a satisfactory impact upon school life. A small number help regularly in classes and the ‘Friend’s Association’ consists of three parents who work hard to raise a good sum of money for the school. This is used to enable the school to buy resources it would otherwise be unable to afford.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. Very few of the parents of children with special educational needs accept invitations to share in the formal review of targets. However, the special needs co-ordinators are available at the termly parents’ evenings to talk to them about their child’s progress and achievements. These sessions are reasonably well attended. Fairstead Community Primary School - 21

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The leadership and management of the school are good. Since the headteacher took up post nearly three years ago, standards have been rising steadily. It has been difficult to recruit staff and this has impeded the rate of improvement. The school has been forced at times to rely on the services of temporary teachers employed for short periods. There is now a more stable teaching staff and only one teacher is employed on a temporary contract. Four new teachers were appointed at the beginning of this term and already they are having a positive impact on standards. A good number of support staff makes a significant contribution to pupils’ improving achievement. Staffing is now adequate.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The headteacher provides determined and skilful leadership and has successfully led the school out of the special measures to support the school that were imposed four years ago. The deputy headteacher and staff with curricular responsibilities give mostly good support. Most subject co- ordinators understand that they are accountable for improving standards in their areas of responsibility and have clear strategies for developing their subjects across the school. English is not as well co-ordinated as the other subjects; the co-ordinator has not developed an overview of standards across the school and has little understanding of how to improve standards for the youngest pupils. Generally, however, a strong team has been formed that is increasingly successful in improving standards. The two special needs co-ordinators work closely together and carry out their responsibilities very effectively. They regularly review the targets set for each

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

pupil with special educational needs. They maintain good contact with other agencies in the local education authority and with the staff of neighbouring special schools in order to enlist additional help for these pupils.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The school has successfully addressed the key issues for action raised in the last inspection report. The issue that required the school to continue with measures to improve standards, particularly in literacy, has been tackled but clearly there is scope for further improvement. The issue regarding raising pupils’ understanding and improving skills in information and communication has also been tackled successfully and standards in this subject are now in line with national expectations. The impetus in improving the quality of teaching has been maintained well and this key issue has been met. The roles of all members of staff have been clarified so the school has also succeeded in resolving this issue.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The governing body is closely involved with the school and provides good support. The chair of governors provides able leadership and is often to be seen visiting classrooms, taking assemblies and discussing issues with staff and pupils. Another governor helps regularly in the school by assisting with repairs and decorating. A good committee structure has been established that helps governors to share responsibilities and to develop a good understanding of different aspects of the school. Governors are well informed about all issues facing the school and have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. The governing body have ensured that the school complies with statutory requirements. Specific grants, such as the grant for supporting pupils with special educational needs, are used properly and effectively. The resources for special needs are satisfactory and the recent addition of a computer for use by a group of pupils

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

in Years 5 and 6 has a significant impact upon raising interest and standards in reading and writing. Across the school, resources are mostly adequate to support teaching and learning though there is a lack of equipment in the foundation stage. Accommodation is adequate though there is no secure outdoor play area for the youngest children. This restricts opportunities for imaginative play and physical development.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. A good school management plan has been produced by the headteacher in consultation with staff and governors. It includes appropriate areas for development although the development of the curriculum for the foundation stage, and the development of speaking and listening, are important omissions. The development plan follows a clear format and includes specific targets for attainment for each year group in the school. These targets are set on the basis of the assessment of children’s performance when they enter the school and are appropriately challenging. They are based on the very good system that the headteacher has devised for evaluating and plotting the performance of each year group as it moves through the school. Fairstead Community Primary School - 22 59. Financial management is sound. The school has been successful in turning a potential major deficit, which looked imminent three years ago, into a healthy surplus. This surplus is larger than

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

planned because over the last school year the school was forced to operate with one and a half teachers less than anticipated due to difficulties with recruitment. This proved a major difficulty and had an adverse effect on the improvements that could be managed last year. The governing body ensures that money is spent prudently and that the principles of best value are applied to spending decisions. An investment in new pressure taps, for example, resulted in a halving of the school’s water bill. The school secretaries give good support and ensure that the day-to-day running of the office operates smoothly and efficiently. Paperwork is controlled effectively. The school does not experience a high degree of bureaucratic overload but the same information is often requested from different departments in the local education authority with the same information being requested by government departments. Taking into account the good teaching,

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

and the fact that pupils achieve well from a very low starting point on entry, and that standards have improved and are continuing to improve significantly, the school provides good value for money.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. Good performance management systems are in place that include setting clear annual targets for teaching staff. The school management plan includes a timetable for setting targets for support staff next year. The headteacher has been successful in developing an ethos that is rooted in a shared commitment to raise standards. The school is now well placed to make significant improvements in pupils’ achievement and the standards that they attain. Fairstead Community Primary School - 23

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

61. In order to improve standards further the headteacher, staff and governing body should:

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1) teach skills in art and design systematically and place greater emphasis on producing three- dimensional work as well as developing a deeper understanding of the work of artists and craftspeople from different times and cultures; * (paragraph 109)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2) improve the consistency of teaching as a matter of urgency by: • helping teachers to understand and use strategies that involve managing behaviour in a positive way; • sharing the excellent practice that is found in many classes with all teachers, especially those who have limited understanding of strategies to manage behaviour effectively; • sharing the excellent practice of planning and classroom organisation that is to be found in the school with all teachers; * (paragraphs 20,23,24,42,90)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

3) make sure that detailed records are kept of the progress of all pupils in reading and use these to identify areas for development; (paragraphs 24,91)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

4) develop more effective learning in the foundation stage by: • planning activities in line with national guidance; • ensuring that tasks are purposeful and have clear goals; (paragraphs 20,65)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

5) adopt a teaching and learning programme that is designed to develop speaking and listening skills systematically and ensure that it is applied rigorously; (paragraphs 5,21,81.91)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

6) develop systems for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress that are useful to teachers when planning lessons. (paragraphs 20,46)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Other less significant areas for development:

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Enable the English co-ordinator to develop a clearer understanding of pupils’ learning needs across the school. (paragraphs 55,91)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improve the level of resources to support teaching and learning in the foundation stage. (paragraph 57)

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Consider the development of a secure outside play area for the youngest children. (paragraph 74)

p.23

*

These areas for improvement already feature in the school’s management plan. Fairstead Community Primary School - 24

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 54

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than one percentage points.

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 279

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 103

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 8

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 137

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 9

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 17

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 17

p.24

Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.24

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Fairstead Community Primary School - 25

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 13 21 34

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys 8 8 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 15 18

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 62 (61) 68 (55) 88 (73) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys 9 12 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 15 18 17

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 71 (63) 88 (73) 82 (66) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

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

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 14 26 40

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 5 7 8 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 19 14 19

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 60 (50) 53 (50) 68 (72) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 6 9 9 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 19 16 20

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 63 (46) 63 (50) 76 (57) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Fairstead Community Primary School - 26

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 8 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) 14.25 Financial year 2000/2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20.42

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 695184

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 11 Total expenditure 669215

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 290 Expenditure per pupil 2180

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 21621

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) Balance carried forward to next year 47590

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 7

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 7

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 1

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Fairstead Community Primary School - 27

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 49 51 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 29 60 9 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 46 37 9 3 6

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 46 43 9 3 0

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 74 23 0 3 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 71 29 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 40 46 6 3 6

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 54 40 0 0 6

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 51 46 0 0 3

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 43 49 0 0 9

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Other issues raised by parents

The three parents who attended the meeting for parents were very supportive of the school and raised no other significant issues. Fairstead Community Primary School - 28

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

62. The youngest children, four and five-year–olds are in the foundation stage of education and are taught according to the six areas of learning specified in national guidance. These are:

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

• personal, social and emotional development; • communication, language and literacy; • mathematical development; • knowledge and understanding of the world; • physical development; and • creative development.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

63. There are currently 34 children in the foundation stage. Twenty-four of these children attend mornings only and the remaining ten join a class with Year 1 pupils in the mornings and are taught separately in the afternoons. It is not possible to make specific evaluations of changes in each area of learning since the last inspection as the last report described provision in general rather than specific terms.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64. Although there is a wide spread of ability, the vast majority of the children enter the reception year with low levels of attainment. This is particularly so in communication, language and literacy and also in their mathematical development. Their personal social and emotional development is also very low. By the time they enter Year 1 many have made good progress in their personal, social and emotional development. They show satisfactory improvements in their creative and physical development and also in their knowledge and understanding of the world. Although there are improvements in the children’s literacy and mathematical development throughout the reception year, this is slower and the standards reached are still well below those expected for this age group. Consequently, there are many children who will not reach the expected targets by the end of the foundation stage.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

65. The quality of teaching throughout the foundation stage is satisfactory in each area of learning and this is similar to that found at the time of the last inspection. However, the nationally recommended curriculum for the foundation stage has not been fully embraced by the school. Consequently the teachers’ planning is not as rigorous as it should be and does not take account of the small steps that the children need to cover as they move steadily towards the early learning goals specified in national guidance.

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Personal, social and emotional development

66. The team of teachers and learning support assistants works hard to improve the children’s behaviour and on improving their attitudes to school and their personal, social and emotional development. Nearly all children enter the reception classes with very poorly developed attitudes to work and a low level of personal, social and emotional development. Many still cannot sit quietly and find it difficult to listen for any length of time. Several boys also present very challenging behaviour and many other children find it difficult to sustain concentration despite appropriate and timely intervention from the teachers and the learning support assistants. However, the children in one lesson sat spell-bound while they watched a number programme on the television. They then moved quietly to new activities. The adults show good skills in managing the children when they are grouped together on the carpet. However, their skills are

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Personal, social and emotional development

tried and tested by a minority of restless and disruptive children during group and individual tasks at other times. In most instances, the teachers handle these difficult children successfully and guide them to purposeful activities.

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Personal, social and emotional development

67. As a result, many children are showing signs of increased confidence as they move between their chosen activities and a good number are on course to reach the expected early learning goals during the reception year. For example, the children working in the ‘post office’ corner worked alongside each other happily for short periods and co-operated well together. The appreciation of Fairstead Community Primary School - 29 the needs of others around them was evident as children shared the brushes, glue sticks and scissors whilst making masks for the ‘ birthday party’. The teacher intervened well to resolve the incident when one girl claimed all the ‘play dough’ for herself. Most children are beginning to dress and undress themselves successfully in preparation for physical education lessons. This process is slow, however, and needs to be speeded up to ensure an appropriate amount of the lesson is spent in worthwhile activities in the hall.

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Communication, language and literacy

68. Most children enter the reception classes with very poor language skills. Although a few can hold a conversation with an adult, most reply with one-word answers. Some cannot answer with a simple statement even though the teachers give them good examples to follow. Most do not listen carefully and often their own concerns over-ride the instructions given by the teacher. Nevertheless, since the beginning of the term, most children have made satisfactory progress even though their standards in speaking and listening are still well below the expected levels for their age. The teachers stress the need for the children to be polite and to put up their hands if they wish to speak. All adults in the classes show the children that they value their comments and that they welcome their efforts to speak in sentences. When the pupils are reluctant to speak, or do not have the words to explain their thoughts and ideas, the teachers spend

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Communication, language and literacy

considerable time encouraging them to have a go. This was evident in the session where the children were required to sound out the initial letter sounds of objects and no child knew the name for a saucer.

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Communication, language and literacy

69. Most of the children have made satisfactory progress in reading since the beginning of term but only a small minority are on course to reach the expected early learning goals in the reception class. The higher attaining pupils are making good progress and already read words on flash cards and the most frequently used words in their books. Most children are able to recognise the simple words on cards but as yet cannot make the connections to the same words in the books. The large proportion of lower attaining pupils recognise the names of characters in the big books, such as ‘Kipper’, but are very poor at recognising letter sounds and cannot read simple labels or captions in the books. From the pupils’ reading record books it is evident that the pupils who make the best progress are those that are heard to read each night by their parents. The teachers stimulate an interest in reading by sharing ‘big books’ with the children each day.

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Communication, language and literacy

However, the smaller books in the classrooms are poorly displayed and there is no specific reading area in either classroom. Consequently books are not easily accessible.

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Communication, language and literacy

70. The standards in writing are well below the expected level but most children are making slow but steady progress. A few children can write their names and recognise the initial letters in simple words such as in ‘put’ and ‘can’. Activities to help the children understand the letter shapes are used well in both classes and the teachers identify that a constant access to pencils and crayons is an urgent need to encourage writing. Role-play corners provide some opportunities for the children to explore writing but the purposes of these areas need to be more rigorously defined in the teachers’ plans to emphasise speaking, listening and writing even more clearly.

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Mathematical development

71. The children’s mathematical development is better than the reading and writing but only a small proportion are on course to reach the expected targets in the reception class. The quality of teaching is satisfactory and activities are planned effectively for the majority of the children. However, there are occasions when opportunities are missed to extend the mathematical development of the higher attaining pupils. A good proportion of the pupils have a secure understanding of numbers to five. Most can place them in the right order and some can place the correct number of counters on each number. The higher attaining pupils can count up to five objects by saying the number name for each item. This was seen as children made a birthday cake for Kipper and counted the number of candles they had made. A few children can count numbers up to 10 and one or two can count beyond. Some children are beginning to remember

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Mathematical development

the names of different simple shapes and this helps to build up their mathematical words.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

Fairstead Community Primary School - 30 72. The children’s knowledge and understanding of the world is well below the expected levels for their age. Their limited language skills restrict their ability to describe and talk about objects and living things around them. Many could not talk about the local shops and what they sold. They did not know the name for a saucer, nor the names of fruit such as grape or pear. Consequently, many children find it difficult to investigate objects. For example, nearly all the children had difficulty identifying and describing different samples of paper like cardboard, tissue and shiny paper. It is only because of the perseverance of the teachers and learning support assistants that the pupils make progress in gaining knowledge about their own environment. The computers are in regular use and many children can select, drag and drop items of clothing onto ‘teddy’. The

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

quality of this work is broadly in line with the expected levels for their age.

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Physical development

73. A good number of the children are already showing signs of achieving the expected targets and have made satisfactory improvements and progress since the beginning of the school year. The children are very active and when playing in the playground they run, hop, skip and dodge showing a growing awareness of the space around them. In the hall most respond to commands quickly and move and stop to music when required. Nearly all children move confidently and safely. In one instance, one boy challenged the rest of the class and his teacher to imitate his turning circling movement, which he demonstrated very well. The teacher joins in enthusiastically in physical education sessions and sets good examples whilst encouraging those few children who have poor skills, or those who are not inclined to be active, to take part in the activities.

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Physical development

74. The children’s control of pencils, glue sticks and scissors is developing well and they eagerly explore properties of malleable materials like ‘play dough’ by squeezing, prodding and cutting out shapes to represent other objects such as the birthday cake and the bird in a nest. They have no opportunities to explore their physical skills outside with wheeled toys and large construction kits, as there is no secure outside play area. This restricts the development of the physical skills. It is clear from the artwork that they are developing satisfactory skills in using brushes and crayons in their drawing and painting. In each classroom, there are a few opportunities to use jigsaw puzzles and simple construction kits to help develop their handling skills. There is an imbalance of resources such as construction kits in the two classrooms. One classroom is much better equipped than the other.

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Creative development

75. In the current reception classes, most pupils are on course to reach the expected targets. The children are keen to draw and colour. They show reasonable skills in using large brushes and paint and their paintings are bold and show good use of strong colours. These they often mix straight on the paper using liquid paints. In their collages they cut and stick with growing accuracy. In music, most children can sing familiar nursery rhymes which they have been taught since they first entered the school. Their repertoire is still very limited. Some children can clap rhythms correctly but there are many who cannot listen sufficiently well to follow the patterns set by the teacher. The children are developing a satisfactory knowledge of the different sounds that percussion instruments, like a drum and a tambourine, can make.

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Creative development

76. The development of the children’s imagination is limited by their low standards in language. There are times when the teachers need to be more rigorous with the introduction of stimulating pictures and objects to foster the children’s thoughts and ideas. For example, the post office role-play area is lacking in vitality and would benefit from additional objects, photographs and the children’s own paintings and drawings.

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ENGLISH

77. Across the school, the quality of teaching is good and has improved since the last inspection. This, together with the introduction of the national literacy strategy, has had a profound impact upon raising standards and pupils’ interest in the subject. By the time they leave the school, the Fairstead Community Primary School - 31 pupils are now achieving standards that are the highest for several years and significantly better than those seen at the time of the last inspection.

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ENGLISH

78. The most recent National Curriculum test results for pupils in Year 6 show that standards in English have been steadily improving since 1996 when only two fifths of the pupils reached the national target of Level 4. In the tests in 2001, the proportion of pupils reaching Level 4 or above had risen to three fifths. These standards, even though they are still well below the national average, are the best for many years and are a measure of the significant improvements made by the school.

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ENGLISH

79. The test results have risen much faster than the national trend and the school did very well to reach its target for 2001. However, it is evident from the work of the current Years 5 and 6 pupils that the work is below the expected level for their age. The teachers have an uphill struggle to increase the rate of improvement because of the large proportion of pupils with special educational needs, which includes a significant number of boys. In the National Curriculum tests in 2001, girls attained better results than the boys. During the inspection no significant differences were noted, however.

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ENGLISH

80. Currently the picture for the pupils in Years 1 and 2 is similar, with standards well below the expected level for their age. There are still a great number of pupils with special educational needs who will have difficulty reaching the expected Level 2. However, there is a reasonable proportion of pupils on course to reach the higher Level 2 and even the higher Level 3 standard by the end of Year 2.

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ENGLISH

81. Nearly all pupils enter the school with poor speaking and listening skills. This limits their progress in developing reading and writing skills. Their inability to express themselves clearly, by posing questions or by answering in complete sentence, slows down most pupils’ learning in reading, writing and in other subjects throughout the school. This is an area for development.

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ENGLISH

82. Many pupils only respond with one-word answers, so the teachers introduce new words through discussion about objects and people’s jobs in the early years and through the shared books and the appreciation of poems and stories at the later stages. Although there are broad targets for speaking and listening in the national literacy plans, the school does not have adequate or effective strategies for increasing the pupils’ vocabulary. The teachers are all developing the pupils’ speaking and listening skills but this is not co-ordinated effectively and is rather piece-meal. Activities are not planned rigorously enough to raise the standards of speaking and listening across the school. There are no guidelines that give the teachers and the learning support assistants detailed help with planning lessons. Consequently, by the time they leave the school, a vast majority are still below the expected standards for their age.

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ENGLISH

83. The standards pupils attain in reading in Years 1 and 2 are well below the expected levels for their age. However, there are signs that the quality of reading of the higher attaining pupils in Year 2 is steadily improving with more pupils exceeding the expected level. A good proportion of the pupils in Year 2 are able to read with confidence and fluency when the class share ‘The Owl and the Pussy Cat’ but there are still many who do not join in because they cannot read these words. When reading to the inspectors, most pupils, throughout the school, were happy to share their books but it was only the higher attaining pupils in each year group who were able to discuss the plot of the story or describe the main characters. The higher attaining pupils in Years 3 to 6 were able to talk freely about their favourite book and could list a few authors, including J K Rowling and Roald Dahl. Sadly, most pupils said they did not read at home and many said they did not

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ENGLISH

84. During the literacy hour, the teachers listen to groups of pupils reading. Where this is most successful, the teachers analyse what each pupil can read. Many pupils in Year 2 are set individual literacy targets to build upon what they have previously learned. For example, the lower attaining pupils have targets such as ‘I must learn ’p’ and ‘d’,’ or even ‘I must learn to write in a complete sentence’. These targets are referred to in lessons and the pupils have them displayed prominently upon their desks. As a result, the pupils focus continually upon how to make their work better. This has a very good influence upon raising standards in reading and writing. One teacher notes down which words, sounds and word building strategies the child uses or finds Fairstead Community Primary School - 32 difficult. This provides her with clear evidence of where the pupil needs further help. In most classes, the reading records are not sufficiently detailed to provide this information and consist

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ENGLISH

only of titles of books and specific pages read by each pupil. As the vast majority of the pupils have reading problems at some time in the school, there is a need to agree a whole school system to record what each pupil can and cannot do in order to highlight what needs to be taught next. 85. It is evident from the scrutiny of the pupils’ work that the staff has made a continuous and concerted effort to improve the quality of the pupils’ writing and spelling throughout the school. Since the beginning of the autumn term the amount of work completed by the pupils is significant and the progress made by most is good. The presentation of their handwriting improves as the pupils get older but the fluency and control in forming letters correctly is especially well established in Year 2.

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ENGLISH

86. Given that the vast majority of the pupils enter the school with very low attainment in writing skills, most make good progress. Consequently, a significant proportion that began school with few writing skills is on course to reach the expected Level 4 by the time they reach Year 6. However, the standards in writing by the pupils in Year 6 are still below the expected level for their age. It is clear that many of them still have limited vocabulary to express their feelings and lack skills to develop a sense of atmosphere in their writing. The lower attaining pupils are given very good support in literacy lessons and follow specific tasks that build upon their previous learning. Most of the higher attaining pupils and many of those with average skills have a good understanding of how to write about things that happened in the past. They can also write about events happening in the present time. This was seen effectively in some of the pupils’ report writing, which described

p.32

ENGLISH

an account of a quarrel between two boys. In one of the lessons observed in Year 6, the pupils were aware of personification and described objects as if they had human feelings. The teaching was very good in this lesson. The teacher read the poem ‘The Sea’ by James Reeves with enthusiasm and very good expression to raise the pupils’ interest very effectively. They willingly joined in the sharing of this poem and made suggestions why certain phrases such as ‘the sea is a hungry dog’ were appropriate ways to describe the sea pounding on a beach.

p.32

ENGLISH

87. In Year 2, many of the pupils write in whole sentences but overall standards are still well below the expected level for their age. Their story writing has a beginning, middle, and an end and many pupils are using a wide selection of words to join phrases. This is a direct result of the teachers’ efforts to raise awareness that the joining words ‘and then’ are an uninteresting way to join up ideas. The pupils usually spell the most commonly used words correctly. They use good strategies to spell more complex words. These have been well taught by the teachers who have attended a course about spelling techniques and it is evident that this course has had a beneficial impact upon the pupils’ work.

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ENGLISH

88. In most writing and reading lessons across the school, the quality of teaching is good and often very good. The quality of teaching in one lesson in Year 2 was excellent. Lessons are planned conscientiously and follow the national guidelines for the literacy hour. The teachers have secure subject knowledge and offer challenging tasks in some classes and especially in older classes in the school where the teaching is often very good. For instance, the pupils in Year 5 were obviously inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s poem ‘The Highwayman’. Many were encouraged to give their own interpretation of lines in the poem, such as, ‘The moon was a ghostly galleon’. Some said that this was a metaphor and could explain their reasoning. Others did not know what a galleon was.

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ENGLISH

89. When the teaching is well planned and stimulating, the teachers manage the pupils very well. The pupils’ behaviour is satisfactory and they share ideas willingly with one another. Many pupils were observed trying really hard to complete their tasks on time. Many were enthusiastic about the poems they were reading and shared their enjoyment with the teachers. The teachers in these instances gave good praise and built up the pupils’ self esteem well. This has a positive effect upon their attitudes towards English and makes them eager to please and to succeed.

p.32

ENGLISH

90. However, when the class organisation is weak, then these teachers have difficulty maintaining the behaviour of a small minority. In a very few lessons the teachers do not insist upon the agreed class rules and are not consistent in the management and demands they make of the pupils. Often the behaviour of a small group of pupils is unacceptable and this disrupts the working of Fairstead Community Primary School - 33 many other pupils around them. Many of these pupils are not inclined to work independently but equally are not praised nor made sufficiently aware of the teachers’ expectations. The pace of work drops and the flow of the lesson is spoilt.

p.32

ENGLISH

91. There are weaknesses in the teaching of speaking and listening because there is no whole school approach. The co-ordinator has not yet defined how best to teach speaking and listening skills in each year group. Consequently, together with all teachers, she needs to identify speaking and listening skills as a priority for all pupils but especially the very youngest in the reception classes and Years 1 and 2, and to draw up a whole school approach. Likewise the whole school has not yet reached an agreement about what records it needs to keep to show how much progress each pupil is making in developing reading skills such as word recognition, letter sounds, and interpretation of what they read.

p.33

MATHEMATICS

92. By the end of Years 2 and 6, pupils attain standards that are below average. However, standards are rising steadily and by the end of Year 6, although standards remain below average, they are now much closer to those expected nationally.

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MATHEMATICS

93. Pupils’ achievement in Years 1 and 2 is good. They learn effectively because the quality of teaching is good. This pattern of improvement is sustained in Years 3 to 6 and, as a result of the mostly good teaching, standards attained by pupils in these year groups are improving rapidly. Inspection findings indicate that, by the end of Year 6, a substantial proportion of pupils are likely to exceed the national target of Level 4 and attain the higher Level 5 standard. Improvement since the time of the previous inspection is good. This is because standards are rising and the quality of teaching and learning is good.

p.33

MATHEMATICS

94. In most lessons teachers include periods when pupils concentrate on oral and mental mathematics. This strategy is helping to increase pupil’s attainments in mental arithmetic. It works particularly well when teachers ask pupils to explain how they have arrived at their answers. In the best lessons teachers often ask if anyone has found the same answer by a different method. When pupils respond this helps their understanding and that of their classmates. In a minority of lessons insufficient time is allocated to the development of oral and mental mathematics and occasionally this aspect of the lesson is missed out. When this happens pupils do not make sufficient progress.

p.33

MATHEMATICS

95. Teachers usually organise pupils in groups, based on assessments of their previous attainment. A feature of many lessons is the good match of activities to the pupils’ varying stages of development. This usually provides pupils with appropriate challenges and helps them to make good progress. In a few lessons teachers do not spend enough time explaining to pupils what is required of them during the part of lessons where they are required to work independently in groups. This restricts the progress pupils are able to make.

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MATHEMATICS

96. Frequently teachers make very it very clear what they expect the pupils to learn during lessons and have high expectations of how well they will achieve. They use the final part of lessons very effectively to assess the progress pupils have made, having firstly shared targets for individual attainment with their pupils. Occasionally this process is not followed. When this happens pupils are not sufficiently clear about what they are expected to do or about how they have done. However, in the best lessons teachers use questions skilfully to enable pupils to explain what they think they have learned. When this happens it helps pupils’ understanding of the subject considerably. Teachers are also very good at recognising and celebrating pupils’ achievements. This helps pupils to increase their confidence as mathematicians.

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MATHEMATICS

97. The mathematical abilities of many pupils in Year 1 are poor. Some cannot recognise numbers beyond five and others are unable to add or subtract numbers to ten. However, teachers make effective use of methods, such as singing songs about numbers and giving practical demonstrations of addition and subtraction. Based on these methods many pupils make rapid progress and attain standards close to those expected by the end of Year 2. For example, pupils Fairstead Community Primary School - 34 gradually learn to apply counting skills to using money, working out the cost of items correctly when they make purchases from the shops in their classroom. Enthusiastic teaching and high expectations also help pupils to increase the time they are able to concentrate on the mathematical tasks set for them.

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MATHEMATICS

98. Pupils in Year 2 achieve especially well and make rapid progress. Their teachers encourage them to explain about how they do calculations. Pupils talk about ‘holding the number in my head’ and understand the need to start with the largest number when they do additions and subtractions. Even so, some pupils confuse the symbols for addition and multiplication and some do not realise that doubling a number will always create an even number.

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MATHEMATICS

99. Pupils in Year 3 are gaining a good understanding of the links between analogue and digital time. The highest attaining pupils transfer easily from one to the other and can express times correctly using the twenty-four hour clock. Standards in mental arithmetic in this year group are improving rapidly. This is because their teachers ensure that everyone is involved fully in the mental and oral part of lessons and that questions are very carefully tailored to match the abilities of all pupils. For example, when they count in fives to do multiplications and divisions using numbers up to fifty, they are able to explain clearly, in response to their teachers’ questions, how they arrive at their answers.

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MATHEMATICS

100. Pupils in Year 6 benefit from very good and sometimes excellent teaching. Consequently many are making rapid progress. Their ability to cope with mental arithmetic is developing well because of the carefully planned oral and mental sessions provided by their teachers. Their teachers know many of their pupils learn best when they have practical examples to which they can relate. This was illustrated clearly when pupils used mirrors to identify the lines of symmetry in mathematical shapes. Their teacher also illustrated the principles of translating shapes into different quadrants of graphs by showing pictures of when a prominent local landmark was moved to a new position. These, and similar methods, increase pupils’ understanding of mathematical concepts very effectively. They are proving particularly helpful to lower attaining pupils.

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MATHEMATICS

101. The use of information and communication technology is satisfactory. In some lessons teachers do not give pupils sufficient opportunities to use computers. However, in other lessons excellent use is seen. In one lesson the teacher devised a program for pupils to type the digital equivalent of various analogue times. The program confirmed if their answers were right or wrong. At one stage a problem arose with the program but this was solved quickly by two pupils.

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MATHEMATICS

102. Provision for the subject benefits greatly from strong and effective leadership. The subject leader undertakes detailed analysis of how well pupils are attaining and progressing and what needs to be done for them to improve further. He has introduced a range of successful strategies that target weaknesses in pupils’ performance and helps them to improve. These strategies are building effectively on the successful introduction of the national strategy for numeracy and the improvements that this has already brought about.

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SCIENCE

103. Teacher assessment of pupils in Year 2 in 2001 showed that pupils attained standards that were well below the national average. In the national tests at the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment was well below the national average and well below average in comparison with similar schools. The results were not quite as good as those achieved in 2000. Since the last inspection the results in the national tests have improved considerably and at a greater rate than the national trend. Boys and girls perform equally well.

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SCIENCE

104. Attainment overall by pupils in Year 2 is well below the level typically achieved by seven-year- olds. Pupils enter the school with a very low level of attainment and, after a slow start, they achieve well and make good progress in the first two years, particularly in Year 2. They can name accurately their major body parts and recognise that humans need a varied diet whereas some animals have a very simple diet. They identify different materials, such as wood, metal and plastics, and begin to appreciate that their uses are linked to the particular properties of these Fairstead Community Primary School - 35 materials. They make particularly good progress in carrying out simple investigations. For example, pupils in Year 2 investigated how far a model car would travel over different surfaces after leaving a ramp. They appreciated how it could be made a fair test and made simple measurements to compare the different surfaces and presented the results as a block graph.

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SCIENCE

Standards of written work are, however, generally low and restrict pupils’ achievement, particularly that of lower attaining pupils whose writing is not well formed or set out in an orderly manner.

p.35

SCIENCE

105. The overall level of attainment by pupils in Year 6 is below average but rather better than indicated by the latest test results. Pupils generally achieve well in Years 3 to 6, and good progress is particularly marked in Year 6 where the quality of teaching is high. Higher attaining pupils develop a fairly sound general knowledge of their work, although their recall of previous work is not always accurate and they have limited ability in applying their knowledge. For example, pupils in Year 4 had obviously enjoyed their lessons on rock types and could recall many key points. They remembered how they carried out simple tests to compare the permeability of different rocks but were not able to link this to the rate at which different rocks eroded. The vast majority of pupils have rather sketchy general knowledge and lack confidence in discussing their work in response to even simple questions. The quality of their written work does not develop satisfactorily and this

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SCIENCE

is an added factor limiting their progress. Pupils generally enjoy planning and carrying out investigations, and they have good appreciation of how to construct a fair test. However, their practical and measuring skills are not systematically developed over time and this is reflected in the recording and presentation of their observations. Tables of data are not well constructed and are often not fully labelled. Written work is also not comprehensive with important details missing, reflecting a rather too casual approach to their work. For example, pupils in Year 3 carried out a valid test to find out how the thickness of fibres in pairs of tights affected the extent to which they could be stretched, but many failed to record how the test was carried out.

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SCIENCE

106. The overall quality of teaching across the school is good. It is often very good and occasionally it is excellent. Since the last inspection the quality of teaching has improved considerably. Teachers generally have sound subject knowledge and are confident in their planning and delivery of lessons. Clear learning objectives are identified for each lesson but are not always effectively shared with pupils or reviewed at the end of the session. The planning of lessons is good and sometimes very imaginative. Teachers successfully incorporate a variety of activities designed to stimulate interest and generate pupils’ motivation for learning. For example, pupils in Year 2 participated enthusiastically in a brainstorming session on electricity, revising much of what they had previously learned through skilful questioning by the teacher. They were then challenged to use their knowledge of simple circuits to predict whether examples of ‘circuits’ provided on work

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SCIENCE

cards would be successful or not, and followed this by checking their answers by building the ‘circuits’. A few higher attaining pupils, supported by the learning assistant, extended their learning by looking at the effect of having two cells in the circuit, and offered their findings and a sensible explanation to the rest of the class. However, in most lessons the higher attaining pupils are not consistently challenged to extend their learning. For example, pupils in Year 3 examined the components of three different soil samples by sieving and recording their results by simple drawings and labels. Higher attaining pupils in the class could have profitably added some more detailed written work or recorded the results using a digital camera, which had been used for such purposes in previous lessons. Generally, however, the needs of pupils are adequately met and suitably modified tasks are always prepared for the lower attaining pupils who receive good

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SCIENCE

support from teachers and learning assistants to make good progress in lessons and over time.

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SCIENCE

107. Teachers use questions well to assess pupils’ knowledge but could probe more deeply the answers to encourage pupils to develop their knowledge and to become more proficient in the correct use of terminology. The most effective learning is seen in lessons where there is a high level of expectation and challenge. For example, in a highly directed and rapid question and answer session, Year 6 pupils linked their knowledge of gases to a variety of issues, such as the need for rain forests to replenish the world’s oxygen and the use of helium in balloons and breathing equipment for divers. They then proceeded to collect in a balloon the gas produced by reacting vinegar with baking powder. A lively discussion then followed about the nature of the gas. Teachers manage their classes well in the main, although a minority of pupils, mainly boys, exhibit a degree of over-excitement during practical activities that leads to a high level of

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SCIENCE

unproductive noise. Fairstead Community Primary School - 36 108. The subject is led well. The co-ordinator has only recently been appointed to the post but has a clear vision of the challenge of raising the profile of the subject in the school. A number of strategies have been put in place with the clear objective of raising standards further. A good, clear and comprehensive planning framework, based on national guidance, is in place throughout the school. There are good procedures for assessing and monitoring pupils’ progress, and realistic but challenging targets are set for each pupil and each year group. Teaching resources are adequate and are used effectively. Computers are used increasingly in teaching and to good effect. Their use is not yet fully developed to provide extended learning opportunities for the higher attaining pupils. There is a clear need to build on the work done in literacy lessons to raise the

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SCIENCE

levels of pupils’ speaking and writing skills in science. The subject has made good progress since the last inspection, and there is a shared commitment and capacity to achieve even more.

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ART AND DESIGN

109. The subject is taught in units that alternate with the teaching of design and technology. As little art and design was being taught during the period of the inspection, it was not possible to see enough lessons to be able to make judgements about the quality of teaching. There was not a great deal of work to scrutinise and this in itself indicates that standards are not as high as they might be. Understandably, the school has been charged with concentrating on developing literacy and numeracy and so other subjects have not received as much attention. Art and design have not been a priority for development but it does feature in the school management plan for extensive attention during the autumn term of 2002. Planning indicates that the subject complies with the requirements of the National Curriculum but there is insufficient emphasis on three- dimensional work and on developing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the work of artists,

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ART AND DESIGN

craftspeople and designers in different times and cultures. Pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory because skills, knowledge and understanding are not taught systematically and pupils have little opportunity to produce much work. It is not possible to compare standards with those attained at the time of the last inspection, as the last inspection report did not include judgements about this subject.

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ART AND DESIGN

110. Although standards across the school are generally below average there are examples of good work. In Year 2, for example, pupils have constructed a large crocodile made from green glittery paper to illustrate poems about crocodiles. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 have produced good work based on dreams. The pupils selected locations around the school in which to set their dreams before drawing a series of pictures that describe the sequence of the dream before dressing up and taking digital photographs of their dreams. One good sequence featured motor racing and another the consequences of eating a mountain of sweets. Pupils in Year 5 have created good still life drawings of cylinders that are drawn delicately in pencil with chalk and charcoal used to emphasise shade and light. Computers are used well to create symmetrical patterns that are printed to resemble a floor of coloured tiles. Pupils in Year 4 show a good eye for detail as they

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ART AND DESIGN

draw scenes from the local environment. One detailed drawing included a tiny sign from a local shop, ’No children allowed under 15’. In Year 2, as part of his visit to France, Barnaby Bear who has visited many countries to support pupils’ work in geography, visited Monet’s home and stimulated pupils’ interest in Monet’s paintings. Generally, however, pupils have little knowledge and understanding of the work of artists and craftspeople from different times and cultures.

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ART AND DESIGN

111. The co-ordinator is new to the school and has not yet had the opportunity to make an impact on standards. Resources are adequate to support teaching and learning. There is a great deal of scope for development. Pupils’ enjoy the subject but their enthusiasm is not fostered consistently and they have too few opportunities to use their initiative and to produce work of high quality.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

112. Due to timetable constraints it was only possible to observe the teaching of technology in one full class during the inspection, and one small group of pupils in Year 5 preparing a variety of biscuits under the instruction of a learning assistant. There was only a very small sample of pupils' work available for scrutiny and no portfolio of examples of work produced by pupils. It is not possible, Fairstead Community Primary School - 37 therefore to make firm judgements on the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 2 or Year 6 or on the overall quality of teaching through the school.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

113. There is a well-planned and detailed planning framework in place with a balanced variety of activities planned for each year, and with an emphasis on the progressive development of a range of skills. The school currently lacks an adequate stock of technical model kits for pupils to gain experience of exploring and developing the more sophisticated aspects of design and the use of electrical components for work on computer control. Aspects of food technology are well covered, and there is a small area designated for the purpose. This is used well by small groups of pupils. The area is well equipped and pupils develop good working practices, wearing protective clothing and observing sound hygiene practices. Fairstead Community Primary School - 38 114. The quality of teaching in the one lesson observed with a whole class was unsatisfactory. The lesson lacked clear objectives and direction. Pupils were supposedly engaged in designing and

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

making a photograph frame, but there was no clear focus on principles of design, or instruction on the process of strengthening the corners of the frame. As a result, the level of learning was very low, and behaviour deteriorated. In contrast the small group of pupils working on food technology had very clear objectives and a high level of support and guidance in their work. They responded accordingly, working very well in their pairs to achieve very good results within the time allotted.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

115. The subject co-ordinator recognises that the profile of the subject needs to be raised, and the new scheme of work should enable the development of standards in the subject. Apart from the lack of model kits, the range and quality of resources is satisfactory. There is a good range of quality tools and components such as wheels and cogs and an adequate selection of wood, card and textiles.

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GEOGRAPHY

116. From a scrutiny of pupils' work in exercise books and on display, it is clear that, by the end of Year 2 pupils reach standards that are broadly in line with the national expectations. Pupils in Year 1 become aware of the key geographical features of the locality through plotting their route to and from school with simple models and sketch maps and identifying landmarks such as shops, doctor's surgery, trees and signs. In Year 2, pupils begin to look further afield and learn much from a project on Barnaby Bear goes to Paris. They plot the route on a simple map, recognise the different modes of transport used, plan Barnaby's luggage needs, and learn about something of the important landmarks in Paris.

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GEOGRAPHY

117. The school alternates the teaching of history and geography, and at the time of the inspection it was not possible to observe the teaching of geography in Years 5 or 6, or to see samples of recent pupils' work. It is not possible, therefore, to make a firm judgement on standards achieved by eleven-year-old pupils. There is a good planning framework in place, based on national guidance, and the subject is taught in accordance with the requirements of the National Curriculum.

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GEOGRAPHY

118. It was only possible to observe two lessons in geography during the inspection, one in Year 3 and one in a Year 4 class. It is not possible, therefore, to make a secure judgement on the quality of teaching throughout the school. Teachers' planning indicates a good balance of work in each year and sound development of geographical skills through Years 3 to 6. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 develop sound mapping skills through the careful use of aerial photographs of the area and detailed maps. In the two lessons observed the quality of teaching was very good and consequently pupils displayed very positive attitudes to their studies, which contributed significantly to their learning. They particularly enjoy using the Internet to access material for their tasks. For example, pupils in Year 4 obtained aerial photographs of their own homes by entering their postcodes into a computer program, and linked the photographs to large-scale

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GEOGRAPHY

maps of the local area accurately. They also began to develop a land utilisation map of the area by identifying physical and human features from their local knowledge. Pupils in Year 3 worked well on designing a questionnaire for parents to produce data on employment in the area. The teacher used questions well to refine the design of the questionnaire and the pupils maintained a good rate of work throughout.

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GEOGRAPHY

119. The co-ordinator is new to the school but already has clear ideas on strategies to raise pupils' attainment in the subject. The curriculum is well planned and there is good integration of work between history and geography, such as the use of maps in history and the application of geographical knowledge to work on invasions and the development of settlements in the early history of Britain. A full audit of teaching and learning resources has not yet been undertaken, but some shortcomings in the range of atlases and books have been identified. Procedures for assessing and monitoring pupils' progress are currently informal and a whole school system has yet to be developed. Fairstead Community Primary School - 39

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HISTORY

120. Pupils achieve well throughout the school but, by the end of Year 2 and Year 6, pupils attain standards that are below national expectations. This is because weaknesses in pupils’ reading and more particularly writing, restrict the amount of knowledge and understanding that they develop and the amount of work they can produce. Pupils try hard and the standards they attain are as high as might reasonably be expected given the low basis from which they commence their learning.

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HISTORY

121. Pupils in Year 1 begin to acquire a sense of time passing by through the theme of ‘Then and Now’, looking at houses and everyday objects encountered in the home. They recognise how the materials used and the level of technical sophistication can provide important clues to help dating objects such as toys and domestic appliances. Pupils in Year 2 learn about the lives of important people in history. The story of Florence Nightingale makes a strong impact on the pupils, and they use pictures and maps of her journey from Britain to Scutari to record her achievements. Pupils' literacy skills are generally well below standard at this stage and the quality of the written work of the vast majority of pupils in Year 2 quite seriously hinders their learning. Spelling is often inaccurate and individualistic and little written work is produced. However, during Years 1 and 2, pupils generally make good progress in their understanding of historical events.

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HISTORY

122. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 follow a sound programme that develops their historical skills systematically through examination of particular periods in history. Topics are studied according to a rolling programme to ensure that the mixed-age classes are fully catered for and that work is not repeated. Pupils enjoy listening to stories about the period and use materials, such as books, artefacts, pictures and materials from the Internet well to develop a sense of empathy with the period. Time lines are regularly used to develop their awareness of chronology, starting with their own lives. Pupils in Year 3, in their work on the invasion and occupation of Britain by the Romans, wrote a sensitive extract from ‘Boudicca's Diary’, including her thoughts on the defeat by the Roman army. Pupils in Year 4 explored in more depth the backgrounds of the Roman and Celtic peoples and the development of Roman settlements in Britain. Pupils in Year 6 appreciated the

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HISTORY

major contribution to modern civilisation made by Ancient Greece in the fields of science, architecture, philosophy and the arts.

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HISTORY

123. In the lessons observed the quality of teaching overall was good. Teachers have a secure grasp of the subject matter and use resources well to provide pupils with good learning opportunities. They tell stories well and are generally successful in establishing the historical setting for the subject matter. For example, in a Year 2 lesson on Florence Nightingale, pupils' views of present- day hygiene and hospitals were used to contrast with circumstances during the Crimean War. Whilst the vast majority of pupils were able to accept this contrast, lower attaining pupils found it difficult, and also did not fully appreciate the difficulties of travel at that time. Teachers plan a variety of activities for pupils and provide suitably modified tasks for lower attaining pupils. The level of challenge is generally appropriate, although the level of written work required from higher attaining pupils is not always very challenging. Pupils enjoy using resources to seek information,

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HISTORY

but skills in selecting key points from texts are not well developed, particularly with older pupils. For example, pupils in Year 6 were provided with biographies from Internet sources of famous Greek scholars. In small groups they were required to produce a synopsis of the person's life and work to present to the class. Although the task was clearly set, and pupils did produce some interesting information, they were not generally effective in identifying the major contributions made by the person they were studying. Pupils generally respond very well to their lessons, and this contributes significantly to their learning. They listen attentively, make sound contributions to discussions and settle quickly on the set tasks. The quality of their written work is generally below the expected standard for their age.

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HISTORY

124. The subject co-ordinator has only recently been appointed to the school, but has already a clear vision of what needs to be done to raise standards. A comprehensive audit of resources has been completed and these have been well ordered in topic boxes and centrally stored for easy access. The quality and range of resources are good and they are used to good effect in teaching throughout the school. A detailed and comprehensive planning framework is in place and the curriculum is enriched by visits that include excursions to the local museum and a Tudor house. Systematic procedures for assessing and monitoring pupils' progress remain to be developed. Fairstead Community Primary School - 40

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

125. By the end of Year 2 and by the end of Year 6, pupils attain standards that are in line with national expectations. This indicates a significant improvement since the time of the last inspection when pupils’ attainment was below the expected standard and this subject was identified as an area of weakness. The school has invested considerable sums of money in improving the number and quality of computers and teachers’ skills have improved. There is however, scope for more improvement and the teachers are only just beginning a systematic course of training.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

126. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 use computers to work with text. In Year 1, they write their names and create titles to label their work. Pupils in Year 1 use a program to create surrealistic scenes. A background scene is chosen, such as a desert with mountains in the background. Pupils then choose from a range of images, animals, people or objects, which they superimpose on the scene. They know how to change the size of the images and how to print out their work. Good links are made with literacy as they write out a sequence of instructions for printing out results. The need for precision in the use of language becomes evident. Good links are also made with numeracy as pupils watch the monitor and chant the percentage of their pictures that have been printed. They know that, when 100 per cent has been printed, then the print is complete. In Year 2, they change fonts and the colour of the text. They understand how to open files and how to

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

save and retrieve their work. They made good firework scenes by using a program that allowed them to arrange bursts of colour across the screen. They printed them out and created colourful displays. In Year 2 pupils achieve well. They learn how to create vertical lines and horizontal lines to create spaces that they infill with blocks of colour. This work was linked well with pupils’ work in art where they were studying the work of Mondrian.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

127. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 are developing an increasingly wide range of skills. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 have learned how to manipulate text by cutting and pasting statements in order to rearrange instructions, for example those relating to a recipe, in the correct sequence. In Year 4, pupils have learned how to draw shapes, then copy, re-size, re-orientate and colour them. They have learned how to create borders around their work. They used these skills to create effective pictures of aquariums full of colourful fish, for example. In a good lesson in Year 5, pupils examined a collection of cameras manufactured over the last sixty or seventy years. As they explored the cameras their knowledge and understanding were extended of how technology associated with photography has developed over time. They were then introduced to the digital camera and were amazed by the immediacy of the images they produced. They learned fast and

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

soon became proficient in taking photographs in the classroom before transferring them to the computer and printing them out. As a result of good teaching most developed a good understanding of the technology involved. There are too few opportunities for pupils to use computers to control devices, such as by giving instructions to programmable robots or programming a set of traffic lights. Good links are made with other subjects. The Internet was used well, for example, to download a good thesaurus that the pupils used to find the most apt words to use when composing poems. Pupils have begun to use computer programs to support composition in music but teachers and pupils are still at the experimental stage. Spreadsheets are used well to construct programs that challenge pupils in Year 4 to translate times of day from an analogue to a digital format.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

128. Teaching is satisfactory and, within this overall picture, there are many good features. In the good lessons, planning is detailed and includes a clear description of what the teacher expects pupils to learn during the course of the lesson. Where teaching is good, teachers have a good knowledge and understanding of the subject and their enthusiasm captures pupils’ interest and generates similar enthusiasm. In the lesson on using the digital camera pupils in Years 5 and 6 could hardly contain their excitement, ‘Wicked! Can we do it by our own?’ In this lesson learning was extended by presenting a homework challenge that required pupils to search the library or the Internet for specific information about a particular type of camera. The good lessons proceeded at a brisk pace and a good variety of activities was included. In the good lesson on the digital camera, for example, the teacher gathered groups of eight pupils around him to explain

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

how to use the cameras while the others designed a camera of the future. Designs were almost feasible and showed pupils’ good understanding of the technological possibilities in our modern Fairstead Community Primary School - 41 world. One design included a camera built into spectacle frames that took pictures as the wearer winked. In this lesson relationships were good and behaviour was managed well. In a parallel lesson for pupils in Year 5 the teaching was less successful. Here behaviour was not managed well, relationships were confrontational and the pace of learning was relatively slow. One particularly good initiative that is used throughout the school is the use of pupils to pass information to others in the class. A good example was seen in Year 2 where one pupil who had developed advanced skills sat at a computer and patiently explained in great detail how to use a program. Both the trainer and the trainee benefited from this technique. It improved the trainer’s

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

skills in imparting information and consolidated knowledge of how the computer works whilst the trainee feels free to ask questions and interact on a one to one basis with the trainer.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

129. A particularly good program was used to support pupils with special needs. Here the pupils’ individual knowledge of phonics was analysed by the program. In one case a pupil, working independently, made exceptionally good progress. The program identified that there was a problem with identifying vowel sounds. Whether the word ‘office’ started with an ‘a’, an ‘e’ or some other vowel was not clear to the pupil who found difficulty discriminating between one initial letter sound and another. The program recognised this and challenged the pupil to improve his performance in a series of timed tests. Learning was rapid and the results were printed out for the teacher and pupil to analyse together. The school has made a good start at using computers to support pupils with special educational needs.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

130. The subject is managed well by the co-ordinator with good support from the headteacher. The school is in a period of transition and development. A new computer system has recently been installed that allows all computers to have direct access to the Internet. It also links one computer with all the others throughout the school. The system is experiencing teething troubles and teachers experience great frustration when the computers do not work properly. This indicates that there is a need for the support of a technician to iron out problems. Pupils carefully manoeuvre computers from room to room so that they can be used to best effect; when one class is not using them an adjoining class can. Teachers have just commenced an extensive training course and new software is being introduced. Even though a planning framework, based on national guidance, has been introduced, the subject is not yet taught systematically so that

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

skills, knowledge and understanding are developed sequentially. Records of pupils’ attainment and progress are not consistent. In several classes, well-developed assessment systems have been developed by teachers but there is no whole school system for plotting pupils’ progress in order to plan the next steps in learning. Clearly the school has good potential for further improvement.

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MUSIC

131. By the end of Year 2 and by the end of Year 6, pupils attain standards that exceed those expected for their ages. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress and achieve well. This is because the quality of teaching and learning throughout the school is good and at times it is excellent.

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MUSIC

132. All groups of pupils, covering the full range of abilities, are included effectively in the provision for the subject. The previous inspection report did not make a judgement about standards in music and so no judgement can be made about improvement since that time.

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MUSIC

133. Pupils in Year 1 sometimes struggle to maintain their concentration. However, they enjoy action songs, such as ‘Humpty Dumpty’, and sing these from memory. Their progress when playing with simple instruments is restricted by their inability to maintain concentration. However, older pupils show very good attitudes to their learning and make very good progress as a result.

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MUSIC

134. Excellent teaching for pupils in Year 3 captures their interest and enthusiasm. These pupils write their own musical scores for the story and ‘Peter and the Wolf’. They use various percussion instruments very well to replicate sounds from the story and devise their own version of notation in order to remember their score. One pupil was so inspired by this work she continued for homework, proudly returning with her own very good score the next day. This approach is also Fairstead Community Primary School - 42 used very effectively with the oldest pupils when they write their own version of music for the story ‘M and M and the Santa Secrets’. When they do this work their progress is rapid in response to the timed targets set by their teacher. Fairstead Community Primary School - 43 135. Pupils clearly love singing and making music and they are good at it. For example, the choir was observed preparing for this year’s Christmas production, based on the story of Scrooge. They sing

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MUSIC

many of the songs brilliantly. This is based on the excellent knowledge of their teacher, providing very precise advice that helps them to refine their performance. A video of work from the previous year affirms these standards and includes an excellent performance of ‘Getting to Know You’ from ‘The King and I’, sung by the choir with solo performances by two pupils in Year 5. Earlier this year several pupils sang on the ‘S Club 7’ production for the Children in Need Appeal and took part in the local ‘Schools Make Music’ festival.

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MUSIC

136. An excellent programme of extra-curricular activities enhances the provision for the subject. This includes a very successful choir and a steel band. These groups are popular performers amongst the community and are much admired by their audiences. Participation in these activities does much to raise the self-esteem and confidence of those pupils who perform. Pupils are rightly proud of the standards they achieve. Computers are used to enhance pupils’ learning in the subject but teachers and pupils are still at the experimental stage and the potential for using new technology is not yet fully realised. Pupils often record their work and subsequently use the resulting audio and video tapes to evaluate and improve the quality of their work.

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MUSIC

137. The high standards achieved are due to good planning, the commitment of the teachers, and the effective work of the subject leader. Resources to support learning are good. Specialist teachers visit the school each week and make a significant contribution to the good progress made by pupils who are learning to play the violin and a range of brass instruments. A former teacher of the school leads the choir. She does an excellent job, expecting high standards and inspiring pupils to meet her expectations. The partner high school, to which most pupils transfer, has specialist arts status and does much to support the high standards achieved by the pupils.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

138. By the end of Year 2 and by the end of Year 6, pupils attain standards in physical education that exceed those expected for their ages. Pupils, including those with special educational needs make good progress and achieve well. This is because the quality of teaching throughout the school is good.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

139. All groups of pupils, covering the full range of abilities, are included effectively in the provision for the subject. The previous inspection report did not make a judgement about standards in physical education. Consequently no judgement can be made about improvement since that time.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

140. Pupils in Years 2, 3 and 4 show very good control during their gymnastics lessons. They are helped by precise advice from their teacher, ensuring they focus on the essential points for improvement. As a result, their balancing is steady and they show good extended body shapes. Their movements are performed safely. For example, when they jump from apparatus many reach a good height and land softly. Pupils also combine movements and balances effectively to create sequences.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

141. Teachers throughout the school select good demonstrations for pupils to observe in dance, gymnastics and games. They ensure pupils’ attention is drawn to the essential points of good practice. This helps pupils to focus on what they need to know. However, teachers do not make enough use of opportunities to ask pupils what they think about the performances they observe or to make suggestions for how the work might be improved.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

142. Pupils in Year 6 attain standards in dance that are close to those expected for their age. One teacher used music from ‘The Planets’ by Holst to inspire pupils’ movements in dance and selected examples of good work to show pupils what is expected. This led to significant improvement during the lesson. By the end, pupils performed explosive movements and sequences with appropriate changes of pace that fitted the music well.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

143. The oldest pupils attain standards in games that exceed those expected for their age. Their skills in football and hockey are developed well. They maintain control when moving with a ball and pass Fairstead Community Primary School - 44 accurately. These skills are in part attributable to their very good attitudes to learning. Most pupils put great effort into activities and concentrate hard. These pupils benefit greatly from very good teaching. Their teacher ensures that practices are appropriate for the skills pupils need to develop and that they are aware of what is expected of them. He also recognises and celebrates their efforts and achievements. This motivates them to work even harder.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

144. A very good programme of extra-curricular activities helps to maintain and enhance high standards. This includes cricket, dance, football, netball and running. All clubs are attended by boys and girls equally. Pupils’ work in the dance club makes a good contribution to the quality of school productions. Pupils have achieved considerable success in competition with other schools. For example, they are the local association football champions for their age group. There are house matches in a range of sports and these are organised well by pupils.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

145. The effective subject leadership provided by the headteacher enhances the quality of provision. He provides a very good model for teachers to follow when he teaches the oldest pupils for the subject. Provision for the subject also benefits from access to good resources, particularly those available to support the teaching of games. The Fairstead Area Neighbourhood Group has provided mini-football goals and the school is part of the National Junior Sports Programme. Information and communication technology is used well to enhance pupils, learning. For example, pupils use digital watches to time their running and the digital camera to make records of their performances.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

146. By the end of Year 2 and by the end of Year 6, pupils attain standards that are close to those identified by the locally Agreed Syllabus for the subject. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress, achieving appropriately for their abilities. The quality of teaching and learning for the subject is satisfactory. Pupils of all abilities are included effectively in all aspects of provision for the subject. The previous inspection of the school did not make a judgement about standards in religious education and so no judgement can be made about improvement since that time.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

147. By the end of Year 2, pupils clearly explain the religious importance of birthdays and the significance of festivals such as Easter and harvest. Their written work shows their understanding of the importance of churches as places of worship and the significance of symbols such as the cross and stained glass windows. During an excellent assembly led by the chair of governors one pupil explained clearly what a parable was. This assembly captured and retained the interest of pupils very effectively, contributing to their understanding of the parable of The Good Shepherd and relating this to the people who care for them.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

148. Pupils in Year 3 acted out a baptism as part of their work on learning about the role of a minister. Their teacher built a font in the classroom with a doll as the baby and pupils playing the part of the parents, the godparents, the congregation and the minister. This proved to be very effective, enhancing pupils’ appreciation of the importance of this ceremony. Teachers use these occasions to make significant contributions to pupils’ literacy skills. For example, the teacher provided a very clear explanation when one pupil asked what ‘symbolism’ means.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

149. Across the school, teaching is always at least satisfactory and, within this overall picture, there are a number of good features. Practical activities are used very effectively to enhance the understanding of pupils. In Years 5 and 6, for example, pupils have made some very good models of mosques. They volunteer detailed explanations of the various features of their models that reveal good understanding of the importance of these places of worship for the Muslim faith. These pupils also make sensible comments and comparisons about the similarities of the Muslim festival of Ramadan and the Christian festival of Lent.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

150. Pupils are provided with insights into other faiths during lessons and during assemblies. Those in Year 5 made spinning wheels to illustrate the main the features of a typical day during the festival of Ramadan. When undertaking this activity their behaviour and attitudes to their learning were Fairstead Community Primary School - 45 unsatisfactory due to the poor control and poor management of behaviour by their teacher. However, when questioned they revealed considerable understanding of the importance of Ramadan to the Muslim faith.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

151. Leadership of the subject is good. The subject leader is enthusiastic and hard working. She has a clear and realistic view of standards, based on her analysis of the quality of pupils’ work and she has developed robust plans to ensure future improvement. The chairman of the governing body also provides ‘Bible Explorer’ classes during the summer term. This does much to enhance pupils’ understanding of the Bible.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

152. Good use is made of information and communication technology to enhance pupils’ learning in the subject. For example, pupils use the World Wide Web to find information about religious topics. They also regularly access the web site of the local Christian group led by the chairman of the governing body. This contains helpful information on many of the topics studied by pupils as part of the locally Agreed Syllabus for the subject. During the inspection, pupils in Year 3 used the site to find out about the baptism ceremony in the Christian church.

p.45