Fishburn Primary School

INSPECTION REPORT

Fishburn Primary School Stockton-on-Tees

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INSPECTION REPORT

Unique Reference Number: 114095 Inspection Number: 185750

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INSPECTION REPORT

Dates of inspection: 4 th to 7 th October 1999

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INSPECTION REPORT

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. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school.

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INSPECTION REPORT

Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the appropriate authority must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. Every registered parent of a registered pupil at the school should receive a free copy of the summary of the report within ten working days of receipt of the summary by the appropriate authority. A charge not exceeding the cost of supply may be made by the appropriate authority for any other copies of the report and/or its summary provided to any person who asks for one. The appropriate authority should make a copy of the report and the summary available for inspection by members of the public at such times and at such a place as may be reasonable Any enquiries about this legislation should be addressed to the OFSTED Compliance Helpline Tel. 0171421 6567

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: East View Fishburn Stockton-on-Tees Cleveland TS21 4AU

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs M Beesley

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: November 1995

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mr J D Eadie, RgI Mathematics Attainment and progress Information technology Teaching Mr J Arscott, Lay Inspector Attitudes, behaviour and personal development Attendance Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare Partnership with parents and the community Mrs J O’Hare Under fives The curriculum and assessment Equal opportunities Design and technology Religious education Mr G Brown Special education needs Leadership and management Science The efficiency of the school Geography History Mr J Stirrup English Staffing, accommodation and learning resources Art Music Physical education

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Higherland Bridge 49 West Street Gargrave Skipton North Yorkshire BD23 3RJ

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

• . Attainment in English, mathematics and science is good. • . The pupils make good progress through the school. • . The quality of teaching is good overall. • . The children are given a good start to their education in the nursery. • . The headteacher provides clear educational direction for the school. • . The teachers have created a stimulating environment within the school and there is a calm, purposeful working atmosphere. • . All other adults employed by the school make a significant contribution to the pupils’ learning and welfare. • . The pupils’ listening skills are well developed. • . There are good systems in place to promote good behaviour and the pupils are well behaved and courteous. • . The moral and social development of the pupils is good and there are good systems in place to monitor their progress and personal development. • . Relationships are good throughout the school. • . The school is efficiently run and provides very good value for money.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

· WHERE THE SCHOOL HAS WEAKNESSES I. Attainment in information technology is unsatisfactory. II. There are insufficient planned opportunities for developing the pupils’ speaking skills. III. There are too few opportunities provided for the pupils to develop research and investigative skills and to contribute to their own learning. The library is poorly stocked and is unsuitable as a room in which the pupils can carry out their own research. IV. The coordinators do not yet have sufficient responsibility for monitoring standards in their subjects. V. There are too many instances when the teachers expect all the pupils in a class to do the same work. VI. In some subjects, particularly English and mathematics, the pupils are expected to do too much of their work on worksheets.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

· The weaknesses are outweighed by what the school does well, but they will form the basis of the governors’ action plan, which will be sent to all parents or guardians of pupils at the school. · · HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE THE LAST INSPECTION

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

The school has made good progress in addressing the issues raised at the last inspection. Standards of achievement have been raised significantly in the statutory assessment tests in English, mathematics and science. A structured physical education curriculum is now being delivered throughout the school and the teaching of religious education fulfils the requirements of the agreed syllabus. Less progress has been made in developing the role of subject coordinators in monitoring and influencing standards in their subjects. However, systems are now in place for the coordinators for English and mathematics to monitor work in their subjects. There are still few opportunities for best teaching practice to be experienced and shared across the school although the quality of teaching has improved. Structures have been put in place in some subjects, notably English and mathematics, for teachers to use the results of assessment to adapt their future planning, but these

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

are not yet universal. All health and safety issues noted in the last report have been addressed. The school is now well placed to take the next step forward and has good capacity for improvement. · STANDARDS IN SUBJECTS

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds in 1999 based on the National Curriculum tests:

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similar schools

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

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similar schools

The above table shows that for example, results attained by the pupils in last years national tests in English and mathematics were about average compared with all schools, but were above average in science. Compared with schools in a similar context, results in English were below average, those in mathematics were average and those in science were well above average. The results for 1999 show significant improvements over those from previous years, particularly in English, and in the proportion of pupils attaining the higher levels in the tests in all three subjects. Standards at age seven have also risen in recent years and are comfortably above national averages. Standards in religious education are average but in information technology they are below average. The work seen during the inspection in history, art and physical education was of a high standard. The children under the age of five are making a good start to their schooling in the nursery and are reaching

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similar schools

standards above expected levels by the time they are five.

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

Mathematics Good Satisfactory Satisfactory Science Good Good Information technology Insufficient evidence Insufficient evidence Religious education Good Good Other subjects Good Good Good

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

The quality of the teaching is good overall. Of the lessons observed, 98 per cent were at least satisfactory and 59 per cent were good or better. Of the lessons seen, 12 per cent were very good and one was excellent. There was not a great deal of difference between the quality of teaching for the various age groups except that the teaching for the under fives and at Key Stage 1 was rather better than that at Key Stage 2. The teaching of English and mathematics in the sets in Years 3, 4 and 5 was not as good as the teaching in these classes for other subjects.

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

Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that strengths outweigh any weaknesses. · OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour The pupils behave well and there are good systems in place to promote good behaviour. Attendance Levels of attendance are satisfactory and there are effective systems in place to promote good attendance.

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Aspect Comment

Ethos* The school has a positive ethos that helps the pupils to make generally good progress. Leadership and management The headteacher provides clear educational direction for the school. The governors are supportive but are insufficiently involved in monitoring standards. The hardworking coordinators have produced some useful documentation, but their role in monitoring and influencing standards in their subjects is underdeveloped. Curriculum The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum, and there are satisfactory systems for assessing the pupils’ attainment. The curriculum for the children under five is well planned and there are very good procedures in place for assessing their progress. Pupils with special educational needs The pupils with special educational needs make sound progress towards the targets set for them as the school has good structures in place for assessing and meeting their needs. However, the targets in their individual education

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Aspect Comment

plans are not always specific enough and the teachers are therefore not always able to plan work to meet their needs. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision for the pupils’ moral and social development is good and for their spiritual and cultural development it is satisfactory. Staffing, resources and accommodation The school has a satisfactory number of suitably qualified teachers with a good balance of experience. Other staff employed by the school make a significant contribution to the pupils’ progress and welfare. The resources are adequate for all curriculum areas. The accommodation is spacious and attractive and the school is fortunate to have a swimming pool and extensive outdoor play areas on site. However, the library is poorly stocked and underused. Value for money The school provides very good value for money.

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Aspect Comment

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

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

VII.Staff at the school are approachable. VIII. Their children like school. IX. The school enables their children to achieve a good standard of work. X. The school’s values and attitudes have a positive effect on their children. XI. Information about their children’s progress. XII.Levels of homework. · There was a small response to the parental questionnaire, but the above views were confirmed in the responses and in discussion with parents at the parents’ meeting and during the inspection. The view of the inspection team is that reports give parents a clear picture of how their children are progressing. Levels of homework are also judged to be satisfactory. Apart from this, the judgements of the inspection team agreed with all these views.

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

In order to continue to raise standards, the governors, headteacher and staff should: XIII. ensure that standards in information technology are raised by: XIV. meeting statutory requirements; (paragraph 37) XV.making the fullest use of the present hardware; (paragraphs 9, 15, 32, 37, 76, 106, 121, 122, 125) XVI. putting in place adequate hardware and software for all aspects of the subject; (paragraphs 69, 80, 120, 160) XVII. ensuring that the present draft curriculum documentation is planned for and used by all teachers and a scheme is developed to assess and record the pupils’ progress; (paragraphs 9, 32, 39, 43, 76, 124, 125) XVIII. provide planned opportunities for the pupils to develop their own research and investigative skills and to take more responsibility for their own learning; (paragraphs 21, 32, 99, 101, 104, 106, 107, 119, 154, 157, 160) XIX. ensure that the teachers at Key Stage 2 plan for providing more opportunities to develop the pupils’

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

speaking skills across the curriculum; (paragraphs 12, 18, 40, 97, 99, 115) XX.extend the role of the coordinators so that they take more responsibility for monitoring and influencing standards in their subjects. This was a key issue at the time of the last inspection that has only partially been addressed. (paragraphs 40, 60, 63, 110, 133) In addition to the key issues above, the governors should also consider the following weaknesses for inclusion in their action plan: XXI. the teachers often expect too many pupils in their classes to attempt the same work; (paragraphs 11, 32, 109) XXII. the pupils are expected to do too much of their work on worksheets in some subjects, particularly in English and mathematics; (paragraphs 32, 98, 99, 104, 114, 117) XXIII. the library is poorly stocked and is unsuitable as a room for the pupils to carry out their own research. (paragraphs 32, 48, 69, 75, 76, 101)

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

· INTRODUCTION · · Characteristics of the school

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

1 Fishburn Primary School is situated in the village of Fishburn in the east of County Durham. It serves the village though a few pupils come from surrounding villages and hamlets. The village was a mining community and unemployment is still an issue, although a number of people now commute to Teesside to work. There are 223 pupils aged from 4 to 11 with roughly equal numbers of boys and girls. Pupils are admitted to the reception class each September, starting part time but all becoming full time after a few days. At the time of the inspection 27 children in the reception class were under the age of five. The school also has a nursery with 37 children who all attend part time. Almost all pupils in the reception class have attended the nursery. There is a wide range of levels of attainment on entry to the school, but these are generally about average.

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

2 Pupils come from a wide socio-economic spectrum. There are 36 pupils eligible for free school meals; this is below the proportion found in most schools. There are two pupils with statements of special educational needs, which is below average, and the number of pupils on the school’s register of special education needs (36) is also below average. There is one pupil from an ethnic minority.

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

3 The school’s aims emphasise the need to encourage children to achieve their full potential in an effective school, where staff strive to provide a high quality education. The school motto of ‘Care and Consideration’ is at the heart of relationships in a secure and happy environment. The curriculum is intended to be broad and balanced while still giving a proper priority to literacy and numeracy and the school aims to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The partnership of all who are involved in the school - parents, staff, governors and other agencies – is encouraged so that all will learn and work together for the benefit of the children. Realistic targets have been set for improvement to the year 2002.

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1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 Year Boys Girls Total for latest reporting year: 1999 9 13 22 4 National Curriculum Test/Task

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Results

Number of pupils Boys 7 9 7 at NC Level 2 or Girls 11 12 11 above Total 18 21 18 Percentage at NC School 82 (83) 95 (93) 82 (98) Level 2 or above National (80) (81) (84)

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Results

4 Teacher Assessments Reading Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 7 7 9 at NC Level 2 or Girls 11 11 11 above Total 18 18 20 Percentage at NC School 82 (93) 82 (98) 91 (100) Level 2 or above National (81) (85) (86)

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2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 Year Boys Girls Total for latest reporting year: 1999 18 16 34

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Number of pupils Boys 13 11 16 at NC Level 4 or Girls 13 14 16 above Total 26 25 32 Percentage at NC School 76 (46) 74 (75) 94 (86) Level 4 or above National (65) (59) (69)

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4 Teacher Assessments English Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 8 7 11 at NC Level 4 or Girls 11 10 13 above Total 19 17 24 Percentage at NC School 56 (75) 50 (71) 71 (89) Level 4 or above National (65) (65) (72)

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Results

......................................... 4 Percentages in parentheses refer to the year before the latest reporting year 5 Percentages in parentheses refer to the year before the latest reporting year 2 Attendance

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Results

Percentage of half days (sessions) missed % through absence for the latest complete Authorised School 6.1 reporting year: Absence National comparative data 5.7 Unauthorised School 0 Absence National comparative data 0.5

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Number of exclusions of pupils (of statutory school age) during Number the previous year: Fixed period 0 Permanent 0

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Percentage of teaching observed which is: % Very good or better 13 Satisfactory or better 98 Less than satisfactory 2 2 PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

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Results

2 EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS AT THE SCHOOL

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Results

1 The results of the national tests for seven year olds in 1998 showed the proportion of pupils attaining the expected level to be close to the national average in reading, above average in writing and well above average in mathematics. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher level was well above average in reading, close to the average in mathematics and below average in writing. Over the last three years, the results in reading and writing have risen each year in relation to the national average. In mathematics, although standards were below the national average in 1996 and there was a drop in standards in 1997, there was a significant improvement in 1998 to bring standards comfortably above the national average. When the results are compared to schools in a similar context, attainment is well above average in reading, above average in mathematics, and broadly in line with the average in writing. The teachers’

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Results

assessments for science at this age show a roughly similar picture of significantly above average attainment. The provisional results for 1999 show a further improvement in standards in writing, while standards in reading have been maintained. Standards in mathematics show a slight fall from those of last year.

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Results

2 In the national tests for 11 year olds in 1998, the proportion of pupils gaining level four or above was well above the national average in mathematics and science, but well below average in English. However, the proportion gaining the higher level (level five) was below average in both English and mathematics and close to the national average in science. The results over the last three years have shown a significant improvement in mathematics and science, but results in English have been uniformly below average. When the 1998 results are compared with those of schools in a similar context, they are well above average in science, above average in mathematics, but well below average in English. The provisional results for 1999 show that the high standards attained in mathematics have been maintained and those in science have risen still further. Most encouragingly, though, the results for English show a 30 per cent

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Results

increase in the proportion of pupils attaining the expected level. Also very encouraging for the school is the fact that the proportion of pupils attaining the higher levels has risen dramatically in all three subjects.

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Results

3 There is a wide range of levels of ability on entry to the school, but these are in general about average. The children make a good start to their schooling in the nursery class, and make good progress through the nursery and reception classes. By the age of five, the children’s attainment is above the expectations of the ‘desirable learning outcomes’ necessary for children to begin to study subjects of the National Curriculum. Standards are good overall in all areas of learning.

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Results

4 The language skills of the children under five are developing well. They generally speak clearly and confidently, are expanding their vocabulary and are able to talk about stories and characters from those stories. The children listen attentively and join in the telling of a story, for example, “The Three Bears”. They understand left and right orientation and know that writing conveys meaning when dictating their sentences to the teacher. In mathematics, the children’s skills are developing well as they count the number of bears on displays on the wall. They are able to sort teddies by size and estimate the size of box that will make a suitable ‘house’ for the three bears. There is no working computer available in the nursery class, but the children in the reception class show confidence in using the computer. They are able to move images on the screen with the required control. The children in both the nursery and

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Results

reception classes are beginning to understand the world around them. They also show good control and coordination in physical activities, as well as being able to handle scissors, paint brushes, pencils and crayons well. The children’s creative development is fostered successfully by access to a good range of materials and sensitive intervention from adults. They are already developing good social skills, and play and work well together, sharing equipment and materials. The children are developing confident and secure relationships with each other and with adults. 5 The pupils make good progress at Key Stage 1, and satisfactory progress at Key Stage 2, in the development of language skills. The literacy hour has been satisfactorily implemented and progress in several areas of the English curriculum has recently improved as a result of this. The pupils make good progress in their understanding of mathematics through the school, though this progress is rather slower

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Results

at Key Stage 2 with the exception of Year 6. This progress is consistent across all areas of the mathematics curriculum, except that the pupils’ ability to use and apply the mathematics already learnt is a relative weakness. In science, the pupils also make good progress through the school. There are some relative weaknesses in the pupils’ progress at Key Stage 2 where their attainment in experimental and investigative science and physical processes is satisfactory compared with the good attainment in other areas of the curriculum. The vast majority of pupils are now working at the expected levels in English, mathematics and science, and a significant number of the pupils is working at higher levels. Progress in religious education is satisfactory with the pupils making good gains in their knowledge of world religions. Progress in information technology is unsatisfactory as there is not yet a coherent scheme of

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Results

work in operation. The pupils have an insufficient range of skills and, in many classes, very limited opportunities to use computers.

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Results

6 In art, history and physical education the pupils make good progress. In design and technology, geography and music, progress is satisfactory through the school.

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Results

7 The pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress at both key stages in relation to their prior levels of attainment. The pupils’ needs are clearly identified within their individual educational plans and targets are then set as a means of ensuring their learning is both progressive and meaningful. Some of the targets set at this stage are too general and the pupils are often merely asked to complete similar tasks to the rest of the class. Where this occurs, the pupils’ progress is satisfactory, mainly due to the level of support they are given. Where tasks are more specifically targeted towards their immediate needs and previous level of learning, the pupils’ progress is heightened and becomes generally good.

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Results

8 Evidence from the inspection shows that by the end of both key stages attainment in English is above the national average. However, the pupils’ speaking and listening skills are only satisfactory. By the end of Key Stage 1 the pupils demonstrate satisfactory speaking and listening skills. Most speak confidently to their friends and to adults and enjoy responding to the teachers’ questions. At Key Stage 2, although the pupils continue to make satisfactory progress in developing their speaking and listening, many of the activities observed were responding to the teachers’ questions rather than the planned provision for the development of speaking and listening as a discrete activity. The school has put a proper emphasis on the development of reading and with the systems that have been put in place, the pupils are in line to achieve above the expected levels. Attainment in writing is good at Key Stage 1 and satisfactory at Key Stage 2.

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Results

The technical skills of spelling, grammar and handwriting are well developed at Key Stage 1. These skills continue to be developed through Key Stage 2 but the opportunities to use these skills in extended writing are too limited.

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Results

9 Attainment in mathematics is above average at the end of both key stages. The pupils’ abilities with numbers are good throughout the school. They demonstrated in mental sessions at the start of each mathematics lesson that they are quick and accurate with mental calculations. They are also accurate on paper. Although the pupils’ ability to use and apply mathematics already learnt is good, it is a relative weakness as the teachers do not ask the pupils to explain how they obtain answers often enough. Pupils’ knowledge in other areas of the mathematics curriculum is good, particularly in data handling at Key Stage 2, although opportunities are missed to use information technology to support and extend this learning.

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Results

10 By the end of both key stages attainment in science is above average. The pupils have good knowledge of all aspects of the science curriculum at Key Stage 1. At Key Stage 2 the pupils’ knowledge of life processes and living things and materials is good, and knowledge of physical processes and the pupils’ ability to devise experiments and investigate hypotheses is satisfactory.

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Results

11 Attainment in information technology is unsatisfactory at Key Stage 1 and poor at Key Stage 2, except in the reception class where the children have appropriate keyboard and mouse control skills. The pupils have few opportunities to use computers and when they do there is no planned development of their technology skills. In religious education, attainment is satisfactory in both key stages. The pupils have appropriate knowledge of Bible stories and aspects of the Christian faith. They also have satisfactory knowledge of other faiths, for example Sikhism and Buddism.

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Results

12 Good work was observed during the inspection in art, history and physical education. Attainment in all other subjects is in line with that expected of pupils of this age.

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Results

13 Standards at the time of the last inspection were reported as being sound in all subjects except in physical education where they were unsatisfactory. Standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science have risen significantly since then. Significant improvements have been made in other subjects, notably physical education, where there is now a coherent scheme of work being well used, and in art and history.

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Results

14 The school has fully implemented the literacy strategy and the pupils’ progress is benefiting accordingly in many of the technical aspects of the subject. However, the pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to write at length or for a range of purposes, either in English or in other subjects of the curriculum. There is also no planned scheme of developing the pupils’ speaking skills. The planning for teaching literacy in other subjects has not yet been fully developed.

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Results

15 Standards in numeracy are being enhanced by the daily mental mathematics sessions that were implemented last year. The planning for the rest of mathematics lessons follows the numeracy strategy although there is little evidence to suggest that other subjects, information technology and science for example, make a planned contribution to numeracy.

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Results

16 The school, with the assistance of the local education authority, has set appropriate targets for improvement in literacy and numeracy taking into account the nature of each cohort of pupils. Appropriate training has been carried out for the presentation of the literacy hour and is almost complete for the presentation of the numeracy strategy. The school is in the process of introducing the tracking of the progress of individual pupils, and has started setting individual targets for them.

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Results

20 Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

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Results

1 The pupils’ attitudes towards their learning are good in all age groups, particularly the children under five. The pupils clearly enjoy their lessons and respond well to the teachers’ instructions. Concentration is generally good even when the pupils are not directly supervised and the pupils are not easily distracted. Any quiet talking in class is not idle chatter, but earnest discussion about the task in hand. Most pupils are more than keen to participate in lessons by asking and answering questions, but often their questions are narrowly focused and reflect a lack of practice in independent thinking. In the scope of their answers, their lack of vocabulary and lack of confidence limits some pupils. Most pupils are keen to complete their work and to deliver their best. During group working, the pupils often collaborate and work very well together, but there are few opportunities for them to improve or flex their independent study skills.

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Results

2 The pupils with special educational needs have positive attitudes to their work. Both in their everyday classrooms and when withdrawn for additional support, they behave well and are keen to learn. This has a marked influence on their attainment and progress. Relationships with adults are also positive and there are many examples where other, more able pupils, support and befriend pupils with special educational needs. Occasionally, the pupils are well challenged to make decisions about their own learning and this improves aspects of their personal development.

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Results

3 The children in the nursery quickly learn rules and routines. They gain a measure of self-awareness and confidence as they organise their own play or work in groups with or without adults. They quickly develop confident and secure relationships with each other and with adults. They learn to cooperate well in groups and concentrate on tasks for lengthy periods. They contribute to class discussions in appropriate ways, showing respect for each other’s ideas by listening to one another carefully and speaking out with increasing confidence and clarity. In the reception class, children continue to make good progress in their personal and social development. They take responsibilities for class routines and clear up after lessons. All children show maturity and an increasing capacity to make sensible independent choices in their learning.

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Results

4 Behaviour is good in all classes and in the playgrounds. This is a continuation of the good behaviour noted in the previous inspection report. There have been no exclusions since the last report, demonstrating that discipline and good behaviour are now firmly embedded in the life of the school. In classrooms, the pupils are courteous and polite to each other, to staff and particularly to visitors. They settle down easily allowing a prompt start to lessons. The pupils move around the school in a very orderly fashion. For example, even the youngest pupils return to their classrooms after assemblies without being supervised by a teacher. They observe the code of conduct and simple school rules with few reminders from teachers. Incidents of bullying or anti-social behaviour are very rare. The school has a good reputation with parents and in the neighbourhood. This standard of good behaviour allows the teachers to

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5 The relationships between pupils and between staff and pupils are good. For example, there is no sign of the pupils over-compensating for the disabilities of a handicapped pupil, instead their relationships are perfectly normal and natural. In the nursery, relationships are very good and make a significant contribution towards nurturing the children’s love of learning. There is a very good gender balance in the staff who provide good role models for the pupils. The pupils respond well to constructive criticism from teachers and from other pupils. There is mutual trust and very clear respect for the staff, which adds weight and credibility to what is being taught. The pupils’ respect for the property of the school can be clearly seen in the good condition of the furnishings and fittings and the way the pupils handle resources with care.

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Results

6 The personal development of all pupils is satisfactory. Although there is no structured programme of personal development, this element is effectively delivered in morning assemblies and as a subtle background component in many other lessons. This reinforces the basic elements, which most pupils receive at home. In all classes the pupils undertake routine duties, such as taking the registers to the main office. Older pupils have many more opportunities to take on responsibilities by assisting the headteacher before and during assemblies and helping with the lunchtime routine. On their own initiative, the pupils volunteer to ‘litter pick’ the grounds, and generate fund raising ideas for charities.

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Results

1 Attendance at the school is satisfactory although the school deserves credit for sustaining the zero rate of unauthorised absences since the previous inspection. The current annual attendance level of 93.6 per cent is practically the same as the national average. Registers are properly completed morning and afternoon. Registers are kept centrally by the secretary and checked daily. Absences have no identifiable pattern, except for a slight increase in the number of holidays taken during term time. Both the Prospectus and the Governors Report to Parents meet the statutory requirement to publish accurate figures for attendance. Lateness is sporadic and randomly distributed through all year groups at a very low level. Lateness is properly recorded and monitored.

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Results

1 At the time of the last inspection, one lesson in five was judged good or better. The proportion has significantly increased with nearly three in five lessons observed being good or better. During the inspection, the quality of teaching overall was good, with only two per cent of lessons observed being unsatisfactory. Nearly half of all lessons seen were good, and a further one lesson in ten very good. One excellent lesson was seen.

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2 The teaching for the children under five is good. It was good in half of lessons observed during the inspection and very good or excellent in a further one in four lessons. The teachers have high expectations of what the children can achieve and organise and manage them well. The teachers and the classroom assistants have a good understanding of the needs of these young children, and they are therefore able to make good progress. The planning is effective in addressing the nationally agreed outcomes of the areas of learning for children under five. Assessment is also well used to monitor the progress of individual children and to plan for their future learning. The teachers often use every opportunity to extend the children’s learning. For example, when the children in the nursery were constructing a house for the three bears, the teacher was constantly re-enforcing their language and mathematical knowledge.

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Results

3 The teaching at Key Stage 1 is good. In the lessons seen it was never less than satisfactory; it was good in nearly half of lessons observed and very good in one lesson in five. The teachers at this level often provide a range of activities during lessons and lessons usually move at a brisk pace, so challenging the pupils and enabling them to progress well. They know the pupils well and are good at focussing questions on the right individual during whole class sessions. The teachers at Key Stage 1 have good knowledge of the subjects that they are teaching and the security this gives them enables them to present lessons with confidence.

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4 The teaching at Key Stage 2 is satisfactory overall. All but one lesson seen was satisfactory or better and two in five was good. It was occasionally very good. There was a significant difference between the teaching in different subjects. The teaching of the sets for English and mathematics in Years 3, 4 and 5 was not as good as when the teachers were teaching their own classes. The teachers at this key stage manage the pupils well. They create an orderly and purposeful working environment in their classrooms which enables the pupils to concentrate and make good progress.

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5 One strength of teaching throughout the school is the way that the teachers use their day-to-day assessment of the pupils’ progress to plan for their future learning. For example, in English and mathematics there is a specific section in the planning for achieving this. This was seen in operation in a lesson where the teacher dealt effectively with problems that the pupils had had with the previous day’s work at the start of the written work. There are also some relative general weaknesses of the teaching. The teachers do not give the pupils sufficient opportunities to develop their own research and investigative skills. Insufficient use is made of the library as a research centre and it is poorly stocked for this purpose. Information technology is also not used as a research tool. The teachers also often expect too many of the pupils to do the same work and much of this work is on worksheets. This does not give

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the pupils the opportunity to develop their own recording skills and expressing ideas in their own words.

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6 Across the school, the teachers know their pupils well. They monitor work in progress conscientiously during lessons, using praise to encourage. The quality of the marking to support the pupils’ work is satisfactory. Work is marked regularly and there are often comments that give pupils points for improvement. The use of support staff is well planned and very effective, and there is clear understanding of the roles of all adults in the classroom.

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7 The teaching of the pupils with special educational needs is consistently sound and sometimes good. All adults working with such pupils are quick to identify their main areas of difficulty and offer regular and helpful support. Some of the work set by the teachers to help ensure good progress lacks specific targets that would ensure that previous learning is well consolidated and new concepts established. The nature of some tasks given to pupils does not always accurately meet their most urgent needs and this means that the good progress they seek becomes somewhat inconsistent. The most effective teaching occurs where there is an accurate match of task to need. Consistently good teaching occurs on those occasions where the pupils with special educational needs are well supported by specialist support staff, sometimes on a withdrawal basis. 8 In the nursery and reception classes, there are close links with families and constant discussion is going

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on as to how parents might help at home. This good practice considerably enhances the progress these children make. Homework is used satisfactorily throughout the rest of the school. Reading books are taken home regularly in all classes and some other work is also taken home, for example spellings and mathematics and occasionally some work in other subjects. Homework is also progressively increased through the school to prepare pupils for the next stage of their education. This does not support the view of some parents who regard homework as not making an effective contribution to their children’s learning.

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1 The curriculum for the children under five is good. It is broad, balanced and addresses the six areas of learning for them. It prepares them well for work in the National Curriculum. The link between the areas of learning deemed suitable for children under five and the subjects of the National Curriculum is secure.

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2 The school’s curriculum as a whole, is prevented from being broad, balanced and relevant by its failure to provide the full National Curriculum programmes of study for information technology. This deficit is due mainly to a lack of planned use of computers and lack of expertise by some teachers. Requirements of other National Curriculum subjects and the Durham Agreed Syllabus for religious education are satisfactorily met. The school has successfully addressed the issues of non-compliance in the teaching of religious education and physical education from the last inspection report. The curriculum promotes the intellectual, physical, and personal development of the pupils. The school prepares its pupils well for the next phase of their education. Sex education is well integrated into the science curriculum. Education about drugs and the harmful effect of their misuse takes place regularly. The school’s allocation of time

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for each subject has been modified in order to incorporate the Literacy and Numeracy strategies. Time allocation to the teaching of foundation subjects is adequate. The curriculum provides well for the needs of all pupils in the school, taking into account their age, gender, attainment and background. Parents rightly feel that the school has an appropriate balance in the curriculum.

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3 Pupils with special educational needs are well served through the curriculum offered by the school. There are no examples where pupils are withdrawn from specific subjects because of their learning needs. There is good access and equal opportunity provided for pupils with special educational needs. Despite the fact that some provision is made through withdrawal groups, this is done at appropriate times in the school day. As a result, all pupils have equal access to all areas of the curriculum. Effective systems ensure that pupils who are having difficulties in their learning are identified early. This helps to establish what targets should be set. The assessment of the pupils with special educational needs is good. The pupils having difficulties are well monitored and supported by continuous assessments that are then used to help inform the next stage of their learning. The pupils with statements of special educational needs are

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particularly well assessed and the resulting information used effectively.

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4 The school’s curriculum planning is generally sound and there are schemes of work for most subjects. This ensures that teachers have guidance on what to teach. However, in information technology and geography, these have not yet been put into place. Consequently, progression in these subjects is less secure.

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5 The coordinators for English and mathematics are appropriately involved in monitoring teaching and curriculum development in their subjects. As yet, the coordinators for other subjects are not involved in this systematic evaluation. In this respect, the school has failed to address this issue from the first inspection report. However, the headteacher keeps an overview of all subject areas to ensure appropriate coverage and subsequent progress by the pupils. The main concentration by the school has been in implementing the literacy and numeracy initiatives. While these have been satisfactorily implemented across the school, planning generally does not indicate how literacy skills may be used across all curriculum areas. Furthermore, opportunities to improve the pupils’ speaking skills are not a planned feature of subject areas. As a result, while pupils’ listening skills are well developed across the school,

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these are not matched in speaking, where pupils are not sufficiently encouraged to articulate their observations or to explain their methods and answers in subjects such as mathematics, for example.

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6 To ensure appropriate programmes for learning suited to the pupils’ particular needs, the school is presently addressing planning for different ability groups of pupils, particularly in mixed age groups. The school is aware that at present, there is too little regard given to these different groups of pupils, to ensure appropriate challenge and pace for learning.

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7 The curriculum is satisfactorily supported through a programme of relevant and well planned educational visits. These include a residential visit for Years 5 and 6 to Middleton-in-Teesdale and an information technology and adventure week in Derbyshire. The curriculum is satisfactorily enriched through extra curricular activities for Key Stage 2 pupils only. These include a recorder club, a very successful French club, Early Morning Club for Year 6 in the summer term to encourage fitness. There are several links with the local community including the Fishburn Environmental Group, which has been involved in tree planting, hedge clearing and bulb planting throughout the village. The school’s swimming baths are used out of school hours by the Pony Club, Mother and Toddler groups and Fishburn Boys, the local football club. One of the governors takes a group of Year 6 pupils to visit the elderly at Glebe House every week

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to play games and chat with the residents. The school runs a good range of sporting activities, which include football, netball, cross-country and athletics. The pupils compete within their cluster of schools and the wider Durham area, often with considerable success. These activities on offer give pupils opportunities to take up their interests, extend their learning and develop socially with other pupils.

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8 The previous report judged that the teachers did not use information from assessments to inform their planning. The school has since addressed this issue satisfactorily. However, while there are effective systems for assessing the pupils’ attainment in most subjects, as yet, these do not include information technology, nor history or geography. Records of progress for the children under five are very good, plotting the course of each individual child towards the Desirable Learning Outcomes. Base line assessments are also well used to guide future planning. The nursery and reception teachers and their assistants evaluate and record individual children’s attainment; these inform their planning for children’s learning across all areas of their development. National Curriculum Assessments requirements at the end of each key stage are fully met. Analysis of the results of these assessments and national test results are

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used for future curriculum developments. A good example of this practice took place following the disappointing results in the English tests particularly at Key Stage 2 in 1998. As a result, the school has taken appropriate steps to rectify matters. Consequently, there is a significant improvement in pupils’ attainment in the subject. Information is passed from year to year and reports to parents are full and detailed. They give information on all subjects of the curriculum. These reports include strengths and weaknesses of the pupils.

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43 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

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1 Overall the school promotes spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well and has maintained the quality of this aspect since the last inspection. This reflects the views of parents who are largely in agreement with the values and attitudes of the pupils at the school. Provision for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the children under five is good.

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2 The pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory. The school holds daily assemblies that feature acts of worship which are broadly Christian in nature. The pupils take an active part and sing with enthusiasm. Songs are selected to promote positive values. These assemblies include a period of reflection in prayer, although there is sometimes a lack of focus on the purpose of reflection. The pupils’ spiritual awareness is evident from the wide-eyed enthusiasm of the children in the nursery trying to fit three bears into a house. However, there are many missed opportunities to arouse this awareness in other lessons. Through the religious education syllabus the pupils receive sound insights into Christianity and the Jewish, Islamic and Buddhist faiths. The opportunities for the pupils to express their feelings through art, drama and dance are not so well developed because the emphasis is on teaching the pupils the basic skills rather than

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exploring their feelings. There is a consistent approach to raising the pupils’ self esteem by celebrating their achievements and efforts.

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3 Moral education is good. Moral issues are explored in many subjects, in particular religious education and at assemblies. Stories and themes are well planned and focused to draw attention to moral principles and social values, such as greed. There is clear evidence that even the very youngest pupils know the difference between right and wrong. The school recognises the need to build on this secure foundation by establishing an explicit code of conduct, which is promoted by very visible school rules. Most of the older pupils can discuss moral issues but their confidence in doing so is sometimes inhibited by the lack of appropriate vocabulary, despite the encouragement of teachers. The staff present very good role models particularly when dealing in a fair and sympathetic way with disputes between the pupils.

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4 The school provides good opportunities for social development. Relationships throughout the school are good. The pupils display very good self discipline and good order at assemblies. They treat each other with courtesy and consideration and are encouraged to play across age groups. This is best illustrated by the very natural way a physically handicapped pupil is fully integrated into the life of the school. The support offered by class members to all pupils with special educational needs, is often very good and helps develop friendships and the all-round personal development of all involved. The quiet reserve and respect that the pupils show towards adults and visitors can be seen in the very natural way they hold doors open for others. The Behaviour Policy provides good guidance on dealing with unacceptable behaviour and bullying. The rewards and sanctions system works effectively and is well received by pupils. The school

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encourages all pupils to undertake routine daily tasks around the school and to take an active part in supporting charities. This positive approach contributes well to the good order that prevails in the school. The school takes part in competitive sporting events and has good links with the local community, which help pupils to develop a better understanding of citizenship.

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5 The cultural development of the pupils is satisfactory. At this stage there is greater emphasis on awareness of pupils’ own culture, although other cultures are not excluded. For example the words and thoughts of Gandhi were celebrated at assemblies. The pupils visit museums and other local places of interest to support their cultural learning. Work in history, geography, art and music enhances the pupils’ knowledge of their own culture and contributes some knowledge and understanding of other cultures. The broad religious education syllabus teaches pupils to celebrate artists, musicians and famous humanitarians from other cultures as well as teaching respect for other world faiths. However, there are insufficient opportunities for developing the pupils’ awareness of the cultural diversity in this country and there is a shortage of appropriate books in the library. The school has very few children from ethnic

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minorities so pupils lack the impact of first hand contact with any representatives from our multicultural society.

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48 Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

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1 The school has maintained its good provision of educational support, guidance and general welfare since the previous report and has made improvements in way the school accounts for the number of people on the premises. The pupils are genuinely happy in this caring, considerate and supportive environment. They are confident that teachers and staff are always there to help and will listen to what they say. The staff have very good relationships with and knowledge of their pupils. Academic progress is monitored through extensive formal tests. The pupils’ social development is monitored informally on a daily basis except in the nursery and reception where progress is monitored through check lists. These procedures provide a sound basis for reporting progress to parents. This supportive environment has a positive impact on the pupils’ learning and encourages them to make progress academically and socially.

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2 The pupils with special educational needs are greatly helped by the caring and supportive ethos created within the school. The needs of such pupils are well known by all the adults on site and they are effectively helped and their welfare targeted on a daily basis. The progress of these pupils is well monitored and good records are maintained.

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3 The way that the school promotes and monitors good behaviour and discipline is good. A behaviour management policy is in place in which rewards and sanctions are made very clear. Sanctions are administered and monitored very carefully by the staff. Rewards for good work and good behaviour are a prominent feature and are celebrated at an assembly each week. In most classes there is a blend of self- discipline by the pupils and good pupil management by the teachers. In the event of anti-social behaviour or bullying the school responds sensitively and purposefully. The intent is to nip the problem in the bud before it becomes serious. In the more extreme cases the parents of the pupils involved are called in to assist in resolving the issue.

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4 The procedures for promoting and monitoring attendance are good. The value of continuous attendance is promoted through the prospectus, through letters to parents, and by capturing the interest of the pupils. Registers are very closely monitored by individual teachers and during regular visits from the education welfare officer. The majority of parents respond well to this approach.

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5 The procedures for ensuring personal safety and the well being of the pupils are good. Child protection procedures are good and are backed up by appropriate monitoring procedures. All staff have received appropriate child protection training. Liaison between the school and outside agencies such as Social Services, the educational psychologist, the educational welfare officer and the school nurse is very effective. Health and safety practice is consistently good throughout the school. A risk assessment has been carried out and is reviewed regularly. All staff have received first aid training. The older pupils attend a training course organised by the local emergency services to help them cope with hazards and dangers. Fire precautions are displayed in every room and there are appropriate appliances in place. Electrical and fire appliance checks are conducted at appropriate intervals. What makes the practice good

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is a combination of vigilance by the staff and the caretaker in particular, and well-developed safety awareness by the pupils themselves.

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53 Partnership with parents and the community

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1 The information provided by the school for parents is satisfactory. There are frequent newsletters, helpful guidance on the literacy hour, an informative prospectus, and a comprehensive Governors Report to Parents. The pupils’ annual reports describe what the children know and can do in the core subjects, their general progress in the foundation subjects and their personal development. At the end of each key stage the pupils’ attainment in the core subjects is levelled with a very good explanatory note to parents on what these levels mean. Parents’ evenings to discuss these reports are usually well attended. A few parents expressed the view that they were not kept well informed on the progress made by their children and homework setting was inconsistent. The inspection evidence contradicts these views and suggests the very low response to the parents’ questionnaire makes this an unreliable indicator.

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2 The parents of the pupils with special educational needs are kept well informed as to any difficulties experienced by their child and are invited to the appropriate meeting where progress is reviewed. There are some good examples where sound partnership between home and school is effective in ensuring that the pupils with special educational needs make at least satisfactory and sometimes good progress.

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3 Overall, parents give satisfactory support to the school, which marks a decline since the previous inspection. There was a very low response to the parent questionnaire and few parents attended the parents’ meeting. The school is trying hard to strengthen the links with parents and to convert their current passive role into more active participation in their children’s education. About half a dozen parents help directly in the classrooms where their efforts are well directed and integrated into lesson plans. The school provides useful guidance on how parents can help at home to support their children with reading, and is currently formulating a homework policy. At present the school has not produced a home-school contract. The cessation of the Parent Teacher Association is measure of how deeply embedded this passive role has become.

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4 Visits and contacts with the wider community make a satisfactory contribution to the pupils’ learning, extends their social and personal development, and broadens their knowledge and understanding of the world. The school organises a number of outside visits and events for all year groups. Most of which are effective in supporting curriculum studies. These visits form an integral part of the topics being studied and have a significant impact on the pupils’ understanding. The school encourages the pupils to take part in a number of competitive sporting fixtures with other schools, and to support charity fund raising events. Links with the local community are good, for example, Year 6 pupils visit a local residential home for the elderly every week to play dominoes with the residents. The school has a swimming pool used by other schools and groups in the area. There are also good links with the local environmental

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group. The school continues to have close links with the local secondary school to smooth the induction and transition of pupils between the two schools. There are also a number of joint initiatives with other local primary schools. The school has not yet explored productive links with local business and industry through the Education Business Partnership.

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57 THE MANAGEMENT AND EFFICIENCY OF THE SCHOOL

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1 The management of the school is good overall and has a positive and consistent influence on the attainment and progress of the pupils. This aspect of school life was praised at the time of the previous inspection and, although there are some areas for development and improvement, it remains a relative strength of the school.

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2 The experienced and committed headteacher provides good leadership on a daily basis and has an appropriate and effective vision as to the educational direction and the priorities of the school. Much that is undertaken and achieved is the direct result of his leadership and the declared objectives of the school. The targets established for school growth are in part met by the professional example and enthusiasm offered by the headteacher.

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3 The headteacher is supported by the work undertaken by the curriculum coordinators and the governing body. The hard-working coordinators have made improvements in the quantity and quality of the support documentation offered in their subjects and this aspect of their work has improved since the last inspection. However, several coordinators are new to their responsibilities and have not yet begun to have sufficient influence or impact on the important monitoring of standards in their subject areas. This weakness was noted at the time of the last inspection.

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4 The work of the governing body is supportive rather than innovative. It meets the statutory requirements relating to the governorship of schools, except in information technology where the full programmes of study are not taught fully. The management of special educational needs is good. The governors work hard to comply with the responsibilities they undertake. Their main termly meetings and those called by the various committees, undertake a range of useful work to help ensure that the school meets its statutory responsibilities and main aims and objectives. The governors are not particularly well involved in the development and monitoring of the curriculum although they are able to keep in touch through occasional visits and the reports of the headteacher.

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5 The work undertaken by the teachers and pupils accurately reflects the aims of the school. The aims are not reviewed by governors on an annual basis, but currently represent the aims of a typical modern primary school. Senior teaching staff usually generate the policies of the school and these come before the governing body for ratification. They are then quickly integrated into school life. The ethos of the school is good and there is wide acceptance that the school will continue to build on its already above average standards of attainment. All those with management responsibilities work hard to ensure there is a helpful and positive working environment in which all pupils can readily relate to and taste success.

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6 The support and monitoring of teaching and curriculum development is only partly in place and is largely undertaken by the headteacher. There are, however, planned systems in place to extend and improve the nature and purpose of such monitoring. Written job descriptions are now in place, but those parts involving the coordinators in the monitoring of their subjects are poorly defined.

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7 The development of school priorities and initiatives are well defined in the annual development plan. It is clear, for example, who will have overall responsibility for such initiatives and how much finance and resources must be allocated to each area of planned development. The criteria for evaluating success are also well expressed. The overall approach to development planning and evaluation is satisfactory. All those with management roles have worked hard to ensure that the recent national strategies for both literacy and numeracy have been well planned for and soundly implemented. 8 The management of the school made an effective response to the shortcomings outlined in the last inspection and the school has made good improvement since that time. It is also well placed to continue on its chosen course for future development.

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65 Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

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1 There is a satisfactory level of staffing, with teachers’ qualifications and experience matching the needs of the school and the requirements of the National Curriculum. There is a sound balance between well established experienced teachers and comparatively new members of staff. There is a coordinator for each subject, with a shadow member of staff in the alternative key stage for core subjects. All staff have job descriptions though they are of a generic nature. Whilst references are made to subject coordinators responsibilities on job descriptions, they do no identify how those responsibilities are to be carried out or set targets for success. The staff are appraised within a two-year cycle. Newly qualified teachers received good support from both the local education authority, and within the school. They have a mentor, and receive oral and written information about lessons observed. The school also gives good support to new

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teachers and supply teachers within the school. At their preinspection meeting, a few parents expressed concern that the progress made by the pupils with special educational needs is affected by the lack of additional support offered by the school. Whilst such help is always useful, the school enjoys the services of both a special needs support assistant as well as a part-time teacher. These members of staff provide invaluable support to the pupils and additional help and advice for class based teachers. Learning support teachers are suitably qualified, and provide good support to those pupils with special educational needs. Although some staff training needs are embedded in the school development plan, the school does not have a discrete staff development plan, which clearly itemises individual staff training needs. All non teaching staff make a valuable contribution to the good organisation and running of the school.

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2 The accommodation in the school is good. The school has effectively integrated the old accommodation with the new, and there are now enough classrooms to meet the requirements of the school. The school has a well used hall, a combined library and music room, and a good shared area open to most classes at Key Stage 2. The school has access to large hard surface areas for both sport and break times, and good school playing fields for sporting activities. The school is also fortunate in having its own swimming pool, which is also used by other schools, and the local community. The school lacks changing facilities for older pupils in Years 5 and 6.

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3 The school is a secure environment. The caretaker and his assistants provide a clean and healthy environment. The inside of the school contains a good range of displays, which makes for a stimulating environment in which learning can take place, though naturally at this time of the year little of it is the pupils’ own work.

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4 With the exception of some resources for information technology and musical instruments, individual subjects are well resourced. The school library, referred to in the last report, still remains an area for concern. The numbers, range and condition of books are poor. Whilst recognising the changes in its place of accommodation over the past few years the library is not a stimulating area, and does not effectively promote reading for pleasure and information. 69 The efficiency of the school

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1 The school is an efficient and well run unit. The available financial and general resources are well targeted towards meeting the school’s declared aims and educational priorities. This is an aspect of school life that has been both maintained and improved since the school was last inspected.

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2 The level of financial planning is good with appropriate use made of the grants and general finance made available to the school on an annual basis. The setting and monitoring of the annual budget is largely seen as the responsibility of the headteacher in liaison with the support and advice offered through the local authority. The governing body is also involved at important times. The school’s management team reviews its priorities on an annual basis and available finance is targeted well to help meet the changing needs of the school. Accurate financial records are kept. The school’s last published audit report showed that the level of budgetary control is effective and well rooted in established good practice. Any minor improvements to policies and systems have been done.

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3 In recent years, the school has allowed its contingency funding to exceed the recommended five per cent. This has largely come about through increasing roll and changes in staff. The excess has now been rightly targeted towards site improvement and the expansion of information technology throughout the curriculum.

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4 The school office is well run by an enthusiastic and capable secretary who, together with the headteacher, ensures the smooth and efficient running of the wider school.

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5 Both teaching and support staff are used well to ensure that the needs of the pupils are met and that all aspects of the curriculum are taught effectively and efficiently. Particularly good use is made of the support assistant assigned to special educational needs and to the nursery nurses available to the under fives and at Key Stage 1. Canteen staff, supervisors, cleaners and the caretaker combine well to ensure that the school environment is a secure, clean and attractive place for pupils to learn.

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6 The available accommodation is used satisfactorily overall to meet the needs of the pupils in relation to their learning. The main building presents some ongoing difficulties with storage but staff ensure that accessibility of resources is not a problem. Good use is made of the hall for its many purposes. The centralised school library has only just been reestablished in a discrete area of the school, but much work has to be done to ensure it can be used effectively by the pupils. Good use is made of the school grounds and the nearby swimming pool. The learning spaces are considerably enriched by attractive displays, although the school should seek to make more of actual pupils’ work, particularly examples of their extended writing.

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7 Learning resources are well used by the pupils and staff in order to make lessons both informative and fun. The exception to this is that there is little planned use of computers in the curriculum. Very good use is made of the school loans service, particularly the use of historical artefacts. The library is under used at the current time. Effective use is made of educational visits, including a residential stay for older pupils. A series of visitors also helps to enhance the knowledge and learning opportunities offered to the pupils.

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8 Taking into account the average attainment of pupils on entry, their above average attainment, progress and behaviour through the school, coupled with the effective teaching and very low unit costs, the school gives very good value for money. 77 PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

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77 AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

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9 The children enter the nursery the year before they are due to start school and attend either morning or afternoon sessions. They come with a range of abilities but in general their attainment is average for their age. At the time of the inspection, in the reception class, there were three children who were five out of a class of thirty. Children in this class attend full time.

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10 The children make good progress and, by the time they are five in the reception class, children’s attainment in all six areas of learning is above the national expectations. The well planned curriculum and very good quality regular assessment, which is closely tied to the areas of learning, ensures good continuity in provision. The additional strength is the close level of partnership with parents who give good support to their children and help them progress. Assessment procedures are very good and the information gathered is carefully recorded; it is used to plan future activities. Base line assessment on entry is undertaken and used to group children and to provide them with appropriate programmes for their learning.

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11 The provision for children under five is good. All staff have successfully built on the good practice identified at the last inspection. Both nursery and reception classes have been successful in meeting the issue of equal participation by children, identified in the first report. All children are given equal access to all areas of learning; this lays a good foundation to children’s future learning. Early Years’ documentation is very good and includes a well developed system of record keeping and reports. Brochures for parents give clear descriptions of curriculum provision, organisation and their partnership in their children’s learning. The nursery and reception staff work very closely and ensure the curriculum is appropriate and is broad and balanced. It covers all the six areas of learning and prepares children well for the National Curriculum. It makes a good contribution to the intellectual development of children,

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particularly to literacy and numeracy. Initially, a strong and appropriate focus is put on children’s personal and social development and this successfully underpins all areas of learning. Good opportunities are provided to promote children’s creative development and promote their knowledge and understanding of the world. However, in the nursery, at present, children do not have access to information technology because of lack of appropriate resources. In this respect, the school has been unable to address fully the issue from the first inspection report, regarding the use of computers in children’s learning opportunities. As yet, there is no shared use of the equipment available in the reception class. Nevertheless, the school is presently awaiting the delivery of new equipment to rectify this weakness.

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12 Good opportunities are provided to promote children’s physical development in both the nursery and the reception class. In both classes, children are able to practise a range of gross motor skills through the good provision in this area of their learning.

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13 The quality of teaching is good. It is of a consistent, good quality in the nursery and there are strengths in the reception class. In half of lessons, the teaching was good and in a further one quarter it was very good. The teachers are secure in their knowledge and understanding of under fives learning and curriculum. The quality of teamwork is very good. Support staff and parents are well briefed and children are clearly benefiting from the input of all adults. The teachers and other staff meet daily to review progress and plan activities. The termly planning is thorough and daily planning has clear targets for learning. Assessment is of very good quality and relates clearly to the six areas of learning. It is used effectively to inform further planning. The staff identify areas of weakness in children’s learning and focus provision accordingly. There is an effective balance between teacher directed activities and

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opportunities for children to make informed choices. Organisation is good particularly when children’s needs are considered and appropriate emphasis is placed on the six areas of children’s learning. Occasionally, overlong introductions or inappropriate activities that do not match children’s specific learning needs slow teaching sessions down. The careful arrangement of furniture and resources allow suitable areas for children’s play, in addition to places for direct teaching. Sessions are conducted at a good pace particularly in the nursery. In both classes, the teachers make good use of the well organised resources. 14 The children’s speaking and listening develops well and by the time they are five, standards are above those expected for this age. In the nursery, they listen to the teacher’s instruction and explanations and show by their response that they have listened well. This is clearly illustrated as they follow the story of

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The Three Bears and discuss sizes of boxes required to accommodate them. In the reception class, the emphasis on speaking and listening is continued through role play and talking about events in their lives. A very good example of this was observed at the time of the inspection when the children re-enacted the story of Goldilocks, adding their own imaginative interpretations. In one scene, children decided to have a modern version of Goldilocks who used a mobile phone to inform her mother of what took place in the Three Bears’ house.

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15 The children have good opportunities to talk about books as part of their literacy hour. All these factors contribute significantly to the progress that the children make. 16 There is a very good literacy environment in both the nursery and reception classes. Relevant posters, labels and sentences are arranged around the rooms, and books are attractively displayed. The children are helped with their choice of books, which they take home regularly. The children enjoy listening to stories and re-telling them. For example, they successfully build the story of The Three Bears, arranging it in sequence correctly.

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17 The children make a good start in developing their writing skills. In the reception class, the children are provided with regular opportunities to learn phonics. They make good progress in recognising the sounds letters make. The children make good progress in copying and writing letters and words accurately. In the nursery, the staff help the children appreciate the meaning of writing as they write their names on their work. In the reception class, the children are suitably encouraged to copy words and where appropriate, their experiences in simple sentences. Suitable attention is given to teaching letter formation.

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18 The children respond well to the carefully chosen activities; they make good progress, and by the time they are five, their attainment is above that expected of children of this age. Their mathematical language develops appropriately as they match their teddies by size. They count sets of objects to five and some to ten. They are beginning to recognise the numerals which match their sets. The children acquire a wide variety of mathematical skills when using sand and water, construction kits, number games or singing number songs. They sort teddies starting with the smallest ones and match boxes to the sizes of their teddies. In the reception class, the teacher builds on this understanding by making the activity progressively more difficult. Here, the children were observed matching the sizes of teddies to porridge bowls and spoons. This understanding is reinforced through appropriate activities, which give the

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children opportunities to apply their newly acquired learning. Some children begin to order five Santas according to size and arrange these inside one another correctly. The children count the number of teddies on their wall and recognise that one less than five makes four. The children distinguish and name a variety of two dimensional shapes, including rectangles, squares and circles. Most children in the reception class can explain the difference between a square and a rectangle.

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19 The children are given many opportunities to explore the world around them. The teachers link these experiences well to activities in the classroom and as result, the children make good progress. The children develop their skills of cutting and joining as they create their house for the Three Bears. They develop these skills further as they design and build models with construction kits. In an excellent lesson observed in the nursery, the children made remarkable progress in all areas of their learning, including language, number, undertaking responsibilities, and improving their fine motor skills. In the reception class, the children generally make good progress; a relevant example was when they were using their computers. They learn to control the arrow on the computer screen, click and drag images in the desired direction. Through carefully planned visits to place such as Carrsides Farm, the children learn to observe

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animals and how they live. They look at plants, food and farming. They learn which animals are nocturnal. They are beginning to understand the world around them as they recognise the elements of the weather and use appropriate vocabulary. When experimenting with their magnets, the children recognise which equipment is made of metal and which is plastic or wood. They begin to distinguish natural materials from those which are man-made. 20 The children demonstrate good control and co-ordination. In the hall and in their outside play areas, they walk, run, skip and hop jump. Nursery children show a good sense of space for example, when moving around the hall to ‘Simon says’. They are aware of other children around them. When bouncing or running with large balls, they avoid colliding with others. They stand in line when required and work in pairs passing a ball with considerable accuracy. The children make good progress in this area of their

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development and consequently, their attainment is above that expected of children of this age. During lessons, the children use a range of cutting, painting, drawing, tracing, colouring and joining skills which aids progress in their manipulative skills. There is a good range of large toys including tricycles, wheelbarrows, climbing frames, see-saws, tractors, shop equipment carts for pulling and pushing, and solid based apparatus for children with special needs. These resources are well stored and easily accessible for regular use.

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21 The children’s creativity is fostered successfully by access to a good range of materials and sensitive intervention by adults. As a result, their progress is good and this impacts upon their subsequent attainment, which is above average. In the nursery, the children make good use of role play area and play imaginatively. They respond well to the appropriate range of creative activities that are provided daily. For example, they use soft toys to represent the desired characters; they make these ‘speak’ and assume voices to suit the situation. The children employ a range of toys such as phones for the purpose of speaking to their mothers or to the teacher. When marching to the tune of The Grand Old Duke of York, the children successfully undertake the roles of soldiers and are often completely absorbed in re-enacting their action songs. They interpret the music played by the teacher and volunteer observations such as

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‘Baby Bear is happy’ or ‘Daddy Bear is sad’. When singing their song or accompanying these on various percussion instruments, the children keep time with remarkable accuracy. In the reception class, the children continue to make good progress in creative development. They show that they are developing their observational skills as they use crayons, felt-tipped pens and paints to produce lively pictures. When making a collage based on their favourite meal, the children use various papers to represent different foods.

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22 The children with special needs are identified early, the staff take appropriate action, parents are duly informed; careful and specific individual plans with targets are drawn up and very good assessment procedures are used to monitor individual progress. As a result, these children make good progress in all areas of their development.

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23 The early years coordinator gives very good leadership to provision for the under fives and the headteacher has a clear oversight of this provision. There is a high level of effective collaboration between staff. Routines are well established and understood which enables all adults to have opportunities to fulfil all their roles. This contributes considerably to the staff’s professional development as well as making efficient use of all the staff. Due account is taken of the areas of learning agreed nationally and the early stages of the National Curriculum. This results in a smooth transition between the classes and successfully promotes continuity of learning for children.

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1 Standards of attainment in English at the end of Key Stage 1 are good. This is reflected in the 1998 Key Stage 1 National Curriculum test results with the pupils achieving above average levels in their reading, and well above average levels in their writing: few, however, go on to achieve the higher level 3 in writing. These good standards have been maintained in 1999 with a significant number of pupils going on to achieve Level 3 in their reading. There has been continuous improvement in standards since the last inspection, when attainment in English was judged to be sound overall.

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2 Standards of attainment in English at the end of Key Stage 2 are likewise good, though this is not reflected in the 1998 English national test results with the pupils achieving below average levels of attainment. This has changed significantly in the 1999 tests, with over three quarters of pupils achieving Level 4 and a quarter of pupils achieving the higher Level 5. With the exception of 1998 there has been an improvement at Key Stage 2 English each year since the last inspection when standards of attainment in English were considered to be sound overall.

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3 The introduction of the National Literacy Hour has made a positive contribution to the raising of standards of attainment in English, particularly at Key Stage 1.

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4 By the end of Key Stage 1 the pupils display satisfactory speaking and listening skills, with the majority of pupils speaking confidently to both their friends and adults. The standard of attainment in reading at the end of Key Stage 1 is good. This is confirmed by the reading screen carried out during the period of the inspection and the school’s own reading tests. Whilst a number of pupils have identified reading problems, the majority of pupils read with interest, clarity and enthusiasm. Standards of attainment in writing at the end of Key Stage 1 are good, with the majority of pupils being able to write in an extended manner, relative to their age, about events in their own lives, and produce imaginative responses to the books read to them in class.

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5 By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils likewise demonstrate satisfactory social speaking and listening skills Many pupils however lack the ability to organise their ideas, thoughts and opinions in a structured manner, and present this information to their friends and adults in a more formal situation. Standards of attainment in reading at the end of Key Stage 2 are good with a number of pupils in Year 6 being confident in their ability to discuss character, plot and issues in the books they read. Standards of attainment in writing at the end of Key Stage 2 are generally good. The pupils are able to respond to the texts they read and write some good imaginative and creative stories. They consider a range of non literary materials, and write good factual essays on such issues as housing in Fishburn, and their opinions on such issues as blood sports and global warming. The pupils have good English skills, and are capable

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of producing work with few or no mistakes. Handwriting and presentation is good in both key stages.

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6 Attainment in English upon entry is broadly average. The pupils, including those with special educational needs, then go on to make good progress at Key Stage 1 and satisfactory progress in Key Stage 2. The pupils at Key Stage 1 make good progress in their speaking and listening skills. They listen quietly to their teachers and are eager to respond to their questions. Planned opportunities for pupils to take part in structured play make a valuable contribution to pupils’ oral skills. The pupils likewise make good progress in their reading skills as they move through the commercial reading scheme used by the school. Reading is well taught, with the teachers using a range of appropriate strategies. The pupils with special educational needs receive good reading support from the learning support assistants, whilst parents make an effective contribution to the development of reading skills through the school home link

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system. The pupils at Key Stage 1 make good progress in their writing skills, though there is an over emphasis on the use of photocopied worksheets. Pupils make continuous improvement in their word and sentence building skills, combined with a developing knowledge of spelling, punctuation and grammar. All this contributes to pupils’ growing ability to write in more detail and at length.

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7 The pupils at Key Stage 2 make satisfactory progress in their social speaking and listening skills. Most oral activities during the week of the inspection came about as a result of the pupils’ responses to their reading and writing, rather than the planned exploration of speaking and listening as a discrete English attainment target. Educational drama and role play does not make a significant contribution to the development of oral skills. The pupils continue to make good progress in their reading skills as they move through Key Stage 2, with the majority of pupils selecting their own books to read by the end of Year 4. Many pupils are members of their local library and develop and display good reading habits. The pupils continue to make satisfactory progress in their basic English skills as they move through Years 3, 4 and 5. Scrutiny of pupils’ work indicates an over emphasis on photocopied exercises, rather then the

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development of these skills through the use of extended writing for a range of purposes and with a specific audience in mind. Whilst pupils are provided with the opportunity to take part in drafting activities, it is rarely more than copying from rough to best, with little change in content, style or structure. There is little redrafting in depth from books to A4 paper, which would provide below average ability pupils with the opportunity to improve their writing skills, as well as extending more able pupils. The retention of these pieces of work would provide a good indicator of progress across years and key stages.

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8 The pupils’ attitudes towards their work at both key stages is positive. They listen quietly to teachers’ exposition and instructions and soon settle down to work. The pupils give their work their full attention and work in a committed manner. The pupils’ behaviour is good and good relationships exist between pupils and their teachers. A good working atmosphere existed in the majority of lessons observed. All these points are a contributing factor to the good progress often made in individual lessons, which in turn impacts of standards of attainment.

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9 The quality of teaching at Key Stage 1 is good, whilst the quality of teaching at Key Stage 2 is satisfactory. The teachers at Key Stage 1 have responded well to the introduction of the literacy hour and demonstrate good practice in its application. This has had a positive impact in raising standards in the subject. The teachers at Key Stage 2 have responded well to the literacy hour, though they tend to use it in a more flexible manner. Lessons at both key stages are well planned with clear learning objectives. The teachers display good questioning skills, and use them to extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding. The teachers demonstrate good classroom management skills, particularly when the pupils are engaged in group activities. The teachers use the plenary session in an effective manner to re- cap and reflect on the content of the lesson and the skills learned. Most of the lessons observed at Key

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Stage 2 are teacher directed with few opportunities for pupils to take control of their own learning, and to develop independent learning skills. The poor range, numbers and condition of books in the school library, also inhibits the pupils’ ability to develop research and reference skills.

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10 Those lessons deemed to be good or very good, often came about where the teacher demonstrated a personal enthusiasm for the work being carried out, where a book or poem was valued and explored as a piece of literature as well as a stimulus for English skills. Where the teachers produce a range of interesting and challenging activities which match the needs of groups of pupils, and where the plenary session is used by teachers and pupils to share and celebrate what has been learned. A good example of this occurred at Key Stage 1 where a teacher explored a number of humorous poems for the simple pleasure they brought to children, before moving on to examine them for their rhyme and alliteration. The pupils were provided with the opportunity to contribute to their own learning by joining with the teacher to highlight specific aspects of the poem. The pupils then moved into groups to work on some

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interesting and challenging writing activities that closely matched their abilities. The lesson was rounded off with a good plenary session, where the pupils were invited to come to the front of the group to share, discuss and celebrate the activities they had been involved in.

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11 The percentage of pupils at both key stages reaching the expected level in the national test results in 1998 was well above the national average. The proportion achieving the higher level was in line with the national average. The cohort in 1999 was not so strong, but the provisional results show that although the proportion of the pupils’ attaining the expected level has dropped slightly, the proportion attaining the higher level has increased. Figures over the last few years show that there has been a significant improvement in standards since 1996.

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12 The judgement of the inspection is that the pupils, including those with special educational needs, are making good progress through Key Stage 1 and that by the end of the key stage they are achieving good standards. This represents a significant improvement since the last inspection where standards were described as sound with some more able pupils underachieving. By the end of the key stage the pupils have a ready facility with number. They are able to calculate quickly and accurately in their heads. For example, they can double quickly and can suggest a large number of sums that have the answer 6. The pupils can follow number patterns and know the difference between even and odd numbers. Their knowledge of shapes is good, even quite young pupils being able to describe the properties of simple two dimensional shapes. They can also measure using both non-standard and standard units. A relative

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weakness in the pupils’ attainment is their ability to use and apply mathematics already learnt. The teachers do not ask the pupils to give reasons for their results or to explain their working often enough. Much of their written work is also done on worksheets, which does not give the pupils opportunities to develop their own systems of recording.

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13 By the time the pupils leave the school at eleven, their attainment in the national tests in 1998 was well above the national average. These results constitute a significant improvement from the situation of the previous two years when attainment was below average. However, the 1998 results also show a lower than average proportion of pupils attaining the higher levels in the tests. The unconfirmed figures for 1999 show that the school has maintained the proportion of pupils attaining the expected level, but that the proportion of pupils attaining the higher level has risen sharply.

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14 Evidence from the inspection is that the pupils, including those with special educational needs, are making good progress and that standards are good by the end of the Key Stage 2. However, this progress is only satisfactory in the earlier years of the key stage, accelerating significantly in Year 6. Once again this represents an improvement since the last inspection when standards were described as sound. The pupils’ ability to calculate mentally is being well developed due to the mental session at the start of each mathematics lesson. The teachers expect and receive quick responses and the pupils know their number bonds and multiplications. On paper the pupils calculate accurately, for example, being able to calculate percentages of amounts and do long multiplication by the end of the key stage. Their knowledge of shapes is good with many able to work out the areas of triangles, for example, and a number showing

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some understanding of how to work out the area of a circle. The pupils also have good understanding of data handling, understanding the difference between the various forms of average. However, this understanding is not reinforced by the use of information technology. The pupils’ ability to devise their own solutions to problems is a relative weakness as they are given insufficient opportunities to practise this skill.

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15 Standards in numeracy are good. The pupils use numbers with confidence. Number bonds and tables are now part of every lesson, and this has benefited the pupils’ knowledge and understanding significantly. However, opportunities to discuss ways of working problems out and encouraging pupils to think for themselves do not occur often enough in mathematics lessons. The teachers use correct mathematical terminology, which is building the pupils’ understanding of subject specific vocabulary. Opportunities for teaching numeracy are not often exploited in subjects beyond mathematics. The pupils measure and tabulate results in subjects such as science and design and technology, but skills in numeracy do not appear in teachers’ plans for these subjects and mental calculations are not reinforced as a matter of course.

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16 The pupils enjoy their lessons and show good levels of concentration. A strength in their response is the way that they settle very quickly to group work even if they are not being directly supervised. They also work well together when appropriate, cooperating effectively in their work. The pupils treat resources with respect and relationships are good in the classrooms. The quality of the pupils’ attitudes to their work has been maintained since the last inspection.

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17 The quality of teaching in the last inspection was sound overall, often good at Key Stage 2 and in a small number of lessons at Key Stage 1 it was unsatisfactory. It is now nearly always at least satisfactory, but not often better. This is, therefore, not as encouraging a picture as at the time of the last inspection, although the unsatisfactory teaching at Key Stage 1 has been eliminated. At Key Stage 2, lessons observed with the sets in years 3, 4 and 5 were never better than satisfactory and this brought down the overall average. The school has recently introduced this experiment and the teachers are not yet comfortable with these particular groups. They tend to treat the set as a group of pupils with similar ability and are not giving different groups sufficient variety of challenge. All teachers now incorporate a short mental session at the start of each lesson and this is helping to promote the pupils’ knowledge and

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understanding of number. The teachers are planning in line with the numeracy strategy, but they are sometimes not setting sufficiently clear objectives for what it is they want pupils to learn during each lesson.

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18 At present, the lower attaining pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5 are not receiving the same support as they are in English. This is impeding the progress of these pupils. Assessment has been done using formal standardised tests and the school is starting to track pupils’ progress using them. There is also some good practice with regard to using the results of short term assessments in the teachers’ planning for future lessons. The coordinator has worked hard to produce documentation in relation to the National Numeracy Strategy, but does not have sufficient responsibility for standards in the subject. Although she monitors the teachers’ medium term planning and has monitored some teaching, she has not yet had opportunity to monitor the pupils’ work. The available resources are at least adequate for the subject, particularly at Key Stage 1 where there is a wide range of equipment to aid the pupils’ understanding.

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1 The 1998 teacher assessments in science for pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 indicate that the school’s results were very high in comparison to the national average. The pupils did particularly well in their understanding of the properties of materials as well as physical processes and aspects of experimental and investigational science. The provisional results of the 1999 teacher assessments are that 91 per cent of pupils are likely to reach the expected level 2 or above, with five per cent reaching the higher level 3. Although these results suggest there are considerable fluctuations in the number of pupils reaching the higher levels in science year on year, the percentage reaching the expected level for their age remains high. The inspection findings are that the great majority of pupils make good progress in science throughout Key Stage 1 and that the pupils’ attainment is above the national average.

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2 The 1998 statutory assessments in science for pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 indicate that the pupils’ results were above the national average and well above the national average in relation to all schools serving a similar social setting. The percentage of pupils reaching the higher level 5 in science was close to the national average, although there was a considerable overestimate as to the numbers of pupils likely to do so, as anticipated by teacher based assessments. The performance of the pupils in science over the period 1996 to 1998, show that standards were above the national average, with little difference between the attainments of girls and boys. The provisional results of the 1999 tests indicate that standards are again likely to be good. The inspection findings confirm that attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 is above the national average, and there is evidence that the numbers of pupils attaining the higher levels is

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again on the increase. The pupils make good progress overall.

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3 Standards were judged to be basically satisfactory at the time of the last inspection with pupils making mainly sound progress at both key stages. Since that time, standards have risen, mainly as the result of teachers’ improved knowledge and an effective teaching approach, as well as pupils making a more positive response to scientific learning.

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4 By the end of Key Stage 1, the pupils display above average knowledge and understanding of many scientific topics and concepts. At times their work tends to be determined by the varying quality of response they make to pictures and questions on worksheets, but overall it is securely based on good knowledge and understanding, frequently brought on by close observations and a good emphasis on investigational work. The pupils recognise sources of light in their environment, know a great deal about natural and man made materials and understand the basic principles involved in heating, cooling, melting and solidifying. They also show above average understanding of the properties of plant growth and successfully carry out controlled experiments to determine the significance of such things as heat, nourishment and light. They are also well aware of the impact of exercise on the human body and carry

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out a ‘carousel’ of experiments to determine some of the basic workings of the human senses.

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5 By the end of Key Stage 2, there is a slight imbalance of theory and knowledge over scientific enquiry and pupils carrying out their own investigational work. However, the net result is that the great majority of pupils show above average understanding of a wide range of topics, including life processes and the properties of materials. A key to the good attainment is the sheer amount of work they attempt in science, allowing them to revisit important topics and deepen their knowledge and understanding beyond the levels anticipated for their age. Experiments on solubility, electrical circuits, parts of plants and the impact of heating solids and liquids are all carried out well and reported accurately. The pupils show a good grasp of scientific vocabulary and record their experiments in a variety of ways. There are occasions where the work set for the pupils is over directed by the teacher and this minimises the opportunity for

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particularly the higher attaining pupils to carry out more research of their own.

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6 During the inspection week, the whole of the key stage was involved in looking at aspects of the human body, particularly the heart. The pupils showed very good knowledge and were able to discuss their findings using relevant language and diagrams. As at Key Stage 1, some higher attaining pupils are capable of making more decisions of their own in relation to the types of experiments they could devise to help them predict and then test hypotheses.

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7 The progress made by pupils at both key stages is consistently good in all classes and very good in some. The pupils with special educational needs also make good progress overall, although some would benefit from more specific tasks closely akin to their understanding and better suited to their ability to record work in their own, meaningful way. The two year rolling programme of science ensures that some topics are revisited in greater depth, allowing pupils time and room to consolidate their knowledge and then extend their science understanding to new horizons. The best gains are made where the pupils are motivated to carry out small amounts of detailed work or to analyse in discussion with others, their findings and explanations for them. The progress made by Key Stage 2 pupils is particularly marked when they put worksheets aside, organise their own investigations and write up their work in a logical,

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8 The response of the pupils to their work in science is always good and occasionally very good. Most are well motivated and take pride in producing careful work over a long period of time. Particularly at Key Stage 2, more pupils could be corrected and challenged with the need to produce clearer and better presented notebooks. The pupils are careful with scientific equipment and work well in pairs and small groups, when that is the preferred way of working. The general behaviour in lessons is most often very good and such qualities influence the good levels of progress that are achieved.

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9 The quality of teaching is good at both key stages. The teachers have grown in confidence with the subject since the last inspection and show themselves to be comfortable with the levels of work anticipated from the pupils. The expectations on pupils are generally high, particularly at Key Stage 1. There is usually a good pace to both lessons and learning and in general, a good choice and variety of approaches adopted by the teacher. An exception in this is the lack of opportunity created by teachers for more independent work and research to be carried out by older pupils. Teachers show effective control during lessons and their use of resources is generally good, although some staff should have made more use of practical measures when describing the function and workings of the human heart. The use of everyday and longer term assessment is satisfactory overall and sometimes good at Key Stage 1. Teachers of older

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pupils could usefully widen their experience of assessing pupils’ attainment to bring it more in line with the results likely to be achieved by the same pupils in the statutory tests. The results of all kinds of assessment are used satisfactorily to help determine the next stage of pupils’ learning.

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10 The curriculum provided for science meets statutory requirements and is a good, broad mix of knowledge, concepts and skills. Although the two year rolling programme is necessary in view of the mixed year groups, there is a danger of some over repetition and lessening of progressive learning, particularly at Key Stage 2. There is a new coordinator in place who has had little opportunity to critically view the curriculum and the already good standards achieved by the pupils. However, she has a good grasp of the likely priorities in the subject, including a better scheme of work and an increase in the potential of information technology in the subject. In this she is correct. There are sufficient resources to deliver the science curriculum, except for the need to increase software that would extend the learning opportunities of the pupils.

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120 Information technology 1 Standards in information technology at the end of Key Stage 1 are unsatisfactory and all pupils, including those with special educational needs, make unsatisfactory progress. This shows a deterioration in standards since the time of the last inspection when standards were described as sound. However, the requirements for this subject have moved on considerably in the intervening four years. In the early years the children are developing appropriate control of the mouse and are learning where letters and numbers are on the keyboard. These skills are not then being used to any great extent in simple word processing, for example. Some pupils in years 1 and 2 are able to use the mouse to move pictures and text around the screen. In Year 2, the pupils are also able to use a painting program to produce Christmas cards.

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2 By the end of Key Stage 2 the pupils’ standards in information technology are poor and the pupils, including those with special educational needs, make unsatisfactory progress. Again this shows a decline in standards since the time of the last inspection when they were described as sound. Although a number of pupils have their own computers at home, their skills in addressing the requirements of the National Curriculum programmes of study are very underdeveloped. Computers are used for curriculum support; for example, the pupils have used a program which helps them with their preparation for the National Curriculum tests in science. Although most can find symbols on the keyboard few know how to save or print their work. When two pupils, one from each of years 4 and 5, were observed using a word processing program to write their English task, their skills were very weak. They were putting multiple

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spaces between words; did not know how to use the shift key to obtain capital letters; were not aware of the wraparound facility; did not know how to use the spellchecker facility or how to use the mouse or arrow keys to move the cursor around the screen to correct a word. A control toy is available within the school, but apart from this, very little control or monitoring is done. Older pupils have done no data handling.

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3 When they are given the opportunity to use computers, the pupils are keen and enthusiastic. At present they do not see the use of computers as being very relevant to their learning except when they are using them for curriculum support. They work well together and share the control of the mouse and keyboard well.

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4 No direct teaching of information technology was seen during the inspection, so it is not possible to form a valid judgement of the quality of teaching in this subject. However, it is clear from their planning, that very few teachers have a planned scheme of use of computers or extension of the pupils’ skills in this area.

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5 The coordinator, who has recently taken on responsibility for the subject has worked hard to update the policy and there are now clear guidelines for the subject. She has also produced a draft scheme of work that contains all the elements of the National Curriculum. There is no system of assessment as yet, but the coordinator plans to adapt the scheme of work to include indications of the skills to be mastered in each year group and base assessment on this. At present there are sufficient computers for the pupils to use, but they are a rather dated technology and there are very few colour printers. The school has been successful in two bids for further equipment and this should enhance the provision for the pupils. During the period of the inspection the available computers were underused.

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1 The pupils make satisfactory progress in both key stages and attainment is in line with the expectations for the age groups and with the Agreed Syllabus for Durham. The school has successfully addressed the issue of non compliance with the requirements from the last report. Standards have been maintained in respect of coverage and the pupils’ knowledge of Christianity.

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2 By the end Key Stage 1, the pupils have a sound knowledge of other religions such as Judaism and Buddhism. They know about the Christian festivals of Christmas and Easter. The pupils are encouraged to consider feelings and emotions and to make thoughtful contributions about kindness. They understand that the Bible is a very special book for Christians.

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3 By the end of Key Stage 2, the pupils have increased their knowledge and understanding of religions to include Islam and Sikhism. They are secure in their knowledge of Christianity. They talk about the Parables and explain that these ‘are stories with a meaning’. Year 6 pupils give good examples of these in their class. They know that the Bible consists of Old and New Testaments. The pupils understand that the Ten Commandments are relevant to the present day and give some examples to support their ideas. Throughout the key stage, the pupils begin to appreciate that religions guide people’s lives.

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4 The pupils make satisfactory progress throughout both key stages. There is a steady and significant development from simple understanding of themselves and their feelings to a knowledge of the richness and diversity of a wide range of other faiths. When discussing kindness in Year 1, the pupils produce mature comments about right and wrong and give good examples of their own for the Bodhi Tree, based on the Buddhist faith. They learn to reflect on their own actions and explain that the word means to think. Through their visit to Durham Cathedral, Year 2 pupils learn about Christian worship and traditions. This is reinforced by their study of Saint Catherine Church At Fishburn, where they are shown the different parts such as the font, pulpit and the lectern. When discussing the ceremony of Baptism, the pupils begin to understand Christian rituals. They begin to appreciate that baptism welcomes people into

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5 At Key Stage 2, the pupils build on the understanding of the Christian faith. Year 6 pupils learn about Christian symbols and rituals such as Communion and Confirmation. They begin to appreciate that the Bible guides people’s lives and write that ‘it can bring peace to their minds’. The pupils with special educational needs make sound progress in both key stages.

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6 The pupils’ response in lessons is good throughout the school. Younger pupils at Key Stage 1 listen with rapt attention to the story of the Bodhi Tree and sit completely still when asked to reflect about their own actions and the effect of these on others. The pupils at Year 2 ask for clarification of words that they do not understand and show reflection in their answers. At Key Stage 2, younger pupils offer observation and ideas on the meaning of the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Older pupils work well in pairs when required and in Year 6, the pupils look intently at different types of Bibles. They make reference to King James when talking about the different versions of the Bible. Throughout the school, the pupils behave well in lessons and show interest when asked to reason and to reflect on what they hear. They settle quickly to their written tasks and share ideas and resources courteously.

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7 The teaching of religious education is satisfactory at both key stages, with some very good lessons observed. Where lessons were good, these were characterised by careful planning and activities to make the pupils think and reflect on important issues of life. These lessons were delivered at a brisk pace with the teachers posing challenging questions and building on the pupils’ answers to deepen their understanding. The teachers value all the pupils’ contributions and show that these are respected. In some lessons, the pupils’ understanding and subsequent progress is slower particularly where pupils are provided with too few opportunities to reflect on own ideas and to articulate these in discussions. In both key stages, the teachers’ subject knowledge is good and appropriate plans drawn up to teach topics outlined in the agreed syllabus progressively. Written work is set which meets all pupils’ literacy needs

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and test understanding of lessons taught. The teachers use appropriate vocabulary to help the pupils to understand religious terms. Good examples were observed when the teachers talked to the pupils about meditation and christening at Key Stage 1, or about acolytes during services in churches at Key Stage 2. The pupils are given good opportunities to practise their literacy skills throughout the school.

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8 The curriculum for religious education follows the Agreed Syllabus for Durham and meets statutory requirements. Progression and continuity of learning are assured through the planning which is monitored by the headteacher but not the coordinator. At present, her role is not fully developed; monitoring is undertaken informally and sampling of work is not undertaken regularly. Nevertheless, her leadership for the subject is good. She has been able to rectify weaknesses identified in the last report. There is no formal assessment of religious education but the pupils’ knowledge and understanding is recorded and noted in reports, which are full and informative. The subject contributes well to the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, particularly where reflection and empathy are encouraged in lessons. While collective worship fulfils the legal requirements, opportunities for the

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pupils’ spiritual development are missed. Assemblies often lack a spiritual dimension and a sense of occasion, when the pupils can reflect on their own and other people’s experiences, to deepen their spiritual insights or to consider life’s fundamental questions. The school has adequate resources and artefacts for the subject. They are organised well according to religions. These are supplemented on a loan basis from the Durham learning Resource Centre. There are visits for Key Stage 1 pupils only. As yet, there are no visitors to enhance the pupils’ learning, apart from the local vicar. Opportunities are therefore lost to introduce the pupils to other religions and practices at first hand. The use of information technology to support the subject has been insufficiently explored.

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1 Lesson observation plus scrutiny of art work in classrooms and around the school indicate that standards of attainment in art at Key Stage 1 are good and are above that normally expected of pupils of a similar age. This is an improvement on the last inspection when attainment was deemed to be sound. Standards of attainment at Key Stage 2 are likewise good, and sometimes very good. Increased opportunities at both key stages for pupils to explore the works of recognised artists, and to use their style and techniques as a stimulus for their own work has contributed to the progress made by pupils since the last inspection.

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2 At Key Stage 1, the pupils in the reception class develop good pencil control skills, and produce clear discernible pictures of the three bears in crayon. In Year 1, the pupils are able to use parts of their fingers and hands in the creation of printed pictures and abstract patterns. Progress is made in this particular technique in Year 2 when the pupils move on to produce some imaginative print work using leaves, half vegetables, and junk materials. Progress in the subject at Key Stage 1 is enhanced by the teachers’ very good preparation prior to lessons and the clear instructions given at the beginning.

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3 At Key Stage 2, the pupils in Years 3 and 4 produce imaginative abstract designs, using their own templates, whilst the pupils in Year 5 display good observational skills as they draw a range of exotic fruit, using white pencils, crayons and pastels.

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4 Work around school indicates that pupils are provided with the opportunity to consolidate and make progress in an imaginative range of media, skills and techniques. The pupils draw, paint, produce collage work, weave, make tapestries, engage in computer generated patterns and work with air-dried clay. The pupils at Key Stage 1 make progress in painting, through their study of the works of William Morris and Van Gogh, whilst the pupils at Key Stage 2 explore the paintings of Mondrian and other artists in the creation of their own pictures and abstract paintings. All pupils, including those with special educational needs make good progress in the subject.

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5 The pupils’ response to their artwork at both key stages is good. They stay on task and display real enthusiasm for the work they are involved in. This is a significant factor in the progress made. The pupils work independently, yet support each other in their efforts. The pupils at both key stages use materials and art instruments in a safe and sensible manner, and take real pride in their finished pieces of work.

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6 The quality of teaching in is good at both key stages. Lessons are well prepared and organised. The teachers in both key stages are secure in their subject knowledge, and provide the pupils with a range of imaginative art activities. The teachers encourage the pupils to extend themselves, and provide good individual support whenever necessary. Opportunities are provided to share and celebrate achievement at the end of lessons.

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7 The good quality artwork on display around the school makes a positive contribution towards the welcoming atmosphere and overall ethos of the school.

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1 Very few lessons were observed in design and technology. Evidence was drawn from scrutiny of the pupils’ completed work, photographs, work displayed around the school, the teachers’ planning and discussions with staff and pupils.

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2 All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress and attain appropriately for their ages. The school has maintained standards since the last inspection.

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3 At Key Stage 1, the pupils acquire a variety of skills, which they use well. For example, they plan, design and construct a model of the school building using a variety of materials. They develop the skills of measuring, cutting and fixing using appropriate adhesives and joints. They make sound progress in food technology. There are appropriate links with other subjects, notably English, mathematics, history and geography. When designing Fishburn School buildings, Year 2 pupils successfully move from the planning stage to completing the model. They evaluate their designs and make adjustments where necessary.

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4 By the end of Key Stage 2, the pupils are successfully developing their skills as they design and make their menu using different folding techniques. The pupils make critical appraisals of what they have done and seek ways to improve these. For example, they modify their lettering to fit the purpose, and ensure that these can be attractively accommodated on their menu sheets. They combine their lists with ‘healthy eating’ and make very good use of their literacy skills of spelling in making lists or producing eye catching names such as ‘Pasta Palace’ or ‘Salad Surprise’ to their cafes and restaurants. There are displays around the school which show that pupils have opportunities to develop and practise their skills in a variety of ways. There are good examples of weaving, textile work and embroidery using a variety of threads and fabrics. These are often linked successfully with other subjects. From their field studies,

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pupils make attractive wood sculptures; Year 2 pupils represent Boudicca and the Romans in a collaborative collage; Year 6 pupils design and make portraits of Queen Elizabeth I using a variety of suitable materials to represent the richness of Tudor Court clothes.

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5 The pupils are enthusiastic about their work and are often excited and eager to get on as exemplified in Year 5 where the pupils researched Tudor theatres before proceeding to plan and design their own interpretation of these. They put forward ideas and suggestions thoughtfully and confidently, listening to one another with appropriate respect for the opinion of others. Very good teamwork was seen at both key stages, with the pupils sharing resources and ideas amicably. They are involved in their activities, concentrate for long periods and take pride in their finished products. Throughout the school, the pupils are well aware of safety procedures when using tools.

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6 The quality of teaching is satisfactory with some good teaching observed at both key stages. Where lessons were particularly effective, the teachers used challenging questions to draw out the pupils’ thinking. There was useful pressure of time without rushing construction process. The teachers give clear instructions for pupils to follow which include reminders on safety matters. Recently, more effective planning, policy and schemes of work have helped to raise standards of provision and work. The teachers ensure that the pupils use their literacy skills for recording stages of the design process, for evaluating and for communication purposes. They have appropriate expectations of the pupils’ attainment and ensure that the elements of design and evaluation of the work have appropriate emphasis. As a result, pupils as young as Year 1, record and list their materials, appraise their designs and make adjustments as

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necessary. There is collaborative planning between teachers and assistants, which helps the pupils to make better progress.

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7 The headteacher has recently taken on the role of coordinator. In conjunction with consultation with the staff, he has revised the policy and the schemes of work; these ensure that processes and skills are taught at appropriate stages and successfully encourage cross curricular links wherever possible so that the work in design and technology has a specific purpose. Recent staff meetings have been used to disseminate the revised long term plans and guidance. These successfully support the teachers’ planning and ensure that there is continuity and progression in the subject. The resources in the school to support design and technology are adequate for meeting the needs of the curriculum. 147 Geography

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1 Standards in geography are broadly in line with those expected for the majority of pupils at both key stages. The pupils make satisfactory progress overall, including those with special educational needs. Standards in the subject have been broadly maintained since 1995, the time of the last inspection.

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2 At Key Stage 1, pupils in the reception class are quick to explore the nature of routes and show increasing awareness of natural and man made features when they illustrate the route taken by a bear during an imaginary story in which he became lost. Later, older children explore and map out the routes they follow to school. Very young pupils are able to give appropriate descriptions as to how they would travel to reach different points in the junior end of the school. Year 1 pupils make good progress in their growing awareness of people who help us, while Year 2 pupils make sound progress in their attempts to discover their own village and begin to use a good range of words in order to compare it with other environments. The pupils at Key Stage 2 also study India and look at the differences between arable and dairy farming. There is some lack of progressive skills taught at parts of Key Stage 1, with some of the topics being very

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wide-ranging and emphasising knowledge rather than skills.

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3 At Key Stage 2, Year 3 pupils make good strides in their knowledge of town and village amenities and study such widely differing topics as the English canal system and the Durham coalfields of the past. Most show sound retention of what they learn. In Year 5, pupils make steady gains in their regional studies, progressing onto comparisons between India and England and making studies and comments about environmental issues such as the vanishing rain forests. The topic for the upper school during inspection week was centred on Brazil and a few pupils had already carried out some of their own useful research, although this was by no means consistent.

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4 The subject is not given sufficient, progressive coverage for pupils to make consistently good progress, although pockets of this do occur, particularly at Key Stage 2. However, the framework for geographical knowledge and understanding offered by the school is sufficient for satisfactory progress to occur. The pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress overall, but some of the tasks set in the subject are too demanding in terms of reading or writing skills and would best be modified to ensure even better progress. Pupils also lack a programme of progressive skills, such as those likely to increase their mapping experiences and abilities to interpret data from atlases and elsewhere.

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5 The response of the pupils is satisfactory. Their books show a good range of largely finished work and much of it is accurate, if a little untidy. In the lessons observed, the pupils showed mainly good speaking and debating skills and expressed considerable interest in the subject.

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6 The quality of the teaching is satisfactory at both key stages. The teachers show sound subject knowledge and particular skills in the planning of lessons and in the management of pupils. There are however weaknesses in assessment with little yet being carried out in this area. The teachers also miss out some valuable opportunities to bring geography into the wider curriculum, particularly in history. There are some good teaching initiatives currently under way such as the school’s link with an American school that bears almost the same name.

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7 The curriculum for geography has undergone some changes resulting in a lack of time to develop some of the progressive skills mentioned earlier. There is however, a real determination by the school to maintain and even improve standards in the subject and the new coordinator is seeking ways in which this can be done. The resources for geography are satisfactory in terms of the topics studied by the school, but there is a need to increase the range of information books, including the addition of some depicting different cultures, in order to allow more independent research by older and higher attaining pupils.

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154 History 1 Standards in history are above those expected for the majority of pupils in both key stages. The pupils make good progress overall, including those with special educational needs. History is a strength of the school curriculum and standards of attainment and teaching have continued to improve since the last inspection.

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2 By the end of Key Stage 1, the pupils experience good coverage in a range of meaningful topics and show good standards of recall and understanding. History is introduced into other areas of their curriculum and they have a good grasp of historical concepts such as chronology and the influence of important people and events on our lives today. In Years 1 and 2, pupils are fascinated by studies of the history of their own school. They use photographs and other evidence in a mature way to help them compare and contrast ‘then and now.’ Their studies are greatly helped by a fascinating range of artefacts including old school furniture, work slates, inkwells and abacus frames, which they observe and handle at first hand, and then draw and write about. Other pupils are able to comment on the impact of the passing of time on themselves, by studying baby photographs and toddler clothes. Towards the end of the key stage, the

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pupils make more traditional studies of historical periods and events and show a good grasp of life in the Middle Ages, Guy Fawkes, Victorian and modern kitchens and aspects of the Norman period.

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3 By the end of Key Stage 2, there has again been good coverage of a range of topics and the pupils’ historical appreciation has increased. Many know the major sources of historical evidence and understand that not everything written about the past is true. Whilst there is a need for more individual research by the pupils, their notebooks indicate good levels of recorded work supported by careful illustrations. During the inspection, there was good emphasis on the Elizabethan and Tudor periods with pupils making detailed studies of the great explorers and events such as the Armada. The work completed by Key Stage 2 pupils on aspects of post war Britain and of past mining activities in the Fishburn district were particularly impressive.

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4 The pupils at both key stages make good gains in knowledge and understanding mainly because of the progressive way in which the subject is covered, coupled with their own and the teacher’s enthusiasm for work they undertake. Progress is particularly good in relation to the pupils’ sense of chronology and their use of terms relating to the passing of time. Considerable time is spent studying history with the result that most pupils have an increasing range and depth to their historical knowledge and understanding. There is also a sound range of methods by which the pupils record their work, but they have insufficient opportunities to write imaginatively in the subject, thereby increasing their literacy skills to other areas of the curriculum. The response of the pupils is good. They are very interested in their topics and become enthusiastic about almost all their learning, particularly when asked to study from

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5 The quality of teaching is good at both key stages. The teachers are very comfortable with and interested in the subject and their own enthusiasms are readily passed onto the pupils. The use of learning resources is a particular strength of almost all teaching as is the overall planning and organisation of the work at classroom level. Some particularly effective teaching occurs at Key Stage 2, which results in the pupils producing exercise books and topic folders full of information. Although worksheets are used, this is one subject where they are used only to support the pupils’ individual recordings.

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6 The subject is well led by an experienced coordinator who is anxious that standards in history continue to rise. To this end, the policy and scheme of work have undergone regular revision and there is very good coverage of the programmes of study originally prescribed by the National Curriculum. Although not organised in a consistent manner throughout the school, assessments in history are satisfactory and used appropriately to inform the future learning of the pupils. Resources for history are good in some areas, particularly the use made of the loan service for artefacts. The school could usefully increase its stock of research material including computer software in order to encourage more individual research by older pupils.

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160 Music 1 Observation of a limited numbers of lessons indicate that standards of attainment at both key stages are broadly average and in line with that expected of pupils of a similar age. The pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress in both key stages. Whilst the school has maintained standards since the last inspection, the limited range of musical instruments in the school inhibits progress and the school’s ability to fully respond to all aspects of the National Curriculum for music.

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2 The pupils in Year 1 are able to consider their bodies as a musical instrument. This is linked to the classes overall topic work on ‘My Body’. They are able to click tongues, pat cheeks, clap hands, and pat parts of their body in time to a regular beat, before moving on to use these skills in the exploration of the theme of ‘Stars’. The pupils enjoy singing simple songs they have learned in the past, and are able to add new ones to their repertoire. The pupils in Year 2 display simple yet effective musical appreciation skills as they identify patterns in music. They are able identify simple changes in beat, tempo, timbre and texture, though they do not use this particular vocabulary. The pupil’s progress in the subject at Key Stage 1 is very much influenced by the high expectations that the teachers have of the pupils.

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3 In Years 3 and 4, the pupils are able to identify two, three and four beats to the bar, in the beating out of individual pupils’ names. The pupils come to appreciate the importance of beat in early American black music and are able to reinforce this knowledge by the singing and miming of early American railway songs. This active approach introduced by the teacher, is an important factor in the pupils’ progress and understanding during the lesson. The pupils in Year 6 continue to extend their knowledge of the importance of beat through the exploration of African songs. The pupils are able to accompany their singing with a simple range of untuned percussion instruments. The pupils in both key stages are provided with the opportunity to practice hymns and songs and sing them at assemblies.

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4 The pupils’ response to music at both key stages is good. They listen to the teachers and are eager to respond to their questions. The pupils display real pleasure in their involvement in practical musical activities, and sing with real enthusiasm.

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5 Whilst not always specialists, the quality of the teaching in the subject is good. The teachers use the commercial scheme of work in an effective way, and are able to interpret it in a personal manner in order to fit the needs of the pupils in their class. The lessons are well paced and challenging. The teachers demonstrate good classroom management and control and have good relationships with their pupils.

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6 The school is fortunate in having a designated music room, there is a recorder group, and the school provides a peripatetic teacher for those pupils studying violin. The subject makes a positive contribution to the pupils’ cultural development, through its exploration of music from around the world. Whilst the commercial scheme of work adopted by the school provides an effective means of extending the pupils’ progress in the subject, the limited range of musical instruments in school inhibits the pupils’ ability to fully respond to the requirements for pupils to perform and compose their own work, as set out in the requirements of the music curriculum. This issue was referred to in the previous report.

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1 Whilst it was only possible to observe a limited number of lessons, those observed indicate that the standard of attainment at both key stages is good and just above that normally expected of pupils of a similar age. This is an improvement on the previous report when it was judged that standards in Key Stage 1 were broadly in line with expectations, and that the standard of attainment in over half of lessons in Key Stage 2 were below that expected of pupils of a similar age. Much of this improvement has come about through the introduction of a detailed scheme of work which sets clear targets in each aspect of the physical education curriculum, and makes planned provision for progress across years and both key stages. The introduction of this scheme of work also addresses the issue of a need for a coordinated programme of work for physical education referred to in the last inspection report.

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2 The pupils make good progress at Key Stage 1. In Year 1, the pupils demonstrate spatial awareness, they are aware others around them and are able to plan a simple sequence of floor exercises using both hands and feet. The pupils in Year 2 display good hand and eye coordination as they throw and catch beanbags with both hands. The pupils are aware of the needs for a warm up session at the beginning of the lesson, and opportunities to wind down before returning to the classroom. Progress at Key Stage 1 is influenced by the teachers’ use of praise, which gives the pupil’s confidence to carry out the activities that they are involved in.

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3 The pupils in Years 3 and 4 demonstrate the ability to explore the space around them, and the means by which they can use their bodies in a series of jumping exercises. The pupils then make progress by putting together a sequence of jumping activities, both at floor level, and over a number of small and medium scale equipment. In Year 5, the pupils in a swimming lesson focus on the correct use of arm and leg actions in the front crawl. The majority of pupils achieve the required standard in swimming by the end of Key Stage 2. In Year 6, the pupils display the ability to focus on bounce pass skills, appropriate to basketball and netball, and how they can be enhanced by using them in paired and small group activities. The good progress in individual lessons is very much influenced by the good self discipline shown by the pupils, and a wish to improve their skills. The teachers likewise contribute to progress in individual

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lessons, through planned opportunities to repeat and refine specific skills.

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4 The pupils at both key stages, approach their physical education lessons in a very positive manner. They listen quietly to instructions and carry them out in a safe and sensible manner. The pupils take pleasure in demonstrating their skills to the rest of the class and wish to please their teachers. The pupils at both key stages are aware of the needs of others and treat all equipment in a safe and sensible manner.

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5 The quality of the teaching at both key stages is good. All teachers are confident in their ability to deliver all aspects of the physical education curriculum. The lessons are well planned, with clear learning objectives made known to the pupils. The lessons are well paced and challenging, and provide the pupils with the opportunity to improve their skills and performance. Instructions are clear and precise with appropriate emphasis on health and safety. The teachers make effective use of demonstration, both by themselves and by the pupils. The teachers use the end of the lesson well, to calm down the class and to review what the pupils have learned.

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172 All pupils have equality of access to all sporting activities, and the school provides the pupils with opportunities to take part in a good range of extra curricular sporting activities, inter school competitions and festivals. As well as progress in individual lessons, examination of the good, detailed scheme of work used by the school, indicates planned opportunities for the pupils to repeat and reinforce previously learned skills and to use them in a different context or activity. Good provision for the subject, both in terms of accommodation, including a swimming pool, and good resources, makes a positive contribution to the pupils’ progress in the subject. 172 PART C: INSPECTION DATA

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INSPECTION EVIDENCE

The school was inspected in the week beginning 4 th October 1999 by a team of five inspectors, one of whom was a lay inspector, and was in the school for a total of 19 inspector days. The main evidence considered by the inspection team for the report was gathered from:

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INSPECTION EVIDENCE

• 60.8 hours of direct observation of teaching and learning which included 86 lessons or parts of lessons covering children under five in the nursery and reception classes and all classes at Key Stages 1 and 2, including pupils identified as having Special Educational Needs; • assemblies and a number of both morning and afternoon registration sessions; • listening to at least three pupils from each year group read and checking pre-reading and reading skills of children under five in the nursery and reception classes; • 8 hours of scrutiny of a wide range of previous and current samples of pupils’ work from each year group; • discussions with pupils to establish levels of knowledge and understanding; • discussions with the headteacher, staff, governors, parents and a number of other adults; • a scrutiny of a full range of documentation including the School Development Plans over four years, policy documents, curriculum planning, the previous inspection report and action plan and other school

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INSPECTION EVIDENCE

documents; • an examination of attendance records, budget statements, teachers’ planning, records of pupils’ attainment and reports to parents; • a meeting held by the registered inspector and attended by 11 parents shortly before the inspection. The team also considered the responses made by parents in 19 questionnaires and letters and comments that accompanied these questionnaires and letters received separately.

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174 DATA AND INDICATORS

· Pupil data Number of pupils on roll (full-time equivalent) Number of pupils with statements of SEN Number of pupils on school’s register of SEN Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals YR – Y6 223 2 36 36 Nursery Unit/School 19 0 0 0

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174 DATA AND INDICATORS

· Qualified teachers (YR – Y6) Total number of qualified teachers (full-time equivalent): 9 Number of pupils per qualified teacher: 24.78

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174 DATA AND INDICATORS

· Education support staff (YR - Y6) Total number of education support staff: 4 Total aggregate hours worked each week: 132

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Qualified teachers (Nursery class)

Total number of qualified teachers (full-time equivalent): 1 Number of pupils per qualified teacher: 18.5

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Education support staff (Nursery class)

Total number of education support staff: 1 Total aggregate hours worked each week: 33

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Education support staff (Nursery class)

Average class size: 27.88 · Financial data

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Education support staff (Nursery class)

£ Total Income 372859.00 Total Expenditure 369015.00 Expenditure per pupil 1317.91 Balance brought forward from previous year 35362.00 Balance carried forward to next year 39206.00

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Education support staff (Nursery class)

Due to the very small number of questionnaires returned the table analysing these responses has not been included. The views expressed were confirmed in discussion with parents at the meeting and during the inspection. The parents were almost universally positive about the school, and particularly appreciated the approachability of the school and that their children liked school. They also believe that the school enables their children to achieve a good standard of work and encourages positive attitudes and values in their children. The parents were less happy with the information they received about their child’s progress, and levels of homework. The view of the inspection team is that reports give parents a clear picture of how their children are progressing and that levels of homework are satisfactory. Apart from this, the judgements of the inspection team agreed with all these views.

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