Newport Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School

Newport C. E. Junior School

Unique Reference Number: 123489 Inspection Number: 187940

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Newport C. E. Junior School

Dates of inspection: 22 nd - 25 th November 1999

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Newport C. E. Junior School

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

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Newport C. E. Junior School

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. 0171 421 6567 i

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Avenue Road Newport Shropshire TF10 7EA

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr. Malcolm Miles

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: February 1996 ii

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alan Fullwood (Registered Inspector) History; Physical education. Attainment and progress; Teaching; Leadership and management. Michael Romano (Lay Inspector) Attitudes, behaviour and personal development; Attendance; Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare; Partnership with parents and the community; Staffing, accommodation and learning resources. Alan Beake (Team Member) English; Religious education; Art; Equal opportunities. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Jenny Clayphan (Team Member) Mathematics; Geography; Information technology; Design and technology. Efficiency.

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mary Hamby (Team Member) Science; Music; Special educational needs. Curriculum and assessment.

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Westminster Education Consultants Old Garden House The Lanterns Bridge Lane London SW11 3AD 0171 924 1093

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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 iii

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INTRODUCTION

Characteristics of the school 1-3 Key indicators 4

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Educational standards achieved by pupils at the school

Attainment and progress 5-13 Attitudes, behaviour and personal development 14-16 Attendance 17

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Quality of education provided

Teaching 18-27 The curriculum and assessment 28-38 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 39-43 Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare 44-52 Partnership with parents and the community 53-62

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The management and efficiency of the school

Leadership and management 63-69 Staffing, accommodation and learning resources 70-75 The efficiency of the school 76-83 iv

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PART C: INSPECTION DATA

Data and indicators 178 Newport C. E. Controlled Junior

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What the school does well

• . Pupils attain above average standards in English, mathematics and science. • . Teaching is good or better in a half of lessons seen. • . The provision made for pupils with learning difficulties and the good support they are given, including the high quality support from well-motivated learning support assistants. • . The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils is very good. • . Has established a very positive ethos where pupils behave responsibly, have good attitudes to learning and enjoy very good relationships with staff and each other

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What the school does well

I. There are no significant weaknesses. However, there are a few minor weaknesses which are addressed in the main report.

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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.

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what the school does well but they will form the basis of the governors’ action plan,

· How the school has improved since the last inspection

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what the school does well but they will form the basis of the governors’ action plan,

The school had a good report in 1996. Since that time it has made good progress in addressing the few issues mentioned in the last report. Very good procedures for monitoring coverage of the National Curriculum involve all staff. The headteacher has introduced successful measures to ensure that monitoring is now a strong feature of the school. Regular subject audits effectively inform teachers about how well the pupils are doing, and point to any shortcomings in curriculum provision. A programme of whole-school training in the teaching of music and physical education has been implemented successfully, with consequent improvement in the quality of teaching by non-specialists in these subjects. The school has not as yet provided training in the gymnastic aspect of physical education and some weaknesses in teaching still remain in this area. Standards of attainment in English, mathematics and science have improved with or exceeded the rise in national averages since

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what the school does well but they will form the basis of the governors’ action plan,

the last inspection, and standards in mathematics overall have improved. Standards in other subjects have also been maintained. Pupils’ attainment in religious education has improved. Although the school now has a larger percentage of pupils with special educational needs, especially pupils with formal Statements of Special Educational Need, the school’s provision for these pupils has improved and is very good. The school knows where it is and what it needs to do to improve still further, and is well placed to reach the goals it has set for itself in fulfilling its mission statement: ‘Excellence - our aim’. Newport C. E. Controlled Junior

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Standards in subjects

This 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 · Ab ove average B · Average C · Below average D Well below average E English B B Mathematics C C Science B B

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similar schools

The above table shows that pupils’ attainment in the 1999 national tests in English and science was above average when compared to other schools across the country, and also when compared to schools with a similar intake to that of Newport. Pupils’ attainment in mathematics was average. Evidence from the inspection indicates that attainment is above average in all three subjects and that pupils make good progress in these subjects. Attainment in information technology is average and pupils make satisfactory progress. Pupils make satisfactory progress in achieving average standards of work in design and technology, geography, history, music and physical education. Pupils make good progress in achieving above average standards of work in art and religious education.

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similar schools

English Good Mathematics Good Science Good Information technology - Religious education Satisfactory Other subjects Satisfactory

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similar schools

The quality of teaching is good overall but varies from very good to unsatisfactory. It was satisfactory or better in 97 per cent of lessons, of which 40 per cent was good and 10 per cent very good. Teaching was unsatisfactory in 3 per cent of lessons. Teaching is particularly good in the Year 6 classes. Teachers are hard working and committed, and they enjoy very good relationships with their pupils based on mutual respect.

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similar schools

Significant strengths of teaching are, the consistently good management of pupils, the quality Newport C. E. Controlled Junior and use of teacher’s day to day assessments, and the generally good subject knowledge they have. English, mathematics, science and music are especially well taught. The teaching of literacy and numeracy skills is good, as is the teaching of pupils with special needs. Pupils’ work is regularly marked and homework is satisfactorily used to consolidate, and sometimes extend, what pupils have learned at school.

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similar schools

No lessons in information technology were observed during the inspection and therefore no judgement can be made about the quality of teaching in this subject.

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similar schools

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

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour Very good; pupils are well behaved in lessons and around the school. Attendance Good; attendance rates are above the national averages. Pupils are punctual. Ethos* Very good; pupils have very good attitudes to learning and have very good relationships with one another and staff. There is a commitment to high achievement. Leadership and management The school is very well led and managed; teaching and learning are well monitored. The headteacher has a clear educational direction for the future development of the school. Curriculum Good; teachers’ planning is good and good use is made of assessment to plan future work. The brevity of lessons in music and physical education sometimes limits pupils’ progress. Pupils with special educational needs Very good; pupils with learning difficulties are given good support and make good progress. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good; the school maintains a strong Christian ethos.

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Aspect Comment

Staffing, resources and accommodation Good; resources are at least satisfactory and often good. High quality displays create a stimulating learning environment. Value for money Good; the school provides a good quality education and pupils’ attainment is above average in English, mathematics and science.

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Aspect Comment

*Ethos is the climate for learning: attitudes to work, relationships and the commitment to high standards. Newport C. E. Controlled Junior

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

II. The progress their children make and the standards they achieve III. The attitudes and values which the school promotes IV. The good standard of pupils’ behaviour V. They feel welcome in the school VI. Staff are approachable VII. Their children enjoy coming to school VIII. A few parents were concerned at the

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

IX. At the pre-inspection meeting a generally h about the school’s homework policy X. A few parents would like more taught during the term.

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

Inspectors’ judgements support parents’ positive views. Through a questionnaire sent out to parents during the last term when consulting about the home/school agreement, the school has made careful analysis of the responses and is using these findings to further develop its relationship with parents. Inspectors are concerned that no parents had been willing to be nominated for election to the governing body over the last three years. Newport C. E. Controlled Junior

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

There are no key issues for the school to address but, in the context of its many strengths, the following minor points for improvement should be considered as the basis for an action plan by the governors, headteacher and staff:

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

*. review the curriculum organisation for music and physical education so that the length of lessons does not limit the progress that pupils make; (Paragraphs: 23, 29,)

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

*. Improve some teachers’ confidence and knowledge in teaching gymnastics by sharing the good practice seen in other lessons, in order to achieve consistency of quality in teaching; (Paragraphs: 24, 169)

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

*. Improve the quality of teaching in the minority of lessons where teachers’ introductions and explanations are too long and pupils’ pace of work is slow; (Paragraph: 16) Newport C. E. Controlled Junior * INTRODUCTION

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

1.The school is located near the centre of the town of Newport in Shropshire. There are 378 pupils on roll. Currently there are more boys than girls. The school has grown since the last inspection and there are now 12 classes, three in each year group. Housing in the area consists of approximately two-thirds privately owned, owner occupied housing and one-third local authority rented accommodation. Approximately 10 per cent of the pupils live outside the catchment area of the school and a below average percentage of pupils come from ethnic minority backgrounds.

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

2.There are 74 pupils on the school’s register of pupils with special educational needs, of whom 14 pupils have Formal Statements of Special Educational Need. The number of pupils with statements is more than twice the national average, and is much higher than the number in the school at the time of the last inspection. The attainment of the pupils on admission to the school is average. Thirty-five pupils are currently entitled to free school meals, which is below the national average.

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

3.The school’s mission statement is “Excellence – our aim.” The school has a broad set of aims that seek to develop the pupils academically, socially, physically and spiritually. The main developments in the school development plan are: to continue to develop provision for the literacy hour; to implement the National Numeracy strategy; to continue raising pupils’ achievements by the use of target setting and focussed group work. Newport C. E. Controlled Junior

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4. Key indicators

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 Year Boys Girls Total for latest reporting year: 1999 55 35 90

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4. Key indicators

4. National Curriculum Test Results English Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 41 35 47 at NC Level 4 or Girls 27 27 29 Above Total 68 62 76 Percentage at NC School 76(64) 70(53) 85(76) Level 4 or above National 70(65) 69(59) 78(69)

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4. Key indicators

4. Teacher Assessments English Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 41 41 46 at NC Level 4 or Girls 28 29 29 Above Total 69 70 75 Percentage at NC School 77(70) 78(78) 83(80) Level 4 or above National 68(65) 69(65) 75(72)

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4. Key indicators

1 Percentages in parentheses refer to the year before the latest reporting year Newport C. E. Controlled Junior

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Attendance

Percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year: % Authorised School 4.47 Absence National comparative data 5.7 Unauthorised School 0.2 Absence National comparative data 0.5

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4. Exclusions

Number of exclusions of pupils (of statutory school age) during the previous year: Number Fixed period 1 Permanent 0

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4. Quality of teaching

Percentage of teaching observed which is: % Very good or better 10 Satisfactory or better 97 Less than satisfactory 3 Newport C. E. Controlled Junior

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4. Attainment and progress

4.The attainment of the pupils on entry to the school, although wide ranging, is average. While at the school, pupils attain above average standards in English, mathematics and science. The high proportion of good quality teaching in these subjects, especially in Year 6, ensures that pupils make good progress. Standards of attainment in other subjects are average, except for art where standards of work are good. Pupils’ attainment in religious education is above the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus.

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4. Attainment and progress

5.Within English, pupils’ attainment in speaking, listening, reading and writing is above average. By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils listen well and are confident speakers. They listen well to other pupils’ ideas and opinions and are able to express their own thoughts clearly. Higher attaining pupils give extended answers to teachers’ questions. Pupils read both fiction and non-fiction books with understanding and are fluent and expressive in reading aloud. They are able to find relevant information in reference books, making good use of the library to carry out independent research. In their writing pupils use punctuation well and write neatly in a range of formats, including stories, poems, letters and reports. The standard of their presentation is high. Pupils select words carefully and show awareness of audience in their work. Pupils’ developing literacy skills are applied well in other curriculum areas, such

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4. Attainment and progress

as science and history. The results of the 1999 end of Key Stage 2 national tests show pupils’ attainment to be above the national average when compared to all schools, and also to schools which take their pupils from similar backgrounds. There was no significant variation in attainment between boys and girls. Test results over the last three years show pupils’ attainment to have risen from being in line with national averages to being above them. Evidence from the inspection confirms that standards in English are above average at the end of Key Stage 2. The school has continued to raise standards in English since the last inspection, and has paid equal and successful attention to reading, writing, speaking and listening. Progress in English is good across the whole of the key stage. Good progress is noticeable in most lessons, and there is very good progress in Year 6. The above average standards noted at the time of the last inspection have been maintained.

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4. Attainment and progress

6.In mathematics, by the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment is above average. The 1999 national tests showed that pupils’ attainment was close to the national average when compared either to all schools nationally, or to similar schools. Over the last three years pupils’ attainment has kept in line with the national average in 1996 and 1997 but fell below it in 1998. Girls outperform boys but the gap is not significant. Evidence from the inspection indicates that the attainment of the present group of Year 6 pupils is above average. Pupils show a good understanding of the four rules of number and place value when carrying out ‘problem solving’ work and use a variety of different written methods when neatly recording their work. They record numbers as decimals, fractions or percentages. Pupils have a good knowledge of tables and mental addition and subtraction facts. They can measure angles

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4. Attainment and progress

accurately, work out the area of different shapes, and carry out mental calculations quickly. Pupils have a sound understanding of data handling and make appropriate use of graphs and charts in their work. Pupils of all abilities make steady, Newport C. E. Controlled Junior and sometimes good progress across the key stage. Their progress in Year 6 is good. Progress mirrors the quality of teaching in lessons. Pupils with special educational needs are extremely well supported and make good progress over time. Pupils’ numeracy skills are used well in other curriculum subjects, notably science and design technology. The above average standards in numeracy noted at the time of the last inspection have been maintained and standards in mathematics have improved overall.

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4. Attainment and progress

7.In science, pupils’ attainment is above the national average and this is confirmed by the results of the national tests in 1999. Over the last three years, the school's results have been above average. By the end of the key stage, pupils acquire a good understanding of the physical, chemical and natural processes in the world around them. They know about natural forces such as gravity; understand parallel and series electrical circuits, and understand that the properties of everyday materials. Pupils make good progress in their knowledge and understanding of the different aspects of science. They also make good progress in their investigative and experimental science. By the time they leave the school, the pupils are able to identify the main factors in their tests and understand that they must only change one thing at a time in order to see its influence. Most pupils record their observations accurately, and

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4. Attainment and progress

make good use of diagrams and charts when recording their findings. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in the practical aspects of the subject although their ability to record their findings is restricted. There is no significant difference between the achievements of girls and boys. The school has maintained the good standards that were reported at the time of the last inspection.

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4. Attainment and progress

8.By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment in information technology is in line with national expectations and pupils make satisfactory progress. The last report judged standards in information technology to be good in relation to national expectations. Since that date information technology has become a core subject, and considerable progress has been made nationally in raising standards. By the end of the key stage, pupils’ keyboard skills develop appropriately as they combine text and pictures, cut, edit and paste their work independently. They use basic data-handling programs to record their scientific findings using spreadsheets, or to produce graphs and charts in mathematics. Pupils have a sound understanding of control technology as they use Logo programs or enter commands to make a programmable toy follow a given route. Pupils make generally satisfactory progress in acquiring and

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4. Attainment and progress

9.By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment in religious education is above the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of their own and other major world religions develops well as they progress through the school. Pupils demonstrate a good knowledge of Christianity and its main festivals and events. They are aware of the similarities and differences between these and major festivals in other world religions, such as Judaism and Hinduism. Pupils are aware of the nature of symbolism used in religious practice, as when Jesus is represented as the light of the world. Pupils make good progress overall, although progress in the lessons observed was satisfactory. The attainment of the pupils has improved since the time of the last inspection. Newport C. E. Controlled Junior 10.By the end of their time at the school, pupils make sound progress in design and

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4. Attainment and progress

technology, geography, history, music and physical education, and achieve standards normally found in most schools for pupils of their age. Standards of work in art are above those normally found in most schools and pupils make good progress in this subject. In physical education and music, pupils’ progress is limited by the short half-hour sessions that are provided.

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4. Attainment and progress

11.Pupils with special needs make good progress, although their attainment in many subjects is below age-related expectations. Many of the pupils are on the special needs register because of difficulties in reading and writing, and as a consequence, their attainment in English is below average. Their attainment is also below average in subjects that depend on reading for research, or on reading instructions. However, in practical and performance subjects like physical education and art, the pupils reach similar standards to others in the class. They make good progress towards the targets that are set out for them in their individual education plans.

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4. Attainment and progress

12.There are no significant variations in attainment between pupils of different abilities, gender, ethnicity or background. The school exceeded the realistic targets it set for pupils’ overall attainment in English, mathematics and science in 1999.

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4. Attainment and progress

13. Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

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4. Attainment and progress

13.Pupils' attitudes to learning, their behaviour in lessons and their relationships with teachers are very good. They know that expectations of their behaviour are very high, and they generally meet these expectations at playtime, lunchtime and when moving round the school.

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4. Attainment and progress

14.The high standard reported by the last inspection has been improved upon. Relationships, pupils' attitudes, behaviour and personal development are strengths of the school. Pupils have very good attitudes to their work and can concentrate for long periods of time even when lessons are routine. Pupils behave well and successfully respond to the rewards and sanctions that are consistently applied by all staff. Pupils have high self-esteem and confidence in their abilities. They have caring attitudes to one another, enjoy good relationships with adults and their peers. The effective use teachers make of praise and encouragement, and the well- structured personal and social education policy ensures that pupils’ sense of self-worth is well developed. Some pupils have difficulty in managing their behaviour, and are on the register of special educational needs because of this difficulty. The school has good systems in place

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4. Attainment and progress

to ensure that the behaviour of these pupils remains within the bounds of acceptability and pupils’ response is good.

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4. Attainment and progress

15.Pupils value their teachers’ approval, and are proud to receive house points, and headteacher awards. They follow the excellent example set by their teachers in showing respect and courtesy towards one another. Instances of bullying are rare and are effectively dealt with when they do occur. Pupils show initiative in their work, including carrying out projects and research for homework. They also carry out tasks for teachers, including organising resources, transporting registers, operating the overhead projector in assembly, and acting as librarians. Pupils show maturity when carrying out their responsibilities when Newport C. E. Controlled Junior elected to the personal and social education committee, or when assisting staff by recording pupil movement or incidents observed at play and lunchtimes. The very good personal development of the pupils enables them to take advantage of the opportunities provided for

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4. Attainment and progress

them by the school to take responsibility for their own learning, to show initiative and to develop their capacity for personal study.

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4. Attainment and progress

16.Attendance is good; last year it was above the national average, with a low rate of unauthorised absence. This is similar to the attendance level reported by the last inspection. Pupils attend school and lessons on time.

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4. Attainment and progress

17.The quality of teaching is good overall but varies from very good to unsatisfactory. It was satisfactory or better in 97 per cent of lessons, of which 40 percent were good and 10 per cent very good. Teaching was unsatisfactory in 3 per cent of lessons. The teaching of the Year 6 classes is particularly good. The teachers are hard working and committed and enjoy very good relationships with their pupils, based on mutual respect.

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4. Attainment and progress

18.Significant strengths of teaching are: the consistently good management of pupils, the quality and use of teacher’s day to day assessments, and the generally good subject knowledge they have. English, mathematics, science and music are well taught in the majority of classes. Weaknesses in teaching overall are: the overlong introductions in a significant proportion of lessons, and the slow pace of pupils’ work in some subjects, such as history, because of repeated interruptions for the giving of further information by teachers. The good quality of teaching noted at the time of the last inspection has been maintained.

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4. Attainment and progress

19.The teaching of literacy skills is good. Time is allocated each day for literacy lessons and this is well used. Teachers’ good knowledge of the Literacy Framework leads to well planned lessons and generally challenging learning objectives. These are made known to pupils so that they know what they are expected to have achieved at the end of the lesson. Good use is made of the different parts of literacy lessons, including plenary sessions, to achieve the desired learning outcomes. The texts to be studied are chosen carefully, and they closely match pupils’ abilities and interest. Good use is made of informal assessment to plan future lessons, and teachers’ marking is supportive and often shows pupils how they might improve their work. Frequent opportunities are given to pupils to discuss their work, both as a class and in-group work. Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are high,

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4. Attainment and progress

particularly in Year 6. Pupils’ literacy skills are promoted well in other subjects, such as history and religious education. In lessons where teaching is very good, the pace of work is very brisk and more able pupils are given individually challenging extension work. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported. Newport C. E. Controlled Junior 20.The teaching of numeracy skills is good. Time is allocated each day and this is well used. The planning for numeracy lessons is carefully monitored by the mathematics co-ordinator. Mental arithmetic sessions at the start of lessons are of good quality; they effectively challenge pupils’ thinking and extend their knowledge and use of number facts. There is a good pace to lessons and teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Teachers generally have a good knowledge and understanding of the National Numeracy Strategy but this does vary from class to class. Target setting is effectively used to raise

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4. Attainment and progress

individual pupils’ attainment and older pupils are involved in setting their own targets. Good use is made of plenary discussions at the end of lessons to reinforce and sometimes to extend pupils’ understanding. Assessment procedures are used well in most lessons by teachers and support staff. Homework is used to reinforce learning, and is linked to pupils’ targets.

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4. Attainment and progress

21.The teaching of science is good overall and consistently so in Year 6, where the teachers' skilful questioning probes pupils’ understanding and uses their answers to move their learning forward. Teaching is based on good lesson planning and clear learning objectives. A good feature of teaching throughout the school is the emphasis given to promoting pupils’ understanding of scientific processes rather than just increasing their knowledge. A weaker element of the teaching is that some lessons start late, introductions are over long and pupils’ progress is slowed.

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4. Attainment and progress

22.The teaching of music by the co-ordinator is of a consistently high standard. The very good subject knowledge and enthusiastic teaching he displays ensure pupils’ full involvement in their work as they are challenged by the activities he provides. A weakness in music lessons generally is the lack of time to cover all the elements of the lesson effectively. Often pupils do not have sufficient time to practise the skills they have newly acquired. The school’s provision for music is enhanced by the number of pupils who receive small group and individual tuition in a range of orchestral instruments provided by visiting music specialists. This tuition is good and is still a strong feature of the school.

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4. Attainment and progress

23.The teaching of physical education has improved since the time of the last inspection, and the majority of lessons taught are satisfactory. However, not all teachers are confident in teaching the gymnastic aspect of physical education. In some lessons, teachers lack suitable knowledge of the curriculum and do not show pupils how they can improve their performance. The pace of lessons is slow and pupils are inactive for too much of the time.

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4. Attainment and progress

24.The teaching of other subjects is generally satisfactory overall but with a significant proportion of good quality teaching. Teachers have a secure knowledge and understanding of the curriculum and lessons are generally well planned and all have clear learning objectives that are made known to the pupils. In some lessons the pace of work is less brisk, teachers sometimes talk too much and pupils have to listen for inappropriate amounts of time. The time for pupils to complete their work is restricted and learning objectives are less well realised. Occasionally the subject chosen for development is hard for pupils to understand; for example, in studying urban traffic problems in geography. No judgement can be made about the teaching of information technology, as no lessons were observed during the inspection. Newport C. E. Controlled Junior 25.The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good. Teachers and support

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4. Attainment and progress

assistants work well together to ensure that the pupils are kept on track. In lessons, particular care is given to ensure that the assistants know what the aim of the lesson is, and how they can help the pupils to achieve the objectives. The work is matched to the needs of the pupils, and questions are carefully geared to their level of understanding so that they too can make a good contribution to the question and answer sessions at the start of lessons.

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4. Attainment and progress

26.Across the school, teachers generally make effective use of the good assessment procedures that have been established in planning suitably challenging work for pupils of different abilities. Pupils’ work is regularly marked and often contains helpful comments about how they might improve it. Homework is satisfactorily used to consolidate and sometimes extend what pupils have learned at school.

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4. Attainment and progress

27.The school meets statutory requirements for the National Curriculum, and the curriculum for religious education meets the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus. The curriculum is broad and relevant to the pupils' needs. Good links are made between subjects, like mathematics and science, which reinforce key skills such as numeracy. The curriculum promotes the pupils' intellectual, physical and personal development, and prepares them well for secondary education. The school has adopted the national strategies for literacy and numeracy, and these are being successfully implemented throughout the school.

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4. Attainment and progress

28.The school curriculum is balanced in terms of the percentage of time allocated to individual subjects, and this is broadly in line with national guidance. In most subjects the school timetable works well and the pupils make good progress. However, in music and physical education this is not the case. The subjects are taught in half-hourly slots, which are not long enough for the pupils to make the good progress that they might. So much time is used up in getting changed, or walking over to the music bungalow, that too little is available to learn and practise new skills.

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4. Attainment and progress

29.The school has made good progress since the last inspection, which noted that the coverage of the National Curriculum should be monitored. The headteacher has introduced successful measures to ensure that this is done, and monitoring is now a strong feature of the school. Regular subject audits are used to inform the teachers about how well the pupils are doing, and to point up any shortcomings in the provision. These are very well documented, clear, useful, and easily accessible to all staff.

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4. Attainment and progress

30.Planning for the curriculum is good, and is clearly linked to the requirements of the National Curriculum. The planning shows how the various themes and topics are covered within the course of a year, and over the Key Stage as a whole. Most subjects are taught in classes, but there is some setting in English and Mathematics, and some specialist teaching in music. These arrangements are a good feature of the curriculum, and have a beneficial impact on standards. Newport C. E. Controlled Junior 31.There is an effective policy for sex education and drugs education. Provision for personal, social, and health education is good. The pupils are taught life skills that are appropriate to their age, and the deputy headteacher expertly supervises this provision. A good feature of the school's provision is the attention that it gives to citizenship. The pupils are made aware of the world of work and of roles within their community, and they make visits to local places

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4. Attainment and progress

of interest. They have contact with the local elderly residents and take part in celebrations at the parish church.

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4. Attainment and progress

32.A wide range of extra-curricular activities enriches the school curriculum. These are well attended, and include such things as the Reading Club, and the Green Club. The clubs help to develop good social skills, and also make a positive contribution to skills in literacy, and environmental awareness. The school takes part in local competitions for sport and other pursuits, and has been successful in winning many of them.

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4. Attainment and progress

33.All pupils, including the more able, have equal access to the curriculum. Pupils with special educational needs have individual programmes of work, which are of good quality and help them to make good progress, particularly in English and mathematics. A very good aspect of the provision for pupils with special needs is that the teachers and helpers are aware of the targets that the pupils are aiming for, and work together very well for the benefit of the pupils concerned. The school's procedures are fully in line with the recommended Code of Practice.

p.21

4. Attainment and progress

34.Procedures for assessment are very good. The school fulfils its statutory duty to undertake the end-of-key-stage assessments, and also undertakes a range of other standardised tests throughout the school each year. At the end of units of work, in science for example, the pupils are tested to see how much of the work they can remember. The teachers study the results and adjust their plans.

p.21

4. Attainment and progress

35.The teachers make accurate assessments of their pupils. Their understanding of the levels of achievement in the National Curriculum is good, and they keep examples of work, which illustrate the various levels. At the end of each year, the national test papers in English, mathematics and science are analysed to search for trends. Planning is adjusted if necessary in the light of these analyses.

p.21

4. Attainment and progress

36.The teachers keep suitable records to note the progress made by the pupils, and these are used to compile end-of-year reports. Good systems are in place for the transfer of information between classes when the pupils move up in the school, and there is good liaison between the school and the local secondary schools for the transfer of pupil records. Most parents feel that the school keeps them well informed of their children's progress.

p.21

4. Attainment and progress

37.Assessment of pupils with special educational needs is very good. The pupils' progress is regularly monitored by the dedicated team of teachers and support staff under the direction of a highly effective co-ordinator. Regular assessment of the pupils' needs takes place, both formally and informally. The results of the assessments are used to help plan the next steps for the pupils, and the pupils themselves are beginning to be involved in their own assessments. Very good records are kept for the pupils on the register of special educational needs. These are sufficiently detailed to show at a glance what the problems are, and the Newport C. E. Controlled Junior steps that the school has taken to help the pupils.

p.21

4. Attainment and progress

38. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

p.22

4. Attainment and progress

38.Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good overall, and a significant strength of the school. There is a caring and sharing ethos, and good relationships enable pupils to develop positive attitudes towards themselves and others. The very high standards of provision noted at the time of the last inspection have been maintained.

p.22

4. Attainment and progress

39.The provision for pupils’ spiritual development is very good. In lessons, assemblies and through the act of collective worship, pupils learn to understand the values and beliefs of themselves and others. There are significant opportunities for prayer and reflection within the assembly theme, or as part of the story or talk. Religious education plays an important part. For example, an assembly theme introduced the ‘awesome’ nature of God, comparing man- made ‘miracles’, such as the computer, with nature’s flowers, grains of sand, and the changing ‘mood’ of the sea. A Christian message is presented strongly yet simply, and ample opportunity is given for pupils to ponder, consider and reflect upon the theme presented. Spirituality is presented not solely as something specifically Christian, but in terms of care, beauty, friendship and the wonders of the earth.

p.22

4. Attainment and progress

40.Very good provision is made for moral development. Pupils are asked to consider the way in which people behave towards each other. Honesty is encouraged. Shouting and aggression are discouraged. Pupils are asked, “Would you like this to happen to you?” Excellence awards are given to pupils if money is found and handed in, and good use is made of circle time to consider moral issues. A pupils’ personal and social education committee meets weekly, with an elected boy and girl from each class, to discuss issues such as responsibilities and behaviour at breaktime and lunchtime. There are classroom and school rules that are effective. The school has high expectations of behaviour, and the orderly school day includes an impressively quiet, friendly and sociable lunchtime in the hall. The appreciation of good behaviour is reinforced by the headteacher’s and teachers’ use of praise and commendation in assembly and in classrooms.

p.22

4. Attainment and progress

41.Provision for pupils’ social development is very good. Teaching strategies include frequent use of paired and group work during lessons, which are positive in promoting co- operation and respect for others. Senior citizens visit the school at Christmas time and in the summer, and Year 6 pupils have responsibilities for hosting events, preparing tea and entertaining them. At lunchtimes, pupils are polite, and this is actively encouraged by all staff. Visitors to the school are made welcome by pupils and they are spoken to considerately. A good feature of the social development of the school is that the pupils with special needs are encouraged to take part in clubs. This has a positive impact on the pupils' self-esteem. Through lessons and assemblies pupils explore the meaning and value of friendship and consider the responsibility of helping others in need.

p.22

4. Attainment and progress

42.Provision for cultural development is very good. Pupils study other faiths and cultures. Multi-cultural issues are explored effectively, and include visiting speakers, knowledge of Sikh and Muslim dress, visiting artists, dancers, printers and a Japanese ‘tea’ visit. Pupils’ knowledge of their own culture is successfully promoted through history topics, music, art, literature and drama. Educational visits and visitors’ shared experiences related to pupils are Newport C. E. Controlled Junior used well. A range of extra-curricular activities, including sport and visits, make a significant contribution to pupils’ cultural development.

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4. Attainment and progress

43. Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

p.23

4. Attainment and progress

43.The school makes very good provision for the educational and personal support of pupils and for their guidance.

p.23

4. Attainment and progress

44.The good standard of pastoral care identified in the last report has been consolidated further by the extension of the personal and social education programme to include all aspects of behaviour and care, with staff, pupils and parents fully involved.

p.23

4. Attainment and progress

45.There is a personal and social education co-ordinator who ensures that appropriate aspects of health education, sex education, and drugs awareness are taught across the school.

p.23

4. Attainment and progress

46.Academic assessment is very well used to monitor pupils' progress, through regular testing of reading, writing. The recording and use of data from annual tests and other testing enable the teachers to plan well for what pupils need to be taught next to make progress. Pupils’ work is well marked, with constructive comments added which help their learning. Teachers know their pupils well and pupils’ personal development is very well monitored. Teachers and midday staff are very effective in monitoring behaviour in classes and at lunchtime. Rewards and sanctions are used well to promote good attitudes and behaviour, and there are well- structured formal systems, including exclusion, to record and deal with extreme behaviour, although these are rarely necessary. Pupils understand the rules and why they are needed. Child protection systems are effective and known to all staff. The head teacher is the

p.23

4. Attainment and progress

designated person for both child protection and health and safety. There are good systems in place for fire, accident, first aid, illness and administration of medicines. The school has good links with the statutory outside agencies, including the police, school nurse, social services, and the education welfare service.

p.23

4. Attainment and progress

47.Attendance and time keeping are very well monitored by the school secretary and head teacher.

p.23

4. Attainment and progress

48.Staff are caring and sensitive to pupil's needs. Pupils say they feel secure and confident in approaching any member of staff when troubled. Parents are generally pleased with the high standard of care and support their children receive.

p.23

4. Attainment and progress

49.Midday supervisors are effective in their work at lunchtime. They are a key part of the school's disciplinary systems and meet with the head teacher each month to discuss individual or whole school behaviour strategies.

p.23

4. Attainment and progress

50.The support and guidance given to pupils with special educational needs is very good. Their welfare is at the heart of the specific educational programmes that are planned for them. Specialist help is sought so that the pupils benefit from a wide range of professional advice. For instance, during the inspection, good advice was given to the school to help one of the pupils who has a hearing impairment. The special needs co-ordinator has good relationships with the pupils themselves, and ensures that the pupils come out of test situations with a feeling of success rather than failure. Newport C. E. Controlled Junior 51.Overall, the standard of pastoral care provided for pupils is very good. This makes a very significant contribution to their academic and personal development, and is a strength of the school. 52. Partnership with parents and the community

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4. Attainment and progress

52.The partnership between the school, its parents, and the community continues to make a satisfactory contribution to pupils' academic and personal development.

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4. Attainment and progress

53.Parents feel welcome in the school, and find the staff approachable when they wish to discuss their child's progress or when they have concerns. Formal communication with 7parents is satisfactory. There are newsletters that give information on events, although some parents feel that these sometimes arrive too late to give them reasonable notice of meetings or events. The school prospectus is detailed and informative, although the curriculum section lacks detail and some parents feel that they lack information about what their children will be taught. Parents feel able to ask for information. Workshops for parents, and termly meetings to discuss children’s progress are well attended. The pupil’s annual report is generally adequate, but a small number of parents would welcome more specific targets within these. The school arranges formal parents’ evenings and open evenings each term, where pupils'

p.24

4. Attainment and progress

progress can be discussed. In addition, meetings on homework and literacy have been held in the past year.

p.24

4. Attainment and progress

54.Parental involvement in the school is satisfactory. A number of parent’s help regularly in class and in building the ‘green’ quiet area outside. Parents are supportive of their children in ensuring that they complete any homework provided by the school. An active parent teacher association organises social events and fund-raises to provide resources. Currently these funds are being used to assist with the cost of enclosing a previously outdoor swimming pool and to buy some new computers. Next year, the parent teacher association will help fund equipment for the playground and outdoor quiet area.

p.24

4. Attainment and progress

55.The parents of pupils with special educational needs are suitably informed of the programmes that have been devised for their children. They are invited into the school if a problem arises, or if the plans for a particular child change. The views of the parents are respected, and they are taken into account in review meetings.

p.24

4. Attainment and progress

56.The school has recently introduced a home/school agreement. Prior to this, a parental questionnaire was sent out seeking parents’ views on the school's strengths and weaknesses. Communication was an area identified by some parents as a weakness. The school is aware of parents’ views, and is considering ways to improve the school’s communication systems.

p.24

4. Attainment and progress

57.The arrangements made for the induction of pupils from the infant school and the close liaison with the secondary schools ensure a smooth transition for pupils entering or leaving the junior school.

p.24

4. Attainment and progress

58.Links with the community are good. The work of the Rector of St Nicholas and the Pastor of the Elim Church was seen in assemblies during inspection week. The school is very much part of the parish Church and community. Pupils visit St Nicholas for services and other events. Newport C. E. Controlled Junior 59.Many visitors come to school to enrich pupils’ experience. They include: students, the police, the school nurse, visiting artists, poets and musicians. Pupils visit many places of interest including the zoo, outdoor education centres, Shugborough Hall, Telford and the Wrekin. These opportunities and links add substantially to pupils’ attainment and personal development.

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4. Attainment and progress

60.The work on covering the swimming pool was assisted by funding and contact with many local organisations, including a major supermarket, local councils, an insurance company, a local engineering company, the National Health Service Trust and the National Lottery.

p.25

4. Attainment and progress

61.Overall, the school's partnership with parents and the community makes a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ learning. The school is striving to build on the good work it has done already, and to improve its communication with parents.The school’s partnership with parents has been maintained since the time of the last inspection report.

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4. Attainment and progress

62. THE MANAGEMENT AND EFFICIENCY OF THE SCHOOL

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4. Attainment and progress

62.The school is very well led and managed. The headteacher, with the valuable support of the deputy headteacher and senior management team, and the active involvement of the governing body, provides strong and clear educational direction for the school.

p.25

4. Attainment and progress

63.The governors are supportive of the school and are led by a well-informed chairman. An appropriate committee structure is in place, the chairperson of each committee being a member of the finance committee. Statutory requirements are met, except with regard to a statement about access for the disabled in the school prospectus. At present, the governing body has been unable to ensure an appropriate parent presence in its membership. In the recent elections, no parents were willing to put their name forward to become a governor. Governors visit the school, although there are no established, formal procedures for monitoring the work of the school.

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4. Attainment and progress

64.The headteacher keeps the governors well informed about the work of the school through detailed reports at meetings. Through regular monitoring meetings with staff and the headteacher’s involvement in lessons and extra curricular activities, there are established, effective procedures for the monitoring of teaching and learning. In addition to the headteacher’s monitoring activities, the senior management team and subject co-ordinators also monitor their individual subjects, often working together with colleagues. Close analysis is made of national and other test results to improve curriculum provision generally and to inform the effective target-setting procedures that are in place for individuals and groups of pupils. These very good monitoring procedures have been successful in raising individual pupils' achievements and in maintaining pupils’ attainment above the rising national averages

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4. Attainment and progress

in English, mathematics and science. These initiatives indicate a significant improvement in the monitoring of teaching and the curriculum since the time of the last inspection. The school has exceeded its realistic targets for improvement in pupils’ attainments in the 1999 national tests. Newport C. E. Controlled Junior Newport C. E. Controlled Junior 65.The management of provision for special educational needs is very good. A good policy gives clear direction to all the staff working with the pupils on the register of special educational needs. The governors have taken appropriate steps to ensure that they meet their legal obligations, and the governor for special educational needs has a good understanding of the work of the school. The special educational needs co-ordinator is enthusiastic, and her work is very thorough and highly effective. Her experience and methodical approach ensure that the pupils get access to the help that they need in order to make good progress.

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4. Attainment and progress

66.Staff feel well supported and work well as a team. Joint planning procedures ensure that curriculum provision does not vary from class to class. Subject co-ordinators are released from their class teaching commitment to monitor their colleagues’ teaching.

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4. Attainment and progress

67.School development planning is very thorough and involves all staff and governors in discussing priorities and setting future development targets. Targets have clearly identified success criteria, timescales, budget allocation and the staff responsible for monitoring progress towards meeting a particular target. Through her detailed reports, the headteacher keeps the governors well informed about progress to date.

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4. Attainment and progress

68.The school’s aims, values and clear Christian ethos are very well promoted and reflected in much of its work. There is a positive learning environment where pupils have very good attitudes to their learning and get on very well together. There is a strong commitment to high achievement.

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4. Attainment and progress

69. Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

p.27

4. Attainment and progress

69.The provision of staff, accommodation and learning resources in the school is good.

p.27

4. Attainment and progress

70.Improvements have been made since the last inspection in teachers’ expertise; all subject co-ordinators are qualified and trained in their subject areas. All teachers are trained to teach the age groups within the school and there is a good blend of youth and experience in a motivated teaching team. Arrangements for induction are good, particularly for newly qualified teachers, with effective mentoring and support from the professional development co-ordinator. Staff development is well managed and effective, with teachers’ training well matched to the school's priorities. Staff are regularly appraised in their teaching and management roles and targets are set for improvement through the annual reviews of job descriptions.

p.27

4. Attainment and progress

71.Support staff are very well used to improve standards. A good number of very well qualified assistants are effectively used to target specific individuals and groups of pupils with special educational needs. These support staff are given suitable training and are well-briefed before lessons. They are well motivated and work closely with the teaching staff and significantly add to the progress that individual pupils make. Newport C. E. Controlled Junior 72.The accommodation is spacious, clean and well maintained, with separate areas for information technology and music. The caretaker often gives of his free time to redecorate parts of the school. Outside, the playing field and "green" area are of good size. The recent covering of the outdoor swimming pool will greatly improve the facilities for swimming. This will open when the staff members currently undergoing training are fully qualified.

p.27

4. Attainment and progress

Classrooms are generally of a good size.

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4. Attainment and progress

73.Resources overall are good. Recent purchases of books, and a well-stocked library ensure that resources for English are very good. The quality, range and accessibility of books for different subject areas are good and supports teachers’ effective delivery of the curriculum. The library is clearly organised and well used to support pupils’ learning. There are now 32 computers in the school, with an information technology suite in the Victorian building, two separate areas in upper and lower school sections of the main building, and a computer in most classrooms. Recent spending to provide 10 computers and a video/computer projection system have ensured that provision for information and communication technology is good. In mathematics, religious education, art, music, history and physical education, resources are good. Resources in science, geography and design and technology are satisfactory. The high

p.28

4. Attainment and progress

quality, stimulating classroom displays establish a stimulating learning environment. There are plenty of resources to help pupils who have difficulty in learning. For instance, there are enough books at each level to enable pupils to consolidate the words that they can read, before moving on to more difficult books.

p.28

4. Attainment and progress

74.Overall, staffing, accommodation and resources make a good contribution to pupils’ academic and personal development.

p.28

4. Attainment and progress

75.The overall efficiency of the school, in terms of its financial planning, use of staff and learning resources, and administrative and financial control, is good.

p.28

4. Attainment and progress

76.The quality of financial planning is good. Budget forecasting makes use of sound techniques that ensure that financial decisions are based on the best information available. Governors receive regular reports from the headteacher which enable them to perform their monitoring duties. The school benefits from the effective support and guidance provided by the local authority's school finance officer.

p.28

4. Attainment and progress

77.The governing body is committed to the school, and an active finance committee works closely with the headteacher to ensure that it fulfils its duty to set the budget in relation to the priorities in the school's development plan. Other committees play a satisfactory part in helping to plan, control and monitor the management of the school, although they are heavily dependent upon the input from the headteacher and information from the local authority. Measures to evaluate the cost effectiveness of major spending decisions are good. Newport C. E. Controlled Junior 78.In recent years considerable financial reserves have been established. The present governing body has responded to the situation and has recognised that opportunities exist for improving the learning environment. Reserves are being reduced to the direct advantage of all members of the school community, although they are planned to remain at a relatively high

p.28

4. Attainment and progress

level. Governors feel that there is a need to retain significant reserves to ensure that their priorities for future years can be met. Governors have proper regard for the use of the reserves and their prudent decisions are consistent with the school's development plan and the priorities they have set for the school.

p.29

4. Attainment and progress

79.Decisions for funding pupils with special educational needs are based on sound principles and are well targeted to have a positive impact on learning and progress. Effective use is made of the grants to support pupils with learning difficulties to ensure they get the help they need. Other specific grants are appropriately deployed.

p.29

4. Attainment and progress

80.Good use is made of teachers and support staff. Their deployment is good and the school benefits from their commitment. The number of support staff has been increased to give valuable additional help to pupils of all abilities, and especially those who need extra teaching support, and this is having a positive impact on attainment. The use of accommodation and learning resources available to the school is good overall, although the new information technology suite was under-used during the inspection, and the swimming pool is not operational at present.

p.29

4. Attainment and progress

81.The school's overall administrative arrangements are very good. The day-to-day control of the school's finances and administration is very good, with effective procedures in place. The school's most recent audit report was complimentary, and the school has properly addressed its recommendations. The administrator is very experienced and efficient, and provides very good support to the headteacher and the rest of the school community.

p.29

4. Attainment and progress

82.The school provides a good quality of education. Pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science is above average. Pupils' attitudes, behaviour and personal development are very good. The cost of educating a pupil is broadly average when compared to that found nationally. Taking these factors into account the school continues to provide good value for money. Newport C. E. Controlled Junior 83. PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

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4. Attainment and progress

83.The results of the 1999 national tests in English at the end of Key Stage 2 were above the national average for all schools and also for schools which take their pupils from similar backgrounds. There is no significant variation in attainment between boys and girls. Test results show that, for the last three years, attainment in English has risen from being in line with the national average to being above it. Standards of pupils’ attainment are sufficiently high.

p.30

4. Attainment and progress

84.Evidence from the inspection confirms that standards in English are above national averages at the end of Key Stage 2. The school has continued to raise the standard in English since the last inspection and has paid equal and successful attention to reading, writing, speaking and listening. English is taught well: the literacy hour is consistently in place and its structure is well used in curriculum planning and in determining the content of lessons. In Year 6, pupils speak, listen, read and write well. Pupils, including those who have special educational needs, make good progress in English by the time they leave the school.

p.30

4. Attainment and progress

85.At the end of Key Stage 2 pupils are very good listeners and are generally confident in speaking in class. Attainment is above national expectations. Most pupils are able and ready to use a range of language to convey their ideas. Year 6 pupils give extended answers from their knowledge of texts, for example, when describing and explaining characters in a book. They listen well to other pupils’ contributions and are able to express their own ideas clearly. Pupils talk confidently about their work and use appropriate vocabulary, such as ‘synonym’, to describe alternatives for the word ‘said’.

p.30

4. Attainment and progress

86.Attainment in reading at age eleven is above average. Pupils read both fiction and non- fiction books with understanding and are fluent and expressive in reading aloud. Pupils express a love or liking for literature and an enjoyment of books. Good opportunities are given to pupils to choose from a wide variety of books in classrooms, and especially by their use of the school library system. The library is very well organised and clearly classified. Pupils themselves act as librarians and are trained effectively. They are able to find information books and have opportunities for independent research, both during school time and as an extra-curricular activity. Most pupils express an interest in reading regularly both for enjoyment and as a worthwhile pastime.

p.30

4. Attainment and progress

87.Attainment in writing is above average. At the end of Key Stage 2, pupils can use punctuation well, write neatly in varying forms and organise their thoughts in a logical sequence. The standard of pupils’ work presentation is high. Handwriting and layout of work are neat and often illustrated in creative ways. Their expressive reading is reflected in their own writing ability, for example in a good knowledge of the use of question and exclamation marks. Pupils’ creative writing generally is affected by successful teaching of literacy and basic grammar skills in classroom literacy sessions. In Year 6, handwriting is mostly neat, legible, joined and spelling is generally good. Study of ‘Tom’s Midnight Garden’ is successful in giving pupils a good understanding of the use of connective clauses, argument Newport C. E. Controlled Junior and explanation. Pupils are able to select words and phrases in their creative writing from

p.30

4. Attainment and progress

knowledge and understanding gained in other lessons. Year 4 pupils study Cinderella, and consider how words can make the reader like or dislike a character. They select appropriate words from the text: “sharp-tongued, stuck-up, life of misery” and equally appropriate ‘negatives’ are found in their own writing. Pupils recalled the term ‘cold behaviour’ from a recent assembly and consider using it in their own individual writing. No significant variation in the attainments of boys and girls was apparent in any year group.

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4. Attainment and progress

88.Progress in English is good across the whole of the key stage. Challenging objectives are particularly noticeable in Year 6, where the rate of pupils’ progress accelerates. Progress in understanding texts and poetry is well supported through extended discussion in literacy lessons across the key stage. Pupils are given many opportunities to consider the views of others and their progress with listening and speaking skills is good. Progress in writing skills is generally good. Expectations of pupils in Year 6 are high, and their work is noticeable for its good quality and quantity. This quality is reflected in other subjects, such as religious education, when Year 6 pupils consider and study a passage ‘Giants and Gods - The Vikings’ Pupils’ answers show an appreciation of description, noticing such phrases as ‘sweat drops’, ‘reflected fire’, and ‘swarmed about’. One pupil explained the meaning of the word ‘covet’

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4. Attainment and progress

very well. A sound understanding of playscript as a form of English is apparent in each year group. Appropriate opportunities are given to all pupils to write in depth and at length in accordance with their abilities and knowledge, and this has a positive affect on their progress in English generally. Pupils’ literacy skills are applied well in other curriculum subjects, such as report writing in science and narrative work in history. Throughout the key stage pupils’ progress in reading skills is consistently good as a result of teachers’ effective lesson planning, which includes paired work, group work and class work.

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4. Attainment and progress

89.Pupils with special needs make good progress. Many of them are on the school’s special needs register because of their difficulties in reading and writing, and their attainment in English is below national averages but good in relation to the targets set in their individual education plans.

p.31

4. Attainment and progress

90.In all classes, pupils’ attitudes to learning are good and sometimes very good. Pupils’ behaviour is generally very good, and there is widespread evidence of sustained concentration and effort. Pupils are attentive in lessons, and they co-operate very well with each other and with teachers and adults in school. There is a willingness to complete tasks. The vast majority of pupils contribute well to lessons and take care with their work.

p.31

4. Attainment and progress

91.The quality of teaching is good overall and varies from very good to satisfactory. It was good in 31 per cent of lessons and very good in 23 per cent. Teaching is particularly good in the Year 6 classes. Teachers’ subject knowledge; lesson planning and preparation are generally good. Most lessons are marked by appropriate pace, with significant time given for pupils to work on the tasks set. In lessons where teaching is very good, the pace is very brisk and more able pupils are given individually challenging extension work that accelerates their learning within the lesson. Special educational need support is well planned. Newport C. E. Controlled Junior 92.English is co-ordinated effectively throughout the school, through a lower school and upper school link / support system. Co-ordinators meet informally, and half-termly to discuss whole school issues. Staff attend appropriate courses, including sessions on non-fiction and

p.31

4. Attainment and progress

guided reading. Class work is monitored and checked and teachers are given guidance in reading and word-level work. Co-ordinators have a good understanding of the literacy hour. English policies are in use throughout the school and are effective. Pupils are assessed and their progress is mapped formally in ten weekly blocks. Literacy display work in all classes is of a high standard and a literacy support resources area is located centrally and well used.

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4. Attainment and progress

93.The literacy strategy is well led and well managed as a result. School planning is effective and followed by all teachers. Lessons reflect this good quality planning. Pupils’ attainment and progress are improved by teachers’ careful and considered use of the literacy programme. Chosen texts are generally matched well to pupils’ abilities and interests. Individual lessons are organised well, and all classrooms have an attractive literacy area where displays and information are available to support pupil learning. Lesson objectives are made clear to pupils, and in the majority of lessons objectives are achieved. Resources for the subject are very good in quality, sufficient in quantity and are respected by pupils in their use of them. Effective monitoring takes place within the school, led by the co-ordinators and informal assessments are made by teachers at the end of most sessions. Teachers’ marking is

p.32

4. Attainment and progress

supportive and gives praise when appropriate.

p.32

4. Attainment and progress

94.The above average standards noted at the time of the last inspection have been maintained.

p.32

4. Attainment and progress

95.In 1999, the results of the National Curriculum tests showed that the percentage of pupils attaining at least the expected Level 4 was close to the national average, and the percentage attaining the higher Level 5 was above the national average. Pupils’ attainment was average when compared to all schools nationally and when compared to schools which take their pupils from similar backgrounds. In 1996 and 1997 pupils’ attainment kept in line with the national averages but fell below it in 1998. The gap between the attainments of girls and boys was not wide, and narrowed further in 1999. Evidence from the inspection indicates that the attainment of the present group of Year 6 pupils is above average. The implementation of the National Numeracy Project is seen by the school as a positive move to continue the trend of improving standards. Scrutiny of work and observations during the inspection confirm that

p.32

4. Attainment and progress

standards are well in line with those found nationally and that, by the end of Year 6, they are often above the national average. The average standards reported at the time of the last inspection have improved.

p.32

4. Attainment and progress

96.By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils show a good understanding of the four rules of number and they apply their knowledge and understanding sensibly in problem solving. Pupils have a firm grasp of place value and manipulate numbers well. They read, write and calculate with numbers beyond a thousand and have a clear idea of the different digits. Their skills of estimation are well developed and pupils apply their knowledge appropriately when they work with measures. Pupils of all abilities have a good understanding of positive and negative numbers and the majority work competently in all four quadrants. The majority also Newport C. E. Controlled Junior understand that numbers or parts of numbers less than a whole can be recorded as decimals, fractions or percentages. Most pupils understand that to find a decimal they have to divide. Pupils have a firm knowledge of tables and apply them quickly in real life situations. They

p.32

4. Attainment and progress

answer oral questions about square numbers, square roots, halving and doubling fractions quickly and accurately. They draw and measure angles carefully, and work out the area of different shapes accurately. Pupils have a sound understanding of collecting, presenting and reading data in a variety of graphs and charts. Most work is neatly presented.

p.33

4. Attainment and progress

97.Scrutiny of work shows that the progress of pupils of all ability groups was steady or good across the key stage, accelerating in Year 6. Progress was often good in the lessons observed, and tended to mirror the quality of teaching in those lessons. The inclusion of mental oral sessions in the majority of lessons is improving the progress that pupils are making in understanding number and in their ability to recall number facts quickly. They know how to add, subtract, multiply and divide in several different ways, and teachers encourage pupils to explain and discuss their various ways of finding answers.

p.33

4. Attainment and progress

98.All pupils benefit from the number and good quality of the additional teaching support provided by the school. Pupils with special educational needs are extremely well supported, so that they are able to follow the main teaching of topics, and then are given further input at their particular level of need. These pupils make good progress over time.

p.33

4. Attainment and progress

99.Pupils use their numeracy skills appropriately across the curriculum in other subjects. Pupils' mapping skills are well developed through an understanding of grids and co-ordinates. In science the skills acquired in numeracy are applied when pupils carry out their scientific investigations. Data handling in mathematics is closely linked to appropriate work in information technology.

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4. Attainment and progress

100.Pupils have positive attitudes to mathematics. They listen carefully to their teachers, enjoy the mental oral sessions, and are eager to explain their thinking when problem solving. Pupils show high levels of concentration and persist well to complete tasks.

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4. Attainment and progress

101.The quality of teaching is always satisfactory and, in three-quarters of lessons observed, the teaching was judged to be good and on occasion very good. Where teaching is good, teachers have a good knowledge and understanding of mathematics, show enthusiasm for the subject and transfer this enjoyment to their pupils. In these lessons teachers have a good understanding of the National Numeracy Strategy. Introductory mental oral lessons are developed well and plenary sessions are used effectively to reinforce and sometimes to extend understanding. Questioning is particularly well developed and enhanced by the good rapport that is established with pupils. Pupils' thinking is challenged and their knowledge and understanding extended. Good teaching is also characterised by good pace and high expectation. In lessons that are not quite so successful, pace, enthusiasm and challenge are less evident. The school is in the early stages of developing the National Numeracy Strategy.

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4. Attainment and progress

Knowledge and understanding of its full potential do vary. However, all lessons are well planned, with close co-operation between teachers in the same year group to ensure that all pupils have similar experiences. Homework is used to reinforce learning, and is linked to target setting. Assessment is used well in most lessons with teacher and support staff responding effectively to pupils' needs. Newport C. E. Controlled Junior 102.The introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy has been well managed by the co- ordinator. Planning is carefully monitored and support is given where it is required. Training sessions have been provided and lessons observed. Assessment is done in blocks and the class ‘levelled’ against the requirements of the National Curriculum. At this stage older pupils are involved in setting their own targets to extend motivation and monitor their achievements. Analysis of the National Curriculum test results is thorough and helps to target

p.33

4. Attainment and progress

103.All year groups are taught at least once a week in sets, which enables teachers to give effective additional support to pupils of different abilities, thereby meeting the needs of both higher and lower attainers. The number and quality of resources are good. They are used well.

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4. Attainment and progress

104.The school is developing a very effective strategy for numeracy and is adapting well to the national framework. Further training is planned to enhance teachers' understanding of the different ways that numeracy can be taught.

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4. Attainment and progress

105.Evidence from the inspection indicates that pupils’ attainment is above the national average. The results of the 1999 tests show that more pupils achieved the expected Level 4 than in most other schools across the country. When the results are compared to schools with a similar intake to that of Newport, the results still compare favourably, being above average. Over the last three years, the school's results have been above average, despite small fluctuations from year to year.

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4. Attainment and progress

106.The percentage of pupils who achieved the higher Level 5 has been close to the national average for the last two years. Although the girls have tended to achieve slightly higher standards than the boys, the gap between them is not significant, and is narrowing year on year. The school sets targets in science; each year since the target-setting process began, the school has exceeded its own expectations. The school has maintained the good standards that were reported in the last inspection over three years ago.

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4. Attainment and progress

107.In Year 6, the pupils know that gravity is a downward force and that the earth's gravity causes weight. In their experiments, they make good predictions about how gravity affects objects as they fall, and they suggest other factors, such as air resistance, which might affect the outcome. They record their observations carefully, and understand that tests have to be repeated to achieve validity. Pupils know how to make a simple circuit, and are learning how to make and represent series circuits by using standard symbols. They know that when coffee is added to water, it makes a solution, and that some changes can be reversed, for example by evaporation. Newport C. E. Controlled Junior 108.The pupils make good progress, particularly in Year 6. As they progress through the key stage, pupils of all abilities acquire a good understanding of the physical, chemical and natural processes in the world around them. The youngest pupils understand that a test needs to be

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4. Attainment and progress

fair, but need help in identifying what factors might play a part in the outcome of the test. By the time they leave the school, the pupils are able to identify the main factors in their tests and understand that they must only change one thing at a time in order to see its influence. They learn how to measure and record their observations accurately, and their diagrams and charts show good attention to detail as they get older. They learn to use scientific vocabulary well, and are able to make good attempts to define such things as mass and weight.

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4. Attainment and progress

109.Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in the subject, though the standards they reach are generally below age-related expectations. They make particularly good progress in the practical elements of the subject, such as setting up a simple circuit to light a bulb. It is clear that the pupils have a reasonable understanding of the subject, but find it difficult to express their ideas, or write down their predictions. A good feature of some of the lessons is the high level of support for these pupils. In these instances, the pupils are helped to write down their ideas so that they can keep up with the rest of the class.

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4. Attainment and progress

110.The pupils enjoy science and work hard in lessons. They clearly like the opportunity to engage in practical activities, and work together well in groups and in pairs. They behave well and take care of the equipment. The subject gives them effective opportunities to develop their research skills, for instance in looking up the meaning of words like "current", and also contributes to key skills in literacy and numeracy.

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4. Attainment and progress

111.The teaching is good overall. It was never less than satisfactory and was good in 50 per cent of the lessons observed. It is consistently good in Year 6, where the teachers' skills in questioning help the pupils to think really hard. The teachers are also good at using the pupil's answers to take the learning forward. For instance, in a lesson about forces, one pupil said that all things would move down a slope. The teacher then put a cube on to the slope, showing the pupil that it didn't move. The pupils in the class then had to think about why this happened, and about the other forces that were acting on the object. The teacher then used the pupils' answers to help them understand that friction is an important influence on the movement and stability of an object.

p.35

4. Attainment and progress

112.The teaching is based on good plans, which identify what is to be learned in the lesson and how pupils of different abilities will be catered for. A good feature throughout the school is the way in which the teachers focus on helping the pupils to understand scientific processes, such as considering evidence, observing carefully and making comparisons. Valuable work is also evident throughout the school in making the pupils aware of the risks of working with materials and living things, and care is taken to ensure that the pupils learn the dangers of such things as electricity. A weaker element of the teaching is that in some lessons time is lost, either through the lesson starting late, or because the teacher talks too much. In these instances, the objective of the lesson is less effectively met, and pupils’ progress is slowed. Newport C. E. Controlled Junior 113.The subject is managed well by a team of three co-ordinators, who have a very good

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4. Attainment and progress

overview of the subject. Their enthusiasm and energy have made a significant contribution to the development of the subject and to the standards achieved. The school is well placed to continue its successful science programme.

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4. Attainment and progress

114.The last report judged standards in information technology to be good in relation to national expectations. Since that date information technology has become a core subject, and considerable progress has been made nationally in raising standards. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils' attainment in information technology is now in line with national expectations. The school is analysing the subject at present in order to incorporate information technology skills firmly into the literacy and numeracy hours, in addition to the existing uses of technology skills in non-core subjects. An information technology suite has been installed and pupils have either thirty minutes of class teaching each week, or an hour every fortnight. However, the suite was not used during the inspection and no information technology lessons were timetabled.

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4. Attainment and progress

115.Pupils are competent in a range of skills, and are familiar with a variety of programs. By the end of the key stage, they combine text and pictures, working independently and using help sheets as necessary. They have experience of handling data, and they enhance their numeracy skills appropriately in doing so. They analyse questionnaires and record findings on spread sheets, block or pie charts. Pupils are competent in the use of the keyboard to write, and they cut, edit and paste independently. They have sound understanding of Logo, and they are accustomed to access information from CD ROMs. Pupils use information technology skills appropriately across the curriculum. For instance, they record scientific findings in Year 6 on spreadsheets. Work such as Year 6's computer generated models of The Wrekin are of a high standard and are displayed well.

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4. Attainment and progress

116.Pupils' records suggest that they make generally satisfactory progress in acquiring and practising skills across the key stage. They enter the school with skills that are in line with those expected nationally and they leave with skills at a level expected for their age. Pupils of differing ability, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress overall.

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4. Attainment and progress

117.Pupils' attitudes and behaviour are very good. This is a popular subject. Pupils collaborate well and settle to work quickly. Concentration levels are good and pupils use their skills sensibly, as when, after pressing a wrong key lost the picture in Year 3, another pupil knew to press 'undo' in order to retrieve it. Equipment is treated with care.

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4. Attainment and progress

118.As no lessons were observed during the inspection, no overall judgement can be made of the quality of teaching across the school. Newport C. E. Controlled Junior 119.Individual teachers make good use of programs to reinforce learning, for instance Excel in a Year 6 class was used to generate computer models of the Wrekin in connection with a geography project. There is a brief outline scheme of work which shows skills to be visited during the four years. It is purposely not detailed into years so that pupils at different levels of skill may progress at their individual pace. However, the lack of detail makes it difficult for teachers to know where to focus class teaching and how to organise the weekly or fortnightly lessons, in order to ensure satisfactory coverage and progression. Pupils have individual record sheets that follow them through the school. They show areas visited, for instance using a programmable toy, and skills attained, but at present the sheets are undated.

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4. Attainment and progress

It is therefore impossible for staff to be sure how recently and to what depth, skills have been acquired and developed. Teachers' records also specify use of the computer rather than the aspect and skill used. They are undated and several indicate uneven and under-use of computers by individuals.

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4. Attainment and progress

120.The school is fortunate to have good resources but they are not fully used. The subject is being developed further, but although standards of attainment are broadly satisfactory, information technology does not have the same high profile throughout the school as the other core subjects.

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4. Attainment and progress

121.By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment in religious education is above the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. Standards of attainment have improved since the time of the last inspection.

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4. Attainment and progress

122.Pupils study Hindu and Jewish festivals including the Passover and Christmas. They identify the meaning of symbolism in religious practice, as in the sign of the cross in Christianity. Pupils consider how light is used in celebration of Jesus and the festival of Christmas, and in discussion they demonstrate a sound knowledge of historical events concerning the Nativity. Light and dark imagery is explored successfully when pupils understand and explain the ‘atmosphere’ of lanterns, angels and stars. Pupils demonstrate a firm knowledge of Christianity and its central meanings by their responses to teachers’ questioning. They consider the Creation in Christian terms and in terms of other beliefs and customs when reading and discussing a passage ‘Giants and Gods - The Vikings’.

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4. Attainment and progress

123.The progress pupils make was satisfactory in the lessons seen, but good over time on the evidence of the scrutiny of pupils’ work. Pupils with special educational needs also make good progress. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of their own and other major world religions develop well as they progress through the school. Provision for religious education meets with requirements of the locally agreed syllabus and promotes positively the very good ethos and values of the school.

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4. Attainment and progress

124.Pupils enjoy religious education lessons and respond well to questions. Relationships in lessons are very good and pupils’ attitudes are similarly praiseworthy. Newport C. E. Controlled Junior 125.The overall quality of teaching is satisfactory and varies from good to satisfactory. Teachers’ subject knowledge is good and a variety of strategies are used to ensure that pupils make good progress in their knowledge and understanding of the subject. In the better quality teaching, as in a Year 6 lesson about links between beliefs and climates, good teaching is demonstrated by good class management and organisation, and by the good use of time and pace to ensure effective learning. Pupils were noticeably keen to participate in the lesson and showed good concentration. Pupils’ listening and speaking skills were encouraged, and the teacher gave a clear explanation about the focus of the lesson and how it would be developed

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4. Attainment and progress

in future lessons. Lesson planning is completed in year group teams and focuses on Christianity as well as other faiths and religions.

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4. Attainment and progress

126.The co-ordination of the subject is effective and is developing well. A co-ordinator advises staff on ‘policy into practice’ and offers advice at staff meetings about assemblies and resources. The co-ordinator has attended a recent course concerned with classroom worship and intends to develop provision for additional resources within the school. The co-ordinator audits pupils’ religious education work through discussion with pupils themselves; through specific planning involvement across Years 3 and 4, and through discussion with those who teach Years 5 and 6. He also monitors assemblies and, afterwards, the follow up work in classes.

p.38

4. Attainment and progress

127.Work in religious education is assessed by monitoring of pupils’ work and these assessments are used to inform the co-ordinators’ reports to staff and annual reports to parents. The pupils also engage in occasional evaluation when work is completed. Resources are readily available and are of good quality. Good use is made of the established links with the parish church and visitors to the school who talk to pupils about different religious cultures and faiths.

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4. Attainment and progress

128.Religious education is an integral part of the life and work of Newport Junior School and is a tangible ingredient of the school’s very good ethos. There is a very high quality of provision for collective worship within the school, which is used additionally as a vehicle for the provision of pupils’ religious education.

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4. Attainment and progress

129.From the lessons observed, a scrutiny of pupils’ work, teachers’ plans and through discussion with pupils and teachers, it is clear that the subject is well taught throughout the school and that pupils make good progress in their learning.

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4. Attainment and progress

130.By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ standards of work are above those normally found in most schools. The high standard of work referred to in the last inspection report, the attractive display, and the same high quality and wide range in both two- and three- dimensional art, have been maintained. Good progress has been made in pupils’ work with different media, including weaving techniques in Year 4, and the use of textiles in Year 5.

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4. Attainment and progress

131.The range of artwork is wide. Year 3 pupils’ work successfully with screen printing, sketching and texture work, and make drawings of local buildings in the style of Lowry. Year Newport C. E. Controlled Junior 4 pupils study and work with textiles and weaving techniques. In Year 5, pupils know about the work of Turner. They use pastels and colour washes to create attractive landscapes and seascapes. Year 6 pupils study the work of other artists, including Henry Moore, and their work extends to the study of movement, with associated line and sketch book work; drawing the human body; proportion; wire and clay sculpture; Aztec art and three-dimensional Aztec style plaques.

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4. Attainment and progress

132.The range of artwork available to pupils ensures that good progress in the subject is maintained. Artistic vocabulary develops as pupils move through the school and their programme of art activities becomes wider. Pupils who have special educational needs similarly enjoy the subject and make good progress in their learning.

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4. Attainment and progress

133.Pupils’ responses to art are very good. They are well behaved, keenly interested and co- operate well with each other and with their teachers. The vast majority of pupils are keen to plan and complete art tasks. They work well and thoughtfully. Year 4 pupils, for example, plan their own weave designs to show seasonal shades and textures. Their discussion shows understanding and appreciation of the association of colours with the seasons; for example white and light blue for winter. They can describe texture (‘rough and soft’) from their own understanding. Speaking and listening skills are noticeably extended in art sessions when pupils are given opportunities to answer teachers’ questions using more complex sentences.

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4. Attainment and progress

134.Pupils handle art resources and materials well and share them willingly. The subject makes a very good contribution to their personal development, and they are able to talk readily about the artwork they have completed. Pupils across the year groups show good awareness of the work of great artists and different art techniques.

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4. Attainment and progress

135.The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall and frequently good. Teachers’ subject knowledge is good and lesson planning is clear. In the lessons seen, teachers taught effectively, giving time for pupils to complete their work and stimulating their imaginations to encourage quality work. Work is adapted to meet the needs of different ability groups within classes.

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4. Attainment and progress

136.The management of the subject is good. Co-ordinators provide advice to other staff about art display and teaching issues throughout the school. This system is informally carried out and is effective in providing a wide range of art experiences for all pupils. Good school records are kept of pupils’ artwork, including photographs, display folders and profiles which illustrate the wide range of art provision. Teachers are supported by a policy for art based on guidelines from the local education authority that have been adapted for use by each year group. Staff development opportunities, including a painting workshop, have recently been provided for staff. These are planned by co-ordinators. Pupils’ artwork is not assessed formally at present but two work samples are collected from each individual pupil each year to ensure that different media are experienced. Resources for teaching the subject are good.

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4. Attainment and progress

137.Art is given a high profile in the school and the quality of display is noticeably good. Artwork throughout the school is often associated with other studies, noticeably the Aztecs; pastel work illustrating ‘Tom’s Midnight Garden’; also ‘light and dark’, and pupils’ pictures of ‘What does God look like?’ in religious education. Newport C. E. Controlled Junior 138. Design and technology

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4. Attainment and progress

138.Standards of work are in line with those usually found in most schools, and sometimes they are better than this, as in the case of the sandals made by pupils in Year 4. The previous report judged standards to be sound and often good, and these standards have been maintained.

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4. Attainment and progress

139.Pupils have a clear understanding of the processes for design and making. They produce sketches of their ideas, consider the materials they will require, and the order in which they will proceed to make their product. Pupils are accustomed to evaluating and improving their plans and products. They record in careful detail the entire process, except for evaluation of the finished item, which is often discussed verbally rather than by written assessment in their books. This work is of a good standard and effectively develops pupils' literacy skills. Pupils work on one major topic a term, and, during their time in school, visit all required areas in appropriate depth. Work is often connected with other subjects. For instance, in Year 3, pupils working with circuits in science make torches suitable for someone afraid of the dark.

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4. Attainment and progress

140.Progress was satisfactory overall but varies from good to satisfactory in the lessons observed. Pupils’ progress in the subject is constrained by the time allocated to it. Throughout the key stage, pupils steadily develop their designing and evaluation skills, and the quality of finished products improves from year to year, as does the recording of the stages of producing items.

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4. Attainment and progress

141.Pupils' response to the challenge of designing, evaluating and making is good. They are motivated well, and when given appropriate challenge and targets, concentrate well on their tasks. Pupils observed in Year 5 displayed considerable pride and absorption in their work, and co-operated and supported each other well in the making of badges. Year 6 pupils tackled the evaluation of their wheeled models in a mature manner, looking for practical improvements and at ideas for powering them.

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4. Attainment and progress

142.The quality of teaching is good overall, but varies from good to unsatisfactory. It was good in 75 per cent of the lessons observed. In the unsatisfactory lesson seen, planning was brief; the introduction was too long and complicated, and pupils had too little time to complete their work. Generally, teachers demonstrate a secure knowledge of the topics, and plan clearly to ensure that pupils are appropriately challenged, and remain well focused. They make effective use of questions to further pupils' thinking. Due to restricted time, there is a tendency to concentrate on teaching skills rather than allowing free experimentation. However, pupils' comments are valued, and appropriate discussion is encouraged. Some lessons have effective plenary sessions to reinforce pupils' learning.

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4. Attainment and progress

143.The subject is well co-ordinated. The scheme for the subject is appropriate and the recent audit was useful in highlighting areas for further improvement. The subject effectively supports learning in other subjects, for example: accurate drawing; numeracy when pupils are measuring; science when knowledge is used for a purpose, and literacy as in recording succinctly. The teachers plan carefully in year groups, and support staff give effective help where appropriate. Assessment is informal, but teachers are well aware of their pupils' Newport C. E. Controlled Junior capabilities and needs. Newport C. E. Controlled Junior

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Geography

144.Pupils’ standards of work are in line with those normally found in most schools for pupils of this age. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection report.

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Geography

145.The youngest pupils have a good understanding of how to read a local plan or map. They identify places through the use of simple co-ordinates. In Year 4, pupils appreciate that climates differ across the world, and that this has an effect on people's lives. Following a visit to Shrewsbury, Year 5 pupils consider the implications of restricted space for motorists and pedestrians, and suggest solutions for easing traffic problems. In Year 6, pupils develop their field study skills during a visit to The Wrekin, and learn in depth about the geology of the area. They apply their mathematical and information skills well to make 3- dimensional models of the hill.

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Geography

146.Pupils make steady progress across the key stage in acquiring geographical skills. They gain a secure initial understanding of their local environment, and this is extended to encompass different areas in this country, and also an increasing knowledge and understanding of other countries.

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Geography

147.Pupils, including those with special educational needs, have positive attitudes to geography. They concentrate well in their lessons. They listen attentively and are keen to answer questions. Pupils settle quickly to their work, and persist well to complete their tasks. They show considerable interest in maps and photographs of other localities.

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Geography

148.Teaching is satisfactory overall and ranges from satisfactory to good. Teachers have appropriate knowledge and understanding to deliver the curriculum successfully. Relationships with pupils are good. In lessons where teaching is good, classroom management is effective; there is good interaction between teacher and pupils, and lessons are taught enthusiastically. There is very good provision for pupils with special educational needs. Occasionally the subject chosen for development is hard for pupils to understand; for instance, urban traffic problems in the town of Shrewsbury. In these lessons, learning objectives are attained but less thoroughly than in some other lessons.

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Geography

149.There is no co-ordinator at present. A sound outline scheme is in place, and work sampling shows that progression and coverage are generally satisfactory. However, more detailed planning lacks clarity. Literacy and numeracy are significant within geography, supporting reading, writing, and data handling.

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Geography

150.Geography resources are satisfactory. Materials are efficiently stored and accessible. Visits in the immediate locality and beyond are well used to give pupils first-hand experience in developing geographical skills. Newport C. E. Controlled Junior 151. History

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Geography

151.Pupils’ standards of work are in line with those normally found in most schools. Pupils make sound progress in their knowledge and understanding of the different periods of history which they study, and they develop an appropriate sense of chronology. Standards have been maintained since the time of the last inspection.

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Geography

152.Pupils in Years 3 and 4 have recently studied the Tudors. They are aware of the religious and political reasons for events, such as the break with Rome and the dissolution of the monasteries, and understand why religion played such an important role in shaping events of this time. Pupils are knowledgeable about the differences in everyday life for rich and poor people. They are able to use different sources of evidence, both primary and secondary, and are aware of the different interpretations and bias, which different written sources have put on events, such as the Spanish Armada. In Year 5, pupils are knowledgeable about the time of the Second World War and living conditions during the Blitz. They are aware of the reasons for rationing and why some children were evacuated from their homes. Year 6 pupils are knowledgeable about the past periods of history that they have studied. They show

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Geography

understanding of the Aztec Dynasty and how Christopher Columbus’s discovery of America led to the decline of this civilisation. Many pupils use their previous knowledge of the time to find information from pictures of artefacts, not only to describe them but to say how they might have been used. Previous work by pupils about Ancient Greece shows pupils are able to formulate their own opinions about past events, such as Greek democracy, and how it differs from democracy today.

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Geography

153.Satisfactory progress is made in pupils’ knowledge and understanding of past events. Pupils are experienced in using a range of sources, including artefacts, documents and reference material, to find relevant information and to form their own opinions about major historical events. They show initiative and take responsibility for their own learning, as was seen in a Year 6 lesson when pupils carried out their own research, using reference books to supplement the information which the teacher had given to them. Pupils’ sense of the chronology of the periods of history which they have studied is effectively developed by the good use made of timelines. Many pupils spoken to knew that the Victorian Era was about 100 years ago and the Tudor Period about 500 years ago. Most knew that the Ancient Greek civilisation was over 2000 years ago.

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Geography

154.Pupils respond well to history lessons. They are attentive and well behaved. They enjoy finding out for themselves about the past, especially when making visits to places such as a Victorian museum or when handling artefacts themselves. Pupils show good concentration and apply themselves well when working independently. Where necessary, they share resources and co-operate with one another.

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Geography

155.The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall and varies from satisfactory to good. In the lessons seen it was never less than satisfactory, and was good in a third of lessons. Lessons are well planned and all teachers adopt an enquiry approach in their teaching. Where possible, pupils are given opportunities to handle artefacts and to find information for themselves. This effectively encourages pupils to take responsibility for their own learning Newport C. E. Controlled Junior in lessons. In some lessons the introductory talk by the teacher is too long and pupils are given insufficient time to complete their work. In the better quality lessons, teachers make good use of questioning to probe pupils’ understanding and to make them think. For example, in a Year 6 lesson, pupils were asked questions not just about what the artefacts were, but what they were made of, how they were used and what the production process told

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Geography

them about the tools and industries of the time. Pupils made good progress in these lessons.

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Geography

156.The school has a good range of resources and makes appropriate use of its Victorian buildings and local places of interest to support pupils’ learning.

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Geography

157.Overall, the pupils make sound progress throughout the school, and they reach standards that are typical of those normally found in most schools. The younger pupils remember the various instruments that are used to represent the characters in ‘Peter and the Wolf’, and are starting to make their own composition based on the story of ‘Cinderella’. The pupils respond to requests to change the volume of their music from loud to soft, and are starting to learn vocabulary to describe the elements of music. The older pupils remember that they have heard Vivaldi's music, and use this knowledge when making their own compositions to evoke feelings of a winter's day. They know that the length of chime bars is related to their pitch, and they use the bars to play simple sequences. The pupils sing folk songs with reasonable pitch and rhythm, and they can identify chords that sound harmonious and those that don't.

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Geography

158.The pupils enjoy the opportunity to play and sing, and also respond well to opportunities to listen to music and offer their opinions about it. They take care of the instruments when they play them, and put them away carefully afterwards. They work well in-groups, particularly when they are composing some music for themselves. They make every effort to follow their conductor's instructions in order to improve their performance.

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Geography

159.The teaching of music varies from satisfactory to very good, and is good overall. In the lessons seen, the quality was never less than satisfactory, and it was good in 20 per cent of lessons and very good in 50 per cent. The music co-ordinator teaches the subject throughout the school on two afternoons each week, and his teaching is a strong feature of the provision. His lessons start off very well to create the right climate for learning. For example, one lesson started with the pupils sitting silently to imagine how a deaf percussionist might be able to feel the vibrations of the music in her body. A singing lesson started with face and breathing exercises, and another lesson started with quick-fire questions about the life and times of a composer. The subject knowledge and enthusiasm of the co-ordinator shine through in his teaching, and the pupils become absorbed in the activities that he prepares for

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Geography

them. Lessons taught by other members of staff are satisfactory, and show improvement since the last inspection. The teaching is based on good plans and the pupils are provided with work at levels to match their ability. However, the pace of the lessons is sometimes slow, and the responses to the pupils' ideas are too general to enable the pupils to make the rapid progress seen in the specialist lessons. Newport C. E. Controlled Junior 160.A detrimental feature of all the lessons is that they do not always start on time, and are planned to last only half an hour. In consequence, by the time the pupils have walked over to the music bungalow and settled down, there is not sufficient time for all elements of the lesson to be covered properly. The ends of the lessons are frequently rushed, and there is not enough time for the pupils to be reminded of the things that they have learned. Although the

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Geography

pupils make good progress within a lesson, they do not have time to practise their new skills, and so some of the skills are forgotten by the time the next lesson comes round.

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Geography

161.Some pupils are learning to play instruments like the flute and trumpet, as part of a private arrangement between the school and local musicians. This tuition is good and is still the strong feature of the school's provision reported in the last inspection.

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Geography

162.The experienced co-ordinator leads the subject very well. He has a good understanding of the needs of the subject, and has been involved in an extensive programme of staff training. This has involved all staff in observing lead lessons given by the co-ordinator before following up these sessions themselves. Some staff now feel confident enough to take over the teaching of all lessons for themselves. The co-ordinator knows the strengths and weaknesses of the subject, and is well placed to make the necessary improvements.

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Geography

163.Pupils’ standards of work are in line with those normally found in most schools for pupils of this age. Lessons were seen in gymnastics, games and dance. Standards of attainment have been maintained since the last inspection.

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Geography

164.In dance, pupils develop their range of movements and develop imagination in responding to different stimuli, such as poems and music. They learn to build up dance sequences and employ movements at different levels to improve their work.

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Geography

165.In gymnastics, Year 3 pupils show reasonable co-ordination and control as they perform a range of jumps and balances on the floor and apparatus. By Year 4 they begin to link movements together in short sequences, making appropriate use of simple linking movements. Pupils begin to show good body tension in holding a balance and to fully extend their limbs when in flight. In Years 5 and 6, pupils travel along the floor using a variety of body parts and begin to work at different levels when building sequences. In partner work, they discuss their ideas and improve their performance by practice.

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Geography

166.In games, pupils show reasonable control in catching and passing a variety of different sized balls. They grow in confidence in their abilities and begin to experience greater success in their efforts to improve their performance through practice.

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167.Pupils enjoy physical activities. They listen attentively and follow the instructions of their teachers. They concentrate well and are able to sustain physical activity for appropriate amounts of time for their ages. They are well behaved and show consideration for others when working safely in a confined space, such as the dining hall. They safely handle equipment, working together when lifting mats, benches and other large apparatus. Newport C. E. Controlled Junior 168.The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall but varies from good to unsatisfactory. It was satisfactory in 57 per cent of lessons, good in 29 per cent and unsatisfactory in 14 per cent. The planning for lessons is satisfactory and broad learning objectives are set. Most teachers have a sound knowledge and understanding of the subject and provide a variety of physical activities to develop the pupils’ physical skills. In all lessons, teachers demonstrate

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appropriate, and often good, management of the pupils. In the better quality teaching, good use is made of coaching points to help pupils improve their performance, and lessons move at a good pace so that pupils enjoy strenuous physical exercise. In the unsatisfactory lessons, teachers display uncertainty in their knowledge of gymnastics and, although working to a common plan so that activities are appropriate, they do not show pupils how they can improve their performance. The pace of lessons is slow and pupils are sitting listening for too much of the time. Pupils’ skills are not developed well during the lessons and they make unsatisfactory progress.

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169.As a result of criticisms in the last inspection report, the school sought the advice of the local education authority. As a result, whole school training was provided for staff in dance and games. Despite the high staff turnover during the last few years, it is evident that much of the expertise gained is still present in the school. However, it has not been possible as yet to provide the same level of training in gymnastics. Since the last inspection report, the curriculum provision for physical education has been improved and pupils now receive three half-hour lessons each week. However, these are sometimes too short to enable pupils to make adequate progress, especially when they include time for pupils to walk to and from the school hall and between buildings and also changing times.

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170.Although some weaknesses still remain, the overall quality of teaching and curriculum provision have improved since the last inspection.

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171. The inspection of this school included a focussed view of swimming which is reported below.

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171.School records demonstrate that the majority of pupils can swim at least 25 metres by the time they leave the school. Many pupils go on to swim considerable distances, using different recognised strokes, such as freestyle, breaststroke and backcrawl. They also achieve a number of the Amateur Swimming Association safety awards.

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172.It was not possible to observe any lessons in swimming during the week of the inspection and, therefore, no judgement can be made of the quality of teaching or of the quality of teachers’ planning.

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173.Prior to September, pupils in each year group received 8 swimming sessions each year, 6 sessions for swimming instruction and two sessions in preparation for competitive swimming events. No extra provision was made for non-swimmers or pupils who were poor swimmers. Clear records are kept of pupils’ individual attainment and progress. During the time that pupils are receiving swimming instruction, regular assessments are made of their attainment Newport C. E. Controlled Junior and organisational arrangements allow pupils to move between ability groups when they make improvements to their performance. After the covering of the outdoor swimming pool at the school, it is planned that pupils’ swimming entitlement will be increased and that the learner pool will be used more intensively to help all pupils, particularly those with low attainment. Pupils of all abilities have opportunities to take part in inter-house competitive swimming

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races and higher attainers successfully take part in area swimming galas.

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174.Unfortunately plans to retrain a number of teachers to provide swimming instruction at the new swimming pool have been frustrated by the illness of the person leading the training. It is hoped that the excellent new facilities will be in full use by the year 2000. Newport C. E. Controlled Junior 175. PART C: INSPECTION DATA

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175.The inspection team consisted of a registered inspector, three team inspectors and a lay inspector. The team spent a total of 20 inspector days in school. During this time:

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*. approximately 60 hours were spent in direct classroom observation of a total of 92 lessons or part-lessons, with approximately 40 minutes spent on average in each lesson;

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*. approximately 6 hours were spent in hearing a representative sample of pupils read and in talking to them about their work;

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*. approximately 11 hours were spent scrutinising samples of the work of pupils from each class;

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*. approximately 22 hours were spent in discussions with members of staff and with all available members of the governing body;

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*. the operation of the school during lesson times, breaks and lunch-times was observed closely;

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*. registration procedures were observed in each class;

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*. a very extensive range of documentation about the school and its work was examined in detail;

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1.Twenty-four parents attended a pre-inspection meeting which was held by the registered inspector and 80 parents returned questionnaires, giving their views on a wide range of topics about the work of the school. These views were taken into account in preparing for the inspection and during the course of it. Newport C. E. Controlled Junior

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178. Qualified teachers (Y3 – Y6)

Total number of qualified teachers (full-time equivalent): 13.7 Number of pupils per qualified teacher: 27.7

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178. Education support staff (Y3 – Y6)

Total number of education support staff: 17 Total aggregate hours worked each week: 197

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Financial data

£ Total Income 508186.00 Total Expenditure 497828.00 Expenditure per pupil 1418.00 Balance brought forward from previous year 62720.00 Balance carried forward to next year 73058.00 Newport C. E. Controlled Junior

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178. PARENTAL SURVEY

Number of questionnaires sent out: 378 Number of questionnaires returned: 80

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178. PARENTAL SURVEY

Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

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178. PARENTAL SURVEY

Strongly agree Agree Neither Disagree Strongly disagree I feel the school encourages parents to play an active part in the life of the school 9.1 51.9 20.8 13.0 5.2

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178. PARENTAL SURVEY

I would find it easy to approach the school with questions or problems to do with my child(ren) 26.9 55.1 5.1 9.0 3.8

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178. PARENTAL SURVEY

The school handles complaints from parents well 4.2 50.0 30.6 12.5 2.8

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178. PARENTAL SURVEY

The school gives me a clear understanding of what is taught 11.7 58.4 16.9 10.4 2.6

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178. PARENTAL SURVEY

The school keeps me well informed about my child(ren)’s progress 19.2 43.6 25.6 9.0 2.6

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178. PARENTAL SURVEY

The school enables my child(ren) to achieve a good standard of work 24.7 58.4 15.6 1.3 0.0

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178. PARENTAL SURVEY

The school encourages children to get involved in more than just their daily lessons 29.1 53.2 13.9 3.8 0.0

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178. PARENTAL SURVEY

I am satisfied with the work that my child(ren) is/are expected to do at home 16.3 57.5 13.8 8.8 3.8

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178. PARENTAL SURVEY

The school’s values and attitudes have a positive effect on my child(ren) 23.1 59.0 16.7 0.0 1.3

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178. PARENTAL SURVEY

The school achieves high standards of good behaviour 25.6 60.3 10.3 2.6 1.3

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178. PARENTAL SURVEY

My child(ren) like(s) school 46.2 42.3 9.0 2.6 0.0

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178. Other issues raised by parents

Some parents, new to the school, felt that the parent teacher association was not very active and were disappointed that the Summer Fayre had been cancelled. Some parents felt that classes of 34 were too large.

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