Bramham Primary School

Bramham Primary School

Dates of inspection: 13 - 16 September 1999

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Bramham Primary School

Under OFSTED contract number: 706884 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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Bramham Primary School

Under the Education (Schools) Act 1992 and the Education Act 1993, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Information about the school

School address - Clifford Road Bramham Wetherby LS23 6JQ

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Information about the school

Name of chair of governors: - Mrs. A. Palmer

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Information about the school

Date of the previous inspection: - 18 - 21 March 1996

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Information about the inspection team

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities Mr. R Gill English, religious education, history, geography, art, music. Under-fives, Attainment and progress, Curriculum and assessment, Teaching, Leadership and management. Mr. D. Wilkinson Mathematics, science, information technology, design and technology, physical education. Special educational needs, Equal opportunities, Efficiency.

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Information about the inspection team

Mrs. J. Cross Attitudes, behaviour and personal development, Attendance, Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare, Partnership with parents and the community, Staffing, accommodation and learning resources.

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Information about the inspection team

The inspection contractor was: Adam Wood School Inspection Services 19 Mackenzie Road, Birmingham, B11 4EP 0121 449 3366

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Information about the inspection team

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

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Information about the inspection team

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE

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Main findings

What the school does well Where the school has weaknesses How the school has improved since the last inspection Standards in subjects Quality of teaching Other aspects of the school The parents’ views of the school

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Introduction

Characteristics of the school 1 - 3 Key indicators

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Educational standards achieved by pupils at the school

Attainment and progress 4 - 13 Attitudes, behaviour and personal development 14 - 18 Attendance 19 - 20

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Quality of education provided

Teaching 21 - 32 The curriculum and assessment 33 - 43 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 44 - 48 Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare 49 - 54 Partnership with parents and the community 55 - 62

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The management and efficiency of the school

Leadership and management 63 - 71 Staffing, accommodation and learning resources 72 - 76 The efficiency of the school 77 - 80

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PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

Areas of learning for children under five 81 - 92

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Pupils achieve good standards in English, mathematics and science. • . Provision for the under fives is a strength of the school. • . The curriculum is enriched by many relevant educational visits and special projects. • . Pupils receive a broad cultural education in music, art, dance and drama. • . The school grounds are well developed for play and learning.

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WHERE THE SCHOOL HAS WEAKNESSES

I. There are insufficient methods of assessment to ensure good progress in all subjects. II. The way the school is marketed and promoted in the community III. Standards are low in information technology. IV. Standards are low in religious education.

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identified will form the basis of the governors’ action plan, which will be sent to all

parents or guardians of children at the school.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE THE LAST INSPECTION

Since the last inspection, the school has made satisfactory progress in dealing with the key issues from the previous report. In some aspects there has been significant improvement. These include the removal of a budget deficit and the improvement of the school’s building and grounds to provide safer and more pleasant place in which to work. They have also dealt with the administrative matter of the regulations with regard to monitoring attendance in the class registers. The finances are constantly scrutinised for ways in which spending can be streamlined and regular health and safety checks are carried out to ensure that the school is a fit place in which to work. Teachers with a subject responsibility have been given time to study their colleagues’ lesson plans but there has been no time, as yet, for them to observe teaching around the school to judge and advise on standards.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE THE LAST INSPECTION

Some of the key issues required the school to maintain good practice. These tasks have been completed satisfactorily, but several weak areas have appeared that require further work. The school still has a good ethos in many respects resulting, for example, in the strong community feeling present after the tragic death of the school’s secretary. However, relationships are being adversely effected by the unsatisfactory behaviour of a group of older pupils in Key Stage 2. The strengths in teaching and learning, particularly in art, music and physical education have been successfully maintained and developed. However, teaching and the standards achieved in information technology and religious education have become key issues since the last inspection. The school still creates good links within the community to facilitate learning. The curriculum is usefully extended by trips and visitors to the school. However, the school does not communicate well with its

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE THE LAST INSPECTION

parents and the community. This has resulted in dissatisfaction amongst a significant minority of parents.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE THE LAST INSPECTION

The governors have become more organised in the way that they manage the school and the headteacher is devising ways to promote the school more positively. In this context the school’s capacity to improve further is satisfactory.

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STANDARDS IN SUBJECTS

The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds in 1998 based on the National Curriculum tests:

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Key

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

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Key

This table shows that pupils’ attainment, at eleven in 1998, was above average in English and science and compared favourably with pupils’ results from schools with a similar intake. In mathematics, in which mental arithmetic questions were not so well answered, the school’s results were average and bettered by pupils in similar schools. The 1999 results in English and science are similar to those for 1998, but there has been a marked improvement in mathematics. Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2, at the time of the inspection, in English and mathematics is above average and in science it is well above the average.

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Key

Attainment is below average in religious education and well below average in information technology in both key stages. In music, physical education and art pupils attain above the average at Key Stage 2. Standards are satisfactory in all other subjects.

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Key

By the age of five children attain well in all areas of learning.

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

English good satisfactory good Mathematics good satisfactory satisfactory Science good good Information technology unsatisfactory poor Religious education unsatisfactory unsatisfactory Other subjects good satisfactory good

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

Teaching is at least satisfactory in 90 per cent of lessons. In 17 per cent it is very good and less than satisfactory in 10 per cent of the lessons observed. Very good teaching exists in the reception class and in the teaching of music and physical education in Key Stage 2. The three less than satisfactory lessons occurred in English and science in Key Stages 1 and 2.

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

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

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour Behaviour is satisfactory. A small number of older pupils sometimes disrupt the learning of others. Attendance Attendance is satisfactory and is similar to the national average. There are no unauthorised absences. Pupils usually arrive on time. Ethos* A school committed to high academic standards, but good relationships are marred by a some pupils. Leadership and management Satisfactory. The governors are far more organised and have tackled some important issues well. Promoting the school is the main weaknesses. Curriculum Satisfactory. Planning in Reception and Key Stage 1 is good but planning in Key Stage 2 is often too brief. Pupils with special educational needs Well supported by classroom assistants, but targets in individual education plans are not well managed. Spiritual, moral, social & cultural development Cultural provision is good with particular strengths from art, dance and music. Satisfactory provision for spiritual, moral and social

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Aspect Comment

development. Staffing, resources and accommodation The accommodation and grounds are very good. Levels of staffing are good and there are sufficient learning resources except for religious education. Value for money Satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

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

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happy about

• The family feeling in the school. • The happy atmosphere. • The supportive and hard working teachers. • The way complaints are handled. • Pupils’ behaviour. • Lack of information about curriculum. • Homework and the lack of information about the school’s policy. • The headteacher’s management style.

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happy about

The inspectors agree with what parents like about the school except that there is a group of pupils whose behaviour, on occasions, spoils the happy atmosphere. The school intends to seek further advice on ways to handle these pupils. The governors are currently preparing a new prospectus, a Home School Agreement and a homework policy which will give parents a better idea of what is being taught. The headteacher acknowledges parents’ concerns about complaints and management style and is already devising ways to improve the situation.

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The headteacher, staff and governors should:

A. Devise a comprehensive system of assessment designed to ensure good

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progress in all subjects. To do this they should:

• . make full use of any tests results to set targets for individuals, groups and the class; • . devise a manageable system of assessment for the foundation subjects; • . create a calendar for assessment tasks to guide staff in their duties; • . ensure that assessment opportunities are identified in all teachers’ plans and acted upon; • . ensure that records containing levels of attainment and targets for each child are passed from class to class; and • . monitor assessment methods to identify areas for improvement. (Paras: 7, 27, 41, 42, 43, 50, 58, 66, 70, 95, 110, 138)

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progress in all subjects. To do this they should:

A. Create a detailed plan to market and promote the school. To do this they should: • . ensure that all documentation sent to parents contains the required information and is of a high quality of presentation; • . finish the Home School Agreement and homework policy and monitor their effect; • . improve the way parents’ views are canvassed and considered; • . improve the way with which complaints are dealt; and • . promote the things at which the school is successful. (Paras: 32, 55, 56, 60, 64)

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progress in all subjects. To do this they should:

C. Improve the standards in religious education. To do this they should: • . devise a long-term curriculum plan that fulfils the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus; • . produced a policy and guidelines for teachers; • . ensure that enough time is devoted to teaching the subject; • . make sure that the subject is properly resourced; • . improve the system of teaching about world faiths to ensure a more regular coverage; and • . monitor the subject frequently to identify areas for improvement. (Paras: 10, 22, 30, 33, 38, 44, 74, 76, 126)

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progress in all subjects. To do this they should:

A. Improve the standards in information technology. To do this they should: • . produce a policy and guidelines for teachers to show how the requirements of the National Curriculum should be taught in their class; • . improve teachers’ knowledge and skills in the subject; • . ensure that teachers’ plans identify when and how information technology will be taught; • . use existing computers more regularly in lessons; and • . monitor the subject frequently to identify areas for improvement. (Paras: 10, 22, 30, 33, 68, 74, 78, 105, 120)

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Other weaknesses identified during the inspection are:

• . the management of individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs (Paras: 13, 31, 39, 51, 70, 98) ; • . the lack of challenge for higher attaining pupils in some lessons (Paras: 25, 29, 39, 98, 148, 154); • . the unsatisfactory behaviour of some older pupils (Paras: 15, 16, 64, 117) ; • . the lack of detail about time scales in the school’s development plan (Paras: 57, 65) ; • . impact of school’s plan for the implementation of National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies (Paras: 11, 21, 28, 37, 99, 100, 109); • . lack of opportunities for subject co-ordinators to observe teaching throughout the school: (Paras: 67, 101, 111, 119, 131, 144, 151).

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Characteristics of the school

1. The school is situated in the Wetherby district of Leeds. It caters for pupils from Bramham village and the surrounding area. There are 108 boys and girls on roll in the age range 4 -11. This is a small school that has about thirty five spare places. All children are admitted to the reception class in September of the academic year in which they are five. These children are accommodated in one reception classes which, in some years, has to cater for Year 1 pupils as well. The school’s intake does not exactly match the characteristics of the local ward, but many pupils come from advantaged backgrounds. About seventeen per cent of the pupils receive free school meals which is broadly in-line with the national average. 2. The school’s intake is above average on entry in the basic skills of English, mathematics, personal and social development. There are 26 children on the school’s register of special educational needs, two of whom have a Statement of Special

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Characteristics of the school

Educational Need. No pupils speak English as an additional language.

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School’s aims/ mission statement

3. The aims and objectives fall under the headings of: children; curriculum; school community; and pupils and parents. The aims can be summarised as a shared commitment to: • . produce capable and competent young people to take responsibility for their future and to respect and care for other people and property; • . negotiate individual aspects of learning schemes and assessment; • . give the life of the school a priority of shared interest and enthusiasm; and • . provide mutual support for young people as they face the particularly acute problems of growing up in today’s society.

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Current priorities are to:

The main targets in the school’s development plan are to: • . maintain a quality environment for all who come to the school; • . continue to raise standards in all subjects but particularly in English and mathematics; ensure regular professional development continues to take place for all staff; • . market school successfully to increase intake numbers; • . improve security for everyone in school and protect buildings and grounds; and • . increase the community use of the school and introduce an under five group during the school day. Key indicators

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Current priorities are to:

Attainment at Key Stage 1 1 Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage Year Boys Girls Total for the latest reporting year: 1998 5 8 13

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Current priorities are to:

National Test/Task Reading Writing Mathematic Number of pupils Boys 1 3 1 at NC Level 2 or Girls 7 7 8 above Total 8 10 9 Percentage at NC School 67 (71) 83 (86) 75 (86) Level 2 or above National 80 (80) 81 (80) 84 (84)

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Current priorities are to:

Teacher Assessments English Mathematic Science Number of pupils Boys 2 1 4 at NC Level 2 or Girls 7 8 8 above Total 9 9 12 Percentage at NC School 75 (86) 75 (86) 100 (90) Level 2 or above National 81 (80) 85 (84) 86 (85)

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Current priorities are to:

Attainment at Key Stage 2 2 Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage Year Boys Girls Total for the latest reporting year: 1998 11 6 17

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Current priorities are to:

National Test Results English Mathematic Science Number of pupils Boys 8 5 9 at NC Level 4 or Girls 6 4 6 above Total 14 9 15

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Current priorities are to:

Percentages in parentheses refer to the year before the latest reporting year Percentages in parentheses refer to the year before the latest reporting year Percentage at NC School 82 (84) 53 (68) 88 (89) Level 4 or above National 65 (63) 59 (62) 69 (69)

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Current priorities are to:

Teacher Assessments English Mathematic Science Number of pupils Boys 6 8 8 at NC Level 4 or Girls 6 4 5 above Total 12 12 13 Percentage at NC School 71 (79) 71 (69) 76 (74) Level 4 or above National 65 (63) 65 (64) 72 (69) Attendance Percentage of half days (sessions) missed % through absence for the latest complete Authorised School 6.4 reporting year: Absence National comparative data 5.7 Unauthorised School 0.0 absence National comparative d t 0.5

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Current priorities are to:

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

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Current priorities are to:

Quality of teaching Percentage of teaching observed which is: % Very good or better 17 Satisfactory or better 90 Less than satisfactory 10

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Attainment and progress

1. Children’s standards are above, and sometimes well above, average by the time they are five in all areas of learning. Many are well above average by the time they enter Key Stage 1 particularly in reading, writing and arithmetic. Pupils make speedy progress throughout their reception year. This is shown by the improved levels achieved when the baseline admission test is repeated at the end of the year. The majority of pupils are above average in language and mathematics and have reached average levels in personal and social development when they enter school. However, it is very difficult to make generalised statements that children are consistently above average on entry or when they go into Key Stage 1 because of the relatively small groups that exist; one child could alter the final result considerably.

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Attainment and progress

2. Pupils’ attainment at eleven, over the last three years, in English and science has been well above the national average and above the average in mathematics. National Curriculum tests results for 1999 show that pupils in Year 6 have performed well in all three subjects and that this year’s figures in mathematics are a great improvement on those for 1998.

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Attainment and progress

3. In Key Stage 1, the National Curriculum tests results, for the last three years, show that pupils reach average standards in reading and mathematics and perform well in writing.

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Attainment and progress

4. The school’s test results over the last three years show that girls generally perform better than boys. By the end of Key Stage 2, for example, boys are above the national average and girls are well above it. There is a national trend for boys not to do as well as girls, but some of the school’s figures, over a period of three years, show a marked difference. For example, in English boys and girls have achieved similar high standards, but in science girls do significantly better. The school does not yet have the assessment systems in place to scrutinise these results to seek explanations for these differences.

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Attainment and progress

5. The school’s results for 1998 in Key Stage 1 are unfavourable when compared to similar schools and generally favourable in Key Stage 2 except in mathematics.

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Attainment and progress

6. This picture of attainment in the school created by the National Curriculum test results is confirmed by the judgement of this inspection. In English and mathematics pupils, in the current Year 6, are above the national average and in science they are well above it.

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Attainment and progress

7. In English, pupils at Key Stages 1 and 2 read well and have good levels of comprehension. At the end of Key Stage 1 pupils are beginning to write accurate sentences with proper punctuation. They concentrate well on handwriting and spelling. Higher attainers in writing in Key Stage 1 receive extra challenges and do well, but in Key Stage 2, despite the high results in National Curriculum test, the higher attainers could do better in general writing tasks, for example, in history and geography. Pupils in Key Stage 2 have produced some writing of high quality linked to their pieces of art work, but the same high standards are not yet replicated across the curriculum. In mathematics attainment is above average. Pupils throughout the school are confident in arithmetic and are quick to solve simple problems, particularly when using pencil and paper methods. Standards of mental arithmetic are not so high. In science, attainment is well above average. Pupils

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Attainment and progress

throughout the school have acquired a good level of scientific knowledge and those in Key Stage 1 record their findings in particularly clear ways and are capable of talking well about their results. Attainment in information technology is weak in Key Stage 1 and very weak in Key Stage 2. Pupils have not received sufficient opportunities to cover the elements of the National Curriculum. Similarly, standards in religious education are lower than would be expected because not enough time is devoted to teaching the subject and the locally agreed syllabus is not well translated into lesson plans.

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Attainment and progress

8. Progress in English and mathematics is satisfactory overall in Key Stages 1 and 2. The school has adopted the national strategy for teaching literacy, but is only starting the second term of implementation. This means that teachers do not always make sure that work is set at the correct level for each group. Some teachers are better at this than others, but this is an area of weakness. Consequently, progress in literacy is not as quick as it should be. Moreover, the literacy strategy is not practised well in other subjects of the curriculum. For example, pupils are not taught to make their own notes and use them to produced well constructed piece of independent research. The school intends to implement the National Numeracy Strategy, but has no action plan to achieve this. Despite the high attainment in National Curriculum tests, some pupils make slower progress in arithmetic because they have insufficient opportunities to practice mental

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Attainment and progress

9. Pupils reach about average standards and make satisfactory progress in history, geography and design and technology. In art and physical education, pupils in Key Stage 1 achieve average standards and make satisfactory progress, but in Key Stage 2 higher standards and better progress is made because the teachers possess a specialist knowledge that makes lessons more effective. Standards in music are average in Key Stage 1 and very high in Key Stage 2. Pupils progress quickly in Key Stage 1 and very quickly in Key Stage 2. There has, in the last few years, been timetable and staffing difficulties, particularly in Key Stage 2, but pupils are now making rapid progress. This is due to extremely well organised lessons that are taught by staff who have a very good knowledge of music and use their assessments of pupils’ performance to influence the next lesson in a very productive way.

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Attainment and progress

10. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress. The co-ordinator is very active in helping to plan for pupils’ needs. Special needs assistants are well trained and pupils often make good progress under their guidance. Individual educational plans are a relative weakness in the provision for these pupils and, as a result, progress is hampered. These plans are not sharp enough in their targets and the targets are not reviewed systematically enough.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

11.Pupils under the age of five quickly settle into school routines and enjoy exploring their new surroundings. They soon establish trusting relationships with their two teachers, the nursery nurse and the other adults who help them during the school day, such as the midday supervisor. They sit still and listen attentively during teachers’ explanations and are eager to undertake the practical activities. When given a free choice of learning opportunities most choose what to do by themselves, but a small minority need help to make such decisions. Pupils under five years of age are well behaved. They co-operate when working in small groups, share equipment and take their turn. They soon make friends with their new classmates and with the Key Stage 1 pupils who look after them at playtimes and give them rides on the trolleys. Only a few days after starting school, for example, the reception class were already confidently joining the whole school in the hall

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

for assembly. During a Key Stage 1 assembly some of them were self-assured enough to share their feelings on starting school with the teacher of another class and their peers.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

12.In Key Stages 1 and 2 pupils have sound attitudes to learning. They are mostly compliant, listen attentively to their teachers and get on well with their work. They co- operate and collaborate well in group work, sharing equipment and ideas maturely and they handle the school’s resources carefully. For example, in music lessons, groups of Key Stage 2 pupils successfully composed and performed short ‘sound scapes’ to depict a theme, sensibly playing the instruments when it was their turn. There are times, however, when pupils are less positive about their learning. Sometimes they produce too little work in the time available through inattentiveness or through spending too much time on presentation at the expense of content. On occasions, the school’s oldest pupils are very restless, do not concentrate and take far too long to put pen to paper.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

13.On the whole behaviour is satisfactory, but parents are correct in thinking that the behavioural standards set by the school should be higher, particularly for the older pupils. In the vast majority of lessons and in assembly pupils are well behaved, but a small number of boys in upper Key Stage 2 sometimes disrupt the learning of others. As a result, the class teacher’s attention is frequently diverted from teaching through checking the immature behaviour of this group to maintain order. For example, in a Year 5/6 science lesson on the classification of creatures, which was not taught by the class teacher, pupils’ negative behaviour and attitudes were much more pronounced and had a significant impact on the poor progress made during the lesson.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

14.Pupils are usually well behaved in both playgrounds, in the environmental area and in the dining hall. Friendship groups abound and there is plenty for pupils to do outdoors to channel their energies; for example, many use the adventure climbing equipment. Pupils with special educational needs are fully integrated into the friendship groups. Football is played enthusiastically on one half of the Key Stage 2 playground. This does not unduly encroach on the ample space for others. Some parents are concerned about occasional instances of bullying and aggressive behaviour. No incident of an anti-social nature was seen during the inspection period. There have been no exclusions from the school in the past twelve months.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

15.Pupils’ personal development is satisfactory. Most are polite, well-mannered, courteous and thoughtful. They know right behaviour from wrong and mostly obey the school’s rules. They look after school property well and there is no vandalism, litter or graffiti. Pupils are respectful and reverent during collective worship and they respect different opinions and cultural traditions from their own. Relationships are sound. Pupils mostly get on well with each other and establish trusting relationships with their class teachers and support assistants. Pupils enjoy showing initiative and taking responsibility. For example, they like to organise charitable fundraising, take pleasure from performing for others and enjoy looking after and helping younger pupils.

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Attendance

16.Attendance is satisfactory. The attendance level of 93.6 per cent last year was similar to the national average and there were no unauthorised absences. The registers of attendance meet statutory requirements, an improvement on the situation three years ago at which time reasons for absence were not properly recorded.

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Attendance

17.Pupils generally arrive punctually at school and lessons begin on time.

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Teaching

18.The quality of teaching throughout the school is satisfactory. Teaching is at least satisfactory in nine out of every ten lessons. The amount of good or very good teaching varies considerably between the key stages. The highest incidence of good and very good teaching is in the reception class where eighty per cent of lessons were taught very well. Teaching is less than satisfactory in ten per cent of lessons. Unsatisfactory teaching is mainly found in English and mathematics lessons where teachers do not have a firm enough grasp of the new methods of teaching literacy and numeracy. There is some very good teaching in Key Stage 2 in music and physical education lessons. The standard of teaching is similar to that found during the previous inspection except that the quality of work in the reception class has improved dramatically and lessons using the National Literacy Strategy and elements of the National Numeracy Strategy contain weaknesses

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Teaching

because the teachers are only just starting to teach in these new ways. 19.A wider study of pupils’ work and teachers’ planning and records shows that the quality of teaching in information technology and religious education at Key Stages 1 and 2, is unsatisfactory. The standards achieved by children in these subjects are below what could be expected for their age because teachers are hampered by gaps in their subject knowledge and they do not have sufficient time for teaching. Teachers lack clear guidance on how to plan for and teach these subjects. Planning for information technology has some satisfactory features at Key Stage 1 where, for example, pupils use a programmable electronic Roamer to complement their work in geography and physical education. 20.Teaching of children under five is good. Teachers have a clear understanding of the needs of these youngest children in the school and give careful attention and proper

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Teaching

emphasis to extending their personal and social development. They provide good opportunities for young children to work in a variety of contexts: on their own and with other children. The real strength of the teaching is that the two part-time teachers work closely together on thorough planning and evaluation of lessons. Each lesson is very well planned to ensure that more advanced children are given extra challenges and those in need of help are catered for properly. The teachers chart the progress of each child and plan further work taking observations and other assessments fully into account. The classroom is very well organised for class teaching and practical activities and consequently children settle into school routines extremely quickly. Lessons in reading, writing and arithmetic are brisk, interesting and fun. For example, on one occasion children had to get ready for Teddy’s birthday party by writing cards, wrapping and

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Teaching

labelling presents and practising songs. The teachers demand a lot from the children even though they have just arrived at school. For example, in a physical education lesson the teacher did not accept the first movement produced by the children who were enacting Humpty Dumpty, but asked for a more expressive second attempt. The children respond well to this sort of challenge. 21.The quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 is satisfactory. Teaching is sometimes good and occasionally unsatisfactory when the range of work set in group time does not match, closely enough, the abilities of the pupils. The underlying strength of the teaching in this key stage is the meticulous planning for the half-term and the way that this is translated into daily lessons that are, in turn, evaluated for evidence of how pupils could do better next time. The teacher uses these insights to plan the next lessons. 22.In Key Stage 1, the quality of teaching in the core subjects of English, mathematics

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Teaching

and science benefits from the thorough planning undertaken and the well prepared resources. For example, in a science lesson devoted to the properties of various materials, the lesson plans were very detailed, the objects for the pupils to study were well chosen and the teacher used correct scientific language to guide the pupils in their observations. A weakness was evident in this lesson that also occurs in English and mathematics. The teacher does not always use a range of questions to cater for the pupils’ different levels of attainment. This has an adverse effect on the performance of higher attaining pupils. 23.Teaching in Key Stage 2 is satisfactory. There is some good and very good teaching in art, music and physical education, in particular, but there are some important weaknesses in the teaching of English, mathematics and science resulting in some unsatisfactory lessons. 24.The best teaching in art, music and physical education is characterised by: teachers

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Teaching

who are confident in their grasp of the subject; a very good choice and use of resources like clay and musical instruments; a lively manner; and a full involvement of pupils in their learning. For example, in one music lesson the teacher succeeded in involving thirty seven pupils in clapping, rhythms, singing and music making with instruments by dint of drive, energy and meticulous planning. The teacher had a very clear idea of what pupils were going to achieve and guided them skilfully in attaining the aims of the lesson. However, the assessment of pupil’s performance is weak even in these successful lessons. This weakness is seen in many lessons in both key stages. In the very good gymnastic and dance lesson, for example, teachers did not get the pupils themselves to comment on how well they and their peers had done and what could be improved. 25.The school chose to start teaching from the National Literacy Strategy in the

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Teaching

summer term of 1999, two terms later than most schools. Some lessons are satisfactorily taught because the teacher has confidence in using the new guidance and has planned in great detail to cover all the requirements. In others there are weaknesses owing to an incomplete understanding of how to organise the teaching of the whole class and group work to ensure that pupils of all abilities are catered for properly. 26.In Key Stage 2 there are areas of relative weakness in otherwise satisfactory lessons. For example, in history and geography the higher attaining pupils are not regularly set extension tasks or different tasks of a more challenging nature. This has an adverse effect on their progress overall. 27.In both key stages standards in information technology and religious education are below average and progress is too slow. This is caused by unsatisfactory teaching throughout the school. There is some satisfactory teaching of religious education, but in

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Teaching

general teachers do not devote enough time to the direct teaching of these subjects. The school acknowledges these weaknesses and has plans to tackle them. 28.The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is well managed by the co- ordinator and well provided for by the support assistants, but is not so good at the level of the pupils’ individual education plans. Many of these plans contain targets that are too broad to be achievable. The progress pupils make towards these targets is not fully discussed at the review meetings and new plans for the current academic year are not yet ready. 29.Teachers are conscientious in their marking of pupils’ work. They give helpful verbal comments to pupils about their work, but targets for improvement are not always clearly written in the pupils’ workbooks. The use of homework to reinforce or extend learning is good in the reception class. Homework is given in Key Stages 1 and 2, but the practice

p.19

Teaching

lacks consistency. There is no policy and common understanding between parents and teachers. This has a detrimental effect of pupils’ progress.

p.20

The curriculum and assessment

30.The school’s curriculum includes all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. It meets statutory requirements in most subjects, but the current teaching of information technology and religious education does not meet statutory requirements and therefore standards are low in these subjects. Other requirements have been given due consideration. For example, sex education and drugs awareness are included well into the school’s curriculum. 31.Insufficient time given to information technology and religious education means that the curriculum is broad, but it is not particularly well balanced. The school places a proper emphasis on English and mathematics which allows sufficient time for the teaching of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. The amount of time given to music was inadequate in 1998/9 but the school has remedied this and now it is on a par with art and physical education. These three subjects represent a strong feature of the school’s

p.20

The curriculum and assessment

curriculum. The pupils receive a rich and interesting programme. 32.The curriculum for children under five is good. It is very well organised around the six recommended areas of learning. Each area receives due consideration and activities are entirely relevant for the age and experience of the children. This is a strength of the school. 33.The school’s previous inspection described the curriculum as satisfactory, but lacking in rigour and deliberation. The situation has improved since then. Planning for the under fives and in Key Stage 1 is now very rigorous. Teachers have a very clear idea about their curriculum and how it will be taught at the termly, weekly and daily level. In Key Stage 2 the quality of planning varies between the classes and the subjects. On occasions it is very detailed, but at other times it is just a series of headings. Sometimes there is no daily planning of lessons in Key Stage 2. This inconsistency between the key

p.20

The curriculum and assessment

stages, and the classes within a key stage, has an effect on the rate of progress made by the pupils and the way in which their attainment is assessed. The planning for mixed-age classes has improved since the last inspection. There is now a successful long-term plan that ensures that pupils who remain in the same class for two years do not repeat work unnecessarily. 34.Teachers are beginning to use the national guidelines to plan lessons for reading, writing and mathematics, but there are few occasions when teachers plan for the use of anything learnt in these lessons to be practised in other subjects. For example, pupils have few opportunities to carry out their own research in geography and history using the techniques contained in the National Literacy Strategy. 35.The school uses a mixture of national and commercially published schemes of work. This is a satisfactory arrangement, but a weakness in the school’s own schemes of work,

p.20

The curriculum and assessment

pointed out in the previous inspection report, remains. Some subjects like religious education and English still do not have written guidance, produced by the school, to show teachers how these subjects should be taught and how to use the national or commercial schemes. 36.The school provides a curriculum that gives equal opportunities to all pupils. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported by classroom assistants and therefore they enjoy the same opportunities as their peers. On occasions when the work given to the class is pitched at the average, higher attaining pupils and lower attainers, who are not supported by special needs assistants, make slower progress. For example, in one Key Stage 2 class the same work sheet was given to every pupil in geography thereby causing problems for the weaker readers and giving no extra challenge for the better ones. 37.The range of extra-curricular activities is satisfactory. Pupils in Key Stage 2 are able

p.21

The curriculum and assessment

to enjoy: drama, dance, gymnastics, soccer and netball. Parents can pay for their child to study French and some pupils learn the recorder. Several parents provide invaluable help in running these activities. 38.The school undertakes a wide range of formal tests. Children under five are assessed using the local education authority’s baseline test and this is used effectively to plan future work. A number of tests, including the statutory National Curriculum tests, are given to pupils from Year 1 to 6 in order to gauge their progress in reading, writing, mathematics and science. The results of these tests are not analysed in depth and used by teachers to plan future work for individual or groups of pupils. There is a marking policy which is not applied consistently throughout the school. Some teachers’ marking gives pupils guidance on ways in which they can improve their work, but this is an inconsistent

p.21

The curriculum and assessment

feature throughout the school. Teachers in the reception class and in Key Stage 1 have devised successful methods to record the results of pupils’ work and then plan further work accordingly, but this practice is not continued in Key Stage 2. Teachers in the reception class and Key Stage 1 also identify assessment opportunities clearly in their lesson plans for the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, and then act upon them, but this is a weak feature of teaching elsewhere in the school. Assessment in the foundation subjects is weak in Key Stages 1 and 2. 39.One of the most significant weaknesses in assessment is the lack of target setting for individual pupils. Teachers do not assess what level the pupils have reached, in English, mathematics and science, at the end of the school year and then set ambitious targets for the following year. Teachers do not keep enough information to assist them in

p.21

The curriculum and assessment

the task of assessing the progress of each child. There are some files of past work, but these are not comprehensive enough and not compared to average national performance. The school does not possess an assessment calendar to guide the co-ordinator and staff in their tasks throughout the year. This lack of a proper system causes the school to slip behind in its key tasks. Annual reports to parents are satisfactory, but do not contain enough information about how their child could improve in the following year. 40.The co-ordinator for assessment has begun to tackle these weaknesses, in-line with the school’s development plan, but there is now an urgent need to finish the tasks. Many of these issues were present in the last report, but were not identified as key issues.

p.21

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

41.The ways in which the school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development are sound. Provision for cultural development is good with appropriate emphasis on teaching pupils about different cultural traditions as well as their own. Religious education, however, does not make a strong enough contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral or cultural development.

p.22

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

42.Pupils’ spiritual development is fostered satisfactorily through daily acts of collective worship which are sound in quality and through the curriculum, particularly art, music, dance and environmental studies. Pupils under the age of five are fully integrated into the worship. Some of the worship is of good quality. For example, when a member of the clergy talked about signs and symbols in everyday life and the Christian faith, and in a Key Stage 1 assembly when the feelings of children under five on starting school were sensitively elicited and beautifully related to a Biblical text and prayer. In other assemblies the worship element is very brief, but pupils are successfully encouraged to think deeply about the music which plays before they leave the hall. The school’s grounds are excellent for studies of new life and the reception class, for example, enjoyed watching chickens hatch last spring. The school’s response to the death of the secretary, including

p.22

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

recordings on video and compact disc by the pupils, have helped them to build a lasting memorial to her and come to terms with their loss.

p.22

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

43.Satisfactory provision is made for pupils’ moral development through teaching principles which enable them to distinguish right behaviour from wrong. Assemblies have a strong moral content. A simple version of the school’s Code of Conduct is prominently displayed in the reception class and pupils in Year 1/2 have already, in only their second week into the academic year, been involved in discussions with their class teacher about how they should behave in school. Such discussions effectively reinforce the rules. Pupils are encouraged successfully to care for other people both known and unknown to them and for the environment. A high emphasis is placed on local and national charitable fundraising, some of which results from pupils’ own initiatives. For several years pupils have raised money for villagers in Nepal through the charity Action Aid and the information received about those they have helped has made the giving all the more meaningful.

p.22

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

44.Pupils’ social development is nurtured effectively through educational visits which include a residential stay for the older pupils at Ingleborough Hall. The whole of Key Stage 2 occasionally undertake long walks in the locality. These sorts of activities help pupils to make social contact with the wider community and to socialise with their peers in unfamiliar surroundings. Extra-curricular activities and inter-school sports also contribute effectively to pupils’ social development. Older Key Stage 1 pupils are positively encouraged to look after new entrants to the reception class. Some of the school’s oldest pupils are encouraged to help the youngest with coats and shoes and play with them indoors at playtime in inclement weather. However, such opportunities to take responsibility for minor duties around the school are too few.

p.22

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

45.Pupils’ cultural development is heightened effectively, chiefly through art, music, dance, drama, the humanities, extra-curricular activities, educational visits and visiting performers. Dance, in particular, receives a much higher emphasis in the curriculum than in many primary schools. Pupils’ work on Africa teaches them about cultural traditions very different from their own white Western European heritage. The upper Key Stage 2 classroom is well equipped with numerous African artefacts, displays of information and quality photographs of real people going about their daily lives in other countries. Pupils under the age of five successfully celebrated the Chinese New Year last spring by sampling oriental food, learning about Chinese traditions and making various artefacts.

p.22

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

46.The school’s youngest pupils soon feel safe and secure in the reception class and settle quickly into school. Class teachers meet the new entrants in their own home surroundings and the children make pre-visits to the school. Many attended the pre-school playgroup which meets in the school hall. This gets them used to coming to school, familiarises them with the layout of the building and enables children and parents to meet the staff. Medical and other concerns are discussed with parents before the children are admitted, assessments made of their attainment on entry and support given where appropriate.

p.23

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

47.Many of the staff are long serving at the school so they know the pupils and their families well. This helps them recognise and respond to some of the pupils’ academic and pastoral needs more effectively. However, formal assessment procedures are not used sufficiently throughout the school to monitor pupils’ academic progress.

p.23

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

48.Pupils with special educational needs receive sound support but some of the targets set for them are unrealistic. The support staff for pupils with statements of special educational need give them good guidance and reassurance. Outside agencies are involved well where necessary.

p.23

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

49.The school’s procedures to promote high standards of good behaviour are unsatisfactory, particularly for the older pupils, due to lack of a coherent approach to promoting positive behaviour. Although pupils are suitably rewarded for special work or behaviour with merits, certificates and Golden Book accolades some teachers do not praise good behaviour enough. They are too quick to reprimand pupils who display negative attitudes instead of praising those who meet their expectations. The sanctions system which operates over the lunch break is clearly stated in the school’s lunchtime policy, but there is no similar clarification of policy regarding the different system of sanctions used at other times of the school day. Nor is there a sufficiently long-term log of the behavioural incidents that are handled by the headteacher. This makes it more difficult to monitor an individual’s behaviour over time and prove to parents that a behaviour plan is

p.23

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

necessary and needs their support. Incidents of bullying are dealt with in accordance with the school’s policy once notified to the staff.

p.23

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

50.Procedures to promote regular and punctual attendance are sound. Registers are monitored closely and reasons for absence sought if not forthcoming. Close relationships are established with the education welfare officer. An appropriate system has been introduced to record comings and goings during the day which is vital information should the building need to be evacuated.

p.23

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

51.The well-being, health and safety of the pupils are promoted effectively by the staff. Suitable records are kept of all accidents and injuries. Since the previous inspection, steps have been taken to rectify the health and safety concerns highlighted at that time and governors are now involved in regular risk assessments. Matters relating to child protection are dealt with in full accordance with statutory requirements.

p.23

Partnership with parents and the community

52.The school uses its community links well to enrich the curriculum and raise standards, but there are weaknesses in its partnership with parents. Parental concerns have magnified because of inadequate communication and involvement with the result that some parents have lost sight of the many good aspects of the school, in particular the high standards achieved.

p.23

Partnership with parents and the community

53.Parents at the meeting and those who replied to the inspection questionnaire indicated significant areas of dissatisfaction, particularly in relation to the school’s handling of complaints, behavioural standards, their understanding of what is taught in school and homework. There are weaknesses in these areas and the headteacher and governors should address them quickly in order to rebuild confidence in the school within the local community.

p.24

Partnership with parents and the community

54.A major strength of communication is the high quality information received by parents when their child first starts school in the reception class through home visits, the new starters’ pack and discussions about attainment on entry. The prospectus is detailed in many respects, but contains very little information about the curriculum. The school development plan shows an intention that termly sheets will be produced for parents on the work to be covered in each class. However, the time scale for the completion of this task is too vague.

p.24

Partnership with parents and the community

55.All parents are given good opportunities to meet with class teachers to discuss progress at the autumn and spring formal consultations and the summer open evening. The written annual progress reports are of a satisfactory quality. Some teachers identify attainment and progress better than others, but a common weakness is that few reports pinpoint the next steps for improvement.

p.24

Partnership with parents and the community

56.Parents are suitably informed if their child is placed on the register of special educational needs and if support is enlisted from outside agencies. Good formal and informal contact is maintained and parents are appropriately involved in reviews.

p.24

Partnership with parents and the community

57.The school’s position regarding recent government initiatives such as the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, Home School Agreements and homework has been poorly communicated to parents. The school did not clarify and explain its intentions, set time scales for implementation, where appropriate, or fully involve parents. However, the governors are beginning to rectify the situation. They have held a productive meeting with parents about the Home School Agreement at which parents offered some realistic comments and ideas.

p.24

Partnership with parents and the community

58.A small but enthusiastic band of volunteers assist class teachers on a regular basis with a range of activities such as food technology and team sports coaching. Social and fundraising events are successfully organised by The Friends of Bramham who raise substantial amounts of money. All such support is greatly valued by the staff and used well for the benefit of the pupils.

p.24

Partnership with parents and the community

59.Community links are used effectively to raise standards and promote pupils’ personal development. Numerous educational visits are arranged in the locality and have particularly enriched pupils’ learning in history, geography and art. The school enjoys a close association with prominent dance groups in Leeds including the Northern School of Contemporary Dance. Leeds’ Wind Trio have performed in school and other musicians have provided memorable first-hand experiences for the pupils, for example, through the recent steel pan workshop. Business contacts through parents have successfully enabled the school to raise standards in food technology and to broadcast live on Radio Aire. Local villagers and governors are invited into school to share their experiences of times past and local knowledge. Assemblies are regularly led by local clergy and harvest produce is distributed in the community.

p.24

Leadership and management

60. In 1996 the previous inspection report required governors to; remove a budget deficit; improve the school’s building and grounds to provide a safer environment; and to meet regulations with regard to monitoring attendance in the class registers. These problems have been tackled well. The governors and headteacher have, for example, spent a great deal of time in ensuring that expenditure matches income and that the building and grounds are safe. Moreover, members of the governing body are delegated to keep a constant and watchful eye on these matters on a regular basis. The finances are constantly scrutinised for ways in which spending can be reduced. Regular health and safety checks are carried out which ensure that the school is a fit place in which to work.

p.25

Leadership and management

61. The areas, identified in the previous report, that needed to be maintained have been tackled satisfactorily, but there are several weak areas that need further work. The school still has a good ethos in many respects resulting, for example, in the strong community feeling present after the tragic death of the school’s secretary. However, relationships are adversely effected by the immature behaviour of a group of older pupils in Key Stage 2. The strengths in teaching and learning, particularly in art, music and physical education have been successfully maintained and developed. The school still creates good links within the community to facilitate learning. The curriculum is usefully extended by trips and visitors to the school. However, dissatisfaction with aspects of the school, amongst a significant minority of parents is still apparent. At the parents’ meeting held before the previous inspection about a quarter of those present expressed reservations about the

p.25

Leadership and management

school and at the most recent meeting nearly all of those present had a similar view. The governors and headteacher acknowledge these views and have already begun to plan ways in which to remedy this situation. For example, the new draft school prospectus gives far more information about what the pupils learn and the impending Home School Agreement will state clearly how parents can help in their child’s education. The headteacher, who makes himself readily available for any parent with a concern, acknowledges that some parents may be unhappy about the way complaints have been dealt with and intends to be more rigorous in dealing with these matters.

p.25

Leadership and management

62. The school’s development plan was criticised in the last inspection report as being concerned too much with curriculum and not enough with other aspects of the school. This situation has been remedied. The governors now have a three-year plan which covers all importance aspects from curriculum to repairs and decoration of the school. The major priorities are very clear and concentrate on raising standards and improving quality. The plan contains action plans for all of the school’s major weaknesses. However, the main drawback of the plan is that time scales are very vague and that tasks within the sections of concern are quite limited in scope. For example, the assessment section only targets the organisation of past National Curriculum test materials and the time for completion is anywhere between 1997 and 2001. 63. The area of assessment and targets setting for individual pupils, so that they do as

p.25

Leadership and management

well as possible in the National Curriculum tests, is an important weakness in the school. It was not identified as a key issue at the time of the previous inspection, but the body of the report gave many indications about weaknesses that existed. The school decided, as was its prerogative, to place assessment in the school’s development plan to be tackled during 1998/9. However, national events have moved on a great deal since the last inspection. We now have national and school targets for improvement and there is far more emphasis on keeping a close check on pupils’ progress after lessons, at the end of a half-term and at the end of the school year. The school now finds itself behind in devising a system to ensure that pupils are tracked closely and make as much progress as they can.

p.26

Leadership and management

64. The development of the role of subject co-ordinators has progressed in a satisfactory fashion. The governors and headteacher were charged, in 1996, with the task of providing time for the co-ordinators to carry out their roles more effectively. All teachers have been given time to organise their subject documentation, attend courses and audit resources. They have not yet had the chance to see other teachers at work in order observe the quality of teaching.

p.26

Leadership and management

65. Information technology has become a core subject since the last inspection. It has assumed a very high profile in the national view of education. The headteacher has responded well to this challenge and has bid for funds that will equip the school with more computers. Currently standards, without this new equipment, are too low as the school does not cover all the ground required by the National Curriculum.

p.26

Leadership and management

66. Provision for the under fives is very well managed. The reception class is taught by two part-time teachers who have worked extremely hard to plan a relevant curriculum and organise the classroom so that children can learn in the most appropriate fashion, both through play and by enjoying direct teaching in reading, writing and arithmetic. There are good systems for planning and assessment in this area of the school. Parents receive good information about teaching and learning and the new entrants’ starter pack is a most effective document.

p.26

Leadership and management

67. The management of work carried out for pupils with a special educational need is satisfactory overall. The co-ordinator works very hard to ensure that the systems are in place to identify pupils with difficulties and then to provide for them in the most appropriate way. Pupils are supported very well in class by classroom assistants, but their individual education plans contain some weaknesses that limit the amount of progress that is possible. Targets for improved learning are often too general and not fully reviewed at that review meeting. These plans are reviewed three times a year, but are all timed to expire in July which leaves little time for staff to write new ones ready for September. This cycle of review dates causes problems with continuity and does not facilitate smooth progress. The school has a policy for equal opportunities and staff make sure that pupils have a chance to take part in all classroom activities. However, the school does not yet

p.26

Leadership and management

scrutinise the results of the National Curriculum tests for any gender differences.

p.26

Leadership and management

68. The school’s capacity to improve further is satisfactory. The governors and the headteacher are aware of the school’s weaknesses and their long-term aims, as expressed in the school’s development plan, show that they are going to tackle them. The last inspection report stated that the governors were not rigorous enough in some areas of management and that the headteacher was out of school a lot attending meetings in the local authority. The governors are now far more organised, informed and capable of taking strategic decisions. The headteacher is in school a great deal and contributes well to the school’s development.

p.26

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

69.The school’s teaching staff is experienced and sufficient. The pupil-to-teacher ratio is well below average for a primary school. Teachers’ expertise is well-matched to their subject responsibilities. Newly appointed staff receive good support from the headteacher and rest of the team which enables them to become effective quickly. There are enough support staff who are appropriately qualified to meet the needs of the pupils.

p.27

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

70.The school has a satisfactory system for the appraisal of teachers. The staff have agreed suitable guidelines for appraisal which require them to undertake a two hour staff development interview with the headteacher annually. This system is effective and applies to all teachers, the educational support staff, midday supervisor, administrative assistant and superintendent. Their perceived strengths and weaknesses are discussed and targets set, including curriculum targets where appropriate. The headteacher is appraised every two years by local education authority personnel.

p.27

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

71.Arrangements for staff development are sound. Staff attend informative annual weekend seminars, the most recent focusing on the National Numeracy Strategy with input from Leeds Advisory and Inspection Service. Whilst in-service training has been undertaken to improve teaching in some subjects this has particularly been lacking in information technology and religious education. Further training is urgently needed to improve the confidence of teachers and raise standards in these two core subjects.

p.27

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

72.The accommodation is very good with particular strengths in the mostly spacious classrooms, ample storage space, very good food technology kitchen and excellent, well- maintained grounds. The extensive grassed and hard surfaced areas, wildlife habitats and pond contribute effectively towards raising standards in physical education and science as well as providing an attractive environment for the pupils at playtime. The hall is adequate in size for physical education lessons.

p.27

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

73.The range and quality of learning resources is good. There are at least sufficient resources to meet the pupils’ needs in all subjects. Specialist resources for those with special educational needs are adequate and for pupils under the age of five are good. Religious education is insufficiently resourced and this negatively impacts upon standards achieved in this subject. The library is small and rather unwelcoming. The school has done well to get rid of many of the old books leaving a limited range of titles, but the quantity of library books has recently been augmented by the use of extra funds.

p.27

The efficiency of the school

74.The financial control of the school is managed efficiently by the governors, headteacher and administrative staff. The day-to-day administration of the school’s finances and routines is efficiently managed by the administrative staff. The most recent auditor’s report was satisfactory. Sound financial planning is linked to need. All staff have a role in setting priorities each year through their own curriculum development interview. Since the previous inspection the governors and the headteacher have, through a combination of reducing staffing cost and good housekeeping, been able to move from a deficit to a balanced budget. However, a weakness remains from the previous inspection. The school lacks a formal system to allow the governing body to judge the effect of spending decisions on the curriculum and standards of attainment. 75.Good use is made of the funds made available to the school through specific grants.

p.27

The efficiency of the school

Funding for pupils with special educational needs is used to increase the levels of support staff. These staff work effectively in supporting both group and individual pupils who find learning more difficult. The school uses the bulk of its money available for staff training by buying into the support services of the local education authority which is a cost effective way of acquiring both training and technical support. In addition an annual residential training session is provided for staff and with the remaining finances the school buys into other courses linked to curriculum development. The friends of the school provide invaluable extra support towards the school’s funding. All funds are wisely spent, including those apportioned for teaching pupils under the age of five. However, insufficient use is made of the resources available in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 for information technology. During the current and past year computers have been under-used and

p.28

The efficiency of the school

teachers often miss opportunities to use them. 76.Teaching staff are well deployed. The headteacher gives class teachers some release time to enable them to fulfil their role as subject co-ordinators but insufficient use is made of this time in both assessment, and monitoring and evaluation procedures which were significant issues raised in the previous report. Accommodation is used well. Classroom displays provide a valuable resource for learning and the spare classroom is used well for display, storage and small group work. Visits to museums and places of interest are linked to the pupils’ current topic which effectively enhances the curriculum. Very good use has been made of the extensive grounds to create both a high quality environmental study area and playground. 77.The unit costs per pupil are high and pupils’ attainment on entry is above average. When these factors are balanced against the sound quality of education provided, the

p.28

The efficiency of the school

attainment of pupils on leaving, and their satisfactory personal development, the school provides satisfactory value for money.

p.28

Areas of learning for children under five

78.Children are admitted to the reception class in the September of the year of their fifth birthday and attend full-time. At the time of the inspection there were 12 children under five in this class. The school adopts a policy of staggered entry with seven more children due to be admitted in the week after the inspection. Very good care is taken to ensure that children make a good start in the reception class. The teachers have created an effective welcome pack which is linked to a home visit. Children receive a welcoming letter before they arrive telling them, among other things, who their classmates are going to be.

p.28

Areas of learning for children under five

79.Good planning ensures that all of the children under five gain the experiences required by the Desirable Outcomes for Children’s Learning. The language and literacy and mathematics programme pays due regard to the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy. Provision in this class is good and is a strength of the school.

p.28

Areas of learning for children under five

80.There is a range of attainment on entry to school, but the recently administered baseline assessments show that the majority of children are above average, in literacy and mathematical skills, when compared to the rest of the children in Leeds. Their personal and social development is nearer to the average. During their year in the reception class, children make good progress in all the areas of learning. By the age of five children’s attainment is generally high and many are already working within the requirements of the National Curriculum for English and mathematics.

p.28

Personal and social development

81.The children are happy and confident and settle quickly to their work. The teachers strive very hard to create a warm ethos and the children respond very well. Attainment is above average and children are making good progress in their first few days in school. Many display good levels of concentration and work hard in their groups to complete an activity. This was very well demonstrated, for example, in a literacy lesson where the children were learning about the letter ‘c’; they sat on the carpet for a long time and then worked well in groups to follow up what they had learnt; they sustained their efforts well for about fifty minutes. They are very well behaved in the group and independent activities. Attitudes to learning are never less than good and often very good. The children are considerate towards each other. They share materials when working in groups and join in well with whole class activities. They use the school hall with confidence in physical

p.29

Personal and social development

education lessons. They listen well to their teacher and show high levels of self-discipline when moving around in this big space. Teachers introduce children to important celebrations, like the Chinese New Year and combine these events with cooking and eating. Last year, for example, children ate a Chinese meal with chop sticks. This made a very good contribution to their social skills.

p.29

Language and literacy

82.The children make quick progress in language and literacy and attainment is high even in the first few weeks of term. Many are already able to talk confidently about what they are doing and the teachers show skill in extending children’s vocabulary and the way they express themselves. For example, in one lesson the teacher skilfully used a Teddy bear to encourage the children to speak out and explain themselves clearly. A high proportion of the children know many of their initial sounds already. For example, the majority can write a letter ‘c’ on the flip chart giving it the proper orientation. The teacher noted carefully those that found difficulty in order to give them special tuition at another time. Children know that writing is undertaken in different ways for different occasions. They enjoyed writing birthday cards for Teddy and in doing so displayed good knowledge of how we communicate in writing. Examples from last year show that many children grow

p.29

Language and literacy

in confidence by the summer term and can produce their own pieces of writing without direct adult supervision. The current group of children are already firmly engrossed in the reading scheme; they know the main characters and can talk well about the plot as told by the pictures.

p.29

Mathematics

83.Children make good progress in mathematics. The lessons are very well organised and take full account of the children’s high attainment on entry. For example, in one lesson children traced numbers well remembering to start at the top. Nearly half the group can count up to twenty and beyond, but many find difficulty in placing numbers in the correct order. All have good opportunities for practical work experiencing a wide range of sorting and matching activities as well as the opportunities to develop skills through number rhymes and games. In these activities they succeed well. The good progress was demonstrated in one lessons that lasted nearly an hour. Children were very keen to try their hand at recognising and writing numbers after the teacher had introduced the session. Higher attaining children made good progress as well because they were given an extension activity of counting everyday items like rubber and scissors.

p.29

Knowledge and understanding of the world

84.Attainment is currently as expected for children under five. Although they have only been in school a few days they can already use the headphones and tape recorder with confidence, dress Teddy on the computer screen, talk clearly about the month of their birthday and others in their family and wrap parcels for Teddy’s birthday. Examples from last year’s work show that children reach high standards by the end of the school year. They made sock puppets that had very expressive faces with very little help from an adult. Groups of children made ‘Giants’ from recycled boxes and even wrote about how their models could have been improved. The teachers capitalise on children’s interests when thinking about the past. For example, last year they studied the Titanic disaster and Captain Scott’s journey. The resultant writing and paintings showed that the children had remembered a great deal about the events. In addition, some of the maps made, by last

p.30

Knowledge and understanding of the world

year’s class, of their journey to school or the route that the gingerbread man took are very good since they show a full understanding of the purpose of maps and how we communicate through symbols.

p.30

Physical development

1.Attainment is already high and children make quick progress. Children use space in the hall sensibly and balance and control their bodies well. For example, in one hall lesson children made very good progress in putting together three movements in a sequence and using all parts of the hall to show what they could do. They are even beginning to express parts of a story through the way that they move their bodies. In the classroom, children can handle pencils, scissors, brushes and other tools with a growing confidence. There are plenty of opportunities to build constructions out of small and large apparatus.

p.30

Creative development

2.Children have many opportunities to express themselves creatively and are making good and sometimes very good progress. Attainment at this stage of the term is as expected, but by the end of the year it is above expectations. In music they make particularly good progress because of the range of interesting tasks on offer. For example, in one lesson the exploration of sounds using musical instruments was cleverly linked to a story about birds. Children were asked to make the sound of a woodpecker, while others were acting it all out with finger puppets. As a finale to this task children were asked to note down the sounds they had made using an elementary form of musical notation. This challenging task resulted in high standards and very good progress. Children’s art work is bold and confident. Last year’s paintings of the Titanic and drawings of tadpoles in the school grounds show good skills of observation and design.

p.30

Creative development

3.The quality of teaching overall is good. It is sometimes very good, for example, in literacy and physical development where the teachers use resources particularly effectively or they encourage children to produce even better work by not accepting their first effort. The keynote to the teachers’ success is the good planning for lessons. The year is planned in great detail, then the half-term and then the actual day. The way that children’s efforts will be assessed is built into the planning and the teachers keep detailed records of these assessments. These records help to guide the next and subsequent lessons. The new non-teaching assistant is used very well to supervise groups or to make observations of children at work. Relationships are warm and supportive and there are high expectations for the work and behaviour from the children. The teaching of literacy and mathematics receives a very high profile. It is taught in an interesting way, often through

p.30

Creative development

stories and first-hand experiences, reinforcing and extending the responses of the children.

p.31

Creative development

4.The classroom is well organised for learning. Large areas are well designed for role play or construction and little touches make learning even more exciting. For example, the teachers have placed books made by last year’s children in the book boxes to make reading more enjoyable and relevant. The playground is extremely well laid out for physical development. It has a mixture of hard and soft surfaces that can be negotiated by many different types of wheeled toys.

p.31

Creative development

5.Good home-school links have been established. Parents are welcome to come into school at the beginning and end of sessions and a positive and friendly atmosphere has been established. The teachers have made good links with a playgroup which meets in the school once-a-week. This is already helping to show potential parents what the reception class has to offer.

p.31

English

6.Standards achieved by Year 6 pupils in the 1998 National Curriculum Tests were well above the national average. The results of the 1999 tests show that 71 per cent of pupils now achieve the levels expected for pupils of this age. The general picture over the last three years is for English results to be well above the national average at Key Stage 2. The result of the inspection, which has a wider reference than National Curriculum tests as it takes into account pupil’s attainment in speaking and listening as well, shows that attainment is currently above the national average by the time pupils are eleven.

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English

7.Standards at Key Stage 1, over the last three years, in reading have been assessed as average while those in writing have been well above average. Some pupils make particularly good progress in writing because of the way that the teacher sets different tasks for different groups and the good start that they received in the reception class. The difference between the performance of boys and girls has a bearing on the reading and writing results. Girls have achieved significantly better than the boys for three years in reading while in writing the difference is less marked. In small year groups, one or two pupils’ results can make a great difference to the overall result, but the school has not scrutinised the results of National Curriculum test sufficiently closely to establish whether they should be targeting boys, more particularly, in their reading.

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English

8.The majority of pupils in both key stages speak well and listen closely to what others have to say. During lessons in reading and writing most pupils listen carefully to their teacher's explanations and instructions and offer sensible, articulate answers to the teacher's questions. For example, some pupils in Key Stage 2 commented well about the style in which the traditional story of Rumpelstiltskin was written. The skills associated with talking and listening well in class are practised throughout the curriculum. For example, in a Key Stage 1 science lesson the teacher was very good at encouraging the pupils to use a range of descriptive vocabulary when discussing various materials. In a music lesson in Year 5/6 the teacher encouraged the pupils to say what they thought about the music to which they were listening. They responded very well giving some apt judgements. Occasionally, the teachers do too much talking and pupils do not get a chance to

p.31

English

contribute and discuss. For example, in physical education not enough time is devoted to hearing what the pupils have to say about their performance. A small group of older pupils are not good at listening to others and contributing sensibly and they can sometimes distract others from their learning.

p.32

English

9.Standards in reading for the current Years 2 and 6 are about average. The school does not provide annual targets for each pupil, but if the schools is going to maintain its high standard at Year 6 the reading levels of those currently below average will need to improve. Pupils throughout the school have the ability to read unfamiliar words and use the skills appropriate to their age. In lessons devoted to the National Literacy Strategy, pupils attain well in reading when their teacher is leading their group in a guided reading task. Examples of this are to be found in each class. A weakness occurs in the work set for groups that have to work on their own. In many cases the reading level of the work is too hard or too easy. This means that some pupils struggle while others coast. The average and higher than average pupils often make good progress in their reading. They tackle hard words well and frequently correct their own mistakes. However, the lower

p.32

English

attainers sometimes find it hard to make sense of what they are reading. Some times they are not reading books at the correct level. Those who receive help from the special needs assistants make good progress, but other groups of lower attainers sometimes struggle to keep up. In Key Stage 1, the lower attainers are very well supported with key words to take home, targets to achieve and frequent comment in their reading record for parents to see. This good practice is not present throughout the school and by the end of Key Stage 2 support and targets setting for lower attainers is not so systematic.

p.32

English

10.Standards in writing are good in both key stages. In Key Stage 1, pupils experience a period of real consolidation building on the firm foundations laid in the reception class. Writing, for many pupils, becomes well constructed and accurate. Stories are well written and description has an imaginative edge to it. By the end of this key stage, the average and higher attainers, in particular, produce work that is legible, joined up and well punctuated with speech marks. This good progress continues but is uneven throughout Key Stage 2. Some very good work is produced. For example, in both junior classes the pupils have written some vividly descriptive pieces based on their closely observed art work. One group drew and painted delicate pictures of tree bark and then described their observations in writing incorporating some very powerful images, similes and metaphors. However, writing in other subjects is not so advanced. In history and geography, all pupils

p.32

English

produce similar work. Average and higher attainers are not being challenged enough to produce more detailed writing that could, for example, result from wider research. In lessons devoted to the National Literacy Strategy, pupils are not accustomed to producing powerful short pieces of work at speed in the twenty minutes allowed. Teachers provide extra time for this kind of writing outside the literacy hour, but more productive use could be made of time during the hour. Writing in the literacy hour, except for those groups that are working closely with the teacher, is not of a high standard.

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English

11.Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress in reading and writing. They are well supported by classroom assistants, but the targets in their individual education planned are often not specific enough or reviewed closely enough to ensure good progress, particularly at times when they are not being supported by an assistant. 12.The quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 is satisfactory and good in Key Stage 2. The real strength of the work in Key Stage 1 is the comprehensive planning and evaluation of lessons to ensure that short-term assessments guide the planning of subsequent lessons. Sometimes, the work set in this key stage is not matched precisely to the needs of the pupil or the group. Teaching in Key Stage 1 helps pupils to achieve some good writing, but the beginnings of closely observed descriptive pieces, as found in Key Stage 2, are not evident. Poetry is under used as a vehicle for teaching in both key stages. In Key Stage

p.32

English

2, teachers’ planning is not so comprehensive. They do not plan for speaking and listen opportunities, for example, and this results in missed opportunities in some lessons. They do help pupils to achieve some very good writing in some subjects, but not in others. This, in part, results from the scant planning for subjects like history and religious education. Teachers in both key stages miss opportunities for pupils to use computers for their work in English. In National Literacy Strategy lessons, some teaching is satisfactory, but there are several weaknesses. Teachers do not promote enough discussion in the whole class teaching section. Therefore pupils get insufficient chances to communicate their thoughts about the text. Sometimes teachers miss out sections of the lesson that would have been very beneficial to have included and work set for groups, in reading and writing, is sometimes ill matched to the pupils’ abilities. Teaching is occasionally unsatisfactory

p.33

English

where the management of a difficult group of pupils is ineffective and other pupils become distracted.

p.33

English

13.The subject co-ordinator has worked very hard to prepare the staff for the National Literacy Strategy. Resources have been purchased and training has been provided. The school took the decision to wait until the end of the first year of implementation before they began the lessons. The teachers are now experiencing the problems of initial implementation and this is causing some lessons to be unsatisfactory. The school does not yet have a complete scheme of work for English. So without the Literacy Strategy their paperwork would be incomplete. The co-ordinator monitors teachers’ plans, but has not yet observed the quality of teaching.

p.33

Mathematics

1.The results of the 1998 National Curriculum test at the end of Key Stage 2 were close to the national average and below average in comparison with schools in similar circumstances. However, taking the three year period 1996-98 the school’s performance in mathematics was above average. The 1999 results show a significant improvement on the 1998 results. The current attainment of pupils at the end of the key stage is above average. 2.The 1998 test and assessment results at the end of Key Stage 1 indicate that attainment was well below the national average and well below that achieved in comparison with schools in similar circumstances. However, taking the three year period 1996-98 the school’s performance in mathematics was average. The 1999 results show a significant improvement on the 1998 results. The current attainment for pupils at the end of the key stage is above average. 3.During their time in Key Stage 1 pupils make satisfactory progress. There is an

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Mathematics

appropriate emphasis on number development and pupils successfully develop written computational skills. The majority of pupils have a good understanding of 2 digit numbers and the more able show similar levels of understanding up to 3 digits. In their work on number investigations pupils develop their own ways of recording number calculations and through this begin to discover things for themselves. Some of the more able record negative numbers in their sequences. Pupils’ apply their knowledge of number into money calculations often through investigational work, for example, finding the different amounts of money they can make with 6 coins selected from 10p, 2p and 1p coins. Pupils begin multiplication and division through counting on in 2s and 5s and sharing objects into groups. However, pupils spend too little time on oral calculations at the expense of recorded methods and consequently mental number skills are weak. This in turn leads to

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Mathematics

fewer pupils attaining the higher Level 3 grade at the end of the key stage where they require rapid recall of mental addition, subtraction and multiplication facts. Pupils recognise common two- and three-dimensional shapes often using commercial workbooks to record their findings. They collect data for themselves often about their own classmates’ likes and dislikes to record their findings in graphical form. The commercial workbooks make this work too prescriptive. This results in unsuitable investigations that do little to help pupils extend their thinking when interpreting the data. Pupils use non- standard measure in such areas as weighing. Already in the present Year 2 the more able pupils begin to make deductions from this work. For example, they deduce that if the parcel balances 10 counters or 5 dominoes then one domino will balance two counters. 4.Throughout Key Stage 2 progress remains satisfactory. Teachers pay a great deal of

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Mathematics

attention to number work and the setting down of calculations in the traditional paper and pencil methods. By the end of the key stage pupils calculate using the four operations of number which includes work to two places of decimals for the more able. This work builds successfully on the work at the beginning of the key stage where pupils have worked with single digit multipliers and divisors. From the early part of the key stage, pupils read time successfully in both analogue and digital form. By the end of the key stage, pupils solve problems involving the 24 hour clock within the context of timetables. There is satisfactory progress in pupils’ knowledge of fractions. They move from recording decimal, percentage and vulgar fractions in diagrammatic form to having a good understanding of their common equivalents. By comparison to the very good standards to be found in paper and pencil methods of calculation, oral calculation is under-represented and pupils’ strategies for

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Mathematics

mental calculation are weak. Teachers give appropriate emphasis to work on shape and by the end of the key stage pupils calculate the areas of composite figures based on rectangles. Pupils study data handling and work with a variety of graphs including column and line graphs. Too little work in this area involves data collected by pupils themselves and the application of this work to subjects such as science and geography. 5.At both key stages there is very little use, if any, made of information technology. Teachers miss opportunities in areas such as data handling, directional work, shape and space and for reinforcing pupils’ understanding of number. 6.Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress, but teachers give insufficient attention to preparing work suitably adapted to their needs. 7.Pupils respond well in lessons. Presentation of work is good and this leads to accuracy in their calculations. This good presentation is consistent throughout the school

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Mathematics

and across all the ability groups. Pupils work hard, but on occasions the work set does not match pupils’ ability and they lose interest. This is particularly true of situations when the teacher is using a common worksheet for the whole of the ability and age range. 8.The quality of teaching in both key stages is satisfactory. There is still a heavy reliance on the published scheme of work especially within the upper end of Key Stage 2. Here pupils work as individuals at their own pace through the scheme. The teachers’ time is inefficiently used as the vast majority of time is spent teaching individuals because each pupil is studying a different aspect of the work. In the lower part of Key Stage 2, whilst there is still some reliance on the scheme, the teacher ensures that groups of pupils are studying work within a common theme and as a result there is more time for group and class teaching. Within Key Stage 1 the teacher uses the recently adopted scheme more

p.34

Mathematics

flexibly. All teachers spend too little time with oral and mental work. Within the lower part of Key Stage 2 there is some successful oral work, but the teacher places insufficient demands on the more able, either in the use of open ended question or the expectancy of speed and complexity of pupils’ responses. In the upper part of Key stage 2 too much of the pupils’ work is self marked and the teacher gives insufficient written feed back to pupils in their exercise books. There is better marking within Key Stage 1 where the teacher regularly gives feed back to pupils with the accompanying encouraging comments. 9.Mathematics features as a major item within the school’s development plan, but there is little detail attached . For example, there is no finalised plan to facilitate the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy. Resources for the subject are good apart from a lack of sufficient practical equipment at Key Stage 1.

p.35

Mathematics

10.Weaknesses from the previous inspection remain. Assessment procedures for individual, groups and year groups are under-developed although the very beginning of collecting information has begun. However, so far the school has not used this information to influence the teaching of the subject in any meaningful way. Whilst the co-ordinator has some non-contact time, no time has been devoted to monitoring teaching.

p.35

Science

11.The results of the end of Key Stage 2 1998 National Curriculum test results were well above the national average and were above average in comparison with schools in similar circumstances. The 1999 results show a similar picture in terms of the percentage of pupils attaining at least the nationally expected Level 4 grade. However, there is a significant increase in the number of pupil attaining the higher Level 5 grade. The attainment of pupils currently at the end of the key stage is also well above average. 12.The 1998 teacher’s assessment results at the end of Key Stage 1 indicate that attainment is very high in comparison both to the national average and in comparison with schools in similar circumstances. The 1999 results show an almost identical pattern. The current attainment of pupils at the end of the key stage is well above average. 13.Pupils make good progress throughout Key Stage 1. The teacher gives due

p.35

Science

emphasis to practical tasks to enable pupils to have first-hand experiences to develop their knowledge and understanding. Pupils are encouraged to develop their own ways of recording information through drawings, charts and writing. The teacher uses imaginative ways to link other aspects of the work into science lessons; for example, writing a letter to a friend advising them of a good diet. The more able pupils are quite inventive in their recording methods. Already this term the Year 2 pupils use a wide range of methods including, for example, the use of a ‘colour key’ to identify elements of their drawings. They have tested the simple hypothesis that the tallest person has the biggest hands. They successfully carry out a fair test when melting ice cubes with hot and cold water remembering to keep other factors the same. Pupils demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of the properties of materials and how this affects the use to which

p.35

Science

materials are put. There are good links with food technology. They study the changes that different ingredients undergo in cooking. 14.Pupils maintain their good progress at Key Stage 2. At the end of the key stage pupils put their own writing and research skills to good effect to record what they have done. Individual pupils produce extensive amounts of information in their topic books. In the ‘My Body’ topic pupils use an ever increasing range of science vocabulary, for example, such words as trachea, when describing parts of the respiratory system. There is good work on issues dealing with health education including ‘deadly decisions’ relating to drugs. In investigation work pupils develop their own methods of testing the lung power of their friends by recording how far they are able to blow an object. Pupils in Year 3/4 study electricity and are able to draw and make simple circuits with batteries, bulbs and

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Science

wires. Pupils begin to realise the effects different wiring arrangements have on the intensity of light given out by the bulbs. 15.The progress of pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory, but too often the same worksheet is used by all groups. Where support assistants are available in lessons they work effectively with pupils and progress is better. 16.Most pupils respond well and attitudes to learning are positive. Presentation of work is good and reaches very good levels at the end of Key Stage 2 where written work, drawings, charts and diagrams are all of a high standard. Throughout the school pupils’ topic books demonstrate the pride pupils take in their work. 17.The quality of teaching is good at both key stages. Planning is better at Key Stage 1 than Key Stage 2. The work in Key Stage 1 and the upper end of Key Stage 2 gives greater opportunities for individual flair, research and recording than in Year 3/4. As a

p.36

Science

consequence of this the higher attaining pupils are not as well extended as in Year 3/4. All teachers make too little use of information technology to support the teaching of the subject. Teachers are conscientious in their marking with the best feedback being given to pupils in Years 1, 2, 5 and 6. Sometimes teaching is weak at the end of Key Stage 2. The work is occasionally ill matched to the ability of pupils and this causes incidences of poor behaviour. 18.The subject co-ordinator offers good leadership and has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of present provision. However, there has been no opportunities for the co-ordinator to monitor teaching. Procedures for assessment are weak, but the co-ordinator has begun to monitor pupils’ work in the end of Key Stage 2 tests and identified areas of weakness. The present cycle of topics at both key stages lacks balance. There is insufficient opportunity for pupils to re-visit areas of learning within

p.36

Science

the two-year cycle in order to consolidate their learning. Resources for the subject are good and include the invaluable environmental study area in the school’s grounds for use in such topics as pond creatures and mini-beasts.

p.36

Information technology

19.Standards of attainment in information technology are well below the national expectation at the end of both key stages. Teachers’ plans and pupils’ work show that computers are under-used. Standards in the subject have fallen since the previous inspection. 20.Progress is poor throughout both key stages and teachers do not build on the effective work undertaken in the reception class. The subject is under-represented in the work on display, in pupils’ books and in collections of pupils’ work. 21.In Key Stage 1 pupils use simple drawing programmes to develop mouse skills and have the opportunity to undertake simple research by use of a talking atlas. They begin simple word-processing, but the work receives insufficient development. In Key Stage 2 pupils continue to have experiences with simple drawing programmes and some word- processing, but these limited experiences do not enable pupils to build up their skills

p.36

Information technology

systematically. The work at both key stages falls far short of the breadth of experiences necessary to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum. The use of information technology to support the work of pupils with special educational needs is poor. 22.When pupils are given the chance to work at a computer they do so satisfactorily. They co-operate well with each other and respect the equipment. 23.Teaching is unsatisfactory in Key Stage 1 and poor in Key Stage 2. Teachers do not have a secure knowledge and understanding of the subject. There is no structure in teachers’ plans to ensure that pupils receive regular teaching and there is little attention to skill development. However, at Key Stage 1 the teachers’ plans and a portfolio of work indicate slightly better provision at this key stage. Whole school procedures are not in place to guarantee the systematic build up of pupils’ experiences. There has been no

p.36

Information technology

meaningful provision for the subject during the current and past academic year. Record keeping is not in place to enable teachers to know what topics pupils have previously experienced, if any, or the skills they have acquired. Teachers miss the opportunity in many subject areas to use information technology to support the work being undertaken. The school does not meet the statutory requirements for the teaching of information technology. 24.The school has recently been able to acquire national funding for the purchase for the school a networked system of computers. These together with the schools’ existing computers give a very favourable level of provision. A useful three-year development plan for the subject is in place. Part of this plan includes the production of a scheme of work. The scheme of work, which is in the form of a matrix of activities, has, as yet, had little impact on provision. Much of the, recently appointed, co-ordinator’s time has been

p.37

Information technology

devoted to management issues concerning the bid for a grant to fund the new computer systems and in selecting the most cost efficient systems for the school. This element of the co-ordinator’s role has been successful, but too little time has been given to the monitoring of teaching to ensure that pupils use computers regularly. A substantial training programme is needed to improve teachers’ knowledge and understanding in this subject.

p.37

Religious education

25.Attainment in both key stages, in relation to the locally agreed syllabus, is below average. By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils have had very little specific teaching in religious education although they have had opportunities to link religious education to some other subjects. For example, candles have been studied in the context of heat and light in science and for their meaning in a religious context. This has resulted in poems showing pupils’ ideas about the spiritual dimension of light. However, this cross referencing of work in one subject to religious education does not amount to a full coverage of the agreed syllabus and therefore standards are low. 26.Similarly in Key Stage 2, too little work has been undertaken to allow a coverage of the requirements. Pupils in one class have written about the Christmas story and various creation myths showing a satisfactory knowledge, but the oldest pupils have no written

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Religious education

record of their work except for that which appears in other subjects on an ad hoc basis. 27.The pupils make slow progress in their learning about the Christian religion and in their understanding of other world faiths. Progress in uneven throughout the school because in some classes work is more regularly justified against science while in others there is little conscious planning carried out at all. In one class in Key Stage 2 religious education appears on the timetable as an actual event while in the other it does not exist. Progress since the last inspection has worsened since standards were judged as being average in 1996. Progress is sometimes satisfactory in lessons although some important weaknesses exist. For example, in a lesson in Key Stage 2 about Christian baptism average and below average pupils were expected to cut up, stick and colour-in pictures of the ceremony in the correct order while higher attainers answered some harder

p.37

Religious education

comprehension questions. Higher and lower attaining pupils made satisfactory progress in the time, but average pupils were not sufficiently challenged. 28.Pupils’ responses to the work is satisfactory. They listen and answer questions well in lessons and their workbooks show that given the opportunity to write a poem, on a religious theme, they do so with interest and enthusiasm. 29.The quality of teaching is weak in both key stages. The subject is planned in a haphazard fashion. In the absence of any school guidance on how to use the agreed syllabus, teachers plan lessons in their own way. In Key Stage 1 planning is detailed and shows how other subjects of the curriculum will provide some opportunities for religious content. For example, in the science topics of Spring Growth and Ourselves, pupils have been able to respond to chicks hatching and what makes them feel special and these experiences have been forecast in detail in the teacher’s lesson plans. In Key Stage 2

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Religious education

termly plans are sometimes just a list of headings. Daily lessons plans do not appear in this key stage. One significant weakness throughout the school is the study of other major world religions. The school has chosen to adopt the practice of looking at one faith every two years. This means that over six years, pupils will have studied Christianity and two other world faiths. However, the time scale has slipped recently and the last time anything happened was in 1996. Teachers have kept no records of pupils’ work or progress. Moreover, the choice of three religions is less than that recommended in the agreed syllabus. Teachers make no use of information technology, and computers in particular, to facilitate the work in religious education. This effects the pupils’ progress particularly in the area of research. 30.The recently appointed subject co-ordinator has a full understanding of these

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Religious education

weaknesses and readily accepts the need to ensure that standards are improved. The co- ordinator has not yet had a chance to see teachers in action. The school’s first intention is to make sure that religious education receives an adequate amount of time on the timetable commensurate with its new status as a core subject in the National Curriculum.

p.38

Art

31.Pupils’ attainment is average in Key Stage 1 and goes beyond what is expected in Key Stage 2. In Key Stage 1, standards in painting drawing and collage are satisfactory and sometimes good, as in the case of collages made to depict the school’s environmental studies area. These contain strikingly colourful backgrounds, printed with sponges, and bold representations of trees and other natural features made out of card and material. Standards are unsatisfactory in three-dimensional and textiles work as pupils get less opportunity to try their hands at these media.

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Art

32.In Key Stage 2, standards are high in painting, clay work, textiles and drawing. There are few examples of pupils’ work in printing, but teachers’ plans show that this type of work is undertaken as well. In some cases pupils’ art work is very successfully linked to their writing in English lessons. For example, in Year 3/4 pupils have looked very closely at pieces of bark and then drawn and painted what they saw. Afterwards they have written about the patterns and colour contained in the bark to a very high standard. Some of this imaginative work contains similes and metaphors of a very sophisticated nature.

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Art

33.Pupils make satisfactory progress in Key Stage 1 and good progress in Key Stage 2. In Year 1/2 pupils start the basic skills of mixing colours and drawing what they see. Over the two years they satisfactorily reach the point where they can mix various tones, resulting, for example, in some expressive versions of Monet’s water lilies. Their drawings are well observed and contain much detail. For example, some house fronts sketched in Bramham village show how much they have achieved in the two years. Pupils are beginning to use the art software packages on the computer, but as yet their skills go little beyond drawing lines with intersections and filling in the spaces created with colour from the paint pot. Progress is also slow in three-dimensional work, printing and textiles.

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Art

34.Pupils make better progress in Key Stage 2. Staff are ably assisted by the headteacher who has a background in art and contributes a great deal of additional expertise. The pupils have also had the added benefit of working with real artists who have shown them how to weave large pieces out of wool and plastic. These pieces are very powerful to look at. The colours in the weavings are purposefully limited in range, but vivid and striking to the eye. Progress is also enhanced by the art work completed during or after the various field-work trips undertaken in Key Stage 2. For example, some delicately coloured tie-dye tee-shirts were made on a recent residential trip.

p.39

Art

35.Most pupils are interested in art lessons. They listen carefully to the class teacher and behave well. They talk happily while they work, discussing difficulties and offering suggestions to each other for improvement.

p.39

Art

36.Teaching is satisfactory in Key Stage 1 and good in Key Stage 2. Resources are very well organised in the infant class and pupils benefit from the opportunity to get out tools and materials for themselves. The lesson plans in Key Stage 1 are very detailed and pupils’ progress benefits from this step-by-step approach. Sometimes there is a lack of direct teaching of skills in Key Stage 1. For example, pupils who were using powder paint very confidently were not taught how to prevent the paint from becoming too watery. This was a missed opportunity for some direct instruction during the lesson. Teaching in Key Stage 2 is more informed by a knowledge of art techniques. Pupils are taught skills and then given a chance to practice them with additional guidance when required. For example, some older pupils made coiled structures out of clay and were closely guided by the teacher who had a detailed knowledge of the material.

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Art

37.The assessment of pupils’ work is a weakness in the teaching at both key stages. Records are not kept of those pupils who did very good work or of those who struggled and consequently teachers in the next year cannot take account of pupils’ past performance when they design new lessons.

p.39

Art

38.The subject co-ordinator has produced a good long-term plan and a series of useful guidelines for staff. These influence positively the work that takes place. The co-ordinator is aware that assessment and the use of information technology are areas for development. The infant class receives no regular specialist help and this is a weakness in the overall management of the subject. Art work makes a good contribution to pupils’ cultural development. There has been no regular programme of classroom visits by the co-ordinator to monitor teaching.

p.39

Design and technology

39.Attainment is broadly typical in both key stages and pupils make satisfactory progress. 40.In Key Stage 1 pupils have good experiences with a variety of construction sets. Pupils make a range of models including some with mechanical components such as wheels and gears. They often design models to pre-determined criteria and work within constraints set by the teacher, for example, limiting the number of components that may be use. This type of work gives greater challenge to pupils. When pupils have finished they draw successfully their finished products. They label the features and illustrate the basic components they have used. In their ‘design and make’ activities they work with a variety of materials including: card, paper, fabrics and wood. Within activities, such as making puppets, pupils develop successfully skills of cutting, marking out and develop techniques that enable them to make, for example, moveable joints. In pupils’ books there are

p.40

Design and technology

attractive designs for lollipops and already the pupils are demonstrating the need to use designs that would be attractive to the ‘customer’. The “Super Sucker” lollipop and the “Ocean Wave” with its colourful wave-like design indicate the thought pupils give to their work. 41.In the lower part of Key Stage 2 pupils have designed and modelled satisfactorily their ideas for a children’s playground. Before making their models pupils discuss their ideas, draw up plans and trial some aspects of their designs with the use of technical construction sets. Their drawings are accurate and show the various elevations of see- saws and swings. Pupils’ finished models are of a satisfactory quality and, by using the teacher’s prepared prompt sheets, they are able to evaluate their work and procedures. In the upper part of the key stage pupils have undertaken an evaluation of carrier bags made by other people. They have examined closely a variety of bags and by pulling them

p.40

Design and technology

apart have gained insights into their construction. When designing their models, pupils use, to good effect, their mathematical knowledge of three-dimensional models. Finished products are of a good quality and demonstrate accuracy in measuring and care and thoughtfulness in finishing techniques. 42.The pupils’ attitudes to learning are good. They co-operate well and their evaluations of completed work demonstrate a good understanding of how to share tasks and work in a team. 43.Teaching in Key Stage 2 is satisfactory and good in Key Stage 1 where there is a greater degree of understanding of the requirements of the curriculum and more thorough planning. Teachers ensure that the pupils undertake work in contexts with which they can clearly identify. There are appropriate links with other subjects. Pupils in Year 3/4, for example, use design and technology skills successfully in history when making a detailed

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Design and technology

model of a Victorian Street. There continues to be good provision for food technology. A strength noted in the previous inspection report. 44.Resources for the subject are adequate apart from the quality and range of small hand tools available for working with more resistant materials such as wood. The area and equipment available for the teaching of food technology is very good. There is an adequate policy for the subject and good guidelines for teaching food technology. The co- ordinator sees teachers’ plans, but does not visit classes to observe teaching.

p.40

Geography

45. The standards of pupils' attainment in geography are average at the end of both key stages. All pupils make satisfactory progress in gaining geographical knowledge and skills.

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Geography

46. Pupils in Key Stage 1 study the area immediately around the school. They can draw simple maps and identify the different kinds of buildings in the district. Pupils distinguish between natural and man made features in the area. They compare successfully the lifestyle of people in their locality with that of people in Ghana. Pupils understand that many of the facilities which they take for granted may not be readily available in an African village. Most pupils have grasped the idea of a plan view when drawing their own maps and they are beginning to use correct geographical vocabulary in describing location and direction.

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Geography

47. In Key Stage 2, pupils extend their knowledge of localities other than their own. They also go much deeper into the geographical aspects of their own village in the contexts of a wider study of Yorkshire. For example, when studying rivers, pupils in Key Stage 2 know about sources, tributaries, falls and ox bow lakes. They understand precisely how their local beck flows eventually into the River Warfe.

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Geography

48. Pupils make satisfactory progress in both key stages owing to way in which Bramham is usefully compared to other parts of Britain and the world. Pupils’ knowledge is also broadened by the school’s involvement in Action Aid. The pupils raise money regularly for a village in Nepal and in doing so learn a great deal about life in that country. The progress made by pupils with special educational needs is good. They are well supported in class by assistants who help them remember what was discussed and how to answer the questions. Progress is weaker for higher attaining pupils because they are often set the same task as average attainers without any extra challenge, for example, in the form of research using CD ROMs.

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Geography

49. Pupils enjoy their geography lessons, particularly in Key Stage 1 when they use the computer to reinforce their knowledge of maps and locations. Pupils in both key stages like comparing Bramham with other places, for example, in Year 5/6 where they are studying the basic needs of people living in Botswana in comparison to their own.

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Geography

50. Teaching is satisfactory throughout the school. All teachers display a thorough knowledge of this subject and can impart it with enthusiasm. Lessons lack drive and pace on occasions, particularly where the objectives are not clear and communicated to pupils in a way that gives urgency to the task. Teachers’ plans are very detailed, particularly in the lower part of Key Stage 2. In Key Stage 1, the plans for geography are joined with those for science, history and religious education to make a topic, entitled Materials and Mapping. This method of planning makes it difficult for the teacher to guarantee a full coverage of the subject requirements. There are some weaknesses in teaching that apply to all classes. Not enough use is made of computers to assist pupils learn and the higher attainers are not challenged sufficiently by extended or different tasks. The assessment of pupils’ performance is

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Geography

not well organised, particularly in Key Stage 2. Some teachers do not write daily lesson plans on which they can note how pupils managed in the lesson and half- termly records are not completed either. This lack of an assessment system means that lessons cannot be improved in the light of evaluations and the next teacher has no proper idea of how pupils managed in the previous year.

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Geography

51. The co-ordinator has worked very hard to ensure that the subject is well resourced and organised. For example, the good use of displayed material on rivers and the way artefacts like Botswanan spears and drums are available for pupils to study has a positive impact on learning. The school accepts that assessment is an issue for development and already has it in its development plan. The co-ordinator monitors the teachers’ plans, but has not yet visited lessons to observe the quality of teaching.

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History

52.Standards are satisfactory and reflect what would normally be expected for pupils of this age. The previous inspection report made the same judgement. Pupils have maintained the standards found in 1996.

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History

53.In Key Stage 1 pupils have learnt to compare their own lives with those of people in the past. For example, they study famous individuals like, Queen Victoria or Tutankhamen and compare the similarities and differences between then and now. In carrying out these studies, pupils show a facility in a number of historical skills. For example, they are beginning to be able to put events into a sequence, use the vocabulary of history like ‘long ago’ and use objects from the museum service, or the school’s own collection of memorabilia, to discover more about the past. In Key Stage 2 pupils study specific periods in history, like the Egyptians or the Victorians. They gain a sound knowledge of each period as well as practising many historical skills, like using evidence gained from looking at objects and buildings on visits. For example, when pupils study the Romans they visit York to see the remains.

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History

54.Pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress in both key stages. In Key Stage 1 pupils with different levels of attainment are well supported with carefully graded tasks. For example, higher attaining pupils are expected to complete lengthy pieces of writing which contain many facts while lower attaining pupils are given different tasks to show how they have mastered the basic information. Pupils in Key Stage 2 make satisfactory progress overall, but pupils with different levels of attainment are often set the same work. This has a limiting effect on higher attainers who are under challenged in areas like research or interpretation whilst lower attainers, who are often well supported by classroom assistants, sometimes struggle with worksheets that contain difficult reading matter when working alone.

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History

55.Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good. Most take an interest in how they present their work. In Year 1/2 pupils’ workbooks show that they are fascinated with the lives of famous people. Some folders in Key Stage 2, showing work on the Romans and Egyptians, are well presented with colourful illustrations and clearly written information.

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History

56.The quality of teaching is satisfactory. The programme of work, that caters for pupils who will remain in one class for two years, is well designed and in Key Stage 2 , in particular, very well linked to educational visits. Teachers’ plans show that they have a good understanding of how the subject ought to be taught with a proper emphasis on historical skills of investigation and deduction. The curriculum is very well extended, on occasions, by visits to archaeological digs and opportunities to wear period costume. For example, at Clarke Hall in Wakefield where the pupils dress up as Tudors for the day. A weakness in the school’s provision is that very little use has been made of information technology and computers, in particular, to aid the research. Whilst higher attainers are expected to produced extended writing in Key Stage 1 fewer demands are made on them in Key Stage 2 to go further and research more widely. Teachers mark the pupils’ work

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History

conscientiously and accurately. They often suggest how work could be improved, but beyond this little assessment takes place. Teachers keep no records of attainment in line with recent national suggestions.

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History

57.The subject is well co-ordinated by a teacher with a specialist interest in the subject. The schools has carried out its own audit of resources and has addressed the areas of weakness well. Resources, including books, are in good supply and are being increased through the gradual accumulation of artefacts. The co-ordinator has made sure that the teachers have access to copies of local trade directories, census returns, old photographs and the school log book. These resources have a positive effect on standards in the study of local history. The co-ordinator monitors teachers’ plans well, but has not observed the quality of teaching.

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Music

58.Standards in music are average in Key Stage 1 and above average in Key Stage 2. Pupils in Key Stage 1 are competent in clapping rhythms in time with a conductor. They listen carefully for changes in rhythms and respond quickly. Most can sing in tune with good pitch, knowing when to change the pitch by watching the leader’s hands. By the time pupils are eleven they have made good progress and can clap very complicated rhythms. For example, in Year 5/6 pupils were split into two groups and expected to clap different rhythms at speed. This they did most successfully. In addition they sang with gusto and accuracy when asked to perform a two-part round. Pupils use of instruments to make their own music is satisfactory in both key stages. At the end of Key Stage 2 pupils can play a rhythm accompaniment to a song, but have had little recent experience in composing their own pieces around a theme.

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Music

59.Progress is good in Key Stage 1 and it is very good in Key Stage 2. In Key Stage 1 the good progress made is directly linked to the teacher’s thorough lesson plans and the good use of the commercial scheme that has been adopted by the school. Pupils, in this class, build up knowledge and skills in music in a consistent fashion and have done so over a number of years. In Key Stage 2 progress in previous years has been hampered by timetabling and staffing arrangements. This has meant that the junior classes have not regularly enjoyed music lessons of a reasonable length. They now have one full lesson a week taught by a teacher with specialist knowledge and progress has been rapid. Pupils are now capable of noting down their musical compositions and playing them to an audience. They respond well to the mood of a piece of music and can talk about it using phrases like, ‘a frame of silence’.

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Music

60.Pupils enjoy their lessons and display effort and vigour when clapping rhythms or singing in unison. Many pupils have not had recent experience of composing and performing music in groups. Most respond well when given an opportunity to play instruments, but a few lack the self control to make the most of these occasions.

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Music

61.Teaching is good in Key Stage 1 and very good in Key Stage 2. Both teachers make very good use of the commercial scheme of work, turning its contents into useful weekly lessons for their pupils. A strength of the teaching is the confidence show by the staff. Both teachers possess a good knowledge of musical theory and they play instruments and sing to the pupils in a way that promotes learning and inspires high standards. Lesson evaluation is very good and guides planning successfully. For example, in one lesson evaluation the teacher analysed what needed to be improved in general class management when pupils were playing instruments and remedied it in the next week’s lesson causing significant progress amongst the pupils. The real strength of the teaching in Key Stage 2 is the way in which the energy and drive of the teacher has managed to create rapid gains in knowledge, skills and understanding in such a short time.

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Music

The assessment of pupils’ performance is a weakness that has been recognised by the co-ordinator as an area for improvement. An additional weakness is that pupils do not use computers to compose their own tunes. Musical instruments are in reasonable supply and condition, but there are not enough for the largest class in the school.

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Music

62. The co-ordinator is very active in ensuring that music is well represented in the school, but has not had the chance to see teaching in Key Stage 1. Pupils are offered a rich musical education outside lesson time and this contributes well to their cultural development. Many visiting musicians have performed and run workshops, for example the Steel Pan Experience. Pupils can perform in choirs and play in occasional music groups. In 1999 some pupils were involved in making a CD in memory of the school secretary who died tragically in 1998. The depth of feeling generated by this recording contributed significantly to the pupils’ emotional and spiritual development.

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Physical education

63.Standards of attainment in physical education at the end of Key Stage 1 are typical of those expected of Year 2 pupils. By the end of Key Stage 2 standards are above average. Progress is satisfactory at Key Stage 1 and very good at Key Stage 2. 64.In Key Stage 1 pupils learn to use space in the school hall well, but still need reminding of this by the teacher as they practise their individual movements. Pupils concentrate very hard to perform a sequence of movements, for example, when linking three different kinds of jumps. Whilst the majority of pupils complete their sequences successfully there is lack of polish in their movements that would be present in higher levels of attainment. 65.In Key Stage 2 pupils make good progress and achieve higher levels of attainment, showing more finesse in their finished work. For example, in a Year 3/4 gymnastics lesson, pupils maintained difficult balances with great attention to detail such as stretched

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Physical education

feet and straight fingers. These high standards are also present at the end of the key stage. In Year 5/6 pupils dance showing good poise in their movements. They move gracefully and elegantly. They have a good understanding of how a sequence needs to link together with quality movements and they use the variables of height, speed and direction to good effect. 66.Pupils undertake swimming lessons for two terms whilst they are in Year 4/5 with the option of extra lessons in Year 6 for those who need it. In recent years the school has had a 100 per cent success rate in pupils reaching the end of Key Stage 2 targets. 67.There is a direct link between the very good progress pupils make at Key Stage 2 and the good understanding their teachers have of the subject. Pupils build successfully on their previous work in small steps of learning which gives added polish to their movements. When their balanced positions have been established they link them together

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Physical education

with flowing movements. Throughout the school pupils learn by observing the work of others. Within Key Stage 1, whilst progress is satisfactory, there is insufficient encouragement of pupils’ own imagination when composing their movements. Pupils with special educational needs participate fully in the lessons and attain similar standards to the rest of their peer group. 68.Pupils demonstrate good attitudes to the subject. Behaviour is good and pupils follow the teachers’ instructions carefully although at the upper end of Key Stage 2 a few pupils need checking to meet the teacher’s high expectations of behaviour. Pupils work hard and concentrate on the task responding well to both the physical and intellectual challenges set for them by their teachers. 69.The quality of teaching is satisfactory at Key Stage 1 and good at Key Stage 2. Some very good teaching of educational gymnastics takes place within Key Stage 2. The

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Physical education

lesson preparation is very good. The extensive planning notes make clear reference to precise teaching points. In one lesson, for example, the teacher consistently focused pupils’ attention to the task and even when pupils sat still to watch others the teacher required them to adopt good posture. The teacher gave valuable attention to both encouraging pupils and being their critical friend when highlighting strengths and weaknesses in their balance. A weakness in teaching exists when teachers do not encourage pupils to comment on and assess their own performances and those of their peers. In all lessons, teachers pay attention to health and safety procedures including warm up routines. On occasions teachers themselves join in effectively with activities to both encourage pupils and demonstrate teaching points. 70.The school offers pupils a balanced programme of physical education activities including games. The annual Year 5/6 residential trip alternates between Whitby and

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Physical education

Ingleborough Hall and affords pupils the opportunity to undertake more adventurous activities. Extra curricular activities are available weekly for Year 5/6 pupils. A parent takes football coaching and a teacher runs a gymnastic class. A netball club operates in the summer term. The football team takes part regularly in inter-school competitions. 71.Facilities for the subject are very good. There is a spacious hall and outside there are two hard-surfaced netball courts together with a good field of junior football pitch proportions. Resources to teach the subject are good for all aspects of the work. The co- ordinator has drawn up a good policy document for physical education and all teachers have access to commercial lesson plans to support them in their teaching.

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Summary of inspection evidence

A team of three inspectors carried out the inspection over a period of four days. The inspectors: • . observed 29 lessons or part lessons; • . spent a total of 45 hours in classes, evaluating pupils’ work and talking to pupils about their learning; • . heard pupils in all year groups read from their reading books and/or their own work; • . questioned pupils informally about their understanding of subjects; • . scrutinised samples of pupils’ work from the academic year 1998/9; • . held informal discussions with pupils of all ages to determine their views about the school rules, behaviour, bullying, moral and spiritual issues, opportunities to exercise responsibility and their work; • . attended assemblies and collective acts of worship; • . held pre-inspection meetings with staff, parents and governors; • . examined the school’s most recent development plan and policy documents; • . studied teachers’ planning documents and pupils’ records;

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Summary of inspection evidence

• . interviewed curriculum managers, the headteacher, deputy headteacher and members of the governing body; • . scrutinised the provision for pupils with special educational needs; • . analysed the school’s budget; • . analysed questionnaires completed by parents and considered parents’ views expressed in a meeting with the Registered Inspector; and • . judged the school’s success in implementing the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies.

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Data and indicators

· PUPIL DATA Number of pupils on roll (full-time equivalent) Number of pupils with statements of SEN Number of pupils on school’s register of SEN Number of full- time pupils eligible for free school meals YR - Y6 108 2 26 18

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Qualified teachers (YR - Y6)

Total number of qualified teachers (full-time equivalent) 5 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21.60 : 1

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Qualified teachers (YR - Y6)

· Education support staff (YR - Y6) Total number of education support staff 0 Total aggregate hours worked each week 0

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Qualified teachers (YR - Y6)

£ Total income 222570 Total expenditure 220230 Expenditure per pupils 2159.12 Balance brought forward from previous year -1660 Balance carried forward to next year 680 · PARENTAL SURVEY Number of questionnaires sent out: 216 Number of questionnaires returned: 50

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Qualified teachers (YR - Y6)

Responses (percentage of answers in each category): Strongly agree Agree Neither Disagree Strongly disagree I feel the school encourages parents to play an active part in the life of the school 26 52 12 10 0

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Qualified teachers (YR - Y6)

I would find it easy to approach the school with questions or problems to do with my 28 54 0 14 4

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Qualified teachers (YR - Y6)

The school handles complaints from parents well 14 18 22 24 22

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Qualified teachers (YR - Y6)

The school gives me a clear understanding of what is taught 14 34 24 22 6

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Qualified teachers (YR - Y6)

The school keeps me well informed about my child(ren)’s progress 16 52 12 18 2

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Qualified teachers (YR - Y6)

The school enables my child(ren) to achieve a good standard of work 18 58 10 10 4

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Qualified teachers (YR - Y6)

The school encourages children to get involved in more than just their daily lessons 16 44 22 18 0

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Qualified teachers (YR - Y6)

I am satisfied with the work that my child(ren) is/are expected to do at home 14 50 10 8 18

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Qualified teachers (YR - Y6)

The school’s values and attitudes have a positive effect on my child(ren) 20 43 18 14 4

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Qualified teachers (YR - Y6)

The school achieves high standards of good behaviour 14 30 16 30 10

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Qualified teachers (YR - Y6)

My child(ren) like(s) school 31 45 12 12 0

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Qualified teachers (YR - Y6)

Other issues raised by parents 10 out of the 54 written comments made by parents mentioned dissatisfaction with the headteacher’s style of mangement.

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