Sowe Valley Primary School

SOWE VALLEY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 4 th – 5 th July 2000

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SOWE VALLEY PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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SOWE VALLEY PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School category: Local Education Authority

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Princethorpe Way Ernesford Grange Coventry CV3 2QX

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs P Mortimer

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 24 th – 27 th June 1996 Sowe Valley Primary School

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Team members

Don Gwinnett Registered inspector Ian Adams Lay inspector Mary Hamby Team inspector

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Team members

QAA Education Consultants Ltd Herringston Barn Herringston Dorchester Dorset DT2 9PU Tel: 01305 251 591

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Team members

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

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Sowe Valley Primary School

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Sowe Valley Primary School is in the Ernsford Grange area of Coventry. It is an average sized school containing 192 pupils, with an equal number of boys and girls. Pupils come from a wide variety of backgrounds, although the immediate area served by the school suffers from higher than average levels of social and economic disadvantage. The proportion eligible for free school meals is in line with the national average. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs, including those with statements, is above the national average. The proportion of those who speak English as an additional language is high. A higher than average proportion leave the school or arrive in the middle of the year. Attainment on entry is below average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school achieves high standards in all that it does. There is very good value added to pupils’ education when comparing their attainments on entry, which are below average, to their attainments when they leave at age 11, which are above average. Pupils have very good attitudes to their work, attend school regularly, and develop very good relationships with each other and teachers. The quality of teaching is very good overall and motivates pupils to learn well. The well-balanced curriculum includes regular very good quality extra-curricular opportunities that successfully enrich pupils’ learning. There is good provision for the care and guidance of pupils, with very good arrangements for assessing their progress. The results of assessments are well used to improve the curriculum and teaching. The school keeps parents and carers very well informed about what is being taught, and successfully encourages parents’ involvement in the life of the school. Reports to parents are detailed

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

and accurately say what pupils have learnt and what they need to do to improve. The headteacher provides very good leadership and the school has responded very well to the issues of the previous inspection. Overall, bearing all these factors in mind, the school provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

 Pupils attain high standards and make good progress irrespective of their starting point. This applies to all pupils including those with special educational needs, those with English as an additional language and pupils who are higher attainers.  The quality of teaching is very high, with three quarters of lessons observed being very good.  Literacy and numeracy are well planned for and very well taught. This has a positive impact on all subjects of the curriculum.  Pupils behave well and have very good attitudes to work as a result of the positive role models of teachers, support staff and other adults.  The school provides positive support for pupils who arrive mid year. As a result, these pupils catch up very quickly.  The headteacher is a very effective manager and leader. Together with the staff, governors and wider community, she creates an excellent ethos in which pupils thrive academically and

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What the school does well

personally.  Parents support the school well and are happy with the education it provides.

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What could be improved

 Some aspects of the accommodation have an adverse impact on pupils’ learning.  The range of strategies used by the governing body to monitor the curriculum of the school is limited. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Sowe Valley Primary School

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

In its previous inspection of June 1996, the school was found to provide a good education. Since then, there have been further improvements. Pupils throughout Key Stage 2 now make good progress as a result of improvements to teaching. Higher attaining pupils are successfully challenged and now make good progress. The school continues to seek opportunities to improve standards. Pupils under the age of five have more outside play equipment, which has improved their physical and social development. The school continues to have a very good partnership with parents. The school has responded very well to the issues from the previous report, has a good capacity to improve further and is very cost effective.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

This information shows that standards in the 1999 national tests for 11-year-olds were above the national average in English, mathematics and science and were well above schools with a similar proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals. Pupils did not do quite so well at aged seven, although pupils make good progress at both key stages when comparing their test results to their below average attainment on entry to the school.

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Key

In work seen during the inspection in Year 6, pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics is above national expectations and is well above in science. Pupils are exceeding the targets set for them by the governing body after consultation with the Local Education Authority. There are no subjects where the standards of work are unsatisfactory, and standards are normally above national expectations. Overall, pupils’ results have remained high since the last inspection.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are eager to learn, have positive attitudes to school and work and act responsibly.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. The majority of pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. A small minority are high spirited in some classes.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Harmonious relationships with each other and teachers contribute positively to pupils’ learning, helping them to develop well.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. Attendance is above the national average and pupils enjoy coming to school.

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

Lessons seen overall Very Good Very Good Very Good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses. For children under the age of five, the quality of teaching is very good overall; Although only two pupils were aged under five at the time of the inspection, records of work and teachers’ planning show that pupils make very good progress as a result of skilled teaching. In Key Stage 1 and 2, the overall quality of teaching is very good, with no difference between the key stages. As a result, pupils across the school learn very well. No lessons were graded unsatisfactory and a very high 75 per cent of lessons were graded very good. Well over 90 per cent of lessons were graded good or very good. English and mathematics skills are very well taught and applied well across the subjects of the

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

curriculum. Teachers are enthusiastic and very clear about what they expect pupils to learn. Lessons are challenging, varied and interesting. As a result of very good teaching, pupils show high levels of interest and concentration in their learning. They rapidly acquire new understanding as they apply themselves to intellectual, physical and creative tasks.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The quality and range of learning opportunities, including those provided in extra-curricular time, provide effective practical and intellectual experiences that extend pupils’ understanding.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Specialist teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good. Individual Education Plans contain clear targets, which are effectively used by class teachers.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. Pupils make good progress as a result of skilled support by specialist teachers and class teachers. Detailed individual learning plans are well used to improve pupils’ rate of progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall. The very good provision for pupils’ moral and social development and good provision for their spiritual and cultural development help pupils to acquire strong values. Pupils’ appreciation of each other’s cultures contributes to very harmonious relationships.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Overall very good. The school provides a very happy and caring learning environment. Monitoring of pupils’ academic progress is very good and the results of assessment are well used to target future learning. There is good monitoring of pupils’ attendance.

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Aspect Comment

The school has very good links with parents and is working with increasing success to improve and extend these links. The curriculum is broad and balanced and there is very good provision of extra- curricular activity that includes a wide range of sporting and cultural activities. There are regular beneficial visits to places of educational interest and visitors to the school effectively extend pupils’ learning. All areas of the curriculum meet statutory requirements. There is good provision for pupils’ welfare, health and safety, including good arrangements for child protection. Pupils are effectively encouraged to contribute their own ideas about how the school could be improved.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff The excellent ethos created by the headteacher has a significant impact on pupils’ learning and personal development. Subject co-ordinators are beginning to successfully monitor standards and plan effectively for improvement to their areas of responsibility.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. The governing body fulfils its role well. It has a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. However, the strategies for monitoring the curriculum are limited.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school makes good use of available information from National Curriculum test results. It evaluates its progress and sets realistic targets for future developments. Information from informal assessments by teachers is also used well to target future learning.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. Resources are very well managed and provide effective support for the developing curriculum. There is increasingly effective use of information technology across subjects. There are sufficient books, which are well used to support learning. Available space is very well used. The financial management of the school is good.

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Aspect Comment

There are sufficient teachers and classroom assistants for the planned curriculum. This effectively supports pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language. Whilst space is very well used, aspects of the accommodation are unsatisfactory; some rooms are too cramped and the Year 6 classroom is unsuitable for its purpose. The school has sufficient books, computers, artefacts, display materials and audio visual technology. The school strives to supply best value: good financial planning and effective procedures for the ordering and supply of goods ensure that funds are well used to improve standards. The school closely compares its performance with other schools and effectively listens to parents’ views about how the school can be improved.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

 Their children like coming to school.  The good progress made by all pupils.  The good behaviour in classrooms and around the school.  The effective use of homework to support work done in school.  The high expectations that teachers have of pupils’ work and behaviour.  The way the school works closely with parents.  The very good leadership provided by the headteacher.  The school helps pupils to become mature and responsible. There were no issues of general concern identified in the parents’ questionnaire or parents’ meeting.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors’ judgements support parents’ very positive views.

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applies equally to pupils with special educational needs, those with English as an additional

language and pupils who are higher attainers.

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applies equally to pupils with special educational needs, those with English as an additional

1. The National Test results for 11-year-olds in 1999 are a testimony to the hard work of the staff. Pupils attained well above similar schools and above schools nationally. This was from a starting base of being below national expectations when they started the school. Also, this class contained a large number of pupils who did not start their schooling at Sowe Valley; many joined from other schools and had to catch up with the other pupils after they arrived. Teachers successfully help reluctant boys who are susceptible to the ‘learning isn’t cool’ culture. They do this by providing books that interest boys and by seeking out positive male role models from the local community. This has meant that there is no noticeable difference between the attainment of boys and girls over the last four years.

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applies equally to pupils with special educational needs, those with English as an additional

2. The good progress made by older pupils is successfully mirrored in other classes. In the National Tests for seven-year-olds in 1999, pupils attained in line with the average for similar schools in reading, above in writing and well above average in mathematics. This was with a class that had more pupils with special educational needs than most other classes in the school. The progress made by these pupils was very good overall when compared to their well below average attainment when they entered the school.

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applies equally to pupils with special educational needs, those with English as an additional

3. Pupils’ good progress is evident across the whole attainment range. Those who have special educational needs make good progress, as do pupils who are higher attainers. Those who have English as an additional language also make good progress. Pupils across the attainment range do well because teachers and support staff measure how pupils learn and set individual targets so that all pupils do their best. Pupils with special educational needs benefit from the additional literacy scheme that provides them with specially designed work. Higher attaining pupils in Key Stage 2, derive particular benefit from the accelerated learning scheme in mathematics. The good quality individual help given by support staff is crucial to the progress made by these pupils.

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applies equally to pupils with special educational needs, those with English as an additional

4. Attainment in English is above national expectations because teachers are very well organised and provide interesting lessons that hold pupils’ attention. In a year 6 lesson on formal and informal styles of writing, for instance, the teacher used a buzzer to time pupils in certain tasks. This was fun and made pupils work all the harder to ‘beat the bell’. The pace was very brisk and pupils progressed rapidly in their understanding. In mathematics and science, pupils benefit from very well organised teaching and good links to other areas of the curriculum. In a science lesson with Year 2, for example, pupils had to measure in centimetres how far a toy car travelled over different surfaces. This helped pupils’ current work in mathematics whilst helping their understanding of the scientific concept of a fair test. In the same lesson, pupils were using computers to reinforce their mathematics work. Attainment in information and communications

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applies equally to pupils with special educational needs, those with English as an additional

technology is good as a result of regular use of available computers in classrooms and increasingly good use of the new computer suite. In other lessons seen, attainment was never below expectations and was often above.

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applies equally to pupils with special educational needs, those with English as an additional

The quality of teaching is very high, with three quarters of lessons observed being very good.

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applies equally to pupils with special educational needs, those with English as an additional

5. Parents accurately summed up the school at the parents’ meeting held before the inspection when they said that children would be hard at work before the parents even left the building after visiting assembly. Pupils go back to their classes, get their things out and start work in the space of time it takes parents to leave the hall and walk down the corridor to go home. This sums up the high expectations of teachers. They do not waste time. They are very clear about what they want pupils to do and plan clearly for them to make maximum progress. Pupils know this and get on well with their work. Because teachers explain things clearly in interesting ways, pupils are eager to learn. There is a buzz of enthusiasm in classes, and little silliness or rudeness. Sowe Valley Primary School 6. In lessons seen by inspectors, the quality of teaching was never less than satisfactory, and was good or very good in well over 90 per cent of lessons. A very high 75 per cent of lessons were

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applies equally to pupils with special educational needs, those with English as an additional

very good. The teaching of pupils under the age of five is very well planned for and gives pupils a very secure start to their school life.

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applies equally to pupils with special educational needs, those with English as an additional

7. Teachers use their voices well to make lessons interesting. For example, in a Year 4 mathematics lesson, the teacher used lots of expressive gestures and engaging vocal projection. This made pupils want to listen and ask questions, even though the weather was hot and muggy. Teachers use a good balance of activities. In a good Year 3 English lesson, the teacher deliberately kept pupils on their toes by changing their seating position as they changed activities. This also had the benefit of separating out several more chatty pupils without drawing too much attention to them.

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applies equally to pupils with special educational needs, those with English as an additional

8. The happy working atmosphere results from teachers who are interested in how pupils learn. They do not just explain things, but plan carefully for the how the different pupils in class learn. This means that different work is planned for pupils who are quicker or slower so that they work at a pace that suits their particular needs. Teachers use support assistants well to help with such pupils. In a Year 5 information and communication technology lesson, the teacher recruited the support of an advisory teacher to help with the group. This meant that all pupils had expert help and made good progress in their understanding of computer graphics. Pupils with special educational needs, or who speak English as an additional language, get special help to make sure they cope well. Teaching assistants for these pupils make notes about how pupils learn to share with each other later. This helps teachers and the special needs co-

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applies equally to pupils with special educational needs, those with English as an additional

ordinator to improve the individual plans for each pupil. This really helps their learning and makes sure that many pupils come off the special educational needs register as soon as they are ready. Teaching assistants are well briefed by teachers. They do not waste time if teachers are taking the whole class; they are busy getting things out or helping particular pupils to concentrate.

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applies equally to pupils with special educational needs, those with English as an additional

9. The headteacher, governing body and staff plan well to take care of pupils’ personal needs as well as their academic needs. In a Year 1 religious education lesson, for instance, pupils prepared party food. This was great fun and helped them to see that preparing and sharing food is a social opportunity that builds people’s relationships. Pupils who are unhappy for some reason are well known. This means that pupils who misbehave or show off to get attention, are helped to overcome bad behaviour that interferes with their learning. In one class, for instance, a boy who sometimes interrupts other children by swearing and being aggressive is taken to the headteacher as soon as he starts. He is dealt with patiently but firmly and other pupils’ education is not disrupted whilst he calms down and thinks about the consequences of his actions. There are a number of pupils like this, and they all get the help and support they need.

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applies equally to pupils with special educational needs, those with English as an additional

They are helped to think through what they are doing so that they learn well from their mistakes. Pupils whose behaviour improves are rewarded with special mention and certificates in assemblies. The school is very good at helping those whose education is affected by difficult personal circumstances. The headteacher and teachers encourage parents to see them to discuss problems, and will visit home if necessary to plan ways that pupils can be helped. Well- planned policies and procedures for helping pupils with personal problems are successfully applied.

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Literacy and numeracy are well planned for and taught. This has a positive impact on all

10. The headteacher and staff feel that high levels of skill in literacy and numeracy are crucial to pupils’ academic success. The school joined the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies before most other schools and therefore got a good head start. The literacy and numeracy hours have been introduced skilfully with a lot of careful preparation and training. Both literacy and numeracy receive more than the expected hour because these subjects are so important in pupils’ development. This helps pupils’ efforts in other areas of the curriculum.

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Literacy and numeracy are well planned for and taught. This has a positive impact on all

11. The headteacher and the co-ordinators of English and mathematics, monitor what happens in classes. This helps them to identify things that can be improved further, and allows them to give help and support to the other teachers. It is noticeable that all pupils receive good help Sowe Valley Primary School irrespective of their level of understanding. The additional literacy scheme provides extra help for those with special educational needs and the higher attainers in mathematics are given extra help through the accelerated learning scheme. Teachers closely assess pupils’ work, providing detailed written comments that help them to improve. Formal testing of pupils occurs at regular intervals so that their progress in reading, writing and number are mapped. Teachers use these assessments to plan what to do next and to target what individual pupils must do to improve. As a result, pupils make good progress in both key stages. The booster classes for Year 6 pupils

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Literacy and numeracy are well planned for and taught. This has a positive impact on all

give good preparation in readiness for the national tests. The ‘wrap around’ classes for pupils of working parents, that take place before and after school each day, also contribute positively to their performance in English and mathematics.

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Pupils behave well and have very good attitudes to work as a result of the positive role model

of teachers, support staff and other adults.

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Pupils behave well and have very good attitudes to work as a result of the positive role model

12. In the pre inspection meeting, parents said that teachers have very high expectations of pupils’ work and behaviour. On the questionnaire, parents overwhelmingly cited pupils’ behaviour as a strength of the school. Inspectors wholeheartedly agree. Teachers set a very good example in how to behave in a friendly and courteous way. In classrooms and around the school, pupils get on well with each other and are polite to adults. They play happily together, with older pupils often taking trouble to help the youngest pupils. Newly arrived pupils adapt successfully because they are paired with a “buddy” who looks after them in the early days. Older pupils who hear younger pupils read help to promote harmonious relationships across the age groups. The lunchtime supervisors do their job with skill. Pupils show respect to all adults and listen with interest to each other’s views and ideas. Only occasionally do teachers have to remind pupils to

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Pupils behave well and have very good attitudes to work as a result of the positive role model

put their hands up. This happens when they become over eager to answer questions.

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Pupils behave well and have very good attitudes to work as a result of the positive role model

13. The good behaviour has a very positive effect on pupils’ attitudes to work. They want to please their teachers and know that they must work hard in class to succeed. Occasional naughty behaviour is dealt with sensitively by teachers. Well-written procedures governing pupils’ behaviour are applied consistently by all teachers. Because pupils are treated consistently, they know how far to go and what will happen if they overstep the mark. Pupils are happy with the rules for discipline, which they feel are fair. Praise is preferred to punishment, helping to create a positive learning culture in which pupils develop as well-rounded people who show concern for others.

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The school provides positive support for pupils who arrive mid year. As a result, these pupils

14. The school has a very high proportion of pupils who arrive and leave mid year. This means that teachers constantly struggle to help new pupils adjust to the school. This is managed successfully by the school in a number of ways. When pupils arrive, their skills are carefully measured. This helps teachers to know what gaps they have got in their understanding. Teachers then help these pupils by giving them special work to help them catch up. Teachers continue to keep a careful eye on their progress, and let the headteacher know if the pupils seem unhappy or badly adjusted. If this is the case, the pupils are given counselling and personal support. If necessary, parents are contacted and kept informed of their child’s progress. Some parents wrote in glowing terms of the help their child had received when arriving from another school. Several of these pupils had had problems at other schools, which

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wider community, she creates an excellent ethos in which pupils thrive academically and

15. The headteacher has a very clear vision for the school. She wants every pupil to reach his or her full academic potential, and works very hard to realise this vision. She chooses staff carefully, as she knows that good teaching is the best way to improve pupils’ chances. She Sowe Valley Primary School helps the teachers to grow professionally by monitoring their work and delegating responsibilities to them. She encourages teachers to be self-critical, by monitoring each other and by sharing their views and opinions openly in staff meetings. Whole school planning is shared amongst all staff so that they have a real sense of corporate ownership. Staff are encouraged to tell governors about what they are doing, so that there is a shared vision for the school. This means that everybody discusses school development planning. Similarly, the financial planning for the school is seen as an integral means for realising the important school

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wider community, she creates an excellent ethos in which pupils thrive academically and

aims. There is a close correlation between development planning and financial planning. The Local Education Authority Senior Finance Adviser regularly comes into school and attends governors’ meetings. This valuable service, which is paid for by the school, ensures that the school’s finances are in good order, as indicated by the last audit, which found financial systems to be very effective.

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wider community, she creates an excellent ethos in which pupils thrive academically and

16. The issues identified in the last inspection of 1996 have all been attended to and the school has moved on very successfully. The school was judged to be successful then, and it continues to be very successful with a good capacity for further improvement.

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wider community, she creates an excellent ethos in which pupils thrive academically and

17. The governors contribute well to the success of the school. They work alongside the headteacher, often questioning her closely so that they have a good idea of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. Governors’ meetings are well attended and get through a lot of business. The records of governors meetings are detailed and show that they debate issues in earnest before coming to decisions. The governors work well as a team and enjoy their responsibilities, although not all governors come into school often enough to see how their decisions operate in practice. A suggestion that there should be fewer governors was not possible to realise because none of the governors wanted to resign. The very good relationships that are apparent in school are clearly apparent at governing body level, and this harmonious way of working ultimately has a positive impact on the relationships enjoyed between teachers and pupils. The admirable culture of hard work and happy relationships is the

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wider community, she creates an excellent ethos in which pupils thrive academically and

headteacher’s special legacy to the school. She will be retiring at the end of the current term leaving a very successful school to her successor.

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Parents support the school well and are happy with the education it provides

18. Parents expressed high levels of satisfaction in the pre inspection parents’ meeting and through the questionnaire. Inspectors agree that the very good relationship between parents and the school are beneficial to pupils’ learning. Many parents work voluntarily in school supervising swimming, cooking, craftwork, reading, football and netball. A mother and grandmother make the costumes for the annual concert, and one parent governor gives extra mathematics tuition to Year 6 pupils. One mother takes pupils out cross-country running twice each week in her dinner hour. Of particular benefit are three parents who work as education assistants after attending a 10-week course to qualify. The school has run other good courses for parents. For instance, there was a 10 week course on helping pupils to read based on the ‘Bradford Project’, which received praise from Her Majesty’s Inspectors. Parents also raise funds to help the

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Parents support the school well and are happy with the education it provides

school. The ‘Friends of Sowe Valley’ raised over £1000 in the last year to buy computer equipment and books.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

Some aspects of the accommodation have an adverse impact on pupils’ learning.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

19. Some rooms are too cramped and the Year 6 accommodation is unsuitable as a teaching area. This impacts on learning. The pupils in the Year 6 area cannot be grouped effectively for different activities and it is difficult for the teacher top see all the pupils faces at any one time. This prevents her from working flexibly to target work across the full ability range since there is no room to seat pupils in ability groups. The teacher uses what space is available very well and does not get discouraged. She deserves to be given full credit for labouring on so well in such difficult conditions and has helped pupils to achieve academic success despite these problems. Nevertheless, even higher attainment could be achieved with better accommodation. For Sowe Valley Primary School example, in a mathematics lesson, several boys wasted some time whispering, and the shape of the room limited the teacher’s opportunity to see and deal with this.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

20. Lack of suitable space in the school means that the library is often used to help pupils with special educational needs or who need language help. This means that other pupils cannot always use the library for research and independent study. Several rooms in both key stages are small. Teachers cope very well considering these problems and refuse to get dispirited. They carefully group desks and resources to maximise available space and sometimes have half the class doing an activity whilst the other half waits its turn doing written work or research. Without teachers’ positive outlook and ingenuity, the unsatisfactory accommodation would have severe effect on pupils learning.

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The range of strategies used by the governing body to monitor the curriculum of the school is

21. The governing body is successfully committed to improving the academic and personal opportunities for pupils. It knows the school’s strengths and weaknesses well and works hard to plan the necessary changes to keep the school successful. However, some governors do not come into school enough to make sure that their decisions relating to the curriculum are having a proper impact in classrooms. This places some governors at too great a distance from what is happening in classrooms and makes them too dependent on the views of the headteacher and staff.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Improve some aspects of the accommodation for learning, and particularly the Year 6 teaching area. (paragraph19)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Arrange for members of the governing body to monitor the effects of its decisions relating to the curriculum more regularly. (paragraph 20)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The school has identified further involvement of the governing body, including training in any new initiatives, as a target on the school development plan. Sowe Valley Primary School

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 13

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

0 75.00 18.75 6.25 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 192

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 46 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 43

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 7

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

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

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Sowe Valley Primary School

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 16 10 26

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 12 11 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 9 10 10

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 81(87) 81(83) 96(100) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83 (80) 87 (84)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 9 14 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 10 9 10

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 73 (90) 88 (100) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 86 (84) 87 (85)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 17 14 31

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 13 15 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 14 10 11

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 73 (57) 88 (70) 100 (77) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (63) 69 (62) 78 (69)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 13 15 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 14 13 13

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 87 (70) 90 (73) 90 (77) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (63) 69 (62) 75 (69) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Sowe Valley Primary School

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 10 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 6 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8 Financial year 1999

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 385, 527

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4 Expenditure per pupil 2083.93

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 85 Balance brought forward from previous year 50, 501

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 39, 328 FTE means full-time equivalent. Sowe Valley Primary School

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 71 28 1 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 52 45 1 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 38 47 10 3 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 63 31 4 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 72 26 1 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 76 24 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 56 40 3 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 72 25 1 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 60 37 3 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 46 37 13 1 3

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Summary of parents’ and carers’ responses

Inspection findings support parents’ very positive views of the school.

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Other issues raised by parents

No issues of general concern were raised at the meeting with parents held before the inspection.

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