West Street Community Primary School

INSPECTION REPORT

Dates of inspection: 1 – 4 November 1999 Date of previous inspection: 3 – 7 June 1996 Under OFSTED contract number: 707508 Inspection carried out under Section 10 of the school Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school.

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INSPECTION REPORT

Under the Schools Inspection Act 1996, the appropriate authority must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. Every registered parent of a registered pupil at the school should receive a free copy of the summary of the report within ten working days of the receipt of the summary by the appropriate authority. A charge not exceeding the cost of supply may be made by the appropriate authority for any other copies of the report and/or its summary provided to any person who asks for one.

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INSPECTION REPORT

The appropriate authority should make a copy of the report and the summary available for inspection by members of the public at such times and at such places as may be reasonable.

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INSPECTION REPORT

Any enquiries about this legislation should be addressed to the OFSTED Compliance Helpline Tel. 0171 421 6567

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Nursery, Infant and Junior

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: West Street CP School Colne Lancashire BB8 0HW

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs A Scarborough

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 3 – 7 June 1996

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mrs D Bell, Registered Inspector Art Music Section 11 Characteristics of the school Attainment and progress Quality of teaching

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mrs J Garland, Lay Inspector Equality of opportunity Attitudes, behaviour and personal development Attendance Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare Partnership with parents and the community Mr M Hemmings, Team Member Mathematics Design and technology Physical Education Special educational needs Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mrs D New, Team Member Areas of learning for children under five English History Geography Leadership and management

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mr A Cross, Team Member Science Information technology Religious education Curriculum and assessment Efficiency

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Focus Inspection Services The Court 8 Bar Meadow Dobcross Saddleworth Oldham OL3 5 QW

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

§ . By the time they leave the school, most pupils achieve standards that are in line with those found in similar schools for English and mathematics, and above those found in similar schools for science. § . In Key Stage 1, standards in reading have improved considerably since the previous inspection. In Key Stage 2, pupils achieve good standards and make very good progress in music, particularly in singing. § . Very good provision is in place for pupils with special educational needs. There is good provision overall for pupils whose first language is not English and this provision is very good for children under five and pupils in Key Stage 1. § . The school supports, guides and looks after all of its pupils very well throughout their school life. Moral and social development is very strong and relationships are good throughout the school. § . The leadership and management of the school are very good. This is reflected in the hard work and

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

commitment of all staff and in the rising standards in the school. § . An effective and supportive learning environment is created. This ensures that pupils are happy at school and want to attend regularly. § . The recently formed Foundation Unit is having a very positive effect on the progress of children who are of nursery and reception age, including those for whom English is an additional language.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

I. Compared with all schools, standards in English are well below average and in mathematics and science they are below average when pupils leave the school. There is not enough extended writing taking place across the school. II. The school does not meet in full the statutory requirements for information and communication technology because the elements of control and monitoring are not in place. Standards are below those expected nationally. III. Standards in religious education are below the expectation of the local Agreed Syllabus. IV. Although curriculum co-ordinators now check on teaching and on pupils’ work in literacy and numeracy, and have planned the provision in other subjects in consultation with their colleagues, they are not yet fully and effectively involved in checking on provision and teaching in all subjects.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

This is an improving school. It is positive and forward-looking and all staff work hard to give the pupils a good education despite their very low attainment on entry to the school. Its strengths do outweigh its weaknesses in spite of the well below average standards achieved in comparison with all schools. It suffers from a very high turnover of pupils (43% in the last school year and 85% between Years 2 and 5) as families move in and out of the area. This inevitably restricts the progress made by a significant minority of the pupils. Over two fifths of pupils make good progress during their often short time in the school. This is because the school is very successful at persuading all pupils, including those who present poor attendance in other schools, to attend regularly and to work hard. The governors will produce an action plan to address the identified weaknesses and they will send it to all parents and guardians of pupils at the school.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE THE LAST INSPECTION

School improvement has been good. The school has worked hard to address the key issues from the previous inspection. The quality of teaching, the standards achieved and the progress pupils make have all improved. Teachers’ planning is now securely based on what pupils are expected to learn and this in turn is firmly based on all relevant national guidance and requirements and on the Local Agreed Syllabus for religious education. The National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy are improving teaching and standards in English and mathematics and in most other subjects, teachers now base their planning securely on the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority’s schemes of work. However, provision for and standards in religious education have not improved significantly since the previous inspection. The school has many effective strategies in place to continue to raise standards, including a range of tests and assessments for pupils who are in the school

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE THE LAST INSPECTION

permanently and to determine the attainment of pupils new to the school. In addition, it fosters in pupils a feeling of self-worth and confidence in their ability to succeed. Some teachers now set individual targets for pupils (both personal and academic) against which both teachers and pupils can measure the progress being made. This is shortly to be extended to the whole school. These factors, the very good leadership given by the headteacher and the commitment of all staff, teaching and non-teaching, lead to the school adding considerable value to pupils’ education and demonstrate that it has good capacity to improve further.

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STANDARDS IN SUBJECTS

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

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STANDARDS IN SUBJECTS

§ Performance in Compared with all schools Compared with similar schools § Key Well above average A Above average B Average C Below average D Well below average E

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STANDARDS IN SUBJECTS

§ English § E C § § Mathematic s § E C §

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STANDARDS IN SUBJECTS

§ Science § E B § § § The 1999 results show that in English, the percentage of pupils achieving at least the nationally expected levels has remained similar to 1998. However, the percentage of pupils achieving the higher levels has increased slightly. Since the previous inspection, attainment in English has improved slowly from 33 per cent of pupils achieving the national average in 1996, to 40 per cent in 1999. In mathematics there has been a substantial increase in standards, with attainment in relation to the nationally expected levels rising from 29 per cent to 39 per cent in 1998 and on to 54 per cent in 1999. In science, attainment in relation to the nationally expected standards rose from 18 per cent in 1996 to 47 per cent in 1998 and a similar percentage of pupils achieved the expected standards in 1999.

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STANDARDS IN SUBJECTS

The attainment of the majority of pupils currently in Year 6 remains well below average in English, and is below average in mathematics and science. Pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 is below the national expectation for information and communication technology and below the expectation of the local Agreed Syllabus for religious education. In all other subjects, attainment is as expected for pupils’ ages by the time they leave the school, with the exception of music, where attainment is above this, especially in singing, because of the impact of the specialist teaching.

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STANDARDS IN SUBJECTS

At the end of Key Stage 1, attainment is well below the national average in English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology and below the requirements for religious education. In all other subjects, pupils achieve standards that are in line with what is expected for their ages by the end of this key stage.

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STANDARDS IN SUBJECTS

§ Teaching in: § Under 5 5 – 7 years 7 – 11 years § English § Good Satisfactory Good § Mathematics § Good Good Satisfactory § Science § Satisfactory Satisfactory § Information technology § Insufficient evidence

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STANDARDS IN SUBJECTS

§ Religious education § Insufficient evidence Satisfactory

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STANDARDS IN SUBJECTS

§ Other subjects § Good Satisfactory* Good* § § 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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STANDARDS IN SUBJECTS

* The judgement on the quality of teaching in ‘other subjects’ is based on what was seen in art, music and physical education. Because of the structure of the timetable during the inspection, there was only a very small amount of teaching observed in design and technology, geography and history and therefore no judgements were possible in these subjects.

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STANDARDS IN SUBJECTS

The quality of teaching has improved since the previous inspection, particularly at the upper end of Key Stage 2, the area in which it was criticised. It is now satisfactory or better in 97 per cent of lessons. In 39 per cent of lessons teaching is good and in a further 7 per cent, it is very good, giving a total of 46 per cent of lessons in which teaching is better than satisfactory. In 51 per cent of lessons, teaching is satisfactory and there is only a small amount (3 per cent) of unsatisfactory teaching. This occurred in two lessons in Key Stage 2, when the two classes concerned were not being taught by their own teacher. The temporary teacher was insecure as to what pupils should learn that is appropriate for their ages and their learning needs, resulting in their making insufficient progress. All other teachers plan well to meet pupils’ needs and a strong feature in two classes is the way in which all pupils have specific individual learning targets so that their progress can be monitored

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STANDARDS IN SUBJECTS

carefully. This is helping pupils to make better progress and is about to be extended to all other classes in the school. §

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

§ Aspect Comment § Behaviour Good. Pupils develop good attitudes to learning and the school has many successful strategies in place to promote and sustain good behaviour, including working with parents.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

§ Attendance Satisfactory. The school works hard and successfully cultivates an atmosphere where pupils want to come to school regularly and on time.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

§ Ethos* Very good. All staff are committed to enabling pupils to achieve the highest possible standards in all areas of their lives. A very effective learning environment is created and relationships are good throughout the school’s community.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

§ Leadership and management Very good. The headteacher gives the school a very clear educational direction and purpose and receives very good support in this from all staff and from a small core of very hardworking governors.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

§ Curriculum and assessment The school teaches all subjects required by law and makes very good provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education. However, it does not meet the statutory requirements for information and communication technology. Assessment procedures are sound but record keeping in, for example, mathematics and science is cumbersome. The school is working to establish consistency in record keeping across all subjects throughout the school.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

§ Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Spiritual and cultural development is good. Moral and social development is very good. In addition, the support and guidance given to pupils is very good and they are well cared for.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

§ Staffing, resources and accommodation Satisfactory. There is an appropriate number of teachers and a good number of well deployed support staff. Both the accommodation and the resources for learning have been improved since the previous inspection and are now at least adequate except for shortages in information and communication technology equipment and software.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

§ Value for money The school provides good value for money.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

§ § *Ethos is the climate for learning: attitudes to work, relationships and the commitment to high standards. § § THE PARENTS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL § § What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about V. Children are happy to come to the school. VI. All staff and especially the headteacher, are approachable and willing to support the children and where necessary, the parents. VII.The school keeps them well informed. VIII. There were no significant complaints.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

§ Inspectors agree with the parents’ views. Several discussions took place with parents as they brought their children to school or picked them up at the end of the school day. The parents spoken to confirmed the positive views of the few who replied to the questionnaire and attended the parents’ meeting. § KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

In order to raise standards further, the governors, headteacher and staff should:

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

1. Further refine the strategies identified in the school development plan for raising attainment in English, mathematics and science by: -. providing more opportunities for pupils to undertake extended writing for a range of purposes, both in English and across all subjects; -. further improving pupils’ mental and oral strategies in mathematics and by improving their mathematical vocabulary to enable them to explain better how they arrive at their answers; -. providing pupils with a much wider range of strategies to record their work in science, and giving greater emphasis to the effective use of scientific investigations to enable pupils to set up and determine what a fair test is and what is meant by variables.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

(Paragraphs: English – 11, 12, 108, 109; Mathematics – 13, 23, 117, 118; Science – 14, 128, 133)

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

1. Adopt a more rigorous and systematic approach towards realising the school development plan priority to improve standards and meet statutory requirements in information and communication technology by: -. improving staff expertise and confidence of all staff through effective in-service training; -. extending the range of hardware and software to meet fully the demands of the National Curriculum programme of study; -. providing better planned, more frequent and adequately supervised opportunities for pupils to work at the computers in all subjects; -. using more effectively the considerable expertise of the co-ordinator to check regularly on the quality of provision, including teaching, in each class. -. (Paragraphs: 15, 38, 46, 75, 133, 136 – 143, 180 )

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

1. Build on the work already under way in Christianity to improve standards in all aspects of religious education by: -. increasing teachers’ knowledge of non-Christian faiths so that they can teach these more effectively; -. drawing up effective guidelines to support teachers in their planning and assessment of pupils’ work; -. providing opportunities for the co-ordinator and senior staff to check regularly the quality of provision, and including teaching, in each class.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

4. Set a programme over time to extend the role of curriculum co-ordinators across all subjects to include checking on planning, provision and teaching in their subjects.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

(Paragraphs: 75, 134, 143, 149, 157, 162, 173 )

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

In addition to the above key issues, the governors should include in their action plan the formalising of recording and assessment procedures in all subjects ( paras: 43, 53 ) in order to meet the priority they have set in the school development plan for this aspect of the school’s work.

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INTRODUCTION

1. West Street Primary School serves the Waterside and Vivary Bridge wards of East Lancashire, traditionally among the most socially disadvantaged areas of the county. There are very high levels of deprivation, poor housing, unemployment and overcrowded households. However, parents will travel across the town to bring their children to the school, many having attended it themselves.

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INTRODUCTION

2. There are currently 257 pupils on roll in the main school, 124 boys and 133 girls. In addition, there is a nursery that caters for 16 boys and 19 girls on a part-time basis. Children come to the nursery in the September following their third birthday and the number in the nursery will rise to 52 as the full complement is admitted over time, beginning with the oldest children. In addition, there are 31 children in the reception class at the present time. From this year, they will spend one year part-time as nursery children and one year full time as reception children in the newly formed ‘Foundation Unit’. The school undertakes base line assessments as children enter the nursery and reception classes and again at the end of their reception year. The results indicate that the attainment of a substantial majority of children on entry to the nursery and reception classes is very low and attainment on entry to Key Stage 1 is well below

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INTRODUCTION

what is expected of five-year-olds nationally. Only a very small number of children had reached their fifth birthday at the time of the inspection.

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INTRODUCTION

3. Although the number of pupils on roll remains fairly constant, the school suffers from a very high turnover of pupils due to parents frequently moving in and out of the area. In the last school year, this amounted to 43 per cent of its pupils. The percentage of pupils on the register for special educational needs is very high, at 68 per cent and the vast majority of children in the nursery are already identified as having similar needs. The percentage of pupils with statements of educational need is also high, at 3.1 per cent. The percentage of pupils for whom English is an additional language (14.7) is above that found nationally. These pupils are all of Pakistani heritage and their first language is Punjabi. The percentage of pupils known to qualify for free school meals (52.5) is well above that found nationally. In previous years, the school has found this figure rising to over 60 per cent as the year proceeded.

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INTRODUCTION

4. The school’s aims take good account of the backgrounds of its pupils. They include developing self- esteem, self-confidence, compassion, tolerance, empathy and humour, whilst enabling pupils to achieve their potential intellectually, physically and emotionally. At a recent governing body meeting to discuss and set targets, it was revealed that 85 per cent of the school’s population had either left or joined the school between Years 2 and 5, making it very difficult to set targets based on Key Stage 1 results. Nevertheless, the school works hard to set targets based on what it knows of the pupils coming through the school, using the results of a range of other tests and assessments it carries out annually. In order to achieve these targets, many teachers, particularly in Key Stage 2, set specific personal and academic targets for individual pupils to encourage them to work harder and achieve higher standards.

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INTRODUCTION

5. The school has set a number of appropriate priorities to help it to continue to raise standards. These include: -. successful implementation and monitoring of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, including intensive support for mathematics; -. setting by prior attainment in English and mathematics in Years 5 and 6 and determining strategies for the successful induction of pupils arriving in the school during these two years; -. clearer monitoring and evaluation of all its work; -. additional classroom support and continued additional support from a range of external agencies; -. clearly targeted staff development; -. more effective use of information technology throughout the school. - Key Indicators:

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Attainment at Key Stage 1:

Number of registered pupils in final year of KS1 Year Boys Girls Total for latest reporting year: 1998 22 22 44

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Attainment at Key Stage 1:

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics Number of pupils Boys 5 6 8 at NC level 2 or Girls 14 18 16 above Total 19 24 24 Percentage at NC School 42 (37) 53 (42) 53 (56) level 2 or above National 80 (80) 81 (80) 84 (84)

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Attainment at Key Stage 1:

Teacher Assessments English Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 5 10 17 at NC level 2 or Girls 15 16 15 above Total 20 26 32 Percentage at NC School 44 (49) 58 (44) 71 (77) level 2 or above National 81 (80) 85 (84) 86 (85)

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Attainment at Key Stage 1:

* Figures in parentheses refer to the previous reporting year

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Assessment at Key Stage 2:

Number of registered pupils in final year of KS2 Year Boys Girls Total for latest reporting year: 1998 26 19 45

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Assessment at Key Stage 2:

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 10 9 14 at NC level 4 or Girls 9 4 7 above Total 19 13 21 Percentage at NC School 42 (50) 29 (39) 47 (36) level 4 or above National 65(63) 59(62) 69(69)

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Assessment at Key Stage 2:

Teacher Assessments English Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 9 9 15 at NC level 4 or Girls 10 9 10 above Total 19 18 25 Percentage at NC School 42 (46) 40 (35) 56 (36) level 4 or above National 63(63) 65(64) 72(69)

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Assessment at Key Stage 2:

* Figures in parentheses refer to the previous reporting year Attendance

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Assessment at Key Stage 2:

% Percentage of half days (sessions) missed Authorised School 6.5 through absence for the latest complete Absence National comparative data 5.7 reporting year: Unauthorised School 0.3 Absence National comparative data 0.5

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Assessment at Key Stage 2:

Number of exclusions of pupils (of statutory school age) Number during the previous year: Fixed period 5 Permanent 1

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Assessment at Key Stage 2:

Percentage of teaching observed which is: % Very good or better 7 Satisfactory or better 97 Less than satisfactory 3 - PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

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EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS AT THE SCHOOL

1. The results of the 1998 National Curriculum tests for eleven-year-olds in English, mathematics and science were well below the national average. In English and mathematics, the results were in line with those found in similar schools and in science, they were above those found in similar schools. The

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attainment of the majority of pupils currently in Year 6 remains well below average in English. In

mathematics and science, their attainment is below average.

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attainment of the majority of pupils currently in Year 6 remains well below average in English. In

2. At the end of Key Stage 1, the 1998 English National Curriculum test results for reading and writing were very low against both the national average and the average for similar schools. Teacher assessments in speaking and listening indicate that attainment was also well below average. In mathematics, the 1998 National Curriculum test results were well below the national average but in line with the results achieved by pupils in similar schools. In science, the 1998 teacher assessments indicated that attainment was well below the national average and below the average for similar schools. The attainment of pupils currently in Year 2 is well below average in English, mathematics and science.

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attainment of the majority of pupils currently in Year 6 remains well below average in English. In

3. Discussions with teachers and other staff, and an analysis of the assessments carried out show that the attainment of the majority of children on entry is very low in comparison with other children of a similar age. Many children enter the nursery with delayed language development and speech problems. Their personal and social skills are also poor and at first, they find it difficult to listen and take turns. By the age of five, the attainment of the majority of children is well below the levels expected in language and literacy, mathematics, knowledge and understanding of the world and physical development. Most children do, however, attain the desirable learning outcomes in personal and social education and in creative development. All children are making good progress in the recently formed ‘Foundation Unit’, which caters for children of both nursery and reception age, grouped according to their prior attainment.

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attainment of the majority of pupils currently in Year 6 remains well below average in English. In

4. In both key stages, the great majority of pupils make satisfactory progress in speaking and listening. The youngest pupils have a very limited range of vocabulary and find it difficult to sit and listen or to wait their turn to speak. By the end of Key Stage 1 most do this satisfactorily and, although their vocabulary remains limited, they are better able to join in discussions. They begin to share an enjoyment of listening to stories and start to express their thoughts and feelings about the different characters in them. In Key Stage 2, pupils acquire considerable confidence in this aspect of English. By the end of the key stage, a significant minority of pupils are able to give considered opinions on, for example, historical topics such as life during the Second World War. Most, however, do not have the range of vocabulary necessary to be able to develop a conversation.

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attainment of the majority of pupils currently in Year 6 remains well below average in English. In

5. Progress in reading is satisfactory in both key stages. As they move through Key Stage 1, a small number of higher attaining pupils begin to recognise and read familiar texts confidently. Most pupils know what an author is and can point out the title of the book. However, their knowledge of different authors is limited. In Key Stage 2, pupils read a wider range of books but do not have a clear understanding of the difference between ‘fiction’ and ‘non-fiction’ texts. The majority can explain and know how to use both index and contents pages. However, very few can then find specific facts within the book.

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attainment of the majority of pupils currently in Year 6 remains well below average in English. In

6. Pupils in both key stages make satisfactory progress in writing. They progress from copying the teacher’s writing in Year 1 to most being able to complete lists of words and write simple sentences by the end of Key Stage 1. Higher attaining pupils can also use capital letters and full stops accurately. Pupils build on these skills in Key Stage 2 and higher attaining pupils in particular begin to write with imagination. A small group of pupils at the end of this key stage show a sound understanding of how newspaper headlines are put together. Work is well presented and handwriting is neat and legible. In both key stages, pupils find writing difficult and there is little evidence of extended writing or editing of work.

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attainment of the majority of pupils currently in Year 6 remains well below average in English. In

7. Pupils’ literacy skills are well below average and they do not yet use them sufficiently in other subjects. They are beginning to use information-seeking skills appropriately to find out and interpret historical information as they read historical texts. They enhance their speaking and listening skills as they engage in discussions and debates in, for example, personal and social education lessons and, for some pupils, in the drama activities that take place outside of the normal school day. However, most writing is limited to the completion of worksheets, simple labelling or making lists of words and there is very little evidence of extended writing for different purposes in other subjects.

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attainment of the majority of pupils currently in Year 6 remains well below average in English. In

8. In mathematics, pupils make good progress from a very low start in Key Stage 1. They develop the ability to recognise simple shapes and patterns and begin to be able to add numbers together. However, they find difficulty in counting on in ones. Their mathematical vocabulary is very limited and most find difficulty forming numbers correctly at the end of this key stage. The majority of pupils make satisfactory progress in Key Stage 2. They learn multiplication facts and begin to understand simple fractions and percentages. By the end of the key stage, although their knowledge and vocabulary remain insecure, they have learned how to organise, present and interpret data and gained a basic understanding of how to make ‘nets’ to create a range of three-dimensional shapes. Pupils in both key stages find

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difficulty in recalling number facts and their attainment is below average. However, they are

making good progress in this area because of the well-targeted mental agility work now in place at the beginning of mathematics lessons. Pupils develop a sound ability to work collaboratively to solve problems. Pupils use their numeracy skills satisfactorily in other subjects in both key stages, for example, in science, geography and history as they measure, use co-ordinates and sequence timelines.

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difficulty in recalling number facts and their attainment is below average. However, they are

9. In science, pupils in Key Stage 1 make satisfactory progress from a very low start . They acquire a basic knowledge of the life cycles of animals, the requirements for plant growth and how shadows are formed. Pupils in Key Stage 2 also make satisfactory progress as, for example, they extend their learning about plants to include naming the different parts of a plant and describing their purposes. They engage well in practical work associated with, for example, making simple electrical circuits and undertaking scientific investigations. Orally they are able to predict what they think might happen in these. In both key stages, pupils lack the range of scientific language and recording skills associated with their age and older pupils are not given sufficient opportunities to plan and carry out their own investigations.

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difficulty in recalling number facts and their attainment is below average. However, they are

10. At the end of both key stages, attainment in information technology is below the national expectation and progress is unsatisfactory throughout the school. Statutory requirements are not met in this subject in the areas of text handling, data handling, control and monitoring. Pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 gain the confidence to use the mouse and keyboard but lack the associated technical vocabulary and need considerable support to deal with the relevant hardware. In Key Stage 2, they learn to use basic word processing skills and are beginning to be able to handle data through the computer. In addition, they are beginning to use CD-ROM materials to research historical information. However, they do not have sufficient time working at the computers to make the progress required in this key stage.

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difficulty in recalling number facts and their attainment is below average. However, they are

11. In religious education, pupils in both key stages make satisfactory progress but attain standards that are below the expectation of the locally Agreed Syllabus. This progress is enhanced by the contributions from school assemblies and the good personal and social education programme. Although pupils acquire a sound knowledge and understanding of some aspects of Christianity, their knowledge of world religions is limited.

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difficulty in recalling number facts and their attainment is below average. However, they are

12. In art, design and technology, geography and physical education, pupils make satisfactory progress in both key stages and attain standards that are broadly in line with those expected for their age by the time they leave the school. In history, pupils make satisfactory progress in Key Stage 1 and good progress in Key Stage 2. However, with the exception of physical education, in which writing skills are not required, pupils’ overall progress is hindered by their inability to record what they learn in writing other than in the form of completed worksheets or word lists.

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difficulty in recalling number facts and their attainment is below average. However, they are

13. In music, the picture is different. Pupils make good progress in Key Stage 1 and attain appropriate standards for their age by the end of that key stage. Progress is very good in Key Stage 2, particularly towards the upper end of the juniors, and pupils achieve standards above what might be expected for their age by the time they leave school. Singing is a particular strength.

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difficulty in recalling number facts and their attainment is below average. However, they are

14. The attainment of pupils with special educational needs is also well below average in English and below average in mathematics and science at the end of Key Stage 2. However, because of the very good provision made for them, and the effective support they receive from both teaching and support staff, they make good progress towards the targets set in their individual education plans. In all other subjects, their progress is in line with that of their peers, including the unsatisfactory progress in information technology resulting from the weaknesses in provision for that subject.

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difficulty in recalling number facts and their attainment is below average. However, they are

15. From the time they enter the school in the nursery through to the end of Key Stage 1, pupils for whom English is an additional language make good progress because of the very good provision that is in place for them. Pupils in Key Stage 2 make satisfactory progress. Most of these pupils attain standards similar to those of their classmates by the end of Key Stage 2. In this key stage, the provision is satisfactory. The better progress amongst younger pupils is a direct result of the school’s strategy to provide early language intervention so that all pupils are better able to cope with the demands of the curriculum by the time they enter Key Stage 2. The school is carefully monitoring this provision, which has been in place for just over one year. Pupils who require additional help in Key Stage 2 also have access to the bilingual teacher and this is also enabling them to make better progress. The school’s analysis of the results achieved by

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difficulty in recalling number facts and their attainment is below average. However, they are

bilingual pupils revealed that these pupils most often achieve marks that are at the top end of level 3, a little below the expected level, in the National Curriculum tests by the time they leave the school. It is, however, working hard to address language difficulties to ensure that these are not a barrier to achieving the expected levels.

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difficulty in recalling number facts and their attainment is below average. However, they are

16. Since the previous inspection, the average National Curriculum levels for eleven-year-olds have risen in line with national trends in English and much more steeply than the national trend in science. The picture is more variable in mathematics.

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difficulty in recalling number facts and their attainment is below average. However, they are

17. In English, the 1999 results indicate that the proportion of pupils attaining the expected levels at the end of Key Stage 2 has remained similar to 1998. However, standards in English have improved since the previous inspection from 33 per cent of pupils achieving the national average in 1996, to 40 per cent achieving it in 1999 and a higher percentage of pupils attaining the higher levels in this subject.

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difficulty in recalling number facts and their attainment is below average. However, they are

18. In mathematics in Key Stage 2, the sharp rise between 1996 and 1997 was not replicated in 1998. However, since the previous inspection, standards have improved overall in this subject. In 1996, 35 per cent of pupils achieved the national average; 54 per cent achieved average National Curriculum levels in 1999. The school’s analysis identified that mental agility was a particular weakness and it has taken appropriate steps to address this. The National Numeracy Strategy has been introduced and all mathematics lessons now begin with a mental mathematics session. Older pupils have the opportunity to practise their mental skills to prepare them for their end-of-key stage tests, something which the school feels caused problems for many pupils in 1998 and led to the drop in test results. The improved percentage of pupils reaching the expected levels in 1999 (25 per cent more than in 1998) bears out the

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difficulty in recalling number facts and their attainment is below average. However, they are

success of the measures the school has taken. There has also been a slight increase in the percentage of pupils achieving the higher grades in this subject.

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difficulty in recalling number facts and their attainment is below average. However, they are

19. In science, there has been a substantial increase in the percentage of pupils achieving the national average at the end of Key Stage 2. This has risen from 18 per cent in 1996 to 49 per cent in 1999. However, in 1999 there was a drop in the percentage of pupils achieving the higher levels in science.

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difficulty in recalling number facts and their attainment is below average. However, they are

20. In English, test results show that over the three years from 1996 to 1998, girls are approximately 6 months ahead of boys and in mathematics, approximately 3 months ahead. There is very little difference in science. These findings reflect the differences found nationally between boys and girls and those found in the school during the inspection.

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difficulty in recalling number facts and their attainment is below average. However, they are

21. In Key Stage 1, reading has improved significantly since the previous inspection, while writing has improved only marginally. The percentage of pupils achieving the higher levels in reading has risen since the previous inspection also. Over the three years from 1996 to 1998, pupils’ performance in mathematics has remained very low in comparison with the national average and the 1999 results are similar to those seen in 1998. There has, however, been a small improvement in attainment over that time. As in Key Stage 2, there has been an improvement in attainment in science at the end of Key Stage 1, with a steady increase evident since 1996.

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difficulty in recalling number facts and their attainment is below average. However, they are

22. The school analyses all its results and has set appropriately challenging targets based on what it knows of the attainment of pupils in earlier years. The high pupil turnover has presented difficulties in predicting levels based on Key Stage 1 tests. This is exacerbated by the difficulties encountered in acquiring accurate records for many of these pupils because they have often attended several schools. To address this, the school has set up a screening procedure for all pupils coming to the school in Years 5 and 6 and is using the voluntary national tests in all years of Key Stage 2 to keep track of pupils’ progress. The school’s target for English is 46 per cent, for mathematics 41 per cent and for science 45 per cent. It is currently working towards its English target but in 1999 it exceeded its mathematics target by 13 percentage points and its science target by 4 percentage points. The bigger variation in mathematics reflects the school’s

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difficulty in recalling number facts and their attainment is below average. However, they are

determined effort to improve pupils’ numeracy skills. In English, attainment is impeded by the lack of a range of writing and this same weakness also holds pupils back in science.

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difficulty in recalling number facts and their attainment is below average. However, they are

27. Attitudes, behaviour and personal development 27. 23. When they arrive at the school, most children in the under-fives age group find it difficult to listen and take turns. However, because of the range of ways in which they are introduced to these aspects of social behaviour in the nursery and reception classes, they make good progress and most acquire satisfactory personal and social development skills by the age of five. This enables them to develop positive attitudes to learning. They are happy and secure in school and quickly learn to comply with school routines and the code for acceptable behaviour. They gradually take responsibility for their own personal needs and show a developing awareness of the needs of others. They also form positive relationships with staff and other children.

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difficulty in recalling number facts and their attainment is below average. However, they are

24. Throughout the school, all pupils display good attitudes to learning. This includes pupils who have special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language. Pupils enjoy coming to school and they come prepared to work. A strength of the school is that pupils who arrive at different times and in different year groups quickly settle into the routines. All pupils participate well in class activities and subscribe to the values of the school. They persevere with tasks even when they find them difficult, and although some display short spans of concentration, particularly in the younger age groups, they generally concentrate well on the activities they are given to do. This enables them to make satisfactory and often good progress during their time at the school and, for some pupils, this is sometimes short.

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difficulty in recalling number facts and their attainment is below average. However, they are

25. Behaviour is also good, and pupils require minimal discipline. For example, even the youngest pupils behave well at lunch times and in their classes. Older pupils enter the hall silently and concentrate on assembly messages. Behaviour contributes to a positive ethos in the classroom and to the progress pupils make throughout the school. Behaviour in the playground is lively but manageable. The school usually has very few exclusions. Four out of the six that occurred in the last school year related to one individual and resulted in one permanent exclusion. The other two temporary exclusions were in a related incident. The school keeps to its policy not to exclude pupils if at all possible. Pupils look after the school and show respect for property. They can be trusted to work safely with tools and materials and to return them to their places when finished.

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difficulty in recalling number facts and their attainment is below average. However, they are

26. Pupils form good relationships with each other and with all adults who work with them. In addition, they are polite and helpful to visitors, holding doors open and offering to show them the way around school. Groups of pupils go out to play at different times at lunch times. This gives more scope to older pupils and results in a harmonious atmosphere in the playground. All pupils, including those for whom English is an additional language, and those with special educational needs, play and work together well and there is a good degree of racial harmony evident in the school.

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difficulty in recalling number facts and their attainment is below average. However, they are

27. Pupils take responsibilities well, for example tidying up at the end of activities and giving out books. Older pupils react well to opportunities to take responsibility for younger pupils. Their personal development is further enhanced by the residential courses and other trips in which they participate and they talk about these with obvious enthusiasm and enjoyment. By Year 6, most pupils show a developing maturity in their attitudes towards each other and to life outside of school and can take part in a reasonable discussion about rights and responsibilities. There are few instances of pupils showing initiative, however, unless positively encouraged to do so.

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difficulty in recalling number facts and their attainment is below average. However, they are

28. Attendance is satisfactory. At 93.2 per cent in the last school year, it is only just below the national average for all schools The school has met its own target of 94 per cent for most of this term. While unauthorised absences are below the national average, authorised absences are above and there is a high incidence of absence due to medical reasons. A high turnover of pupils, who have to be kept on the register for some time after they leave the school also affects the figures. Individual pupils including former non-attenders at different schools show improved attendance records at this school and a number of pupils gained l00 per cent attendance certificates last year. Most pupils arrive on time and lessons start punctually.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

29. The quality of teaching overall is satisfactory. It is good in 39 per cent and very good in a further 7 per cent. There is a small amount of unsatisfactory teaching (3 per cent) in Key Stage 2, relating to two lessons with Year 5 pupils when they were not being taught by their own teacher. The quality of teaching has improved since the previous inspection when it was considered to have significant weaknesses particularly at the upper end of Key Stage 2. Changes in staffing and improvements in planning have successfully addressed these weaknesses. Despite the very low attainment of the pupils on entry, and the high turnover of pupils in all years in the school, teachers demonstrate the determination not to give up, but to maintain appropriately high expectations of what pupils can do during their time in the school. This contributes significantly to the satisfactory progress made by the majority of the pupils and the good

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progress made by just over two fifths of pupils.

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30. The teaching of children under five in the nursery and reception classes is never less than good. In 17 per cent of lessons it is very good. The very effective teamwork among all staff in the Foundation Unit contributes to a very effective learning environment and to the good progress made in all areas of learning by all children, the great majority of whom are already on the register for special educational needs. In the nursery alone, for example, 26 out of 35 children are on this register. The staff have a very good knowledge and understanding not only of the curriculum for this age group but also of the particular needs of the children who come to the school. The teachers’ good planning, direct teaching and well focused and stimulating activities ensure that children are highly motivated and want to learn. Classrooms are always very well prepared and organised so that when children arrive in the morning, after break or

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after lunch, there is something new for them to see and do, enlivening their curiosity and engendering a thirst for learning. Teachers group the children across the nursery and reception age groups according to their needs. This flexibility enables them to fit children into the learning pattern most suited to their needs and prior attainment. This practice is new to the school this year but is already having a positive impact on the progress that pupils make. Assessments take place as children enter the school and these form a starting point for the children's learning. Daily entries on attainment and progress are entered into a weekly record, which is then used effectively to inform what the children should do next.

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31. Teaching successfully supports the learning of pupils for whom English is an additional language. In the Foundation Unit, children are given very good support from the appointed teachers. The part time bilingual teacher works closely with the staff, extracting key language from the planned work. She then works purposefully in both English and Punjabi with the relevant children to ensure that they understand the key language and are given every opportunity to participate in lessons on equal terms with their classmates. She also ensures that the parents of bilingual children understand what their children are to learn and she keeps parents fully informed regarding the progress being made. When she is not in school, her work is continued effectively by her colleague to ensure that learning is continuous for the children. This work contributes in great measure to the children’s progress.

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32. In Key Stage 1, teaching is satisfactory. It is good in 34 per cent, and very good in a further 8 per cent of lessons. There is no unsatisfactory teaching in this key stage. It is good in mathematics and music, satisfactory in English, science, art and physical education. There was insufficient evidence to make a clear judgement about teaching in information and communication technology, geography, history, design and technology or religious education in this key stage. 33. Teaching is also satisfactory in Key Stage 2. It is good in 34 per cent of lessons and very good in a further 8 per cent. Teaching is unsatisfactory in 3 per cent of lessons in this key stage, relating to two lessons taught by a temporary teacher. In Key Stage 2, teaching is good in English and history and very good in music. It is satisfactory in mathematics, science, religious education, art, geography and physical education. In the one information technology lesson seen in Key Stage 2, teaching was satisfactory but

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there is insufficient evidence to make an overall judgement on teaching in this subject.

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34. In most lessons and subjects in both key stages, teachers demonstrate a secure knowledge and understanding of what they have to teach and of the pupils’ learning needs. The majority of lessons begin with good question and answer sessions that successfully enable pupils to recall what they have done previously. In this, teachers are skilled at asking questions in several different ways in order to enable pupils of all levels of prior attainment to respond appropriately. Most teachers then explain clearly to pupils what they will do in the current lesson, having planned this well from their assessment of what pupils have achieved in previous lessons. Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can do are usually well matched to their good knowledge of pupils’ prior attainment. In some classes, targets are set for individuals or groups of pupils, to address their particular weaknesses. This contributes in great measure

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to the improvement in progress that has taken place since the last inspection. The unsatisfactory teaching occurred when a temporary teacher was teaching Year 5 pupils physical education and religious education, instead of their own class teacher. The temporary teacher is clearly insecure as to what pupils should learn that is appropriate for their ages and their learning needs, resulting in pupils making insufficient progress.

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35. Daily planning is secure throughout the school and takes appropriate account of what pupils have previously learned. For pupils with special educational needs, the good quality planning ensures that activities are very well matched to their prior attainment and allows them to make good progress in their learning. Teachers do not rely on these pupils simply producing less of the same work as their peers. They consciously plan different tasks to suit their needs and monitor their progress well, paying close attention to the targets in pupils’ individual education plans and reviewing these regularly.

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36. In many subjects, teaching has been positively influenced by the requirements laid down in the national strategies for literacy and numeracy. Most lessons are well organised with an introductory session, well- planned group work and a final plenary session in which pupils are encouraged to evaluate sensitively each other’s work in an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect. Very well organised lessons occur in history and music. In both of these subjects, the lively teaching style captures the attention of the pupils and motivates them to work hard. In music in Years 5 and 6, for example, clear introductions are followed by very effective direct teaching that encourages pupils to work hard at improving their performing and composing skills. The work is then brought together effectively as pupils discuss how well they performed or communicated their intentions in their compositions, and how they might improve their

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

work in the next lesson. In the Year 1 music lesson, similar good features are present, together with a good range of progressive activities that cater for pupils’ short attention spans. This enables them to make good progress and is also resulting in their having good recall of musical facts from previous lessons. In Year 4 history lessons on ‘invaders and settlers’, the teacher’s use of dramatic effect together with the appropriate use of simple worksheets to reinforce the oral input, enables pupils to make good progress in historical knowledge and in understanding the differences between ‘invaders’ and ‘settlers’. The plenary sessions at the end of most lessons suitably reinforce the points made in the lesson. Occasionally, however, plenary sessions are too general and consist of simply going over what pupils had been told they were going to do at the beginning of the lesson, as happened in a literacy lesson with pupils in the mixed

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Year 2 / 3 class. This does not help pupils to evaluate their work or to learn from the errors of others.

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37. In both key stages, teachers expect and receive high standards of discipline and behaviour. Less suitable behaviour is well managed and teachers form good relationships with their pupils. They help to raise pupils’ self-esteem and confidence by the very effective use of praise and encouragement for work well done, for good effort and for good behaviour. They handle the sharing of pupils’ work sensitively and successfully foster a feeling of trust in and respect for other people in the class. Parents indicate that this “West Street feel” remains with pupils into the next phase of their education as they support and help each other. When occasionally pupils do step out of line, they are dealt with firmly and fairly in line with the agreed procedures evident throughout the school. Little time is wasted in lessons, although occasionally, some lack the brisk pace evident in others, that keeps pupils on task and working hard.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

Resources are used appropriately in most lessons, and in some lessons, they are used well. For example, in Year 6 history, the good use of photographs, and of an overhead projector to study relevant features in an old photograph, enables pupils to make good progress in developing an awareness of the passing of time

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

38. In most subjects, teachers routinely make on-the-spot assessments of pupils’ work as well as providing tests and specific tasks for assessment. Good use is made of this information when planning further work, for example in English, science and history. In two classes in Key Stage 2, teachers are this term piloting a system in which they identify with the pupils, personal and academic learning objectives based on the information gleaned from the assessment of their work. The progress towards the targets is discussed regularly and adjustments made to them to take further account of pupils’ learning needs. The school intends to review this good practice shortly with a view to extending it to all classes in order to use the outcomes of assessment even more effectively in all age groups. Work is marked regularly, although marking is sometimes limited to ticks with or without a short comment. Comments are generally

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

supportive and indicate how pupils might improve their work, for example, in English. However, in mathematics, such comments are not always consistent or as constructive and only marks out of a given total are seen on pupils’ work.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

39. Appropriate use is made of homework to consolidate and extend learning. Pupils take reading books home every night, and are given spellings and tables to learn at different times. Teachers also regularly ask pupils to carry out tasks for homework. This is often research for topics or the collection of artefacts related to school work, which are then brought into school.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

40. In the previous inspection, a key issue was to address weaknesses in teaching by ensuring consistency in lesson planning that includes learning objectives linked to National Curriculum levels. This has been addressed well. Planning is now at least satisfactory throughout the school and it is appropriately linked to all relevant national guidance.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

41. The school teaches all of the subjects of the National Curriculum and includes religious education in its programme and in this sense, breadth and balance are achieved. However, statutory requirements are not met for information and communication technology. In that subject, skills are not taught systematically and all the strands of the National Curriculum programme of study are not satisfactorily addressed. Nor are pupils given enough time using computers to make even sound progress.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

42. The curriculum planned for the children under five years of age is good. It is broad and balanced and covers all six areas of learning well. It enables the teaching staff to make good provision for individual children’s needs by placing appropriately strong emphasis on the development of speaking and listening and personal and social skills. It also enables nursery and reception children to mix and be taught in groups according to their prior attainment. It supports effectively the needs of all children in this age group and aids the systematic development of early learning skills. Children are constantly encouraged to be independent, for example, going to the toilet, dressing themselves, moving around carefully, selecting suitable materials for creative work and using them appropriately. Good emphasis is also placed on encouraging reading and emergent writing skills to address the identified weaknesses in these areas,

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

particularly with regard to using books and holding pencils. A ‘critical incident’ book is kept to record pupils’ progress and the information is transferred to pupils’ profiles at the end of each week for use in further planning. The ‘Foundation Unit’ was set up at the beginning of this school year as a result of the school’s in-depth analysis of the needs of the children. It is already proving successful in enabling children to settle into school routines and procedures and has contributed greatly to their good progress since the beginning of the school year.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

43. Curricular planning gives an appropriate focus to literacy and numeracy in both key stages. The National Literacy Strategy is positively influencing pupils’ progress in English. The National Numeracy Strategy has been introduced more recently and is already having a good impact on the teaching of mathematics, and on pupils’ progress in number skills. The school has a very good programme of personal and social education and there are appropriate policies for sex education and for teaching pupils about the dangers of drug misuse. The school has further appropriate guidance to help teachers teach these aspects of the curriculum. Appropriate thought has been given to the greater flexibility of provision for the foundation subjects and the school has successfully maintained breadth and balance in these, within the reduced time available. Art and design and technology are taught in alternate blocks of time, as are history and

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geography while music and physical education continue to be taught separately. The school has also continued to provide for swimming within physical education, although the time has been reduced as a result of budgetary constraints.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

44. The way the curriculum is planned contributes to pupils’ attainment and progress over time. At the last inspection, the school’s overall planning of the curriculum was judged to provide insufficient support for teachers to plan for pupils’ progress. This has been much improved and in most subjects, is now strong. Long term planning in all subjects is now appropriately related to the relevant programmes of study with the exception of information technology. Teachers’ plans are checked by the respective subject co- ordinators. Short term plans are often very detailed with clear reference to the needs of groups and individual pupils. In literacy, planning successfully addresses the different elements of the National Literacy Strategy. In numeracy, planning is satisfactory overall, although sufficient planning for the elements of oral and mental calculation is very recent and is only beginning to impact effectively on

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pupils’ progress. In religious education, long term plans are sufficiently well related to the Agreed Syllabus for this subject but there is insufficient guidance for teachers to use when preparing their short term plans. The best short term plans also refer to the teaching methods most appropriate to the lesson, include sufficiently high expectations of what pupils can do and make clear what pupils are expected to learn.

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45. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. The school complies with the requirements of the Code of Practice for special needs and all pupils have equal access to all areas of the curriculum. Effective procedures exist for the early identification of these pupils. Individual education plans are suitably matched to pupils’ needs and enable pupils to make good progress against individual targets. These are reviewed regularly. Similarly, statements of special educational need are kept under close review and the effective links between teachers and support staff ensure continuity in pupils’ learning. The headteacher is currently the school’s special educational needs co-ordinator. He monitors provision in detail. The school reacts swiftly and positively to the needs of individuals and groups. The provision for special educational needs of pupils has been further strengthened since the last inspection.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

46. Curricular provision is good for pupils for whom English is an additional language. The school has deliberately targeted younger pupils for most support in the firm belief that early intervention is likely to be most successful in enabling bilingual pupils to have access to the full curriculum alongside their class mates. The system is now in its second year and is already having a positive effect on the pupils in Year 1. The school is monitoring it closely to gauge the effect of this early intervention on progress over time. In Key Stages 1 and 2, similar good support is provided for those children who still require it. This support helps to extend their technical language in particular so that they, too, can take a full part in all lessons and discussions. It enables them to make progress that is at least commensurate with that of their class mates. Teachers are knowledgeable about these pupils and planning provides for the necessary emphasis

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and support even when the additional support is not available.

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47. The school promotes an effective programme of extra-curricular activities that are enjoyed and appreciated by the pupils. These activities are open to all pupils and are attended well. They include a wide range of sporting activities, including competitive sport against other schools, in which the school achieves some success, country dancing, drama and music. In addition, the school extends and enhances the curriculum through a number of visits out of school. For example, children under five visit the local fire station, garden centre and market, and go further afield to Chester Zoo. Older pupils visit the adjacent police station, a local farm, a local factory and further afield. They make day visits to the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry as well as visits to a power station and a trawler at Fleetwood. An annual residential experience at the Whitehough Centre gives pupils the opportunity to socialise outside

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the school setting and to participate in adventurous activities including rock climbing and canoeing.

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48. Statutory requirements are met with regard to assessment and information from the end of key stage national assessments is thoroughly analysed. Trends in attainment in different groups of pupils are identified and resources, material or staffing or both are appropriately directed to meet specific needs. This has led to improved standards in English, mathematics and science. Following a recent analysis in science, for example, the school has identified aspects of this subject in which pupils do well and others in which they do less well than they should. These are now the focus of more attention in teaching. Similar analysis has led to improved attainment in number work and to identifying opportunities for further extended writing in all subjects. Assessment procedures in mathematics are currently cumbersome and the school is right to review to make them more manageable and easier to use when planning. Pupils’ records

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are updated annually in all subjects in accordance with statutory requirements. However, there are no formal assessment procedures in place yet for information and communication technology, religious education or art.

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49. Teachers keep adequate records of pupils’ achievements in most subjects but currently they do this in their own way rather than in an agreed whole school approach. A new system is currently being piloted in two Key Stage 2 classes. Here, teachers keep a card index file and note the achievements of each pupil on a separate card. They then use this information to set individual targets, both academic and personal, for and with the pupils, and then together, teacher and pupil assess the progress being made towards them. Some targets are for the whole class. This is proving successful in enabling individual pupils to make better progress and the school intends to use the system in all classes in the near future.

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50. Information about pupils’ attainment and progress is used to good effect at whole school level and in individual classes and often leads to the re-targeting of support for groups of pupils or for individuals pupils. Baseline assessment in the Foundation Unit identifies pupils’ strengths and particular needs very early in their school lives. A strong feature of this assessment in this age group is that it results in careful profiling of pupils and leads to highly focused teaching that in turn ensures good progress.

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55. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

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51. This area of the school’s work is very good. It greatly enhances pupils’ personal and social development, fosters the good attitudes to learning and the good behaviour observed in many lessons and contributes significantly to pupils’ progress.

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52. The provision for spiritual development is good. It is evident that pupils gain positive enjoyment from their time in school. Opportunities for spiritual development are identified and acted upon. There are many examples of pupils being shown aspects of life which are beyond their everyday experiences and responding to them with wonder, for example: night walks during the residential trips; the youngest pupils in the nursery reacting with fascination to the disappearance of colours on a spinning wheel or in holographic paper; learning to care for animals and birds and to observe the wonders of nature. Uplifting school singing, which pupils enjoy and appreciate, enhances the well-planned acts of collective worship, which in turn make very good contribution to spiritual development. Acts of collective worship make a very positive contribution to spiritual development. In these, pupils are regularly invited to reflect on how

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they relate to others, often by means of images that they can readily understand, for example, the loyalty and undemanding love of a dog. In religious education and personal and social education lessons, appropriate opportunities are presented to pupils to think about and reflect on what makes a person ‘special’ and what it means to have respect for and be kind to someone.

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53. Moral development is very good. It underpins much of the school’s work and is reinforced by staff at all levels. Staff do what they feel is right for the pupils, and inculcate a strong moral sense in them. Behaviour is expected to be good. Pupils are helped to make the right choices, to distinguish between what is right and what is wrong and to realise the consequences of their actions on others. The good programme of personal and social education underpins this and provides pupils of all ages with good opportunities to discuss at length, the different dilemmas they face in their daily lives.

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54. Social development is very good. Social skills are developed very well beginning, for example, in the calm and pleasant atmosphere of the Foundation Unit lunchtimes, which are taken in ‘family’ groups. All staff constantly reinforce the need to be aware of others, to take turns and to behave in socially acceptable ways. The school seeks to extend horizons for pupils by means of residential trips and visits to places of interest, and introduces them to experiences they might not otherwise have the opportunity to enjoy, such as swimming, camping out in the country and appreciation of wildlife. Year 6 pupils feel strongly that they should set an example for younger children in the school and rise to the responsibilities they are given.

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55. Cultural development is good and meets the pupils’ needs well. For example, it is enhanced through the range of music that pupils listen to and perform in the school and sometimes in public when the choir sings and plays at weddings and for old people. Art is a favourite subject for many pupils and they are appropriately introduced to artists’ work from different times and places. Drama is offered as an extra curricular activity and is popular among the pupils. This provision is enhanced by a developing multicultural focus that is raising pupils’ awareness of the variety of cultures in the school. It starts in the Foundation Unit with signs in different languages and extends to, for example, older pupils studying life in a village in India while listening to well-chosen Indian music.

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56. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language are totally involved in all aspects of school life.

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Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

57. The school provides very good support and guidance for pupils and their families. This is a strength. The transient nature of a significantly high percentage of pupils means that their time at the school is often short. The high quality of support and guidance enables them to make progress while they are there. It also has a positive impact on the attainment and progress of all other pupils in the school because of the effective work that teachers and support staff undertake with individual pupils over time. 58. There are good procedures for monitoring academic and personal progress. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported in class and in the school in general. The special educational needs co-ordinator acts as a very effective link between school, parents and outside agencies. The ensuing support is very good and is specifically targeted to improve pupils’ attainment. Pupils for whom English is

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Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

an additional language are similarly well supported and well integrated into the school community.

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Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

59. Good behaviour is promoted well with beneficial effects on the life of the school and the climate for learning. Child protection procedures are still exemplary, as they were judged to be in the last report, and the school does not shirk its responsibilities in this area. Bullying is dealt with under the school’s procedures for behaviour. It is usually resolved, as the parents stated in the pre-inspection meeting. The school carries out detailed and supportive work with parents and pupils to overcome behavioural problems or to avoid their building up. These strategies and the positive way in which teachers manage pupils’ behaviour at all times are effective in creating an environment in which pupils can make good progress. There have been no reported incidents of any other kind of harassment but the school has effective procedures to deal with these should they arise.

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Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

60. There are very good procedures for monitoring attendance. Close liaison with the Education Welfare Officer has produced a raft of ideas for promoting good attendance and this has resulted in the present satisfactory figures. The school sets rigorous targets for itself and for the pupils and constantly checks on its success in meeting them. Poor attenders who enter the school from other authorities have improved their attendance levels and many say they enjoy coming to this school.

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Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

61. There is very good liaison with the support services, which are frequently called upon to help pupils. There are good links with sources of help throughout the school and staff readily take advantage of specialist input in many areas if they feel they can help pupils make progress academically or personally. Meals are cooked on site and in response to a perceived need there is a snack time at ten o’clock for younger pupils. The governors are enthusiastic about their plans to establish a breakfast club at the school in the near future to address the issue of some children coming to school without having had anything to eat.

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Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

62. Appropriate health and safety procedures are in place. The school is a secure and happy place that pupils want to attend.

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Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

67. Partnership with parents and the community

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Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

63. The school’s partnership with parents and the community is good. A good induction programme is in place that includes a series of home visits by teachers, and visits to school by children and parents. This ensures that parents are provided with as much information as possible prior to their children starting school and that children feel secure and settle quickly when they come to the school. Parents who replied to the questionnaire and those who attended the meeting had no significant complaints about the school’s work. Rather, they felt they were well informed as to what was happening and as to what their children were expected to learn. Inspection findings confirmed the parents’ views.

p.25

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

64. One of the school’s main aims is to promote an effective partnership with parents and it works hard and successfully achieves this. Staff and the headteacher are available to parents, and make informal contact every day in the playground, which parents attending the pre-inspection meeting said they appreciated. Parents also feel that their children actively enjoy school and they themselves feel welcome in it. The information provided for parents is good and the staff make every effort to ensure that all parents receive and understand it. Most of the pupils’ annual reports give parents a clear understanding of the progress their children make in different subjects and particularly in English, mathematics and science. Some also highlight areas for improvements but this is not yet consistent across the school.

p.25

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

65. Parents are appropriately involved in their children’s learning through, for example, helping them to read and encouraging them to do their homework. The school works hard to enable parents to become further involved in this way. There have been several initiatives to draw parents into school for presentations about the curriculum and for further training. These have met with varying success. Particularly successful was the number trail, which involved many parents of nursery age children. ‘Parents as Educators’ classes attract small but committed numbers of participants. The ‘Parenting Skills’ class is, for some parents, the start of a series of training courses that have resulted in their gaining qualifications. The Parent Teacher Association has been recently re-established and has many plans to support the school.

p.25

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

66. The parents of pupils with special educational needs are actively involved from the earliest stages of identification. They are fully informed of what is happening and are encouraged to attend reviews, sometimes persuaded to do so by the personal intervention and encouragement of the head teacher. The school uses the information it receives from the parents effectively to gain an understanding of the pupils’ home context and to hear parents’ aspirations for their children.

p.26

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

67. The parents of pupils with English as an additional language are supported well by the bi-lingual teacher to ensure that they fully understand what their children are being taught and how they can help them at home by, for example, hearing them read and helping them to count. The English class for Asian mothers is popular and some parents attending this are now into their second year.

p.26

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

68. Community links are strong in the local area. The school choir has sung at weddings and art work is displayed annually in the local library. There are various links to local groups including environmental initiatives, and some useful business links have been built up. The school sees itself as part of the community.

p.26

Leadership and management

69. The leadership and management of the school are very good. The school benefits from sensitive and positive leadership by the headteacher, who is supported very effectively by the two acting deputy headteachers, the governors and a committed staff. The senior management team is suitably extended at different times to include other members of staff who have particular responsibilities in areas being discussed, for example, literacy, numeracy, early years. Clear educational direction, combined with an awareness of the particular needs of each pupil is apparent. The major emphasis in the school is on raising standards and the procedures and systems that are in place are securely rooted in this intention. Focus is also given to raising the pupils' self esteem and self-confidence. This can be seen throughout the life and work of the school and clearly reflect the school's set of aims and values. Although the Governing

p.26

Leadership and management

Body is still two members short, there is a strong commitment to school improvement. A small core of very hardworking governors are now active in guiding the school, monitoring its work and evaluating its success. This addresses an issue from the previous inspection. Governors meet all their legal requirements except with regard to the full range of study required in the information and communication technology programme of study. An appropriate committee structure keeps governors well informed and appropriately involved in the day to day life of the school.

p.26

Leadership and management

70. The successful implementation of the National Literacy Strategy has been effective in supporting the raising of standards in English. Similar steps are now being taken to introduce the National Numeracy Strategy. The deputy headteacher left at the end of the last school year and her place is currently filled by two acting deputies. They are providing good support for the headteacher and are playing an important role in raising standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. Monitoring arrangements have improved since the last inspection with regular observations of the teaching of English and mathematics by the relevant co-ordinators and the headteacher. This monitoring system is helping to identify strengths as well as areas that require staff to participate in further professional development or training. Other subject areas are less well supported. Although there are policies with outline schemes of

p.26

Leadership and management

work, not all subjects benefit from detailed information on how to develop progressively the pupils' knowledge and skills as they move through the school, for example in information technology and religious education. Subject co-ordinators are conscientious and regularly audit resources, look at pupils' work and offer advice. However, in subjects other than English and mathematics, there is little monitoring other than checking that the subject covers statutory requirements and that teachers in each year group are aware of what they need to teach. Co-ordinators do not have any non-contact time to monitor the quality of teaching in their subjects in order to support their colleagues in the classroom.

p.26

Leadership and management

71. The priorities of the school over the past year have been the smooth implementation of the Literacy Strategy and the forming of a Foundation Unit for children in the nursery and reception classes. Leadership in this area is very good and the Foundation Unit co-ordinator supports her colleagues well. The School Development Plan clearly reflects these priorities and is a useful tool for moving the school forward. It gives details of training, costing and evaluation of the achievements. Future areas for development focus appropriately on introducing the Numeracy Strategy and raising teachers' confidence and ability in information and communication technology and religious education. Further subject areas that need development are prioritised for action beyond the year 2000. Governors are beginning to be more involved in the evaluation process and in the review of the School Development Plan.

p.26

Leadership and management

72. The school has established a positive climate for learning. The mission statement and aims are reflected well in its life and work and help to foster the very good relationships that are evident throughout its community. There is a strong commitment throughout the school to providing the pupils with a good quality of education where high standards are important and where pupils feel valued, encouraged and happy.

p.27

Leadership and management

73. The systems to identify and assess pupils with special needs and subsequently deliver support are well managed by the headteacher who is acting as temporary co-ordinator and who is providing an effective lead for the staff in the absence of the permanent co-ordinator. There is a named governor for special educational needs and the headteacher reports regularly to Governing Body meetings as to the progress of pupils with these needs and to the effectiveness of the policy. The policy is comprehensive and information as to its success is appropriately reported to parents in the Governing Body’s Annual Report. There is a timetable for reviews of individual education plans and this is very effectively managed. The special educational needs co-ordinator is given a minimum of 5 days per term non-contact time to carry out the necessary duties. There are good plans to involve the two acting deputy headteachers in this

p.27

Leadership and management

important area of the school’s work by giving each the responsibility for a different key stage. All statutory requirements are met in this area. The work of various support personnel is well co-ordinated and regular discussions take place amongst the relevant staff.

p.27

Leadership and management

74. The provision for pupils' with English as a second language is very good. Again, it is well managed. The school successfully grasped the opportunity to take responsibility for its own provision when the funding was devolved to it in the previous school year. The work of all teachers in this area is well co-ordinated and monitored and the teacher-in-charge presents a good role model for the pupils and for other staff.

p.27

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

75. The school is appropriately staffed. There is a suitable blend of experience and range of qualifications amongst the teachers to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum, apart from in information and communication technology where subject knowledge is insecure. Teachers have responsibilities that are appropriately matched to their initial qualification or their acquired expertise. Teachers and other staff work hard and are very committed to the pupils. The school secretary provides very effective and efficient support for the staff. The lunchtime staff maintain a good standard of supervision. Teaching and non- teaching staff in the ‘Foundation Unit’ are well qualified and experienced and have a good understanding of the needs of children in this age group.

p.27

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

76. Since the previous inspection, the school has increased the number of classroom assistants and nursery nurses to improve the support given to pupils, especially for those with special educational needs in Key Stage 1, in order to raise their standards of attainment. This has been successful and the good staffing provision is helping the pupils to make good progress, especially in English and mathematics. The very good liaison with outside agencies effectively enhances the provision for pupils with special educational needs throughout the school. The classroom assistants provide good quality support for pupils and have undertaken appropriate training to improve their skills. All teachers are effectively involved in drawing up individual education plans that fully meet pupils’ needs and pupils with statements of need receive the required additional support. There is also very effective support for pupils with English as an additional

p.27

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

language in the Foundation Unit and Key Stage 1, and for individual pupils in Key Stage 2, that is having a very positive effect on the progress that these pupils make.

p.27

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

77. The school has suitable induction procedures in place to support newly qualified teachers and experienced teachers new to the school. A member of the senior management team acts as a mentor for new staff and this support quickly enables them to become an integral and effective part of the school’s educational provision. There is a comprehensive staff handbook that outlines well the school’s routines and procedures. 78. There are satisfactory arrangements for the professional development of staff that are closely linked to the priorities in the school development plan and to individual needs and targets identified in the continuing appraisal process. Staff attend a suitable range of courses to extend their subject knowledge and expertise in the core subjects. Over the last two years, the focus has been on courses to prepare them for the implementation of the National Literacy and National Numeracy Strategies and as a result, there has been

p.27

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

little opportunity for further professional development in other subjects. All teaching staff participate in appropriate professional development provided through school-based training and national and local education authority in-service education and training courses. The headteacher has taken appropriate measures to identify and meet individual teacher’s needs in respect of continued professional development. He has also taken steps to identify the training needs for the school as a whole. This is shown in the way there has been training to prepare teachers to deliver the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, and also to improve their expertise in the teaching of information and communication technology and religious education. Training in these two subjects has not yet been disseminated, however, to address the weaknesses that the school has itself identified.

p.28

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

79. The accommodation, which has recently been improved by a major refurbishment programme, is adequate and provides a suitable environment for learning. The newly created area for the Foundation Unit is very secure both with regard to its indoor and outdoor accommodation and very effectively promotes learning. There are, however, no grassed areas for games, for example, and the sloping hard ‘pitches’ present difficulties for physical education activities. The school has a library area, which provides a stimulating environment that encourages pupils to develop their enjoyment of reading and extend their research skills. There is a suitable stock of fiction and non-fiction books. The caretaker and cleaning staff maintain an excellent level of cleanliness in classrooms, around the school and in the school grounds. The teachers work hard to improve the aesthetic quality of classrooms and good quality displays of pupils’ work,

p.28

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

especially in art, enhance the appearance of the school corridors. There is suitable provision for access for the disabled.

p.28

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

80. Classrooms are generally well organised and materials, resources and equipment appropriately stored so that they are accessible to staff and pupils. The range and quality of resources across the school have been significantly improved since the last inspection and are now at least satisfactory in almost all subjects. There are, however, some gaps in information and communication technology that prevent appropriate coverage of all statutory areas in this subject. A wide variety of educational visits enriches the curriculum by providing further significant learning experiences for pupils.

p.28

Efficiency of the school

81. The school budget is well managed and is planned effectively to address the school’s targets. The School Development Plan clearly sets out the agreed areas of priority and what they are likely to cost. It also provides the detail for the implementation and evaluation of the progress towards the stated targets and how to judge whether the agreed spending can be justified in terms of enabling pupils to make better progress. For example, the school has spent a considerable sum of money setting up and staffing the early years Foundation Unit. Within the plan to do this, effective procedures have been identified to enable it to evaluate the success of this spending against an analysis of what children have achieved at the end of this school year. To this end a good record keeping system that includes keeping profiles of children’s progress and samples of their work has been set up to keep progress well monitored. Similar good practice

p.28

Efficiency of the school

is seen in the decision to put a great deal of support into the under-fives and Key Stage 1 age groups for pupils for whom English is an additional language. The school’s clear intention in this is to improve pupils’ access to the curriculum by giving them the language needed to understand what they are learning. This is achieved by the very effective partnership between the class teachers and the bilingual support teacher, where they identify together the key words relating to what is being planned. The bilingual support teacher then ensures that the relevant pupils have sufficient opportunity to learn and understand this key language either within the class or within a related activity in a withdrawal group. Again, there are clear criteria for evaluating the success of this strategy, firmly based on an expected improvement in attainment and progress.

p.28

Efficiency of the school

82. The Governing Body is closely involved in setting the school budget and has a good overview of financial planning and management. Effective procedures are in place that involve all staff in the planning and purchase of appropriate resources. Subject co-ordinators manage their own budgets, which are determined from the subject action plans that in turn inform the School Development Plan. Recent priorities have, understandably been to do with the implementation of the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy. The budget plan also lists how the governors intend to use the current surplus to address weaknesses in the provision for information and communication technology, purchase additional literacy and religious education resources and provide additional classroom support to help to continue to raise standards.

p.28

Efficiency of the school

83. Lessons begin promptly and almost all have a good pace so that no time is wasted. Coupled with the very positive ethos of the school and the commitment of all staff, the school’s very good use of both teaching and non-teaching staff leads to good progress for over two fifths of the pupils in the school, and good teaching in just under one half of lessons. The school also makes good use of the accommodation available to it and almost all resources are used well. An exception is the resources for information and communication technology because not enough planned time is afforded to pupils to work at the computers.

p.29

Efficiency of the school

84. Resources for learning are sufficient and well looked after in most subjects. Recent spending on books has dramatically improved the school library, of which pupils are now proud. Spending on information and communication technology has raised its profile in the school but resources are not yet sufficient to fulfil all statutory requirements in that subject.

p.29

Efficiency of the school

85. Specific grants and other monies made available to the school are effectively targeted towards raising attainment and improving progress. The school’s decision to maintain class sizes and focus resources on extra teaching support for pupils with special educational needs and those for who English is an additional language is highly successful in promoting progress. This illustrates the good use the school makes of the funding available to it in these two areas and the staff involved are deployed very effectively.

p.29

Efficiency of the school

86. The day to day administration of the school is very efficient and supports all staff in their work. The school’s clerical assistants make a vital contribution to its smooth running and all procedures and routines are well established. A wide range of functions is carried out very effectively, including ordering, accounting, communicating with visitors and ensuring school security.

p.29

Efficiency of the school

87. This school provides a good quality education enabling pupils who enter with very low attainment and from considerably disadvantaged home backgrounds, to make satisfactory and often good progress, and develop good attitudes to learning. It adds considerable value to pupils’ education and enables them to achieve standards at least in line with those found in similar schools by the time they leave. This occurs within average levels of income and expenditure. The school is therefore judged to provide good value for money. 92. 92. PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

p.29

Areas of learning for children under five

88. Children begin in the nursery at the age of three and all attend for half a day. They enter the reception class in the year in which they are four, and subsequently begin Key Stage 1 in the year of their fifth birthday.

p.30

Areas of learning for children under five

89. Provision for children under five is within the Foundation Unit, a recently formed department of the school, which consists of both nursery and reception age children, grouped according to their prior attainment. The work of the unit is already having a very positive effect on the progress of children who are of nursery and reception age, including those for whom English is an additional language. Children are admitted in the September of the year following their third birthday on a part time basis. When they reach the age of four, attendance becomes full time. At present there are 35 nursery age children attending part-time and 31 children of reception age attending full time. The number of children in the nursery is set to rise to 52 as the full complement of children is admitted. A good induction programme ensures that they feel safe and secure within the school community. Formal baseline assessment of the children takes

p.30

Areas of learning for children under five

place on entry and again when leaving the reception class. Discussions with the teachers and other staff, and an analysis of the assessments carried out show that the attainment of the majority of children on entry is very low in comparison with other children of a similar age. Many enter the nursery with delayed language development and speech problems. Currently, 26 out of the 35 children in the nursery are already on the register for pupils with special educational needs. Their personal and social skills are also poor and children find it difficult at first, to listen and take turns. Although a significant majority of children do not reach the desired outcomes in all areas of learning by the age of five, good progress is being made in the unit.

p.30

Areas of learning for children under five

90. The majority of children acquire satisfactory personal and social development skills by the age of five. They are happy and secure in school. Most settle quickly, adapt to school routines and learn to comply with the code for acceptable behaviour. The staff constantly encourage the children to be aware of the needs of others and to take responsibility for their own needs, including going to the toilet, dressing themselves and selecting appropriate materials for creative work. In addition, the full time reception children lunch in the unit with the teachers who encourage good behaviour and table manners within a family atmosphere. Appropriately, good emphasis is placed on developing the children's confidence and social awareness. This results in the development of positive attitudes to learning and the children start the day eager to explore the activities prepared for them. Those who have developed most are happy to

p.30

Areas of learning for children under five

share equipment, take turns and play co-operatively. Progress in this area is good and children quickly form positive relationships with staff and other children.

p.30

Areas of learning for children under five

91. By the age of five, the attainment of the majority of pupils is well below the level expected in this area of learning. However, they make good progress and show considerable improvement compared with when they started. On entry to the Foundation Unit, children are provided with a wide variety of activities designed to stimulate their interest in speaking and listening. For example, they have large name mats to help them recognise their own name, which at the same time, provides a good strategy for helping them to sit quietly and listen to the teacher during group discussions. They share 'big books' with the staff and begin to understand that print carries meaning. Most children talk about the pictures and some are beginning to recognise the repeated words on each page. Older, more able children learn the names of the characters in the school’s reading programme, and begin to match pictures on worksheets with those in

p.30

Areas of learning for children under five

the books. Phonic skills are appropriately introduced. Role-play areas are linked to topic themes and have a good effect in helping to develop children's language skills. Children for whom English is an additional language are beginning to recognise familiar words from relevant texts by their initial sounds. Most of this group can copy-write joining dots or copying the teacher’s writing, showing attainment and progress similar to their class mates.

p.30

Areas of learning for children under five

92. In mathematical understanding and number work, attainment is well below the level expected nationally by the age of five. However, children's progress over time is good. They experience early success in number activities involving counting, sorting and matching. Through the topic of colour, children are also introduced to shape and number. An activity reinforcing the mathematical session encourages children to select a particular coloured shape from the master board. More able pupils manage to remember instructions and select up to three different shapes and colours. They know triangle, circle, rectangle and square. The children participate in singing simple number rhymes and join in games designed to help them count. The more able can count and recognise numbers to five and can sort into sets. A number box game is designed to encourage children to take turns and respond to instructions at the same time as

p.30

Areas of learning for children under five

developing their knowledge of number. Appropriate mathematical language is used appropriately to aid children when comparing the relative size of a range of objects, including fruit and vegetables, shapes and balloons. Children for whom English is an additional language have this work reinforced by being introduced to number rhymes and counting in their own language as well as in English. They are also taught well the key mathematical vocabulary for the work they are doing with the rest of the class.

p.31

Areas of learning for children under five

Knowledge and understanding of the world.

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Areas of learning for children under five

93. Attainment is well below the level expected nationally in knowledge and understanding of the world with a significant majority not achieving the nationally agreed desirable learning outcomes by the age of five. However, children make good progress in this area. Through constant questioning by the teachers, the more able children begin to develop enquiring minds and learn to ask and answer the questions 'how?' and 'why?' In a session on colour, the children observe the colours disappearing when a colour wheel is spun. They wonder how the colours change when holographic paper is moved. Through a topic on harvest they experience a variety of fruit and vegetables. They gain a sense of place through going on walks and a visit to the supermarket to buy produce enables them to sample different fruits and vegetables and form likes and dislikes. The lemon was not a favourite fruit. They learn to cut, stick and join materials using a

p.31

Areas of learning for children under five

wide variety of media. A less well developed aspect is the use of the computer to enhance learning.

p.31

Areas of learning for children under five

94. Attainment in this area is well below the level expected nationally. Children enter the unit with poor co- ordination skills but good progress is made. They are given many opportunities through outdoor play to develop an awareness of space and how to control their bodies and apparatus in order to be safe. A large number of children do not have good spatial awareness and in a physical education lesson several needed to be shown how to curl up into a ball. As they progress through the unit a growing confidence is seen in the way children perform in physical education and dance lessons. They begin to act co-operatively and are aware of others. At the beginning of the year, many cannot put on their shoes and socks but by the time they leave the reception class, they are able to do this competently. They develop a growing confidence in manipulating pencils, crayons, brushes and scissors. The more able children can fold paper

p.31

Areas of learning for children under five

to form 'pleated' arms and legs for a shape picture.

p.31

Areas of learning for children under five

95. Children make good progress in this area and by the age of five the majority meet the desirable learning outcomes. The wet area is changed every day so that the children experience a variety of textures, for example, clay, thick paint, salt, malleable dough and water. They produce paintings using thick and thin brushes, printing techniques and collage work. Children enjoy using the variety of pencils, crayons and different size brushes and use them with good effect in order to develop control when drawing or painting pictures. They respond enthusiastically to what they hear in singing and music. They are beginning to identify loud and quiet music and try to join in to keep a steady beat. Imaginative play activities are promoted through attractive, welcoming unit bases, the themes of which are changed regularly. The bays within the unit are attractive and well prepared each day.

p.31

Areas of learning for children under five

96. The quality of teaching for the under-fives is never less than good and in 17 per cent of lessons it is very good across all areas of learning. Both teaching and support staff are secure in their knowledge of the areas of learning and of the particular needs of the children. The staff provide a wide range of stimulating activities for the children, which have a positive impact on their attainment and enable them to make good progress over time, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language. 97. Children who are bilingual are given very good support from the appointed teacher. She works closely with the staff ensuring that the children are introduced to the key language required in each activity, and ensures that parents are fully informed regarding the progress of their children. The format for planning is good with four topics each term. Visits and role-play areas are linked to these topics. Baseline

p.31

Areas of learning for children under five

assessments are carried out on entry and the results are used to form a starting point for the children's learning. Daily entries on attainment are entered into a weekly record that includes a profile of each pupil and this is used well when planning further work. The Foundation Unit was formed due to a perceived need to raise standards at an early age within the school. It provides a flexibility that enables nursery and reception children to receive a quality education that takes good account of their prior learning and personal needs. Teachers plan together and brief the support staff well. In turn, the support staff make a very good contribution to children’s progress, often very successfully taking the lead in activities, for example, music sessions with both the nursery and reception groups. Leadership is very good and the unit is very well managed. The co-ordinator has a very clear vision for the unit, based on her previous

p.32

Areas of learning for children under five

experience of what is required in Key Stage 1. She provides good support for all staff. The teamwork in the unit is very effective indeed. The unit is a strength of the school. 102. English, mathematics and science

p.32

Areas of learning for children under five

98. The results of the 1998 National Curriculum tests for eleven-year-olds in English were well below the national average but in line with the average for similar schools. In 1997, 17 per cent more pupils achieved the expected levels than in 1996, but this dropped by 9 percentage points in 1998. The 1999 results indicate that the proportion of pupils attaining the expected levels has remained similar to 1998.

p.33

The attainment of pupils currently in Year 6 is well below the national average although they make

satisfactory progress throughout the key stage. In this key stage, the significantly high turnover of pupils in recent years has adversely affected progress over time, particularly for pupils in Years 5 and 6.

p.33

The attainment of pupils currently in Year 6 is well below the national average although they make

99. At the end of Key Stage 1, the 1998 National Curriculum test results were very low when compare to the national average and the average for similar schools, in both reading and writing. Teacher assessments in speaking and listening indicate a similar attainment. In reading and writing, the test results fell between 1996 and 1997 and rose again in 1998. The results for 1999 show that in reading, there has been a further increase of 21 percentage points in the proportion of pupils achieving the expected levels. In writing, the increase has been 4 percentage points. The percentage of pupils achieving the higher levels in reading has risen from nought to 6 per cent. The attainment of pupils currently in Year 2 is well below the

p.33

national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

100. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress towards the targets set in their individual education plans. They are well supported in this by teaching and support staff. Similarly those pupils for whom English is an additional language make good progress, particularly in the Foundation Unit. This is because the staff who have specific responsibility for supporting them ensure that from an early age, they acquire the correct range of vocabulary and understanding necessary to make progress.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

101. The majority of pupils enter Key Stage 1 with language skills well below those expected nationally for five-year-olds. The youngest pupils in this key stage have difficulty in listening to the teacher and a lack of vocabulary inhibits understanding. They make satisfactory progress, however, and by the end of the key stage, they are able to listen to the teacher and to each other, and to take turns when speaking. Their lack of vocabulary, however, continues to limit the contributions they are able to make in discussions. This can be seen during shared reading sessions at the beginning of the Literacy Hour and again during plenary sessions when work is reviewed. Pupils successfully build up their confidence in speaking through Key Stage 2 by, for example, in Year 6, offering ideas and opinions on life during the Second World War, and by learning to express themselves in the extra-curricular drama sessions. By the end of Key Stage 2,

p.33

national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

pupils can hold their own opinions in discussions and listen to and consider, the opinions of others.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

102. Pupils make satisfactory progress in reading in both key stages. Younger pupils enjoy listening to stories and show good involvement in predicting what may happen from the pictures. As they progress through Key Stage 1, they begin to know and recognise the characters from the main reading scheme. By the end of the key stage, higher attaining pupils can read familiar texts with confidence and can recount the main theme of a story and explain why they like particular characters. The majority of pupils gain a wider range of vocabulary and know what the terms 'author' and 'title' mean. They have little knowledge of a range of authors, however. In Key Stage 2 pupils make satisfactory progress in reading as they widen their range of fiction and non-fiction material. For example, a Year 6 pupil can explain why he enjoyed reading Oliver Twist by Dickens and can relate this to facts learned during a history topic on the

p.33

national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

Victorians. Most pupils refer to information books and can successfully use the content and index pages. However, they find difficulty in extracting facts and are unsure of the meaning of the words fiction and non-fiction.

p.33

national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

103. Pupils in both key stages make satisfactory progress in writing. In Year 1, pupils draw pictures and copy- write beneath the teacher's writing. Most attempt to write independently and the higher attaining pupils can write simple sentences using key words from the reading scheme with some success. By the end of the key stage most pupils can complete lists of words. They are successful in forming new words using initial sounds and can write simple rhyming sentences, for example 'Meg has a sore leg'. Higher attaining pupils produce short sentences with capital letters and full stops appropriately placed but they write for a limited variety of reasons. In Key Stage 2, all pupils are more confident in writing and some higher attaining pupils are able to write with some imagination. For example, pupils in a Year 4 class can suggest some good alternatives to the word 'said' and try to introduce this in their writing. A small group

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

of Year 6 pupils are able to write eye-catching headlines for a newspaper report. Nevertheless, the pupils find writing difficult and there is little evidence of extended writing or drafting or editing of work. Younger pupils are taught to form letters correctly and older pupils develop a tidy handwriting style. Work is usually well presented.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

104. Pupils do not readily use their literacy skills in other subjects. The majority of pupils have great difficulty in recording their work in writing and most writing is limited to the completion of worksheets, simple labelling or making lists of words. An exception is history. Historical texts are used in the Literacy Hour. In the mixed Year 3/4 class, for example, pupils use information-seeking skills appropriately to find out and interpret information about the Egyptians. The planned activities enable them to make sound progress from numbering the pages on which the information is to be found, to making a list of the key words associated with it and finally, for higher attaining pupils, to writing a few sentences in their own words to record what they have read. Pupils become more confident in using their speaking and listening skills as they engage in discussions in personal and social education lessons. Here, they readily debate various

p.34

national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

issues that are relevant to them, enabling them to consider, for example, the consequences of their actions on other people.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

105. Generally, pupils show positive attitudes to learning. Most pupils listen well, take turns to contribute and are interested in what their teachers and other pupils have to say. Relationships are good and pupils can work collaboratively. They respond well when working with the teacher and behave well. Work is less effective when they have to work on their own and progress is better when an adult is present to assist them when they have difficulties. However, their good attitudes and behaviour enable them to make at least satisfactory progress overall and good progress in just under a half of lessons.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

106. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. In both key stages, it is good in 50 per cent of lessons and satisfactory in the other 50 per cent but there are greater strengths and better quality teaching in Key Stage 2. This shows an improvement since the previous inspection.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

107. All teachers display good questioning techniques and have a secure knowledge and understanding of this subject. They are using the National Literacy Strategy well, adapting it to the needs of the pupils and using it to provide a secure framework for their medium and short planning. Learning aims are clear and shared with the pupils. As a result, pupils are aware of what is expected of them. The direct teaching during shared and guided reading sessions is having a good effect on pupils' learning. In Year 6 lessons, for example, the teacher constantly urges pupils to think what techniques the author uses to capture the reader's interest. Group activities are planned to extend this work but, in some cases, these are less effective than the direct teaching as pupils require a great deal of adult support when recording. Relationships are good and teachers often inject a sense of humour into the lessons. Plenary sessions are

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

mostly used effectively to share examples of good work or to reinforce teaching points. Although some teachers evaluate lessons and adjust daily plans according to the needs of the pupils, this is not consistent throughout the school. Formal assessments are carefully evaluated to ensure that specific areas of the curriculum or groups of pupils are given the necessary attention in order to maintain satisfactory progress, address weaknesses and provide further challenge. Appropriate homework is set that includes reading and spellings and, occasionally, some writing. This supports pupils’ progress in literacy skills.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

108. The quality of the curriculum is sound. The National Literacy Strategy is having a positive effect on raising standards through its good impact on pupils' speaking and listening and reading skills, particularly during the shared and guided reading sessions. Curricular planning is mostly good and the school is well placed to continue its improvement in this subject. Assessment procedures are in place and they are used to identify areas for development. For example, an identified weakness is that pupils are not given enough opportunities to undertake extended writing for a range of purposes and audiences. This is picked up in the action plan for English and the school is now looking at ways of addressing this weakness effectively in order to raise standards in writing. The co-ordinator provides good leadership and supports colleagues effectively. All staff have received training in the National Literacy Strategy and

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

evaluations of planning and lessons are regularly undertaken. Monitoring of teaching is in place and all staff have benefited from clear targets for improvement. Resources for the teaching of English are good. Standards fund money has been used appropriately to support literacy. The library provides a very good resource. It is stocked with good quality books and bright, interactive displays. Television and tape recorders are used by the Foundation Unit to promote learning and computers are used for word processing in Key Stages 1 and 2. There is a limited number of CD ROMs for pupils to use for seeking information, however. All statutory requirements are met.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

109. In mathematics, the 1998 results for eleven-year-olds were well below the national average but in line with the average for similar schools. The end of Key Stage 2 results were similar in 1996 and 1997 but fell in 1998. The results of the 1999 National Curriculum tests indicate that the proportion of pupils attaining the expected standards has improved by 25 percentage points and there has also been a slight increase in the percentage of pupils achieving the higher levels in this subject. This shows that the school has made sound progress in addressing the key issue in the previous report of raising attainment in mathematics. The attainment of pupils currently in Year 6 is below average but they make satisfactory progress throughout the key stage. As in English, the significantly high turnover of pupils in this key stage has adversely affected progress over time, particularly for pupils in Years 5 and 6.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

However, the National Numeracy Strategy is beginning to lead to better progress, particularly in number work.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

110. At the end of Key Stage 1, the 1998 National Curriculum test results were well below the national average in mathematics, but in line with the results achieved by pupils in similar schools. Over the three years from 1996 to 1998, pupils’ performance in mathematics has remained very low in comparison with the national average. The 1999 results are similar to those seen in 1998. The attainment of pupils in Year 2 is well below average but they make good progress throughout the key stage. The good progress is a direct result of both good teaching and the positive start made on the National Numeracy Strategy.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

111. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress towards the targets set in their individual education plans because work is carefully matched to their individual needs and they are given very good extra support, especially in Key Stage 1. The last inspection report indicated that the progress of the youngest pupils with English as an additional language in mathematics was inhibited by their lack of sufficient English to establish a suitable mathematical vocabulary. The school has been very successful in addressing this issue by providing very good support for these pupils while they are still in the Foundation Unit. This is effectively improving their mathematical vocabulary and increasing their rate of progress.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

112. The mathematical attainment of the majority of children when they start school is very low compared with that expected nationally. During their time in the Foundation Unit children make good progress in the skills of numeracy, but by the time they enter Key Stage 1 the attainment of most pupils remains well below that expected of five-year-olds nationally. However, this shows improvement from that on entry, as a direct result of the good quality teaching that they receive in the unit. This good progress is maintained through Key Stage 1 mainly because the school ensures there is sufficient emphasis placed on developing pupils’ basic skills in mathematics through practical activities. In Year 1, for example, pupils acquire knowledge and understanding of how to find different ways of making the number ten, by using a variety of practical resources. There is a natural integration of mathematics into classroom activities that enables

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

pupils effectively to develop the skills of recognising and using simple patterns and relationships. By the end of Key Stage 1, most pupils are still not able to manipulate numbers and they do not have a satisfactory understanding of place value. Year 2 pupils, for example, find difficulty in understanding that multiplication is a form of repeated addition. These pupils also find it difficult to record their answers using correctly formed numbers. Pupils’ mathematical vocabulary is well below average at the end of Key Stage 1. Most pupils can work collaboratively to solve problems and are beginning to be able to explain how they arrive at their answers. Higher attaining pupils can offer several methods of doing so. Their use of mental calculation skills and the ability to explain the methods used to find the answers to problems is not well developed, but this is improving because the school is targeting this aspect of mathematics in

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

113. Progress in Key Stage 2 is satisfactory. There is a continued emphasis on teaching the basic skills in mathematics and in providing opportunities for pupils to work collaboratively to solve problems. This is seen in a Year 6 lesson in which pupils support each other in making nets for a variety of three- dimensional shapes. As a result of the implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy, the school is targeting mental agility work at the beginning of lessons. This is improving pupils’ progress in number work, particularly by increasing their ability to respond more quickly to number facts and to explain how they arrive at their answers. Most pupils in Year 5 make good progress in organising, presenting and interpreting data in tally charts and graph form. At the end of the key stage, however, most pupils still do not fully understand how to use addition, subtraction, multiplication and division and are unable to

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

identify, for example, prime numbers. Their knowledge and understanding of fractions and decimals and their skills in using them to solve problems is not secure. The majority of pupils do not have a suitable mathematical vocabulary to be able to explain what they are doing. The ability of pupils to work collaboratively to solve problems is satisfactory.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

114. The majority of pupils make appropriate use of their numeracy skills in other subjects in both key stages. This is seen in practical work in science, in which pupils can accurately take a range of measurements. They also use these skills in history as they sequence and order timelines and in geography in their work on co-ordinates.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

115. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive and their response in lessons is good. Most listen very attentively to their teacher and to others whilst explanations are being given. They are able to sustain concentration on their work and show a great deal of enjoyment in much of their mathematical activities and are keen to learn. Behaviour is consistently good and this has a positive effect on their learning and standards of attainment. Most pupils show that they are prepared to tackle number problems in a variety of ways and are eager to find out and explore patterns. Pupils use mathematical resources and equipment with care and they show a good degree of responsibility for organising their own work, which they carry out in a confident manner. This is clearly seen in Year 6 as they effectively explore how to make nets so that they can make a variety of three-dimensional shapes. Pupils form very good relationships with their teachers

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

and with each other and readily work together to solve problems.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

116. Overall, the quality of teaching is never less than satisfactory and it is good in 44 per cent of lessons. Teaching is good in all Key Stage 1 lessons and in 29 per cent of Key Stage 2 lessons. In both key stages, the quality of planning is good and is now securely rooted in the requirements of the National Numeracy Strategy. What pupils are expected to learn is clear and is effectively linked to a good range of activities for pupils to carry out. These activities usually build well upon pupils’ prior knowledge and understanding and provide suitably challenging work for pupils of all levels of attainment. This shows improvement since the last inspection when there was a lack of suitable challenge for higher attaining pupils. Teachers prepare their lessons thoroughly and employ good classroom management and organisational methods that make effective use of practical activities to develop pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

There is often a high proportion of well-focused direct teaching as, for example, in Year 6, where the co- ordinator very effectively probes and develops pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the use of nets. Here, appropriately high expectations of pupils’ use of the correct mathematical vocabulary enables them to make good progress in their understanding of how to identify three-dimensional shapes from two- dimensional drawings. In most lessons, pupils are given positive feedback and encouragement and this inspires them to try their best. In both key stages, teachers make limited use of information technology to enhance pupils’ work in mathematics, especially in terms of handling data. All teachers show they have secure subject knowledge by the way they emphasise to pupils the need to use correct mathematical vocabulary during the introduction to lessons when they are explaining the work pupils are to do. The

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

school is currently reviewing how teachers use questioning techniques in order to provide more effective challenges for pupils to explain their methods of working out problems. Day to day assessment is satisfactory and is used appropriately to plan further work. Homework is used effectively in both key stages to further develop pupils’ learning in this subject.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

117. The curriculum for mathematics is sound. Medium term planning has significantly improved since the last inspection. This good planning has a positive effect on the standards attained by pupils throughout the school and is effective in ensuring that pupils’ learning is continuous and progressive. The successful introduction of elements of the National Numeracy Strategy ahead of time has helped in this process. The subject curriculum now includes the main elements of the strategy and there are adequate time allocations in both key stages. Short term planning is taken from the half term plans and details the key learning objectives and skills to be taught. A further improvement since the last inspection is that the short-term plans are now more focused. They also include opportunities to evaluate what pupils have learned in order to inform future planning. At the end of each half-term the teachers analyse what pupils have achieved

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

and review planning to identify what needs to be covered next. Copies of these records are passed on to the receiving teacher at the end of the year to ensure that pupils’ learning is continuous. The school’s systems for assessing and recording individual pupils’ attainment and the progress they make in mathematics as they pass through the school are, however, cumbersome and are currently under review to make them more manageable and useful. The school successfully uses its analysis of end of key stage and other tests to set manageable targets for improvement in mathematics for groups and individual pupils. Assessment information for pupils with special educational needs is used very effectively to plan further work. Similarly, the outcomes of the assessment of pupils for whom English is an additional language are used well to plan their further learning and ensure that their progress is not inhibited by a lack of

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

understanding of mathematical vocabulary.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

118. The leadership of the subject is good. The co-ordinator has effectively developed the medium term planning and delivered effective training that has prepared teachers well for the implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy. There is a very clear view as to how the subject is to be developed. However, the identified strategies have not yet had sufficient time to make a significant impact on pupils’ progress other than in the development of number work, in which progress is getting better. Monitoring of the mathematics curriculum and of teaching is effective in enabling the school to identify and set targets for improvement. Resources have improved since the last inspection and are now adequate and well used. They are also well managed and readily accessible to staff and pupils. Statutory requirements are met.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

119. The results of the 1998 National Curriculum test for eleven-year-olds in science were well below the national average, but above the average for similar schools. There has been a substantial increase in the percentage of pupils achieving the national average. This has risen from 18 per cent of pupils achieving the nationally expected levels in 1996 to 49 per cent achieving these in 1999. This represents a significant improvement since the last inspection. The attainment of the majority of pupils currently in Year 6 is below the national average but they make satisfactory progress throughout the key stage. This represents an improvement over the 1999 test results and reflects the successful implementation of the guidance available to teachers and the way the school actively promotes good practice in this subject.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

120. At the end of Key Stage 1, the 1998 teacher assessments indicated that attainment in science was well below the national average and below the average for similar schools. There has been an improvement in attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 also, with a steady rise in attainment evident since the previous inspection. The attainment of pupils currently in Year 2 remains well below average. However, over the key stage they make satisfactory progress.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

121. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress towards the targets set in their individual education plans because teachers use day-to-day assessment to target and tailor their support effectively. Pupils for whom English is an additional language also make good progress because they receive well focused support from teachers and support staff that enables them to develop an appropriate understanding of the scientific vocabulary being used.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

122. Progress in Key Stage 1 is satisfactory. Pupils learn about the life cycles of animals and that, for example, plants require sunlight, water, air and soil. They are able to observe animals carefully in the classroom because all Key Stage 1 classes keep pets including cold water fish. Pupils participate willingly in simple practical science activities. Recent work on light has resulted in most pupils having developed an adequate understanding of how shadows are formed. Pupils in Year 2 learn about irreversible change as they mix ingredients and bake bread. The majority of pupils have a very limited scientific vocabulary, but with focused support, all groups of pupils make appropriate progress in predicting the outcomes of their investigations.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

123. Progress continues to be satisfactory in Key Stage 2. Pupils contribute actively to science activities. They know the names of the main parts of a plant and can describe their functions. They know about feeding relationships in food chains and can draw simple examples accurately. Year 5 pupils can, with support, plan and set up investigations to find out what seeds need to grow successfully but even at the end of the key stage, have difficulty with the concept of ‘variables’. Pupils are highly motivated by aspects of science such as making simple circuits. They learn how to construct circuits with a number of components and can explain what each component does. This work is further extended when pupils learn to recognise the scientific symbols for these components. They make sensible predictions about how the circuits will function prior to testing them. They begin to understand the principles of scientific investigations and by

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

the end of the key stage they can, with support, conduct a fair test, but have little opportunity to plan their own.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

124. Pupils constantly use and develop literacy skills in science. They enrich their vocabulary as they predict the outcomes of scientific investigations. However, there is little evidence of extended writing in, for example, the form of report writing in the subject, and pupils’ recording of their work is mostly limited to the completion of simple worksheets, or making lists of what they have done. Pupils’ numerical skills are less apparent in science lessons though children do count, estimate and measure accurately.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

125. Pupils throughout the school have positive attitudes to science. These attitudes contribute to their attainment and progress in the subject. Behaviour is good. Pupils show respect for each other’s ideas in science and listen to different predictions of what might happen in a simple test. They are interested to find out about the world. Pupils in Key Stage 1 show great interest in the sources of the ingredients of bread. Older children become fully engaged by a simple electrical circuit they have construct, which allows them to test materials to determine whether they will conduct electricity.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

126. The teaching of science throughout the school has improved since the last inspection. Whilst only one lesson was observed at Key Stage 1, interviews with children and scrutiny of their work indicate that teaching is satisfactory in this key stage. Children are appropriately introduced to scientific ideas and to the correct scientific vocabulary. Teachers plan effectively, ensuring that the practical nature of science is appropriately emphasised and that pupils have time to discuss new ideas. Such activities are particularly effective when related to other areas of the curriculum, for example, design and technology as older infants who had made bread in class are appropriately challenged by the teacher to consider whether the ingredients used are man-made or natural. The difficulty with language experienced by some pupils is recognised by the teaching staff and is catered for by teachers and by effective support workers. However,

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

even within the context of practical work, the potential of scientific investigations as part of the science curriculum is not fully exploited.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

127. In Key Stage 2, the quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. In 50 per cent of lessons, teaching is good. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding is secure and they plan well from their good knowledge of pupils’ prior attainment. In the most successful lessons, teachers have appropriately high expectations of what pupils can do. In Year 5, for example, the teacher provides a careful structure for lessons on plant growth and expects pupils to plan tests based on questions they themselves raise. A good feature in most lessons, is the effective use of questioning and in Year 4, this is extended to include the good use of resources and effective teaching of the principles of conducting a fair test. In all lessons, teachers manage pupils well and organise activities appropriately to suit their learning needs. Day-to-day assessment of pupils’ work is used effectively to plan further work and occasionally, appropriate homework is set that,

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

for example, requires pupils to collect items from home for use in science lessons.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

128. The curriculum is satisfactory. Practical science is well established, but opportunities for pupils to plan and carry out investigations are less common. Curricular planning is effective and enables pupils to make continuous progress in scientific knowledge as they move through the school. Assessment procedures are sound. End of key stage and other assessment material is analysed and used appropriately to guide medium and long term planning in this subject. While teachers keep their own records of pupils’ progress in science, the system is not uniform across the school. Record keeping is presently under review as previous systems have proved over burdensome. As yet information and communication technology makes only a very limited contribution to progress in science, although there is some use in Key Stage 2 related to representing data in the form of a graph. The potential of information and communication

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

technology in scientific investigation is not yet recognised.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

129. Curriculum leadership is sound. The teacher responsible is knowledgeable about teaching science and has a good overview of the subject in the school. Appropriate guidance is provided for teachers and good practice is actively promoted. After consultation with staff, identified areas for improvement are incorporated into an action plan, which in turn informs the School Development Plan. A budget is then allocated to further the agreed objectives. Recent improvements in attainment are a result of a careful analysis of pupils’ achievements and subsequent focus on aspects of science content. There is at present no formal system for monitoring the quality of teaching, although the co-ordinator does check teachers’ planning and informally visits classrooms to look at children’s work.

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national average in all aspects of English although they make satisfactory progress throughout the

130. The accommodation is satisfactory for science though space is often limited for practical work. Resources for science, while adequate overall, are lacking in sufficient equipment for numerical measurement in some areas of science and equipment to enable pupils to sense and collect data directly to the computer. The school co-ordinator has attended relevant in-service training but has not yet had the opportunity formally to pass this learning on to colleagues. Statutory requirements are met.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

131. The attainment of the majority of pupils currently at the end of both key stages is below the national expectation and progress is unsatisfactory in both key stages. The school does not meet statutory requirements in this subject as aspects such as text handling and data handling are under-developed and the aspects of control and monitoring are not in place.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

132. In Key Stage 1, pupils learn to recognise and use the keys on the keyboard and know that the mouse is used to move the cursor on screen. They write freely on computers and both read and listen to electronic books on screen. Computers are used to assist letter recognition within the Literacy Hour and to provide information for teachers and children through the use of CD ROMs. By the end of the key stage children are becoming more confident with computers but they lack sufficient knowledge of the breadth of computer use. They do not show the expected ability to use technical vocabulary or deal independently with hardware.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

133. In Key Stage 2, pupils learn to use a multimedia application where they construct pictures, write text and add their own spoken dialogue. One example was based on a story the children had just read in a series of literacy hours. The pupils use a word processor and learn about some aspects of data handling including the drawing of pictograms, block graphs, line graphs and pie charts. CD ROM materials have recently begun to make an impact in areas like history and geography and some pupils are able to research aspects of Victorian life and the life of ancient Egyptians on the screen. However the time pupils spend on the computers is limited and so they do not develop skills in a systematic or progressive way. By the end of Key Stage 2, they still demonstrate only limited word processing skills, for example, and have not extended these to include areas such as desktop publishing. They also have a very limited understanding

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of the place of computers in society and of the breadth of the use of computers. Whilst there are examples of pupils with special needs and those for whom English is an additional language using the computers, information and communication technology is not used systematically to address their needs and their progress, too, is unsatisfactory.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

134. When they have the opportunity, pupils use their literacy and numeracy skills appropriately to enhance their writing on the computer and to enter data onto a database. In some classes teachers made good use of the computer in literacy lessons. For example, pupils in Year 1 use a talking book to enhance their reading skills. Similarly in mathematics, Year 4 pupils consolidate learning about fractions on the computer.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

135. Pupils have good attitudes to information technology. They are keen to participate and show respect for both the equipment and for the work of other pupils. Pupils of all ages are highly motivated and will concentrate for prolonged periods. This means that when given the opportunity, pupils quickly make progress.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

136. It was possible to see only two lessons where any direct teaching of information technology was taking place and therefore it is not possible to make an overall judgement on teaching. In the lessons seen, one with a mixed Year 2/3 class and the other with a mixed Year 3 / 4 class, teaching was satisfactory. The teachers’ planning for these lessons includes short periods for the whole class to gather in front of the computer while important skills are taught. Effective demonstrations then take place to show Year 2 / 3 pupils how to move text on the screen and Year 3 / 4 pupils how to use a new computer using familiar software. The use of a large text size whilst demonstrating on the screen enables the whole class to see clearly and demonstrates the teachers’ secure knowledge of how to do this. In both cases children are invited to demonstrate the skills to the class and pupils are then expected to practise these skills over the

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

following days. In Year 6 the children experience a wide breadth of computer applications. In this class, and in other classes where the computer is used regularly, pupils make better progress. At present, however, insufficient teaching of this subject takes place and insufficient opportunities are made available for pupils to use the computers.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

137. The overall curriculum plan includes all elements of the programme of study, but many of these are not yet covered and are not in evidence in the school. Teachers do not routinely assess pupil’s attainment in information technology. However, in two classes, portfolios are kept which clearly demonstrate what pupils are able to do.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

138. The subject co-ordinator is clear about what needs to be done and has submitted successful bids for extra funding to enable the school to implement its plans to develop the subject. Nevertheless, management of the subject is unsatisfactory in terms of raising its profile throughout the school, ensuring all teachers have the skills and knowledge they require, and enabling pupils to make satisfactory progress. This is because the co-ordinator has not had the opportunity formally to disseminate his own good subject knowledge to his colleagues and there is no system at present to monitor the quality of teaching in the subject. Staff confidence has grown recently partly as a result of the informal work of the subject co- ordinator and this has already started to improve standards. There remain significant gaps in staff’s understanding of information technology, which currently limit the potential to raise standards

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significantly. The recent upgrading of equipment, purchase of more software and planning for the subject is evidence that there is substantial commitment from the school to see that information technology is further developed. An insufficient range of software available and the infrequent use of the computers in school presently limit the curriculum offered and the progress pupils can make.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

139. The attainment of the majority of pupils at the end of both key stages is below the expectations of the Local Agreed Syllabus for this subject. However, the majority of pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, make satisfactory progress as they move through the school. There has only been a small improvement in this subject since the last inspection. The Agreed Syllabus is now the basis for planning, but many teachers remain insecure as to how best to teach its content.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

140. In Key Stage 1, pupils learn about the Ten Commandments and how such rules apply to their lives today by comparing them to the school rules. Pupils discuss the need to care for one another and how to help people who are sad. By the end of the key stage most can recount aspects of the Christmas and Easter stories but some confuse these with non-biblical stories. In Key Stage 2, most pupils can recall several Bible stories but many have difficulty understanding how these relate to their own lives. Year 4 pupils make satisfactory progress in understanding what the tradition of Baptism and the symbolism that surrounds it means to Christians. Year 5 pupils learn about the main facts of Jesus’ life but few can explain his significance or why his birth is celebrated. They have only a hazy knowledge of Christianity, what it means, or the relationship to God and the teaching does not address these gaps in knowledge

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effectively. In their study of Judaism, other pupils in Year 5 learn about the significance of the Torah to Jews. However, their knowledge of world faiths is very limited. While a few pupils can name different religions and talk about different holy books, many have difficulty identifying the similarities and differences between various faiths.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

141. Pupils use their literacy skills appropriately in the discussions they have within religious education. They listen to stories, write down and speak about their thoughts and ideas as they try to relate religious ideas to their own lives. They demonstrate sound attitudes to the subject and are beginning to show respect for the beliefs of other people and cultures.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

142. No direct teaching of religious education was observed in Key Stage 1, although aspects of the Agreed Syllabus were covered in a satisfactory personal and social education lesson. This involved pupils in Year 1 discussing what makes a person ‘special’. In Key Stage 2, teaching is satisfactory overall with a small amount of unsatisfactory teaching in a lesson taken by a temporary teacher. Effective questioning in the Year 2 / 3 class, for example, enables pupils to make sound progress in becoming aware of how people can help and care for others by exploring, for example, the meaning of words like ‘respect’ and ‘kind’. In these lessons, teachers plan appropriately, are clear about what they expect pupils to learn and explain this to the pupils. The sound organisation of the teaching input gives pupils effective opportunities for thought and discussion. Where teaching is unsatisfactory, as in a lesson with Year 5 pupils, inappropriate

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

techniques are used to quieten the class and the pace of the lesson is too slow to keep pupils motivated

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

143. The school’s long term religious education planning meets the requirements of the Agreed Syllabus. However, the further guidance needed for teachers to write effective lesson plans is insufficient at present. Teachers require more knowledge and understanding of the non-Christian faiths including those in the breadth of the pupils’ own cultural heritage. Religious education teaching currently contributes effectively to pupils’ understanding of the Christian culture and to their spiritual, moral and social education. The full potential of its ability to contribute to an understanding of other cultures and to spiritual development has not yet been explored. There are no criteria against which teachers can assess pupils’ attainment to inform future planning. The school has recently purchased an appropriate collection of religious artefacts from the major world religions, which are displayed in classrooms and in the school library and these are

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beginning to arouse the pupils’ interest and curiosity. Other aspects of school life that contribute effectively to religious education are school assemblies. In these, pupils are regularly invited to reflect on how they relate to others, often by means of images that they can readily understand, for example, the loyalty and undemanding love of a dog. In addition, the good programme for personal and social education contributes significantly to pupils’ opportunity to reflect on and share feelings, and to the religious education programme of work.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

144. Leadership of the subject is currently unsatisfactory. However, satisfactory features include development planning for the subject, the collection of artefacts and the recently implemented Locally Agreed Syllabus. There is at present no system for checking the provision or teaching of the subject in the school.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

145. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, make satisfactory progress throughout the school across all areas of art. They achieve standards that are commensurate with their age by the time they leave. This is similar to the situation found at the last inspection, indicating that standards have been maintained.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

146. In Year 1, pupils learn about printmaking as they undertake imaginative work based on their knowledge of extracts from music they have heard. They recognise and use colour effectively and through the layering of different colours and print shapes, begin to notice that when two colours are mixed, a third is created. They are, however, unsure of the names of some of the colours they manage to create. In Year 2, they extend their colour work further by working with different textures of materials and different shades of colour to produce effective collages that demonstrate different shades and tones. Most can describe these as ‘lighter’ or ‘darker’ but a significant minority confuse, for example, different shades of blue and green.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

147. As they move through Key Stage 2, pupils explore different media and materials. In year 3, most pupils can hold pencils correctly to ensure good control as they practise shading using cross hatching and stippling and apply these skills in a recreation of an old black and white photograph. Pupils in Year 4 use contrasting colours effectively as they explore different kinds of weaving using paper and wool. They make good progress in the use of finer manipulative skills in this activity. Pupils in the mixed year 5 / 6 class show a developing knowledge of the work of artists such as Seurat and apply his pointillism style to their own imaginative drawings of trees. They know that they must layer the colours and not mix them to produce the desired effect. Displays of pupils work indicate a wide range of appropriate experiences including large and small scale work in two and three dimensions.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

148. Pupils use their speaking and listening skills well in this subject. However, opportunities are missed for them to use their writing skills by, for example, writing in response to art, or about art and there is very limited use of information and communication technology in this subject.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

149. Pupils’ attitudes to this subject are good. Many show good levels of interest as they discuss Cezanne’s use of light and shadow for example, and how these help to create moods in his work. Behaviour is mostly good. Pupils co-operate well, show high levels of concentration and share tools and materials. They are increasingly able to select the appropriate tools and materials for their work, thereby addressing satisfactorily an issue identified in the last inspection. Their good attitudes and behaviour contribute to their attainment and progress in this subject.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

150. The overall quality of teaching is satisfactory in both key stages, although it is good in 50 per cent of lessons in both key stages, however. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding is now secure throughout the school. In Key Stage 1, they use this effectively to enhance pupils’ skills and knowledge. Where teaching is good in this key stage, the teacher plans the activities well to build effectively in pupils’ prior attainment. This enables pupils to make good progress in their knowledge and understanding of, for example, colour, but their progress in practical work remains hindered by their inability to use correctly the tools they select for their work, for example, scissors and pencils. Good features of teaching in Key Stage 2 include good planning that takes account of previous work and a good range of well organised activities that keep pupils motivated and on task. For example, pupils in a Year 4 class experienced

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

weaving using paper before moving on to look at Mexican weaving, each producing an ‘eye of God’ using two contrasting colours. Time limits are used effectively to encourage pupils to work quickly and with due care and attention and the pace of the lesson is brisk, promoting good progress. Teachers constantly evaluate pupils’ work with them as it progresses and make good suggestions as to how it can be improved without stifling pupils’ own ideas and creativity.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

151. The art curriculum is well planned. The scheme of work provides very good guidance from which teachers can plan their work effectively and ensure pupils’ learning is continuous and progressive both in and across an appropriate range of art activities. There is sound provision for the use of sketchbooks but scrutiny of these reveal they have been used very little so far this year. Assessment is unsatisfactory. The planning includes opportunities for assessment, but the procedures for this are not yet in place. Statutory requirements are met with regard to updating pupils’ records of progress annually but there is currently little in the way of record keeping other than this. Sound opportunities are provided for pupils to explore and reflect on the work of other artists across time and place. For example, as they study an Indian village in Year 5, they explore some of the features of Indian art. Pupils’ cultural development is further

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

enhanced by the annual exhibition of their art work in the town’s library.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

152. Curriculum leadership is sound. The co-ordinator has effectively reviewed the policy and scheme of work in consultation with her colleagues. She has a very good vision for the subject, which includes creating an art room, undertaking whole school themes in order to check on progression and establishing procedures for assessment. However, because of her role as co-ordinator of the recently formed Foundation Unit, she has had little time to monitor either teachers’ planning or the quality of their teaching in the classroom. She does, however, provide appropriate support and guidance for teachers when necessary. Resources for art are adequate and the subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

153. Due to timetabling arrangements during the inspection, it was possible to observe only two lessons, one in Year 4 and one in Year 6. However, a scrutiny of pupils’ work and teachers’ planning, and interviews with staff and pupils indicate that the majority of pupils in both key stages make satisfactory progress and achieve standards commensurate with their ages by the time they leave the school.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

154. In Key Stage 1, pupils learn about the properties of different materials and most acquire sound skills in shaping, assembling and joining them. In Year 1, pupils learn how to work together to make successful models out of construction kits. In Year 2 they learn how to design and make different kinds of vehicles to carry a marble, and in so doing make simple evaluations of the finished product. They engage in appropriate food technology activities when, for example, they learn to make bread. As they pass through Key Stage 2, most pupils develop further their designing and making skills by using a wider range of materials and tools. Pupils in Year 3 use their technology skills to enhance their work in history by designing and making ‘shadufs’ during their study of Ancient Egypt. In Year 4, pupils make pop-up books by exploring sliding mechanisms and simple levers as a means of generating movement. In Year 5

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

pupils are able to design and make moveable vehicles out of wood incorporating axles and wheels. Pupils in Year 6 apply their scientific knowledge and understanding appropriately as they incorporate a simple electrical circuit when designing and making a ‘Test Your Nerve’ game. The ability of pupils to evaluate their work and make modifications as it progresses, however, is not well developed. Nor is there suitable development of pupils’ technological vocabulary or of their ability to evaluate their designs and finished products. Pupils with special educational needs and with English as an additional language are fully involved in technological activities and they also make satisfactory progress. Most pupils use their literacy skills appropriately when, for example, discussing their work or labelling their drawings. They also use their numeracy skills when weighing in food technology, for example, and when measuring as they use

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

materials to make artefacts. However, information and communication technology skills are under- developed. For example, pupils do not yet use these to generate computer designs for models and artefacts.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

155. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive and their response in lessons is good. They are keen to talk about their work in design and technology and are able to work co-operatively, allow others to express an opinion and listen to their advice. They show that they recognise the need to work safely when engaged on technological tasks. Pupils show a great deal of interest and enjoyment in their practical activities. They are able to concentrate for lengthy periods of time and they work hard. This makes a positive impact on their progress and attainment.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

156. There is insufficient evidence on which to make a secure judgement on the quality of teaching. However, in the lessons seen the teachers demonstrate secure subject knowledge and are able to use questioning effectively to find out what pupils know and understand. They prepare the lessons well and make good use of available resources to develop the pupils’ skills in the subject. Classroom management and organisation are good and this results in good standards of discipline and a good rate of work from the pupils. The use of the co-ordinator to provide some specialist teaching is having a positive effect on the progress made and on the standards attained by pupils. However, some teachers do not have high enough expectations of the quality of the finished product.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

157. The leadership provided by the recently appointed co-ordinator is satisfactory. It is having a positive effect on the progress made and the standards attained by pupils. The curriculum is satisfactory, broad and balanced. However, there is not yet a scheme of work to ensure that pupils’ learning is continuous and progressive. Pupils’ progress is recorded annually in their report and while assessment procedures are satisfactory, some teachers do not have a clear view of pupils’ attainment in the subject. There is no monitoring of the quality of education provided and there has been little opportunity for teachers to attend training in the last few years to further improve their expertise in the subject because of the emphasis on training for literacy and numeracy. Resources are adequate and they are suitably stored. The accommodation is satisfactory, providing suitable areas for practical group work activities.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

158. It was possible to observe only one geography lesson in each key stage during the inspection. Judgements are, however, securely based on a scrutiny of pupils' past work, discussions with them and their teachers, and inspection of teachers' planning and records. From these, it is clear that all pupils, including those with special educational needs, and those for whom English is an additional language, make satisfactory progress in both key stages, attaining standards appropriate for their age by the time they leave the school.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

159. In Key Stage 1, pupils study their local environment. They talk about important buildings in the area and the need for shops and other facilities. In Year 1 they record their findings appropriately on simple maps and write labels with support from the teacher. In Year 2, pupils build on these experiences and show that they know that Britain is an island. They talk about the seaside and holidays and how long it takes to reach destinations. They use effectively the good library display of life on the seashore for reference purposes. Pupils in Year 2 benefit from the first hand experience of their teacher having visited the Philippines. In Key Stage 2, pupils study the local environment in greater depth and discuss ways in which it can be improved. They understand the effects of pollution and how it can affect themselves and wildlife. Pupils in Year 5 are studying Chembakoli, a village in India. They can draw their own daily

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

timeline and compare it with a child's in the village. However, they do not yet understand the interdependence between countries, towns and rural areas although opportunities are provided for them to learn about this. A weakness identified in the previous report with regard to pupils not using information books, atlases and maps for reference purposes, has been satisfactorily addressed.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

160. Pupils use their speaking and listening skills appropriately in this subject. However, recording of work is limited due to poor writing skills and the lack of a suitable range of vocabulary. Pupils use their numeracy skills appropriately as they learn to use co-ordinates to find different features on a map. Information technology is not yet used effectively to enhance learning in geography.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

161. Pupils' attitudes and behaviour in lessons are generally good and enable them to make sound progress. They listen with interest and benefit from the whole class discussions. During group activities, the majority of pupils work with a satisfactory level of concentration. Progress is better when there is adult intervention. Relationships are good and pupils take care of materials and resources, handling books and maps with respect. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is enhanced through this subject as they compare and contrast different countries and begin to understand how where people live can influence the way they live.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

162. Due to the small amount of teaching seen during the inspection, it is not possible to make a judgement on the quality of teaching. The policy, with an outline scheme of work, provides flexible planning for the teachers. Teachers are well organised and their preparation for geography lessons is good. However, the scheme does not give enough detail to guarantee that pupils develop knowledge and skills progressively. Neither does it outline assessment opportunities, relying solely on teachers’ observations to inform the final year report.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

163. The newly appointed subject co-ordinator does not monitor teachers' planning but looks at pupils’ work and supports colleagues when requested. There are appropriate plans to carry out an audit of materials. Resources for the teaching of geography are satisfactory and effective use is made of educational visits to broaden pupils' experiences.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

164. It was not possible to observe any history lessons in Key Stage 1 during the inspection. Judgements about the subject in this key stage, therefore, are based on evidence from a scrutiny of pupils' past work, displays and teachers' planning. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, make satisfactory progress in Key Stage 1. A majority of pupils make good progress in Key Stage 2.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

165. In Year 1, most pupils begin to make distinctions between the past and present. They compare houses and homes from different periods and are able to use appropriate terms to describe and sequence familiar objects from the past. Pupils discuss the difference between toys of long ago and their own and know that there is now a greater variety and made from material other than wood. They compare their own houses with those from the past and learn about famous people and events and why we remember them. Most also begin to understand how they can find out about the past. In Key Stage 2, the majority of pupils steadily develop their skills of inquiry using a range of sources. In the Year 3/4 class, for example, they learn how to use photographs and worksheets on the Ancient Egyptians to discover and record facts on clothing, buildings and other topics. Higher attaining pupils can recall basic facts, obtain information

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

found in several places and discuss these with an adult. Most Year 6 pupils know that some sources of information such as diaries, photographs, news reports can be reliable whereas memory is less so. Through complementary work in literacy, pupils are beginning to understand that news travels much faster now due to technology than during the Second World War when information relied on letters and telegrams. Year 6 pupils can recall some important facts from the various topics they have studied during their time at school. However, their lack of vocabulary at times inhibits clear explanations of events or descriptions of housing and clothes for example.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

166. Pupil’s attitudes to history are good. They are well motivated and keen to find out about events in the past. The majority of pupils respond well to questions and relationships are good. They listen well and one pupil showed a sense of awe when the teacher suggested that he might be related to a Roman soldier. Behaviour is good and as they grow older, they demonstrate that they can work independently and in groups as they research and record information from the past. These good attitudes have a positive impact on their learning and on the progress they make. The subject also makes a sound contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

167. No teaching of history was observed in Key Stage 1 during the inspection. The quality of teaching in Key Stage 2 is good overall, with 75 per cent of teaching being good and the remaining 25 per cent satisfactory. In the good lessons, teachers motivate the pupils well through providing stimulating resources and interesting activities. Questioning is effective and rouses pupils’ curiosity. Lessons are well planned and good links are made with the Literacy Hour where teachers use a wide variety of historical texts. Work is usually well matched to pupils’ prior ability for group activities but all pupils work better when there is adult input. All teachers have a secure knowledge and understanding of the subject. Day-to- day assessment is satisfactory. Teachers evaluate pupils’ work with them and offer appropriate suggestions as to how they might improve, for example, their historical research skills.

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

168. The curriculum is suitably planned to cover the requirements of the programme of study and subject leadership is sound. The co-ordinator feeds back information from the courses that he has attended, through informal discussions and staff meetings. As a result, an appropriate action plan has been prepared to develop further the links between history and literacy. This is ready to be considered for inclusion in the next School Development Plan. Some informal monitoring is carried out by talking to teachers and looking at pupils’ work. However, the co-ordinator has not had the opportunity to check the quality of teaching in the classroom. No formal assessment procedures are in place. However, the school does meet the statutory requirement to update pupils’ records and assess their progress annually. Resources are satisfactory and include visits to places of historical interest related to the topics being studied. Books and

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Information and communication technology (ICT)

artefacts are appropriately stored and used and are accessible to all who need them.

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Music

169. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language, make good progress in Key Stage 1 and very good progress in Key Stage 2. By the time they leave the school, they achieve standards that are well above those expected for their age. This indicates that the high standards observed in the previous inspection have been maintained.

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Music

170. In Key Stage 1, pupils begin to be able to distinguish between high and low sounds and loud and quiet sounds and by Year 2, most can identify whether a sound moves by a step or a leap, differentiate between a smaller interval and an octave and describe these as a small leap or a big leap. All pupils develop a good knowledge of a range of songs during the key stage and learn to sing in tune. Most listen attentively to music such as the ‘Carnival of the Animals’ and have good recall of which parts of this represent the different animals. They use this knowledge effectively to create an imaginative class composition based on the story of ‘The Old Woman who swallowed a Fly’ by selecting which instruments and vocal sounds might represent the different things she swallowed. Most begin to use appropriate vocabulary to describe how music makes them feel, for example, the ‘scary’ sound of the lion roaring makes them feel

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Music

171. As they move through Key Stage 2, the great majority of pupils learn to read notation and to play simple tunes on the recorder in unison and in parts. By the end of the key stage, most can follow a score accurately and have a basic understanding of the use of primary chords to accompany their singing, which they do using chime bars. Singing is of a high standard, both in class and in assembly. Diction is good and due attention is given to posture and breathing. Pupils in Year 5 demonstrate a good ability to compose music as a whole class, to create the atmosphere of a storm based on one of their literacy texts. They can suggest different sounds for this, imaginatively using tuned and untuned percussion and voice. All pupils value the process of rehearsing their work and understand that this helps them to improve it. Towards the end of the key stage, pupils are also able to record their work in writing, using symbols and

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Music

172. Pupils display very good attitudes to music. They work hard in music sessions and concentrate for considerable periods of time as they practise their compositions and performances. They listen attentively to both recorded music and respond positively to suggestions from their teacher and their classmates as to how they might improve their work. Behaviour is very good and this subject makes a very good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils listen attentively to music in assemblies as music is used effectively to create a calm atmosphere that is conducive to reflection and a pause for thought.

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Music

173. The quality of teaching is consistently good in Key Stage 1 and very good in Key Stage 2. In Key Stage 2, it is very good in 50 per cent of lessons, good in a further 25 per cent and satisfactory in the remainder. In both key stages, teachers’ knowledge and understanding are mostly very secure. In Key Stage 2, pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6 benefit from the very effective input of a part time music specialist and this has a very positive effect on their progress and attainment.

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Music

174. Teachers demonstrate an infectious enthusiasm for the subject and good short-term planning throughout the school builds effectively on what pupils have learned previously. In both key stages, the teachers’ good knowledge of the prior attainment of the pupils leads to a well organised range of progressively demanding activities and enables pupils of all levels of prior attainment to succeed in their work. This is well demonstrated in Year 1, for example, where the teacher builds effectively on pupils’ good recall of music depicting different animals and then requires them to compose music to accompany a familiar story involving different animals. The teacher allocates instruments to different pupils and provides good support for less secure pupils by suggesting how they might play the instruments to produce the intended effect. Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve in this subject are appropriately high. The good

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Music

and very good teaching improves pupils’ singing considerably, for example, by encouraging them to practise using dynamics and improved diction, breathing and posture. Teachers in both key stages encourage pupils to listen carefully and to identify repeated patterns. In Key Stage 2, this is extended to include how repeated patterns sometimes change at the end of a repeat to signify the end of the music. Day-to-day assessment is very effective at enabling pupils to make good progress. Pieces of music and songs are broken up into smaller fragments and practised one section at a time to effect improvement. In Key Stage 1 this often involves effective teacher demonstration. In Key Stage 2, pupils are given a range of suggestions as to how to improve their work and are encouraged to make their own decisions regarding this and to evaluate the effect on the music. In all lessons, relationships are very good and the need for

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Music

discipline is minimal. Time and resources are very well used and the setting of time limits for practice and discussion ensures that most music lessons proceed at a brisk pace.

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Music

175. The music curriculum is suitably broad and balanced and presents good opportunities for pupils to engage in composing, performing, listening and appraising. It is supported by a range of commercial schemes and other guidance to help teachers plan continuous learning for the pupils but does not yet make adequate provision for the use of information and communication technology. Appropriate extra- curricular provision is in place in the form of a choir that performs in and out of school for special occasions such as weddings and for old people. The school also participates in a local music festival. The co-ordinator is new to the school this year and has good plans to review the policy and scheme of work as the revised National Curriculum document comes on line. The previous music co-ordinator returns to the school on a part time basis to teach pupils in Key Stage 2 and has continued to lead the subject very

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Music

effectively in this key stage. A gradual handing over of responsibility to the new co-ordinator is planned from January next year. Resources for the subject are adequate and well used to promote learning.

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Music

181 Pupils make satisfactory progress in both key stages and achieve standards that are commensurate with their ages. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English as an additional language are fully involved in physical educational activities and they also make satisfactory progress.

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Music

182 The school provides many opportunities for pupils to practise, improve and refine their movements. In Years 1 and 2 pupils make sound progress in physical skills related to using small apparatus. Most are able to repeat a series of known movements with increasing control and accuracy. They improve their throwing and catching skills using items such as bean bags, for example, in Year 1. By the end of Key Stage 1, most pupils can plan and perform simple skills safely, and can improve their performance through practice. They demonstrate the ability to move, in a variety of ways, on the floor and on simple apparatus. Their movement skills are satisfactory and they are able to learn from each other’s performance. For example, in Year 2, as they interpret movement words in a poem, they learn to make simple judgements and talk about what they and others have done. As they pass through Key Stage 2, boys

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Music

and girls are equally exposed to a wider range of activities, which gives them confidence and many opportunities to learn from each other. Pupils in Year 3 further develop their throwing and catching skills. In Year 4 gymnastics lessons pupils are able to practise the skills of balancing on different parts of their body to make a star shape and then effectively create a sequence of movements based on this work. In a Year 5 dance lesson, pupils confidently build a series of practised movements into a sequence to perform an Indian dance. By the end of Year 6 most pupils are able to practice, improve and refine their performance to a satisfactory standard as they further develop the skills of travelling and balancing using different parts of the body. Pupils of all abilities are suitably challenged by the activities offered. This is an improvement since the last inspection.

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Music

183 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive and their response in lessons is good. They show a great deal of enjoyment in their physical education activities and respond with enthusiasm to what they are required to do. They follow instructions, watch others carefully in demonstrations and use what they see well to improve their own performance. This was very evident in lessons for pupils in Years 5 and 6 on developing their ability to create a sequence of movements involving balancing and travelling. Behaviour is good. Pupils show respect for others and an appropriate concern for safety when using physical education apparatus. They co-operate well with each other in moving and using apparatus, and as members of a group in, for example, dance lessons in Year 5.

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Music

184 The quality of teaching is satisfactory. It is consistently so in Key Stage 1. In Key Stage 2, it is good in 17 per cent of lessons, satisfactory in 67 per cent and unsatisfactory in 17 per cent. Most teachers’ subject knowledge is secure and expectations of what pupils can do are appropriate. The planning of lessons is good and what pupils are required to learn is linked to suitably challenging activities. Teachers set good examples by dressing appropriately for physical education and as a result are able to demonstrate techniques in a suitable way. The co-ordinator, for example, demonstrates gymnastic movements very effectively to improve pupils’ performance. Teachers ensure there is a good balance of activities within lessons. These include suitable warm up activities and opportunities for pupils to evaluate their own and others’ performances. In the unsatisfactory lesson, Year 5 pupils were not being taught by their class

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Music

teacher but by a temporary teacher. Expectations of what they could achieve were low and the lesson organisation inappropriate. This led to pupils being given unchallenging activities, in their having to spend too long queuing at apparatus and to an unsatisfactory use of the time available for physical activity. In contrast, where teaching is good, as in a Year 5 dance lesson, good lesson preparation and effective use of time and resources help to develop pupils’ skills and knowledge of Indian dance by keeping them well motivated and working hard throughout the lesson.

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Music

185 Subject leadership is satisfactory. The co-ordinator has very good subject knowledge and his support and advice to colleagues has a positive effect on the standards attained. The curriculum is satisfactory. The school is in the process of adopting the Lancashire County Council Physical Education Scheme of Work to ensure that pupils’ learning is both continuous and progressive. There has been limited opportunity for teachers to attend training in the last few years to improve their expertise in the subject because of the emphasis on training for literacy and numeracy. The accommodation provides suitable indoor space for pupils to develop their physical educational skills, but the sloping nature of the hard playground surfaces is a hindrance to outdoor games activities. Resources are adequate, in satisfactory condition and well managed. There is a good programme of extra-curricular activities, including competitive team games,

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Music

that enriches the subject curriculum. These include football, netball, cross-country, rugby, swimming and country dancing. The school gives pupils in Year 6 opportunity to take part in a residential experience that enriches the physical education curriculum by providing further significant learning experiences. This residential is at Whitehough Outdoor Education Centre during which pupils are able to take part in outdoor pursuits activities such as rock climbing and canoeing.

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Swimming

186 The inspection of the school included a focused inspection of swimming. Swimming is provided for pupils in Years 5 and 6. This year, Year 6 pupils attend in this, the autumn term and Year 5 pupils will attend in the spring and summer terms. The school’s decision to concentrate swimming in Year 5 is to enable pupils to reach the minimum standard as soon as possible, to give a longer time for less confident pupils to achieve this, and to free up time in Year 6 for other activities related to the national tests. Prior to this school year, there were three sessions per week and pupils in both Years 5 and 6 benefited from this, resulting in all pupils being able to swim more than the minimum 25 metres by the end of the key stage. The school expects that all Year 6 pupils will achieve the minimum standard by the time their swimming lessons finish this year, although the number achieving beyond this may be fewer due to the reduced time

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Swimming

available. Each session lasts for thirty minutes and the time is used very effectively.

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Swimming

187 During the inspection, it was possible to observe only one swimming session, because only one took place. There were 28 pupils (one Year 6 class) in the swimming group. They were taught by two well qualified and experienced swimming instructors, one male and one female, with the class teacher supervising. The quality of the teaching is very good. Sessions are well planned and organised, with activities very well matched to the different abilities of the pupils. The subject knowledge and expertise of the teachers is excellent and enables them to develop very effectively the pupils' swimming techniques. The instructors have a good relationship with the pupils and very high expectations both of their behaviour and of what they can do. Pupils are kept working hard for the whole of the lesson. The pace is very brisk and demanding, resulting in vigorous physical exercise and a very good balance of activities in the water.

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Swimming

These include effective warm-up sessions and activities that are very well matched to pupils' prior atainment. They cater for less confident swimmers needing more time to practise their strokes and improve their stamina through to higher attainers pursuing personal survival skills. Water safety is also very well taught. A weakness in the provision is that, although records of progress are kept, they are not as up to date as they should be in terms of keeping track of pupils' achievements.

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Swimming

188 Pupils make very good progress in their swimming techniques. In the session observed, the lower attainers developed their backstroke well and used it with far more confidence at the end of the lesson than at the beginning. The average attainers improved stamina work and were able to swim longer distances without stopping by the end of the session. The higher attainers very effectively developed their personal survival skills, including treading water and straddle jumping to keep their heads above water as the enter it. Pupils' attitudes to swimming are very good as is their behaviour. They work hard, rising to the challenge to change quickly and start work promptly and they show a great deal of enthusiasm and enjoyment for the activity. All pupils dress appropriately and pay good heed to safety both in and around the pool. Pupils participate in competitive swimming through the local swimming gala in which the school has previously

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Swimming

enjoyed considerable success. 180. PART C: INSPECTION DATA

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Summary of inspection evidence

The inspection was carried out by five inspectors, one of whom was a lay inspector. During the inspection week; they spent a total of 20 days in the school. The following information shows the amount of time spent observing in classrooms, inspecting pupils’ work, talking to pupils about their work and hearing them read:

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Summary of inspection evidence

Key Stage U5s KS1 KS2 Total Total Hours 3.8 11.5 39.55 54.85

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Summary of inspection evidence

A further 16.7 hours were spent interviewing staff, governors, parents and helpers in the school with regard to their roles and responsibilities, and observing activities such as assemblies, registration periods, lunch times, break times.

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Summary of inspection evidence

• . 76 lessons or parts of lessons were inspected with a priority given to literacy and numeracy. • . During the inspection it was possible to see very little direct teaching of information technology, design and technology and geography. Where only limited observations were possible, judgements are firmly based on discussions with pupils, scrutiny of their work and teachers’ planning and records. • . A representative sample of work from all across all classes was formally inspected and discussed with pupils to ascertain levels of attainment and progress. • . Additionally, because of the time of the year, a scrutiny of some of the previous year’s work in all years was undertaken to ascertain coverage of the curriculum, standards achieved and progress made. • . 26 pupils were heard to read and reading skills were tested in a number of lessons involving subjects other than literacy. Extended discussions about reading habits also took place.

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Summary of inspection evidence

• . A sample of assemblies was attended. A sample of registration periods, break times and lunchtime arrangements was observed, and attendance registers scrutinised. • . A large amount of documentation was inspected and used to help prepare inspectors. This included the School Development Plan, policies and schemes of work. • . The previous inspection report, its summary and the action plan produced by the governors were also used as part of the inspection process to assist judgements on school improvements since the previous inspection. • . Teachers’ planning files and samples of pupils’ progress and record files as well as annual reports, were scrutinised. • . Interviews were conducted with the headteacher, all teachers with management responsibilities, the school secretary, support staff, the school nurse, the caretaker and several members of the governing body. Matters discussed included their roles and responsibilities in the school and the contribution they made to pupils’ attainment, progress and well-

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Summary of inspection evidence

being. • . In addition, a discussion took place to ascertain the suitability of arrangements for preparing pupils for the next stage of their education. • . Responses made by parents to the questionnaires and issues raised at the parents’ meeting were received, analysed, considered and checked out in school. Further discussions took place with parents as they brought their children to school or were in school during the inspection. 1. Data and indicators

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Summary of inspection evidence

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 257 8 175 135

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Qualified teachers (YR – Y6)

Total number of qualified teachers (full-time equivalent) 11.35 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.64

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Education support staff (YR – Y6)

Total number of education support staff Total aggregate hours worked each week 78.4

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Education support staff (YR – Y6)

181. Qualified teachers (Nursery school, classes or unit)

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Education support staff (YR – Y6)

Total number of qualified teachers (full-time equivalent): 1.2 Number of pupils per qualified teacher: 24

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Education support staff (YR – Y6)

181. Education support staff (Nursery school, classes or unit)

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Education support staff (YR – Y6)

Total number of education support staff: 2 Total aggregate hours worked each week: 36

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Education support staff (YR – Y6)

£ Total income 437338 Total expenditure 426833 Expenditure per pupil 1635.38 Balance brought forward from previous year 36818 Balance carried forward to next year 47323 181. PARENTAL SURVEY

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Education support staff (YR – Y6)

Number of questionnaires sent out: 300 Number of questionnaires returned:

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Education support staff (YR – Y6)

Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

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Education support staff (YR – Y6)

Strongly agree Agree Neither Disagree Strongly disagree

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Education support staff (YR – Y6)

I feel the school encourages parents to play an active part in the life of the [type] 40.0 55.0 5.0

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Education support staff (YR – Y6)

I would find it easy to approach the school with questions or problems to do with my child(ren) 65.0 35.0

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Education support staff (YR – Y6)

The school handles complaints from parents well 30.0 50.0 15.0 5.0

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Education support staff (YR – Y6)

The school gives me a clear understanding of what is taught 25.0 75.0

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Education support staff (YR – Y6)

The school keeps me well informed about my child(ren)’s progress 40.0 50.0 10.0

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Education support staff (YR – Y6)

The school enables my child(ren) to achieve a good standard of work 35.0 60.0 5.0

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Education support staff (YR – Y6)

The school encourages children to get involved in more than just their daily lessons 31.6 63.2 5.3

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Education support staff (YR – Y6)

I am satisfied with the work that my child(ren) is/are expected to do at home 40.0 45.0 10.0 5.0

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Education support staff (YR – Y6)

The school’s values and attitudes have a positive effect on my child(ren) 35.0 60.0 5.0

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Education support staff (YR – Y6)

The school achieves high standards of good behaviour 30.0 60.0 5.0 5.0

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Education support staff (YR – Y6)

My child(ren) like(s) their school 60.0 35.0 5.0

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