Alver Valley Junior School

INSPECTION REPORT

Dates of inspection: 11 th October to 15 th October 1999

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INSPECTION REPORT

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

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INSPECTION REPORT

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Nimrod Drive Rowner Gosport PO13 8AA

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

R Brent Registered Inspector Science Physical education Special educational needs Attainment and progress Teaching Leadership and management Efficiency J Zachary Lay Inspector Attitudes, behaviour and personal development Attendance Partnership with parents and the community Staffing, accommodation, learning resources P Buckley English Design and technology Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development C Davey Art Music Religious education Curriculum and assessment

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

A Green Mathematics Information technology Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare S Matthews History Geography Equal opportunities

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

QAA Education Consultants Herringston Barn Herringston Dorchester Dorset DT2 9PU

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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

Standards in English, mathematics and science are improving perceptibly and the 1999 National Curriculum tests show a marked improvement on those for 1998. • . Overall teaching is good. • . The headteacher and chair of governors provide the school with very clear educational direction and the school achieves its aims successfully. • . The process of school development planning, monitoring and evaluation is good. • . Arrangements for financial planning are good and there is efficient financial control and administration. • . The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. • . Pupils show good attitudes in class and behave well. • . Relationships at all levels in the school and pupils’ personal development are good. • . The school’s curricular arrangements are good, including those for literacy and numeracy. • . Provision for spiritual, social and cultural development is good; provision for moral development is very

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What the school does well

good. • . Procedures for monitoring pupils’ progress and personal development are very good. • . Procedures for monitoring and promoting discipline and good behaviour are excellent. • . Procedures for child protection and promoting pupils’ well being, health and safety are good. • . The school provides good information for parents. • . The school has a very good ethos characterised by a strong concern for others and a determination to help the pupils do their best. • . Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment are good in English, mathematics and science. • . The school offers good value for money.

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What the school does well

Standards in information technology are unsatisfactory. I. Attendance rates are below average. II. There are weaknesses in short term lesson planning.

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how the weaknesses identified during the inspection are to be tackled. The plan will be sent to all parents

· How the school has improved since the last inspection

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how the weaknesses identified during the inspection are to be tackled. The plan will be sent to all parents

The school has made good progress in improving the areas of weakness noted in the last inspection report and has continued to provide a secure and sensitive learning environment for pupils to work together. The role of subject co-ordinators has been developed and there are now co-ordinators for all subjects who play a prominent part in planning and monitoring. Good procedures have been introduced to measure progress towards the school’s goals: targets for 1999 were exceeded in the 1999 National Curriculum Tests in all core subjects. The single issue outstanding is to raise standards in information technology. However, a significant step has been taken with the building of a purpose-built information technology suite and there are promising plans to acquire more hardware and software. · Standards in subjects

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how the weaknesses identified during the inspection are to be tackled. The plan will be sent to all parents

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

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similar schools

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

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similar schools

The table refers to 1998 but inspectors judge that current standards are higher than those indicated. This judgement is supported by the provisional data for 1999. The information shows that when pupils left school last year their attainment was well below the national average in English, mathematics and science. In comparison with similar schools it was well below the average in English and below the average in mathematics and science. There has been an improvement over the last three years and attainment in 1999 was significantly greater than that in 1998. National Curriculum Test results improved by 18 per cent over those for 1998 in both English and mathematics, and by close on 30 per cent in science. Numbers attaining higher grades also increased in all three subjects. In information technology, standards are below the national expectations and in religious education the standards achieved by most pupils meet the requirements of the

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similar schools

Locally Agreed Syllabus. Progress in Key Stage 2 is satisfactory overall.

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similar schools

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

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similar schools

The overall quality of teaching is good throughout the school. Teaching was never less than satisfactory in all lessons seen; it was good in 52 per cent of cases and very good in a further 16 per cent. This demonstrates that the impressive standards mentioned in the earlier report have been sustained

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similar schools

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

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour Behaviour in the school is good. Pupils are polite and friendly to adults and each other. They support the school rules. The school is an orderly community. Attendance Unsatisfactory: below the national average. Ethos* Very good: pupils are interested in their work, relationships are very good and there is an appropriate emphasis on improvement and good behaviour. Leadership and management Good leadership from the headteacher and governing body accompanied by effective school development planning. Senior staff and curriculum co- ordinators are making a growing contribution to standards. Curriculum Good: strengths in terms of literacy, numeracy and long and medium term planning. Procedures for assessment and their use to inform lesson planning are good. Pupils with special educational needs Very good provision. The quality of support in reading and writing helps pupils to make good progress. Management is efficient. All pupils in the school

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Aspect Comment

support those with special educational needs very well. Spiritual, moral, social & cultural development Good spiritual, social and cultural development is supported well through effective curriculum planning and a range of opportunities for collaborative working. Provision for moral development is very good and enhanced by a most effective behaviour policy. Staffing, resources and accommodation There are sufficient teachers and a large support staff to deliver the National Curriculum. Resources are good and the literacy and numeracy hours have been supported by the purchase of suitable books. Accommodation for teaching, including outdoor spaces, is satisfactory. Value for money Good. * Ethos is the climate for learning: attitudes to work, relationships and the commitment to high standards.

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

III. They are encouraged to play an active part in the life of the school. IV. They would find it easy to approach the school with problems or questions to do with their children. V. The school handles complaints well. VI. The school gives a clear indication of what is taught. VII. The school keeps them well informed about their children’s progress. VIII. The school enables their children to achieve a good standard of work. IX. The school encourages pupils to get involved in more than just their daily lessons. X. The great majority of parents are satisfied with the work their children do at home. XI. The school’s attitudes and values have a positive effect on pupils. XII. The school achieves high standards of good behaviour. XIII. Pupils like school. XIV. The school does not always deal effectively Three parents attended the meeting held at the school by the Registered Inspector. Of the questionnaires sent out, 122 were returned. Inspectors support the positive views of the parents. With regard to the issue of the

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

school’s response to reported bullying, the number of parents who highlighted this was very small and, during the inspection, all of the team had opportunities to witness the school’s excellent response to any examples of poor behaviour. All staff, including non-teaching staff and lunchtime assistants, operate an effective anti- bullying policy.

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

In order to build on the strengths of the school the governors and senior management team should:

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

§ . improve standards in information technology by:

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

-. ensuring all National Curriculum Programmes of Study are covered.

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

-. organising appropriate training to increase the skills and confidence of both teachers and Learning Support Assistants.

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

-. increasing the amount of hardware. (Paras: 6, 28, 52, 85. 90, 91, 94)

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

§ . improve the quality of short term lesson planning, particularly in science and the foundation subjects

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by:

-. linking planning explicitly to National Curriculum Programmes of Study and associated Attainment Targets.

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by:

-. incorporating a wider range of methods and tasks to ensure that the work matches the wide range of pupils’ attainment within each class.

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-. ensuring that pupils’ work is both assessed regularly and recorded accurately so that planning is better informed. (Paras: 10, 11, 24, 32, 34, 55, 74, 81, 82, 88, 104, 105, 110, 115, 120, 126, 127, 134)

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by:

§ . improve the effectiveness of communication with parents over absence by:

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by:

-. emphasising parents’ responsibility to inform the school as soon as possible on the first day of absence.

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-. communicating promptly with parents who have not contacted the school to establish reasons for their child’s absence. (Paras: 19, 46) - INTRODUCTION

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1. Siskin Junior School is situated on a former estate for naval personnel in Rowner, Gosport, Hampshire. Pupils come from the local area. The school is of average size and there are 276 pupils in Years 3 to 6. Almost all pupils (99 per cent) are of white ethnic origin. The proportion of pupils for whom English is an additional language is 0.7 per cent, below average, but higher than many schools. No pupil is supported by Section 11 funding. About 33 per cent of pupils are eligible for, and claim, free school meals, a figure which is above the national average. The socio-economic background of pupils contains significant disadvantages, which are confirmed by local education authority figures. Families live in high rise flats, housing association properties, service married quarters or privately owned houses. The school places a high priority on fostering community spirit.

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2. The school is organised into ten classes, three for Year 3, two for Year 4, three for Year 5 and two for Year 6. Three pupils (one per cent) have local education authority statements of special educational needs but a further 44 are at Stages 3 or 4 of the Code of Practice. A total of 145 pupils (over 52 per cent) has been identified as having learning difficulties on the school’s register of special educational needs. The overall figure is significantly above average, although the number of pupils with statements of special educational needs is broadly in line with the national average. Attainment on entry into Year 3 is very broad, but below average overall.

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3. The school’s aims relate to working together to enable all children to achieve their potential, socially and academically. The previous inspection took place in May 1996. The school improvement plan is a clear, prioritised plan of improvement covering teaching and learning, children’s attitudes and values, partnership with parents and the quality of the learning environment. 3. Key indicators

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Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 Year Boys Girls Total for latest reporting year: 1999 27 23 50

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Results

Number of pupils Boys 11 ( 4) 13 ( 6) 18 ( 9) at NC Level 4 or Girls 16 (17) 14 (15) 17 (15) above Total 27 (21) 27 (21) 35 (24) Percentage at NC School 54 (36) 54 (36) 70 (41) Level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

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3. Teacher Assessments English Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 10 ( 3) 12 (10) 18 (10) at NC Level 4 or Girls 14 (17) 13 (19) 16 (14) above Total 24 (20) 25 (29) 34 (24) Percentage at NC School 48 (34) 50 (49) 68 (41) Level 4 or above National 67 (65) 69 (65) 75 (72)

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3. Percentages in parentheses refer to the year before the latest reporting year

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Percentage of half days (sessions) missed % through absence for the latest complete Authorised School 6.4 reporting year: Absence National comparative data 5.7 Unauthorised School 0.9 Absence National comparative data 0.5 3. 3. Exclusions

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

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Percentage of teaching observed which is: % Very good or better 16 Satisfactory or better 100 Less than satisfactory 0 3. PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

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3. EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS AT THE SCHOOL

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1. In the 1998 National Curriculum Tests, at the end of Key Stage 2, the proportion of pupils achieving Level 4 or above was well below the national average in English, mathematics and science. The proportion of pupils achieving Level 5 was also well below the average. In comparison with similar schools, results were below the average in mathematics and science and well below the average in English. However, results in all three subjects have improved perceptibly over the past three years; the 1999 National Curriculum Test results show improved performance at all levels. In English, the proportion of pupils obtaining Level 4 or higher increased by 18 per cent, in mathematics by 18 per cent and in science by nearly 30 per cent. Numbers of pupils obtaining higher grades also increased in all three subjects. There are no significant differences in the performance of boys and girls and the school

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has taken effective steps to monitor the attainment of boys and girls. This is an improvement since the earlier inspection..

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2. The previous inspection report indicated that standards in English and science were similar to the expected level and in mathematics they were slightly below it. The major reason for the discrepancy in the earlier report and the recent test scores is related to changes in testing procedures and the more detailed information which is now available. The attainment of pupils on entry to the school is below average and a very high proportion have special educational needs, a limited vocabulary and delayed development in their speaking and listening skills. The school does well to address these particular difficulties and ensure that, year on year, pupils continue to make satisfactory progress as they move through the school. However, they do not manage to catch up and, despite the best efforts of the school, pupils’ levels of attainment in Year 6 remain below the national averages.

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3. Standards of attainment in Year 6 are overall below average. Inspection evidence shows attainment to be below average in English, mathematics, science and information technology. Pupils’ attainment in reading is broadly in line with national averages although their understanding and ability to draw deductions from text is hampered by their restricted vocabulary. Speaking and listening skills are below those expected for pupils of this age. They listen attentively to their teachers but their concentration span is often limited. Many find it difficult to express themselves clearly: they use tenses incorrectly and have only a limited vocabulary. Handwriting is satisfactory and is often neat and well formed. Most pupils explain clearly how to find books in the library. Pupils have satisfactory literacy skills. Good examples of imaginative writing are seen in art where pupils write about imaginary creatures before

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painting them, in religious education where they produce good first hand accounts of the crucifixion and in history where they write about rationing and the lives of evacuees. Good examples of report writing are seen in science, where pupils record their experiments and in geography when they compare Rowner with Winchester.

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4. Pupils’ mathematical knowledge is below average: most have satisfactory basic number skills but they do not always apply them well in solving problems. Their attainment in the areas of shape, measures and data handling is below average. Numeracy skills are marginally below average but their use in a range of subjects is increasing. In history, pupils draw time lines and add together the values of Greek and Roman coins. In science, they produce graphs, tally counts and Venn diagrams. In geography, they record temperature and rainfall and compare Gosport with an area in India. Currently, however, there are no arrangements to guarantee the systematic development of numeracy skills across the curriculum.

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5. Pupils’ knowledge of science is close to the average with good understanding of growth and life cycles, for example. Their scientific skills are similarly close to the average and pupils use them well to plan their own investigations, as when studying the habitats of woodlice. In information technology, attainment is below the average in all areas with the exception of word processing. Most pupils are familiar with keyboard and mouse operations and are prepared to experiment should anything go wrong. They can load, log-on, save to their personal disk, shut down correctly and print their work unaided. However, skills in control technology, modelling, monitoring and data handling are unsatisfactory. Currently, information technology is not used systematically in other subjects of the curriculum. However, with the introduction of new computers under the scheme of work, programs are now being used to enhance other subject areas. For example, younger pupils use a language and literacy program

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to help their skills in English and Year 3 pupils process identity cards when working on World War Two. Standards reflect the expectations of the Locally Agreed Syllabus in religious education (RE). Pupils have a good understanding of a number of faiths as well as Christianity and understand how religious ideas are able to influence so many lives.

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6. In art, pupils show sound skills in observational drawing and three-dimensional work. In design technology, pupils draw simple plans of finger puppets and select appropriate materials to make them. Older pupils design and construct simple electrical lighting circuits and then discuss and modify their work in order to improve it. In geography, pupils understand important aspects of climate and weather and can compare a rural with an urban area. However, their knowledge of other aspects of physical geography, such as rivers, is limited as is their geographical vocabulary. In history, most pupils understand the importance of different types of evidence and have an understanding of local history. However, there are weaknesses in chronological development and in recalling and communicating historical knowledge. In music, skills of singing develop satisfactorily but there are weaknesses in pupils’ standards of composing and appreciating music. In physical education (PE), the majority of

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pupils showed satisfactory skills in the areas of gymnastics, games, dance and swimming.

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7. Pupils make overall satisfactory progress at Key Stage 2. From inspection evidence, pupils make at least sound progress and often good progress in most lessons. Progress over time is more variable and is affected by the curriculum organisation and management and schemes of work. In lessons which showed occasional unsatisfactory features of progress it was mainly related to work not being matched to pupils’ needs.

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8. Good features of progress are linked firmly to good teaching which is characterised in turn by good schemes of work, accurate short-term planning and helpful assessment procedures. Good examples are seen in English and mathematics where well planned lessons helped pupils to understand how to read reports and how to arrange three squares. In science, pupils were organised well to discover which materials conducted electricity before writing their results in chart form accurately. Year 5 pupils learnt how to produce some interesting graphs in information technology as a result of some well-planned class surveys and a lesson in religious education on the Five Pillars of Islam was characterised by an interesting range of teaching strategies which helped pupils’ understanding. Unsatisfactory features of progress are associated mainly with weaknesses in weekly and short-term planning, mainly in the

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foundation subjects. This leads to some otherwise good lessons being marred by tasks which are not fully matched to pupils’ attainment and also the absence of regular assessments to help plan future work. In a minority of subjects, such as physical education, more detail is needed in the scheme of work to help teachers with their planning so that pupils can build on a sound foundation of skills. Finally, although pupils’ generally positive attitudes help their progress, longer-term progress in subjects such as history, geography and, to a lesser extent, science, is hindered by weaknesses in verbal reasoning and comprehension. In those subjects, the success of the learning principles underlying the new literacy and numeracy arrangements is often overlooked.

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9. Progress of higher attaining pupils is satisfactory, particularly in the core subjects, because pupils are usually challenged by the work set for them. However, in some classes, lesson planning does not always cater for the needs of all higher attainers. Generally, boys and girls make similar progress and this marks an improvement on the position at the time of the earlier inspection.

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10. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress. Nearly a half of pupils have an identified special need and the factors which affect all classes also affect them. Generally, progress is satisfactory and sometimes good in most lessons, and over time, towards the targets set for them in individual education plans (IEPs). They are often taught in smaller groups by adults who provide good levels of individual support and set high, but achievable, expectations. 13. Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

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11. The last inspection found that pupils behaved and worked well in lessons and showed responsibility in helping and supporting each other. These good standards have been maintained, and attitudes were good in the lessons seen. Pupils throughout the school display positive and sometimes very positive attitudes to their learning. They show a genuine interest in their lessons, such as PE sessions in the hall introducing elements of Indian dance. Most are quick to volunteer answers to teachers’ questions, and are keen to be involved. Sometimes they become excited and enthusiastic: for example, Year 6 pupils cheering when they successfully met a challenge in a numeracy lesson. Similarly, pupils enjoy the pace and variety of literacy lessons and show a growing interest in, for example, alliteration, particularly when it is well taught. Pupils with special educational needs work hard on their learning targets and

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generally do their best when working either on their own or with adult help.

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12. Many pupils in the school have difficulty in maintaining their concentration because of their additional educational needs, but they respond admirably in most lessons to the challenging and interesting methods used by the staff. In a Year 5 information technology lesson, for instance, pupils remained well on task and showed skills of perseverance and self-motivation. The pupils take a pride in their work: most are confident in standing up in front of their class to talk or show what they have done without fear of ridicule.

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13. Behaviour is good overall. It is orderly in corridors, in the playground and around the site. This, in turn, leads to a sense of security in the school environment that supports learning and personal development. The school had no exclusions in the last year. Behaviour is consistently good in lessons and can be exemplary: for instance, during a Year 5 lesson on the Five Pillars of Islam. On the odd occasion, some silly behaviour develops if a teacher’s management and discipline are weak, or if the pace of the lesson is too slow. Most pupils are friendly and courteous to each other and to adults and show respect for resources such as musical instruments, computer equipment, or the artefacts studied in religious education and history lessons. There is no evidence of graffiti and little litter around the school site.

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14. Relationships between the pupils of all backgrounds and races and between pupils and staff – both teachers and, particularly, assistants - are good. The pupils learn from the example of the staff who are good role models. Pupils often collaborate well in pairs and in group work; for example, when sharing ideas for an advertising poster in a Year 6 information technology lesson. They are also able to show sensitivity to other people’s feelings and beliefs, for example during the Year 5 religious education lesson mentioned above, where pupils were sensitive to each other’s reasons for praying, or when they sympathised with wartime evacuees and ‘blitz’ victims in Year 3 history and art lessons.

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15. The pupils have good personal development, and respond well to the opportunities the school provides for trust and responsibility. They operate the overhead projector and organise seating in assemblies, for example, and are well drilled in distributing and collecting up resources for games lessons and class games during breaks. They take their roles as councillors seriously and debate sensibly in school council meetings. Good examples were seen of pupils showing initiative, such as selecting their own resources and apparatus in a Year 6 mathematics lesson on Venn diagrams, but some lessons remain too teacher- directed to allow the pupils to demonstrate their independence.

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16. The attendance rates at the school are unsatisfactory in spite of the school’s positive efforts to encourage and promote attendance and there has been a slight fall since the earlier inspection. Much of the authorised absence is for genuine medical reasons, though both authorised and unauthorised absences are higher than the national average. Punctuality is sound at the beginning of the school day and after lunch, and most lessons start promptly and efficiently. 19. QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

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17. The overall quality of teaching is good. Teaching was never less than satisfactory in all lessons; it was good in 52 per cent of cases and very good in a further 16 per cent. There are no significant variations between classes. In this respect, the school has sustained the impressive standards mentioned in the earlier inspection report.

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18. There is a very strong link between the quality of teaching, the pupils’ response and their progress. In the lessons where teaching is good, so, too in almost all cases are response and progress. The best teaching overall occurs in English and mathematics. The staff have worked hard to make a success of both the literacy hour and the numeracy hour and teaching in those lessons shows good organisation, structure and content. Teaching is good in all other subjects seen during the inspection with the exception of design technology and history where it is satisfactory.

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19. Overall, the teachers’ knowledge and understanding of subjects is good. Good subject knowledge is a notable feature of English where it is used to good effect in answering pupils’ questions and in developing links between literacy and other subjects. The teachers’ expectations of the progress that pupils should make is good overall, and there is little variation from subject to subject. The best demands on pupils were seen in the use of the information technology suite and in whole school music practice in the hall where all pupils were kept busy. The overall level of teachers’ expectations of behaviour are very good throughout the school and teachers operate the behaviour management policy extremely well. Teachers use a good range of teaching strategies and the standard of explanations, questioning and task- setting is good. Pupils made good progress as a result of stimulating questioning in lessons in

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mathematics on bar charts and number patterns. Similarly, good demonstrations by teachers of skills in art help pupils to move forward. Time and resources are managed well: pace is often brisk in the literacy and numeracy hours and a particularly good example of the use of resources was seen in a lesson where a teacher used the overhead projector to help pupils understand about synonyms. In a PE lesson, pupils were kept moving briskly whilst learning hockey skills with the result that they built on their existing expertise well. Parents expressed overall satisfaction with the work that their children are expected to do at home. Arrangements for homework are good and pupils regularly complete a range of assignments in English and mathematics.

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20. The best teaching is where teachers have good subject knowledge and take careful note of how pupils learn, drawing up detailed plans which reflect this. This ensures that lower attaining pupils, whose attention span is often short, are taught using a variety of approaches and methods during a lesson, each stage being marked by a demanding yet realistic pace. A good example was seen in a Year 5 games lesson on the field where pupils were kept busy on a range of activities using bat and ball. Tasks are also designed carefully so that they present an appropriate challenge to pupils of all abilities, as in a Year 3 art lesson where the teacher used a range of strategies to help pupils compose a picture of the ‘blitz’ using pastels and black paper. Another common thread of the best teaching is when teachers make appropriately high demands of the pupils in both the work that they do and in their behaviour. A

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characteristic of effective lessons is that even minor breaches of good behaviour are dealt with at once, calmly but firmly. As a result, pupils who misbehave elsewhere make progress and, importantly, do not prevent other pupils from doing so. This is one of the strengths of the school. Effective lessons provide suitable opportunities for individual or group activities, the teacher circulating easily to ensure progress and to answer questions and at the same time keeping an eye on the rest of the class.

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21. Unsatisfactory features of teaching consist mainly of a failure in some lessons to develop short term plans from the current good longer and medium term plans. As a result, teaching objectives do not always address firmly the National Curriculum Programmes of Study. This shows itself in a number of ways, including setting tasks that are not always matched accurately to pupils’ aptitudes. As a result of a lack of sharpness, pace slowed in lessons in music and art and in a history lesson, higher attaining pupils were not challenged by some drawing exercises whilst lower attaining pupils had some problems with reading materials. The overall use of assessment to support teaching is satisfactory but there are weaknesses. English, mathematics and science offer good examples of assessment because the school has worked hard to improve standards. Recording is generally good in those subjects. Nevertheless,

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assessment procedures have weaknesses in the foundation subjects. Marking is usually done well but the results of teachers’ assessments are not always used to plan future lessons for children at different stages of understanding.

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22. The support provided for pupils with special educational needs is good. It enables pupils to make appropriate progress. The quality of in-class support provided by classroom assistants is good, especially when good liaison has occurred with a class teacher, so that the role of the assistant is clearly defined. The quality of the teaching support available to teachers is a strength of the school.

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23. The school’s action planning target to sustain teaching quality in the face of significant teacher turn- over has been successful. It has been helped considerably by the fact that class sizes are not too large and there is generous support provision. The school is judged to have a good capacity to sustain this improvement.

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24. The school has taken positive steps to address the issues raised following the last inspection. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment have been further developed, and results of school and national tests in English, mathematics and science are now used more effectively to monitor progress and to give guidance to teachers on future planning needs. Schemes of work are now in place for all subjects.

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25. The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum in all subjects with the exception of information technology, where insufficient attention has been paid to the teaching of control technology. However, the school is taking steps to address this issue as a matter of urgency through the implementation of a new, comprehensive scheme of work. The school has worked hard to implement the National Literacy and Numeracy strategies successfully. This is already proving very effective in raising standards. The curriculum actively promotes pupils’ intellectual and social development and the very good provision for pupils’ personal development is delivered both through circle time, when pupils are encouraged to share personal thoughts and feelings, and through the day-to-day activities of the school.

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26. The school has suitable curriculum aims and a good curriculum statement. The governors discuss curriculum matters regularly. In particular, governors monitor National Curriculum Test results and the progress of pupils with special educational needs.

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27. There is a generous time allocation for the teaching of English, which is appropriate given the pupils’ needs, and the allocation of time to teach mathematics and science is satisfactory. The school is taking steps to address the imbalance in other subjects, such as design technology. Time allocation is now satisfactory overall. Statutory requirements for the teaching of the National Curriculum, religious education, sex and health education, including drugs misuse, are fully met and all pupils have access to the provision. The programme for the teaching of religious education is mainly Christian and takes good account of the contents of the Agreed Syllabus. Health education, including sex and drugs education, is taught mainly through the science curriculum, and is well supported by good advice from the Community Health Service and the police. Parents are appropriately informed of their rights to withdraw

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pupils from sex education and religious education.

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28. Curriculum planning takes place regularly and efficiently across the school and appropriately incorporates National Curriculum Programmes of Study. Detailed schemes of work are used effectively in yearly and half-termly planning, and these take good account of the need to teach skills in the correct order. Foundation subjects have been carefully linked through a curriculum map to ensure that pupils get the most from those subjects. However, the planned use of literacy and numeracy across the curriculum is under-developed in the foundation subjects. Year group teachers plan work together to ensure consistency of approach and delivery, and staff, including senior managers and coordinators, scrutinise plans regularly. They offer advice and support to ensure that pupils continue to make maximum progress as they move through the school.

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29. Weekly and daily planning in English, mathematics and science is good, but short term planning in other subjects lacks detail and clarity, with the result that some lessons are poorly organised, learning intentions are not always clear, and planned work and assessment intentions for pupils of differing attainment are not always identified. This results in a slowing of progress, especially for the higher attainers. There are effective systems in place for passing on information from class to class and to receiving schools. Similarly, there are good records to identify pupils’ progress in their academic, personal and social development.

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30. There is very good provision for pupils with special educational needs and for equal opportunities. Pupils are helped by the governors’ staffing provision, including special educational needs assistants who work closely with pupils. Similarly, visiting professionals make a particular contribution to the management of behaviour problems. Pupils’ needs are usually met well through activities appropriate to their aptitudes, especially when they are taught in small groups. However, on occasions in some lessons, planning is not sufficiently detailed to meet their needs.

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31. The school provides a varied range of extra-curricular activities, including music, football, netball, table tennis and the computer and newspaper clubs. These are well attended. Strenuous efforts have been made to involve parents in pupils’ learning through the introduction of information technology, mathematics and literacy clubs and those who attend derive a great deal of benefit.

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32. Assessment procedures and the use of assessment to inform planning are good in English, mathematics and science but are in need of further development in other subjects. Both staff and pupils are beginning to make good use of information technology software for assessing language development. The results of school and National Tests in English, mathematics and science are analysed, and the results are used to group pupils according to attainment. They are now being used effectively to track pupils’ progress throughout their years in the junior school. Clear termly targets, which are agreed by pupils and teachers, means that pupils understand what they need to do to improve. These targets are used to compile end of year reports, and give parents useful guidance on how to help their child. Pupils also evaluate their achievements in topic work and identify areas where they need to try harder. Records of

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pupils’ progress through National Curriculum Programmes of Study are kept and checks are frequently made to see if they are on course to reach their targets. Although questions are used very effectively to test what pupils have learned, systems for monitoring pupils’ progress in foundation subjects, including systems for record keeping and the saving and annotating of pupils’ work, are unsatisfactory.

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33. A home/ school agreement is in place, including the recent provision of an attractive home/school record book. Homework is set regularly and includes reading and spelling, mathematics and science, as well as the completion of topic work. Marking of pupils’ work is regular and helpful and is discussed with pupils in order to set future targets.

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34. The curriculum is further enriched by visits to the local community and beyond, including a residential visit to Calshot and trips to Cheriton to locate the source of the River Itchen, to Winchester and then to Southampton where it flows into the sea. They look at Tudor houses at Titchfield and visit the local Norman church as part of their religious education work. Pupils enjoy looking at the Roman villa at Fishbourne and the farm at Sparsholt. Visitors, including local church leaders and musicians, also enhance the curriculum.

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

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1. The school is a caring community and its provision for spiritual, moral social and cultural development is good. It makes a positive contribution to the quality of pupils’ education and the standards they achieve. This is a strength of the school that was identified in the last inspection report and has been sustained since. 2. The spiritual development of the pupils is good and well promoted. It is mainly secured through the religious education curriculum. Pupils acquire knowledge and insight into Christian values and beliefs and those of other religions, which enables them to be reflective and develop their spiritual awareness and self-knowledge. They make a range of visits to St Mary`s church to celebrate festivals. Although teachers do not systematically plan for pupils’ spiritual development across the remainder of the curriculum there are examples as in the Year 5 comparative study of Rowner and Kesharpur of pupils

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thinking about their ‘special places’, such as the nearby Stokes Bay. Acts of collective worship provide time for reflection and make a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual development.

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3. The provision for pupils’ moral development is very good. The school’s aims emphasise moral values and the school wishes to create a caring community where social responsibilities are developed. Pupils have a clear understanding of right and wrong and are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions. School rules, emphasise positive behaviour; respect for others and the consequences of poor behaviour. Teachers are very good role models, have suitable expectations of how pupils should behave and systematically apply these across the school. The school`s personal and social education programme makes a significant contribution to pupils’ moral development. The School Council, with representation from each class, and focusing mainly on out of lesson activities, allows pupils to contribute to moral and social development by, for example, regulating the areas for particular games at break times. The school

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also places a strong emphasis on equality of opportunity.

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4. Pupils’ social development is good. Pupils are encouraged to value each other’s work in the weekly achievement assembly. Older pupils arrange the layout of the hall for assemblies, contribute to parents` evenings by showing parents around and disseminate the view of the school council to pupils in the younger classes with the help of their own representative. Pupils in each class have responsibility for the class play equipment at break times. The school has good links with the local community. There is a wide range of after school activities. The residential visit to Calshot for Year 6 pupils focuses on environmental studies as well as outdoor adventurous activities.

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5. The provision for pupils’ cultural development is good. The school`s curriculum ensures opportunities for pupils to study cultural diversity. Pupils` awareness of English culture occurs through local studies and places of educational interest, often linked to studies in geography and history such as Fishbourne, Sparsholt and local science fairs. Pupils taking part in music and citizenship competitions and visitors to the school enhance cultural provision. For example, the visit of an Indian dance teacher to support the Year 5 study of Kesharpur involved pupils in learning Indian dances. The school sponsors a Kenyan pupil through a national agency and correspondence is exchanged and appreciated by the pupils.

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42. Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

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1. The provision for the support, guidance and welfare of pupils is good and standards have been maintained since the last inspection. The school is successful in its aim to promote a happy, caring school. Staff are accessible and responsive and give pupils good support. Pupils with special educational needs are supported effectively and the progress they make against the targets set in their individual education plans is monitored well. Pupils share in determining these targets and have them on their desk throughout the day. The school has a good range of links with external specialists, for example, the educational psychologist, the community police liaison officer, the school nurse and social services and the local education authority support service for literacy and numeracy.

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2. The procedures for monitoring and promoting academic progress are good. Teachers assess pupils regularly and involve parents when they have concerns. Assessment records are used to set suitable targets for all pupils. The procedures for monitoring and promoting personal development are excellent. The headteacher is available and approachable and all teaching and non-teaching staff are well organised, sensitive and aware. Liaison with parents is good and pupils are involved in discussions. Comprehensive systems are in place to ensure high quality support for pupils. The special needs co- ordinator and three learning support assistants work closely with social services to implement the ‘Cope Project’. This local initiative involves staff working closely with individuals and groups of pupils to develop self-esteem to address bullying or poor behaviour: is proving effective.

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3. The procedures for monitoring and promoting discipline and good behaviour are excellent. The behaviour policy is concise and lays out the rules for classroom discipline and behaviour around the school. School rules reinforce positive standards. The rules are also included in the handbook for parents. They are revisited with pupils when they misbehave. There is an effective whole school approach involving teachers, learning support staff, lunchtime staff and other non-teaching staff. Excellent use is made of stickers, stamps, certificates and names on the board. Pupils are proud to be awarded points and certificates and strive to achieve a platinum certificate and a book token. Where there are problems, very concise notes are made by teachers and learning support staff who then deal with them effectively. Bullying is firmly dealt with and its management is not an issue. The ethos of the school promotes a climate of good behaviour where praise and censure are balanced effectively.

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4. The procedures to monitor and promote attendance are sound. It is promoted through newsletters, the parent handbook and induction meetings for parents and pupils. Individual concerns are followed up with parents. The Educational Welfare Officer provides very good support. However, a weakness is that registers are only analysed at the end of each week and the present system means that it can take up to four weeks before an unauthorised absence is followed-up.

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5. The procedures for child protection are good and in line with the local authority guidelines. Child protection procedures are effective and known by staff. The headteacher has good liaison with social services. ‘Circle time’ provides good strategies to help pupils become self-reliant. The procedures for promoting pupils' well being, health and safety are sound. The health and safety policy is comprehensive. There are sound strategies in place to support the policy. The school is clean, tidy and well maintained. Effective fire drills are held and duly recorded. However, a policy for risk assessment is not yet in place for the school. During the inspection week, a number of minor health and safety issues were brought to the attention of the school and they were acted upon. The policy for the conduct of visits is good. There are sound arrangements for first aid known by the staff and pupils. There are three named

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first-aiders who attend effectively to accidents. 47. Partnership with parents and the community

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1. The last inspection report stated that the school should develop parental involvement by continuing to provide a secure and sensitive learning environment in which the school can work together with parents. The school has made strenuous efforts to address this, but with limited success. However, over 90 per cent of parents responding to questionnaires are happy that their children enjoy school.

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2. Parents receive good information about the school and the attainment and progress of its pupils. The majority (over 80 per cent) of those returning questionnaires feel that they are given a clear understanding of what is taught and are kept well informed about progress. The prospectus and the governors’ annual report to parents are informative and accessible. The annual pupil reports are very informative, with pictorial and written comments by pupils as well as subject attainment levels and helpful recommendations for parents, such as how to help with specific targets. Not all subjects, however, contain sufficient information on progress. Newsletters are plentiful and regular, and cover a wide range of information. Parents have the opportunity to discuss their child’s progress at a formal meeting each term and are also invited to open mornings and workshops.

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3. Parents are appropriately involved in their children’s learning. There is a sound home/school agreement, which was appropriately developed through consultation with parents. Parent helpers come in regularly, and some were seen during the inspection week helping pupils with special educational needs and in art. Most parents feel that homework is set at an appropriate level, and they are soundly involved in the home reading and mathematics schemes. There is a parents’ association, the Friends of Siskin School Association, which organises social evenings, bazaars and fairs as well as fundraising, but it has difficulty involving large numbers of parents.

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4. Links with the community are sound. The school uses visits to the limited local institutions, such as the local supermarket, church and Royal Navy establishments, as a useful supplement to the curriculum, as well as science fairs and a wide range of places of interest further afield such as Calshot and Winchester. The pupils also benefit from regular visitors including local clergy and police liaison officers, and occasional visitors such as dance specialists. There are good links with the local infants’ school that shares the same site, and with the nearby secondary school. The school’s computer suite was developed through partnership with the infants and the nearby community centre, and is regularly used by the local community. The pool is also used by the local playscheme. All of these opportunities enhance the curriculum and make a sound contribution to pupils’ development and the continuity of their learning.

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51. THE MANAGEMENT AND EFFICIENCY OF THE SCHOOL

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1. The school has made good progress in improving the areas of weakness noted in the last inspection report. The role of subject co-ordinators has been developed well and they now play a significant role in planning the curriculum and the maintenance and development of standards. Very good procedures have been set up to monitor the relative achievement of the school’s aims and these are a central feature of the school improvement plan. The school has also continued to provide a secure and sensitive learning environment where pupils can work together with parents. The area which remains to be tackled is that of raising standards in information technology. However, the recent installation of the new information technology suite and the new scheme of work have laid a sound foundation for the improvement of standards.

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2. Arrangements for development planning are very good. All planning is governed by the school improvement plan, which is updated annually. The plan has a clear structure which highlights targets at all levels. It contains timescales, responsibilities, success criteria and monitoring details. There is a clear and effective process of consultation with governors who are actively involved in the process and who receive audits before making regular reviews of progress. The senior management team and staff are also consulted before the plan is drawn up. School improvement features strongly in development planning and the priorities are to improve teaching, learning, attitudes and the partnership with parents. At a subject level, the core subjects have been well developed and other subject planning has been good. Clear arrangements are in place for monitoring and evaluating the school improvement plan and this is

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having a positive impact on pupils’ attainment and progress as the 1999 National Curriculum Test results show.

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3. The governing body is organised effectively and is very well led. An experienced, hardworking and able Chair of Governors is supported well by appropriate committees. The body is clerked effectively and, as a result, pays good attention to its major duties in areas such as finance, staffing, buildings and curriculum. The school has established a good framework for the introduction of the National Literacy Strategy and the National Numeracy Strategy. The subjects have been resourced well and the Literacy governor has reviewed arrangements regularly. In particular, the governing body attends to its responsibilities for special educational needs extremely well. They receive regular reports from both the named governor and the special educational needs co-ordinator.

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4. Overall arrangements to monitor the quality of teaching and curricular development are good. Teaching is monitored by the headteacher and other staff, particularly the deputy headteachers. Subject co- ordinators are involved appropriately in reviewing the planning and teaching of the areas for which they have responsibility. Monitoring is done through classroom observation and studying planning and pupils’ work. However, arrangements are currently unsatisfactory for monitoring the quality of short term planning in foundation subjects with the result that objectives are sometimes unclear and pupils’ progress is checked. Curriculum co-ordinators have clear job descriptions and understand their main priorities. This is a marked improvement on arrangements at the earlier inspection. The headteacher has introduced clear structures following the recent promotion of senior staff and the newly formed

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senior management team is continuing to monitor curriculum development and teaching effectively.

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5. The headteacher provides very clear educational direction for the school. He is central to the everyday life of the school to which he is dedicated. He has successfully developed priorities around good standards of behaviour linked to improved academic attainment. He has also succeeded in maintaining a cheerful and caring environment which all believe is a pre-requisite for learning. Parents, governors and staff indicate that they have confidence in the leadership of the school and they support strongly its aims and values. In turn, the headteacher is well supported by a governing body, which is cohesive, supportive and effective. It offers good support in the day-to-day running of the school.

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6. The ethos of the school is very good. The pupils enjoy their life at school. There are very good relationships between teachers, pupils and parents. All pupils, particularly those with special educational needs, are valued and given very good opportunities to participate fully in the life of the school. In an area with significant social and economic problems, the school succeeds in creating a happy, caring atmosphere where good relationships are fostered.

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7. Overall, leadership and management have been successful in realising the school’s aims, which place a premium on creating a friendly atmosphere where children are encouraged to achieve their potential, socially and academically. It is also succeeding in providing a broad and balanced curriculum, good behavioural standards and improving academic standards. Governors fulfil statutory requirements in all areas, save a few minor ones relating to reporting to parents. As a result of current organisational arrangements and the rate of progress achieved so far, the school has a good capacity to improve further.

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58. Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

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8. The school’s teachers are appropriately qualified for the demands of the curriculum despite the high staff turnover in recent years. As a result of the priorities of the governing body there are more teachers than the national average and this, combined with the above average number of support staff, has a good effect on standards. There is also an above average number of administrative staff hours compared to similar schools and this makes a valued contribution to the school’s success. 9. The staff are supported by a very good programme of professional development, underpinned by termly performance reviews for all staff against the priorities of the school improvement plan. Numeracy training was appropriately planned to support the National Numeracy Strategy, and induction arrangements for newly qualified staff are very good. The school gained Investors in People status in 1996 in recognition of its staff development planning, and it was renewed following a successful review

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10. The school has a good overall level of resources, which is an improvement since the last inspection. In particular, the range and quality of books and equipment in English, science and art has a positive effect on the pupils’ learning. The recently installed computer suite, and the redeployment of the old computers into mini-suites, have led to a very favourable ratio of computers to pupils. Whilst PE resources are adequate overall, the school is short of mats, benches and activity tables.

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11. The school’s accommodation is adequate overall, which is similar to the situation at the time of the last inspection. The school buildings and grounds provide a pleasant environment in which to work; they are clean and mostly well maintained. The large hall and playing field and the swimming pool and adventure playgrounds are particularly good features of the provision. There have been some positive developments since the last inspection such as the attractive reception and environmental areas. Most classrooms and corridors are now spacious. There is a large specialist area for pupils with special educational needs but no small area for individual withdrawal. However, the school is planning to use existing special needs accommodation as a mainstream classroom. Given this potential loss, and the fact that half of all pupils have an identified special need, the capacity to improve in this area is poor. The

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cramped external huts suffer from poor ventilation and poor sound proofing; the open plan classrooms upstairs in the main building and in the hall has an adverse effect on the progress of pupils as they are often distracted by neighbouring lessons.

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12. Financial planning is good: it is linked firmly to the school improvement plan with decisions being taken to meet educational objectives. The school improvement plan drives the budget setting cycle and there is a regular schedule of meetings. All plans are costed in terms of in-service implications, time and expenditure on resources. The headteacher, financial secretary and governors work together at various stages of the year to form the budget. Arrangements are in place in ensure value for money: for example, the governors and headteacher examine carefully the effectiveness of support staffing arrangements and the decision to keep such staffing at generous levels is the result of careful assessments about the benefits to pupils.

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13. Financial control is good. The finance committee oversees the financial management process and the most recent audit report found that the school’s accounts are properly controlled and applied. The school has a good computer based system for modeling and monitoring financial expenditure under a number of different budget headings. The financial secretary keeps the headteacher and governors well-informed and significant variances are examined. Budget details are published in the governors’ annual report to parents.

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14. The school’s administration is efficient and secure. Clerical ordering, invoicing and cheque book management are good. The school’s administration is efficient and supports the work of the school. Currently, the school is seeking to improve external communication through a regular newsletter and this is working well. There is a good segregation of budget responsibilities which provide a balanced base of cost centres, including subject co-ordinators.

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15. Members of staff have clearly defined roles and responsibilities and the allocation of non-contact time is equitable. It enables post holders such as deputy headteachers, the special educational needs co- ordinator and co-ordinators to attend to their duties. The accommodation is used satisfactorily and generally it promotes effective learning. However, more thought needs to be given to the problems presented to teachers by the close proximity of different classes in the open plan areas, particularly in Year 6. Teaching staff are deployed appropriately for curriculum needs and Learning Support Assistants offer particularly effective help to class teachers. They play a significant role in enhancing attainment and progress in areas such as information technology, special educational needs and behaviour management and represent particularly good value for money.

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16. When pupils enter the school their attainment is below average and they come from a significantly below average mixture of socio-economic backgrounds. Pupils’ progress is satisfactory during their time at school and by the age of eleven their attainment approaches the national average overall. The attitudes, behaviour and personal development of the pupils of the school are good. The quality of education, including the teaching, provided by the school is also good and with average unit costs per pupil, the school provides good value for money. 67. PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

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17. Pupils enter the school with below average attainment and, throughout Key Stage 2, the school receives a number of pupils of well below average attainment. At the end of Key Stage 2, the performance of pupils in the 1998 tests was well below the national average and well below average when compared with schools with pupils from similar backgrounds. Numbers reaching the higher levels were below the national average. Pupils’ attainment over the period 1996 to 1998 is also well below national averages, with girls performing marginally better than boys. However, the school’s 1999 Key Stage 2 National Curriculum test results, for which there are no current direct comparisons, show an upward improvement of 18 per cent against a national rise of 5 per cent.

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18. Inspection findings show that pupils’ attainment levels in speaking and listening at the end of Key Stage 2 are below those expected for pupils of this age. Pupils listen attentively to their teachers, but their concentration span is often limited. They listen carefully to their fellow pupils and speak in turn. However, middle and lower attaining pupils, often express themselves briefly, using incorrect tenses and colloquial language regardless of context. They are keen to answer questions but have difficulty explaining their views and speaking in complex sentences. In a Year 6 lesson, pupils understood the use of parentheses but had difficulty in clearly explaining their application. The vocabulary used by pupils is limited. This is being addressed in literacy hour lessons, by systematically encouraging the use of adjectives, adverbs and a wide range of verbs. Inspection evidence shows that it is having a positive

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19. Inspection findings also show that pupils’ attainment in reading is broadly in line with national averages although their understanding and ability to draw deductions from text is hampered, as in speaking and listening, by their narrow vocabulary. It is also partly due to pupils’ lack of confidence in making predictions and commenting on simpler aspects of the writer’s craft, such as the understanding of, and response to, characters and themes. Pupils have good technical skills, which enable them to read with accuracy and, in the case of higher attaining pupils, expression and fluency. When faced with unknown words they use their phonic skills well. Pupils participate enthusiastically in oral reading sessions and, in reading poetry in particular, learn how to vary the tone and pitch of their voices. Pupils in a Year 5 lesson read out their individual poems entitled ‘Why?’, giving due emphasis to the question. In Year 6,

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pupils study texts that give information. They focus on headings and sub headings, reading the texts and giving their own heading. Literacy hour lessons are having a positive effect. Pupils are reading a wider range of titles both fiction and non fiction. In some classrooms, the class’s ten most popular titles are displayed. The school provides rich reading environments with a central well-stocked library and class book corners containing fiction and books of poetry and plays. The school now monitors the non-fiction reading habits of pupils through the computerised library book withdrawal system. The policy on pupils taking books home and the use of the home school reading log makes a positive contribution to pupils reading.

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20. In work seen during the inspection, attainment in writing is below the national average. Presentational skills are overall satisfactory. By the end of Key Stage 2, most pupils can write with reasonable accuracy, although they use short sentences with limited vocabulary. Pupils` work hard to improve the spelling of high frequency words, using dictionaries appropriate to their ability, and have regular spelling homework. They understand the main punctuation marks but need to be constantly reminded to use them. In a Year 3 lesson, pupils use a thesaurus to help them find synonyms. In a Year 4 lesson, less able pupils with good adult support, use a structure of ‘who, where, when’ to arrange a story

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21. Progress overall is sound. The good provision in the literacy hour has a positive effect on the progress made by pupils of all ability groups. During these lessons, pupils across the school make at least satisfactory and, in many cases, good progress. Good progress is particularly related to good teaching as in a Year 6 lesson where pupils work on identifying parentheses as added information in a passage. However, good progress in individual lessons is not sustained in the longer term because of pupils’ inability to retain knowledge. Teachers have to remind pupils constantly what they have been taught.

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22. Pupils’ response is good. Across the school pupils work hard. They listen carefully to their teachers’ explanations and instructions. Pupils relate well to their teachers and each other. They ask for help when necessary and take a pride in presenting their written work neatly in response to their teachers’ expectations. Pupils of all ages and ability groups have a positive attitude to reading and enjoy reading poetry, fiction and non-fiction titles. They answer questions and are mainly attentive listeners.

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23. The quality of teaching is good. It contributes strongly to pupils’ good attitudes to their work and to the progress that they make in lessons. The most successful lessons are planned thoroughly, have clear learning intentions and high expectations of pupils’ English abilities. Teachers set demanding tasks. These are structured carefully to match pupils’ learning needs. Resources support the objective well as, for example, the use of an overhead projector and masking words in a lesson on synonyms. Teachers have good subject knowledge, maintain a good pace to the lessons and have good behaviour management skills. Although lessons within the year groups are planned jointly on a long-term basis the date to day planning and use of materials is left to individual teachers. On occasion this leads to a significant variations in the delivery of the lesson.

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24. The subject is very well managed by the co-ordinator and the overall provision for English has improved since the last inspection. Classroom practice is monitored, test results analysed and specific targets, which the children understand, are set to improve their English. These factors, together with the effective implementation of the literacy hour, are having a positive effect on pupils’ progress and attainment and suggest that there is a good capacity to improve.

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25. Results of national tests in 1998 showed pupils’ attainment at the end of the key stage to be well below the national averages at Level 4 or above. The proportion of pupils obtaining Level 5 was well below the national average. Results for the previous two years were also well below the national average. Teacher assessment for 1998 was well below national averages and matched test results. Results for 1998 show that girls and boys performed at a similar level. Results for 1999 show a significant improvement on the previous year. However, despite this, the attainments of pupils in using and applying mathematics, shape, measure, data handling and the use of number to support other subjects are below national averages. This is similar to the findings of the previous inspection.

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26. Pupils make satisfactory progress in developing numeracy skills, especially given the below average attainment on entry. An effective start has been made in implementing the National Numeracy Strategy. By the end of the key stage pupils have a sound recall of number facts and the four rules of number. They can describe their mental strategies for recalling number facts. For example, Year 6 pupils use their own methods to multiply numbers based on the numbers six and four. They were observed multiplying six by forty, six hundred by four hundred and six million by four thousand and explaining their working to the class. Year 5 pupils use personal strategies to convert decimals to fractions in order to produce a pie chart. In some classes, opportunities for pupils to select their own resources for mathematical activities are sometimes restricted by class teachers presenting the apparatus. Across the

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curriculum, the use of numeracy is sound but it is not always planned for and opportunities are missed. In history, time lines are drawn and values of Greek and Roman coins are added together. In science, graphs, tally counts and Venn diagrams are used and in geography temperature and rainfall charts for Gosport and an area of India are compared. However, no examples were seen in other subjects. There is no significant difference in the progress of boys and girls, and pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress.

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27. In their work on shape, space and measurement pupils know the properties of two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. However, poor language skills, especially in Years 3 and 4, hamper the use and development of mathematical vocabulary when describing the shapes.

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28. When data handling, pupils are able to produce bar and line graphs and compare their results. For example, Year 5 pupils produce trend graphs to plot changes over time of the temperature in the classroom and pie charts of favourite books and authors.

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29. Pupils’ attitude to mathematics is good. They respond with enthusiasm to questions, work well together, share willingly and treat resources with care. They are not afraid to offer answers and strategies that may be incorrect. In doing so they learn from their mistakes. Pupils work independently as required although some lose concentration very easily. Relations between pupils and between pupils and adults are good.

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30. Teaching overall is good. In two Year 6 lessons observed teaching was very good. A very good lesson on bar charts was observed in one Year 6 class. In the other Year 6 class a very good lesson was seen on number patterns and properties of the two, four and eight times tables. In both lessons very good questioning was used to encourage pupils, to assess their understanding and to move them on to the next stage of learning. Both lessons had very good pace which motivated pupils. At the end of lessons, good use is made of time to recap the work and to share, explain and refine pupils’ understanding. Throughout the school marking is good, with meaningful comments used to move pupils on to their next stage of learning. Classroom assistants are given good guidance by teachers and provide very good support for low attaining pupils and those with special educational needs.

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31. A good scheme of work is in place. The curriculum is broad and balanced. Long and medium term planning is good and clearly identifies learning outcomes. It is closely linked to the National Numeracy Strategy. The co-ordinator is well qualified to manage the subject and gives good support to staff. He is a very good role model for the teaching of the subject. Planning and samples of work are regularly monitored. This is an improvement on the previous inspection and standards have been raised as a result. Professional development for the co-ordinator and staff is good. Good procedures are in place for assessing pupils’ understanding of work covered. There is no portfolio of moderated work to assist teachers in levelling the attainment of pupils. Overall, there is a satisfactory range of resources. As found in the previous inspection, the use of information technology to support mathematics is unsatisfactory. This is recognised by the co-ordinator and the new co-ordinator for information

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technology and is now being addressed. Satisfactory use is made of homework. In some open-plan classrooms, sound travelling between classes has a negative impact on teaching and learning. Statutory requirements are met.

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32. Standards have shown a perceptible rise in the three years to 1998. However, despite added value, pupils’ performance remained well below the national average, and below the standards attained in similar schools. Teacher assessments in science indicated that about 34 per cent of pupils achieved at least Level 4 and nobody attained Level 5. These results were very low for Level 4 or above, and well below for Level 5. Results in the National Curriculum Tests for 1999 indicate a major improvement with a 75 per cent increase in the numbers of pupils reaching the national expectation. Girls and boys are attaining at broadly the same levels; this marks an improvement since the earlier inspection report when boys were attaining higher than girls. In lessons observed during the week of the inspection, attainment overall was marginally below the average. Nevertheless, the school’s emphasis on experimental and investigative work, a good scheme of work and the targeting of pupils in need of help

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33. In Key Stage 2, most younger pupils have some understanding of a fair test when investigating, for example, how dyes change the colour of celery. Scrutiny of pupils’ work shows that the delivery of the investigation attainment target is focused on both practical activities and on giving pupils opportunities to turn their own ideas into forms which can be investigated. By the end of Key Stage 2, most pupils show sound investigational skills: they confidently develop their own ideas to test the preferred habitat of woodlice and to test light refraction in water. Younger pupils also confidently and accurately construct electrical circuits to make a bulb light and use this information when investigating how to make a switch. They use their past knowledge of materials and their properties, know that some materials are better conductors of electricity than others and confidently explain why a bulb fails to light if there is a

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break in an electrical circuit. Older pupils build on this knowledge and group metals effectively, discovering which would be the best for a spacecraft. Skills of knowledge and understanding are overall below expectations because a number of pupils find comprehension and longer-term recall of information difficult. However, a majority of pupils have a good knowledge of the function of the teeth, the importance of dental care and know that eating the right type of food keeps them healthy. In these lessons, they make interesting contrasts with Tudor diets. Older pupils understand reversible change, the permeability of soils and the principles of classification. Throughout the school there are good examples of experimental and investigative science tasks and this has a positive effect on pupils’ attainment. Pupils generally record their work well but sometimes there is an over reliance on the use of worksheets.

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34. Progress through the school is satisfactory. The majority of pupils make sound progress as they build on the foundations for learning established in Year 3 but many pupils have difficulties of comprehension and recall. Their knowledge of life processes increases from being able to classify plants to understanding the circulation of the blood and reproduction in animals. Most pupils’ knowledge of materials increases from being able to group cars and houses in Year 3 to investigating soils and metals and examining their properties. They develop the skill of making predictions when discussing the changes in materials and make sound progress in recording their work. Good examples were seen, and links developed with design technology when pupils used a light box to trace rays on paper when investigating why the sun appears to change. When studying forces they make pulleys to solve problems such as how to provide a lighthouse keeper with lunch. As a result of the sharper focus on investigative

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and experimental science pupils are increasing their scientific vocabulary and the subject makes a positive contribution to literacy development. Teachers introduce pupils to scientific vocabulary when using words such as ‘transparent’, ‘opaque’, ‘condense’ and ‘freeze’. Results of investigations are usually recorded in a clear, scientific manner. Pupils show satisfactory standards of numeracy when measuring temperature, for example using a forehead thermometer. They use newton meters to calculate weight on other planets. Currently, the use of information technology to enhance scientific understanding is limited and is a priority on the school improvement plan. However, Year 6 use a database when examining the function and places of human organs.

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35. Other factors making for satisfactory progress is a good scheme of work, which helps teachers to plan their lessons so that they build progressively on skills and knowledge already developed. In the lessons seen, pupils understood what they were doing and found tasks demanding but achievable. Better progress is also a product of teachers giving help when there are misunderstandings. Pupils with special educational needs made sound progress because lessons are usually planned well to meet the needs of those with individual education plans. However, in some lessons, short term planning meant that arrangements to meet individual needs were not always effective. Another factor making for good progress includes a generally good range of resources and consumables. The school uses its environment well for wildlife studies and opportunities for studying ponds and other creatures are satisfactory.

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36. The majority of pupils are interested in their work. Most pupils show scientific curiosity, such as when asking questions about woodlice and studying the human body. Although some pupils find difficulties in concentrating for long periods as a result of their additional educational needs, they use equipment and apparatus carefully. Speaking and listening skills need to be developed further and in some class discussions questions were not always thoughtfully and knowledgeably considered. However, pupils work well together in groups, sharing and developing ideas as they study. Most take care to try and record their observations accurately and work is generally completed satisfactorily.

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37. The quality of teaching is good. The management of the classroom and organisation of the pupils are generally very good and teachers have good subject knowledge and use scientific language well to develop pupils’ understanding. Good questioning ensures reinforcement of previous learning and extends the pupils’ thinking. Lessons are usually lively, interesting and challenging for pupils of all attainments; good examples were seen when Year 3 experimented with conductors and charted their results and Year 5 produced some effective circuits. Pupils with special educational needs receive good support. However, in some lessons, an unsatisfactory feature in otherwise sound lessons, is the lack of accurate short term planning which leads to some vague objectives and ineffective methods; pace also slows down.

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38. The subject meets the requirements of the National Curriculum and there is a good scheme of work. Pupils’ attainment is regularly monitored and recorded as they progress from year to year and teachers use the information which they gain from assessing the pupils to help them plan their lessons. A newly appointed and enthusiastic co-ordinator has clear ideas for the development of the subject. There is good provision of equipment, books and other resources, which are managed efficiently. The subject has sustained the standards noted in the earlier inspection report and is well placed to make a further advance. 89. Information and communication technology

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1. By the end of the key stage, attainment is below national expectations in all areas of information technology with the exception of word processing. This is similar to the findings of the previous inspection report and overall improvement has, therefore, been unsatisfactory. Most of the pupils are familiar with keyboard and mouse operations and are prepared to experiment should anything go wrong. They can load, log-on, save to their personal disk, shut down in the correct manner and print their work unaided using black and white or colour printer. Older pupils use clip art to add to poster designs.

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2. Pupils make unsatisfactory progress in control technology, modelling, monitoring and data handling. Scrutiny of work for the previous year shows very limited progress in these areas, because National Curriculum Programmes of Study have not been followed fully. However, good use is made of word processing and progress is good. The systematic use of data handling has only been introduced to some classes this term. Pupils make sound progress during lessons. For example, Year 5 pupils were observed producing graphs based on classroom surveys and made good progress in the lesson. By the end of the lesson they were able to plot the x and y axis, add titles, change the range of the graph and print in colour or black and white. In Years 3 and 4, pupils benefit from a self-diagnostic program that develops language and literacy skills.

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3. Pupils’ response to information technology is good. They are well motivated, confident well behaved and co-operate with each other, teachers and learning support assistants. When working individually on the computer they remain on task. However, when working in pairs, some “response partners” in many classes simply observe what is happening on the screen and make little, if any, contribution to the work. This leads to boredom and, at times, misbehaviour. Pupils take a pride in their work and enjoy showing and discussing their computer skills with each other and adults.

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4. The quality of teaching in the lessons observed was good. Teachers have high expectations of work and behaviour, have good knowledge of the program being used and use time well. Teachers make good use of assessment to inform the next stage of planning. With the introduction of new computers and a new scheme, programs are now being used which enhance other areas of the curriculum. For example, pupils in the lower school use a language and literacy program to develop their skills in English and Year 3 pupils word process identity cards for their World War II history topic. Year 5 pupils produce graphs from class surveys in mathematics and Year 6 pupils design posters to advertise books made for the infants’ school.

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5. The co-ordinator is new to the school and the post. She is enthusiastic, has a good background in information technology and is aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the subject. In her short time at the school she has already begun to raise the profile of information technology and the confidence of teachers. However, much remains to be done. She has developed a scheme of work for the multimedia computers, which, despite it being so early in the new year, is already having a positive impact on the curriculum. Nevertheless, currently the subject does not meet statutory requirements. The learning support assistant for the library and computer suite provides very good support for pupils and staff in lessons. She is knowledgeable and has increased her own knowledge through in-service training. She runs a successful after-school club for pupils and their parents. Links with the Hampshire Education

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Business Partnership have established a very well-equipped computer suite and the library has been computerised. This is a significant improvement since the previous inspection. A local community group also uses the suite twice a week. There are also three small computer suites around the school using older, stand alone, equipment. This is a very good use of older equipment to support lessons in Years 3, 4 and 5. 94. Religious education

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1. Attainment in religious education is in line with the expectations stated in the Locally Agreed Syllabus and there has been good improvement since the earlier inspection report. There is a wide range of opportunities for pupils to explore the meanings of different religions: for example, when discussing ‘The Five Pillars of Islam’, pupils explain why people pray and give examples from their own experiences. They appreciate the moral messages behind Bible stories, such as those of the parables. Pupils compare both Christian and other religions, and show understanding and respect for others’ beliefs and feelings. As an example, pupils listened with great interest to a pupil of the Muslim faith who described customs associated with prayer in her own religion, and then asked interesting questions.

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2. Progress is good because sufficient time is given to the subject and teaching is good. There is also a clear link between religious education, collective worship and other aspects of the curriculum. Also, teachers’ planning emphasises ways of learning about religion and from religion. The scheme of work is used effectively by teachers to plan interesting and worthwhile experiences. Questions are presented carefully to extend understanding. In learning to care and respect for the world around them, younger pupils decide what makes a good or bad community and suggest ways of improving it, such as by living in peace and harmony with each other. They re-tell Bible stories, such as the birth of Jesus, in their own words and link them to their own experiences. Although teachers continuously build on, and reinforce, appropriate vocabulary, pupils’ retention of new words is short. Older pupils write accounts, such as that

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of the Crucifixion, in the first person, in order to understand more deeply the feelings of those involved. In developing their knowledge of the Bible, Year 6 pupils compare accounts of the birth of Jesus in the gospels of Matthew and Luke.

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3. Attitudes and behaviour in lessons are nearly always good because teachers’ expectations are high and most lessons are interesting. Pupils listen carefully and ask and answer questions sensibly. They show kindness and consideration for others. For example, they suggested ways of helping a new girl to settle in. In paired and group discussions more able pupils often help less able when reading and comparing stories from special books such as the Bible and the Qu’ran. During a lesson on prayer, pupils showed great sensitivity when others gave their own personal reasons for praying. All are becoming increasingly confident in participating in lessons because they are actively encouraged to do so.

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4. The quality of teaching is good overall and occasionally is very good. Teachers generally know their subject well and have high expectations of both work and behaviour. They show great sensitivity to the needs of pupils. This was especially apparent during a lesson when pupils’ reasons for praying were carefully explored and questions were used very sensitively and effectively, resulting in high quality learning. Lessons are always well resourced and time is used well. The very good relationships which teachers have worked hard to establish, provides an ethos which is conducive to good learning.

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5. The scheme of work provides a clear sequence to learning and has been sensitively linked to other subjects. For example, when pupils learn about the earth’s surface in geography, they also study the story of The Creation. Bible stories are often linked to everyday events in pupils’ lives in order to aid understanding. Yearly and half termly planning is good but weekly/daily planning does not clearly identify pupils’ differing needs, therefore some written tasks are not always appropriate for some pupils. Procedures for, and use of assessment, are under developed. The newly appointed co-ordinator is keen to move the subject forward and has already identified areas for improvement. Resources are adequate and well used and are enhanced by the exchanging of artefacts with the local Infant school. Good use is made of visits and visitors from the local community, including the local clergy and a rabbi. Literacy is

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well used across the curriculum. Pupils provide written accounts, discuss what they have learned and read the Bible and other books to further their knowledge.

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6. The subject makes a positive contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils investigate spirituality through stories and prayer, and an atmosphere of respect for other faiths is evoked in lessons. Pupils are encouraged to share ideas in class and group activities, and knowledge and understanding of other peoples’ beliefs and customs is well taught. Issues of right and wrong are fully explored and are well linked to everyday experiences in pupils’ own lives and the teaching of the major world religions.

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7. The school has made a good start in addressing the issues raised following the last inspection. The school now has an art co-ordinator who monitors plans and offers advice and support, and pupils are given more opportunity to produce three dimensional work using clay, sewing, and papier maché, for example. Pupils’ work shows a balance of strengths and weaknesses and standards and progress are satisfactory.

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8. All pupils make satisfactory progress across the school because skills are well taught and lessons are relevant and interesting. Pupils with special educational needs are given extra support in art lessons. In composing their pictures of the ‘blitz’, as part of their history topic, younger pupils use media such as pastels, carefully layering the colours and blending them to produce a dramatic effect. Pupils work sucessfully with clay to produce pleasing models such as Indian masks and imaginary animals. After writing stories about imaginary creatures, older pupils draw amusing pictures to accompany their work, at the same time incorporating detail and using colour to good effect. Pupils’ work is beginning to show maturity, as was evident in their close observational work on minibeasts, when light and shade were used effectively to enhance their efforts. All pupils have sketchbooks and there are good links with other

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subjects such as history, where pupils produce Greek masks and plates, complete with inscriptions.

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9. Pupils show interest in the tasks they are set and work purposefully. They share equipment sensibly and take pride in showing their work to others. They select their own materials and offer advice and support to each other. They listen carefully in order to follow instructions in order to complete tasks successfully. Pupils are increasingly able to express their thoughts on the subject of their work such as that on the ‘blitz’, when they described the feeings of those involved.

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10. The quality of teaching is never less than satisfactory. Overall it is good. Teachers are careful to teach skills in a logical sequence, and give good demonstrations in lessons. Explanations are clear and appropriate vocabulary is introduced and reinforced. Teachers display good subject knowledge and are confident in their teaching. Teaching is less effective when weekly and daily planning lacks clarity and structure.

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11. Art is well integrated with other subjects across the curriculum. A new scheme of work has recently been introduced, and the cordinator has liaised effectively with staff at her own and the local infant school to ensure that pupils are introduced to skills sequentially in order to continue to make progress. Yearly and half-termly planning is effective but some weekly and daily planning lack clear direction, with the result that time is wasted and orgnisation of lessons does not meet the needs of some pupils. Good use is made of questions to assess what pupils have learned, and all pupils are given sketch books, but use of these as a tool for assessing progress is in need of further development. Other forms of assessment include the saving of pieces of pupils’ work. However, these are are of limited use for assessment as they are not yet annotated.

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12. Accommodation is satisfactory and resources are of good quality and well used. The contribution that the subject makes to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good; pupils study the works of famous artists; they make choices and work co-operatively with others. The ethos in which the subject is taught makes a major contribution to the quality of teaching and learning. 106. 106. Design and technology

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13. Only two design technology lessons were seen during the inspection and these lessons were integrated with art. As a result, inspection judgements are based mainly on scrutiny of pupils’ work, displays around school, evaluation of planning and discussions with the co-ordinator and pupils. From this evidence, pupils’ skills in designing and making develop steadily as they move through the school and pupils attain standards appropriate for their age. This is a similar picture to the last inspection.

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14. In developing their understanding of the need to plan their work carefully, younger pupils decide which shapes will be most effective when making their printing blocks and then combine these to create effective patterns. They draw simple plans of finger puppets, and select appropriate materials and then practise the skills required, such as sewing, before completing their work. Older pupils design and construct simple electrical lighting circuits and then discuss and modify their work in order to improve it. They design the layout of a book cover, taking account of the purpose and audience. Progress has been helped by imaginative links with other subjects, particularly science, and a suitable time allocation. Thus Year 3 pupils design and plan their work well, for example identifying the main stages in a mechanism to get lunch up to a lighthouse keeper.

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15. Attitudes and behaviour are usually good in lessons. This is especially evident when tasks are purposeful, teachers explain activities carefully and pace is brisk. Pupils share materials fairly, discuss their work happily with others and take pride in what they produce. Although pupils are given responsibility for the setting out and collecting of equipment, this often takes place during the lesson, resulting in some restlessness from pupils who are waiting to start.

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16. The quality of teaching is satisfactory. Teachers have satisfactory subject knowledge, use questions well to test pupils’ understanding, and teach skills in appropriate sequence. Sometimes teaching lacks inspiration and some lessons lack clear focus because teachers are not using the new scheme. As a result, the pace of learning slows and pupils become restless. Good relationships are evident throughout and teachers’ expectations of behaviour are high.

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17. Design and technology is taught mainly through a series of workshops throughout the year. None of these lessons were seen. All pupils have a good planned range of experiences, which include food technology, working with textiles, control technology and structures. The school is appropriately following national initiatives in teaching technology and the co-ordinator is well informed and eager to implement and support the new developments.

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18. No lessons in geography were observed during the inspection. However examination of documentation and pupils’ work, together with interviews of pupils and teachers, allow an overall judgement to be made that standards are lower than expected. The knowledge and understanding of many pupils is insufficient although there is evidence that pupils have the opportunity to follow the full Programme of Study. Most pupils are able to talk about climate, the weather and the different seasons and know that the climate and life in other countries is different. Those with higher levels of attainment have acquired a satisfactory vocabulary of geographical terms and are able to use maps, keys and grid references appropriately. However, by the end of Key Stage 2, few know how to use a compass although most can name the compass points. Pupils have completed local studies, including a study of their local area and the city of

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Winchester and its locality. Most are able to compare different types of settlements and understand the difference between rural and urban communities, at least in general terms. For example, they understand that their own area suffers from problems of traffic congestion. They also consider life in a community in India and most pupils are aware that the climate is different, but are not able to name particular features such as the monsoon. The study of rivers provides pupils with an opportunity to acquire knowledge of features and of the water cycle. However, only the highest attainers were able to name the parts of a river or to explain that evaporation forms clouds. Pupils’ levels of understanding are affected by low levels of literacy and problems in retaining key information and important vocabulary.

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19. Progress is just satisfactory for all pupils, including those with special educational needs. The close links between geography and other subject areas ensures that pupils see the relevance of learning skills in geography, including an awareness that maps are very useful in history and that different styles of music and dancing are part of the culture of India. Awareness of environmental issues is encouraged and pupils also have the opportunity to reflect on the qualities of special places that may be far away or close to home. Pupils’ written work showed sound progress through the topics studied and that work in geography makes a good contribution to progress in literacy. Pupils use graphs and statistical information and also have the opportunity to use computers. The subject, therefore, makes a satisfactory contribution to the development of skills in information technology and numeracy.

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20. Pupils show a lively interest in all aspects of geography. They enjoy talking about the visitors who have told them about life in India and recalling their own visits to rural areas in Hampshire to find out about farming. They are enthusiastic about their fieldwork on the River Itchen and the practical activities experienced when they visited Sparsholt Agricultural College. Their work shows that they enjoy producing drawings, maps and diagrams and most pupils try to illustrate and present their work well.

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21. Planning documents and the work seen show coverage of an appropriate geography curriculum and there is now a detailed scheme of work which was not available at the last inspection. Pupils are given a good range of experiences in geography including fieldwork and the use of information technology to access information. However, notebooks show that pupils of all attainment levels are attempting to complete the same tasks rather than tasks that relate to their level of ability.

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22. Resources are well managed and adequate for the teaching of the subject. New maps and atlases have recently been purchased and a range of wall maps and photographs are available. The school has good resources for local and comparative studies. The management of the subject is sound. The newly appointed co-ordinator has completed an audit of resources, purchased new equipment and is planning to introduce new assessment procedures.

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23. No lessons in Year 6 were seen during the inspection. Observation of other classes, discussions with pupils and teachers and careful scrutiny of pupils’ work suggest that pupils fail to acquire a secure understanding of all aspects of the history that they have studied. Although individual pupils can recall some of their work in detail many have little understanding of change over time, chronology or of the ways in which we can find out about the past. The poor standards of literacy and inadequate vocabulary of many pupils also affects their standards of attainment. However, the majority of pupils have some understanding of motivation of peoples in the past and know that life was very different. They understand that the rich and the poor lived very different lives in Tudor England and that the clothes that they wore were very different from those worn today. From their work in year three they know about

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the effect of the ‘blitz’ and they are able to share and understand some of the experiences of children who were evacuated.

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24. Progress through the school is satisfactory. The written work of pupils shows that the higher attainers are gaining a secure foundation of knowledge about life in the past and about how historians find out about it. For example, they begin to understand that some information about history can be found in written records and that there is a difference between primary and secondary sources. All pupils learn that major events had an effect on ordinary people. Pupils with lower levels of attainment progress satisfactorily in their understanding of key events such as the impact of war or the effect of the policies of kings, such as Henry VIII. Pupils in Year 3 learn about rationing and how that affected what people were able to buy during the last war. As they progress through the history topics they are encouraged to acquire some of the essential skills of the historian, including the looking at, and handling of, costumes

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and artefacts. They learn to compare aspects of life today with life in the past. Many acquire a sound knowledge of the history of their own area because they visit local museums and they talk to people who remember what living in Gosport was like during the war. Pupils were observed making particularly good progress when using artefacts and pictures and unsatisfactory progress when attempting to cope with written sources which were too difficult for them. Pupils with special educational needs make sound progress because of the level of support provided for them.

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25. Pupils respond well to work in history. They are eager to talk about the Romans and to explain how their culture has contributed to our own, for example through the Latin language and weapons used in war. Creative work related to topics in history is often good and work is usually well presented because pupils take a real pride in their creations including Greek masks and plates made in art lessons. Pupils also enjoy being given the opportunity for role-play and to use their skills in information technology to make identity cards. Pupils with special educational needs enjoy their work in the subject because they are able to become really involved in the practical and imaginative activities, for example unpacking the suitcase of an evacuee child. The range of topics covered and the way some of them are studied in depth encourages pupils to think about morality, society and culture in the past and the subject makes a

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valuable contribution the development of pupils’ understanding of citizenship.

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26. The quality of teaching observed was satisfactory overall, with a third of lessons being good. Teachers are knowledgeable and enthusiastic and the range of topics covered is comprehensive, providing pupils with a rich and interesting experience. Pupils are given varied tasks and planning is effective, especially in ensuring links with other subjects such as art, English and science. The way in which the subject is taught ensures that it makes a good contribution to literacy and a sound contribution to progress in information technology and numeracy. Good support is given to pupils with special needs and the approach to the subject ensures that most pupils find the work interesting and enjoyable. However, in all lessons observed pupils were all involved in the same tasks and using the same resources. Some activities involving reading were too difficult for pupils with poor levels of literacy and tasks that only

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involved drawing were insufficiently challenging for the higher attainers.

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27. Resources are satisfactory and are well supplemented by the use of boxes of resources from the Hampshire Museums Service. Many pupils also choose topic books from the library and some are using computer software and information from the internet. The last inspection report noted that there was no co-ordinator in post and that lessons were not planned in sufficient detail. The management of the subject is now good. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic about the development of all aspects of work in history and is aware of the need to focus on assessment. Staff in year teams share in the development of resources and teaching strategies but lessons are still not planned in sufficient detail to ensure that the learning needs of all pupils are met. However, the teaching of history is successful in that most pupils develop some knowledge about life in the past and a real interest in finding out more.

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121. Music 121. 28. All pupils make satisfactory progress and improvements have been made. For example, the quality of singing has improved since the last inspection. Pupils now sing a range of songs confidently, including rounds and two part songs. They take proper account of rhythm and tempo and enjoy singing, especially in assemblies. Pupils are beginning to produce a pleasing sound for their audiences. Younger children are absorbed and excited when they successfully produce a sequenced rhythm, using picture cards and percussion instruments, and take pride in performing their achievements in front of the class. Standards are now close to those expected for their age.

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29. In singing, progress is good because there are well-structured opportunities in lessons and assemblies for pupils to practise. In developing their listening and appraising skills, younger pupils listen to music, such as that from Thengapalli, and then interpret the moods of the music through movement and dance. They listen to, and perform, different clapping rhythms and successfully incorporate them when they use percussion instruments. Older pupils explore the difference between rounds and two part singing, and perform them with increasing confidence, at the same time successfully maintaining their own part. They are beginning to recognise musical notation and are building an appropriate command of musical terms because teachers introduce and consolidate new vocabulary carefully. Although some opportunities are provided, skills in composing and appraising, using tuned percussion, are under developed.

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However, pupils’ progress is helped by good teaching and the contribution of visiting specialists.

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30. Music makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. It encourages pupils to reflect on the mood of the music, to work together socially and to listen to a variety of styles of music from different cultures and from well-known composers and performers. For example, pupils experience musicians as diverse as Elgar and John Lee Hooker. During the inspection they learned about Indian music when taught by a specialist. Satisfactory contributions are made to literacy development through speaking and listening and writing about composers. Similarly, when composing, counting beats and repeating patterns pupils enhance their numercy skills. Little use is currently made of information technology. 31. Attitudes and behaviour are usually good in lessons, especially where tasks are challenging and interesting. Lapses occur occasionally when teaching is uninspiring and lessons are poorly organised.

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Pupils enjoy performing and sharing their efforts with others, and take care of instruments and share them fairly. A co-operative atmosphere is evoked in lessons and relationships are good. When given opportunities to sing and to make music they work well and take a pride in their performance.

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32. The quality of teaching ranges from satisfactory to very good. It is good overall. Teachers appreciate pupils’ efforts and give praise and encouragement generously. Good listening habits are encouraged and teachers use questions well to test and extend pupils’ learning. Good opportunities are provided for pupils to experiment with instruments and voices. As a result pupils are becoming increasingly confident. Teachers set good examples for learning; this was especially evident during the whole school music assembly when the many teachers present joined in. Teaching is less effective when subject knowledge is not secure and, in some lessons, insufficient thought is given to the planning and organisation of activities which results in a slow pace.

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33. In response to issues raised following the last inspection, a detailed scheme of work has been produced which is used extensively in yearly and half termly plans. It takes good account of the need to teach skills in a clear sequence. Weekly and daily planning is less effective. It lacks clarity and focus with the result that pace slows in some lessons. Although teachers use questions very well to test understanding, there is no recording of pupils’ progress against the scheme of work. The co-ordinator is well informed and committed. She transmits her knowledge and enthusiasm to teachers and gives them confidence to teach music successfully.

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34. Accommodation is adequate for the needs of the curriculum and resources are plentiful and of good quality. Specialist teachers for brass and keyboard visit school regularly. The school benefits from the skills of the se visiting peripatetic teachers and there is satisfactory provision for the extension of musical activities in the school.

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35. At the time of the last inspection the oldest pupils in the school were attaining below the national expectation. Some did not wear suitable clothing, the curriculum lacked breadth and balance and dance was a weakness. There was no scheme of work. Progress in attending to these points has been good and all areas have been improved substantially. The only area now requiring attention is the quality of short- term lesson planning and associated assessment.

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36. Pupils in Key Stage 2 make satisfactory progress and show standards appropriate to their age. Those with special educational needs are fully included in lessons and they also make sound progress. The curriculum is developed satisfactorily and achieves a reasonable balance between dance, gymnastics, games and swimming. At the time of the inspection, the focus was outdoor games, gymnastics and dance. However, evidence from school planning and records show that the majority of pupils can swim 25 metres in the school pool by the end of Year 6.

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37. Pupils perform a variety of movements and sequences with a good degree of balance and some awareness of space. They move with satisfactory standards of control and co-ordination when carrying out floor exercises. Older pupils show good skills of dribbling, passing, controlling and shooting in hockey. They hold the stick correctly. Pupils also catch, throw and dodge well. Standards are helped by extra-curricular activities such as football and netball and games skills improve quickly due to good teaching, which explains skills and tactics well. Pupils’ own positive attitudes also play their part in helping them to improve. The school fields teams in football and netball and achieves a good degree of local success.

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38. The quality of teaching is good. Teachers have good expertise and this is reflected particularly well in games lessons where teachers give clear instructions and use resources well. In lessons seen on hockey and racquet skills, the quality of organisation and attention to the teaching of skills was particularly good. Routines were made clear, positive interventions maintain discipline and helped pupils improve their skills. Lessons moved at a good pace. No examples were seen of slower progress associated with lessons that lacked pace and all teachers showed confidence and expertise. Pupils in Year 4 enjoy their dance lessons and develop good responses to music by reflecting imaginatively on their movements, for example, the stealth of a tiger.

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39. Pupils respond enthusiastically to the tasks set and work well individually, in pairs, groups and teams. They listen carefully to instructions and carry them out willingly. In particular, they play sensibly when not being directly supervised. Behaviour in the lessons and during changing is usually good. Pupils move sensibly to the hall, playground or field and show an awareness of the safety of others. Particularly good examples were seen of pupils setting out and taking away equipment at the beginning and end of lessons.

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40. Physical education makes a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ moral, social and cultural development. Co-operation and the need to help others are emphasised but pupils do not always work in mixed gender groups. The pupils benefit from a curriculum that includes a good overall scheme of work but more help is needed to help teachers plan individual lessons. The policy also does not contain detail of how physical education can support learning in subjects such as mathematics and science. Arrangements for supporting and monitoring the subject needs to be further developed and there remain weaknesses in the assessment of pupils’ skills. Resources are generally satisfactory but there are weaknesses in the provision of indoor equipment. The hall, playground and field enable the subject to be taught effectively. 134. PART C: INSPECTION DATA

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The team consisted of six inspectors, including a lay inspector, who spent a total of nineteen inspector days in school. The inspection team:

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• spent 45 hours observing 63 lessons and 9.5 hours reviewing pupils’ work;

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• attended a sample of registration sessions, assemblies and a range of extra-curricular activities;

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• observed pupils’ arrival at, and departure from, school, together with breaks and lunchtime routines;

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• observed all teachers at least once and most several times;

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• had discussions with the headteacher, teaching and non-teaching staff, the chairman of governors and other governors;

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• reviewed all the available written work of a representative sample of three pupils from each class;

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• held informal discussions with many pupils;

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• analysed a large amount of documentation provided by the school both before and during the inspection, including: - the school prospectus; - school policies; - the Governors’ Annual Report to Parents; - minutes of governors’ meetings; - financial statements; - the School Development Plan; - subject policies and planning; - students’ reports and records, including special educational needs;

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Results

• held a meeting attended by 3 parents and considered 122 responses from parents to a questionnaire asking for their views of the school. 134. DATA AND INDICATORS

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Results

134. Pupil data Number of pupils on roll (full-time equivalent) Number of pupils with statements of SEN Number of pupils on school’s register of SEN Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals Y3 – Y6 276 4 145 92

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Results

134. Qualified teachers (Y3 - Y6) Total number of qualified teachers (full-time equivalent): 13 Number of pupils per qualified teacher: 21.23

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Results

134. Education support staff (Y3 - Y6) Total number of education support staff: 15 Total aggregate hours worked each week: 241.5

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Financial data

£ Total Income 483,690 Total Expenditure 471,158 Expenditure per pupil 1,955 Balance brought forward from previous year -5,492 Balance carried forward to next year 7,040 134. PARENTAL SURVEY

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Financial data

Number of questionnaires sent out: 276 Number of questionnaires returned: 122

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Financial data

Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

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Financial data

Strongly agree Agree Neither Disagree Strongly disagree I feel the school encourages parents to play an active part in the life of the school 42 49 8 1 0

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Financial data

I would find it easy to approach the school with questions or problems to do with my child(ren) 46 46 5 2 0

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Financial data

The school handles complaints from parents well 19 52 20 7 1

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Financial data

The school gives me a clear understanding of what is taught 25 60 8 7 1

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Financial data

The school keeps me well informed about my child(ren)’s progress 31 52 10 7 1

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Financial data

The school enables my child(ren) to achieve a good standard of work 34 54 8 3 0

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Financial data

The school encourages children to get involved in more than just their daily lessons 28 56 14 3 0

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Financial data

I am satisfied with the work that my child(ren) is/are expected to do at home 22 52 16 8 2

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Financial data

The school’s values and attitudes have a positive effect on my child(ren) 21 58 19 3 0

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Financial data

The school achieves high standards of good behaviour 16 53 15 13 3

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Financial data

My child(ren) like(s) school 42 49 6 3 0

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