Chyngton School

CHYNGTON SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 21 st – 23 rd June 2000

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CHYNGTON SCHOOL

Inspection number: 188553 Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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CHYNGTON SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Chyngton School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Millberg Road Seaford East Sussex

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs. Barbara Reed

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 17 th – 20 th June 1996 Chyngton School - 4

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Team members

John Collins Registered inspector Deborah Granville-Hastings Lay inspector Christine Howard Team inspector Stephanie Matthews Team inspector

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Team members

Grasshoppers 1 Anglesey Close Chasetown Burntwood Staffordshire WS7 8XA

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Chyngton School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 11

Very good teaching reflects high expectations and provides lively, interesting, lessons Great effort is made by the senior management and staff of the school to use all available information about pupils’ achievements to help them improve Relationships between teachers and pupils are very good and contribute to children’s enjoyment of learning, their hard work, and mostly very good behaviour Pupils’ personal development is very good and they have very good attitudes to learning. This makes a powerful contribution to the good progress they make The school makes very good provision for pupils’ social, cultural and moral education

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 14

Provision for pupils’ spiritual development could be better planned for and developed in most subjects Better use could be made of information and communication technology in most subjects There are insufficient learning materials, such as books, in the library

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Chyngton is a co-educational primary school of above average size. It caters for 417 pupils of age 4 to 11 years whose attainment on entry ranges from below to above average, but overall is below the county average. The school is situated within a pleasant housing estate in Seaford, a small town in East Sussex. The catchment area is wide; the school draws its pupils from Seaford and from villages and private estates around the town. A very small percentage, well below the national average, of pupils are from ethnic minority groups. Two pupils have a home language other than English.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is popular with parents and the school has steadily grown since the last inspection from 337 to the current 417 pupils. The school is able to admit 60 pupils annually and there were 72 applications for places this year. There are 116 pupils on the special educational needs register, which as a percentage of the number on roll is above the national average. There are 7 pupils with statements of special educational needs.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Chyngton is a very good school. The leadership provided by the headteacher, key staff, and the governing body, is outstanding. This together with the high quality of teaching provided, and excellent climate for learning, ensures most pupils learn very well and make good progress in all aspects of their education. The school is very effective and provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Very good teaching reflects high expectations and provides lively, interesting, lessons. • Great effort is made by the senior management and staff of the school to use all available information about pupils’ achievements to help them improve. • Relationships between teachers and pupils are very good and contribute to children’s enjoyment of learning, their hard work, and mostly very good behaviour. • Pupils’ personal development is very good and they have very good attitudes to learning. This makes a powerful contribution to the good progress they make. • The school makes very good provision for pupils’ social, cultural and moral education.

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What could be improved

• Provision for pupils’ spiritual development could be better planned for in most subjects. • Better use could be made of information and communication technology in most subjects. • There are insufficient learning materials, such as books, in the library. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made very good improvement since it was last inspected in June 1996. At that time it strongly promoted the all round development of its pupils and was judged to be a good school. It has a vigorous programme to monitor and improve the quality of teaching, and has excellent procedures to monitor and record pupils’ progress. It uses these very effectively to plan future lessons, and to make effective changes to the way pupils are grouped for learning. Consequently, pupils are provided with appropriate challenge and the highest achieving pupils are provided with additional opportunities to stretch them. Much work has been done to improve provision for information and communication technology throughout the school, and this is now good, but it has been too recent to yet have the impact required on teaching and learning. Chyngton School - 7

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

Pupils’ attainment by age seven in reading, writing and mathematics has shown marked improvement, particularly in mathematics, year-on-year since the last inspection, but up to 1999, remained below average overall. However, during the inspection, the current seven year olds were judged to be achieving at the level broadly expected for their age. By age eleven, the proportion achieving what is expected nationally in English, mathematics and science at that age is, in each case, above the national average and above the average in East Sussex as a whole. In information technology, though pupils are making rapid progress, the previous lack of equipment has restricted the level they could achieve. Consequently, their attainment is currently below that expected. Standards in music are high. There is much good use of numeracy and literacy skills in most subjects. However, the work pupils were doing during the inspection reveals that, whilst some pupils are

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Key

achieving at high levels, overall, the current Year 6 are achieving at the level expected for their age. This is in line with what is expected for those pupils, because their attainment on entry to the school was below that expected nationally. Regular and careful assessments of them by their teachers, over their time in the school, shows for many that this level of attainment indicates good progress. The school is very well on track to meet the targets agreed with the local education authority.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are eager to learn and they give of their best at all times. They are responsive and responsible and show very good attitudes to all they do.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour in lessons and round and about the school is very good. A very small number of difficult pupils occasionally cause disruption to a lesson, but this is well managed by teaching and support staff.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils help each other and, in the main, relate very well to each other.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Pupils very much enjoy coming to school. The attendance of the vast majority of pupils is good. However, the poor attendance of a small number of pupils seriously affects the overall attendance rate. Chyngton School - 8

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

Lessons seen overall Good Good Very good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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

Teaching is, overall, very good and is a strength of the school. All lessons observed during the inspection were satisfactory or better with forty-four per cent being judged very good or excellent. The best teaching was seen in junior age classes where all lessons were judged to be good and fifty-nine per cent were very good or excellent.

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

The teachers throughout the school teach all subjects appropriately, and good emphasis is given to the teaching of literacy and numeracy. During the inspection particularly effective lessons were observed in literacy, numeracy, art, information technology and religious education. Teachers have clear targets for pupils that help them to focus their planning for lessons and to evaluate their work. They work in very effective teams to prepare lessons and to develop resources that take account of the previous achievements of their pupils. Pupils with special educational needs learn very well; they benefit from the impressive provision made by the special needs co-ordinator and teaching and support staff. A further strength of the teaching is in the very effective way support staff are used throughout the school to ensure pupils learn well.

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

Pupils’ learning was judged to be at a satisfactory level in all the lessons seen, and in more than eight of every ten was judged to be good or very good. Overall, pupils learn very well.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is broad and relevant and caters well for the wide range of abilities and interests of the pupils. It is further enriched by the variety of extra-curricular activities, field trips and residential visits provided.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very well managed and highly appropriate. It enables them to make good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good overall. However, there is need for a more planned approach to pupils’ spiritual development. There are very good opportunities for pupils to develop social and moral responsibilities in lessons, in the playground and elsewhere in school activities. There are many links provided for pupils to learn and appreciate their own culture and that of pupils from other countries and communities.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils This is a strength of the school. The staff take great care to know their pupils’ strengths and weaknesses, to ensure they are happy, and to make the best progress they can.

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Aspect Comment

The school publishes the special achievements and efforts of its pupils in all they do on a weekly basis through the celebrations board. Pupils with additional educational needs are carefully assessed, well taught and their progress is effectively monitored. In Years 5 and Chyngton School - 9 6, there are booster classes to enable pupils whose attainment is borderline in English to obtain the level expected for their age. High achieving pupils in all years are provided with appropriately challenging work, and in Year 4 are provided with additional teaching for mathematics.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Outstanding. The leadership of the headteacher, ably assisted by his deputy and other key staff, has resulted in an excellent ethos for learning in which pupils make good progress.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Outstanding. The governors take their role seriously and are committed enthusiasts in matters related to the school. In all they do they are clearly focused on improvement in provision and standards

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Excellent. The school has sophisticated and effective procedures to raise standards and ensure good pupil progress. These are securely embedded in all that it does.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. People are well managed and motivated to give their best. Teaching resources are mostly of good quality and are well used to promote pupils’ learning. There are insufficient books in the library.

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Aspect Comment

The headteacher goes to considerable lengths to ensure that pupils’ progress is well known by all their teachers. This leads to appropriate targets being set and to appropriate teaching. An excellent feature of the school’s leadership and management is that pupils and staff are made aware of how well they are doing and, in a constructive way, how they might further improve. Pupils receive regular feedback and recognition of what they do well be it academic, sporting, social, or citizenship.

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Aspect Comment

The senior staff of the school and governing body have systematically sought the best value when purchasing goods or services for the school. They look for ways to establish the effectiveness of what they provide and spend money wisely to promote the raising of standards.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The way the school is led and managed. • The quality of teaching. • The standards pupils achieve. • Pupils enjoy coming to school. • Behaviour is good. • The expectations of reading levels in some infant age classes. • The behaviour of a small number of pupils. • The amount of homework; many parents felt too much was given, a small number of parents thought there was not enough. • A small number of parents feel the school is not easy to approach when they have problems. Chyngton School - 10 The inspectors endorse parents’ positive comments. The amount of homework currently required is similar to that of other primary schools, is consistent with government guidelines and is judged to be appropriate. Pupils’ attainment in reading by the age of seven is broadly as expected for their age; however, results of national tests indicate that the attainment of the more able pupils is lower than it could be and fewer than would be

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

expected nationally reach the highest levels. However, during the inspection teachers’ expectations were high and pupils were provided with good opportunities through the literacy strategy to extend their reading skills and to reach high levels of attainment. A very small minority of pupils sometimes cause disruption in some classes. They are well managed by teachers and support staff and there is no evidence that this has a significant effect on the progress of other pupils’. Some pupils say there is some minor bullying but almost all cases are dealt with quickly and sensitively. None was seen during the inspection. Well over ninety per cent of parents find the school staff approachable; the headteacher and staff welcome the opportunity to talk with parents about their children and often do. Chyngton School - 11

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lessons

1. Teaching is very good and is a strength of the school. All lessons observed during the inspection were satisfactory or better with forty-five per cent being judged very good or excellent. The best teaching was for pupils aged 7 to 11 where fifty-nine per cent of lessons were judged to be very good or excellent.

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lessons

2. In all years teachers know how to teach the subjects of the national curriculum and religious education well. During the inspection, particularly effective lessons were observed in literacy, numeracy, art, information technology and religious education. Teachers are knowledgeable about the subject matter of the various subjects taught and about ways of making their lessons exciting and relevant. For example, in a numeracy lesson for Year 1, the pupils and their teachers and class assistants were dressed as pirates to solve ‘pirates’ problems. They divided ‘treasure money’ among three of the pirates according to their importance. In an English lesson for Year 4, pupils discussed and then wrote letters outlining their opposition to the ‘pretend’ compulsory purchase of their school land so it could be sold for building. They were totally involved in, and motivated by, this issue and the way in which it would affect their school. In a lesson on religious education, pupils in

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lessons

Year 5 listened intently, fascinated by a description from a visitor of the day-to-day life and religious observance within an Islamic community. The pupils were very well prepared and showed a good understanding of the five pillars of Islam. Their questions ranged from the similarities between the Bible and the Qur’an, the Hindus’ feelings about Jesus and the relationship between Jews and Hindus. The ensuing discussion, and the confidence and depth of their questioning demonstrated pupils’ excellent listening skills and good speaking skills. They learn about, and discuss a wide range of such issues and these provide very good opportunities to extend their thinking, broaden their knowledge, and deepen their understanding of the world around them.

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lessons

3. Teachers know their pupils very well and relationships within the school and in the classroom are supportive and friendly. Work is very well planned and is effectively matched to the pupils’ needs and abilities. Teachers work in very effective teams to prepare lessons and develop resources. The sharing of expertise across the school is a strength as is the support for newly qualified teachers who, as a result, are enabled to teach very effectively. Teachers have high expectations of their pupils and set challenging tasks for them.

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lessons

4. Staff create very attractive and stimulating learning areas and they use displays well to support pupils’ learning and to celebrate their success. For example, the classroom display about Islam enhanced the opportunities for learning in the religious education lesson referred to above. Both the time and resources available are very well used. A strength of the teaching is in the very effective way support staff are used. All these factors combine in a powerful way, making it easy and pleasurable for pupils to learn well.

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lessons

5. As a result of this high quality teaching, pupils’ learning is very good. They enjoy their lessons and are enthusiastic about their work. They acquire new skills and increase their knowledge and understanding well. They respond to the challenge provided by working hard, sustaining concentration and developing a secure understanding of their performance as learners. This is aided by the high quality of questioning by teachers and Chyngton School - 12 by the opportunities provided for self assessment and assessment by other pupils. Pupils with special educational needs learn very well and benefit from the impressive provision made to extend their development by the special needs co-ordinator and teaching and support staff.

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available information about pupils’ achievements to help them improve

6. The headteacher maintains comprehensive records of each pupil’s progress through the school. These are based on regular and careful assessments by teachers and are used to ensure that what is taught is well matched to pupils’ needs. For example, it enables targets to be set for each pupil that are suitably challenging but realistic and achievable. It also enables staff to spot difficulties in particular areas of work and to predict the chances of pupils obtaining levels of attainment in the national tests that are appropriate to their previous achievement. One example of this is the additional phonics work provided for those children in Years 1 and 2 whose attainment indicates that they would benefit from early intervention to support their learning.

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available information about pupils’ achievements to help them improve

7. Assessment procedures are, overall, very effective in helping pupils to learn well. Homework is used to support learning, particularly in developing skills in reading and spelling. Pupils speak highly of the helpful written and verbal comments made by their teachers; marking is generally very good. It is regular, accurate, supportive, and the teachers’ comments make clear how pupils can improve their work. Some parents felt that too much homework is set for pupils. The samples of homework seen were appropriate in amount for pupils’ ages and in line with government recommendations.

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enjoyment of learning, their hard work, and mostly very good behaviour

8. Relationships, between staff and pupils, and between pupils themselves, are of a high quality and create a supportive and caring atmosphere in which pupils flourish. Two examples, from many that could have been chosen, serve to illustrate this. In a Year 3 literacy lesson, pupils worked with their teacher discussing humorous poems, such as those by Spike Milligan. They were very keen to talk about this work, explain why they thought the poems were funny and to show their own skills at writing humorous poems. They achieved good standards in their work and made significant gains in their understanding of the poets, their sense of fun, and the nature of poetry. Activities for one day in the Year 1 class centred on the theme of pirates. Most pupils and staff were dressed up in delightful costumes which created a lovely sense of fun. In their numeracy, literacy, and in lessons to develop their understanding of the world, the learning was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Whilst

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enjoyment of learning, their hard work, and mostly very good behaviour

the ethos of the school shows a clear commitment to raising standards, the relationships that exist between staff and pupils, and amongst pupils themselves is very conducive to good learning and underpins much of the school’s success.

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enjoyment of learning, their hard work, and mostly very good behaviour

9. The behaviour of the vast majority of pupils is very well managed throughout the school and is generally very good. Pupils understand the school and classroom rules and know what is expected of them. On the occasions that a difficulty arises with a pupil, the teacher and support staff work well together to minimise any potential disruption to the lesson. Apart from occasional isolated incidents, pupils respect each other’s feelings and opinions and show a friendly interest to visitors. There are many examples, which illustrate how the good relationships are part of the good ethos for learning in the school. For example, older pupils regularly help younger pupils with their reading. Chyngton School - 13

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learning. This makes a powerful contribution to the good progress they make

10. The personal development of pupils is a strength of the school. There is a strong sense of belonging and pupils are encouraged to become responsible members of the school community. They are aware of the ‘Golden Rules’ and appreciate the importance of complying with them.

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learning. This makes a powerful contribution to the good progress they make

11. Pupils respond very well to the many opportunities for taking responsibility and in all classes, pupils have a range of jobs that help their teacher. They learn that by playing responsibly in the play areas or by taking a part in tidying up after lessons, they can add significantly to the life of the school. During wet breaks and lunchtimes, older pupils take an active part in the day-to-day running of the school. For example, they organise games and activities for younger pupils and run the video room. At lunchtime, they help the younger ones in the dining room. A few pupils find it difficult to socialise and play in an orderly way at lunchtime. Particularly impressive is the way these pupils have been identified and their boisterous energies channelled into working and playing alongside some younger pupils who find playground life a little intimidating. There is a very good system of sanctions and

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learning. This makes a powerful contribution to the good progress they make

rewards which ‘accentuates the positive’ and addresses, when necessary, the need to deal with unacceptable behaviour.

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learning. This makes a powerful contribution to the good progress they make

12. All pupils are involved in fund-raising events through the year and have a well- developed sense of responsibility towards helping other people. For example, they participate in NSPCC and National Children’s Home sponsored events.

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learning. This makes a powerful contribution to the good progress they make

13. The attitudes of pupils towards school and towards their lessons are very good. It is clear to see that they enjoy being at school and enthusiastically join in the activities prepared for them. They show interest in their work and are willing to apply themselves to the tasks set. Most pupils set their written work out with care, ask and answer questions readily, and are eager to contribute during lessons. When faced with exciting and challenging activities, they concentrate well and want to succeed. For example, in a Year 4 personal and social education lesson, pupils discussed in a mature and enthusiastic way what they expected from a friend – trust, helping with work at school, someone to play with, someone to talk to, someone to have fun with, someone to back them up. They gave lots of ideas and didn’t just repeat what each other had said. Many pupils made notes as they worked and used these to feedback their ideas, and what had been agreed, to each other.

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learning. This makes a powerful contribution to the good progress they make

14. Overall, these very good attitudes to all aspects of school life make a powerful contribution to the good progress pupils make.

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The school makes very good provision for pupils’ social, cultural and moral education

15. Many opportunities are planned and provided for pupils’ social education. As a consequence, pupils are polite to each other and to adults they meet. This is acknowledged by the awarding of courtesy points. Lessons are planned for pupils to work as a whole class, in small groups, in pairs, and individually. Pupils respond very well to this range of groupings and learn to work collaboratively as part of a team as well as to share ideas and thinking with a partner. Other opportunities for social education abound, for example, in sporting activities such as mixed football, cricket and canoeing as well as the in the use of the school swimming pool. Many joint works of art are attractively displayed and are of a high standard. Music, which is a strength of the school, provides good opportunities for pupils to perform with others through, for example, the recorder groups and school orchestra. A group of children composed a song for the Millennium, progressing

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The school makes very good provision for pupils’ social, cultural and moral education

Chyngton School - 14 successfully through three rounds of a national competition. There are many such examples to illustrate the breadth and high quality of pupils’ social education.

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The school makes very good provision for pupils’ social, cultural and moral education

16. The provision for pupils’ moral education is very good. Pupils are taught to know the difference between right and wrong from when they first start school, reinforcing mostly what they are taught at home. For example, assemblies and circle time are regularly used to promote right thinking and awareness of the needs of others. Personal and social education deals effectively with sex and drugs education within a moral context; there are also good opportunities to discuss ethical issues in general. Pupils are encouraged to raise issues that concern them and to speak out when they know something is wrong. The school has recently decided to sponsor a child in India, so encouraging pupils to look beyond the immediate environment, to the world outside, raising their awareness of other cultures. Pupils also learn to appreciate the achievements of others, listening attentively to the reasons why awards have been made and applauding to congratulate those chosen. In

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The school makes very good provision for pupils’ social, cultural and moral education

physical education, in English, music, and in other subjects pupils have the opportunity to perform or give their views or present their work for the appraisal of other pupils. They learn to accept constructive criticism as well as praise. The pupils are aware of the high expectations of their teachers and the ways in which their work and behaviour can improve still further.

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The school makes very good provision for pupils’ social, cultural and moral education

17. Provision for pupils’ cultural education is good. A range of visitors come into school. The high quality of speakers observed during the inspection contributed significantly to the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the wider world. Pupils have regular opportunities to take part in school productions and musical events. They also visit art galleries and the theatre. Through religious education there are opportunities to visit places of worship of other faiths in Brighton. There are links with The Gambia in Africa and with India through the visits of staff and the sponsoring of a child. Although there is little evidence of cultural provision through mathematics and science there is good coverage in design and technology with, for example, Greek masks reflecting historical and design aspects of a different culture. The school celebrates the diverse cultures of this country and other countries through high quality, informative displays, and awareness is generated through

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The school makes very good provision for pupils’ social, cultural and moral education

many subject areas and in religious education.

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in most subjects

18. The provision for pupils’ spiritual education is satisfactory but could be improved. Some opportunities are provided for reflection in assemblies, and also in some subjects such as English and religious education. However, there are insufficient planned opportunities in most subjects for pupils’ spiritual development. For example, after having listened to a sad piece of music, pupils could be asked to think about how the music made them feel, and to describe what they thought the mood of the composer might have been whilst composing it. In discussing the life of a child of their own age in The Gambia, pupils might have reflected on the advantages and/or disadvantages they have in their own experience of everyday life. In science, pupils might be led to wonder at the time it takes light to reach earth from the sun. Such events happen from time to time but are not planned for sufficiently to provide adequately for the range of spiritual responses that are necessary

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in most subjects

to promote pupils’ understanding and appreciation of their lives and of the world in which we live. Chyngton School - 15

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subjects

19. The school has a well planned programme of development for information and communication technology and has recently acquired an excellent suite of computers. Connection to the Internet is now set up and Year 5 and 6 make good use of the additional opportunities to research suitable educational topics on the world wide web and to communicate with pupils from other schools. There is a flourishing computer club, attended by pupils and their parents. However, this has only recently begun and at present there is insufficient use of information and communication technology to teach or to enhance pupils’ learning in the various subjects of the curriculum. For example, in English there is little use of word processing in order to draft and redraft pieces of writing of various kinds, or in geography to use databases to research information about countries pupils are studying. There is little use of spreadsheets in mathematics, or of modelling and paint programmes in

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subjects

20. However, where teaching of information technology takes place it is well taught and consequently pupils learn well. In Years 5 and 6, most pupils are very conversant with the use of a computer and are competent when using applications such as information workshop, a database, to research information.

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subjects

21. The school is taking strong appropriate action to make the necessary improvements and this is well set out in the development plan. A new teacher with excellent knowledge and experience in the teaching of information and communication technology has been appointed to co-ordinate the subject throughout the school.

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There are insufficient learning materials, such as books, in the library

22. Since the last inspection, there have been considerable improvements to the library. It now has more space, is tastefully refurbished, and provides a very pleasant learning area for pupils and staff. However, whilst books are readily accessible there are far too few to support either the fiction or the non-fiction requirements of the National Curriculum and this adversely affects pupils’ opportunities and ability to learn independently.

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There are insufficient learning materials, such as books, in the library

23. At the time of the inspection, there were seven books to each pupil in the school and this is well below the national figure. There is also need for the provision of music tapes, educational video tapes and other suitable learning resources to support pupils’ learning at all stages though the school.

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There are insufficient learning materials, such as books, in the library

24. The school is well aware of this shortcoming and has allotted additional funding for this purpose. A substantial amount of non-fiction books have been ordered and are awaiting delivery. Chyngton School - 16

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Improve the provision for pupils’ spiritual education by: • providing improved opportunities for reflection in assemblies; • including, where appropriate, planning for pupils’ spiritual development through the teaching of all subjects. (Paragraph: 18)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Improve pupils’ understanding and skills in information technology by making increased use of information and technology in all subjects as an aid to teaching and learning. The school has produced written plans for this to happen and has begun to take appropriate action. (Paragraph: 19

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Improve pupils’ opportunities to learn independently by significantly increasing the number of books and other learning resources available in the school library. (The school had ordered a considerable amount of books for the library before the inspection.) (Paragraphs: 22, 23) Chyngton School - 17

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 14

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

6 39 45 10 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 417

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 60 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 7

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 116

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 38

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 11

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Chyngton School - 18

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 26 27 53

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 20 22 21 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 23 25 25

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 81 (81) 89 (84) 87 (80) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83 (81) 87 (84)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 21 21 22 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 24 25 24

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 85 (86) 87 (81) 87 (83) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 87 (86)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 20 30 50

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 14 15 18 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 21 22 24

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 70 (77) 74 (63) 84 (75) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 14 16 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 20 21 22

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 68 (79) 74 (83) 78 (83) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (71) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Chyngton School - 19

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 16.2 Financial year 1999/2000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23.5

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 633 441

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 12 Expenditure per pupil 1 654

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 187 Balance brought forward from previous year 37 103

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 38 979 Chyngton School - 20

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 48 46 4 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 40 54 3 1 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 29 57 7 5 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 43 51 5 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 62 31 3 4 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 63 35 0 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 46 47 4 1 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 69 29 2 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 54 41 2 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 47 41 7 1 4

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