Fairford Church of England Primary School

Fairford Primary School

The Park, Leafield Road, Fairford, Gloucestershire, GL7 4JQ.

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Fairford Primary School

Dates of inspection: 27 th -30 th September 1999

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Fairford Primary School

Under OFSTED contract number: 707347 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 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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Fairford Primary School

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and Junior School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: The Park Leafield Road Fairford Gloucestershire GL7 4JQ

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Fairford Primary School Governors

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Simon Mumford

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 7 th – 10 th May 1996

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Joan Walker, RgI Mathematics, Religious Education Teaching; Leadership and Management Catherine Fish, Lay Inspector Attendance; Pupils’ Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development; Support, Guidance and Pupils’ Welfare; Partnership with Parents and the Community; Staffing, Accommodation and Learning Resources; Efficiency of the School Sandra Clarke English, Information Technology, Physical Education Special Educational Needs; Attitudes, Behaviour and Personal Development John Moles Science, Design and Technology, Art, Music Attainment and Progress Joyce Cox History, Geography, Under Fives Equal opportunities; Curriculum and Assessment

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Quality Assurance Consultants The Hucclecote Centre Churchdown Lane Hucclecote Gloucester GL3 3QN

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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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MAIN FINDINGS

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

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INTRODUCTION

Characteristics of the school 1 - 4 Key indicators 5

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Educational standards achieved by pupils at the school

Attainment and progress 6 - 17 Attitudes, behaviour and personal development 18 - 23 Attendance 24 - 25

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Quality of education provided

Teaching 26 - 35 The curriculum and assessment 36 - 44 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 45 - 49 Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare 50 - 54 Partnership with parents and the community 55 - 60

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The management and efficiency of the school

Leadership and management 61 - 65 Staffing, accommodation and learning resources 66 - 71 The efficiency of the school 72 - 76

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PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

Areas of learning for children under five 77 - 83

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PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

English, mathematics and science 84 - 106

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PART C: INSPECTION DATA

Summary of inspection evidence 147 - 148 Data and indicators 149

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What the school does well

• . The overall quality of teaching is good particularly at Key Stage 2. • . The teaching of mathematics at Key Stage 2 is very good and, at times, excellent. • . The teaching of English and science at Key Stage 2 is good. • . The teaching of literacy and numeracy at Key Stage 2 is good. • . Most pupils have good attitudes to their work and generally behave very well. • . Pupils make very good relationships with all staff at the school and with each other. • . Pupils’ attendance is well above the national average. • . There is good provision for extra-curricular activities. • . The school takes very good care of its pupils. • . The headteacher and staff work hard to ensure close links with parents and the community. • . There is high quality display of pupils’ work around the school. • . There is inspirational leadership from the headteacher who has a great vision for the future development of the school.

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What the school does well

• . The development of the curriculum and assessment procedures are good. • . Financial planning is good. • . Teachers are hard working and committed to raising standards. • . Overall management of the school is good. • . Curriculum development is good. • . Key Stage 1 test results are above the national average in comparison with all schools.

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What the school does well

· Where the school has weaknesses I. There is a lack of opportunities for the development of other cultures from across the world. II. Organisational strategies and pupils’ behaviour at Key Stage 1 and under-fives. III. Acoustics in some parts of the building are poor, especially for pupils with impaired hearing. IV. The support staff and special needs teacher are not always effectively deployed. V. The taught time for Key Stage 2 pupils is below that recommended by the Department for Education and Employment. VI. Training for support staff.

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What the school does well

The strengths of the school far outweigh the weaknesses. The governors’ action plan will address the weaknesses and a copy of the plan will be sent to all parents or guardians of the pupils at the school.

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What the school does well

· How the school has improved since the last inspection

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What the school does well

All issues from the previous report have been addressed. Standards in design and information technology are now sound. The school development plan has recently been reviewed and includes priorities for action, targeting of resources, and procedures for the monitoring and evaluation of the curriculum. The leadership of the school is now very strong and every subject has a co-ordinator who has specific responsibilities. The entitlements to the National Curriculum for all pupils have been met. The overall quality of teaching is now good, at times very good, and occasionally excellent, at Key Stage 2. · Standards in subjects

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What the school does well

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

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schools

Well above average A Above average B Average C Below average D Well below average E English A* A Mathematics A C Science A B

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schools

The information shows that, across all three subjects, in comparison with all schools, pupils’ performance was well above average. Compared with similar schools, English is well above average, science is above average and in mathematics average.

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schools

Inspection findings show when children enter school they have above average language skills. In mathematics pupils’ attainment is below that expected for children of similar age. Overall, children enter school with levels in line with those expected for this age group. By the age of five, almost all children make satisfactory progress across the range of their work. By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils have made at least sound progress in all subjects. At times, progress is good in mathematics. Progress accelerates through Key Stage 2 and is good and, at times, very good in all subjects except information technology, geography and history, where it is sound. At Key Stage 1, attainment is in line with the national average for all subjects and, at times, above in English. At Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment is above the national average in all subjects except information technology, history and geography where

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schools

· Quality of teaching Teaching in: · Under 5 5 – 7 years 7 – 11 years

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schools

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

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schools

Teaching is at least satisfactory in 99 per cent of all lessons, with only 1% being unsatisfactory. In 35 per cent of lessons, teaching is satisfactory, in 43 per cent it is good, in 17 per cent very good and in 2 per cent it is excellent.

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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.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour Generally good throughout the school although, where there is a lack of good management of younger pupils, behaviour deteriorates. Attendance Well above the national average. Ethos* Good. Generally, pupils have good attitudes to their work and develop positive relationships with staff and other pupils. There is a commitment by the staff to achieving high standards for all pupils. Leadership and management The headteacher is outstanding in her leadership of the school. Good support from governors and staff. Curriculum Good overall. Good range of extra-curricular activities. Pupils with special educational needs Good provision for them to make progress.

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Aspect Comment

Spiritual, moral, social & cultural development Satisfactory overall but poor in relation to teaching pupils about the cultures of other countries. Staffing, resources and accommodation Satisfactory overall although there are weaknesses in the deployment of support staff and the special needs teacher. Generally, resources are good. Value for money Very good.

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Aspect Comment

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

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

VII. The school encourages parents to play an active part in the life of the school. VIII. Most parents find it easy to approach the school with any problems. IX. The school handles complaints well. X. The school encourages children to get involved in more than just their daily lessons. XI. The school enables children to achieve a good standard of work. XII. Parents are satisfied with the amount of homework. XIII. The school’s values and attitudes have a positive effect on their children. XIV. Most parents think the school achieves high standards of good behaviour. XV. Children enjoy school. XVI. The school does not give a clear

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

Inspectors’ judgements largely support parents’ view except that the curriculum studied is displayed in a prominent position in the school. Parents are informed about their child’s progress in annual reports and through parents’ evening and are always welcome to come into school to discuss this aspect with the classroom teacher or headteacher. Children enjoy school and generally behave well.

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

There are no key issues. The school has made great improvements since the last inspection.

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

However, in the context of the school’s many strengths, the following points for improvement should be considered for inclusion in the action plan:

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

* improve acoustics in some parts of the building to minimise interference with learning, particularly for those pupils with impaired hearing. Paragraph 69.

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

* Clarify the role of support staff and the special needs teacher and consider where and how they will be most effectively deployed. Paragraphs 28, 34, 62, 66, 73 and 78.

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

* Bring the taught time for Key Stage 2 in line with that recommended by the Department for Education and Employment. Paragraph 37.

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

* Identify opportunities for pupils to understand and appreciate the culture of other countries across the curriculum. Paragraphs 45 and 49.

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

* Set in place a training programme for support staff in their role and specific responsibility. Paragraphs 68 and 73.

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KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

* Introduce organisational strategies in Key Stage 1 and under-fives to ensure that clear expectations of behaviour are in line with those found at Key Stage 2. Paragraphs 20, 21, 28, 29, 32, 36, 77, 78, 80, 90, 96, 97 and 139.

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Characteristics of the school

1. Fairford Primary School is situated in a rural location on the edge of the town of Fairford. Geographically the town is well placed for people who wish to travel to work in larger towns such as Oxford, Swindon, Cheltenham or Gloucester. There are 278 pupils on roll, which is average in size compared with schools nationally. It is unusual for the school to receive children from ethnic minorities. Pupils are admitted in the autumn of the year in which they are five. All children attend school full time by the October half-term.

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Characteristics of the school

2. The school has pupils from both the rural and town areas, including children who travel from larger towns such as Cirencester and Lechlade, and a few children from the nearby American airbase at RAF Fairford. The intake is mixed with a broad range of abilities represented, while the socio- economic indicators for the area are favourable. For example, 18.9% of parents have higher educational qualifications compared with the national average of 13.5%. According to the 1991 census, 44.4% of children live in higher social class households and only 3.2%, are known to be eligible for free school meals, which is below the national average.

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Characteristics of the school

3. The school is a modern building and surrounded by its own playing fields. Changes to the atrium, at the heart of the school, have already started to ensure full use is made of this facility.

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Characteristics of the school

4. The school has identified 43 pupils in need of extra support on its register of special educational need, the majority at the lower stages of need. This number is below the national average. There is one pupil with a statement of Special Educational Need. Most children have some pre-school experience at playgroup or nursery school. The school’s assessment of attainment on entry shows that overall pupils are in line with the national average at that age.

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Characteristics of the school

Ensure that all children build upon academic achievement through appropriate challenges. Ensure that all concerned with the school feel valued and have a part to play in its success. Promote understanding and respect for people and property at local and more global levels. Promote tolerance, perseverance, commitment, enthusiasm and flexibility. Encourage independence and responsibility, both individually and co-operatively. Promote creativity, self-confidence, self-awareness and self-esteem. Encourage appropriate forms of behaviour that promote these objectives. Ensure appropriate organisation and strategies to achieve educational continuity and progression. Review all aspects of school provision, including policies, at regular intervals and ensure planned development. Provide and support training at all levels of involvement. Provide a stimulating environment that is aestheticallly pleasing. Use resources to maximum effect.

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Characteristics of the school

Ensure equal opportunities exist in relation to culture, gender and ability. Actively involve staff, children, parents, governors and community in the life of the school.

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Characteristics of the school

To implement and develop the National Numeracy Strategy, and to resource and support teachers. To develop the teaching and learning of information communication technology, and to improve resources. To continue to support and develop the National Literacy Strategy with resources and teacher support. To involve the Senior Management Team in monitoring of teaching and planning curriculum. To establish consistently effective teaching through identifying the Senior Management Team role in monitoring plans and implementation. The headteacher to monitor teaching and planning. To monitor planning of the curriculum and teaching in the classroom. To increase support for Special Educational Needs. To improve support in Early Years and for Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and for Special Needs targeting through the school, especially Key Stage 1. To improve the efficiency of the administration of the school. All Lunchtime Supervisors to be given training.

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Characteristics of the school

To create Home/School Agreement. To improve teaching strategies and organisation by improving sight lines in Classes 1/2 initially. To improve the use of space within the school to ensure good access to resources. To increase and enhance areas where useful teaching and learning can take place. To ensure the library is fully used and well organised.

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Characteristics of the school

Targets The school has set as a target that 80% of the school’s pupils attain Level 4+ in English in 2000. The school has set as a target that 76% of pupils attain Level 4+ in mathematics in 2000.

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Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 Year Boys Girls Total

for latest reporting year: 1998 20 14 34

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Number of pupils Boys 18 18 18 Girls 14 14 14 Total 32 32 32 Percentage at NC School 91 91 91 Level 2 or above National 80 81 84

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Teacher Assessments English Mathematics Science

Number of pupils Boys 18 18 17 Girls 14 14 14 Total 32 33 32 Percentage at NC School 94 97 94 Level 2 or above National 81 85 86

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Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 Year Boys Girls Total

for latest reporting year: 1998 17 22 39

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Number of pupils Boys 16 13 16 Girls 20 14 20 Total 36 27 36 Percentage at NC School 92 69 92 Level 4 or above National 65 59 69

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Teacher Assessments English Mathematics Science

Number of pupils Boys 13 13 16 Girls 18 17 18 Total 31 30 34 Percentage at NC School 79 77 87 Level 4 or above National 65 65 72 · · Attendance

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Percentage of half days (sessions) %

missed through absence for the Authorised · School 4.1 National comparative data 5.7 Unauthorised School 0.1 National comparative data 0.5

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Percentage of half days (sessions) %

Number of exclusions of pupils (of statutory school age) during the previous year: ·

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Number

Percentage of teaching observed which is: % Very good or better 20% Satisfactory or better 99% Less than satisfactory 1%

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

· EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS AT THE SCHOOL

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

6. Levels of attainment have risen since the school was last inspected, particularly in the percentage of pupils attaining the national average and those attaining the higher levels in end-of-key- stage National Curriculum tasks and tests. In 1999 the school has exceeded its published targets for attainment in tests at the end of Key Stage 2, but no comparative data is currently available for this year. Standards achieved by most pupils at the end of Key Stage 2, at the time of the previous inspection in 1996, were in line with those expected nationally; they are now above average. Pupils make satisfactory progress in Key Stage 1 and good progress in Key Stage 2. Inspection evidence indicates that pupils enter school with levels of attainment in line with expectations for their age. They make satisfactory progress in the reception class and by the age of five are attaining standards expected

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

for this age group. They have accomplished the Desirable Learning Outcomes (DLOs) and some are appropriately working to the National Curriculum. The satisfactory start made in the reception class is built on in Key Stage 1, where pupils continue to make satisfactory progress. At the end of Key Stage 1 standards are in line with the national average. Pupils’ progress increases in Key Stage 2, and their progress through the key stage is good. From findings during the inspection at the end of Key Stage 2 they attain standards above those expected nationally.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

7. In 1998, national assessment tests indicated that at Key Stage 1 attainment was above average when compared with the national picture, and broadly in line with attainment in schools with pupils from similar backgrounds. Inspection evidence shows that current attainment in English at the end of Key Stage 1 is in line with the national expectations and that standards have been maintained since the last inspection but with more pupils attaining the higher levels in reading. Pupils make satisfactory progress through the key stage in all aspects of English.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

8. In the 1998 Key Stage 2 national assessment tests, the percentage of pupils achieving the expected level was well above the national average and well above that achieved in schools with pupils from similar backgrounds. The percentage of pupils achieving the higher level 5 and above was very high compared with results nationally. Inspection evidence shows that standards are above the national average and are remaining steady. Pupils have continued to make good progress in speaking and listening, reading and writing. Progress in writing increases towards the end of Key Stage 2, with pupils paying particular attention to the structure of their writing.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

9. Pupils make steady progress in the use of literacy skills across the curriculum in Key Stage 1. Children under five develop their language through rôle-play. They use spatial and numerical language which is appropriately reinforced by their teacher. In Key Stage 1 they present their work in a range of ways in science; they prepare questions to ask in personal and social education and use a range of texts in other subjects. In science they discuss the effects of exercise on the body and prepare planning sheets to show how they will investigate the effects they have identified. In Key Stage 2 pupils’ good progress continues through personal study. They pay good attention to the use of specialist vocabulary in mathematics and, in science, they confidently record their work in a highly appropriate, scientific notebook form, carefully using illustrations, graphs, tables and diagrams to illuminate their reports. All

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

pupils are willing to express opinions and they contribute to discussions confidently. As they progress through the school, pupils are able to articulate their ideas, thoughts and feelings with increasing confidence and maturity.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

10. In 1998 national tests in mathematics at Key Stage 1 the percentage of pupils reaching level 2 and above was above with the national average, and above that for schools with pupils from similar backgrounds. The percentage of pupils achieving level 3 was well above the national average. Currently, inspection evidence shows a standard of work in line with that expected for pupils of the same age. Pupils make satisfactory and at times good progress through Key Stage 1, developing their skills in the use of number, and using appropriate methods to solve simple problems.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

11. At the end of Key Stage 2 in 1998 national test results show the percentage of pupils achieving the expected level was above the national average and in line with that achieved by schools with pupils from similar backgrounds. The percentage of pupils achieving level 5 was well above the national average. Inspection evidence reflects this above-average attainment. Progress is good in Key Stage 2. Numeracy throughout the school

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

12. Pupils make satisfactory progress in using mathematical skills in other areas of the curriculum. Children under five develop their numeracy through singing number songs such as ‘Ten Green Bottles’ . Teachers link pupils’ experiences in mathematics to the use of tables for recording results and present their findings in a variety of graphical presentations for example the rise and fall of pulse rate during exercise.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

13. In science, teacher assessments at the end of Key Stage 1 in national tests for 1998 place pupils’ performance above the national average for the percentage achieving level 2 or above. The percentage of pupils achieving level 3 was above the national average. Inspection evidence shows that pupils currently, at this early part of the year, attain in line with expectations, with some pupils attaining above. They make satisfactory progress through the key stage, carrying out experimental work with increased attention to fair testing and recording their findings in greater detail. By the end of the key stage they have an appropriate knowledge of the four attainment targets in science.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

14. In Key Stage 2, the percentage of pupils attaining the expected level in national tests in 1998 was well above the national average, and above that achieved in schools with pupils from similar backgrounds. The percentage of pupils achieving level 5 was well above that seen nationally. Inspection evidence reveals that attainment across the science curriculum is above national expectations. The progress of pupils through the key stage is good. By the end of Key Stage 2 they are well skilled in identifying and handling variables in investigations, gathering and presenting precise data, and drawing appropriate conclusions from this work.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

15. Standards in information technology are in line with expectations at the end of both key stages and pupils make satisfactory progress. This attainment represents a significant improvement since the previous inspection. At Key Stage 1, in all other subjects, pupils achieve standards in line with those expected of pupils with a similar age. At Key Stage 2, in all other subjects, pupils attain levels above those expected of pupils of this age, except in history and geography, where it is in line. Throughout Key Stage 1 pupils make satisfactory progress. At Key Stage 2 pupils make good progress in all subjects, except in history and geography, where it is satisfactory. Pupils make good progress in religious education and achieve standards in line with and sometimes above those expected of pupils of this age by the Locally Agreed Syllabus.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

16. Overall pupils make good progress throughout the school in design and technology, art, music and physical education. They make satisfactory progress in both key stages in geography and history.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

17. Pupils with special educational needs are identified early and well supported. Their attainment is below that expected for their age but often very close to it. They make good progress against the targets in their individual education plans, particularly in developing the skills of numeracy, reading and spelling, which allow them to gain access to the wider curriculum. They are well supported in small-group sessions taught outside the classroom and receive appropriate specialist support in the classroom where required. There is good liaison between the special needs and classroom teachers. There is no significant difference in the progress of pupils of different gender, ability, or ethnic origin.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

· Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

18. High standards of behaviour and attitudes to learning were found to be a strength of the school in the last inspection. Those high standards have been maintained, together with an improvement in the quality of relationships between pupils and staff which were then mostly positive but are now very good.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

19. Attitudes to learning are good throughout the school. Pupils enjoy coming to school and display genuine interest and pleasure in their learning. The majority of younger pupils are keen to learn, especially when they are motivated by a teacher’s enthusiastic introduction and when they are well organised on a task which fully holds their attention. Older pupils concentrate well in all subjects, some showing notable persistence when tackling challenging tasks. They are interested in their lessons, often showing enthusiasm through their response in discussions and in the high quality of their work.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

20. Behaviour is good throughout the school although there is some inappropriate behaviour by a minority of pupils in lessons in Key Stage 1 and in the under-fives’ class. Some of the youngest pupils who have recently joined the school have not yet become fully accustomed to the routines and procedures of the classroom. The more-able younger pupils are sometimes not sufficiently challenged when tasks are too simple, too short or too long and this can lead to time wasting and behaviour which distracts other pupils. There are also occasions where younger pupils do not fully understand what they have to do and this, too, can lead to inappropriate behaviour. In Key Stage 2 the teachers’ very high expectations for behaviour lead to a productive working atmosphere during lessons and this has a positive effect on the quality of learning. Pupils often work with others in pairs or small groups but the

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

noise level generally remains low. Pupils respond promptly to a signal when the teacher needs to speak to the class.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

21. Behaviour around the school is good, pupils move around sensibly showing consideration for other pupils and adults by holding doors open and waiting for others to pass. However, some pupils in Key Stage 1 and under-fives classrooms are not always fully challenged in the work presented to them and, at such times, behaviour deteriorates. Pupils believe that the published Conduct Guidelines, in whose development they were allowed a say, have had a beneficial effect. Rules are displayed in classrooms along with credit charts which lead to the award of certificates and trophies for particular effort. The school recognises personal values such as respect, courtesy, kindness and consideration as well as academic achievement and pupils show pride in their progress towards a reward. Supervisors keep a careful record of unsuitable behaviour at lunchtime and report to the headteacher instances of inappropriate behaviour in the playground or lunchtime, but few instances occur. Most parents

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

acknowledge the high standards of behaviour in the school.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

22. Relationships in the school are very good. The younger pupils play together in a friendly way in the playground and some mix with the older pupils, who show kindness towards them if they have fallen over or are upset. Pupils show consideration in their games and in physical education (PE) lessons taking care not to hurt others. Pupils are polite to staff and visitors and work well with the many volunteers who come into school such as the “buddy” readers. Staff act as good rôle models and promote personal values such as respect for feelings and consideration, and this promotes good development in pupils’ personal and social education. For example, in one “circle time” lesson pupils discussed individual worries, such as having difficulty with mathematics, and provided solutions; this suggests pupils have great trust in their teachers. Relationships between staff, including non-teaching staff, and pupils are very good. Pupils are polite to staff and visitors and usually to each other. Older

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

pupils co-operate closely in some lessons, as in English, where they are writing a biography of a classmate, requiring detailed research. They show respect and consideration for less-able and hearing- impaired pupils who participate in lessons with confidence. No-one is laughed at for making mistakes.

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

23. Pupils volunteer for responsibilities such as looking after the school pets or taking registers to the office. Some older pupils take on time-consuming tasks such as selling drinks at lunchtime or managing the library with a great sense of responsibility. The importance of jobs such as these was emphasised by advertising the posts and pupils were formally interviewed after writing a letter of application. Other pupils become representatives on the School Council which plays an important part in fostering a harmonious atmosphere within the school by providing a forum for discussing problems as they arise. Membership of the council has a strongly beneficial effect on personal development.

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Attendance

24. Attendance at school is good, as in the previous inspection report. The level of unauthorised absence is very low in comparison with national averages. The school has a very clear attendance policy which details what are acceptable reasons for absence. Parents are asked not to request holiday absence particularly during test weeks. The dates of these weeks are circulated very early in the school year. Term-time absence, in general, is discouraged.

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Attendance

25. Pupils arrive at school on time and lessons nearly always start promptly. Pupils enjoy coming to school.

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Teaching

26. The overall quality of teaching is good. At Key Stage 1, it is at least satisfactory and, at times, good. At Key Stage 2 it is good and, at times very good and occasionally excellent. Teaching is at least satisfactory in 99 per cent of all lessons, of which 35 per cent are satisfactory, 43 per cent are good, 17 per cent are very good and 2 per cent are excellent. This is a marked improvement since the last inspection report and all issues raised in it, have now been addressed. The school is to be congratulated on this achievement. There has been a significant improvement in the quality of teaching throughout Key Stage 2 in all subjects except in information technology, geography and history where it remains satisfactory. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is satisfactory at Key Stage 1 and good at Key Stage 2. Where pupils with special educational needs work with learning support assistants and

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Teaching

the special needs teacher, the quality of teaching is good. Appropriate learning methods are used in many areas of the curriculum, clearly indicating the teacher’s awareness of the range of abilities. In the literacy hour, for example, teacher’s questions are carefully directed so that all pupils can join in discussions, and group tasks are set which closely match the interests and abilities of the pupils. Work is planned carefully to meet their needs and is having a positive effect on raising standards, particularly in literacy. The higher attaining pupils are set extension activities or challenging tasks.

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Teaching

27. In all classes, good teaching takes place. Where teaching is good there are very high expectations of work and behaviour and this makes a significant contribution to standards and progress. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the National Curriculum is secure for all subjects. Planning is good with clear reference to the National Curriculum programmes of study, and all teachers plan work together carefully. Work is usually well planned to meet the needs of the whole ability range. Where teachers have a good level of specialist knowledge, as in science, English and mathematics, they help the pupils to attain high levels of performance through their enthusiasm and giving specific feedback. Assessment of pupils’ progress is continual with much specific feedback to pupils to help them improve their performance. Work is marked, often with pupils, and constructive oral comments help them to move learning on. Although all work is marked, there is less evidence of learning targets

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Teaching

28. At the time of the inspection the reception class had been attending school for three weeks and on a part time basis. Most of the teaching of the under-fives is sound, and occasionally, good. The teacher’s planning of the areas of learning for the under-fives to meet the national Desirable Learning Outcomes (DLOs) is good. Her knowledge and understanding of the DLOs and expectations of the pupils are satisfactory. However, teaching does not always take into account the needs of young children. Children are expected to remain at an activity for too long without adult intervention and become bored and disruptive. They are frequently allowed to wander from their set activities. Classroom rules have yet to be fully established. Although the support assistant works with groups she is not fully deployed during her time in the classroom. There is good liaison with local pre-school playgroups.

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Teaching

29. The overall quality of teaching at Key Stage 1 is satisfactory and, at times, good. It is at least satisfactory in all lessons, and in 33 per cent, are good. Generally, teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and have good knowledge of the National Curriculum. They set appropriate activities to meet the needs of all pupils, and lessons move at a satisfactory pace. In good lessons the teachers’ introduction and the explanation of the pupils’ tasks were good and the pace was brisk. There were clear learning intentions, successfully pursued and achieved. For example, in a literacy-hour, after much class discussion, pupils could write their own rhyming couplets. In a mathematics lesson, pupils selected the appropriate coins from the piggy bank to buy toys. In all the good lessons, teachers used timely questioning to probe pupils’ understanding and knowledge, and learning moved forward at

p.24

Teaching

a good pace. The teaching in these lessons had a very good impact on pupils’ achievement and progress. In other lessons, although always satisfactory, it was usually the ineffective management of pupils and classroom organisation that stopped the teaching from being good.

p.24

Teaching

30. At Key Stage 2, the quality of teaching is good, and often very good and occasionally excellent. It was at least satisfactory in all lessons, of which 54 per cent were good, 33 per cent were very good and 4 per cent were excellent. In the very best lessons, planning is very secure with exceptionally clear learning objectives. The delivery of lessons is very brisk and punchy, and teachers are enthusiastic about the subject. All pupils are on task and enjoying the challenging tasks set for them. Teachers listen to the pupils and value their ideas and opinions. Lessons are of a sufficient length to enable a substantial amount of learning to take place. Teachers use very effective questioning techniques and pupils sustain interest and concentration. For example, in a mathematics lesson, each pupil had a card with a decimal number on it and, although there were 31 pupils in the class, they made a line and put

p.24

Teaching

themselves in the correct order without fuss and helped a few pupils who were less competent. In a literacy-hour lesson, pupils wrote an extended story and demonstrated their ability to organise and use lively and imaginative vocabulary. In pairs they read each other’s stories and gave their ideas for improvement. Teachers throughout the key stage use much praise and encouragement that helps pupils to develop their self-esteem.

p.25

Teaching

31. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding are sound in all subjects. In English, science and mathematics it is good, especially in Key Stage 2. This enables the teacher and subject co-ordinators to offer advice and support to their colleagues, building their confidence and competence in the subject. The special needs co-ordinator demonstrates very good knowledge and understanding of each pupil’s needs through carefully written individual education plans and preparation of appropriate resources.

p.25

Teaching

32. Most teachers have high expectations of standards in work and behaviour. This is achieved through good organisation, good relationships and an emphasis on rewards rather than sanctions. At Key Stage 1, teachers are occasionally less effective in the management of pupils often allowing some pupils to disturb others and not ensuring pupils are kept on task. At Key Stage 2, teachers have very high expectations, not only in the work of the pupils but also in their behaviour.

p.25

Teaching

33. There is evidence of some very good collaborative work in planning. This ensures consistency of coverage across the classes and equality of opportunity in mixed-age classes. Teachers generally match the work to pupils’ needs and abilities. There is evidence that teachers use assessments and evaluations to help them plan their next lessons. Teachers’ assessment of pupils’ work in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science is good and is used successfully to track pupils’ progress. Marking varies from very good, with constructive and helpful comments to move pupils forward, to unsatisfactory with some work just being ‘ticked’. At Key Stage 2, pupils are encouraged to evaluate their own work or other pupils’.

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Teaching

34. Staff are well prepared and make good use of resources. Resources are used particularly well in practical subjects such as science and art. Resources are good in the under-five classroom and children have the opportunity to use the outdoor play area although there are no large toys, for example, bicycles. All class teachers have a comprehensive special educational needs (SEN) file containing details of each pupil’s particular needs, individual plans with targets to be worked on and other relevant information such as reports from outside agencies. Support staff are not always fully briefed and well deployed.

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Teaching

35. Homework is given and is usually reading, number bonds and learning multiplication tables. In Key Stage 2, more homework is given, for example, finishing daily work and researching topics. Homework packs are available for older pupils who have special needs, and need to work on spelling difficulties.

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The curriculum and assessment

36. The curriculum for children under the age of five appropriately covers the areas of learning for children of that age apart from their personal and social and physical development. Although there are planned activities to develop the children’s personal and social development they are not, as yet, successful due to organisational and behavioural management difficulties which impair all the children’s progress. The children have regular access to a secure outdoor play area but there are no large wheeled toys or outdoor climbing apparatus. The curriculum effectively promotes children’s intellectual development so that there is a smooth transition towards work in the early stages of the National Curriculum.

p.26

The curriculum and assessment

37. Since the time of the last inspection considerable improvements have been made in all areas of the school’s curriculum planning. The curriculum is good and effectively covers all the National Curriculum requirements in all subjects. There is equal coverage of the National Curriculum in mixed- aged classes. The curriculum successfully integrates the requirements for the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and ensures that Religious Education and information technology are covered in sufficient detail. The school is looking carefully at history and geography, to determine how they may be more fully incorporated into curriculum planning. The school is aware that it does not teach the recommended number of hours in Key Stage 2. In addition to National curriculum requirements there is a good scheme for sex and health education which incorporates a sensitive and well-balanced drugs awareness programme.

p.26

The curriculum and assessment

38. The school ensures that pupils have equal access to the curriculum in line with their abilities, with girls and boys catered for equally well. In all classes the work is appropriately challenging and stimulating for higher-attaining pupils and lessons are organised so that lower-attaining pupils and those with special educational needs are well supported.

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The curriculum and assessment

39. Teachers’ planning systems have been completely reviewed since the arrival of the current headteacher. Good quality, comprehensive policies and schemes of work are now in place for all subjects. They have all been re-written or modified to meet the school’s requirements. Detailed medium-term plans show how activities will progress as pupils move through the school and are well focused and useful documents. Learning objectives are defined well and interestingly-planned tasks match the abilities of all pupils. The format for planning is detailed and uniform throughout the school. The plans are effectively monitored by the subject co-ordinators who provide good support for colleagues. The hard work, commitment and dedication of the staff have led to a great number of curriculum improvements being achieved in a short space of time. Teachers use planning documents well to ensure that pupils are given progressively more demanding work. As teachers are continually

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The curriculum and assessment

considering the next step in pupils’ learning, the structure has a major impact on pupils’ progress and attainment.

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The curriculum and assessment

40. There are many opportunities for pupils to become involved in a wide range of activities which enhance and enrich their learning. Pupils go on a variety of visits to support curriculum topics, for example to the Wilderness Centre in the Forest of Dean to enjoy work in science and geography. The school is very aware of its place as part of the town community and visits from friends of the school or the local services to support topic work or personal and social education enhance the curriculum. The school provides a good range of extra-curricular activities. These currently include football, rugby, recorders, netball, art, junior choir and gardening. All of these activities help pupils’ social and sporting skills and promote their personal and intellectual development.

p.27

The curriculum and assessment

41. At the time of the last inspection the school’s assessment arrangements were judged to have a number of significant weaknesses. A key issue was to create a whole-school policy for the assessment and recording of pupils’ work. This has been successfully addressed; assessment is now good and particularly so in the core subjects. There is a comprehensive assessment policy and an assessment co- ordinator. Since the last inspection, considerable work has been undertaken to develop effective systems for assessing pupils’ attainment. These include regular mathematics and English tests, the optional National Curriculum tests in some year groups, and portfolios of pupils’ work in many subjects. There is a baseline assessment in place, which provides a good picture of pupils when they start school. The assessment is repeated in the summer term. It is then analysed carefully to provide information against which to measure pupils’ progress during the reception year.

p.27

The curriculum and assessment

42. As pupils progress through the school, their work in many aspects of English, mathematics and science is fully assessed and judgements are made about what pupils know, can do and understand. Following these assessments, teachers plan work to meet pupils’ individual needs. Teachers set useful targets for improvement in English. This is a very helpful strategy and enables teachers and pupils to judge, after a time, whether the targets have been achieved. In the examples of very good teaching observed, teachers set, and share with pupils, targets for each lesson. Good strategies are in place for assessing pupils with special educational needs and to identify pupils, who need additional help with literacy and numeracy.

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The curriculum and assessment

43. There is a uniform system throughout the school for record keeping and all the teachers are conscientious and diligent in implementing it. Record keeping contains good detail about progress made and areas requiring further reinforcement. The majority of teachers make good use of assessment to plan future work. They meet regularly as a staff to moderate pieces of work for the subject portfolios. These portfolios not only provide a good record of work completed but also show that work develops appropriately within subjects in terms of content and difficulty.

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The curriculum and assessment

44. The analysis of National Curriculum test results is thorough and is used to identify trends and the progress made, for example, by pupils with special educational needs or by boys or girls. Current assessment provides sufficient reliable information to enable the headteacher and the governing body to make strategic decisions and to set targets for pupils’ achievement. Realistic targets are set for literacy and numeracy.

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Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

45. The school’s provision for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of its pupils is satisfactory overall. The provision for moral and social development is good and that for spiritual sound. Whilst provision for cultural development is satisfactory and a strength in the previous report, it is now an area which requires more development.

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Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

46. The school is well supported in its provision for spiritual development by its close links with the local church. The vicar is a regular visitor to school. The assembly taken by him during the inspection involved pupils acting out the story of the ‘Soup Stone’. This caught the imagination of the pupils and made them think about working together. Time is given for reflection during all assemblies. The school has in the entrance hall a large bowl with fishes embossed around the top; this symbolises the Christian basis of the school. In the bowl is an initialled pebble for every person in the school, indicating the community of the school. Into this bowl the vicar has placed a stone, with a fish on it, from the Sea of Galilee. The whole display provides a very interesting focal point for pupils, who enjoy looking for the fish stone and their own and engages visitors immediately into the spirit of the school. It

p.28

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

serves to stress and remind everyone of the fellowship and community of the school. In classes pupils are set a good example by the adults present who value pupils’ ideas and comments. School assemblies are well planned by the co-ordinator for religious education who records the themes used. All assemblies include the daily act of worship. Whilst these features are all good which promote pupils’ spiritual development well, this aspect of development is insufficiently embedded and amplified throughout the curriculum.

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Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

47. The school’s provision for promoting pupils’ moral development is good. The ethos of the school is that pupils will behave well and show respect for others and themselves. Pupils mostly respond well to the Code of Conduct that they helped to draw up; it is sometimes re-inforced during circle time and assemblies. Classes use a variety of ways to encourage good behaviour, from smiley faces on a chart to beads in a jar to ‘exchange’ for golden time. The approach taken by all staff to behaviour is generally consistent, although there is a need to establish fully, at an early stage, good routines and guidelines with the younger children. Those pupils who experience difficulties in controlling their behaviour respond well to contracts drawn up between themselves and the school. Pupils with special educational needs are rewarded for effort as much as academic achievement and all pupils receive praise and encouragement. Pupils are encouraged to listen to and respect each other’s

p.29

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

ideas and points of view. They engage in some good discussion on moral issues, as seen in a lesson on ‘The Good Samaritan’ in which pupils talked about the need to be responsible, not only for themselves and their friends, but everybody. Pupils acknowledge the needs of others through the efforts that they make to raise funds for charities and, when asked, can suggest places in the world where there is hunger and poverty.

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Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

48. Relationships across the school are very good. Pupils are encouraged to work and play together and is evident in many lessons, for example in physical education with the need to work together in teams and in music to sing together. Pupils with learning difficulties are developing their social skills such as consideration for others. These are promoted very well in personal and social education and many instances were observed during lessons of pupils helping less able classmates. Pupils take on a number of responsibilities around school. They collect and return attendance registers and ring the bell at the end of lessons and playtimes. Older pupils look after the school’s gerbils and help teachers at the start of the lunch break. The school has a School Council with pupils drawn from Year 2 classes upwards. They meet every week under the guidance of a teacher to discuss ideas and matters of

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Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

concern, such as plans for Christmas and classes starting to take assemblies again. Pupils are conscientious about reporting their classes’ views on matters raised and reporting back to them in circle time. This is a relatively new initiative and the headteacher is looking at ways to develop it further by including the wider school community. It is already beginning to involve the pupils more in the school and is welcomed by them. A residential trip for some pupils each year helps to develop their social skills. 49. The school’s provision for cultural development is satisfactory but is too focused on English and European culture. Good work on the art of Rene Magritte was observed in an art lesson with older pupils. Pupils listen to the music of composers from different countries as they come into assemblies. Last year pupils enjoyed working with an artist on two very different scarecrows, now proudly

p.29

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

displayed in the atrium, and with a sculptor on the striking wooden sculpture in the grounds, built there to celebrate the school’s tenth anniversary on this site. Pupils have undertaken work about ancient Egypt and experienced listening to some Brazilian music. They sponsor a child in India and this is beginning to develop their awareness of the differences in life styles between our culture and that of another country. These experiences are valuable, but are insufficiently explored to develop pupils’ awareness of other cultures across the world. There is a lack of multi-cultural books in the library.

p.30

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

50. The school’s provision for the support, guidance and welfare of its pupils is good and reflects the good position in the last report. The relationship between teachers and pupils both in and out of the classroom is very good. Teachers know their pupils well and are attentive to both their personal and their academic needs and development. Consequently development in both aspects is good. Pupils are happy and confident in their dealings with teachers and pupils and have the ability to cope effectively with everyday life in the school. The headteacher is accessible to pupils and is always available to praise successes of all kinds and to deal sensitively with any negative issues.

p.30

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

51. Although the school has no marking policy, books are marked regularly. Most of the comments are supportive rather than diagnostic although, in English, comments may set targets on how work could be improved. Teachers are supportive of pupils during lessons, listening to their ideas and answers and encouraging them as much as possible. The use of day-to-day assessment is good; plans were observed amended to take account of more rapid than expected progress or the need to re-inforce a learning point. The school has a commitment to early identification of individual needs, to be achieved through careful assessment and analysis of learning difficulties. Those pupils with behavioural problems are encouraged to meet the targets set out in the contract between themselves and the school and is an area that has improved since the last inspection. Support agencies visit the school, including support for hearing impaired pupils and from the educational psychologist. The school has recently

p.30

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

introduced the optical mark reader system of registration. This is working well and is able to pick up absences and lateness readily. Teachers monitor registers and any anomalies are investigated.

p.30

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

52. Much of the success of the school’s Code of Conduct results from the fact that pupils were involved in drawing it up. It is displayed around school; reference is made to these rules should a pupil misbehave. Each class also has its own rules. Pupils are expected to behave well and the majority respond well. Parents who expressed a view about behaviour through the questionnaire or meeting prior to the inspection indicated that they like the system of rewards and sanctions. Overall, the code is consistently applied. The school is very conscious of the need for vigilance in the matter of bullying and takes very seriously any incidents brought to its attention by pupils or parents. Pupils spoken to know that they must report any bullying to staff; most are confident that it is effectively handled.

p.30

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

53. A concern of the previous inspection was the non-compliance with child protection procedures. This has been rectified. The designated teacher has attended the relevant courses and all staff are given information on what to look out for and are aware of how to report any concerns. The school is planning to develop further the personal, social and health education policy in order to consolidate the good practice already in operation in developing pupils’ self-awareness.

p.31

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

54. The school has good procedures to promote pupils’ health, safety and wellbeing. Fire procedures are in place. Pupils are regularly visited by road safety officers. The school’s governing body is working hard to develop safe routes to school which would not only help pupils to keep fit, but would also ease the traffic congestion at the school entrance at the start and finish of the day which inevitably gives rise to concerns over safety.

p.31

Partnership with parents and the community

55. The school’s partnership with its parents and the community is a strength of the school. The effect of the good links, between the playgroup, secondary school and the community, upon pupils’ attainment and personal development is very good. It works very hard to keep its parents informed and involved in the education of their children. The school runs, within the confines of security, an open- door policy with teachers available to talk to parents at the start and end of the day. A number of parents were observed talking to teachers and those spoken to talked of the help and support that they receive.

p.31

Partnership with parents and the community

56. Parents receive an annual report on their child during the summer term. At the parents’ meeting a few parents were concerned about computerised reports and felt that often they were stereotyped. Inspectors found the reports to be of good quality and detailed what pupils could do, what they knew and indicated where there might be problems. Some suggestions and targets for improvement are also made. The school recently sent out a questionnaire designed to obtain parents’ views on a number of points. One related to curriculum information, a concern that was also raised at the parents’ meeting with the registered inspector prior to the inspection and mentioned in the previous report. The school has responded very speedily by drawing up and circulating, as appropriate, a clear and detailed summary of what is being covered in each class. The details of all class curricula are also available in the school entrance hall. The school holds curriculum meetings, sometimes timed to

p.31

Partnership with parents and the community

coincide with other meetings, such as the governors’ annual meeting with parents; an area already identified by the school for expansion.

p.32

Partnership with parents and the community

57. Parents’ evenings are held three times a year at which parents can discuss their child’s work and progress with teachers. Parents of children with learning difficulties are kept well informed of their child’s progress through regular review meetings and there is good communication with parents of pupils with significant difficulties. However, there is little involvement of parents in planning targets for their children. Other information provided for parents is of good quality. A newsletter is sent out regularly and is full of what has been happening, help needed, and forthcoming events and activities. There are also reminders on particular issues, such as the safe delivery and collection of pupils. As in the previous report, a good number of parents come into school to help in the classroom with, for example, reading, computers and art. Those spoken to feel well supported and enjoy their time in

p.32

Partnership with parents and the community

school. The Parent Teacher Association is very active, organising both social and fund-raising events; it raises considerable sums of money each year. The most recent event was a Safari Supper, which was well supported and greatly enjoyed by those who took part. Monies raised have been used to further the work of the school through the purchase of items such as computers and books for the library and by paying for trips for the pupils. Parents are invited to school events, for example, the Harvest Festival, which takes place at the start of the week after the inspection. Preparations for which were observed during the inspection and involved all the pupils. The school has a register of people with particular expertise or knowledge who will come into school to take on particular tasks or talk to the pupils. For example the vicar spoke to pupils who were reading ‘Goodnight Mr.Tom’, a book about an evacuee

p.32

Partnership with parents and the community

from London, about his own similar experiences of this. The headteacher is extending this list to include parents with particular talents and expertise who are willing to contribute in this way. The school’s homework policy is good, but currently under revision to take into account the numeracy strategy. Parents generally are happy with the school’s provision for homework.

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Partnership with parents and the community

58. Good links exist between the school and the playgroup and the most frequently used secondary school, both of which share the site with the school. The process of introducing older pupils to the next stage of their education is starting; there are regular visits to and from the playgroup by teachers and children.

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Partnership with parents and the community

59. As previously, the school has good links with the local community. “Buddy” readers from the community are invited to come in to hear pupils read; the headteacher is to extend this to cover mathematics also. Businesses have provided help for the school through parents, such as the carpet and shelving for the library provided by a chain newsagent, money and help with developing the environmental area and the football team’s strip. There are initiatives planned to establish links with local businesses for projects such as the awareness of mathematics in the work place. There are good links with the local church, not only through the vicar coming to assemblies but with pupils visiting ‘their’ church. The pupils raise considerable amounts of money for charities such as Comic Relief and National Children’s Home. A good range of visitors come into school. They include the Daylight theatre group, storytellers and Cirencester College, who did some appliqué work with older pupils to

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Partnership with parents and the community

produce book bags for use by younger pupils. Pupils visit places of interest both locally and further afield, such as a wildlife park and a very large blow-up version of the Planetarium was installed in the school, for a short period, in which pupils could walk into and study the sky.

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Partnership with parents and the community

60. The effect of all these links upon the pupils’ attainment and personal development is very good.

p.33

Leadership and management

61. The school is extremely well managed. The headteacher, although having only been appointed in January, provides inspirational leadship and has a true vision for the future of the school. She is effectively supported by the senior management team and governors. They have created a strong caring ethos and a shared common commitment to high standards. The school has met all issues from the previous inspection. Leadership is clearly focused on setting further targets for raising educational standards and improving the quality of education provided. There are clear strategies to maintain high standards, including regular testing and the analysis of test results. The school have named co- ordinators in place for all subjects and major aspects of the school’s curriculum. The co-ordinators are planning, monitoring and evaluating the curriculum ensuring that pupils’ entitlements to the National

p.33

Leadership and management

Curriculum programmes of study are met. Staff morale is high and the general atmosphere of the school is very good. The school places a high priority on good behaviour and this fosters the establishment of an orderly community in which very good relationships, consideration for others and equality of opportunity are the norm. There is very clear educational direction for the work of the school and the headteacher has been outstanding in moving the school forward since the last inspection. The governing body and all teachers have been actively involved in setting and carrying out the current action plan. All subjects are now supported by clear policy statements and schemes of work, aiding teachers in planning a coherent approach to pupils’ learning. 62. The headteacher provides very good support for staff, and the day-to-day management and organisation of the school are very good. The headteacher and senior management team work closely

p.33

Leadership and management

together, for example, in setting the foundations of the school development plan. The headteacher and senior management team are involved in classroom observation and the feedback given to staff aids teaching development. They monitor work through being involved in long-and medium-term planning and regular meetings to assess pupils’ learning. Subject co-ordinators have been closely involved in introducing and reviewing policies and schemes of work, and in ensuring adequate resources are provided in their subjects. Teachers attend courses and feedback at staff meetings on new initiatives. Non-teaching staff also attend courses. All staff have job descriptions but full appraisal, although started, has not been fully implemented. The school needs to clarify the rôle of support staff and the special needs co-ordinator and consider where and how they will be most effectively deployed. The strategies set for the monitoring of English and mathematics, particularly with the literacy hour and the

p.34

Leadership and management

onset of the numeracy initiative, are a good model for teachers to follow in other subjects. The school has a marked capacity for monitoring and self-evaluation. The initiatives in literacy and numeracy have already had a positive impact on the rest of the curriculum.

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Leadership and management

63. The school has comprehensive aims for social and intellectual development and for forming a lively, caring school for its pupils, parents, governors and the wider community. All groups are actively involved in the work of the school. Parents help in the school and they feel welcome to come into the school at any time. Pupils are very friendly and most children enjoy coming to school. The headteacher is well known and liked by them. There are wide ranging extra-curricular activities, which echo the broad curriculum offered. The good model presented by the staff contributes effectively to the school’s very positive ethos in which its social aims and values are reflected. The school has a clear policy for equal opportunities meeting the needs of pupils very well, whatever their gender or ethnic or social background.

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Leadership and management

64. The management of provision for special educational needs is good. The school has a positive, caring ethos which successfully ensures that special educational needs pupils are well integrated within the school and receive very good support to overcome their learning difficulties. The school has a comprehensive policy for special needs. The report on special needs is included in the Governors’ Annual Report, meeting statutory requirements.

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Leadership and management

65. The governing body meets regularly and there is an established structure of committees. A very good quality school development plan identifies areas for development, costed, and gives effective success criteria. The governing body is fully involved in discussing and agreeing the plan. Governors are kept very well informed by the headteacher who provides them with full and regular reports. Progress towards meeting the targets set in the development plan are well monitored and evaluated by all parties. The chair of governors is in school regularly and has a close working liaison with the headteacher and a very good overview of the work of the school. The governing body fulfils its legal responsibilities and has produced policies for guiding its work in line with legal requirements. There is monitoring of attainment by governors, as measured through the National Standard Tests, the outcomes of which are taking the school further forward. All statutory requirements for the National Curriculum,

p.34

Leadership and management

health and safety, and child protection procedures are fully met.

p.35

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

66. As in the previous report, the school is adequately staffed with suitably qualified and experienced teachers for the number of pupils on roll and for children under five. The staff includes a part-time special-needs teacher and a teacher who comes to support a group of pupils requiring some extra help. All have a sound range of expertise for the subjects and age groups taught and most are experienced. The school has recently employed another learning support worker, making two in all. Staffing of support learning assistants is still below the average for this size of school. A further learning support worker is employed by the local education authority to support a statemented pupil on a one-to-one basis. These staff have not been in post long enough to assess their effectiveness fully in supporting the teaching of the pupils. However, there is a need for their rôle to be more clearly defined

p.35

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

and for teachers to direct them more specifically over what they want them to do. The school is currently benefiting from the placement with the under-fives of a post-graduate student on teacher training. It is also very fortunate in having a large pool of parents willing to come into school to help with a variety of activities and who make a positive contribution to pupils’ learning. Administrative staff enable the school to operate efficiently. The caretaker and cleaning staff keep the school clean and tidy. Assistants working with the pupils at lunch times are supportive of them.

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Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

67. The number of recent staff changes has disturbed the school’s teacher appraisal programme. However, self-appraisal forms have been distributed, there is a programme of lesson observations in place and the headteacher has already had a number of discussions with teachers. The whole programme will restart in January. The school identifies staff training needs through the school improvement plan and will be linked to appraisal in the future. The recent focus of staff training has been on numeracy and it is already having a positive effect in the classroom. The school’s first-aider recently attended a course which covered useful information and training on peanut allergies. There is a pupil in school who is at risk from this and the course furthered the school’s support of that pupil. 68. All job descriptions are appropriate. The newly qualified teacher is supported very well by the school through the required procedures. The school is helping the two general learning-support workers

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Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

69. Overall, the indoor accommodation is adequate for the age and number of pupils which it serves, which is at variance with the previous report and is partly due to the new requirements for more whole-class teaching, particularly in literacy and numeracy. Individual classrooms are relatively small and it is difficult for the class to be seated on the carpeted area. It is not always possible for all pupils to see the board when sitting at their desks and for circle time a lot of desk moving is required. Classrooms are mainly arranged in pairs with a common practical area within them. Sound travels between the areas. Teachers speaking in a normal voice, for instance, reading shared text as part of a literacy lesson, unavoidably distracted pupils in the parallel class and affected the ease with which they followed their text; this was a particular problem in Key Stage 1 classrooms. Sound travelling between

p.36

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

classrooms caused potential problems for the hearing impaired pupils in school who may be more easily disturbed than other pupils. The school has a large atrium around which the classrooms are grouped. It has a glass roof which leaks, and is very hot during the summer. The library has recently been refurbished and now provides an attractive place for pupils to use. The school hall is just adequate to accommodate all pupils for assemblies. It is adequate for the delivery of physical education lessons for most pupils, but it is cramped when being used by older pupils. It is crowded at lunchtime, but pupils cope extremely well, a concern in the previous report. The SEN base, known as the Sunshine Room, is used effectively for working with pupils, holding meetings and storage of resources. It is welcoming and has a comfortable seating area. Displays around school are of good quality, mostly produced by the

p.36

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

pupils and are relevant to the work in hand. In many cases they raise the profile of the subject within the school.

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Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

70. The outside environment does much to enhance the school. The grounds are landscaped and the school has recently planted a number of trees to provide more much needed shade. There is an environmental area with a pond; some of the surrounding area was used to grow cereals that were cut for harvest displays during the inspection. There is a ‘star’ garden where a whole class can have a lesson outside and the sculpture constructed as part of the tenth anniversary of the school building’s opening creates an interesting focal point. The attractive nature of the grounds means that pupils enjoy being in them, using the different areas created to play and talk with friends. There is a secure area for the under-fives to play outside.

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Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

71. Learning resources are always at least satisfactory and good in some subjects. There is a need for additional resources, such as books for mental mathematics and the need for more fiction books in the library, which was identified in the last report. Some areas of the curriculum have received little or no money in the past, and the resources in those areas are only just satisfactory. There are no large wheeled toys for the under-fives. Information and communication technology resources are good and used to provide appropriate support for most subjects of the curriculum. Resources are used effectively and have a positive impact on the standards attained. Classrooms have adequate stocks of books and equipment. The library is attractive and well organised, the range of non-fiction books is adequate and well used. The school makes good use of various loan services and the local and wider environment to

p.36

The efficiency of the school

72. The overall efficiency of the school is good. The school improvement plan is well supported by very good financial planning. The headteacher is astute in drawing up the budget and takes into account comments made by all the school staff and the governing body and by looking at any county or national initiatives. The chair of the finance committee has a very clear view of how the school budget must be managed and that every pound spent must be judged for cost-effectiveness. All members of staff and governing body understand how the finances are linked to the priorities in the school improvement plan. Success criteria are identified for each priority. The school’s ability to judge the effectiveness of its spending was a concern in the previous report; by using the success criteria the school is now able to judge this. There is an appropriate contingency fund carried forward from the previous financial year.

p.37

The efficiency of the school

Careful planning has enabled the school to employ more educational support staff to assist in the lower part of the school. Staff development is closely linked to the needs of the school. The cost of supply cover is now being separated into illness and training cover so that more effective judgements can be made on the impact of any courses attended or training received.

p.37

The efficiency of the school

73. The teachers are well deployed; there is some exchange of expertise between classes. An extra teacher is employed part time to give some extra help to a group of Year 6 pupils, who have been identified as being borderline between levels 3 and 4 for Key Stage 2. It is too early yet to judge the effectiveness of this initiative. Morale amongst staff is good and growing. Staff plan effectively together, particularly where there are single and mixed-age classes covering a year group. Support staff in Classes 1 and 2, one new in post, are used as general support assistants and have little input in the planning or evaluation of lessons or assessments of pupils’ progress. Their contributions to teaching, particularly in the Literacy Hour, lack specific focus and consequently do little to promote the progress of less able or less attentive pupils. Where classes have the benefit of well-planned support

p.37

The efficiency of the school

during the Literacy Hour, less able pupils make good progress and achieve at a level appropriate to or sometimes above their abilities. However, not all classes benefit from this support. Where support is available but lesson timings are not adhered to, the support time is often wasted. Whilst the current deployment of both assistants is new, neither have yet had the opportunity to receive training to support them in their roles, and have yet to be effectively deployed. The school needs to address this issue to ensure maximum benefit from their employment. Where the SEN co-ordinator is teaching pupils directly, organising particular programmes including managing the staff or volunteers involved or administrating the SEN system, this provides good value for money. However, using her time to provide in-class support at a basic level for a teacher’s planned lesson is a less effective use of SEN

p.37

The efficiency of the school

74. The school makes good use of the available space, although there are many classrooms that are cramped. Good use of the library was observed during the inspection; however, there is a shortage of fiction books in it to encourage wider reading. The hall is well used both for physical education lessons, class music lessons and at lunchtime. The atrium was sometimes well used during the inspection, for example, by groups of pupils doing art and for group or individual reading. It also provides a good area for the ‘booster’ group to work in. However, there were times when it was not used at all. The school is exploring ways of making better use of this area, but there are considerable cost implications for any major works. Information technology is successfully used to support a number of subjects and is well used during lessons. Overall, staff make good use of the resources available to them. Time is generally

p.38

The efficiency of the school

used effectively. Pupils arrive at school on time and lessons start promptly.

p.38

The efficiency of the school

75. Financial controls and administration are good. Finances are carefully monitored and appropriate information is made available to those who require it. School expenditure is kept within agreed limits. There are effective and secure methods of ensuring the correct payment of invoices and a system of tendering and estimates to obtain good value. Administrative systems are clear and generally efficient and enable teaching staff to focus on the pupils. The school accounts are about to be audited; the report from two years ago was good and the few recommendations adopted.

p.38

The efficiency of the school

76. The school has made good improvement since the last inspection, especially during this year. Its capacity for further improvement is very good. By the time they leave, pupils generally are attaining at levels above average and good progress is made overall. Pupils with special educational needs also make good progress in meeting their targets. The quality of teaching is good overall, with some of the very highest standards in Key Stage 2. On the whole pupils’ behaviour is good. The leadership of the school is very good, as is its partnership with its parents and the community. Relationships are very good at all levels. This is a very good school and provides very good value for money.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

77. At the time of the inspection, there were thirty-eight children under the age of five in the reception class and the eight eldest children are placed in the Year 1 class. The quality of teaching overall in the reception class is satisfactory. Planning is detailed and there are appropriate systems in place, including a useful Baseline Assessment to assess children’s progress. The teacher is very conscientious and hard working. Where teaching is unsatisfactory, it is because of ineffective classroom management. The school recognises the need to establish effective classroom routines and management of children to ensure an organised and happy start to children’s education. The quality of provision for children under the age of five is satisfactory. Children enter school with levels of all-round development and maturity which are in line with those found nationally in children of a similar age. In

p.39

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

the last inspection, children entered the school with well developed skills in speaking and listening and their basic skills in language and numeracy were good. However, from the results of the current baseline assessment, children’s achievement in language skills are above with those of similar age and below in mathematics. By the age of five most children attain all the nationally identified targets or Desirable Outcomes of Learning on entry to compulsory schooling. The children under five make satisfactory progress in most of the areas of learning with the exception of their personal development, which is currently impeded by classroom organisation and ineffective behaviour management. Provision for children’s physical development is impeded as there are no large outdoor wheeled toys or climbing apparatus.

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Personal and social development:

78. Children’s personal and social development is unsatisfactory. The main reason for this is that the class organisation and management does not encourage the children to work as part of a group, taking turns and sharing fairly. Opportunities are provided for children to select and use resources independently but as yet the children are not well organised and they do not make progress. They have to wait too long to select their activities and become very restless and noisy. The support staff is not used efficiently and children are not establishing good work and play routines, which are crucial in the early years. Some children are beginning to play co-operatively together, for example, when using a construction kit they are able to take turns and share the resources fairly. There are limited opportunities provided for co-operative and collaborative play such as an interesting, exciting role-play

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Personal and social development:

area. Support staff are not always fully engaged in promoting children’s personal skills and sit observing rather than interacting or assisting with the children. · Language and Literacy: · 79. A scrutiny of work from last year’s reception class reveals that, by the age of five, the majority of children meet the expected standards for language and literacy and make satisfactory progress. Some higher-attaining pupils achieve above the expected standards. Most children listen carefully to their teacher and to each other and are confident to speak in front of others, for example, when discussing shared texts such as “This is the bear”. Most children listen to stories and can predict what will happen next. They are all secure in knowing that words and pictures convey meaning in stories and can confidently and carefully handle books. A few higher-attaining children can already recognise and write initial letters in response to the letter sounds. Some children can recognise their own

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Personal and social development:

names and a few children can produce a recognisable version of their own name, although not always with the appropriate use of upper and lower case letters. The quality of teaching is satisfactory in language and literacy. The teacher makes good use of the literacy sessions to raise the children’s attainment and progress in speaking and listening, reading and writing because the teacher has a satisfactory understanding of English and an enthusiasm which is successfully conveyed to the children. Phonics and word recognition are taught appropriately. Good use is made of resources such as Big Books to encourage and interest the children as the teacher uses good intonation and clear diction when reading aloud, which provides a good role model for the children’s own reading.

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Mathematics:

80. The children’s attainment in mathematics meets the expected levels at age five and they make satisfactory progress. They can use mathematical language, for example, when talking about shapes. Many of the children can count objects to at least ten and they can match objects one-to-one. They make effective use of their developing mathematical skills to solve simple problems and enjoy practising their mathematical skills in games with the teacher. Children enjoy singing number rhymes such as ‘Ten Green Bottles’. They can recognise patterns and can sort everyday objects according to their shape or colour. The quality of teaching is satisfactory. Children are provided with a satisfactory range of activities and practical experiences. However, the teacher does not pay sufficient attention to all the children during numeracy lessons and many are left to their own devices and do not make progress. There are few opportunities for children to practise their developing numeracy skills in play

p.40

Knowledge and understanding of the world:

81. By the time they are five, children attain standards which are in line with those of other five- year-olds and they make satisfactory progress. The higher-attaining children talk confidently about where they live and their families. They use their developing literacy skills to talk about their observations and to record pictorially what they have discovered, for example when thinking about being ill and what makes people feel better. The children show a keen interest in the computer and can use the mouse with skill and confidence when using the ‘Dressing Teddy’ sequencing program. The quality of teaching is satisfactory. The teacher provides a suitable range of practical activities to encourage children to explore the world around them, including cutting up food, which “The Hungry Caterpillar” ate.

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Physical development:

82. The provision for physical development is satisfactory but there are no outdoor wheeled toys or climbing apparatus to develop pupils’ large motor control. The school has an adequate hall and equipment for indoor physical activities and children make good progress. In the lesson seen, the majority of children moved confidently and imaginatively with increasing control and co-ordination when using their hands and feet in different ways and are extending their development of fine motor control skills. The quality of teaching is good. The teacher provides the children with clear, precise instructions so that they know exactly what they have to do.

p.41

Creative development:

83. There are satisfactory, although somewhat limited, opportunities provided to promote children’s creative development. By the time they are five, most children achieve the expected standards. They make satisfactory progress but are not always given sufficient, regular opportunities to experiment or investigate for themselves, because materials are not readily accessible. The children enjoy exploring paint; for example, they have produced some colourful self-portraits. The children enjoy singing and are familiar with using percussion instruments. The quality of teaching is satisfactory. A finger painting activity was appropriately planned in response to assessment of children’s skills. Language development is encouraged as the teacher interacts with groups of children, but is sometimes too quick to supply answers to questions instead of waiting for the children to answer.

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English

84. There is a good improvement since the last inspection. Overall attainment was previously found to be in line with national standards but it is now above, particularly at Key Stage 2. Speaking and listening skills have improved and there are greater opportunities for personal expression and collaboration in writing.

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English

85. At Key Stage 1, the results of the 1998 National Curriculum in reading were well above the national average and, in writing, above. The percentage of pupils reaching level 2 or above in writing, was above the national average and those pupils achieving level 3, close to the national average. In reading the percentage of pupils reaching level 2 and level 3 were well above the national average. Over the period of three years (1996 –1998) the performance of boys in reading was above the national average and for girls, below. In writing boys achieved above the national average and girls, well above. Teachers’ assessment of reading and writing levels was in line with test results. In comparison with similar schools in reading and writing the results are close to the average.

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English

86. At Key Stage 2, the results of the 1998 National Curriculum tests show that attainment at level 4 or above was well above the national average and the proportion of pupils achieving level 5 was very high. Taking the results over the period of three years (1996-1998) the performance of boys was above the national average and, for girls, well above. Teachers’ assessments were above the national average achieved at level 4 and well above at level 5. In comparison with the average for similar schools the results at level 5 are very high.

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English

87. During the inspection, evidence from the present Year 2 pupils’ work indicates that attainment is now, at this early point in the year, in line with the national average for most pupils and there are some who are already achieving above average. Evidence from looking at the previous Year 2’s work indicates that good progress was made through the year which brought the majority of pupils to a level above the national average by the end of Key Stage 1. Evidence from the inspection shows that most pupils’ attainment in Year 6 is already at the expected level for the end of Key Stage 2 with some above the national average standard.

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English

88. Many pupils come into school with good standards of speaking and listening. In all aspects of language pupils’ progress in Key Stage 1 is satisfactory. Most pupils listen well, follow instructions and show that they understand what is required of them. They use language imaginatively in play activities and have a wide range of vocabulary for example, they can suggest a variety of longer words beginning with “b” including Blutack and breakfast. The younger pupils make good progress in developing writing skills. They produce simple stories initially by making marks representing a sentence but by the end of Key Stage 1 they are writing pieces of work with clear sentence construction and confident attempts at spelling longer words. Higher-attaining pupils achieve high standards in writing, for example writing letters with correct layout and punctuation or stories with correctly punctuated speech. Good progress is also made in reading in Key Stage 1, with all pupils learning the

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English

connection between sounds and letter symbols. Most pupils develop a range of reading strategies although some lower-attaining pupils do not make sufficient progress in understanding what they are reading. Most pupils are careful to present their work well with neat pictures and writing. Letters become increasingly well formed and some pupils in Year 2 start to use a mature joined style.

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English

89. Pupils’ progress in Key Stage 2 is good, and for the older pupils very good, in all aspects of English except drama. Very good progress is made in the literacy hour in the development of reading skills through reading as a class and shared reading in small groups. Pupils of all abilities become confident, fluent readers, using expression particularly well when reading poetry in response to their teachers’ example. The oldest pupils can discuss in depth characters from their reading books and can use different sources to locate information they need for work in subjects such as science. They listen to the other peoples’ views with interest in discussions, putting forward their own points of view with reasoned argument and they are pleased to celebrate the success of others. Personal target setting results in very good progress in pupils’ writing; targets are often based on a teacher’s marking

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English

comment, and pupils work hard to produce well constructed pieces of writing. When they have finished their writing they carefully review their targets. They use story planners well to organise their ideas into a plot and are conscious of the need to gain a reader’s attention by an interesting beginning. Older pupils are enjoying writing a biography of a classmate as a book, using information from a questionnaire to draft each chapter. Handwriting consistently develops into a neat cursive style. Pupils throughout the school have a good understanding of the vocabulary used in English, for example Year 2 pupils can construct a rhyming couplet and Year 4 pupils talk about alliteration and homophones with confidence. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress on their targets with their individual education plans.

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English

90. Pupils’ attitudes to English in Key Stage 1 are good. They enjoy listening to stories, especially when the teacher uses dramatic effect and they respond with laughter to funny poems. Most concentrate well on their work although some fail to sustain interest without the intervention of the teacher, especially when they are not sure what they have to do. Pupils’ attitudes in Key Stage 2 are very good, they are eager to start literacy lessons and discuss books and poems with obvious interest and pleasure. Most work extremely hard, motivated by a wish to achieve the high standards expected by their teachers. They work well together in groups and negotiate how they would like to approach tasks. Lower-attaining pupils show the same enthusiasm for English as other pupils and are proud of their achievements.

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English

91. The quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 is satisfactory. Where teachers plan objectives which challenge all pupils and prepare interesting resources that closely match pupils needs, teaching is often good. The teaching of spelling is effective in Key Stage 1 through clear teaching of sound/symbol relationships and constant encouragement of pupils’ own attempts at spelling. For example, in their word books they are required to try out the word for themselves before asking the teacher and often they find they are correct. This continues in Key Stage 2 when pupils are encouraged to find and check spellings for themselves in a dictionary or with an electronic spellchecker. Pupils are given good opportunities to develop their imagination through poetry writing or work on simile or metaphor. One pupil, for, example described icicles as “a frozen finger pointing to the ground”. The quality of teaching in Key Stage 2 is often very good, and occasionally excellent and teachers show a very good

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English

grasp of the principles of the Literacy Hour. The pace of lessons frequently carries all pupils along at a very productive rate in terms of the learning achieved and work completed. Expectations in terms of behaviour and the standard of work are consistently high.

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English

92. The curriculum is closely linked to the National Literacy Strategy and there is a comprehensive policy in place. Although the curriculum covers most aspects of English there is a lack of drama which would support the development of speaking and listening, and the range of writing at Key Stage 1 lacks variety. The school has sensibly interpreted the Literacy framework flexibly to allow for extended writing opportunities for older pupils. There are assessment procedures for each year group and further assessment by the SEN co-ordinator for those showing difficulty in reading or spelling. The homework policy expects pupils to read at home, learn spellings or finish written work. All pupils have a record of reading, a personal record for the older pupils which includes an evaluation of the book while those of the younger pupils sometimes lack comments on strategies for improvement. Computers

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English

are being used effectively in English for a variety of purposes: small groups of pupils practise spellings, rearrange the layout of a poem or create patterns for words using different fonts and colours. The library is an inviting source of books for all pupils and is visited regularly by classes. It is well organised with clear divisions between fiction and non-fiction sections and suitable books at a reachable level for younger pupils. There is a colour coding system for different subject areas and the more advanced books are coded by Dewey numbers. There is a lack of books in some subject areas such as ‘famous artists’, and the range of fiction for older pupils with a lower reading age is limited.

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English

93. The school’s strategy for teaching literacy makes a good contribution to subjects across the curriculum both in improving pupils’ expressive writing and also in extending their vocabulary. For example, in Religious Education some pupils listen to music and imagine a special place which they then discuss and write about with great sensitivity. One girl wrote that Grieg’s ‘Peer Gynt Suite’ sounded like “a rainbow in the sky”. In technical subjects pupils become adept at note writing or writing instructions and in geography and history they use persuasive writing to compare the lives of rich and poor people or write a letter from a famous character. The requirements of the National Curriculum are fully met.

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Mathematics

94. By the end of Key Stage1, attainment remained close to the national average in 1996 and 1997 but was well above in 1998. In comparison with similar schools, based on average National Curriculum levels, performance is broadly in line at level 2 and well above at level 3. At this early stage of the term, inspection findings confirm this picture of the comparison of results of similar schools, namely that attainment is broadly in line with national expectations and above for high- attainers. The well above results in 1998 are born out by the evidence of the inspection in the current Year 3 class and scrutiny of their work as Year 2 pupils. In the Key Stage 2 1998 National Curriculum tests pupils’ attainment was above the national average for level 4 and well above for level 5, inspection findings confirm this trend. In comparison with similar schools, based on average National Curriculum levels, performance is well above for level 5. Attainment has been above the

p.45

Mathematics

national average since 1996. Since the last report attainment has greatly improved at Key Stage 2 and in applying mathematics (AT1) in both key stages. Factors which have aided this improvement include: a focus on mental arithmetic skills, applying mathematics to real life situations and planning on the numeracy hour initiative. The standards of numeracy are satisfactory at Key Stage 1 and good at Key Stage 2. Pupils are gaining a sound base of number skills and understanding in all mathematical areas. Reception pupils can sort and count objects and count on units to larger numbers. They can use simple mathematical language and name shapes. Year 2 pupils are beginning to ask relevant questions to solve problems. Pupils are increasing in confidence and competence in the recall of number facts. Most pupils learn new concepts quickly and with understanding. By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils can

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Mathematics

add, subtract, multiply and divide mentally and on paper. They can solve problems using larger numbers and recognise patterns in number. They are conversant with fractions, averages, drawing and measuring angles, area, probability, scale drawing, and recording data using charts and graphs. They communicate and show a good understanding of mathematical vocabulary. Pupils who have special educational needs attain appropriate standards. At Key Stage 1, progress is satisfactory, at times, good. At Key Stage 2, progress is good.

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Mathematics

95. At Key Stage 1, many pupils make good progress with mental calculation work as they are taught the strategies of adding numbers in their head quickly. Expectations of higher-attainers vary between classes; some are challenged well and pushed hard to achieve a high standard in a given amount of time but others do not receive tasks suitably matched to their level of ability. Pupils count accurately and use mental recall of addition and subtraction facts to 20. Data handling is developing well; pupils understand how to construct block graphs. They enjoy playing mathematical games, understand rules and that not everyone can win. They recognise and know the value of coins up to 10p and use them to solve money problems. At Key Stage 2 progress is good and accelerates through the year groups until it is very good in Year 6. In a very good lesson pupils understood equivalence of fractions and could explain the concept of proper, improper, numerators and denominators. They

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Mathematics

could find a fraction of two and three digit numbers. In another excellent lesson pupils understood the concept of rounding up or down of numbers to two decimal places and showed great mental agility in the ‘Loop Game’. All pupils were highly motivated and enjoyed the challenge of the task. Throughout the key stage attainment in applying mathematics (AT1) is good; pupils identify the information required, present it in a clear and logical way and check their results thoroughly. There is also good use of information technology to assemble data for further investigation. The ability to use appropriate mathematical language is developed from reception onwards.

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Mathematics

96. At Key Stage 1, pupils’ response is generally good although a few pupils are allowed to show inappropriate behaviour and this has an effect on the progress of other pupils. However, most pupils behave well and are courteous in lessons and around the school. Pupils are able and willing to ask for help when needed and are motivated to achieve results. Some pupils are not always clear of the learning intentions. At Key Stage 2, pupils’ response is good. They work independently and co- operate with each other, and are usually clear about the purpose of the activities. They listen well, answer questions confidently and are able to give clear explanations of their thinking. They are highly motivated and enthusiastic about the challenge set for them. Pupils organise themselves sensibly and are willing to take responsibility in leading mathematical games. The standard of presentation of work is variable throughout the school, from satisfactory at Key Stage 1 to good at the top of Key Stage 2.

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Mathematics

Pupils with special educational needs are conscientious and well supported.

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Mathematics

97. The quality of teaching at Key Stage 1 is always at least satisfactory and in a third of the lessons it is good. In good teaching, teachers give very clear instructions for tasks and provide challenging activities. Overall, teachers’ planning is good and includes a focus on mental mathematics, shape, measurement and data handling, and numeracy is extended and reinforced. Teachers have a secure knowledge of mathematics and lessons are well prepared. Appropriate resources are used effectively to ensure understanding. Specific guidance is offered and encouragement and praise are given. However, class organisation and management of pupils needs to be evaluated. At Key Stage 2, teaching ranges from satisfactory to excellent and overall it is good. In the best lessons: teachers have very secure knowledge of the subject, set very challenging tasks, are enthusiastic, check on previous pupils’ understanding, and time and resources are used to very good advantage. Teachers’ expectations

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Mathematics

of behaviour and standards are very high, they use skilful questioning ensuring extension of learning and their teaching has a very good impact on pupils’ progress. In both key stages homework is set and is a good influence on learning, especially in pupils’ development in reading. Effective cross-curricular links in numeracy are evident in literacy, science, geography and design and technology. Individual assessment of pupils and records are completed and updated regularly. The National Curriculum test results are sufficiently analysed to be useful in future planning.

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Mathematics

98. There is a very good co-ordinator’s file which includes test results, moderation of work samples and class observations. There is a good policy and scheme of work that aids teachers’ planning. The present co-ordinator has only recently taken over this responsibility but she is very committed and enthusiastic. She has set her own personal targets to improve the subject which include: rationalisation and storage of equipment in light of the National Numeracy Strategy (NNS), to help parents understand the NNS, pupils’ attitudes towards mathematics and problem solving. The policy and mathematics development plan are good. Assessment, recording and reporting procedures are secure, and standards effectively monitored and moderated. Assessment is used appropriately to inform planning. Learning resources are good and easily accessible. The school is very well placed in mathematics to make even further improvement. The requirements of the National Curriculum are fully

p.47

Science

99. At Key Stage 1, the results of the 1998 National Curriculum tests and assessments show that overall attainment at level 2 or above was above the national average. The percentage of pupils attaining the higher scores of level 3 or above was also above the national average. In comparison with the average for similar schools both results were very high.

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Science

100. At Key Stage 2, the results of the 1998 National Curriculum tests show that attainment at level 4 or above, was well above the national average. The percentage of pupils attaining the higher scores of level 5 or above was also well above the national average. Pupils’ performance in the science tests was above average in comparison with schools with pupils from similar backgrounds. Indications from the 1999 tests are that the school has increased the percentage of pupils gaining the higher score of level 5 to over half the cohort. Currently there are no national averages available for comparison.

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Science

101. Currently attainment at Key Stage 1 is in line with levels expected nationally. Some pupils with high prior attainment achieve above that expectation. Attainment is even across the attainment targets. At Key Stage 2 attainment is currently consistently above that expected nationally. Attainment is even across the attainment targets. At Key Stage 1, pupils with the help of their teacher carry out an investigation into the effects of exercise on the body. At Key Stage 2, pupils demonstrate a sound knowledge of the circulatory system and main organs of the body, which they can explain using a high level of scientific vocabulary. They understand the need for and can devise a fair test. They are precise in their requirements for an investigation into the most effective toothpaste, ensuring that results obtained will be valid when different groups compare the results.

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Science

102. At Key Stage 1, pupils make predominantly satisfactory progress and occasionally progress that is good. Where progress is good the teacher used her good knowledge of healthy eating to engage in detailed debate with the pupils, for example discussing which parts of a chicken contain fat and which do not. At Key Stage 2, progress is consistently good. In a lesson on healthy eating pupils were observed to make good progress where they were challenged to draw on their previous knowledge of healthy foods to devise a balanced diet and to express their findings in a suitable note form using correct scientific terminology. Pupils with special educational need make good progress.

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Science

103. At Key Stage 1, pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are predominantly satisfactory and sometimes good. At Key Stage 2 pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are consistently good. Throughout the school pupils are keen to carry out science work, they work well and concentrate for long periods and record work with care. By the end of Key Stage 2 they confidently record their work in a highly appropriate, scientific note book form, carefully using illustrations, graphs, tables and diagrams to illuminate their reports. All pupils are willing to express opinions and contribute to discussions confidently. The development of such a sophisticated attitude and working style makes a positive contribution to pupils’ personal development and the standards achieved.

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Science

104. The quality of teaching at Key Stage 1 is predominantly satisfactory and sometimes good. The quality of teaching at Key Stage 2 is predominantly good, often very good and, occasionally, excellent. In the best lessons the teachers are very clear about the learning outcomes they want to achieve, they set in place well-thought-through strategies to achieve these outcomes. They assess the pupils throughout the lessons to ensure they understand and develop the concepts being taught. For example a teacher used very challenging questions to establish whether a test, on raising pulse rate, was fair this engendered a high level of discussion and the teacher skilfully led the pupils to a very sound understanding of what constitutes a good quality investigation and, at the same time, raised the pupils’ knowledge of the circulatory system well beyond their previous knowledge. Throughout the school, teachers use every appropriate opportunity to extend pupils’ understanding and the correct use of

p.48

Science

scientific vocabulary. A wide range of appropriate recording and reporting strategies are used well by pupils. Such good awareness by teachers, of the cross curricular opportunities for language and writing, successfully extends pupils’ work in literacy. Teachers use appropriate computer programs to assist pupils in their understanding, for example in naming and labelling parts of the human body. They link pupils’ experiences in mathematics, to the use of tables for recording results and the presentation of findings in a variety of graphical presentations for example the rise and fall of pulse rate during exercise. 105. The school has established a scheme of work which operates on a two-year cycle. It is comprehensive, clear and links science and literacy. It successfully aids teachers’ planning. There is an appropriate programme for health education which includes drugs education and sex education.

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Science

There are good strategies for assessment and these are used well, particularly at Key Stage 2, to gather judgements on pupils’ attainment to inform future planning and to improve attainment. Teachers frequently take the opportunity to draw pupils’ attention to the wonder of nature. This has a positive impact on pupils’ spiritual development. There is a well qualified and enthusiastic co-ordinator for the subject who has had a significant impact on the recent improvements in it. There is a clear policy statement. Resources are good, well stored, readily accessible and are used well by staff and pupils. The school makes good use of visits, for example to The Wilderness centre, a wild life park, as well as having visitors into school. The school has a well-thought-out and maintained environmental area. This valuable resource has a good impact on the extension of the environmental science curriculum,

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Science

particularly in respect of crops such as wheat, water plants and small creatures.

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Science

106. Since the last inspection a science co-ordinator has been appointed, there has been improvement in the quality of the scheme of work and policy, in teachers’ subject knowledge and the use of assessment strategies. The quality, quantity and storage of resources have improved. Standards of attainment have risen and rates of progress improved. The school is very well placed in science to make even further improvement. The requirements of the National Curriculum are fully met.

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Design and Technology

107. During the inspection limited teaching was observed but from the scrutiny of work and teachers’ plans, and the lessons seen, pupils’ progress throughout the school is at least satisfactory and predominantly good. They make increasingly complex models and undertake more demanding activities as they progress through the key stages and they build appropriately on previous experiences and skills.

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Design and Technology

108. At Key Stage 1, pupils cut and join square section wooden battens to make the frames for model houses. They design pictures to have moving parts and manufacture these, for example a giraffe with a wagging tail, eating leaves from a tree which slide into his mouth. At Key Stage 2, pupils design and make model shelters using a wide variety of materials including square section wooden battens, roofing felt and canvas which they cut, staple or sew as appropriate. Younger pupils consider the purpose of an artefact they are manufacturing, and whether they have succeeded in achieving their original intention, older pupils carry out evaluations of their products and make written recommendations for improvement. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress.

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Design and Technology

109. Pupils’ attitudes are at least satisfactory and predominantly good. Where lessons were observed pupils were interested in the activities set, behaved well and were willing to express an opinion or contribute sensible comments to discussions. They are enthusiastic when describing their work.

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Design and Technology

110. The quality of teaching throughout the school is at least satisfactory and predominantly good. Teachers’ plans take into account many aspects of designing and making, and there is sufficient evidence that pupils at both key stages are given appropriate opportunities to develop their skills in these aspects as they move through the school. In the lessons observed the teachers drew appropriate attention to the health and safety aspects of the work being undertaken, for example in food technology where hygiene and the correct handling of knives and graters was taught. In lessons teachers use appropriate technical language to describe the ingredients, materials and variety of methods of presentation available. In a project on sandwich making pupils considered the relative merits of different types of bread from around the world. They have now to consider the type and size of packaging needed to store and serve sandwiches they will be preparing, ready for an outing, in the

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Design and Technology

future. Such awareness contributes well to pupils’ literacy skills and understanding of the practical application of mathematics. Such innovation also aids pupils’ understanding of the essential place of design and technology in everyday life.

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Design and Technology

111. The scheme of work sets out clearly the skills to be covered as the pupils move through the school and aids teachers in their planning. There is a knowledgeable co-ordinator who has had a considerable impact on teachers’ understanding of the design process and the progress of the pupils in the school. The resources for the subject are adequate, including food technology. There is satisfactory storage of resources and they are used well.

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Design and Technology

112. Since the last inspection the school has implemented a scheme of work, raised teachers understanding of the design process and their expectations, and the progression of the skills pupils require. The school is very well placed to make even further improvement.

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Information Technology

113. Improvement since the last inspection is considerable in the provision for information and communication technology (ICT). Standards of attainment are gradually increasing through the provision of high quality hardware, appropriate software, increased access to computers for pupils and improved background knowledge and confidence of teachers. The school aims to enrich the wider curriculum through the provision of ICT opportunities for both individual and collaborative learning.

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Information Technology

114. Pupils’ attainment in ICT is dependent on previous teaching and learning opportunities and also on their access to computers at home. The level of attainment by the end of Key Stage 2 therefore varies from well above the expected level to well below but for the majority of pupils attainment is satisfactory. Younger pupils are familiar with the keyboard and use the mouse to move characters around the screen with varying skill. Pupils’ progress in Key Stage 1 is satisfactory with most pupils making some improvement in use of key functions. In Key Stage 2 overall, progress is satisfactory and some pupils are making good progress in changing font, colour and size of text in order to make labels and signs. Older pupils are learning to use spreadsheets to plan and cost their requirements for a party and others are just beginning to send and receive messages via the internet. Pupils with special

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Information Technology

educational needs attain well according to their abilities and their progress is satisfactory.

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Information Technology

115. Pupils’ attitudes in both key stages are good. Pupils are keen to have their turn on the computer though some are less confident than others. They show respect for the computers and use them carefully. Most pupils have a good awareness of the importance of information and communication technology in society and recognise the influence it has on their lives. The school is beginning to use the two digital cameras it has acquired. In a PE lesson for example the teacher took photographs of pupils demonstrating the shapes they had made in dance and, after printing on the computer, used the pictures in a display.

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Information Technology

116. The quality of teaching observed in both key stages is satisfactory. Resources are well prepared and the access by pupils is well organised to fit into the timetable. Staff develop ICT skills across the curriculum by using opportunities to fit activities into other subjects. In science, for example, the older pupils use a CD-ROM to research information they need about the heart while younger pupils labels different parts of the body on a diagram for their ‘Ourselves’ topic. ICT is included throughout the school for a variety of purposes and is carefully planned in the scheme of work to ensure coverage of the National Curriculum ICT requirements. Informal assessment is made of pupils’ progress through monitoring of individual performance on chosen tasks, for example, making a label for their work drawer or drawing a picture.

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Information Technology

117. The role of the co-ordinator is held at present on a temporary basis, and only since the beginning of this term, by the headteacher but she is keen to promote the developments of pupils’ ICT skills. Staff have made excellent use of ICT to provide eye-catching displays using different fonts, colours and clipart pictures for labels and displayed text. This increases pupils’ awareness of the possibilities for their own presentation. The requirement of the National Curriculum are fully met.

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History and Geography

118. Only a small number of history and geography lessons were seen during the inspection. Judgements on pupils’ progress, therefore, are made on a scrutiny of past work, a review of teachers’ planning documents and discussions with staff and pupils. Progress for all pupils, including those with special educational needs is satisfactory and the requirements of the National Curriculum are met by the end of both key stages in both subjects.

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History and Geography

119. By the end of Key Stage 1 in geography, pupils have studied the human and physical features of their locality. They can correctly name the four home countries of the United Kingdom and are developing a geographical vocabulary to answer questions about different places. This knowledge is extended in Key Stage 2 so that by the age of eleven pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of their own and other locations, for example Chembokali in India, and Luxor in Egypt. Pupils in the Year 4/5 class make good progress in developing their knowledge and understanding of different world climates. This knowledge is developed further in the Year 5 and 6 classes where pupils make very good progress in their speaking and listening skills through group presentations entitled “How weather affects us”. Year 6 pupils’ geographical and personal and social development is enriched and extended by a residential field trip to the Forest of Dean. Pupils with special educational needs attain well according to their

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History and Geography

abilities and progress is satisfactory in both geography and history.

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History and Geography

120. In history, pupils at Key Stage 1 have developed a satisfactory understanding of life in the past through studying old and new artefacts such as toys and farm tools. They have a limited knowledge of famous people and events from the past, for example Neil Armstrong and Florence Nightingale. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have made satisfactory progress in their historical knowledge and understanding by studying life in Tudor times, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece and the Romans. No history lessons were seen in Key Stage 2 during the inspection. In discussions, Year 6 pupils displayed a sense of chronology and could use dates and terms relating to the passing of time. They explained clearly how to research life in the past.

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History and Geography

121. Most pupils’ attitudes to learning are good. They enjoy history and geography lessons and work with enthusiasm; for example, in a Year 2 lesson, pupils were very interested in studying digital photographs of the local area. The majority sustain concentration appropriate for their ages and older and higher-attaining pupils demonstrate high levels of perseverance and concentration. Most pupils work well co-operatively and collaboratively together particularly in Key Stage 2. They treat equipment with care and share resources sensibly. Pupils generally behave very well and aids the development of their social and moral skills. 122. The quality of teaching is good overall. Teachers plan work carefully and pitch their teaching appropriately for the range of attainment in their classes. Teachers effectively develop pupils’ geographical and historical vocabulary and pose searching questions to deepen understanding and

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History and Geography

correct errors and misconceptions. Teachers make good use of resources and teach pupils to use them correctly. There is usually a good balance between whole-class and group teaching and the plenary session effectively reinforces what has been learnt during the lesson. Where teaching was very good in a Year 6 geography lesson, the teacher shared the learning intentions with the class, set challenging work, had high expectations and motivated the pupils through very skilful questioning. This very good teaching accelerates pupils’ progress and raises their attainment. Assessment tasks are set at the end of each study unit in both subjects.

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History and Geography

123. There are policies and schemes of work for history and geography, which is an improvement since the last inspection. The two co-ordinators provide good leadership for the subjects. They are very hard working and enthusiastic and have completed a great deal in a short time. For example, they are beginning to compile portfolios of levelled, annotated work to assist teachers in their planning and they intend to look at history and geography teaching in other classes. Resources are adequate and used well. As in the last inspection, the school continues to use the local area well to support geography.

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Art

124. Pupils’ progress at Key Stage 1 is satisfactory. They make lively drawings of themselves. They draw on their knowledge gained through science work to make drawings showing the human life cycle. Some pupils use mixed media to make collages of animals. They use art packages on the computer to draw pictures freehand or add illustrations using clip art. They have made sketches of artefacts from Kenya.

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Art

125. Pupils’ progress at Key Stage 2, is good. They make pencil sketches of plants and then work these up into finished watercolour paintings. As part of this process they develop watercolour techniques and shades on test sheets, prior to application to the finished work. They further develop fabric painting and printing techniques taught at Key Stage 1, through detailed batik work producing intricate patterns between bright patches of colour. They study the work of a range of artists including Van Gogh, Holbein, Modigliani and Hockney, as well as ancient art forms from Egypt. All pupils with special educational needs attain well according to their abilities and progress is satisfactory.

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Art

126. Throughout the school, pupils’ attitudes to art are at least satisfactory, predominantly good and in some cases very good. All pupils are keen and enthusiastic to undertake the art activities set. Pupils share resources fairly and use them sensibly. Pupils study conscientiously. They are actively supported by teachers and classroom assistants, they are taught techniques and their work constructively criticised and they persevere with the improvement of their techniques and gain great personal satisfaction from their success. Pupils willingly criticise their own work and accept other’s criticism in the spirit in which it is intended. Pupils successfully work well together on collaborative work such as a large dramatic installation of fruit in the style of Giuseppe Arcimboldo. They work well together using a variety of media to produce large portraits of teaching and non-teaching staff to

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Art

127. The quality of teaching is at least satisfactory and predominantly good. In one lesson observed it was judged to be very good. Teachers teach pupils appropriate techniques and encourage them in the accuracy of their drawing and painting and clay model making. Where teaching was judged to be very good, very high expectations are made of the pupils. They were expected to experiment with colour and technique, to use their imaginations to extend the portraits they were working on. The teacher constantly moved between groups and individuals, commenting on and enthusiastically encouraging, pupils in their work. Such strategies had a significant impact on pupils’ progress in the course of the lesson.

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Art

128. There is an appropriate scheme of work which assists teachers in their planning of their lessons. The subject makes a good contribution to the development of pupils’ knowledge of European culture and to a lesser extent cultures beyond Europe. Accommodation is adequate and provides a satisfactory range of working surfaces and areas of appropriate flooring and sink facilities, and includes a kiln. The subject is satisfactorily resourced with an appropriate range of materials and media. Good use is made of resources including information and communication technology to support the art curriculum. Good use is made of visiting artists. A sculptor in residence produced drawings for a large scale free-standing sculpture in collaboration with the pupils. Working with them he then carved the large planks displaying the selected images. The sculpture now stands in the grounds of the school where it may be readily seen by all who enter the school. Another artist worked with pupils with

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Art

willow withies to construct life size figures which form an attractive feature of the school atrium

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Art

129. The school celebrates the achievements of pupils in a variety of ways including large, well- arranged, attractive displays of pupils’ work in all available public spaces in the school, as well as in classrooms, and this substantially enhances the ethos of the school. Displays show a good range of work including watercolours, pen and ink, print making, drawings of artefacts, collage, pottery and three-dimensional work. 130. The co-ordinator has produced an art policy and a draft of scheme of work. Since the last inspection the school has improved the range of pupils’ art work to cover all the programmes of study. The high quality of displays of pupils’ art work has been maintained and the school has extended its range of art experiences through collaborative work with visiting artists.

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Music

131. Pupils’ progress is at least satisfactory and predominantly good. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress. Young pupils sing songs clearly, clapping the rhythm appropriately or keeping reasonable time with percussion instruments. Older pupils listen to and repeat rhythms accurately, read music cards at an appropriate level and identify sections of compositions clapped for them by the teacher. Pupils increasingly improve in their performance and use of an increasing range of musical instruments as they progress through the school. They listen to music in the classrooms and at the beginning and end of assemblies.

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Music

132. Pupils’ attitudes to music are at least satisfactory and predominantly good. They are keen to take part, use instruments imaginatively, but with care, and try hard to achieve the expectations of the teacher in their use of rhythm, for example trying hard to clap their part in time to a drum beat. They are supportive of each other and all pupils listen attentively when others are playing and comment on the accuracy of their own performance and that of others. They make critical comments on whether their singing has improved as a result of practice. They listen carefully to recorded music and analyse its purpose and origin.

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Music

133. At Key Stage 1 teaching is satisfactory. At Key Stage 2 teaching is at least satisfactory and predominantly good. Teaching observed in one lesson at Key Stage 2 was very good. Throughout the school, lessons are well planned and include interesting activities which capture the pupils’ interest. Teachers build successfully on previous experiences. Where the teaching was very good, the teacher had a secure knowledge of what motivates pupils in this subject and used a wide range of strategies including CD recording, clapping to written rhythms and following the beat of a drum. In that lesson the high level of subject knowledge of the teacher and the use of good strategies to engage pupils in music making ensured good progress by all pupils.

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Music

134. There is a well qualified and enthusiastic co-ordinator. She is timetabled to exchange classes with other teachers to allow some specialist teaching of the subject. Such specialist teaching has a positive impact on the progress of pupils as they move through the school. There is a clear scheme of work to ensure progression. In this Church of England School, the co-ordinator has appropriately established a clear link between music teaching and music as part of collective worship. There is a school choir. There is a good range of resources, they are readily accessible and good use is made of them. A wide range of music stored on CD and tape is available for pupils to listen to, including work from other cultures, and is used appropriately through assemblies and other occasions to enhance pupils understanding of the richness and diversity of the different styles. Music forms a significant part of the

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Music

performances offered by the school to parents and visitors each year.

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Music

135. Since the last inspection the school has made significant improvements by defining the role of the co-ordinator, increasing the time allocated to music, establishing a balance between performing and composing and listening and appraising and commencing the use of an appropriate system of recording responses to music. The school is very well placed to continue these improvements.

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Physical Education

136. There has been an improvement since the last inspection in the standards of physical education (PE) at Key Stage 2, particularly in gymnastics where many pupils are now demonstrating high levels of physical control and complex sequences of movements. Evidence from the inspection shows that pupil’s attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 is at the level expected in dance and gymnastics. Most pupils’ attainment in gymnastics by the end of Key Stage 2 is above that which is expected for pupils of similar age.

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Physical Education

137. Pupils’ progress in Key Stage 1 is satisfactory and in some cases good. Pupils explore movement, finding ways to travel using different levels, pace and direction, and are inventive in using various parts of the body. They have a growing awareness of space and are able to move around safely avoiding others. Pupils’ progress in Key Stage 2 is good. Although levels of skills vary according to ability, all pupils make good progress in improving agility, balance and ball skills. In games such as netball, performance noticeably improves through the teacher giving specific individual teaching points regarding passing, throwing and marking techniques.

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Physical Education

138. Pupils’ attitudes in Key Stage 1 are good. Younger pupils change independently, rarely asking for assistance, and behave well whilst waiting for their classmates to be ready, although some of the youngest pupils do not yet respond to routines throughout the whole lesson. Pupils’ attitudes in Key Stage 2 are good and often very good. Most listen carefully to instructions and show a great deal of effort when they develop work with a partner or small group. They evaluate performances thoughtfully and suggest improvements in a way which shows a mature sensitivity for people’s feelings. Older pupils enjoy participation in games such as netball in small teams; they are enthusiastic, they show a sense of fair play and they communicate well with the rest of their team.

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Physical Education

139. The quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 is variable. Some teachers are effective in promoting a calm, orderly atmosphere and show an awareness of the need to challenge pupils at the right level but others fail to maintain the whole class’s attention throughout the lesson. The quality of teaching in Key Stage 2 is good. Teachers plan carefully for the development of skills for pupils with varying abilities and make clear teaching points which enable pupils to identify what they have to do to improve. Teachers’ confident attitude to all aspects of PE including dance has a very positive impact on pupils’ progress and all teachers show a high regard for pupils’ safety. All abilities and both sexes are given equal opportunities to join in PE activities.

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Physical Education

140. The curriculum covers all the required areas of activity including swimming and in each there is a clear emphasis on planning, performing and evaluation. An effective scheme of work has been successfully introduced providing teachers with a clear framework from which to build skills in all aspects of PE. Lessons are consistently well planned with the needs of all pupils in mind. Resources for PE are sufficient apart from large mats which are too few in number to enable a whole class to work in pairs simultaneously. The hall is used for gymnastics and, although not large, its size is adequate. Equipment is effectively and safely used by pupils when working independently, particularly the wall frame and large apparatus. The equipment for gymnastics is regularly maintained. The large playground is useful for games, with teachers making full use of the space by organising activities in groups.

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Physical Education

141. Throughout the year many pupils benefit from opportunities to join well organised sports clubs run by staff and parent volunteers after school. These range from the Infant Fitness Club for the younger pupils in the summer term to games such as netball, rugby and football and athletics in the summer. The school has recently begun to participate in competitive games with other schools, already with some success.

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Religious Education

142. Pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 is in line with that expected for their age and with the Locally Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education. Progress is satisfactory and, at times, good. At Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment is above that expected for their age, and progress is good. The school has maintained the standards achieved since the last inspection. In Key Stage 1, pupils are developing reasoning skills in their response to stories, for example, in ‘The Good Samaritan’. They realise that they have responsibilities not only for their friends, but also their ‘enemies’. They were able to illustrate their ideas. At Key Stage 2, pupils use appropriate vocabulary; for instance, when considering the story of the Pilgrim Fathers they used words such as ‘speechless, joyful and emotional’ to express their personal feelings. They showed good imagination in their drawings. In Year 6 they

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Religious Education

demonstrated good understanding of responsibilities for others in the ‘Caring for the World’.

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Religious Education

143. In Key Stage 1, pupils make sound progress. They respond well to challenging and timed targets, for example, in their work on the illustrations of the ‘Good Samaritan’ story. In Key Stage 2, pupils make good progress. During a lesson on journeys music, ‘Morning’ from the Peer Gynt Suite was played and good levels of imagination were shown in their language and drawing. Girls made particularly sensitive comments about the music such as ‘sounds like a rainbow in the sky’. All pupils were highly motivated during this lesson. In another lesson pupils made good progress in their understanding of their responsibilities and how their actions affect other individuals in the world. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, are gaining understanding and knowledge of religious beliefs and become increasingly aware of the customs and traditions associated with world faiths. Pupils consider carefully what it means to be a Christian, and they reflect on the value of

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Religious Education

various acts of worship for the individual taking part.

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Religious Education

144. In Key Stage 1, pupils’ attitude is good. Pupils listen very well to stories and are keen to volunteer answers to questions. Their behaviour is good and they allow other pupils to express opinions. Most pupils are confident when talking in front of the class, especially higher-attaining pupils. In Key Stage 2, pupils’ attitude is very good. Pupils listen very attentively to all staff and are mature, sensible and sensitive in discussion. They are well motivated to complete the tasks set. They show respect for each other’s views. Pupils’ attitude and mature behaviour enhance their personal development.

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Religious Education

145. The quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 is always satisfactory and, at times, good. When teaching is good, teachers’ expectations are high, learning intentions are clear and the pace of the lesson was brisk. In Key Stage 2 the quality of teaching is good. In the best lessons teachers’ manage pupils very well, questions are challenging to move the pupils forward, and teachers have very secure knowledge of the subject. They check that pupils have clear understanding of the vocabulary of the text, for example ‘shrine’. Such careful planning throughout both key stages and considerate handling and respect for pupils’ views are strengths of the teaching. The vicar from the local church supports the teaching in this subject.

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Religious Education

146. The school follows the Locally Agreed Syllabus. Assessment is completed at the end of each study unit and taken from Help with Assessments in Religious Education (Gloucestershire). In Key Stage 1 the programmes of study are organised over a two year cycle. In Key Stage 2 the study units are spread over a 4 year period. The quality of teaching and the ethos of reflection and mutual respect created in the classrooms make a positive contribution to increased development of pupils. The co- ordinator monitors the planning, organises themes for assemblies and moderates the pupils’ work. She attends courses and feeds back information to the staff. There is a good profile of pupils’ work which indicates the progress pupils have made over time. The co-ordinator has set personal targets for improvement: assessment procedures, multicultural resources and the development of collective worship themes. Resources are satisfactory and there are boxes of artefacts and books covering

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Religious Education

different faiths. The statutory requirements for Religious Education, including the daily act of worship, are fully met.

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SUMMARY OF INSPECTION EVIDENCE

147. The inspection of Fairford Primary School was undertaken by a team of five inspectors who, over a four-day period, completed a total of 19 inspector days in the school.

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SUMMARY OF INSPECTION EVIDENCE

148. For the majority of time in school inspectors visited classes, talked with individuals and groups of pupils and evaluated the work they had done. A total of 60 hours was spent on these activities. In addition, 22 formal interviews were held with the headteacher, other staff with curriculum responsibilities, parents, pupils and governors. In addition many other informal discussions took place with adults and pupils about their work and the life of the school.

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SUMMARY OF INSPECTION EVIDENCE

Each year group had the following number of lessons observed:

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SUMMARY OF INSPECTION EVIDENCE

Under-fives (9), R (10), Y1 (10), Y2(10), Y3(10), Y4(6), Y5(8), Y6(10).

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SUMMARY OF INSPECTION EVIDENCE

Furthermore: * 30 pupils were heard reading and questioned on their knowledge and understanding of books; * samples of pupils’ work covering the full attainment range were scrutinised in all year groups; * a wide range of documents, including the school development plan and policies, were analysed; * teachers’ planning documents, records of pupils’ progress, reports and attendance were analysed; * financial plans and budget figures were analysed; * individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs were scrutinised; * registrations and assemblies were visited; * all teachers were seen teaching the literacy hour; * all teachers were seen teaching numeracy.

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Pupil data

Number of pupils on roll (full-time equivalent) Number of pupils with statements of SEN Number of pupils on school’s register of SEN Number of full- time pupils eligible for free school meals YR – Y6 278 1 43 9

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Qualified teachers (YR – Y6)

Total number of qualified teachers (full-time equivalent) 9 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 30.9

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Education support staff (YR – Y6)

Total number of education support staff 2 Total aggregate hours worked each week 40

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Financial data

£ Total Income 379431 Total Expenditure 372493 Expenditure per pupil 1422 Balance brought forward from previous year 12067 Balance carried forward to next year 19005

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PARENTAL SURVEY

Number of questionnaires sent out: 205 Number of questionnaires returned: 100

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Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

Strongly agree Agree neither Disagree Strongly disagree I feel the school encourages parents to play an active part in the life of the school 31 57 7 5

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Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

I would find it easy to approach the school with questions or problems to do with my child(ren) 38 48 6 6 2

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Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

The school handles complaints from parents well 16 40 39 3 2

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Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

The school gives me a clear understanding of what is taught 13 46 22 18 1

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Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

The school keeps me well informed about my child(ren)’s progress 15 52 17 16

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Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

The school enables my child(ren) to achieve a good standard of work 21 63 13 2 1

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Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

The school encourages children to get involved in more than just their daily lessons 21 47 21 10

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Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

I am satisfied with the work that my child(ren) is/are expected to do at home 20 63 4 8 5

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Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

The school’s values and attitudes have a positive effect on my child(ren) 25 63 10 2

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Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

The school achieves high standards of good behaviour 30 58 7 4 1

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Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

My child(ren) like(s) school 42 52 4 1 1

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Other issues raised by parents

There were 26 parents who attended the parents’ meeting. Most were supportive of the school. Parents feel their children are happy at school and like their teachers. A few parents were concerned about equal coverage of the curriculum in mixed-aged classes. It was stressed that planning for delivery, progress and the continuity across the school will be inspected. Some parents expressed concern about computer generated reports giving identical information while most parents felt they were good. A few parents voiced concern that high-attaining pupils were not always being stimulated. All the above issues are addressed in the main report.

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