Long Row Primary School

LONG ROW PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 6 th to 9 th March 2000

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LONG ROW PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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LONG ROW PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Long Row Primary School - 1 INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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LONG ROW PRIMARY SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and Junior with Nursery

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LONG ROW PRIMARY SCHOOL

School address: Long Row Primary School Long Row BELPER Derbyshire Postcode: DE56 1DR

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LONG ROW PRIMARY SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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LONG ROW PRIMARY SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs A Attenborough

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LONG ROW PRIMARY SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 1 st July 1996 Long Row Primary School - 2 INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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LONG ROW PRIMARY SCHOOL

Team members Mr M Carter Registered inspector Mr W Twiss Lay inspector Mrs A Dancer Team inspector

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LONG ROW PRIMARY SCHOOL

14, Inkerman Drive Hazlemere High Wycombe Bucks HP15 7JJ

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LONG ROW PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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LONG ROW PRIMARY SCHOOL

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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LONG ROW PRIMARY SCHOOL

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Long Row Primary School - 3 REPORT CONTENTS

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LONG ROW PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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PART B: COMMENTARY

WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 9 - 11 Attainment in English and mathematics and science at Key Stage 2. Encourages a good proportion of high attainment. Maintains good behaviour in lessons and around the school. Promotes good attitudes to learning through exciting lessons. Provides well for pupils’ social development and very well for moral development. Promotes clear direction through good leadership and management. The quality of teaching is good.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 11 - 13 The governing body’s strategic oversight The effectiveness of monitoring of teaching Standards in information technology and religious education Inconsistency in the partnerships with parents.

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PART B: COMMENTARY

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER? 13

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PART B: COMMENTARY

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 14 - 17 Long Row Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school serves a large area of the town of Belper, close to the Derbyshire dales. A minority of pupils come from outlying areas and the school’s nursery class serves the whole town. It accepts pupils part-time, taking in new children twice a year. The school’s reception classes also take pupils in the September and January before they are five. They leave the school at the age of eleven. There is some pressure on places, but this year’s planned admission limit has not been breached. The school is larger than the average for its type having 329 pupils with a further 39 full-time-equivalent children in the nursery. There are slightly fewer pupils than average coming from homes with professional backgrounds. The proportion of pupils eligible for a free school meal has risen slightly and is now 9.4%. There is a very small number of pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds and none need extra

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

support for learning English as an additional language. There are fewer than average pupils having special educational needs and two pupils have a statement. Attainment at the age of five, is mixed, but above average overall.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school and the pupils achieve high standards in many aspects of their education. A larger than usual proportion of pupils achieve standards above those expected for their age, particularly in English, mathematics and science. The quality of teaching has improved significantly and is now mixed but good overall and in over a quarter of lessons it is very good. The leadership and management of the headteacher and senior staff is good and procedures promote a strong emphasis on high quality planning and improvements in standards. The pupils’ behaviour is very good and this helps their learning through promoting an ability to listen to others and to describe and debate well. Although the governors provide little strategic overview, the budget is efficiently deployed to aid the school’s developments. From the relatively low income for each pupil, the school makes good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Progress and attainment in English and mathematics throughout the school are good and in science in the juniors they are very good. Literacy and numeracy are strongly emphasised and effectively taught. • The school helps a good proportion of pupils to achieve above average standards. • Most pupils are very well behaved and good behaviour is well promoted in classrooms and around the school. • The pupils have good attitudes to school and their learning. Exciting lessons encourage these. • Provision for the pupils’ spiritual and social development is good and for their moral development it is very good. • The leadership and management of the headteacher and key staff is good overall and helps to promote a clear educational direction and climate for improvement. • Teaching is good overall. Teachers use their good knowledge of subjects and of the pupils’ attainment and they plan effective ways to promote learning.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • The governing body lacks effectiveness and has little strategic overview. • Monitoring of the quality of teaching lacks rigour and has not effectively eliminated the small proportion of unsatisfactory teaching. • Standards in information technology in the juniors are weak and more work is needed to promote sufficient learning across all aspects of the subject. • Standards in religious education are weak in the juniors, because new systems to ensure that all the curriculum is taught have not had time to be fully effective. • Parental partnerships are inconsistent. While much is done to inform and converse with parents and many feel welcomed, a minority feel the relationship is too distant. Long Row Primary School - 5 The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Long Row Primary School - 6

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

There have been considerable improvements since the last inspection, which took place in July 1996. This is evident from successively improving results in National Curriculum assessments at the end of each key stage. There has been work done about each of the key issues identified in the last report. The management roles of senior teachers and subject co-ordinators have been developed well and contribute strongly to the much improved and now highly effective planning, organisation and assessment procedures. The policies and provision for religious education, information technology, music and art have been reviewed and significant improvements made, especially in music. However, in religious education and information technology these have not yet had time to sufficiently raise the attainment of pupils. Development planning is now structured, costed and priorities are monitored. A programme of renovation is slowly improving the quality of the accommodation. The school’s resources for learning

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

are adequate overall and significantly improved, although those for information technology were, until recently, unsatisfactory. The school has improved its standards and the management and efficiency whilst maintaining a good quality of education and an advantageous climate for learning. In all, the school’s improvement has been good since the last inspection.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools Similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

The results above are based on the performance of eleven year olds in 1999. They show that the pupils attained substantially above national averages generally. In science, results denoted with a star above were in the top five per cent because of an exceptionally high proportion of pupils achieving above average standards. These results were also equally good when compared with schools having pupils from similar backgrounds and show that the school is more effective than the average school in a similar situation. In English, although more pupils than usual achieved the expected standards, compared with similar schools, relatively few pupils achieved highly and this accounts for the slightly lower performance. Results of these tests have been rising over the past four years, at least in line with the national trend. Further rises are anticipated through the appropriate targets that were set for

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STANDARDS

attainment. Progress towards these is good and the school predicts they will be exceeded this year. The standards of present pupils of Year 6 reflect a similar picture. In information technology and in religious education, the standards of the current Years 5 and 6 pupils are satisfactory in their present learning, but they lack a sufficient range of experience.

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STANDARDS

The 1999 results of the National Curriculum tests for seven year olds showed that the pupils’ attainment was well above average in reading, writing and mathematics. In each case, they were also well above the average for schools having pupils from similar backgrounds. In science, the teacher’s assessed the pupils as in the top five per cent nationally. The results of these tests have risen overall over the past four years. Long Row Primary School - 7

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school These are good. The pupils like school and are interested to learn and share their understanding with others.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms The pupils’ behaviour is very good in lessons and around the school generally. Pupils know the expectations and encourage each other to meet them well. Rewards and sanctions are applied consistently.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Pupils use opportunities well to take responsibility and to help others. They become sensible, self-reliant and maintain good relationships with teachers and each other.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Satisfactory and close to the national average.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Parents and pupils agree that behaviour is good in classrooms, in the hall, around the school and at break times. Inspectors found that behaviour is very good. In assemblies it is excellent. No bullying is reported and there have been no exclusions. The good climate of respect helps the pupils to behave well and to care for others. This very good behaviour helps the pupils to concentrate well on their learning and they become very interested with a good desire to progress. Most pupils help each other at appropriate occasions and they like the responsibilities offered, for example, to care for younger pupils.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Overall, teaching is good throughout the school. The National Literacy and Numeracy strategies are being particularly well applied and teaching in these lessons is often very effective helping the pupils to learn well and make good progress. A system of joint-planning helps to promote lessons that have effective methods. It also helps to promote good organisation, taking good account of previous assessments and ensures teachers have sufficient knowledge of the subject and of pupils’ common errors. Although there are a few exceptions, marking is usually carried out conscientiously and provides good guidance for the pupils to improve as well as helping the teacher to know their levels of understanding. Many lessons challenge and inspire the pupils, helping to foster their interests and promoting a mature sense of enquiry. Occasionally, there is insufficient difference in the difficulty of tasks set for pupils of different attainment. However, the quality of teaching has improved considerably

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

since the last inspection and there is now very little unsatisfactory teaching and the large majority of lessons are taught well or very well. In over a quarter of lessons the teaching is very good; in over a third it is good and in nearly a third it is satisfactory. One lesson in 25 has unsatisfactory teaching. Long Row Primary School - 8

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum There is a rich, broad and balanced curriculum that is well planned and fully covers the content of the school’s schemes of work. Guidance for promoting progression in skills and understanding is less consistent.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory. The relevant procedures are properly carried out and the pupils make good progress. However, there are few resources or finances to meet any unsatisfied needs.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall. There are very good opportunities for moral development and those for spiritual and social development are good. The pupils are encouraged to respect others’ opinions and to reflect on the effects of their own actions, but have fewer chances to appreciate the diversity of British multicultural society.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Satisfactory. All statutory requirements are met and pupils’ attainment and progress is monitored well.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The curriculum provides for work that matches the needs of pupils of different ability and of different ages within each class. It now meets fully the statutory requirements for the National Curriculum and religious education and offers additional lessons in personal, social and health education. However, while being carefully planned for the knowledge that pupils will learn, curriculum plans are less clear about how pupils will progress in their understanding, for example, of chronology in history, or in the gaining of skills, for example, of handwriting. Nevertheless, the pupils’ progress is carefully charted and they often work to higher than average standards. While the curriculum is enhanced with visits and visitors, there are few extra-curricular activities to provide enrichment, except in the summer term when plans show a satisfactory range of clubs including several concerning sports. While many parents think

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

the school is open, accessible and listens to their views, a minority feel that it is difficult to get enough information about their child’s progress. Some feel that they do not know about initiatives in the school and have little sense of involvement.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff This is good and has resulted in continued improvement. There is now a sound management structure and a clear climate of improvement. Monitoring is effective in identifying curriculum and attainment issues but not yet those about the quality of teaching.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Unsatisfactory. While the governors fulfil statutory requirements and are keen to support the school, there is insufficient strategic oversight.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The headteacher and senior staff evaluate the results of monitoring and of the increasing data available. There is a clear view of effectiveness.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Resources are used appropriately and special grants are appropriately spent. However, there is little money available for resources for special educational needs. Long Row Primary School - 9 The headteacher, with the senior teachers, gives a clear direction and purpose to the school’s work. There is a good climate of commitment to improvement and the school’s aims provide appropriate clarity. Target setting and monitoring provide further impetus, although monitoring of the quality of teaching lacks rigour and regularity. Induction and systems for new teachers are good. Delegation is good and supports the school’s declared priorities. There have been substantial improvements since the last inspection and the management structure reflects the school’s needs well. Development planning has improved although more work could be done to clarify the summary. Staff and resources are used

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

efficiently and the school is keen to obtain the best value for purchases.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • The children like school and have good attitudes to learning. • The teaching is good. • Teachers have good expectations. • The progress that the pupils make is good. • That standards are improving. • Inconsistent information about the pupils’ progress. • Lack of close working with parents. • The limited range of extra-curricular activities. • Some rules for pupils seem over harsh.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are mostly positive about the school, but there is a significant minority who, while appreciating the school’s results, feel that they have too little information about their child’s progress and that the school is distant. Inspection evidence indicates agreement with parents about the positive points raised above. Relationships with parents are promoted by information that is not dissimilar to that found in many schools. Parents are sent leaflets that explain the curriculum very well. Inspectors agree that more could be done to help all parents feel part of the school and to keep them informed about the rules and their children’s progress. There was found to be a sound plan of extra-curricular activities, but that this was for the summer term only. Long Row Primary School - 10

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science in the juniors they are very good. Literacy and numeracy are strongly emphasised and

1 Results of the National Curriculum tests for eleven year olds have been consistently rising over time and the school’s performance now exceeds both the national average and that for schools with a similar intake. Inspection evidence reflects high standards particularly for the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. Results of the 1999 tests for eleven year olds in science showed an unusually high proportion of pupils achieving above average standards.

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science in the juniors they are very good. Literacy and numeracy are strongly emphasised and

The school helps a good proportion of pupils to achieve above average standards.

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science in the juniors they are very good. Literacy and numeracy are strongly emphasised and

2 Through its targets and its careful grouping of pupils the school promotes a good emphasis that aims for above average attainment. The 1999 National Curriculum tests identified that over three quarters of the pupils achieved the level higher than that expected for their age in science. This performance is in the top five per cent of schools nationally and of schools with similar pupils. Although in other subjects and at the end of Key Stage 1 high attainment is not as pronounced, more pupils than usual achieve highly overall. Only in English at Key Stage 2 is the proportion of high attainment lower than that found in similar schools. This is largely because the standards of writing are not as high.

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science in the juniors they are very good. Literacy and numeracy are strongly emphasised and

3 Inspection evidence reflects a similar picture to that of the test results. Most pupils develop good skills of speaking and listening and combined with their good attitudes they are able to benefit well from the good teaching, posing relevant questions and answering the teachers’ skilful ones. Indeed, the quality of questioning significantly improves the pupils’ opportunities to extend their thinking and reflect on their learning.

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Most pupils are very well behaved and good behaviour is well promoted in classrooms and

4 The staff respect the pupils and provide good role models. The behaviour policy is consistently applied and from an early age the pupils learn to comply with the school’s rules. Indeed, the pupils sometimes remind their friends of these rules. The pupils’ behaviour in assemblies is excellent and this contributes to the pupils’ own sense of wanting to maintain an orderly and caring community.

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Most pupils are very well behaved and good behaviour is well promoted in classrooms and

5 Parents agree that the pupils’ behaviour is good, although a few parents think that the rules and procedures are too rigid. There have been no exclusions from the school and the systems for rewards and sanctions are effective. The pupils are generally considerate of each other and seldom interrupt in class discussions, despite their desire to answer questions and give their points of view. Good behaviour is strongly promoted by the policies and procedures that are usually well implemented and for which staff have had appropriate training. Such features create a good climate for learning in most classes. Teachers seldom need to use sanctions and are able to concentrate on teaching. Long Row Primary School - 11 The pupils have good attitudes to school and to their learning. Exciting lessons encourage these.

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Most pupils are very well behaved and good behaviour is well promoted in classrooms and

6 Most pupils like the school. They speak positively about their experiences and this is confirmed by the vast majority of parents who returned the questionnaire. Pupils are often keen to continue learning at home and usually complete homework with interest. They show this enthusiasm by answering questions well and asking their own. Many relate how what they have learnt has applications in aspects of life outside school. Furthermore, many pupils present their work in a manner that shows pride in new acquisitions of knowledge, understanding or skills. Many show this by proudly explaining to others what they know.

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Most pupils are very well behaved and good behaviour is well promoted in classrooms and

7 The teachers plan lessons that have motivating ways of learning and activities that are relevant, interesting and well matched to their levels interest and attainment. Teaching is often enhanced by the teachers’ infectious enthusiasm. The pace of a good proportion of the lessons also helps to maintain the pupils’ interest and their good attitudes to their own learning.

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Provision for the pupils’ spiritual and social development is good and for their moral development

8 In assemblies the pupils are provided with good opportunities to reflect on aspects of their existence, personal worth and the Christian deity. A good number of lessons help pupils to sense wonder and delight at what they have learned. However, opportunities to learn about multicultural society are more limited.

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Provision for the pupils’ spiritual and social development is good and for their moral development

9 There are many opportunities for pupils to socialise. In lessons the pupils usually co-operate well and are respectful of other’s needs. In some lessons there are a good number of opportunities for collaboration. A number of whole school responsibilities are provided offering pupils further chances to extend social skills in caring for younger pupils and being relied upon.

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Provision for the pupils’ spiritual and social development is good and for their moral development

10 The pupils’ moral development is encouraged very well through many discussions about the reasons for actions and the emphasis on consideration for others. The school’s rules and the climate of care also help to provide an orderly community in which most consider others’ needs and are encouraged to think about the effects of their actions on others. The oldest pupils are mature in their understanding and consideration of what is right and what is wrong.

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The leadership and management of the headteacher and key staff is good overall and helps to

promote a clear educational direction and climate for improvement.

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The leadership and management of the headteacher and key staff is good overall and helps to

11 This aspect of the school has improved since the last inspection and has become very effective. There is a clear management structure which highlights the importance of the teams of teachers in planning jointly, setting targets, identifying issues to make improvements and reflecting on what prompted the most successful learning. Each team is led by a senior teacher, who also contributes to the management team and usually has a subject co-ordination role for the whole school. Through this structure the headteacher successfully promotes a strong desire to make continued improvements to the pupils’ attainment. The system also works in communicating information in both directions.

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The leadership and management of the headteacher and key staff is good overall and helps to

12 There is effective monitoring of the curriculum, of the standards of attainment and of the priorities identified in the school’s development plan. However the monitoring of the quality of teaching has been less successful and not, for example, resulted in eliminating the small amount of unsatisfactory teaching. There is presently no appraisal system for teachers, but each teacher has an annual professional development interview. The monitoring of standards involves an increasing use of performance data and a number of tests are enabling the school to track groups of pupils, set targets and aids the school’s own self-evaluation. Long Row Primary School - 12 13 Development planning is helpful in clarifying needs allocating resources and meeting external requirements. However, the plan is sometimes unclear as to how the impact of improvements will be known and it lacks a simplified overview timetable available to all involved.

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The leadership and management of the headteacher and key staff is good overall and helps to

14 Staff relationships are good and provide support and encouragement for teaching. The school’s aims have been put forward by teachers and considered by the governors and this domain has resulted in broadly held convictions and agreement about what the school needs. There are appropriate and effective systems for staff development, induction, administration and financial administration.

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Teaching is good overall. Teachers use their good knowledge of subjects and of the pupils’

attainment and they plan effective ways to promote learning.

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Teaching is good overall. Teachers use their good knowledge of subjects and of the pupils’

15 Teaching is very good in over a quarter of lessons. In over a third it is good and in nearly another third it is satisfactory. In just four per cent it is unsatisfactory. This profile is much better than average and a good improvement since the last inspection.

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Teaching is good overall. Teachers use their good knowledge of subjects and of the pupils’

16 The teaching teams are very effective in promoting good planning consistently, especially for the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. They provide a good forum in which to update subject knowledge and share good ideas for exciting lessons. Lessons are often exciting, well informed and well organised. The teaching of basic skills is good and the implementation of the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy have been thoroughly disseminated, enthusiastically adopted and carefully implemented.

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Teaching is good overall. Teachers use their good knowledge of subjects and of the pupils’

17 Due to the high level of motivation in many lessons and the appropriate match of work to the pupils’ prior attainment, there are few discipline difficulties and the management of pupils is good. Teachers use the information from day-by-day assessments well to help evaluate lessons and plan the next work. Very occasionally the work for lower attaining pupils is too hard, but generally pupils with special educational needs make good progress. A weakness in teaching is when occasionally there is too little difference in the difficulty of tasks for pupils of different ability. These lessons are more likely to be the unsatisfactory ones and here the teachers have too little guidance in the progression of skills and understanding to help match the work more accurately.

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The governing body lacks effectiveness and has little strategic oversight

18 A minority of the governors is new to the role and are not yet fully conversant with all its functions. The whole governing body is keen to help and support the school, but there is much reliance upon the headteacher’s view of the school’s present position and how it should develop. Governors seldom act to hold the school to account or as a critical friend. There are currently too few means by which governors can obtain an independent view of the school’s effectiveness overall or of the impact of previous financial and other decisions they have made.

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The governing body lacks effectiveness and has little strategic oversight

19 However, governors have rightly been very involved with improvements to the school building and these have taken place slowly but steadily since the last inspection, when such improvements were identified as a need. However, decoration in some rooms is still poor and in several areas there is still damp that is affecting plasterwork.

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The governing body lacks effectiveness and has little strategic oversight

20 A number of governors are keen to become more active and to understand the role more fully. However, apart from agreeing its mission statement, there is little common vision about the school’s development or knowledge of the school’s current main strengths and weaknesses, beyond that offered by the headteacher. Some governors are unclear as to their representative Long Row Primary School - 13 role. There is now an appropriate number of governor committees that report and recommend their findings to the main governing body.

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Monitoring of the quality of teaching lacks rigour and has not effectively eliminated the small

21 The quality of teaching has improved considerably since the last inspection. The amount of unsatisfactory teaching has decreased, but there is still one lesson in twenty-five that should be improved. There is no formal appraisal system.

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Monitoring of the quality of teaching lacks rigour and has not effectively eliminated the small

22 Teaching is monitored largely by the headteacher but there are plans to increase what is done by core subject co-ordinators. The present system lacks rigour and is insufficiently based on a clear view of what constitutes effective teaching. Furthermore, the outcomes have been insufficiently challenging to lead to targets for improvement or to identify any generic or persistent weakness in teaching.

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sufficient learning across all aspects of the subject

23 Standards in Key Stage 1 are satisfactory and pupils have the expected range of skills and understanding. However, by the end of Key Stage 2, standards of attainment are unsatisfactory because pupils have not acquired the full range of capability expected. The curriculum has not been sufficiently broad to cover the required programme of study.

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sufficient learning across all aspects of the subject

24 Most pupils have experience of word processing, design and of data handling through the use of appropriate computer programs. However, less than half have the skills needed to research information using a CDRom or to use information technology to control programmable features. Those that have gained these skills have done so by using computers at home. The school has only recently gained sufficient resources to enable these aspects of the subject to be taught.

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sufficient learning across all aspects of the subject

25 There is a new plan to promote the teaching of the full programme of study and pupils are making sound progress. However, older pupils of Key Stage 2, have not had time for all the elements to be learnt yet. The subject is well led and any staff training needed has been identified. Some training has taken place in the school and through a local secondary school and more is planned in conjunction with national initiatives.

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sufficient learning across all aspects of the subject

26 There are some opportunities for pupils to use information technology to support learning in other subjects. However these are relatively limited. This is partly because there is too limited a range of software and partly because it is insufficiently planned as an integral part of many lessons. However, the school is aware of these shortcomings and has appropriate plans for improvements.

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Standards in religious education are weak in the juniors, because new systems to ensure that all

the curriculum is taught have not had time to be fully effective.

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Standards in religious education are weak in the juniors, because new systems to ensure that all

27 New systems for teaching the subject are making a good impact on the pupils’ learning. The pupils are making good progress towards the standards implied in the local agreed syllabus. However, learning so far has insufficiently covered all parts of the subject needed. For example, pupils of Year 6 have a very limited knowledge of religions other than Christianity.

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Standards in religious education are weak in the juniors, because new systems to ensure that all

28 In other aspects of the subject such as reflection about values and personal worth, the pupils have sound awareness. In Key Stage 1 standards are satisfactory and it is only in Key Stage 2 where pupils have not studied other religions or made comparisons, that their attainment is unsatisfactory. Long Row Primary School - 14

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Parental partnerships are inconsistent. While much is done to inform and converse with parents

and many feel welcomed, a minority feel the relationship is too distant.

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Parental partnerships are inconsistent. While much is done to inform and converse with parents

29 The information that the school provides for parents is satisfactory concerning the pupils’ progress, general matters and school events. There are now some good quality leaflets sent to parents that outline the curriculum to be taught. However, a minority of parents feel that rules are not always explained and the school is not always welcoming. Although inspectors found that overall the school’s partnership with parents is effective, there is a minority for whom this aspect is a disappointment and more could be done to overcome this.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

30 In order to consolidate the school’s strengths and make further improvements the governors, senior teachers and staff should now:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) improve governors’ knowledge of the school’s performance and encourage their training in methods of monitoring, evaluation and strategic direction; (paragraphs. 18, 20)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) improve the school’s internal monitoring of teaching so that it is more regular and more rigorous in raising the quality of the weaker teaching; (paragraphs. 12, 22)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) monitor planned improvements in the range of the curriculum taught for information technology and religious education, particularly in the juniors; (paragraphs 23, 26)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) improve the range of information provided for all parents and provide more ways in which the views of all parents may be gained. (paragraph 29)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition the governors may consider the following issues for inclusion in the action plan.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• consider providing guidance on the progression of skills and understanding within any revised schemes of work. • provide a statutory appraisal system for teachers. • improve the opportunities for pupils to learn about multicultural society. Long Row Primary School - 15 PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 34

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 39 329

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 0 31

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 3 31

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 11

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 8

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Long Row Primary School - 16

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 16 24 40

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 16 16 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 24 24 24

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 100 (92) 100 (94) 98 (96) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83 (81) 87 (84)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 16 16 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 24 24 24

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 100 (93) 100 (96) 100 (94) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 86 (85) 87 (86)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 16 17 33

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 88 (82) 85 (69) 91 (77) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 85 (69) 85 (77) 94 (87) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (71)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Long Row Primary School - 17

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 12 Financial year 1998/9

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 27.4

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 449990

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2 Expenditure per pupil 1339

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 41 Balance brought forward from previous year 9831

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 3271

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 39

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 65

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Long Row Primary School - 18

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 51 42 3 0 4

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 43 50 2 0 5

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 27 52 15 2 4

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 23 35 32 8 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 43 43 6 6 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 55 40 2 0 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 21 47 22 8 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 29 51 7 6 7

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 43 49 5 0 3

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 15 39 29 8 9

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