Lytham Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Lytham Church of England Primary School

Dates of inspection: 20th - 23rd September 1999

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Lytham Church of England 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. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school.

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Lytham Church of England Primary School

Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the appropriate authority must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. Every registered parent of a registered pupil at the school should receive a free copy of the summary of the report within ten working days of receipt of the summary by the appropriate authority. A charge not exceeding the cost of supply may be made by the appropriate authority for any other copies of the report and/or its summary provided to any person who asks for one. The appropriate authority should make a copy of the report and the summary available for inspection by members of the public at such times and at such a place as may be reasonable Any enquiries about this legislation should be addressed to the OFSTED Compliance Helpline Tel. 0171421 6567

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Park View Road Lytham Lancashire FY8 4HA

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Reverend C J Carlisle

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 29th April - 2nd May 1996

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mrs Joan Boden Registered inspector Science Art Children under five Special educational needs Characteristics Main findings and key issues School improvement Attainment and progress Teaching Leadership and management Mrs Denise Shields Attitudes, behaviour and personal development Attendance Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare Partnership with parents and the community Mr Tim Boyce English Information technology Geography Physical education Curriculum and assessment Efficiency

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mr Bill Jefferson Mathematics Design and technology History Music Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Staffing, accommodation and learning resources Equal opportunities

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Evenlode Associates 6 Abbey Close Alcester Warwickshire B49 5QW

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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 001 - 004 Key indicators

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Educational standards achieved by pupils at the school

Attainment and progress 005 - 014 Attitudes, behaviour and personal development 015 - 020 Attendance 021 - 023

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Quality of education provided

Teaching 024 - 029 The curriculum and assessment 030 - 038 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 039 - 042 Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare 043 - 047 Partnership with parents and the community 048 - 051

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The management and efficiency of the school

Leadership and management 052 - 060 Staffing, accommodation and learning resources 061 - 064 The efficiency of the school 065 - 069

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PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

Areas of learning for children under five 070 - 083 English, mathematics and science 084 - 116 Other subjects or courses 117 - 140

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PART C: INSPECTION DATA

Summary of inspection evidence 141 - 142 Data and indicators

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

• . The pupils achieve high standards overall, and very high standards in English and science. • . The overall standard of teaching is good. • . There is good provision for moral development and this results in good attitudes and behaviour. • . There are good procedures for assessment and the information gained is used well to match work accurately to the needs of the pupils. • . Pupils with special educational needs receive good support. • . The school involves parents very well in pupils’ learning.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

· WHERE THE SCHOOL HAS WEAKNESSES I. Standards of attainment in information technology are unsatisfactory because the school does not have enough computers, and there are insufficient opportunities for the pupils to develop their skills. II. There are not enough opportunities across the curriculum for the pupils to develop their numeracy and information technology skills. III. The school development plan does not focus sufficiently on areas for improvement, and the progress of initiatives is not monitored effectively. IV. The procedures for monitoring child protection are unsatisfactory. V. Discipline procedures are not implemented consistently by lunchtime supervisors.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

This is a good school in which the weaknesses are far outweighed by what the school does well.

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The governors’ action plan will set out how the weaknesses identified during the inspection are to

be tackled. The plan will be sent to all parents or guardians of pupils at the school.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE THE LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good progress in addressing the issues raised by the last inspection, and has a satisfactory capacity to sustain this improvement. The overall management of the curriculum is good. Curriculum co-ordinators have a good oversight of what is happening in their subjects, and they have good opportunities to monitor teaching and learning in other classes. Teachers’ planning has improved. It is now good. The purpose of lessons is clearly identified and the teachers make good use of assessments to match work to the needs of individual pupils. The school has produced a new policy for homework and this is implemented consistently throughout the school. Although the teachers have had appropriate training in information technology, the benefit of this has not had a positive impact on pupils’ learning because the school does not have enough computers. Although management and efficiency are satisfactory overall, there are some weaknesses. Planning for whole school development

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE THE LAST INSPECTION

is unsatisfactory, and the governors are not involved sufficiently in strategic planning. This is a decline since the last inspection when they were judged to be very good. ·

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STANDARDS IN SUBJECTS

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

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similar schools

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

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similar schools

The results of the 1998 National Curriculum tests at the end of Key Stage 2 show that standards in English were in line with the national average and with the average for pupils in similar schools. Standards in mathematics were well below both the national average and the average for pupils in similar schools. In science, standards were in line with the national average, but below the average for pupils in similar schools. Standards declined in 1998 and went against the trend of steady improvement. Twenty-two per cent of the pupils in Year 6, in 1998, were admitted to the school in Year 4 onwards, with 13 per cent joining the school in Year 5 or Year 6. The school feels that this, combined with the problems with the teaching of this class, contributed to the fall in standards. Standards of attainment in information technology are well below national expectations. Standards in history, music and art are

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similar schools

above national expectations. Standards in design technology, and geography are in line with national expectations.

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Teaching in: Under 5 5 - 7 years 7 - 11 years

English Very good Good Good Mathematics Very good Good Good Science n/a Good Good Information technology n/a Unsatisfactory Unsatisfactory Religious education n/a n/a n/a Other subjects Very good Good Good

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Teaching in: Under 5 5 - 7 years 7 - 11 years

The quality of teaching varies from excellent to poor but is good overall. The vast majority of lessons seen were at least satisfactory and just over half were good or better. Some excellent teaching was seen in Key Stage 1. The overall impact of teaching on pupils’ progress is good throughout the school. The quality of teaching in 7 per cent of the lessons seen was less than satisfactory. In half of these lessons the teaching was poor. Although the quality of the teaching seen in information technology lessons was satisfactory, the overall impact on pupils’ progress is unsatisfactory.

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Teaching in: Under 5 5 - 7 years 7 - 11 years

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 Good. The pupils are polite and helpful. Attendance Very good. Ethos* Good. The pupils have good attitudes and relationships. Leadership and management Satisfactory overall. The governors are not sufficiently involved in running the school. Curriculum Good for the under-fives. Satisfactory for both key stages. There is a weakness in so far as the pupils do not have enough opportunities for information technology. Pupils with special educational needs Good support is provided throughout the school and pupils make good progress. Spiritual, moral, social & cultural development Good spiritual, moral and social development. Satisfactory cultural development. Staffing, resources and accommodation Satisfactory overall. The school has good resources in all subjects except information technology. Value for money Good * Ethos is the climate for learning: attitudes to work, relationships and the commitment to high standards.

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Aspect Comment

· THE PARENTS' VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL What most parents like about the school · What some parents are not happy

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about

VI. The successful implementation of the National Literacy Strategy has improved the children’s reading and writing skills. VII. The school encourages the parents to play an active part in its life. VIII. The school keeps the parents well informed. IX. The warm atmosphere is a strength of the school. X. The teachers are hardworking and very approachable. XI. From an early age, pupils are encouraged to take responsibility. XII. The teachers provide good role models and the pupils are taught right from wrong. XIII. The children enjoy being in school. XIV. Higher attaining pupils are not

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XV. There is an inconsistent approach to

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The inspectors agreed with the positive views expressed. They investigated the negative responses. They support the views that, until recently, there were inconsistencies in homework and discipline. The problem with homework has been addressed. The school has introduced a new policy that is being implemented consistently. Inconsistencies in discipline at lunchtimes remain. The inspectors did not find any evidence that higher attaining pupils are not challenged.

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· KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION In order to improve the current high levels of attainment, the governors, headteacher and staff should:

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1. Raise standards of attainment in information technology by:

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• . Ensuring that all pupils receive their full curricular entitlement in information technology;

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• . Devising assessment procedures that show clearly what skills the pupils have acquired and what skills still need to be taught. Paragraph No. (10, 109 - 116)

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2. Raise standards in numeracy and information technology skills by:

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• . Identifying opportunities for the development of numeracy and information technology skills across the curriculum. Paragraph No. (31,57)

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3. Improve the quality of leadership and management by:

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• . Improving the quality of the school development plan so that financial planning can effectively target resources to areas of priority;

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• . Ensuring that the governing body undertakes its responsibilities for strategic planning by monitoring and evaluation. Paragraph No. (52, 58)

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4. Devise and implement more effective procedures for monitoring child protection. Paragraph No. (47)

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In addition to the key issues, the governors, headteacher and staff should give effective guidance to mid- day supervisors and all staff, in order to ensure a consistent approach to discipline · INTRODUCTION

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about

1. This is an average sized primary school catering for pupils from 4 to 11 years. There are 256 pupils on roll, 24 of whom are in the reception class. Most of the children attend nursery or pre-school playgroups on a part-time basis before they start school. They enter the reception class in the September following their fourth birthday. They transfer to Year 1 in the September of the following year. At the time of the inspection, all the children in the reception class were under five.

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2. The school is situated in an area of predominantly owner occupation although some pupils live on a nearby local authority housing estate. The number of pupils entitled to free school meals is below the national average. Pupils’ attainment on entry covers a wide span of ability, but overall it is above that which would be expected nationally, particularly in language, mathematical and social development. The number of pupils identified as having special educational needs is below the national average. The percentage of pupils with statements of special educational need is in line with the national average.

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3. The school’s aims are focused clearly on providing a caring and supportive environment where there is a commitment to raising standards of attainment and ensuring that all the pupils achieve their full potential.

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4. The current targets are to raise the percentage of pupils reaching the national standards by the time they reach the age of 11, and to implement successfully the National Numeracy Strategy. 4. Key indicators

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Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 Year Boys Girls Total for latest reporting year: 1998 37 15 52 4. National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Number of pupils Boys 34 36 36 at NC Level 2 or Girls 13 13 13 above Total 47 49 49 Percentage at NC School 90 94 94 Level 2 or above National 80 81 84

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4. Teacher Assessments English Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 34 36 33 at NC Level 2 or Girls 13 13 13 above Total 47 49 46 Percentage at NC School 90 94 88 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 15 32

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4. National Curriculum Test Results English Mathematics Science

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Number of pupils Boys 6 7 11 at NC Level 4 or Girls 14 7 11 above Total 20 14 22 Percentage at NC School 63 44 69 Level 4 or above National 65 59 69

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4. Teacher Assessments English Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 6 10 6 at NC Level 4 or Girls 11 10 11 above Total 17 20 17 Percentage at NC School 53 63 53 Level 4 or above National 65 65 72

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

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Percentages in parentheses refer to the year before the latest reporting year 4. Attendance

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Percentage of half days (sessions) missed %

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through absence for the latest complete Authorised School 4.2 reporting year: Absence National comparative data 5.7 Unauthorised School 0.0 Absence National comparative data 0.5 4. 4. Exclusions

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Number of exclusions of pupils (of statutory school age) during Number

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the previous year: Fixed period 2 Permanent 0

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Percentage of teaching observed which is: % Very good or better 15 Satisfactory or better 93 Less than satisfactory 7 4. PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

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4. EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS AT THE SCHOOL

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1. Children enter the school with levels of attainment spanning a wide range, but overall, the attainment of the majority is above that which would be found nationally, particularly in language, mathematical and social development. By the time they are five, most children achieve above the desirable learning outcomes in all the areas of learning.

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2. In Key Stage 1, attainment in reading, writing and mathematics has shown a steady improvement over the past three years. There was a slight drop in reading in 1997 when the attainment of girls fell below the national average. In 1998, attainment in these subjects was well above the national average and well above the average achieved by pupils in similar schools. The 1999 assessments indicate that these standards have been maintained, but national comparative data is not available. Inspection evidence confirms these results. Pupils make good progress and, by the end of the key stage, the majority achieve standards well above average. In science, the results of the 1998 teacher assessments indicated that the proportion of pupils achieving the average level 2 was in line with the national average and with the average for similar schools. The proportion reaching the higher level 3 was well above the national

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average. Inspection evidence shows that pupils make good progress and that attainment, by the end of Year 2, is above the national average.

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3. In English, the Key Stage 2 National Curriculum test results for 1998 indicated that, while the proportion of pupils reaching the expected level 4 was close to the national average and close to that achieved in similar schools, the proportion reaching the higher level 5 was above the average. These results showed a significant decline in performance on the previous year. The results of the 1999 tests indicate that standards have improved, but national comparative data is not available. Inspection evidence shows that the majority of pupils make good progress and that they will maintain the high level of achievement by the end of the key stage. The majority of pupils read difficult texts fluently and with good expression. They have a good understanding of the structure of story writing. They plan their stories carefully and are developing interesting and different ways to begin and end stories.

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4. In mathematics, the Key Stage 2 National Curriculum test results for 1998 indicated a marked decline in performance. Standards achieved were well below the national average and well below the standards of attainment of pupils in similar schools. These results went against the trend for the school which was one of improvement. In the previous two years, standards had been well above the national average. The 1999 results show a dramatic improvement, but national comparative data is not available. Inspection evidence is that pupils make good progress and standards of attainment, by the end of the key stage, are above the national average. The pupils have a good understanding of fractions, decimal fractions and percentages, and the mathematical relationship between them. They can construct prescribed triangles accurately. When studying circles, they understand the relationship between diameter and

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radius. They have a sound understanding of rotational symmetry. They can collect, represent and interrogate data and understand the scale of probability. Using their competence in the four rules of number, they work confidently to solve problems, using mental and pencil and paper strategies. They have good investigation skills.

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5. In science, the Key Stage 2 National Curriculum test results for 1998 indicated that the proportion of pupils gaining the expected level 4 was in line with the national average but below average when compared with the attainment of pupils in similar schools. The proportion gaining the higher level 5 was well below both the national average and the average achieved in similar schools. Over a three year period, although overall performance was above the national average, the trend was one of falling standards. The 1999 results indicate that the 1998 standards have been maintained, but national comparative data is not available. Inspection evidence, particularly that gained from talking to pupils, is that the present Year 6 has benefited from the introduction of a well structured scheme of work and good teaching, and reached standards well above the national average. They have very good factual knowledge across all

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the programmes of study. They understand the functions of the main organs of the human body and explain that the heart beats faster during exercise because the body needs more oxygen. They have a good knowledge of materials and know how to separate mixtures by filtration or evaporation. They have appropriate knowledge of forces and explain the effects of gravity, friction and air resistance. They are developing good scientific skills and understand the importance of repeating tests to get valid results.

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6. Throughout the school, progress in information technology is unsatisfactory. By the end of Key Stage 1, standards of attainment are below expectations, and by the end of Key Stage 2, they are well below. Pupils do not make enough progress because they have insufficient access to computers. By the end of Key Stage 2, a small proportion of pupils can use information technology to communicate and handle information sensibly and effectively, but the majority cannot do so. Some Year 6 pupils can access information from a CD ROM, but a small number are not sufficiently confident to be able to load a program or select the correct function from a menu.

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7. Pupils make good progress in art, history and music. In these subjects they achieve standards above those that would be expected of pupils the same age. In art, they benefit from the systematic teaching of appropriate skills. Observational drawing skills are particularly well developed. Pupils in Key Stage 1, use graded pencils to create effective shading. By the end of Key Stage 2, some of the work is of a very high standard, notably clay sculptures and work in the style of William Morris. In history, pupils develop a very good understanding of change over time. In Year 2, they use this well to explain the similarities and differences between transport in two different eras. By the end of Key Stage 2, they have good skills of chronology and they can recall important characters and events from the periods they have studied. In music, throughout the school, the pupils sing tunefully and have good knowledge of a wide

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range of musical instruments. By the end of Key Stage 2, they have a good sense of rhythm. They compose and perform confidently.

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8. Throughout the school, pupils make satisfactory progress in design and technology, geography and physical education. In all these subjects they achieve standards in line with what would be expected of pupils of their age. In geography, they acquire a good technical vocabulary and a good understanding of significant aspects of world geography. They know, for example, that the equator and the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn are imaginary lines. They describe, with appropriate accuracy, the different climatic conditions which can be found in tropical rain forests and the effects these have on plant life.

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9. Pupils with special educational needs, make good progress as a result of the good provision.

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10. Throughout the school, pupils make very good progress in the development of their literacy skills. This is the result of the many good opportunities to practise these skills across the curriculum. They make satisfactory progress in the development of their numeracy skills. Although some opportunities arise, the school has yet to identify opportunities in subjects other than mathematics to support the systematic development of numeracy skills. They make unsatisfactory progress in their development of information technology skills because there is only occasional use of computers across the curriculum.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

11. Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and relationships are good. Their personal development is satisfactory.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

12. Most of the children under five settle quickly into established school routines. A very small minority, who have not had the benefit of pre-school experience, were rather fretful during the

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

inspection. This was because it was the first time they had attended on a full-time basis and the class was much larger than they were used to. They respond positively to the high expectations and the caring ethos of the reception class. They have an enthusiastic attitude to learning. They are confident in attempting new work and they join in well with all the activities. Their behaviour is good and, although they have been in school for only a very short time, they have a good understanding of the school’s code of conduct.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

13. In both key stages, the pupils’ attitudes to learning are good overall. The pupils with special educational needs have very positive attitudes to learning. Attitudes are more positive and confident at the end of each key stage. Pupils respond best when teachers’ expectations are high. They are generally eager to contribute to lessons, take pride in their efforts and the majority concentrate well. They handle equipment and resources with confidence. However, when teaching is less challenging, a small minority, especially boys, find difficulty maintaining interest, drift off task, and disrupt the work of others.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

14. Behaviour in classrooms and other areas of the buildings is generally good. Where teachers’ behaviour management strategies are secure, pupils’ behaviour is consistently good and it makes a positive contribution to their learning. However, there are occasions when a minority of pupils show a lack of self discipline. Their immature and silly behaviour disrupts the work of others. At the pre-inspection meeting, parents were generally happy with the standards of behaviour achieved by the school.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

15. The school is a happy, friendly and welcoming place. Relationships between pupils and between pupils and all adults are good. The pupils are courteous and friendly towards visitors. They show respect for property and school resources. Pupils and parents indicated that instances of bullying brought to the attention of the school are dealt with promptly. There were two fixed term exclusions during the twelve months prior to the inspection. These were attributed to two pupils who have since left the school.

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

16. Pupils’ personal development is satisfactory. It is better in Key Stage 1, where pupils work well in small groups, are willing to support each other and tidy up with the minimum of supervision. These younger pupils respond well to the many good opportunities provided for them to undertake classroom responsibilities, such as giving out the milk or taking the register to the office. In Key Stage 2, when they are given the opportunity, the pupils are willing and eager to help. For example tidying up after the daily assembly or helping with the younger pupils during wet playtimes. Taking part in assemblies has a positive effect on pupils’ personal development and contributes well to raising their self esteem. However, in Key Stage 2, other than in Year 6, too few opportunities are provided. In both key stages there is a lack of opportunity for pupils to exercise initiative. There are insufficient opportunities for research

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Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

and independent learning outside the classroom.

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Attendance

17. Attendance is very good. Figures for the last reporting year are well above those found nationally. At 0.14 per cent, unauthorised absence is well below the national average. Authorised absence is below the national average, and is mainly due to medical reasons and families taking holidays during term time.

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Attendance

18. A manual registration system is used. Although registers are generally completed in accordance with published guidelines, some statutory requirements are not met.

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Attendance

19. A very small minority of pupils are late each day and this disrupts the organised beginning of the school day. It also puts pupils at a disadvantage if they have missed the introductions to lessons.

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Teaching

20. The quality of teaching has been maintained since the last inspection. It varies from excellent to poor, but is good overall. The vast majority of lessons seen were at least satisfactory, and just over half were good or better. One excellent lesson was seen. The overall impact of teaching on pupils’ progress, throughout the school, is good. The quality of teaching in 7 per cent of the lessons seen was less than satisfactory and, of these, half were poor. In both key stages, good teaching was seen in English, mathematics and science. In Key Stage 1, good teaching was seen in information technology and excellent teaching was seen in history. In Key Stage 2, good teaching was also seen in art, geography, history, music and physical education. Very good teaching was seen in English and mathematics. In Key Stage 1, unsatisfactory teaching was seen in physical education. In Key Stage 2, there was one unsatisfactory lesson in art and

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Teaching

poor lessons in mathematics and geography.

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Teaching

21. In the reception class, the quality of teaching is consistently very good. The teacher has a very good understanding of the learning needs of very young children. Her high expectations of work and behaviour encourage the children to work hard. She creates a stimulating environment to interest the children, and sustains this interest through her very imaginative approach to teaching. This was shown very clearly when she used puppets during a numeracy lesson. ‘Dave the Dalmatian’ couldn’t order his numbers and the children were very keen to correct him. Her management of the children is excellent. She gives them very good pastoral care and this creates a secure learning environment. She uses assessments well to match work to individual children’s needs.

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Teaching

22. In Key Stage 1, the quality of teaching is good overall. Over half the lessons seen were good or better. Of these, one lesson was very good and one was excellent. Only one unsatisfactory lesson was seen. In Key Stage 2, the quality of teaching is satisfactory overall with many good features. Forty-six per cent of lessons were judged to be good or better and one very good lesson was seen. Unsatisfactory and poor teaching was seen in eight per cent of lessons. The quality of teaching by support staff is at least satisfactory, and sometimes good or very good. This good teaching results in good progress, particularly by pupils with special educational needs.

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Teaching

23. Throughout the school, teachers have good subject knowledge and set high expectations of behaviour and work. They use a good variety of teaching strategies to sustain the pupils’ interest. Pupil management is satisfactory overall. While most teachers have good strategies for managing potentially disruptive pupils, some are less secure. This sometimes leads to disruptive pupils preventing others from making satisfactory progress in some lessons.

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Teaching

24. The teachers are using the National Literacy Strategy very effectively to suit the needs of their pupils. They have a good understanding of the strategy and their planning is detailed. The success of this is borne out by the very high standards of attainment in both key stages. Overall, the teachers have a good understanding of the National Numeracy Strategy.

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Teaching

25. The quality of the teachers’ planning is good. Learning objectives are identified clearly and the information gained from ongoing assessment is used well to match work to the needs of individual pupils. This is an improvement since the last inspection. Some parents expressed the view that their children were not being challenged appropriately. The evidence of the inspection does not support this view. In Key Stage 1, homework is used well to support pupils’ learning. In Key Stage 2, the use of homework is satisfactory. Parents felt that the homework policy was not implemented consistently. The school is aware of this and a new policy was introduced recently. The evidence of the inspection is that it is being implemented consistently.

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The curriculum and assessment

26. The curriculum for children under five is good. It is broad and balanced and relevant to their learning needs. It is based appropriately on the areas of learning, with well matched extension work from the National Curriculum programmes of study. The curriculum prepares the children well for the next stage of their education.

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The curriculum and assessment

27. The curriculum for pupils of statutory school age is satisfactory overall and statutory requirements are met. There are good features in the curriculum provided for literacy, science, history, music and art. The curriculum for all other subjects is satisfactory overall. While all subjects are represented in the curriculum, the balance between them is sometimes uneven. Insufficient emphasis is given to the teaching of information technology and not enough is done to provide meaningful opportunities to apply and develop numeracy and information technology skills across the curriculum. This is not quite as positive a picture as that reported in the previous inspection when the curriculum was judged to be broad and balanced. However, despite their positive overall judgment, the previous inspection team did identify that there were limited opportunities for pupils to extend their knowledge in information technology and not

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The curriculum and assessment

enough opportunities for sustained writing in English and other subjects. The school now provides good opportunities for pupils to complete sustained writing in English and across the curriculum, but the weaknesses in information technology remain. In this regard the school has made insufficient improvement.

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The curriculum and assessment

28. There is satisfactory provision for personal, social and health education, and sex education. However, the school is not providing any coherent form of anti-drugs education and there is no policy or scheme of work to support this area. This is a weakness.

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The curriculum and assessment

29. The quality of long, medium and short term planning to support the systematic development of knowledge, skills and understanding is good overall. This is a significant improvement since the last inspection, when teachers were judged not to plan with sufficient regard to prior learning, particularly for higher attaining pupils. Learning objectives are identified clearly in planning. This is a significant improvement since the last inspection when the failure to identify learning objectives was identified as a key issue for action. Subject policies and schemes of work are of generally good quality. However, while most schemes of work are appropriately detailed to support teachers well in their planning, they do not provide sufficient guidance for the development of key skills in numeracy and information technology.

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The curriculum and assessment

30. The school has been successful in its implementation of the National Literacy Strategy and this is having a positive effect on the pupils’ progress. The National Numeracy Strategy is being implemented satisfactorily.

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The curriculum and assessment

31. All pupils have equal access to the curriculum. Work is matched appropriately to the needs of individual pupils, including those with special educational needs. The quality of provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. There is a good policy based appropriately on the Code of Practice. The pupils receive good support in withdrawal groups or within lessons. The precise targets identified in individual educational plans give good guidance to teachers and support staff, and let the pupils know what their next learning objectives are.

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The curriculum and assessment

32. The provision for extra curricular activities is good. The provision for extra-curricular sport is a particular strength. Activities are available at lunchtime and after school. Teachers give willingly of their time to run clubs, and this is greatly appreciated by pupils and parents. These clubs are generally open to the older pupils in Key Stage 2, and are well attended. Some pupils report their disappointment that football training is only open to those pupils in the football squad. The co-ordinator for physical education is aware of this problem and has plans to address it. The curriculum is enhanced by an extensive programme of visits. The pupils also benefit from numerous visits by drama groups, musicians and ‘Vikings’, for example. The work completed in class is effectively enhanced by the completion of regular homework tasks. This is a significant improvement since the last inspection when the lack of consistency in

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The curriculum and assessment

setting sufficient homework across the full range of subjects was identified as a key issue for action.

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The curriculum and assessment

33. The procedures for assessment, throughout the school, are good. They are supported well by an effective and well-documented policy. Suitable baseline assessments are carried out when the children enter the school, and again before they transfer to Key Stage 1. The assessment co- ordinator and staff have worked hard to develop good assessment arrangements for English, mathematics and science, and are developing appropriate procedures in all other subjects. Good records are kept of pupils’ progress. The data from the statutory assessment procedures is analysed effectively and the curriculum in the assessed subjects has been reviewed and modified in the light of this information. In addition to statutory national assessments, the school completes a range of other formal tests. Non-statutory national tests are set in Years 3, 4 and 5 and, in addition to regular reading and spelling tests, commercial assessments are administered

p.19

The curriculum and assessment

in Years 2, 4 and 6. The information gained from assessment is analysed carefully and used well to plan further work. The assessment data gained in English, for example, has helped the school to provide a more appropriate curriculum for a number of otherwise able boys who are reluctant readers and writers. Realistic targets are set for each of the year groups in the school.

p.19

The curriculum and assessment

34. Teachers know their pupils well and the formal assessment structures are supported effectively by informal procedures. Teachers mark work accurately and most marking is supported by clear advice as to how the quality of the work might be improved. Co-ordinators are developing useful portfolios of work in their subjects. Some of these have been levelled accurately against National Curriculum attainment targets and level descriptions. They provide useful guidance to teachers.

p.19

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

35. Good provision is made for pupils’ spiritual development. The daily acts of collective worship, which fully meet the requirements, are an important source of spiritual provision. A recently opened conservation area, with seating accommodation, gives pupils good opportunities to reflect on their own lives and to appreciate their natural environment. The pupils plant flowers and monitor their growth. During the inspection, some pupils talked about the sunflowers that they had grown and expressed their amazement that such small seeds could grow into such large plants. Pupils in Year 6 appreciate the wonders of the blood circulatory system. In English, the pupils have suitable opportunities to reflect on literature.

p.19

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

36. Provision for pupils’ moral development is good. From their first days in school, pupils learn the difference between right and wrong. By the manner in which they listen to and respect the pupils in their care, teachers and support staff act as good role models. During school assemblies, good opportunities are taken to encourage the pupils to consider the effects of their actions on other people. There is strong parental support for the school’s values and the positive effects they have on their children.

p.19

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

37. Provision for pupils’ social development is good. The school provides a happy, supportive and caring environment. There are many well planned opportunities for the pupils to work together. Each year, every year group, including the under-fives, is involved in a range of performances incorporating a combination of music and drama. The highlight last year was a production of ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat,’ staged by the older pupils, in which 74 pupils took an active part. The school presents a singing concert to local senior citizens and sings carols at Lytham Hospital. Pupils are encouraged to be aware of others less fortunate than themselves by supporting a wide range of charities to help other children, blind people and the Arab Society for Rehabilitation. The oldest pupils have good opportunities to develop a caring approach to the younger ones by supporting children from the reception class in design

p.20

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

and technology sessions. Inter- school and in-school competitions, in a wide range of sporting events, support the good social development of the pupils.

p.20

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

38. Provision for cultural development is satisfactory. Pupils gain a sense of their own culture through reading and hearing stories and poetry. Good use is made of visits to local places of interest such as Quarry Bank Mill where they learn traditional crafts such as spinning and weaving. They are given good opportunities to consider the work of a good variety of famous painters, sculptors and musicians. During music lessons, good use is made of a wide variety of music styles from western and other cultures to develop the pupils’ musical appreciation. The school is involved in the Lytham Festival which provides good opportunities for pupils to demonstrate their musical talent in a public environment. The curriculum does not sufficiently support multicultural development. Although the pupils learn about other faiths in religious education, the school does not take the opportunities provided by other subjects to introduce

p.20

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

multicultural aspects. For example, good opportunities are missed in geography to study the beliefs, customs and traditions of people in other countries. In this respect, the pupils are not adequately prepared for life in a multicultural society.

p.20

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

39. The day-to-day pastoral care for pupils is good. This is in line with the findings of the previous inspection. The teachers know their pupils well and provide a caring environment in which pupils will readily turn to them for help. The commitment and contributions of the secretarial and support staff play an important part in this aspect of the school’s work. The views of parents and pupils, where these are known, are that children enjoy their time at school. Overall, the school makes satisfactory provision for the personal support, guidance and welfare of its pupils.

p.20

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

40. Procedures for monitoring pupils’ academic progress and personal development, are satisfactory. Since the report of the previous inspection, reports to parents on pupils’ academic progress have improved. They are informative and give a clear indication of what pupils know and can do. However, in Key Stage 1, there is insufficient space for constructive comments to be made. In English and mathematics, at both key stages, pupils are set individual targets for improvement. This is good practice. Each pupil has a record of achievement that is used effectively to monitor their personal development. The school does not offer opportunities to all pupils to promote their personal development. While there is good practice in Key stage 1, throughout the school there is a lack of opportunity for all pupils to take on responsibility or to exercise initiative. Opportunities for research outside the classroom are limited. Although a

p.20

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

suitable range of topics is covered, and good use is made of external speakers and agencies to support class teachers, there is no whole school programme for pupils’ personal, health and social education. The governing body has yet to draw up and approve a drugs education policy. Drugs awareness is not taught effectively. 41. The school’s policy for the management of pupils’ behaviour has been reviewed recently. However, it does not provide sufficient guidance for staff to enable them to deal effectively with incidents of inappropriate behaviour. The mid-day supervisors have not received suitable training in the management of pupils’ behaviour. Although procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are satisfactory, they are often applied inconsistently across the school. This results in inconsistent practice in the application of sanctions. There is no anti- bullying policy in place. Following a recent review, the weekly achievement assembly, much

p.20

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

valued by pupils, no longer takes place. Pupils now receive merit certificates on a less frequent basis. Rewards, covering all aspects of school life, are adequate but vary from class to class. There is an effective whole-school house system and a trophy is awarded to the winning house each week.

p.21

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

42. Overall, procedures to monitor and promote good attendance and punctuality are satisfactory. Although the school secretary has effective procedures to record telephone calls regarding pupils who are absent, no formal regular monitoring of attendance takes place. The education welfare officer visits the school regularly, but she relies on teachers to make referrals regarding any pupils whose attendance may be causing concern. An effective system is in place to send letters to parents of pupils whose punctuality is a cause for concern, and to discourage parents of pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 from taking holidays, particularly during the end of key stage tests. The home-school agreement refers effectively to the need for regular attendance and punctuality. However, this was only completed recently and is yet to be issued to parents. Registers do not meet statutory requirements and unauthorised absence is not reported

p.21

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

43. Procedures for child protection and for promoting pupils’ well being, health and safety are unsatisfactory overall. Health and safety procedures lack rigour but are satisfactory overall. There is a suitable policy. Health and safety tours are carried out, but are not formally documented. Effective procedures are in place to report any issues raised to the governing body. Teaching staff have not received health and safety awareness training. This is a weakness. A number of recommendations made in a full risk assessment of the school during 1997 have yet to be implemented. This is unsatisfactory. Child protection procedures are unsatisfactory. There are no appropriate guidelines for all staff and no recent whole-staff training has taken place. There are good induction arrangements for children entering the reception class. They have the opportunity to attend part-time sessions and this ensures that

p.21

Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

they settle quickly into school life. Pupils joining the school part-way through the academic year indicated they were made to feel welcome and settled well into the routine of new school life. Liaison arrangements with local secondary schools in the area are satisfactory and ensure the smooth transition of pupils to the next stage of their education. Arrangements for the supervision of pupils during breaks and lunchtimes are adequate. An adequate number of the teaching staff have full First Aid training. However, none of the mid-day supervisors have up to date training in this area. This is a weakness. While there is good practice in maintaining an accident book to record details of head injuries, and sending letters to parents, the school does not maintain an accident book to record minor incidents and injuries.

p.21

Partnership with parents and the community

44. Overall, partnership with parents and the community is good and makes a positive contribution to pupils' attainment and curriculum experiences.

p.21

Partnership with parents and the community

45. Parental involvement in the life of the school and their children’s learning is very good. The school actively encourages parents to become involved in the life of the school and has established a very good partnership with them. There is a good open-door policy that gives parents ready access to the headteacher and staff. Parents, grandparents and governors provide regular valuable support in classrooms. They receive good guidance from the teachers in preparing what they will do. The help they provide makes a valuable contribution to pupils’ progress. Parents respond well to invitations to school concerts, productions and assemblies and these activities are well attended. There is a very active parent and teacher association which organises regular fund raising events. There was effective consultation with parents in drawing up the home-school agreement. The school’s homework policy has only recently been

p.21

Partnership with parents and the community

introduced. It is too early to assess its impact on parents’ involvement in this area of their children’s learning.

p.22

Partnership with parents and the community

46. The overall quality of information provided for parents is good with some very good features. Parents appreciate the regular flow of very good quality information about the curriculum and the day-to-day life of the school. Regular informative newsletters are produced. The prospectus is of a high standard and very parent friendly. Parents’ evenings and open afternoons to discuss pupils’ progress are very well attended. Regular information evenings are held, for example to discuss the National Literacy Strategy. These are generally well attended. The school secretary makes a significant contribution in ensuring that parents are kept well informed about day-to-day matters concerning their children. The governors’ annual report to parents has, for the last three reporting years, had a number of significant omissions and statutory requirements are not met.

p.22

Partnership with parents and the community

47. Established links with the community are good and there are some very good features. The school is actively involved in the immediate community. Pupils collect and distribute harvest produce. At Christmas, older pupils visit the local hospice and senior citizens’ home to sing carols. Each year the school takes part in the Lytham Club Day. There is a very good range of visitors to the school, who make a significant contribution to broadening pupils’ experiences and enriching the curriculum. The wider community is used effectively as a learning environment. The school has very close links with the church. Pupils participate regularly in church services and the vicar leads a school assembly each week. National retailers’ vouchers are collected to improve resources. However, links with business and industry have not been fully developed in ways that could enrich and support the curriculum. The Windmill playgroup

p.22

Partnership with parents and the community

is based in the school building and this ensures that when pupils transfer to the reception class they settle quickly into school life. Liaison with other schools is good. Regular sporting events take place with other schools in the area. Headteachers from the consortia of schools meet on a regular basis to share good practice and expertise. The school maintains beneficial links with social services, educational support teams and other relevant agencies.

p.22

Leadership and management

48. The quality of leadership and management is satisfactory overall. Although there are some weaknesses in the way the school is run, the headteacher provides generally sound leadership. Despite the shortcomings in the leadership by the governors and the headteacher, the strong leadership provided by the senior management team and the curriculum co-ordinators provide clear educational direction for the school. Subject co-ordinators have good oversight of what is happening within their subjects throughout the school. This is an improvement since the last inspection and the key issue relating to this has been met well.

p.22

Leadership and management

49. The quality of support and monitoring of teaching and curriculum development is good. The school has responded well to the key issue relating to this. Curriculum co-ordinators monitor planning and have regular opportunities to monitor standards of teaching and learning in other classes. As a result of monitoring and target setting, the school has taken a good decision to employ additional staff to support specific groups of pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5. There is a weakness in curriculum development in information technology, but this is related to the insufficient number of computers. 50. The implementation of the school’s aims, values and policies is satisfactory. However, the absence of a policy for drugs education and the monitoring of equality of opportunity are weaknesses. The school is largely successful in achieving its aim to ensure that all pupils achieve their full potential in all areas of the curriculum. The weakness is in information

p.22

Leadership and management

technology where the pupils have insufficient opportunities and, therefore, make unsatisfactory progress.

p.23

Leadership and management

51. The management of provision for children under five is very good. The reception class teacher has a very good understanding of the learning needs of very young children and she uses this well to plan well matched learning experiences. There is good quality liaison between the pre- school groups and the reception class teacher in preparing the children to start school.

p.23

Leadership and management

52. The management of provision for pupils with special educational needs is good throughout the school. Although the co-ordinator is only employed on a part-time basis, she carries out her duties very efficiently. There is good co-operation between class teachers and support staff. Individual education plans are detailed and records are maintained well. Reviews are carried out appropriately, parents are closely involved at every stage and effective links are maintained with outside agencies.

p.23

Leadership and management

53. The effectiveness of the school’s strategy for literacy is very good. Very good opportunities are provided across the curriculum for the development of all aspects of literacy. The effectiveness of the strategy for numeracy is satisfactory. Although some opportunities exist in some subjects, the school has yet to identify opportunities in all subjects. The use of information technology across the curriculum is unsatisfactory.

p.23

Leadership and management

54. Planning for whole school development is unsatisfactory. The governors are not involved sufficiently in strategic planning. They are not involved in drawing up the school development plan or in systematically reviewing the work of the school. This is in contrast to the findings of the last inspection when the governors, together with the headteacher, were reported as giving strong, clear and decisive leadership. The development plan does not address all the areas of weakness, for example, attainment in information technology, drugs awareness and the consistent implementation of the discipline policy. Although appropriate targets are identified in some aspects, and success criteria and some details of cost are identified, the implementation of initiatives is not monitored effectively and this makes it impossible to evaluate the impact on pupils’ progress. The school’s current targets are not identified in the development plan, for

p.23

Leadership and management

example, raising the percentage of pupils reaching level 4 in the end of Key Stage 2 tests. Although a good decision was taken to employ extra staff to give these pupils extra support, this does not appear in the development plan and the results of the initiative are not monitored effectively.

p.23

Leadership and management

55. The governing body fails to meet its statutory duties in providing for the teaching of drugs awareness. In addition, some statutory requirements are not met in the information provided in the annual report to parents.

p.23

Leadership and management

56. The good relationships between all adults and between the pupils themselves contribute well to creating a secure learning environment. The quality of the school’s ethos is good. Good quality care and attention are given to the pupils’ pastoral needs. The pupils respond positively and relationships are good. There is a positive climate for learning and a strong commitment to high standards.

p.23

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

57. The school is adequately staffed by dedicated, hard-working teachers, who are appropriately experienced and qualified to teach children under five and the National Curriculum to pupils of statutory school age. Well qualified assistants provide very effective support to teachers in classrooms. A visiting specialist works efficiently and very effectively as a joint co-ordinator of music. A large group of parents give willingly of their time to fulfil a variety of roles and provide effective help for teachers. The school secretary provides very good administrative support to the headteacher and contributes well to the smooth running of the school. The hard- working caretaker and his assistant maintain the school to a high level of cleanliness. Lunchtime supervisors provide good quality care for pupils.

p.23

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

58. The school’s arrangements for the professional development of its staff are satisfactory overall. Courses are advertised and staff invited to attend. However, there is no cohesive plan to develop teachers’ expertise. Co-ordinators, who attend courses in their own subjects, provide relevant in-service for the rest of the staff. A satisfactory policy and system for staff appraisal is in place and the results of appraisal interviews have been of benefit to individual teachers and the school. There are satisfactory induction procedures for newly-qualified teachers. Staff who were newly qualified and appointed to the school in the past, speak highly of the support they received. However, the recently appointed newly qualified teacher has not received adequate support. This is unsatisfactory.

p.24

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

59. The accommodation is adequate to meet the needs of pupils and the curriculum generally. However, there is no appropriate play area for children under five. Some pupils who are withdrawn for group work, are taught in very restricted and congested areas. Where very large classes are being taught, the amount of space is very restrictive. The inside of the school is bright and welcoming and good displays of pupils’ work further enhance the environment for learning. There are good sized hard playgrounds. They are well maintained and are marked out to develop games skills and to promote social activities at playtimes. There is a generous, well maintained grass area which is put to good use to enhance pupils’ learning and physical development. An effective outdoor learning environment has been created by the development of a conservation area which includes flowers, trees and shrubs, a habitat for the development

p.24

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

of water life, insects and birds and a seat. This gives good opportunities for reflection, observation and the social development of the pupils.

p.24

Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

60. Resources for most areas of the curriculum are good. They are of good quality and sufficient in number. They are well maintained, well organised and accessible. However the provision for information technology is poor. The number of computers is insufficient to enable pupils to develop skills and make progress in this area of their learning. Library resources are unsatisfactory. There is an adequate number of fiction and non-fiction books and good use is made of the local authority’s loan scheme. However, the library does not include periodicals, magazines or comics to motivate the pupils to use its facilities or to develop wider interests. There is a lack of literature to support the pupils’ multicultural development.

p.24

The efficiency of the school

61. The quality of the school’s efficiency is satisfactory overall. There are effective procedures for financial planning with specific responsibilities delegated to an appropriate committee of the governing body. The quality of financial planning is satisfactory overall, but contains a number of significant strengths and weaknesses. While many spending decisions are linked to targets identified in the school development plan, several significant ones are not. This is a weakness.

p.24

The efficiency of the school

62. The most significant financial decision made recently has been to provide additional teaching groups throughout the school to enable additional support to be targeted on those pupils who might not reach the average national standard in English and mathematics. This strategy has proved to be very successful, and has been effective in raising standards throughout the school. It is not, however, identified with sufficient clarity in the school development plan. Money for pupils with special educational needs and staff development is spent effectively.

p.24

The efficiency of the school

63. Teaching staff are deployed satisfactorily so that appropriate use is made of their experience and expertise. The deputy headteacher, however, has a very heavy workload and is not given sufficient management time to complete all her various tasks appropriately. Good use is made of support staff throughout the school. The use of support staff to provide extra time and target those pupils who might not achieve appropriate standards in English and mathematics is particularly effective. The school generally makes good use of the available accommodation and resources, but some computers are unused for long periods of time, particularly during morning sessions. The use of teaching time is sometimes unsatisfactory. Some of the afternoon teaching sessions are very long, particularly for younger pupils, and teachers do not always organise timetables efficiently to ensure that learning proceeds with sufficient rigour.

p.24

The efficiency of the school

64. The governing body maintains an appropriate overview of spending and monitors the school budget on a regular basis, to satisfactory effect. Financial control and administration are sound. The headteacher is supported well by the efficient school secretary. There are effective administrative procedures to control and monitor income and expenditure. The few minor recommendations identified in the most recent auditor’s report have all been met.

p.25

The efficiency of the school

65. When the favourable social and economic circumstances of the pupils and high attainment on entry are set against lower than average unit costs, good attitudes, relationships and behaviour, good educational provision, good teaching, generally above average levels of attainment, good progress and good improvement since the last inspection, the school provides good value for money. 69. PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

p.25

The efficiency of the school

69. AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

p.26

The efficiency of the school

66. Children enter the reception class in the September following their fourth birthday. For the first two weeks, they attend on a part-time basis, either mornings or afternoons. They transfer to Key Stage 1 in the September following their fifth birthday. At the time of the inspection, there were 24 children in the reception class. The majority have attended pre-school playgroups or nurseries.

p.26

The efficiency of the school

67. The majority enter the school with levels of attainment above those found nationally, particularly in language, mathematical and social development. They make good progress and, by the age of five, the majority attain above the nationally approved desirable learning outcomes in all the areas of learning.

p.26

Personal and social development

68. The children enter school with above average levels of personal and social skills. They make good progress and, by the time they are five, the majority have attained levels above the desirable learning outcomes. The good liaison between the school and the pre-school playgroups helps the children to settle quickly into the routines of the school day. They are keen to learn and tackle new work with enthusiasm. They listen attentively to their teacher and to other children and respond well to the stimulating environment of the reception class. The majority have good levels of concentration. They play well together, taking turns and sharing equipment fairly. They are confident and relate very well to adults. For example, they are eager to question adults about what they are doing. They are eager to take responsibilities such as taking the register to the office.

p.26

Personal and social development

69. The quality of teaching is very good. The teacher knows the children well and uses every available opportunity to develop independence and responsibility. She has good strategies to engage those children who are fretful at being away from their parents for the first time. The first day of the inspection coincided with the first day of full-time school for the reception class. Some were very anxious but the teacher so engaged them in pleasurable learning activities that they forgot that they were upset.

p.26

Language and literacy

70. Children enter the school with above average skills in language and literacy. They build well on these skills and, by the age of five, the attainment of the majority is above the desirable learning outcomes. The children are alert and attentive. They enjoy books and know how they are organised. Higher attaining children identify authors and illustrators. Nearly all the children know the letters and the sounds of the alphabet. They write their names and are starting to read with confidence. They show highly developed speaking and listening skills. They listen attentively to their teacher and to other children. They have a very good range of vocabulary, speak in full sentences and express themselves clearly. This is demonstrated clearly when, for example, they take verbal messages to the school secretary about how many children are having cooked meals and how many have brought packed lunches.

p.26

Language and literacy

71. The quality of teaching is very good. The children’s knowledge is developed effectively through well-directed questioning and constant recapitulation and consolidation of previous knowledge. Good models of writing are displayed in the classroom. The provision of a reading corner, a writing corner and a listening corner encourages the children to develop their skills. The activities in these areas are monitored effectively to ensure that all the children take the opportunities presented to them.

p.26

Mathematics

72. The children enter school with an above average level of mathematical understanding. They make good progress and, by the age of five, their attainment is above the desirable learning outcomes. They have a good knowledge of number and understand the place value of numbers to twenty. They can do simple addition and subtraction sums and read and write the numbers involved. They know colours and shapes and recognise and make repeating patterns.

p.27

Mathematics

73. The quality of the teaching is very good. The teacher plans her lessons well and has high expectations of what the children can do. A good variety of planned activities reinforces what the children have learnt in lessons. For example, in role play, the children work in the house and use one-to-one matching to set the table for a given number of people. In the shop, they have experience of counting money. In the activity sessions in the afternoons, the sand and water play contribute well to the consolidation of learning, for example, early work on capacity and volume.

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

74. The children make good progress and, by the age of five, their attainment is above the desirable learning outcomes. They recognise and name the external parts of their bodies and they know that seeds will grow into plants. They have appropriate understanding of the senses. They use construction kits well to make pre-determined models. They talk about what they have made and describe its purpose. They use the computer with confidence, showing an appropriate level of control when using the mouse and keyboard. They develop a good sense of change over time through a study of how they have changed since they were babies. They know the purpose of some significant buildings in the area, such as the church, the library and the shops.

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

75. The quality of the teaching is very good. The children have good opportunities to learn about their own bodies and how they change over time. They have regular opportunities to use construction kits and learn a variety of techniques for fitting things together. Opportunities to use the computer are limited, but a set rota ensures that all the children have equal opportunity to develop information technology skills. Good questioning skills, lively pace and good use of resources contribute to enjoyable lessons that hold the children’s interest and help them to make good progress.

p.27

Creative development

76. The children make good progress and, by the time they are five, their attainment is above the desirable learning outcomes. Good opportunities are provided for imaginative play. In the house, for example, the children take turns in assuming the roles of parents and children. They bring their experiences into play, for example when looking after babies. The children sing and perform action songs well. Their drawings and paintings show an appropriate level of maturity.

p.27

Creative development

77. The quality of the teaching is very good. The structure of the timetable means that the time available for creative activities is limited to the afternoons. The teacher makes the best use of the time available to provide good activities with clearly identified learning objectives. A strength of the teaching is the good organisation and the good partnership between the teacher and support staff.

p.27

Physical development

78. The children make good progress and, by the time they are five, attainment is above the desirable learning outcomes. They develop their manipulative skills well through activities such as writing, cutting and sticking. The lack of a secure outdoor play area and the consequent lack of large toys does not appear to be having a negative effect on the development of the children’s gross motor skills. In a physical education lesson, during the inspection, the children demonstrated a good level of balance and controlled movement.

p.27

Physical development

79. The quality of the teaching is very good. Good management of the timetable ensures that the children are provided with a period each day when they can develop their physical skills. In addition to this, regular physical education lessons take place.

p.28

English

80. In Key Stage 1, the results of the National Curriculum tests, in 1998, indicated that the proportion of pupils reaching the average level 2 was well above average for writing and above average for reading when compared to all schools nationally and with similar schools. The proportion reaching the higher level 3 was well above average for both reading and writing. The trend over the past three years is one of steady improvement in writing. In reading, the results for 1998 were significantly better than those achieved in 1997, when they had dipped to an average level. Inspection evidence indicates that pupils in Key Stage 1 make generally good progress and that, by the end of the key stage, the majority achieve standards in reading and writing, and in English overall, which are well above average. This is an improvement since the last inspection when standards were judged to be good.

p.28

English

81. In Key Stage 2, the results of the National Curriculum tests, in 1998, indicated that, while the proportion of pupils reaching the average level 4 was close to the average when compared to all schools and to schools with similar intakes, the proportion reaching the higher level 5 was above the average. The overall trend over the past three years shows that the scores for 1998 represent a significant dip in performance and that levels of achievement had been higher in 1996 and much higher in 1997. The school feels sure that this dip in performance is temporary and can be attributed to differences between cohorts and some problems with the teaching of the Year 6 group in the academic year 1997/98. The scores achieved by the majority of pupils in the 1999 National Curriculum tests are better than those gained in 1998, but comparative data is not available. Inspection evidence shows that the majority of pupils make good progress and

p.28

English

standards, by the end of the key stage, are well above the national average.

p.28

English

82. Throughout the school, progress is good. It has improved, in Key Stage 1, since the last inspection, when it was judged to be satisfactory. In both key stages, the progress made by girls is better than that made by boys, but not markedly so. The school is aware of this issue of gender and has responded appropriately. The curriculum co-ordinator has reviewed the content of the English curriculum to ensure that the subject matter available is equally accessible to both boys and girls, and made some adjustments as required. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well, and they make satisfactory and sometimes good progress.

p.28

English

83. Standards in listening and speaking are very good in Key Stage 1, and good in Key Stage 2. This is a similar, if slightly better situation to that found in the previous inspection, when standards were judged to be good. Pupils generally listen attentively to their teachers and to other pupils, respecting their views and making appropriate responses. The majority of pupils are very articulate and explain themselves clearly when given the opportunity. They answer questions confidently, and at length, and make significant contributions to lessons when encouraged to do so. This was seen when pupils in a Year 2 history lesson made carefully considered and well structured verbal comparisons between a modern day car and a pony and trap. Most pupils are developing a wide and expressive vocabulary and are learning the appropriate vocabulary in science and technology, for example. In some classes in Key Stage

p.28

English

2, insufficient opportunities are provided for discussion and debate and pupils are not encouraged sufficiently to provide detailed answers.

p.28

English

84. In Key stage 1, pupils make good progress in reading and attain standards above the national average. The majority of pupils read fluently and with good expression, conveying the meaning of the text clearly and with appropriate intonation and attention to punctuation. They enjoy reading and appreciate the humour, wherever it appears. Higher and average attaining pupils can discuss the illustrations, identify key characters and discuss simple features of the plot. They use a wide range of strategies to decode unfamiliar words and appropriate use is made of initial sounds and phonic cues. Lower attaining pupils in Year 1 recognise an appropriate number of familiar words.

p.29

English

85. Pupils continue to make good progress in reading, throughout Key Stage 2, and by the end of the key stage, the majority of pupils read difficult texts expressively and fluently, conveying full meaning clearly. They decode unknown words using phonic cues and employ more advanced word-building skills, including breaking words into syllables. They read with great enjoyment and enthusiasm and thoroughly enjoy discussing key characters and aspects of the plot. The majority can explain what has happened in the story and can make sensible predictions about what might happen next. They can identify the author and the illustrator and explain their reasons for selecting particular books. Most pupils can explain clearly why they have a favourite author and offer well reasoned opinions about the books that they have read. Older pupils are developing a good range of reference skills and most have a good understanding of

p.29

English

the purposes of the contents page, a glossary and an index. Higher attaining pupils can skim and scan text for key words and phrases and can locate books in the library.

p.29

English

86. Standards in writing are very good and are a strength of the school. This is a significant improvement since the last inspection, when standards were judged to be satisfactory. Pupils have well-developed handwriting skills and the majority of younger pupils write with good attention to the size of the letters. A flowing cursive hand is taught from an appropriately early stage and by the time they enter Key Stage 2, the majority have a clear flowing style which is easy to read. Pupils have a very good understanding of the conventions of punctuation, spelling and grammar and the majority write well constructed and lengthy pieces of extended writing, in correct sentences, from Year 2 onwards. Pupils in Year 3 have a good understanding of nouns and are able to identify words that rhyme but do not follow the same spelling rule. Imaginative writing is well developed and pupils produce a good range of extended, creative writing and

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English

poetry. Pupils in a Year 4 class, for example, showed many imaginative ideas in response to an initial stimulus about the emotions and feelings created by the colour red. Notable examples included “Red is love in a human heart” and “Red is anger burning furiously inside us.” Pupils in another Year 4 class had a good understanding of verbs. Pupils in Year 6 have a very good understanding of the structure of story writing. They plan their stories carefully and are effectively learning to develop different ways to begin and end stories.

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English

87. The quality of response is good overall. Most pupils have very positive attitudes to their work and enjoy the subject. Behaviour is always at least satisfactory and often good. All these factors have a positive impact on the standards achieved. Pupils gain genuine enjoyment from using a rich and imaginative language and collect new vocabulary voraciously. Opportunities provided for creative and descriptive writing are seized upon with great enthusiasm and pupils derive great pleasure from reading their work to an audience as well as listening to the work of others.

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English

88. The quality of teaching is good throughout the school. Positive features of the most effective lessons are very detailed planning which reflects accurately the requirements of the National Literacy Strategy, and clear introductions that explain exactly what pupils are required to do. The choice of subject matter is good, and good ongoing assessment and a thorough knowledge of the prior attainment of all the pupils result in work being matched accurately to the individual needs of pupils. Good use is made of support staff and parent helpers. In Key Stage 2, the pupils benefit from the smaller groups created during literacy sessions. Weaknesses of some lessons, which were judged to be satisfactory overall, include aspects of class management and the failure to provide sufficient extension work for higher attaining pupils. Teachers generally have very good relationships with their pupils and make good use of

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English

humour. The use of puppetry is a particular strength of the teaching in Year 2. Pupils in the Year 6 class are effectively encouraged to read their own written work critically before handing it in to be marked. Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to develop literacy and reference skills in other lessons as, for example, when pupils in a Year 4 class were encouraged to conduct research on the ancient Greeks. There are, however, insufficient opportunities provided for pupils to extend research skills through the use of information technology.

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English

89. The curriculum is broad, balanced, relevant and interesting. It meets well the requirements of both the National Curriculum and the National Literacy Strategy. A particular strength of the curriculum is the time allocated to extended writing in addition to the requirements of the literacy hour. Assessment procedures are very good. In addition to statutory assessments the school completes a good range of non-statutory assessments from Year 2 onwards. They also use routine spelling tests effectively. Good use is made of assessment data to inform subsequent planning. The co-ordinator maintains a useful portfolio of assessed and levelled work that provides useful guidance to teaching staff when they mark and level work.

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English

90. The management of literacy is very good and has resulted in significant improvements in language and literacy in the past year. Members of the senior management team and the literacy co-ordinator have been given suitable opportunities to monitor quality and standards in other classes. In response to the dip in performance in Key Stage 2, in 1998, when a significant proportion of pupils did not achieve the average level 4, the school has created additional teaching groups for English, throughout the key stage. This strategy provides appropriate support that is targeted at those pupils who may require additional support to reach the average level. Inspection evidence, supported by the results gained in the 1999 National Curriculum assessments, indicates that this strategy is not only making a positive impact on the performance of the pupils in the target groups but, by providing smaller teaching groups, it is

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English

impacting positively on the progress made by all pupils.

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English

91. There is a good supply of good quality resources. These are stored appropriately in accessible locations. Library resources are satisfactory overall, but some of the books are rather old and ‘tired’. There are insufficient computers to support the development of information technology skills.

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English

92. In Key Stage 1, the results of National Curriculum tests and teacher assessments show consistent improvement over the last three years. The results of the 1998 tests indicate that attainment is well above the national average and the average for similar schools. The 1999 test results indicate that these high standards have been maintained but national comparative data is not available. Inspection evidence supports these findings. This is an improvement since the last inspection when attainment was above the national average. (Pupils make good progress). In Key Stage 2, the results of the National Curriculum tests show a considerable drop in 1998, following a rise over the previous two years. The results of the 1998 tests indicate that attainment is well below the national average and the average for similar schools. The 1999 National Curriculum tests show a marked improvement on the school’s results for 1998, but the

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English

comparative data is not yet available. Inspection evidence confirms the improvement. Throughout the key stage progress is good and, by the end of Year 6, standards of attainment are above the national average. This is in line with the findings of the last inspection. The progress of pupils with special educational needs is at least satisfactory and sometimes good.

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English

93. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils have a good understanding of number and use this well to solve problems. They can measure using non-standard and standard measurements and have a good understanding of symmetry. They use Logo effectively to develop their understanding of angle in shape and can identify a variety of regular polygons by counting sides. They collect data from a variety of sources, tally correctly and represent data using pictograms and bar charts. As they progress through the key stage they consolidate their knowledge and understanding. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils understand fractions, decimal fractions and percentages and the mathematical relationship between them. They can construct triangles when given appropriate information relating to angle and length of sides. They understand the relationship between diameter and radius and they have a good understanding of rotational

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English

symmetry. They can collect, represent and interrogate data and understand the scale of probability. Using their competence in the four rules of number, they work confidently to solve problems using mental and pencil and paper strategies. They have good investigation skills.

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English

94. The quality of response is good overall and is sometimes very good. The pupils are keen to learn, and their good attitudes and behaviour contribute significantly to their progress. They respond well to questions and are generally keen to please. When they work in groups, they collaborate well.

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English

95. Teaching was at least satisfactory in nine out of the ten lessons seen. It was good in three lessons and very good in one. Relationships between teachers and pupils are generally very good and this has a positive impact on learning. Teachers have generally good subject knowledge which they use well to develop pupils’ understanding. Their knowledge of the National Numeracy Strategy is sound, and their skills of implementing it are developing satisfactorily. Planning is good, with learning objectives identified clearly, and tasks usually matched well to the needs of the pupils. Ongoing assessment is use effectively during lessons to modify tasks appropriately for pupils who have difficulties. In some lessons, there is a lack of pace and urgency during the introductory mental work.

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English

96. The curriculum is broad and balanced and meets statutory requirements. The National Numeracy Strategy is being implemented satisfactorily, with all lessons developed in the prescribed manner. There is a good policy that is due to be revised at the end of the academic year taking into account the experience of delivering the National Numeracy Strategy. Assessment procedures are good. The information gained is used effectively by teachers to evaluate standards achieved and to plan further work. Clear records are maintained and individual targets for improvement are set. Resources are good. They are accessible to teachers and pupils and stored appropriately in classrooms and resource areas.

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English

97. In Key Stage 1, the National Curriculum teacher assessments for 1998 indicate that standards of attainment are in line with the national average and with the standards attained in similar schools. In 1999, standards at the school improved, but the comparative data is not available. Inspection evidence confirms the improvement in performance. Standards of attainment are above the national average. This is in line with the findings of the last inspection.

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English

98. The pupils use their knowledge of life processes to differentiate between living and non-living things. They understand that creatures and plants grow, changing as they do so. They are developing a satisfactory understanding of materials. They describe the properties of materials, and average and higher attaining pupils can explain why some materials are used for specific purposes. Through their experiences of cooking, they know that materials such as chocolate can be changed by heating or cooling. They can identify a wide variety of sounds. Good teaching in music lessons contributes well to their learning about materials and sounds. A good example of this was seen in a Year 1 lesson when the pupils were asked to consider the materials from which instruments were made, and predict whether they would make long or short sounds. 99. In Key Stage 2, the National Curriculum tests and tasks, in 1998, indicate that standards are in

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English

line with the national average but below average when compared with the standards attained in similar schools. The percentage of pupils gaining the higher level 5 was well below the national average and well below the average for similar schools. Between 1996 and 1998, although the overall standards attained were above the national average, the trend was one of steady decline, with the performance of boys falling to below the national average. The 1999 results indicate that the percentage of pupils gaining the expected level 4 was close to the 1998 figure for the school. Inspection evidence, gained from lessons and from talking to the oldest pupils indicates that the present Year 6 have benefited from the introduction of a well structured scheme of work and will achieve much higher standards next year. Standards of attainment are well above the national average. This is an improvement since the last inspection. The pupils have good

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English

subject knowledge across all the programmes of study. They show good understanding of the interdependence of living things by explaining food chains, using the terms producer and consumer appropriately. They know that the heart beats faster during exercise because the body needs more oxygen. They have a good understanding of materials and describe ways to separate mixtures by filtration or sieving. Higher attaining pupils know that salt can be retrieved from a mixture by evaporating the water. They explain that wires are covered in plastic because plastic is an insulator. They know that night and day occur because the Earth spins on its axis. They have a good understanding of forces and can describe accurately the effects of gravity, friction and air resistance. They know that light travels in straight lines and explain satisfactorily why shadows are formed. They have good investigation skills and

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English

understand that tests have to be repeated to obtain valid results. This is an improvement since the last inspection.

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English

100. The majority of pupils enter the school with levels of attainment above those that would be expected of young children. They benefit from good teaching and make good progress as they move through the school. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well and they also make good progress.

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English

101. Behaviour in lessons is good. Pupils throughout the school are excited and keen to learn. They concentrate well and listen attentively to their teachers and to other pupils. When they work in groups, they co-operate well. A good example was seen in the very large Year 6 class when the class was divided into groups to investigate spinners. Despite the cramped conditions, they persevered, discussing their ideas sensibly and making sure that they all had an input. In the mixed ability groups, the opinions of the pupils with special educational needs were valued equally.

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English

102. The quality of teaching is good. Out of six lessons seen, five were good and one was satisfactory. Teachers have good subject knowledge and high expectations of what pupils can achieve. They are confident in giving reliable information and use effective questioning to develop pupils’ understanding. Planning is good and activities are well chosen to support the purpose of the lessons. The pupils’ interest is sustained by the brisk pace of lessons and the effective organisation of resources.

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English

103. The curriculum is broad and balanced, and meets statutory requirements. A good quality policy and a comprehensive scheme of work provide good support for teachers in their planning and practice. Although the scheme of work identifies broadly where there are opportunities for developing the core skills of numeracy and literacy, it does not contain sufficient guidance to teachers. The pupils have insufficient opportunities to use information technology skills to present their work. All pupils have equality of access and opportunity. The needs of lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs are met well. Procedures for assessment are good. The information gained from assessment is used effectively to plan further work.

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English

104. Management of the subject is good. The co-ordinator monitors teachers’ planning and has good opportunities to monitor standards of teaching and learning in other classes. There is a good supply of good quality resources and these are used well.

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English

108. Information technology unsatisfactory progress and standards of attainment are below national expectations. Although the pupils are developing an appropriate theoretical knowledge of computers, their skills are under-developed because they do not have enough opportunities to use computers. A small minority of pupils, mainly those who have access to computers at home, are developing an appropriate range of skills. Several pupils in the Year 1 class know how to select and load an appropriate graphics program from a menu. They are aware of certain functions, including ‘return’ and ‘delete’, but most of them have poorly developed ‘mouse’ or keyboard skills. Higher attaining pupils understand that text can be presented in a variety of different fonts, sizes and colours and, when directed, can select the appropriate options from a menu. They are not, however, developing appropriately as independent operators.

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English

. In Key Stage 2, progress remains unsatisfactory and, by the end of the key stage, standards of attainment are well below national expectations. Higher attaining pupils in Year 4 have a basic knowledge of simple word processing commands and file management procedures, but many have had little experience at the computer. A small minority of the pupils can use information technology to communicate and handle information sensibly and effectively, but the majority cannot do so. Some Year 6 pupils can access information from a CD ROM, but a small number of pupils are not sufficiently confident to be able to load a program or select the correct function from a menu.

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English

. The progress made by those pupils who have access to computers at home is generally better than that made by pupils who are reliant on the machines in the school. Pupils with special educational needs make the same unsatisfactory progress as other pupils.

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English

. The quality of response is always at least satisfactory, and often good. Pupils have very positive attitudes to their work in the subject and, when given the opportunity, they work sensibly either in pairs or in small groups, taking turns appropriately. Behaviour is generally good and pupils work sensibly even when not directly supervised. Pupils treat computers and other equipment with appropriate respect and care. They are very enthusiastic about their work with computers and thoroughly enjoy those opportunities they are given.

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English

. Throughout the school, the quality of teaching in the lessons seen was broadly satisfactory. This is an improvement on the situation found in the previous report when staff were judged to lack many of the skills and much of the confidence required to teach the subject effectively. However, the overall impact of teaching on pupils’ progress is unsatisfactory. Staff generally have suitable confidence when using computers and, within the limitations imposed by the lack of computers, provide the pupils with a suitable range of tasks. They generally explain tasks clearly and make good use of teaching and learning resources to give pupils an appropriate theoretical understanding of the activity. In two of the better lessons seen, teachers had prepared useful enlargements of what the pupils would have seen had they been sitting in front of the monitor. Relationships are generally good. The lack of progress in the pupils’ development

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English

of skills is not due to any particular weakness in the teaching, but is directly attributable to a shortage of computers. 112. The co-ordinator is well aware of the strengths and weaknesses which exist in her area of responsibility and is working hard to do the best she can with the limited resources at her disposal. She monitors planning and is always available to support colleagues when required. There has been some monitoring of quality and standards in other classes, but it is not sufficiently frequent or regular to constitute a realistic support programme. Resources for the subject are inadequate. The ratio of pupils to computers is almost double the national average for primary schools and, as a result, pupils do not receive sufficient opportunities to practise and develop their skills. There is an appropriate range of software to support all the aspects required by the National Curriculum. Despite the low standards, the school development plan

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English

does not identify the need to provide sufficient computers as a priority. This is a significant weakness. In addition, because several computers are often not in use, the school does not always get an appropriate return on the investment it has made.

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Other subjects

113. Pupils make good progress as they move through the school and achieve standards above those expected of pupils the same age. From a very young age, they develop appropriate skills, using a good range of materials to express their ideas. Observational drawing is particularly well developed. During the inspection, pupils in Year 2 produced detailed drawings of a bicycle. They used a variety of pencils well to enhance their drawings by shading. The consistent implementation of a good scheme of work means that these skills are built upon successfully in Key Stage 2. Some of the work done by the older pupils is of a very high standard, notably clay sculptures and work in the style of William Morris. This work illustrates very careful observation and attention to detail. This is in line with the findings of the last inspection. The pupils have a good knowledge and understanding of the works of artists such as Klimt, Van

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Other subjects

Gogh and William Morris. Visits are used well to enhance pupils’ learning. For example, on a visit to Styal Mill, the pupils learnt the techniques of screen printing and weaving. This was developed well in school and extended to include block printing.

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Other subjects

114. The pupils’ response to art is very positive. They share the enthusiasm of their teachers and this has a positive effect on their progress. They work carefully and take pride in their work. Although one unsatisfactory lesson was seen during the inspection, the quality of teaching is good overall. It has a positive impact on pupils’ progress. Teachers have good subject knowledge and they use this well to develop pupils’ skills and knowledge.

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Other subjects

115. The subject makes a satisfactory contribution to the pupils’ cultural development. However, opportunities are missed to introduce multicultural aspects through the works of non-European artists.

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Design and Technology

116. Throughout the school, pupils make satisfactory progress and achieve standards in line with what would be expected of pupils the same age. A new scheme of work has been introduced since the last inspection and the new co-ordinator has revised the school policy satisfactorily, in line with the latest guidelines. Teachers plan effectively and use the resources well to develop pupils’ skills progressively in a wide range of contexts. An examination of the work of pupils of all ages shows a satisfactory development of skills.

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Design and Technology

117. Younger pupils are given good opportunities to choose from a good range of materials and join them together with a wide variety of fixing methods. During the inspection, pupils in Year 1 designed and made hats with ear-muffs. They used good measuring skills and used scissors and fixatives in a very safe and controlled manner. Good links are made to literacy and numeracy. For example, written work is shown to its best advantage by careful framing that involves the careful measuring of the wood required. Older pupils are taught to develop a combination of designing and making skills that demonstrate sound knowledge and understanding. Good examples of battery driven models include supporting written evidence of a challenge being faced, a sound design evaluation of a proposed framework and an effective evaluation of the finished product. Mathematical skills are put to good use.

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Design and Technology

118. Pupils respond well to the interesting approach and the enthusiasm of the teachers. Their attitudes to their work are good. Younger pupils share the resources fairly and treat the equipment and each other with respect. Older pupils work co-operatively and safely with saws and wood.

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Geography

119. Pupils throughout the school, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress. The standards achieved are in line with what would be expected of pupils the same age. This is a similar situation to that reported in the previous inspection.

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Geography

120. In Key Stage 1, pupils construct simple maps of the school and can describe the main features of the local environment. In Year 2, they can identify the main geographical features of Lytham St Annes and know how it is similar to and different from Blackpool. They are developing an appropriate understanding of why things are where they are and as they are. They explain clearly aspects of the local environment that they like and other parts that they find unattractive. They understand, for example, that litter may take a long time to disappear from the landscape and that we must look after our world.

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Geography

121. In Year 4, the pupils have an appropriate understanding of direction and know the eight main compass points. In Year 5, they are developing a good technical vocabulary and have a good conceptual understanding of several significant aspects of world geography. They know, for example, that the equator, tropic of Cancer and tropic of Capricorn are imaginary lines drawn on the globe and can describe, with some accuracy, the different climatic conditions which can be found in tropical rain forests and the effects these have on plant life. Through their study of the rain forest, they are gaining a suitable understanding of how certain physical and human processes effect changes on the landscape. Most pupils are able to discriminate between different types of settlement and know the difference between towns and cities. The majority are able to discriminate between permanent and temporary features and between natural and

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Geography

122. The quality of response is satisfactory overall, although in one lesson the quality of behaviour was poor and had a negative impact on the progress that the majority of pupils were able to make. In most classes pupils have very positive attitudes to their work. They listen attentively to what their teachers and other pupils are saying and contribute enthusiastically when encouraged to do so. They concentrate well and are keen to answer questions about their locality. Pupils in Year 5 greatly enjoyed learning about life in the tropical rain forest and how it differed from the lives that they lead in Lytham St Annes.

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Geography

123. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, but spans the range from good to poor. In the more effective lessons, teachers have high expectations and make good use of their secure subject knowledge to illustrate the session with fascinating pieces of information which establish useful links with previous knowledge. Careful questioning gives pupils good opportunities to consider their answers and, by encouraging the development of discussion and debate, valuable links are established with literacy. In the lesson about settlements the teacher made good use of original research data collected by the pupils as a homework exercise. In the one poor lesson pupil management was weak and insufficient progress was made because of the disruptive behaviour of a significant number of boys in the class.

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Geography

124. The subject makes an important contribution to the development of spoken and written literacy skills, but opportunities are missed to provide meaningful applications of numeracy and IT skills. The curriculum makes an important contribution to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. Work associated with the impressive environmental area provides pupils with valuable insights into a range of different natural communities.

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History

125. Throughout the school, pupils make good progress and achieve standards above those expected of pupils the same age. They gain a very good understanding of chronology and change over time. Pupils in Key Stage 1 can explain and understand similarities and differences between transport in two different eras. Older pupils research topics independently. They can recall important characters and events from periods they have studied. An examination of their work identifies a good, detailed history of Lytham, progressing from a fishing village to its present position as a centre of tourism. They develop good literacy skills in reading and writing descriptive prose relating to Roman Britain, ancient Greece, Tudor monarchs and life in Britain since 1930. They demonstrate good skills in chronology and can order periods of time including Roman, Tudor and Victorian eras. Further good links to literacy are made by

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History

encouraging pupils to use the index of books to speed research.

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History

126. The pupils’ response to history is good. They have positive attitudes and respond well to questions. Their behaviour is always good and they concentrate well during lessons. Their enthusiasm contributes well to their progress.

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History

127. The quality of teaching is good. Some excellent teaching was seen during the inspection. Teachers’ subject knowledge is good and they build effectively on the interest shown by pupils. In the excellent lesson, the teacher had a very good range of artefacts to stimulate the pupils’ interest. She displayed very good subject knowledge that enabled her to guide the pupils’ learning through effective questioning. The pace of the lesson was brisk. All these factors combined to sustain the pupils’ interest and, as a result, they made very good progress in understanding the change over time in transport systems. For example, they could equate the oats used to feed horses in the past with petrol used in modern times to power vehicles. The subject makes a good contribution to the development of the pupils’ literacy skills through research and extended writing. There is a good supply of good quality resources for the

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History

successful implementation of the new scheme of work. A very good range of artefacts is available to motivate pupils’ interest.

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Music

128. Throughout the school, pupils make good progress and the standards achieved are above what would be expected of pupils the same age. They benefit from the good teaching of a professional musician. As they move through the school, pupils build on their knowledge of instruments and gain confidence in performing. They improve their ability to recognise the sounds made by a wide variety of instruments being played together in different styles of music.

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Music

129. Younger pupils can identify short and long sounds. They can name a good variety of instruments and can predict accurately the sort of sound they will make. They sing tunefully from memory. Older pupils can control sound well using untuned instruments. They cope well with note reading to perform and they can recognise and play D and top C. Pupils understand dynamics, tempo and mood and appreciate well how mood and ideas are communicated. Pupils from all classes participate musically in a wide range of church services and social events. A large scale musical presentation is staged and there is an instrumental assembly at the end of the school year.

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Music

130. Pupils enjoy their music and show great enthusiasm. They answer questions readily. They work well together and demonstrate pleasure following their good performances.

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Music

131. The quality of teaching is always good. Planning between joint co-ordinators is effective. An examination of pupils’ work indicates that a broad and balanced music curriculum is taught very effectively. Pupils benefit from regular teaching by a peripatetic, professional musician with excellent subject knowledge.

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Physical Education

132. Throughout the school, pupils make satisfactory progress and the majority achieve standards in line with what would be expected of pupils the same age. The progress made in the lessons seen during the inspection was not as good as that reported in the last inspection, when it was judged to be good. However, during the period of the inspection it was only possible to observe lessons in dance, gymnastics and movement. It was not possible to reach a secure judgement on progress in either games or athletics, which are both very important aspects in the overall ethos of the school. The school achieves a good standard in swimming with almost all pupils reaching the required standard before they leave the school.

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Physical Education

133. In Year 1, in gymnastics, pupils move appropriately, are quite light on their feet and make secure landings after jumping off the apparatus. Several pupils devise interesting and imaginative ways of pushing and pulling their bodies, both on the floor and on the apparatus. In dance lessons pupils respond imaginatively to the music, and a few higher achieving pupils, mainly girls, are thoughtful and controlled in their movements, devising interesting sequences of a high standard. The majority of pupils, however, achieve standards in line with what is expected of pupils of the same age. In movement, pupils in Year 2 have a satisfactory awareness of space. The overall quality of movement is satisfactory and pupils move with a level of control, balance, co-ordination and pace which is appropriate for pupils of their age.

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Physical Education

134. In Year 3, in dance lessons, the pupils have a suitable awareness of space. There are some examples of good and very good performance as, for example, when pupils move their heads expressively to mimic the movements of a snowy owl. The overall quality of movement from the majority is in line with what is expected from pupils of this age. Year 4 pupils balance well on different parts of the body, controlling their balance appropriately and moving at a range of suitable levels as they travel, turn and jump in different shapes, directions and speeds. Year 5 pupils have an appropriate awareness of space. They develop suitable responses to a sequence of sound stimuli, expressing their ideas and feelings imaginatively in their movements. The quality of these movements is satisfactory overall. The elements of size and shape are generally good, but much movement lacks speed, direction and, most markedly, tension. Most pupils find

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Physical Education

it very hard to keep time with the beat of the music and accelerate the pace when clapping or moving. Pupils in a Year 6 dance lesson gave performances that spanned the ability range. While approximately a third of the pupils were very agile and controlled their movements well, the remainder were unable to perform and improve a sequence of movements to the level expected of pupils of this age.

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Physical Education

135. The quality of response is satisfactory overall, but spans the range from good to unsatisfactory. In the lessons where response was judged to be good, most pupils applied themselves with great energy and enthusiasm and worked hard, trying their best to improve the quality of their movement. They listened attentively, concentrated hard, co-operated well together, and standards of behaviour were good. In a Year 1 lesson, for example, pupils joined in well with the actions they heard on the tape and tried hard to capture the mood as they smelt the aromas coming from the baker’s shop and simulated the action of kneading the dough. These positive responses make a positive impact on the standards that these pupils achieve. Where the response is unsatisfactory, most pupils do not apply themselves sensibly to the task, the quality of behaviour is unsatisfactory and the lesson is punctuated with calling out and other

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Physical Education

inappropriate attention-seeking behaviour.

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Physical Education

136. In both key stages, the quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, but spans the range from good to unsatisfactory. This is not as good as the standard of teaching found in the previous inspection, when the overall quality was judged to be good. Strengths of good teaching seen included firm discipline based on secure relationships with the pupils and the judicious use of humour. Better lessons are carefully planned with clearly defined warm-up, activity and cool- down phases. Teaching proceeds at a brisk pace and opportunities are taken to improve the level of pupils’ performance through the teaching of specific skills. In too many of the lessons seen, many of which were judged to be satisfactory overall, teachers merely followed pre- recorded broadcasts. Insufficient emphasis was given to teaching and improving skills. In the unsatisfactory lessons seen, class management was not secure and the pace of the lessons was

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Physical Education

slow. Most teachers are insufficiently aware of gender issues and do not actively encourage pupils to work in cross-gender groupings. 140. PART C: INSPECTION DATA

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Physical Education

137. Four inspectors, including a lay inspector, completed a total of 14 inspector days in school aver a period of four days. The inspectors spent a total of 68 hours observing classes at work, talking with pupils and scrutinising the work of a sample range of pupils across the school.

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Physical Education

While in the school, the inspectors: • . formally inspected 56 lessons or parts of lessons • . heard 30 pupils read formally, and many others informally • . talked to pupils, particularly those in Year 2 and Year 6, about aspects of their work and their views of the school • . examined a range of work from a representative sample from each age group, together with their records • . analysed a wide range of school documentation, including teachers’ planning • . examined attendance registers and the school’s discipline records • . held interviews with the headteacher, some governors, subject co-ordinators, members of staff, local authority support staff, and discussions with a wide variety of people involved in the school informally, including parents.

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Physical Education

1. Twenty seven parents attended the meeting that was held prior to the inspection. Forty completed the questionnaires about the school. The issues raised at the meeting and through the questionnaires were addressed fully during the inspection. 142. DATA AND INDICATORS

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Physical Education

142. 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 261 1 35 21 Nursery Unit/School n/a n/a n/a n/a

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Physical Education

142. Qualified teachers (YR – Y6) Total number of qualified teachers (full-time equivalent): 10.2 Number of pupils per qualified teacher: 26.9

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Physical Education

142. Education support staff (YR – Y6) Total number of education support staff: 4 Total aggregate hours worked each week: 51.25

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Physical Education

£ Total Income 391,009 Total Expenditure 417,663 Expenditure per pupil 1,536 Balance brought forward from previous year 44,419 Balance carried forward to next year 17,765 142. PARENTAL SURVEY

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Physical Education

Number of questionnaires sent out: 200 Number of questionnaires returned: 40

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Physical Education

Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

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Physical Education

Strongly agree Agree Neither Disagree Strongly disagree I feel the school encourages parents to play an active part in the life of the school 40 53 8 0 0

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Physical Education

I would find it easy to approach the school with questions or problems to do with my child(ren) 58 35 8 0 0

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Physical Education

The school handles complaints from parents well 20 38 25 13 0

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Physical Education

The school gives me a clear understanding of what is taught 23 63 13 3 0

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Physical Education

The school keeps me well informed about my child(ren)’s progress 20 55 15 8 0

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Physical Education

The school enables my child(ren) to achieve a good standard of work 25 53 13 5 0

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Physical Education

The school encourages children to get involved in more than just their daily lessons 35 48 15 0 0

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Physical Education

I am satisfied with the work that my child(ren) is/are expected to do at home 23 45 10 18 3

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Physical Education

The school’s values and attitudes have a positive effect on my child(ren) 40 43 10 5 0

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Physical Education

The school achieves high standards of good behaviour 23 53 18 5 0

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Physical Education

My child(ren) like(s) school 63 33 5 0 0

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Physical Education

* 5 per cent of parents did not reply to Q 3 * 3 per cent of parents did not reply to Q 5 * 5 per cent of parents did not reply to Q 6 * 3 per cent of parents did not reply to Q 7 * 3 per cent of parents did not reply to Q 8 * 3 per cent of parents did not reply to Q 9

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Other issues raised by parents

• .Some parents feel that higher attaining pupils are not challenged.

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Other issues raised by parents

• .Some parents are concerned about the inconsistent approach to discipline by the mid-day support staff.

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