Glenaire Primary School

Glenaire Primary School

Dates of inspection: 25 th -28 th February 2002

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Glenaire Primary School

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

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Glenaire Primary School

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Thompson Lane Baildon Shipley West Yorkshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr G Margetson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 30 th April 1996 Glenaire Primary School

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Joe Fitzpatrick Registered inspector English History Religious education How high are standards? Results and achievements How well is the school led and managed? Bill Walker Lay inspector Attitudes, values and personal development Attendance How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Susan Walker Team inspector Science Art and design Music Physical education Foundation Stage Special educational needs How good are curricular and other opportunities?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Mohindar Galowalia Team inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Design and technology Geography Equal opportunities English as an additional language How well are pupils taught?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The inspection contractor was: TWA Inspections Ltd 5 Lakeside Werrington Peterborough PE4 6QZ

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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 that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to: The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Glenaire Primary School

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Glenaire is a smaller than average, one form of entry primary school, with a nursery class, which has 207 pupils on roll. At present there are 51 children in the nursery and reception classes and 156 pupils in Years 1 – 6. There is a marked preponderance of boys on the school roll. Formerly a first school for pupils aged 3 – 9, Glenaire became an all-through primary school for pupils aged 3 – 11 in September 2000 as part of the reorganisation of schools in Bradford LEA. Most of its pupils come from two council estates, with others coming from private housing in the area. The area the school serves is one of above average social deprivation. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is above average. There is a high rate of mobility in the area and the school admits a higher than average number of pupils between reception and Year 6; a large proportion of these are pupils with special educational needs. Partly as a

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

result of this, the percentage of pupils on the register of special educational needs is above average. There are only six pupils of ethnic minority background, below the national average; only one is at a relatively early stage of learning English. Along with four other primary schools and a secondary school, Glenaire became part of the East Shipley Education Action Zone in January 2001. The level of attainment of pupils on entry to the nursery is below average.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The headteacher took up her post at the time the school acquired primary school status. To cater for two additional classes of pupils, the school building has been extended with two new classrooms and a new purpose-built nursery. The building work caused considerable disruption to staff and pupils alike with ten additional school closure days. New teachers have also been recruited and there has been an increase in the number of support staff.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Glenaire is a well led school whose strengths outweigh its weaknesses. It has made satisfactory improvements since the previous inspection. Its change to a primary school has been well managed. Teaching is uneven in quality but there is more that is good, very good or excellent than only satisfactory or less than satisfactory. There are examples of very good teaching of literacy and numeracy, especially in Years 5 and 6. There is some very good practice on which to draw in order to bring about improvement. Governors are supportive and there is a shared commitment to improvement. Pupils have good attitudes and want to do well. The school provides sound value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Standards in music are good • The headteacher provides good leadership and a clear sense of direction • There is good provision for the moral and social development of the pupils resulting in positive attitudes and good standards of behaviour • The school is successful in raising pupils’ self-esteem • The youngest and oldest children are well taught • There are many opportunities for extra-curricular experiences • Links with partner institutions are good

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Standards in information and communication technology and in art • The number of good and better quality lessons in reception and the infants in order to raise standards • The quality of planning informing teaching and learning • The role of the subject co-ordinators in monitoring, assessing and promoting the quality of work in their subjects • The use of assessment to guide curricular planning and teaching, drawing on the best practice in the school The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Glenaire Primary School

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has changed status since the previous inspection and this is the first report on Glenaire as a primary school. Since the previous inspection, three new permanent teachers have been recruited to teach the additional classes and the school provides additional hours of teaching by part-time staff with specialist expertise in order to support work in literacy and numeracy. There are also more support staff, making it possible to create smaller teaching groups and to give pupils a greater amount of individual attention. The new purpose-built nursery is a considerable improvement on the previous nursery classroom. It is not possible to compare standards or the quality of teaching since this is effectively a new school and there has been a change in the school’s catchment area and in the attainment levels of pupils on entry.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

English N/a N/a D C well above average above average A B Mathematics N/a N/a B A average below average C D Science N/a N/a D C well below average E

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STANDARDS

The school’s results are quite close to national averages and represent a good level of achievement by pupils in relation to their attainment on entry to the school. The added value achieved between the end of the infants and the end of the juniors is greatest in mathematics, but it is also good in English and science. The major reason for the good level of achievement is the good quality of teaching in Years 5 and 6. Standards in the Foundation Stage are close to average in most areas of learning. In the infants, standards in the core and non-core subjects are below average, except in history and physical education where they are close to expectations and in music where they are above average. In the juniors standards are above average in music, below average in art and ICT and close to national expectations in the rest.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Pupils have positive attitudes and wish to do well.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Pupils’ standards of behaviour are mainly good. There are occasional examples of silly or immature behaviour but these are quickly dealt with through the vigilance and caring attitudes of members of staff.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships The quality of relationships is good. Older pupils care for younger pupils, boys and girls work well together and the school takes positive steps to support and strengthen pupils’ self-esteem.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance This is unsatisfactory. The school has worked hard to improve pupils’ attendance but has not so far been able to raise attendance to national levels.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

For some time the school has not received its entitlement of hours of support provided by the education social worker. This has reduced the effectiveness of the steps it is taking to improve attendance. The school is particularly solicitous of the large number of pupils who have low levels of self-esteem and consistently applies a policy aimed at raising self-esteem by means of rewards for work and effort, assemblies celebrating achievement and its programme of personal, social and health education. The school’s strong tradition in music plays a positive role in this work. Glenaire Primary School

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The deployment of teaching staff in Years 5 and 6 is particularly effective in promoting good standards of attainment in literacy and numeracy: teaching in each year is undertaken by teachers with appropriate subject expertise. This is helping pupils to make accelerated progress in these years. Additional support for literacy is also provided in Years 2 and 4. The quality of teaching is uneven and there was a small proportion of unsatisfactory teaching in reception, the infants and lower juniors and a relatively large proportion that was no better than satisfactory. In some cases planning was not as rigorous as it should have been and work did not match pupils’ needs. Overall, the amount of good and better teaching was greater than teaching that was only satisfactory or less than satisfactory. The high proportion of pupils with special educational needs in some classes presents teachers with exceptional challenges in raising

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

standards of attainment. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress when work is meticulously planned to match their needs and teachers are skilful in retaining their attention through lively interaction, praise and a strict policy of classroom discipline.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory in the case of the Foundation Stage and in the juniors; unsatisfactory in the infants because lessons are still organised to a topic framework and there is insufficient planning for the progressive teaching of the skills of speaking and listening. The planned reinforcement of basic skills across the curriculum is unsatisfactory in years other than Year 6.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs This is sound throughout the school. Pupils are identified at an early stage and suitable individual education plans are drawn up for designated pupils.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language There is good provision for the one pupil at an early stage of English language acquisition.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development This is overall good. There is satisfactory provision for pupils’ spiritual and cultural development; provision for their moral and social development is good. The school’s strong tradition in music, its programme of personal, social and health education along with the caring attitudes of staff combine to promote good levels of personal development.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils This is a strength of the school. Procedures for child protection and ensuring pupils’ welfare are good; the school works steadily at promoting pupils’ self-esteem and careful records are maintained of each pupil’s results over time in a broad range of standardised tests.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school provides parents with a regular newsletter and a number of parents come to school to hear pupils’ reading. Parents are invited to attend the review meetings which are held twice a year for each pupil. Some parents are resistant to the school’s efforts to involve them more in their children’s education. Glenaire Primary School

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides good leadership. She has identified appropriate priorities and developed strategies to support pupils’ learning. The role of subject co-ordinator is underdeveloped.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors are supportive and fulfil their statutory responsibilities. They have a sound grasp of the school’s strengths and weaknesses but are not sufficiently involved in its strategic planning.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance The headteacher has a realistic grasp of the school’s strengths and weaknesses as well as of the challenges presented by some groups of pupils.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Satisfactory overall. Staff are skilfully deployed but there is not yet sufficient use of ICT to assist learning and school administration.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

There is a good ratio of adults to pupils across the school. The purchase of additional part-time teaching targeted at specific groups of pupils as well as the use of a good number of support staff and the learning mentor provided through the EAZ are helping to maintain and raise pupils’ standards of attainment. Books are in good supply and a new ICT suite will shortly come into use. Resources for art are inadequate and the library is not well enough used. Accommodation is adequate but not generous. The new nursery is of good quality and an improvement on the previous nursery classroom. The school applies the principles of best value in all its purchases.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• It helps pupils of all abilities to make progress • It is very friendly, a ‘home from home’; children like coming to school • It is comfortable with questions or problems • It helps pupils to mature • Behaviour is good and pupils are motivated by the positive discipline policy • It tries its best to involve parents and to keep them informed • There is not enough homework and that which is given does not stretch pupils • A small number of parents are lax about attendance and late-coming • Meetings held for parents are not always well attended

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Inspectors agree with the positive views expressed by parents in the questionnaires they returned and at the parents’ meeting. They consider that homework has not always been set on a regular basis but that it is now; most pupils find it demanding but a few higher attaining pupils said that homework tasks were relatively easy. Inspectors agree that some parents could make a greater effort to support their children’s work in school. Glenaire Primary School

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The standards of attainment of pupils on entry to the nursery are below average. By the time they enter Year 1 children achieve the learning goals 1 in all areas and sometimes exceed them. This is largely due to the good foundations that are laid in the nursery, because progress slows markedly in the reception class.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. In the national tests for 2001 pupils aged 7 attained results in line with the national average in reading and writing but below this level in mathematics. When compared with the results in similar schools (that is, schools with similar proportions of pupils entitled to free school meals) the school’s results were well above average in reading, above average in writing and in line with the average in mathematics. The 2001 results were better than results in the previous two years. In terms of average point scores, girls attained more highly than boys. Against the respective national averages for girls and boys, girls attained above average in reading and writing but below average in mathematics; boys attained below average in all three areas.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. At the time of the inspection the attainment of pupils in Year 2 was below the national average in the three core subjects of English, mathematics and science as well as in most other subjects, including information and communication technology (ICT) and religious education. Only in music were standards above average. In this year group, boys outnumber girls by almost two to one and half the pupils are on the register of special educational needs, including one with a Statement of Special Educational Need. The number of pupils who have moved into this class since nursery is also exceptionally high. The achievement of pupils was in line with their prior attainment, which was low on account of the features described.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. In the national tests for 2001 pupils aged 11 attained results just below the national average in English and science and above the national average in mathematics. When compared with results in similar schools the school’s results were in line with the average in English and science and well above average in mathematics. If the three subjects are taken together, the school’s results were above the average in similar schools. It is not possible to talk of trends in the results of the school’s 11 year olds because 2001 was the first time the school entered pupils of this age. In terms of point scores, girls achieved more highly than boys but both boys and girls attained results slightly below the respective national averages for boys and girls.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. At the time of the inspection, the attainment of pupils in Year 6 was in line with the national average in English and science and above average in mathematics. Pupils are achieving well in relation to their prior attainment largely as a result of very effective teaching of English and mathematics. The additional support the school provides in literacy and numeracy is helping pupils to make good progress. In most other subjects, standards were close to national expectations; the exceptions were art, where standards were below average, and music, where standards were above average. The school has a strong tradition in music and an unusually large number of pupils receive tuition in a range of instruments, including recorder, flute and trumpet.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1 Early learning goals - these are expectations for most children to reach by the end of the Foundation Stage. They mainly refer to achievements children make in connection with: communication, language and literacy; mathematical development; personal, social and emotional development; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical development and creative development. Glenaire Primary School 6. Pupils with special educational needs attain standards in line with their abilities. Older pupils make good progress and achieve well when they receive structured teaching in literacy. Pupils usually achieve well when they are supported by a classroom assistant in small groups. However, progress is only satisfactory overall because in too many subjects work is not matched closely enough to pupils’ needs. The one pupil in the school at an early stage of learning English is making good progress because of the strong support he

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Across the curriculum, the standards of speaking and listening, reading and writing are below average in Year 2, reflecting the general level of attainment of these pupils. Many have basic difficulties in sounding words and, in both speaking and in writing, their vocabulary is seriously restricted. For similar reasons, standards in numeracy and in the use and application of ICT are also below average. In Year 6, standards of speaking and listening as well as of reading are average; more able pupils attain above average standards and express their ideas clearly and can sustain a point of view with fluency and cogent reasoning. In this year, standards of numeracy across the curriculum are above average; pupils manipulate the four rules of number with impressive speed and apply their understanding of number in subjects like geography and science. However, there are too few opportunities for pupils to make use of ICT in subjects across the curriculum and for

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

this reason standards are below the expected level.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. Pupils have adapted well to their school’s changed status. The great majority arrive in good spirits, settle quickly in lessons and waste little time in getting on with the tasks that are provided, making good use of these learning opportunities whilst the administrative routines of the day are completed. Their behaviour is usually good, although a small minority are easily distracted in lessons and sometimes become disruptive. Across the school relationships are good; pupils work well together and learn to respect others and understand differing points of view. The overall level of attendance is below that found nationally in primary schools and is at present unsatisfactory.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Children make a very good start in the nursery. They experience the excitement of new friendships and the stimulation of new learning in a happy and secure environment. In the main these good attitudes stay with them as they move through the school. Their progress is not always consistent and particularly when lessons lack pace or focus a number of pupils show they can be easily distracted. This is more often apparent in the infant classes than amongst the older pupils. Nevertheless all are familiar with the rules, know what is expected of them, and most are keen to be involved and to get full benefit from their time in class.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Most show pride in their school. They are very pleasant and personable, ready to talk and anxious to be of assistance to visitors. As they become old enough to benefit from the good range of artistic and cultural activities available to them outside of lessons, most are eager to take part. They develop assurance from knowing that they will have the chance to be involved, whatever their individual level of skill or accomplishment is.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Behaviour in lessons is mainly sound. Most pupils listen well, work constructively and co- operate effectively. There are times, particularly if a lesson loses pace, when a few pupils lose interest, chatter too noisily during group work and act in a way that detracts from the learning environment. At other times even the most challenging of pupils learn effectively when they are highly motivated. An excellent example of this was seen in a Year 5 physical education lesson where pupils were learning to develop an awareness of space and to improve their ball handling skills; they became totally absorbed in the lesson, individually trying to the best of their ability and working together, as a class, in an Glenaire Primary School exemplary manner to achieve their objective. There are a small number of pupils who on occasions behave in an offensive or disruptive way. Some of these have special

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

educational needs. Any incidents are dealt with well by the teachers within the school’s policy of assertive discipline 2 and pupils learn that such behaviour is not tolerated.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. About the school pupils behave well. They walk in a calm and purposeful manner, show much courtesy in holding open doors, defer to adults and remember to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ when appropriate; they help to preserve the civilised environment which is found in the school. Good manners are exercised at meal times. The low noise levels enable pupils to engage in enjoyable conversation with their friends. At play, many pupils are boisterous but the environment is in no way intimidating. During the inspection, the weather was poor and several play periods were held indoors. This provided an opportunity for the pupils to show maturity, engaging in a variety of individual and group activities in a quiet manner, sharing resources amicably and respecting the authority of the supervisors. There have been no permanent exclusions in recent years. The incidence of fixed-term exclusions has fallen significantly following the school’s review of its behaviour

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

policy. There has been one in the current year, compared with seven in the previous school year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Relationships and pupils’ personal development are good. From their early days in school pupils learn to accept responsibility for their actions and to recognise the rights of others. As they move through the school they become more adept at noticing what needs to be done, putting away books, quietly moving furniture to accommodate changing needs, operating equipment for their teachers and many other helpful tasks in the daily routines of the day. Pupils work and play well together, supporting each other and sharing resources amicably. Following the disruption involved in the change in the school’s status, a sense of community is becoming apparent. Particularly impressive is the work of the school council whose elected members have recently conducted a survey to identify concerns amongst the pupils, including the infants who are not directly represented. They have made imaginative proposals to resolve these concerns, such as the provision of a ‘Buddy

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

bench’ whereby older pupils will be available during play periods to help and advise younger or less confident pupils. They have the maturity to recognise that, although they have not observed it, some pupils may feel intimidated by oppressive behaviour and in need of some support. The council members are also closely involved in the current development of the outdoor play area. Pupils are in the main well prepared for the next stage of their education. They are equipped to cope adequately with the pressures of school life but would benefit from more opportunities to plan and organise their own work and to study without supervision.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Levels of attendance are below the national average and are unsatisfactory. Most pupils attend regularly and punctually but the poor attendance record of a few pupils and some routine lateness detract markedly from the learning opportunities available to the pupils concerned. The headteacher recognises that the situation can only be improved with the co-operation of parents and she is working hard to achieve that.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

2 Assertive discipline has three main parts: clear unambiguous rules; continuous positive feedback to pupils when they are successfully keeping to these rules; and a recognised hierarchy of sanctions which are consistently applied when rules are broken. Glenaire Primary School

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. The quality of teaching is good overall. It is mainly good in the Foundation Stage, satisfactory in the infants and good in the juniors.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. In the nursery the quality of teaching and learning is never less than good and is often better. The teacher and nursery nurse work together as a team to ensure that children receive good quality experiences based on practical activities. Expectations of what such young children can achieve are high. Relationships are good and sensitive management means that no time is lost in dealing with poor behaviour.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. Teaching in the reception class is never better than satisfactory and has major weaknesses. Lessons are not planned in any detail so that it is clear what learning is to take place. Aims for the lesson are not shared with the children so that they know what they are to learn. The teacher does not use the nursery nurse sufficiently well in whole class sessions, so that learning is better promoted. Consequently, the teacher takes time settling pupils and this slows learning. Expectations are not high enough and too many activities are mundane – for instance, cutting out shapes and sticking them on silhouettes. Time during lessons is not well used and too many children spend their day on activities that do not stretch them.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. Teaching in Years 1 and 2 is mostly satisfactory. However, analysis of pupils’ work indicates variable progress due to some low expectations, ineffective use of day-to-day assessment information and weaknesses in the curriculum that pupils receive. Sometimes the time allocated to a subject is too long and this does not promote well paced and focused learning. Planning in these years is too often based on topics and does not sufficiently promote the progressive learning of skills and information. The overall impact of this is that some pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. The quality of teaching in a significant proportion of lessons in Years 3 to 6 is good or better and learning opportunities for pupils are satisfactory or better. However, the failure of subject co-ordinators to monitor the quality of learning and standards throughout the school results in some unevenness of teaching in these years. Overall, pupils’ achievement is satisfactory and, in Years 5 and 6, good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The best teaching is in classes for the youngest and the oldest pupils. As a result, pupils make a good start and leave school with above average standards in mathematics and average standards in other subjects except ICT and art. Below average standards in ICT are partly due to a delayed start to the nationally recommended training in this subject for all teachers and the fact that the computer room is still to be completed. The below- average standards and achievement in art are due to the combined effect of unsatisfactory teaching, unsatisfactory opportunities for learning the subject and inadequate resources.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Teaching of literacy is satisfactory overall and good in Years 5 and 6. However, there is no policy for the teaching of speaking and listening to contribute to pupils’ learning. The arrangement for literacy to be taught in Years 5 and 6 by teachers with specialist expertise results in some teaching that is very good or excellent. In very good lessons the work moves at a fast pace, there is lavish use of praise for good work, tasks are well selected to interest pupils and to match their needs, learning objectives are set for pupils of different levels of ability and referred to at different points throughout the lesson and the final plenary session is used well to reinforce learning points. There is lively interaction between teachers and pupils by means of fast paced question and answer routines and the teachers are vigilant in ensuring that those with special educational needs or who are at an early stage of learning English are fully included in the lesson. As a result, pupils

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Glenaire Primary School extend their understanding and develop their skills. They enjoy learning and make good progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Teaching of numeracy ranges from very good to satisfactory in Years 1 and 2, where it is satisfactory overall, and from excellent to satisfactory in Years 3 to 6, where it is good overall. In the best lessons, which took place mainly in Years 5 and 6, teachers have very secure subject knowledge and know how to manage and motivate pupils to accelerate learning. The lessons begin with a good warm-up session using mental mathematics. This is followed by consistently challenging work at a highly productive pace. Explanations are clear and concise and teaching provides continuous mental stimulus and success. Pupils rise to the occasion and tackle work that is above the level expected of them. The arrangement of setting pupils in Years 5 and 6 for numeracy and providing a degree of specialist teaching makes it possible to match work closely to pupils’ needs and thus raise standards. The school has successfully implemented the National Numeracy Strategy and

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

teachers throughout the school are teaching mathematics with growing confidence.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. The school has identified a group of gifted and talented pupils in Years 5 and 6, who benefit from good quality teaching and planning, helping them to make accelerated progress. Each of the pupils is not only given a target to aim at but the teacher shares with them a list of steps which will enable them to achieve their target. In this way, the pupils are motivated and guided to apply themselves in ways which will ensure that they make good progress. This is good practice which the school can draw on in order to improve its use of assessment findings to inform teaching and learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory overall. Older pupils make good progress in their reading, writing and spelling skills when they work one-to-one on a special programme designed to address their difficulties. Individual pupils who require specific support to take part in practical activities are well supported. However, in lessons, the matching of work to meet pupils’ individual needs varies between teachers. Good provision is made for the one pupil at an early stage of learning English as an additional language. In some subjects, such as science, work set for pupils is not sufficiently differentiated by being matched to the prior levels of attainment of different groups. In addition, outside of Year 6 there is insufficient planning for the teaching of basic skills across subjects.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. Most of the work seen during the inspection was well marked. In the best examples, teachers not only corrected pupils’ mistakes but offered some diagnosis of the pattern of errors they were making and gave clear advice on how improvements could be made. Homework was regularly set at the end of lessons. Pupils indicated that homework was often a continuation of work begun in lessons but that on occasion it required them to find things out for themselves; some said that teachers were not always consistent in setting homework and some more-able pupils said they found homework relatively easy.

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PUPILS?

26. The curriculum provides a satisfactory basis for pupils’ learning, but it has both strengths and weaknesses. The school provides a broad and relevant curriculum, with a good range of learning activities outside formal lessons. However, the curriculum balance needs to be reconsidered for some subjects in the infants, where the timetabled time is sometimes too long. This does not lead to brisk, focused learning.

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PUPILS?

27. There is a curriculum ‘map’ for all year groups which gives headlines of which topics, such as The Victorians, will be taught in each half term, so that parents and governors can track pupils’ learning. The curriculum is suitably based on the locally agreed syllabus for Glenaire Primary School religious education and government guidelines for all subjects, except music. The music syllabus has been written by the co-ordinator. However, in most subjects the school does not require sufficient rigour or detail in teachers’ planning for periods as long as a half term or a week, to be able to guarantee exactly what skills and information pupils will learn. There is a need for in-service training to enable teachers to do this with sufficient expertise.

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PUPILS?

28. Policy documents are in place for most subjects and aspects. There are plans for them to be rewritten and updated in order to reflect the school’s change of status and the latest curriculum guidelines. There are important omissions, such as the lack of a policy for speaking and listening, and this does not contribute positively to pupils’ learning.

p.15

PUPILS?

29. The national strategies for literacy and numeracy have been implemented satisfactorily, overall. The curriculum in these subjects is best for the older and higher attaining pupils. They are taught in ‘sets’ by teachers with sufficient expertise and interest to improve pupils’ learning.

p.15

PUPILS?

30. The school recognises the need to identify suitable opportunities across the curriculum in planning to teach the important skills of literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology. However, such a cross-curricular policy is not yet in place. Planning in the infants is not sufficiently based on the systematic teaching of skills and information.

p.15

PUPILS?

31. The curriculum for children in the nursery is good. It is based on a two year programme that matches the requirements of the early learning goals. Weekly planning is mainly satisfactory. Lessons are based on first-hand learning experiences, time is used well and this aids children’s learning effectively. The curriculum for children in the reception class has major weaknesses. The curriculum plan for children’s learning over a week, for example, does not contain sufficient detail or rigour to ensure what learning is to take place. Learning is based on a carousel of activities that continue throughout the day. Although this ensures equal access to activities it does not match learning closely to children’s abilities and needs and does not meet the expectations of the early learning goals.

p.15

PUPILS?

32. The curriculum for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. It is good when pupils receive support that matches the needs of their individual education plans. However, in subjects such as science, there is insufficient matching of tasks to pupils’ needs and abilities and all work is the same for all pupils; this does not aid learning, particularly when teachers have no additional adult support in lessons.

p.15

PUPILS?

33. The school makes good provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education. There is a suitable policy but no scheme of work, although there is a long-term plan for what is to be taught.

p.15

PUPILS?

34. The school provides a good range of extra-curricular activities that aid pupils’ learning. The sporting activities, including table tennis, before and after school give the day a boost and encourage pupils to come to school promptly. Throughout the week, around a third of pupils enjoy a very good range of opportunities to learn to play musical instruments. There are opportunities in assemblies and elsewhere for pupils to perform in front of others. Art club gives pupils the opportunity to work on more interesting art projects.

p.15

PUPILS?

35. The school has good links with partnership institutions and these aid pupils’ learning. The education action zone (EAZ) money has improved links with local upper schools and this aids pupils’ transition to the next stage of their education. The school provides training opportunities for teachers from Leeds Metropolitan University and this enhances Glenaire Primary School curriculum opportunities. There are good links with the peripatetic music service which provides great assistance at musical events. The school has good links with local primary schools for training purposes and for sporting fixtures.

p.15

PUPILS?

36. There are satisfactory links with the community to promote pupils’ learning. The school makes good use of the local area to teach subjects, such as art, geography and history. The local community also provides funding for specific projects, such as educational visits and residential trips. The ‘Shipley Sparks’ provide extra support for reading on a one-to- one basis.

p.16

PUPILS?

37. Overall, provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory.

p.16

PUPILS?

38. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory. Pupils are given suitable time to reflect on their feelings and emotions through ‘circle time’ 3 and assemblies - for instance, on how they have co-operated with one another throughout the week. Teachers usually attempt to create a quiet, reflective atmosphere through the use of music in assemblies and in some classes at the beginning of the morning. This puts pupils in the right frame of mind to listen and learn. During religious education, pupils learn about the beliefs and values of other religions and compare them with important beliefs in their own faith. They visit churches and learn to respect things that others regard as special or sacred.

p.16

PUPILS?

39. Provision for pupils’ social and moral development is good and this contributes to mainly good attitudes and behaviour by pupils throughout the school. The school has a clear moral code, with rewards and sanctions, which pupils are expected to adhere to. This concept is developed effectively through ‘circle time’. Pupils explore moral concepts well - for instance, when they are expected to consider the beneficial effects of medicine and the consequences of the misuse of drugs. The school is developing as an open and safe learning environment and it is ensuring that all pupils know and understand their role in this. The concept of citizenship is well developed through the participation of pupils in Years 3 – 6 in the school council. Pupils are beginning to understand how some people are less fortunate than themselves through participation in charity collections. Boys and girls are provided with positive experiences for playing and learning together through a

p.16

PUPILS?

range of groupings in lessons. Many learn self-discipline and how to be a team player through extra-curricular activities in sport and music. This was well illustrated in a rugby lesson for older pupils, when they quickly learnt what happens when you do not conform to the code.

p.16

PUPILS?

40. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is satisfactory overall. There are very good opportunities for pupils to learn about different types of music, including those from other cultures, through music lessons, their own performances and those of visiting musicians. There are only limited opportunities for pupils to appreciate different types of art, but the school does make suitable use of the nearby Salts Mill to look at the work of the famous local artist, David Hockney. Similarly, they learn about their own culture through walks around the local historical preservation area, from visitors who talk about participation in events such as the Queen’s coronation, from visits to local churches and to the local industrial museum and through their involvement with vital local traditions, such as rugby. The school is aware of the need to make much greater use of resources in nearby Bradford to help pupils understand better day-to-day life in a multi-cultural society. There

p.16

PUPILS?

are some limited plans for this to happen.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

3 During Circle time pupils discuss a wide range of personal and general issues. It is agreed by all pupils that no interruptions should occur and only one person at a time will speak. Glenaire Primary School 41. Glenaire provides a very caring environment where the pupils feel safe and secure. The teachers know their pupils very well and work hard to ensure their welfare. There are good procedures for child protection. Governors have an appropriate health and safety policy but the procedures have not been reviewed since the extension of the school and its change in status. Effective measures are in place to promote good behaviour and eliminate bullying. The school’s considerable efforts to improve attendance have yet to fully bear fruit. The school provides satisfactory educational and personal support for pupils but is not yet making effective use of assessment information to guide curricular

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The school’s high level of concern for the pupils’ welfare is shown in the warm relationships between teachers and pupils and in the detailed analysis of individual circumstances and personal development. Teachers know their pupils very well and show great commitment in providing the help and support appropriate to each one. They make time for those in their charge, are very approachable and are always prepared to listen.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. Glenaire has an inclusive ethos and staff are particularly sensitive to the more vulnerable pupils or those with special educational or personal needs. Helped by dedicated funding they have been able to provide a level of personal support through their learning mentoring service which is exemplary. The school works closely with parents, carers and responsible agencies in its endeavours to ensure that individual needs are met. Governors have an appropriate health and safety policy but it has not been reviewed in recent years and some of the procedures lack the rigour that comes from regular, recorded assessment of risk and monitoring. Child-protection arrangements comply fully with locally agreed procedures and training is provided for staff to raise their understanding and awareness of the issues involved. Following its change in status, the school has developed a revised curriculum for personal, social, health and citizenship education. This

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

is proving effective in helping pupils to become increasingly independent, self confident and knowledgeable about themselves, and is helping them to understand the importance of a healthy and safe lifestyle.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. Since her appointment the headteacher has gained the co-operation of the whole staff in reviewing the school’s behaviour policy and ensuring that procedures are successful in dealing with difficult or challenging pupils. In particular, the school makes very clear its intolerance of bullying and any form of oppressive behaviour. The new policy is implemented consistently throughout the school. Pupils know what is expected of them. In the case of serious transgressions, they are required to reflect on their wrong-doing and identify in writing the wrong choices they have made. This is very good practice. Across the school, pupils enjoy the positive support that is provided and have learned to respect the sanctions.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. Frequent reminders are given to both parents and pupils about the importance of regular and prompt attendance. There are also incentives for individuals and classes which are an effective encouragement for most pupils. Careful monitoring takes place, particularly where there is cause for concern. The learning mentor, whose services are provided through the EAZ, has achieved considerable success by working with the parents of individual pupils whose non-attendance or late-coming are seriously affecting their attainment and progress. In the recent past, little support has been provided by the education welfare service to help the school in its endeavours and despite its best efforts the overall amount of time actually allocated to the school remains below the national average.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The school assesses the attainment and progress of pupils all the way through the school by means of a series of standardised tests. It applies a test at the start and the end of reception, which provides a baseline against which later progress is measured. From Year Glenaire Primary School 1 onwards, all classes do the Suffolk Reading Test at least once a year. In addition to the national tests at the end of Year 2 and Year 6, optional national tests are carried out in Years 3, 4 and 5. All of the data gathered from these tests is carefully collected and collated and tables, colour-coded for ease of reading, are drawn up which show at a glance how well each individual pupil is progressing. This information is used in identifying pupils with special educational needs, those in need of additional support, upper and lower sets in literacy and numeracy in Years 5 and 6, and so forth. It is helping the school to set

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

individual targets for designated pupils. However, the data is statistically generated and the process of achieving it does not always reveal the strengths and weaknesses of individual pupils in particular subjects or basic skills. To make the best use of this broad range of data, the school needs to combine it with an in-depth analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of individual pupils and to use this knowledge to build on the strengths and to address the weaknesses. There is an example of good practice in the school’s approach to its group of gifted and talented pupils, where the teacher involved has not only set targets but also indicated the means or the steps which will enable pupils to achieve those targets. By more refined analysis and better in-depth knowledge of individual pupils of this kind, the school will be able to make more effective use of its assessment data to inform teaching and learning and to drive up standards of attainment.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. Parents mainly have positive attitudes to the school. Through the questionnaire, at the pre-inspection meeting and in conversation with inspectors during the inspection, they indicated that their children like school, are well taught by teachers with high expectations and are helped to become mature and responsible. They consider behaviour in school to be good and they find the teachers approachable and helpful. They have a high regard for the management of the school. A few parents have expressed reservations about the school’s homework policy and about the manner in which the school works with them and keeps them informed of their children’s progress. Some would like more activities outside of lessons.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. The positive views reflect some very good practice in the school. The headteacher and her staff are working very hard to achieve their stated aim of making their school ‘a welcoming place where strong links between home, school and the wider community are developed’. To this end, parents of younger children are encouraged to come into the building, to view children’s work and to talk informally with teachers and learning support assistants about their progress and any problems they may have. It is clear that these parents feel comfortable in the school environment. The biannual review meetings, supported by written reports, ensure that all parents have a clear picture of their children’s personal as well as their academic development through the year. The reports are substantial documents, indicative of much effort on the part of teachers to convey appropriate information. They have many good features, including the setting of targets.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

Some of them, such as those provided in the nursery, are very specific and well focused; others lack the precise terminology that would enable later evaluation to be made on their attainment. They are mainly of good quality, however, and help to develop the partnership between school and home. The inspection evidence does not support the reservations expressed by a few parents in this regard.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. Parents are well informed about the routines of school life. The school has clear lines of communication and the documentation is unambiguous and precise. Parents have been fully informed, for example, on the changes to the behaviour policy and on the valuable part they can play in supporting the school’s efforts to maintain good standards. The prospectus places particular emphasis on the importance of partnership and this is often reiterated in the frequent newsletters which are well presented, informative and interesting. The governors provide a good annual report which complies fully with statutory Glenaire Primary School requirements. The commitment of parents and pupils to the school is formalised in the home/school agreement. This appears to have been sympathetically received but its effectiveness has not been evaluated.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. The headteacher greatly values the support of parents and, since her arrival in the school, lhas been imaginative and persistent in her efforts to increase the effectiveness of the parental contribution to pupils’ achievement. Conspicuous success has flowed from her appointment of a learning mentor, provided through the EAZ, to work with under-achieving pupils and their parents in order to broaden their opportunities for learning, an objective which often involves improving their attendance and punctuality. She has also been able to provide more support for literacy by enlisting the help of parents and volunteers in a well-structured programme to hear and guide readers in school. Her strategies for encouraging the parental role, particularly parental contributions to pupils’ learning at home, are still in the process of development. She has introduced a whole-school timetable for homework and some good use is made of homework diaries as a means of

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

communication with parents. She recognises, however, that practice is still variable and there may be some justification for the parental concern expressed in respect of the frequency and regularity of homework.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. In order to improve the flow of information to parents, the headteacher has provided an additional noticeboard and initiated the regular newsletter. She has also invited parents to meetings and collaborated with a local college in offering training courses for parents to improve their skills in supporting children’s literacy and behaviour. The response so far from parents has been disappointing for the school. Only three parents, for example, took the opportunity to attend the courses; only one came to a recent meeting in school to identify areas for future collaboration. This contrasts with the good attendance at review meetings on children’s progress and the ready support of many parents for fundraising events, attendance at concerts and help with supervision on school trips. The picture is thus rather mixed. The overall impact of parents’ involvement in the work of the school is satisfactory. The potential for an improved parental contribution to their children’s learning

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The headteacher provides good leadership and a clear sense of direction. She has managed the change in the school’s status, from a first to a primary school, with skill and determination. Governors and parents both testify to the fact that the transition, which involved additional building work over many months, was managed with a minimum amount of disruption to staff and pupils and a due regard for all matters of health and safety. Day-to-day involvement in the administrative chores of the new building did not deflect from the school’s focus on its main work. Following consultation with parents and staff, a new behaviour policy was introduced which by all accounts has been highly successful. New staff were recruited, including three new permanent teachers and several support staff; the services of a learning mentor, provided through the Education Action Zone, have also been obtained. Staff have been deployed with considerable skill in order

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

to match their expertise as closely as possible to pupils’ needs. In particular, the decision to split into two ability bands each of Years 5 and 6 and arrange for literacy and numeracy to be taught to each band by teachers with proven expertise in each of these areas is helping pupils in these years to make accelerated progress.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The role of subject co-ordinators was a key issue in the previous inspection report. Following the previous inspection, steps were taken to help subject co-ordinators to develop their role of monitoring and promoting the quality of planning and of teaching in their subjects. However, the school still has some way to go if co-ordinators are to play a full and effective role in monitoring and improving the quality of work in their subjects. Glenaire Primary School Other than in literacy, numeracy and music, it is not at all clear that subject co-ordinators have an overview of the quality of work in the various subjects. While co-ordinators receive copies of teachers’ planning, some are far from being proactive in helping to improve its quality. Similarly, arrangements for the monitoring of the quality of work are not sufficiently rigorous. As part of the literacy and numeracy strategies, there has been

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

observation of all teachers in the school by the headteacher, who has provided some useful feedback to members of staff. However, subject co-ordinators do not usually observe lessons in their subjects and they have too few opportunities to evaluate work, for example, by means of the analysis of pupils’ work. The duties and responsibilities of subject co-ordinators need to be spelled out more clearly and steps taken to ensure that they fulfil their roles.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. Governors are supportive of the school and are keen to bring about improvements. They have a sound grasp of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and know how well its national test results compare with local and national averages. They were deeply involved in decisions affecting the extension of the school’s building and cooperated closely with the headteacher to ensure that matters of health and safety were attended to and that disruption was kept to a minimum. They have also been supportive of the headteacher in respect of the new policies and curricular and staffing changes that have been introduced in order to raise standards. However, they are not sufficiently involved in strategic planning for the school and in charting a clear strategic route for the school to follow over the foreseeable future.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The school improvement plan is a useful working document. The previous inspection report indicated that the school had too many priorities in any one year and the school’s management team in recent years has sensibly reduced the number of priorities to more manageable proportions. The priorities identified for action have been well selected and clearly linked to the task of raising standards of attainment. Staff in-service training and decisions affecting spending have been guided by the school improvement plan. However, the plan covers only one year and it would serve the school better and contribute to its strategic vision if it set out priorities and targets over three years before focusing more closely on the action to be undertaken in the current year.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The school’s budget is well managed and the school is in a healthy financial condition. The school has made wise purchases of additional part-time teachers and support assistants in order to support the work of the permanent teaching staff and raise standards. Governors and school managers apply the principles of best value in all their purchases. Book resources are in good supply and most classrooms hold good collections of fiction and non-fiction as well as sets of readers and dictionaries. The school library which is situated in a corridor area in the juniors is well enough organised and labelled but within the various sections books are not always clearly ordered and some of the stock is old and dated. In general terms, pupils tend to borrow books, both fiction and non-fiction, from the class library and do not make sufficient use of the school library. Their development of library skills is also restricted by the way in which books are

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. Almost all classrooms have computers which pupils use to help them in their work. However, there are not enough computers in the classrooms for pupils to develop their ICT skills to a high enough level. As part of the extension of the school buildings, a new computer room has been created and at the time of the inspection enough computers had been delivered to this room to accommodate the needs of a whole class of pupils. These computers will shortly be installed and fitted into a network and this new high quality provision should enable pupils to develop their skills in ICT to a level higher than they do at present. Glenaire Primary School 58. The school’s accommodation is satisfactory without being generous. In particular, the creation of many small groups and the withdrawal of pupils in all parts of the school for additional one-to-one support places a lot of pressure on the accommodation. All parts of

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

the building are used for teaching purposes, including corridor areas and the staff room. Classrooms are mostly well suited to the work that takes place and there is reasonably good provision of sinks and running water. The new purpose-build nursery classroom is well proportioned and appointed and a considerable improvement on the previous nursery classroom.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

59. In order to improve the quality of education provided, the governing body, headteacher and staff should now:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) raise standards in ICT and in art by ensuring that resources are sufficient and well used to improve pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding;

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) raise standards in reception and the infants by maintaining and, if possible, increasing the present level of resources and increasing the proportion of good and better quality lessons;

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) improve the quality of planning by ensuring that it is thorough and rigorous, that it establishes good links between plenary sessions and group activities, that there is a good match between work and the pupils’ needs and by means of a planned reinforcement of basic skills across the curriculum;

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) improve the role of the subject co-ordinators in monitoring, assessing and promoting the quality of work in their subjects by ensuring that co-ordinators have enough evidence to form a balanced overview of the quality of teaching and learning as well as of the standards being attained in their subjects throughout the school;

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(5) ensure the best use of assessment by disseminating throughout the school the practice now begun in respect of gifted and talented pupils so that assessment outcomes are supplemented by the steps needed to move standards up. Glenaire Primary School

p.21

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 28

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 10 12.5 37.5 30 7.5 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than two percentage points.

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR-Y6

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 15 186

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals N/a 41 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 4

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 1 61

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 6

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 18

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 33

p.22

Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Glenaire Primary School

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 14 9 23

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys 12 12 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 8 8 8

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 87 (79) 87 (79) 87 (86) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys 12 13 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 8 8 8

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 87 (83) 91 (83) 91 (83) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

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

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 14 16 30

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 10 11 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 12 11 14

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 73 (n/a) 73 (n/a) 83 (n/a) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 9 11 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 12 11 14

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 70 (n/a) 73 (n/a) 83 (n/a) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Glenaire Primary School

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 2 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 1 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 9 Financial year 2000 - 01

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 207

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 525,643

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 11 Total expenditure 502,306

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 281.5 Expenditure per pupil 2,375

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 20,122

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 43,459

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 39

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 30

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 19 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 2.5

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 4.8

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0.2

p.24

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 FTE means full-time equivalent. Glenaire Primary School

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 59 34 5 1 1

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 35 57 3 1 3

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 33 37 12 5 6

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 51 34 9 5 1

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 65 25 5 3 1

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 68 23 1 0 7

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 44 38 10 6 2

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 52 34 4 1 8

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 60 29 4 0 7

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 26 34 15 6 18 Glenaire Primary School PART D: THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF TEACHING IN AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

60. Children enter the nursery part-time in the term in which they turn three and enter the reception class at the beginning of the academic year in which they turn five. On entry to nursery, attainment is below that which might be expected for children of this age. The nursery is housed in a new purpose-built building with an attached outside play area, whilst the reception class is housed in a standard classroom. Both classes are staffed with a teacher and nursery nurse. In the nursery both members of staff work as a team and this considerably enhances children’s learning. However, in the reception class matters are different. The nursery nurse provides conscientious support for children’s learning when working in groups, but is underused to support their learning when they are working as a class. Too often the teacher flits from activity to activity and provides too few sustained learning opportunities for the children.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

61. Most children are in line with all six early learning goals in all areas and some exceed this, by the time that they enter Year 1. This is because of the good progress that they make in nursery where teaching is best. Progress slows markedly in the reception class and children receive a narrower range of learning opportunities than is normally experienced by children of this age. This does not prepare them well for working independently in the future.

p.26

Personal, social and emotional development

62. Teaching and learning are good in the nursery and children achieve well. The majority of older children are confident in the nursery and in moving around the school. They leave their parents without fuss and quickly join in activities and concentrate well. Younger children who have just entered nursery are being carefully supported so that they know what to expect in classroom routines. The classroom is thoughtfully set out so that children can access all the materials they need to work independently. Children take a pride in tidying away toys and aprons after they have finished working with them. They are given gentle encouragement to change quickly and efficiently for lessons in the hall.

p.26

Personal, social and emotional development

63. Teaching and learning are broadly satisfactory in the reception class. Children co-operate together to share equipment such as glue and scissors or to play with the water tray. However, the youngest boys in this class do not have good work habits and are not well enough managed to ensure that their ‘off task’ behaviour improves sufficiently. Stickers are too often used to reward routine behaviour - for instance, one girl had eight stickers on her jumper and this does not encourage self-discipline. Children learn to occupy themselves with tasks but they are not taught good strategies for independent learning.

p.26

Communication, language and literacy

64. Teaching and learning in nursery are good and children achieve well. They listen with great interest to stories, such as ‘Handa’s Surprise’, and are beginning to have an idea of the sound of important words, such as ‘T’ for teddy. They are starting to learn such essential skills as how pages are turned and how books are read. Many children’s language skills are poor on entry to nursery, but they are given good opportunities to practise and improve them throughout the sessions. The teacher and nursery nurse note what children say when they draw their pictures and this provides an effective record of how their speech develops. Children have good opportunities to ‘mark make’ in the baby clinic and with the felt tips on the painting easel. During the inspection, one boy painted his name for the first time. The teacher recognised this achievement and asked him to Glenaire Primary School repeat this on a bigger piece of paper to check that the skill was established. Older and

p.26

Communication, language and literacy

more able children have the confidence to talk to visitors to the nursery and tell them about their interests.

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

65. Teaching and learning in the reception class are unsatisfactory. This is because expectations are too low and planning is not based on satisfactory knowledge and understanding of current practice. The books selected for class reading sessions are chosen to contribute to class topics and not to drive reading skills forward. Children who could easily do more challenging work cut out and organise four pictures to retell a story. Children are beginning to have a secure knowledge of the initial sounds of letters, but are not nearly as confident as many other children nationally in blending letters together to make words. They are beginning to read simple books accurately. Work is not well matched to individual children’s needs because many children do the same work on a rotational basis. Groups of children are given opportunities to write on a regular basis, but this often consists of drawing a picture and dictating a caption rather than developing good

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

quality independent writing skills. Handwriting is not well taught so that children establish good letter formation. Children are very dependent on the nursery nurse for every word that they write. Standards are close to national expectations but could be higher.

p.27

Mathematical development

66. Teaching and learning are good in the nursery and consequently children achieve well. The adults take every opportunity to reinforce children’s number skills - for instance, repeatedly counting the seven pieces of fruit in ‘Hannah’s basket’ as the numbers slowly decrease. Children examine the colour of their eyes, draw them on a piece of paper and make a block graph of the class’s eye colour. They gain suitable knowledge of shapes through the provision of such facilities as the ‘Shape café’.

p.27

Mathematical development

67. Teaching and learning are unsatisfactory in the reception class and consequently children do not achieve as well as they should do in all lessons. This is because planning is confused and learning is fragmented. The teacher’s records show that when children entered the reception class in September over three quarters of them could count to numbers above ten, a significant minority was beginning to be secure in the higher numbers between 10 and 20 and a few were confident beyond this. However, planned activities do not recognise children’s achievements. For instance, a boy who was asked to thread beads in pairs to 20 could already count confidently in twos to 28, without the need to touch the apparatus. Too often number activities are mundane such as rolling out playdough to match butterfly silhouettes or sticking legs on a caterpillar and counting them. This is because too much number work is related to a topic framework and is not planned

p.27

Mathematical development

in relation to children’s diagnosed needs. Standards are close to expectations but pupils’ achievement is not as good as it should be.

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

68. Teaching and learning are good in the nursery and children achieve well. They are provided with a varied range of first-hand experiences to help them consolidate their learning. For instance, during their topic on ‘Change’ a parent brought a new baby into class to show the children. Children now have a good model of a baby’s needs when they play in the clinic. Children learn how ingredients change from their raw state by baking small loaves of bread and they find out about the exotic fruits in their story by smelling and tasting them. They select their own exotic fruit seeds, collect their own pot, fill it with compost, plant a seed and attach a label. They do this with confidence and independence. The nursery nurse, who often leads such activities, keeps careful notes on how children respond to such activities so that future lessons can take their learning into Glenaire Primary School account. Children are developing computer skills appropriately - for instance, by using the

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

mouse to click and move furniture around the screen.

p.28

Knowledge and understanding of the world

69. Teaching and learning are satisfactory in the reception class. Two boys used the mouse to drag and match numbers to objects below ten. They enjoyed using the program. One girl carefully copy-typed her story with the help of the nursery nurse who supplied her with the right spellings. The teacher satisfactorily taught children the life cycle of a butterfly so that activities could be built on this during the week. Children have suitable opportunities to watch living things grow when they observe the beans which they have planted. Standards are in line with expectations.

p.28

Physical development

70. Teaching and learning are very good in nursery and so children achieve very well in this area. Adults act as very good role models for children in stretching and balancing on the wide range of apparatus in the hall. They challenge young children very sensitively and are quick to recognise and praise new achievement, such as completing a forward roll or repeatedly doing spin jumps as they get off a bench. Adults give other children a chance to try new skills. This results in cries of ‘I did it!’ by the children as they celebrate their success. Wheeled toys are carefully chosen so that all children, including those with special educational needs, can learn the skills of co-operation as well as improving their skills in using space and balancing.

p.28

Physical development

71. Teaching and learning are satisfactory in reception when teaching dance in the hall. Children curl up as small as the caterpillar’s egg, most can fight their way out of the cocoon and a few can float lightly around the hall as the butterfly. However, there are no structured opportunities for children to use outside play facilities. This would particularly benefit the learning of the youngest boys. The school has recognised that it needs to address this matter and children use the nursery facility at playtime. Children are given sufficient opportunities to improve their manipulation of small objects - for instance, by fitting pieces of plastic together - but resources are not as good as in the nursery for this aspect. Standards are satisfactory.

p.28

Creative development

72. Teaching and learning in nursery are good and children achieve well. Teaching and learning are excellent when a specialist teacher takes them for music. All three adults work together as a team in this lesson to ensure that children have a rich learning experience and increase their self-esteem. There are high expectations of what such young children can sing and play and consequently they develop a demanding repertoire of known songs. Children mix their own tones of orange paint to paint oranges to celebrate what happens in their story but this skill is not built on as pupils move through the school.

p.28

Creative development

73. Teaching and learning in the reception class are unsatisfactory. This is because activities are unchallenging, for instance scribbling in felt-tip pen to represent the patterns on a caterpillar or cutting and sticking circles on a butterfly. The pupils would have benefited from learning the word ‘symmetrical’ in order to make sense of these patterns but the opportunity to learn about symmetry was overlooked. Standards achieved by the time pupils enter Year 1 are in line with expectations on account of the good foundations laid in the nursery. Glenaire Primary School

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ENGLISH

74. The results of national tests for 2001 indicate that the school’s results for 7 year olds in reading and writing were close to but just above national averages. This represents an improvement on results in the previous two years. Compared with the results of pupils in similar schools, the school’s results were well above average in reading and above average in writing. In both reading and writing girls attained higher standards than boys and achieved better in comparison with the national average results for girls than boys against the national averages for boys.

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ENGLISH

75. At the time of the inspection, the standards attained by Year 2 pupils were below the national average in reading and in writing. There are almost twice as many boys as girls in this class and there is an unusually high proportion of pupils with special educational needs. Although additional support is provided for this class and is helping to raise standards, overall attainment in speaking and listening, reading and writing is below average. The absence of a school-wide policy on the teaching of speaking and listening does not contribute to the learning of these pupils. Many of the pupils have difficulty in decoding print into sound and their strategies for decoding unfamiliar words are not well developed. Many are also unable to write more than a few sentences in their own words and their control of spelling and of punctuation is unsure. Overall, pupils are achieving in line with their prior attainment. Those with special educational needs are making sound

p.29

ENGLISH

progress with the help of small group work and a good deal of individual support.

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ENGLISH

76. The results of the 2001 national tests indicate that the school’s results for 11 year olds in English were close to but just below the national average. In terms of average point scores girls attained more highly than boys and also achieved better against the national average for girls than boys did against the national average for boys.

p.29

ENGLISH

77. At the time of the inspection the attainment of pupils in Year 6 was in line with the national average. Pupils could give a clear account of their ideas and the more able were well able to present a case and give reasons for their opinions. Average and higher attaining pupils read demanding texts with good levels of understanding, accuracy and fluency. They had well developed strategies for making sense of texts and for working out the meaning of unfamiliar words. All were capable of writing continuous prose in their own words and the more able produced some extended pieces of very good quality. In some cases, the development of pupils’ writing was inhibited by too many narrowly focused exercises and restricted writing formats.

p.29

ENGLISH

78. Overall, pupils’ achievements are satisfactory in Years 1 and 2 and good in Years 3 – 6. The good achievement in Years 5 and 6 is the result of the good quality teaching the pupils receive from specialist teachers in these years, which enables them to make accelerated progress. Those with special educational needs make sound progress and benefit from the large amount of small group work and of one-to-one support that is provided for them. The one pupil at an early stage of English language learning is making good progress because of the additional support he receives and the vigilance of the class teacher in ensuring that his needs are being met.

p.29

ENGLISH

79. The quality of teaching is sound in Years 1 – 2 and good in Years 3 – 6. Across the school, teaching was well supported by the National Literacy Strategy. In one good lesson in the infants the teacher helped pupils to recognise rhyming words and used the common parts of the rhyming words to reinforce spelling patterns. Pupils were able to use words like ‘verse’ and ‘line’ with accuracy when speaking of a poem. Their grasp of several phonic blends was reinforced and they enjoyed learning by taking part in games. In an excellent Year 5 lesson, the teacher skilfully wove together several activities aimed at groups of pupils of differing levels of ability. Maintaining a brisk pace throughout and Glenaire Primary School ensuring that pupils were engaged at all times, she helped some to reinforce their grasp of certain phonic blends while others read and studied an alternative version of the Cinderella

p.29

ENGLISH

story. Pupils had been introduced to their specific learning objectives at the outset and they were reminded of them at several points during the lesson. Pupils with special educational needs were well integrated into the lesson. The final review was well used to reinforce learning points. In another good lesson, Year 6 pupils spoke with familiarity of the ‘sci-fi genre’ and were able to identify words such as ‘teleport’, ‘alien’, ‘mystery’ and ‘futuristic’ as being typical of this genre.

p.30

ENGLISH

80. English is well supported by a good range of books of various kinds: large story books which enable all pupils to follow the story and appreciate the illustrations; sets of readers; examples of various writing genres; and sets of dictionaries and textbooks. In addition, most classrooms hold good up-to-date collections of fiction and non-fiction. Pupils learn to use indexes and dictionaries but the organisation of the school library and its relative underuse mean that they do not develop the full range of library skills. While a few pieces of writing have been word processed there has not so far been sufficient application of ICT to the development of pupils’ skills in language. Pupils’ progress has been assisted by the provision of additional support by a part-time teacher in Years 2 and 4 and by the arrangement which ensures a large degree of specialist teaching in Years 5 and 6. Rooms are suitable but, with a few exceptions, there are insufficient displays of pupils’

p.30

ENGLISH

writing on the walls to serve as models of good writing and help create a good learning environment.

p.30

MATHEMATICS

81. Seven-year-olds make sound progress but do not reach nationally expected standards. However, their standards are average in comparison with similar schools. Eleven-year- olds make good progress, achieve well and reach above average standards. Their attainment in comparison with similar schools is well above average. The overall performance of boys and girls is similar. Pupils learning English as an additional language and those with special educational needs make progress similar to that of other pupils. The overall quality of teaching and learning in mathematics in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory; in Years 3 to 6 it is good.

p.30

MATHEMATICS

82. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 acquire satisfactory skills, knowledge and understanding of mathematics as a consequence of satisfactory teaching. By the age of seven, pupils know addition facts to 10 and use this for mental recall for calculating answers quickly. They are beginning to add and subtract one-digit numbers from two-digit numbers. They recognise odd and even numbers to 20. Their knowledge and understanding of shape, space and measurements are weak. Their knowledge and skills for solving problems are also weak. Higher attaining pupils are beginning to add and subtract two-digit numbers from three- digit numbers. A significant proportion of pupils, however, do not reach the expected National Curriculum Level 2 or above. This is mainly due to teachers’ not planning activities to match pupils’ differing needs, not expecting high enough standards of work and not developing learning skills soon enough. Analysis of pupils’ work shows undated

p.30

MATHEMATICS

and untitled work and little coverage of shape, space and measures and of problem solving. These factors have a negative impact on the standards that pupils achieve.

p.30

MATHEMATICS

83. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 acquire satisfactory skills, knowledge and understanding of mathematics as a result of satisfactory teaching. By the age of nine, pupils understand place value and order numbers beyond 1,000. They know times tables of two, four, five and ten and use this knowledge effectively for mental calculations, such as multiplying and dividing by 10. The pupils have sound understanding of fractions of rectangular shapes. They know properties of two-dimensional shapes and use metric units of length and volume when doing measurements. They collect weather data, use the computer to enter Glenaire Primary School it, draw bar charts and interpret them accurately. Higher attaining pupils begin to work out areas of simple rectangles using multiplication. Lower attaining pupils know the two times table but not beyond. Analysis of pupils’ work shows excessive use of work sheets. These are largely undated and do not allow pupils to reflect on how they are progressing.

p.30

MATHEMATICS

Learning is good when teachers use effective methods, establish good relationships in class and make effective use of resources, such as counting stick to develop quick mental recall. Learning could be made even better by planning work that develops pupils’ skills progressively, such as doubling.

p.31

MATHEMATICS

84. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 acquire good skills, knowledge and understanding of mathematics as a result of good teaching. Analysis of pupils’ work shows that teachers give challenging work across all areas of the subject. A significant proportion of pupils solve simple equations, such as ‘x + 14 = 21’. They begin to plot coordinates in all four quarters, find the area of simple shapes by multiplication, and solve age appropriate money problems. Higher attaining pupils find the third angle of a triangle from the given two, solve simple simultaneous equations and multiply three-digit numbers by three-digit numbers. They interpret pie charts by working out proportions and percentages. In one lesson, excellent learning resulted from excellent teaching. Pupils were given highly challenging work that involved the solving of simple simultaneous equations and working out the circumference, area, radius and diameter of a circle. Pupils were also given calculations, such as ‘69.87 x

p.31

MATHEMATICS

96.14’ to develop their calculator skills. Pupils thoroughly enjoyed the lesson and made very significant gains in their skills, knowledge and understanding of mathematics. Teaching by specialist teachers in Years 5 and 6 has made a big difference to pupils’ performance in this subject. The school has exceeded its set targets. The 2001 results were above average nationally and well above average in comparison with results in similar schools.

p.31

MATHEMATICS

85. There is excessive use of work sheets in some classes and curriculum planning does not take into account pupils’ differing needs. The use of ICT is underdeveloped and impacts negatively on standards, for example on developing knowledge, skills and understanding of spreadsheet modelling. The subject needs a more rigorous policy for the progressive development of pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding.

p.31

SCIENCE

86. By age 7 standards are below average. This is partially due to the number of pupils with special educational needs in Year 2. By age 11 pupils’ standards are in line with national expectations. This is a more positive picture than in 2001. Throughout the school, pupils make uneven progress in their learning. In broad terms, progress is unsatisfactory in the infants and satisfactory in the juniors.

p.31

SCIENCE

87. Teaching overall is sound, but is too variable and this affects what pupils know and understand. Teaching quality ranges from good to unsatisfactory depending on teachers’ knowledge and understanding of what they should be teaching and familiarity with their pupils. Lessons are too long in the infants and are taught through a topic approach, which does not aid the progressive development of pupils’ scientific skills. This leads to less science work than is normally found in pupils’ books. Work is not always dated in the infants, which makes it difficult to track pupils’ progress, and marking lacks rigour. Pupils in Year 2 started one lesson knowing that scarves are woolly and keep you warm. Most knew that wool comes from a sheep, but were unsure about basic facts concerning cotton. Pupils were restless and off task in this lesson because it was not pitched at the correct level to aid their learning effectively. By the end of the lesson, there was an obvious

p.31

SCIENCE

confusion between ‘fabric’ and ‘material’. Glenaire Primary School 88. In the Year 2 lesson there were potentially four adults to support learning, but they were not used effectively to support science. However, in Year 4 a similar number of adults allowed the teacher to carry out a well-prepared lesson on heating substances, such as candles, eggs and pasta and observing the changes which occurred. In this lesson, the needs of pupils with special educational needs were well met by the patient class teacher and other adults and these pupils played a full part in the lesson.

p.31

SCIENCE

89. Teaching improves from Year 4, but is best by Year 6 where pupils’ learning is supported well by imaginative use of displays - such as a tray of pond life for pupils to investigate - and clear aims for learning. Pupils have covered a good range of work. There is a judicious use of worksheets, revision videos and computer programs to consolidate boys’ and girls’ progress. Work is marked effectively, assessment is well used and there are high expectations of pupils’ presentation. Conversation with boys and girls in Year 6 shows that they are secure in their understanding of how to set up a fair test, for instance in moving a toy car along a variety of surfaces. Some talk with assurance about the effects of gravity and force on a car’s movement. Most have a satisfactory knowledge of how to separate materials and know which method to use to separate peas in boiling water, for instance. They know which processes are reversible and which are not.

p.32

SCIENCE

Attitudes are positive and pupils persevere in order to complete worksheets in the time allowed.

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SCIENCE

90. Analysis of pupils’ previous work shows that there is insufficient use of graphs to record their findings after carrying out experimental work. The use of information and communication technology to support learning is also unsatisfactory: for instance, no work was word processed to present final results. Pupils’ literacy skills are variable in quality, and they are sometimes insufficient to support learning in science. Some lower attaining pupils in Year 4 convey their enthusiasm and meaning in odd phrases such as ‘it melted proper fast’ or ‘its going meltier’, despite adults providing good models for the use of correct language. Some pupils in Year 5 have a careless approach to spelling and consequently they do not record accurately despite being provided with a model to copy. Average and higher attaining Year 6 pupils use their literacy skills well to record work in their own words. Homework supports learning appropriately.

p.32

SCIENCE

91. Leadership and management of the subject are unsatisfactory. There is no up-to-date subject policy to guide teachers in teaching the subject but one is due to be rewritten in 2002. The school has adapted government guidelines which are supported by a commercial scheme of work for some pupils. However, there has been no recent training to support teachers in planning more challenging work. No recent monitoring of lessons or analysis of pupils’ books has been carried out by the co-ordinator to review how learning is progressing, or to see if work is being duplicated or well-matched to pupils’ needs. This needs to be done to ensure more consistency in learning. Resources are mainly satisfactory, but are best in Year 6. Books to support pupils’ learning in science need a thorough overhaul to make best use of the skills which pupils have gained in the literacy hour. The subject makes a suitable contribution to pupils’ social and moral development

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SCIENCE

through the work that is done on healthy bodies and healthy eating.

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ART AND DESIGN

92. By ages 7 and 11, standards are below national expectations. Boys and girls do not achieve as well as they should do as they move through the school. This is because lessons do not present sufficient challenge. The school has poor resources for teaching the subject properly and this does not aid learning. Art has a low profile in the school. It is either combined with design and technology or taught alternately or at the end of Friday afternoon. Glenaire Primary School 93. In Year 1 pupils make observational drawings of catkins in their sketchbooks. Standards are variable, but pupils are unable to refine their learning because the coloured pencils are not the correct tone for their needs.

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ART AND DESIGN

94. In Year 4 pupils paint crude black silhouettes of animals and add attractive splodges and dashes when they work in the style of African artists. Their teacher offers them good opportunities for reflection when she holds work at arms’ length, so that they can see the impact of their work and what needs to be improved. Pupils work patiently and persevere to improve matters. In this class pupils created vibrant sunflowers in the style of Van Gogh by mixing their own paint, but lacked suitable skills to refine their painting technique. By Year 6 pupils use gold and silver wax crayons to create careful neat rubbings of brass historical plaques. However, discussion with the oldest pupils confirmed that too much art work is carried out in felt tip, pencil crayon or gel pens and that pupils have too narrow an experience of the art curriculum. This results in older pupils producing lacklustre pencil

p.33

ART AND DESIGN

crayon drawings of animals, crayon pencil drawings of illuminated letters and careless posters. The best of the work is in line with what might be expected for pupils of this age - for instance, a capital F in abstract patterns with raindrops scattering from it. This work shows a careful choice of colours for best creative effect. There is good marking of work in pupils’ art folders in Year 6 which relates what they have done to lesson objectives and this helps to move learning forward.

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ART AND DESIGN

95. Teaching is satisfactory but could be improved by greater subject knowledge and understanding by the teachers. Work achieved in the art club is a good model for what should be attempted - for instance, when Year 5 pupils added colour to work in the style of Escher and used the computer to produce repeating patterns.

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ART AND DESIGN

96. Leadership and management are unsatisfactory, as they do not have a sufficient impact on improving pupils’ learning or raising standards. The subject is not a priority for development until 2003/4. Lessons have not been monitored so that there is a clear view of standards in the school and what needs to be improved. Time for art is not well used. For instance, when lessons last for nearly two hours this does not support a brisk pace in pupils’ learning. The subject does not make a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ cultural development overall, because opportunities are missed to promote it.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

97. Seven-year-olds attain below average standards and their achievement and progress are unsatisfactory. Eleven-year-olds attain average standards and their achievement and progress are satisfactory. Only one lesson was observed. Analysis of pupils’ work and curriculum documents and discussion with teachers provided additional evidence. It shows that six and seven-year-olds do not receive sufficient opportunities to learn the subject and teachers do not expect high enough standards of work. The lesson observed showed that boys and girls learn the subject with equal interest and enthusiasm and achieve similar standards. Pupils with special educational needs achieve standards in keeping with their ability. No early stage learner of English as an additional language was observed. .

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

98. Years 1 and 2 pupils make card spinners and card toys with some moving parts, such as legs and head. The movement is achieved by joining the parts with split pins. The quality of finished products is variable; elements of pupils’ learning such as developing, planning and communicating ideas, working with tools, the selection of techniques and materials are not taught with sufficient rigour. Similarly pupils have few opportunities for evaluating processes and products and developing their knowledge and understanding of materials and components. Glenaire Primary School 99. Years 3 and 4 pupils make money containers of sound quality. They develop their designs, select felt tip pens of different colours, cut patterns and join these by stitching. They use different ways of joining materials, such as by means of a zip or a button. They evaluate their products and think of ways how to improve them. They learn about the

p.33

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

properties of yeast to understand its role in making bread. They evaluate different breads and finally choose their own recipe and bake bread. They are involved and interested and show their pride in their product by taking pictures with a digital camera. However, some products do not develop pupils’ skills and techniques fully enough by giving them the opportunity to explore and work with a greater range of materials.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

100. Years 5 and 6 pupils design and make average quality moving books for younger pupils. They evaluate the way advertisements help to sell a range of products. They apply their skills to design a poster, use the computer to write a letter about the product and even produce a product leaflet. The overall quality of work is satisfactory. Pupils however, do not get opportunities to use a sufficiently wide range of materials, tools and techniques.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

101. Analysis of Years 1 and 2 pupils’ work indicates that the quality of teaching and learning are unsatisfactory. Teaching and learning in Years 3 to 6 are satisfactory. However, the curriculum does not provide the full range of learning opportunities in a systematic way. This limits the progressive development of expected skills, knowledge and understanding. In the lesson observed, the teacher effectively used class management skills to motivate and include all the pupils in learning. The setting of time targets improved the learning. A good focus on vocabulary helped pupils to understand what it means for a structure to be stable, rigid and strong and how to test their products for these features.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

102. The leadership and management of the subject are unsatisfactory. There is insufficient monitoring of learning and standards as well as of the curriculum that pupils learn over time. Assessment information is not used to remedy gaps in pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills.

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GEOGRAPHY

103. Seven-year-olds attain below average standards and their achievement and progress are unsatisfactory. Eleven-year-olds attain average standards and their achievement and progress are satisfactory. Boys and girls learn the subject with equal zeal and make similar progress. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress.

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GEOGRAPHY

104. Years 1 and 2 pupils are beginning to understand the human and physical features of an island. Their awareness of places beyond their locality is limited. This happens due to weaknesses in the range and quality of the curriculum that pupils receive. Years 3 and 4 pupils have a sound understanding of the requirements for a settlement. They draw sketch maps of the local area and develop sound understanding of the local geography. They learn about distant places, such as St Lucia, and about the cultivation of bananas and their journey to the British market. They collect weather data about rainfall and temperature, enter it in a database and draw charts. They learn best in Year 4.

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GEOGRAPHY

105. In Years 5 and 6, pupils compare the Swat Valley in Pakistan with their local geography. They develop a sound understanding of continents and oceans and of rainfall patterns of Britain. However, they are not aware of the colour conventions to show rainfall. Their knowledge of how people can improve and damage the environment is less well developed and their map-work skills are relatively weak. Part of this weakness is due to insufficient opportunities to learn the subject.

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GEOGRAPHY

106. Only one lesson was observed. It was well structured and organised. The teacher set high expectations of work and behaviour and the methods used were effective and Glenaire Primary School efficient. This helped pupils to make good gains in their knowledge and understanding of the causes and consequences of having too much water. However, for a brief period the teacher missed the opportunity to share timed targets with the pupils. This compromised the pace of learning and reduced the effectiveness of pupils’ independent learning.

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GEOGRAPHY

107. Leadership and management of the subject are unsatisfactory as there is no monitoring of teaching and learning. Curriculum planning does not systematically develop pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding of geography from Years 1 to 6. Although the scheme of work is informed by the national schemes and guidance, it is not customised to match the needs of the pupils in the school. The use of assessment information for planning the curriculum is not well developed. However, there good use is made of visits, such as the one-week residential visits in Years 4 and 6, to enrich pupils’ understanding and knowledge.

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HISTORY

108. By the ages of 7 and 11 standards meet national expectations. In Years 1 and 2 pupils begin to develop their sense of time. By looking at toys and pictures they develop their understanding of ‘old’ and ‘new’, of ‘then’ and ‘now’. Both boys and girls learn to make use of clues to form a judgement of how new or old something is. Older pupils study famous people, such as Florence Nightingale or events, including the invasion of Britain by the Vikings and the Second World War. Their study is enriched by trips to places such as the Yorvic Centre in York or to Eden Camp. They learn about Victorian Britain by visiting the Industrial Museum in Bradford and each year pupils dress up and take part in a simulated Victorian school lesson.

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HISTORY

109. The subject is used well on occasion to develop pupils’ language skills. For example, some pupils interviewed some older people from the local community about changes that had taken place over the years and recorded their findings in writing. Work analysis indicates that pupils on the register of special educational needs make satisfactory progress. Older pupils produced fairly extended and well-illustrated pieces of writing on the conflicts between ‘Mods’ and ‘Rockers’, making use of newspaper cuttings from the period. There are some well organised pieces of writing indicating what is ‘different’ between two periods in time, as illustrated in photographs, and what remains the ‘same’ or is ‘continuous’ with the past. The small amount of teaching observed was satisfactory.

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HISTORY

110. The medium-term planning complies with the requirements of the National Curriculum and the subject is supported by an adequate range of books. Some history books in the school library, however, are old and worn. Pupils’ interest in local history is stimulated by visits to the local church as well as by visits to the school by the Baildon oral history group.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

111. Infant pupils attain below average standards and their achievement and progress are unsatisfactory. Junior pupils also attain below average standards, but their achievement and progress are satisfactory. No teaching was observed. However, analysis of pupils’ limited work and curriculum documents and discussion with teachers provide some evidence of the provision for the subject. It shows that pupils do not receive sufficient opportunities to learn the subject. Overall, there is no difference between the attainment of boys and girls. Pupils with special educational needs and pupils who are learning English as an additional language make progress similar to other pupils.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

112. Years 1 and 2 pupils draw pictures and word process a few sentences. Years 3 and 4 pupils use a digital camera, compose Christmas cards, use a database to collect and enter weather data and draw graphs. Years 5 and 6 pupils word process text, add to it, amend it Glenaire Primary School and combine clip art to their presentations of, for example, the Glenair News, poems and the story of the Nativity. They collect data on height, weight and birthdays and produce bar charts and pie charts. There are significant gaps in their knowledge, understanding and skills in other areas - for example, the use of e-mail and the Internet, multimedia presentations, modelling and sensors, and they have not developed a confident use of databases for independent study.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

113. There is insufficient evidence to make judgements on the quality of teaching. However, the evidence of learning indicates weaknesses in the provision for this subject. The curriculum, although derived from the national scheme and advice does not develop pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills in a consistent way as pupils move through the school. There is no rigorous planning, monitoring and evaluation linked with what pupils are actually learning. Assessment procedures are also weak. These are not sufficiently analytical to inform planning of the curriculum to address weaknesses in pupils’ learning. Monitoring and evaluation of teaching are also weak and have a negative impact on the quality and consistency of learning. Furthermore, there is no coherent approach to promoting the use of information and communication technology in other subjects.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

114. However, there are several positive developments. The subject co-ordinator is enthusiastic. A new suite with satisfactory numbers of computers and a multimedia projection facility is almost complete. Specific training for teachers, paid for and planned to start in May 2002, should help to address areas where teachers feel insecure in their knowledge of the subject.

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MUSIC

115. Standards are above national expectations by the age of 7 and 11. All boys and girls, including those with special educational needs, achieve very well due to the very good specialist teaching they receive.

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MUSIC

116. Throughout the school, lessons are conducted at a brisk pace, there are high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and performance and this moves learning along so that no time is wasted. Musical terms are used effectively and understood by both teacher and pupils alike. For instance, Year 2 pupils learn about ‘beat’ and ‘rhythm’ through singing ‘Tick Tock goes the clock’ and accompanying themselves with accurate two-tone percussion accompaniment. Skills of co-operation and collaboration were enhanced when boys and girls took turns to pass the beat around the circle, using tambours. Pupils with special educational needs were helped carefully to join in with this activity by their support staff. All pupils learned about the use of drums in African culture when they listened to and were fascinated by a tape of ‘talking drums’. Boys’ and girls’ enjoyment of music lessons was apparent when they enthusiastically and expressively sang about the prehistoric

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MUSIC

117. By age 11, it is clear that pupils possess a very good knowledge and understanding of a wide range of music. The teacher’s knowledge and enthusiasm are apparent during lessons and pupils steadily improve their performance of such fifties classics as ‘Rock around the clock’ and ‘Mac the Knife’. All boys and girls sang ‘Only you’ tunefully, expressively and with clear diction due to their teacher’s insistence on rehearsing difficult phrasing. Pupils are kept on their toes by their teacher’s very high expectations and quick fire questioning. She is quick to spot strengths and weaknesses in learning and to recognise what pupils have learnt in the lesson. Good opportunities for improving pupils’ speaking and listening skills were provided when they were asked to interview members of their family about their musical tastes. This task was to be carried out for homework with a view to compiling a database on the computer.

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MUSIC

Glenaire Primary School 118. Leadership and management are very good. The co-ordinator has a very positive impact on the life of the school and pupils’ spiritual, social and cultural development. The very good range of extra-curricular music opportunities, with a third of pupils playing musical instruments, helps to promote pupils’ self-esteem and self-discipline and this is evident in older pupils’ learning. The school provides very good opportunities for pupils to perform for fellow pupils, parents and at musical festivals. By the time they reach the top end of the school, boys and girls perform as part of small groups and play solos. They do so with confidence and aplomb. Specialist accommodation for lessons and very good resources aid pupils’ learning opportunities. Extra funding from the EAZ has made longer tuition in brass instruments possible. The school hopes to start an orchestra shortly, which will

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

119. By ages 7 and 11, standards are in line with what might be expected of pupils of this age. Pupils achieve as well as they should as they move through the school. The oldest pupils make the best progress due to the range of opportunities that they are offered. Nineteen out of 27 pupils in the present Year 6 class received certificates of competence in swimming. Few lessons were seen during the inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

120. Teaching and learning are satisfactory and are excellent when pupils are taught by outside specialists. The number of adults supporting a lesson in the infants allowed all pupils including those with special educational needs to be fully involved in the lesson. Pupils in Year 2 recognised that their heart rate was raised through exercise. They balanced on small and large parts of their body and increasingly stretched to achieve a better position in their ‘balance’. However, they took less care when they were putting all their movements together and performing on the mats and so standards deteriorated. Teachers used pupils appropriately to demonstrate to others how they had achieved good movements, particularly in moving from one balance to another and this improved learning. However, a more successful approach to behaviour management would have improved learning towards the end of the lesson. Year 5 pupils were highly motivated and

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

very keen to achieve when they developed an awareness of space, and headed, threw and caught a rugby ball with increasing skill. They co-operated well and developed a sense of teamwork. Conversation with Year 6 pupils shows that they experience a good range of sport, such as hockey, football, rounders and table tennis. They are enthusiastic about the opportunities offered to them. Their learning is enhanced when they are given the chance to evaluate their own learning and say what they could do to improve. Observation of tuition in table tennis shows that older pupils persevere and steadily begin to improve their ability to serve and return the ball.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

121. Leadership and management are good and have a clear impact on pupils’ learning. There is a clear vision for the future and a policy to guide teachers in moving the subject forward. The teacher has only been in post for a short time, but already has made significant improvement in standards and raising the subject’s status - for instance, by involving outside experts. The accommodation is satisfactory, but the field is too wet to teach sports for significant parts of the year. Resources are steadily improving and the co-ordinator has a clear view of what she needs to acquire. The subject makes a satisfactory contribution to older pupils’ social development through their participation in sports.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

122. The standards attained at the end of the infants are below the expectations of the agreed syllabus because the work set makes too few demands of pupils. The standards at the end of the juniors are in line with expectations. Although some of the work presented to pupils in these years, especially in the lower juniors, is not sufficiently demanding, older Glenaire Primary School pupils produced good-quality extended pieces of writing on Creation stories and signs and symbols.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

123. The only lesson seen during the inspection, which was in the infants, was barely satisfactory because the religious content of the lesson was meagre. An analysis of previous work indicated that too many pupils in the infants and early juniors spend too much time on rather low level tasks, such as cutting out, gluing and colouring in. The writing of some pupils was copied while other writing tended to consist of filling in gaps in work-sheets. The best writing was seen in the books of older juniors. One able pupil retold the story of Adam and Eve in his own words in a fairly extended piece of writing and showed a good understanding of some of the major characters in the Old and New Testaments, such as David, Moses and Jesus. Most writing was factual in character but there was some that explored the religious significance of events, such as the Christian belief in the Resurrection.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

124. The medium-term plans indicate that in addition to studying Christianity and Judaism, pupils also study features of Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism. This planning, however, tends simply to list topics to be covered in particular terms by different year groups and does not indicate the knowledge, skills and understanding that pupils should strive for in the course of their religious education. It is not clear that the co-ordinator has a clear overview of how well the subject is being taught or how well pupils are making progress or, indeed, how progress in the subject should be identified. The subject complies with the Bradford Agreed Syllabus and is supported by a small range of books in classrooms and the library. Some of the latter appear to be rarely used.

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