Carnarvon Primary School

Bingham Carnarvon Primary School

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

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Bingham Carnarvon 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. Bingham Carnarvon Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Nursery Road Bingham Nottinghamshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 21–24 May 1996 Bingham Carnarvon Primary School - 4

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Team members

Mr A S Kingston Registered inspector Mrs B Moore Lay inspector Mr J Atkinson Team inspector Mrs S Twaites Team inspector

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Team members

QED Reginald Arthur House Percy Street Rotherham S65 1ED

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Bingham Carnarvon Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 11

• Attainment in English and science is well above the national average. In English a particularly strong feature is the pupils’ reading and speaking and listening skills. Attainment in mathematics is above the national average. • The quality of teaching is very good overall. • Pupils’ attitudes, values, behaviour, personal development and relationships with one another and staff are excellent. • There are good procedures in place for planning the curriculum. • Assessment procedures and the analysis of test results are effective in the promotion of a systematic process of target setting for individual pupils. This has impacted positively on standards of attainment in English, science and mathematics. • The leadership and management of the school is excellent. It is clear, purposeful and committed to the process of improvement. The headteacher, with the support of parents, governors, staff and the wider community creates an ethos that strongly supports learning

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 17

• The proportion of pupils achieving the higher levels in mathematics.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Carnarvon Primary School has 337 pupils on roll. This is bigger than the average-sized primary school. Two pupils have English as an additional language. Almost all pupils have attended some form of pre-school education before entering full-time school. There are five Key Stage 1 classes and six Key Stage 2 classes. All classes except that accommodating the reception aged children in their first term are of mixed age. The school is situated on the eastern side of Bingham near to the City of Nottingham. It enjoys very close and effective links with the community it serves. The children come from homes where the very large majority of parents are in employment. Just over nine per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals and this is below the national average. There are 15 per cent of pupils on the special educational needs register. Three pupils have statements of special educational needs. This is broadly in line with the national average.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Attainment of four year olds when they start school is broadly average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Carnarvon Primary School is a very good and effective school. The pupils achieve high standards in all aspects of their education. The quality of teaching throughout the school is very good overall. A major strength of the school is the excellent leadership and the very clear educational direction provided by the headteacher. She receives a very high level of support from the well-informed governing body which takes an active role in the monitoring of standards. Together they have led a series of successful improvements.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Attainment in English and science is well above the national average. In English a particularly strong feature is the pupils’ reading and speaking and listening skills. Attainment in mathematics is above the national average. • The quality of teaching is very good overall. • Pupils’ attitudes, values, behaviour, personal development and relationships with one another and staff are excellent. • There are very good procedures in place for planning the curriculum. • Assessment procedures and the analysis of test results are effective in the promotion of a systematic process of target setting for individual pupils. This has improved standards of attainment in English, science and mathematics. • The leadership and management of the school is excellent. It is clear, purposeful and committed to the process of improvement. The headteacher, with the support of parents, governors, senior management team, other staff and the wider community creates an ethos that

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What could be improved

• The proportion of pupils achieving the higher levels in mathematics. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The developments made since the last inspection in May 1996 have enabled the school to make significant improvements in the standards achieved by pupils in English, mathematics and science throughout the school. The rate of progress in the improvement of standards over the last three years has been better than the national average. There are now comprehensive, detailed and coherent schemes of work in place. These provide teachers with valuable support and guidance in their planning and ensure continuity and progression in pupils’ learning as they move through the Bingham Carnarvon Primary School - 7 school. The role of subject co-ordinators and members of the senior management team has been developed very successfully. The systematic monitoring of teaching and learning has greatly improved the standards of attainment of pupils throughout the school. This is because of the well formulated staff development programme which is targeted strategically at the areas of improvement

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school is very well placed to continue to improve further.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

By the age of eleven the standard of attainment in English and science is well above the national average. In mathematics the standard of attainment is above the national average. When compared with similar schools the standard of attainment in English and science is well above average. In mathematics the standard of attainment is above the average of similar schools.

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Key

The trend in the school’s National Curriculum test results over the last three years shows that the school’s rate of improvement in English, mathematics and science is broadly in line with the national trend. It is important to note, however, that the school’s performance in each of these subjects has been significantly higher than the national average in each of these subjects since 1998.

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Key

In English, a further strength of the work seen is the clarity with which pupils can express themselves through writing. They use punctuation to good effect, vocabulary choices are imaginative and the presentation of their work is of a high standard. In mathematics, a strength of the work seen is the pupils’ developing ability to use and confidently handle mental computational strategies. This work is greatly improving the standards of mathematics throughout the school.

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Key

The school has set targets for the year 2000 National Curriculum tests for eleven year olds. In English, the target in terms of the proportion of pupils expected to achieve the national average or above has been set at 80 per cent. In mathematics the target has been set at 76 per cent. These targets are appropriate for the cohort of pupils in this year group. Bingham Carnarvon Primary School - 8

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Attitudes to learning are excellent. Pupils are very willing and committed workers, extremely well motivated and ready to respond to high expectations.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms The behaviour of pupils is excellent. They exercise a responsible and disciplined approach to lessons and to one another.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Excellent. Pupils develop a mature approach to their work and to the wider school community. They show extremely high levels of respect for each other, willingly take on roles of responsibility and enjoy celebrating the success of others.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Satisfactory. In line with the national average.

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

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

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

Overall the quality of teaching is very good

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

Teaching is at least sound or better in all lessons. It is good in 25 per cent of lessons, very good in 50 per cent of lessons and excellent in eight per cent of lessons. The classes in which very good teaching was observed ensured that the expectations of pupils are appropriately high, tasks are well matched to what they know already and that the steps to learning are clearly identified. A particular strength of the teaching is the competence and skill of all teachers to ask relevant questions which assess, consolidate and extend pupils’ learning. Their questioning techniques are successful strategies in the development of pupils’ speaking and listening skills. This quality of teaching helps pupils to make good progress.

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

The quality of teaching in English is very good. In mathematics it is good.

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

The overall quality of teaching the skills in literacy is very good. Teachers teach reading and writing skills extremely well throughout the school. The implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy since September 1999 has had a direct and positive impact on pupils’ mental skills and proficiency. The high quality displays of pupils’ work rightly celebrate their achievements and value their efforts.

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

The school supports the learning of pupils with special educational needs very well. The school meets the needs of pupils with statements of special educational needs very well and includes them in the full life of the school. Bingham Carnarvon Primary School - 9

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The school provides rich and exciting opportunities for pupils’ learning. The curriculum is broad and balanced and is enhanced by the importance placed on the teaching of French and drama. Residential visits, educational visits and extra-curricular activities provide exciting experiences to extend pupils’ understanding of the wider world.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. The pupils make good progress towards most of the targets in their individual educational plans. They receive very good support from their teachers and classroom assistants.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral and cultural development is very good. Provision for pupils’ social development is excellent. Staff are very good role models and they are very successful in establishing a code of behaviour which is successfully promoted throughout the school.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. The school is successful in providing a very welcoming and secure environment where pupils are listened to and their contributions valued. Very good and effective procedures are in place for the monitoring of attendance, the promotion of good behaviour and the elimination of bullying. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are very good and the resulting information is used well to inform future planning.

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Aspect Comment

Curriculum planning is very good. Teachers devise very good medium and short term plans which provide clear information about what pupils should know, understand and can do and the learning resources required to achieved the desired learning objectives. They also identify opportunities for assessment and teacher focus effectively. Teachers’ evaluations in all subjects and for all groups of pupils except the higher attainers in mathematics, provide appropriate information to plan future work which is accurately based on pupils’ prior attainment. As a result pupils are provided with tasks in an appropriate sequence that builds well on previous learning. Bingham Carnarvon Primary School - 10

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Excellent. The headteacher provides extremely caring and supportive leadership. Her very clear educational direction and the high level of support she receives from the senior management team and the governing body are strengths of the school.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. Governors are very well informed. They carry out the statutory duties effectively and efficiently. They have a very good strategic overview of the curriculum. Governors with responsibility for literacy, numeracy and special educational needs are particularly effective.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school has a very good overview of its work. The school’s procedures and strategies for monitoring its performance are very good. The use of the information gained from the monitoring exercises is a major contributory factor leading to the significant improvements which have been made since the last inspection.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. Teaching and learning resources are well chosen to meet the objectives of lessons, the tasks set and the needs and ages of pupils.

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Aspect Comment

The role of subject co-ordinators is well defined. They have a good understanding of the subjects for which they are responsible and have a very positive impact on the quality of curriculum planning, teaching and standards attained by pupils.

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Aspect Comment

The procedures for financial control are very good. There are clearly stated and well understood powers of financial delegation. These are strictly adhered to and ensure that the school follows and benefits from the principles of best value

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Aspect Comment

Governors are rightly proud of their school and they work hard to support its development.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children enjoy school. • Their children are making good progress. • The good and respectful behaviour of the children. • The good quality of teaching. • The way the school deals with parents who approach the school with questions and problems. • The expectation that children will work hard and do their best at all times. • The effective leadership and management of the school and the improvements it has brought. • The way the school helps children to become mature and responsible. • The amount of work that children are expected to do at home • The amount of information they receive about how well their children are getting on at school • The range of activities the school provides for children outside lessons. Bingham Carnarvon Primary School - 11 The inspectors endorse parents’ positive comments.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The amount of homework required is similar to that of other primary schools, is consistent with government guidelines and is judged to be appropriate. The school sends to all parents a detailed report on their child’s progress and there are three formal occasions when parents are invited to discuss their children’s work with staff. Teachers are also available to meet parents informally about their children. These arrangements are sufficient to keep parents well informed about their children. The range of activities such as football, netball, first-touch soccer, basketball and the Year 2 and Year 6 residential visits which are provided for children outside lesson times is in line with that seen in most other primary schools. The inspectors view these and the other educational and social opportunities available to pupils outside their classroom lessons to be sufficient to enhance and enrich their lives.

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Attainment in English and science is well above the national average. In English a

particularly strong feature is the pupils’ reading and speaking and listening skills. Attainment in mathematics is above the national average.

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Attainment in English and science is well above the national average. In English a

1. The overall attainment of pupils at the time they enter Carnarvon Primary School is average. By the time they reach the ages of 7 and 11 pupils achieve standards that are well above the national average in English and science. In mathematics the standard of attainment is above the national average.

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Attainment in English and science is well above the national average. In English a

2. In the reception class appropriate emphasis is placed upon the successful acquisition of reading, writing, number, the ability to speak with confidence and to listen carefully. In this the school is very successful with children making good progress in the areas of language and literacy, mathematics and their personal and social skills. By the age of five pupils are well on their way to becoming sound readers, competent in number and co-operative in their work.

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Attainment in English and science is well above the national average. In English a

3. Over the past three years pupils have achieved results above the national average in English, mathematics and science with the rising trend of success occurring at a faster rate than that nationally. This is due to teachers’ very good subject knowledge, the very high expectations they have of their pupils, the high quality of their teaching and the excellent attitudes pupils have towards their school, learning and friendships within the school community.

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Attainment in English and science is well above the national average. In English a

4. The school capitalises well on pupils’ natural interest in language and, consequently, pupils’ speaking and listening skills are well above average for their age. In part this is due to all teachers’ clear and expressive use of the voice and the opportunities they take to draw out pupils’ speech even from wrong answers. Pupils listen well to what teachers and other pupils have to say. This is because teachers, through the excellent relationships they have with their pupils, ensure that pupils concentrate, feel confident and secure and are therefore very keen to contribute to all class discussions. Pupils in the reception class discuss matters of immediate interest, talk animatedly about their work and describe well their experiences and what they can see. Throughout the school whole class work at the beginning of the literacy hour improves pupils’ attentiveness to each other’s views and words. All

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Attainment in English and science is well above the national average. In English a

pupils can clearly explain the point of their work to visitors, often using an extended range of vocabulary and language appropriate to the occasion. For example, in a Bingham Carnarvon Primary School - 12 Year 5 and Year 6 literacy lesson when discussing the impact of newspaper headlines pupils spoke confidently and clearly about, ‘the ambiguity of the journalist’s style which makes the exact meaning unclear – it usually makes you think the worst of a person or a situation. It’s done purposefully to make people have the same views as themselves - or to sell more newspapers!’ They take part thoughtfully in class discussions and understand detailed explanations and instructions. They give reasons for their views and respect the views of others.

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Attainment in English and science is well above the national average. In English a

5. Throughout the school pupils show a love of reading. By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils have good reading habits. They quickly become aware of some authors and can recall stories and comment on characters. They select books well and can discuss the work of favourite authors, for example, Roald Dahl. Their knowledge of letter sounds and patterns is well above average and they often work out the sound and meaning of new words in their readers and library books by using their knowledge of phonics and the context in which the word is used. Higher and average attaining pupils use indexes and skim to find information. Library skills are above average. By Year 6 pupils read a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction with expression and mature understanding. They enjoy discussing their choice of books with others, demonstrate a high level of competence when making rational predictions and inferences which they base on evidence within the text and have

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Attainment in English and science is well above the national average. In English a

extremely well developed library and research skills. Pupils, make very good use of the school library for independent learning. In this they are instructed and assisted extremely well by parent helpers.

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Attainment in English and science is well above the national average. In English a

6. In their writing, most pupils exceed the standard expected for their age. By the age of seven, pupils know how to construct stories and some begin early to use more complex structures and a rich vocabulary. The writing of older pupils, both imaginative and factual, is mostly good; there are examples of exceptionally good pieces of extended writing throughout Key Stage 2 such as that composed by Year 3 pupils on the ‘Millennium Bug Alien’ , ‘The Bully’ by Year 4 pupils and ‘The Moving Summit’ by Year 5 and 6 pupils. All pupils, including lower attainers, respond to the challenges set by the teachers and produce their best work with high standards of presentation. Poetry is a strong feature of pupils’ writing in all years; here again, pupils show a high degree of sensitivity in their use of language.

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Attainment in English and science is well above the national average. In English a

7. Teachers plan extremely well together and in partnership they provide a very good range of well-structured and challenging activities. Through this effective planning process the school is able to provide pupils with a wide range of opportunities to write in different genres for different purposes and for different audiences. Pupils enjoy demonstrating their writing skills. They gain considerable pleasure from the many opportunities offered to them to tackle and successfully complete extended pieces of writing in subjects such as history and religious education and short factual and instructional reports such as their investigational work in science.

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Attainment in English and science is well above the national average. In English a

8. In science, although the 1999 teacher assessments for seven year olds indicate that pupils’ attainment is in line with the national average, inspection evidence shows that standards at Key Stage 1 are well above the national average. Throughout Key Stage 2 this standard of attainment is maintained thus, as the 1999 National Curriculum tests for eleven year olds in science show, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected level and above is well above the national average. Pupils’ experimental and investigational work is a strong feature throughout both key stages and particularly in Years 5 and 6, the large majority are confident in constructing fair test procedures involving fixed variables. By using prior knowledge Bingham Carnarvon Primary School - 13 they can make appropriate predications about their investigations and draw accurate conclusions. In this work pupils develop their numeracy skills well by

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Attainment in English and science is well above the national average. In English a

presenting the results of their investigations in various pictorial forms such as scatter graphs and the line of best fit.

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Attainment in English and science is well above the national average. In English a

The quality of teaching is very good overall.

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Attainment in English and science is well above the national average. In English a

9. The very good quality of teaching contributes very positively to the quality of pupils’ learning and to the good progress they make. Teachers have a very secure knowledge of the subjects they teach, enabling them to focus on key elements which lead to the good progress pupils make and the high level of understanding they achieve. Teachers also possess a very effective range of teaching strategies and organisational skills that enable them to teach classes in which there are wide age ranges and levels of attainment very effectively, efficiently and confidently. Teachers manage their classrooms confidently. Throughout the school a wide range of teaching methods is employed very effectively. They are used selectively to achieve the aims of the lessons. For example, the introductory stages of lessons frequently assess, revise and consolidate pupils’ knowledge and understanding, set the lessons in the context of previous learning and inform them of the purpose of

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Attainment in English and science is well above the national average. In English a

the tasks. When pupils have been working in groups it is common practice for each group to briefly report back to the rest of the class at the end of the lesson. This part of the lessons is well structured and provides a useful opportunity for teachers to emphasise key points. A further notable feature is the sensitive and thoughtful teacher interventions which challenge thinking, pose leading questions and provide constructive feedback that enables pupils to improve their own performance.

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Attainment in English and science is well above the national average. In English a

10. Pupils meet with enthusiasm the high expectations in behaviour and attainment set by teachers. Because of this teachers can create interesting and exciting learning situations for groups and individuals and provide many opportunities for pupils to extend their own personal learning and investigative skills.

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Attainment in English and science is well above the national average. In English a

11. Lessons are carefully planned and well structured to provide stimulating and challenging experiences for pupils. Initial introductions and explanations are clearly presented. Pupils understand what is expected of them and how to proceed. The most effective lessons engage and excite pupils’ interest from the very start, as in the introductory stage of a Year 3 and Year 4 mathematics lesson which ranged from quick fire subtraction facts to the development, understanding and application of different subtraction strategies, or the Year 5 and 6 lesson which moved from the simple statements made by pupils regarding facts and opinions to discussions about the prejudicial form taken by many newspaper headlines and the ambiguity contained in journalistic writing.

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Attainment in English and science is well above the national average. In English a

12. Teachers make it very clear that they enjoy their teaching and enjoy working with the pupils. This reflects the excellent, comfortable and respectful relationships within the school, which positively encourage relaxed conversations, and vigorous discussions in which pupils are keen to take part. Teachers throughout the school are skilful and often energetic questioners. They use questions extremely well to assess, reinforce and extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding as in the Year 5 and Year 6 science lesson on forces where pupils were pushed hard to explain the effect of gravity and upthrust on the weight of objects. Similarly in a Year 3 and Year 4 lesson, the teacher’s questioning skills made a significant contribution to development of pupils use of punctuation to create atmosphere in their writing and in a Year 1 and Year 2 lesson on ‘Living Things’ pupils were challenged to make Bingham Carnarvon Primary School - 14

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Attainment in English and science is well above the national average. In English a

generalisations about the basic characteristics of mammals and the conditions required by plants for their survival.

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Attainment in English and science is well above the national average. In English a

13. There is a well planned, lively and effective use of a wide range of teaching and learning resources such as books, worksheets, games, information technology and overhead projectors. All are very extremely well chosen to match the aims of the lessons, the age and attainment of the pupils and the tasks set. Teachers also use role play and drama across the curriculum very effectively.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values, behaviour, personal development and relationships with one

14. Attitudes to learning are excellent. Pupils clearly enjoy learning. They show very good levels of concentration, apply themselves extremely well to tasks and take pride in doing well. Throughout the school, pupils show a keenness to apply what they have learned to new work and to share it with others who, often quite spontaneously, show their appreciation through applause or quiet celebratory comments. Pupils are given and enthusiastically accept responsibility in such things as carrying out various duties as class monitors and looking after classrooms during break times.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values, behaviour, personal development and relationships with one

15. Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school is excellent. It is a strength of the school and makes a very positive contribution to their attainment and progress. Pupils know, understand and respond very positively to school rules and classroom routines. They show a very mature level of compliance with and understanding of the expectations that the school has of them. This level of maturity, for example, led two pupils during the inspection to confide in the headteacher that they could not themselves resolve an argument and asked for her help so that the problem could be sorted out amicably. Visitors are made to feel very welcome, and pupils are courteous, polite and friendly. This is evident in such actions as pupils holding open doors, stepping back to allow access and always making polite responses to questions and requests.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values, behaviour, personal development and relationships with one

16. When pupils are given opportunities to take on responsibilities such as register monitor and classroom helpers they do so with pride and care. They enjoy being responsible and value the trust that all staff show them. They demonstrate high levels of initiative and take their roles of responsibility seriously. For example, there were several occasions during the inspection when older pupils were observed helping younger ones and taking a sensitive lead in the organisation of their games during playtimes. A further example of the willingness of pupils to use their initiative and accept roles of responsibility is in the school’s excellent record of support for local and national charities.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values, behaviour, personal development and relationships with one

17. Relationships between pupils and all adults are excellent. This is a strength of the school, reflecting well the school’s aims where respect for people and property is extremely well promoted. In this all adults in the school are excellent role models. They promote and encourage friendly yet respectful relationships and are always available to pupils for them to share a joke with or to talk about more serious matters which concern them. Pupils socialise extremely well together in the dining room, the playground and the playing field. There was no evidence of any form of bullying found by the inspectors. In lessons, pupils work well together, sharing equipment and allowing each to have their turn. They offer each other support and encouragement and take pleasure in each other’s achievements. For example, in Bingham Carnarvon Primary School - 15 the class assembly to which parents were invited and the achievement assembly,

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Pupils’ attitudes, values, behaviour, personal development and relationships with one

pupils were genuinely delighted with the work and achievements of their schoolmates.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values, behaviour, personal development and relationships with one

There are very good procedures in place for planning the curriculum.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values, behaviour, personal development and relationships with one

18. The school provides a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum. The provision is enhanced by the effective contribution of many subjects to the development of pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills and the teaching of French throughout the school from the reception year. The curriculum admirably reflects the school’s aims and values and makes a significant contribution to pupils’ intellectual, physical, social, moral and spiritual development.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values, behaviour, personal development and relationships with one

19. Pupils engage in a wide range of activities which develop their interests and promote high standards. They are given many opportunities to work independently and the use of information technology and the library are significant features in this. The school offers a wide range of extra-curricular activities including sports, music and drama.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values, behaviour, personal development and relationships with one

20. Subjects are, in the main, taught separately but many effective cross-curricular links are well exploited through the use of very well planned topic work. These are never allowed to obscure the necessity for teaching the basic skills separately and purposefully, as seen in spelling, reading, writing and the use of multiplication tables.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values, behaviour, personal development and relationships with one

21. The overall provision for curriculum planning is very good. All National Curriculum subjects and religious education have policy statements and schemes of work that are systematically reviewed and monitored. Teachers draw on the very detailed schemes of work to produce very good long and medium term planning which is clearly linked to the National Curriculum Programmes of Study, the National Literacy Strategy and the National Numeracy Strategy. Teachers’ plans also identify opportunities for assessment which focus their attentions effectively. Teachers’ evaluations provide appropriate information to plan future work which is based on prior attainment. As a result teachers plan consistently for pupils’ different levels of attainment and provide them with activities in an appropriate sequence that builds solidly on their previous learning.

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of a systematic process of target setting for individual pupils. This has improved

standards of attainment in English, science and mathematics.

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of a systematic process of target setting for individual pupils. This has improved

22. The school has successfully adopted its own self-review programme which has helped to identify successful strategies for teaching and learning and to improve the attainment of all pupils. The monitoring has included lesson observations, the scrutiny of pupils’ work and the very close analysis of test results at both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. The results lead to feedback to teachers and issues for action to be considered by the governing body. This process has enabled the school to identify accurately those learning resources needed to enhance the quality of pupils’ learning experiences and have successfully promoted strategies aimed at raising standards in both teaching and pupil attainment in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. Bingham Carnarvon Primary School - 16 23. During lessons, teachers regularly evaluate pupils’ progress both formally and informally. For example, the majority of lesson plans have assessment

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of a systematic process of target setting for individual pupils. This has improved

opportunities built into the tasks and these identify clear and focused targets against which teachers can assess and evaluate the performance of specific groups of pupils. All evaluations provide teachers with good quality information which they feed back to pupils at an appropriate level indicating clearly how they improve further. During lesson times too teachers provide very good feedback to pupils, indicating the progress they are making and what they can do to improve further. This quality of feedback is also reflected in the high and consistent quality of marking throughout the school which praises, encourages and directs pupils’ attention to ways in which their work could have been made better.

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of a systematic process of target setting for individual pupils. This has improved

24. Teachers are very self-analytical, reflect carefully on their successes and failures and are creative in developing strategies and initiatives to improve further. They have, for example, identified the areas of weakness in the teaching of mathematics and are now successfully tackling the problem.

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of a systematic process of target setting for individual pupils. This has improved

25. Careful assessment enables the school to set accurate targets for each pupil and this links well into a programme of continual testing to check pupils’ progress through the year. Teachers’ assessment of children as they enter the school is used as a baseline against which their future attainment and progress can be measured. Teachers record steps in each pupil’s learning carefully and this information is used well to develop programmes of work designed to meet the individual needs of pupils and to inform the planning of further lessons. For example, assessments have led to some pupils in mathematics lessons being taught very successfully in different year groups other than their own. Teachers draw on the very detailed schemes of work to produce very good long and medium term plans. As a result of these and the accurate assessments made of pupils’ attainment and progress, pupils are provided with tasks in an appropriate sequence

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of a systematic process of target setting for individual pupils. This has improved

that builds extremely well on their previous learning.

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of a systematic process of target setting for individual pupils. This has improved

26. The school retains samples of pupils’ work to exemplify attainment. These are being developed into comprehensive portfolios of moderated and annotated work in English, mathematics and science. They link well to the scrutiny of work carried out by teachers and have been effective in bringing about improvements in the consistency of their assessments.

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parents, governors, staff and the wider community creates an ethos that strongly

27. The headteacher provides very strong, caring and effective leadership and sets the tone for the school. She provides very clear educational direction and sets high standards in her teaching and management. Her accessibility to parents and the support she receives from the hard working staff are particular strengths of the school. In the responses to the parents’ questionnaire ninety-four per cent of parents agreed that they would find it easy to approach the school with a question or a problem.

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parents, governors, staff and the wider community creates an ethos that strongly

28. The headteacher also receives excellent support from the governing body. The strong link between the chair of governors and the headteacher provides a very good basis for effective management. In addition to this, outstanding support is Bingham Carnarvon Primary School - 17 provided by the highly committed and hardworking staff in establishing an excellent ethos which is reflected in the school’s very good relationships and the commitment to improvement in all aspects of its work.

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parents, governors, staff and the wider community creates an ethos that strongly

29. The school has an appropriate and clear set of aims and these reflect the high expectations of what the pupils should achieve. Parents’ support for these aims is considerable; for example, in the returns of the parents’ questionnaire ninety-nine per cent of parents agreed that the school expects their children to work hard and to achieve his or her best; that their children like school and that their behaviour is good.

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parents, governors, staff and the wider community creates an ethos that strongly

30. The headteacher has led a successful series of improvements since her appointment. Of particular note are the careful evaluation of the results of national testing, the effective monitoring of teaching and the completion and implementation of well-structured schemes of work, all of which have had a significant and positive impact on the standards pupils attain in their school work, the quality of their behaviour and relationships with one another and their personal development.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

The proportion of pupils achieving the average and higher levels in mathematics.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

31. Pupil attainment in mathematics has improved significantly since the last inspection in 1996 and has consistently been above the national average. In the 1999 National Curriculum tests for eleven year olds the percentage of pupils reaching Level 4 or above in mathematics was above average when compared with all schools and with similar schools. However, it is the inspectors’ view that the proportion of pupils, 24 per cent, not reaching the national average or above is too high. This relative underachievement has a number of causes, most of which, although now being successfully addressed, require continued emphasis.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

32. During the last inspection the lack of a coherent and well structured scheme of work designed to develop mathematical and numeracy skills in a systematic way throughout the whole school inhibited appropriate curriculum planning. This prevented pupils being introduced to skills and concepts based on previous learning. As a consequence, pupils’ progress and attainment were hindered and higher attaining pupils were provided with insufficiently challenging work. These pupils, now in upper Key Stage 2, are gaining on the ground lost by the very good and effective implementation of a new scheme of work for mathematics, the National Numeracy Strategy and the skilful blend of commercial mathematics schemes and teacher produced worksheets which have already impacted very positively on pupil attainment. Bingham Carnarvon Primary School - 18

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(i) improve the progress of the average and higher attaining pupils at both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 in mathematics (paragraph 31) by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(a) matching work more precisely to suitably challenge pupils; (b) considering further the ways that classes are structured and organised for mathematics; (c) ensuring that teachers spend appropriate amounts of time with all pupils at all levels of attainment during the oral, mental arithmetic sessions. Bingham Carnarvon Primary School - 19

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 41

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

7 50 25 18 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 0 337

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 0 28 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 3

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 49

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 19

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 15

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.7 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Bingham Carnarvon Primary School - 20

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 18 19 37

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 16 15 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 18 18 19

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 92 (84) 89 (84) 97 (90) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83 (81) 87 (84)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 16 16 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 18 18 17

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 92 (86) 92 (90) 89 (86) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 87 (86)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 20 18 38

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 18 16 19 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 16 13 17

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 89 (86) 76 (79) 95 (86) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 17 16 18 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 16 15 16

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 87 (83) 82 (83) 89 (87) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (71) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Bingham Carnarvon Primary School - 21

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 1 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 3 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 12 Financial year 1999

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 28

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 457913

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Expenditure per pupil 1569

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 94 Balance brought forward from previous year 32282

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 45195 Bingham Carnarvon Primary School - 22

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 48 42 8 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 35 56 8 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 28 52 15 5 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 43 43 10 3 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 64 30 6 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 53 46 1 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 35 52 9 2 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 48 47 4 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 40 58 2 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 14 42 26 5 13

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