Millfield Primary School

MILLFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 7 th – 11 th February 2000

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MILLFIELD 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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MILLFIELD 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. Millfield Primary School -Page 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Catshill Road Brownhills Walsall West Midlands

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr M. Turner

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: July, 1996 Millfield Primary School -Page 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Mr F. Carruthers Registered inspector Science Art, Music, Provision for children under five How high are standards? How well are pupils taught? Mrs M. Kerr Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values & personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Mr J. Fairclough Team inspector Geography History Religious education, Special educational needs Mrs. S. Jefferies Team inspector English, Equal opportunities How good are curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? Mr. S. Butterfield Team inspector Mathematics, Information technology, Design and technology, Physical education How well is the school led and managed?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The inspection contractor was: Chase Russell Ltd 85, Shores Green Drive, Wincham Northwich Cheshire CW 9 6 EJ 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 Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Millfield Primary School -Page 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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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This infant and junior school is in Brownhills to the north of Walsall centre and has 226 pupils on roll and 23 children attending part-time in the nursery class. At the time of the inspection, approximately half the 28 children in the reception class were under five year old. There are slightly more boys on roll than girls. The school serves an area of largely local authority housing. None of the pupils is from minority ethnic groups and none speak English as an additional language. Thirty six per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals and this is above average for schools nationally. Forty seven pupils (20 per cent) of pupils are on the register of pupils with special educational needs and this is broadly in line with the average for schools nationally. Four pupils have statements of special educational needs. The attainment of the children on entry to the nursery is below average. The personal, social,

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

language and mathematical skills of the great majority of these children are poor.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school aims to provide a caring and stimulating environment by which the pupils can achieve their full potential and build positive attitudes to learning and life. Since the last inspection, there have been few changes to the school’s characteristics. There have been four changes to the teaching staff and a parent and toddler group and an After-school club have been established. At the time of the inspection, a temporary teacher took the Year 6 class, as the class teacher was absent on long-term sick leave.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school is effective in providing for the personal development of the pupils and helping them to achieve their potential. Attainment of the children on entry is below average and in important aspects, such as their personal, social, language and mathematical skills, it is low. The pupils make satisfactory progress throughout the school and by the end of Key Stage 2 achieve standards in line with those of pupils in similar schools. The management of the school is taking decisive steps to achieve targets which will push up standards, including improving the quality of teaching. The cost of educating a pupil at the school is above the national average. The school gives satisfactory value for money. What the school does well  The quality of teaching is good or better in 68 per cent of lessons, of which 20 per cent of lessons are very good or excellent. This is a high percentage of teaching of good quality, which is having a significant

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

impact on the quality of pupils’ learning. There is very little unsatisfactory teaching (2 per cent).  Provision for the children under five in the nursery and reception classes is good.  Attainment in physical education at the end of Key Stage 2 is good.  The school promotes well the pupils’ personal development, including their social and moral development, and encourages positive attitudes, enthusiasm and interest in school.  Procedures to promote the pupils’ welfare are very good and those to promote good behaviour and attendance are good.  The school has effective links with parents and parents appreciate the family atmosphere the school creates.  The school provides a good range of activities outside of lessons for the pupils to take part in.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved  The pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science is below national expectations at the end of Key Stage 2. Attainment in art, design and technology, geography and religious education at the end of Key Stage 2 is below expectations.  The school’s longer-term priorities are not clearly established.  The governors are not as effectively involved in strategic planning and monitoring the school’s performance targets as they should be.  Subject co-ordinators are not sufficiently involved in monitoring the provision and teaching of their subjects.  There are weaknesses in the provision for pupils with special educational needs. Targets in pupils’ individual education plans are too vague, reviews of progress are too infrequent and there is a shortage of resources in classrooms to support these pupils.  Levels of attendance are below the national average. 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 school was last inspected in July 1996. The school has made satisfactory progress in resolving the key issues from that report, in improving the school’s provision and in raising standards.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

In relation to Key Issue (1), the school has introduced schemes of work and improved the expertise of staff to improve standards in art at the end of Key Stage 2, design and technology at the end of Key Stage 1 and religious education at the end of both key stages. However, standards are still below what is expected of pupils in art and religious education. In relation to Key Issue (2), the school has been successful in improving the quality of teaching. The proportion of good teaching has increased and the proportion of unsatisfactory teaching decreased significantly. In relation to Key Issue (3), the school has developed assessment procedures satisfactorily in order to set challenging work and targets for the pupils to achieve. The information is used well to group pupils by attainment in their work in English and mathematics. In relation to Key Issue (4), the school has not made sufficient headway in

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

identifying long-term plans for the school and this remains a key issue for action. In relation to Key Issue (5), the school has successfully raised attainment in information technology throughout the school through improving resources and provision in school.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Progress in raising standards of attainment in English, mathematics and science has been satisfactory overall. For example, the school’s performance at the end of Key Stage 2 has been in line with the national rise in standards since the last inspection. However, standards could be higher and are a key issue for action in this report. The school has maintained the good provision for the pupils’ personal development and the effectiveness of links with parents.

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Standards in national tests at the end of Key Stage 2 in English and mathematics have been well below average during the last two years but have risen in line with the national trend. The pupils’ performance is in line with schools which have pupils from families of similar socio-economic circumstances. Evidence from a scrutiny of pupils’ work in the current Year 6 indicates that attainment in writing and mathematics is below national expectations. From work in Years 3, 4 and 5, evidence indicates that standards are rising significantly. This is the result of good quality of teaching in Years 3, 4 and 5 and the effective introduction into the school of the National Literacy Strategy and more recently the National Numeracy Strategy. Standards in literacy and numeracy overall are below expectations. The school has agreed targets to push up standards, for 68 per cent of pupils to achieve the expected Level 4 or better in English and for 65 per cent to achieve the expected level in

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STANDARDS

mathematics by 2001. The school is on line to achieve these targets. Standards in science in the 1999 tests were below the national average and are similar in the current Year 6. Pupils’ attainment in science in other classes in Key Stage 2 is more in line with national expectations.

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STANDARDS

Attainment in information technology is in line with national expectations and the pupils learn to use the computer for a good range of applications. Attainment in religious education is below the Millfield Primary School -Page 8 expectations of the locally agreed syllabus and work shows little depth or insight in the current Year 6. Attainment is better, however, in all other classes in school and this is the result of the good teaching evident in these classes. Attainment in physical education is above what is expected of pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 and pupils make good progress in swimming. Attainment in music is in line with expectations but in art, design and technology and geography it is below what is expected. There was insufficient evidence to form a judgement in history at the end of Key Stage 2.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Pupils’ attitudes to school are good. The great majority are keen and eager learners.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is good and the pupils listen well, pay good attention and show respect for each other and for property.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships The school promotes the personal development of the pupils well and the pupils take on responsibilities and have good relationships with all adults and other pupils.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Levels of attendance are below the national average and are unsatisfactory. There are high levels of sickness recorded and a significant minority of pupils take holidays during term time. The level of unauthorised absence is low however. The attitudes, behaviour and personal development are strong features of the school. There is a small number of pupils who have emotional and behavioural difficulties and they are provided with good support to help them develop an interest in school subjects and to concentrate.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Lessons seen overall Good Good Good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses. Overall, 68 per cent of the teaching is good or better, of which 20 per cent is very good or excellent. Only two per cent is unsatisfactory. There are examples of good, very good or excellent teaching in all three age ranges. The teaching of literacy and numeracy was good overall in lessons observed in both key stages and this is proving to be an important factor in the improving standards evident in Years 1 to 5. Evidence in the current Year 6, however, from the teacher’s planning, marking and the scrutiny of pupils’ work, indicates that teaching has been unsatisfactory. The quality of teaching by the temporary teacher during the week of the inspection was never less than satisfactory. In other year

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

groups, there are very few weaknesses in teaching and as a result, the quality of learning is good. The pupils concentrate well and cover a good amount of productive work in lessons. The teaching of science is good and the pupils’ investigative skills develop well. The teaching observed in religious education in Key Stage 2 classes was good. No lessons were observed in Key Stage 1. The quality of teaching information technology is never less than good. The teaching of history is good in both key stages. The teaching of design and technology is good in Key Stage 1. There was insufficient evidence to form a judgement in Key Stage 2.The teaching of music is satisfactory in both key stages. The teaching of physical education is satisfactory in Key Stage 1 and good in Key Stage 2. The teaching of swimming by the instructor was good or better in all lessons observed. There was insufficient evidence to form a judgement in art or geography.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Pupils with special educational needs receive good support in small groups withdrawn from classes and taught by specialists on the staff. Those pupils with statements of special educational needs are also supported well by classroom assistants. The progress of pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory throughout the school. Where the school has identified a very high-attaining pupil, the Millfield Primary School -Page 9 staff take measures to challenge the pupil, for example, by putting the pupil with older pupils for specific lessons.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is broad and balanced and meets statutory requirements. The curriculum for the children under five is planned well according to the recommended areas of learning for the age group. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Provision is satisfactory. There is good support from specialist teachers taking small groups of pupils, as well as from support assistants helping individual pupils on the school’s register of pupils with special educational needs. There are some weaknesses in the level of detail in pupils’ individual education plans, in teachers’ planning for these pupils, in review procedures and there are shortages of classroom resources. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The provision is good overall. Provision for the pupils’ moral and social development is good. The school, through its curriculum, through activities

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

outside lessons and through the good role models of staff, helps to provide well for the pupils. Provision for their spiritual and cultural development is satisfactory. How well the school cares for its pupils The school cares well for the pupils. Procedures to ensure the pupils’ welfare are very good and the school’s procedures to monitor the pupils’ educational progress, including assessments and records, are satisfactory. Procedures to maintain good behaviour and levels of attendance are good. All subjects of the curriculum meet statutory requirements and there is good provision for the pupils’ personal development in lessons of personal, social and health education. Provision for physical education is good and is enriched by very good swimming lessons in the learner pool on site. Activities outside the classroom are also extensive in range and the school does well in competitions with other schools and in festivals such as concerts.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

A strength of the school is the way the staff know and look after the pupils. All staff are mindful of pupils’ needs and parents are confident that the level of care is good. Monitoring of pupils’ attendance and their behaviour is good. A strong feature is the effective links with parents that the school has developed. These include support for families in crisis, provision of facilities such as a parent and toddler group and an After-school club, as well as courses for parents to develop how they can contribute to their children’s learning, and a successful Friends’ Association.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the head teacher and other key staff Leadership and management are satisfactory. There is good pastoral leadership by the head teacher and key staff and their analysis of standards in tests is effective in setting targets for the school to achieve. Longer-term planning for the school’s development, however, is not rigorous enough.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body supports the key staff well but is not monitoring sufficiently how effective the school is overall, its targets and strategic plans. Most statutory requirements are met, though there are omissions in official documents such as the annual report to parents.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. Senior staff analyse carefully the performance of the pupils in relation to national trends and similar schools. However, governors are not sufficiently involved in this process. Subject co-ordinators are not sufficiently involved in monitoring the effectiveness of the provision in their subjects, including the quality of teaching.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources The school makes good use of resources, including specific grants, additional grants and contributions. The head teacher is successful in attracting extra funding for the school. Staff are deployed well and good use is made of support assistants to support the pupils’ learning. Millfield Primary School -Page 10 Levels of staffing are good and there is good support for pupils with special educational needs from classroom assistants. The accommodation is sufficient for needs and includes ample playing fields, a swimming pool and an adventure playground for younger pupils. Some classes are in mobile classrooms and these are cramped. However, the school is part of a programme of replacement to remove two of the buildings. Levels of learning resources are satisfactory overall but there are insufficient resources to support pupils with special educational needs when they work in class.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory overall but there are strengths and weaknesses. The governors are not sufficiently involved in strategic planning and monitoring the effectiveness of the school. Long-term planning is unclear and co-ordinators do not have a full overview of their subjects. There are shortages in teaching aids and artefacts in history, geography and personal, social and health education.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The senior management of the school satisfactorily applies ‘best value’ principles by, for example, comparing its standards with other schools and by looking carefully at competition when buying services and goods.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved  Parents are pleased with the progress their children make, their behaviour and attitudes to school.  Parents believe teaching is good.  Parents think the school expects their children to work hard and do well.  Parents believe the school is well managed.  The school helps the children to become mature and responsible.  There is an interesting range of activities outside classes.  Some parents are not sure if their children receive the right amount of homework.  Some parents want to know more about how well their children are doing at school.  Some parents would like the school to work more closely with parents.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Inspectors support the positive views of parents and note that while pupils make satisfactory progress across the school, the standards achieved are not high enough. Parents’ views on homework were divided, some wanting more, some less. The school is operating a system in line with government guidelines and its impact is yet to be monitored. Progress reports on pupils are satisfactory, though some lack clear targets of what the pupils should do next. Meetings for parents are regular and there is an open-door policy for parents to consult staff. Inspectors view links with parents to be good and effective. Millfield Primary School -Page 11

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The school’s results and achievements

1. Children under five Most children enter the nursery class with a below average range of early learning skills. Their personal, social, language and mathematical skills are poor. A number of children have indistinct speech and very limited vocabulary. Some have identifiable special educational needs. There are very few children with above average skills. This is confirmed by an initial assessment of children’s achievements devised by the local education authority. The children make good progress in their personal and social skills, becoming ever more independent, playing together well and developing good levels of concentration. By the age of five, the great majority have achieved the desirable learning outcomes for this aspect of their development. The children make satisfactory progress in language and literacy. For example they enjoy sharing books with adults and they begin to recognise letters and their sounds, but the majority are still working towards the desirable outcomes for learning

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The school’s results and achievements

by the age of five. In mathematics, progress is similar. The children learn about shape, colour and numbers to ten but there are few higher attainers who work confidently adding and subtracting numbers by the time they are five years old. Most are still working towards the desirable outcomes for learning. Progress is satisfactory in the children’s knowledge and understanding of the world and in their creative development. Attainment is below average by the age of five, except in computer skills, where progress is good and skills are average. The children’s progress in physical development is good and this is the result of the good quality of teaching in the reception class. The children have skills of jumping, running and climbing which are average by the age of five. As the children begin Year 1, therefore, the children have developed good attitudes to learning and they are willing to try hard and produce their best. However, in the key aspects of language and literacy and in mathematics,

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The school’s results and achievements

attainment is below average and for many pupils, it is well below average.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. Key Stage 1 Progress in English in Key Stage 1 is satisfactory but by the end of the key stage standards of attainment are still well below national averages. Trends over three years indicate standards have been well below average in reading and writing, they show no regular pattern and vary year on year. Standards have been well below average compared with similar schools. At the time of the inspection, many of the pupils (70 per cent) in the current Year 2 are achieving in line with national expectations in speaking, listening and reading and writing. This is an indication that standards are rising, as a result of the good quality of teaching by the class teacher who was appointed last September. Although evidence from the last three years indicates girls have been performing worse than boys, this was not borne out by inspection findings and both perform similarly. The pupils become confident

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The school’s results and achievements

asking and answering questions and they develop their knowledge of sounds and their writing skills. As a result, the majority of pupils read from factual and fictional books with a satisfactory degree of accuracy. They can write short descriptions and simple sentences. They are highly motivated and want to achieve well.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. Progress in mathematics is satisfactory but attainment by the end of the key stage is below national expectations. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected Level 2 in national tests was 83 per cent in 1999, below the national average of 87 per cent. The percentage of pupils attaining Level 3 was 9 per cent, well below the national average of 21 per cent. When the average points scored by pupils are calculated, standards were well below the national average and below the standards of similar schools. Test results over the last three years indicate that boys at the school are performing significantly better than girls in mathematics. While the performance of boys compared with girls in any particular year can show an apparently significant variation, this variation is not borne out through inspection findings. While the pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of shape, their skills with number are below average. For example, they are unsure of the value of large numbers when they

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The school’s results and achievements

Millfield Primary School -Page 12 partition them into multiples of ten and ones. The pupils generally work well in lessons and they produce a good amount of work in lessons of the National Numeracy Strategy. 4. The pupils make satisfactory progress in science though attainment is below national expectations by the end of the key stage. This is evident in the performance of pupils in the current Year 2 and is an improvement on standards in the 1999 national tests when standards were well below the national average and below those of similar schools. The quality of teaching and therefore the quality of learning have improved as a result of a change of personnel teaching in Key Stage 1. The pupils’ skills of investigation develop satisfactorily but average and lower attainers find difficulty in expressing clearly what they think and in writing short accounts and descriptions. The pace of learning is good, with pupils finding out much about topics such as forces through skilful

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The school’s results and achievements

teaching. 5. Standards in all three subjects could be higher and provision in Key Stage 1, including the quality of teaching, is now good enough to help push up standards. 6. Progress in computer skills continues in Key Stage 1 and pupils build well on the skills the children learnt in the nursery and reception classes. By the end of the key stage, attainment is in line with national expectations. The pupils have sound skills in a good range of applications of information technology. This is a significant improvement since the last inspection and is the result of improved provision of hardware in the computer suite and expertise of the staff to teach skills. In religious education, attainment is in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus and pupils make satisfactory progress. This is an improvement since the last inspection. While the pupils’ factual knowledge is good, however, their reasoning skills are less secure. Attainment varies in other

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The school’s results and achievements

subjects. In geography, attainment is above what is expected of pupils at the end of the key stage. Good teaching leads, for example, to pupils displaying in discussions careful reasoning and clear opinions. Attainment in design and technology, music and physical education is in line with what is expected of pupils. Attainment in art and history is below expectations. 7. Key Stage 2 At the time of the inspection, the class teacher in Year 6 was absent on long-term sick leave and a temporary teacher took the class. Evidence for standards at the end of the key stage has been taken from a scrutiny of pupils’ work and also lessons observed.

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The school’s results and achievements

8. Standards in English and mathematics have been well below the national average in the last two years but have risen in line with the national trend upwards. The pupils’ performance is in line with pupils in similar schools. There is potential for standards to be higher. The school has agreed targets for pupils to achieve in 2001 – for 68 per cent of pupils to achieve the expected Level 4 or better in English and for 65 per cent to achieve the expected level in mathematics. The targets are sufficiently challenging and the school is on line to achieve them.

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The school’s results and achievements

9. In English, pupils make satisfactory progress but attainment is below national expectations by the end of the key stage. This is evident in the standards in the current Year 6. The pupils' performance in last summer’s national tests at the end of Key Stage 2, in which 55 per cent of pupils achieved the expected level or better, was well below the national average but in line with pupils in similar schools. The boys and girls performed similarly. Standards have risen since the last inspection. The great majority of pupils in Year 6 read and write below expected levels. Some pupils can use punctuation and spelling accurately but for the majority of pupils, skills in these aspects of writing are inconsistent.

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The school’s results and achievements

10. At the end of Key Stage 2, attainment in mathematics is below national expectations. In the 1999 national tests the average points scored indicate that standards are well below the national average and in line with standards in similar schools. Trends over three years indicate that standards are rising broadly in line with the national rise. There has been no significant difference between the performance of boys and girls. Evidence from pupils’ work in Year 6 indicates that the pupils lack an understanding of mathematical concepts, such as ordering simple fractions. They show good levels of interest, however, and the pace of their learning is satisfactory. Millfield Primary School -Page 13 11. Overall, standards of literacy and numeracy are below average at the end of the key stage, though there is evidence that standards are rising as a result of the good quality of teaching in Years 3, 4 and 5. The use of other subjects to promote skills in literacy is good, especially in science and

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The school’s results and achievements

history. Teachers use science well to promote skills in numeracy, but there is insufficient opportunity taken in subjects such as design and technology, information technology, geography and history.

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The school’s results and achievements

12. Attainment in science is below national expectations. In the 1999 teacher assessments, standards were below the national average and in line with those in similar schools. Standards have risen in line with the national rise since the last inspection. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher Level 5 was well below the national average. There has been no significant difference between the performance of boys and girls evident in these results. Standards in the current Year 6 are broadly similar and evidence from the scrutiny of work in the current Year 6 indicates a lack of depth to the work and examples of pupils being insecure in their knowledge.

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The school’s results and achievements

13. The progress of pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory overall, although pupils in groups withdrawn from classes make good and at times very good progress. Within mainstream classes progress is reduced owing to a lack of clarity in the targets for the individual education plans. There are examples of teachers not providing work to match the targets to meet the particular learning needs of the pupils.

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The school’s results and achievements

14. Attainment in information technology is in line with national expectations and the pupils develop a good range of skills, including finding information on the Internet, using desktop publishing programs, data handling and word processing programs. Standards have risen in this key stage as well as in Key Stage 1. Attainment in religious education is below the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. There is a lack of depth in the work covered. It is often factual rather than exploring ideas and values. Pupils should be achieving better standards. Attainment is better, however, in other classes in school and this is the result of the good teaching evident. Attainment in physical education is above what is expected of pupils at the end of the key stage and attainment in swimming is good. The pupils achieve well. Attainment in music is in line with what is expected and in art, design and technology and geography, it is below expectations. There was insufficient evidence to form a

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The school’s results and achievements

judgement in history at the end of the key stage, but evidence in other classes shows that pupils achieve well.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. The attitudes, values and personal development of the pupils are good. Levels of attendance are below the national average and are unsatisfactory. These findings are very similar to those at the last inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. The great majority of pupils are keen and eager learners who feel comfortable in the environment of the school. Most children under five years old come to school with limited personal and social skills. They settle into the nursery well and as a result of the good quality of teaching in this aspect of their development, they are keen about coming to nursery and learn to play and share together. The pupils in both key stages enjoy participating in lessons and work well together, such as when they were asked to prepare a mime expressing the feelings of children being evacuated during the Second World War. They are confident when talking about their work to adults and sharing it with the class. The pupils take pleasure in their own and other pupils’ achievements, as was seen during the merit assembly when certificates were being awarded.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Most children under five soon learn to adapt to life in school and they behave well in class and around school. The majority of pupils in both key stages behave very well, showing respect for other people and their property. They listen carefully whilst other pupils speak in lessons. There is a small number of pupils who have emotional and behavioural difficulties. They are provided with an individual education plan and staff work well with the pupils and their parents to improve the Millfield Primary School -Page 14 situation. There have been occasions when the school has excluded pupils temporarily because their behaviour has been violent or severely disrupted the learning of others. This action has been taken after all appropriate steps in the school’s behaviour policy have been completed.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Pupils willingly take on responsibilities they are given within the classroom and around the school. For example, some pupils help to clear and set up the nursery at lunchtime. Pupils relate very well to one another with boys and girls sharing in joint games in the playground and younger and older pupils sitting and talking together at lunch. All pupils are good at working together and the children under five become particularly good at sharing toys and equipment. Pupils show sensitivity to the needs and feelings of others and raised funds in order to send a fellow pupil to Florida when she was recovering from a serious illness.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. Attendance is unsatisfactory. Unauthorised absence is low but overall attendance is below the national average. There are high levels of sickness recorded and a significant minority of pupils take holidays during term time. This adversely affects the progress that these pupils make.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The quality of teaching is good. In total, 68 per cent of lessons are good or better, of which 20 per cent are very good or excellent. This is a high proportion of teaching of good quality. Only 2 per cent of teaching is unsatisfactory. This represents one lesson only. This is an improvement since the last inspection when teaching was judged to be satisfactory overall and 13 per cent of teaching was unsatisfactory. At the time of the inspection, the class teacher in Year 6 was absent and the class was taken by a temporary teacher.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. In the under-fives age range, teaching is never less than satisfactory and is good overall. In the nursery class, which is taught by a nursery nurse, the teaching of mathematics is good, as well as teaching that promotes the children’s personal and social development. Other aspects of the children’s development are taught satisfactorily. There is no unsatisfactory teaching. In the reception class, 40 per cent of lessons observed were good, one lesson was excellent and there was no unsatisfactory teaching. The quality of teaching is good in the personal and social development of the children, in language and literacy and in mathematics. Teaching is excellent in physical education and satisfactory in the areas that promote the children’s knowledge and understanding of the world and their creative development. This good teaching overall is a major factor in the good provision for this age group.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

The staff, including the class assistant in the reception class, plan the work together carefully according to the recommended areas of learning for children under five. They have good expectations of what the children can achieve and manage the children well. There are no unsatisfactory features in the teaching.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. In Key Stage 1, teaching is good or better in 73 per cent of lessons. Teaching was unsatisfactory in one lesson observed. In this lesson, the teacher did not build up the pupils’ skills of composing and performing music in sufficiently progressive steps for the pupils to make progress. In Key Stage 2, teaching is good in 75 per cent of lessons and there is no unsatisfactory teaching. Evidence in the current Year 6, however, from the teacher’s planning and marking and the scrutiny of pupils’ work, for example in the level of challenge and in the quality of the presentation, indicates that teaching has been unsatisfactory. The quality of teaching by the temporary teacher during the week of the inspection was never less than satisfactory.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. There are many strengths in the teaching and these are making a positive impact on the pupils’ learning. For example, levels of concentration in class are good and the pace of learning is good. The pupils cover a lot of productive work in lessons and there are examples of pupils working very well. In a Year 2 lesson, the class teacher prepared the pupils very well for a visit by fire fighters and as a result, the depth of interest and analysis shown by the pupils, in their questioning and answering, was above what would normally be expected of pupils of this age. Pupils are on task for Millfield Primary School -Page 15 good periods of time and this was evident, for example, in a science lesson in Year 3, when the pupils investigated in small groups the absorbency of materials. Prompted by questions from the class teacher, the pupils continually improved the test they were carrying out. The great majority of lessons

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

have a good level of challenge and this was evident in lessons as diverse as English, information technology, history, physical education and swimming.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. The teaching of literacy is good. A quarter of lessons observed were very good. Lessons of the National Literacy Strategy are providing a good level of challenge for the pupils, who are learning about the characteristics of a variety of types of writing and the technical terms of grammar and style. The pupils made good progress in the lessons observed. Teachers are making effective use of supporting strategies such as the Additional Literacy scheme and other reading support schemes. These are helping to push up standards of reading and writing in classes across the school.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. Teachers have made a satisfactory start to the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy to school. Sixty per cent of lessons observed were good. Teaching is satisfactory in Key Stage 1 and good in Key Stage 2. In most lessons, there is skilful questioning and the teachers teach mathematical terms well. Pupils are motivated by the structure and pace of lessons, especially sessions that involve quick mental agility. However, teachers generally make insufficient use of subjects such as design and technology, geography, history and information technology to develop skills in numeracy.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs in groups withdrawn from mainstream classes in both key stages is effective in helping the pupils to make progress. There is some excellent and very good teaching, by the teachers with specific teaching responsibilities for pupils. The teachers use visual strategies and large print well. There is full involvement of pupils, strong challenge and much praise. Planning is clear, classroom assistants are well prepared and effective use is made of the lessons in numeracy and literacy. As a result, pupils are attentive and concentrate for the whole of the lesson. The overall teaching of these pupils in mainstream classes, however, is only satisfactory. Teachers do not use information from the pupils’ individual education plans consistently enough and there are times when work is not at an appropriate level of difficulty in mainstream classes. This

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

means that pupils do not take a full part in class work or that they are trying to succeed at inappropriate activities. Where the school has identified a very high-attaining pupil, the staff take measures to challenge the pupil, for example by putting the pupil with older pupils for specific lessons.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. Across other subjects of the curriculum, teaching is good in science and there is a good emphasis on investigative work. There were good examples of teachers using parents and other adults to help the pupils make progress in groups. All staff in lessons observed have good expertise to teach the subject. The teaching observed in religious education in Key Stage 2 classes was good. No lessons were observed in Key Stage 1 and Year 6. Several staff have good expertise in the subject but some are not developing the pupils’ thinking and spiritual awareness sufficiently. The quality of teaching of information technology is never less than good. Together with the improved provision in the computer suite, this is helping to push up standards from the unsatisfactory levels at the last inspection. The teaching of history is good in both key stages. The teaching of design and technology is good in Key Stage 1. There was insufficient evidence to form a judgement in Key Stage 2.The teaching of music is

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

satisfactory in both key stages. The teaching of physical education is satisfactory in Key Stage 1 and good in Key Stage 2. The teaching of swimming by the instructor was good or better in all lessons observed. There was insufficient evidence to form a judgement in art or geography.

p.15

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28. Homework makes a satisfactory contribution to the pupils’ learning and has been recently revised in the light of government guidelines. Millfield Primary School -Page 16

p.15

PUPILS?

29. The school meets statutory curriculum requirements for all National Curriculum subjects and the curriculum for the children under five is planned according to the recommended areas of learning for this age group. The school teaches according to the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy.

p.16

PUPILS?

30. Since the last inspection satisfactory curriculum policies have been written and schemes of work adopted in art, design and technology, history and music. Both the policies and the schemes of work are satisfactory in meeting the curriculum requirements.

p.16

PUPILS?

31. The National Literacy Strategy has been successfully introduced and there is good practice in both key stages with very good practice in Key Stage 1. The curriculum co-ordinator has been highly effective in ensuring that all staff, parents and volunteers have received support and development. Family literacy training programmes have been devised to support parents; and intense work has taken place with teaching and support staff, including training in additional literacy support. Additional community support has been successfully acquired through the Goldsmiths Trust and the McDonalds reading support programme. The successful introduction of the Literacy Strategy, good co-ordination and the good teaching and support offered are resulting in standards rising in line with the national rise. The National Numeracy Strategy has been introduced satisfactorily and staff are becoming more proficient following the framework. All classes have sessions of quick mental arithmetic at the

p.16

PUPILS?

beginning of the lesson and most have a useful final session when the pupils come together to discuss results, show various tactics for finding the answers and conclude the lessons. In-service training to staff, including opportunities to observe good practice in other schools and training for support staff and volunteers, has helped develop the staff’s expertise.

p.16

PUPILS?

32. The school has sought to remedy weaknesses in information technology, making satisfactory progress since the last inspection with the introduction of a policy, scheme of work and computer suite. Plans are well developed to increase resources with systems in classrooms to enable information technology to be used across the curriculum more effectively particularly to support literacy and numeracy.

p.16

PUPILS?

33. The locally agreed syllabus for religious education has been adopted since the last inspection and has led to a satisfactory improvement in coverage of the subject. The history curriculum is broad and the pupils have opportunities to develop knowledge in all areas. In geography, there is a curriculum policy and progress has been made since the last report. There are policies and schemes of work in all other subjects. Provision for physical education is good and swimming is strength of the school.

p.16

PUPILS?

34. Pupils with special educational needs are taught the full curriculum and the overall provision is satisfactory. There are some good opportunities provided as a result of withdrawing groups of pupils in both key stages for lessons in English and mathematics. In these carefully structured situations, teaching and learning activities focus directly on the specific skills that the pupils need. They provide a good opportunity for the pupils to gain in confidence and knowledge. However, in subjects taught in class, the teachers do not make sufficient use of the pupils’ individual education plans and often work set is not at a suitable level of difficulty. Targets in the pupils’ individual education plans are not sufficiently detailed to help the pupils to make progress in small, distinct steps.

p.16

PUPILS?

35. There is a good range of opportunities to socialise in after-school clubs, such as football, netball, mathematics, dance, gardening, athletics, softball cricket, and instrumental music (brass and strings). 'Timid swimmers' are encouraged to take part in an after school club. Girls and boys are encouraged to play all sports, and train for the school football and netball teams. There are some opportunities to demonstrate social skills in visits to local churches, and the Children's University, Millfield Primary School -Page 17 trips to Legoland and Disney on ice and residential outdoor challenge centres. Choirs and dance groups are organised to enable pupils to take part in music festivals and events. During the week of inspection pupils were preparing and practising new routines after school for a dance festival to be held in the borough. Two girls had been selected to go for trials for the Walsall girls' football team

p.16

PUPILS?

and were recognised in the weekly merit assembly.

p.17

PUPILS?

36. The school makes good provision for personal and social education, health, drug and sex education. Taught lessons enhance the school’s commitment to prepare pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life. Sex education is presently taught within science but there are plans to further develop this in personal and social education.

p.17

PUPILS?

37. Provision overall for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Provision for the pupils’ spiritual and cultural development is satisfactory. For their moral and social development it is good. These are very similar findings to the last inspection.

p.17

PUPILS?

38. The arrangements for pupils to develop spiritually are satisfactory. The school provides daily acts of collective worship, which meet statutory requirements, and invites a variety of different visitors to take assembly, including the local vicar and a project worker from Jesus 2000. However, opportunities are missed to mark all religious festivals associated with the major world faiths, to give insights into values and beliefs of others, and for pupils to have opportunities to reflect on their own individual spirituality.

p.17

PUPILS?

39. Provision for moral development is good and the school provides a secure context within which the pupils’ moral understanding is well developed. The school is good at this. All staff and volunteers provide good adult role models and pupils enjoy being with them. The interaction between adults and pupils reinforce the dignity, worth and value of individuals. They provide consistent opportunities to consider moral values and consider, how what is said and done affects others. In Key Stage 1 some pupils were preparing for a visit by the fire service and rehearsing and preparing questions to ask them about their work. When meeting the fire fighters, they were thoughtful, courteous and curious. Pupils are constantly being encouraged to reflect, share and be kind to each other. Individual pupils are counselled about their challenging behaviour and the consequences of their actions are explained. They are helped to understand right from wrong and to identify the truths

p.17

PUPILS?

about for example drug abuse. Personal, social and health education helps pupils develop as individuals understanding the decisions they will make as they grow up. In Year 5 pupils were taking part in a discussion and quiz about alcohol and its effect, they were able to learn and discuss the facts relating to alcohol misuse. Pupils understand that alcohol is a drug with side effects and too much can make you drunk, they know that more road accidents are caused by young men who drink and drive than other causes of death, even cancer.

p.17

PUPILS?

40. Provision for social development is good. The school’s philosophy and ethos boost the development of the pupils as individuals and as learners. The commitment of all staff, parents and volunteers to act as role models inspire the pupils and make them want to do their best and behave well. The school is good at celebrating achievement and success and at encouraging good relationships and the individual development of self-esteem. A weekly merit assembly enables individuals to be praised by the whole school community. House points are awarded for good work, good behaviour, effort, attention and achievement. Pupils work hard to earn house points, in Year 1 pupils were awarded house points for tidying their tables quietly and quickly without being reminded and in Year 5 a pupil with special needs received one for the personal effort put into writing a fable. Pupils cannot wait to see which house has won and develop a sense of pride in their contribution to

p.17

PUPILS?

41. Provision for pupils' cultural development is satisfactory. In English, there are good opportunities for the pupils to study myths, fables and tales from other cultures and civilisations, such as the Incas. The school is involved in projects to develop the pupils’ awareness of children’s literature. There are examples of good practice in subjects such as art, where the school has made Millfield Primary School -Page 18 good use of craft specialists and artists to stimulate the pupils’ creativity. In addition, large numbers of pupils take part in choir festivals at well-known venues in the West Midlands. There are missed opportunities, however, to help pupils to appreciate the multi-cultural dimensions of society.

p.17

PUPILS?

42. Links take place between the school and the local secondary schools with Year 6 pupils visiting one school weekly to take part in lessons in information technology. Pupils enjoy this opportunity and welcome the chance to be part of the wider school world. There is a parent and toddler group running in school and an After-school club. Further opportunities are made to link with the local secondary school through involvement the Children’s University, which organises courses on Saturdays and in the school holidays.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. The arrangements for monitoring the pupils’ educational and personal development are satisfactory and those for ensuring the welfare, health and safety of pupils are very good. Parents expressed in the meeting with inspectors and in the questionnaires the confidence they have in the school to look after the needs of the pupils. The head teacher and staff know the pupils very well. They monitor and are sensitive to any signs that a pupil’s well being may be at risk and put into place procedures for their protection. The head teacher works closely with the other organisations concerned with the care of children such as social services. The caretaker monitors the building and installations carefully and maintains a safe and secure environment. Within the curriculum pupils learn about a safe and healthy lifestyle, such as what are the dangers of chemicals and medicines within the home. The older pupils have taken part in a healthy living project to encourage them to

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. Arrangements for the monitoring of pupils’ educational progress are satisfactory. At the last inspection, a key issue was to develop assessment information to assist teachers’ planning for progression. In this, the school has made satisfactory progress. Assessments of the children on entry to nursery and the reception class are good and used to help the staff plan in detail what the children should do. In Key Stages 1 and 2, various assessment procedures are in place to track the pupils’ progress in English, mathematics, including optional standard assessment tasks, and in science. The information is used well to group pupils in English and mathematics by attainment and to set longer term targets for individual pupils. However, class teachers do not make sufficient use of targets in the individual education plans of pupils with special educational needs. There is a moderated portfolio of pupils’ work and comprehensive class records are kept. A checklist of skills in information

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

technology has recently been developed but is not yet fully implemented. There are some good examples of teachers using the information gathered from ongoing assessments to influence their planning, such as was evident in a science lesson in Year 5.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. There is a satisfactory structure to the procedures for identifying and supporting pupils with special educational needs. Early identification and the use of classroom support assistants provide a sound framework within which to meet the specific needs of pupils. In the case of pupils with statements of special educational needs, support assistants keep a daily record of the effectiveness of the provision.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The school is conscientious in the attention it gives to attendance rates and the need to raise levels of attendance. Attendance records are kept on a computer database and are well monitored by the secretary. They are discussed weekly with the education welfare officer who supports the head teacher and parents in strategies to improve attendance. Certificates are awarded termly to reward excellent attendance but there is a lack of short-term goals for the pupils. Behaviour is monitored well by teachers through their knowledge of the pupils and is reinforced through praise and rewards. The school behaviour policy is well implemented and many of the classes have developed their own rules. The procedures for dealing with bullying are clear and pupils know that bullying is not tolerated. Millfield Primary School -Page 19

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. The overwhelming majority of parents are positive about the school and how enthusiastic their children are about coming to school and the pupils themselves confirmed this. They believe it is a school where pupils progress and behave well. Parents appreciate the community atmosphere of the school and the help given to whole families at times of need such as sickness or bereavement. The school hosts a parent and toddler group and an After-school club for the benefit of parents and the wider community.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. The links that the school has with parents and carers are strengths of the school. The head teacher and staff welcome parents to see them at the beginning and end of each day or at other times by appointment. Arrangements for the parents to visit the nursery class before the children start provide parents with good early contact with school. Parents are encouraged to participate in the life of the school. The views of parent governors are considered carefully and many parents are valued as helpers within the school, particularly where they have been trained. Some go on to train as classroom assistants. Homework diaries have been introduced to help parents keep in touch with their children’s work but in some classes these have yet to make an impact.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. Parents are informed appropriately about concerns about their children’s progress. However, intervals between reviews of the individual education plans of pupils on the school’s register of pupils with special educational needs have been too long.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. Regular newsletters keep parents well informed about school events. The annual reports on pupils’ progress and termly parents’ evenings are effective in helping parents understand how their children are progressing. The annual governors’ report to parents, however, is insufficient in the information it provides. Some parents have attended course on literacy and numeracy, which they have found helpful in supporting their children’s work. Parents support the school through the Friends Association, raising funds and organising well-attended social events.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. Some parents expressed concern about levels of homework. Opinion was divided on whether there was too much or too little. The school is operating a system in line with government guidelines and its impact is yet to be monitored. Some parents felt they have insufficient evidence about the progress their children are making. However, reports are satisfactory and contain a good level of detail, though some lack specific targets about what the pupils should aim to achieve next. Some parents would like the school to work more closely with parents. Inspectors view links with parents to be good.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory overall. The head teacher demonstrates a strong commitment to the school and provides good pastoral leadership and satisfactory management of the school. Through the school development plan, the head teacher has correctly identified the areas in which development is needed to raise standards. However, there is a lack of rigour in strategic planning. Longer-term priorities are not clearly established and the plan lacks clear targets linked to raising attainment. The deputy head teacher offers good and effective support to the head teacher. All staff, teaching and support, are successful in promoting the school’s aims and achieving a positive ethos, reflecting the good relationships and the equality of opportunity within the school.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The senior management team includes the head teacher, deputy head teacher and the Key Stage 1 and 2 co-ordinators. Subject co-ordinators are enthusiastic and committed to raising standards but generally have no time released from class to fulfil their duties to develop and monitor subjects. Millfield Primary School -Page 20 However, the school has effectively implemented the National Literacy Strategy and has made a satisfactory start in implementing the National Numeracy Strategy.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. Formal monitoring systems, through which the head teacher and governors can gain reliable and relevant information about the quality of the curriculum and teaching, are at an early stage of development. Systems for performance management are being introduced and there is effective analysis of national test results. The head teacher and staff analyse carefully the results and use them, and their knowledge of individual children, to set targets for the next round of assessments.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The school benefits from the good leadership of a keen and experienced co-ordinator for special educational needs. Although new to the school in this school year, improvements have already been made to the organisation of teaching groups. Proposed improvements to the quality of targets in individual education plans, resources and greater involvement of parents are stated as future plans. Classroom assistants are trained and used well by most teachers in the support of pupils with special educational needs.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56 The governing body is very supportive of the head teacher and staff. The governors are involved in the school development plan and proposals for curriculum change and target setting, though they are not deeply involved in strategic planning. They do not yet effectively submit proposals to critical scrutiny. There is no effective committee structure through which the governing body can delegate curriculum responsibilities. The governing body meets most statutory requirements, but there are a few omissions in the official documentation sent to parents, most notably in the governors’ annual report to parents. 57. The school has not yet overcome the weaknesses in leadership and management identified in its last inspection in 1996. It has not effectively strengthened the quality of strategic planning by clearly identifying strategies to achieve the school’s long-term aims and costing these accurately

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

within a school development plan, which looks two or three years ahead. A school development plan has been prepared by the head teacher in consultation with staff, and approved by the governing body. The present plan is essentially a one-year curriculum development plan, though does link funding to identified educational priorities. Many of these priorities lack clear targets to bring about educational improvement. Progress towards the targets is not monitored effectively and the governors are not formally informed about the progress being made. A longer-term plan, which looks two or three years ahead at all aspects of the school, is not in place. This is necessary to strengthen the quality of strategic planning and to effectively guide school improvement. 58. The financial management of the school is good. The school is run smoothly and efficiently on a day-to-day basis. The school uses a computer program for administration and control of its

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

budget. Administrative systems work well and the head teacher manages them efficiently with good support from the school secretary. Appropriate financial controls are in place and the budget is carefully managed and controlled. The school accounts accurately for its expenditure. Spending is monitored regularly by the school management and through the governing body’s finance committee. The good systems of budgetary control were indicated in the last audit report in 1998, though the school has not yet responded to the minor recommendations in the audit. The high levels of current reserves in the budget are planned to be used to safeguard staffing levels. The governing body is consulted on such major spending decisions. The school satisfactorily applies ‘best value’ principles by comparing its standards to those of other schools and satisfies itself that competition is fair when it buys contracted-out services, for instance in its grounds maintenance service.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The senior management of the school views the development of learning resources, staffing and accommodation strategically and, on the whole, uses them to the maximum of their potential. The school has appropriately qualified and experienced teachers to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum. They work well together to make good use of shared expertise and experience. Staffing in school is generous, enabling the pupils to be taught both in class and groups withdrawn from class. The skilled support staff are providing good assistance to teachers and make a significant contribution to the curriculum and to the personal development of the pupils. They work with groups and Millfield Primary School -Page 21 individuals encouraging individuals to make progress. All of the assistants have undergone specific training in literacy and numeracy and some run the additional literacy support group using precision

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

teaching. The staff teams work effectively to meet the needs of all pupils, and provide good support to a large number of parent and grandparent helpers. These family volunteers are encouraged to undertake further training in literacy and numeracy and, where they have undertaken this, are able to understand how to help effectively in the classroom. 60. Induction for new staff is good. Newly qualified teachers are given good support from the senior management team. They are helped by their colleagues to develop their role in school and recognised for their worth as class teachers and curriculum co-ordinators. All staff are made aware of training opportunities and expected to share these by leading in-service training. The Head teacher plans to introduce performance management.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. Accommodation throughout school is good; classrooms are spacious, well equipped, attractive and encouraging as learning environments. The library is easily accessible. The mobile classrooms have been made attractive learning environments but to get to one of them pupils have to walk through the reception or nursery or Year 1 classrooms. This creates thoroughfares, which can be disruptive for pupils in class. Pupils have to cross the playground to use the toilets, the hall, library and computer suite. This is not ideal. The grounds, sports pitches, swimming pool and newly built adventure play area provide good additional opportunities for pupils.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The school has adequate resources in most subjects. Since the last report, a computer suite has been provided with individual computers and this is helping to raise standards in information technology. There are plans to purchase more resources so that information technology can be used across the curriculum and in particular to support literacy and numeracy. Although the co-ordinator for special educational needs makes many useful resources and some specific high interest books have been purchased, there are insufficient resources for pupils with special educational needs to meet their needs in mainstream classes. There are shortages of teaching aids and artefacts in history, geography and personal, social and health education. However, the school makes good use of the loan service of a local museum.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. Attainment of the children on entry is below average and in important aspects it is low. The pupils make satisfactory progress throughout the school and achieve standards in line with those of pupils in similar schools. The provision, in particular teaching, is good and the pupils have good attitudes to school and behave well. The cost of educating a pupil at the school is above the national average. The school gives satisfactory value for money.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

64. The following key issues for action are necessary to raise standards and improve the school’s overall performance:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

a) raise standards in English, mathematics and science by

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(i) continuing to implement the good measures put in place, including the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, as well as target-setting for individual pupils and for the school overall, (paragraphs 8,12,81,84,86,90,92,94)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(ii) using other subjects, such as design and technology, geography, history and information technology to develop skills in numeracy, (paragraphs 11,25) Millfield Primary School -Page 22 b) raise attainment in art*, design and technology, geography* and religious education by the end of Key Stage 2. (paragraphs 14,107,112,116,119,142,144)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Governors and senior staff should establish long-term priorities for the school’s development. (paragraphs 52,57)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Governors should take a higher profile in the strategic planning for the school and in monitoring the school’s effectiveness. (paragraphs 54,56,57)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) Curriculum co-ordinators should become more involved in monitoring provision in their subjects, including the quality of teaching and the coverage of the curriculum, in order to help to raise standards in Key Issue One above. (paragraphs 87,98,114,124,145)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(5) Provision for pupils with special educational needs should be improved by:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

a) making targets in pupils’ individual education plans more precise (paragraphs 13,24,55)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

b) using them better to plan class work for the pupils (paragraphs13,26,34,44,55,)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

c) reviewing individual pupils’ progress more frequently(paragraph 49)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

d) improving resources for use by class teachers for these pupils, when finances allow. (paragraph 62)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

6) Senior staff should raise levels of attendance by pupils. (paragraphs 19,46)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

65. In addition to the above key issues for action, governors should meet statutory requirements in documentation to parents. When finances allow, the school should add to the learning resources for history, geography and personal, social and health education.

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

*Features in the current school development plan Millfield Primary School -Page 23

p.22

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

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

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 12 226

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals N/A 60

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 4

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 45

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 16

p.23

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.23

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Millfield Primary School -Page 24

p.23

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 12 22 34

p.24

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 6 7 10 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 14 15 18

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 59 (47) 65 (53) 82 (67) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (74) 83 (80) 87 (83)

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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 7 10 9 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 15 10 16

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 65 (40) 59 (53) 74 (63) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 86 (83) 87 (85)

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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 15 18 33

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 6 8 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 12 11 13

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 55 (33) 58 (24) 79 (61) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (64) 69 (58) 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 3 5 7 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 10 7 9

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 39 (33) 36 (48) 48 (52) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (64) 69 (64) 75 (70)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Millfield Primary School -Page 25

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 5 Black – Caribbean heritage

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage Black – African heritage

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group Other minority ethnic groups

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 10 Financial year 1998 – 99

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y[6 Total expenditure 419956

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 11 Expenditure per pupil 1765

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 140 Balance brought forward from previous year 29837

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 50766

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 0

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 0

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 35

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Millfield Primary School -Page 26

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 46 49 11 1

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 36 55 8 5 3

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 35 46 16 7 2

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 40 39 22 5 1

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 65 25 10 6

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 64 41 1 1

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 43 40 20 4

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 58 44 3 1 1

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 49 54 4

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 41 45 10 4 6 Millfield Primary School -Page 27

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

66. Most children enter the nursery class with a below average range of early learning skills. Their personal, social, language and mathematical skills are poor. A number of children have indistinct speech and very limited vocabulary. Some have identifiable special educational needs. There are very few children with above average skills. This is confirmed by an initial assessment of children’s achievements devised by the local education authority. At the time of the inspection there were 23 children attending part-time. The children transfer to the reception class at the start of the school year in which they are five years old. A further assessment of their development reveals that they have made good progress in their personal and social development and satisfactory progress in their remaining skills. At the time of the inspection, approximately half the 28 children in the class had had their fifth birthday. There is good provision in both the nursery and reception classes to

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

ensure that the children make progress towards the desirable learning outcomes for this age range. All children make at least satisfactory progress and in personal, social and physical development they make good progress. By the age of five, attainment for many children is still well below average in language and literacy and mathematics, and below average in their knowledge and understanding of the world and in creative development. The personal, social and physical development of the majority is broadly average. Since the last inspection, there have been changes to how the classes are organised. There are now two distinct classes, the nursery and reception classes, in separate rooms, instead of the two working alongside one another in a large open-plan room. A nursery nurse teaches the children in the nursery class and a teacher supported by a full-time classroom assistant teaches the reception class.

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67. Personal and social development

Children make good progress in personal and social development. In the nursery, the children soon settle to the routines. They share equipment sensibly and play happily together in the home corner. By the time of the inspection, they had become good at finding and putting on an apron. They listen well to the nursery nurse and show interest in all the activities. Children use the listening centres independently. This good progress continues in the reception class. For example, the children got ready for their physical education lesson with very little fuss. A higher-attaining group played a mathematical board game together unsupervised and managed well. One or two children with emotional and behavioural difficulties learn how to concentrate on a task and share equipment. They require much assistance to achieve this. By the age of five, the great majority have achieved the desirable learning outcomes for this aspect of their development.

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67. Personal and social development

68. The quality of teaching in both the nursery and reception classes is good. All members of staff work hard to develop the children’s personal and social skills. Strategies that successfully promote this development are, for example, the way the children in the nursery find their name on registering at the start of the session and how they find and attach nameplates to their drawings and paintings. In the reception class, the teacher manages whole-class sessions well to encourage the children to pay attention. The classroom assistant provides good support for children with behavioural and learning difficulties and uses simple techniques to motivate them, such as timing how long they remain at their activities and praising them when they do well.

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69. Language and literacy

In language and literacy, progress is satisfactory. Most children have poor skills in this aspect of their development on entry to the nursery and one or two children respond to questions inappropriately with single words. The children listen to and recite nursery rhymes with the nursery nurse and enjoy sharing a Big Book with her. Most children can choose their favourite rhyme and draw a simple picture of it. The children look at pictures in the book and can answer simple questions about what they depict. They begin to try writing, using squiggles and some letters in their own name. In the Millfield Primary School -Page 28 reception class, the children learn about letters of the alphabet using a commercial scheme. By the time of the inspection, most are able to copy write letters, but some can still only follow patterns. They enjoy reading with adults from Big Books and most are beginning to recognise common words

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69. Language and literacy

that they regularly see, but few are able to read whole sentences without help. By the age of five, the majority of the children are still working towards the desirable learning outcomes for this aspect and a few are working within Level 1 of the National Curriculum.

p.28

69. Language and literacy

70. The quality of teaching is satisfactory in the nursery. The nursery nurse makes good use of shared reading with the children and these occasions help their speaking and listening skills. The activities to develop writing skills are satisfactory but lack variety. In the reception class, teaching is good. There are well-organised lessons of the National Literacy Strategy, which promote all aspects of language and literacy well, and the teacher makes good use of adult assistants, some of whom are parent helpers, to support the children.

p.28

71. Mathematics

The children make satisfactory progress in both classes. Most children have poor skills in mathematics on entry to the nursery. By the time of the inspection, the children could chant numbers to five in nursery rhymes, recognise some numerals, know some colours and most children recognise a square and a circle. In the reception class, the children start to add to five, make up sets of objects that total five and some know the numeral, zero. The children in both classes use simple computer programs to develop this knowledge. Higher attainers are beginning to understand the symbols for add and equals. By the age of five, the majority of children are still working towards the desirable learning outcomes for mathematics and there are few higher attainers.

p.28

71. Mathematics

72. The quality of teaching is good in both classes. The nursery nurse makes good use of nursery rhymes and songs to help the children understand numbers and often includes actions in the songs to this end. She uses a ‘feely bag’ to help their awareness of shape. The teacher in the reception class makes good use of supporting adults to work with small groups during the lessons of the National Numeracy Strategy and this helps to consolidate the children’s learning. For example, the classroom assistant worked with lower-attaining children as they threw rubber toys into a basket and counted which went into the basket and which missed. She helped them to see how the toys added together totalled five. The level of challenge in the work is good.

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73. Knowledge and understanding of the world

Most children make satisfactory progress from a low level of attainment on entry to the nursery. Each day, the children in the nursery refer to the day of the week, the weather and the changing months. In the topic work that they cover, they find out more about themselves and about special festivals such as Christmas. They quickly become skilled at using the mouse to click on objects on the computer screen. In the reception class, the children continue to find out more about the world around them through topics such as holidays. They write a class book on people who help at home. Visits out of school, for example to Legoland, help to widen their experiences. Attainment at the age of five is below average for the majority of children but their skills with the computer are average for their age.

p.28

73. Knowledge and understanding of the world

74. Teaching is satisfactory in both classes. Planning indicates that the range of topics covered in the nursery and repeated in the reception class provide for the children to learn progressively about the world. Lessons in religious education in the reception class allow the children to think about friendships, families and relationships.

p.28

75. Physical development

The children’s physical skills are below and often well below average when they start nursery. The children have opportunities to play on large wheeled toys and to run, jump and climb on the adventure playground available. The children’s skills with scissors, glue sticks and other simple tools range from poor to satisfactory. Progress is at least satisfactory and in the reception class, the children experience a good range of physical skills in physical education lessons in the hall, as well as outdoor play on the adventure playground. In a lesson observed, the children moved around the hall safely and worked Millfield Primary School -Page 29 with a partner sensibly. Most can ‘bunny hop’ but only a few can hop on one foot continuously. By the age of five, the children’s skills are broadly average and they have made good progress.

p.28

75. Physical development

76. The quality of teaching is satisfactory in the nursery, where the nursery nurse provides a range of equipment for the children to use. Each day, weather permitting, there is an opportunity for some outdoor activity. The quality of teaching in the physical education lesson observed in the reception class was excellent. The teacher has very good skills in this area of the curriculum and all the children made very good progress, including those with behavioural difficulties. By good use of praise and encouraging the children to discuss with their partner what they should do, the teacher developed their skills well.

p.29

77. Creative development

The children’s creative skills develop satisfactorily. In the nursery, the children paint with large brushes and they colour with crayon, pencil and felt tip pen. They glue tissue paper to an outline of a frog, cut and sellotape paper shapes to form pictures. They use their hands to print. The children draw a picture to accompany a nursery rhyme. Most of the drawings display immature skills but one or two higher attainers draw their picture in some detail, for example of a mouse climbing up a clock. Progress continues in the reception class where the children paint and draw and make collage pictures. However, there were only a few examples of three-dimensional models on display during the inspection.

p.29

77. Creative development

78. The quality of teaching is satisfactory in both classes and there is a satisfactory range of activities. However, when the children paint, there is little stimulus to help them to develop their paintings. Some of the work is limited by the use of templates.

p.29

77. Creative development

79. There are good links with parents before the children begin in the nursery class. The nursery nurse develops links with the parent and toddler group on site so that the children settle in quickly. There is a good range of assessment and recording procedures, including initial assessments on entry to the nursery and reception classes, and these help the staff to plan work for the children. Children with special educational needs receive good support, for example through agencies such as the speech therapy service. Resources are generally plentiful and each room has an area for role-play. The theme for the areas is not changed and developed to challenge the children frequently enough, however. There are good facilities for outdoor play for this age range, including an adventure playground financed by the Friends’ Association and much appreciated by the staff.

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ENGLISH

80. The attainment of pupils in language and literacy as the pupils enter Key Stage 1 is below average and a significant minority have poor skills. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have made satisfactory progress but attainment is still below national expectations. This is confirmed by the standards in the current Year 6. The pupils' performance in last summer’s national tests at the end of Key Stage 2 in which 55 per cent of pupils achieved the expected level or better, was well below the national average but in line with pupils in similar schools. The boys and girls performed similarly. Standards have risen since the last inspection. The school has set a target for 68 per cent of pupils to achieve the expected level or better by 2001. The great majority of pupils in Year 6 read and write below expected levels. Some pupils can use the library and reference books and are able to research information from books but there is little evidence of CD ROMs being used for research.

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ENGLISH

81. Attainment in the current Year 6 is below national expectations. During the inspection the class teacher was absent on long-term sick leave and a temporary teacher was adhering to the National Literacy Strategy during the week of inspection. The pupils were interested and enthusiastic in a class reading of the story of 'The Ghost of Thomas Kempe' with the aim of writing their own fictional piece and changing active verbs to passive. The pace of individual work, however, was slow and handwriting was poor. Some pupils can structure paragraphs and use punctuation but they are unable to change active verbs to passive. Year 6 pupils were not able to recall technical vocabulary, such as Millfield Primary School -Page 30 genre, sonnet, ballad, or mnemonic but thought that they had heard of limericks when they had been in Year 5. Some pupils were unable to use capitals correctly and spelling was well below average.

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ENGLISH

Some pupils use a joined script but the majority choose to print. There are few higher attainers although some are working at Level 4 in reading and writing, and at Level 5 in speaking and listening. Pupils with special educational needs and lower attainers guess at words, make few attempts to correct mistakes and cannot use their knowledge of sounds and blends. They are unable to use reference books successfully, but if the text is read to them they listen with interest and answer questions accurately.

p.30

ENGLISH

82. In Years 3, 4 and 5, lessons of the Literacy Strategy contribute well to the pupils' skills. In Year 3 pupils can convert singular nouns to plural and understand that plurals are 'more than one'. They can identify phrases which signify the age of a piece of writing like 'once a time' and 'distant times' used in the Inca myth 'Birth of the Stars'. In Year 4 pupils extend their writing skills, writing their own version of 'The Iron Man' by Ted Hughes. Many pupils use capital letters, full stops, paragraphs and powerful verbs like petrified, thundering, and crunching to add tension to their story. They read confidently and are able to read unfamiliar words accurately. Year 5 pupils can plan and write their own fables; they know that legends and myths may have some truth to them. They can identify morals. For example, they understand the human characteristics given to the fox and the baboon and can tell that they are both sly. They understand metaphorical expressions and are able to

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ENGLISH

decide which tales are better for retelling orally. Pupils read confidently and with growing fluency, their writing shows a developing understanding of spelling patterns and their speaking and listening skills are in line with national expectations. Many pupils are attaining close to national expectations. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good when they are taught in separate groups by the co-ordinator for pupils with special educational needs. Pupils remember technical terms and understand their use. They are individually challenged and highly motivated.

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ENGLISH

83. At the end of Key Stage 1, standards of attainment are well below national averages. Trends over three years indicate standards have been well below in reading and writing, they show no regular pattern and vary year on year. Although evidence indicates girls have been performing worse than boys, this was not borne out by inspection findings and both perform similarly. At the time of the inspection, many of the pupils (70 per cent) in the current Year 2 are achieving in line with national expectations in speaking, listening and reading and writing. This is an indication that standards are rising, as a result of the quality of teaching by the class teacher who was appointed last September. The pupils respond to the challenges set by teachers making a class dictionary while learning to be word detectives, identifying consonant and vowel sounds. They are able to identify compound words like supermarket, nightdress and policeman, and are able to read unfamiliar words by using their

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ENGLISH

knowledge of sounds. The majority are able to write short descriptive definitions of foods using simple reference books. In Year 1, pupils learn that books have different purposes and are beginning to understand the differences between fact and fiction. They are highly motivated to find out about ‘Feathered Friends’ and in particular remember that flamingos eat pink shrimps to keep them pink. Pupils fill in missing words in information about Barn Owls. These are designed to meet the needs of a wide range of pupils in the class. Some pupils write 'naughty sentences' in speech bubbles, which may be said by the minah bird in their story. The pupils' work develops through the key stage in reading, writing, and speaking and listening and there is clear evidence that standards are improving. Year 2 pupils confidently ask relevant and varied questions of the visiting fire fighters in a lesson on safety and are able to recount that they learned to say 'No to matches, never phone 999 for fun'; and

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ENGLISH

that they should stop, drop and roll if they catch fire. Pupils are enthusiastic learners and listen well in the whole class sessions of the ‘literacy hour’, and work well in their groups. Their reading and writing skills increase with growing confidence with clearer and more accurate reading and they write more clearly formed letters with a growing use of punctuation. This improvement is resulting from the good quality of teaching evident in lessons, since the change of teaching personnel in Key Stage 1 in this school year.

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ENGLISH

84. Since the last inspection standards have varied year on year and risen overall at the end of Key Stage 2. The school has successfully implemented the National Literacy Strategy. Challenges are set for reading and writing. The school recognises the need to raise standards in English over the next Millfield Primary School -Page 31 4 years. The head teacher and English co-ordinator have plans and identified methods, which support improvement. Optional tests have been introduced to forecast attainment and to help the school to predict levels of attainment over the next two years. Those pupils who are under-achieving are given extra support through the Additional Literacy Support scheme and pupils in Years 1-4 with special educational needs are taught in groups withdrawn from class by the co-ordinator for special educational needs. The school has developed writing expectations for each year group.

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ENGLISH

85. Teaching has improved since the last inspection throughout school. The majority of teaching is good (72 per cent) and some is very good (24 per cent). New staff appointed last September and changes to the teachers in Key Stage 1 have raised the quality of teaching and teachers’ expectations have improved. As a result, there are opportunities for all pupils to achieve success, especially those with low attainment or special educational needs. Good teaching and very good behaviour management and clear learning goals are helping the drive to push up standards. Improved partnerships with parents and good use of additional literacy support are also helping. Pupils are encouraged and enthused by motivating and inspirational adults. Failing readers have been identified and are following a highly structured reading programme, working individually with a trained classroom assistant who has been trained to use focused and direct teaching and regular assessments

p.31

ENGLISH

to raise standards. These pupils in Year 3 are becoming ‘Phoneme Spotters’ looking for the 'i' in words contained in text like ' The wind is sighing in the pine trees'. Evidence in a scrutiny of pupils’ work in Year 6 indicates that teaching has had insufficient challenge and the teaching of the Literacy Strategy has not been effective enough. The quality of teaching by the temporary teacher during the inspection was good.

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ENGLISH

86. The school has emphasised the importance of literacy since the last inspection and has been involved in running a Family Literacy course with the local college for parents, a reading marathon, and other local reading support schemes. The parents, grandparents and volunteers offer good support to the school during literacy hours by providing additional adults who encourage the pupils. The library support service has relabelled all books in the library to make it easier for the pupils to find books and the school has bought new books specifically for pupils to take home and read. The co- ordinator has levelled these books to correspond to the core scheme. Parents are encouraged to comment on their children's reading skills. The National Literacy Strategy has given purpose to writing in fiction and non-fiction; and staff have identified writing targets for groups to attain at the end of the year. The deputy head teacher gives higher-attaining pupils additional support in writing in

p.31

ENGLISH

Year 2 and the lower attaining pupils in Year 5. This gives all pupils opportunities to achieve. Booster classes were about to start in Year 6 at the time of the inspection. Literacy is encouraged in all subjects and makes a good contribution to subjects such as science and history in Key Stage 2.

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ENGLISH

87. The co-ordinator is a very effective and enthusiastic contributor to literacy in school and is committed to raising standards. She monitors planning and has been instrumental in encouraging and supporting all staff to become confident teachers of literacy. She has effectively identified needs in the school. However, there is insufficient time to monitor teaching, to work alongside colleagues to raise standards and continue to offer training to parent volunteers. Literacy has been given a high profile in school and the co-ordinator has many highly developed assessment skills to support target setting in school.

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MATHEMATICS

88. By the age of five, the majority of children are still working towards the desirable learning outcomes for mathematics and there are few higher attainers. The attainment of many children is well below what is expected.

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MATHEMATICS

89. At the end of Key Stage 1 when pupils are seven years old, attainment is below national expectations. The proportion of pupils reaching Level 2 (the average for seven year olds) in national tests was 83 per cent in 1999, below the national average of 87 per cent. The percentage of pupils attaining Level 3 (normally associated with the average nine year old) was 9 per cent, well below the Millfield Primary School -Page 32 national average of 21 per cent. When the average points scored by pupils are calculated, standards were well below the national average and below the standards of similar schools. Test results over the last three years indicate that boys at the school are performing significantly better than girls in mathematics. While the performance of boys compared with girls in any particular year can show an apparently significant variation, this variation is not borne out through inspection findings.

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MATHEMATICS

90. At the end of Key Stage 2, attainment is below national expectations. In the 1999 national tests the average points scored indicate that standards are well below the national average and in line with standards in similar schools. Trends over three years indicate that standards are rising broadly in line with the national rise. There has been no significant difference between the performance of boys and girls. The school has set a target for 65 per cent of pupils to achieve the expected Level 4 or above by 2001. Where weaknesses in pupils’ performance are identified, support is provided in groups withdrawn from class for daily tuition by the co-ordinator. These arrangements cover all classes in both key stages. 91. In Year 1, pupils are able to use everyday language to describe features of familiar three- dimensional shapes such as a sphere, cylinder, cube and cuboid, referring to properties such as the

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MATHEMATICS

shape of flat faces. Pupils in Year 2 are able to use the names for common two-dimensional shapes including the pentagon. Their skills in number are below average. For example, they have difficulty in partitioning two-digit numbers into a multiple of ten and ones.

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MATHEMATICS

92. In Key Stage 2, pupils in Year 4 know that angles are measured in degrees. They understand that a whole turn is four-right angles and are able to describe right-angled turns. At the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ knowledge and understanding are less secure. Some pupils in Year 6 demonstrate a lack of understanding of mathematical concepts and processes, most notably in number. For example, higher-attaining pupils have an insufficient understanding of how to order simple fractions. It is apparent from a scrutiny of pupils’ work in Year 6 that teaching has not been consistently challenging and the teaching of the Numeracy Strategy has not been effective enough.

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MATHEMATICS

93. In both key stages, standards of behaviour of the great majority of pupils are good and their attitudes to work are positive. They show high levels of interest, respond well, listen to others and are generally appreciative of others’ achievements. 94. Since the last inspection in 1996, there has been satisfactory progress in developing the subject. There is less reliance on the commercially produced scheme and there is now a high proportion of direct teaching in lessons of the National Numeracy Strategy. Progress has been made in developing formal assessment systems, and the school is making effective use of data handling to support the mathematics curriculum.

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MATHEMATICS

95. All the teaching in Key Stage 1 is satisfactory or good. Sixty seven per cent of the teaching is satisfactory and 33 per cent is good. In Key Stage 2, the teaching is good overall. Twenty eight per cent of the teaching is satisfactory, 57 per cent is good and 14 per cent is very good. It is the good quality of teaching which is pushing up standards in most classes in both key stages. Throughout the school, teachers create a positive ethos for the learning of mathematics. Lessons are well prepared and resources, including published schemes, are used purposefully to extend pupils’ learning. Teachers’ subject knowledge is satisfactory overall and sometimes good. Expectations are clear and tasks usually take account of pupils’ prior attainment. Teachers’ warm relationships with pupils and high expectations of behaviour lead to good class control in almost all lessons. Where teaching is most effective, for example in groups of pupils with special educational needs withdrawn from class in Key

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MATHEMATICS

Stage 2, it is characterised by skilful questioning, a brisk pace and good use of mathematical vocabulary. Evidence in a scrutiny of pupils’ work in Year 6 indicates that teaching has lacked rigour and the teaching of the Numeracy Strategy has not been effective enough. The quality of teaching by the temporary teacher during the inspection was good. 96. Pupils are able to apply their mathematical skills satisfactorily in subjects such as science and information technology. For example, pupils in Year 6 are able to communicate and interpret collected data as demonstrated through pie charts and line graphs of their favourite sports and Millfield Primary School -Page 33 hobbies. There are insufficient opportunities to use mathematics in other subjects such as geography, history and design and technology. Information technology is insufficiently used for supporting work in mathematics. The computer suite is not available for information technology in the mornings as the

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MATHEMATICS

room is used for the teaching of pupils with special educational needs. 97. The subject is effectively co-ordinated. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic, promotes positive leadership and is committed to raising standards. A clear statement of action to be taken has been prepared for the subject. However, the targets have not been incorporated into the school development plan and made explicit with time-scales, success criteria and associated costs. 98. The co-ordinator has ensured that the school has made a satisfactory start in implementing the National Numeracy Strategy. All classes have ten minutes of quick mental arithmetic at the beginning of the lesson and most have a useful final session when the pupils come together to discuss results, show various tactics for finding the answers and conclude the lessons. This has been achieved through the provision of in-service training to staff, including opportunities to observe good practice

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MATHEMATICS

in other schools, through developing a sufficiency of good quality resources and through using the framework of the National Numeracy Strategy as the scheme of work. The co-ordinator has had opportunities to observe work in other classes and monitor teachers’ planning. The use of this monitoring is being developed to determine the training needs of staff and further improve the match between work set and the prior attainment of pupils.

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SCIENCE

99. At the end of Key Stage 2, attainment is below national expectations. In the 1999 national tests, standards were below the national average and in line with those in similar schools. Standards have risen in line with the national rise since the last inspection. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher Level 5 was well below the national average. There has been no significant difference between the performance of boys and girls evident in these results. Standards in the current Year 6 are broadly similar. At the end of Key Stage 1, attainment is below national expectations and this is evident in the performance of pupils in the current Year 2. This is an improvement on standards in the 1999 national tests when standards were well below the national average and below those of similar schools. The current quality of teaching in the key stage is helping to push up standards.

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SCIENCE

100. During Key Stage 1, the pupils find out about sources of light, forces of pushing and pulling and parts of the body. Higher attainers write short captions for their pictures and all pupils are able to complete worksheets describing various features of animals, their food preferences and their young. In Year 2, the pupils work on electricity and can spot when a circuit is incomplete. One higher- attaining pupil writes, ‘My circuit does not work because the wire is cut in half and the power will not go round in a circle.’ Average and lower attainers can draw a diagram but find it difficult writing any account of what is happening. The pupils test how long it will take ice to melt in a room and they think of places where melting might take place more quickly. Most pupils are working at an appropriate level for this age but many find difficulty expressing clearly what they think.

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SCIENCE

101. During Key Stage 2, the pupils gain experience of making a test fair. In Year 3, the pupils began to think carefully about how they could test for absorbency fairly. They make sensible predictions about what they might find. In Year 4, the pupils learn more about electricity and about reversible and irreversible change, including dissolving and melting. As the pupils get older, they record their work in greater detail and write full accounts of investigations. In Year 5, the pupils make good progress finding out about temperature change, evaporation and condensation. Higher attainers account for what happens in sentences such as ‘Hot air touches the cold can.’ Pupils of average attainment also show good levels of thinking with clear diagrams. This indicates that pupils’ attainment in Year 5 is closer to national expectations. The pupils have good attitudes to the subject and work hard. However, progress is not maintained in Year 6, where the depth of analysis is absent

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SCIENCE

in work on conductivity, food chains and separating mixtures. The presentation of pupils’ work is also inconsistent in this year group. Millfield Primary School -Page 34 102. Since the last inspection, staff have introduced the nationally recommended scheme of work to good effect and there has been an increased emphasis on investigational work. These developments are having a positive impact on the quality of learning in the majority of lessons observed. A simple record of pupils’ knowledge and understanding is kept after pupils complete assessments of work covered and this is helping staff to track the pupils’ progress.

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SCIENCE

103. The quality of teaching is good. One very good lesson was observed in each key stage. There is no unsatisfactory teaching. The personnel teaching in Key Stage 1 has changed in this school year and the quality of their teaching is having a significant impact on the pupils’ progress and the quality of learning. In one very good lesson in Year 3, the teacher asked very challenging questions to make the pupils think carefully about the absorbency of different materials. She allowed them to try out their suggestions so that they learnt from their mistakes. At critical moments, the teacher brought the groups together so that she could take their understanding further. In another very good lesson in Year 1, the teacher made very good use of volunteer helpers to organise a range of activities on forces. Each of the activities took the pupils’ understanding further and at the end of the lesson she encouraged the pupils to report what they had done and found out. All teachers in lessons observed

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SCIENCE

have good subject knowledge and are well capable of organising practical activities for the pupils. In a Year 5 lesson, the teacher assessed how well the pupils could use equipment to measure and record temperature and then adapted the lesson so that they might experience better the recording of work before they took their investigation further. This good quality of teaching is improving standards in classes across the school. In Year 6, however, evidence indicates teaching has not developed sufficiently well the pupils’ skills of investigation and the recording of findings.

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SCIENCE

104. The subject co-ordinator was absent on long-term sick leave during the inspection. There has been regular monitoring of teachers’ planning to confirm coverage of the subject and a portfolio of moderated work so that standards are clearly understood. The school makes good use of its environmental area in the grounds and the canal nearby to support the work in science.

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ART

105. No lessons were observed during the inspection, as a result of timetabling arrangements which focused less on art activities and more on design and technology. Judgments are based on a scrutiny of pupils’ work in art folders and on display, as well as the scheme of work and teachers’ planning. Attainment at the end of both key stages is below what is expected of pupils at these ages.

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ART

106. The pupils begin Key Stage 1 with attainment below average and some of the work seen indicates drawing and painting skills are well below average. They make satisfactory progress but by the end of the key stage attainment is still below what is expected of pupils at this age. The accuracy and detail of the pupils’ drawings improve and the pupils develop three-dimensional work using paper and card. The pupils create patterns using charcoal and use chalk and colour washes. During Key Stage 2, the pupils continue to extend the range of art activities. For example, pupils in Year 3 create large-scale collage pictures, which have colour and texture, to accompany their work on the Romans. They make observational drawings of artefacts of the time. In Year 4, the pupils draw, with chalk on black paper, portraits of Henry VIII for display of their work on the Tudors. In Year 5, the pupils use sponges to create an impression of jungle foliage, plaster of paris for polar scenes and they

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ART

paint with sand in desert pictures. The pupils create the impression of the Blitz in the Second World War, using colour washes and black silhouettes to good effect. In Year 6, the pupils learn about the style of the Impressionist painter, Manet and paint river scenes. The work in these classes shows skills of observation developing well and, where the teachers introduce a range of techniques and media, for example in Years 3 and 5, the work shows creativity and imagination. By the end of the key stage, however, the attainment of the majority of pupils is still below expectations.

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ART

107. At the last inspection, inspectors reported that work was too closely linked to topic work and did not allow for pupils’ skills to develop appropriately. The school did not have a policy nor a scheme of work and the curriculum was judged to be too limited. The majority of the pupils’ work Millfield Primary School -Page 35 was reported to lack accuracy and originality. There was too little attention given to the study of artists. Attainment was judged to be too low by the end of Key Stage 2. The subject featured as a key issue for development. Progress on the key issue has been satisfactory. Staff have produced a satisfactory policy and a scheme of work and the curriculum is now broad with a sufficient emphasis on the study of artists and other cultures, such as Japanese and Egyptian art. Resources for art appreciation have improved. Although attainment is below expectations at the end of Key Stage 2,

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ART

the pupils’ observational studies show developing accuracy at a level similar to that found in most schools. However, the majority of the work seen lacks flair and originality and this is the result of weaknesses in the expertise of staff. Most successful have been opportunities the school has taken for the pupils to be involved in large projects, such as one last summer, in which a visiting artist worked with pupils to produce murals of canal scenes on the outside walls of classrooms overlooking the nearby canal.

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ART

108. No teaching was observed. From a scrutiny of teachers’ planning it is evident that the work follows the guidelines of the scheme of work satisfactorily. Leadership of the subject by the co- ordinator is satisfactory and new members of staff are given support to teach from the scheme. Good use is made of outside specialists as well as parents and friends of school who have particular skills.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

109. Only a limited amount of design and technology teaching was seen. Evidence of standards of attainment was also gathered from a variety of other sources including work in displays around the school, scrutiny of pupils’ work, discussion with pupils and an interview with the subject co- ordinator. As a result of this evidence it is possible to judge that attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 is in line with what is expected of pupils and below expectations of pupils at the end of Key Stage 2. 110. In Key Stage 1 younger pupils make simple sliding mechanisms for door signs and lever mechanisms for bird designs using card strips and paper fasteners, They use given techniques to practise their making skills and use tools safely. By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils are able to use basic sewing techniques to make finger puppets. Having looked at and discussed familiar products, pupils are able to make simple freehand drawings of vehicles for their own designs. In the lessons

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

observed at Key Stage 1, standards of behaviour and pupils’ attitudes to the subject are good. 111. In Key Stage 2, Year 3 pupils can evaluate a range of bought sandwiches, recording opinions and commenting on taste, appearance, smell and texture using a table. Some evidence was seen of work completed by Year 5 pupils. They are able to produce musical instruments that create a series of controllable sounds when played. As children progress through Key Stage 2, they are given insufficient opportunities to develop satisfactory design skills. Limited opportunities are given for pupils to illustrate design alternatives using sketches and models and to make choices between them, showing an awareness of constraints. 112. The school has overcome the weaknesses in design and technology identified in its last inspection in 1996 and has been successful in raising the levels of attainment in design and technology in Key Stage 1. Standards of attainment in Key Stage 2 have not been maintained.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

113. In Key Stage 1, teaching is good and has a successful impact on pupils’ learning. Teachers plan effectively and set clear targets that pupils understand. They manage pupils well and insist on good standards of behaviour. Pupils show interest and enjoyment in design and technology, and work hard to complete their tasks. In Year 2 the teacher’s use and style of questioning effectively probes the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of how different vehicles are used for different purposes. There is insufficient evidence to make a secure judgement about the quality of teaching in Key Stage 2.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

114. The co-ordinator, although in post for only a short period, has made a positive contribution to the design and technology curriculum. The school has adopted an appropriate scheme of work to provide detailed guidance to staff. The role of the co-ordinator to monitor teaching and learning Millfield Primary School -Page 36 across the school is under-developed. Classrooms are an appropriate size for practical work and resources are well provided.

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GEOGRAPHY

115. Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 is below what would be expected of pupils at this age whilst attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 is above national expectations.

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GEOGRAPHY

116. Samples of pupils’ work in Key Stage 2 show limited use of symbols in map work as they read and draw maps and use two figure references for locating places. Descriptive and directional words are at an early stage of development with pupils using north and south but few intermediate points. In a Year 6 lesson pupils identified the basic features of rivers and used maps to locate the longest rivers in England but they did not recognise the role of rivers in shaping the landscape and the effect of this on communities and communications.

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GEOGRAPHY

117. In Key Stage 1 samples of pupils’ work show a wide range of knowledge and skills gained from topics such as the local community and a contrasting island area off the western coast of Scotland. The use of maps and simple co-ordinates is well developed and pupils describe features of the local area in a style that is above national expectations. In Year 2 pupils showed that they can observe features of a simple island community and compare them with their own local area. In discussion about the possible upheaval that will result from a commercial ferry terminal on the island, the pupils remembered facts clearly and explained their opinions with careful reasoning. They recognised the commercial benefits to the community and the disadvantages of a high number of tourists. This attainment is above national expectations and all the pupils achieve well. Several pupils with special educational needs, one with severe difficulties, showed good learning as they answered

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GEOGRAPHY

questions and one in particular gave a lengthy and detailed explanation about the tourists.

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GEOGRAPHY

118. Since the previous inspection standards have fallen in Key Stage 2 and risen in Key Stage 1. There is now a policy and scheme of work that are based on government guidelines but the scheme mainly prescribes subject content and does not have any practical suggestions for developing the skills of geographical study or ideas for teaching activities. Links with other subjects focus mainly on literacy and do not recognise other links with numeracy, science and information technology. There remain shortages in resources and they are in need of further development to minimise sharing of maps and instruments such as compasses in large class groups.

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GEOGRAPHY

119. Very little teaching was observed and a secure overall judgement cannot be made. However very good teaching was observed in Key Stage 1 that made good use of questions to focus pupils’ memories and then moved from the familiar local area to the island community to be studied. Prompt pupil management of a large and difficult class made it possible to hold the attention of all pupils. Good use of expression held the pupils’ interest in the story and the use of a map and a globe helped the pupils to locate the North West Coast of Scotland and to appreciate the power of the wind as a result of travelling across the Atlantic Ocean. Questions promoting thought and discussion brought answers from pupils of all abilities and patient prompting resulted in a lengthy answer from a pupil with special educational needs that was well reasoned. Samples of pupils’ work show that teaching in Key Stage 2 is unsatisfactory with low expectations in Year 6 and topics that are undeveloped in

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HISTORY

120. There was no teaching of history observed at the end of either key stage during inspection. Samples of pupils’ work provided insufficient evidence to assess standards at the end of Key Stage 2. Attainment is below the level of what is expected at the end of Key Stage 1. Millfield Primary School -Page 37 121. Samples of pupils’ work show knowledge of all areas of the history curriculum but there is little evidence of pupils using the skills of historical research such as change over time, comparing objects or writing about their discoveries. However, Year 1 pupils displayed above average skills in their model Victorian houses and class model of a Victorian kitchen range. This work shows a good awareness of living conditions at that time. The pupils’ sense of time is developed well and writing gives a good account of their work. Pupils achieve well in most classes in Key Stage 2 and show good skills in their use of a timeline to locate events in history. They use collage pictures, models,

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HISTORY

sketches and writing on topics such as the Romans, the Tudors and the Second World War. Pupils in Year 3 write about the fame of Boudicea and pupils in Year 5 experience the feelings of individuals as they mime situations in wartime Britain. They remember much detail of life at the time such as gas masks, Anderson shelters, stirrup pumps and evacuation.

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HISTORY

122. Since the previous inspection there is a greater proportion of good teaching and therefore higher standards of attainment. There is evidence from the scrutiny of pupils’ work of progress in all year groups in Key Stage 2 except in Year 6 where progress is unsatisfactory. A policy and scheme of work are now in place, which make good reference to links with other subjects. However there is little information on the development of the skills of historical enquiry such as chronology, interpretation and communication of findings or advice on effective teaching strategies.

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HISTORY

123. Teaching was observed in both key stages and was never less than good. The one lesson observed in Year 1 was very good and those in Years 3 and 5 were all good. The best teaching went over previous work to help pupils to remember information and used a brisk pace of questions to keep the interest of the pupils. Questions had different requirements according to the different abilities of the pupils and many could not be answered with simple facts. As a result the pupils were very involved in a discussion about a collection of objects, some Victorian and some modern. They practised the skills of comparing and contrasting as they sorted the objects and discussed ideas such as electricity and rubber not being invented in Victorian times. Skills of historical enquiry were developed as they thought about uses for the objects. Teachers intervened well to spread good ideas, used praise very well to increase the confidence of the pupils and drew on the contents of the pupils’

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HISTORY

writing to develop a teaching point about unexploded bombs as pupils wrote letters to parents in a wartime setting.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

125. Attainment at the end of both key stages is in line with national expectations. In Key Stage 1, younger pupils communicate their ideas in a variety of ways through the use of different software that supports learning in other subjects. Pupils in Year 1 can use a paint program to create firework designs using brush and pencil tools. They are able to use a word-processor to print their name and address. At the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ abilities to retrieve work and to communicate using text and pictures are satisfactory. They can confidently use a paint program to fill the net of a cube with colour to support their learning in mathematics. Pupils’ knowledge of the place of information technology in society is satisfactory. 126. In Key Stage 2, younger pupils are able to import ‘clip art’ into a word-processing package and can retrieve information from the school’s web site. Year 5 pupils can store and execute simple

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

sequences involving the repeat command to control floor and screen ‘turtles’. At the end of Key Stage 2, pupils are able to communicate information using text and pictures. They can import digital images into a desktop publishing program and use text to create personality profiles. Pupils can independently find information from the internet. The development of the pupils’ skills has been enhanced by a series of visits to a computer suite at the local secondary school. In all lessons observed at both key stages, standards of pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to the subject are good. 127. Satisfactory progress has been made since the last inspection in 1996. The school has been successful in raising the levels of attainment in information technology in Key Stage 2. It has made satisfactory progress in remedying the weaknesses identified in its resources through the acquisition Millfield Primary School -Page 38

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

of additional hardware and software for modelling. Shortcomings still remain in the provision of resources for control technology and monitoring. 128. Teaching is good in Key Stage 1. In Key Stage 2, 67 per cent of the teaching is good and 33 per cent is very good. The consistently good teaching at both key stages has a successful impact on pupils’ learning. Teachers plan effectively and set clear targets that pupils understand. They manage pupils well and insist on good standards of behaviour. Pupils show interest and enjoyment in the subject. Very good teaching in Key Stage 2 was characterised by effective, direct teaching of skills and maximum use being made of the available hardware. 129. Co-ordination of the subject is good. The co-ordinator promotes positive leadership and has developed a coherent policy which provides clear educational direction. An appropriate scheme of work has been adopted to offer teachers support in achieving the progressive development of skills.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Assessment procedures are not fully in place. The majority of the staff have good expertise and are enthusiastic about undergoing further training. 130. The current situation of locating the majority of the school’s hardware in the computer suite has drawbacks and the co-ordinator is aware of this. For example, information technology is insufficiently used for supporting work across the curriculum, particularly in numeracy and literacy. The computer suite is not available for information technology in the mornings as the room is used for other purposes. When available for information technology, the available hardware is effectively used. The school has prepared a three-year development plan for the subject and is well advanced with plans to add to the hardware available through the provision of further desktop machines for the computer suite and laptop machines for classroom use.

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MUSIC

131. Attainment is in line with what is expected of pupils at the end of both key stages. Two lessons were observed in each key stage and evidence is drawn from these, a scrutiny of teachers’ planning and discussions with staff. At the time of the inspection, the co-ordinator was absent on sick leave.

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MUSIC

132. In Key Stage 1, pupils make satisfactory progress learning to sing tunefully and can keep a simple beat and rhythmic patterns using percussion instruments. In a Year 1 lesson, the pupils began to follow a conductor and play their instruments on instruction, varying the dynamics of their playing. In a Year 2 lesson, the pupils showed good levels of concentration when they worked in groups to compose music to accompany a sunny day. They showed they could organise themselves to put together their composition and perform in front of others.

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MUSIC

133. In Key Stage 2, progress is satisfactory and the pupils develop their skills using instruments. In a Year 4 lesson were able to create as a whole class a performance of a song combining words, actions, playing and singing. By Year 6, the pupils have developed an understanding of traditional notation and some higher attainers use terms such as quaver, semi-quaver, and octave accurately. Pupils in Year 6 worked successfully in groups to produce a composition in 4/4 time with a variety of rhythmic variations. They displayed good attitudes to the subject and sang a two-part song in the round well.

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MUSIC

134. These findings are broadly similar to those at the last inspection and there have been few changes in the school’s provision for the subject. Planning follows a commercially produced scheme, which provides appropriate coverage of all elements of the National Curriculum programmes of study, and additional resources have been bought to add quantity and range. The provision is enhanced by instrumental tuition in brass and violin and the school choir continues to perform at regular festivals in the locality.

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MUSIC

135. The quality of teaching is satisfactory in both key stages. In Key Stage 1, there was one good lesson and one unsatisfactory lesson. In the good lesson, the teacher displayed good organisational skills and the pupils made good progress in performing with a conductor. In the unsatisfactory lesson, Millfield Primary School -Page 39 the pupils did not improve sufficiently in their skills of composition, because the teacher failed to build up their skills in progressive steps. In Key Stage 2, both lessons observed were satisfactory. Both teachers managed the pupils well and took the learning further by maintaining a good pace to the learning. While the commercial scheme of work provides the pupils with opportunities to hear music from a variety of styles and periods, the use of music at the start and end of assemblies to promote appreciation is under-developed.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

136. Pupils’ attainment is in line with what is expected of pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 and is above expectations at the end of Key Stage 2. Standards in swimming, which forms a major part of the programme, are good at both key stages. At the end of Key Stage 1, pupils display satisfactory control of basic movements and are able to vary the speed, direction and height of them with appropriate control. They can link a series of balances on the floor and using apparatus, though insufficient attention is paid to the quality of presentation. Standards of behaviour and pupils’ attitudes to the subject are satisfactory. 137. In Key Stage 2, younger pupils express feelings well in dance in response to the music from ‘The Planets’ orchestral suite by Gustav Holst. They are able to compose and control their movements by varying shape, levels and tension. Pupils in Year 4 show good control in gymnastics,

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

creating the necessary tension to balance on a variety of body parts. They are able to develop and refine their balances and work hard to improve their performance. In Year 5, many pupils are able to swim unaided for at least 25 metres and can use a variety of front and back strokes for propulsion. Pupils in Year 6 have a good understanding of competitive ball games. They respond well to the challenge of improving their skills of sending, receiving and travelling with a ball, and show good control. Throughout Key Stage 2, standards of behaviour and pupils’ attitudes to the subject are consistently good and are very good in half of lessons observed. Physical education makes an important contribution to the social and moral development of pupils. The children invariably behave well, collaborate successfully and co-operate with each other. Pupils are enthusiastic to learn, listen carefully and work hard. Only a very small minority of the younger pupils show inappropriate

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

behaviour and do not co-operate fully with the teacher. 138. Satisfactory progress has been made since the last inspection in 1996. Standards of swimming remain good and the school has been successful in raising the standards of attainment in Key Stage 2 above what is expected of pupils. Formal assessment systems remain undeveloped. 139. Teaching is satisfactory in Key Stage 1. In Key Stage 2, 50 per cent of the teaching is good and the remaining 50 per cent is very good. The teaching of swimming is consistently good throughout the school. The consistently good teaching in Key Stage 2 has a successful impact on pupils’ learning. Teachers plan effectively and set clear targets that pupils understand. Pupils are well managed and teachers insist on good standards of behaviour. The very good teaching is characterised by high expectations which offer pupils lively and challenging tasks. The pace is really brisk and time

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

is used to maximum effect, as was observed in a Year 6 games lesson. Where the teaching of physical education was only satisfactory in Key Stage 1, there were minor weaknesses in lesson organisation and control. 140. Older pupils have the opportunity to experience outdoor and adventurous activities at a residential centre, and participate in mountain-biking and climbing activities locally. Pupils are offered a good range of after school clubs which include football, netball, dance and a ‘timid swimmers’ club. 141. The co-ordinator has successfully led the staff in producing a good quality policy document. An appropriate scheme of work has been adopted by the school to provide the necessary support to teachers. At present the co-ordinator has no opportunity to observe and work alongside colleagues to support their implementation of the scheme of work and determine in-service training needs of staff.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

The school’s swimming pool, extensive playing fields, together with the range of appropriate apparatus, provide good support to pupils’ development and experience in physical education. Millfield Primary School -Page 40

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

142. Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 is below the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. It was not possible to observe the teaching at the end of each key stage. Samples of pupils’ work at the end of Key Stage 2 are unsatisfactory and there is little evidence that the pupils are following the scheme of work for religious education. There is little commitment to learning shown in work that is dutiful, of little length and with poor illustrations that do not establish any thoughtful link with the subject. From the small sample of lessons that were seen during inspection and the scrutiny of pupils’ work, attainment in Key Stage 1 is in line with the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. Work at the end of Key Stage 1 shows good factual knowledge but there is less evidence of the development of thoughtful insights and the use of reason by the pupils. The good work of pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5 shows a thoughtful and spiritual response in writing, which explains the symbols of

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

baptism or the many faces of the Hindu god. Sensitive illustrations reflect the point of the writing and are clearly meaningful to the pupil.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

143. The school has made satisfactory progress on the key issue to improve standards. This is a result of the use of the agreed syllabus and the regular teaching of religious education in most classes. Several enthusiastic teachers are providing quality experiences for the pupils. However, others are following the scheme conscientiously but not developing the pupils’ level of spiritual awareness by using key questions to encourage thoughtful and reflective responses from the pupils. There are now links with a local church and regular visits from the curate. The time allocated to religious education is better than at the previous inspection but still below national averages.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

144. During the inspection teaching was observed at Key Stage 2 only and it was never less than good with one lesson in Year 3 that was very good. In this lesson, the teacher used questions well, expressive reading of the story of Noah’s Ark and illustrations as a teaching point to keep the attention of pupils and maintain their interest. The teacher displayed good knowledge of key ideas in the subject that helped the pupils to a deeper understanding of the imagery in the story. Meaningful and thoughtful answers were offered as pupils gave good reasons about the symbolism of the dove and were able to identify strongly with this symbol of God’s new peace with mankind. There was good use of knowledge from a previous lesson on John the Baptist, where the dove symbolises how pleased God is with Jesus. Samples of work from Year 6 show unsatisfactory coverage and quality. There is no work on other major religions, and there is little depth to a topic on marriage, that is

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

simply factual rather than exploring ideas of feelings, vows and promises.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

145. The recently appointed co-ordinator is examining the time allocated to religious education and considering links with personal, social and health education. A collection of photographs has been started, as part of a collection of illustrative work. There are few opportunities, however, for the co-ordinator to influence the use of the agreed syllabus and to monitor the work of the pupils and lesson plans of the teachers. The use of visits to and visitors from centres for other world religions is under-developed.

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