Hillside Primary School

HILLSIDE 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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HILLSIDE 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. Hillside Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and Junior School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Rushey Way, Lower Earley, Reading, Berkshire, Postcode: RG6 4HQ

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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: Mrs S W Hall

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 11 June 1996 Hillside Primary School - 4

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Michael Buckley Registered inspector Geography, History The school’s results and pupils’ achievements? How well pupils are taught? How well the school is led and managed? Joan Lindsay Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development? How well the school cares for its pupils? How well the school works in partnership with parents? Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Accommodation Terry Aldridge Team inspector Science, Physical education, Special educational needs Curriculum, Resources

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Rob Isaac Team inspector English, Information and communications technology Assessment

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Jane Pinney Team inspector Mathematics, Design and technology, Music Staffing

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Kanwaljit Singh Team inspector Under fives, Equality of opportunity, English as an additional language, Art, Religious Education

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The inspection contractor was: Capital Inspections Chaucer Building Canterbury Road Morden Surrey SM4 6PX

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33, Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Hillside Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6 - 9

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10 - 13

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Hillside is a large infant and junior school located in Earley, in the Wokingham District of Berkshire. At the time of the inspection, there were fifty children attending part-time in the nursery and three hundred and twenty-five boys and girls in Years 1 to 6. Admission to the nursery and to the main school takes place three times a year at the beginning of the term immediately after children’s fourth and fifth birthdays, respectively. The main catchment area is a very large estate of apparently affluent housing but there is a high rate of mobility in the community that affects the school adversely. One third of pupils come from outside the catchment area, mainly from Reading or eastern Lower Earley. Twenty-four pupils (7%) are eligible for free school meals, which is below the national average, and the great majority of pupils (79%) are of white British heritage. However, the proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds (21%) is more like that found

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

in a metropolitan authority. Most of these are from Indian or Pakistani heritages and the school has three pupils from Traveller families. Overall, twenty-five pupils speak English as an additional language and this proportion, too, is more commonly found in a metropolitan authority. The most common languages after English are Punjabi and Arabic. Four pupils are withdrawn from religious education and collective daily worship. Nineteen children in the nursery and one hundred and one older pupils are on the school’s register of special educational needs. These figures are well above the national average. Two children in the nursery and three in the main school have statements identifying the nature of additional help they need. The great majority of those with special educational needs have moderate learning difficulties. The attainment of most pupils on entry to the main school is in line with the standards expected nationally.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an effective school. Standards of attainment are generally above those expected nationally at the ends of both key stages and pupils achieve well and make good progress. The quality of the education offered is good, particularly the teaching, and this leads to good standards of learning. Pupils are generally happy and provision for their personal development is good. Management is satisfactory overall and the school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The head teacher provides good educational leadership. • The quality of teaching is consistently good. • Standards of attainment and pupils’ achievements are good across the school, particularly in English, mathematics and art. • Pupils speaking English as an additional language make very good progress and those with special educational needs make good progress. • Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good, as are provision for personal development and the quality of relationships across the school. • There are very good links with the local community and parents’ involvement with the life of the school is good.

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What could be improved

• The National Curriculum’s programme of study for information and communications technology is not being followed. • The delegation of responsibilities to co-ordinators is not satisfactorily managed. • Several governors feel that they are not enabled to play a full part in the strategic management of the school. • Policies for health and safety and child protection have not been formally adopted. • The key issues from the last inspection have not been fully dealt with. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Hillside Primary School - 7

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Improvement has been satisfactory since the last inspection in June 1996. The school has addressed the three key issues identified then but it has not fully dealt with those to do with effective schemes of work and assessment across the curriculum. On the other hand, the quality of teaching has improved significantly and there have been improvements in most subjects, particularly English, mathematics and art. A great deal has been done to improve the accommodation.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by eleven-year-olds, based on average point scores in the 1999 National Curriculum tests.

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Key

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

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Key

Attainment in the three subjects above was above the national averages in 1999. In English and mathematics, it was below the average for schools with a similar percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals. However, this calculation does not take into account the high proportions of pupils at Hillside who are learning English as an additional language or who have special educational needs. Although there was a fall in standards in 1998, the trend over time shows a gradual improvement. The school’s targets are realistic and pupils are well on the way to achieving them. Provisional results of the tests in 2000 show significant improvements and scores that are well above the national averages for 1999. Inspection evidence confirms good standards at the ends of both key stages and also indicates that attainment in both key stages is above the nationally expected levels in art and religious education and in line with them in all the other subjects except

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Key

information and communications technology, where they are below expectations. Pupils’ progress and the level of their achievements broadly mirror these findings. Children in the nursery make good progress and the majority are reaching the nationally expected standards by the time they are five. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress and those learning English as an additional language make very good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good.

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Aspect Comment

Particular strengths are the very good personal development achieved by most pupils, their enthusiasm for lessons and for other activities offered and their generally good behaviour. Most develop well as independent learners. Relationships are very good. Pupils work well together in groups and co-operate well. There is occasionally unsatisfactory behaviour from a small number of boys, mainly at the lower end of Key Stage 2. Hillside Primary School - 8

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

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

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

Teaching was satisfactory or better in ninety-four per cent of lessons seen. It was good or better in seventy-two per cent of lessons and it was excellent in four per cent of lessons. Four of the seventy lessons seen were unsatisfactory and these were in the lower half of Key Stage 2. Otherwise, teaching in all the age groups was consistently good and the needs of all pupils were well catered for. Three of the unsatisfactory lessons were in mathematics. Overall, however, teaching in mathematics and English, as in almost all other subjects where judgements could be made, was good. The teaching of information and communications technology is unsatisfactory, largely because teachers lack the necessary confidence and expertise. Literacy and numeracy are well taught and the appropriate vocabulary and basic skills are carefully developed in most subjects. Particular strengths of teaching include the quality of relationships, teachers’ planning and the clarity of

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

learning objectives, the good use of final plenary sessions for the assessment of progress and learning, the skilful use of questioning to encourage independent thinking and, in most cases, teachers’ knowledge and understanding of their subjects. In science and the foundation subjects, tasks are not always well matched to the needs of particular individuals or groups. The quality of pupils’ learning is good. The plenary sessions ensure that they have a good understanding of what they have learned and what they need to do next. Pupils generally concentrate well and produce work that shows creativity and effort. In the unsatisfactory lessons, inappropriate tasks led to a loss of interest and a decrease in the work rate. There has been a significant improvement in teaching since the last inspection.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory – but these pupils make very good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good.

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Aspect Comment

Strengths include arrangements for assessment in English and mathematics, although assessment in other subjects is a weakness. Further strengths are the thorough and effective way in which the school monitors and promotes good behaviour and attendance and the provision it makes for pupils’ personal development. The quality of the formal information provided for parents is very high and parents make a very positive impact on the work of the school. The school has not formally adopted some policies, including one for health and safety, and the condition of the junior playground is still unsatisfactory. Planning for information and communications technology meets statutory requirements but it is not yet being fully taught. Hillside Primary School - 9

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the head teacher and other key staff Satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Unsatisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

The head teacher provides good educational leadership. The aims and values of the school are reflected well in its work and developmental planning and financial planning and management are done well. The school applies the principles of best value scrupulously and it deploys the resources available well. However, there are weaknesses in how responsibilities are delegated to teachers affecting the management of the curriculum and other provision. Several governors feel that they are not enabled to participate fully in the strategic management of the school, some formal policies have not been adopted and statutory requirements for information and communications technology are not fully met. The school’s use of new technology is unsatisfactory. The number and qualifications of the staff and the range and quality of the accommodation and resources are all satisfactory.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children make good progress. • Teaching is good. • The school’s expectations of attainment and behaviour are high. • They feel comfortable approaching the school with comments or concerns. • Children are helped to become mature and responsible. • The behaviour of some pupils. • The amount of homework set. • The quality of information provided about children’s progress. • The leadership and management of the school. • The school does not work closely with parents. • The extra-curricular activities provided.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors agree with the parents’ positive comments. The amount of homework given is generally in accordance with national guidelines and there is a good range of extra-curricular activities provided by the school. The information that the school provides for parents is satisfactory overall and the formal information is of a high standard. Despite the concerns of some parents, the school does have effective links with parents. Many parents help in the daily life of the main school and the nursery. Parents are also involved in checking and signing homework diaries and hearing their children read regularly at home. Inspectors find behaviour in the school to be good and relationships very good. The leadership of the head teacher is good and management overall is satisfactory. Hillside Primary School - 10

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The school’s results and achievements

1. On entry to the nursery, the majority of children have levels of knowledge, skills and understanding that are below those of other children of the same age nationally. However, they make good progress in all the areas of learning and, by the time they are five, the majority achieve the targets recommended for their age in all six areas of learning. Most five-year-olds have already achieved these goals and are being taught language and literacy and mathematics in accordance with the National Literacy Strategy and the National Numeracy Strategy. Children under five who have special educational needs or who speak English as an additional language make good progress.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. In the 1999 reading tests, the percentage of seven-year-olds who reached the expected level and higher levels was above the national average. The school did particularly well at the higher levels. Teachers’ assessments accurately reflected these attainments. The 1999 average point score was also above the national average. The results were in line with those of other schools having a similar proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals. Over the past four years, standards have varied considerably but, on average, they have been above the national trend. Girls do better than boys but the margin is about the same as is seen nationally. In the 1999 writing tests at the end of Key Stage 1, results were not so good and the proportion of pupils reaching the nationally expected level was below the national average. The average point score was close to the national average. The overall performance was well below that of

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The school’s results and achievements

similar schools. Over the past four years, the average point score has been below the national average and there were dips in 1997 and 1998. The 1999 results, although showing a significant improvement on those two years, are not yet back to the level of 1996. Boys do significantly worse than girls and by a bigger margin than is seen nationally.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. Last year, the school was successful in the mathematics tests at the end of Key Stage 1. The percentage of pupils reaching the expected level was above the national average and a good proportion reached higher levels. The average point score was well above the national average and above the average for similar schools. Over the past four years, the average point score has been close to the national average. As in reading and writing, there were dips in 1997 and 1998, but the 1999 results in mathematics are the school’s best yet. Boys have significantly outperformed girls in most years and have done significantly better than the national average for boys. Teachers’ assessments in science showed that the proportion of seven-year-olds reaching the national expectation in 1999 was above the national average and a comparatively large proportion reached higher levels. The results were in line with those for similar

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The school’s results and achievements

4. In the 1999 tests in English, the proportion of eleven-year-olds reaching the expected level was close to the national average and the proportion reaching higher levels was above the national average. The average point score was well above the national average by almost a term’s worth of work. However, compared with the results of schools having a similar proportion of free school meals, the average point score was below average. Over the past four years, the average overall point score has been ahead of the national average by almost a term. There was a slight dip in 1997 and a very dramatic dip in 1998 before a good recovery in 1999 almost back up to 1996 levels. Boys improved more than girls but their overall scores are close to the national averages. The overall differences between girls’ and boys’ performances broadly mirror the national trends.

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The school’s results and achievements

5. In mathematics tests, the proportion reaching the expected level and the average point score at the end of Key Stage 2 were both above the national average in 1999. However, the results were below the averages for similar schools. Over the last four years, the average overall point score has been close to the national average. As in English, there was a dip in 1997 and a very big dip in 1998 before a good recovery last year. The scores of boys and girls are close to the national gender-related averages and there is little difference between them. In the 1999 science tests, the proportions of pupils at the expected level and at the higher levels were above the national averages. The average point score was also above the national average. These results were in line with the averages for similar schools. Over the past four years, the average overall point score has been above the national average. Again, there was a dip in 1997 and big

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The school’s results and achievements

dip in 1998 before a recovery to a higher level than in 1996. Girls do not do as well as boys but they are above the national average for girls. Boys’ results are line with the national average for boys. Hillside Primary School - 11 6. The dips in attainment in 1997 and 1998 have affected the school’s overall pattern of improvement in all subjects and in both key stages and make it difficult to identify a consistent trend in either key stage, although the 1999 results generally show a good recovery. The school has revised its targets in the light of analysis of the results and they are now more challenging in English at the end of Key Stage 2 although they have been lowered a little for mathematics. These targets are realistic and inspection evidence indicates that pupils are well on their way to reaching them. The unconfirmed results of the national tests in 2000 show significant improvements in most results at both key stages. The percentages of pupils

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The school’s results and achievements

achieving the nationally expected levels are all in line with and almost all above or well above the national figures for 1999.

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The school’s results and achievements

7. Direct evidence from inspection indicates that, at the ends of both key stages, overall attainments in reading and writing are above the nationally expected levels and a small minority of pupils produce excellent work. Standards of speaking and listening are in line with national expectations at the ends of both key stages. The school has made good progress in raising standards in reading and writing since the last inspection. Most pupils of all abilities enjoy books and many read well, confidently and with good expression. Pupils learning English as an additional language make good progress in learning to speak and read. Attainment in writing is generally high and the pupils’ use of language is often well above that expected for their age. Many pupils write stories and poems that show individuality and demonstrate their ability to handle the conventions of writing effectively. Pupils write well for a range of purposes and, by

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The school’s results and achievements

the end of Key Stage 2, about half of the pupils have an extensive vocabulary. Standards of handwriting and presentation are generally good.

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The school’s results and achievements

8. Inspection findings show that the standards in mathematics have risen since the last inspection and that they are above the nationally expected level at the ends of both key stages. This is largely due to the implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy and to improvements in the quality of teaching. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils can add and subtract numbers up to one hundred and, by the end of Key Stage 2, many pupils are proficient in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division and have a good understanding of fractions and percentages. Standards in science are above national expectations at the ends of both key stages. By the end of Year 2, pupils understand about healthy eating and understand about friction and electrical circuits. Visits to the pond and wildlife area enable them to learn about the life-cycles of frogs, plants and insects. By the end of Year 6, many pupils have a sound understanding of

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The school’s results and achievements

fair testing. Most understand the difference between a conductor and an insulator and they can explain electrical circuits and higher-attaining pupils can explain how light travels.

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The school’s results and achievements

9. Attainments in art and religious education are above national expectations and those set out in the locally agreed syllabus at the ends of both key stages and most pupils make good progress. Pupils with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language make good progress. Standards in design and technology are broadly in line with those expected nationally. This is a similar picture to the one reported after the previous inspection. Few lessons could be observed in geography and history but a scrutiny of pupils’ written work in both subjects and discussions with pupils showed that higher-attaining pupils in both key stages are reaching standards that are as good as, and often better than, those expected nationally. Attainment in music and physical education is broadly in line with national expectations and pupils achieve well at the ends of both key stages. Only a few sessions of information and

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The school’s results and achievements

communications technology took place during the inspection and this and other evidence indicate that attainment is below national expectations at the ends of both key stages. The school has made unsatisfactory progress in this subject since the last inspection, when attainment was in line with national expectations.

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The school’s results and achievements

10. The National Literacy Strategy was successfully introduced to the school last year. Standards of literacy are good and pupils learn about a range of grammatical terms. Teachers generally place a good emphasis on the use of subject-specific terminology and literacy is well used in most respects. However, there is not enough extended or creative writing in other subjects. The National Numeracy Strategy has been well implemented and pupils make good progress in their ability to calculate mentally and on paper and in their knowledge of number facts. Mathematics is used well in other subjects to reinforce learning. For example, when Year 4 visited the local supermarket as part of a project in design and technology, they were required to calculate how many different loaves of bread they could afford to purchase with a given budget.

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The school’s results and achievements

11. In Key Stages 1 and 2, the progress of pupils with special educational needs is good and sometimes very good in accordance with their identified needs. Most receive good support from the skilled learning Hillside Primary School - 12 support assistants, especially in literacy. Their confidence and self-esteem grow, improving their willingness to tackle tasks. Pupils learning English as an additional language make good progress. Those who start with little or no English quickly learn to speak and communicate confidently with each other in structured situations, such as ‘circle time’, and in less structured situations, such as break and lunch times. Class teachers provide many opportunities for these pupils to develop their understanding of English and they ask well-targeted questions to ensure that they have understood what is being taught. The head teacher and staff are committed to providing appropriate support so that pupils can have better access to

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The school’s results and achievements

the curriculum and, as a result, pupils make rapid progress in acquiring English language skills. For example, one pupil who arrived in Year 5 six months ago with no English is now working towards Level 4, which is appropriate for this age.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Pupils’ attitudes to the school are good, as they were at the time of the previous inspection. Almost ninety per cent of parents who responded to the pre-inspection questionnaire stated that their children liked coming to school. The great majority of pupils show an admirable enthusiasm for their work and an obvious enjoyment in it. For example, pupils in a Year 1 numeracy lesson were heard to cheer with pleasure when they found the correct answer in a mental mathematics exercise. Pupils enjoy talking about what they are involved in and they take a pride in their achievements. Pupils in a Year 6 art lesson were justifiably proud of the colourful lino-prints they made and were eager to describe how they had achieved different effects. There is a wide range of extra-curricular activities, particularly in the first two terms of the school year, and pupils’ enthusiasm for life at school is also displayed in the high take-up for the

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Standards of behaviour have also been maintained at a good level although a minority of boys require careful management to prevent indiscipline. Pupils have drawn up and signed their own class rules giving clear guidance on the standards of behaviour expected. The school’s behaviour policy states the scale of sanctions and rewards and is generally implemented consistently across the school. There was no evidence of bullying seen during the inspection and the majority of parents are satisfied with standards of behaviour and with the way the school handles any incidences of intimidation. There has been one recent, temporary exclusion, following a period of intervention and support for the pupil. The school carried out all the required procedures correctly.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. There are very good relationships between teachers and pupils throughout the school. Pupils are treated in a very caring yet mature way by staff. They respond positively to this and there is a high level of mutual respect shown. Pupils show a good level of respect for the feelings, values and beliefs of others. This is supported by the effective teaching of religious education and by relevant themes in assembly. Pupils accept one another, regardless of background, race or special educational needs, and they support one another when working in pairs or in larger groups. For example, in a Year 4 music lesson, pupils worked together to compose a piece of music and, in a numeracy lesson, they co-operated well in pairs to play a multiplication game. Pupils are taught to understand the impact of their actions on others and, on a rare occasion when inappropriate language was used, the pupil was helped to understand how his words could

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

have been upsetting. Pupils are very polite, friendly and open in their discussions with visitors.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. The extent to which pupils show initiative and take responsibility is also very good. In lessons, pupils look for ways to make their tasks even more challenging and they ask pertinent questions that extend their learning. Older pupils are expected to assist in many aspects of school life, such as helping at lunchtime, ‘buddying’ younger pupils and arranging charity fund-raising events. They carry out these responsibilities with a high level of enthusiasm and obviously thrive on the trust placed in them. Younger pupils are also expected to be involved in responsible tasks, such as returning the registers to the office and tidying the classrooms. The personal development of pupils is greatly advanced by the wide range of visitors to the school, such as the police, theatre groups, the local bishop and other clergy, as well as by numerous educational visits, including residential trips for older pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Most pupils behave well in classrooms and in small groups when they receive extra support from the teacher or learning support assistants. They develop respect for each other's work and feelings and are positive about each other's efforts. They are willing to talk about their work and develop confidence in speaking, reading and writing.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. The attendance figures have remained good since the previous inspection and have improved very slightly since then. The figures for both authorised and unauthorised absences are marginally better than the Hillside Primary School - 13 national figures. Registers show that there are several incidences of extended holidays during term time but the school deals with those consistently and the unauthorised absence rate is largely caused by holidays longer than the ten days allowed in term time. The great majority of pupils arrive punctually at school and, as a result, no teaching time is lost. Registers are marked according to legal requirements.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. Teaching has improved significantly since the last inspection and it is now consistently good across the school. It was satisfactory or better in ninety-four per cent of the lessons seen. It was good or better in seventy-two per cent of lessons and it was excellent in four per cent of lessons. Four of the seventy lessons seen were unsatisfactory and these were in the lower half of Key Stage 2. Otherwise, teaching and, consequently, learning in all the age groups were good and the needs of all pupils were well catered for. Three of the unsatisfactory lessons were in mathematics. Overall, however, teaching in mathematics, as in English and almost all other subjects where judgements could be made, was good. The teaching of information and communications technology is unsatisfactory overall, largely because teachers lack the necessary confidence and expertise. Literacy and numeracy are well taught and the appropriate vocabulary

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

and basic skills are carefully developed in most subjects.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Particular strengths of teaching include the quality of relationships, teachers’ planning and the clarity of learning objectives, the good use of final plenary sessions for the assessment of progress and learning, the skilful use of questioning to encourage independent thinking and, in most cases, teachers’ knowledge and understanding of their subjects. For example, key features in the successful teaching of science are the emphasis placed on investigations and the way pupils are encouraged to discuss and explain their findings. In art, pupils are given very good opportunities to use reference books and artefacts to observe and create their designs. Teachers make sure that techniques are taught properly but leave the pupils to design and make their own models. In one geography lesson, the teacher encouraged pupils to find out facts for themselves and to choose the best way to record the information. Good use is made of questions in

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

mathematics, too. Teachers probe pupils’ understanding of the number system and challenge them to explain their methods of calculation. In the nursery, there is a good balance between activities initiated and directed by adults and those selected independently by the children. Learning objectives are clearly planned for all areas of learning and staff assess children’s progress regularly.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Across the school, the very best lessons are marked by the teachers’ confident and knowledgeable approach, coupled with a bright, enthusiastic manner. As a result, pupils listen very carefully from the start of the lesson, respond accurately and learn very well. In some physical education lessons, the infectious enthusiasm of the teachers provides a good example for pupils and they are encouraged to strive for their best performances and to be honestly critical of their own work. Teachers generally make good use of resources and particular teaching aids, such as historical and religious artefacts. For example, in a lesson on religion, the teacher used pictures, books and artefacts, such as ‘puja tray’, to extend pupils’ learning about Hinduism and Christianity. This led to pupils comparing the differing concepts of God and the religious leaders, beliefs, sacred books, places of worship, symbols, rituals and festivals of both the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

religions. Teachers across the school are well supported by classroom assistants and liaison is generally very good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. The quality of teaching creates an atmosphere that contributes directly to the good learning. In a history lesson in Year 5, the teacher used his very good repertoire of story-telling skills well to stimulate and excite the class so that they responded with imagination and creativity. In a geography lesson in Year 2, the teacher produced a string of amusing, open-ended questions, which made pupils observe carefully and think hard about the location of such items as rubbish bins, lines of young trees and wood chippings. The plenary sessions ensure that pupils have a good understanding of what they have learned and what they need to do next. Pupils generally concentrate well and produce work that shows creativity and effort. Their learning in most subjects is thoroughly reinforced in other subjects. For example, topics in geography are often selected to support and extend what has been learned in history. Most pupils are keen

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

and eager to learn. Their behaviour in lessons is generally good and this plays an important part in creating a positive ethos for learning. They often co-operate well with each other and with their teachers. When, rarely, pupils behave less well, they do not listen carefully enough to their teacher, and make slow progress as a consequence.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Teachers have successfully developed the skills of working with small groups, partly because the small classrooms and the open-plan design of the accommodation make formal teaching very difficult to sustain over time. When teaching is unsatisfactory, the level of generally unavoidable noise from other classes is Hillside Primary School - 14 an important contributory factor. The main weaknesses in teaching are mainly in information and communications technology, where there are few links with topics in other subjects and assessment is weak. Occasionally, tasks are not well matched to the needs of particular individuals or groups. For example, in one mathematics lesson, the teacher was unaware that a significant minority of pupils were finding their task too difficult and, as a result, they began to lose interest and their behaviour deteriorated. In the unsatisfactory lessons, inappropriate tasks led to a loss of interest and a consequent decrease in the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Pupils with special educational needs are well taught in the nursery and the reception group as activities are broadly matched to their individual needs and this positively affects their learning and progress. Teaching in the rest of the school is also good and the needs of pupils with special educational needs are almost always well met by the provision of activities targeted at the appropriate level. These pupils make good progress in their learning. As well as teaching specific strategies to improve skills, teachers place appropriate emphasis on increasing confidence and self-esteem. Pupils with statements identifying the extent of external help they require are well supported by assistants who show good understanding of their needs. The school makes satisfactory provision for pupils learning English as an additional language. There is no specialist teacher to provide them with additional support but the class teachers are well

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

organized and work effectively, even with the few who arrive at the school with no English. They use effective methods to help parents support their children at home. For example, a form is sent home for parents to translate useful phrases from English into their spoken language so that their child can have enough English vocabulary to take part in the school’s day-to-day activities.

p.14

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

24. The school provides a good broad, balanced and relevant curriculum, which includes all the subjects of the National Curriculum, religious education, sex, health and drugs education and planning meets statutory requirements. The curriculum successfully promotes pupils’ intellectual, physical and personal development and is accessible to all pupils. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. Sound policies are in place for all subjects although some are in need of review. Schemes of work in science, information and communications technology and most foundation subjects consist of year group plans but these do not always provide sufficient guidance or ensure effective continuity in the development of pupils’ skills and knowledge. The school gives high priority to developing basic skills and has effectively implemented the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. This is beginning to have a

p.14

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

positive affect in raising standards. The time allocated to most subjects is broadly in line with national recommendations. Statutory requirements are not being met for information and communications technology because insufficient time is being allocated and the National Curriculum’s programme of study is not adequately covered. 25. The last inspection report identified the need to improve long-term planning by developing an overall framework and this has been addressed by developing a whole-school curriculum plan. A further need was to complete schemes of work for all subjects to provide clear expectations of the level of work to be covered in each year. The school has attempted to address this by allowing year group leaders to develop plans for their year groups but these do not always provide sufficient guidance as to how the curriculum is to be taught and they lack cohesion and links between year groups. The plans do not build sufficiently on

p.14

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

what pupils have learnt in previous years or ensure effective progression in skills and knowledge for all pupils, especially between key stages. The system does not involve subject co-ordinators in the planning and monitoring process enough to ensure that the requirements of the National Curriculum are properly met. For example, plans for science refer to topics that were discontinued more than five years ago.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

26. Planning for continuity within year groups is sound in most subjects and good in numeracy, literacy and religious education. This is because the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and the locally agreed syllabus for religious education provide detailed frameworks for planning. In some year groups, one teacher takes responsibility for teaching a particular subject, which makes effective use of particular expertise and ensures parallel classes receive a similar curriculum. This is particularly effective in the upper part of the school. The school has an effective policy for sex education and drugs education and these are implemented well through the science curriculum and specific teaching for the older pupils.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

27. All pupils have equal access to the wide opportunities offered by the school. The curriculum for children aged under five years and for pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 who have special educational needs is good and their needs are appropriately supported. In Key Stages 1 and 2, provision for pupils learning English as an additional language are satisfactory. They have full access to the National Curriculum. Learning Hillside Primary School - 15 support assistants are used well and provide good support. There is a clear and useful policy for special educational needs and most pupils’ individual education plans have targets that are suitably updated, practical and easily understood. However, the co-ordinator does not monitor the progress of those pupils who are at the lower end of the scale of needs to ensure that all documentation is up-to-date, that targets are specific and that their parents are fully involved in the target-setting process. This leads to some

p.14

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

inconsistency in the implementation of the policy. Pupils whose needs are more serious have their statements regularly reviewed and the school takes effective action to put the provision outlined into effect.

p.15

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

28. The provision for extra-curricular activities is good and it is accessible to all pupils. During the autumn and spring terms, all staff are involved in a wide range of after-school activities which include football, basketball, cricket, badminton and knitting. There are good inter-school sporting activities which provide effective social inter-action. Provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education is good. Good opportunities are provided in most classes for pupils to discuss issues about relationships and codes of behaviour in circle time. Pupils assume a range of responsibilities in all classes and older pupils also distribute registers and provide help in assemblies, at lunchtimes and playtimes, helping to clear away and tidy up. These activities contribute to their personal and social education. Health education is effectively provided through the science curriculum and through specific sex and drugs education for the oldest pupils

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

and the school nurse has an appropriate involvement. Positive health messages are displayed around the school and older pupils are encouraged to design and display posters.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

29. The school makes very good use of the local community and surrounding area to support pupils’ learning beyond the classroom. A wide variety of visitors come into school to speak to pupils and this extends their knowledge and understanding of the wider world. Useful visits are made to museums, farms, other places of interest and places of worship. Residential visits are undertaken by pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6, which provide a wide range of learning opportunities.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

30. Overall, the school has maintained the very high levels of provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development seen at the last inspection. There is a good spiritual element to most assemblies. For example, in a class assembly, the teacher compared a vase full of flowers to the cohort of pupils and they could see that, as each type of flower was removed, the display gradually lost interest and colour. The daily act of collective worship is of a broadly Christian character although the themes chosen are sometimes more related to the personal, social and health education programme or to social issues, such as team work. However, pupils are encouraged to consider quietly whether they believe in a God or not during the periods of reflection provided. Spirituality is evident in lessons, too. For example, pupils express their feelings through writing, music and art.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

31. The provision made for pupils’ moral development is very good and parents feel that the school promotes moral values very well. Pupils are very aware of right and wrong. They participate in formulating class rules and then sign them individually. Adults take time to explain how thoughtless words or deeds can upset others and pupils respond positively to this by admitting wrongdoings and apologising. Good moral development is shown in the way older pupils care for younger ones, particularly at lunchtimes. Faithfulness and loyalty are emphasised in class assemblies and pupils also have the opportunity to become involved in charity fundraising for specific causes, such as ‘Help the Aged’ and the ‘Malawi Association for Christian Support’.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

32. There is a strong sense of community within the school, reflecting the very good provision for social development. Adults act as very good role-models. They speak to pupils in a kind and considerate way and this is mirrored in the way pupils treat each other. For example, an infant pupil who got into difficulties with his food tray at lunchtime was soon being comforted by adults and children of all ages. Year 6 pupils act as ‘buddies’ to Year 1 pupils and all children are encouraged to help each other in work and play. Hillside Primary School - 16 33. Good provision for cultural development is made through music, art displays and visits to museums and other places of interest. For example, pupils recently took part in the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s School Concert. In art, they learn about famous artists and, in music lessons, pupils have opportunities to listen to a selection of musical works. In religious education, pupils learn about festivals of Christianity

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

and other major faiths represented in Great Britain. However, pupils are not given many opportunities to observe different styles of work from artists representing non-European cultures. There is a lack of multicultural displays, books and written examples of other languages and the school does not do enough to reflect the multicultural nature of society today. The school does not have access to the Internet and so cannot use this means of broadening the multicultural horizons further.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

34. Relationships with local secondary schools are sound and transfer arrangements are started very early in the child’s final year in school. Information booklets are provided and school visits and an information evening are arranged so that the transition to secondary school is as easy as possible. The community makes a very good contribution to pupils’ learning in several ways. A number of local service providers support the school with expertise and equipment. Musical and theatrical groups regularly visit the school and representatives of the health service come into school regularly to support the school’s programme for personal, social and health education. The school regularly participates in fund-raising activities which add to the opportunities for moral and social education and prepare pupils well for adult life.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. The school provides very good levels of supervision and care and pupils feel safe and secure throughout the school day. The day-to-day recording and treatment of accidents and illnesses is very good and nearly all staff have been trained in first aid. However, the formal procedures for health and safety are poor as there is currently no policy and no whole-school risk assessment has been carried out recently. The school is aware of this and is in the process of rectifying the matter through training. Similarly, the school’s policy for child protection is currently only in draft form and the governors have not yet formally adopted the local authority’s guidelines. The school has no policy for the physical restraint of pupils. However, the head teacher, who is the child protection coordinator, has been appropriately trained and all members of staff are aware of what to do if they suspect abuse. The school has been unable fully to repair the cracks

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

in the junior playground identified as potential dangers at the last inspection and, until the matter is resolved, the junior playground remains a safety hazard.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The educational and personal support and guidance of pupils are good. The staff pay great care and attention to each pupil’s academic and personal needs. They monitor and promote good behaviour very well and support pupils’ personal development. The positive role played by mid-day supervisors, supported by the very good guidance provided by the school, effectively promotes good behaviour and eliminates oppressive behaviour. Incident slips and a report system are used when necessary and pupils have to discuss their misdemeanours with the head teacher. The annual progress report include a self- evaluation by each pupil and information from parents on what their children’s interests and achievements are outside school. Examples of the pupil’s work are also included and the whole file builds into a comprehensive record for monitoring pupils’ personal and academic progress.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. The quality of formal assessment and day-to-day assessment is good in English and mathematics and work in these subjects is assessed accurately at the end of each key stage. In English and mathematics, teachers set realistic overall targets for each cohort of pupils. They know the capabilities of pupils in their classes well and have made a good start in setting individual goals. Teachers use numerous ways of helping pupils identify their own progress. These methods also add to the school’s knowledge of what it does well and what it still needs to do.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. However, despite this generally good practice, there are no comprehensive policies or systems for academic assessment. Consequently, the quality of assessment is often unsatisfactory in other subjects and it is poor in information and communications technology as no effective system has been established. Teachers keep checklists of what pupils have done but not of how well they have done. There are no comprehensive portfolios of pupils’ work in this subject to assist with the assessment and monitoring of individuals or groups. Similarly, there is no system to monitor the build-up of pupils’ skills in other subjects, such as science, art, design and technology, geography, history, music or religious education. This means that teachers do not have a good indication of how well pupils are progressing. Marking is usually done regularly. Teachers’ comments are generally positive and detailed and areas for

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

improvement are clearly indicated. Parental consultations are held twice a year and the written annual reports provide useful information about their children's progress. Hillside Primary School - 17 39. Class teachers undertake regular assessments of pupils with special educational needs. Where necessary, these pupils are supported by appropriate help from outside agencies. Individual education plans are drawn up but pupils are not effectively involved in establishing their own targets. Provision for those pupils with statements of special educational needs and arrangements for their annual reviews are satisfactory. The guidance in the Code of Practice is fully met and parents are generally fully involved. Review procedures for those pupils without statements are carried out termly, or more frequently if necessary, and their parents, too, are informed and invited to be involved in the review process. One

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

weakness in these arrangements is that, if parents do not attend, there is no follow-up procedure to inform them of the revised individual education plan.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. There are effective procedures for monitoring and promoting good attendance. The head teacher and the educational welfare officer regularly scrutinise the records and any patterns of absence are noted and investigated. Certificates are awarded to pupils for full attendance.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41. The evidence from the pre-inspection questionnaires and the parents’ meeting shows that parents generally appreciate what the school provides and achieves. However, a minority of parents were less happy with the amount of homework given, the degree of information they received about their children’s progress, the way that the school works with parents and how well it is led and managed and with the extent of activities outside lessons. Inspectors found homework to be satisfactory and the number of extra- curricular activities provided by the school is good.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. Parents receive an adequate amount of information about their children through the annual progress reports and the quality of these reports is often very high. Teachers are easily accessible at the beginning and end of the day for informal discussions. Provision for parents to be involved in the identification, assessments and review of those pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. They are invited to termly and annual reviews and asked to contribute to targets. However, there is an inconsistent approach to recording parental attendance and involvement in the target-setting and review procedures. There is also some evidence to show that not all parents of pupils with special educational needs are kept as regularly and as fully informed as they should be. In addition, some parents find the co-ordinator for work with special educational needs, difficult to approach.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. The information that the school provides for parents is satisfactory overall. The annual governors’ report and the school prospectus both meet statutory requirements and there is an adequate number of newsletters from the school and from class teachers and year leaders. Written information is available about the curriculum and the school also organises talks on topics such as literacy and numeracy. There are two formal parents’ consultation evenings each year, one following the written progress report in the summer term and one in the autumn term.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. Despite the concerns of some parents, the school does have good links with parents, enabling them to play a very effective part in their children’s education. The great majority of families signed the recently introduced home-school agreement and many parents, including parent governors, help regularly in the daily life of the main school and the nursery. Many parents are involved in checking and signing homework diaries and hearing their children read regularly at home and this has a positive impact on learning. Parents’ work in the school is well supported by the parents’ association which is not only involved in fundraising activities but also in raising general awareness of the school as a community. For example, the association played a key role in the recent millennium celebrations. Parents also make financial contributions to the activities fund that pays for all the school visits, helping all pupils to enjoy

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

the many academic and social benefits gained from residential and day trips. Hillside Primary School - 18

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. The head teacher has been in post since the school was built, fourteen years ago. Her good educational leadership has set the course for the school’s development. She has guided it towards rising standards of attainment and has established it as a safe and friendly place in which to learn. The school’s aims and values are based on these two goals and they are reflected well in all aspects of its work. The head teacher monitors teaching across the school and keeps detailed records, following formal observations, which she discusses with the teachers concerned. These records are then used for planning professional development. In the past two years, she has concentrated mainly on the teaching of literacy and numeracy. Her work has contributed to the consistently good teaching in the school across all subjects.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. Despite the good leadership, there are some weaknesses in management, particularly in the unsatisfactory arrangements for delegating responsibilities. The two deputy head teachers carry out their responsibilities for staff development and assessment well and they also provide valued support and advice to the teachers in the two key stages. The co-ordinators for English and mathematics are also effective, as they are able to monitor teaching as well as the planning of the curriculum. Where there is a clear framework, co- ordinators in other subjects are able to monitor the teachers’ planning and the standards achieved in the pupils’ books and other work. In most subjects, however, co-ordinators can only advise the heads of year about the content of their education plans. The absence of clear guidelines for co-ordinators means that they are not all sure about what is expected of them. Consequently, despite having a good allocation of

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

non-contact time for the purpose, they are not systematically monitoring teaching and only a few are monitoring standards of attainment.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The management of the curriculum is unsatisfactory. The lack of guidance on how to use non-contact time and the adoption of education plans in place of detailed schemes of work mean that the continuity of learning between year groups is not ensured. The position is weakened further by the autonomy given to the year teams and by the absence of adequate arrangements for assessing attainment, other than in literacy and numeracy. Particularly affected are those subjects, such as history and geography, where similar topics are repeated in different years and progression is based on the growing understanding of concepts as well as on the development of new skills. There are no formal means of measuring how well pupils are doing in these areas. The lack of a school-wide overview also means that aspects of science and information and communications technology, marking, homework and provision for pupils with special

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

educational needs are not operating consistently. The division between year groups and key stages is not helpful in these respects, where the school can seem like three separate establishments.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The head teacher is the co-ordinator for work with pupils who have special educational needs. She is well qualified for the post and provides sound leadership. She is currently in the process of reviewing the policy. The named governor for special educational needs is closely involved and meets the co-ordinator at least once a term to discuss issues and provide good support. The co-ordinator is effectively involved in review meetings with staff, parents, and external agencies for those pupils with statements but has little involvement with those who do not and there is insufficient monitoring to ensure that parents are involved and the necessary paper work is in order. This is not satisfactory. The individual education plans are written and held by class teachers. They are updated regularly but not all of them record parental involvement in the review and target-setting process. There is no written policy on equal opportunities but

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

the school’s aims support these principles strongly and create a positive environment. In practice, all boys and girls from different ethnic and linguistic backgrounds are given equal access to the curriculum. In all classes, work is provided to match pupils of all abilities. The provision for pupils learning English as an additional language is satisfactory and they make very good progress. The provision for pupils who have special educational needs is good and they make good progress.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The governing body operates effectively in most respects and individual governors are well aware of the school’s strengths and weaknesses, owing to the detailed reports provided by the head teacher and the close contact which most of them have with the school. However, the majority of the governors are comparatively inexperienced and several feel that they have not been given opportunities to develop in the role and that their potential contribution is not appreciated. These governors expressed the view that major decisions were taken by just a few senior members of the governing body and the head teacher and that other governors were expected simply to ratify them. These circumstances are unsatisfactory, since the full governing body is not being enabled to play a strategic part in the school’s development. The formal policies underpinning arrangements for ensuring the health and safety of pupils and for child

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

protection have not yet been adopted and the school is not fully meeting its statutory responsibilities in Hillside Primary School - 19 these respects, although practice is good. Statutory requirements for information and communications technology are not being met.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. Teachers take part in the early stages of the school’s development planning. As co-ordinators, all the teachers are involved in identifying areas of development for their subjects. However, they are not required to produce action plans or to identify priorities or costs and there is no formal annual review of progress in the subjects. The remainder of the planning process is mostly undertaken by the senior management team and the chairpersons of the governors’ two main committees. The targets set are appropriate for the needs of the school and they are based on the educational priorities set by the school and by central government. Subject co-ordinators are allocated budgets for their subjects without any further consultation. Financial planning is good and it is firmly related to the targets in the school’s development plan. The day-to-day management of the budget is carried out efficiently by the school’s

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

bursar, who also acts as the administrative officer. She monitors expenditure and provides the staff and the governors’ finance committee with regular statements. Decisions about purchases are made carefully, with due attention to the principles of best value. The specific grants received for work with pupils who have special educational needs and for staff development are efficiently used for the appropriate purposes.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The school is well staffed and there are enough suitably qualified and experienced teachers to meet the needs of the National Curriculum except with regards to information and communications technology, where staff development has been unsatisfactory. The school uses teachers’ individual expertise well to support learning. Individual teachers are conscientious and dedicated although a significant minority feel that their skills and abilities are not recognised by the school’s management. There has been a high turnover of staff in the last two years, with nine of the full-time teachers having left and another two leaving at the end of the current school year. The teachers are all committed to the aims of the school and work hard for it to be successful, and it is this commitment, and the quality of the teaching, that are the main elements in the school’s overall capacity to succeed. There are enough skilled learning support

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

assistants to cater for the large number of pupils on the school’s register of special educational needs. Most have received suitable training and provide good and sometimes very good support.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. Arrangements for assessing and managing the performance of members of staff are to be implemented as soon as statutory information has been received. At present, all teaching staff benefit from regular informal meetings with the head teacher to discuss their strengths and areas for development in their teaching. Arrangements for the professional development of staff are handled efficiently by the in-service training co-ordinator. They are based on the priorities of the school development plan but also reflect the outcomes of informal appraisal and the personal preferences of staff. There are no adequate and up-to- date job descriptions, informing staff of their specific roles in school. There are effective procedures to support and guide newly-qualified teachers and staff who are new to the school say that they are well supported.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The accommodation is adequate overall but the size and open-plan design of the classrooms mean that careful management is needed for the curriculum to be taught effectively. However, significant improvements have been made since the previous inspection. The rooms and corridors are enlivened by attractive displays of pupils’ work and the interiors of both the main school and the nursery are in good decorative order. The school has a spacious playing field, a very large nature area, a securely fenced pond and two separate playgrounds, one for the infants and one for the juniors. The cracks in the latter area still gives cause for concern, despite being patched up since the previous inspection.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. There are adequate resources to match the demands of the curriculum in all subjects except information and communications technology. The level and quality of resources are good in science, religious education and music and very good in physical education. Library facilities for Key Stage 1 are unsatisfactory although the quality of books is sound. The library area for Key Stage 2 is satisfactory but the range and quality of books is poor, with many old and outdated reference books and insufficient guidance for younger pupils to access reference materials. Effective use is made of outside resources, such as museums, farms and other places of interest and frequent visitors come into the school to enrich the pupils’ learning. Hillside Primary School - 20 55. The school’s progress towards the targets set following the last inspection is satisfactory although it has been slow to develop provision for information and communications technology and its use of this

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

technology is unsatisfactory. The two main key issues concerned the establishment of full schemes of work for all subjects and the development of effective systems for assessment across the curriculum and these tasks have been only partly addressed. Where the issues have been tackled, the outcomes have been good. There have been marked improvements in teaching since the last inspection, standards in English and mathematics have risen and considerable improvements have been made to the accommodation. Taking these factors into account, together with the high quality of teaching and the overall good achievements of the pupils, the school is effective in providing a good standard of education and it gives good value for money.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

56. In order to improve the standards of attainment and the quality of the education offered still further, the school’s senior management and governors need to:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• draw up and implement detailed schemes of work and systems of assessment in all subjects; ( See paragraphs 24, 38, 55, 88, 98, 105, 110, 117 and 122 ) • raise standards in information and communications technology by implementing the National Curriculum’s programme of study fully and as a matter of urgency; ( See paragraphs 49 and 110 ) • improve co-ordination across the school by drawing up realistic job descriptions for co-ordinators, providing them with staff development, where necessary, and enabling them to carry out their duties fully and make the most effective use of the non-contact time allocated to them; ( See paragraphs 46 and 48 ) • devise procedures for the induction of newly-appointed governors and ensure that all governors are enabled to play a full part in the strategic management of the school; ( See paragraphs 39 and 49 ) • adopt and implement the draft policies for health and safety and child protection. ( See paragraphs 35

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

57. In addition to the above issues, the senior management and governors should consider the following matters for inclusion in the action plan:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• continue to search for funding to make permanent improvements to the junior playground; ( See paragraph 35 ) • as and when resources permit, improve the stocks of computers and library books. ( See paragraph 54 ) Hillside Primary School - 21

p.20

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 57

p.21

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.21

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.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 25 325

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals N/a 24

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2 3

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 19 101

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 26

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 52

p.21

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.21

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Hillside Primary School - 22

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 32 30 62

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 28 24 31 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 28 26 28

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 90 (74) 82 (76) 95 (89) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83 (78) 87 (84)

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 30 31 31 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 29 28 29

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 95 (76) 95 (80) 97 (94) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 87 (86)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 30 28 58

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 22 25 27 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 21 21 24

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 74 (57) 79 (38) 88 (61) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 19 22 25 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 21 20 25

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 69 (50) 72 (44) 86 (52) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (71)

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Hillside Primary School - 23

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 3 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 25 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) 14 Financial year 1998/99

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23.2

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: Y1 – Y6 Total expenditure 579,371

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 11 Expenditure per pupil 1,566

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 149 Balance brought forward from previous year 35,615

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 33,820

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 50

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Hillside Primary School - 24

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 29 57 13 0 1

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 22 57 14 5 2

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 25 52 19 2 2

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 27 40 27 5 1

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 46 48 5 1 0

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 35 54 8 0 3

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 19 56 22 2 1

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 16 54 13 13 4

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 19 70 8 2 1

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 13 56 22 3 6 Hillside Primary School - 25

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

58. During the inspection, nineteen children in the nursery were on the register of special educational needs and two had statements identifying the nature of the external help they needed. Three others had high levels of need based on the assessments in the Code of Practice and four children were learning English as an additional language. On entry to the nursery, a high proportion of children have levels of knowledge, skills and understanding that are below those of other children of the same age nationally. The range of suitable activities and the appropriate emphasis on language and literacy enable children to make good progress in all the nationally agreed areas of learning so that, by the time they are five, the majority have achieved the targets recommended for their age. Children who have special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language make good progress. This is

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

an improvement on the position reported after the last inspection, when progress was sound.

p.25

Personal and social development

59. Children’s personal and social development reaches the standards expected nationally by the age of five and they make good progress. They settle well, make friends with other children and show confidence in the staff. They choose activities independently and learn to share games and equipment, such as wheeled toys. They learn to show concern for living things through their visits to ‘Bird World’ and through the travelling farm which visits the school. Children respond positively to adults’ expectations of good behaviour and listen with interest to stories. They observed stuffed birds borrowed from the local museum with fascination. Children are familiar with daily routines and move sensibly to their tasks and concentrate for increasing amounts of time. They are attentive in whole class sessions when they are given opportunities to develop their language and literacy and mathematical skills. They use

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Personal and social development

the equipment sensibly and put it away carefully after use.

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Language and literacy

60. Children enter the nursery with below average skills in language and literacy but they make good progress and their attainment by the age of five is in line with the levels expected nationally. Children develop speaking and listening skills because of the many opportunities provided. They are encouraged to talk about their holidays and the things they bring to school and to tell their news. They respond enthusiastically to stories and rhymes, which are well told by adults. Staff insist that children are attentive and this improves their listening skills. They talk to each other and to the staff about what they are doing but do not experiment with spoken language, even when playing in the ‘Veterinary Hospital’. Children are encouraged to browse through books and develop their interest in reading. The higher-attaining five-year-olds can read simple books and recognise many key words from sight. They

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Language and literacy

know the names and sounds of the letters of the alphabet and are beginning to spell common two and three-letter words. Most children try to communicate in writing. Higher-attaining children are beginning to write in sentences and they can write answers to the questions written by staff. Children are encouraged to take books home every day and good use is made of diaries to liase with parents.

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Mathematics

61. Children make good progress in mathematics and, by the time they are five, their knowledge, understanding and skills are in line with the expected levels for their age. They sing number songs and rhymes and most can count to ten. They have many opportunities to count. For example, after the register, they pass a teddy-bear round, counting the number of children who take it. Most children can count and they can recognise and write numbers up to ten. Higher-attaining pupils can count beyond twenty and can add one and take away one using various objects. In one lesson on shapes, most children were able to recognise circles, triangles, squares and rectangles and could describe the number of sides for each shape. They could identify the biggest and the smallest in a series of models. Through sand play, children are learning the concepts of full, half full and empty. Hillside Primary School - 26

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

62. The children make good progress in this area of learning and their knowledge and understanding of the world meets national expectations by the time they are five. They explore and recognise features of living things through their study of birds, and animals. They observe, touch and feed the farm animals brought to the nursery and they learn about the homes of different animals when the park ranger brings them to the nursery. Children grow cress and plant flowers in tubs in the outdoor area and watch them grow. They learn about their own growth patterns when they look at the clothes they wore when they were babies. They can use the arrows on the computer’s keyboard correctly and are becoming confident in using the computer for games to develop numeracy and literacy skills. A police officer visited the nursery to talk about his role in the community. Children enjoy using construction toys and one group

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

successfully built a high tower with big plastic blocks in the outdoor area.

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Physical development

63. By the age of five, children’s physical development is appropriate for their age. They have many opportunities to climb and balance on the large apparatus outdoors. They can throw, catch, and bounce the big balls confidently. Most boys show good skills in kicking, dribbling and tackling. They use tricycles and carts confidently, negotiating space and paying attention to safety. Their manipulative skills are developing well and the majority of children can handle pencils, brushes, glue-spreaders and construction kits appropriately. Children dress the toy deep-sea divers, skilfully picking up small pieces, such as flippers and masks. They move confidently and sensibly from one activity to another.

p.26

Creative development

64. Children are offered a wide range of opportunities that stimulate their imagination and enable them to make good progress and achieve satisfactory standards in this area of learning. In one lesson, a group of children drew peacock feathers with chalks after studying them through a magnifying glass. The results indicated good skills in observation as well as in drawing. Children use paint and malleable materials, such as play dough. They look at the work of famous artists for inspiration for their own drawings. A designated music area contains a variety of musical instruments and children are given many opportunities to learn nursery rhymes which they can sing tunefully.

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Creative development

65. The quality of teaching in the nursery is consistently good. The teacher is well supported by the nursery assistant and the learning support assistants for children with special educational needs and by a parent who attends regularly. For example, the nursery assistant helps children to practise writing letters of the alphabet and joins in with their play. During sand-play, staff use appropriate questions to help children extend their mathematical vocabulary by using such terms as ‘full’, ‘half-full’, ‘empty’ and ‘surface’ and by counting the number of sand castles. There is a good balance between activities initiated and directed by adults and those selected independently by the children. Staff plan learning objectives clearly for all areas of learning and, through careful questioning, they ensure that they are achieved. They assess children’s progress regularly and plan accordingly. Assessments in language

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Creative development

and literacy are very comprehensive and well used for future planning. The curriculum in the nursery is appropriate and covers all areas of learning and a good range of activities is offered in each session. The classroom provides sufficient space and children also have access to a secure and specifically designed outdoor play area. However, the outdoor area is used only for break times and is not used effectively to extend the curriculum throughout the day.

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ENGLISH

66. At the end of both key stages, results in the standard tests are above the nationally expected levels and a significant minority of pupils reach higher levels than those expected nationally. The school has made good progress in raising standards in reading and writing since the last inspection. Hillside Primary School - 27 67. The open-plan accommodation means that there is unavoidable noise from other classes and interruptions are frequently caused when other staff and pupils need to pass through the teaching areas. Nevertheless, pupils in both key stages develop satisfactory listening skills. They usually listen well to one another and to their teachers and respond appropriately to questions or instructions. Most pupils in Year 2 listen well but a significant minority of pupils in Year 3 do not. There is progress over the following three years and pupils in Year 6 listen carefully and concentrate on what is being said. In

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ENGLISH

Key Stage 1, standards of speaking are satisfactory. Children of reception class age respond well to the encouragement of their teachers. In Key Stage 2, pupils are able to adapt their speech to suit formal and informal occasions. For example, they read aloud clearly and expressively, showing a good awareness of the needs of the text and of their audience. Pupils learning English as an additional language make very good progress in both speaking and listening.

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ENGLISH

68. Standards in reading are above national expectations in both key stages. Most pupils of all abilities enjoy books and many read well, confidently and with good expression. Pupils learning English as an additional language make good progress in learning to read. Most pupils can discuss and compare texts and authors and describe characters. Those with less developed skills use phonics or other appropriate strategies, such as picture clues, to understand the text. Pupils in Year 2 show a good understanding of the difference between fiction and non-fiction and are becoming independent readers, choosing their own reading books with confidence. Pupils in Key Stage 2 read with good expression and higher- attaining pupils enjoy reading and can talk about plot and character and predict outcomes. They recognize errors quickly and they are eager to learn the meaning of new words. Many pupils know

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ENGLISH

about the works of a small range of different authors but they have a limited access to books of good quality through the school library. Most pupils, including those learning English as an additional language and those with special educational needs, learn at a good rate and make good progress in reading, writing and handwriting through both key stages.

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ENGLISH

69. Most pupils show average standards in their reference skills. They are able to use simple indexes to locate and use information in their work. Many pupils use skimming and scanning techniques when searching for information in non-fiction books. They can talk with understanding about the features of reference books, such as glossaries, contents pages, and indices, and can explain their purpose. Pupils have a more limited understanding of the classification of books in libraries or of how to search for particular books. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils use dictionaries and thesauri to check spellings and to enrich their written work.

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ENGLISH

70. Attainment in writing is generally high and sometimes very good. In Year 1, pupils write interesting sentences, such as, “ The fairy has golden, curly hair and she has magic wings to help her fly”. This use of language is well above that expected for the age. In Year 2, higher-attaining pupils know what a synopsis is. They use words such as ‘intonation’ correctly, and refer to holding their ‘plenary sessions’, as well as explaining accurately what happens in them. They usually spell complicated words correctly. High standards in Year 2 are shown by writing, such as, “ The giant wears a red tee-shirt and black trousers. He is one thousand metres tall. He has black hair with a black beard. He is very silly and clumsy. ” Pupils can also write well-constructed and evocative poetry.

p.27

ENGLISH

71. Standards in writing are above the expected levels by the end of Key Stage 2. Many pupils write stories and poems which show individuality and demonstrate their ability to handle the basic rules effectively. For example, they can write complex sentences, using capital letters and full stops. Able pupils use speech-marks effectively in their writing and they understand the meaning of onomatopoeia. Pupils use personal writing to describe events and feelings. They draft and redraft their work and they know the importance of adjectives and adverbs in giving their writing interest and colour. Pupils write well for a range of purposes and their work includes good examples of persuasive and informational writing. However, there are too few examples of extended, creative writing. The school is starting to address this through regular once-weekly sessions. By the end of Key Stage 2, about half of the pupils have an

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ENGLISH

extensive vocabulary which they use creatively to lend colour to their writing. They show a good understanding of the formal conventions of grammar but are also confident enough to discard them when it is appropriate for the characters in their stories. Throughout the school, pupils improve their standards of handwriting, adding to the quality of their written work in all subjects. Almost all pupils in Year 6 can write with a pen in a fluent, neat script. Hillside Primary School - 28 72. Pupils receive a good grounding in literacy throughout the school. Standards in literacy are good and pupils learn about a range of features of the English language such as prefixes, antonyms and collective nouns. Teachers generally insist on the appropriate terminology. For instance, in a Year 5 science lesson, words such as ‘corpuscles’, ‘bacteria’ and ‘cardiac’ were properly used. Pupils are encouraged to read new and difficult words and the school has rightly identified this approach as valuable in

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ENGLISH

improving the quality of pupils’ writing. In additional literacy support groups, pupils identified as needing extra help concentrate on improving their use of language and they are taught to enjoy their learning. Although the school’s widespread strategy of teaching in small groups has arisen out of the problems caused by the accommodation, teachers have developed this approach and made it an essential part of what they do well. Teachers throughout the school help pupils to spell correctly through regular tests and comments in marked work. Pupils in Year 6 use spelling journals and have completed an interesting glossary of Shakespearean language, with words like ‘abjure’, ‘beseech’ and ‘disdainful’.

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ENGLISH

73. The overall quality of English teaching is good. Teaching is very good in Key Stage 1 and good in Key Stage 2, with some exemplary teaching of literacy throughout the school, and there has been a big improvement since the last inspection. Teachers make their learning objectives clear, with timely reminders during lessons and analyses at the end. They check learning and develop pupils’ thinking with a series of gently probing questions. Teachers encourage pupils to evaluate their written and spoken work and that of their peers so that pupils have a clear understanding of what they have learned. Teachers cater very successfully for a wide variety of needs and they have good knowledge of how to teach the subject. This helps pupils feel secure, so that they are unafraid to ask questions and are able to learn from their mistakes. In the best lessons, the teachers’ confident, knowledgeable approach and

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ENGLISH

their bright, enthusiastic manner, ensure that the pupils listen very carefully from the start of the lesson, respond accurately and concentrate hard. Most pupils are keen and eager to learn and their behaviour in lessons is generally good. They often co-operate well with each other and with their teachers. When, rarely, pupils behave less well, they do not listen carefully enough to their teacher, and make slow progress as a consequence. Teachers generally make good use of homework but homework diaries are not used regularly in all classes. This means that opportunities to involve parents are sometimes missed. Pupils in Year 6 have a combined reading and homework diary.

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ENGLISH

74. The subject is led well by two able coordinators who plan, monitor, evaluate and guide the work effectively. The school has also benefited from significant new resources, with the introduction of the National Literacy Strategy, and from the support and guidance provided by a literacy consultant. Classroom assistants provide effective support but teachers do not use computers enough to support or extend learning. Arrangements to improve pupils’ research skills or to encourage independent learning through regular, guided use of the Internet are very limited.

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MATHEMATICS

75. The results of the 1999 national tests showed that, at the end of Key Stage 1, the percentages of pupils reaching the nationally expected level and higher levels were above the national averages. In comparison with schools having a similar proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals, the performance of pupils was above average. The findings of the inspection indicate that the attainment of the present Year 2 pupils broadly mirrors that of 1999 but that a greater proportion are achieving the higher levels. Early indications from the 2000 national tests support these judgements.

p.28

MATHEMATICS

76. The percentage of eleven-year-olds reaching the expected level in the 1999 tests was above the national average and the percentage of pupils achieving higher levels was close to the national average. However, results were below average in comparison with similar schools. In both key stages, standards over the past four years have been in line with the national average but the 1999 results in mathematics were the best yet. Inspection findings confirm that the standards presently attained are above the nationally expected level. In both key stages, standards have risen since the previous inspection. This is largely due to the implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy and to improvements in the quality of teaching.

p.28

MATHEMATICS

77. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils carry out addition and subtraction calculations up to one hundred. They make good use of their developing knowledge of number bonds to twenty. They arrange numbers in order and are acquiring a good understanding of place value. Pupils make good use of their knowledge when they use money, and they can relate it to everyday problems. In their work on shape, pupils name and recognise a range of two and three-dimensional shapes and describe their properties. Hillside Primary School - 29 Higher-attaining pupils are beginning to recognise rotating patterns of symmetry and to calculate areas. The majority of pupils confidently use centimetres and metres to calculate distances and use grid references to identify positions. Pupils make good use of tables and graphs to record their work and even Year 1 pupils can use simple block graphs to find information.

p.28

MATHEMATICS

78. By the end of Key Stage 2, many pupils are proficient in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division and they can solve progressively complex problems. They can use decimals accurately to three places and they have a good understanding of fractions and percentages. Pupils can construct accurate models of three-dimensional shapes and are aware of their mathematical properties. The majority of pupils can calculate the areas and perimeters of various shapes and are becoming familiar with the difference between acute, obtuse and right angles. They use protractors and set squares to measure angles accurately. Year 5 pupils effectively use information and communications technology as part of individual challenges to construct shapes using these angles. Pupils are developing skills in using appropriate operations to solve mathematical problems and are able to explain the methods they use. In

p.29

MATHEMATICS

both key stages, pupils have good skills in mental arithmetic. For example, pupils in Year 1 rapidly add and subtract numbers to ten while, in Year 5, they use decimals correctly in their mental calculations.

p.29

MATHEMATICS

79. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language, make good progress in mathematics across both the key stages. The National Numeracy Strategy has been well implemented and pupils make good progress in calculating mentally and on paper and in their knowledge of number facts. Most pupils accept increasing responsibility for organising their own work and carry out the tasks they are set. Mathematics is used well in other subjects. For example, when Year 4 visited the local supermarket as part of a project in design and technology, they were asked to calculate how many loaves of bread they could purchase with a given budget. Pupils have good knowledge of their own learning because learning intentions are consistently referred to during lessons and, at the end of lessons, plenary sessions are used well for pupils to evaluate their own learning. Pupils make good use of their growing mathematical vocabulary to discuss and

p.29

MATHEMATICS

explain their work. Pupils generally respond well to mathematics. They enjoy the regular, quick-fire mental arithmetic session at the start of lessons, generally listen well to their teachers and behave well in lessons. Only in Year 3 is there a minority of pupils whose behaviour is less than satisfactory. Pupils work well together in groups and pairs. The majority concentrate well until the given task is completed, settling to their work quickly and sensibly and trying hard during lessons.

p.29

MATHEMATICS

80. The quality of teaching is good overall. Teachers’ planning and their day-to-day assessment are very good. As a result, pupils have a very good understanding of what they have learned. Lessons are generally well organised and appropriate activities are set for all pupils, including the more able. Where teaching is unsatisfactory, given tasks are inappropriate to individual needs. For example, in one lesson, the teacher was unaware that a significant minority of pupils were finding the given task of partitioning too difficult. As a result, these pupils began to lose interest and their behaviour deteriorated. In the better lessons, good use was made of open-ended questions to probe pupils’ understanding of the number system and to explain their methods of calculation. Teachers make good use of resources, such as number petals, to ensure all pupils are fully involved and to assess their understanding. In an excellent lesson in Year 1, pupils were fully involved throughout. The teacher

p.29

MATHEMATICS

made very good use of resources and employed a variety of strategies to motivate pupils and raise their self-esteem, with the result that all pupils were very enthusiastic in their learning and appropriately challenged.

p.29

MATHEMATICS

81. The subject is well managed. Teachers have been helped to improve the quality of their teaching by visiting other schools to observe examples of best practice. Temporarily, one co-ordinator is managing both key stages but a new co-ordinator has been appointed to manage Key Stage 2 in the forthcoming year. The present co-ordinator monitors teaching as well as planning and has conducted a thorough audit of mathematics in the school. As a result, she has a very clear understanding of future areas for development. For example, she is aware that the mathematics policy needs updating and is in the process of adapting a commercial scheme of work to match the particular needs of the school. Annual assessments are made of pupils’ progress, through standardised tests or the voluntary national tests, and these are well used to analyse the performance of whole classes and to improve curricular provision.

p.29

MATHEMATICS

The co-ordinator has correctly identified the further improvement of assessment and the use of information and communications technology as areas for future development. Hillside Primary School - 30

p.29

SCIENCE

82. Standards in science are above national expectations at the end of both key stages. Teachers’ assessments for seven-year olds in 1999 indicated that attainment was above the national average and inspection evidence indicates a similar picture for the current Year 2. Results in the 1999 tests for pupils in Year 6 were above the national average but only average when compared with those of similar schools. Inspection evidence indicates that most pupils in the current Year 6 are working at higher levels than those expected nationally. Unconfirmed test results for 2000 show that standards have continued to improve.

p.30

SCIENCE

83. By the end of Year 2, pupils have a good understanding of healthy and unhealthy foods and they investigate friction, using toy cars on a ramp and on various surfaces. Higher-attaining pupils can explain why bulbs will or will not light in electrical circuits and use words such as ‘circuits’ and ‘batteries’. They develop a good knowledge of materials and their properties through sorting common materials and objects into groups and they talk about and record their findings. Visits to the pond and wildlife area teach them about the life-cycles of frogs, plants and insects. Through heating chocolate, they learn about solids and liquids and the effect that heat has on some substances.

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SCIENCE

84. By the end of Year 6, many pupils have a sound understanding of fair testing through the investigations they have undertaken. They carefully explore the strength of different tissue papers and record their results. Most understand the difference between a conductor and an insulator and they can explain how electrical circuits operate. Through investigations, they separate salt from sand and gravel and suggest how other mixtures can be separated. Higher-attaining pupils can explain how light travels and identify different sources of light. Most pupils have a good understanding of the major organs of the human body and the effects of healthy eating and that they can recognise and explain the different parts of a plant. The attention given to investigative work makes an important contribution to the very good personal development of most pupils.

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SCIENCE

85. Since the last inspection, the attainment of seven-year-old pupils has improved. However, overall progress in science has been unsatisfactory. Although the school has improved its long-term planning, there is no scheme of work for science to ensure progression of learning and there are no assessment procedures to identify the attainment and progress of groups and individuals. These were key issues following the last inspection.

p.30

SCIENCE

86. Overall, science is well taught across the school. A particular strength is the teaching of investigational work, especially in Year 6. Teachers use a range of effective methods for presenting the subject in a clear and logical way. At the beginning of each lesson, most teachers clearly explain the purpose behind lessons, ensuring that pupils are sure about what they are learning. Most teachers plan interesting activities which pupils enjoy. In the best lessons, teachers use their knowledge of the subject well to develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding and they encourage pupils to discuss and explain their findings. Most teachers maintain a brisk pace, using challenging questioning which keeps pupils interested. They manage pupils and activities well and make effective use of resources. In Years 5 and 6, one teacher in each year group teaches science to both classes. This makes good use of their

p.30

SCIENCE

particular expertise and ensures equality of experience for the pupils in the parallel classes. In their marking of pupils work, teachers acknowledge that pupils have completed tasks but few indicate where they need to improve their scientific skills. In some classes, tasks are not always well matched to the needs of groups or individuals and higher-attaining pupils are sometimes not sufficiently challenged.

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SCIENCE

87. All staff have good relationships with pupils and foster positive values and a sense of responsibility. Consequently, progress across both key stages is good overall. Pupils with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language progress at the same rate as their classmates. Pupils use literacy skills well to explain and write what they have done. Numeracy skills are used effectively in measuring and recording information in charts but insufficient use is made of information and communications technology. Pupils nearly always behave well in lessons. They generally work at a good pace and try their hardest. In investigations, they treat equipment with care and make sure everybody is involved. Most are eager to carry out their activities and work harmoniously together. This contributes significantly to their learning as very little time is lost through correction or silliness.

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SCIENCE

Most pupils take a pride in presenting their work well and enjoy talking about their achievements. Hillside Primary School - 31 88. The leadership of the subject has been unsatisfactory until recently and there has been insufficient monitoring to ensure satisfactory coverage of the curriculum. For example, in one year group, work undertaken is still based on a seriously out-dated version of the National Curriculum’s programme of study. However, the newly-appointed co-ordinator has already drawn up an action plan for the new academic year which focuses on monitoring and on the development of a scheme of work for the whole school. Currently, she does not have sufficient time to manage the subject effectively. Year leaders take responsibility for writing an education plan for their year group but this does not clearly indicate how science should be taught or ensure that activities build on pupils’ knowledge and understanding. The

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SCIENCE

lack of adequate assessment procedures is a weakness recognised by the school. Resources are of good quality and plentiful and teachers make effective use of them. Good use is made of visits to places of interest, such as local farms, museums and a tropical garden. The large environmental area, which includes a pond and wet area, is used well by teachers to provide first-hand experience of life-cycles and habitats.

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ART

89. By the end of both key stages, pupils’ attainment is above national expectations. Pupils with special educational needs and those speaking English as an additional language generally make very good progress. In both key stages, pupils make very good progress in both two and three-dimensional work, learning an increasing number of techniques and using a wide range of media. Pupils are taught a range of skills and are given very good opportunities to use them creatively to develop their own ideas. Pupils with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language make very good progress. Pupils have opportunities to learn about western artists and craftspersons but there are few opportunities to learn about non-European artists.

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ART

90. During Key Stage 1, pupils explore a range of different approaches and techniques. They develop their observational and drawing skills by drawing landscapes, animals, people and toys, using pencils, charcoal, crayons and pastels. They make initial sketches and then change and correct the design to improve the work. They learn to mix colours and draw and paint pictures by studying the work of famous artists, such as Henri Rousseau’s ‘Tropical storm with tiger’. Pupils develop a good understanding of texture, pattern, shape and tone. In a Year 1 class, pupils were using clay to design and make plates or plaques. They had sketched their designs in their books and followed the instructions carefully, banging the clay ball to get the air out, rolling it out and then carving or printing their designs. Pupils produced some very good models.

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ART

91. During Key Stage 2, pupils develop their skills and techniques by studying the work of artists such as Van Gough, Matisse and William Morris. Through making observational drawings, they explore shading, line and tone, making appropriate selections of pencils with different lead densities. They draw portraits of people, showing different moods and characteristics, such as ‘comical’, ‘sociable’ and ‘adventurous’. They develop skills in three-dimensional work by making Aztec masks and Greek pots, plates and dishes, using reference books to observe and create their designs in relation to their history topics. They listen to music and draw pictures to show how it made them feel. In relation to their geography topic, younger pupils in the key stage used reference books to study animals and plants from the rain forests and then made papier-mache models of them. In one Year 6 class, pupils were cutting

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ART

out lino prints and applying inks to print. They gave careful thought to colour combinations and to the depth of the grooves they made to improve their results.

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ART

92. Teaching and learning were consistently very good in the six lessons observed. Teachers plan very well and communicate learning objectives clearly, reinforcing points by writing them on the board. These objectives are reviewed in final plenary sessions to assess whether they were achieved and what lessons had been learnt for future work. Pupils are given very good opportunities to use reference books and artefacts to observe and create their designs. Teachers make sure that techniques are taught properly but leave the pupils to design and make their own models. Teachers’ very good knowledge of the subject means that their explanations and demonstrations are particularly skilled. They start lessons quickly and keep a brisk pace. They promote very good standards of learning by making sure that pupils review and refine their work as it develops. Pupils behave well and settle to their work quickly

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ART

and they are keen to produce work of high quality. They concentrate very hard and work well to complete their tasks. Pupils often help one another. For example, one boy showed another how to shape a crunched-up piece of newspaper to make a dragonfly. Pupils are encouraged to appraise one Hillside Primary School - 32 another’s work in a critical and supportive way. For example, after designing pottery dishes, pupils were given opportunities to discuss which designs they liked best and how they could be improved.

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ART

93. The subject is well managed. The co-ordinator ensures that a good range of materials is available in the art room to support the teaching of art. There is a well-structured scheme of work that covers the National Curriculum’s programmes of study. The quality and range of the opportunities offered are very good. The co-ordinator has good first-hand knowledge of the standards achieved in Key Stage 2, as she teaches most of the classes there, and she supports teachers in Key Stage 1, informally monitoring teaching and standards. At the time of the last inspection, standards in art were judged to be average and pupils made satisfactory progress. The teaching was judged to be satisfactory. The school has made good progress since then.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

94. Only one design and technology lesson could be seen in Key Stage 1 during the inspection. In Key Stage 2, the school holds technology weeks each term when all design and technology lessons are held and it was therefore not possible to observe any lessons during the week of the inspection. Evidence from displays around the school, scrutiny of teachers’ planning and conversations with pupils indicates that pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve standards that are broadly in line with those expected for their age. This is a similar picture to the one reported after the previous inspection.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

95. In Key Stage 1, pupils learn basic cutting and joining techniques. They use equipment such as needles and scissors safely, for instance when they design and make Victorian-style samplers. By the end of the key stage, the majority of pupils can cut out accurately and use a variety of methods to join materials. For example, pupils in Year 2 designed puppets and drew and labelled their designs, giving careful consideration to the materials and fixing techniques they planned to use. They tested and evaluated the finished product.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

96. Pupils in Key Stage 2 apply knowledge from other subjects well in their designs. For example, they could explain how they used batteries and simple switches to make a truck move. Pupils in Year 4 increase their skills in food technology as they design and make bread loaves. Displays illustrate pupils’ confidence and accuracy in measuring and cutting when transforming designs for waistcoats into finished products. The finished products are of a good standard and demonstrate imagination and flair. Pupils in Year 6 conducted a survey of potential consumers’ preferences before designing and making chocolates. They then designed boxes for their chocolates, taking care to consider appearance, safety, function and reliability. Pupils explained how they evaluated and adapted their designs as the boxes were made.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

97. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and those learning English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress as they move through the school, owing to the provision of a wide range of media for practical experimentation. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. In the lesson observed, their behaviour was good and they responded with alacrity to the class teacher’s instructions. Pupils worked well collaboratively and they took obvious pleasure in talking about what they had made and explaining the techniques they used.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

98. Too few lessons were observed to judge the quality of teaching. The lesson observed in Key Stage 1 was clearly planned and pupils were effectively encouraged to extend their learning as they considered which materials might be suitably used to make their puppets. The teacher had established good relationships with the pupils and managed them well. The curriculum for design and technology is broad and balanced and a scheme of work is being developed to improve continuity between the key stages. However, procedures for assessing pupils’ individual skills are not well developed and teaching and planning are not effectively monitored. There are good links with other subjects, particularly art. Resources are adequate although they are not all easily accessible.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

99. The timetabling of lessons meant that it was possible to see only two geography lessons and three history lessons. Consequently, no firm judgements could be made about the quality of teaching in these subjects. Hillside Primary School - 33 100. A scrutiny of pupils’ written work in both subjects showed that pupils are following the national programmes of study adequately and that higher-attaining pupils in both key stages are reaching standards that are as good as, and often better than, those expected nationally. The quality of presentation is particularly good in some work in Years 2, 4 and 6 and there is good display around the school. The work is generally well marked, with supportive and developmental comments. A strength of the teaching in most year groups is that topics from history and geography are introduced into work in other subjects and this helps pupils to remember what they have learned. There is clear evidence

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

from work in other subjects that history and geography are well taught. There are also good links between history and geography. For example, work on the Ancient Egyptians, the Romans and on Celtic settlements is reinforced by the study of the basic geographic features of those areas.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

101. In geography, pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 are able to produce simple maps and grids, using co- ordinates to locate particular buildings or other features. They are developing an understanding of how different geographical localities influence the ways that people live. In Year 6, pupils learn about world geography and higher attainers have produced beautifully designed ‘Jigsaws of the World’. They show a good understanding of latitude and longitude, bearings and basic scale and can discuss ways in which climate has a direct bearing on housing, diet and employment.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

102. In history, pupils in Year 2 develop an understanding of chronology by making time lines showing the history of flight and of other kinds of transport. They learn about the Tudors and about what life was like in Victorian times. Higher-attaining pupils produced some very good work describing a Victorian schoolroom and another group showed growing awareness of hardship and poverty in those times in their writing about chimney sweeps. Pupils can answer factual questions accurately and teachers encourage independent thinking by expecting them to formulate questions and answers in their own words. As pupils grow older, they learn to differentiate between fact and opinion and there are some particularly good presentations of work by pupils in Year 6 on the Aztecs.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

103. In both the geography lessons seen, attainment was at the nationally expected level and the quality of teaching and learning was good. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour were also good. Particular features of both lessons were the teachers’ skilful questioning and their use of a final plenary to summarise and evaluate what had been learned. In the Year 6 lesson, pupils responded well and were able to make good progress in compiling facts about a village in India, using their course material as a source. The teacher encouraged pupils to find out facts for themselves and to record information in whatever way seemed best to them, for example by using spidergrams or bullet points. The teacher had a very good rapport with the class and provided them with good, clear instructions and examples. Pupils worked happily and productively and demonstrated a satisfactory knowledge of geographical language,

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

providing accurate answers to the teacher’s questions in the final plenary session. In the lesson in Year 2, pupils went out to study a play area in a nearby park. The teacher produced a string of amusing, open-ended questions, which made pupils observe carefully and think hard about the environment. In their responses, they identified the attractive and unattractive features of the area and provided sensible explanations for its design and topography and for the location of such items as rubbish bins, lines of young trees and wood chippings. They produced careful sketches of the main features of the play area.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

104. Three history lessons were seen, in Years 2, 3 and 5. The quality of teaching and learning was good in two lessons and satisfactory in the third. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour followed the same pattern and their attainment was at the levels expected nationally for their ages in all three lessons. In Year 2, the teacher adopted a semi-narrative approach to involve the class in role-play as the Montgolfier brothers. Pupils joined in with enjoyment, demonstrating how balloon flights began. The teacher reinforced learning points with a well directed series of questions and pupils showed good recall of previous learning. In Year 5, the teacher used his very good repertoire of story-telling skills well to stimulate and excite the class so that they learned about Archimedes, answering the teacher’s questions with imagination and creativity. The Year 3 class went out onto the school field to enact a Viking raid. This

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

lesson was well planned, with good practical preparation. The lesson was well timed and, although the pace slackened at certain points, it was recaptured. The majority of pupils enjoyed the lesson and it provided a vivid means of consolidating previous learning.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

105. The curriculum planning for both subjects is based on the package produced by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. This is a satisfactory arrangement, ensuring that the main elements of the National Curriculum are taught, but there are no adequate schemes of work to support teachers’ planning in more detail. The alternate timetabling of the subjects for half a term at a time causes some Hillside Primary School - 34 discontinuity and there is not enough time allowed for the programmes of study to be followed in detail. The arrangement whereby each year team plans its own curriculum also means that continuity across the school is not guaranteed. The co-ordinators of both subjects are enthusiastic and they look at pupils’ work in their books and in displays to form a view of standards across the school. However, they do not monitor the details of year groups’ planning or observe teaching and so do not have a clear view of how

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

well knowledge, skills and historical and geographical understanding are developed from one year to the next. There is no formal assessment in either subject and the school has no portfolios of pupils’ marked and annotated work to illustrate standards at each level. Resources are satisfactory.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

106. Although some sessions of information and communications technology were conducted for small groups of pupils in Key Stage 2, the subject is seldom directly taught in the rest of the school and the appropriate skills are not well developed in other subjects. Computers are underused and, on the basis of the sessions observed, work scrutinized and discussions with staff and pupils, attainment is below national expectations at the ends of both key stages. The school has made unsatisfactory progress since the last inspection, when attainment was in line with national expectations.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

107. By the end of Key Stage 1, some pupils can use a simple database program to record their results and can also create a block graph from the database. They understand how to use a mouse but few know how to use a printer. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils are able to use a word-processor to enter, save, amend and retrieve data. They can generate computer graphics and can also access information held on compact discs. Pupils in Year 4 are able to organise and analyse scientific data by using a branching database program. A majority of Year 5 pupils have some understanding of aspects of control technology through using a program to control traffic light systems. Year 6 pupils have used these skills to produce some good information about bicycles. Others have undertaken projects on the solar system by accessing, selecting and downloading images from the NASA Internet website at home.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

108. Throughout the school, pupils use the technology to support their learning in literacy and numeracy with varying degrees of success. A few older pupils in Key Stage 2 have learnt basic word-processing skills and have used them to produce good word-processed drafts of their stories. Other pupils in Key Stage 2 use spreadsheets to model or record data and develop their skills in investigative mathematics as a result. Pupils of all ages, including those with special educational needs, make unsatisfactory progress. They do not use information and communications technology regularly enough to extend and support their learning in other subjects. For example, the allocation of computer time to individuals in Key Stage 2 represents about one per cent of their week. This is not enough for them to cover the programme of study properly. However, their attitudes to the subject are satisfactory and their

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

behaviour in lessons is good in both key stages. When given the opportunity, they listen attentively to instructions, concentrate well and handle resources with care.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

109. Only one lesson was observed where the teacher was leading the session. Two other sessions were led by the support assistant. Although the teaching in these sessions was satisfactory, the sum of the available evidence indicates that teachers lack the necessary knowledge and confidence in their own skills. In Key Stage 2, sessions are often taken by a knowledgeable classroom support assistant but teachers seldom plan this work to link with lessons in other subjects. As a result, there is little continuity in pupils’ experience or reinforcement of learning across the curriculum.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

110. The experienced and capable co-ordinator has done well to build up software resources in her first year in post. She has also created some initial designs for the school’s web pages and drawn up plans for the development of a computer network and for access to the Internet. The central pooling of computers in the Year 5 area is of some benefit to Key Stage 2 pupils and this is an improvement on the situation at the time of the last inspection. However, the school was unable to obtain national funding for developments in information and communications technology and this has seriously delayed developments. The scheme of work, based loosely on the government scheme, provides some guidance to teachers but it is not fully implemented and statutory requirements are not being met. Arrangements for assessment are poor.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

111. Some of the computers and printers in Key Stage 1 are out-of-date. The school has started to install a few up-to-date machines and is improving others but the overall pupil-to-computer ratio of twenty-nine to one is inadequate to teach the National Curriculum and is well below the national average. Lack of access to the Internet means that good opportunities to extend and enrich curricular opportunities are Hillside Primary School - 35 being missed. Compact disc facilities are not easily accessible for individual research but, otherwise, software resources are satisfactory.

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MUSIC

112. At the ends of both key stages, attainment in music is broadly in line with the levels expected nationally. This is a similar picture to the one reported after the last inspection. Hillside Primary School - 36 113. In Key Stage 1, pupils sing clearly, with appropriate pitch and phrasing. Pupils learn to evaluate what they like and dislike about music and many can identify and name the instruments that are being played, including a piano and a double-bass. They begin to consider how pitch, tempo and dynamics are used to create effect. Pupils learn to keep a steady beat as they play a variety of untuned percussion instruments in accompaniment to taped music. Pupils receiving peripatetic violin lessons can read standard notation correctly and play a selection of tunes from memory.

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MUSIC

114. In Key Stage 2, pupils used tuned and untuned percussion instruments to compose a piece of music that effectively interpreted the atmosphere of a poem. Year 4 pupils can use tuned percussion in pairs to produce compositions using the pentatonic scale. They can identify and name the notes they have used and record their compositions, using symbols. Pupils evaluate each other’s compositions and make constructive suggestions for improvement. By the end of the key stage, pupils can sing in two-part rounds, tunefully and with clear diction.

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MUSIC

115. The regular music lessons ensure that the majority of pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress in both key stages. From an early age, they listen to a variety of composers and learn well to express their feelings through music. There are few opportunities for pupils to record their compositions, limiting their progress in this area of learning. For the most part, pupils are attentive and well behaved and they particularly enjoy playing percussion instruments. They work well together on composition and performance, keeping time and playing their individual parts well. However, some pupils in Key Stage 2 are not well motivated towards singing and do not try hard.

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MUSIC

116. The quality of teaching is always satisfactory and sometimes good. Good use is made of musical resources and lessons are well organised to include practical experience. Teachers mostly manage pupils well, encouraging them to do their best and improve their performance, but the quality of day-to- day assessment is unsatisfactory. Visiting peripatetic teachers provide good quality tuition on stringed and woodwind instruments. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ very good personal development, not only in lessons, but also through the range of extra-curricular clubs, regular concerts and performances and participation in local events. All of these opportunities further extend pupils’ musical experiences.

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MUSIC

117. The co-ordinator has only recently taken over the responsibility for the subject and she is approaching her new position with enthusiasm. Her monitoring role is not yet clearly developed and she does not have a full understanding of what is required. At present, different schemes of work are used in each key stage, which is leading to inconsistencies in the development of skills and knowledge. Practice in assessment is also inconsistent. There is a very good range of resources for the effective teaching of the subject but information and communications technology is not adequately used to support learning.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

118. Attainment in physical education at the end of both key stages is broadly in line with national expectations and pupils achieve well. In Key Stage 1, the pupils make good progress overall. For example, they devise interesting and complex sequences of movement, working well together or individually. In gymnastics, they explore ways of moving over, under and through various pieces of apparatus, jumping and sliding with confidence and enjoyment. They make appropriate evaluations of each other’s performance, developing the use of the correct language. They use these comments well to improve their performance. They are well aware of safety needs and handle equipment with great care.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

119. Good progress is maintained in Key Stage 2. Pupils are well aware of the need to warm up and cool down before and after strenuous exercise. Apparatus and equipment are handled carefully, with a good awareness of the safety needs of themselves and others. They listen carefully to their teachers, move with confidence, and practise individual movements and skills energetically but safely, especially during throwing activities. They work together well in team activities, such as indoor cricket, co-operating well and supporting each other. They speak confidently about what they are doing and offer each other helpful criticism which is used to develop skills and understanding further. They understand the effect of exercise on their bodies. By the time pupils leave the school, at least half of those in Year 6 can swim twenty-five metres or more. Hillside Primary School - 37 120. It is not possible to give an overall judgement on the quality of teaching at Key Stage 1, as only one

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

lesson was observed. In Key Stage 2, the teaching was good. Teachers and pupils are all appropriately dressed for physical education and teachers act as good role-models. Most teachers clearly describe learning objectives at the beginning of lessons so that pupils know what they are learning. Teachers use their knowledge well and all lessons begin with a warm-up activity and end with a cool down. Teachers understand the subject well and know how pupils learn and develop physically, which ensures most pupils are well motivated, keen and interested. The generally good management of pupils enables lessons to be conducted at a good pace. Where teaching is less sound, the lack of pace and enthusiasm for the subject on the part of the pupils is more noticeable. Where the teaching is good, the infectious enthusiasm of the teachers provides the pupils with a good model to copy and a challenge to do well.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Teachers encourage pupils to strive for their best performances and to be honestly critical of their own work. All teachers stress the need for personal and group safety and this is an important feature of lessons. The standards achieved in physical education have been brought about through the well- managed professional development of the teachers, which includes raising their expectations of what pupils can do. Good provision is made for pupils with special educational needs.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

121. Pupils have good, positive attitudes to physical education and are usually well motivated and well behaved during lessons. Physical education makes a strong contribution to their personal and social development, as they learn to respect others’ opinions and achievements and build strong relationships during team activities. They also develop self-control through talking about their feelings and controlling them effectively. Literacy and numeracy are well developed in both key stages. Teachers promote the use of correct language when the pupils talk about movement sequences and about the skills they have learnt. They provide the pupils with good examples of how to make useful and constructive criticism to help each other to improve their performance.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

122. There is no overall scheme of work to ensure progression of skills and knowledge. In other respects, the subject is now being very well led. The co-ordinator is enthusiastic and provides good support to colleagues although she has been involved in monitoring the planning for the first time this term. From this, she has clearly identified areas for improvement in some year groups and has recognised the importance of a proper scheme of work and effective procedures for assessment. She has been responsible for organising a wide range of after-school activities for pupils during the autumn and spring terms and residential trips. She has provided training for teachers which has improved their knowledge and understanding of the curriculum. She has also built very good links with outside agencies, such as the ‘Reading Rockets’ basketball team, Richmond Rugby Club and ‘English Schools Cricket’. These organisations provide very good support by offering a range of extra-curricular

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

activities for pupils during lunchtimes and after school. Teachers make good use of the high quality resources and equipment. The large outdoor grass and hard surfaces are used well to develop pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding of team games.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

123. Progress since the last inspection has been satisfactory. The last inspection identified the need for a scheme of work in physical education but this has been only partly addressed and there is still no overall scheme of work which ensures continuity and progression under the direction of the subject co- ordinator. Effective training for teachers has been undertaken and resources have been updated and improved.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

124. Pupils’ attainment at the ends of Key Stages 1 and 2 is above the expectations set out in the locally agreed syllabus. Pupils of all ages make good progress. Standards in Key Stage 1 have improved since the previous inspection and standards in Key Stage 2 remain good. The quality of teaching has improved from satisfactory to good in Key Stage 1 and remains good in Key Stage 2. Teachers make good use of the pupils’ knowledge of their own religions in assemblies and class lessons and this encourages pupils to value and respect other’s beliefs. Teaching of religious education supports the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Daily acts of collective worship support the teaching of religious education effectively. Hillside Primary School - 38 125. Pupils in Key Stage 1 have good knowledge about different places of worship, festivals and symbols and are able to understand their significance in their own and other people’s lives and their importance for

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

the different religious communities. They study Christianity and other major faiths in Great Britain and have visited a Hindu mandir, a Sikh gurdwara, a synagogue and a Christian church to extend their learning about these religions. In one lesson, following their visit to a synagogue, Year 2 pupils were able to talk about the sacred ark where the Torah Scrolls were kept. They could explain that the Hebrew language is written from right to left and that readers of Hebrew have to turn pages in the opposite direction to that used when reading English. They tried to copy some Hebrew words starting from the right and ending at the left-hand side of the paper. They could name some of the symbols, such as kippah and tallith, and explain the reasons why Jews wear them. Pupils of all abilities make good progress throughout the key stage.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

126. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have a good understanding of the basic principles of Christianity and other major world faiths such as Judaism, Sikhism, Islam, Hinduism and they have begun to study Buddhism. For example, pupils in Year 4 were learning about Sikhism by discussing the attributes of God through the ‘mool mantra’. They also learnt about the importance of Guru Nanak’s teachings on telling the truth and caring for God’s people by reading the story of ‘Guru Nanak and Sajjan the robber’. They acted the story and talked about how they would feel if they did wrong to others. Pupils have many opportunities to write about religion, using topics, such as ‘My vision of God’ or ‘My symbols and their meaning’. Pupils of all abilities make good progress in all classes.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

127. The quality of teaching is good in both the key stages. Consequently, pupils’ attitudes to the study of religion are good. They behave well and listen to one other and their genuine interested in the subject contributes to good learning. They listen attentively, concentrate and persevere to complete their tasks. Some teachers have a good knowledge of the subject and are enthusiastic. They teach religious education to their own classes and to the parallel class in the year, resulting in good learning for all pupils. In all lessons, teachers make good use of the artefacts available in the school and arrange visits to places of worship. Each year group has a box of artefacts, books and other resources for pupils to do their own personal research. For example, in Year 6 lessons, the teacher used various pictures, books and other artefacts, such as ‘puja tray’, to extend pupils’ learning in Hinduism and Christianity. This

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

led to pupils comparing the differing concepts of God and the religious leaders, beliefs, sacred books, places of worship, symbols, rituals and festivals of both the religions. The teacher encouraged pupils to draw symbols to represent the main characteristics of both the religions on each half of a shield and to think about symbols representing their own values. Teachers share learning objectives with pupils and use plenary sessions to evaluate lessons.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

128. The subject is well led. The co-ordinator ensures that appropriate resources are available in all classes and that all teachers are aware of the scheme of work and the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus. She is aware of the standards achieved through her informal observation of pupils’ work in classes and on display and through work presented in assemblies by each class. However, she has not monitored teachers’ plans or lessons. The co-ordinator has identified appropriate priorities for the future, which are to implement the revised syllabus, adapt the Qualification and Curriculum Authority’s recommended schemes of work and organise appropriate in-service training on national expectations in religious education.

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