Ellingham VC Primary School

Ellingham Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Reporting inspector: Mrs S Cosson, 11265

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Ellingham Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Dates of inspection: 15 th – 18 th November 1999

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Ellingham Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Inspection carried out under Section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Ellingham V C Primary School - 1 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school.

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Ellingham Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the appropriate authority must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. Every registered parent of a registered pupil at the school should receive a free copy of the summary of the report within ten working days of receipt of the summary by the appropriate authority. A charge not exceeding the cost of supply may be made by the appropriate authority for any other copies of the report and/or its summary provided to any person who asks for one. The appropriate authority should make a copy of the report and the summary available for inspection by members of the public at such times and at such a place as may be reasonable Any enquiries about this legislation should be addressed to the OFSTED Compliance Helpline Tel. 0171421 6567 Ellingham V C Primary School - 2

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Church Road Ellingham Bungay Suffolk NR35 2PZ

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 29/4/96 – 2/5/96 Ellingham V C Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities Mrs S Cosson, RgI English Science Design and technology History Geography Art Equal opportunities Attainment and progress Leadership and management The efficiency of the school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Mr B Leggett, Lay Inspector None Attitudes, behaviour and personal development Attendance Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare Partnership with parents and the community Staffing, accommodation and resources Miss J Petzing Mathematics Information and communication technology Music Physical education Religious education Special educational needs Under-fives Teaching The curriculum and assessment Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Norfolk Education Advisory Service Professional Development Centre Woodside Road Norwich NR7 9QL

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway Ellingham V C Primary School - 4 London WC2B 6SE

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INTRODUCTION

Characteristics of the school 1 - 4 Key indicators -

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Educational standards achieved by pupils at the school 5 - 28

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Attainment and progress 5 - 24 Attitudes, behaviour and personal development 25 - 27 Attendance 28

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Teaching 29 - 38 The curriculum and assessment 39 - 52 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 53 - 58 Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare 59 - 63 Partnership with parents and the community 64 - 69 Ellingham V C Primary School - 5 The management and efficiency of the school 70 - 88

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PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Leadership and management 70 - 76 Staffing, accommodation and learning resources 77 - 82 The efficiency of the school 83 - 88

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PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

Areas of learning for children under five 89 - 104

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PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

English, mathematics and science 105 - 135

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PART C: INSPECTION DATA

Data and indicators - Ellingham V C Primary School - 6

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What the school does well

• . The school is very well led and managed, with a clear sense of educational direction. • . The quality of teaching throughout the school is good. • . The literacy and numeracy strategies have been implemented well and planning for progression in English and mathematics is good. • . The school makes very efficient and effective use of resources. • . The children’s personal development is very good. They have very positive attitudes to learning and behave very well. • . The children are making good progress in English and mathematics at both key stages and in information and communication technology at Key Stage 2. • . The quality of relationships throughout the school is very high. • . The school provides very well for the children’s support, guidance and welfare. • . Attendance is excellent.

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What the school does well

· Where the school has weaknesses I. Standards at Key Stage 1 and the lower part of Key Stage 2 are lower than they should be in English and mathematics. II. Attainment in religious education at Key Stage 1 is lower than it should be. III. At Key Stage 1, apart from in English and mathematics, planning does not identify how children will make progress as they get older. IV. At Key Stage 2, planning for progression in art, design and technology, history, geography and physical education is not yet in place. V. The quality of the presentation of written work, including the standards of handwriting, is not as good as it should be.

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What the school does well

The weaknesses at Ellingham Primary School are outweighed by what the school does well, but they will form the basis of the governors’ action plan, which will be sent to all parents or guardians of pupils at the school.

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What the school does well

Other matters that governors and staff need to improve are:

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What the school does well

VI. the governors’ strategic role in planning for school improvement and monitoring the effect of spending decisions; VII. the inclusion of all the information that is legally required in the governors’ annual report to parents and the school prospectus; VIII. the deficiencies in staffing support and resources for the children in the reception class; (these are being dealt with); IX. the quality of teachers’ written marking. Ellingham V C Primary School - 7

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How the school has improved since the last inspection

The school has had a chequered history since the last inspection. At that time, due to staffing problems, the school was temporarily led by an acting headteacher, put in place by the Local Education Authority. Temporary arrangements for the headship continued for a further eighteen months until the appointment of the present headteacher in September 1997. Further staff problems have meant disruption in the education of all children in reception and Key Stage 1 over a period of several years. As a consequence, children failed to make progress and standards dropped, as did parental confidence. The clear-sighted leadership of the present headteacher and her determination to raise standards have now brought about a strong staff team. As a result, the children in Key Stage 1 and the early part of Key Stage 2 are now making good progress and are catching up. Following her appointment, the present headteacher’s teaching brought immediate benefit to the pupils at Key

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How the school has improved since the last inspection

Stage 2 who are now in Years 5 and 6. Generally, these pupils are achieving standards similar to or better than those found at the time of the last inspection.

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How the school has improved since the last inspection

Since the last inspection the school has made significant improvements in addressing the weaknesses pointed out at the previous inspection:

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How the school has improved since the last inspection

X. the curriculum is better balanced than it was, and meets the current requirements of the National Curriculum; XI. provision for information technology has improved at both key stages, but has improved most for seven to eleven-year-olds; XII. the plan for religious education at Key Stage 2 has improved to ensure adequate coverage of the subject, but this has not yet happened at Key Stage 1; XIII. some progress has been made in improving curriculum continuity and progression, particularly in literacy and numeracy throughout the school, and within Key Stage 2, but much remains to be done; XIV. the higher achieving and older pupils are now given suitably challenging work; XV. assessment procedures in the core subjects have been put in place although marking is often not focused on showing children how to improve their work.

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How the school has improved since the last inspection

In addition, although it was not pointed out as a weakness at the time of the last inspection, the school has been rebuilt and, thus, the accommodation vastly improved. Overall, much has been achieved in the last two years. Ellingham Primary School is a rapidly improving school with everything in place to improve itself further. Ellingham V C Primary School - 8

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Standards in subjects

Standards in subjects for 1999 are not published because of the small number of children in the cohort. The very small numbers in the school make year by year comparisons of pupils’ attainment unreliable: However, inspection evidence indicates that:

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Standards in subjects

XVI. the children under five years of age are doing well in almost all areas of learning. At the age of seven, the children’s standards are, at present, below average in English and mathematics and about average in science and information and communication technology. Attainment in religious education is below what is expected for seven-year-olds.

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Standards in subjects

XVII. by the age of eleven, attainment in English, mathematics and science is about average. The competence of the eleven-year-olds in information and communication technology is good and their work in religious education meets the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus.

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Standards in subjects

XVIII. throughout the school, the good teaching means that all children are making good progress. Progress is particularly rapid at Key Stage 1 and the early part of Key Stage 2 as these children had so much catching up to do. Children with special educational needs are making very good progress. Ellingham V C Primary School - 9 · Quality of teaching

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Standards in subjects

· Teaching in Under 5 5 – 7 years 7 – 11 years

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Standards in subjects

Religious education Very good Not observed

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Standards in subjects

Other subjects Satisfactory Satisfactory Good

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Standards in subjects

In more than eight out of ten lessons the teaching is good or better and in more than three out of ten it is very good. The very good teaching occurs throughout the school. There is no unsatisfactory teaching.

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Standards in subjects

Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that strengths outweigh any weaknesses

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Standards in subjects

Aspect Comment Behaviour Behaviour throughout the school is very good.

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Standards in subjects

Attendance Excellent, above the national average.

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Standards in subjects

Ethos* The ethos of the school is very good. The children have very positive attitudes to learning and to all aspects of school life. Relationships are very good between adults and children and there is a clear commitment to improving standards. Leadership and management The school is very well led and efficiently managed. The governors’ role in strategic planning and monitoring is not as prominent as it should be. Curriculum The curriculum is broad and balanced and promotes equality of opportunity well. Planning for English and mathematics is good. In other subjects, the plans do not show clearly enough how children will make progress in their learning as they move through the school.

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Standards in subjects

Provision for activities outside the school curriculum is good. Ellingham V C Primary School - 10 Pupils with special educational needs Provision is very good. Teachers plan work that builds well on the children’s existing skills and knowledge. The children make very good progress Spiritual, moral, social & cultural development Provision for the children’s moral and social development is very good. Provision for the children’s spiritual and cultural development is good.

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Standards in subjects

Staffing, resources and accommodation Very good overall. The school is generously staffed with teachers. Overall, there are sufficient books and equipment and the quality of the accommodation is high. Arrangements for staff development are very good. Value for money At present, the school provides satisfactory value for money. This is improving.

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Standards in subjects

*Ethos is the climate for learning: attitudes to work, relationships and the commitment to high standards. Ellingham V C Primary School - 11 · The parents’ views of the school

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Standards in subjects

What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about XIX. The school is approachable. XX. The school encourages parents to play an active part in its life. XXI. Parents feel the introduction of the literacy and numeracy strategies has had a beneficial effect on their children. XXII. They feel well informed about their children’s progress and about general school matters. XXIII. They like the attitudes and values that the school promotes. XXIV. Their children enjoy going to school. XXV. Most are satisfied with the work their children are expected to do at home. XXVI. They are very pleased with the improvements and additions to the school building and with the new staffing arrangements. XXVII. They would like to know more about

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Standards in subjects

XXVIII.Some feel that there is too little ugh work in school. Some are not clear about

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Standards in subjects

Inspectors support the parents’ positive views. They also agree that the school could do more to inform parents about what the children will be learning. Although the school consulted parents recently about the homework policy, more could be done to ensure that all parents are clear about the how and when homework is set.

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Standards in subjects

· In order to raise attainment and improve the quality of education provided by the school, the headteacher, governors and staff should: XXIX. ensure that the actions focused on raising standards, particularly in English and mathematics, already identified by the school and set out in the current school management plan continue to be implemented, monitored and evaluated; (paragraphs 5, 10, 11, 14, 71, 72, 105, 106. 108, 110, 111, 117-119) XXX. create a coherent overview of the curriculum, showing how the National Curriculum for all non-core subjects and for science at Key Stage 1, will be covered for each class and year group, and how the elements fit together (the intention to do this is already identified in the current school management plan); (paragraphs 40, 46-48) XXXI. create and implement appropriate schemes of work which show how subjects other than English and mathematics will be taught to the different age groups within each class;

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Standards in subjects

(paragraphs 47, 135, 148, 152) XXXII. write and implement a plan for the teaching of religious education at Key Stage 1 which demonstrates adequate coverage of the locally agreed syllabus; (paragraphs 19, 141, 143) XXXIII. review present standards of handwriting and teachers’ expectations for the Ellingham V C Primary School - 12 presentation of work and draw up, implement and monitor a clear plan for improvement in this area. (paragraphs 12, 112, 151) Ellingham V C Primary School - 13 In addition to the key issues above, the following recommendations should be considered for inclusion in the action plan. These relate to weaknesses indicated in the report:

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Standards in subjects

· the governors should fulfil statutory requirements by ensuring that the school brochure and annual report to parents include all the required information; (paragraph 75) XXXIV. the headteacher and governors should ensure that the governors’ strategic role in planning for school improvement and evaluating the cost effectiveness of spending decisions is more prominent; (paragraphs 73, 74, 84) XXXV. the amount of adult support for the children under five should be increased, as planned; (paragraphs 77, 101) XXXVI. where deficiencies have been identified, the level of resources should be improved; (paragraphs 79, 82, 153) XXXVII. teachers should use written marking more consistently to indicate what children have done well and how they could improve their work. (paragraphs 33, 115, 124)

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Standards in subjects

· Characteristics of the school Ellingham V C Primary School - 14 1. Ellingham Primary School is a voluntary controlled school, situated in open countryside between the two parts of the village of Ellingham on the Norfolk/Suffolk border. There are two full-time teachers and one part-time teacher including the headteacher. The school caters for children aged four to eleven years and there are 40 pupils on roll. There are considerably more boys than girls. The number of pupils has fluctuated in recent years and is less than the number of children in the school at the time of the last inspection. At the time of the inspection there were four children of reception age, three of whom were under five. Attainment on entry can vary from year to year but overall is generally in line with that expected for children of that age. Less than ten per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is lower than that found nationally. There

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Standards in subjects

are ten pupils on the school’s special educational needs register. There are no pupils with a statement of special educational needs.

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Standards in subjects

2. At the time of the last inspection, due to staffing problems, the school was temporarily led by an acting headteacher, put in place by the Local Education Authority. Temporary arrangements for the headship continued for a further eighteen months until the appointment of the present head in September 1997. Further staff problems have meant disruption in the education of all children in reception and Key Stage 1 over a period of several years. As a consequence, parental confidence dropped further and numbers fell. This staffing situation has now been resolved.

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Standards in subjects

3. The school aims to provide a caring, happy and disciplined community where each child has the opportunity to develop both as an individual and as part of a team. The school also aims for all children to achieve the highest standards of which they are capable, to become independent learners and to be prepared for the future. The school values the involvement of parents in their children’s education and seeks to maintain good relationships between home, school and the local community.

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Standards in subjects

4. Current priorities of the school are to raise standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology, to review the coverage and delivery of the foundation subjects, and to enhance the school and its grounds following completion of the building work.

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Key indicators

The results of the tests are not published as fewer than ten pupils were assessed at the end of each key stage.

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Key indicators

Percentage of half days (sessions) missed % through absence for the latest complete Authorised School 4.47 Ellingham V C Primary School - 15 reporting year: Absence National comparative data 5.7 Unauthorised School 0 Absence National comparative data 0.5 4. 4. Exclusions

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Key indicators

Number of exclusions of pupils (of statutory school age) during Number the previous year: Fixed period 0 Permanent 0

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Key indicators

Percentage of teaching observed which is: % Very good or better 33 Satisfactory or better 100 Less than satisfactory 0 Ellingham V C Primary School - 16 4. PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

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Key indicators

4. EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS AT THE

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SCHOOL

5. The very small numbers in the school make national comparisons and year by year comparisons of pupils’ attainment unreliable: However, inspection evidence and National Curriculum task and test results indicate that at the age of seven, the children’s standards are, at present, below average in English and mathematics and about average in science and information technology. Attainment in religious education is below what is expected for seven-year-olds. By the age of eleven, attainment in English, mathematics and science is about average. The competence of the eleven-year-olds in information and communication technology is good and their work in religious education meets the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus.

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6. Throughout the school, the good teaching means that all children are making good progress. Progress is particularly rapid at Key Stage 1 and the early part of Key Stage 2 as these children had so much catching up to do. Children with special educational needs are making very good progress.

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7. The children under five years of age are doing well in almost all areas of learning. The attainment of children under five years of age when they start school varies from year to year but overall is about average. However, the attainment of the present group of children was above average on entry to the school and they are attaining at a level higher than expected for this age in almost all areas of learning. The children under five speak clearly and listen attentively. They use a growing vocabulary with precision, and can justify their opinions, for example in speculating about the location of a story being read aloud to them. They have a good understanding of how books are organised. They know that words and pictures carry meaning, and how text is read. They recognise many letters of the alphabet by shape and sound, and can identify words beginning with same sound, such as pig, pizza and puzzle. All can form letters and write a few simple

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words following the teacher’s model. In mathematics they use the correct vocabulary, such as ‘heavier’, and ‘equals’, accurately and with confidence. With the help of everyday objects, they accurately use numbers up to ten in practical and recorded work.

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8. The personal and social development of the under fives is good. They have settled into school well and all take part confidently in the range of classroom activities. They have formed good relationships with other children and with adults. They express their own feelings and points of view, for example in commenting about a self-portrait by Picasso.

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9. The children are making good progress in language and literacy, mathematics, and in Ellingham V C Primary School - 17 their creative and physical development. This is because their teacher carefully assesses what the children can do and then plans activities which are matched well to their needs and which engage their interest and challenge their thinking. The children are making satisfactory progress in developing their knowledge and understanding of the world but this area is a little weaker because the activities are not so well matched to their interests and understanding.

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10. By the end of Key Stage 1, attainment in reading and writing is lower than it should be. In the present Year 2, the children’s knowledge of letter sounds and blends is not yet firmly established. Thus, they find it difficult to decode unknown words and tend to rely on guesses, often not recognising when the guess does not make sense. Apart from the most able, these children are not yet working at the expected level in writing. They are beginning to understand the importance of character, setting and plot when writing stories. However, they mostly do not punctuate their work with capital letters and full stops and do not yet spell other than the most common words accurately. Their writing covers a good range of different styles, for example, recipes, retelling stories, rhymes and poems and science accounts but at present they lack the skills to write at any length. However, since September these children’s rate of progress has increased dramatically

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and they are now catching up to where they should be.

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11. By the end of Key Stage 2, reading standards are about average and the writing of the older, more able children in Key Stage 2 is at about the expected level. Their writing is lively and is effectively adapted to a wide range of purpose and audience. Their spelling and punctuation is mostly accurate and their reading is fluent. The writing of the others is not yet at the expected level.

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12. Handwriting is generally weak throughout the school. The last inspection report commented favourably on standards of presentation and handwriting. In this respect, standards have gone down.

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13. Despite the standards being lower than they should be at Key Stage 1 and the early part of Key Stage 2, the children are making good progress. They are now developing their literacy skills well due to the good teaching they are receiving. Ellingham V C Primary School - 18 14. By the end of Key Stage 1, attainment in mathematics is lower than it should be. However, since September these children’s progress has increased significantly. They are now catching up as they are taught well and are keen to learn. Most Year 2 children know by heart some, but not all, addition and subtraction facts for each number up to ten. They can make simple repeating patterns with tens but cannot yet count on and back in tens from any two-digit number. They are unsure about the operation of multiplication, and struggle to write numbers correctly and clearly. By the end of Key Stage 2, attainment is average. Most of the older children are working to the expected

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standards for their age. Most Year 6 children, for example, can describe different types of angles. They can find perimeters and calculate areas of simple shapes. They know by heart all multiplication facts up to 12 times 12, and can work out equivalent fractions. The children are keen to increase their achievements and concentrate well and make good progress in lessons.

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15. By the end of Key Stage 1, attainment in science is average. Because of the disruptions to their education last year, Year 2 pupils will not have covered the whole programme of study by the end of this year. They started in September from a very low base. The new teacher has no records of previous coverage or attainment and thus started from scratch. However, the work the children are currently doing is sufficiently demanding for them to reach the expected level. They are making appropriate progress in the acquisition of scientific knowledge and skills. The children talk with some confidence about the different parts of the body and about their senses. They carry out simple investigations, such as testing eyesight, and they record their observations.

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16. At Key Stage 2, children carry out investigations into aspects of forces and also show that they have a satisfactory understanding about the requirements plants have for healthy growth and about the functions of the main organs of the body, the effects of exercise on the heart and the need for a healthy diet. In Years 3 and 4, for example, the children make comparisons but are not yet able to use their knowledge to offer explanations or generalisations about scientific phenomena. In Years 5 and 6 the children demonstrate that they are beginning to do this. Because of good planning and teaching of the science curriculum, Key Stage 2 children learn increasingly difficult science and thus make at least satisfactory progress. In the experimental and investigative aspect of science the children also make satisfactory progress, although this is less marked for the more able children in Years 4 and 6, because their work is not always demanding

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enough. Year 6 pupils, for example, routinely use recording methods decided by the teacher rather than devising their own.

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17. Attainment in information and communication technology is broadly in line with the standards expected nationally at Key Stage 1. The children are confident in basic operations such as using the mouse, cursor and menu bar, and they can print. By the end of Key Stage 2, attainment exceeds expectations in that all children reach the nationally expected level. They can use information and communication technology to combine different forms of information such as pictures and text. They use a scanner and digital Ellingham V C Primary School - 19 camera. They load pictures onto the computer from the camera, amend and print these images. Older pupils can interrogate stored information on a database. Some have used the Internet.

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18. At the last inspection pupils’ attainment in information and communication technology was below national expectations at both key stages. Teaching was unsatisfactory and resources limited. The school has made significant improvement since that time, especially at Key Stage 2.

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19. Attainment in religious education by the end of Key Stage 1 is unsatisfactory in relation to the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. Although the children’s awareness of personal relationships is well developed and they can identify a few religious practices, their knowledge of places, objects and people from religious traditions is slight. In the lesson observed, the children made satisfactory progress. By the end of Key Stage 2 children’s attainment is satisfactory in relation to the expectations of the locally Agreed Syllabus. Year 6 children understand that religion can be important in peoples’ lives. They can provide examples of the influence of religion on behaviour and lifestyles, such as clothing particular to some Islamic women. They can identify key features of certain world faiths, for example the importance of meditation of Buddhist life, but are not able to identify similarities and differences between religions.

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20. Progress in music is good throughout the school. The children make satisfactory progress in history and physical education in both key stages. They make good progress in art at Key Stage 1 and satisfactory progress at Key Stage 2. There is insufficient evidence to make a judgement about progress in geography and design and technology.

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21. A good knowledge of each child’s current attainment, careful planning of relevant activities and good support means that children with special educational needs make very good progress overall.

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22. It is not appropriate with such small numbers to set cohort targets for improvement. The school has rightly identified suitable targets for each child and is working towards these.

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23. In the previous inspection in 1996, attainment was judged to be broadly in line with the standards expected nationally for seven and eleven-year-olds, in all subjects apart from religious education and information technology where standards were judged to be unsatisfactory. The attainment of seven-year-olds in English and mathematics now is lower than was reported previously. For eleven-year-olds it is about the same. Attainment in information and communication technology has improved considerably. Attainment in religious education has improved for the eleven-year-olds but not yet sufficiently improved for the seven-year-olds. Ellingham V C Primary School - 20 24. Due to weaknesses in teaching in previous years, children in Years 1, 2, 3 and 4 started from a very low base of attainment in September. Effective planning and well structured teaching mean they are now making rapid progress, particularly in literacy and numeracy.

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For all these children, there is evidence of good progress this term. They are now catching up to where they should be. From the time immediately following the last inspection until this term, staff problems have resulted in disruption to the education of all children in Reception and Key Stage 1. As a consequence, children failed to make progress and standards dropped. The children in Key Stage 1 and the early part of Key Stage 2 are now catching up. The children in Key Stage 2 who are now in Years 5 and 6 have had the benefit of good teaching for two years now, and standards at the end of Key Stage 2 reflect this.

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24. Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

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25. The children have very good attitudes to learning, they are enthusiastic and keen to participate. This is one of the reasons why they are making progress in lessons. All children know they come to school to learn. They are interested in their work and, on the whole, concentrate well. The older children respond well to the high expectation that they will work independently, sometimes out of the classroom, away from direct supervision by their teacher. They are good at working collaboratively, whether in a Key Stage 1 music lesson, a writing activity at Year 6 or using the digital camera as part of their work in art. They are eager to answer questions and they offer their ideas with confidence, knowing that their contributions will be valued.

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26. The children are resourceful and usually sensible. They organise their own play at breaktimes and older and younger children often play games together. During the wet weather, when they had to stay inside at playtime and lunchtime, their behaviour was very good. They got on with games and other activities without any fuss. They are very pleased with the new buildings and want to keep them looking good.

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27. Relationships in the school between the children and between children and adults are very good. The children are caring and almost always respectful towards each other. They are friendly and courteous to adults in the school and to visitors and are learning to respect the values and beliefs of other faiths and cultures through their work in religious education and other lessons. The family atmosphere of the school, where many of the children have siblings, often in the same class, has a very positive effect on children’s personal development. They are all supported and encouraged to become independent and show responsible attitudes to others, especially those younger than themselves. All Year 6 children are monitors and librarians and they take their responsibilities seriously. Some of the older children who have made good progress in acquiring information and communication technology skills act as mentors and teachers for others. This not only

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supports their social development but consolidates their own learning in information and communication technology. Ellingham V C Primary School - 21

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28. Attendance figures are well above the national average. The children arrive punctually at school and lessons start on time. They are keen to attend school, a fact confirmed during the inspection by parents and children. There are very effective procedures for dealing with any absence. Registration procedures conform to statutory requirements.

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Attendance

29. In more than four out of every five lessons the teaching is good or very good and there is no unsatisfactory teaching. Good teaching is the main reason why all children throughout the school are now making at least satisfactory progress with much of their learning. Where children have lost ground in the past effective teaching is helping them to make faster progress and catch up. For example, children in Year 2 have increased the speed with which they can recall number facts. Children in Year 4 are making very good progress in using the computer to communicate information.

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Attendance

30. The quality of teaching for children under five years of age is always satisfactory or better, and is often good or very good. The children are supported well by the teacher’s caring and thoughtful approach. She chooses stories and asks questions which interest children, helping them listen and respond appropriately. The teacher of under fives plans and provides a range of activities in mathematics, including chanting number rhymes and first-hand experiences with solid shapes. She assesses their current attainment carefully, and uses this information to amend her planning. Teaching is strongest in language and mathematics where activities are carefully matched to children’s needs. Under-fives’ creative and physical development is well supported by the teacher. Developing children’s knowledge and understanding of the world is weaker. Under-fives do some of the same tasks as six and seven-year-olds in the class in activities designed to promote

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Attendance

scientific, historical and geographical learning. These activities are sometimes ill matched to their interests and understanding. Ellingham V C Primary School - 22 31. In two out of three lessons at Key Stage 1 teaching is good or better. The teacher has a good understanding of the needs of five to seven-year-olds. She has an overall grasp of the National Curriculum at this Key Stage, and plans work very thoroughly. Since September, the teaching of Key Stage 1 children has been geared to improving the rate of progress and raising standards in literacy and numeracy. Improvements are already evident. Literacy and numeracy lessons are planned well, with clear objectives, differentiated for younger and older children in the class. The teacher of the Key Stage 1 class is skilful in asking questions that challenge children’s thinking, and is perceptive in responding to their work. In topic work the curriculum planning of science and some

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Attendance

foundation subjects, for example history and design and technology does not sufficiently take into account the wide age-range, interests and abilities of children in the class. In these areas, planning is not guided by progressive schemes of work suitable for mixed age classes and teaching is less effective. Good teaching at Key Stage 1 is underpinned by warm relationships, good pupil management and discipline, and very effective use of resources.

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Attendance

32. At Key Stage 2 the quality of teaching in all lessons is at least good. In four out of ten lessons observed the teaching was very good. Key Stage 2 children are taught in two very small classes for most literacy and numeracy lessons, and in one larger group covering the whole key stage for most other lessons, often very effectively supported by classroom assistants. Teaching is shared by the headteacher and a part-time teacher. In English, mathematics, information and communication technology, and music teachers’ subject knowledge is strong. They set clear learning objectives for their pupils. In the best lessons these are shared with pupils, who take part in evaluating their own progress, and enjoy being challenged. A good range of teaching methods are employed. These suit the particular objectives of each lesson. In a French lesson, for example, the children responded well in a role-play which increased their ability to use the language

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Attendance

confidently. Teachers explain and demonstrate skilfully. For example, they model writing strategies effectively. Lessons are pacy and well managed and often involve children in collaborative work in pairs or small groups. There are good relationships between pupils and adults, and high expectations that older Key Stage 2 children will work independently and responsibly. The children respond well to being trusted. Very effective use is also made of learning resources including information and communication technology.

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Attendance

33. Key Stage 2 teachers use day-to-day assessment information effectively to modify their teaching plans in literacy and numeracy and ensure teaching supports and challenges learners of all abilities. However, few examples were seen where the marking of children’s work gave them sufficient guidance on how they could improve.

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Attendance

34. Throughout the school effective teaching in literacy and numeracy contributes positively to the progress the children make, and the standards they achieve. Teaching is also particularly strong in music, and in information and communication technology at Key Stage 2. Ellingham V C Primary School - 23 35. The teaching of children with special educational needs is effective for all age groups. All but one of the children on the school’s special educational needs register are in Key Stage 2. These pupils benefit from small class groups in literacy and numeracy. Activities are well designed to meet the learning objectives in their Individual Education Plans. Careful assessments are made of individual progress towards these targets. Pupils are also helped to access the full curriculum by the sensitive support of classroom assistants. Ellingham V C Primary School - 24 36. Teachers set homework in accordance with the school homework policy and help

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support the involvement of parents in their children’s learning. Home-school reading is having a positive impact on children’s progress at Key Stage 1. For older children, homework activities usually complete or consolidate work done in class and are helpful in preparing older children for the next stage in their education.

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Attendance

37. At the time of the last inspection, the quality of teaching was satisfactory or better in all lessons, and good in more than two-thirds of the lessons seen. Similar, high proportions of good teaching are reported in this inspection. Strong features of teaching at the last inspection, such as good use of time and resources, clear explanations and skilful questioning, are also noted now.

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Attendance

38. Since the last inspection improvements to the quality of teaching have taken place in certain subjects. The teaching of English and mathematics are now consistently good as a result of the effective implementation of the literacy and numeracy strategies. The teaching of information and communication technology has improved very significantly, due to the foresight and determination of the present headteacher.

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Attendance

39. The school fulfils the requirements to teach all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education to Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils. All six areas of learning for the under- fives are covered. It also provides personal, social and health education, including appropriate sex education. The curriculum is therefore broadly based.

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Attendance

40. Curriculum time at both key stages is sufficient. It is particularly well used at Key Stage 2, where both curriculum organisation and well paced lessons contribute to effective use of pupils’ time. At Key Stage 1, time for literacy, numeracy, music and religious education is used very effectively. Time for science, history, geography, art and design and technology is less well spent. The present interim arrangements for teaching these subjects through a three-year rolling programme of topics at Key Stage 1 are unsatisfactory. They do not yet provide consistent opportunities for learning in these subjects which are well matched to the attainment and interest of all the children. For example, in the topic work observed, the art work was sufficiently challenging for Year 2 pupils, and younger children also responded well, but some planned work in science was less appropriate for the wide age range in the class.

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Attendance

41. The curriculum for Year 5 and 6 children is extended to include the teaching of French. The children follow a progressive programme with a firm emphasis on speaking and listening in the target language. For example, through role-play pupils learn how to give directions to la patisserie or le garage . French teaching is enhanced by a good use of resources such as video clips set in France. The teaching of a modern foreign language is good use of the school's discretionary time as it results, too, in broader cultural development. Ellingham V C Primary School - 25 42. Extra-curricular opportunities in sport, the arts and information and communication technology enhance the curriculum of younger and older pupils. Older pupils take part in sporting and musical events with other local schools. The performance of groups of older pupils with descant and treble recorders at the Norwich Festival has been

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commended. Currently ten of the school’s forty pupils play the recorder regularly. Provision also includes lunchtime or after-school clubs for football and drama. Confidence and skill in the use of information and communication technology equipment has been increased by its use during lunchtimes.

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Attendance

43. The planning for literacy and numeracy across the school reflects the national frameworks for teaching in both subjects. It is detailed and thorough and contributes positively to the progress being made by all children, and to raising their attainment. This detailed planning for literacy and numeracy in both key stages is ensuring that children with special educational needs are making good progress in these areas. Some individual children are making excellent progress due to the effective implementation of these plans by skilful teachers using a good variety of teaching methods and imaginative resources. The children at Key Stage 2 are also benefiting greatly from the very small classes provided for them in these areas. At Key Stage 1, children with special educational needs are ably supported by the teacher. Good progress has been evident this term.

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Attendance

44. The curriculum at all key stages meets the curricular requirements of all pupils on the school’s Code of Practice special educational needs register. Work matches targets set in Individual Education Plans, and is well planned and assessed. In respect of individual children such plans are discussed with parents and take into account the recommendations of other professionals, such as speech therapists. Classroom assistants also support equality of access to other curriculum subjects at Key Stage 2. For example, in a lively music lesson children with special educational needs were enabled to play a full part in practical music making. No such support is available at present for children in the reception and Key Stage 1 class, but there are firm plans to improve this from January.

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Attendance

45. At present, due to close links with the playgroup and careful assessments, the curriculum for under-fives takes account of what has gone before. In literacy and numeracy the implementation of the national frameworks across the whole school is now providing continuity and ensuring progression of learning.

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Attendance

46. Planning for curriculum continuity between key stages in subjects other than literacy and numeracy is patchy at best, due to a history of staffing problems and dislocated teaching at Key Stage 1. The newly-appointed teacher for the Reception and Key Stage 1 class has little information about the Year 1 and 2 children’s coverage of the National Curriculum and of the locally agreed syllabus for religious education prior to the start of this term. Assessment information for these children has also been sparse. She has therefore, sensibly, made interim plans based on her wide, previous experience, and is adapting these appropriately in response to her own assessments. Year 1 and 2 pupils’ progress in literacy, numeracy, and in some other areas has increased very significantly Ellingham V C Primary School - 26 since September, but some problems of National Curriculum coverage and continuity inevitably remain unsatisfactory at the present time.

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Attendance

Ellingham V C Primary School - 27 47. Within Key Stage 2, planning for continuity and progression in subjects other than literacy and numeracy is best in information and communication technology, science and music. Such strengths are due to teachers’ good subject knowledge and use of detailed schemes of work such as those provided by Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. Planning at Key Stage 2 has improved in the past two years. However, some weaknesses remain, especially in respect of aspects of the foundation subjects of history, geography, art, design and technology and physical education.

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Attendance

48. The overall picture of the whole curriculum, and how it fits together, is not clear. The school’s current management plan includes a priority to develop a foundation subject curriculum map for both Key Stages 1 and 2, to go alongside existing literacy and numeracy strategy frameworks, and plans for the teaching of science.

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Attendance

49. Assessment procedures in school are good. Structured assessments of under fives are first made when children start school. The teacher of the Reception children observes them carefully to make accurate assessments of their work. She also assesses older pupils in the Reception and Key Stage 1 class in English and mathematics, and judges their progress against National Curriculum criteria. She uses such assessment information to inform the next steps of learning for all pupils in her class. Informal assessments of the children’s personal and social development and their progress in other subjects are made from time to time.

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Attendance

50. To supplement the information from the teachers’ ongoing assessments, the school uses formal tests of reading and mathematics, taken each year. Results have been monitored by governors. A pupil tracking system has recently been set up to record attainment annually and systematically in the core subjects. As a result, the headteacher is now in a position to monitor the rate of pupils’ progress right through the school and set appropriate targets in literacy and mathematics for all children.

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Attendance

51. Teachers know their pupils well, and report to parents informally and at parent consultation evenings twice yearly. Written, end of Key Stage 1 reports have been of variable quality in the past two years, due to discontinuity in staffing. Reports to parents of Reception children, and to parents of older pupils however, meet formal requirements in that they briefly cover all areas of learning or subjects taught. They summarise what children understand and can do, and identify some next steps.

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Attendance

52. Since the last inspection the school has made significant improvements in aspects of the curriculum and assessment. The curriculum is better balanced than it was, and meets the current requirements of the National Curriculum. Provision for information and communication technology has improved at both key stages, but has improved most for seven to eleven-year-olds. The plan for religious education at Key Stage 2 has improved to ensure adequate coverage of the subject, but this has not yet happened at Key Stage 1. Some progress has been made to improve curriculum continuity and progression, particularly in literacy and numeracy throughout the school, and within Key Stage 2, but much remains to be done. Work to challenge higher-achieving and older pupils (which Ellingham V C Primary School - 28 was weak at the time of the last inspection) is now more secure, especially in literacy and numeracy, and in information and communication technology. At the time of the last

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Attendance

inspection assessment procedures within the core subjects were not in place. This has been put right. Assessment in English and mathematics is now effective. Teacher assessments are moderated within the school, and with teachers from other schools, to ensure consistency of judgement. The last inspection identified the need for a more structured system of assessment designed to monitor pupil achievement and promote higher standards, particularly of older and higher-attaining pupils. In the last year, the school has extended its assessment strategy and established a pupil tracking system. It is too early to judge the impact of such arrangements on the quality of teaching. Reporting to parents is now adequate, but could be improved further. Overall, much has been achieved in the last two years.

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Attendance

52. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

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Attendance

53. The provision for spiritual development is good. Teachers value pupils’ ideas across the curriculum. Work in class and in assemblies encourages the children to reflect on other people’s lives and beliefs. In the Reception and Key Stage 1 class a display of pictures, artefacts and books about Divali tempted both under-fives and older pupils to consider and value religious beliefs and practices. An interactive Wall of Wonders in the school’s main corridor has been used by pupils and members of staff to share feelings of awe evoked by natural phenomena such as the eclipse, and events of personal significance, for example, the unexpected return to health of a very sick horse.

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Attendance

54. The school’s provision for moral education is very good. Teachers consistently promote clear values. Careful attention is given to fostering awareness of right and wrong. During a physical education lesson, for example, a Key Stage 2 teacher used a rare incidence of unkind behaviour to another child to consolidate pupils’' moral understanding, including the need to consider the rights of others. A religious education lesson for reception and Key Stage 1 pupils included well planned opportunities for pupils to develop and express moral values.

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Attendance

55. The school provides very well for the children’s social development. Many opportunities encourage the children to relate effectively to others, and to take on responsibility. For example, as they achieve competence with aspects of work in information and communication technology, Key Stage 2 pupils are encouraged to “sign up” and teach others. Children are trusted to use equipment independently and responsibly. Year 6 pupils value their work as school monitors and librarians, and take these responsibilities seriously. Working cooperatively is an integral part of many lessons at Key Stages 1 and 2, and the pupils do so successfully. They show appreciation of one another’s achievements and efforts, and there are few squabbles. Ellingham V C Primary School - 29 56. Provision for cultural development is good. The school actively seeks to enrich the curriculum, and celebrate diversity, through visits and visitors. The children have had the

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opportunity to visit museums and sites of historic and scientific interest in London, Suffolk and Norfolk. Older pupils have benefited from residential visits to outdoor education centres. A drama group, a television presenter, and the South Norfolk Dog Warden are amongst recent visitors to the school. Special events such as Bastille Day are celebrated. Lessons provide further opportunities to promote wider cultural awareness. A story read to Reception and Key Stage 1 children at the end of the day was set in the desert. This story had been selected by the teacher to widen pupils’ horizons, and they responded with lively interest. A mathematics lesson at Key Stage 2 on Napier’s algorithm included an emphasis on his historic contribution to mathematics.

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Attendance

57. At the time of the previous inspection, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development was, overall, a strength of the school. However, pupils had too few experiences of cultures other than their own. Since that time the school has maintained its good practice and improved its provision for multicultural awareness.

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Attendance

58. Collective worship is the subject of a separate inspection under Section 23.

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Attendance

58. Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

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Attendance

59. The school provides a safe and caring environment for the children. Teachers and children know one another well and relationships are friendly and respectful. Parents feel that they are welcome at the school and they can approach the school with any concerns about their child’s welfare or progress.

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Attendance

60. Systematic procedures for monitoring children’s academic progress have recently been introduced. The school now records all assessment data for each child in order to track progress and set targets. It is too early to judge the impact on academic progress of these initiatives.

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Attendance

61. The school keeps more detailed records of the progress of children with special educational needs and the children are well supported in the classroom. This is effective in creating good attitudes to learning and in helping the children make progress. The sensitive identification and support given to these pupils by staff is highly regarded by parents.

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Attendance

62. The school is very good at promoting a high standard of behaviour. All staff expect the children to behave well and responsibly, and they do. There is a discipline policy of which all staff are aware. Misbehaviour is very rare. Because all the staff know the children well, they constantly informally monitor behaviour. All adults promote kindness and courtesy to others with the result that the school is a calm and orderly environment. Ellingham V C Primary School - 30 63. The procedures for monitoring attendance are good, with the result that there were no unauthorised absences in the last year. The school complies with child protection procedures. There is a written policy and all staff are aware of the procedures. The school promotes well the health, safety and wellbeing of pupils, staff and visitors. All staff, for example, are very conscious of the need to make the children aware of the

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safety issues regarding use of any apparatus in science and physical education lessons. The school is successful in providing a safe and secure environment in which pupils can work and know they are cared for. Ellingham V C Primary School - 31 63. 63. Partnership with parents and the community

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Attendance

64. The school generally provides good information for parents. They are kept well informed about what is happening in school by weekly newsletters, which are generally appreciated. The school brochure is comprehensive and easy to read and is enlivened by children’s drawings. Together the brochure and newsletters provide much useful information about dates, school rules, attendance, meetings and events and curriculum matters. Some parents, however, would welcome more information about what their children will actually be learning so that they can show an interest and support them at home. Both the school brochure and the governors’ report to parents do not fully comply with requirements in that they omit some statutory information.

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Attendance

64. Parents’ involvement in the life of the school is good. They feel that they are encouraged to play an active part in the life of the school and they appreciate the ease with which they can approach staff to discuss any concerns. Parents are encouraged to be directly involved in their children’s learning through reading with them at home or other homework activities. Both parents and children enjoyed investigating the effects of caffeine on the pulse rate or finding out about the wartime experiences of family members. A number of parents give valued help in class, accompany school visits or provide extra-curricular activities, such as football and drama.

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Attendance

65. The school has recently introduced a homework policy but despite having the draft available and being invited to make comments, not all parents are fully aware of the school policy with regard to homework. This somewhat limits its effectiveness. The recently introduced Home-School Agreement provides clear statements about the contribution of the school, parent and pupil to the children’s education.

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Attendance

66. Links with the local community are satisfactory. There are close links with the playgroup which meets in the school hall and the play group leader works in class with the children. This makes the transfer from playgroup to school as easy as possible for the children. The new Reception teacher is planning to further develop curriculum links. There are also increasingly effective links with other schools in the cluster and the high school. The headteacher chairs the local cluster and is very keen to promote good curriculum continuity for the children when they transfer to high school. There is a good relationship with the local church, which the school uses for special occasions. The parish priest visits the school regularly to take assemblies. Ellingham V C Primary School - 32 67. The children make visits into the village to support their work in history, geography and religious education. Members of the community visit the school to talk, for example,

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about their experiences in wartime. The children join with pupils of other schools within the area for sporting fixtures and take part in the Norwich music festival where some of the pupils recently received certificates of commendation. The involvement of the Broadland Authority in developing the school grounds has been very beneficial to the children, in promoting their awareness of the environment.

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Attendance

68. There is a very active Friends and Families Association which holds regular and successful fundraising activities and social events.

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Attendance

69. THE MANAGEMENT AND EFFICIENCY OF THE SCHOOL

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Attendance

69. The leadership and management of the school are very good. Under the leadership of the headteacher, the governors have established a clear educational direction for the school with the focus on raising standards. The school operates with a very evident shared sense of purpose where all are clear about the key priorities.

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Attendance

70. At the time of the last inspection, due to staffing problems, the school was temporarily led by an acting headteacher, put in place by the Local Education Authority. Temporary arrangements for the headship continued for a further eighteen months until the appointment of the present headteacher in September 1997. Further staff problems meant disruption in the education of all children in Reception and Key Stage 1 over a period of several years. As a consequence, children failed to make progress and standards dropped, as did parental confidence. The clear-sighted leadership of the present headteacher and her determination to raise standards have now brought about a strong staff team. As a result, the children at Key Stage 1 and the early part of Key Stage 2 are now catching up. Following her appointment, the teaching of the present headteacher at Key Stage 2, brought immediate benefit to those pupils at Key Stage 2

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Attendance

who are now in Years 5 and 6. Ellingham V C Primary School - 33 71. The planning for school improvement is of a very high quality. Immediately on appointment the headteacher, with the support and approval of the governors, produced a clear interim development plan. This identified the key issues facing the school very explicitly and prioritised the actions needed to overcome them. The good quality strategic thinking shown in the plan has been continued in the current development plan which gives a frank evaluation of progress so far and sets out clearly the means to achieve further improvement. These actions are practical, have manageable time scales and are backed by appropriate financial decisions. The implementation of the plans has led to improvements in the curriculum, in the quality of the teaching and in children’s rate of progress. Standards in information and communication technology and religious

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Attendance

education, which were a key issue in the last inspection, have improved. The literacy and numeracy strategies have been implemented effectively.

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Attendance

72. Monitoring and support for teaching is good. Teaching is monitored at present by the headteacher and the outcomes used to agree targets for improvement where appropriate. This includes monitoring the implementation of the national numeracy strategy in her capacity as mathematics coordinator. Professional development interviews are held with staff to agree responsibilities and identify areas for professional development. Opportunities for training or advice and support are arranged. This has led to increased confidence among staff. Subject leaders’ responsibilities in the core subjects have recently been reallocated following the appointment of new staff. The good support subject leaders in English and mathematics give to their colleagues has had a beneficial effect on teaching and on the children’s progress. Further work remains to be done on monitoring provision and the quality of work in other subjects. Governors are aware of

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their responsibilities for monitoring the quality of education. They have recently discussed new arrangements but have not yet implemented an effective system for doing this. Appraisal arrangements have not yet been formalised as the school is awaiting new government guidelines.

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Attendance

73. The governors are well informed about the school and most either visit on a regular basis or work there. They are fully supportive of the leadership of the headteacher and are playing an increasing part in the management of the school. For the past two years the main focus of their attention has been on dealing with staffing problems, parental concerns and the new building. While fully involved in discussing and approving the school development plan, their involvement in the early stages of school development and financial planning has hitherto been limited. The governing body now needs to play a full part in the strategic management of the school.

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Attendance

74. The governing body meets its statutory requirements in full, except for the full range of required information in the school brochure and the governors’ annual report to parents. Ellingham V C Primary School - 34 75. The ethos of the school is extremely positive. The school has clearly defined aims. These include the belief that the school community should be a caring, happy and disciplined one where each child has the opportunity to develop both as an individual and as part of a team. They also include a commitment to each child achieving the highest standards of which they are capable, helping them become independent learners and in educating them for the future. The governors, headteacher and staff meet these aims well. The children are very well behaved, enjoy coming to school and display considerable independence in their attitudes towards learning. Recent improvements in planning and the now high quality of teaching throughout the school particularly in

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Attendance

literacy and numeracy mean that children are being given appropriate work that is helping develop high standards.

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Attendance

76. Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

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Attendance

76. The school is generously staffed with a ratio of one teacher per 15 pupils. The teachers are appropriately qualified and experienced in teaching the age range in the school. There is enough appropriately skilled support staff to enable the day-to-day life of the school to run smoothly and to provide good quality and effective learning support for Key Stage 2 pupils. At present, there is no learning support in the Reception and Key Stage 1 class. This restricts some of the curricular opportunities for the youngest pupils. The school is aware of this and intends to appoint an additional classroom assistant from January.

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Attendance

77. The arrangements for the professional development of staff are very good. Each member of staff has an annual professional development interview with the headteacher to clarify job descriptions and identify areas for professional development. The school is awaiting new guidance before formalising the appraisal procedures. Other professional development has included good opportunities for staff to become familiar not only with the basic requirements of the National Literacy Strategy and National Numeracy Strategy but also with aspects of teaching English and mathematics which are particularly pertinent to the needs of the school. Professional development has been well planned to meet the individual needs of teachers, the school’s current priorities and compliance with national initiatives.

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Attendance

78. Resources for learning overall are good, particularly for music and information and communication technology. The good resources and space for practical music making have a positive effect on the quality of the children’s work. The children are benefiting too from the ample provision and excellent quality of the information and communication technology equipment. In other subjects at Key Stages 1 and 2 they are at least satisfactory apart from in history and geography where there are few resources to support teaching at Key Stage 1, other than those brought in by the teacher. Overall, the quality and range of resources has improved since the last inspection, although further resources for teaching history and geography at Key Stage 1 are needed. Ellingham V C Primary School - 35 79. The school has recently been totally refurbished, including the addition of two new classrooms, which replaced condemned mobiles. The school is now an attractive and

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stimulating learning environment. The display boards in the classrooms, corridors and library are used to good effect. The very small hall is used well and safely for physical education lessons. However, its small size limits the effectiveness of some teaching, as, for some activities, (for example, indoor games on wet days), half the class is inactive at any one time, while pupils await their turn.

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Attendance

80. The quality of education provided is enhanced by the school’s attractive grounds which have good facilities for play and sporting activities and a wildlife area for science and environmental studies. The building work had only just been finished at the time of the inspection so there are outside areas yet to be completed. The school’s plans for these areas will further enhance provision.

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Attendance

81. For the under-fives, provision for outdoor play, and for aspects of indoor play are currently unsatisfactory, due to lack of play space, insufficient classroom assistance and inadequate resources for some activities. The school is aware of these deficiencies. Further equipment for young children has already been ordered. The school plans to improve levels of adult support in the Reception and Key Stage 1 class from January 2000 and to develop a safe outdoor play area, designated for younger children.

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Attendance

82. The school makes very efficient use of the resources available to it. Financial planning by the headteacher, with the support and trust of the governors is excellent. The right decisions have been made about priorities and the actions needed to support the raising of standards and the school has budgeted accordingly. Thus educational developments that have been identified in the school development plan are well supported through far sighted planning and the appropriate allocation of funds. The decision, for example, to spend money to support small teaching groups in literacy and numeracy lessons at Key Stage 2 has been effective in terms of the progress the children are making. Staff development is given a high priority as the governing body and the headteacher are determined that staff should be kept up-to-date in teaching the requirements of the primary curriculum and able to meet the needs of all the pupils. Expenditure on staff

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Attendance

development is derived from the identification of the teachers’ and the school’s needs and is well supported through the appropriate allocation of money delegated to the school for training purposes. Ellingham V C Primary School - 36 83. The governors are very knowledgeable about the school’s priorities. However, although they are involved in agreeing and monitoring the budget, they are not yet sufficiently involved in planning for the strategic use of resources and in evaluating the cost effectiveness of spending decisions. They are aware that this is an aspect of their role that needs to be developed.

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Attendance

84. Money allocated to the school to support children with special educational needs is not identified separately in spending plans and governors are not aware of the amount of the allocation or how it is spent. However, the overall use of the funding benefits the children with special educational needs through effective teaching in small groups. They are all making good progress. The deployment of support staff is efficient in supporting Key Stage 2 children and based on a careful consideration of need. However, at present there is no classroom assistant support for the Reception children. The school is aware of the need to provide this and newly available funding will permit it from January.

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Attendance

85. Staff make good use of the available accommodation. For example, the Key Stage 2 class is split for some physical education lessons so they can have gymnastics lessons in the small hall. Because the children are independent and trustworthy, teachers can make good use of classrooms for children to pursue individual work without direct supervision. An example of this is the very good use of information and communication technology resources, with its consequent effect on children’s progress. The use made of the school grounds in summer for science and environmental education has a positive effect on children’s interest in wildlife and environmental matters..

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Attendance

86. Day-to-day administrative procedures are excellent and financial control is very good. The school office is well organised and is a welcoming and efficient introduction to the school for parents and visitors.

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Attendance

87. The school is very small and thus income and expenditure per pupil are inevitably high. Because of the now good teaching, the recent improvement in the children’s progress and their very good attitudes, the value for money given by the school is at present satisfactory. Because these improvements are recent and because standards at Key Stage 1 and the early part of Key Stage 2 are not yet sufficiently high, it cannot yet be said to give good value for money. Ellingham V C Primary School - 37 88. PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

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Attendance

88. AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

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Attendance

88. At the time of the inspection, there were four children of Reception age attending full- time in the Reception and Key Stage 1 class, three of whom were not yet five. Attainment on entry varies from year to year, and is generally average, but the attainment of those under-fives presently in school is above average. Arrangements for the children when they first start school are good, as are links with the local playgroup.

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Attendance

Personal and Social Development 89. The personal and social development of under-fives is good. They have settled well into their new class, and all take part confidently in the range of classroom activities. They establish effective relationships with other children and with adults. They are confident learners, eager to explore new learning, and be inventive. They demonstrate independence in choosing mathematics resources. Under-fives show respect for people of other cultures and beliefs, and handle resources such as musical instruments with care. They express their own feelings and points of view, for example, in commenting about a self-portrait by Picasso.

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Attendance

90. The quality of teaching for this area of learning is good. Many activities are well chosen to promote personal and social development.

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Attendance

Language and Literacy 91. The provision for language and literacy is generally good, though under-fives sometimes fidget during longer “carpet sessions” more suited to the needs of older pupils in the class. All under-fives are likely to achieve above the expected level for five-year-olds.

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Attendance

92. Under-fives speak clearly and listen attentively. They use a growing vocabulary with precision, and can justify their opinions, for example, in speculating about the location of a story being read aloud to them. They discuss and respond to stories, songs, and rhymes with enthusiasm.

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Attendance

93. Children’s early reading skills are progressing very well. They have a good understanding of how books are organised. They know that words and pictures carry meaning, and how text is read. They recognise many letters of the alphabet by shape and sound, and can identify words beginning with same sound, such as pig, pizza and puzzle. Some can transpose letters in simple words to invent “silly words” of their own. All can form letters and a few simple words following the teacher’s model. Ellingham V C Primary School - 38 94. The quality of teaching in language and literacy is good. The teacher has a clear understanding of the needs of young children, and relates very well to them. In whole- class situations with older children she takes especial care to encourage contributions from the youngest pupils. She asks questions which challenge their thinking, and carefully monitors their progress. Good use is made of parent volunteers.

p.38

Attendance

Ellingham V C Primary School - 39 Mathematical Development 95. The provision for mathematical development is good. They are making good progress and all are likely to achieve above the expected level for five-year-olds. They use mathematical vocabulary (such as heavier, equals, flat) accurately and with confidence. Under-fives are familiar with, and can anticipate the next sequence in number rhymes such as Five Speckled Frogs. With the help of everyday objects they accurately use larger numbers in practical and recorded work.

p.40

Attendance

96. The children are making good progress in mathematics due to well planned, practical activities which engage their interest and challenge their thinking. They investigate why some solid shapes roll and others slide, and present their findings. Under-fives are also responding enthusiastically to some of the direct teaching in the numeracy hour, and their feel for number has improved significantly since the start of term.

p.40

Attendance

97. The quality of teaching is good, with excellent use of visual aids to sustain interest and concentration.

p.40

Attendance

Knowledge and Understanding of the World 98. The provision to develop the children’s knowledge and understanding of the world is satisfactory overall but there are some weaknesses. All children are likely to achieve, but not exceed, the expected level for five-year-olds.

p.40

Attendance

99. In a design and make activity the children worked carefully to develop drawn designs for their “Crazy Glasses”. They can compare aspects of life in their own locality with faraway places encountered in story books. They use information and communication technology to support their learning, and most know how to use a mouse to move icons on a screen.

p.40

Attendance

100. The teaching of this area of learning is satisfactory overall, but there are some weaknesses. The school’s approach to topic planning in the lower half of the school does not always meet the needs of both the youngest and the oldest pupils. Some work on the human eye, for example, was ill-matched to the interest and scientific understanding of the under-fives. Children would also make better progress in this area of learning if they had more adult support in the classroom on a regular basis. Ellingham V C Primary School - 40 101. Physical and Creative Development 101. The provision for the children’s physical and creative development is patchy but satisfactory overall, and children are all likely to achieve above the expected level for five-year-olds. Provision for outdoor play is limited at present. Major building work has been completed recently. Plans are in place for an outdoor classroom; this includes a

p.40

Attendance

designated outdoor play space (with store for large toys) for the youngest children. These plans will be fully realised later in the year. Provision for imaginative play indoors includes a home corner and cafe. In the classroom, under-fives use such items as pencils, pens and oil pastels with care.

p.41

Attendance

102. Provision for art, music and movement are very good. The classroom is visually exciting and children are stimulated by high quality resources drawn from a variety of cultures. For example, the children looked closely at a wide range of Picasso portraits, and were able to comment on them and identify what they liked about them. Children can explore patterns in sound, sustain a simple musical conversation with another child and perform as part of a group. All children responded well to the challenge of a gymnastics lesson. Some are able to create balanced and aesthetically pleasing body shapes and describe them as being “like sculpture”. Overall, the children are making good progress in their physical and creative development.

p.41

Attendance

103. The quality of teaching in the areas of creative and physical development is often good. The teacher values children’s ideas, but does not accept work uncritically, and skilfully challenges children to make further progress.

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Attendance

104. The children’s attainment is below average by the end of Key Stage 1 and about average by the end of Key Stage 2. This judgement is made after considering National Curriculum assessment results for the past two years, the work in the children’s books and the work seen in lessons. Because the number of children in each year group is very small, valid comparisons cannot be made with national test averages in each year. Despite the standards being lower than they should be at Key Stage 1 and the early part of Key Stage 2, since September, the children have been making good progress. They are now developing their literacy skills well due to the good teaching they are receiving. Ellingham V C Primary School - 41 105. Both the 1998 and 1999 end of Key Stage 1 tests indicate weaknesses in both reading and writing. The 1999 end of Key Stage 2 tests indicate that standards in writing are not as high as in reading. These results indicate a drop in standards since the last inspection

p.41

Attendance

when attainment was judged to be in line with and occasionally better than average. However, from the time immediately following the last inspection until this term, staff problems have resulted in disruption in the education of all children in Reception and Key Stage 1. As a consequence, children failed to make progress and standards dropped. The children at Key Stage 1 and the early part of Key Stage 2 are now catching up. The children at Key Stage 2 who are now in Years 5 and 6 have had the benefit of good teaching for two years now, and standards at the end of Key Stage 2 reflect this.

p.42

Attendance

106. Teacher assessments in speaking and listening indicate that the children are attaining standards that are broadly in line with the national average. This is confirmed by inspection evidence. The children throughout the school listen intently to teachers’ instructions and explanations and to each other. They answer questions confidently. The older children engage willingly in discussion, offer thoughtful comments and build on each other’s contributions. Although not observed during the inspection, there are appropriate opportunities for speaking in a more public arena, for example in sharing assemblies and drama.

p.42

Attendance

107. Inspection evidence indicates that standards in reading are a little below average by the end of Key Stage 1. In Year 2, the children know how different types of books are organised and the purpose of different types of punctuation. They talk with interest about the story and characters of the book they are currently studying, but few can talk about their preferences for different authors. Apart from the most able who read fluently and with dramatic expression, the children lack confidence in reading aloud. Because their knowledge of letter sounds and blends is not yet firmly established they find it difficult to decode unknown words and tend to rely on guesses, often not recognising when the guess does not make sense. However, since September, these children’s rate of progress has increased dramatically and they are now catching up to where they should be.

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Attendance

108. By the end of Key Stage 2, standards are about average. In Year 6, children read fluently and with some expression. They describe the technique the author has used to give a particular effect, they know about the characteristics of different kinds of texts and draw inferences from the texts they read. The children make good connections between their work in literacy and other areas of the curriculum but they do not always apply their research skills successfully. For example, when researching topics in subjects such as history, they do not always extract relevant information, relying on copying passages from the reference book. Ellingham V C Primary School - 42 109. Attainment in writing is below average by the end of Key Stage 1. It is a little below by the end of Key Stage 2. Year 2 children are not yet working at the expected level. In their writing, the children mostly do not punctuate their work with capital letters and full

p.42

Attendance

stops and do not yet spell other than the most common words accurately. The most able pupils, however, use language well and can recognise the style of an author and begin to use it in their own writing. The children are beginning to understand the importance of character, setting and plot when writing stories. Their writing covers a range of different styles, for example recipes, retelling stories, rhymes and science accounts, but at present they lack the skills to write at any length. Writing is usually well linked to reading, for example, when children write about being naughty as part of their work on “Where the Wild Things Are” and to work in other areas of the curriculum, such as science. The emphasis on using literacy skills in other areas of the curriculum is having a beneficial effect on the children’s progress in writing.

p.43

Attendance

110. In Year 6, the more able children are in line to attain the expected level by the end of the year. Their writing is lively and is effectively adapted to a wide range of purpose and audience. For example, they successfully took a diary extract, written in very fragmentary form and rewrote it in the style of an autobiography. Their spelling and punctuation is mostly accurate and handwriting neat. Other children in Year 6 are less likely to attain the expected level. Although they are beginning to adapt their writing to different purposes and spelling is generally satisfactory, they do not display sufficient variety in the ways they join their sentences and simple punctuation is not always accurate.

p.43

Attendance

111. Handwriting is generally weak throughout the school. Apart from the very youngest children who do not have bad habits to unlearn, the children at Key Stage 1 are not yet forming their letters correctly. Although the older children practice writing in cursive script in handwriting lessons, most do not use this skill the rest of the time.

p.43

Attendance

112. Overall, the children, including those with special educational needs, are making good progress in English. Due to weaknesses in teaching in previous years, children in Years 1, 2, 3 and 4 started from a very low base of attainment in September. Effective planning and teaching means they are now making rapid progress. For all these children, there is discernible progress in both the quality and quantity of their writing and in their reading. They are now catching up to where they should be. Children in Years 5 and 6 are making satisfactory progress in most aspects. Progress in improving the content of their writing is good but progress in handwriting and punctuation for most children is slow. Ellingham V C Primary School - 43 113. The children are making progress because the teaching of English is good throughout the school. It is well planned and well structured, based on an accurate assessment of

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Attendance

children’s needs. The teachers’ careful planning, following the literacy strategy framework, ensures that children are given work that has a clear focus, is neither too hard nor too easy and which they find interesting. This has the result that the children work independently in groups, stay on task and thus free the teacher for direct focused teaching of reading or writing. The teachers explain the work clearly so that children know what they have to do. The teaching is best and the children’s involvement greatest when they are clear about what the teacher will be looking for in their work. The teachers generally make good use of the computers in English lessons, devising tasks, which incorporate both English and information and communication technology skills.

p.44

Attendance

114. Teachers give feedback to children verbally in lessons, giving due praise but not allowing weak answers to go unchallenged. However, there is very little written marking of children’s work which indicates what they have achieved and how it might be improved.

p.44

Attendance

115. Only one pupil took the national tests at the end of Key Stage 2 in 1998 and four pupils in 1999. With such small numbers of children, national comparisons are of limited use, but standards are very broadly in line with the national average.

p.44

Attendance

116. In the 1998 national tests in mathematics at the end of Key Stage 1, pupils performed at a level broadly similar to the national average, in that seven out of eight pupils reached level 2, the expected level for seven-year-olds. In 1999 four out of the six pupils reached at least level 2. With such small numbers of children, national comparisons are of limited use, but broadly speaking the proportion achieving Level 2 is about the national average when compared with all schools. However, the underlying picture is one of below average attainment because a considerable proportion of the children at level 2, attained the lower grading of 2C. The proportions of children reaching the higher level in this school are comparatively low. Ellingham V C Primary School - 44 117. Samples of children’s work and observations of children in class also indicate that their attainment by the end of Key Stage 1 is lower than it should be. There is sound evidence

p.44

Attendance

in the children’s books that, since September, Year 1 and Year 2 pupils’ progress has increased significantly. They are now catching up as they are taught well and are keen to learn. Their teacher uses skilful questioning to challenge their thinking. The introduction of the national numeracy strategy has brought a zip to carpet sessions. The children are keen to participate in mathematics lessons and enthusiastically demonstrate their growing feel for number. Most Year 2 pupils know by heart some, but not all, addition and subtraction facts for each number up to ten. They can make simple repeating patterns with tens but cannot yet count on and back in tens from any two-digit number. They can correctly order a group of three two-digit numbers, and can give change for 20p in simple shopping sums. They are unsure about the operation of multiplication, and struggle to write numbers correctly and clearly.

p.45

Attendance

118. Samples of children’s work and observations of children in class indicate that the children’s attainment in Year 3 and 4 is still lower than it should be. However, the children are making very good progress in lessons and are catching up. Year 3 and 4 children, including those with special educational needs, are benefiting from being taught in very small groups for numeracy. Lessons are well planned with pace and a sense of fun. The teacher uses the national numeracy framework effectively, builds on good assessments of pupils’ prior learning and makes imaginative use of resources. Homely items, such as apples and dog biscuits were used to very good effect to help a Year 3 child get to grips with division using an array of 12 objects. Most Year 4 children know by heart the 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 multiplication tables. They understand what a remainder is, and with the help of sets of objects they can find remainders after division. They can

p.45

Attendance

interpret bar charts and pictograms about pet food preferences. A few Year 4 children can extract and interpret data from a chart about birds, and then go on to invent their own questions and answers using this database.

p.45

Attendance

119. By Years 5 and 6 most children are working to the expected standards for their age. Their teacher is knowledgeable and an enthusiast for mathematics. Her well planned lessons are based on high expectations of what can be achieved in a certain time. The children respond with gusto to the pace of lessons. They have the habit of setting themselves challenges by choosing their own starting points from a range provided. They are keen to increase their achievements and concentrate well. All children, including those with special educational needs, make good progress in lessons. Most Year 6 children can describe different types of angles. They can find perimeters and calculate areas of simple shapes. They know by heart all multiplication facts up to 12 times 12, and can work out equivalent fractions. A few children can make sensible estimates involving multiplication of three and two digit numbers. Most of them can

p.45

Attendance

check these estimates by a choice of pencil and paper multiplication methods, and some can justify their choice of method. Ellingham V C Primary School - 45 120. Children with special educational needs are making good progress in mathematics throughout the school. Ellingham V C Primary School - 46 121. Planning of work in mathematics across the school is now strong in all classes. It is based closely on the National Numeracy Strategy. Lessons use a good variety of interactive whole-class teaching, paired and group work. The teachers’ learning objectives are clear and, in the best lessons, these are shared and evaluated by pupils. Very good management of pupils, and their good behaviour are features of the school, and of mathematics lessons. Children stay on task and work hard. They effectively apply the skills they have learned in mathematics to other curriculum areas, such as graphical work in science.

p.45

Attendance

122. Teachers use day-to-day assessments effectively to monitor individual progress in mathematics. They amend and adapt their teaching plans to meet the needs of all groups of pupils including high-attainers and children with special educational needs.

p.47

Attendance

123. Good feedback to children in lessons encourages them to develop their thinking but the marking of their work very rarely gives pupils sufficient guidance on how they could improve. A suitable pupil tracking system has recently been set up to record and monitor pupils’ attainment and progress more systematically. This includes information both from informal teacher assessments, and also from tests in mathematics, taken each year and helps inform target setting.

p.47

Attendance

124. The school’s work in mathematics is well led by the headteacher and the implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy has gone smoothly. All staff in the school share a commitment to raising standards. This priority is being realised by their combined actions.

p.47

Attendance

125. At the last inspection in 1996, attainment and progress at both key stages were said often to be good. The school was recommended to improve assessment and promote higher attainment, particularly of older pupils. The numbers of children involved in each group tested then, as now, were small. Since the last inspection attainment of seven-year-olds appears to have dropped, and is now rising again. Standards at the end of Key Stage 2 are now broadly the same as four years ago. Good progress is also evident now, in both key stages. Assessment has improved and the curriculum is often challenging. Resources for mathematics have improved and are now often good.

p.47

Attendance

126. Because the number of children subject to end of key stage assessment is small in any year group, valid comparisons cannot be made with the national picture in any one year. However, assessment data suggests that standards at both key stages over the past three years are broadly in line with the national picture. At Key Stage 2 able children attain the higher levels. This is not the picture at Key Stage 1, where no children have attained beyond the expected level for the past three years. Ellingham V C Primary School - 47 127. Inspection evidence finds that the children’s attainment in science judged on lesson observations at Key Stage 2, samples of work seen and discussion with children at both key stages is average by the end of each key stage. Almost all pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 are on course to attain the expected levels. Ellingham V C Primary School - 48 128. Because of the disruptions to their education last year, Year 2 pupils will not have

p.47

Attendance

covered the whole programme of study by the end of this year. They started in September from a very low base. The new teacher has no records of previous coverage or attainment and thus started from scratch. However, the work the children are currently doing is sufficiently demanding for them to reach the expected level. They are making appropriate progress in acquisition of scientific knowledge and skills. The children talk with some confidence about the different parts of the body and about their senses. They carry out simple investigations, such as testing eyesight, and they record their observations. There is insufficient evidence to evaluate the rate of progress of children with differing prior attainment.

p.49

Attendance

129. In lessons at Key Stage 2, in their work on forces, the younger children use appropriate vocabulary to describe the effects of magnets on some metals while the older children investigate the effects of attaching weights to elastic bands and springs, and make appropriate measurements. In discussion with their teacher they identify a trend and give a simple explanation. The children also show that they have a satisfactory understanding about the requirements plants have for healthy growth and about the functions of the main organs of the body, the effects of exercise on the heart and the need for a healthy diet. Because of the way the science curriculum is planned and taught, Key Stage 2 children learn increasingly difficult science and thus make at least satisfactory progress.

p.49

Attendance

130. In Years 3 and 4, for example, the children make comparisons but are not yet able to use their knowledge to offer explanations or generalisations about scientific phenomena. In Years 5 and 6 the children demonstrate that they are beginning to do this, for instance when discussing the effects of caffeine on the pulse rate or the extent to which an elastic band stretches when force is applied at different rates. In the experimental and investigative aspect of science the children also make satisfactory progress, although this is less marked for the more able children in Years 4 and 6, because their work is not always demanding enough. Year 6 pupils, for example, routinely use recording methods decided by the teacher rather than devising their own.

p.49

Attendance

131. Children with special educational needs are making good progress.

p.49

Attendance

132. The teaching in the science lesson seen had many good features. Careful detailed planning enabled the teacher to plan two sets of work for the two broad age groups. Because the teacher knew precisely what the children were expected to learn and shared this with them they all settled to work quickly. The classroom assistant was well briefed and the experiments were well organised so that minimum time was needed for class management and the teacher could focus on questioning children and monitoring their understanding. The information from this was used effectively to plan the next lesson for both the groups. The whole group sessions were used effectively to clarify and consolidate learning. As a result, the overall progress of the class, in consolidating skills in observing and measuring and acquiring scientific vocabulary and for the older children in being able to generalise was at least sound and for the lower-attaining children was

p.49

Attendance

133. At Key Stage 2, staff have used the guidance provided by the Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Authority well to plan coverage of the programme of study for science in a way that will be manageable for the mixed-age class. This is not yet the case at Key Stage 1 where the science curriculum is planned around a three-year cycle of broadly based, science led topics. Although all the content of the programme of study is covered, the planning does not indicate how children of differing ages and prior attainment will make progress in the acquisition of scientific concepts and skills or how continuity between Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 will be achieved.

p.50

Attendance

134. At the last inspection the school was judged to need comprehensive schemes of work. Good progress has been made in this area at Key Stage 2 as these are now in place. They still need to be done at Key Stage 1. Ellingham V C Primary School - 50

p.50

OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

135. Information and communication technology

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OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

135. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ attainment in information and communication technology is reaching national expectations. Key Stage 1 children are fluent in basic operations such as using the mouse, cursor and menu bar, and can print. They use information and communication technology to communicate and handle information. For example, they can create pictures using a variety of tools. They can take data, gathered from classmates about dinner arrangements or eye colour, and enter it in a pre- prepared database, and then print their results. There is little evidence of children’s work in control and modelling, and long-term planning for the whole key stage is weak.

p.51

OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

136. By the end of Key Stage 2, attainment exceeds expectations in that all pupils reach the nationally expected level. They can use information and communication technology to combine different forms of information such as pictures and text. They use a scanner and digital camera. They load pictures onto the computer from the camera, amend and print these images. For example, they used these techniques to create a camouflage picture as part of an art lesson. The older children can interrogate stored information on a database. Some have used the Internet. For example, an interest in silkworms stimulated by an information text used during a literacy lesson was followed up on the Internet. A silkworm supplier was identified and pupils are now growing mulberry trees ready for the arrival of the silkworms in the Spring. Attainment is less evident in control and modelling, but pupils have used temperature sensors in weather studies. More work

p.51

OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

in these areas is planned for next term.

p.51

OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

137. The quality of teaching at Key Stage 1 is good and at Key Stage 2 very good. Teachers are capitalising on the recently acquired computers, scanner and digital camera to provide interesting and challenging experiences for their pupils. The skill and confidence of all Year 6 pupils is a result of their teacher’s enthusiasm and subject knowledge. Pupils are benefiting from the ample provision and excellent quality of information and communication technology equipment.

p.51

OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

138. At the last inspection pupils’ attainment in information technology was below national expectations at both key stages. Teaching was unsatisfactory and resources limited. The school has made significant improvement since that time, especially at Key Stage 2.

p.51

OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

139. Only one religious education lesson was observed during the inspection. Judgements are based on this lesson, together with evidence from discussion with Year 6 children and scrutiny of teachers’ planning. Ellingham V C Primary School - 51 140. The pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 is unsatisfactory in relation to the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. The children’s awareness of personal relationships is well developed. They understand the importance of helping others and being kind. They can identify a few religious practices, for example, the exchange of rings in a wedding ceremony, but their knowledge of places, objects and people from religious traditions is slight.

p.51

OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

141. At the end of Key Stage 2 pupils’ attainment is satisfactory in relation to the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus. Year 6 children understand that religion can be important in peoples’ lives. They can provide examples of the influence of religion on behaviour and lifestyles, such as clothing particular to some Islamic women. They can identify key features of certain world faiths, for example, the importance of meditation in Buddhist life, but are not able to identify similarities and differences between religions.

p.52

OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

142. The quality of teaching at Key Stage 1 is very good. The teacher has a good knowledge of customs and practices of world faiths suitable for study by this age group. Lessons include a good mixture of exposition, demonstration and discussion. The planned use of religious education at Key Stage 1 does not provide sufficiently for continuity and progression. No information was passed on to the new Key Stage 1 teacher about what areas of the syllabus had been covered last year. A four-year plan for coverage of the agreed syllabus at Key Stage 2 is being implemented, but this needs further development into a more detailed scheme of work to identify expected progress throughout the key stage. Similar plans for Key Stage 1 are needed.

p.52

OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

143. During the inspection, only one lesson was seen in which there was any direct teaching of art. This also included activities in design and technology. Judgements about progress are therefore made on the basis of this lesson as well as looking at samples of work on display around the school and informal discussions with children about their work. No design and technology has been planned for this term at Key Stage 2 and overall, insufficient evidence was available to make judgement about progress in design and technology.

p.52

OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

144. This term, in art, the children at Key Stage 1 have had experience of a wide range of art activities, the results of which are attractively displayed in their classroom and around the school. They have produced some work of high quality. Their work on matching skin and hair tones to complete a portrait was particularly skilful and required great care and attention, as the children themselves reported. In the lesson observed, the teaching had a number of good features. The focus of the lesson was clear and the wide range of portraits by Picasso brought in by the teacher fascinated the children. The teacher’s good questioning encouraged the children to comment on the different styles and Ellingham V C Primary School - 52 observe the pictures carefully in order to compare features and offer suggestions and opinions. In this lesson, the children made good progress in extending their knowledge

p.52

OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

145. The curriculum provided for the children in design and technology at Key Stage 1 gives opportunities for them to make models using construction kits and to join a variety of materials in different ways. They are learning about the principle of designing before making, for example, when designing a pair of “crazy glasses”. However, some of the work planned for the term is only loosely linked to the National Curriculum programme of study.

p.53

OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

146. At Key Stage 2, at the time of the inspection the children were involved in a range of activities in art based on the theme of camouflage. Their work this term has been wide ranging and they have, for example, made sound progress in representing human figures using different sculptural techniques. Children make good progress in using information and communication technology as part of their work in art. Year 4 children, for example, use “clip art” to provide images for camouflage pictures, and Year 6 children confidently use the digital camera. Particularly noticeable is the enjoyment and independence of the children, their ability, with a little guidance, to make choices about media and their real sense of achievement with the outcomes of their work.

p.53

OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

147. While the children make progress within each topic in art, there are no plans in place at the moment which indicate how children at either key stage will progressively acquire art and design and technology knowledge, skills and understanding. This was a key issue at the time of the last inspection and still needs improvement.

p.53

OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

148. Only one short history lesson was observed during the inspection and judgements about the children’s progress are based on this lesson, the scrutiny of children’s work and discussion with children about their work. No geography lessons were observed during the inspection and there was little available evidence of children’s work. Thus, there is insufficient evidence to make a judgement about the children’s progress in geography.

p.53

OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

149. At Key Stage 1, in geography, the children are developing a sense of place through talking about where they live and their journeys to school. They have produced carefully drawn maps of the local area. They are beginning to develop a sense of the past by looking at family photographs and learning about famous people, such as Guy Fawkes. The present Year 2 children had studied very little history before this year. As a result, their overall progress has been rather slow, although in the lesson observed they made satisfactory progress. Ellingham V C Primary School - 53 150. At Key Stage 2, children in Year 6 display considerable knowledge about the Second World War and talk with enthusiasm about the plight of evacuees and the experiences of members of their own families during the war. They have brought objects from home to create an attractive and informative exhibition about aspects of life in Britain since the

p.53

OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

1930s and have worked in groups to investigate different aspects of the period, using a range of reference materials. While much of the written work shows evidence of the children’s research skills and communicates their knowledge and understanding of the period, some of the written work in folders is merely copied from reference books and some is poorly presented or unfinished. Judgements at the last inspection indicated that children were making satisfactory progress in history. This position has been largely maintained.

p.54

OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

151. The history and geography curriculum is not yet planned to ensure that children acquire skills and understanding in a progressive way. There is a long-term plan for Key Stage 2 in place showing how history and geography topics are to be covered over a four-year period. The school is beginning to adapt and use the Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Authority guidelines to ensure coverage of the National Curriculum programmes of study. This is not yet the case at Key Stage 1 where history and geography are included in broadly based, science led topics with the result that the children’s learning in history and geography is somewhat fragmented.

p.54

OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

152. There are sufficient resources available for the topics currently being taught at Key Stage 2, but few materials to support teaching at Key Stage 1, other than those brought in by staff from home.

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OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

153. Only two music lessons were observed during the inspection, one each at Key Stages 1 and 2. At Key Stage 1, the good teaching stimulates the children to be imaginative. The lessons are well planned to include practical work, in whole-class and smaller groups. The children work together to invent sound patterns, using a choice of untuned percussion instruments, and are keen to improve. In short performances to other pupils in the class, seven-year-olds can maintain their own part, taking account of the parts played by other group members. They listen attentively and show respect for the contributions of classmates. From the observations made, the children make good progress. The teacher relates very well to the children. She explains pupils’ tasks and activities precisely, although the expected learning outcomes are less clear.

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OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

154. At Key Stage 2 the work is of a high standard. The high standard of teaching enables all the children to make very good progress. The use of support staff at Key Stage 2 music lessons is very effective in helping children with special educational needs participate fully in lessons. The children work successfully in pairs and small groups making expressive use of the musical elements, such as timbre and tempo, to improve their compositions. They respond to music thoughtfully. For example, in listening to Ellingham V C Primary School - 54 recorded music by Prokofiev, older children demonstrated an awareness of the use of timbre to create mood. The teacher makes very effective links with earlier lessons, and the children understand what she plans for them to learn in each lesson. The school has good resources and space for practical music making. At the last inspection, pupils’ attainment was judged to be in line with national expectations at both key stages.

p.54

OTHER SUBJECTS OR COURSES

Improvement has been made. The work at the end of Key Stage 2 is now of a high standard. Ellingham V C Primary School - 55

p.55

Physical education

155. Only two physical education lessons were observed during the inspection, one in gymnastics at Key Stage 1, the other an indoor games lesson at Key Stage 2. The teachers plan varied and interesting activities to enable the children make satisfactory progress throughout the school. At Key Stage 1 in their work on the apparatus, the children learn how to plan and perform simple skills safely and link actions together to form sequences of movement. They comment positively on each other’s performance, for example, in creating balanced and sculptural shapes. At Key Stage 2 the teacher explains the aims for the lesson clearly to the children. This helps focus their attention on improving and refining their ball skills. They work honestly together in pairs and teams. The quality of teaching is satisfactory at Key Stage 1 and good at Key Stage 2. Teachers manage the children well and take care to ensure safety in the very cramped

p.56

Physical education

hall space. The school has adequate resources for all aspects of physical education, but indoor accommodation limits the effectiveness of some teaching. Pupils’ attainment in physical education at the last inspection was judged to be in line with, or sometimes better than national expectations at both key stages. This position has been maintained.

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Physical education

156. The inspection of this school included a focused view of swimming which is reported below. The provision for swimming is satisfactory. All children in Years 4, 5 and 6 attend a fourteen week course of swimming lessons each year at the local high school, about six miles away. They are taught by a qualified instructor, employed by the high school. Timetabling arrangements did not permit the observation of swimming lessons during the week of the inspection. The children build up confidence in the water and learn about water safety. Once they can swim 25 metres unaided, they work to improve their strokes and play games, such as mini water polo. They all make satisfactory progress in swimming. By the time they leave Ellingham Primary School all children can swim at least 25 metres, the national expectation for eleven-year-olds. When they transfer to the high school at eleven, the swimming instruction continues there with the

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Physical education

same instructor. Ellingham V C Primary School - 56

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PART C: INSPECTION DATA

157. A team of three inspectors, including a lay inspector, spent six days inspecting the school. During the inspection, 22 lessons or parts of lessons were observed. Inspectors also attended school assemblies. Discussions were held with the headteacher, the chair of governors, other governors and members of the teaching and non-teaching staff. In addition inspectors talked to children about their work and listened to them read. Inspectors scrutinised samples of work which the school selected as representative of the ability range of the children, including those with special educational needs. Inspectors examined documents, which included the school management plan, financial statements, children’s records and reports and teachers’ plans. Information from a questionnaire sent to the parents was analysed and other written evidence from parents was considered. Prior to the inspection, a meeting was held with parents, eleven of whom attended.

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DATA AND INDICATORS

158. Pupil data Number of pupils on roll (full-time equivalent) Number of pupils with statements of SEN Number of pupils on school’s register of SEN Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals YR – Y6 40 0 10 3

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DATA AND INDICATORS

158. Qualified teachers (YR – Y6) Total number of qualified teachers (full-time equivalent): 2.6 Number of pupils per qualified teacher: 15

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DATA AND INDICATORS

158. Education support staff (YR – Y6) Total number of education support staff: 2 Total aggregate hours worked each week: 14 158. 158. Average class size: 20

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DATA AND INDICATORS

£ Total Income 107359 Total Expenditure 106754 Expenditure per pupil 2426 Balance brought forward from previous year 2190 Balance carried forward to next year 2795 Ellingham V C Primary School - 58 158. PARENTAL SURVEY

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DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of questionnaires sent out: 28 Number of questionnaires returned: 16

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DATA AND INDICATORS

Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

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DATA AND INDICATORS

Strongly agree Agree Neither Disagree Strongly disagree I feel the school encourages parents to play an active part in the life of the school 25 75 0 0 0

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DATA AND INDICATORS

I would find it easy to approach the school with questions or problems to do with my child(ren) 25 63 0 13 0

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DATA AND INDICATORS

The school handles complaints from parents well 0 50 31 6 6

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DATA AND INDICATORS

The school gives me a clear understanding of what is taught 25 38 25 13 0

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DATA AND INDICATORS

The school keeps me well informed about my child(ren)’s progress 13 69 6 13 0

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DATA AND INDICATORS

The school enables my child(ren) to achieve a good standard of work 13 63 19 6 0

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DATA AND INDICATORS

The school encourages children to get involved in more than just their daily lessons 31 44 19 6 0

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DATA AND INDICATORS

I am satisfied with the work that my child(ren) is/are expected to do at home 0 75 13 13 0

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DATA AND INDICATORS

The school’s values and attitudes have a positive effect on my child(ren) 19 56 19 6 0

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DATA AND INDICATORS

The school achieves high standards of good behaviour 31 38 13 19 0

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DATA AND INDICATORS

My child(ren) like(s) school 38 31 31 0 0

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