Monken Hadley CofE Primary School

MONKEN HADLEY CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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MONKEN HADLEY CE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School category: Church of England Voluntary Aided

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Camlet Way Barnet Hertfordshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs B Taylor

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 16.09.1996 Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Lynne Fardell Registered inspector English Information technology Art History Music Equal opportunities How high are standards? How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Judi Bedawi Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Shirley Duggins Team inspector Mathematics Science Design and technology Geography Physical education Provision for children under five Special educational needs How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Full Circle The Brow 35, Trewartha Park Weston-Super-Mare North Somerset BS23 2RT

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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 that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 5 London WC2B 6SE Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Monken Hadley CE Primary School is situated at the edge of Hadley Common, which is on the borders of the London Borough of Barnet. Most of the 135 pupils on roll live in owner- occupied accommodation and very few speak English as an additional language. When children enter the school their attainment is above that of most five year olds. Five four year old children were attending the school at the time of the inspection. The majority of children who enter the reception class complete their primary education at this school. The number of pupils entitled to free school meals is low when compared to the national average. Twenty-four pupils are on the school’s register of special educational needs and, of these, three pupils have Statements of Special Educational Needs.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Pupils make satisfactory progress overall. Their results in the Key Stage 1 1999 national tests in reading, writing and mathematics were very high when compared to the national average, and the trend over the last four years has been above the national average. However, the 1999 test results at the end of Key Stage 2 were close to the national average in English and mathematics, and the trend over the last four years has also been close to the national average. The school gives satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils with special educational needs make good progress over time. • Pupils’ relationships with their teachers and with each other are good. • Provision for pupils’ moral and social education is good. • The school enjoys a high level of support from parents and friends of the school, which enhances learning resources. • The school makes very good provision for the induction and mentoring of newly- qualified teachers. • The governors have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school.

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What could be improved

• Pupils' progress in English in Key Stage 2. • The leadership and management of the headteacher and key staff. • The use made of assessment information to plan work that matches pupils’ abilities. • The swimming aspect of the physical education curriculum at Key Stage 2. • The cultural development of pupils. • Procedures for monitoring and improving attendance. • Financial planning. • The use made of the secure outdoor play area for children under five. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Behaviour has improved and the number of exclusions has fallen. Although pupils’ progress in physical education has improved in those aspects of the subject that were seen, the school no longer provides tuition in swimming. Insufficient progress has been made in improving provision for pupils’ cultural development and their understanding and appreciation of the diversity within society. Some progress has been made on the development of Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 8 relevant policies and longer-term planning of the curriculum. Although assessment procedures have improved in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, insufficient progress has been made in assessing pupils’ progress in other subjects. The school development plan has been reviewed and refined. However, in its current form it is difficult to track and monitor the progress made towards identified priorities. Teachers’

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

subject knowledge and confidence in teaching information technology have improved.

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STANDARDS

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

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schools

English C D B D well above average above average A B mathematics B C B C average below average C D science D C B D well below average E

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schools

Children’s attainment when they enter the school is above average, and at the end of Key Stage 1, test results have been above the national average over the last four years. In 1999 Key Stage 1 results were very high when compared with those in other similar schools. These high standards have not been maintained at Key Stage 2. Although results at Key Stage 2 were above the national average, when compared to the results of pupils in similar schools they were below average in English and science, and average in mathematics. Results over the last four years have been close to the national average.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils enjoy coming to school. They are generally interested and involved when challenging activities are provided. Most pupils concentrate appropriately and contribute to lessons when invited to do so. However, many of them are too easily satisfied with work below the standard of which they are capable.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Satisfactory overall. Younger pupils’ behaviour is generally good at playtimes, but some older pupils’ boisterous playground behaviour intrudes on other pupils’ activities. Generally, pupils behave appropriately in lessons, but in most classes there are some pupils who are easily led into silly behaviour by their friends. There is no evidence of any oppressive or racist behaviour in the school. Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 9 Personal development and relationships Good overall. Relationships are good. Pupils are polite and friendly. They relate well to adults and to each other. All pupils appreciate each other’s efforts and support one another.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Pupils’ attendance is satisfactory overall. However, there is a high incidence of family holidays being taken during term time.

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

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

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

Teaching is satisfactory overall. In nine out of every ten lessons teaching is satisfactory or better, and in almost one in five it is good. In one lesson out of ten teaching is unsatisfactory. Teachers’ subject knowledge is secure. They make good use of learning resources and the support staff available. Homework is used effectively to reinforce what has been learned in school. However, too often all pupils in these mixed-age classes are presented with the same work. As a result the work is too easy for some, whilst for others it is too hard. In many lessons teachers' expectations of pupils are not high enough.

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

Teaching in English is satisfactory. The school has implemented the National Literacy Strategy well. Teaching in mathematics is also satisfactory overall. The school is successfully introducing the National Numeracy Strategy. Literacy skills are generally applied well to other subjects, such as history, but pupils’ numeracy skills are not used enough to support their learning in other areas.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory overall. Appropriate time is spent teaching most subjects, but planning for information technology at Key Stage 2 does not cover all National Curriculum Programmes of Study in sufficient depth. The school does not meet statutory requirements for swimming.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory overall. Support for pupils with Statements of Special Educational Need is effective. Pupils make good progress based on their prior attainment. They have detailed individual education plans, which include clearly focused targets that are reviewed regularly.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Generally, the provision made for pupils who speak English as an additional language is satisfactory. Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 10 Provision for pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Satisfactory overall. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory and provision for moral and social development is good. However, provision for cultural development is unsatisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Day-to-day general welfare provision is satisfactory. However, there are weaknesses in some aspects in assessment and monitoring procedures. Evacuation procedures are not practised often enough.

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Aspect Comment

Parents offer a high level of sustained practical and financial support to the school. Many parents listen to their children read at home and support them with their homework. This has a positive impact on the standards achieved.

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Aspect Comment

The school plans an interesting range of experiences for pupils beyond their normal lessons, such as visiting museums, the millennium dome and educational venues. All pupils are offered the opportunity to take part in a residential visit during their time in the school. However, the majority of activities provided after lessons attract costs that are met by parents.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils feel safe and secure in the school. The school recognises the need to improve its monitoring of pupils’ personal development. Pupils’ academic development is recorded in terms of National Curriculum levels in English, mathematics and science, but assessment information is not used enough to identify where the school can improve to raise standards.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher has not provided a sufficiently clear direction to the work of the school to ensure that appropriately high standards are achieved.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The chair of governors works very hard, visits the school regularly and has a very clear understanding of the quality of education provided. All governors support an area of the curriculum, and most statutory requirements are met.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The headteacher has a clear picture of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. He and the deputy headteacher are beginning to analyse the information available to provide the school with a clear picture of its performance.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school makes good use of all resources available, including specific grants awarded to it.

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Aspect Comment

The school has a good ratio of teachers to pupils, with a mixture of experienced teachers and those who are new to the profession. At the time of the inspection a temporary teacher had recently joined the school to cover a maternity leave. A good number of experienced support staff make a good contribution to the work in the classrooms. A suitable range of learning Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 11 resources is available. The accommodation is satisfactory overall. However, the school hall is too small for whole groups of older pupils to use safely for physical education activities.

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Aspect Comment

Assessment and monitoring information are not used enough to identify areas of provision that need improving. Although the school has started to use assessment information to modify the mathematics curriculum, this is in the early stages. All subject responsibilities are currently delegated to two teachers, and they do not have sufficient time to monitor effectively the areas for which they are responsible. All expenditure is clearly focused on the best interests of the pupils, and spending decisions are appropriately based on the principles of best value. However, these are not always planned for clearly enough.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• That their children like school. • They feel that their children make good progress. • That their children are expected to work hard. • School is helping their children to become more mature in their attitudes. • Behaviour. • Homework. • Leadership and management. • They would like the school to work more closely with parents. • How well informed they are of how well their children are getting on. • Activities provided beyond their normal lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors agree with most of the positive views expressed by parents. The range of homework is judged to be satisfactory. Inspectors judge that the quality of information given to parents is appropriate. Although a suitable range of activities is provided beyond normal lessons, most of the after-school activities offered incur a cost that is met by parents. Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 12

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The school’s results and achievements

1. Baseline tests for 1999 indicate that children's attainment on entry to school is above that normally expected for children of this age. From the evidence of work seen, nearly all children will meet or exceed the expectations of the Desirable Learning Outcomes, recommended nationally, by the time they are five.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. In the results of the 1999 Key Stage 1 national tests the percentage of pupils achieving Level 2 or above in reading, writing and mathematics was very high compared to the national average. The percentage of pupils achieving the higher Level 3 or above was well above average in reading and above average in writing. Pupils' attainment was well above average when compared to that in schools with pupils from similar backgrounds. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress, including those with individual education plans. The 1999 nationally- recorded teacher assessments in science showed that pupils made good progress and achieved standards that were very high in comparison both with the national average and with the average for similar schools. From the work seen, pupils currently at the end of Key Stage 1 are achieving standards above those expected in English and mathematics, and in science their attainment is in line with expectations.

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The school’s results and achievements

Attainment in English and mathematics is similar to that found at the time of the last inspection, but lower in science.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. Inspection evidence shows that in English, mathematics and science pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 are achieving standards similar to those expected. 1999 test results in English for pupils in Key Stage 2 were close to the national average, with 78 per cent of pupils achieving the expected Level 4 or above. Thirty-nine per cent of pupils achieved the higher Level 5; this was well above the national average. Inspection evidence shows that pupils are achieving standards similar to those expected. Overall progress at Key Stage 2 is satisfactory. Pupil performance in mathematics is judged to be not as good as in Key Stage 1. Although pupils’ performance in 1999 was above the national average, with 72 per cent reaching Level 4 and 39 per cent reaching Level 5, pupil performance was close to the average for similar schools, with boys doing better than girls. In science pupils' performance was above the national average, but it was below average when compared to that of pupils

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The school’s results and achievements

in similar schools. Boys perform better in science than girls. From the work seen, pupils currently in Year 6 are meeting national expectations. Attainment is judged to be lower in all three subjects than at the time of the last inspection.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. At Key Stage 1 over the four years 1996-1999 the trend has been for pupils to achieve above the national average in reading and writing and well above average in mathematics. Girls performed better than boys did in tests. The trend in English and science at Key Stage 2 has been for pupils to achieve close to the national average, with boys performing better than girls, reversing the trend at Key Stage 1. Nevertheless, the trend in mathematics over the past four years has been well above average. Evidence shows that pupils who attend the school for their entire primary education perform better than those who join the school at other times. However, the number of pupils who join or leave the school at times other than at normal transfer is low. Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 13 5. Pupils effectively learn the basic skills of literacy and apply these to a number of other subjects, such as history and information technology. They make steady progress in

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The school’s results and achievements

their use of punctuation and in spelling. However, at Key Stage 2 progress is inhibited for many pupils as too often they are all set the same task, with no reference to their prior attainment. In mathematics pupils make good progress through Key Stage 1. They are developing a clear understanding of mathematics through a good variety of activities, including counting, and using a range of number vocabulary for adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. Progress through Key Stage 2 is satisfactory. The skills, knowledge and understanding that pupils gain in Key Stage 1 are built on sufficiently to maintain their level of attainment, but insufficient use is made of investigations to develop understanding and motivate pupils.

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The school’s results and achievements

6. In information technology standards have been maintained since the time of the last inspection, and pupils' attainment is similar to that usually found at both key stages. However, at Key Stage 2, pupils' attainment in the control and modelling aspects of the subject are below average. Pupils use their computer skills effectively to support their learning in subjects such as English and history. They make satisfactory progress in most other subjects of the curriculum. The exceptions are art and physical education where progress is unsatisfactory.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

7. Pupils have satisfactory attitudes to school and learning. Behaviour, too, is satisfactory overall and has improved since the last inspection. Pupils develop good relationships with their teachers and with each other. Attendance is just satisfactory, but the high number of holidays taken by families has a detrimental impact on pupil progress and attainment throughout the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. The youngest children have settled into school routines, and their behaviour is satisfactory. They listen to and follow teachers’ instructions, usually doing this well. They show sound levels of concentration and perseverance in activities that hold their interest and are appropriate for them; for example, sorting words that begin with ‘ch’ from those that do not, or drawing holiday pictures. Sometimes the children are distracted from their work by older pupils in the class who are not as fully involved in their tasks, particularly when they are not directly supervised, so that they become restless and fidgety. When this occurs the momentum of the lesson slows as time is taken to get pupils working again.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Older pupils also have satisfactory attitudes to learning. When stimulated by the lesson they are curious and eager to learn, wanting to know what happens next, or how, or why. They often ask their teachers challenging and very articulate questions. This very healthy curiosity and interest are frequently not addressed and are either ignored or met with closed responses, so that pupils do not feel inspired to satisfy their thirst for knowledge. Some pupils comment that they are bored, particularly the large majority of pupils of average ability. The impact of this is that pupils lose their enthusiasm and become compliant, easily satisfied with the mundane, and unquestioning of the work, which does not reflect their academic ability and potential. A small minority of pupils ‘turn off’ and this contributes to pockets of bubbly ‘low key’ disruption and lack of interest in lessons.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Pupils’ behaviour is now satisfactory overall, and there have been no exclusions. This represents sound improvement since the last inspection. The vast majority of pupils behave well in lessons. However, because the work provided in lessons does not always keep pupils fully occupied, a small minority fidget, chatter to each other or lead their friends into silly behaviour; for example, playing about with small toys brought Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 14 into school. This behaviour is not always noticed or is sometimes not challenged by teachers, and when it is dealt with learning time is lost.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. At play the behaviour of the infant pupils is good. They play together well and mix easily, usually being aware of other pupils’ needs and activities. In contrast, the behaviour of some of the older boys is over-boisterous, particularly when they are playing football. Their games frequently intrude on and spoil other quieter activities, using most of the junior playground and are not aware of the impact their behaviour has on others. The ball is kicked hard and often goes over the low perimeter fences. Although pupils are expected to ask for permission to retrieve the ball, they can forget and there are records of pupils running into the busy road. This is an unacceptable hazard. A few of the oldest pupils show a lack of respect for property when at play, jumping on and off the picnic tables, and they do not set a good example for other pupils. However, no evidence of any bullying or harassment was noted during

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

inspection. Parents are pleased with standards of behaviour.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. The quality of relationships between pupils of all ages and between pupils and teachers is good. Pupils generally support each other in lessons and, for example, work well together in team sports. They appreciate each other's achievements and celebrate their successes. Pupils have only limited first-hand experience of other cultures, values and beliefs. Nevertheless, they are accepting of the very few pupils from different cultural and social backgrounds, and understanding of pupils with special educational needs. Pupils mix well together and there is social and racial harmony. Pupils show good levels of respect and politeness to their teachers and other adults during lessons. They are polite and helpful, keen to gain approval. They readily ask for help if they need it.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Opportunities to promote initiative and responsibility are limited beyond the usual monitor duties, such as returning registers or operating the overhead projector. Pupils are easy-going, often waiting to be invited to participate rather than instigating initiatives or action for themselves. There are some good examples of initiative; for example, the agenda for the school magazine set by the pupils. The development of independent study and research skills is not prominent.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Attendance is broadly in line with levels in the majority of primary schools. Registers do not comply with statutory requirements because absence totals are not completed, some pupil data is missing in a minority of registers and unauthorised absence is not properly recorded. Some daily attendance is poor, being well below 90 per cent, largely due to the high incidence of extended holidays, many lasting well over ten days. Recently in one class five pupils missed lessons because they were on holiday. This has a very significant impact on pupil attainment and progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. Teaching is satisfactory overall, and ranges from good to satisfactory. Teaching is good in 17 per cent of lessons and satisfactory in 73 per cent. It is unsatisfactory in ten per cent of lessons. The standard of teaching has been maintained since the last inspection.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. Teachers’ subject knowledge in information technology has improved since the last inspection, but there are weaknesses in their knowledge in art and this restricts pupils' attainment. In all other subjects teachers are secure in their knowledge. Expectations for pupils vary between key stages and teachers. In Key Stage 1 expectations are generally satisfactory, and teachers set pupils interesting work that Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 15 often takes varying abilities into account. However, this is more variable in Key Stage 2. In many lessons all pupils are set the same work irrespective of their age or previous attainment. For some this work is too hard, whilst for others it is too easy. Only limited evidence was found of teachers using assessment to help plan the next steps in learning. At times pupils were not encouraged to move on to the next steps in their learning because this was already planned for the next lesson. Teachers'

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

expectations of many pupils are often too low in this key stage, as a result some pupils are not challenged sufficiently by the work presented to them. Better use is made of assessment in mathematics than in other subjects. Good use is made of the experienced support staff available to help pupils with special educational needs. Teachers ensure that all support staff are well briefed and understand individual pupils' learning objectives.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. Planning is satisfactory across the school, most subjects are taught separately and due attention is given to consolidating skills in literacy and numeracy. Most lessons have clearly-defined and appropriate learning objectives and relate to the National Curriculum Programmes of Study. Teachers use available resources well. Questioning is used to extend pupils' knowledge and understanding and to develop learning. However, teachers' responses to pupils' questions are variable. Too often their response does not give pupils' thoughtful and articulate questions the attention they deserve or encourage pupils' curiosity. Appropriate use is made of plenary sessions to recapitulate on the lesson and consolidate learning. In most lessons teachers are careful to ensure that little time is wasted during teaching time, although younger pupils take too long when changing for physical activities. Lessons begin

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

promptly and are generally conducted at an appropriate pace.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. At Key Stage 1, teachers employ a suitable range of different approaches to class organisation, including the use of whole-class teaching, small-group work and individual tasks. In Key Stage 2 a greater emphasis is placed on whole-class teaching, although pupils occasionally work as small groups.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Pupils are managed well and, in most lessons, classes are quiet and well ordered, with pupils working purposefully. Behaviour is satisfactory and pupils usually work successfully on their own or in groups as required, although in each class there are one or two pupils who are easily distracted. However, most teachers ensure that they do not disrupt other pupils excessively. The good relationships between all members of the school have a positive impact upon the progress that pupils make. Homework is used appropriately and plays an important part in consolidating learning and extending understanding.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Work is regularly marked and, in the best practice, teachers provide constructive written feedback for pupils, giving clear suggestions for improvement. However, there are inconsistencies in practice and sometimes marking records completion rather than indicating how pupils can further improve their work. Oral feedback is constructive and helpful.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs, particularly in reading, is sound. Special educational needs assistants are well qualified to support these pupils and use well planned activities that take proper account of pupils’ individual education plans. Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 16

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PUPILS?

22. The school meets most statutory requirements and has effectively implemented the national strategies for literacy and numeracy. The planned provision for the children under five is at present unsatisfactory. It is informal and does not make sufficient consideration of appropriate structured learning steps leading to the areas of learning considered desirable for children of this age. The curriculum for pupils in Key Stage 2 does not include swimming or control technology as required. Satisfactory provision is made for pupils with special educational needs. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory and that for moral and social development is good. However, there are insufficient planned opportunities for pupils’ cultural development. Satisfactory use is made of resources within the community and further afield to enhance the curriculum.

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PUPILS?

23. The overall quality and range of opportunities offered to the pupils are satisfactory. It includes all subjects of the National Curriculum. As this is a voluntary aided Church of England school, provision for religious education was inspected separately by the diocese. The school successfully uses the framework documents from the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies as a basis for work in English and mathematics. This has helped to address concerns in the last inspection report over the lack of planning of clear learning goals that can be assessed. However, this is still not so for all subjects. The school is still in the process of developing policies and schemes of work. They are using guidance from the Qualification and Curriculum Authority schemes to ensure the identification of knowledge, skills and understanding for each year group and progression throughout the school. Day-to-day planning is generally

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PUPILS?

satisfactory and the teachers know their pupils well. However, there is little evidence that work planned is specifically targeted on pupils of different abilities, particularly those in Key Stage 2, to ensure that they reach their full potential. Satisfactory provision is made for those with special educational needs, and pupils with the potential for higher attainment are also specifically targeted in some lessons.

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PUPILS?

24. Pupils respond with enthusiasm to the wide range of after-school activities, for instance, tennis, art, French, gardening and a range of sporting activities. Many pupils enjoy instrumental tuition. With the exception of some seasonal extra-curricular activities, parents pay for most of the after-school activities that take place at the school.

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PUPILS?

25. Overall provision for pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory. In line with its mission statement the school provides a safe, caring Christian environment where opportunities to develop the spiritual side of life are taken in acts of collective worship.

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PUPILS?

26. Provision for moral development is good and underpinned by a positive behaviour policy that rewards good behaviour. The school successfully promotes the values of honesty, tolerance and respect. Pupils display a strong moral sense of right and wrong, which is consistently reinforced by the caring ethos of the school. Teachers encourage pupils to take responsibility for their actions and deal sensitively with incidents of misbehaviour. Good qualities, such as effort, manners, caring and helpful actions are encouraged and awarded with certificates. These certificates, presented in the school assembly, are highly valued by all.

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PUPILS?

27. Provision for pupils’ social development is good. They are taught to take responsibility for their actions and work together with respect and tolerance for each other. Older pupils generally have responsible attitudes and are considerate and thoughtful with Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 17 younger children. The theme of caring extends beyond the school, and the pupils collect for various charities. The residential adventure course open to pupils in Years 5 and 6 provides an ideal situation for social development.

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PUPILS?

28. The school’s provision for cultural development in the last inspection was at an early stage of development. Although there are examples of pupils developing an appreciation of other cultural traditions through studying celebrations, such as the Chinese New Year, and by listening to a variety of music from different traditions as they enter assembly, planned opportunities are limited. The school does not provide sufficient opportunities through which pupils can further develop their appreciation of the diversity and richness of other cultures. Pupils have limited access to the work of people from other cultures in order to learn of the contributions they have made to art, science and mathematics. Pupils have opportunities to become aware of their own culture through visits to museums and local heritage sites.

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PUPILS?

29. The community makes a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ learning. The school has forged good links with the school nurse who conducts sex education for the older pupils. The school includes other health issues such as healthy eating and drugs awareness in the science curriculum, and pupils know about choices they can make about their own health. The parish priest takes assembly on a regular basis.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

30. The quality of daily attention paid to pupils’ general welfare is satisfactory overall. However, there are weaknesses in aspects of assessment practice and in monitoring procedures. There are also weaknesses in some areas of health and safety procedures.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

31. The school has made some progress in developing assessment and academic monitoring procedures since the last inspection. Analysis of assessment has begun but is at an early stage. Overall, however, the attention paid to using the information the school has from tests and other assessments to improve pupils' attainment in the areas where they are weaker is currently unsatisfactory and this limits the pupils' ability to make good progress, most noticeably at Key Stage 2.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. Schemes of work are now in place for English, mathematics and science and academic monitoring is linked to National Curriculum levels, but it is still not in place for other curriculum areas. Insufficient progress has been made in using assessment to aid teachers’ planning and to identify accurately and clearly the learning needs of individual pupils.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. At Key Stage 1 and for children under five there is better assessment practice. Children are tested when they join the reception class and the results are used to help plan what should be taught. Learning objectives are clear and linked to either the Desirable Learning Outcomes for children under five or to the National Curriculum. Means of achieving learning targets for pupils are clearly identified and reviewed. Work provided is usually appropriate and enables pupils to progress well.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. At Key Stage 2 the lack of good assessment practice is most apparent in English and science. Analysis of assessment data is not used enough to clearly identify areas of strength and those requiring development. The school's involvement in a national project to monitor the impact of the National Numeracy Strategy has introduced the use of assessment to modify the curriculum, but this practice has not been extended to other subjects yet. In too many lessons teachers do not include in their plans what Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 18 it is they intend pupils to learn by the end of the lesson, nor is sufficient notice taken of what pupils have learned in previous lessons. Pupils do not always know what is expected of them. The school has started to collect samples of assessed work that are kept in pupils’ files, and assessment procedures are planned for in information technology. Daily planning is often far too brief to be useful and does not always

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

match the content of the lesson. As a result progress is unsatisfactory because for most of the time pupils do the same work in class, whatever their ability or age.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. The monitoring of behaviour is satisfactory. Staff make good use of informal opportunities to remind pupils of appropriate behaviour. When there are concerns, notes are kept by class teachers and reviewed by the headteacher. If any pupils continue to have difficulties then clear records are maintained by the headteacher, including statements from pupils who have been involved in disputes, offering explanations and apologies for their behaviour. Incidents are fully investigated. Expectations of behaviour and good attitudes are reinforced in the weekly merit assembly and certificates presented to pupils. Any thoughtless action towards others is quickly and effectively dealt with. Currently formal personal development is not well established and is not planned for systematically. The school recognises that this is an area for development.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The monitoring of attendance is unsatisfactory. The school does not report on or monitor the level of unauthorised absence. There is no system for monitoring punctuality other than a mark and time of arrival in the register. Reasons for lateness are usually not recorded. The school has a high incidence of holidays taken in term time, which involves pupils of all ages. The importance of sustained attendance has not been rigorously promoted among parents, and the school is too ready to condone absence for holidays, whether for several weeks or a few days. The school agrees some holidays even though the school holidays are only one or two weeks away. This has a most serious detrimental impact on pupils’ attainment and progress throughout the year.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. The school follows local authority guidance regarding child protection. The designated person has undertaken very recent training, but is not fully aware of all aspects of procedure and responsibility regarding, for instance, the passing of information or pupil disclosure. Staff have received no formal training in child protection, but this has been discussed generally at staff meetings. Any sensitive records are kept securely.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. Day-to-day welfare procedures are satisfactory overall. Staff are caring and supportive with regard to pupils’ welfare. Staff trained in first aid, and a well-equipped medical room, are available. Pupils are well looked after when they sustain minor injuries, and an accident book is properly kept. Pupils with chronic illness such as asthma are known. At lunchtime the dining hall is efficiently and well supervised. However, there are weaknesses in the supervision of pupils at break times. Some areas of the playgrounds are not well supervised, with pupils playing out of sight of those on duty. The level of supervision when older pupils play football adjacent to the school at lunchtime is also a concern.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. The attention paid to the importance of health and safety has shortcomings in a few key areas. The school follows local authority guidance and policy. Although the school has a detailed pro-forma for risk assessment around the building and site, it is undated and only partly completed, with some questions being answered incorrectly; for example, regarding termly practices of evacuation procedures. There is no indication of work needed to remedy any shortcomings identified. The school provides a sound assessment of outside visits. Whilst the majority of required Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 19 equipment tests and checks are undertaken, no records of weekly alarm-bell tests were presented for inspection. Records show that evacuation practices are not carried out often enough and this is unsatisfactory. A number of health and safety issues were noted during the inspection and drawn to the attention of the headteacher

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. Overall the quality of partnership that the school has with its parents is satisfactory. There are some shortcomings in the effectiveness of the school’s communications with parents, but very significant strengths in the level and quality of sustained financial support provided through fundraising by the parents’ association.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41. Teachers greatly appreciate that they can call on a small number of parents and dedicated community members to volunteer their time and help in classes and on trips. This help is used in many ways; for example, supporting pupils’ work on computers and providing first-hand evidence of how life was a few decades ago. This is really enjoyed by the pupils, who gain a much better understanding of how society has changed.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. There are, however, difficulties in developing an open means of communication and establishing productive relationships, so that some parents do not have confidence in the leadership and management of the school. Relationships with their children's teachers are generally much better. These difficulties have not, however, prevented parents from being incredibly generous in their sustained and ongoing financial support of the school, through many fundraising initiatives organised by the parents' association, such as the forthcoming 'Tiara Ball'. The school governors decided not to allocate any budget for learning resources last year but approached its parents, who have been responsible for funding all resources, including, for example, the purchase of five computers. Without their support the school would have experienced great difficulty in providing effectively for its pupils. The level of financial

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

reliance on parents' goodwill continues and has a very significant impact on the work of the school. Most parents are happy to provide financial support in order to maintain the small class sizes.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. The quality of information provided for parents is satisfactory. There are a few omissions in required information in the prospectus, with more in the annual governors’ report; for example, the national test comparisons and data on attendance and arrangements for admission, including that of disabled pupils. Pupils’ annual reports are sound, detailing what pupils know, understand and can do. Individual targets are set for pupils in English, mathematics and science. More importantly, at Key Stage 1 subjects are not reported on separately as required, and this needs urgent review. Parents are very pleased with the quality of reports. They are kept informed of their children's progress through regular formal meetings. Other information is passed to parents informally, often at the end of the day, regular newsletters are received and an accessible parent-notice board is in the front playground.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. Parents make a good contribution to their children’s learning, supporting learning in classes at school, through financial support, and at home by supporting and extending the work done in school. Many parents read with their children at home and the children often bring their own books to school to read, once they have exhausted the school’s stocks in their classroom. Other homework, such as regular spellings and mathematics work, is provided regularly. There are many after-school activities. Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 20 Pupils enjoy these activities and they are well attended. The number of pupils who receive instrumental tuition is also high.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. Strong financial support from parents has continued since the last inspection and increased. However, positive levels of communication and the quality of relationships with parents have not been maintained.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. The headteacher and governors provide a caring and effective learning environment in which everyone is valued individually. Relationships are good between staff, governors and pupils. However, an unusually high number of parents who responded to the questionnaire expressed dissatisfaction with the leadership and management of the school (42 per cent), which indicates that relationships with parents are not as good as they should be.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The school development plan is formulated by the headteacher and presented to the governors for their approval. This plan identifies priorities for further development, but these are expressed in very broad terms. Long-term objectives are not broken down into a series of manageable or measurable steps. Action necessary to achieve targets and the means by which the school intends to evaluate its success in achieving its targets are less well defined, and as a result the progress made towards achieving targets is not monitored effectively. All expenditure is clearly focused on the best interests of the pupils; spending decisions are appropriately based on the principles of best value. However, these are not always planned for clearly enough.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. The chair of governors gives the school very good support. She visits the school each week to discuss issues with the headteacher as well as visiting classes to informally monitor the quality of education provided. The governors have clearly- defined roles and responsibilities, based on their individual strengths and skills. Appropriate committees have been established to support them in their work. The governors are committed to maintaining small class sizes and this has had an impact on the funds available for purchasing learning resources. Fortunately, the parents' association actively supports the school, and its fundraising activities have paid for learning resources in the last year, when no funds were allocated from the school's budget. The governors decided to suspend swimming activities as part of the curriculum, mainly for financial reasons. This decision means that the school no

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

longer complies with statutory requirements for physical education.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. Monitoring has improved since the time of the last inspection. The school is currently taking part in a national project to monitor the impact of the National Numeracy Strategy on pupils' attainment. Results from regular tests have been used to modify and improve the mathematics curriculum, and in this subject pupils' performance has compared most favourably with that of pupils from other similar schools in the last four years. However, the school does not use assessment information in English and science to diagnose areas of the curriculum that need further improvement, and attainment in these subjects has not been as good as that in mathematics over the last four years. Appropriately ambitious targets have been set for pupils' attainment. The headteacher has no scheduled teaching commitment; this provides him with more time to execute his duties than is often the case in small primary schools. He

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

regularly visits classes to monitor the work undertaken; these visits are recorded and discussed with the teachers concerned. However, the impact of monitoring upon the quality of teaching varies between classes. Additionally, the literacy and numeracy co-ordinators have also monitored how effectively the National Literacy Strategy and Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 21 National Numeracy Strategy are being implemented. The headteacher does not co- ordinate any subjects, all subject responsibilities are currently delegated to two teachers. This is due for revision in the coming year to improve the balance of responsibilities between staff. Currently no time is provided for other staff to monitor the work of the school in the subjects for which they are responsible. This means that they do not have the opportunity to develop a clear picture of how well their subject is taught throughout the school or of the quality of learning that takes place.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. Provision for special educational needs is managed appropriately, and the requirements of the national Code of Practice are met. The co-ordinator liases with teachers, parents and outside agencies effectively. However, the terms in which some Statements of Special Educational Need are written are sometimes difficult to interpret, making it difficult to ensure that all pupils have access to the necessary support. The co-ordinator’s organisation and the quality of the records and register are sound. The quality of the individual education plans is good. These are compiled jointly by teachers and the special educational needs co-ordinator and contain much information about the learning difficulties of individual pupils. The targets set are, in the main, detailed, specific and achievable in the short term. The individual plans are reviewed regularly and learning targets are modified accordingly. The records kept by

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

the special educational needs co-ordinator are comprehensive.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The school has a good ratio of teachers to pupils, with a mixture of experienced teachers and those who are new to the profession. At the time of the inspection a temporary teacher had recently joined the school to cover a maternity leave. Sound arrangements are made for the professional development of staff. These are overseen by the deputy headteacher and reflect both the identified needs of the school and the personal needs of the staff. Newly-qualified staff are supported very well by the good induction procedures and by the headteacher acting as mentor. The school makes appropriate use of government grants to employ additional staff to release newly qualified teachers from their classroom responsibilities for half a day each week. This provides opportunities for them to visit the classrooms of more experienced colleagues as well as additional preparation time. Appraisal procedures are continuing, providing teachers with the opportunity to reflect upon their practice. A

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

good number of experienced support staff make a good contribution to the work in the classrooms.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. A suitable range of learning resources is available. Through the support of parents a good range of resources are available for information technology, although resources are inadequate to deliver the control and modelling aspects of the information technology curriculum at Key Stage 2. The school makes good use of resources available, including specific grants awarded to it. The accommodation is satisfactory overall, classrooms are generally organised well, and displays enhance the learning environment. However, the school hall is too small for whole groups of older pupils to use safely for physical education activities, and limited gymnastic equipment available. The accommodation for teaching children under five is restricted. Although the secure outdoor space available for children under five is underused, the school makes effective use of most of the accommodation available. Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 22

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

53. The headteacher, governors and staff should now:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) improve pupils' progress in English at Key Stage 2 by:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- accurately analysing assessment data and using this to modify the curriculum where necessary; - improving teachers’ planning to provide stimulating and challenging tasks that match the abilities of all pupils; - raising both pupils’ and teachers’ expectations;

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) improve the leadership and management of the school by:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- providing appropriate support and training for senior staff to improve the monitoring of teaching and learning and taking more effective action on the information gained to raise standards; - reviewing the delegation and distribution of curricular responsibilities so that co-ordinators can more effectively execute their duties; - making more efficient and productive use of the headteacher's time; - improving the school development plan so that action taken can be monitored and tracked more efficiently, so that it is a more effective tool for school improvement; - ensuring that all statutory requirements are met, particularly for the National Curriculum requirements for physical education;

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) improve the provision for pupils’ cultural development by:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- reviewing the school’s policy and planning for this aspect of the curriculum; - identifying more opportunities in lessons for pupils to understand and appreciate their own culture and those of others; - widening the range of artists, scientists, authors, musicians and others who are used as exemplars for pupils, thereby more accurately reflecting the richness and diversity of the contributions made by past and present civilisations;

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) improve monitoring and promotion of pupils’ attendance by:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- raising parents’ awareness and understanding of the importance of regular and punctual attendance.

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) the school should make better use of the secure outdoor play area for children under five. Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 23

p.22

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 24

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) n/a 135

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals n/a 7

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs n/a 3

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register n/a 24

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 7

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 5

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 2

p.23

Attendance

National comparative data 5.3 National comparative data 0.1

p.23

Attendance

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

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 5 13 18

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 5 5 5 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 13 13

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 100 100 100 at NC level 2 or above National 82 83 87

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 5 5 5 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 13 13 13

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 100 100 100 at NC level 2 or above National 82 86 87

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 6 12 18

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 5 4 6 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 9 9 10

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 78 72 89 at NC level 4 or above National 70 69 78

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 3 3 3 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 5 6 6

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 44 50 50 at NC level 4 or above National 70 69 78 Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 25

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 1 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 6 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

p.25

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8 Financial year 99/00

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 16.8

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR - Y6 Total expenditure 305,805

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Expenditure per pupil 2,299

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 48 Balance brought forward from previous year 7,349

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 9,943

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 26

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 37 52 6 6 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 29 50 10 6 6

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 15 38 35 12 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 27 48 17 6 2

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 48 35 12 6 0

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 37 42 15 0 6

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 31 38 21 8 2

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 17 35 27 15 6

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 37 48 13 0 2

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 21 54 21 2 2 Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 27

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

54. At the time of the inspection five children were under five in a mixed-age reception/Year 1 class. There are two intakes of children under five, one in September for children who are five in the autumn term and one in January for those who will be five during the remainder of the school year. The arrangements for admission are planned appropriately, and effectively organised with good liaison with parents. The environment is welcoming. The indoor accommodation is small and this restricts planning for appropriate activities for these young children. However, it is appropriately organised with appropriate areas of learning for reception children; for example, a wet area for painting and wet activities, a home corner, a library, and computer bases. A suitable secure outdoor area with an appropriate safety ground covering is also available, but this area is not used regularly to its full potential and

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

large equipment is limited, which restricts planning for the development of physical skills for the under-fives. The part-time support of a welfare class assistant is not sufficient in this mixed-aged class of 30 pupils, particularly during physical activities.

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

55. The planned provision for the children under five is at present unsatisfactory. It is informal and does not make sufficient consideration of appropriate structured learning steps leading to the areas of leaning considered desirable for children of this age. Baseline assessments for 1999 indicate that attainment on entry is above that expected nationally for children of this age. From the evidence of work seen, nearly all children will meet or exceed the expectations of the nationally recommended Desirable Learning Outcomes by the time they are five.

p.27

Personal and social development

56. By the age of five, children make good progress, and attainment in personal and social development is above the expectations of the Desirable Learning Outcomes. Very positive relationships have developed between children and adults that effectively promote a secure environment where routines are established. Children generally behave well and willingly participate in whole-class oral sessions. Instructions and safety rules are followed appropriately; for example, when going to and from the hall for assembly or during practical activities. Teachers’ questions are answered clearly and children show a good understanding of right and wrong. Children enjoy participating in the activities on offer and tidy away their materials efficiently as they finish. The teacher and welfare class assistant work well together and provide good role models for the children. The quality of teaching in this area is satisfactory overall,

p.27

Personal and social development

but insufficient opportunities are provided for children to select their own activities and work at suitable tasks independently.

p.27

Language and literacy

57. By the age of five, children make good progress and their attainment in language and literacy is above the expected level. Most children have well-developed skills in speaking and listening. They talk about their experiences with self-assurance, listen to stories and enjoy participating in repetitive sentences. Children enjoy books and handle them carefully. They know that words and pictures carry meaning and the majority develop reading skills above those expected for this age. Good progress is made towards the free writing of words and simple sentences with a sound Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 28 foundation of letter formation. Children are developing a sound understanding of alphabetical order. Insufficient opportunities are provided for role-play, and this inhibits the spontaneous development of language and speech. The literacy hour has been successfully introduced for the children still under five in the reception class.

p.27

Language and literacy

The teaching of language and literacy is satisfactory and staff work hard and successfully to develop and widen the children’s vocabulary.

p.28

Mathematics

58. By the age of five most children develop mathematical skills and understanding above those expected for children of this age. The numeracy strategy’s key objectives for reception children are being successfully introduced. Children make good progress at counting and recognising numbers to 20. They are developing the ability to order these numbers on a number line. Staff enable children to have a clear understanding of number, shapes and measures through imaginatively-planned activities. For example, to support learning about symmetry children were provided with three activities, making a symmetrical pattern with paints, using a mirror to see symmetrical patterns and making a symmetrical pattern using different size and colour bears. Children made good progress in this activity and quickly develop the ability to describe a symmetrical pattern. Overall, teaching in this area of learning is

p.28

Mathematics

satisfactory. Insufficient use is made of intervention to challenge and extend learning. Some opportunities are used effectively during the day to consolidate pupils’ use and understanding of number in everyday events. Most children illustrate good pencil control and correct formation of numbers.

p.28

Knowledge and understanding of the world

59. By the time they are five, good foundations have been laid in this area of learning. Children make good progress and their attainment in knowledge and understanding of the world is above national expectations. Children know and name the five senses. Through a range of stimulating experiences children have recorded how they use their different senses through illustrations and simple sentences. They have been finding out details about themselves, such as the colour of their eyes and how many are in their families, and have developed an understanding of ‘older’ and ‘younger’. Children have an awareness of the human life cycle, sources of light and natural and man- made materials. Teaching is satisfactory in this area of learning.

p.28

Creative development

60. Due to the lack of space in the classroom, children under five have only limited opportunities to fully develop their creative skills. As a result, only limited opportunities are planned for free creative work; nevertheless, progress is satisfactory. Children confidently use paints, such as in a mathematics lesson when they were creating symmetrical pictures. They make good representational drawings to support their writing work. Children have suitable opportunities to work with different materials such as tissue paper and card, as shown in their individually-designed clocks. An awareness of the design process is being developed. Children successfully use pictures to promote ideas for designing a playground. Teaching in this area is sound. Appropriate use is made of suitable vocabulary to consolidate and develop children’s understanding of the design process. Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 29

p.28

Physical development

61. Children participate in physical education lessons with Year 1 pupils. The secure outdoor area is not used on a daily basis to continually develop children’s physical skills. Children are developing sound throwing and catching skills. They listen well to instructions and are generally aware of space and of others. They respond well in warm-up sessions and are confident at exploring different movements. Children use simple tools and equipment appropriately; for example, when cutting pictures from catalogues to support ideas for a playground. Teaching is satisfactory, with lessons structured appropriately to teach skills progressively.

p.29

Physical development

62. There is no scheme of work for the under-fives that is suitably based on the recommended Desirable Learning Outcomes. Planning for the under-fives lacks sufficient detail and clear progressive steps. Routine assessment procedures are in place but are minimal. However, the teacher knows the children very well.

p.29

ENGLISH

63. In the results of the 1999 Key Stage 1 national tests the percentage of pupils achieving Level 2 or above in reading and writing was very high compared to the national average. The percentage of pupils achieving the higher Level 3 or above was well above average in reading and above average in writing. Pupils' attainment was well above average when compared to that in schools with pupils from similar backgrounds. Over the four years 1996-1999 the trend has been for pupils to achieve above the national average, with girls performing better than boys. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress. Inspection evidence shows that pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 are achieving standards above those expected. In comparison, pupils in Key Stage 2 achieved test results in 1999 which were close to the national average, with 78 per cent of pupils achieving the expected Level 4 or above. Thirty-

p.29

ENGLISH

nine per cent of pupils achieved the higher Level 5; this was well above the national average. Taking the years 1996-99 together, attainment in English has been close to the national average, with boys performing better than girls, reversing the trend at Key Stage 1. Inspection evidence shows that pupils are achieving standards similar to those expected. Overall progress at Key Stage 2 is unsatisfactory.

p.29

ENGLISH

64. Pupils gain confidence in speaking and listening, and from an early age many pupils express themselves clearly and listen attentively in lessons. Good progress is made in this aspect of English. At the end of Key Stage 1 most pupils speak clearly and concentrate well as they listen to instructions, information, stories and poems. Pupils in Key Stage 2 contribute well to discussions, offering opinions and ideas confidently. Throughout the school, pupils enjoy opportunities to share the work they have achieved during literacy sessions.

p.29

ENGLISH

65. At the end of Key Stage 1 pupils' attainment in writing is above average. They write for a variety of purposes; for example, adding captions to pictures, giving instructions, stories and book reviews. Some work is written at length. Punctuation has developed well, with most pupils using full stops and capital letters appropriately. All pupils are taught phonics regularly. Younger pupils learn the initial, final and middle sounds of words and some can break words into syllables, although some do not yet associate sounds with letters securely. Older pupils learn about compound words and how to use prefixes such as 'un' and 'dis' to change the meaning of words. They write a synopsis of known stories. Spelling is generally accurate or is phonetically justifiable. Pupils make sound progress in the presentation of their work, moving from Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 30 copying over and below teachers' writing in the reception year to well-formed letters at

p.29

ENGLISH

the age of seven, by which time some are developing a neat, joined handwriting style.

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ENGLISH

66. At the end of Key Stage 2, pupils' attainment in writing is similar to that usually found. Pupils in Year 5/6 successfully redraft their writing to further improve it. Stories are planned and pupils explore writing in different styles such as science fiction and report writing in the role of a journalist. They study the work of famous authors such as Shakespeare and translate Elizabethan terminology into modern English. Pupils write poems based on famous works such as Robert Louis Stevenson's 'From a Railway Carriage'. In their poetry they often use rhyming couplets, demonstrating a secure understanding of phonics. Handwriting is practised regularly, although the quality of presentation is variable. All write in a joined handwriting style. Spelling is satisfactory. The use of punctuation is developed appropriately, and by the end of the key stage pupils use full stops, capital letters, exclamation marks, speech marks and commas

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ENGLISH

67. Overall, attainment in reading is above average at the end of Key Stage 1. Nearly all pupils read regularly both at home and school. Most pupils in Year 2 read fluently and accurately. They use different strategies to read unknown words, including phonics and pictures to help them. They know that sounds are associated with letters, and many can blend letter combinations accurately to assist them when reading and spelling. Some pupils can summarise the plot of their current book, and recall favourite stories read previously. Other pupils do not always recognise their mistakes, but higher-attaining pupils frequently correct themselves. Pupils make steady progress as they move through the school. When they reach the end of Year 2 most pupils use the contents and index pages in reference books, although, as the school has no library, skills in using these to locate information vary.

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ENGLISH

68. Standards in reading at the end of Key Stage 2 are broadly in line with national averages. Pupils of average and higher attainment read fluently with accuracy and expression. They retell stories they have read previously, and use appropriate strategies to correct their own mistakes. Lower-attaining pupils read slowly, using phonic clues to help with unknown words. They describe what is happening from clues in the text or pictures, and talk about their favourite parts of the story. Research skills develop slowly during the key stage. There is little evidence of the development of skimming and scanning or the use of a library for private research. However, the recent establishment of a library in the corridor should address this problem.

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ENGLISH

69. Pupils enjoy their English and literacy lessons. They are generally interested in their work, but many are too easily satisfied with the work they produce and do not strive to produce the high quality that many are capable of. Most pupils listen attentively to their teachers and each other, although a few are distracted easily. They answer questions sensibly and are eager to please their teachers. Nearly all pupils co- operate and collaborate well with each other.

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ENGLISH

70. Teaching is satisfactory. In one out of five lessons it is good and in all others it is satisfactory. Planning is clearly based on the recommendations of the National Literacy Strategy, although in a few lessons not enough time is given to discussing work at the end of sessions. However, in much of the shorter-term planning, teachers do not clearly identify what they intend individuals or groups of pupils to learn by the end of each lesson or series of lessons in small, measurable steps to assist assessment. Additionally teachers do not routinely discuss with pupils what they are intended to learn. As a result, it is difficult for pupils to measure how successful they have been. Teachers have appropriately high expectations of pupils in Key Stage 1, but at the beginning and end of Key Stage 2, expectations are often too low. Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 31 Teachers share their secure subject knowledge effectively with their pupils, giving

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ENGLISH

clear instructions and explanations and offering good support to individual pupils. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well and due regard is given to individual education plans in preparing work for them. Learning assistants provide good, focused support for these pupils. In many lessons questions are used well to check that pupils understand and to extend their thinking. In most lessons teachers use a good range of vocabulary, developing their pupils' comprehension of new words. They teach the basic skills of handwriting, spelling and grammar systematically.

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ENGLISH

71. Throughout the school, pupils' literacy skills are applied to other subjects effectively, particularly in topic work and information technology. Pupils regularly use their word processing skills to produce display copies of their work.

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ENGLISH

72. The school uses the National Literacy Strategy guidance appropriately; this alongside other opportunities for English provides a suitably broad and balanced range of work for pupils. Classrooms have a good range of books for pupils to use. Parents support their children’s learning through helping in school, reading at home and supervising homework. The subject is managed effectively. The co-ordinator has monitored National Literacy Strategy delivery across the school to ensure that the strategy is delivered appropriately.

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MATHEMATICS

73. The Key Stage 1 pupils’ level of attainment in mathematics, as indicated by the National Curriculum tests in 1999, was very high in comparison with the national average, with all pupils gaining expected Level 2 and 44 per cent reaching Level 3. Over four years, although there was a slight dip in 1996, their performance was well above the national average and showing an upward trend. In comparison with that in similar schools their performance in the mathematics tests was well above average. Girls performed slightly better than boys. Although pupils' test results in 1999 was above the national average with 72 per cent reaching Level 4 and 39 per cent reaching Level 5, when compared to the situation in similar schools pupil performance was close to the average, with boys doing better than girls. Nevertheless, the trend in mathematics over the past four years has been well above average.

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MATHEMATICS

74. Inspection evidence shows that the level of attainment achieved by pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 is above expectations and that at the end of Key Stage 2 is in line with the national expectations. The impact of the National Numeracy Strategy on raising standards is in its infancy.

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MATHEMATICS

75. Most pupils enter the reception class with levels of ability above those expected for children of their age. They make good progress in Key Stage 1, and satisfactory progress at Key Stage 2. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress according to their individual abilities, but too few opportunities are available for the average pupil to be effectively challenged. Opportunities are planned for more-able pupils to extend their skills and understanding.

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MATHEMATICS

76. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils have a secure understanding of the place value of three-digit numbers. They confidently order numbers to 100 and complete different sequences. Pupils can apply their knowledge of the multiplication table of five to answer oral questions such as “If I clapped on the jumps of five to thirty how many claps would have been made?”. Pupils measure accurately, using centimetres and Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 32 decimetres. They understand the term ‘symmetry’ and can describe a range of two- and three-dimensional shapes, recording their answers in chart form. Pupils are familiar with the four operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

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MATHEMATICS

77. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils can quickly complete mental calculations of subtraction using money. Pupils know the terminology of fractions and are able to manipulate fractions quite well from improper fractions to mixed numbers. The ability of pupils to partition numbers is effective in aiding addition. They are very secure in adding tens and have sound knowledge of number bonds. Pupils are quick to recognise relationships between numbers such as that multiples of five end in a five or a nought and multiples of four are even numbers. Younger pupils in Key Stage 2 use their knowledge of place value to correctly add on 20 to a given number. They are developing mental strategies to add on 19 and 99.

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MATHEMATICS

78. Pupils make good progress through Key Stage 1. They are developing a clear understanding of mathematics through a good variety of activities, including counting, using a range of number vocabulary for adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing, and applying their knowledge of these four rules to simple money problems. They are familiar with the standard measures for length, weight and capacity. Progress through Key Stage 2 is satisfactory. Pupils build on the skills, knowledge and understanding they gain in Key Stage 1 sufficiently to maintain their level of attainment. However, insufficient use is made of investigations to develop understanding and motivate pupils.

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MATHEMATICS

79. Pupils’ attitudes and interest are satisfactory. Throughout the school, pupils respond with growing confidence to the challenging questions which teachers set. They are willing to enter into discussion about their work even when they are unsure. Most pupils concentrate well and remain at their tasks, working hard for the whole lesson. However, there is a minority of pupils who make only a limited effort and need constant reminders to focus on the task in hand. Others’ explanations and reasoning are listened to with interest.

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MATHEMATICS

80. The quality of teaching mathematics was satisfactory overall. In the lessons seen the teaching was good in 33 per cent of lessons and satisfactory in 67 per cent. Although the National Numeracy Strategy has been satisfactorily implemented, insufficient opportunities are planned to fully develop mental mathematics. In the good lessons, learning goals are clear and work is suitably matched to the different abilities of pupils. Satisfactory use is made of numeracy skills in other subjects and in particular the use of graphs to represent data in science and geography. Good use is made of information technology to support learning in Key Stage 1. However, this has yet to be further developed in Key Stage 2. Day-to-day assessment of pupils’ work is generally effective in influencing planning to help the next stage in their learning. Assessment procedures for the longer-term monitoring of pupils’ progress are in

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MATHEMATICS

place. The school's participation in a national project that is monitoring mathematics in selected schools has benefited this school by giving a very detailed analysis of pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding. This is used effectively in setting whole- school targets but is not sufficiently considered for setting individual pupil targets to take them forward.

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MATHEMATICS

81. The role of the co-ordinator has included the monitoring of teaching, learning and curriculum coverage to promote good continuity and progression in learning. Resources are sufficient and easily accessible. A reviewed policy for mathematics is at present in draft form.

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SCIENCE

Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 33 82. Pupils enter Key Stage 1 achieving standards above those expected for their age. The 1999 nationally-recorded teacher assessments for pupils the end of Key Stage 1 showed that pupils made good progress and achieved standards that were very high in comparison both with the national average and with the average for similar schools. From the work seen, pupils currently at the end of Key Stage 1 are meeting national expectations. In 1999 Key Stage 2 pupils’ performance was above the national average, but it was below average when compared to that in similar schools. The trend over a period of four years shows attainment to be close to the national average. Boys perform better in science than girls. From the work seen, pupils currently in Year 6 are meeting national expectations. Standards are judged to be slightly lower than at the time of the last inspection, work at both key stages being in line with

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SCIENCE

national expectations. Work set for pupils lacks sufficient consideration of their knowledge, skills and understanding. There is an over-emphasis on direct factual work rather than investigative and experimental work.

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SCIENCE

83. At the end of Key Stage 1 pupils know and name materials that are natural, natural and altered, or manufactured. Pupils use good descriptive vocabulary to describe the properties of a range of objects. In their investigation of plants growing in a specific area of the local common, pupils in Year 4/5 use magnifying glasses correctly to observe details. However, insufficient care is taken to record details with care, the result being simplistic drawings. Pupils in Year 5/6 know that the earth spins in an anti-clockwise direction on its own axis. They know that the position of the sun appears to change during the day and how shadows are formed and change as this happens.

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SCIENCE

84. Sound progress at Key Stage 1 is demonstrated, with pupils in Years 1 and 2 recording in chart forms the different uses of the senses. They have an awareness of healthy foods, light sources and a simple electrical circuit. During Key Stage 2, pupils consolidate and generally build on previously learned concepts. However, the difference in the difficulty in the work as pupils move through the key stage is not significant and pupils do not greatly extend their knowledge or understanding. By the end of Key Stage 2 they have a satisfactory knowledge of life processes and living things, materials and physical processes. However, there are only limited investigations. The teacher directs these, and pupils’ skills in planning, carrying out and recording their own experiments are limited.

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SCIENCE

85. Pupils’ attitudes are good. They enjoy science and are often excited when practical tasks are presented; for example, in Years 4/5 when pupils were investigating plants that live on the common. When lessons are stimulating and behaviour is good, pupils concentrate well. They readily ask and answer questions sensibly and relate to the focus of the lesson. Pupils work well together as small groups, taking turns and discussing their work sensibly. This was evident in the mixed class of Years 1 and 2 when pupils took turns to choose an object from a ‘feely bag’ for others to guess, using appropriate questions.

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SCIENCE

86. The quality of teaching was satisfactory in all lessons seen. Teachers generally have secure subject knowledge, but lack confidence in developing pupils’ skills in investigating and experimenting; as a result pupils have too few opportunities to plan experiments for themselves. In planning lessons, teachers do not consider sufficiently the different abilities of the pupils and often underestimate their capabilities. When pupils demonstrate knowledge and interest, teachers are reluctant to take them forward as the next step in learning is already planned for the next lesson. Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 34 87. The curriculum is appropriately organised through a two-year cycle of topics to take account of the mixed-age classes. It meets statutory requirements. The current scheme is being reviewed in the light of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority’s scheme, in order to provide for continuity and progression in learning. Under the

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SCIENCE

existing scheme there is evidence of topics revisited but not at a significantly higher level. For example, the work on electric circuits is visited in every year group with minimal progression. The co-ordinator provides satisfactory support for staff. At present the method for checking work is not fully effective. There are formal assessment procedures at the end of Key Stage 2, at the end of each topic. Other assessment is generally informal, with pupils’ attainment recorded on sheets produced by the local education authority. Lesson objectives are not used as a tool for assessing pupils’ progress and not used effectively to guide future planning. Little use is made of information technology to support this subject in both key stages and this is an area for development. Numeracy skills are used appropriately; for example, in recording information on graphs. Pupils use their literacy skills in reading to

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SCIENCE

research a topic and writing skills to record their findings.

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ART

88. The few lessons observed, a scrutiny of pupils’ work and displays around the school indicate that pupils' learning and progress over time are below those found in most primary schools.

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ART

89. In the reception/Year 1 class, pupils make lively pictures, using one colour to create 'A red bulldozer' and 'Mr Happy standing in yellow rain'. They have also produced some pleasing interpretations of Monet's painting of his lily pond at Giverny. Older Key Stage 1 pupils use different paints, such as watercolours and poster paints to create the desired effects when emulating the work of artists such as Van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec.

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ART

90. At Key Stage 2, pupils use a wider range of media, such as collage, fabric paint, chalk and pastels to produce their work. They have recorded their visit to the millennium dome, producing posters to advertise this venue. Pupils used tissue paper and paint to make 'Owl Cats' as part of a recent dance/drama project. Younger pupils' skills when using pastels in observational drawing are underdeveloped. Teachers do not teach the appropriate techniques to enable pupils to achieve the effects they want. As a result, pupils treat the medium in much the same way as they would a wax crayon. In Years 4 and 5, Chinese dragons decorated with intricate chalk patterns were produced as part of the New Year celebrations. Further pattern-making activities include symmetrical patterns generated on the computer, linked to mathematics work. Tiffany's designs are used as an exemplar for pupils to design their own silk

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ART

painting. Pupils experiment with mixing colours and making marks. At the end of the key stage insufficient use is made of preparatory sketching to produce work of the highest quality. Little evidence was available to demonstrate that pupils experiment with various media to explore the effects they can achieve, or of pupils using their own creativity in their work. Some collage included small printed pictures of animals that pupils had coloured in and cut out. Nevertheless, some fine paintings emulating the work of Lowry are displayed in the school hall. At the time of the inspection no evidence was available to demonstrate pupils' abilities in the sculptural aspects of this subject.

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ART

91. In those lessons seen, pupils generally enjoyed their art, and most take a pride in the results they achieve. However, many lack the confidence to experiment in their work. Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 35 Most pupils discuss their work sensibly and at times offer suggestions for improvement to each other. They concentrate well and persevere with tasks, behaving well.

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ART

92. Much of the work is closely linked with class topics. From the lessons seen and from a scrutiny of pupils' work and teachers' planning documents teaching is indicated to be satisfactory overall, although this varies from class to class, depending upon teachers' own confidence in the subject. Where teachers are insecure, the work presented is pedestrian and little intervention takes place to improve pupils' skills and understanding. In other lessons where the teacher is confident, pupils demonstrate greater freedom in their work.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

93. During the inspection it was only possible to observe design and technology in the reception/Year 1 class, where pupils attained standards similar to those normally found at this age. In their discussion about designing a playground, pupils indicate a clear awareness of the design, make, and evaluate process. Evidence of pupils’ abilities in designing and making is demonstrated in their displays of work.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

94. Too few lessons were observed to allow secure judgements to be made about the quality of teaching and learning. From examining the displays of work, and from talking to older pupils, it can be seen that pupils develop sound learning and have positive attitudes to their work in design and technology. Work includes posters for specific purposes and string puppets. However, there are not sufficient opportunities for pupils to work with construction kits in order to provide more experience of mechanisms or have the experience of working with a suitable range of materials. Furthermore, pupils do not use their information and communications technology skills enough to help them in design and technology.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

95. The school is at an early stage of using the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority's document to guide their planning to support coherence of learning and the identification of key skills, methods and evaluations. At present no formal regular assessment takes place against National Curriculum attainment targets. There are adequate resources available to classes.

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GEOGRAPHY

96. As only one lesson was seen during the time of the inspection, and evidence of work was limited, a secure judgement on attainment or teaching cannot be made. Talking to pupils and scrutinising the written work available indicate that the Key Stage 1 pupils are beginning to use appropriate geographical vocabulary when describing their way to school and features of their locality. In the lesson seen, younger pupils in Key Stage 2 used an atlas appropriately to find the countries that make up the British Isles and used suitable geographical vocabulary to describe features on a map of their surrounding area. These young pupils are unfamiliar with the term ‘capital city’.

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GEOGRAPHY

97. Work seen indicates that pupils’ effectively build on their mapping skills as they progress through the school. They are aware of keys and symbols, and are familiar with simple grid references and the eight points of the compass. However, there is an over-reliance on the use of published work sheets and there are not sufficient Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 36 written opportunities to develop independent thoughts and opinions on specific geographical subjects.

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GEOGRAPHY

98. Discussions with the subject co-ordinator and evidence from teachers’ plans show that the school is at the initial stages of using guidance from the Qualification and Curriculum Authority's document to plan the key knowledge, skills and understanding to support pupil attainment. At present no formal assessment takes place. The subject co-ordinator gives effective support and advice to teachers when planning topics of work, but no monitoring or evaluating of teaching and learning has taken place. Resources in the school are adequate to support teaching and learning. However, inadequate use is made of fieldwork in the locality for the practical application of geographical skills.

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HISTORY

99. Throughout the school most pupils make satisfactory progress. The youngest pupils are developing historical enquiry skills; for example, when comparing today's seaside holidays with those taken in the past. They use books to research these differences. Pupils in Year 2 compare modern life with life in the Victorian era, using photographic evidence. They show an emerging sense of chronology and an understanding that things change over time, and are beginning to use timelines to show the order in which events took place.

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HISTORY

100. At Key Stage 2, pupils learn about life in the 1930s and the impact that World War II had on lives; for example, how children were evacuated from their homes to places of greater safety. As part of their studies pupils interview an 'expert witness' from the community about her memories of that time and also visit the Central War Room used by the government of the day. Current work in Years 4 and 5 is based on American history, following the teacher's recent exchange visit to the United States, and pupils are learning about the voyage of the Mayflower and early settlements as well as the history of the Plains Indians. Pupils make satisfactory progress as they move through Key Stage 2. They show an increasing range and depth of historical knowledge and understanding.

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HISTORY

101. Pupils demonstrate curiosity in their lessons, and confidently ask for further clarification; for example, posing questions such as, “What did they do sitting on a boat for such a long time?”. They discuss their work sensibly; most pupils listen attentively in lessons.

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HISTORY

102. Insufficient lessons were seen to make a reliable judgement on the quality of teaching. Teachers’ planning documents indicate that a satisfactory range of activities is planned to enable pupils’ acquisition of appropriate knowledge and skills. Throughout the school it is evident that teachers share their enthusiasm for the subject effectively with pupils. Teachers have secure subject knowledge that they share well with their pupils.

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HISTORY

103. Through the study of past cultures and the history of the pupils’ local area and their own country the subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ cultural development.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 37 104. Pupils’ attainment in information technology is similar to that usually found in most primary schools. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress overall.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

105. At the beginning of Key Stage 1, pupils use a mouse (an electronic pointing device) to move the cursor and to select items, and generally they begin the key stage with standards above those normally found in pupils of this age. In the reception class, they use simple computer programmes to support their literacy skills and to extend their knowledge and understanding of the world. Pupils make steady progress in using the computer to play games that support their learning in other subjects, such as mathematics, using counting and matching games. By the end of Key Stage 1, many pupils use word processing programs to record their work. They learn to use the delete, shift and space bars to amend their text and simple data-handling programs to analyse traffic surveys. However, pupils' skills in control technology are not as well developed.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

106. At Key Stage 2, pupils build on their skills, particularly in word processing. This is enhanced by the regular use of desktop notepad machines. Pupils learn how to edit their text using the spellcheck facility; they change font size and type and print their work competently. When researching for other subjects, pupils make satisfactory use of CD-ROM programs. For example, in one lesson seen pupils found a range of information about the voyage of the Mayflower as part of their history project. Pupils continue to use data-handling programs for analysis, and produce pie charts, and block and line graphs to record their findings. Nevertheless, opportunities to support learning in other areas of the curriculum are sometimes missed. The school recognises the need for resources to enable the control-technology strand of this subject to be delivered. Older pupils have recently found 'pen-pals' in California using

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

the Internet, following a teacher's exchange visit to the United States.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

107. Pupils demonstrate sound attitudes to information technology. They work well, concentrating and persevering when it is their turn to use the computers.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

108. Little direct teaching was observed during the inspection, and there is insufficient evidence to make a secure judgement on the quality of teaching. Teachers plan appropriate tasks and give brief instructions to pupils. In the whole-class lessons seen the emphasis was on handling information rather than direct instruction in the use of computer technology. In all classes pupils work independently of teachers, asking for help when this is required. Teachers generally set appropriate tasks matched to pupils' levels of ability and interest.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

109. Curriculum planning is generally sound, although planning for control technology and monitoring at Key Stage 2 is unsatisfactory. The school has recently adopted the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority's guidance for the subject. Assessment and recording of pupils' attainment in information technology are currently being developed in line with recommendations from the local education authority. Teachers assess pupils' progress through their observations, but this is not based on a hierarchy of skills, and no structure for recording these observations is in place.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

110. The school uses support staff well to assist pupils’ learning in information technology. Resources are very good. Fund raising by parents has made a considerable contribution to the development of this subject. As a result, the school has new computers, all of which have CD-ROM drives and two of which are connected to the Internet, as well as a set of laptop machines. The school has exciting plans for the development of the subject this year. The co-ordinator has undertaken additional Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 38 training recently to enhance her skills in the subject. There are sufficient and wide- ranging software programs available to teachers. Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 39

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MUSIC

111. Insufficient lessons were seen during the inspection to make a reliable judgement on the standards pupils' achieve or the quality of teaching in music.

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MUSIC

112. In assemblies, pupils throughout the school sing hymns tunefully, demonstrating a good sense of timing. At Key Stage 1 pupils sing favourite nursery rhymes, and enjoy adding appropriate actions to these. Pupils in Year 2 are beginning to recognise pattern, shape and structure in music. Pupils in Key Stage 2 accurately identify orchestral instruments when listening to a piece of jazz being played. They can maintain a steady beat when clapping and recognise rests between phrases. They are learning to 'count the beat in their head' to maintain the pulse of their music. Some can recognise the difference between rhythm and pulse in music. As groups, older pupils compose together and play their music on percussion instruments to the rest of their class.

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MUSIC

113. Pupils participate enthusiastically in musical activities. They perform well as groups, as a class or as a whole school, and appreciate each other’s contributions. In the few lessons observed the quality of teaching was satisfactory. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and generally plan lessons satisfactorily. The school has adopted a published scheme of work for music, but not all teachers use this. Although pupils are given opportunities to listen to the work of famous composers as they assemble for collective acts of worship, no opportunities were seen for pupils to appraise the work of established composers. Many pupils are provided with instrumental tuition, paid for by parents. From time to time opportunities are planned for pupils to perform together, either as a school; for example, at Christmas and Easter, or as part of a network of local schools.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

114. In those elements of the curriculum observed, standards have improved since the last inspection to levels of attainment similar to those normally found at both key stages. Progress for all pupils, including those with special educational needs, is satisfactory.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

115. At Key Stage 1 pupils take far too long to change into their physical education kit and this has a serious effect on the time available for physical activity. A minority of pupils has good throwing and catching skills, but for the majority these skills are still developing. At Key Stage 2, pupils accurately bounce and catch balls. They are developing effective control of the ball using a racquet. Pupils know the importance of warm-up exercises at the beginning of lessons and the necessity to respond to commands for personal safety. Pupils successfully develop a sequence of movement involving a correct forward roll, a jump to crouch and a half turn. Rounder- baton skills with older pupils are satisfactory.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

116. Most pupils participate enthusiastically, work hard to improve their skills and enjoy physical education lessons. They show an awareness of safety rules, particularly when working in the small hall, and work well in small group situations. The majority of pupils respond well to teachers’ instructions, concentrate well on the warm-up activities and try hard to improve their movements and skills.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

117. In both key stages teaching is sound overall. In the lessons seen, teaching was good in 20 per cent of lessons, satisfactory in 40 per cent and unsatisfactory in 40 per cent. In good lessons, teachers make appropriate use of warm-ups and cool-downs. They Monken Hadley CE Primary School - 40 give clear explanations, make effective use of pupils' performances to demonstrate and evaluate their skills, and demonstrate and participate themselves. Teachers and pupils dress appropriately. In the unsatisfactory lessons seen, teachers allow pupils too much time to change and that has a detrimental effect on the time available for activities. When using the nearby common, groups are allowed to move too far from the teacher to enable practical support to improve skills to be given.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

118. The school does not comply with the statutory requirements for physical education, as pupils do not have the opportunity to follow the Programmes of Study for swimming. Resources for the subject are satisfactory, though some are in a worn condition. The indoor accommodation is inadequate for whole classes of older pupils to be able to move freely. Appropriate use is made of the tarmac areas surrounding the school and the common opposite. However, crossing the road to the common with only one teacher in charge of the class can prove hazardous.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

119. The previous inspection report criticised the policy for having aims that were too narrow to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum. This is still the case.

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