Caversham Primary School

CAVERSHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 21 st - 23 rd March 2000

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CAVERSHAM 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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CAVERSHAM 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. Caversham Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Hemdean Road Caversham Reading

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Reading Borough Council

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr. Paul Odell

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 7 th - 10 th October 1996 Caversham Primary School - 4

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Team members

Mr. Peter Martin Registered inspector Mrs. June Keyworth Lay inspector Mrs. Pauline Morcom Team inspector Mr. Mike Duggan Team inspector

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Team members

P k R Educational Consultants Ltd 6 Sherman Road Bromley Kent BR1 3JH

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

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

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL 11

Standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science are high, with higher attaining pupils making good progress, as a result of good teaching. The Numeracy Strategy has been very successfully introduced and raises standards effectively. There are very effective procedures for monitoring teaching and learning which contribute to maintaining good teaching and high standards. Pupils bring very positive attitudes to their work and to other activities in the school and the school's provision for social, cultural, moral and spiritual development makes a very good contribution to their personal development. There is very good leadership by the headteacher, senior management team and governing body who work successfully as a team to develop the school.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED 14

While standards in ICT are above average in most areas, the school is not equipped to provide for pupils to be taught about using sensors linked to computers which monitor changes, for example, in temperature or weather in Key Stage Two. The headteacher has a clear strategic view, but this is not fully shared with the whole governing body. There is some inconsistency between classes in upper Key Stage Two in the setting of homework and in the quality of written work and marking in English. Not enough information is given about pupils' progress in annual reports to parents.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is a large, popular and oversubscribed community primary school with 428 pupils currently on roll. Pupils come from the immediate area of Caversham, a densely populated area of private housing, a mile from the centre of Reading. The school caters for pupils aged from five to eleven. Fifteen per cent of pupils are registered as having special educational needs, which is below average. Of these, only one has a statement. The attainment of pupils when they enter the school in the reception class in the term after their fifth birthday is above average. Whilst a few pupils have English as an additional language, they are all fluent in English. Most pupils come from favourable social and economic backgrounds.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very effective school which is successfully maintaining high standards as a result of good teaching and strong management. It is very well led by the Headteacher. She works closely with the governors and staff to ensure that pupils continue both to achieve well and to have a fully rounded education. It provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science are high, with higher attaining pupils making good progress, as a result of good teaching. • The Numeracy Strategy has been very successfully introduced and raises standards effectively. • There are very effective procedures for monitoring teaching and learning which contribute to maintaining good teaching and high standards. • Pupils bring very positive attitudes to their work and to other activities in the school and the school's provision for social, cultural, moral and spiritual development makes a very good contribution to their personal development. • There is very good leadership by the headteacher, senior management team and governing body who work successfully as a team to develop the school.

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What could be improved

• While standards in ICT are above average in most areas, the school is not equipped to provide for pupils to be taught about using sensors linked to computers which monitor changes, for example, in temperature or weather in Key Stage Two. • The headteacher has a clear strategic view, but this is not fully shared with the whole governing body. • There is some inconsistency between classes in upper Key Stage Two in the setting of homework and in the quality of written work and marking in English. • Not enough information is given about pupils' progress in annual reports to parents. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has responded very well to the last inspection report of October 1996. There has been a substantial improvement in management at all levels. The school has a good school improvement plan and there are effective procedures for monitoring and evaluating teaching and other aspects of the school's work. The governors and senior staff make a strong contribution to the success of the school in the way they carry out their duties. Lesson planning has improved and the school's provision for pupils with special educational needs is significantly better. The school has built on its academic success and is successful at emphasising and developing all-round achievement. Caversham Primary School - 7

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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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Key

English A* A* A* A Very high Well above average A* A

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Key

mathematics A* A* A A Above average Average B C science A* A* A B Below average Well below average D E

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Key

The results in the table above reflect the success of the school in maintaining high standards in successive years. In English, the school has been in the top five per cent of schools nationally for three years running. Fewer pupils attained level five in all three subjects in 1999 but, even so, nearly half of the year group reached the higher levels and this is well above the national average. Fewer pupils attained level four in the mathematics test than in the previous year but the proportions remained well above the national average. Boys and girls do equally well when compared with how well boys and girls achieve nationally. Pupils achieve similarly high results in national tests at age seven in English and mathematics with standards of reading being very high. Standards at age seven are above average in science.

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Key

The work seen in the inspection confirmed that standards are well above average in all three subjects by the time pupils leave the school in Year 6 and that they make good progress.

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Key

In information technology, standards are above average except in the area of using IT for monitoring purposes in Key Stage 2 where the school does not have the necessary equipment to teach these skills.

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Key

The school sets challenging targets to maintain high standards for both seven and eleven year olds.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils have good, positive attitudes to school, are well motivated and work industriously in lessons. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is very good in lessons and around the school. Pupils are polite and courteous and show respect for their school

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships There are strong and constructive relationships throughout the school. Pupils are willing to take responsibility and show initiative.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Levels of attendance are very high.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils' attitudes and behaviour are a strength of the school. They respect each other's differences and care for each other, making the school a happy community. Caversham Primary School - 8

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

Lessons seen overall No pupils under 5 Good Good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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

Teachers have good knowledge and understanding of the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. Teaching in both English and mathematics is mostly good and teachers are effective in teaching the basic skills in literacy and numeracy.

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

Lesson planning is very good. Teachers clearly identify what they want pupils to learn. They have very good understanding of what pupils need to learn next and plan accordingly. This ensures that pupils of all abilities make good progress. They successfully use a range of teaching methods including whole class, group and individual teaching and there were good examples of pupils' active involvement in lessons. Teachers are very good at managing pupils in lessons and make very good use of the time available. Some less experienced teachers do not always settle classes down and ensure that they pay attention.

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

Homework is regularly set and marking is good in almost all classes, but this not entirely consistent in upper Key Stage Two.

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

97% of teaching was satisfactory or better of which 26% was very good or better. Three per cent was unsatisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The school provides a broad curriculum which is enriched through additional arts activities including pottery and music. There is good planning. The information technology curriculum does not meet statutory requirements as the school is not equipped to teach pupils about using sensors linked to computers which monitor changes, for example, in temperature or weather in Key Stage Two.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs There is good provision to support pupils who make good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language All pupils with English as an additional language are fully bilingual and so there is no dedicated support.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The school promotes a very good moral ethos with good adult role models. Social development is very well supported . A broad approach to celebrating different cultures infuses the school's good cultural provision and there are some particularly strong opportunities to develop spiritually through the school's work in the arts.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils There are very good systems for monitoring children's academic progress and their welfare. The school responds well to any incidents that arise concerning children's behaviour.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides a very strong lead and works closely with her deputy, the governors, subject leaders and others with responsibility. This enables them all to be increasingly effective.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors have a good knowledge of the school and are very active in evaluating the school's work and its success. Whilst they pursue the one year development plan rigorously, they do not all have a shared view of the longer term strategy for developing the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance There are good procedures in place to enable the school to monitor and evaluate its own performance.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school's resources are directed well at key priorities which are focused on further improving the quality of education.

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Aspect Comment

The school benefits from strong leadership and management. There is a shared commitment to maintaining and further raising standards and the school's one year development plan is good. The last inspection report has been used very well to enable the school's management to be strengthened. The headteacher and some governors have a clear view of the longer term strategy for continuing to develop the school but this is not yet shared by all governors. The school has very good procedures for ensuring that it gets the best value from the resources it has at its disposal.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The high standards of work and behaviour in school. • The emphasis on a rounded education which values personal development and activities outside the classroom as well as academic achievement. • The expectation that their children will work hard and achieve their best. • The good quality of the teaching. • The way the school is led and managed and a very approachable headteacher. • Inconsistency in upper Key Stage Two in the quality of written work, marking and homework. • Information provided by the school on their children's progress. • The school's involvement of parents at an early stage when issues arise with their children’s behaviour in school. • The availability of activities outside lessons for younger children. • Playground space.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team strongly agrees with all of the strengths identified by the substantial majority of parents whose positive comments summarise the essential qualities of this successful school very well. The team also agrees with the views expressed by some parents that:

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• there has been some variation in the setting of homework in upper Key Stage Two following the introduction of the new homework policy and the school has taken steps recently to improve this; • the marking and quality of written work in English between classes in one year group does vary between very good and unsatisfactory. However, in maths and science, pupils' work is always at least satisfactory and more often good or better; • pupils' reports do not provide enough information for parents on their children's progress.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

On the other issues raised by parents, the team's view is that the school has a good behaviour policy and procedures and now ensures that parents are always involved at an early stage when any issues arise with their children's behaviour. The range of activities for younger pupils is less extensive than those provided for those in the junior classes but is entirely appropriate. The playground space is relatively small for the numbers of pupils but the excellent range of activities provided at lunchtime means that the space is very well used and does not affect the high quality of the lunchtime play. Caversham Primary School - 10

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Standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science are high, with higher

attaining pupils making good progress, as a result of good teaching.

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Standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science are high, with higher

1. The school has maintained high standards in all three core subjects since the last inspection and, taking all subjects together, standards are well above the national average by the age of eleven. Reading is particularly high. Pupils read widely, accurately and with very good understanding. Whilst not as strong as in reading, standards of writing are well above average and pupils write fluently, accurately and confidently for a good range of different purposes both within English and in other subjects. Pupils' speaking and listening skills are highly developed. Mathematics and science standards are well above average by the time pupils leave the school. There are particular strengths in problem solving and mental calculation in mathematics and in investigative work in science.

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Standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science are high, with higher

2. This picture is also evident in the proportion of children who achieve the higher level three in national tests for seven-year-olds and level five for eleven-year-olds. In both sets of tests, the proportion of children achieving the higher levels is well above average. This strong picture is confirmed when the school results are compared with other schools with similar intakes.

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Standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science are high, with higher

3. The work seen on the inspection confirmed that the school is successful in ensuring that pupils progress well and achieve high standards and that a key factor in this success is the good teaching they receive. The inspection confirmed that the teaching remains as good as that found in the last inspection.

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Standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science are high, with higher

4. The strengths of the teaching include teachers' high expectations. One excellent example was seen in a Year 1 class where pupils were writing their own sentences following their reading of a humorous children's book, "The Queen's Knickers", and explaining why certain styles were matched to particular events. They used the style of the book very well and almost all could write independently, use correct punctuation and many correct spellings, and, with their phonic knowledge, use word books to check spelling. These high standards were continually fostered by the teacher who used good examples from children's writing to praise them and to clarify for others what was wanted. Her focused teaching of a group of lower attaining pupils enabled them to experience success and make very good progress.

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Standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science are high, with higher

5. The level of challenge is supported by teachers' own knowledge. Year 6 pupils, for example, are challenged in both their whole class mathematics lessons and in the mathematics sets. Work with the top set took them on firmly into the secondary curriculum and very high level six attainment. In one lesson they worked on rendering the Fibonacci sequence as fractions to result in the golden ratio and followed this up in the plenary with finding Fibonacci numbers in Pascal's triangle. In the class maths lesson, they worked on sophisticated interpretations of graphs with work well matched to different groups of pupils in the class.

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Standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science are high, with higher

6. Teachers are good at providing situations where pupils have to think carefully and they extend pupils' ideas through good questioning. This develops not only pupils' subject knowledge but also their speaking and listening skills. A Year 3 science lesson which looked at the hardness of different rocks was structured to first elicit pupils' predictions about how hard the rocks were, then to devise a fair test to check their predictions and finally to draw conclusions about the potential uses of the materials. Throughout, the questions asked challenged pupils to think and to reason verbally.

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Standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science are high, with higher

7. Teachers are confident in using a wide range of teaching strategies. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies call for extensive use of effective whole class teaching as well as group work matched to pupils' abilities. These have been well adapted in the Reception Class where the literacy lesson provided a very good example of effective teaching of reading and phonics with the whole class and in groups. Pupils remained interested as a careful balance between the teacher's and the pupils' talk was struck and varied activities were provided. Similarly, in guided Caversham Primary School - 11 writing in Year 6 classes, teachers used a projector in conjunction with a lap top computer to model how to write different kinds of poems. Combined with their knowledge of poetry, this shows high level teaching skills which enable pupils to achieve high standards in their own writing as they are clear about how to approach the task and what is expected.

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Standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science are high, with higher

8. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is embedded well in other areas of the curriculum. Work by Year 6 pupils when word processing a television report based on research about the recent disaster in Mozambique generated some excellent writing "… although the rain eased away, more devastation is expected". Similarly, work on graphs enriched pupils' geography work.

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The Numeracy Strategy has been very successfully introduced and raises standards

9. The National Numeracy Strategy had been introduced this year and the implementation is very good. The mathematics co-ordinator completed a rigorous audit of the mathematics provision in the school and has identified targets for each year group, which specify the skills that pupils can develop to an even higher level. These mostly centre around mental calculation and problem solving. Good staff training has been provided to build confidence and knowledge in how to extend these areas and in how to teach the daily mathematics lesson. The school has ensured that the necessary resources are available.

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The Numeracy Strategy has been very successfully introduced and raises standards

10. The quality of the teaching of numeracy is good and teachers manage the whole class mental calculation sessions well with a good range of questioning and resources which are well used both to ensure involvement and interest and also to check that all pupils understand. The sessions where pupils are grouped by ability are challenging and work is well matched to pupils' abilities. There is good use of the plenary at the end of the lesson to revisit what pupils have learned and to extend their thinking further. Some less experienced teachers are being well supported as they develop their skills in maintaining consistently high levels of challenge for pupils.

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The Numeracy Strategy has been very successfully introduced and raises standards

11. The success of this new initiative is being closely monitored through regular evaluations of pupils’ work and the subject leader, headteacher and deputy together with the numeracy governors are keeping a very close watch on the progress that pupils are making and the quality of teaching pupils receive.

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maintaining good teaching and high standards

12. The requirement to introduce more effective monitoring and evaluation procedures was a key issue in the last inspection and the school has responded to the requirement very well. The headteacher is rightly proud that an evaluative culture exists in the school and the staff and governors are continually focused on how they can improve further. The school is committed to maintaining its high quality and these processes make a very important contribution to ensuring this.

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maintaining good teaching and high standards

13. The monitoring and evaluation activities are carried out in a number of ways. The school analyses a substantial body of data about pupils' performance in tests to check on the progress that they make. All teachers keep an updated record of pupils' performance in reading, writing, spelling and mathematics and this information is analysed to see whether pupils are progressing as rapidly as expected. It is also used to help set individual targets for pupils in numeracy in Years 5 and 6. Pupils' success in meeting the targets is followed up. The data is used to check whether pupils make progress from the end of Year 2 to the end of Year 6. This includes looking at different groups of pupils such as high attainers, who were shown to do very well in comparison with their peers nationally last year. The analysis also helped to identify that the provision for lower attaining pupils needed to be improved and, as a result, effective steps were

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maintaining good teaching and high standards

14. The programme of monitoring teaching is systematic and rigorous. The headteacher, the deputy in her role both as deputy and English subject leader, and the mathematics co-ordinator have all observed lessons across the school in areas for which they are responsible. The feedback from Caversham Primary School - 12 these observations has made a significant contribution to maintaining the good quality of teaching. It has enabled staff new to the school to settle in quickly and to ensure that pupils continue to progress well.

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maintaining good teaching and high standards

15. Governors also play their part in this process. They each have assigned areas of the curriculum, keep a close eye on how well their subject area is developing and report back to the governing body at appropriate times. The school's literacy governor has used her professional inspection expertise to help build the picture of the quality of teaching. Governors are very aware of what the test data tells them and the trends in school performance over successive years.

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maintaining good teaching and high standards

16. The School Management and Improvement Plan (SMIP) is rigorously evaluated to check the progress that is made in achieving the targets set. The headteacher's written evaluation is full and very informative, thereby helping to build a very clear view of what developments are needed in the following year's plan.

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school's provision for social, cultural, moral and spiritual development makes a very good

contribution to their personal development.

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school's provision for social, cultural, moral and spiritual development makes a very good

17. Pupils' attitudes and behaviour were very good at the time of the last inspection and these high standards have been well maintained. The headteacher has placed a high emphasis on pupils' personal development and parents, governors and staff all comment that this has produced a more balanced school.

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school's provision for social, cultural, moral and spiritual development makes a very good

18. The school's provision for personal development has a very good influence on pupils' positive attitudes. Their social development is very well supported and the school is successful in helping pupils to become responsible individuals who relate well to each other. Pupils work hard in lessons and are able to persevere independently when given tasks. They listen attentively and try hard to give well considered responses to teachers' questions. Outside lessons they are polite and courteous. They have a very good moral sense; the example set by adults and circle time discussions of moral issues provide ways in which this is achieved.

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school's provision for social, cultural, moral and spiritual development makes a very good

19. The school makes good provision for cultural and spiritual development. It has a calm, sensitive and caring ethos throughout. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the pottery sessions in which small groups of pupils work with a potter creating beautiful artefacts out of clay. They talk as they work about the art they are making and the lives of the people they are representing, such as Anglo-Saxons in various daily agricultural roles. Displays such as that of East African artefacts, the ever present background of instrumental lessons and ensemble rehearsals together with drama and choral events all add to the richness of pupils' personal experiences at school.

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There is very good leadership by the headteacher, senior management team and governing

body who work successfully as a team to develop the school.

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There is very good leadership by the headteacher, senior management team and governing

20. The headteacher's leadership is very effective. She provides a very clear direction for the school, is very focused on maintaining high standards and is successful in enabling all those with management responsibilities to play their part fully. There is a strong and effective partnership with the deputy head who leads by example with her own very good teaching in Year 6 as well as having other key responsibilities. The role of the senior management team is very well defined and their regular meetings are central to the task of ensuring that the measures laid out in the School Management and Improvement Plan are properly carried out. Subject leaders have clear and substantial responsibilities. Those for English and mathematics have the benefit of direct classroom observation to inform their view of what needs to be developed next and there are plans for others to follow suit. These strengths represent a very good response to key issues

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There is very good leadership by the headteacher, senior management team and governing

concerning aspects of management identified in the last inspection. However, the Key Stage Two co-ordinator does not yet have the opportunity to monitor classroom practice.

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There is very good leadership by the headteacher, senior management team and governing

21. The governing body has also developed its knowledge of the school's strengths and areas for development. They keep themselves informed through school visits and through focused and detailed discussion of progress on the targets in the school development plan. They receive Caversham Primary School - 13 reports from the headteacher and others with management responsibilities. There is a good working partnership with school staff, which is represented in the link roles that each of the governors have for particular curriculum areas.

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There is very good leadership by the headteacher, senior management team and governing

22. The School Management and Improvement Plan has been significantly developed since the last inspection. It is a good document that specifies clearly the school's key aims for the current year and how they will be carried out and evaluated. It provides a good framework for all those with management roles, shows whether plans are on track and what impact the improvements are intended to have. The partnership that is increasingly apparent between governors and staff is largely focused on the provisions in the plan. However, the governors do not share a clear longer term view beyond the one year plan.

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provide for pupils to be taught about using sensors linked to computers which monitor

changes, for example, in temperature weather in Key Stage Two.

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provide for pupils to be taught about using sensors linked to computers which monitor

23. The school's provision for teaching information and communications technology was identified as a strength of the school in the last inspection and the school has continued to develop its resources. Its original suite of computers was replaced only weeks before the inspection but staff and pupils were able to work successfully in the suite, developing the skills laid out by the scheme of work using new machines and new programmes.

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provide for pupils to be taught about using sensors linked to computers which monitor

24. In ICT lessons pupils demonstrated good levels of skills and confidence in using computers. Most have access to computers at home and have experience of using similar programmes. However, whilst they bring much experience with them, the lessons teach them new skills to enhance their knowledge. They are provided with very good contexts from a wide range of areas of the curriculum in which to learn and practise them. Year 4 pupils, for example, used Microsoft Excel to enter data and construct charts following a survey on unhealthy snacks which they had undertaken in the design and technology lessons. Similarly, Year 5 pupils used Microsoft Word to construct a contents page and became familiar with aspects of formatting, layout and the use of Word Art to demonstrate their understanding of some of the finer points of syntax and layout which had been the focus of their English lesson.

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provide for pupils to be taught about using sensors linked to computers which monitor

25. The school made a very early start in developing the use of computers in school and all pupils have a lesson each week in the computer suite. The co-ordinator is aware of the need to update the teaching plans to fully embrace the changes that have occurred and she is in the process of undertaking this task. This will include making provision for teaching the full range of the programmes of study. It was as a result of changing systems when the school bought its first computer suite that its equipment, such as sensors to measure temperature changes, became unusable since the equipment was incompatible with the new system. As it was not then replaced, the school is not able to teach, and pupils are not able to learn about, those parts of the National Curriculum which require pupils to use sensors linked to computers to monitor changes, for example, in temperature or the weather.

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The headteacher has a clear strategic view, but this is not fully shared with the governing

26. The headteacher has a very clear view of the school's priorities for development. When she was appointed in 1997, she undertook her own analysis which has helped to shape the direction and improvement of the school. Each of the one year school development plans has related clearly to this analysis and she continually updates it. Some governors have discussed this plan with her, but it has not been shared with the whole governing body formally and not all governors have a clear idea of what the direction of the school is beyond the current year. It is clear that the governing body is exercising its duties and responsibilities with increasing rigour and effectiveness However, the lack of a shared, longer term view, which they have helped to shape, restricts their ability to set the strategic direction of the school. Caversham Primary School - 14

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There is some inconsistency between classes in upper Key Stage Two in the setting of

homework and in the quality of written work and marking in English.

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There is some inconsistency between classes in upper Key Stage Two in the setting of

27. The school has introduced a new homework policy which sets clear expectations for how much homework pupils will be expected to complete. All parents have been sent a copy of the policy to ensure that they know what is expected and how best to enable their children to complete the work. This has been generally successful across the school. In Years 5 and 6, it is expected that pupils will work at home for 30 minutes each day and some teachers set homework clearly and ensure that pupils write it down. However, others in these year groups do not make sure that pupils record the homework set in their homework notebooks. In one class, it is not always set. This accounts for parents' uncertainty about how the policy matches the school's practice. Steps have recently been taken to ensure that the agreed policy is carried out in all classes.

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There is some inconsistency between classes in upper Key Stage Two in the setting of

28. In one year group, the quality of writing that pupils produce varies too widely between the classes. This is linked with the written work not being marked regularly and consequently pupils are not encouraged to try their best or take enough care with either the content of their writing or its presentation. Some parents were clearly aware of this. In other subjects the contrast is much less apparent. There is always at least satisfactory work and marking in mathematics and science in both classes and very good work is always evident in one class.

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There is some inconsistency between classes in upper Key Stage Two in the setting of

Not enough information is given about pupils' progress in annual reports to parents.

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There is some inconsistency between classes in upper Key Stage Two in the setting of

29. For the most part, parents are well informed about what is happening in school. There are regular parents' meetings with teachers and the Headteacher knows her school and its pupils well and is approachable. Her ability to talk in detail about every child is much valued. The school has also worked very hard to improve the information that parents are given. However, even though improvements have been made to pupils' reports, the format of the school reports does not provide for parents to be given enough information about their children's progress. Whilst the reports cover a number of pages, most of the space is taken up with pre-typed statements which provide basic alternatives to identify differences in attainment. The handwritten comments in the prescribed boxes provide some detail about different skills, mainly in English, mathematics and science and there are some indications of areas for improvement. There are also spaces for

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There is some inconsistency between classes in upper Key Stage Two in the setting of

parents and children to write their comments. However, the reports do not amount to a full enough picture to give parents a clear understanding of what their children are doing, how well they are achieving or what they need to do next. The reports in the Reception class follow a different format which is significantly better.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

30. In order for the school to maintain its current success, the staff and governors should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Acquire the necessary equipment to teach the monitoring aspects of the National Curriculum for information and communications technology in Key Stage Two and ensure that teaching plans incorporate its use.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Ensure that the whole governing body has a full and shared view of the longer term strategy to develop the school, which helps them to fulfil their duty to set its strategic direction.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Ensure consistency in upper Key Stage Two in the setting of homework and in the quality of written work and marking in English.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) Make further improvements to the quality of written reports to parents to enable them to know what their children are doing, how well they are doing it, whether it is good enough and what they need to do to improve.

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 33

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

9 17 46 26 3 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) - 428

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals - 2 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs - 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register - 63

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 14

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 6

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Caversham Primary School - 16

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 30 33 63

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 95 (97) 97 (98) 97 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83(81) 87 (84)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 95 (96) 97 (96) 97 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 87 (86)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 38 25 63

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 34 31 37 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 24 22 24

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 92 (90) 84 (95) 97 (98) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 32 38 36 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 24 23 25

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 90 (94) 97 (93) 97 (94) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (72) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Caversham Primary School - 17

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 1 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 11 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 18.34 Financial year 1998/9

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23.33

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 627,798

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 11 Expenditure per pupil 1,505

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 131 Balance brought forward from previous year -13,809

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year -8,535

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Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. Caversham Primary School - 18

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 49 43 6 2 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 58 39 2 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 27 52 16 4 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 36 44 17 3 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 57 33 9 2 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 64 33 1 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 39 40 16 3 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 54 41 2 3 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 56 38 4 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 31 45 16 5 3

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