Waterfoot Primary School

Waterfoot Primary School

Dates of inspection: 28 February – 3 March 2000

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Waterfoot 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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Waterfoot 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. WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Thornfield Avenue Waterfoot Rossendale

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs Stephanie Thornton

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 4 November 1996 WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 4

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Aspect responsibilities

Mrs D Bell Registered Inspector Art What sort of school is it? Music How high are standards? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? Mrs J Farmer Lay Inspector Equal opportunities How high are standards? Attendance How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Mrs D New Team member English How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? Religious education Mrs J Hill Team member Mathematics How well is the school led and managed? Geography Mr M Hemmings Team member Science Design and technology Information and communication technology Mrs M Loudon Team member Under fives How high are standards? Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development Special educational needs History Physical education All Inspectors What should the school do to improve further? WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 5 The inspection contractor was:

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Aspect responsibilities

Focus Inspection Services The Court 8 Bar Meadow Dobcross Saddleworth Oldham OL3 5QW

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Aspect responsibilities

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

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Aspect responsibilities

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7 - 10

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 - 13

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Waterfoot Primary School is a larger than average school with 312 pupils on roll. It admits pupils in the year in which they are five and most come from a mixture of private and local authority housing estates close to the school and from a farming community nearby. Most children start school with levels of attainment that are broadly average for their age. However this and the percentage of pupils on the special educational needs register fluctuate from year to year due to the increased movement in and out of the area in line with the local authority housing policy. There are 79 pupils (25.32 per cent) on the register for special educational needs. This is above the average found nationally. Six pupils (1.92 per cent) have statements of need. This is broadly in line with what is found nationally. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals (17.63 per cent) is also broadly average. There are 10 classes in the school including four that are mixed age. All pupils come from

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

homes where English is the first language spoken.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

School effectiveness is good. Leadership and management are very good. The school is well governed and self- critical. It knows what it does well and excellent performance management procedures show that it has the ability to identify and deal effectively with its own weaknesses. Almost two thirds of teaching is at least good and as a result pupils are learning well and attaining the nationally expected standards in English and above these in mathematics by the time they leave the school. Governors and staff all have high expectations of pupils in terms of attitudes, attainment, behaviour and personal development and the vast majority of pupils respond well by working hard and achieving well. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards in mathematics are above average at the age of 11. • There is good provision for information and communication technology. • The leadership and management of the school are very good and teaching is good. • The provision for special educational needs is good. • Links with parents are very good, as are the procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ academic progress and their behaviour. • Assessment information is used well to guide curricular planning.

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What could be improved

There are no major weaknesses in this school and in all cases the more minor issues identified in the report are already being addressed through the School Development Plan and the comprehensive performance management systems in place in the school. The minor issues for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in November 1996. Since then, school improvement has been good. All key issues from the last inspection have been addressed well. Excellent performance management systems have led to improved standards and better quality teaching. They include very effective support for weaker teachers and therefore minimise the effect of the unsatisfactory teaching that occurs in a small number of lessons. Good assessment procedures ensure that pupils’ personal and academic progress is monitored well and very effective action is taken to support pupils and address any weaknesses found. Teachers use assessment information well to guide their planning. Standards in English have been maintained in the face of changes in each cohort, while standards in mathematics have risen. The provision for and management of information and communication technology is now very good and as a result standards have risen in this subject also. There has been sound

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

improvement in religious education, and good improvement in physical education and music since the last inspection. The role of the curriculum co-ordinator has been greatly enhanced and all staff understand the part they have to play in raising standards. The governing body is fully and effectively involved in all areas of school life. The very effective teamwork thus generated is one of the major driving forces in the school. WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 8

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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

1997 1998 1999 1999 English B D C C well above average above average A B Mathematics C A B B average below average C D Science D D C D well below average E

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Key

There have been some fluctuations in standards from year to year. The 1999 results were achieved with a cohort of pupils that had a higher than average percentage of pupils on the special educational needs register (23 per cent) and a higher than average percentage of pupils with statements of need (7 per cent). It therefore demonstrates the good added value that the school provides. At the age of 11, more pupils attain the higher levels in English and mathematics tests than do nationally. Since 1996, the trend in the results for 7 and 11-year- old pupils has been similar to the national trend. However, in 1999, the results for 7-year-olds fell below the national averages for reading and mathematics and well below for writing. When compared with similar schools, these results are well below average in all three areas. The teacher assessments for science indicate that pupils’ attainment is well below that found nationally and place the school in the bottom 5 per cent of similar schools.

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Key

The school has thoroughly analysed the results and because it keeps comprehensive records of pupils’ progress, it can again trace the changes to differences in attainment in each cohort. Fifty per cent of the 7-year- olds who took the tests in 1999 were on the register for special educational needs. This is more than twice the national average.

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Key

The school has taken effective action to raise standards in all age groups. It is working hard to meet the challenging targets it has set for both key stages, rigorously tracking pupils’ progress from the earliest age, and identifying and addressing any weaknesses found, year by year. For example, in response to the below average attainment in science when results are compared to similar schools, a target has also been set for science this year and progress and achievement in science is being closely monitored. The standards being attained by most

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7-year-old pupils in the current Year 2 classes are in line with the national expectations for reading, writing,

mathematics and science. In this age group pupils’ achievement is satisfactory in relation to their prior learning in all of these subjects. They achieve well and attain good standards in art and music. The standards being

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attained by 11-year-old pupils in the current Year 6 classes are in line with the national expectations for

English and science and above the national expectation for mathematics. In this age group, achievement in relation to pupils’ earlier learning is good in English, mathematics and science. In the 7 to 11 age group pupils attain good standards and achieve well in art, physical education and religious education.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good: children enjoy coming to school and work hard. Older pupils take pride in showing people around. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms The behaviour of the vast majority of pupils is good. Attitudes to learning are mostly good but there are a few instances where small number of disruptive pupils impede the learning of others as well as their own. Personal development and relationships Good: pupils form good relationships with adults and with fellow pupils and involve themselves fully in school life. They support pupils with special educational needs well and are respectful of them and the difficulties they face. Attendance Good. Attendance is above the national average and punctuality is also good. They contribute positively towards pupils’ achievements and progress. WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 9

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

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

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

The quality of teaching is good. It is at least satisfactory in 96 per cent of lessons and at least good in 65 per cent of lessons. Teaching is good in English, mathematics, science, art, information and communication technology, physical education and religious education. The 4 per cent unsatisfactory teaching represents three lessons. In two of these the pupils’ disruptive behaviour was not well managed and in the third the content of the lesson was not at the right level for the pupils. The management of pupils is at least good in the vast majority of lessons and leads to pupils wanting to learn and responding well to the challenges set through effective planning, questioning and use of assessment information. Literacy and numeracy skills are given good attention in all subjects. Most teaching is well planned and organised and enables pupils of all levels of ability to make good progress and achieve well in relation to their prior learning.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The quality and range of learning opportunities are good and all statutory requirements are met. Planning for religious education takes appropriate account of the locally agreed syllabus and provision for children under the age of five is good. Community links are satisfactory and links with partner institutions are good. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good: the good provision enables pupils to make good progress towards the targets set in their individual education plans because of the well-structured support they receive. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision for personal development and for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is also good. This provision permeates the whole of school life and reflects the school’s aims well.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good: the school cares for its pupils well and provides good support for them. Procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ academic progress are very good and are used well to guide planning. Procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are also very good.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s partnership with parents is very good and has a very good impact on pupils’ learning. Parents are warmly welcomed into the school and positively encouraged to be involved in their children’s learning. They are kept well informed about their children’s progress.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good: the headteacher provides very effective leadership and is very well supported by a highly committed senior management team and all other staff. Working within the excellent performance management procedures, the school’s leadership makes a very effective contribution to raising pupils’ attainment. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very effectively: governors are fully involved in the life of the school. They are very aware of its strengths and weaknesses and support the headteacher very well in taking the school forward. They hold school to account well for the quality of education provided. The school’s evaluation of its performance Excellent: all results are analysed; the quality of teaching and learning are monitored; challenging targets are set for improvement in both teaching and WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 10

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Aspect Comment

learning; effective action is taken to achieve them. The strategic use of resources Very good: governors are fully involved in the strategic planning, management and use of resources. Pupils’ learning benefits from wisely targeted spending. Staffing is adequate and very well deployed. The accommodation is adequate, resources are satisfactory and both are used well to promote learning. The governing body is keenly aware of the principles of best value and ensures that the school applies them well when prioritising its spending decisions and the effect of spending on its standards and achievements.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The school is well led. • They are well informed about their children’s progress. • They feel comfortable to approach the school. • Behaviour is good. • Parents are very supportive of the school’s aims and ethos. • The range of activities provided outside of the normal school day. • A more consistent approach to sending out curricular information.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors found that the parents’ positive views are fully justified. They also found that there is a satisfactory programme of regular activities that occur outside of the normal school day. These include sporting activities and art and computer clubs. At the present time, they do not include musical activities, although a choir is formed when the school puts on a production. The development of musical activities is, however, part of the action plan for music as the new co-ordinator becomes established in the role. With regard to curricular information, inspectors found that some staff send out information about the topics to be covered in the next half term. However, this does appear to be at the discretion of the member of staff rather than a whole school policy and therefore the parents’ criticism is justified. WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 11

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The school’s results and achievements

1. When compared with all schools, eleven-year-old pupils attained average standards in English and science and above average standards in mathematics in the 1999 National Curriculum tests. In English and mathematics, the percentage of pupils achieving the higher levels was above average; in science, it was close to the national average. The 1999 results were achieved with a cohort of pupils that had a higher than average percentage of pupils on the special educational needs register (over 23 per cent) and a higher than average percentage of pupils with statements of need (7 per cent). The results demonstrate the good added value that the school provides. When compared to similar schools, English results are average, mathematics results are above average and science results are below average. Since 1996, the trend in results at the end of Key Stage 2 has been similar to the national trend. There have been some fluctuations in standards over time

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The school’s results and achievements

but the school has analysed its results well. Documentation shows clearly how changes in the school’s intake and different percentages of pupils with special educational needs have affected results.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. The results of the 1999 National Curriculum tests for seven-year-olds are below the average for all schools in reading and mathematics and well below average in writing. When compared with similar schools, all three results are well below average. Until this drop in 1999, the school’s test results had been close to the national average. In science, teacher assessments indicate that attainment is well below the average for all schools and is in the bottom 5 per cent when compared with similar schools. The school has analysed these results also and has documented the changes in the cohort caused by pupils entering the school after the start of Key Stage 1, mostly with below average attainment for their age, and achieving lower results at the age of 7. Fifty per cent of the 7-year-olds who took the tests in 1999 were on the register for special educational needs. This is more than twice the national average.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. Most children who start school in the reception class do so with levels of attainment broadly in line with what is expected for their age. The majority of those who remain in the school to the end of their reception year meet the nationally expected goals for five year olds in all six areas of learning. Attainment on entry fluctuates from year to year because of the Local Authority housing policy and the movement of families in and out of the area for social reasons. This causes significant disruption to pupils’ learning at this crucial stage and means that the pupils are unable to benefit from the good provision the school makes for the 4 to 7-year-olds who remain with it through all three years. The backgrounds and movement of individual children are well analysed and documented and the school does all it can for the pupils during the period that they attend the school. A range of tests and assessments is used to track pupils’ progress from the

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The school’s results and achievements

earliest possible age, including those who arrive after the normal starting date, so that the school can identify where there are gaps in learning and what should be done to address them. This has led to the setting of some challenging targets in both key stages, at class, group and individual levels because of the accurately perceived need to address these issues as early as possible in a pupil’s school life. Pupils’ learning benefits from these actions.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. The standards being attained by most 7-year-old pupils in the current Year 2 classes are in line with the national expectations for reading, writing and mathematics. In English, mathematics and science, achievement is sound. In this age group the majority of pupils attain good standards and achieve well in art and music. Standards are average in geography, history, information and communication technology and religious education. There was insufficient evidence to make a secure judgement on standards or achievement in design and technology or physical education in this age group.

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The school’s results and achievements

5. The standards being attained by 11-year-old pupils in the current Year 6 classes are in line with the national expectations for English and science and above the national expectation for mathematics. In this age group, achievement in relation to pupils’ earlier learning is good in all three subjects. Pupils in this age group also attain good standards and achieve well in art, physical education and religious education. Standards are sound in geography, history and information and communication technology. There was insufficient evidence of design and technology to make a secure judgement about standards or achievement. WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 12 There was also insufficient evidence of standards in music at the age of 11, but pupils achieve well in all aspects of music in Years 3 and 4, because they are taught well. 6. Pupils use their literacy skills satisfactorily in most subjects. Speaking and listening skills are developed well

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The school’s results and achievements

in religious education, for example, as younger pupils discuss what powers they have and how they can use them to help others, and older pupils discuss the issue of forgiveness. Using appropriate subject specific vocabulary, all pupils undertake investigative report writing in science, use their information retrieval skills well in geography and history, write creatively in response to music and confidently discuss and evaluate their work in art and music. Writing skills are not used as well as they might be in religious education or art. In art, for example, opportunities are missed for pupils to write in response to art or to label designs in preparation for their practical work.

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The school’s results and achievements

7. Basic skills of numeracy are taught well throughout the school and pupils apply these productively in other subjects. For example, knowledge of scale and measurement is applied effectively in geography as pupils in Year 6 measure the distances of various journeys to India. In Year 5, pupils use statistical information and graphical representation when investigating weather patterns. Number work is used effectively to take temperature readings in science. In addition, the sequencing of patterns and counting on in response to rhythm and duration in music and dance, and exploration of space, shape and pattern in art further enhance and consolidate mathematical skills.

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The school’s results and achievements

8. The challenging targets that the school sets are firmly based on all of the available evidence gleaned from a wide range of tests and the thorough assessment of pupils’ work. The school has taken determined action to reach its targets and in 1999, despite the percentage of pupils with special educational needs, exceeded its English target by 3 per cent and its mathematics target by 11 per cent. Target setting has been extended to Key Stage 1 this year to address the low attainment evident in Year 2, where over 40 per cent of pupils are on the register for special educational needs. In response to the below average attainment in science when results are compared to similar schools, a target has also been set for science this year and progress and achievement in science is being closely monitored.

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The school’s results and achievements

9. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in relation to their prior attainment and the targets set in their individual education plans. The school’s success in targeting pupils for support can be seen in the test and assessment results and the standards attained by eleven-year-old pupils. Successful targeting combined with the good use of assessment information ensure that pupils of all levels of prior attainment have appropriate learning demands made of them. The outcome is that at the age of 11, more pupils attain the higher levels in English and mathematics tests than do nationally and the percentage of pupils achieving the higher levels in science is close to the national average.

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The school’s results and achievements

10. There are no significant differences between the attainment of boys and girls, and the school is keeping a close watch on the achievement and progress of pupils in the current Year 6, where there is a far greater number of boys (31) than girls (19).

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. The good attitudes and behaviour found at the time of the previous inspection have been maintained. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They form good relationships with adults and fellow pupils and involve themselves fully in school life. Young children happily leave their parents and carers and settle quickly into the daily routine. The behaviour of the majority of pupils is good and reinforced by the high expectations of teachers. They move around the school sensibly and concentrate and work hard in lessons. They play fairly in the playground where there are no incidents of bullying. Many display good attitudes to learning, listen well to the teacher and try hard to improve their work. However, a small number of pupils do not always adhere to these high standards and engage in some disruptive behaviour which affects the learning of others as well as their own. One girl was excluded from school for a fixed period in the past year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Pupils are courteous and polite to adults and to each other, holding doors open and finding chairs for visitors. They respect each other’s opinions, listening well in discussions and readily praising the good work of fellow pupils. They care for each other and are quick to offer help. For example, in assembly a pupil noticed that a physically disabled pupil did not have a hymn book and moved closer in order to share her WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 13 own. When a pupil fell during a physical education lesson, members of his group quickly gathered round to help and ensure that he was not badly hurt.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Co-operative work is good. When working in pairs and groups, pupils share equipment and take turns. Good examples of this were seen to enhance composition and performance skills in several music sessions. Pupils plan well together, listening to and respecting each other’s contributions. When working independently they take responsibility for their own learning. Independence is developed from an early age where the children are expected to find the resources and equipment needed for the task. As they grow older pupils willingly take on more responsibilities. Older pupils look after infants at playtime and lunchtime and also read with the younger children. Older pupils take pride in showing visitors around the school and all pupils develop personally through, for example, contributing to charities, distributing goods from the harvest festival and running stalls at the Christmas Fair.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils with special educational needs respond well in class and very well to the additional support that they receive. They are keen to learn, try hard with their work and concentrate well on the tasks provided. Their behaviour is good and the great majority work co-operatively. Teachers work hard to develop the social skills of the few that find this difficult.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Pupils’ good attitudes and behaviour enable them to work in an atmosphere free from oppressive behaviour and this in turn enables them to achieve well and make good progress.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Attendance throughout the school is good and is above the national average. Punctuality, both at the start of the day and in the majority of lessons, is good and contributes positively to the pupils’ achievement and progress. All unexplained absences are followed up but the level of unauthorised absence is slightly above the national average.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. The quality of teaching is good in all age groups. It has improved since the previous inspection and is having a major impact on standards and achievement. It is excellent in 4 per cent of lessons, very good in 25 per cent, good in 37 per cent and satisfactory in 30 per cent. There is a small amount of unsatisfactory that occurs in 4 per cent of lessons.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. The teaching of English, mathematics, science, information and communication technology, religious education and physical education is good. Insufficient teaching was seen in art, design and technology, geography, history or music to make secure overall judgements on teaching in these subjects. The teaching in the lessons seen, however, was always at least satisfactory and sometimes, as in art and music, very good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. The teaching of pupils under five is good in all areas of learning and very good in information technology. All staff have a good understanding of how young children learn. They plan structured, interesting and relevant activities that motivate the children and enable them to learn well. The classroom assistant gives very good support and all staff have good strategies for managing children’s behaviour. Their expectations are high and the children respond well. This creates a good working atmosphere in which interested children sustain concentration and achieve well. Teachers assess the children’s work well, keep records and use the information to plan further relevant work that helps them to overcome difficulties and further extend their knowledge, skills and understanding.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Most teachers in Key Stages 1 and 2 are confident and enthusiastic. In the best lessons, strong subject expertise informs detailed planning and an enthusiastic and stimulating approach is adopted that greatly motivates the pupils. For example, in a Year 2 art lesson, pupils were spellbound and through very effective questioning, the teacher led them through the similarities and differences in the way different artists have painted people. He used two original works of art and brought pupils to a greater understanding of artistic style and technique, successfully motivating them to try to apply these in their own work.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. In the great majority of lessons, teachers manage their classes and resources very well and value pupils’ efforts. They plan demanding tasks that require pupils to use significant physical, intellectual and creative effort in their work. Most teachers also promote self-evaluation and independent learning well, insisting on WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 14 high quality work, good behaviour and a good pace of working. This elicits very good responses from pupils who are then able to discuss and evaluate their own and each other’s work with their teachers and with other pupils in an atmosphere of mutual trust. This helps pupils to understand their strengths and weaknesses, encourages them to take greater responsibility for their own learning and also teaches them to think and learn for themselves. This is evidence of good improvement in teaching since the previous inspection, when independent learning was not being sufficiently promoted. Good examples of this were seen in drama

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

lessons with pupils in Years 5 and 6 and in a music lesson with Year 3 pupils in which the co-ordinator worked alongside the class teacher in a composition lesson.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. What pupils are expected to learn is made clear to them at the beginning of each lesson and carefully reviewed at the end. New learning is clearly linked to earlier and, sometimes, to later learning within the week so that pupils know what is expected of them and have the opportunity to show initiative and find out more to push their learning on apace. Pupils respond to the good teaching with energy and commitment and most try hard to do their best. Teachers mark pupils’ work well, gather and record assessment information and use it to set individual and group targets that are shared with pupils and referred to when their work is marked.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. In all lessons, teachers ensure that they give good emphasis to teaching the basic skills of literacy and numeracy. They can often be heard reminding pupils about standards and the quality of their writing and insist that they use the appropriate subject specific vocabulary when discussing issues in class. Good speaking and listening skills are actively promoted in all lessons and in assemblies. Research and information retrieval skills and independent learning skills are promoted well in subjects such as history, geography and art. Teachers also promote and consolidate numeracy skills by encouraging pupils to make the connections between, for example, counting on and counting beats in music or using co-ordinates in geography.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. The unsatisfactory teaching occurred in three lessons in two of the lower junior classes. In two of these lessons the unsatisfactory management of the disruptive behaviour of a small number of pupils meant that the lesson was disrupted for the whole class and as a result they learned little. In the third lesson what the teacher was trying to teach was pitched at the wrong level for the pupils and they became confused and unmotivated.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good and good use is made of all support staff to guide pupils’ learning. The teachers know the individual needs of the pupils well and with the support of the special educational needs co-ordinator plan effectively to meet their needs. Tasks are broken down into small steps and individual education plans are carefully structured to build on from what the pupils can already do. During class discussions pupils are asked specific questions matched to their abilities thus enabling them to take an active part in the lesson, understand what they are being taught and make good and often very good progress. Teachers keep the pupils on task by regularly checking their work, offering praise and encouragement and keeping them interested with further challenges. All staff guide the children in their work by giving clear explanations, asking and answering questions and supporting them in recording

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

their findings. Pupils also support each other. In a mathematics lesson, for example, more able pupils supported the pupils with special educational needs during a question and answer session giving them the understanding and confidence to participate fully. Similar good strategies are employed for lower attaining pupils. For more able pupils, suitably harder work is carefully planned into most lessons to extend their learning and teachers alter their questioning to meet the level of challenge these pupils need in order to make the best progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. All teachers set homework regularly in line with the school’s policy. The homework serves to consolidate pupils’ learning and to prepare them for new learning by encouraging them to undertake some research tasks at home. The vast majority of parents are satisfied with the amount and type of homework that pupils are given. Amongst those who were not, parents were split as to whether there was too much or too little. Inspection findings are that the amount and type of homework are satisfactory.

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PUPILS?

WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 15 27. The curriculum for children under the age of five is satisfactory and they are presented with an appropriate range of good quality learning experiences. The curriculum covers all six areas of learning and experiences expected for this age group. A suitable emphasis is placed on literacy and numeracy and also on the children's personal and social education. Children’s learning is continuous and they move naturally on to the National Curriculum programmes of study as and when they are ready. This is an improvement since the previous inspection when the curriculum was based on the National Curriculum and did not take full account of the children’s learning needs.

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PUPILS?

28. The curriculum for Key Stages 1 and 2 is good. It is broad and balanced and meets the statutory requirements to teach all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. Satisfactory implementation of the National Literacy Strategy is helping to raise standards and achievement in English. The National Numeracy Strategy has been applied and adjusted to complement the very good and successful scheme of work the school already has in place. There has been an improvement in science since the previous inspection and the scheme of work now places good emphasis on practical activities. The new computer suite has contributed to the significant improvement of the school's information and communication technology curriculum. Other subjects are given appropriate emphasis. However, within this, there is no clear system in place whereby the school can check that all pupils, particularly those in mixed age

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PUPILS?

classes, cover all units in history and physical education by the time they leave the school. In addition, although the design and technology curriculum has been improved since the previous inspection, there is still not enough attention given in it to the teaching of specific design skills. Good links are made with literacy wherever possible, ensuring that due attention is given to reading, writing, speaking and listening. For example, history and geography texts are used in shared reading sessions to promote pupils' knowledge in these subjects, and are also used to develop different styles of writing for different purposes. Good provision is made for pupils' personal, social and health education. The school teaches sex education through the science curriculum during Years 5 and 6 when the school nurse contributes to discussions on 'personal hygiene' and 'growing up'. There is no specific school policy regarding the misuse of drugs but the

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PUPILS?

'Life Bus' visits annually. A very good pastoral policy covers all aspects of pupil welfare and reflects the school's aims and values.

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PUPILS?

29. All pupils have full and equal access to the curriculum. This includes pupils with special educational needs, some of whom have particular physical disabilities. For example, a pupil with physical difficulties takes part in physical education lessons, supported by his classroom assistant. Most of the good support for pupils with special educational needs is provided within the classroom. However, they are sometimes withdrawn for specific learning in literacy or numeracy to enable their better access to the curriculum. When this happens, care is taken to ensure that they do not regularly miss the same subject. Good curricular planning and effective monitoring ensure that the individual targets of special needs pupils are met through appropriate teaching methods and learning tasks and the good use of resources and classroom assistants.

p.15

PUPILS?

30. There is a satisfactory programme of extra-curricular activities, including competitive team games, that enriches the curriculum. These include football, netball and cross country running. A choir is formed when the school puts on a production and as this is very popular, it involves a large number of pupils. There is also a lunch time computer club and an art club. The school also gives pupils opportunity to take part in a variety of educational visits that provide further significant learning experiences for them. These have included visits within the locality and further afield to Ribchester. Pupils also have the opportunity of residential visits to Llandudno as part of a history topic. The school has sound links with the community and good links with the local high schools and other primary schools.

p.15

PUPILS?

31. The provision for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. The provision for spiritual development has improved since the previous inspection and now permeates the life of the school. Through religious education and assemblies, pupils are given good opportunities for reflection. Older pupils in Key Stage 2 are beginning to consider their own values and beliefs and through the study of major world religions learn to respect the views of others. In a Year 2 art lesson there was a tangible feeling of awe and wonder as pupils considered the work of a local artist, identifying the feelings and atmosphere portrayed. This was also seen in a Year 6 class when pupils were encouraged to empathise with an illustration in a book during shared reading. The teachers are keen to promote the pupils' feeling of self worth and work is always displayed carefully showing the value that is placed on it. The staff establish good relationships with pupils

p.15

PUPILS?

who are secure in their knowledge that their ideas and opinions can be expressed and listened to with respect. WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 16 32. The provision for the pupils' moral and social development is good. This provision and the religious education programme is designed to help pupils establish moral values and distinguish right from wrong. A pastoral policy outlines the expectations of behaviour and strategies used to promote good attitudes. Time is given during assemblies and religious education lessons for pupils to consider their emotions and feelings and how their behaviour affects others. In an assembly led by the headteacher good visual aids demonstrated how outside influences can affect moods and how little actions of kindness can lighten somebody's day. The school involves parents by sending home notes so that they can inform the school of any action that their child has taken to help or brighten up someone’s life, and these are shared in

p.15

PUPILS?

assemblies. Staff act as very good role models for the pupils. When inappropriate behaviour occurs staff deal with it swiftly and effectively.

p.16

PUPILS?

33. Good social skills are developed from an early age. On entry to school, pupils are encouraged to take turns and share. As they progress through the school the majority listen politely to the teacher and other pupils and when given the opportunity, work well together. Good opportunities are provided for pupils to carry out duties connected to the smooth running of the school. The Year 6 pupils are very involved in caring for the reception children, making sure that they are safe at playtimes and by reading to them at lunchtimes. There are many opportunities provided for pupils to work collaboratively in, for example, science, physical education and music.

p.16

PUPILS?

34. The pupils’ cultural development is good. They study their own culture through many areas of the curriculum. For example, in history they look at the way the Victorians lived and how certain people like Isambard Brunel have influenced our lives today. They study their own locality in geography and compare and contrast this with other countries. The village of Chembakoli is used to illustrate the difference between cultures and Aborginal and ancient Egyptian art is compared to European art. Religious education lessons also give pupils insights into other cultures through the study of major world religions. Pupils are well prepared for the diversity of life that they will encounter.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. The school cares for its pupils well. Staff know the pupils well as individuals and show concern and care for their well being. There are good procedures for child protection. A member of staff is the designated person for the school and has received the appropriate training. All staff have been made aware of the Local Education Authority’s procedures for child protection through in-service training. Staff are aware of the Care & Restraint legislation but are awaiting further training. Health and safety procedures, including those for dealing with accidents and emergencies are good. They are well documented and known by all staff including the mid-day supervisors. Three members of staff are qualified first aiders and all staff have received basic first aid training. Mid-day supervision is good with staff receiving paid time for training. Although the playground is very difficult to supervise there is an adequate number of mid-day supervisors.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

They are vigilant, caring and interact well with pupils. Personal and social education is delivered mainly through science lessons but pupils are encouraged to adopt a safe and healthy life style through initiatives such as a road safety quiz and sponsored fitness events each year. Other topics covered are healthy eating, drug awareness and fire safety. A good range of visitors supports pupils’ well being, health and safety ranging, for example, from ‘Welliphant’ to the community police.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. Procedures to promote good behaviour are very good. There is a published and well-known system of rewards and sanctions that pupils and parents are fully consulted about, understand and of which they feel they have ownership. The school records incidences of unacceptable behaviour and is ever vigilant to prevent bullying, harassment or any form of oppressive behaviour. There is great emphasis on pupils taking responsibility for their own actions both in lessons and in their conduct around the school.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. Procedures to monitor and promote attendance and punctuality are good. The school, in conjunction with the Education Welfare Officer, is working with the minority of parents who do not give a high priority to ensuring their child attends regularly and on time. Procedures to monitor and support pupils’ personal development are good. It is clear from pupils’ annual reports that staff know individuals well, and that the system of individual and group target setting is well known and understood by the majority of pupils. WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 17 38. The need to improve arrangements for assessment and the more effective use of assessment information was a key issue in the last inspection report. Very good improvement has taken place. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are now good, whilst procedures for checking and supporting pupils, in order to raise achievement, are very good. The information gained is used well to guide and inform curricular

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

planning. Assessment is integral to the school’s work and pupils’ progress is tracked and recorded very effectively. In addition to the National Curriculum tests, a rigorous analysis takes place of all other test and assessment data, and based upon this information, a clear cycle of target setting has been established. Learning goals for all pupils, based on prior attainment, are set twice annually. Through the process of regular checks and update of targets, the school is able to intervene to provide immediate support if problems are identified. Consequently, and as a result of last year’s national tests, target setting has been extended to include pupils in Key Stage 1. Very good support is also provided for older pupils who appear unlikely to achieve the expected national levels and the school ensures that parents of all pupils are fully informed about the progress their child is making towards identified targets.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Assessment and its use are fully integrated into planning at whole school and classroom levels, and teaching strategies are adapted to address any weakness identified in pupils’ learning and progress. Samples of pupils’ work in English, mathematics and science are collated into subject portfolios that provide a valuable benchmark for teachers when assessing pupils’ work. In art and music, similar good practice is developing in the collation of work from pupils in Years 1, 3 and 5. It is giving a good picture of progress and achievement in these two subjects. Annual reports to parents meet statutory requirements by reporting on progress and giving targets for improvement. These very effective assessment procedures have contributed greatly to better and more clearly focused educational provision.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. There are good procedures in place for identifying children with special educational needs and placing them on the register. Their progress is reviewed regularly and new targets set as appropriate. Statutory requirements are met in respect of annual reviews for all pupils with statements of special educational need. The success of the strong support these pupils receive is evident from the results of the National Curriculum tests.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41. The school has a very strong partnership with its parents. The impact of parents’ involvement on the work of the school is very good, and has significantly improved since the last inspection. The vast majority of parents have a very positive view of the school. In most aspects parents are supportive of all that the school does and achieves. They are particularly positive about the leadership of the school, the good quality of teaching, good pupil behaviour, the high expectations the school has of their children, the progress their children make and the way in which the school encourages parents to be come involved in school life. They are less positive about the amount of homework pupils receive and the school’s provision for extra-curricular activities. Parents regularly help out in classes and in and around the school. Their contribution is highly valued by staff. Parents are very effective fund raisers and very supportive of special events such as

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

concerts and assemblies. Virtually every parent signed and returned the home/school agreement. There is very good support at parents/teacher discussions, open days and the governors’ annual meeting. There is less support for the curriculum workshop evenings put on by the school. For example, approximately thirty parents attended the one for literacy but the evening for numeracy had to be cancelled due to lack of support.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. Information to parents is good. The letters and newsletters are timely, friendly in tone and informative. The school also communicates with parents through a notice board and a website where information about the school and for parents is regularly updated. The school publishes interim as well as annual reports. It involves parents in pupils’ target setting and consults them about many aspects of school policy. For example, parents were consulted about the behaviour and discipline procedures. The governing body also takes responsibility for communicating with parents by encouraging as many parents as possible to become involved in the life of the school and in their child’s learning. Although some staff send out information about the topics to be covered over the forthcoming half term, this appears to be at the discretion of the member of staff rather than a whole school policy. Some parents have expressed the wish to receive regular

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

information about the curriculum as a matter of course rather than it be left to the individual member of staff. WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 18 43. The parents of pupils with special educational needs are involved early when any learning difficulties become evident. They are fully involved in target setting and in the regular reviews of targets, individual education plans and, where relevant, statements. The school encourages parents to be as much involved as possible in helping their children progress towards their targets and to achieve well.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. Most parents support the work that children take home. They listen to their children read and put comments in their reading diaries. They also help with the learning of tables and spellings and make space and resources available to help them undertake any projects. However, the school is aware that there is a minority of pupils who do not get this valuable support at home and it provides extra support for them through the homework club available to those pupils who want or need this facility.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. The leadership and the management of the school are very good. The headteacher provides a very clear educational direction and sense of purpose. Based on a collaborative and supportive style of management, he works very effectively with governors and all staff. The very good team work that results from this is driving the school forward. The hard-working governing body is extremely well informed and fulfils its responsibilities very effectively. Through an appropriate structure of committees, the governing body ensures the efficient management of the school. The school’s senior management team and key stage leaders have clearly defined roles and responsibilities, which are very effectively focused on school improvement and the raising of standards.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. Working through the school’s extremely good procedures for internal review, priorities are identified and strategic planning informed. The school’s strategic plan is a comprehensive document, which is costed appropriately and contains clear criteria against which the school can measure its success in achieving its targets. There are very clear and appropriate targets for action, which address the raising of standards in literacy overall and attainment in writing in particular. It also identifies the school’s strategies for monitoring teaching and supporting weaker teachers.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The management of special educational needs is good. The co-ordinator provides good support for all staff and oversees very effectively, pupils’ individual educational plans and their progress towards their targets. All teachers are suitably involved in drawing up individual education plans to fully meet pupils’ needs. The co-ordinator liaises effectively with staff from external support agencies, teachers and support staff to ensure that all the children’s needs are met. There are good procedures in place for identifying children with special educational needs and placing them on the register. Documentation is good and the recommendations of the Code of Practice are fully implemented.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. Procedures for monitoring teaching and curriculum development, which are based on the school’s performance management system, and involve all staff and governors, are excellent. The monitoring of all teaching is well documented and where necessary, the headteacher or relevant curriculum co-ordinator provides effective support in order to bring about improvement. These strategies were observed during the inspection in a Year 3 music lesson where the co-ordinator was giving very good support to the Year 3 teacher, who is less confident about teaching music. In addition, teachers set up mutual support groups and share ideas and strategies when they are experiencing difficulties in class. This very effective teamwork reflects the mutual trust and collaborative working amongst the staff and supports pupils’ learning well.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The governing body fulfils its statutory obligations in all aspects of school life. Governors are very clear about their role, and are now very involved in the target setting process. They question how targets are to be achieved, check the actions taken and the progress made towards them. The direct involvement of the chair of governors in evaluating the effectiveness of leadership and management exemplifies the school’s commitment to whole school monitoring and evaluation. Governors for literacy, numeracy and special educational needs are active in supporting developments in their areas. The implementation of the school’s aims, values and policies is very good. The school’s commitment to ensuring that pupils feel valued and develop a positive self-image underpins its life and contributes to standards and achievement. Relationships WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 19 are good at all levels throughout the school. All pupils have equal access to the full range of opportunities

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

provided and their achievements are recognised and celebrated.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The role of the curriculum co-ordinator has developed well and co-ordinators have a much greater impact on teaching and learning than at the time of the previous inspection. Identified co-ordinators, for example for music, work alongside colleagues in order to develop expertise and the co-ordinators for information technology and mathematics have had a very significant impact on the raising of standards in their two subjects. The last inspection report highlighted the under-development of some aspects of information technology, design technology, physical education and music. Since then, support has been well targeted. Improvements in design technology have been satisfactory; in music and physical education improvement has been good and in information technology, very good.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The headteacher and the finance committee of the governing body manage the school’s budget in an exemplary way. The school has established very good systems to make sure that the finances are very carefully controlled. The system of long-term budgetary planning, which relates projected income to areas of spending is very good. Strategies for evaluating the impact of financial decisions on the standards that the school achieves are in place and this allows cost effectiveness to be very effectively measured. The governing body is keenly aware of the principles of best value and ensures that the school applies these well when prioritising spending decisions and their likely effect on standards and achievement.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The school makes very good use of all its available resources to promote learning. There is a good blend of experience and range of qualifications and very effective teamwork amongst teachers and non-teaching support staff that ensures all subjects and aspects of the National Curriculum are fully covered. Mid-day assistants, caretaking and cleaning staff are all well deployed and they make a good contribution to the smooth running of the school and to the high standard of cleanliness observed. The good deployment of classroom assistants ensures that they are well targeted on supporting pupils’ learning during literacy and numeracy lessons. This is having a positive effect on the standards achieved by all pupils, including those with special educational needs. The accommodation generally provides a satisfactory environment for learning. Teachers work hard to improve the aesthetic quality of classrooms and corridors by good quality

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

displays of pupils’ work, especially in literacy, numeracy and art. All areas of the curriculum have at least adequate resources that are well deployed, accessible and regularly reviewed by co-ordinators. The library is used effectively to promote pupils’ reading and research skills.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. There are good induction procedures to support newly qualified teachers and experienced teachers new to the school. The appraisal procedures are very good with a clear focus that is linked to staff development and identified school priorities. The arrangements for the professional development of staff are very good. All staff has access to a wide range of professional development opportunities. The headteacher has taken measures to identify and meet individual teacher’s needs in respect of continued professional development. He has also taken steps to identify the training needs for the school as a whole. This is exemplified in the way the school has focused training to prepare teachers to teach effectively, the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and information and communication technology.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. Day to day administration is very good and the systems of financial control are of a high quality. The school’s financial clerk very effectively oversees these systems and supports the running of the school and the work of the teachers in a very efficient way. The recommendations of the last auditor’s report have been successfully met.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. There has been considerable improvement in the leadership and management of the school since the last inspection. All key issues identified at that time have been addressed well. Very competent monitoring of all areas of the school’s work is now in place and prompt and effective action is taken to address any perceived weaknesses in management, planning, teaching and learning in the drive to raise standards further. The systems now in place indicate that the school has good capacity for further improvement. WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 20

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

56. There are no major weaknesses in this school. The governors should, however, consider and address the following minor issues:

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• the management of the small nucleus of disruptive pupils in Year 3 ( paragraphs 24, 125, 131 ); • increased provision in the curriculum for design and technology to teach design skills (paragraph 28, 104) ; • checking that all pupils cover all units in history and physical education by the time they leave the school (paragraphs 28, 115, 127) ; • improving the skills of writing evaluative conclusions to scientific investigations (paragraph 93) ;

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The above issues are already included in the School Development Plan, having been identified through the comprehensive performance management systems in place in the school. WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 21

p.20

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 39

p.21

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.21

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 0 312

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 0 50

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 6

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 79

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 18

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 14

p.21

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5

p.21

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 22

p.21

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 22 17 39

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 14 13 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 15 15 15

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 74 (92) 72 (90) 82 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83 (81) 87 (84)

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 12 16 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 15 15 14

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 69 (86) 79 (96) 67 (82) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 87 (86)

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 20 23 43

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 16 17 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 16 19 16

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 74 (58) 84 (75) 74 (67) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 14 16 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 16 20 15

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 70 (63) 84 (65) 67 (58) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (63) 69 (65) 75 (72)

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 23

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups

p.23

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.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 11.1 Financial year 1998/99

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 28.11

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 466,519

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Expenditure per pupil 1505

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 81 Balance brought forward from previous year 6105

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) N/A

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher N/A

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff N/A

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week N/A

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

FTE means full-time equivalent. WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 24

p.23

Questionnaire return rate

Number of questionnaires returned 112 Percentage return rate: 35.9%

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 54 41 4 0 1

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 52 44 4 0 0

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 41 44 10 4 1

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 38 52 7 3 0

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 68 27 4 1 1

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 73 25 2 0 0

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 49 42 7 1 1

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 58 35 2 1 4

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 58 34 6 0 2

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 21 34 21 4 9 WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 25

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

57. Children are admitted to the school at the start of the school year in which they are five. There are 39 reception children. The 7 oldest are being taught in a mixed reception/year one class and having reached the age of 5 are now following the National Curriculum programme of study. The other 32 children are taught in the reception class. Of these, 27 are still under five. In this class, children follow the early learning goals curriculum and are moved onto the National Curriculum programmes of study as they are ready to do so. The attainment of most children on entry to the school is broadly average in all areas of learning. The broad range of ability evident in the under-fives age group indicates that the majority of children are likely to achieve the early learning goals in all six areas of learning by the age of five. However, very few will have exceeded them and a significant minority of lower attaining children will not have achieved them.

p.25

Personal and Social Development

58. Personal and social development is given a high priority in the reception classes and is taught well. Children form good relationships with the staff and are confident in approaching them to tell them something of personal interest or to ask for help. They respond to the high standards expected by the teachers and are polite and well behaved. They move sensibly around the classroom and the school, being careful not to bump into others and holding doors open for each other. They work well in pairs and groups, sharing equipment and waiting their turn when playing a game. The children become aware of what is right and wrong through teachers continually praising good behaviour and reinforcing why it is good. They are motivated to learn by the interesting variety of activities offered and show high levels of concentration when drawing, writing, cutting and pasting. In the literacy and numeracy lessons all the children sit still and listen

p.25

Personal and Social Development

well. They value each other’s contributions and are eager to answer questions and join in the practical activities. From the minute they start in reception the children are encouraged to be independent. They dress themselves, choose their own resources and activities and tidy up at the end of the session. Most of the children will have achieved the nationally expected learning goals by the end of the reception year.

p.25

Language and Literacy

59. On entry to the reception class most children have the appropriate vocabulary and language skills with which to express themselves. Staff develop these skills well by using an increasingly difficult vocabulary when speaking to children and encouraging them to use this vocabulary in their own speech. They constantly ask children questions about what they are doing and have discovered, encouraging them to be more articulate in their replies. Lower attaining children are helped to express ideas by the teacher repeating in a sentence what they have said. This modelling of good speaking skills enables children continually to develop their linguistic abilities.

p.25

Language and Literacy

60. Children sit and listen to stories attentively. They enjoy re-telling the main events of the story and predicting what might happen next. The teacher models reading well by using large texts. She points to the words as she reads, encouraging the children to join in with the words that they recognise and teaching them how to use picture clues and phonics to work out unfamiliar words. Children are being taught the reason for capital letters and full stops. They were asked to clap when the teacher came to a full stop so that she would know when to pause in her reading. Such interesting activities keep the children motivated and keen to follow the text carefully. Phonics are taught well. The children are taught the letter names and sounds and all can recognise some letters of the alphabet. The higher attaining children know all of the letter names and sounds and use this knowledge competently in their reading and writing. They read simple texts fluently and

p.25

Language and Literacy

confidently, recognising the majority of words by sight and spelling out unknown words. The higher attaining children have a good sight vocabulary but have not yet developed strategies for reading unknown words. Lower attainers turn the pages correctly and point to the text as they tell the story from memory. All children enjoy reading books and try to use the skills taught by the teacher.

p.25

Language and Literacy

61. Children are encouraged to write captions and labels for their pictures. They make their own books re-telling favourite stories and write cards and letters to each other in the class post office. They are taught how to WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 26 hold a pencil correctly and given daily handwriting practice by the classroom assistant. The good teaching gives the children the confidence to write for themselves. Some children are merely making marks to represent writing but others are writing independently using their knowledge of phonics to spell familiar words correctly and to make plausible attempts at more complex words. For example, one child wrote ‘choclate’ for ‘chocolate’. Children take time and concentrate well when forming their letters. This results in high standards of handwriting.

p.25

Language and Literacy

62. The teaching of language and literacy is good. The teacher models speaking, reading and writing well and is giving the children the skills to develop independently. Most children will have attained the nationally expected goals by the end of the reception year and a few will have exceeded them in writing.

p.26

Mathematics

63. Most children enter reception with average abilities in mathematics. They can count and recognise some numbers to ten and can use mathematical language appropriately. Teaching is good. The carefully structured lessons allow the children to consolidate what they know and extend this knowledge. They enjoy the quick pace at the start of the lesson when they clap and count numbers up to 30. The teacher constantly challenges them by asking them to start at a different number each time. She assesses individual children by giving them specific counting tasks well matched to their abilities. The children are given lots of practice in counting objects and recognising numbers on the number line. During registration they are asked to identify how many more or less children are present than the day before. Through such practical activities as counting the number of teddy bears boarding a bus the children are developing an awareness of addition.

p.26

Mathematics

Tasks are well matched to the children’s abilities. In a dice game some children were working with dice using numbers 1-3 while others were using the full range of numbers. Interesting and imaginative mathematical games keep the children motivated and develop their skills and knowledge. The children rise to the high expectations of the teacher. However these expectations are not always realistic. The teacher modelled how to record addition and then asked the children to record their findings in the dice game. Only 5 out of the 30 children could do this. They understand the concept of addition through good practical activities but are not yet ready to write addition down. Children’s mathematical skills are developing well through challenging mental and practical activities. Most will have achieved the nationally expected goals by the time they are five and a small group of children will have exceeded them.

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Knowledge and Understanding of the World

64. The children are given many opportunities to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world. They visit the local woods and park in different seasons to identify changes in nature. Through looking at photographs of themselves as babies and discussing how they have changed they understand how living things grow. They are currently exploring the characteristics of living and non-living things through growing bulbs and seeds and discussing the nature of animals and humans. Many children have a good understanding of what living things do and need to keep them alive. Good questioning and clear explanations by the teacher and the chance to explore and investigate practically are extending the knowledge of all children. In history they learn about how times have changed by listening to the teacher describe her childhood and comparing their favourite toys and home routines with hers. They go on regular

p.26

Knowledge and Understanding of the World

walks to identify features in the local area. Visits and visitors are used well to enhance their experiences. When studying living things they have had the opportunity to observe a young baby and visit a pet shop.

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Knowledge and Understanding of the World

65. Children become confident and competent computer users in this age group. Very good demonstrations by the teacher give them a clear understanding of what to do. In pairs, they practise what they have been shown with very good support from the teacher and classroom assistant. They are confident when working on computers and able to use programmes correctly. Very good teaching is developing the children’s knowledge and understanding of the world most will have attained the expected goals by the end of the year.

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Physical Development

66. Physical education lessons in the hall enable children to become aware of space, of themselves and of others around them. They learn to control balls using hands, feet and bats and can catch and throw competently. They practise jumping, skipping and running and balancing on different parts of their body. Good WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 27 demonstrations from the teacher, praise and encouragement give the children confidence to practise their skills and try more difficult manoeuvres. In dance they respond well to the music and through watching and listening to the teacher they constantly try to improve their movements. Demonstrations by the children are used well to give them more ideas of how to improve. They move around the hall sensibly, keeping space between themselves and others. They are given less opportunity for developing their skills with large apparatus because of the lack of outdoor play space. There is a store of large equipment and these are

p.26

Physical Development

brought out when appropriate. The children gain satisfactory small manipulative skills. When making bookmarks they use paste brushes, scissors and hole punches with precision and many children manage to thread wool through small holes. Good teaching and high expectations mean that most children will have attained the expected goals in this area of learning by the time they are five.

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Creative Development

67. The teacher provides many opportunities for the children to develop their creative abilities. They experiment with the effects of paint and colour when painting and printing. They explore texture by taking rubbings, making imprints in clay and dough and making collages using a variety of materials. They use equipment carefully and sensibly and confidently talk about their work to the staff. Pictures on display show that they have painted and made collages using warm and cold colours. Very effective weavings have been created using warm coloured wool. Good questioning and demonstrations by the teacher are developing the children’s skills in music. They are able to identify high and low sounds and use their voices to speak and sing at different pitches. They sing with enthusiasm in assembly and hymn practice. In dance the children interpret the music well responding to the mood and speed. Throughout all areas of the curriculum the

p.27

Creative Development

children are encouraged to respond to what they see, hear, smell, touch and feel. Teaching in creative development is good and most children will have attained the expected goals by the age of five.

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Teaching

68. The quality of teaching is good overall and very good in information technology. The classroom assistant gives very good support. The staff have a good understanding of how young children learn and plan structured, interesting and relevant activities which motivate the children and enable them to achieve well and make good progress in their learning. Assessment information is used effectively to identify future learning needs enabling tasks to be matched carefully to the needs of the pupils. The teacher has good strategies for managing children’s learning and has high expectations of both achievement and behaviour. The children respond well to these and most try to work hard at all times.

p.27

Teaching

69. The last inspection found that the curriculum for the under-fives was based on the National Curriculum programmes of study and did not match the children’s stage of development and their need for practical experience and exploration. Some tasks were too difficult for the children. The teacher now follows the curriculum recommended for young children and this does match their stage of development and ensures that they have opportunities to learn through exploration and investigation. In only one lesson were the expectations too high when the children were asked to record their addition findings and found the task too difficult. The last inspection report also reported on inadequate resources for outdoor play and role-play. The school has purchased large apparatus for outdoor play and this is used appropriately. The lack of an outdoor play area means that it cannot be used all the year round. A role-play area, currently a post office, is

p.27

Teaching

established in the classroom and changed regularly. Provision has been considerably improved since the previous inspection.

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ENGLISH

70. The 1999 National Curriculum test results for eleven-year-olds show that pupils’ attainment is in line with the average for all schools and for similar schools. The percentage of pupils attaining the higher levels is above the national average. Since 1996 the school’s results have risen in line with the national trend. The school's success in targeting groups of pupils for support is reflected in the 1999 results. These were achieved with a cohort that contained a higher than average percentage of pupils with special educational needs (over 23 per cent) and more particularly, a high proportion of pupils with statements of special educational need (7 per cent) mostly related to language difficulties. The 1999 teacher assessments do not accurately reflect the number of pupils attaining the higher levels because of teacher error in the completion of the form sent to the WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 28

p.27

ENGLISH

Department for Education and Employment. Evidence from assessment and target setting at both group and individual levels indicates that teachers do assess pupils’ work accurately. The attainment of the majority of

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pupils in the current Year 6 class is in line with the nationally expected levels. They are achieving well in

relation to their prior attainment. 71. The 1999 national tests for seven-year-olds show that pupils' attainment in reading is below the national average and in writing it is well below the national average. When compared to similar schools, attainment in reading and writing are both well below average. From 1996 to 1998, the trend in the results for 7-year-olds was similar to the national trend but dropped in 1999. The school has thoroughly analysed the results and documentation shows that a well above average percentage of pupils (50 per cent) in the 1999 cohort had special educational needs. The attainment of pupils currently in Year 2 is in line with the national expectation and they are achieving appropriately in relation to their prior attainment. Pupils’ achievements in English are better in the 7 to 11 age range than in the 5 to 7 age range because the process of individual target setting and monitoring of progress is well established in the older age group. This process has now

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pupils in the current Year 6 class is in line with the nationally expected levels. They are achieving well in

been extended to the younger age group to address the weaknesses found through analysing the test results.

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pupils in the current Year 6 class is in line with the nationally expected levels. They are achieving well in

72. Pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 are attaining the nationally expected standards in speaking and listening. Five to 7-year-old pupils achieve appropriately and by the age of 7, they have developed good listening skills in whole class discussions and pay careful attention to their teacher when receiving instructions. They can talk about their work and matters of immediate interest using an appropriate range of vocabulary. The majority communicate their ideas and needs effectively to adults. By the age of eleven, most pupils express themselves articulately with confidence and clarity in a variety of formal and informal situations. This was demonstrated in a Year 6 religious education lesson when pupils were asked to depict forgiveness using a range of different scenarios, for example, a radio show, a play or a song. All were confident when performing in front of an audience.

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pupils in the current Year 6 class is in line with the nationally expected levels. They are achieving well in

73. Pupils attain the nationally expected levels in reading by the age of 7 and their achievement is satisfactory

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in relation to their prior attainment. Eleven-year olds attain good standards in reading. All pupils achieve

well in the 7 to 11 age range. Younger pupils share books with adults and talk confidently about the pictures and main story content. They can point to the title and know that print carries meaning. As they progress throughout the key stage, the higher attaining pupils use phonic cues successfully in sounding out unknown words. Two pupils explained this very well by describing how they break the words into 'sections'. They use a variety of texts and many know how to use the content and index pages. By the end of Key Stage 2 most pupils read a wide variety of texts including poetry, fiction and non-fiction work. The guided reading sessions during the literacy hour is having a good impact on the older pupils who are gaining an insight into how the author captures the reader's interest and the question 'how does the author paint a picture'? was heard more than once during the inspection week. A more able pupil in Year 6 described

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in relation to their prior attainment. Eleven-year olds attain good standards in reading. All pupils achieve

his love of reading by 'feeling you're a part of the story sometimes'. Pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of authors and can name the most well-known. The higher attaining pupils identify the genre of books associated with certain authors, for example, fantasy adventure and C S Lewis.

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in relation to their prior attainment. Eleven-year olds attain good standards in reading. All pupils achieve

74. Pupils attain satisfactory standards in writing at the ages of both 7 and 11 and achieve well in relation to their prior attainment. This is because the school has made this area of English a particular focus to address the weaknesses found through analysing the National Curriculum and other test results. Higher attaining pupils can write their names and familiar words well from an early age. The majority progress from making marks to beginning to write their names and simple words and sentences. By the age of seven, higher attaining pupils can structure sentences well. They use capital letters and full stops accurately. They write for a variety of purposes and good emphasis is given to writing descriptively. This was seen in a Year 2 lesson on writing a poem and higher attaining pupils managed to express themselves very well. Writing becomes more organised as pupils progress through Key Stage 2. They begin to choose words for interest

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in relation to their prior attainment. Eleven-year olds attain good standards in reading. All pupils achieve

and effect as in a Year 4 class when asked to extract information from the text to write a description of the Snow Queen. In a shared writing task higher attaining Year 6 pupils were able to edit the finished piece and choose more suitable words that expressed the feelings of an illustration in the book Delphine, the Dolphin's Daughter. They write book reviews and use the text to support their views. In persuasive writing, the higher attaining pupils are beginning to express their views sensibly. The school identified a need for more opportunities to develop pupils' abilities in extended writing and the workshops set up to remedy this are beginning to have a good impact on standards. WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 29 75. Pupils use their literacy skills satisfactorily in most subjects. Speaking and listening skills are developed well in religious education as, for example, younger pupils discuss what powers they have and how they can use

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in relation to their prior attainment. Eleven-year olds attain good standards in reading. All pupils achieve

them to help others and older pupils discuss the issue of forgiveness. Using appropriate subject specific vocabulary, all pupils undertake investigative report writing in science, use their information retrieval skills well in geography and history, write creatively in response to music and confidently discuss and evaluate their work in art and music. Writing skills are not used as well as they might be in religious education or art. In art, for example, opportunities are missed for pupils to write in response to art or to label designs in preparation for their practical work.

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in relation to their prior attainment. Eleven-year olds attain good standards in reading. All pupils achieve

76. In both key stages, pupils with special educational needs make good progress towards the targets set in their individual education plans. They are supported by work that is planned at an appropriate level and encouraged to succeed by adult and sometimes other pupils’ intervention. In a Year 6 class, for example, pupils readily helped a fellow pupil with special educational needs. This reflects the sensitivity that pupils in all age groups show to each other and also their good attitudes to work and good relationships, all of which help them to learn effectively. Pupils’ independent learning skills are fostered well in the literacy hour as they concentrate on their own work while the teacher works with the focus group. They respond well to challenging work and try hard to succeed.

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in relation to their prior attainment. Eleven-year olds attain good standards in reading. All pupils achieve

77. The quality of teaching is good. It is very good in 45 per cent of lessons, good in 27 per cent and satisfactory in the remainder. Teaching of good quality has a very positive impact on pupils’ learning and is helping them to learn effectively and achieve well in relation to their prior attainment.

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in relation to their prior attainment. Eleven-year olds attain good standards in reading. All pupils achieve

78. The teachers have a secure knowledge and understanding of this subject and the National Literacy Strategy is being used appropriately to provide a secure framework for their medium and short term planning. In the best lessons, teachers are skilled at questioning pupils when they share texts at the beginning of the session, drawing on what pupils already know and challenging them with appropriate vocabulary such as 'genre', 'illustration' and 'blurb'. Progress is good in those lessons where teachers have high expectations of pupils' learning and behaviour. In a poetry lesson with Year 2 pupils, the very good introduction and effective input from the teacher produced some very imaginative ideas from the pupils. High demands were made of pupils in a Year 5 class when they were asked to write an interview for radio. The teacher set clear learning objectives, which were shared with the pupils and challenging time targets ensured they remained

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in relation to their prior attainment. Eleven-year olds attain good standards in reading. All pupils achieve

well focused throughout the lesson. The majority of teachers are successful at managing pupils' behaviour.

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in relation to their prior attainment. Eleven-year olds attain good standards in reading. All pupils achieve

79. The curriculum meets statutory requirements. Pupils are presented with a good range of quality learning experiences that enhance their academic and personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The National Literacy Strategy and the arrangements for targeting groups of pupils in Years 5 and 6 are having a good impact on progress. Writing workshops are also promoting improved standards. The school carries out a range of formal and informal assessments of pupils’ work. The outcomes of these assessments are analysed very effectively and good use is made of the information gained to identify groups and individual pupils who require support. This is contributing in great measure to raising standards for all pupils. In order to address the lower attainment of 7-year-olds, the school has successfully extended similar target setting to the 5 to 7 age group.

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in relation to their prior attainment. Eleven-year olds attain good standards in reading. All pupils achieve

80. Good resources for English enhance pupils’ learning and the wide range of fiction and non-fiction books kept in classrooms and in the bright and attractive library are used effectively to develop reading and research skills. All classes are timetabled to use the library. Pupils develop their word processing skills as they use the computer to write and edit their work and special needs pupils use two programmes to help with spelling. Bright and stimulating displays around enhance the environment and reflect the value that teachers place on pupils' literacy work.

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in relation to their prior attainment. Eleven-year olds attain good standards in reading. All pupils achieve

81. Subject management is satisfactory. The co-ordinator is conscientious in supporting colleagues and monitoring planning and the headteacher has monitored the teaching of literacy and given useful feedback to teachers. There has been satisfactory improvement in English since the previous inspection. However, although standards are rising, there is scope for more rapid improvement than at present. Leadership of the subject lacks the sparkle required to take it forward faster to bring about improvements in line with those seen, for example, in mathematics.

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MATHEMATICS

WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 30 82. When compared with all schools and with similar schools, the 1999 National Curriculum test results for eleven-year-olds in mathematics were above average. The percentage of pupils achieving the higher levels was also above the national average. As in English, the 1999 teacher assessments do not accurately reflect the number of pupils attaining the higher levels because of teacher error in the completion of the form sent to the Department for Education and Employment. Evidence from assessment and target setting at both group and individual levels indicates that teachers do assess pupils’ work accurately. Since 1996, the trend in results at the end of Key Stage 2 has shown a steady increase, at least comparable to the national trend. The

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majority of the present eleven-year-olds are attaining standards above the nationally expected levels, and

achievement is good in relation to their prior attainment.

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majority of the present eleven-year-olds are attaining standards above the nationally expected levels, and

83. The 1999 results for seven-year-olds were below the national average and well below the average for schools with pupils from similar backgrounds. The percentage of pupils attaining the higher levels was below average. Results have been close to the national average since 1996 but dropped in 1999. The school has analysed these results carefully and has documented the change in the cohort caused by pupils entering the school after the start of Key Stage 1, and achieving low results. There were 50 per cent of pupils on the special needs register in the 1999 cohort and there are 43.7 per cent of pupils on the register in the current Year 2. The attainment of the majority of the present seven-year-olds is broadly in line with what is expected

p.30

nationally, although fewer pupils are likely to attain the higher levels. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory

in this age group in relation to their prior attainment.

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nationally, although fewer pupils are likely to attain the higher levels. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory

84. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress. Their mathematics work is planned effectively to meet their learning needs and they receive well targeted support from teachers, support staff and voluntary helpers.

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nationally, although fewer pupils are likely to attain the higher levels. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory

85. Five to seven-year-old pupils develop good mental skills as a result of good teaching and their achievement is satisfactory in relation to their prior attainment. Younger pupils can count in order to 20 and beyond, and can identify 2-digit numbers from given properties, for example, odd / even, more / less, and the sum of the digits. They make sensible estimates up to 30. Pupils can use basic vocabulary related to time, order familiar events, and tell the time to the hour and half hour. Seven-year-old pupils can work with 3-digit numbers and estimate objects to 50. Most are able to calculate missing numbers in sums to total 20, and can add two 2- digit numbers without carrying. Pupils can solve two step money problems and give change from 50p. Higher attaining pupils work with confidence to 100 and can calculate with money beyond £1. Pupils are developing an appropriate knowledge of common two-dimensional shapes including pentagons and

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nationally, although fewer pupils are likely to attain the higher levels. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory

hexagons, and can weigh practically using standard units of measure.

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nationally, although fewer pupils are likely to attain the higher levels. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory

86. Pupils achieve well between the ages of 7 and 11, and most demonstrate good attitudes and behaviour that help to set the atmosphere for them to benefit fully from their lessons. In Years 3 and 4, pupils apply effectively their growing knowledge of addition and subtraction when completing number grids involving 2- digit numbers. They have an appropriate understanding of place value to four digits and use mental strategies effectively when counting in given numbers from various starting points. Pupils demonstrate a growing competency in adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing, and are able to work appropriately using various standard units of length and time. They learn to use a calendar and many can complete and read a simple timetable. Gains in learning are less satisfactory when work does not build effectively on previous knowledge. For example, in an unsatisfactory Year 3 lesson pupils were confused by decimal

p.30

nationally, although fewer pupils are likely to attain the higher levels. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory

fractions during work involving litre measures because they did not have sufficient prior knowledge and understanding to tackle this concept.

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nationally, although fewer pupils are likely to attain the higher levels. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory

87. Pupils make the best gains in learning in Years 5 and 6 where the quality of teaching is consistently high. Pupils are eager to learn and to get their answers correct. In Year 5, most pupils understand place value with large numbers, and can use pencil and paper methods for all four operations, working to two places of decimal. They learn to compare and order fractions, express equivalence, and find simple percentages of small amounts. Pupils understand positive and negative numbers and are able to approximate, rounding up and down. Most have a good understanding of measures, shape and space. They can measure accurately in millimetres and calculate the perimeter of rectangles and regular polygons using the relevant formula. They extend these mathematical skills well in Year 6, working to three decimal places, confidently investigating relationships and patterns, explaining their methods and reasoning, and generalising and predicting from

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nationally, although fewer pupils are likely to attain the higher levels. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory

their results. They use information technology very effectively to support their learning, and when working WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 31 with the “Bounce” program, pupils are able to investigate the relationships between the dimensions of a grid and the length of the pathway of a ball. They set and test theories and are able to adapt their ideas in the light of their findings.

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nationally, although fewer pupils are likely to attain the higher levels. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory

88. Basic skills of numeracy are taught well throughout the school and pupils apply these appropriately in other subjects. For example, knowledge of scale and measurement is applied effectively in geography as pupils in Year 6 measure the distances of various journeys to India. In Year 5, pupils use statistical information and graphical representation, when investigating weather patterns. Number work is used effectively to take temperature readings in science. In addition, the sequencing of patterns and counting on in response to rhythm and duration in music and dance, and exploration of space, shape and pattern in art further enhance and consolidate mathematical skills.

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nationally, although fewer pupils are likely to attain the higher levels. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory

89. The quality of teaching is good and enables pupils to make good gains in their learning. Teaching is excellent in 9 per cent of lessons, very good in 18 per cent, good in 45 per cent, satisfactory in 18 per cent, and unsatisfactory in 9 per cent. The excellent and very good teaching occurs with ten and eleven-year-old pupils, whilst the unsatisfactory teaching is in Year 3. Teaching for pupils aged five to seven in Key Stage 1, is consistently good. Teachers’ understanding and subject knowledge is good. Planning is detailed and based securely on previous work. Clear explanations and the use of correct terminology enable pupils to understand precisely what is expected of them. Questioning matches the needs of individual pupils well, and challenges their thinking effectively. Pupils with special educational needs receive good support from teachers, support staff and voluntary helpers. Work is appropriate to their needs and is broken down into

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nationally, although fewer pupils are likely to attain the higher levels. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory

small attainable steps. In most lessons, the small number of pupils with behavioural difficulties are managed sensitively and therefore participate fully in the activities. Lessons usually have a brisk pace, and this motivates pupils to work hard and learn more. In an unsatisfactory lesson with Year 3 pupils, the majority of pupils were not included in the mental session. The first pupil to respond was always asked to answer and the work in the main part of the lesson was not pitched at the right level for the pupils. In addition, the plenary session did not provide sufficient opportunity for pupils to discuss their work.

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nationally, although fewer pupils are likely to attain the higher levels. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory

90. The effectiveness of the school’s strategy for teaching the skills of numeracy is good. The school’s approach to mathematics was already consistent with the principles underpinning the National Numeracy Strategy, and so the strategy has been adapted successfully to support the existing good practice. Regular collaborative planning meetings ensure consistency of work within age groups as well as good continuity between age groups. There is a good balance of work across all aspects of mathematics with suitable emphasis on numeracy. Information technology very effectively supports work, particularly investigations and this represents a very considerable improvement since the last inspection. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment are good, and the monitoring of pupils’ performance is very good. Regular assessments are made against specific short-term plans, and this information, combined with an analysis of statutory and

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nationally, although fewer pupils are likely to attain the higher levels. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory

non-statutory tests results, is used well to set individual and group targets for pupils. Progress made against targets is clearly understood by pupils and is reported to parents three times a year. Teachers check pupils’ progress effectively on a day to day basis, through sharply focused quick tests, whilst “Times Machine” procedures assess pupils’ knowledge of multiplication tables. The subject is very well led and managed and very effective monitoring of teaching and learning is in place. All statutory requirements are met and there has been good improvement since the previous inspection.

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SCIENCE

91. When compared to all schools, the 1999 National Curriculum test results for eleven-year-olds were broadly in line with the national average. The percentage of pupils achieving the higher grades in the tests was also close to the national average. In comparison with similar schools pupils’ performance was below average. Since 1996, the trend in the results at the end of Key Stage 2 has been similar to the national trend. There have been some fluctuations from year to year but the school has analysed them well and can show the differences in each cohort that have caused results to fluctuate. For example, a higher than average percentage of pupils were on the register for special educational needs in the 1999 cohort and three of the pupils had statements of special educational need. The majority of pupils currently in Year 6 are attaining standards in line with those expected nationally. WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 32

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SCIENCE

92. The 1999 teacher assessments for 7-year-olds indicate that attainment in science was well below the national average. The percentage of pupils achieving the higher grades in the assessments was also well below the national average. When compared with similar schools pupils’ performance was very low, placing the school in the bottom 5 per cent of similar schools. The school has analysed these results and has documented the change in the cohort caused by pupils entering the school after the start of Key Stage 1 and achieving lower results. There were 50 per cent of pupils on the special needs register in the 1999 cohort. The majority of pupils currently in Year 2 are attaining standards in line with those expected nationally.

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SCIENCE

93. By the age of 7 the majority of pupils know that pushes and pulls are forces that can change the shape of an object. They can articulate the similarities and differences between living and non-living things, classify materials and show a sound understanding of the need for exercise and a good diet to keep healthy. When involved in scientific investigations pupils work very well collaboratively and record their findings in a variety of ways. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory in this age group in relation to their prior attainment. They show genuine curiosity and interest, behave well and handle equipment sensibly. This contributes to their progress and achievement because they can be trusted to work with and alongside each other safely. Pupils achieve well in the 7 to 11 age group. As they move through this key stage they learn how to use an increasingly wider range of scientific equipment and vocabulary, and the skills of carrying out investigations are well

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SCIENCE

developed. They also begin to use their information and communication technology skills to enhance their work in science but this is at an early stage of development. By the age of 11 pupils demonstrate a suitable knowledge and understanding of the forces of gravity and friction and know how to conduct a fair test.

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SCIENCE

94. The quality of teaching is good. Teaching is at least good in 67 per cent of lessons and satisfactory in the remainder. The teachers’ secure knowledge and understanding is used well to plan lessons for pupils aged 5 to 7, in which good emphasis is placed on practical tasks that help develop the pupils’ knowledge and understanding. This was seen in a lesson in which pupils were successfully taught how to investigate the properties of materials, sort them according to different criteria, and record their findings in an appropriate way. As pupils pass through Year 2, well-structured teaching ensures that they learn how to handle simple scientific equipment carefully and safely. Within these activities, teachers insist that pupils learn and use correct scientific vocabulary as they talk about their work. Pupils rise to this challenge and are eager to show how well they can discuss their findings. This was evident in a Year 2 plenary session where they talked

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SCIENCE

about how to group different kinds of food. The teachers’ effective questioning helps pupils to realise the importance of making close observations in order to identify similarities and differences between living and non-living things.

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SCIENCE

95. In the 7 to 11 age group, the teachers use their good subject knowledge well to question pupils about what they already know before they begin an activity. The teachers then use the information they gain from this to explain the activities to the pupils at an appropriate level so that pupils have a good understanding of what is expected of them. A good example of this was seen in a lesson with Year 3 and 4 pupils where they were about to investigate the forces that a variety of springs might exert. In lessons with pupils in Years 5 and 6, as pupils investigate the conditions needed for the healthy growth of plants, the teachers’ good preparation and provision of relevant resources enables pupils to develop effectively their skills in carrying out a fair test. Most teachers manage their classes and organise their lessons well to ensure that the pupils have a high work rate. They do not, however, provide enough opportunities for pupils to be involved in activities that develop

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SCIENCE

the investigative skills of making evaluations and conclusions based on prior scientific knowledge. Throughout the school pupils continue to show good levels of interest, sustain concentration, apply themselves willingly and show a great deal of enjoyment in their scientific work. They acquire good collaborative skills as they move through the school and are able to show initiative and take responsibility during investigations thereby increasing their own learning.

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SCIENCE

96. As a direct result of the well-structured support that they are given, the progress of pupils with special educational needs in science is good throughout the school. Pupils are encouraged to develop their speaking and listening skills and as a result are able to make effective contributions to class discussions during science lessons. In all age groups pupils make satisfactory use of their literacy skills in their investigative report writing in science. Pupils show that they are able to make suitable use of their numeracy skills in science in both key stages to take temperature readings and monitor changes in the weather over a period of time.

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SCIENCE

97. Leadership of the subject is good. The co-ordinator checks planning and gives good support to colleagues and teachers are given time to plan together so that there is a good range and balance of quality learning WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 33 experiences in science throughout the school. Pupils’ performance is well assessed. Assessments are analysed thoroughly and the information gained is used effectively to guide further planning and to set targets for improvement. However, the science targets are not yet as refined as those set for English and mathematics. Occasionally the organisation of some classrooms in Key Stage 2 makes it difficult for pupils to be involved in practical group activities. The school has successfully addressed the issue of inconsistent presentation, identified in the previous report and the way that pupils now present their work is consistently satisfactory. Improvement has been good since the previous inspection.

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ART

98. Standards in art are good. The collection of pupils’ work in the school portfolio, pupils’ sketchbooks and the high quality of the work on display throughout the school, demonstrate good achievement by all pupils in all age groups, including those with special educational needs, and a clear progression in observational drawing skills. By the time they leave the school, the majority of pupils have acquired a good knowledge and understanding of art from different times and places, including different cultures. They have also learned the importance of studying an artist’s style and technique and applying it to their own work. For example, pupils in an excellent Year 5 lesson tried out the different techniques that Picasso used when painting portraits at different times in his life. They then began work on self-portraits using some of the same techniques. Their work showed a good understanding of the artist’s style and the teacher’s excellent and perceptive

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ART

questioning and use of different prints brought them to a greater understanding of Picasso’s intentions as he created his work and how they depended on the current influences in his life.

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ART

99. This work is a continuation of the excellent start given in the five to seven-year-old age range. Pupils in Year 2, for example, acquire very good art appreciation skills as they learn to compare and contrast the styles of different artists by looking at the different ways in which artists such as Rembrandt, Monet and a modern, living artist paint people. The excitement, awe and wonder was almost tangible as pupils saw the actual size of an original work of art compared to the size of the prints they had previously studied. This inspired them to make very good attempts at recreating the artist’s style in their own imaginative interpretations of what is meant by abstract art.

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ART

100. The quality of teaching is at least good in Key Stage 1. It was possible to see only one lesson in Key Stage 2 because of the school’s timetabling arrangements in the inspection week. It is therefore not possible to make an overall judgement on teaching in that key stage but teaching in the lesson seen was excellent. The good subject knowledge of the teachers has a major and positive impact on pupils’ achievements. Very good planning takes place and very effective questioning draws on and extends considerably what pupils already know. It leads to enjoyment of the activity and high levels of concentration in the lessons that in turn result in pupils making very good progress. A weakness in one lesson was that there was insufficient extension work for Year 1 and 2 pupils who quickly and successfully made textured clay tiles and cylinders. In all lessons, pupils respond very well to the teachers’ high expectations of their work and behaviour, including

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ART

attention to safety and to taking care of the tools and materials available to them. Pupils’ progress is further enhanced by the well attended extra-curricular art club.

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ART

101. Teachers take appropriate account of literacy and numeracy skills in this subject. They encourage pupils to discuss and offer opinions about works of art using the relevant vocabulary and refer as appropriate to the use of, for example, shape, space and pattern and how they are brought together in pictures. Opportunities are missed, however, to develop writing skills by, for example, writing about art, making notes in sketchbooks when researching an artist, or preparing annotated designs for their practical work.

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ART

102. The subject is well led. The co-ordinator has a clear sense of how to improve standards further by, for example, using sketch books more effectively. She checks teachers’ planning and offers good guidance on assessment. Art makes a very good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, cultural and personal development and improvement since the previous inspection has been good.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 34 103. Due to time-tabling arrangements it was possible to observe only three lessons during the inspection and there is insufficient evidence on which to make a secure judgement on the standards achieved in the subject or the quality of teaching overall.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

104. In a lesson for pupils in Years 1 and 2 the good subject knowledge of the teacher enabled her effectively to develop their knowledge and understanding of the functions of the different parts of a vehicle in preparation for making their own models. In another lesson, for Year 3 pupils, the teaching allowed them to develop their learning about the stability of structures. There is a good link with the nearby secondary school that involves a specialist teacher coming in to teach in the school. These lessons effectively enhance the school’s provision in the subject. This was seen to good effect in a Year 4 lesson in which pupils were learning how to design a sweet box, based on a net of a rectangular prism, to give as a present.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

105. Leadership of the subject is satisfactory. The curriculum has improved since the previous inspection when it was judged not to meet requirements. The scheme of work now includes all necessary elements of the subject but pupils’ design skills remain at a basic level. The accommodation is adequate but as in science, the organisation of some classrooms in Key Stage 2 makes it difficult for pupils to be involved in practical group work activities.

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GEOGRAPHY

106. Four geography lessons, two in each key stage, were observed. Judgements on attainment are based on evidence from these lessons, a scrutiny of pupils’ past work, displays and teachers’ planning. Attainment is as expected for pupils’ ages and their achievement is satisfactory. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in relation to their prior attainment.

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GEOGRAPHY

107. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 develop sound mapping skills. Younger pupils develop an understanding of position and direction and use appropriate terms in their work on the journey of Red Riding Hood. Older pupils are able to identify the countries of the United Kingdom on a map, and have some knowledge of capital cities. Pupils are developing an awareness of a contrasting locality in their work on European countries, and many are able to locate France and discuss aspects of life there. Pupils in the Year 3 class show a growing understanding of direction and position, through the use of co-ordinates and the eight points of the compass. In their work on Kenya, they use appropriate vocabulary to describe landscapes and know how to use secondary sources including an atlas, when investigating the origin of foods. Pupils in the Year 3 / 4 class can identify basic differences between life in the United Kingdom and China. Good links are made with

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GEOGRAPHY

other subjects in this work, but geographical skills are insufficiently developed and map work, including the use of a simple key is very basic and shows a lack of care. In the Year 4 class, pupils investigate life in Australia, and are able to locate the different states and their capitals on a map. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 use a range of appropriate skills in their work on St Lucia and India. They are able to locate points of reference on maps of varying scales and can identify and name features using satellite images. In their investigation of life in India, older pupils demonstrate appropriate ability to collect and record evidence, contrast aspects of life with that of their own, and use information from maps and atlases to measure direction and distance. In their study of weather, Year 5 pupils record local weather patterns and climatic conditions in various parts of the world. They make good use of information technology when analysing their findings, and are able to use the

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GEOGRAPHY

Internet and satellite weather maps effectively.

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GEOGRAPHY

108. Literacy skills are promoted satisfactorily in this subject as pupils use their information retrieval skills to find things out for themselves and engage in factual and descriptive writing. Numeracy is also successfully enhanced through the use of co-ordinates, scale and measurement of maps, and graphical information.

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GEOGRAPHY

109. It is not possible to make an overall judgement on teaching but in three of the four lessons seen it was satisfactory. In the fourth lesson, a Key Stage 1 lesson, teaching was good. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and use questioning effectively to extend pupils’ learning. Planning is usually thorough and builds effectively on pupils’ prior learning. Pupils’ own views are valued and developed and lower attaining pupils receive effective support, which enables them to participate fully in all activities. Assessment procedures based on short term plans are informal but satisfactory. The reporting of progress at the end of each year meets statutory requirements. WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 35 110. Management of the subject is satisfactory. The relatively new co-ordinator has identified appropriate priorities for future development. An effective draft policy is in place and the interim scheme of work is

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GEOGRAPHY

providing suitable support for teachers prior to the implementation of the new scheme in September. The co- ordinator checks teachers’ planning and provides good support for colleagues but has not yet had the opportunity to check directly on teaching and learning. Since the previous inspection, satisfactory improvement has taken place.

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HISTORY

111. Due to time-tabling arrangements during the inspection it was possible to observe only 2 history lessons, one in each key stage. However a scrutiny of pupils’ work and teachers’ planning and interviews with teachers indicate that pupils attain satisfactory standards and achieve appropriately in relation to their earlier learning.

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HISTORY

112. Teachers have a good knowledge of history and how to teach it. This is evident when explaining facts to pupils and answering their questions. There is a good balance between imparting facts and enabling pupils to find information for themselves. Pupils in the Year 3/4 class use time lines effectively to find facts about famous people in Tudor times and older pupils write biographies of famous people through researching time lines, reference books, photographs and videos. A wide range of resources is used to bring history alive, including artefacts, bringing visitors into the school and visits to museums and historical sites where pupils have the opportunity to re-enact life in different periods of history.

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HISTORY

113. Through a well structured scheme of work pupils develop a good sense of chronology, a knowledge of famous people and events and can make comparisons between aspects of the past and their own lives. By talking to grandparents and visitors to the school infants learn about how times have changed in the last fifty years. Through stories set in past times they compare the life of the main character to their own life. At the age of seven most pupils have developed a sound enough sense of chronology to sequence historical events and can use common words and phrases relating to the passing of time. They can compare aspects of past life with their own and show factual knowledge of famous people and events, starting to understand why people in the past behaved as they did. Pupils in Year 5 interview grandparents and talk to visitors to get a detailed knowledge of life in the Second World War. In their accounts of being an evacuee they

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HISTORY

showed evidence of being able to empathise at having to leave their family behind. Many pupils have become keenly aware of how little they could take and the difficulty of leaving favourite belongings behind. At the age of eleven most pupils can select and find information from historical sources. They have a good chronological knowledge and can place famous people and events in the correct periods of time. They use this knowledge to describe characteristic features of past societies and periods and identify changes.

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HISTORY

114. Good links to other curriculum areas give children the opportunity to consolidate and use their historical knowledge. In Year 2, for example, pupils’ work on the millennium led to good links being made with religious education as they sequenced events from historical periods over the last 2,000 years beginning with the birth of Christ. In English pupils in the Year 5/6 class wrote a story about going back in time to ancient Egypt. Their stories revealed a good understanding of life in that time. A drama lesson in Year 5, based on a novel set in the Second World War, was enhanced by the pupils’ knowledge of life during this period. Work is well matched to the pupils’ abilities. Specific questions to individuals and methods of recording information appropriate to their abilities allow pupils to make satisfactory progress.

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HISTORY

115. The management of the subject is good. The co-ordinator regularly attends courses and gives feedback to the teachers to update their knowledge and expertise. She monitors their lesson plans and pupils’ work to ensure that standards in the subject are maintained. This is an improvement since the last inspection when the school had no designated co-ordinator. The scheme of work details which periods of history each year group will study but leaves it to the teachers to decide when to teach them. There is as yet no system to ensure that by the end of Key Stage 2 all pupils, including those in mixed age classes, have covered all units.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

116. Pupils’ attainment is in line with the national expectation for pupils aged 7 and 11. They make good gains in learning and their achievement in relation to their prior learning is also good. This shows that there have been WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 36 very significant improvements in the provision for ICT since the last inspection. This is a direct result of the creation and very effective use of a computer suite, a great improvement in resources, in the quality of subject leadership, which is now very good, and in the subject knowledge and expertise of teachers. After the last inspection the school took the decision to timetable each teacher to use the computer suite for at least an hour a week to teach pupils the basic skills of the subject. There was also intensive training to improve teachers’ confidence and skills in teaching the subject. This has been a great success and the high proportion

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

of good quality direct teaching that the majority of pupils now receive is the main reason for the improved standards attained throughout the school.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

117. The quality of teaching is good. From the age of 5 good attention is given to developing pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills in the subject and they are taught that computers can be used to make words and pictures and to assemble text. As they pass through Year 2 pupils learn how to change the type and size of text and to retrieve, process and display information. Teaching of the highest possible quality was seen in a Year 2 lesson, delivered by the co-ordinator, on developing pupils’ understanding of how to insert line breaks into text. In this excellent lesson the activities were very motivating and the imaginative teaching extremely effective in developing pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills in using the computer as a word processor. As a result of the high quality teaching that they receive pupils show a great deal of confidence and enjoyment when using computers. The progress in their learning continues to be good in Key Stage 2 as

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

a result of the consistently good quality teaching that they receive. In Years 3 and 4 they learn how to use a word processing program to change the font, style, colour and position of their writing to make it more interesting. As they pass through Year 5 pupils learn how to use data bases and spreadsheets in real life situations, as was seen in one lesson in which pupils were calculating the costs of their residential visit to Wales. By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils are able to use ICT to enhance some of their work in subjects such as English, mathematics, science, history and geography. In these activities they are able to use ICT to organise and present their ideas. This was evident in a good quality lesson in Year 6 in which pupils made good progress in learning how to input data into a spreadsheet to further their understanding of area and perimeter in mathematics.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

118. The very good management of the subject continues to support the raising of standards in ICT throughout the school. The co-ordinator monitors planning and teaching and gives good support to his colleagues. He is also very effectively developing the school’s use of the Internet to further enhance pupils’ learning, and his creation of a school website has resulted in a great deal of enthusiasm and interest amongst pupils, staff and parents. The curriculum offered to the pupils is now broad and balanced with many opportunities for them to be involved in working productively on the computers. The scheme of work and good assessment procedures ensure that pupils’ learning is both continuous and progressive as they move through the school.

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MUSIC

119. There is insufficient evidence on which to base a secure judgement about standards for pupils aged 11 as no lessons were seen in Years 5 and 6 due to the school’s timetabling arrangements in the week of the inspection. However, in Years 3 and 4 the high quality of pupils’ performances and compositions and their good listening and appraising skills indicate that they build on their earlier work and achieve well in these two years. Pupils in Year 3 think and learn for themselves as they apply creative effort to build up effective and imaginative rain compositions. They select instruments by first, carefully exploring the sound and second, exploring how best to play them to create the desired effect, for example, drizzling or pouring rain, or drops as the rain starts or finishes. They make good progress in recording their compositions, moving from recording a single line of sound to multi-layering parts so that they can play them back as a group, coming in

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MUSIC

at the correct time in relation to others. They follow instructions well, including those given by the ‘conductor’ in the group.

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MUSIC

120. Pupils attain good standards in music by the age of seven. Their confident individual, group and class performances, tuneful singing, range of musical vocabulary and the emergence of their recording of music using signs and symbols demonstrate high achievement in this age group by all pupils, including those with special educational needs. These pupils are well integrated into musical activities and make good progress. Year 1 pupils can select appropriate sounds and instruments to accompany their singing, giving due consideration to their effect against the vocal part. Year 2 pupils can record graphically pitch, duration and WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 37 volume and confidently perform their work to the rest of the class. They learn correct musical terminology and can refer, for example, to music getting louder by using the word ‘crescendo’.

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MUSIC

121. The quality of teaching is at least good in Key Stage 1. No overall judgement is possible in Key Stage 2 because of the small number of observations but teaching was very good in the two lessons seen. In both key stages, teachers demonstrate good subject knowledge and use this very effectively to show pupils how to sing and play instruments and the different ways in which instruments can be used. They build pupils’ self-esteem very well by using questioning very effectively to draw all pupils into discussions and evaluations and to extend their prior musical knowledge. In Year 2, for example, the step-by-step approach taken in the very effective direct teaching of how to translate sound into symbols and vice versa, enabled some very good learning to take place and resulted in very confident performances by individual pupils at the end of the lesson. The ‘scores’ were accurate and they were accurately interpreted. In Year 3, the very

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MUSIC

good links made between pupils’ own rain compositions and Chopin’s ‘Raindrop Prelude’ served not only to show how much pupils’ work is valued but also to enable pupils to become much more perceptive listeners and appraisers of music. In all lessons, the teaching was inspiring and pupils respond very well to the high expectations of their work and behaviour. Relationships are very good. Mutual trust and respect is evident as teachers assess pupils’ work with them and as pupils are encouraged to discuss and evaluate their own and other pupils’ work in class and suggest what improvements could be made. Teachers pay good attention to the development of literacy and numeracy skills in music. Pupils undertake some extended creative writing in response to music, writing about the mood of the music and how it makes them feel. Repeated patterns and number work are consolidated well in rhythm and duration work, especially in Key

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MUSIC

122. The subject is well managed. The co-ordinator is in the process of taking over from the previous co- ordinator and has set a clear and appropriate agenda to raise the profile of music in the school and to prepare teachers for the revised National Curriculum orders. She uses the opportunity to work alongside less confident teachers very well and this has a good impact on the pupils’ achievement and on the quality of teaching. At present there are no whole school procedures for assessing pupils’ work but a useful portfolio of examples of pupils’ musical scores and written work is being collated in order to improve teachers’ skills in this area. Music makes a very good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, cultural and personal development and improvement since the last inspection has been good.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

123. Due to the school’s timetabling arrangements, it was possible to see only one lesson in the 5 – 7 age range and therefore it is not possible to make an overall judgement on attainment in that age group. In the 7 to 11 age group, standards in physical education overall are good and they are very good in dance. Pupils enjoy physical education activities. They respond well to praise and encouragement and are inspired by the challenges constantly being presented to them. They work hard independently and in groups, striving to improve their performance. When playing team games, for example, Year 4 pupils showed good sporting behaviour, trying hard to get the ball past their opponent but readily accepting when they were out. In Year 6 the pupils worked very well together producing their own Indian dance. Pupils achieve well and develop good skills as they progress through the school. By the end of Key Stage 2 they can practise and improve

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

their own performances and repeat a series of known movements with increasing control and accuracy. They evaluate their own and others’ performances, continually looking for ways to improve. In dance they achieve a very high standard and respond creatively to music. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 learn to swim at the local swimming baths and the vast majority are able to swim the required 25 metres unaided by the time they leave the school.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

124. The quality of teaching is good. Teachers plan effectively and tasks are broken down into small steps and increased in difficulty to enable pupils to refine and further develop their skills. In a Year 4 lesson the pupils built up a sequence of movements from bouncing balls on the spot with their dominant hand, then with their weaker hand to bouncing the ball around their body and around the yard. They were then given the opportunity to practise their skills in team games. Clear instructions and explanations are given to ensure that pupils understand the task. Throughout lessons teachers move around the pupils giving support and encouragement, and demonstrating good practice. They also use pupils effectively to demonstrate good practice. Pupils observe these demonstrations carefully, evaluate their own performance and try hard to WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 38 improve. In a very good dance lesson, for example, groups of Year 6 pupils planned, rehearsed and

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

performed an Indian dance to a very high standard. They commented on each other’s performance by saying what they thought was good and whether it had features of the Indian dance they had learned about in previous lessons. The pupils’ responses and evaluations showed their growing maturity. Similarly, in a Year 4 lesson the pupils observed each other and commented on their ability to move like the ‘pink panther’ detective. They were generous with their praise and strove to emulate the best examples. In all lessons good attention is given to safety issues and pupils of all ages respond well with good behaviour as they use the equipment and move around the hall. In the one unsatisfactory lesson, Year 3 pupils were not being taught by their regular teacher and their behaviour was not managed well. They were talkative and inattentive during the demonstration and behaved inappropriately when performing the dance. They did not take care to

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

avoid other children when moving around the hall and a very small minority were reckless when working with partners. However, the majority did practise simple dance steps and then put them together in sequences gradually increasing in difficulty.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

125. Good progress has been made in addressing the issues identified in the last inspection report. There is now a good range of small apparatus. Subject management is satisfactory. The monitoring of teachers’ planning is in place and the co-ordinator supports colleagues by giving advice and help. The co-ordinator has produced a good scheme of work that outlines the skills to be taught in each age group and which elements are to be taught in each year. Progression is evident as the pupils move through the school. However, teachers do not always follow the sequence of the scheme of work. Several tend to change it around to link dance to other curriculum areas. This contributes very well to standards in dance. However, because the co- ordinator does not have a systematic way of ensuring that all year groups have covered all the required elements of study, there is no way of checking as to whether the emphasis on dance means that pupils have

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

missed out on something else. A satisfactory range of extra curricular sporting activities that includes football, netball and cross country running give pupils the chance to use competitively the skills learnt in lessons. They play matches with teams from local schools and during the inspection were very proud to have won a local football tournament.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

126. The attainment of pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 meets the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus for this subject and they achieve appropriately in relation to their earlier learning. The attainment of pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 exceeds these expectations and they achieve well. This is an improvement on the previous inspection. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in this subject.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

127. Year groups follow a particular theme each term and aspects of these themes are developed at deeper levels as the pupils progress through the school. For example, in the reception classes, children learn about their own community, themselves and others and this is extended in Year 1 when the pupils cover aspects of themselves and others in relation to the wider world. In this year pupils also acquire appropriate knowledge of aspects of the Christian faith, particularly the major festivals of Easter, harvest and Christmas. In Year 2 they learn to identify the characteristics of Jesus and attempt to draw parallels with their own behaviour. The school places strong emphasis on taking care of others and this is evident in the whole of school life. Writing in Year 2 shows good understanding of this when recounting the story of the Good Samaritan.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

128. As pupils progress through Key Stage 2 they learn the basic facts about major religions other than Christianity. In Years 3 and 4 pupils discover the symbols associated with the Sikh faith. They know, for example, that the Granth is a special book similar to the Christian Bible and that there are five marks that distinguish a Sikh. They also learn about the meaning of 'sacrifice' and how, for example, famous people like Mother Theresa devoted their life to helping the poor or the villagers of Eyam sacrificed their lives to stop the plague spreading. In Years 5 and 6 pupils study the Jewish faith and learn to understand the effect of the religion on its followers’ way of life, for example, some of the distinguishing features such as the food regulations and the Bar Mitzvah. Pupils are interested to learn about the values and beliefs of other people. The strong emphasis placed on discussion in this subject enables them to explore and consider the effect of

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

following a particular set of beliefs. As they reach Years 5 and 6 they are beginning to carefully consider their own behaviour and how it affects others. They also compare and contrast the main aspects of the major religions with sensitivity. Throughout the school, pupils’ studies in religious education make a strong contribution to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. WATERFOOT PRIMARY SCHOOL: 39 129. During the inspection only one lesson was observed in Key Stage 1 and here teaching was satisfactory. The quality of teaching in Key Stage 2 is good. There was one unsatisfactory lesson in this subject due to the unsatisfactory management of pupils in the mixed Year 3 and 4 class when they were not being taught by their regular teacher. Teachers use the locally agreed syllabus to plan work that is interesting and motivating and their planning indicates that the majority have a good knowledge and understanding of the subject.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Those that lack confidence are well supported by their colleagues, often changing classes for this subject. Individual lessons are well planned and show clearly what pupils are expected to learn. In the lessons observed, teachers used questioning effectively to increase pupils' understanding of the subject and handled pupils' responses sensitively. In a Year 5/6 lesson high expectations of pupils' behaviour led to sensible discussions about who is a 'neighbour'. Whole school assemblies contribute well to the pupils’ knowledge of things spiritual.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

130. The management of the subject is satisfactory. The co-ordinator has an overall view of the curriculum and an action plan is ready to incorporate any new material that may emerge when the new locally agreed syllabus is published. She gives help and advice to colleagues and monitors planning to ensure that the scheme is being covered. Assessment is satisfactory and all statutory requirements are met.

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