Kyson Primary School

KYSON PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 5 th and 6 th February 2001

p.1

KYSON PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection number: 190573 Kyson Primary - 2 Short inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Kyson Primary - 3

p.1

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Peterhouse Crescent Woodbridge Suffolk Postcode: IP12 4HX

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body, Kyson Primary School

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr G Foskett

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: November 1996

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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.

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE 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. Kyson Primary - 4

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members 20704 Terry Elston Registered inspector 19693 Sally Hall Lay inspector 19142 Audrey Quinnell Team inspector 14596 Tony Fiddian-Green Team inspector

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Phoenix Educational Consultants “Thule” 60 Joy Lane Whitstable Kent CT5 4LT

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

p.4

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Kyson Primary - 5

p.4

REPORT CONTENTS

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

p.5

REPORT CONTENTS

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER? 18

p.5

REPORT CONTENTS

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS 19 Kyson Primary - 6

p.5

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

Kyson Primary School in Woodbridge educates boys and girls aged between three and eleven. This is a large school, with 376 full-time pupils on roll, and 31 children attending part time in the Nursery. There are 30 more boys than girls. The surrounding area is a mix of privately-owned, rented and council accommodation. Around two per cent of the pupils speak English as an additional language, and this is below the national average. About four per cent of the pupils are from ethnic minority backgrounds, which is about average. At less than ten per cent, the proportion of pupils who are entitled to free school meals is below the national average. The school has about 15 per cent of pupils on its register of special educational needs, which is lower than is found nationally. Six pupils have a statement of special educational need, which is about average. Overall, pupils enter the school at standards above the national average.

p.6

HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Kyson Primary is a good school, which justifies its reputation in the area for the high standards that pupils achieve by the time they leave. The recently appointed headteacher has quickly gained the support of parents and staff, and her incisive leadership, and clear focus on how to move the school forwards, are already effecting improvements. The quality of teaching is good overall, and has a similar impact on pupils’ work and behaviour. The school provides good value for money.

p.6

What the school does well

• By the time they leave, pupils achieve well above average standards in English, mathematics and science. • The leadership of the school by the headteacher is very good, and inspires pupils and teachers to strive for even higher standards in all their work. • The quality of teaching and learning is good overall, and very good in the juniors, because teachers are well prepared and have high expectations of pupils’ work and behaviour. • Parents are very pleased with the school; they are well informed about its work, and this helps them to assist their children with their work. • Pupils’ attitudes to work and behaviour are very good, and make for good progress in lessons.

p.6

What could be improved

• Pupils’ reading in Key Stage 1, which is not supported well enough, either by the teaching of specific skills, or the school’s resources.* • The monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning by subject co-ordinators in order to raise standards.* • The extent to which pupils are expected to develop their independence.* • The range of extracurricular activities for younger pupils. These areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Those marked * are already in the school’s development planning. Kyson Primary - 7

p.6

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made a good improvement since the last inspection in November 1996. In terms of the key issues, the amount of teaching time in Key Stage 2 has been increased to an appropriate level, teachers make better use of this time and their provision for pupils with special educational needs is much improved. The problem of the distraction caused by the open plan nature of classrooms remains, but the school has plans to build walls to separate classes this year. The management of the school has improved well, particularly in terms of the school’s forward planning, the organisation of the headteacher’s and deputy’s time and the new arrangements for monitoring teachers’ performance. Co-ordinators, however, still do not monitor their subjects well enough. The curriculum now meets all statutory requirements, and more able pupils generally do well.

p.7

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Standards in English, mathematics and science have been raised since the previous inspection, and pupils’ behaviour is still very good. The quality of teaching has improved further, and the teaching of pupils with special educational needs is much better organised. Governors play a more active role in the running of the school than before, and their forward planning is now closely linked to their long- term vision of how the school will develop. Given the strengths in the leadership, the school is well placed to improve further.

p.7

STANDARDS

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

p.7

Key

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

p.7

Key

The table illustrates how well pupils do at this school by Year 6, not only when compared with schools nationally, but, importantly, when compared with similar schools. The school has been successful in maintaining high standards over the past three years, and consistently meeting its challenging targets. These have been raised again this year, and pupils are well on course to attain them. The inspection confirmed that standards in all three of these subjects are well above those found nationally. Pupils’ written work in English by Year 6 is lively, descriptive and very interesting to read. Their work in mathematics is of a high standard, and all are making particularly good progress in their understanding and use of number. In science by Year 6, pupils’ experimental work is especially good, and this helps them develop a very wide scientific knowledge. Kyson Primary - 8 Standards in the national assessment tests for Year 2 pupils in 2000 were well above national

p.7

Key

averages in writing, and above average in reading and mathematics. Against similar schools, pupils’ scores were well above average in writing, above in mathematics and average in reading. The school’s targets for reading by Year 2 were far too low, and pupils exceeded them by a long way. Most read reasonably well, but, given their good standards on entry to the school, too few of them have the confidence and skills to progress as well as they should. Pupils are taught writing skills methodically, and many write with a good feel for language. In their mathematics work, nearly all pupils show a good understanding of number, and a significant proportion of them work out difficult sums quickly in their heads. Their scientific skills develop well, and many pupils have a good knowledge of the human body and the way that plants grow.

p.8

Key

The young children in the Foundation Stage make satisfactory progress overall, and are on course to meet the targets in nearly all areas of their learning. Their independence, however, progresses slowly because too much is done for them, and they sometimes struggle when left without the support of an adult.

p.8

Key

Overall, pupils make good progress through the school. Pupils with special educational needs make good gains because the support they get is well-targeted to their individual needs. As a result, nearly all achieve, or come close to, average standards by Year 6. Higher achieving pupils generally do well, and many exceed national average standards by Year 6.

p.8

Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school These are very good. Pupils are very proud of their school, show a great interest in their work, and delight in their successes. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good, both in class and outside in the playground. Pupils listen very carefully to their teacher, respond instantly to instructions and take great care to remember school rules. Personal development and relationships Pupils’ personal development is satisfactory. Whilst they are keen to take responsibility, and work independently when required, they are asked to use their independence too rarely. Consequently, this area of their personal development is not as well developed as it should be. Relationships are very good between all members of the school community. Attendance Very good, and far better than found nationally. This has a very positive effect on pupils’ progress. Kyson Primary - 9

p.8

Teaching of pupils: aged 3-5 years aged 5-7 years Aged 7-11 years

28 lessons seen satisfactory good very 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.

p.9

Teaching of pupils: aged 3-5 years aged 5-7 years Aged 7-11 years

The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. Only one lesson observed during the inspection was unsatisfactory, and 64 per cent of lessons were at least good. Twenty nine per cent of lessons were very good. Teachers generally have very high expectations of pupils’ work and behaviour, and this results in pupils learning new skills quickly in a calm but busy working atmosphere. Teachers’ planning is very good, and stretches even the highest achieving pupils, whilst supporting those with special educational needs. In the Nursery and Reception classes, teachers are good at extending children with interesting and demanding work, and this gives them good basic skills. Too rarely, however, do teachers give children the chance to decide for themselves what to do, or how to do it, and this limits the development of their independence. In Key Stage 1, teachers teach the basic skills of numeracy and science particularly well, and this is why standards are so good in the

p.9

Teaching of pupils: aged 3-5 years aged 5-7 years Aged 7-11 years

national assessment tests. The teaching of writing is also good here, and pupils’ work is interesting and well presented. The teaching of literacy lacks a clear focus on pupils learning the skills necessary to progress as well as they should. The quality of teaching in Key Stage 2, including that of literacy and numeracy, is very good, and that is why pupils’ results in the national assessment tests in Year 6 are so high. The pace of teaching, particularly in Years 4 and 6, is especially brisk, and this enables pupils to cover a lot of ground in each lesson. Kyson Primary - 10

p.9

Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is good overall, and well organised to give pupils a rich variety of experiences. The school has adopted the National Numeracy Strategy energetically, and this has had a good effect on pupils’ attainment. The school is less consistent in the way it applies the elements of the National Literacy Strategy, and this explains inconsistencies in the quality of pupils’ learning, particularly in reading, across the school. There is a satisfactory selection of extracurricular activities for pupils in Years 5 and 6, but too little for younger pupils.

p.10

Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs This is well organised. Pupils have clear targets set for them, and their good progress is monitored carefully.

p.10

Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Very good provision, which supports pupils well. They are included in all school activities, and quickly gain confidence in their use and understanding of English.

p.10

Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development This is good overall. Sound spiritual provision in assemblies and lessons gives pupils the chance to reflect on issues, and develop a good understanding of the place of God in their lives. Good moral provision teaches pupils how to behave, and develop a clear understanding of right and wrong. Some opportunities for pupils to develop their social skills, and very good group work take place in Key Stage 2 and help pupils to learn how to work productively with one another. However, there is not enough development of pupils’ independence. There is sound cultural provision that particularly supports pupils’ knowledge of art, music and literature.

p.10

Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school cares for its pupils well. New assessment and tracking procedures mean that pupils’ progress is monitored carefully, and this helps teachers to provide good support for pupils’ learning. The lack of reading diaries in Key Stage 1, however, limits the extent to which parents can help their child. Kyson Primary - 11

p.10

Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The school receives very good leadership from the new headteacher, who has a clear focus on the priorities for improving the school. The school runs very smoothly, with all of its members working together. There is good support from the deputy headteacher, particularly through work with senior staff to analyse the school’s data. Senior staff meet regularly, and are developing well as a team. Co-ordinators do not monitor their subject sufficiently, however, and this leaves too much in the hands of individual teachers.

p.11

Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors support the school well, and all statutory requirements are met. They give well-informed advice, and are well led by a knowledgeable Chair.

p.11

Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school analyses the performance of pupils and staff very well. Pupils’ results in the national assessment tests are examined carefully to see where improvements can be made. The quality of teaching is monitored systematically by the headteacher, and teachers benefit from good guidance as to how they can improve the quality of their teaching and pupils’ learning.

p.11

Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Specific grants are used well, for example, to support the learning of pupils with special educational needs. The school’s development plan is clear about its targets, and how much they will cost, but it has too many targets for staff to keep in their head for it to be a useful working tool. The administration of the school’s funds is good, and the school has sound procedures for judging how well money is spent. There is a large under-spend, amounting to 13 per cent of the school’s budget, but this is earmarked appropriately for major improvements to the school’s accommodation.

p.11

Aspect Comment

The school’s accommodation is reasonably spacious, but the open plan nature of the rooms can be distracting, and there is no separate area for children in the Reception class to play. The library is poor, and does not support the development of pupils’ independent research or reading skills. The school has plans to resolve all these problems in the near future. The school is well staffed, with a reasonable number of support staff for all areas apart from in the Nursery and Reception classes, where support is limited at times. Overall, the school’s resources support learning well although the supply of reading books is poor. Kyson Primary - 12

p.11

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The very good start made by the new headteacher. • The high standards of work achieved by pupils. • The very good behaviour of pupils. • The good quality of teaching. • The way the school keeps on improving. • The effectiveness of the school’s open door policy. • The range of extracurricular activities for young pupils, which is scarce. • A few parents feel that the open plan classrooms are distracting for pupils. • Some teachers shout too much.

p.12

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Parents are very pleased with the school’s provision. More parents are keen to help in school following efforts by the new headteacher to encourage them. The inspection team endorses parents’ positive comments. It is true that the school provides little for pupils below Year 5 by way of extracurricular activities. Some pupils are distracted by activities in other classes due to the lack of walls between classrooms, particularly when a class is changing for physical education. Little evidence was seen of teachers shouting. Kyson Primary - 13

p.12

By the time they leave, pupils achieve high standards in English, mathematics and science

1. When pupils enter the school, their initial assessments show that they are above average in all areas of their development. In the latest national assessment tests for 11 year olds, they had made significant progress to be well above average in English, mathematics and science, both compared with all schools, and similar schools. The proportion of pupils exceeding the national standard was just as impressive, with 56 per cent of pupils achieving Level 5 in English, 40 per cent in mathematics and 50 per cent in science. This inspection confirms the test results, and the improvement pupils have made in these subjects since the previous OFSTED inspection.

p.13

By the time they leave, pupils achieve high standards in English, mathematics and science

2. By Year 6 in English, pupils’ reading is very well developed. Nearly all pupils read with confidence, and are very keen to add vivid expression, especially when reading to a group. The teacher helps this process by asking pupils to develop a theme further, and asking pupils “How would you feel if this happened to you?” Teachers also are careful to read with expression themselves, and this shows pupils what a difference the voice can make to other’s enjoyment. Pupils are quick to see the main points of a passage, and many quote pieces to illustrate their views. They research written texts reasonably well, but, with such a poor library, this aspect of their reading is not strong. Extra literacy lessons for pupils achieving lower levels are working well, and give them good practice in reading new words. Pupils’ speaking is clear and confident. They know when to change their style to suit more formal situations, and employ a wide vocabulary. In

p.13

By the time they leave, pupils achieve high standards in English, mathematics and science

discussions, they consider points made by others carefully, and many are confident enough to offer opposing arguments. Pupils’ writing is well formed, and they make very good use of punctuation. Their use of language is particularly good, especially when writing poetry. One Year 6 pupils, for example, wrote:

p.13

By the time they leave, pupils achieve high standards in English, mathematics and science

A Frosty winter Freezing Summer has gone, Christmas is drawing in, Excruciating frost appears, So cold!

p.13

By the time they leave, pupils achieve high standards in English, mathematics and science

3. By Year 6 in mathematics, pupils’ numeracy skills are especially good. Teachers teach how to work out sums quickly very well, and pupils are delighted when they learn a new ‘trick’. When working with the multiplication of large numbers, for example, the teacher showed how to split numbers to easier amounts, changing 21x14 into (21x10) + (21x4), and pupils were very proud of their expertise as they worked out the sum easily. Their knowledge of multiplication tables is good, and they are confident with problems involving positive and negative decimals. Pupils check their answers by using the inverse operation, and this ensures that their work is accurate. Their work on co-ordinates in four quadrants is very good, and nearly all confidently draw and label shapes with both positive and negative values. They solve complex problems involving patterns of numbers well, and many have very well developed ways to check the reasonableness of their results. Their

p.13

By the time they leave, pupils achieve high standards in English, mathematics and science

Kyson Primary - 14 knowledge of shape is very good, as illustrated by their work investigating lines of symmetry, and rotating shapes on a grid. Pupils are confident handling data and produce excellent line graphs to convert temperature and different currencies. They have a good understanding of probability, and work comfortably with concepts such as ‘fair’ and ‘likely’.

p.14

By the time they leave, pupils achieve high standards in English, mathematics and science

4. In science, Year 6 pupils have developed into young scientists. They organise their own experiments in a manner that shows a very good level of understanding, and suggest a number of variables to test their theories about, for example, the factors affecting the size and shape of a shadow. They have a very good knowledge of the organs of the human body, and how diet, exercise and tobacco influence our well-being. Pupils’ work on materials shows a very good awareness of how substances change, and how bacteria causes some foods to ‘go off’.

p.14

By the time they leave, pupils achieve high standards in English, mathematics and science

5. The school’s decision to place pupils into ability sets for much of their work has done much to raise standards in English, mathematics and science. It enables teachers to pitch the work at levels appropriate to pupils’ skills, and ensures that all groups are pushed to achieve their best work.

p.14

teachers to strive for high standards in all their work

6. The headteacher, appointed in September 2000, has made a very good start. She quickly took an audit of the school’s provision, and made important decisions about the priorities for improvement. There was an urgent need to reorganise the curriculum, which was accomplished swiftly by adopting the schemes of work produced by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. Weaknesses in the school’s assessment procedures were addressed by utilising the analytical skills of the deputy headteacher, who has worked closely with subject co-ordinators to develop very useful assessment and tracking systems. These have already identified important differences in the attainment of different groups of pupils, and have enabled the school to set specific targets for them. The headteacher’s analysis of the school’s national assessment tests results, and rigorous comparisons with national figures, those of similar schools and scores by other schools in Suffolk,

p.14

teachers to strive for high standards in all their work

have provided very clear evidence of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. In particular, they have led to positive moves to raise attainment in reading in Key Stage 1.

p.14

teachers to strive for high standards in all their work

7. An important strength of the headteacher’s leadership is her vision for the school, and her high expectations of what it could achieve. The headteacher sees no reason why all pupils should not attain at least national standards by Year 6, and this is her long-term target. The school’s targets for pupils to achieve by 2002 have already been raised. She has set ambitious targets for herself, prominent amongst which is to write with the staff a teaching and learning policy. Leading up to this, the headteacher has already started a systematic process of monitoring teachers’ work, and this has put in place a useful system of review, self review and staff development. Part of this review of teachers’ work, which is already yielding benefits, is the teachers’ own evaluations of lessons, which now form part of the planning process. It shows which aspects of the lessons went well, and which topics may need to be revisited for some or all pupils. This is strong leadership,

p.14

teachers to strive for high standards in all their work

which has a direct impact on the standards of teaching and learning. Kyson Primary - 15

p.14

behaviour

8. The quality of teaching is good overall, with 29 per cent of lessons judged very good, 64 per cent good and only four percent (one lesson out of 28) unsatisfactory. This represents a significant improvement on the findings of the previous OFSTED inspection, when one in ten lessons was unsatisfactory. This is a staff full of ideas and enthusiasm. They plan lessons carefully so that all pupils are working at an appropriate level, and this explains why they make good progress. In the Nursery and Reception class, all the staff work hard to make lessons enjoyable for the young children, and parents speak highly of their children’s enthusiasm for school. In Key Stage 1, pupils make good progress in all of their work, apart from in reading. This is because the teachers do not spend enough time teaching pupils how to read.

p.15

behaviour

9. In Key Stage 2, the quality of teaching is very good, with 83 per cent of lessons observed being good or better and 44 per cent very good. The key factors which give rise to this quality of teaching are the pace of learning, and teachers’ expectations of pupils. This is particularly the case in Year 4, where all three lessons were very good, and Year 6, where five were good and four very good. Lessons start with a clear statement of what pupils are about to learn, and this helps to focus their attention. The direct teaching is sharp, well informed and exciting. It rarely goes on too long, and so pupils keep their interest throughout. Group work is closely matched to the abilities of the pupils in each group, and this gives those with special educational needs every chance of success, whilst stretching even the highest attaining pupils. This is why, by Year 6, nearly all pupils are attaining at least national standards, and up to a half of them exceeding them. This enables the

p.15

behaviour

teacher in Year 6 to aim for higher and higher levels, encouraging pupils to research their own topics. Inspired by these expectations, one pupil wrote, in her research on a famous author, about her books ‘spanning the realm of human knowledge’. Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ behaviour are very high, and so the best use is made of the time in lessons. Rarely do teachers have to remind pupils to concentrate, and lessons have that buzz of activity that signifies brisk learning. Teachers are particularly good at using questions to assess how much pupils know. In the best lessons, these questions are graded in difficulty to fit the ability of the individual pupil. This has the benefit of including all pupils in the lesson, assessing the understanding of the highest and lowest ability groups and giving all pupils the opportunity to contribute.

p.15

behaviour

10. In a lesson which illustrates many of these strengths, Year 6 pupils were about to learn about co-ordinates in four quadrants. The teacher started with a mental mathematics session, which was carefully planned to involve all groups of pupils, and they were soon firing back the answers to “What is 27 x 15?”. Once they had reached this stage, the teacher moved on to asking them to think of different ways to work out the sum, and how to check the reasonableness of their answer. The teacher began the main part of the lesson by reviewing pupils’ knowledge of quadrilaterals with carefully pitched questions, and, once she was sure that all were confident, drew the shapes on the grid. The direct teaching at this stage was excellent, as pupils were shown how to work out the positive and negative co-ordinates. By now, the lesson had been in flow for less than 20 minutes, and pupils’ faces were alive with excitement as they proudly showed off their new skills. When the

p.15

behaviour

teacher extended the task by asking pupils to give the co-ordinates of parallel sides, they took up the challenge, and soon showed that their learning was secure. Pupils could hardly wait to Kyson Primary - 16 undertake the group tasks that followed, and the teacher merely had to move around the groups to probe gently pupils’ understanding. There was hardly a sound. By the end, the plenary showed that all pupils had mastered a challenging concept in a lesson packed full of learning.

p.15

Parents are very pleased with the school; they are well informed about its work, and this

helps them to assist their children with their work.

p.16

Parents are very pleased with the school; they are well informed about its work, and this

11. Nearly all parents are impressed with this school, especially by its high expectations of what their children will achieve. They feel that, whatever their children’s ability, they will make good progress, and will be well supported. A few parents believe that some teachers ask too much of the pupils, particularly in terms of homework, but this inspection finds that teachers’ expectations are not excessive. Parents say how happy their children are to come to school, and many see this as a significant strength. They are impressed with the new headteacher, and the extent to which she has created an open door policy, where all parents feel welcome. This is especially the case in terms of parents being encouraged to help in school, and, for example, far more are now supporting pupils in their reading than did before.

p.16

Parents are very pleased with the school; they are well informed about its work, and this

12. Parents are delighted with the improvement in pupils’ behaviour since the introduction of the new behaviour policy. They feel that this has made lessons and assemblies far more orderly, and has improved behaviour in the playground.

p.16

Parents are very pleased with the school; they are well informed about its work, and this

13. Parents generally feel well informed about the school’s work. Regular newsletters give useful information about events in school, and parents benefit from very good details of the work their children will cover the next term. Pupils’ annual reports are helpful, and show parents how well the teachers know their child. Parents are especially pleased with the interim reports introduced this year, which give good information at Christmas on how well pupils are doing, comments on their effort and targets for the future two terms. The only area that parents feel needs improving concerns the lack of reading diaries in Key Stage 1. They want to help their child, but have too little opportunity to comment on how well he or she reads.

p.16

lessons

14. Pupils are very eager to learn. In class, they hurry to prepare themselves for work, and sit eagerly and bright-eyed as the teacher begins the lesson. When the teacher starts speaking, all pupils listen carefully, and respond appropriately. In group work, the teacher just has to tell pupils what is required, and they rush to start the task. The teacher rarely has to remind pupils to concentrate, because they are quickly engrossed in their work. In one science lesson, for example, the teacher asked pupils to investigate the evaporation of liquids, and pitched the group activities at just the right level. Consequently, whilst pupils of lower ability were able to work systematically through the ‘standard’ experiment, the high achieving group was able to pursue a more open ended task. In this way, all pupils achieved their objective, and all were delighted with their considerable success. Pupils value the contributions of others, and listen carefully when someone is speaking.

p.16

lessons

15. Pupils’ behaviour is very good because that is what is expected of them. Parents say how much standards of behaviour have improved this year since the new behaviour policy was introduced. As Kyson Primary - 17 soon as they enter the school, pupils learn how to meet the school’s high expectations of them. In the Nursery and Reception, children learn how to behave well, and activities take place in a happy and calm atmosphere. Pupils quickly learn to walk around the school sensibly, speak quietly, not to call out and listen carefully to the teacher and each other. They soon realise that only their best behaviour will be good enough. Consequently, teachers can trust pupils to work independently, hold discussions in the knowledge that pupils will respect each other’s views and have fun with them without fear of losing control. This makes lessons enjoyable and very productive. Their behaviour

p.16

lessons

is equally good in the playground, where small groups stand chatting, or play games sensibly.

p.17

specific skills, or the school’s resources

16. In the latest national assessment tests for Year 2 pupils, the average scores for pupils at this school in reading were above the national average, but against similar schools, they were only average. These scores were lower than those in writing, which were well above those of similar schools, and in mathematics, which were above. The school’s average in reading was boosted by a high number of pupils who exceeded the national, which, to some extent, masks the body of pupils who performed at lower levels. This is a similar picture to that found in the previous OFSTED inspection. The improvement of pupils’ reading in Key Stage 1 is one of the school’s main priorities.

p.17

specific skills, or the school’s resources

17. This inspection found that the most able pupils in Year 2 read well. They are fluent, with good expression. The average pupils in the class are more hesitant, and often read in a monotone. They have some knowledge of phonics, but make basic mistakes, reading ‘ch’ for ‘cl’, and this makes for lots of errors when they attempt to read new words. The below average pupils try to work out words, but their strategies are weak, and they have to guess what the word might be.

p.17

specific skills, or the school’s resources

18. The main problem lies in the way the school organises the teaching of early reading skills. Without the consistent application of the National Literacy Strategy, teachers are missing important opportunities to teach the basic skills of reading every day, and rely too heavily on pupils developing these skills by reading texts as a class, or reading to an adult. In one lesson, for example, the teacher began an English lesson with the whole class reading a ‘Big Book’ together. This worked well to start with, and there was some good direct teaching of the importance of punctuation. Pupils with poor reading skills, however, soon started to struggle, and took little part whilst the rest were reading out aloud. At this point, the teacher split the class into ability groups, and where the confident readers had the task of writing their version of the story, those whose reading was weak drew a picture of an elephant. This activity did little to help their reading.

p.17

specific skills, or the school’s resources

19. Outside lessons, the provision for developing pupils’ reading is also unsatisfactory. The school is short of reading books, and the library is poor. The books given for pupils to read are not sufficiently matched to their level of reading skills; this means that poor readers can only read a half of words in their books, whilst good readers have books that offer no challenge. Often, pupils are given books for a two-week period, rather than for as long as it takes to read them, and this, again, holds them back. In addition, the books they take home are different from those they read at Kyson Primary - 18 school, and this means that pupils lose continuity in their learning. Parents are not used enough to help with reading. There are no reading diaries for parents to write their comments about how well their children read, or for them to see what particular difficulties their children had at school.

p.17

raise standards

20. Co-ordinators do not monitor their subject with the sort of rigour necessary to raise, or maintain standards. In the past, there has not been a culture of monitoring, and co-ordinators are still not comfortable with the idea of looking at other teachers in an evaluative or critical way. This was a weakness in the previous OFSTED inspection, and the new headteacher has the improvement of the co-ordinators’ role as a priority in the school’s development planning.

p.18

raise standards

21. The lack of monitoring denies co-ordinators a ‘feel’ for their subject. They lack, therefore, a vision of how well their subject is taught, and rely on retrospective assessments to see if the teaching has been effective.

p.18

The extent to which pupils are expected to develop their independence

22. Much of the success of this school has been built on the idea of teaching pupils in a methodical way, and having high expectations of their work and behaviour. There was little place in this system for pupils finding things out for themselves, or taking responsibility for their own learning. Realising this, the new headteacher has, as a priority, the development of pupils’ independence, and sees this as a fundamental part of the teaching and learning policy.

p.18

The extent to which pupils are expected to develop their independence

23. The problem starts in the Foundation Stage. Here, the direct teaching is good, and equipment is always prepared well in advance, but too rarely do the children get the materials out themselves. When they have a snack, the food and drinks are prepared for the children, when they would benefit from pouring their own drinks, and learning how do so without spilling them. This means that the children always have to wait to be helped, and make slow progress in developing their independence. In the Reception class, the situation is made worse by the children not having their own playground, and they, therefore, cannot even play without an adult taking responsibility.

p.18

The extent to which pupils are expected to develop their independence

24. As they move through Key Stage 1, pupils are not given progressively more responsibility. It is significant that, in the national assessment tests at Year 2, the only areas where their performance is below that of pupils nationally, is in their experimental work in science and their use and application of mathematics. These are key areas where pupils need to think for themselves and make decisions, and they do not have the skills. In Key Stage 2, pupils are given limited responsibility, but have no say in how their school operates by, for example, being part of a school council.

p.18

The range of extracurricular activities for younger pupils

25. One quarter of parents, mostly of younger pupils, feel that the school provides too few extracurricular activities. In Years 5 and 6, there is a good selection of activities which are well attended, but, in other years, there is very little. This is unsatisfactory, and denies most pupils the Kyson Primary - 19 chance to extend their learning after school in areas such as art, information and communication technology and physical education.

p.18

26. WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to improve the school further, and capitalise on the strengths in this report, the governing body, headteacher and staff should:

p.19

(1) Raise standards of reading in the infants by:

• having a daily, structured literacy lesson in each class which has a clear focus on the development of pupils’ reading skills; • using a reading diary to communicate the progress of pupils’ reading between home and school; • building up the collection of reading books; • improving the library so that pupils learn to use books for pleasure; • allow pupils to change their reading books as soon as they have finished them.

p.19

(2) Improve the effectiveness of co-ordinators, so that they monitor the

quality of teaching and learning in their subject.

p.19

(3) Develop pupils’ independence by

• encouraging children in the Foundation Stage to take responsibility, get out their own equipment more often, for example, and prepare their own snack; • building up pupils’ responsibilities as they get older; • investigate ways to give pupils a say in how their school is run.

p.19

(4) Look for ways to extend the range of extracurricular activities to include pupils

below Year 5. Kyson Primary - 20 27. PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

p.19

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 28 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 45

p.20

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor 0 29 35 32 4 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery Y1-Y6 Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 16 376 Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 2 35 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery Y1-Y6 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 6 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 59

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 9

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 21 Kyson Primary - 21 Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 8

p.20

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

% % School data 3.7 School data 0 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 31 16 47

p.21

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Boys 26 29 29 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 15 16 16

p.21

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Percentage of pupils School 87 (84) 96 (80) 96 (91) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 85 (83) 90 (87)

p.21

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Boys 25 28 28 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 15 16 15

p.21

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Percentage of pupils School 85 (82) 94 (89) 91 (75) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Kyson Primary - 22

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 23 27 50

p.22

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Boys 19 18 20 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 24 21 26

p.22

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Percentage of pupils School 86 (85) 78 (71) 92 (88 ) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

p.22

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Boys 20 20 22 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 23 21 24

p.22

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Percentage of pupils School 86 (80) 82 (78) 92 (83) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 80 (75) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Kyson Primary - 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

Black – other 12 Black – other 0 0 Indian 0 Indian 0 0 Pakistani 0 Pakistani 0 0 Bangladeshi 3 Bangladeshi 0 0 Chinese Chinese 0 0 White 330 White 0 0 Any other minority ethnic group 8 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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. Kyson Primary - 24

p.23

Qualified teachers and classes: YR-Y1

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 16 Financial year 1999/2000

p.24

Qualified teachers and classes: YR-Y1

Number of pupils per qualified teacher Average class size 24.3 £ Total income 764455 Education support staff: YR-Y1 Total expenditure 754652 Total number of education support staff 7 Expenditure per pupil 1828

p.24

Qualified teachers and classes: YR-Y1

Total aggregate hours worked per week 128 Balance brought forward from previous year Balance carried forward to next year

p.24

nursery

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) Number of pupils per qualified teacher

p.24

nursery

Total number of education support staff Total aggregate hours worked per week

p.24

nursery

Number of pupils per FTE adult 16 FTE means full-time equivalent. Kyson Primary - 25

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 42 48 6 1 3

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 46 48 4 1 2

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 40 43 11 3 3

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 43 43 11 2 2

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 51 41 5 0 2

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 50 43 5 0 2

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 42 38 13 3 4

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 46 47 1 0 6

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 46 48 2 1 3

p.25

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 36 37 19 6 2

p.25

Many parents feel that the new headteacher is making big improvements in pupils’

behaviour and in the school’s communication with them.

p.25