Newton Hill Community School

NEWTON HILL JUNIOR & INFANT 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.

p.1

NEWTON HILL JUNIOR & INFANT 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. Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 3

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and Junior School

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Leeds Road Wakefield West Yorkshire Postcode: WF1 2HR

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Alistair Snart

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 25/11/1996 Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 4

p.3

Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Geoff Cooper Registered inspector Science What sort of school is it? Religious education The school’s results and achievements English as an additional language What should the school do to improve further? Marvyn Moore Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? George Brown Team inspector Maths How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? Art Design and technology Equal opportunities Susan Walker Team inspector English How well are pupils taught? Geography History Special educational needs Linda Spooner Team inspector Information technology Music Physical education Under-fives Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

p.4

Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Cambridge Education Associates Ltd Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

p.5

Subject responsibilities 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:

p.5

Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

p.5

Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 6

p.5

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

p.6

HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11-12

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

p.6

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Newton Hill Junior and Infant School is slightly bigger than average, with approximately equal numbers of boys and girls. Two hundred and thirty four pupils are in full-time schooling and the equivalent of 20 children attend the nursery in morning and afternoon sessions. At the time of inspection, 16 children under five attended reception classes. Most pupils come from a white British background. A small proportion comes from an Indian sub-continent ethnic background. Seven pupils are learning English as a new language, one of whom is at an early stage of language acquisition. About six per cent of pupils are entitled to a free school meal, which is less than in most schools. About ten per cent of pupils have been identified as having special educational needs, which is less than the average for schools in England. A higher proportion than is usual of pupils with special needs have a greater need, that is, are

p.7

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

registered on stage 3 to 5 of the special needs code of practice. Of these, six pupils have a formal statement of educational needs. This is more than is found usually in schools of this type. The special needs of pupils range from moderate learning difficulties, emotional and behavioural difficulties to specific physical handicap. Attainment on entry to school is broadly average. Some pupils have well- developed skills when they start school. Others have still to acquire skills typical of four-year-olds.

p.7

HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school. It is successful and effective. Its many strengths far outweigh the areas for development. Standards of attainment are good, well promoted by teaching which offers a high challenge to pupils’ thinking. There is good provision through all aspects of the school, driven by a high quality of leadership and management. Given the quality of the school’s standards and provision and its average cost per pupil, it provides good value for money.

p.7

What the school does well

• Standards of attainment are good, especially in English, mathematics and religious education. In science they are very good by the time pupils are eleven. • The quality of teaching and learning is good. Much teaching is very good or excellent. • The school makes good provision for promoting high values, resulting in good behaviour and positive attitudes to school on the part of pupils. • Leadership and management in the school are very good: a high quality partnership between the headteacher, senior staff, all adults working in the school and the governing body give a secure sense of direction. • The provision for spiritual, moral and social development is very good. • Efficient systems for assessment in English, mathematics and science help to sustain the good progress made by pupils in these subjects.

p.7

What could be improved

• Standards in information technology are below the level expected nationally. • There is insufficient provision of policies, schemes of work and systems for assessment to ensure balance and step-by-step progress through the curriculum in religious education and some foundation subjects. • More emphasis needs to be given to the multi-cultural dimension of cultural provision. • The support given to pupils’ progress through marking their work is inconsistent. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

p.7

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was previously inspected in November, 1996. Satisfactory improvement has been made since that inspection. In response to the key issues for action, the school has been very successful in establishing a balanced budget. Standards in design and technology are now at the level expected for seven and eleven-year-olds. Formal staff appraisal is not yet in place but the school has strategies for ensuring that all staff discuss their professional and personal development as teachers and make plans about what they should do next. A sensible performance management policy is in place for September, 2000. Statutory requirements for reporting attendance are met. Some subjects are still without policies, schemes of work and systems for assessment. There are plans to address this remaining key issue of Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 8 the previous inspection. The school has concentrated on establishing the National Strategies for

p.7

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Numeracy and Literacy. Since the previous inspection the school has maintained standards in the provision it makes for pupils. Some areas of provision have been further improved and strengthened; in particular, the key area of teaching and learning.

p.8

STANDARDS

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

p.8

Key

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

p.8

Key

The results of National Curriculum tests in 1999 are well above average for schools nationally. When compared with schools in similar contexts, results are in line with the national average. Although there have been recent years when standards have not been quite as high, attainment has always been at least in line with or better than the national average. Given the context of the school and average attainment on entry to school, these results are good and compare favourably with those of most schools. The school has set realistic targets in English and mathematics based on the prior attainment of pupils. Targets for 1999 were exceeded. The school is well on course to meet or exceed its targets for 2000. Standards of work seen are good, especially in English and mathematics. Standards of work for eleven-year-olds in science are very good. These standards reflect closely teacher assessments that

p.8

Key

indicate attainment not quite as high as the results of National Curriculum tests. Attainment in information technology is unsatisfactory. Some aspects of the curriculum for information technology are not taught. However, there are strengths in the computer skills that pupils achieve. Attainment in religious education is good. By the age of seven attainment in physical education is good. Standards in all other subjects are satisfactory. Given the context of the school, standards are sufficiently high, although the school is aware that standards in some areas could be even better.

p.8

Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils enjoy their lessons and want to work hard.

p.8

Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. The behaviour of pupils is a strong factor in the quality of learning and the progress they make. A small number of pupils have difficulties with behaviour. These pupils receive a good level of individual support to help them.

p.8

Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils relate well to each other and to the adults in the school. Many behave in a sensible and positive grown up way.

p.8

Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. Attendance figures are better than the national average for similar schools.

p.8

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

Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 9 Lessons seen overall Satisfactory 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.

p.9

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

The quality of teaching in English, mathematics, science and religious education is good. National strategies for teaching numeracy and literacy have been implemented well. The strengths in teaching are the control and management of pupils, teachers’ knowledge of the subjects they teach and the high level of challenge to the thinking pupils must do. This ensures that the learning needs of all pupils are well met. Consistently good teaching in the school ensures that pupils make good progress, particularly in the acquisition of skills and in the way they are involved and responsible in their learning. All teaching is at least satisfactory. No unsatisfactory teaching was seen during this inspection. Seventy per cent of teaching was good or better, and, 24 per cent of all teaching was very good or excellent. Although there are strengths in teaching throughout the school, teaching in the later years of the upper school is

p.9

Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. The school provides for all subjects of the National Curriculum, religious education and for personal, social and health education. There is good support for the curriculum through visitors to school and visits out of school. The programmes of study for information technology are not fully covered at present. A lack of policies and schemes of work for some subjects means that the balance and coverage of the curriculum is not sufficiently secure.

p.9

Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils with special educational needs are well provided for through the careful individual plans for learning and specifically targeted adult support.

p.9

Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory. There is no specific provision for the small number of pupils learning English as a new language. Teachers are well aware of the needs of these pupils and, for most, language acquisition is not a barrier to learning.

p.9

Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. The provision for spiritual, moral and social development is consistent and strong. Provision for cultural development is satisfactory. The school makes less provision for the development.

p.9

Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. The school shows a high level of care through its systems for monitoring personal and academic progress. There are effective systems for the assessment of English, mathematics and science. Assessment in other subjects is not well developed.

p.9

Aspect Comment

The partnership with parents is good. Parents are right to have a great deal of confidence in the school. Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 10

p.9

Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. There is a strong sense of direction in the work of the school. The headteacher, deputy headteacher and key staff are clear about how the school should develop. They are effective in moving towards its goals. The role of the subject manager is well developed in priority areas of the curriculum. This role is not well developed in religious education and foundation subjects.

p.10

Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very good. Governors are efficient in discharging their statutory duties. There is a good working partnership with the school. Governors make good use of their individual areas of expertise.

p.10

Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The school makes good use of its information on standards in English, mathematics and science to help the identification of weaknesses and to take action to develop and improve.

p.10

Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. The school makes good use of the human and material resources available to it. Better use could be made of computers to support work across the curriculum.

p.10

Aspect Comment

The school is committed to raising standards. It is aware of the need to evaluate the provision it makes, to compare its standards with results elsewhere and to consult with parents and others. It identifies where the school can develop and improve, ensuring that available finance is carefully targeted.

p.10

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Provision for personal development is good and this results in good behaviour. • Leadership and management and teaching and learning are good. • The school has high expectations and progress is good. • The school is approachable. • Children like school. • The provision for activities outside normal lessons. • The information received on children’s progress. • The amount of homework given to children.

p.10

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspectors agree with the positive views of parents. The aspects of the school identified as pleasing them most are strong features of school provision and outcomes. The provision for activities outside normal lessons is in music and sport and for older pupils in the school. This provision is satisfactory and follows the general pattern for primary schools. A small number of parents wanted more information on their child’s progress. Parents have two formal opportunities per year to discuss the progress of their children and receive good quality written reports annually. The view of the inspection team is that this is sufficient. The school is very open to parental requests to discuss the progress of individual pupils in addition to this provision. Parents are divided about the provision of homework: one or two feel that there is too much, a similar number that it is insufficient. On balance the inspectors believe that enough

p.10

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

homework is given to support the learning in the classroom. A very small number of parents of children under five feel that their children do not get homework. Most children under five receive no formal homework, although children do bring books home to share with their parents. Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 11

p.10

The school’s results and achievements

1. National Curriculum tests for 1999 indicate that attainment of seven-year-olds was well above average in mathematics, above average in writing and similar to the national average in reading. Standards in mathematics were better than those in similar schools, broadly the same in writing but well below those of similar schools in reading. Over four years standards have been consistently better than the national average. There is no significant trend of difference in the attainment of boys and girls, although there are some differences from year to year.

p.11

The school’s results and achievements

2. The attainment of eleven-year-olds in 1999 was well above the national average in all areas tested: English, mathematics and science. Standards are broadly the same as those of similar schools. The trend of attainment has not always been as strong as this: standards have always been at least as good as the national standard, above that standard and mostly well above the national average. There is little difference in the attainment of boys and girls and no consistent pattern of difference. The school exceeded its targets for English and mathematics in 1999. Targets for this year are similar, based on assessment of prior attainment. The school is well on track to meet or exceed its Year 2000 targets.

p.11

The school’s results and achievements

3. Inspection findings are similar to the results of National Curriculum tests. Identified by assessment soon after they enter school, children under five have a wide range of ability. In general, they have attained that range of skills which is typical of children of their age. By the time they achieve the age of five, they have made satisfactory progress and as they enter National Curriculum programmes of study most achieve standards which are broadly average for their age.

p.11

The school’s results and achievements

4. Subsequently, throughout the school pupils across the range of ability make good progress. This is especially the case in English and mathematics, where the National Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy are a full part of the teaching and learning. Teaching and learning are good and this gives good support to the acquisition of skills, understanding and knowledge. By the time they are seven, pupils attain well. This progress is sustained and by the time they are eleven, attainment is good and sometimes very good.

p.11

The school’s results and achievements

5. Attainment in English is above the standard expected both when pupils are seven and when they are eleven. Pupils achieve well in all aspects of English: speaking and listening, reading and writing. Handwriting is well developed within the school. Attainment in mathematics is above the standard expected when pupils are seven and when they are eleven. Skill in handling numbers is particularly good. The use of number skills is not as good. Science is good and the progress made by pupils is well supported by their involvement in practical investigations. By the time they are eleven, attainment is very good. Despite the fact that many tasks are defined through the use of worksheets and do not give freedom to be constructive and creative, pupils of all ability are challenged to higher standards. This is particularly noted in discussion sessions, where pupils are encouraged to explain what they are thinking. Standards of attainment in information technology

p.11

The school’s results and achievements

are unsatisfactory. Pupils develop good skills in some areas of the curriculum, for example, word processing, but insufficient attention is placed on other parts of the curriculum, for example, in storing information in a computer to make a series of actions happen. Computers are not used enough to support pupils’ knowledge and understanding in other subject areas. Attainment in religious education is good throughout the school. Despite the lack of a policy and scheme for the subject, teachers have very good subject knowledge and ensure that pupils are well challenged both in learning about religion and learning from religion.

p.11

The school’s results and achievements

6. Except for physical education, standards in the foundation subjects of art, design and technology, geography, history and music are broadly at the expected level when pupils are seven. Standards in physical education are good. The standard in all these subjects is at the expected level when pupils are eleven. The standard in design and technology is an improvement since the previous inspection, when standards were unsatisfactory. The subject has moved on considerably, although there is still a need to emphasise the development of the design and make process in Key Stage 1. Some of these subjects do not have an identified subject manager, some have no Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 12 policy or scheme of work and there are no systems for measuring the step-by-step progress of pupils in these subjects. This makes it difficult for the school to identify how to improve standards.

p.11

The school’s results and achievements

7. Given the average standards on entry to school and standards in English, mathematics and science that are at least good and sometimes better when pupils leave the school, good value is added in the standards achieved. Standards are high enough in that the school’s results are much the same as those of other similar schools and better than most schools nationally. However, this is a school committed to progress and the school recognises that standards could be even higher. All pupils make good progress. They are challenged to think and to reason. More than the expected numbers of pupils achieve the higher levels of the National Curriculum. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress. This is the result of the good teaching and learning in the school, careful provision made to address their specific learning needs and well-targeted adult support. The small number of pupils for whom English is not the language of

p.12

The school’s results and achievements

the home make progress which is similar to that of other pupils in the school. There is no specific support for these pupils. However, teachers are aware of their needs. Almost all have at least a basic facility in English and learning English as a new language is not a barrier to their learning in other areas of the curriculum.

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. The attitudes, values and personal development of pupils are very good. Pupils are happy to come to school and pleased to participate in the many facets of school life. Behaviour is very good, largely due to the Home-School Agreement and the implementation of a well thought out behaviour policy. Staff ensure that all the pupils reach good standards of behaviour. Pupils receive praise where it is appropriate. There are positive rewards and comments for good behaviour. The caring ethos throughout the school makes a positive contribution to pupils’ learning.

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Pupils with special educational needs behave well in lessons. They support each other and are in turn well supported by learning support assistants. Pupils with special needs are well integrated into school life and have firm and good relationships with other pupils and adults.

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. The personal development of pupils is very good. Monitoring by staff is of a high standard. Responsibility given to older pupils is accepted with a mature attitude. For example, they choose music for assembly, help with the younger pupils and tidy books throughout the school. Pupils are polite. They treat each other with respect.

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Attendance at the school is good. Most lessons begin on time. Registers are marked at the beginning of each session accurately and neatly. Registration fully complies with legislation.

p.12

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

12. The quality of teaching and learning is good. This results in good progress for pupils, particularly in their acquisition of skills and in the way they are involved and responsible for their learning. Seventy per cent of teaching in lessons observed was good or better, and, of this 26 per cent was very good or excellent. No unsatisfactory lessons were seen during the inspection. Although there are strengths in all areas of the school, teaching in Years 5 and 6 is particularly strong.

p.12

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

13. Teaching is never less than satisfactory and consequently pupils are well motivated to learn. The quality of teaching in English, mathematics, science and religious education is consistently good because teachers have good subject knowledge. National strategies for teaching numeracy and literacy have been implemented well. The basic skills of phonics and presentation are well taught in English. Basics skills are well taught in mathematics. Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 13 14. The vast majority of lessons display consistent teaching strengths. Teachers’ planning is clear in the way it builds on pupils’ previous learning. A particularly effective strategy is the way in which the aims of the lesson are shared with pupils by the use of two cartoon characters ‘Wilf‘ and ‘Tibs’. Pupils are confident, mature, self-assured learners because they are very clear what they are expected to learn. The oldest pupils, in particular, are expected to evaluate accurately whether

p.12

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

they have met their objectives effectively or whether they need to develop their skills still further.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. Pupils are tested and challenged in their learning, both in the way in which their teachers present material to them and in the level of tasks they are given. In a Year 1/2 English lesson, pupils were asked to write lists and punctuate correctly using commas and in a Key Stage 2 lesson on religious education, they were expected to identify the positive qualities of Jesus from the texts they were given. In Year 6, in particular, teaching is focused effectively on giving pupils the skills that they will need to learn successfully in their secondary school.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. Almost all lessons proceed at a fast pace and this is particularly true for the older pupils. This ensures that pupils learn at a brisk rate. In some lessons, pupils are set timed targets. This is an effective strategy.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. Throughout the school there are very good relationships. Learning is fun. For example, in a Year 4/5 mathematics lesson where pupils competed against themselves, the class became really enthusiastic and confident in their learning. The teacher is often the person who makes things happen, giving the pupils opportunities to explore what they can do for themselves. Pupils respond to this challenge by producing a lot of work.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. Teachers involve pupils in their learning very effectively. Question and answer sessions are used well to find out what pupils already know and where gaps occur in their learning. This strategy was well used in a Key Stage 1 lesson while pupils were watching jelly cubes and powder dissolving. The Year 6 teacher made particularly effective use of pupils to give a practical explanation of the process of photosynthesis. In many physical education lessons, teachers ask pupils to demonstrate best practice and this was well done in a Year 3 lesson on ball skills.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. In the majority of classes pupils are managed with a light hand. Expectations of pupils’ behaviour are clear and little time is wasted on dealing with behaviour issues. Where necessary, teachers make effective use of the school rules and individual pupils’ targets, referring to them quickly to reinforce a point made to specific pupils. There are well-established routines in place and this helps classroom life to proceed smoothly without time being lost, for instance in clearing away.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good. Staff are well aware of their specific needs and ensure that these are met by, for example, ensuring that small numbers of pupils undertake tasks outside the classroom, but still use the same techniques as other pupils. Learning support assistants are well trained, clear about what they have to do and well used to support pupils’ learning.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Teachers prepare lessons well, making the best use of the available resources. Whiteboards are used effectively to present objectives and to clarify tasks. Display is used well to support pupils’ learning. A visitor who spoke about wildlife held pupils enthralled. Teachers are beginning to use information technology to support lessons, but at present insufficient use is made of computers.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Occasionally, teachers need to ensure a better match of tasks to pupils' needs; for example, they need to ensure that pupils have a task that they can do by themselves. Similarly, in less efficient lessons the pace of the lesson is disrupted by the need to stop and start the lesson, either because pupils are not listening effectively or because classroom management skills are not sufficiently sharp.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Generally, pupils’ work is marked and dated, but this is not always rigorous or consistent enough. In the best examples seen, teachers respond to pupils’ work and occasionally pupils acknowledge teachers’ comments. However, teachers respond well to strengths and weaknesses seen during lessons. There are plans to link the setting of lesson objectives to teachers’ marking, to ensure that all pupils are clear about how well they have met targets for learning. 24. Homework is used at least satisfactorily, and sometimes well, to support pupils’ learning. For instance, in a Year 6 lesson where pupils had been learning about reference books, the homework Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 14 focused on chapters and contents pages. Pupils in Year 4/5 drew Victorian artefacts and younger pupils interviewed their parents about life at the seaside when they were young and this supported work in history well.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. A similar amount of good teaching was seen in the previous inspection. However, the number of very good or excellent lessons has increased and no unsatisfactory lessons were seen in this inspection.

p.14

PUPILS?

26. The curriculum provided by the school is satisfactory. It covers a broad range of learning opportunities including all subjects of the National Curriculum together with religious education. The school provides a breadth of experiences to support the personal development of the pupils. This includes sex education, health and drug education. However, there are some weaknesses in the statutory provision made for information technology and not all subjects have the expected level of supporting documents in place that would help to ensure progressive learning in all areas of the curriculum.

p.14

PUPILS?

27. There is particularly good emphasis on the core subjects of English, mathematics and science and the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been carefully and effectively introduced to help support basic learning in each year group. There is an effective programme of personal and social education. Pupils have equality of access and opportunity to the full curriculum. Not all elements of the statutory provision for information technology are taught on a regular basis, although in all other ways, the statutory curriculum is fully in place. Good provision is made for pupils with special educational needs. Pupils learning English as a new language get appropriate support from their teacher. Pupils on the school’s register of special educational needs are supported carefully by their own teacher alongside a range of other adults who work mainly in the classroom. Activities are provided to interest and challenge pupils with learning or behavioural

p.14

PUPILS?

difficulties as well as help them taste success and raise their self-esteem. The curriculum helps all pupils to integrate well into the normal school community. The intellectual development of pupils is well promoted within the curriculum and the tasks given help pupils to learn effectively.

p.14

PUPILS?

28. The curricular provision made for children under five is satisfactory. Aspects of the desirable learning outcomes for children under five are suitably planned for. During the reception year, most parts of the Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are introduced into daily learning and this helps prepare children well for the National Curriculum programmes of study. There is, however, some unevenness in the total planning for early years learning among the classes, where there are children in nursery, a reception class and a mixed reception and Year 1 class. A whole-school approach has not yet been finalised.

p.14

PUPILS?

29. Despite the overall adequacy of the curriculum, there are a few weaknesses in the planned provision, some of which have remained since the previous inspection. Although the majority of subjects are well planned and have policies and schemes to support pupils’ learning, some have ‘holding policies’. These lack detail and do not guarantee that learning will be made in regular steps. Other policies and schemes lack clear accompanying statements as to when they will be reviewed and evaluated. Not all subjects have an appointed subject manager to oversee teaching and learning. Although religious education is firmly based on the Wakefield Agreed Syllabus, the provision for this subject is not secure as there is no whole-school planning which helps give a detailed overview of what pupils should be taught at every stage. There are similar problems in history, geography and music, where ‘holding policies’ are also in place. In history, in

p.14

PUPILS?

particular, there are lengthy periods when some year groups do very little work in the subject. This affects the overall balance of their work over the school year. Although there is a successful blend of pupils' learning based on a balance of knowledge and skills, there is no detailed outline to show how teachers will avoid unnecessary repetition or ensure gaps do not occur in those classes where pupils are taught in a mixed age setting. 30. Despite the lack of overview in some subjects, the short-term planning of topics and daily work is undertaken well. Teachers plan their everyday work in teams and this helps bring additional scope and interest to pupils’ learning. Medium-term plans contain useful information about the activities to be undertaken by pupils, including the provision for visits and visiting speakers. Work Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 15 undertaken outdoors is of considerable significance to the school. For example, good use is

p.14

PUPILS?

made of visits to places of historical significance, as well as to contrasting environments such as Filey. The annual residential visit for pupils in Year 6 helps increase both their fieldwork skills and important aspects of their personal development. The school’s relationship with the community is very fruitful and curricular provision is enriched by both educational visits and by visitors invited into school to talk to pupils. For example, pupils in Years 3 and 4 work on environmental themes and learned a great deal from a speaker who raised their awareness of the impact on animals of a polluted environment.

p.15

PUPILS?

31. A satisfactory range of extra-curricular activities enriches and broadens the experience of pupils. These are mainly of a sporting and musical nature and are particularly well supported by the pupils. Six members of staff and many pupils are involved during the year in activities such as recorders, other instrument tuition, rounders, dance club, athletics, football and netball. The school is also involved in competitive sport at appropriate times of the year. ‘Booster classes’ have been introduced successfully into Year 6 to help improve attainment in statutory tests and homework is used satisfactorily throughout the school to support pupils’ learning in several areas of the curriculum, particularly literacy and numeracy. The school benefits from satisfactory relationships with partner institutions such as the local high school.

p.15

PUPILS?

32. Provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. The school has strengthened the quality of its provision since the previous inspection.

p.15

PUPILS?

33. Very good provision is made for the spiritual development of pupils. This remains a strength of the school. Collective worship is very thoughtfully and effectively planned. This gives all pupils valuable insight into the values of others, the place of God in the thinking and lives of many people and opportunities to reflect on their own place in the world. It also directs pupils to the emergence of any beliefs that their young lives will support and understand. Weekly assemblies are carefully linked in a series of meaningful themes such as friendliness, service to others and an awareness of the less fortunate. During the inspection week, the plight of refugees was accurately and sensitively handled and pupils learned to reflect on their own sense of security by way of comparison. Spiritual development is also well supported by ‘candle time,’ a daily occasion when pupils quietly reflect on their own lives and the significance of what they have achieved

p.15

PUPILS?

during the day. The wider curriculum is also well planned to make effective provision for spiritual development. A group of reception and Year 1 pupils were fascinated by the emergence of butterflies from a specially prepared container and some classrooms have discovery areas where pupils can reflect on unusual shapes, observational drawings or a famous painting which helps fire the imagination. Much of the work in religious education encourages pupils to think of the presence of God and of the importance of their own lives in the wider world of creation.

p.15

PUPILS?

34. Very good provision is also made for the moral and social development of the pupils. These have remained strong elements of the curriculum since the previous inspection. The school’s aims and values are well known and are supported and appreciated by parents. There is a unity of purpose in much that the school stands for and tries to reflect in its everyday work and relationships with pupils. In this it is very successful. Pupils recognise, accept and contribute to a strong moral framework provided by the school in their daily life in school. Much of this centres on the code of conduct that is openly displayed around the school and which is frequently referred to as a key to school life. Through this and through daily discussion - during ‘circle time’, for example - pupils develop a keen sense of right and wrong and of the consequence of their actions on others in the school and in the wider community. Religious education is also used effectively in this context.

p.15

PUPILS?

Pupils considered the impact of the Prodigal Son on the lives of his family and the significance of promises as illustrated in the story of the rainbow following the great flood of Noah.

p.15

PUPILS?

35. The importance of social development is a major pre-occupation of the school and encompasses much that it attempts outside the formal curriculum. There are important strands of learning undertaken, for example, in sex and health education, including drug awareness and keeping oneself safe. The relationships between pupils and between pupils and adults are consistently very good and underpin much that is provided for within social and personal education. The behaviour policy of the school is also of considerable significance in helping to shape the outlook and attitude of pupils. Their weekly timetables reflect the importance the school gives to such development. Care is taken to ensure that pupils work regularly in pairs or small groups in an attempt to encourage healthy debate and positive interaction. Older pupils are given many Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 16 opportunities to deepen their social skills. They carry out important duties around the school,

p.15

PUPILS?

such as helping with dinner and assembly arrangements and assisting young children at play. Pupils in Years 4 and 5 study citizenship and send and receive letters to and from the Prime Minister’s office and Buckingham Palace.

p.16

PUPILS?

36. The provision for cultural development is satisfactory but there are weaknesses in the provision made for the multi-cultural awareness of the pupils. Visits to places of local interest help reinforce the cultural and local heritage of the pupils. The study of artists and local authors provide sound awareness of the importance of the arts and there is a satisfactory range of literature to help promote knowledge and understanding in this area. Pupils visit the ballet. The pupils’ knowledge of ethnic minority groups and of the traditions and beliefs of other cultures is less well provided for. Pupils learn about Islam and Judaism in religious education. However, too little is done to teach pupils about the multi-cultural nature of the society in which they will grow up. A few good exceptions do exist, for example, in the links between the school and some children in Sri Lanka.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. The school has a very good child protection policy. The named child protection officer has received formal training. Pupils are aware of whom to go to in the case of problems. Members of staff liaise confidently with the child protection officer when they feel children may be at risk and thorough detailed records are kept. The school liaises fully with the appropriate agencies where necessary. There are good procedures to monitor and record attendance. Regular liaison takes place with the education welfare officer and the levels of pupils’ attendance are good.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. Pupils relate extremely well to both teachers and other adults working in school. The school provides very good educational and personal support and guidance for its pupils. The lunchtime care assistants have been well trained and exercise good quality care and control of pupils during non-teaching periods. Some members of staff have attended appropriate first aid training courses and the school has satisfactory arrangements for the administering of emergency first aid and accident recording. The school, together with the appropriate link governor, carries out regular health and safety audits and, in addition, staff carry out an internal informal inspection. The most recent health and safety audit gave no major items of concern and items mentioned have been dealt with.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported by sensible individual education plans. These plans ensure that teachers and classroom assistants are well informed about what pupils with special educational needs should learn next. All adults working with these pupils are diligent in seeing that they are well motivated and know what they should learn. As a result pupils with special educational needs are well supported in their learning. Good opportunities are created to show what pupils can do, such as by selling biscuits after a week in which they have been learning how to manipulate money. There are good relationships with outside agencies.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The school has very good procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour and during the inspection week, no incidents of bullying were observed. Older pupils are particularly encouraged to help younger pupils; for example, Year 6 pupils worked with reception pupils during art lessons. In the playground, at lunch breaks, less able pupils were befriended and helped by older pupils. School policies for monitoring and eliminating oppressive behaviour and promoting good behaviour work extremely well. The high standard of behaviour of the pupils, noted during the inspection week, reflects the effectiveness of the policies. Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 17 41. Teachers keep records to monitor and support pupils’ personal development. Each member of staff is aware of the needs of every pupil. Relationships are of a high quality between pupils and all adults working in the school. The school has good liaison with its main secondary school.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Pupils are taken to their new school prior to admission.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. Procedures for the assessment of pupils’ attainment and progress are satisfactory. The school has a comprehensive teaching and learning policy in place. This has been recently reviewed and provides teachers with clear guidelines for assessment. The assessment of children’s attainment begins with an initial attainment profile during the first few weeks following admission to nursery. Parents are provided with good opportunities to contribute. Statutory baseline assessments are conducted in the reception classes during the first half term following admission. Teachers in both the nursery and reception maintain good on-going records of attainment and progress that are set principally against the criteria of the desirable learning outcomes. End-of-key-stage assessments in English, mathematics and science are fully in place. The school uses standardised testing materials to assess pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics on an

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

annual basis from Year 2 to Year 6. In addition, non-statutory assessment has recently been introduced to monitor pupils’ progress in design and technology. The subject manager for music assesses all pupils in both key stages against key objectives for the programme of study. There are currently no agreed procedures in place for recording attainment and progress in information technology or religious education, or any other foundation subjects.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. Good assessment and review procedures are in place to monitor the progress of pupils with special educational needs and set new, achievable targets. Teachers keep on-going records of pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science. There is some evidence of good practice in the marking of pupils’ work. Where marking is effective, pupils are provided with clear information on how they might improve their work. However, this practice is not consistent across the school and in some books and folders seen during the inspection there was evidence of some work not being marked at all. Teacher assessment at the end of each key stage is rigorous, especially in English where teachers discuss samples of work to agree the level assessed. In mathematics individual teachers assess samples of work. An annual statement is provided for each pupil, which summarises attainment in every subject. This information is passed on to the

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

next teacher at the end of the summer term and discussed in detail at the beginning of the next school year.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. Assessment information is used effectively throughout the school. Individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs are reviewed regularly and new and appropriate targets are set. The school meets all of the statutory requirements of the special educational needs code of practice. In the early years and in both key stages lessons are regularly reviewed and the information used to inform the next steps in learning. The results of statutory and non-statutory tests are carefully analysed and used for whole-school planning. Good use is made of moderated work to provide guidelines for assessment.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The procedures for monitoring academic progress are good. The school has introduced a system whereby the attainment of three pupils from each year group is tracked year-by-year in English, mathematics and science to provide an overall picture of progression within learning. Effective use is made of assessment information from statutory and non-statutory tests at Key Stages 1 and 2 to track the progress of year groups and set school targets for improvement.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46. Parents take a very positive view of the school. The school has formed a good working partnership with them. Comments contained in the questionnaire completed by parents before the inspection were positive, reflecting the value that parents place on the school and its aims.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. The school provides good information to parents about children’s progress. Annual written reports are produced which give not only ample information regarding pupils’ pastoral and academic progress, but also set targets for the further progress of pupils. Parents’ evenings are held following issue of reports where parents have ample opportunity to discuss with staff the contents of the annual report and their child’s progress. A Home-School Agreement works well. Parents feel that the school values their opinion and the contribution that they make. Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 18 48. A good number of parents come into school to work with the children. The headteacher and staff are available at all times to discuss with the parents any item of concern that they may have. Pupils of parents with special educational needs are involved in discussions and decisions as necessary. Parents contribute towards individual plans for learning to support the needs of their

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

child. Some parents of children in the nursery feel that they would like more information about their children’s curriculum and progress.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. Communication between home and school is very good. The school brochure is informative, parent friendly and contains all the information that parents need. Regular bulletins and newsletters to parents are much appreciated.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. The school values the contribution made by parents to their children’s learning. The links that parents have with the school enable children to progress successfully throughout their school life.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. Leadership and management are very good. The headteacher is very clear about what needs to be done next. The school is vigorous in working towards its priorities. There is a high level of partnership between the headteacher, deputy headteacher, members of staff and governors. The headteacher and deputy head ‘lead from the front’ in the quality of their own teaching. There are high expectations of the work of all adults in the school and this leads to the promotion of good standards for the pupils. The aims of the school are clear and explicitly stated. What the school values most is kept at the front of everyone’s mind, adult and pupil alike. Fairness and justice are constant features of the school. One of the school rules reads, ‘We are responsible for other people’s happiness’. The school does much to live up to that statement. There is a clear sharing of responsibilities through from the headteacher, to the deputy headteacher, members of the

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

senior management team and most teachers with responsibility for managing a subject area. Delegation of responsibilities has not yet given security to all subject areas.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is well led and managed. The special needs co-ordinator has only a short period of time free from teaching but uses this time well to support special educational needs. On one evening a week the co-ordinator meets both parents and teaching staff to give advice and support. The special needs governor is appropriately involved in supporting the co-ordinator and special educational needs are regularly discussed at the full meetings of the governing body.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. The school has focused its priorities on ensuring a high quality of teaching and learning and on the implementation of national strategies. Its policy document on teaching and learning begins, ‘Teaching and learning are the purpose of our school’. Good quality teaching and learning at the time of the previous inspection have been maintained and improved. The teaching and learning document is a very good guide to what needs to be done. There are effective systems for monitoring and evaluating teaching to check that the school’s central messages about teaching are happening in the classroom. What can be improved is identified from this and staff development follows. At present, formal monitoring and evaluating teaching do not go beyond numeracy and literacy. As a result some subject managers are not sure about how good standards are in their area of responsibility.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The governing body plays a significant part in the work and development of the school. Governors know its strengths and where it needs to improve. They are conscious of their responsibilities and discharge them efficiently. Some parts of the information technology curriculum are not taught at present. A development plan for information technology is designed to ensure that statutory requirements for the curriculum are met. Beyond this, the governing body ensures that all its legal requirements are met. Governors work well in partnership with the school. They are as determined on effecting improvements as are the headteacher and staff of the school. They visit classrooms. They have class and curriculum responsibilities. They make good use of their individual experience and expertise in supporting the work of the school. The governing body has set appropriate targets for the headteacher in her management of the school.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

It has approved a sensible performance management policy for September, 2000 which will further enhance the direction of the school. There is no formal appraisal system in place. Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 19 However, all members of staff have time with the headteacher to identify opportunities for developing their professional skills and experience.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The school sets clear targets for development and improvement. It is lively in ensuring that progress is made against its targets. There is a good system for regular review of targets. A thorough development plan identifies what needs to be done next. It is very clear and detailed about when tasks should be done, who has responsibility, how the school will measure success and how much developments will cost. Quite rightly, much has been focused on literacy, numeracy and information technology. The school is well on the way to embedding these in its work. There has been no development work in religious education and most foundation subjects. Although standards are at least satisfactory, these subjects need policies, schemes of work and systems for assessment.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The school is good at managing its finances. Funding is carefully targeted on developments and where money is given to the school for specific developments, it is clear where that money has been spent. Financial and administrative procedures are efficient. Governors are kept in touch with spending patterns. There is now a balanced budget after some years of operating with a deficit budget. Day-to-day procedures are good, well supported by unobtrusive and efficient work in the school office. New technology is well used for administrative purposes. It is beginning to be used effectively in some areas of the curriculum. The school has good plans to widen the use of computers in the classroom.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. Staffing is good. There are sufficient skilled teachers with a good blend of experience and expertise. The school has good procedures for introducing newly qualified teachers to school and to their professional responsibilities. There is an effective link with an initial teacher training establishment. The provision of support within and beyond the classroom is good and has been increased in recent years. Good use is made of these learning support assistants, particularly but not only for the support of pupils with special educational needs. The accommodation is good. Classrooms are spacious and well maintained. The school benefits from a large field and hard play area. The school hall has an excellent floor for gymnastics and dance. Resources for learning are satisfactory. Most subjects have sufficient books and materials to support lessons. Provision for physical education is good. Geography and history resources are less plentiful.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

There are few artefacts to support teaching in history and religious education, although the school makes good use of what it has. The school makes efficient use of its human and material resources.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. Standards achieved and quality of provision, particularly in teaching and learning, confirm that this is a school that is secure in the way it seeks good value. It is quick to analyse its standards, particularly in national tests. This information is well used to identify what needs to be done next. The school is effective in taking guidance and advice through consultations within and beyond the school. Good attention is placed to securing value for money when ordering resources. The principles of best value are applied successfully across all areas of school provision.

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

59. To improve the good standards of the school, the headteacher, governing body and staff should:-

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Raise standards of attainment in information technology by:

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- providing a greater range of resources to support the subject; - increasing teachers’ knowledge of the full curriculum for information technology; - teaching the full programme of study; - improving the planning for the use of information technology across the curriculum; - putting in place ways of monitoring and evaluating standards in the subject; - developing methods for the assessment of attainment and progress in the subject; (paragraphs 5, 26, 27, 42, 54, 102, 115, 126, 127, 128, 130)

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Put in place policies, schemes of work and systems for assessment in religious education and in foundation subjects; (paragraphs 6, 26, 29, 42, 55, 110, 120, 125, 134, 141, 148) Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 20 • Place more emphasis on provision for the understanding of the multi-cultural nature of society. (paragraph 36)

p.19

Additionally the following minor issues would enhance the work of the school:

• Identify where there is current good practice in marking and use this to update the school policy for marking as a support to the progress pupils make; (paragraphs 3, 84)

p.20

Additionally the following minor issues would enhance the work of the school:

• Consider ways in which the balance of the curriculum can be improved. (paragraphs 26, 28, 77, 110, 120, 126) Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 21

p.20

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 29

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

2 24 44 31 0 0 0 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) 20 234

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 0 15 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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 2 5

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 5 43

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 7

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 10

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 10

p.21

Attendance

National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Newton Hill Junior & Infant 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 17 22 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 15 15 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 21 20 21

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 92 (93) 90 (96) 92 (96) at NC level 2 or above National 81 (80) 79 (80) 85 (83)

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 15 16 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 20 21 20

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 90 (96) 95 (96) 92 (96) at NC level 2 or above National 81 (80) 85 (83) 86 (85)

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 12 18 30

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 10 12 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 16 16 16

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 87 (88) 93 (82) 93 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (64) 69 (58) 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 10 10 10 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 14 13 13

p.22

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 80 (82) 77 (82) 77 (94) at NC level 4 or above National 68 (64) 69 (64) 75 (70) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 23

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 1 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 0 0 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) 8 Financial year 1998/1999

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 29.3

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 398,858

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 7 Expenditure per pupil 1,609

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 107.5 Balance brought forward from previous year 2,880

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 13,230

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) 1

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1.8

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 20.5

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 5 FTE means full-time equivalent. Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 24

p.23

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. 64 30 4 0 2

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 53 42 3 1 1

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 40 50 6 1 3

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 54 35 8 1 2

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 73 25 1 0 1

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 71 27 1 1 0

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 50 40 4 3 4

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 54 39 1 2 4

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 62 33 0 2 3

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 31 40 16 3 10 Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 25

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

60. At the time of the inspection, 39 children attended the nursery on a part-time basis. Thirty-nine children of reception age were in two classes. The children who were admitted in January and at Easter were together in one class and older reception children, admitted last September, were in a class with the youngest Year 1 pupils. Sixteen children in the reception classes were still under five years of age. Two part-time teachers and a nursery nurse staff the nursery. Two teachers are in charge of the classes containing reception children and are supported by classroom assistants. Additional learning support is also provided in the nursery and reception classes for children who are on the school’s special educational needs register.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

61. Children are admitted to the nursery from an area wider than the school’s normal catchment area and most transfer into the school. Admission to the reception is on a three-term basis. The school uses the local education authority’s baseline assessment following admission to the reception classes. These results indicate that on entry to the school, attainment for the majority of children is close to the average for children of this age. Some children have skills that are well developed and others have yet to acquire the skills typical of five-year-olds.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

62. By the age of five, most children have made satisfactory progress during their time in school. Children with special educational needs make good progress. Attainment in all of the six areas of learning recommended for children of this age is at least in line with national expectations and in some lessons observed attainment was higher than expected nationally. In personal and social development, standards are above what might be expected of children of this age. This broadly reflects the judgements made at the time of the previous inspection.

p.25

Personal and social development

63. In the nursery the children are happy to come to school. They settle quickly into established routines at the beginning of sessions. They organise their own registration and drinks labels and sit quietly and sensibly with their teacher ready for formal registration and to begin their work. They relate confidently to adults they know and to visitors. Most are attentive and willing listeners and concentrate for an appropriate length of time, waiting for their turn to speak during discussion times. The large majority is developing good levels of independence. They make choices from a range of activities and, when appropriate, remain working or playing without the need for direct supervision.

p.25

Personal and social development

64. Children in the reception classes develop social skills to a good level. They know and follow classroom routines well. Most are confident and have established good relationships with other children and adults in the class. They work with sustained levels of concentration in lessons, when, for example, working on independent group tasks during literacy and numeracy lessons. In physical education lessons, they are aware of their own and others’ safety, enjoy competition when practising for sports day and follow the rules when playing games. Most develop a sensitive awareness of the difference between right and wrong and in circle times show good skills in listening to others respectfully. During lessons, a very small number of children find difficulty in responding to the school’s expectations of behaviour.

p.25

Language and literacy

65. By the age of five most children have made at least satisfactory progress and have attained many or all of the desirable learning outcomes for this aspect of their learning. In the nursery and reception classes children listen attentively to stories. They join in with familiar parts of the story and many are keen to answer questions or offer their ideas. Most express themselves in whole sentences and use the appropriate vocabulary to describe what they know and understand. Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 26 66. Children in the nursery handle books with care. They know how books are organised and talk about what the pictures are about. They ‘read’ the stories by looking at the pictures and many recognise a small range of letters and familiar words. Older children, due for admission into reception in September, recognise the characters in the reading scheme books, identify their names in the text and demonstrate good oral skills when retelling a story. In the reception classes

p.25

Language and literacy

the large majority of children recognise many of the letters of the alphabet and the sounds they make. They enjoy reading and most are confident when reading to adults. They read from the early books of the reading scheme and most read a range of familiar words. A majority of children use their knowledge of letter sounds to build simple, less familiar words. When reading aloud they begin to respond to punctuation in the text. Children with higher-level reading skills develop an understanding of how to find information in non-fiction text by using the contents and index pages.

p.26

Language and literacy

67. In their writing, children in the nursery make marks and some write letters of the alphabet to represent meaning. The majority write their first name, some without help from an adult. Many children in the reception classes write recognisable words sequenced to represent meaning. Higher-attaining children use their writing skills to produce short pieces of news and make accurate use of capital letters and full stops. Pencil control develops satisfactorily and by the age of five, most handwriting is legible.

p.26

Mathematics

68. By the age of five, the majority of children have attained the desirable learning outcomes for this area of learning.

p.26

Mathematics

69. In the nursery, the children identify squares, triangles and circles. They count to ten and record number to 5 pictorially. Older children in the nursery, when playing the ‘Treasure Island’ game, recognise and count numbers to 10 and with teacher support count one to one when moving their counters on the game board. Work covered during the year indicates that children can identify shapes and sequence numbers to ten. The majority adds two numbers up to the sum of ten. Older, higher-attaining children add numbers beyond ten, subtract from ten and work with small denomination coins. Higher than expected attainment was observed in a lesson where the majority of older children were able to double and halve small numbers and in a second lesson on capacity where younger children in the year group demonstrated good skills in estimating.

p.26

Knowledge and understanding of the world

70. The children make at least satisfactory progress in developing their knowledge of the world. By the age of five, most have attained the desirable learning outcomes.

p.26

Knowledge and understanding of the world

71. In the nursery, the children know that if water is placed in a freezer it makes ice. Each day, they talk about different types of weather and decide which symbols should be placed on the weather chart. They are learning to make simple predictions when working on sinking and floating. Children playing in the ‘Travel Agent’ role-play area talk about different holiday places and some of the different ways of travelling to reach places.

p.26

Knowledge and understanding of the world

72. Children in a lesson in one of the reception classes were able to explain that bubbles in water are caused by air. Previous work, recorded in their books, demonstrates a basic understanding of ‘pushes’ and ‘pulls’ in their work on forces, different sources of light, and animals and their young. Children demonstrate satisfactory skills when using a mouse to control events on the computer monitor.

p.26

Physical development

73. By the age of five, children’s physical development is in line with national expectations. Children in the nursery play confidently outside with the large wheeled toys and have satisfactory skills in controlling speed and direction. They climb and jump and many bounce and catch a large ball. They handle paintbrushes, jigsaws and printmaking tools with developing skill. Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 27 74. The younger reception children were observed in a physical education lesson where they demonstrated a satisfactory ability to work in small teams retrieving beanbags as part of their practice for sports day.

p.26

Creative development

75. By the age of five, the large majority of children has attained the desirable learning outcomes in this area. Children in the nursery listen carefully to music and are able to respond to simple graphic notation when learning about rhythm. They demonstrate good levels of independence in art and can mix colours with white to make different colour shades. In the music lesson observed, reception children listened to and identified a range of different sounds.

p.27

Quality of teaching

76. The quality of teaching observed in the early years classes was good in almost half of lessons seen and was never less than satisfactory. The best features in teaching are in connection with the children’s personal and social development, the teaching of basic skills and the high quality of teamwork and deployment of support staff. Good opportunities are provided for children to develop independent learning through well established routines and clear explanations of what is expected of them during lessons. The management of the children and promotion of good relationships is of a high quality. Teachers and support staff use questioning effectively to check what the children know and understand and take many opportunities to promote language acquisition. From time to time opportunities are missed to ask open-ended questions and insufficient guidance is provided during activities to enable children to extend their knowledge and

p.27

Quality of teaching

understanding. Most activities in lessons are matched well to the pupils’ knowledge and understanding. On occasions, however, work is set for some children that does not build effectively upon prior learning.

p.27

Curriculum

77. The curriculum for the large majority of under-fives is broad, balanced and relevant. It provides for children to attain the desirable learning outcomes and prepares them for starting National Curriculum subjects. However, this year the school has not provided a curriculum planned to cover the six areas of learning for the older reception children in the mixed class during the earlier part of the school year. In the nursery, the teachers and nursery nurse plan together. Teachers plan together across the early years and this makes good provision for continuity in learning. The provision for children with special educational needs is good and teachers have a fully inclusive approach to learning for all children. Effective procedures are in place to monitor children’s progress in all areas of learning. Assessment information is used well to inform the next steps in planning. Good opportunities are in place for parents to support their children’s learning both

p.27

Curriculum

through helping in school and homework. Written reports to parents provide a clear picture of their child’s progress. There is currently no system in place to provide parents with on-going information on what is to be taught during the year.

p.27

Accommodation and resources

78. The accommodation in the nursery is spacious and light and makes effective provision for all areas of learning to be taught. Throughout the early years teaching area, the children’s work is attractively displayed. The nursery playground area is marked out and provides satisfactory opportunities for the children to develop their physical skills. The roof of the outside toy shed is in poor condition. Teachers make good use of resources. There is no warm water available in the nursery for hand washing. Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 28

p.27

ENGLISH

79. By the ages of seven and eleven, pupils attain standards that are above those expected nationally. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress and achieve as well as they should.

p.28

ENGLISH

80. In the 1999 National Curriculum tests for seven-year-olds, pupils achieved the standard expected for pupils of their age in reading, but achieved better than that in writing. Pupils aged eleven achieved well above the national average. Inspection findings suggest that pupils achieve above the national average. Older pupils are successful in the higher levels in reading. Good standards in reading successfully support learning throughout the curriculum.

p.28

ENGLISH

81. Throughout the school, standards in speaking and listening are good. Pupils listen intently and so are able to make sensible responses both to their teachers and to other pupils. Teachers introduce subjects at an advanced level and so pupils gain good levels of vocabulary and use words such as ‘osmosis’ and ‘chlorophyll’ appropriately in lessons. In one religious education lesson, the teacher successfully used the technique of ‘hot seating’ where one child took the role of the Prodigal Son’s father and other pupils asked questions such as “Why did you forgive your son?” and this successfully promoted a high level of talk.

p.28

ENGLISH

82. Standards in reading are good. Pupils aged seven read a ‘rap’ poem well, with a suitable awareness of rhyme and beating out a strong rhythm. They have a good awareness of punctuation and are beginning to read with expression, as a class. All pupils, including those with special education needs, are able to express their likes and dislikes. They know about authors, illustrators, titles, covers and ‘blurb’ and more able pupils know the word ‘traditional’ in relation to fairy tales. Pupils aged eleven use non-fiction texts skilfully. They know how to find information efficiently from texts, tables, pictures and a range of dictionaries. They have read the work of a good range of authors, from Enid Blyton to Ian Seraillier. They contrast and compare different authors’ work. The most able pupils are fluent and accurate readers who read dialogue well.

p.28

ENGLISH

83. Standards in writing are good when all aspects are taken into account. Handwriting is particularly well presented as pupils learn to write in a joined-up style from an early age. However, there is no clear guidance on when pen or pencil should be used, so fluent writers are still using pencil instead of pen for many tasks. Pupils in Years I and 2 use capital letters and full stops correctly and space out words well. They spell common words accurately and know about 'sh' and 'th'. More able pupils spell words such as ‘through’ easily. They retell fairy tales, for instance, Jack and the Beanstalk. They begin to use a range of interesting words to join their sentences together. Other pupils write down the common features of a rap poem and say what they most like about the poem. Pupils in Year 6 write in a suitable range of formats, including poems and letters, and in response to novels. They use an appropriate range of punctuation and most words are correctly

p.28

ENGLISH

spelt. Paragraphs are beginning to be used regularly. Pupils draft and redraft their work, but do not use information technology to do so. There are few extended pieces of writing to be seen, either in their English books, or in subjects such as history or geography. The school now has regular timetabled periods for extended writing.

p.28

ENGLISH

84. Teaching and learning are never less than good and in about a third of lessons observed were very good. The format of lesson planning is clear and consistent. Lesson objectives are shared very effectively with pupils, using the cartoon characters ‘Wilf’ and ‘Tibs’. In one of the most successful lessons, the teacher used a good selection of texts to enable pupils to work out why the language used was meant to influence them to take certain actions. A challenging task was set for pupils to make notes and then design a poster that would persuade people to buy a breakfast product, for example. However, pupils’ learning was consolidated and improved by their being asked, in pairs, to evaluate each other’s notes and then decide whether the poster met the specified criteria. In another very successful lesson, the teacher continually reinforced the skills which pupils needed, both to complete the current tasks and to use in their further education. Very

p.28

ENGLISH

good relationships allow older pupils to work together to revise and expand their answers to questions and to find word definition at speed. Pupils are well managed in all classes and there is frequently a calm working atmosphere in group activities. All pupils are well supported. Pupils’ work is usually marked and in the best lessons teachers respond to what pupils can do. However, too often pupils’ worksheets are not well organised and this does not make it easy to trace their progress. Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 29 85. Leadership and management are good. There is an enthusiastic and knowledgeable subject manager who has implemented the National Literacy Strategy effectively. Planning is collected and teachers and governors have monitored lessons. A range of assessment is used to confirm what pupils understand and can do. This is effective. Pupils’ writing portfolios contain samples of

p.28

ENGLISH

work, which have been assessed against National Curriculum criteria. These portfolios are particularly effectively used. Pupils’ reading records are too basic. Older pupils’ records are just lists of books that have been read, but younger pupils’ ‘Book Mark’ books do allow for some dialogue between home and school. There are plans to update these records. The school has purchased a suitable range of good quality materials, which have been well organised in order to support the National Literacy Strategy. There are sufficient books in classroom libraries. The ‘story sacks’ are a particularly useful resource for younger pupils and those with special educational needs. The school library has been well organised. It contains sufficient books, but the quality is variable and a few books need to be discarded. The curriculum is suitably enriched with Book Fairs and Book Weeks and these enable the school to gain further reading resources.

p.29

ENGLISH

86. Standards in English remain similar to the last inspection, except in speaking, where they are higher. The quality of teaching has improved. Throughout the school, pupils’ skills in speaking and listening, reading and writing are well used to support their learning in other subjects.

p.29

MATHEMATICS

87. In the 1999 National Curriculum tests for seven-year-olds, attainment in mathematics was well above the national average. When comparing their results to those of pupils in schools in a similar setting, attainment was also above the national average. While the percentage of pupils reaching the expected level for their age was broadly average, it was the percentage reaching the higher level that illustrates the generally high attainment reached by many pupils in the school. In the years between 1996 to1999, seven-year-olds frequently achieved well above the national average, with girls performing particularly well year on year.

p.29

MATHEMATICS

88. The results of the 1999 national tests in mathematics undertaken by Year 6 pupils show that the percentage of pupils in the school achieving the expected level was well above the national average. The percentage reaching the higher level was close to the national average. When pupils’ results were compared to those from similar schools, pupils at this school achieved broadly average levels. Over the period 1996 to 1999, the performance of both girls and boys at the school was well above the national average.

p.29

MATHEMATICS

89. The trend in high attainment is continuing for pupils at the end of both key stages. The results of the current inspection confirm that standards in mathematics are high among both seven and eleven-year-olds and that pupils make good progress in the subject, including those with special educational needs.

p.29

MATHEMATICS

90. The great majority of children enter their reception year with broadly average attainment in their early concepts and experience of number and shape. By the end of reception (the foundation stage) they build on these concepts well. They begin to understand the basic patterns that exist in number as well as attaining at least satisfactory standards in counting backwards and forwards between 0 and 100, particularly in tens. Most have a good understanding of simple capacity and accurately predict which containers will hold the most water or will take the most blocks to fill.

p.29

MATHEMATICS

91. By the time they are seven, most pupils have a good or very good understanding of number and this is well supported by high attainment in understanding of shape, measures and other aspects of mathematics. The large majority counts, recognises and successfully orders numbers beyond 100. Pupils are quick to recognise more complex patterns in number and use this ability well to learn a wide range of number facts, many of which are successfully committed to memory. In a Year 1/2 class, pupils showed speed and accuracy when halving and doubling relatively large numbers. Others in Year 2 illustrate above average knowledge and understanding of money and measures. Pupils have a good understanding of the important relationships that exist between addition and subtraction and between multiplication and division. Many activities are completed on worksheets and this allows less time for pupils to learn how to set out their work in

p.29

MATHEMATICS

mathematics. However, pupils get through a great deal of very accurate work. By the end of Year Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 30 2, pupils have undertaken work on time, shape, measurement and weight. They also have appropriate experience for their age in handling data and converting them into simple graphs from which they then work to above average standards. Their use of information technology to support mathematical concepts is not used well enough.

p.29

MATHEMATICS

92. By the time they are eleven, the majority of pupils are confident in handling very large numbers and have well above average understanding of place value, fractions and of the inter- relationships existing between the main operations involved in number. They use this knowledge well to check their answers in different ways. A particular strength of their attainment is their ability to work rapidly and accurately during mental work and to employ different strategies for reaching the same answer. The output of work covers a large range including studies of prime numbers, work on coordinates, symmetry, volume and capacity and money problems, with some involving foreign currency. In Year 6, pupils produce good graphic work representing data they have collated about class temperatures and their own body heat. They also compile conversion graphs illustrating inches and centimetres and degrees Celsius and Fahrenheit. Their use and

p.30

MATHEMATICS

application of mathematics are generally good but this is an area of their learning that could be usefully extended.

p.30

MATHEMATICS

93. The quality of teaching and learning is good throughout the school. It is frequently very good towards the end of Key Stage 2. The Numeracy Strategy has been a considerable success during the past year and is a strength of the school’s provision. Teachers plan their daily lessons thoroughly. They make careful use of assessments to help understand what their pupils have achieved and learned previously. Pupils - particularly older pupils - are involved well in an understanding of their own learning and are regularly asked to assess their own efforts set against the intended outcomes of a lesson. Most are confident to say they are having problems in a given area and the teacher then knows best where to direct future support. This worked particularly well during a lesson on decimal fractions in Year 4/5.

p.30

MATHEMATICS

94. The teaching and learning of basic skills are strengths of mathematics: since the introduction of the Numeracy Strategy much has been consolidated well into everyday work. The most effective teaching concentrates on the development of pupils’ understanding of mathematical concepts rather than excessive practice for its own sake. By the time they are eleven, pupils understand more about number relationships. They make very good progress in developing a wide range of strategies to be used to get a question right while making good use of the time available. In a Year 6 lesson, pupils examined several ways of tackling subtraction and most were eventually convinced they could ‘do it in their head’ more quickly than setting it out on paper. Teachers’ expectations are high throughout the school, demanding much of pupils’ intellectual and physical effort. Pupils make good progress as a result of their productivity and the pace of learning

p.30

MATHEMATICS

95. Throughout the school, teachers employ a wide range of methods to ensure that pupils make the most of their learning. The Numeracy Strategy has laid greater significance on mental work and teachers and pupils have integrated this aspect well into lessons. Some of the most effective teaching is through themes which are introduced to the whole class by the teacher’s exposition and well-directed question and answer, followed by individual, paired or group work usually involving worksheets. These are almost always at the right level for pupils to make the progress they are capable of. Because much work is completed using worksheets, standards of presentation have fallen when pupils have to set out their own work. This may take the form of work being undated, a lack of systematic layout or insufficient use of a ruler. In addition, although teacher assessment in mathematics is thorough and informs the next stage of teaching and

p.30

MATHEMATICS

learning, too much of pupils’ work on sheets remains unmarked.

p.30

MATHEMATICS

96. The management of pupils in most lessons is very skilled. Little time is lost. Pupils’ efforts are consistently strong. Learning is also greatly enhanced by the pupils’ own responses and attitudes towards mathematics. They clearly enjoy the subject. Teachers work hard and effectively to ensure that mathematics is both stimulating and meaningful to all pupils. This is seen both among higher-attaining pupils, who receive good levels of tuition and challenge, and among pupils with special educational needs, who make good progress because their needs are well identified and they are then supported effectively by a wide range of adults. Pupils co-operate well. They are enthusiastic about their learning. They enjoy homework, especially when it involves applying their growing skills to problem solving exercises around the home. Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 31 97. The mathematics curriculum meets all statutory requirements and has a high profile in the school.

p.30

MATHEMATICS

This is another reason for the above average standards that are attained. There is good coverage of all aspects of the mathematics curriculum. Although there is further scope for development, teachers ensure that numeracy skills are used satisfactorily across other subjects in the curriculum. This is illustrated in areas such as science, design technology and geography. Information technology as an everyday tool to aid learning in mathematics is underused. For example, there is insufficient use of information technology for data handling or for supporting the learning needs of pupils with learning difficulties. Mathematics is well led by an experienced subject manager who ensures that the targets set for eleven-year-olds are realistic and challenging and that resources are maintained at their current good level. Pupils’ work in mathematics is very carefully monitored and evaluated to ensure that standards are maintained in

p.31

MATHEMATICS

the future. Monitoring of teaching and learning takes place through classroom observation.

p.31

SCIENCE

98. Attainment in science is good by the time pupils are seven. By the time they reach the age of eleven their attainment is very good. Given that there is average attainment on entry progress is good throughout the school. Their acquisition of new skills and knowledge is well promoted by determined teaching that makes heavy demands of their level of thinking. This means that all pupils make progress appropriate to their ability and prior attainment. A significant number of able pupils gain the higher levels of the national curriculum, more than is usual in schools of this type. Few less able pupils do not achieve the level expected nationally.

p.31

SCIENCE

99. Teacher assessment for pupils aged seven indicates attainment that is broadly in line with the national average, although fewer pupils attain higher levels. By the time pupils are eleven, national tests indicate attainment which is well above the standard found nationally and broadly in line with that of similar schools. This profile of attainment and progress is similar to that found in the work seen during inspection. The school has sustained its standards over the past three years. Standards are currently better than those found at the time of the previous inspection. Given average attainment on entry, pupils achieve well, although there is still room for improvement in standards.

p.31

SCIENCE

100. There are good opportunities for reception class pupils who have reached the age of five to begin National Curriculum programmes of study in science. In their classroom these pupils watch butterflies hatch and are delighted by the transformation. They grow a range of seeds, finding many opportunities for close observation of the changes they see. They recognise that apparently dried out and useless seeds will germinate under certain conditions. They begin to use the earliest stages of the vocabulary of science and develop early scientific methods and skills. In a lesson they successfully discriminated between living and not living. Pupils in Year 1 enjoyed their lesson on the formation of bubbles: they recognised that there is air inside the bubble pressing out to make the shape. Pupils in a mixed Year 1 and Year 2 class commented accurately on their observations of solids becoming liquids using jelly cubes and jelly crystals.

p.31

SCIENCE

They predicted what would happen. They recorded their observations satisfactorily and made effective use of scientific vocabulary. Pupils in Year 2 used collaborative and recording skills as they tried out a ‘fair test’ which they had discussed with the teacher. They predicted with some accuracy which materials would be most resistive. Many began to understand that a scientific test needs some things to be kept the same while something changes.

p.31

SCIENCE

101. Year 3 pupils grow beans and observe the development of root and shoot. They recognise many of the conditions required for good growth. They show a sense of wonder at the rate at which the beans grow. They record their observations. Pupils in a mixed Year 3 and Year 4 class enjoyed the planned visit of a wildlife expert. They learned how they could support different parts of animal food cycles. They gained insights into the hazards created to animals by carelessly throwing away litter. This lesson gave pupils great awareness of their privileges and responsibilities. By the end of the lesson they knew how to deal successfully with litter to prevent it harming wild creatures. They understand how dependent for survival different wild creatures are on others. Year 4 and Year 5 pupils said how they would design a fair test to determine the size of a shadow in relation to its closeness to a light source. They discussed shadow formation

p.31

SCIENCE

using good scientific vocabulary. Some very able pupils had a high level of explanation, giving Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 32 good reasons for their thinking. A few less able were not secure about how the size of the shadow would change in relation to how close it was to the screen. In a lesson on soil investigations, Year 6 pupils devised their own fair test to measure the drainage quality of different soil samples. Another group measured the acidity of soil samples. By the end of the lesson they knew which type soil would support the vigorous growth of an azalea and which soil had the wrong chemical composition for different plants. Pupils used a wide range of materials and equipment to support their investigations, made most decisions for themselves and recorded their work accurately. Some used computers to find out more about their investigations.

p.31

SCIENCE

102. The teaching of science is good. It is frequently very good, especially in the latter years of the school. Teachers have good subject knowledge, plan practical activities effectively and manage pupils well. Most lessons are brisk. Only occasionally teachers explain too much and a few pupils become less attentive. This slows down the pace of the lesson. Teachers have less confidence in the use of computers to support learning in science: such use is rare. A common feature of teaching is the way in which teachers discuss learning intentions with pupils. This is a very effective strategy. Pupils know precisely what they are learning and what they should do. This means that they are very involved in the learning process. Another strong feature of teaching is the challenge to pupils’ thinking. This is most noticeable in oral sessions, through question and answer, where pupils are persistently asked ‘Why?’ and ‘What do you think?’. Pupils are also

p.32

SCIENCE

challenged in their learning through the tasks planned for them. These tasks demand a high level of doing and thinking, which extends their scientific understanding. Teachers make good use of resources and adult support where this is available. Very good use was made of the experience and expertise of a visitor in a lesson with Year 3 and 4. The teacher had planned effectively with the visitor and as a result pupils were at times spellbound by the content of the lesson. High quality demonstrations ensure that pupils understand quite difficult concepts. For example, pupils in Year 6 had a very enlightening simulation of the process of photosynthesis. After this demonstration, an able pupil challenged the teacher – ‘If the process is as easy as that, where does osmosis come in?’. Not only did this reveal very knowing use of scientific terminology but also the teacher explained briskly and succinctly how osmosis supports the life of plants.

p.32

SCIENCE

103. The quality of teaching and learning ensures a good response. Pupils are so involved in their work that they are almost always well behaved. They concentrate well and work well with each other in pairs and groups. The exception is where teachers talk for too long and the pace is slow. When this happens some pupils become restless and do not work at such an intensive rate. However, the quality of teaching and learning and the response of pupils mean that in almost every lesson there is rapid acquisition of new skills, knowledge and understanding. This ensures good or better standards of attainment by the time pupils are ready to leave for secondary education.

p.32

SCIENCE

104. Science makes an important contribution to the provision for spiritual and social development. Pupils have frequent opportunities to be reflective about the world around them. They learn about the wonder of germination, enjoy caring for the creatures in their classroom, such as fish and caterpillars, and find the working of an electro-magnet intriguing. The quality and quantity of practical work mean that pupils have to work together and teachers are very clear in setting the boundaries for this co-operative work. This is a significant part of the provision for social awareness and the building of relationships.

p.32

SCIENCE

105. The subject is well managed. There is a good policy and very effective documentation to support the subject. As a result teachers’ planning is effective and pupils build on their learning step by step. Good use is made of test results to identify where improvements can be made. The subject manager has a limited budget for the subject but resources are maintained at a satisfactory level. There is no monitoring and evaluation of teaching at present. The priorities of the school have been elsewhere. Planning is monitored on a regular basis. Samples of work are collected and all staff take part in a process of looking at work to agree the standard at which pupils are working.

p.32

ART

106. Pupils’ attainment in art is at the level expected for their age at both key stages. During the inspection it was not possible to observe all classes taking part in art lessons. However, judgements can be made based on work previously completed as well as that on display or Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 33 retained in art portfolios. Standards remain at broadly the level reported during the previous inspection.

p.32

ART

107. By the time they are seven, pupils experience a broad range of techniques and produce work that indicates careful observation and a satisfactory feel for colour and texture. Pupils are particularly skilled when working with water colours. A group of Year 2 pupils used delicate shades and tones when painting their own version of a vase of artificial flowers. Others in the same class worked to a sound standard when sketching decorative teapots placed on their tables. Some pupils have the opportunity to explore the world of plaster tiles and cut their own designs onto a prepared mould.

p.33

ART

108. By the time they are eleven, pupils increase their skills and experiences in a variety of techniques and have the ability to select materials best suited to their work. Pupils are particularly good at using appliqué techniques and there is some very good work on general display. Some of this work illustrates school life and activities and is very detailed and accurate. In Year 6 pupils experiment with wire sculptures and these are effective in illustrating the fascinating shapes present in nature. Older pupils are also given good opportunities to explore different painting genres such as impressionism. Some good, thoughtful work was also accomplished based on the paintings of Lowry.

p.33

ART

109. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Of particular significance is the teachers’ management of their own classes allowing pupils to experiment with art materials while, on other occasions, providing more direct teaching of techniques. Learning is also heightened by the pupils’ own response to art. During observed sessions, the great majority of pupils enjoyed their work and concentrated to a level most likely to lead to further improvement. Their creative effort is sufficient to make for at least satisfactory progress during the year. Teachers plan their artwork satisfactorily, ensuring that techniques are introduced carefully and well consolidated before moving onto something new. Art is also used satisfactorily to explore and support other subject areas as well as the spiritual development of the pupils. The subject knowledge of teachers is variable. Some lack confidence in giving detailed guidance in the subject. Despite this, teachers

p.33

ART

are able to sustain the progress pupils make in their learning.

p.33

ART

110. There is currently no subject manager and this does not help the flow and organisation of the subject around the school. Despite this, teachers plan their art lessons in close co-operation with each other and take great care to display artwork in the classrooms and communal areas, helping to generate increased effort from the pupils. Resources for art are satisfactory but the current policy and scheme are in need of update and extension.

p.33

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

111. Standards in design and technology are within the range found in most primary schools and pupils make satisfactory progress throughout the school. This represents satisfactory improvement since the previous inspection, when standards were judged to be below the levels anticipated for the age of the pupils.

p.33

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

112. Work on the ‘plan, do and review’ approach now begins during Key Stage 1, which allows pupils to develop more basic skills at an earlier age. This in turn means that by the time they are eleven, many pupils are familiar with basic techniques. Their own projects are sometimes relatively sophisticated and more closely follow the pattern of their plans. Much of the work undertaken at Key Stage 1 helps to support the broad topic being followed in other subjects. The youngest pupils show good attempts at making houses from cardboard and then paint them in attractive colours. Pupils in Year 1/2 link science, literature and art when they design working models of spider reels inside lemonade bottles. By the time they are seven, pupils have a satisfactory understanding of the need to think through their design plans before the making stage. Some find this useful, particularly when thinking of which materials will be best suited to

p.33

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

their projects. This was well illustrated in Year 2 when a group of pupils made creditable efforts at designing and making masks to be used later in their own drama.

p.33

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

113. Throughout Key Stage 2, pupils attempt at least one major project every term, sometimes linked to a topic, sometimes as a project in itself, designed to sharpen skills of planning and making. Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 34 Year 3 pupils link their work to history and make attractive small tapestries from wool and card while others make their own pomanders, creating air fresheners the way they would be made in the thirteenth century. The same age group design and make their own pizzas in food technology, choosing their own toppings according to particular preferences. However, the standard of designs and other preliminary work is extremely variable, with significant numbers of pupils unable to distinguish between a picture and an annotated drawing. By Years 5 and 6, standards have improved: pupils model Stonehenge and create their own terracotta plates with carefully designed surface features.

p.33

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

114. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Strong teaching towards the final years of the school enables older pupils to make better progress. Pupils enjoy their work and make a good effort with the making stage in particular. The management of the pupils is good. Effective use is made of the time available as well as the strengths and interests of support staff and the occasional parent. Where teachers place high expectations on pupils’ making worthwhile designs, the quality of the finished piece tends to be better and progress is also heightened. There is some reluctance among pupils to evaluate their finished pieces set against the original plans. This is an important stage that must not be missed if techniques are to improve still further. Where pupils are asked to handle difficult equipment they do so with care, paying good attention to safety. The quality of teachers’ knowledge and understanding has improved since the previous inspection,

p.34

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

especially at Key Stage 1, but more opportunities have to be given for pupils to explore a greater range of techniques and experiences.

p.34

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

115. There is now a greater understanding among more staff about the nature of the subject. Planning has improved in line with this. Although some examples of pupils’ work are retained, the formal assessment of pupils’ standards has not been fully thought through. Resources are satisfactory. There is insufficient choice of challenging tools and materials for older pupils. Little use is made of information technology.

p.34

GEOGRAPHY

116. By the ages of seven and eleven, pupils attain standards that are in line with those expected nationally. This is the same position as at the last inspection. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make just satisfactory progress and generally achieve as well as they should do.

p.34

GEOGRAPHY

117. Pupils aged seven have a good knowledge and understanding of their own locality. They correctly place familiar garages, shops and homes on a map of the road outside their school, although some need adult help to do so. They compare and contrast appropriately their local area and Bretton. They know, for instance, that they are more likely to see traffic lights and post boxes outside their school. They use their mathematical skills well, when placing objects such as skeletons, bonfires and ‘treasure,’ at different points of the compass, on a map of the desert island. They label the main countries of the British Isles with confidence and have a good idea of the approximate location of both London and Wakefield. Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 35 116. The oldest pupils name satisfactorily the seas around the British Isles, list the rivers in Britain and Europe and estimate the amount of water used both in school and in domestic tasks. When

p.34

GEOGRAPHY

questioned, pupils aged eleven could name correctly four out of five continents. They knew about the equator and the northern and southern hemispheres and recalled a satisfactory range of mountains. They were less confident in recognising a range of maps and their different uses. Only the most able pupils knew about the symbols on an Ordnance Survey map. Although they recalled measuring wind speed and collecting water, they did not remember what the instruments were called.

p.35

GEOGRAPHY

117. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. In the best lesson seen, the young pupils were given tasks that were well matched to their abilities, such as cutting out and labelling different numbers of pictures relating to man-made and natural objects. The ending of the lesson was used effectively to consolidate pupils’ learning. In this lesson, good relationships led to easy class management and to pupils who were willing to help the teacher to clear away at the end of the lesson. In other lessons, tasks were not always so well matched to pupils’ needs. However, effective pupil management skills led to well motivated pupils. As a result, the quality of learning was maintained at a satisfactory level. Occasionally lessons were too long and proceeded rather slowly.

p.35

GEOGRAPHY

118. Leadership and management are unsatisfactory. There is no subject manager and no firm plans to appoint one. There is no policy or scheme of work. The previous inspection report commented that the ‘holding statements’ were unsatisfactory, yet the position remains the same today. The school is beginning to use national guidelines for geography and the medium-term planning supports this. At present there is no one responsible for the purchase of resources to support the subject and consequently there are shortages, for instance, the lack of class sets of up-to-date atlases and sets of Ordnance Survey maps to support educational visits.

p.35

HISTORY

119. By the ages of seven and eleven, pupils attain standards that are in line with those expected nationally. This is the same position as at the previous inspection. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress and achieve as well as they should do.

p.35

HISTORY

120. Pupils in Year 1 and 2 compile effective personal timelines. For instance, they compare how their grandmothers, mothers and they themselves look, noting the differences. Pupils who went on an educational visit to Filey remembered a good range of facts from their discussions with an ‘Edwardian lady’, such as where servants lived and the differences between what boys and girls were allowed to do at the seaside. When questioned, pupils in Year 2 remembered satisfactorily how Florence Nightingale lived. The most able pupils wrote neatly and provided correct, detailed pictures to illustrate what they knew.

p.35

HISTORY

121. Pupils in Year 6 develop appropriate research skills. They frame their own questions. They describe correctly the similarities and differences between themselves and ancient Greeks. When questioned they correctly recalled the Tudor monarchs and could identify the majority of Henry the Eighth’s wives. They had a good grasp of Tudor lifestyles and compare and contrast them with those of both Greek and Victorian times. The most able pupils could correctly place different periods of history in chronological order.

p.35

HISTORY

122. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. In the one very good lesson seen during the inspection, the teacher encouraged pupils to “think as historians”. Skilful questioning allowed pupils to be supported in their learning and so they were well motivated. There was a sense of urgency in completing their task. Teachers at both key stages make good use of the literacy hour, to promote skills needed in history, such as the use of reference texts. Good use was made of homework in Years 4/5 when pupils had to find a Victorian artefact, draw it and find information about it, if possible. Teachers use display effectively to support pupils’ learning. Educational visits are used efficiently to allow pupils to experience life in different periods, for instance, the annual visit to nearby Clarke Hall, where pupils dress in costume and undertake tasks of the period.

p.35

HISTORY

123. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The subject manager is knowledgeable and enthusiastic and makes a sufficient impact on the subject. History has not been a priority in the Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 36 school development plan for a number of years and consequently there is no secure scheme of work to support pupils’ learning. The school is beginning to use national guidelines to support the subject. The planning for coverage throughout the year is unsatisfactory. Year 2 and Year 6 pupils have only one half-termly slot for history and this is insufficient for the five per cent of time allocated for coverage of the curriculum. The school has a small collection of artefacts and makes good use of library project loans and museum service loans.

p.35

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

124. During the inspection it was possible to observe only one lesson in information technology. Other sources of evidence include observation of pupils working individually and in small groups during other subject lessons, discussions with pupils and scrutiny of previously completed work across both key stages. This range of evidence leads to the judgement that by the age of seven, standards in word processing are broadly in line with national expectations but all other aspects of the subject are below what is expected of pupils of this age. By the age of eleven, as a result of skilled teaching, standards in Year 6 in word processing and data handling are broadly in line with national expectations. However, standards in modelling and control technology are below average. Inspection evidence indicates that the programme of study has not been fully followed throughout the school and that insufficient work has been covered. As a result, standards at the

p.36

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

end of both key stages are below national expectations and the subject does not meet statutory requirements.

p.36

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

125. By the age of seven, pupils are confident in controlling events on the computer monitor, using a mouse and demonstrating satisfactory skills in operating a keyboard. They use the computer for word processing. They save and retrieve their work. When working on the computer, pupils move text about on screen, delete errors, and change the style and size of letters. They have limited skills in data handling, control technology and modelling strategies.

p.36

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

126. Pupils in Year 6 are confident in their knowledge and understanding of the wider aspects of communication technology and are able to combine graphics and text to produce documents, posters and news sheets. They produce different types of graphs and talk about how they interrogate the information produced in graphs and charts. During the inspection, pupils demonstrated satisfactory skills and understanding of how to set up and use spreadsheets when working out sales of drinks and relating the information to ‘sell-by’ dates. Currently, pupils have limited skills in and knowledge and understanding of control technology and the use of programs to develop decision-making strategies.

p.36

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

127. The limited amount of teaching observed during the inspection provides insufficient evidence to form a judgement on quality. Evidence from observations, previously completed work and discussions with pupils indicate that some teachers have strengths in teaching specific aspects of the programme of study. However, in other areas there are significant weaknesses in teachers’ knowledge and understanding. This partially explains the low standards of attainment.

p.36

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

128. A clear and comprehensive policy has recently been put into place. This provides a good starting point for improvement. During the inspection, there was very limited evidence of information technology being taught as a subject in its own right. Where information technology is included in lesson planning, it is almost always integrated into planning for other subjects. However, this is not consistent, and in practice does not make adequate provision for the development of skills across the full programme of study. There are no agreed procedures in place for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress in the subject. The scrutiny of work indicates that links between information technology and other subjects of the curriculum (for example, mathematics, science and geography) are not well developed.

p.36

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

129. The subject manager has only recently taken on leadership of the subject. He is knowledgeable and enthusiastic and has a clear commitment to improvement. An audit earlier in the school year has revealed a range of priorities for development. These now form part of the subject action plan. Resources for the subject are now adequate as a result of recent purchases and use of earmarked funding. The school is in Year 3 of the National Grid for Learning Initiative and has put a clearly targeted strategy into place to improve resources and opportunities for development. Plans are in place for the school to be linked to the Internet within the near future. Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 37

p.36

MUSIC

130. Although music was taught in Key Stage 1 during the inspection, it was not possible to observe any music lessons in Key Stage 1. Only a small number of music lessons were seen in Key Stage 2. Judgements on standards by the time pupils are seven years of age cannot be made. Evidence from observations in Key Stage 2 indicates that by eleven, standards in singing are similar to those found in most schools. It was not possible to observe other aspects of the subject for this age group. Standards of attainment in Year 3 in listening, singing, composing and performing are in line with what might be expected of younger pupils in Key Stage 2.

p.37

MUSIC

131. Pupils in Year 3 listen to pre-recorded music - for example, ‘The Carnival of the Animals’ - and identify links between the sounds of the music and the animals it represents. They recognise a range of percussion instruments, respond to simple musical notation by clapping the correct rhythm and are able to work in small groups to compose and perform simple pieces of music. In the singing lesson observed, pupils throughout the key stage sang with a satisfactory level of tunefulness, paying appropriate attention to expression, dynamics control and pulse. When questioned about the meaning of specific musical terms or given instructions on how they might improve their singing, they listened carefully and responded appropriately.

p.37

MUSIC

132. The subject is strongly managed by a well-informed and skilled subject manager who takes much of the responsibility for teaching the subject throughout the school. The subject does not currently have a full policy but has a ‘holding statement’. This is not sufficient to provide teachers with an effective framework to inform practice. Planning makes good provision for all pupils to make progress as they move through the school and fully addresses the programme of study. All pupils are assessed against key objectives and this information is used to inform reports to parents.

p.37

MUSIC

133. The school provides extra-curricular opportunities for pupils in Key Stage 2 to play the recorder. Specialist music tuition is provided for pupils to learn to play woodwind, brass and violin at Key Stage 2. Resources are adequate and of a satisfactory quality. The school has a small collection of recorded music, some of which is used to support work in other subjects such as dance. Music is used in collective worship but some opportunities are missed for the subject to add to the spiritual and cultural aspects of this part of school life. The school enjoys a number of other musical activities, including visits by musical ensembles and the provision of concerts for parents. During the inspection, pupils learning to play an instrument were involved in a ‘play day’ at the local high school.

p.37

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

134. During the inspection, pupils were observed in dance, swimming, games and athletics lessons in which they make progress that is often good or very good. Standards by the age of seven are above what might be expected of pupils of this age. This represents an improvement since the previous inspection, when standards for seven-year-olds were broadly in line with national expectations. Standards by eleven are similar to those seen in most schools. However, in some lessons in this key stage standards were above expectations. The full range of the physical education programme is undertaken over the school year. There are swimming lessons for all pupils in Years 5 and 6 and some pupils in Year 4 in the mixed age class. All pupils in Year 6 have achieved the level expected in swimming and some have attained higher levels. Pupils with special educational needs are fully integrated into lessons, are provided with effective support and

p.37

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

135. At Key Stage 1, pupils respond well to music and poetry in dance. In Year 1 pupils listen quietly and attentively and sensitively interpret the sounds they hear to represent the characters in ‘The Magic Wood’. They use and sustain a range of movements such as creeping and swaying when being ‘dragons’ and develop simple skills in evaluating their work. Pupils in the Year 2 class develop skills in performing with others and respond creatively to others’ movements.

p.37

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

136. Younger pupils in Key Stage 2 demonstrate satisfactory throwing and catching skills when working Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 38 with a partner. They bounce a ball sideways and with practice roll it backwards and retrieve. Pupils in Year 5 demonstrate good levels of co-operation when working with others. They learn to keep their eye on the ball when throwing and catching and improve levels of accuracy through listening carefully to their teacher and following instructions. They discuss rules and strategies and apply them in practice. By the end of the key stage, pupils in Year 6 explain some of the differences between jogging, running and sprinting. They use appropriate arm and leg movements when running middle distance races against their own best time. They know the need for a fast start, consolidation of pace and understand how to kick and pull away to accelerate. Years 4 and 5 pupils in the swimming lesson observed demonstrated good personal survival

p.37

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

137. Attitudes to the subject are almost always very good and never less than good. Most pupils clearly enjoy the opportunity to take part in physical activity and all behave well. They listen attentively, follow instructions carefully, work very well in pairs and groups and follow safety rules. In dance lessons they use their skills creatively and with good levels of imagination.

p.38

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

138. The quality of teaching at both key stages is good overall and was very good in one in three lessons. It is never less than satisfactory. Teachers have a secure subject knowledge and understanding of the requirements of the programme of study. Basic skills are taught well. In most lessons teachers have high expectations of behaviour and performance. Lesson objectives are planned clearly, with appropriate activities in place to promote skills development. Teachers make effective use of the accommodation and resources. Good attention is paid to health and safety.

p.38

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

139. The subject policy and medium-term planning provide a satisfactory framework to inform lesson planning and provide continuity in skills development. There is currently no scheme of work in place but a draft scheme has been written and is planned to be operational at the beginning of the next school year. Accommodation for the subject is very good. The school has a spacious and well-equipped hall, adequate hard play areas and good-sized, well cared for games fields. Resources make good provision for all aspects of the subject to be taught. They are of a good quality and well organised. Satisfactory opportunities are provided for both boys and girls at Key Stage 2 to take part in dance, football, netball and rugby as part of the school’s extra-curricular provision. The school regularly competes with other schools in a range of sporting activities.

p.38

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

140. Attainment in religious education is above the standard expected of the locally agreed syllabus when pupils are seven and eleven years old. This standard of attainment is sustained by very challenging lessons which are well supported by very effective use of teacher knowledge. Much of the work is practical – through discussion and debate, through role-play and through making artefacts to support learning. The quality of written work does not fully reflect the challenge to thinking found in lessons.

p.38

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

141. Reception and Year 1 pupils discuss the story of Noah and find out what it means to make and keep a promise, relating this to the appearance of the rainbow. Pupils in a mixed Year 1 and 2 class enjoy the story of Jesus stilling the storm from the point of view of a stowaway mouse. They recognise The Bible as a special book. One pupil who already knew the story said, ‘He’s going to do a miracle’, referring to Jesus. Pupils related the story to their own experience and feelings. They made sensitive and quite perceptive comments. Year 2 pupils were quick to recount the story of the prodigal son. They reflected on their own feelings about the story. They discussed how they would feel as a character in the story. Role-play in which pupils took the part of the father, the prodigal and the older brother revealed a sensitive appreciation of qualities of forgiveness, jealousy and reconciliation.

p.38

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

142. Year 3 pupils discuss their understanding of Jesus. They know about his Jewish background. They discuss His qualities. They show a good understanding of New Testament stories, although not all are completely secure in their knowledge. Pupils in a mixed Year 3 and 4 class learned to summarise from evidence what sort of person Jesus was. Pupils recognised that different cultures reflect Jesus in different ways. Year 4 and 5 pupils have a comprehensive knowledge of Judaism. They recognise many of the faith and cultural practices of the Jewish religion. They Newton Hill Junior & Infant School - 39 know that men and women traditionally worship in separate parts of the synagogue and that men take the leading part in orthodox practices. They are sensitive in their understanding that The Torah is treated with great reverence.

p.38

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

143. The analysis of pupils’ written work reveals that they work on topics such as the place of water in different faiths, lessons for life drawn from religious practices and such influences as peer pressure. Some pupils have written about Vishnu and Rama and Sita, giving them a knowledge of religions in the Indian sub-continent.

p.39

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

144. The quality of teaching is good. Some is excellent and a substantial proportion is very good. Teachers have very good subject knowledge. They are adept not only at teaching about religion but also at drawing lessons from religion. This is a great challenge to pupils’ learning. Pupils have opportunities to think, relate their learning to their own life and to derive great insights from the stories. Although the level of written tasks is not particularly challenging, a great deal is expected of pupils in their thinking and discussing. Teachers set very challenging learning objectives; for example, a Year 2 class was encouraged ‘to respond sensitively to values and concerns of others’ and ‘to identify the key concepts of repentance, forgiveness, reconciliation and jealousy’. There is great success in achieving these objectives in pupils’ learning. In role-play, pupils are very clear about why the prodigal came back, why his father accepted him and why the

p.39

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

older brother felt affronted. Lessons go briskly. Pupils are so involved in the learning that there is time only for being involved in the activity. Many make very significant gains in their understanding. They rapidly acquire many of the life lessons outlined in teachers’ learning objectives.

p.39

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

145. There is a good response to religious education lessons. Pupils have many opportunities to talk about themselves, their feelings and their responses. This draws them deeply into the content of lessons. They are eager to show what they know: about Jesus and the stories of His life and about their learning from Judaism. As a result, religious education lessons make a very significant contribution to the school’s provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils not only learn about religion but learn a great deal about themselves through reflection and discussion. They find out how different religions support a moral code. They have good opportunities to work together but also learn about the principles that support life in society. Multi-cultural understanding is supported through learning about a range of religions.

p.39

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

146. Despite the fact that development in the subject has not been a priority, standards are good. The most significant factor in the continued progress of pupils is that one member of staff does much of the teaching. However, there is no policy for the teaching of religious education, no scheme of work except selection from the agreed local syllabus and no system for assessing the progress pupils make. The subject manager has a draft policy and has some ideas for a scheme and system for assessment but there is still a great deal of work to be done to assure the step-by-step progress of pupils. There has been an audit of available resources and there is a small budget to manage. Although good use was made of artefacts in one lesson – the wearing of a typical Jewish skullcap by boys and not by girls confirmed a point made in the teaching – there is not a good stock of artefacts to support learning.

p.39