Holland Haven Primary School

INSPECTION REPORT

Holland Haven Primary School Holland-on-Sea

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INSPECTION REPORT

Unique Reference Number: 115256 Inspection Number: 191054

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INSPECTION REPORT

Dates of inspection: 22 nd – 25 th November 1999

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INSPECTION REPORT

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. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school.

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INSPECTION REPORT

Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the appropriate authority must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. Every registered parent of a registered pupil at the school should receive a free copy of the summary of the report within ten working days of receipt of the summary by the appropriate authority. A charge not exceeding the cost of supply may be made by the appropriate authority for any other copies of the report and/or its summary provided to any person who asks for one. The appropriate authority should make a copy of the report and the summary available for inspection by members of the public at such times and at such a place as may be reasonable Any enquiries about this legislation should be addressed to the OFSTED Compliance Helpline Tel. 0171421 6567 Holland Haven Primary School-3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Primrose Road Holland-on-Sea Essex CO15 5PP

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Eddie Notman

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: May 1996 Holland Haven Primary School-4

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Malcolm Childs, RgI Information technology Attainment and progress Geography Teaching History Meg Hackney, Lay Inspector Attitudes, behaviour and personal development Attendance Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare Partnership with parents and the community Shelagh Halley English Art Under fives Special educational needs Christopher Furniss Mathematics Leadership and management Design and technology The efficiency of the school Music Equality of opportunity John Sangster Science Curriculum and assessment Religious education Staffing, accommodation and resources Physical Education

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

WES World-wide Education Service Canada House 272 Field end Road Eastcote Middlesex HA4 9NA

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Educational standards achieved by pupils at the school

Attainment and progress 4 - 13 Attitudes, behaviour and personal development 14 - 17 Attendance 18

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Quality of education provided

Teaching 19 - 25 The curriculum and assessment 26 - 31 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 32 - 36 Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare 37 - 44 Partnership with parents and the community 45 - 49

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The management and efficiency of the school

Leadership and management 50 - 57 Staffing, accommodation and learning resources 58 - 61 The efficiency of the school 62 - 65 Holland Haven Primary School-6

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PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

Areas of learning for children under five 66 - 83

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PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

English, mathematics and science 84 - 108

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PART C: INSPECTION DATA

Summary of inspection evidence 155 - 157

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What the school does well

• . There has been significant improvement in rates of progress and levels of attainment in information technology and the subject is a strength of the school. ( Information technology was a key issue at the time of the last inspection). • . Attainment in mathematics was well above the national average in the 1999 National Curriculum tests at the end of key stage 2. • . The provision for the moral and social development of pupils is very good and has a positive effect on their overall behaviour. • . The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good and they make good progress. • . Pupils generally have very good attitudes towards their work, which are reflected in the progress they make. • . The school has established an effective partnership with parents. This has involved them constructively, to the benefit of their children’s learning.

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What the school does well

· Where the school has weaknesses I. Opportunities for subject co-ordinators to monitor the quality of teaching and review planning in subjects other than English, mathematics and information technology are limited. II. The curriculum provided for pupils under five is unsatisfactory. III. Rates of progress and levels of attainment in religious education are unsatisfactory in Key Stage 1. ( This was a key issue at the time of the last inspection.) IV. Standards of recording and presentation need to be raised.

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The weaknesses are outweighed by what the school does well, but they will form the basis of the

governors’ action plan, which will be sent to all parents or guardians of pupils at the school.

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The weaknesses are outweighed by what the school does well, but they will form the basis of the

· How the school has improved since the last inspection

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The weaknesses are outweighed by what the school does well, but they will form the basis of the

The school has made good progress in addressing most of the key issues identified in the last report. The quality of teachers’ planning has improved significantly and appropriate attention is now placed on the National Curriculum programmes of study and other national guidance. Intended learning outcomes are clearly identified and overall the quality of long, medium and short-term planning is good across the school. Good quality schemes of work are in place for English, mathematics, science and information technology that take account of the National Curriculum requirements, the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and other national guidance. Non-core subjects such as design and technology, geography and history make effective use of the former National Curriculum programmes of study and other more recent national guidance where these are available. There is a good match of tasks set to the prior attainment of pupils that is based upon the good

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The weaknesses are outweighed by what the school does well, but they will form the basis of the

assessment procedures that are now in place, primarily in the core subjects. Subject co-ordinators now have more opportunity to monitor their subjects, especially in literacy, numeracy and information technology, but in other subjects progress in this area of management are more limited. The improvements in provision, progress made and levels of attainment in information technology are very good.

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The weaknesses are outweighed by what the school does well, but they will form the basis of the

There has been no improvement in rates of progress and levels of attainment in religious education in Key Stage 1. While there has been some progress in the provision for the preparation of pupils for life in a multi- cultural society, this has been less significant than the improvement made in other areas.

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The weaknesses are outweighed by what the school does well, but they will form the basis of the

Given the progress already made and the present management structure the school’s capacity for future Holland Haven Primary School-8 improvement is judged to be good.

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The weaknesses are outweighed by what the school does well, but they will form the basis of the

· Standards in subjects This table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds in 1999 based on the National Curriculum tests:

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similar schools

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

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similar schools

The table shows that attainment in English and science at the end of Key Stage 2 in 1999 was average when compared with all schools and when compared with similar schools. Attainment in mathematics was well above average when compared with all schools and with similar schools. Attainment in English is average in the present Year 2 and above average in Year 6, with attainment in mathematics and science average in both.

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similar schools

Attainment in information technology is above average at the ends of both key stages, while attainment in religious education is below the expectations of the locally Agreed Syllabus at the end of Key Stage 1, and is average at the end of Key Stage 2.

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similar schools

Attainment is average in all other subjects across the school.

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similar schools

The curriculum provided for children under five is unsatisfactory overall because planning for these young children is based on the requirements of the National Curriculum, rather than the desirable learning outcomes. This results in many pupils not achieving the desirable learning outcomes in creative development by the age of five. However, attainment in language and literacy and mathematics is above average and it is average for all other aspects. Attainment in other areas while average, is below that which they might achieve given the provision of a more appropriate learning environment.

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similar schools

1 The proportion of pupils achieving Level 4 or above in English and science in 1999 was close to, but above the national average, at the end of Key Stage 2 using the national league table criteria. Holland Haven Primary School-9 ·

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Quality of teaching

· Teaching in Under 5 5 – 7 years 7 – 11 years

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Quality of teaching

English Satisfactory Satisfactory Good Mathematics Satisfactory Satisfactory Good Science * Satisfactory Good Information technology * Good Good Religious education * Satisfactory Satisfactory Other Subjects Satisfactory Satisfactory Satisfactory The quality of teaching is good overall, with 96 per cent of lessons satisfactory or better and 58 per cent good or better. Seventeen per cent of lessons were very good or better, and three per cent were excellent. Teaching in the reception year and across Key Stage 1 is generally satisfactory: nearly a third of lessons in reception were good, and nearly half were good or better in Key Stage 1. However, there are weaknesses in planning in the reception year in relation to meeting the needs of children under five. Two unsatisfactory lessons were observed in Key Stage 1. Teaching is good overall in Key Stage 2, with 98 per cent of lessons satisfactory or better and

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Quality of teaching

66 per cent good or better. Twenty-three per cent of lessons were very good or better, and four per cent were excellent. One unsatisfactory lesson was seen in Key Stage 2. This represents a significant improvement on the position at the time of the last inspection, when the quality of teaching was judged to be sound or better with a significant number of lessons in Key Stage 2 being very good. However, at that time, a quarter of the lessons in Key Stage 1 were unsatisfactory.

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Quality of teaching

Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that strengths outweigh any weaknesses

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour Pupils’ very good behaviour is having a positive effect on levels of attainment and the good ethos of the school. Attendance Satisfactory and in line with the national average.

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Aspect Comment

Ethos* Good. The school is committed to raising levels of attainment within a community where each pupil is valued. Leadership and management Good. The headteacher has a very clear vision for the school and works effectively with the deputy headteacher, senior management team and governing body to move the school forward. Curriculum Satisfactory. The provision is very good in information technology. The provision for the under fives is unsatisfactory in relation to knowledge and understanding of the world, creative development, physical development and personal and social development. In addition there are weaknesses in art and music in Key stages 1 and 2. Pupils with special educational needs Very good co-ordination, effective teaching and learning support ensure that pupils make good progress towards the targets set for them. Spiritual, moral, social & cultural development Good overall. The provision for moral and social development is very

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Aspect Comment

good. The provision for spiritual and cultural development is satisfactory. Staffing, resources and accommodation Good overall. However, the accommodation for the under-fives and the provision of large play equipment are unsatisfactory. Value for money Good.

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Aspect Comment

*Ethos is the climate for learning: attitudes to work, relationships and the commitment to high standards. Holland Haven Primary School-10 · The parents’ views of the school

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

V. The ease with which the school can be approached. VI. The way in which the parents are encouraged to participate in their children’s education. VII.The effective way in which the school handles complaints from parents. VIII. The standards of work achieved. IX. The fact that their children like school. X. There were no significant areas of concern.

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

Inspectors support the parents’ positive view of the school, although the report has identified a number of areas of concern that are included as key issues and minor weaknesses to be addressed by the governing body. Holland Haven Primary School-11 · KEY ISSUES FOR ACTION

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

The governing body, headteacher and staff should:

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

XI. improve the effectiveness of monitoring procedures by

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

providing more frequent opportunities for subject co-ordinators to observe teaching and review planning and assessment procedures in all subjects (other than English, mathematics and information technology, where appropriate arrangements are already in place);

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

(Paragraphs 51, 82, 100, 108, 120, and 125)

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

XII. improve the provision for the under fives by:

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

ensuring that there is effective co-ordination of this aspect of the school’s work, providing a classroom learning environment more appropriate to children of this age, making more effective use of the outside area as a natural extension of the classroom, making tasks set more appropriate, making more effective use of baseline assessment, introducing continuous observation and assessment to ensure that tasks set take pupils’ learning forward appropriately, and by improving levels of resourcing, especially in wheeled vehicles, large construction materials and apparatus for climbing and balancing;

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

(Paragraphs 4, 14, 20, 22, 23, 26, 31, 60, 61, 64 and 66 – 83)

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

XIII. raise the standard of writing, recording and presentation by:

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

offering more opportunities for extended writing for different purposes, and by teaching handwriting and presentation skills consistently across the school;

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

XIV. raise rates of progress and levels of attainment in religious education in Key Stage 1 by:

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

providing more time for pupils both to discuss and to record their work, and by establishing systems for assessing pupils’ attainment so that progress may be plotted and that targets for improvement may be set.

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

In addition the governors should consider the following minor weaknesses when preparing their action plan.

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

XV. The provision made for art is unsatisfactory because skills are not consistently developed across the school. (Paragraphs 122 and 125) XVI. The co-ordination of music is unsatisfactory. ( Paragraph 144) Holland Haven Primary School-12 XVII. The provision of curriculum time remains below the recommended minimum at both key stages. (Paragraphs 116, 119, 125, 129, 133, 140, 143 and 144)

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

1. Holland Haven is a larger than average primary school with 273 pupils on roll. Of these 134 are girls and 139 are boys. In addition there are six children under five in the reception class. Children under five are admitted at the start of the term in which they become five. Three pupils comes from homes where English is an additional language. The school serves the Holland-on-Sea area, which is predominantly, owner occupied housing. Pupils come from a range of backgrounds. A small number of parents have professional backgrounds and many run small businesses. There is an increasing amount of unemployment in the area. The school has been included in the local area Education Action Zone. Forty-six pupils (17 per cent), which is similar to the national average, have been identified as being eligible for free school meals. The school has recently undertaken substantial rebuilding which has made possible the provision of additional

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

facilities, such as a computer suite. Attainment on entry is average, although the proportion of higher- attaining and well below average pupils is relatively low, with the majority of pupils falling in the middle range of attainment. The majority of pupils are taught in mixed-age classes. The school provides support for 57 pupils with special educational needs (20 per cent) which is broadly in line with the national average. Of these nine are on the higher Stages 3 to 5 (3 per cent) and two have a statement of special educational need. The school is currently meeting the needs of pupils with specific learning difficulties (dyslexia), moderate learning, speech and communication difficulties and Aspergers Syndrome.

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

2. The school has set the following priorities for improvement: • . to improve writing throughout the school. • . to address more effectively the performance of more able pupils in Key Stage 1. • . To maintain levels of attainment in mathematics. • . to maintain and improve current levels of attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 in English, science and information technology.

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

1. The school has published the following targets at the end of Key Stage 2 in English and mathematics:

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

3. Target percentages of pupils achieving Level 4 and above:

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What most parents like about the school What some parents are not happy about

These targets take into account the prior attainment of each year group and this accounts for the different expectations in 2000 and 2001. 3. Holland Haven Primary School-13 3. Key indicators

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Attainment at Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 Year Boys Girls Total For latest reporting year: 1999 25 22 47 Holland Haven Primary School-14 3. National Curriculum Test/Task

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Results

Number of pupils Boys 20 21 24 at NC Level 2 or Girls 19 19 20 Above Total 39 40 44 Percentage at NC School 84 85 94 Level 2 or above National 82 83 87

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Results

3. Teacher Assessments Reading Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 21 24 23 at NC Level 2 or Girls 19 20 20 Above Total 40 44 43 Percentage at NC School 85 94 92 Level 2 or above National 82 86 87

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Attainment at Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 Year Boys Girls Total For latest reporting year: 1999 19 21 40

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Results

Number of pupils Boys 14 15 16 at NC Level 4 or Girls 16 18 16 Above Total 30 33 32 Percentage at NC School 75 83 80 Level 4 or above National 70 68 78

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Results

3. Teacher Assessments English Mathematics Science Number of pupils Boys 14 15 16 at NC Level 4 or Girls 18 18 18 Above Total 32 33 32 Percentage at NC School 80 83 80 Level 4 or above National 68 69 75

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Attendance

Percentage of half days (sessions) missed % Holland Haven Primary School-15 through absence for the latest complete Authorised School 5.8 reporting year: Absence National comparative data 5.7 Unauthorised School 0.2 Absence National comparative data 0.5 3.

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Attendance

Number of exclusions of pupils (of statutory school age) during Number the previous year: Fixed period 1 Permanent 0

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Attendance

Percentage of teaching observed which is: % Very good or better 17 Satisfactory or better 96 Less than satisfactory 4 Holland Haven Primary School-16 3. PART A: ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

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Attendance

3. EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS AT THE SCHOOL

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Attendance

1. Children under five enter the reception class with attainment that is broadly average for their age. The last inspection reported that these young children were given a satisfactory start in all areas of the early years curriculum with the exception of knowledge and understanding of the world and aesthetic and creative development. This remains the case. While most children reach above average levels of attainment in language and literacy by the age of five and attainment is average in most other aspects, it remains below average in creative development. This is a consequence of the focus of teacher planning being on the National Curriculum rather than the desirable learning outcomes. As a result, children only make satisfactory progress overall, because the teaching methods and organisation used do not always match their needs.

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Attendance

2. Between 1996 and 1998 the proportion of pupils attaining the expected Level 2 in reading, writing and mathematics in the National Curriculum tests and tasks at the end of Key Stage 1, remained broadly in line with the national average. However, when the 1998 results are compared with the average for similar schools, attainment was below average. The results for 1999 were slightly above the national average in reading and writing, and above the national average in mathematics, although the number of pupils attaining the higher than expected Level 3 was below the national average in all three. When compared with those from similar schools, the 1999 results show that attainment in reading and writing remains below the average for similar schools, while that for mathematics was above average. Data showing the trend in attainment for science over time was not available, but the results for 1999 were slightly above the

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Attendance

national average and they were average when compared with similar schools. Overall, there has been a slight decline in attainment between 1996 and 1998 in reading writing and mathematics. However, attainment in mathematics has been improving since 1999 and the slight improvement in reading and writing in the 1999 National Curriculum tests and assessments is being maintained in the present Year 2 class.

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Attendance

3. Pupils make satisfactory progress in reading, writing and mathematics, and good progress in science across Key Stage 1. For example, the majority improve appropriately in their knowledge and understanding of the way in which a familiar story should be sequenced. Similarly, they become increasingly confident in their use of number and most develop good mental strategies. The majority show developing understanding of the properties of two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. In science, pupils make particularly good progress between Years 1 and 2 in the use of investigative methods. All aspects of the National Curriculum programmes of study are covered and the levels of progress made are a reflection of the satisfactory teaching observed in this key stage.

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Attendance

4. Between 1996 and 1998 the proportion of pupils attaining the expected Level 4 in English, mathematics and science in the National Curriculum tests at the end of Key Stage 2, remained broadly in line with the national average. However, when the 1998 results are compared with the average for similar schools they were below average in English and mathematics, and well below in science. The results for 1999 were slightly above the national average in English, well above in mathematics and broadly in line in science. The number of pupils achieving the higher Level 5 was above the national average in all three subjects. However, when these results are compared with similar schools they show that attainment was average in English and science, and well above average in mathematics. The trend in attainment over time has been variable in all three subjects, rising between 1996 and 1997, falling between 1997 and 1998 and rising

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Attendance

again between 1998 and 1999. These fluctuations reflect the different years groups and the targets set by the school in English and mathematics for 2000 and 2001 show that these fluctuations are expected to

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Attendance

2 Desirable learning outcomes are the goals for young children in personal and social development, language and literacy, mathematics, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development and creative development. Holland Haven Primary School-17 continue.

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Attendance

5. Progress in English and mathematics is good and it is satisfactory in science across the key stage. The best progress is made in Years 5 and 6. In English, for example, pupils make particularly good gains in their knowledge and understanding of classical authors because of the good teaching they receive. The effective implementation of the National Literacy Strategy is an important element in the levels of progress being made. In mathematics the effective introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy has led to significant improvement in pupils’ skills in mental mathematics as well as in their understanding of number structure, reflected in the improvement in the 1999 National Curriculum test results when compared with those from similar schools. In science pupils make their best progress in their understanding of the nature of a fair test and the way in which they develop their research skills, especially in Years 5 and 6. The generally good

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Attendance

quality of teaching is a significant factor in the levels of progress being made.

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Attendance

6. The previous inspection report found that standards were ‘sound overall and in accord with national expectations.’ Some pupils, particularly in Key Stage 2, were achieving well for both their age and ability in some subjects. In Key Stage 1, attainment was sound in English and normally sound in mathematics. In science, pupils’ attainments were often good. In other subjects attainment was generally average. However, pupils’ achievements were often above national expectations in music. They were below local expectations in religious education and below national expectations in information technology. In Key Stage 2 standards were generally above national expectations in English, science, history and art and above local expectations in religious education. In other subjects attainment was satisfactory. Overall pupils made sound to good progress and occasionally they made very good progress. The previous inspection team had

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Attendance

access to limited national data. The present report has based its judgements on all the national, local authority and school-based data made available for the years 1996 to 1999.

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Attendance

7. Poor attainment and progress in information technology were key issues at the time of the last inspection. There has been significant improvement, and information technology is now a strength of the school. Attainment is now above average at the ends of both key stages with pupils making good progress across the school. The introduction of a well-designed computer suite, good in-service training for teachers and support staff, and generally good or better teaching are the key elements in this improvement. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils are proficient in the use of a computer for word processing, data handling and modelling. They are also able to use skills in design and technology to produce quite sophisticated computer-controlled models – for example, of a car or a windmill.

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Attendance

8. Pupils’ attainment in religious education is below the expectations of the locally Agreed Syllabus at the end of Key Stage 1. The limited time available for this subject means that there is too little time for pupils to record their work and they make unsatisfactory progress. Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 is broadly in line with the expectations of the locally Agreed Syllabus in relation to an understanding of Christianity and of other faiths. There has been no improvement since the previous inspection, when attainment at Key Stage 1 was a key issue.

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Attendance

9. Pupils’ attainment is average for their age in art, design and technology, geography, history, music and physical education. Pupils make good progress in physical education and satisfactory progress in most other subjects. In art, progress is limited because it is not taught as a subject in its own right, and in music, because the co-ordination of the subject is unsatisfactory.

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Attendance

10. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good, and most make good progress towards the individual targets set for them. All pupils have equal access to the curriculum and there are no significant differences in the attainments of boys and girls.

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Attendance

13. Attitudes, behaviour and personal development

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Attendance

1. Children under five have positive attitudes to learning and their behaviour is very good. However, the way in which the planning in the reception year is based upon the requirements of the National Curriculum, rather than the desirable learning outcomes, means that there are too few planned and spontaneous Holland Haven Primary School-18 opportunities for the personal and social development of these young children to take place, although most achieve the desirable learning outcomes by the age of five.

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Attendance

1. Throughout the school, pupils have a very good attitude towards their learning and are interested in their work. This makes a significant contribution to their progress and attainment. Since the last inspection, the quality of pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development has remained good. Pupils in all classes respond enthusiastically and listen attentively to their teachers. Most pupils, both boys and girls, and those with special educational needs, concentrate effectively and are able to work well independently and in small groups. Pupils respond well to challenge, and in all classes they were seen answering questions co- operatively and asking questions to find out more information. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 were seen joining in well with a discussion about life in Ancient Greece, and a Year 4 class were keen to share their observations of life during the reign of Henry VIII. In all classes, pupils respond very well to literacy and

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Attendance

numeracy sessions, and most show an enthusiasm for books, using dictionaries and other related learning resources well. Pupils were seen enjoying their learning and they are happy and confident in school.

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Attendance

2. Pupils’ behaviour in classrooms and outside in the playground is very good, and the school is a very orderly environment. The quality of behaviour impacts well on pupils’ progress, the learning of others, and on the quality of life in the school. This confirms the views of parents that the school achieves a high standard of good behaviour. Pupils respond well to the golden rules and to the very positive ethos. They know the difference between right and wrong, and understand and follow the school’s expectations of good behaviour and self-discipline. They are polite, friendly and courteous, and show respect for people and property. Most pupils demonstrate good self-discipline. There has been one exclusion during the last academic year. No significant variations were observed in the behaviour of pupils with special educational needs, the higher attainers, or between boys and girls. During the inspection no evidence was seen of

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Attendance

bullying or harassment, and pupils confirm that bullying is a very rare occurrence. Most pupils listen well to each other, share resources co-operatively, and relationships throughout the school are very good. Pupils work and play well together, and they support each other well in classrooms, during playtime and at lunchtime.

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Attendance

3. Pupils’ personal development is good, and opportunities to take responsibility have a positive effect on progress. All pupils are involved well in the daily routines of school life, and all know their own personal targets for improvement. Pupils show a mutual respect for the values and beliefs of others and they respond well to the positive ethos and very good provision for personal and social education . When they are given the opportunity, pupils in all classes willingly and confidently take on responsibilities for tasks around the school. For example, Year 6 pupils act as playground friends wearing distinctive yellow caps, all classes have monitors, and older pupils care for younger children at lunchtime. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 join with Year 1 pupils to form shared reading groups encouraging them to use phonic and graphic clues. Through the support which the school gives to a number of local and national charities, pupils are becoming

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Attendance

increasingly aware of citizenship and the need to care for others. Pupils respond well to opportunities to visit places of educational and cultural interest including an annual residential trip for pupils in Year 6. The school’s very good provision for personal and social education makes a strong contribution to pupils’ personal development. 17.

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Attendance

4. Attendance is satisfactory and at 94 per cent is in line with the national average. Unauthorised absence at 0.2 per cent is below the national average. A considerable number of pupils take holidays in term time and this has a negative effect on their progress and achievements. The school monitors such absence closely and is able to show that many pupils miss significant elements of their years course of study. The majority of pupils arrive punctually. In all classes registration takes place promptly and there is an efficient start to the morning and afternoon sessions. Lessons start on time and this and the satisfactory record of attendance has a positive effect on pupils’ attitudes, attainment and progress. Since the last inspection the school has maintained its satisfactory whole-school attendance rates. Holland Haven Primary School-19 18. QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED

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Attendance

5. The quality of teaching is good overall, with 96 per cent of lessons satisfactory or better and 58 per cent good or better. Seventeen per cent of lessons were very good or better, and three per cent were excellent. Teaching in the reception year and across Key Stage 1 is generally satisfactory. Nearly a third of lessons in reception were good, and nearly half were good or better in Key Stage 1. Two unsatisfactory lessons were observed in Key Stage 1. Teaching is good overall in Key Stage 2 with 98 per cent of lessons satisfactory or better and 66 per cent good or better. Twenty-three per cent of lessons were very good or better, and four per cent were excellent. One unsatisfactory lesson was seen in Key Stage 2. This represents a significant improvement on the position at the time of the last inspection, when the quality of teaching was judged to be sound or better with a significant number of lessons in Key Stage 2 being very good. However, at that

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Attendance

time, a quarter of the lessons in Key Stage 1 were unsatisfactory.

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Attendance

6. Teachers’ subject knowledge is generally good and this is combined with effective planning to ensure that pupils’ attainment follows a clear line of progressive improvement. This is particularly important, given the arrangement of the school into mixed-age classes. The quality of planning is seen at its best in information technology, where detailed planning, clear learning objectives and good in-service training are the key factors in the good progress being made and the levels of attainment being achieved. However, there are weaknesses in planning in the reception year, in relation to the small number of children under five, resulting from the primary focus being upon the National Curriculum and not the desirable learning outcomes. The quality of teaching is underpinned by effective subject co-ordination in English, mathematics, science, information technology and religious education. Subject co-ordination is satisfactory

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Attendance

in all other subjects, with the exception of music where it is unsatisfactory. There is no co-ordinator for early years and this means that the provision for knowledge and understanding of the world, creative development, physical development and personal and social development is unsatisfactory because the children should be achieving more. Nevertheless, it is only in the area of creative development that most children do not achieve the desirable learning outcomes by the age of five years.

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7. Teachers’ expectations are at least appropriate for the age of pupils, and they are high at the end of Key Stage 1 and across Key Stage 2. The quality of teaching results in pupils making satisfactory progress across Key Stage 1 in English and mathematics, with good progress across Key Stage 2. Progress is good in science across Key stage 1 and satisfactory across key Stage 2.The support given to pupils with special educational needs is good overall, and they make good progress towards the targets set for them in both key stages. Teachers have implemented the National Literacy Strategy well, although the skills involved could be used and reinforced more systematically in other subjects. The very best teaching is illustrated by an excellent Year 6 literacy lesson, where good quality planning, clear learning objectives and very high teacher expectations, were combined with a sense of excitement to create a powerful learning environment.

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Attendance

In such lessons pupils respond positively to their teachers, are anxious to learn and to share what they know with others. Where the teaching was good or better, teachers showed considerable skill in their use of question and answer sessions to consolidate and extend previous knowledge. A particular strength of such lessons was the way in which pupils of all levels of attainment were appropriately challenged, including those with special educational needs and those with the highest attainment. In some cases, for example in a Year 4 history lesson, teachers skilfully adapt material not originally designed for use in lessons. In this particular lesson the teacher made an adult television programme about an Anglo-Saxon burial ground accessible to her young pupils in an exciting and stimulating way. Mental mathematics sessions are a particular strength of teaching in numeracy and teachers have introduced the National Numeracy Strategy

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well. Where teaching was satisfactory, planning was still generally of good quality, although on occasions, as in the case of the youngest pupils, it was sometimes inappropriately matched to their needs, and the key weakness in the lessons was that there was less challenge, especially for the highest attaining pupils. The very small number of unsatisfactory lessons were neither typical of the school nor of the teachers concerned. However, in these lessons the level of challenge and the overall pace were insufficient. In one case the teacher changed the lesson plan inappropriately part way through the lesson. A common result in all three lessons was the lack of progress made by the pupils. Holland Haven Primary School-20 8. The methods and organisational strategies used by teachers in both key stages are never less than satisfactory, and they are good in Years 2, 4, 5 and 6. However, they are unsatisfactory for children under

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five. In all classes, teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and the consistency of their approach has led to high levels of self-discipline across the school. In most classes there is little need to impose discipline, and the way in which pupils are managed is a positive feature of the teaching. For example, the way in which pupils took responsibility for their own learning in a Year 5 lesson (where they were making their designs for a ‘cut-out biscuit’, refining those designs or working on a design for the packaging) was an example both of very good teaching and of the way in which pupils can be encouraged to become independent learners.

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Attendance

9. The procedures used to monitor pupils’ progress are unsatisfactory for the under fives. They are good in both key stages in the core subjects of the National Curriculum and used satisfactorily by teachers to inform their future planning. Assessment is unsatisfactory in religious education in Key Stage 1, but is satisfactory in Key Stage 2. Procedures for assessing progress in the non-core subjects are largely informal. However, teachers know their pupils very well and their use of day to day assessment to ensure that their lessons match the needs of individual pupils is good.

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Attendance

10. Teachers use the resources available well, supplementing them effectively from the excellent resources made available by Colchester Museum. Teachers use the curriculum time available to them well, although the sessions after the afternoon break in Key Stage 1 are not sufficiently long to be of real value. Although teachers maintain a broad and balanced curriculum, the time available for non-core subjects is under pressure. This situation is not helped by the amount of curriculum time being ten minutes below the recommended weekly minimum in Key Stage 1 and 40 minutes below in Key Stage 2.

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Attendance

11. The provision of homework is satisfactory. Teachers set homework on a weekly basis for the core subjects and from time to time for work in subjects such as history and geography. Although some parents suggested that there is insufficient homework, the provision matches national guidelines.

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Attendance

12. The curriculum provided for children under five is unsatisfactory overall, although most pupils reach above average levels of attainment in English and mathematics by the age of five and average levels in all other aspects apart from creative development. The primary reason for this is the focus in teachers’ planning on the requirements of the National Curriculum rather than the desirable learning outcomes. This means that there are too few planned and spontaneous opportunities for these young children to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world, for creative development and physical development. In addition the way in which the classroom is laid out also inhibits their personal and social development. The secure outside area is not used as a regular and natural extension of the classroom and it does not have sufficient large apparatus and play equipment such as large constructional and wheeled toys.

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Attendance

13. The Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 curriculum includes all the National Curriculum subjects and religious education, which is taught according to the locally Agreed Syllabus. The school has its own effective programme of personal and social education. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are being implemented well, with daily lessons in all classes. There is also very good provision for information technology. However, there is insufficient time for the teaching of religious education at Key Stage 1 and for some of the foundation subjects, particularly design technology and art. The exception is physical education, where all classes have two sessions a week, one indoors and one outside, and provision is good. The school provides well for pupils' physical and personal development, which is built around circle and golden time. It offers sex education and guidance on the misuse of drugs that give pupils good

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Attendance

understanding of the issues involved for their age. The curriculum is therefore broad but not fully balanced because of the time limitations. The school currently allocates ten minutes less curriculum time per week than the recommended minimum in Key Stage 1 and 40 minutes less at Key Stage 2. The amounts of time allocated in both key stages place the school in the lowest 30 per cent of schools nationally.

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Attendance

14. All pupils have equal access to the curriculum, regardless of gender, ethnicity or attainment. Pupils with Holland Haven Primary School-21 special educational needs are provided with carefully constructed individual education plans. A policy document provides guidance for developing these plans, along with strategies for planning work to suit pupils’ particular needs. Information on the identification of needs includes useful notes on literacy, numeracy, behaviour and basic social skills which enable class teachers to write plans for classroom assistants to work on. Learning support assistants make an important contribution to the support given to pupils with special needs. Although pupils are withdrawn from some lessons, care is taken that this does not threaten their equal entitlement to the full curriculum. A useful new initiative is the 'Brain Gym' which starts off the day for specially targeted pupils and is effective in raising levels of concentration and

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Attendance

15. A key issue from the previous inspection was to improve both longer and shorter term curriculum planning and to ensure similar coverage of the curriculum in classes in the same year group. The school has successfully accomplished this. Year group teams meet together regularly for planning. Planning for literacy and numeracy is based on the national strategies, and national guidance has been adopted for science, information technology, history, geography and design and technology. There are well-written schemes of work for all subjects, which are being revised to incorporate the new guidance. Planning now relates directly to the National Curriculum on a two-year cycle, to avoid duplication in mixed-age classes. Half-termly plans are thorough and provide a good basis for weekly or daily planning. The school has acknowledged the need for teachers to review their planning to decide which parts are most useful.

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Attendance

16. The curriculum is enriched by a good number of extra-curricular activities. These include a wide range of sporting activities, in which between 30 and 40 per cent of pupils in Key Stage 2 and half the full-time teaching staff participate. There are also musical activities, a gardening club and an 11+ group. The school takes part successfully in inter-school competitions in football, netball, rounders, rugby and kwik- cricket. The curriculum is also supplemented well by educational visits for all classes to places such as Dedham Vale and Colchester Castle, as well as a residential visit to Wicken House for Year 6 pupils and visits to the school by theatre workshops, a storyteller and an author/illustrator.

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Attendance

17. The school has a good and effective range of systems for assessing pupils' attainment. Baseline assessment and a test of emerging literacy are carried out in reception, the middle infant screening test in Year 1 and the statutory assessments in Year 2. However, the quality of assessment for children under five is unsatisfactory because insufficient use is made of baseline assessment to inform planning for individual pupils and regular informal and formal observations of pupils progress are not undertaken on a sufficiently regular basis. In addition to the National Curriculum tests in Year 6, optional tests are administered in Years 3, 4 and 5. Teachers keep detailed spelling and reading records, although these are not always dated. Individual records are kept for all pupils in the core subjects of English, mathematics, science and information technology, although teachers do not assess pupils against the expectations of the Agreed

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Attendance

Syllabus in religious education. The results of these assessments are used by teachers to set individual targets for pupils, which have led to an improvement in standards. The school aims to introduce a greater degree of self-assessment by the pupils. However, while the use of assessment is satisfactory, there is not always a clear link between the assessments and the planning of the next stage of pupils' learning. Since the last inspection the school has developed greater consistency between teachers in the way in which assessments are carried out.

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Attendance

31. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

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Attendance

18. The provision for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is good and has been well maintained since the last inspection.

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Attendance

19. The spiritual development of pupils throughout the school is satisfactory. During assemblies, pupils are encouraged to reflect upon issues and themes. These occasions help them to consider who they are and how they contribute to the school as a whole. During one assembly, pupils considered the project they are working on in creating the Hadley Wood in memory of a popular governor: older pupils showed examples of a small tree, bulbs beginning to shoot and decorated stones for the pathway. Pupils are encouraged to consider life’s fundamental questions and to reflect on their own feelings and the feelings of others. Spiritual development can be seen through some areas of the curriculum such as poetry, literature, Holland Haven Primary School-22 religious education and science. For example, a very quiet and reverent atmosphere was created in a Year 4 religious education lesson on the Jewish observance of Shabbat. During a Year 6 literacy lesson, the

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Attendance

teacher very sensitively developed the spiritual element of poetry when writing about experiences in Sierra Leone.

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Attendance

20. Moral development is very good. The school successfully teaches pupils to show regard and care for others and to make moral decisions. There is a strong whole-school behaviour policy, and very good provision for personal and social education and circle time. Pupils are encouraged to think about the difference between right and wrong. The school fosters honesty, fairness and respect and there are high expectations of good behaviour. Opportunities are provided within the curriculum to develop moral values, and to extend social and personal understanding across a range of issues. For example, pupils in Years 4 and 5 read a newspaper article and took part in a lively discussion on the morality of robbing a bank. The good ethos of the school, the example set by the staff in personal relationships and the sympathetic ways in which teachers manage their pupils all provide support for the development of moral understanding. Pupils

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Attendance

support and are helped to understand the value of the work of a variety of charities, and this involvement provides good opportunity for their moral development and understanding of citizenship.

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Attendance

21. The provision for social development is very good. Very good relationships support pupils’ attitudes, very good social behaviour and self-discipline. Pupils have some opportunity to take on responsibilities as classroom monitors and playground friends, and older pupils care for younger ones in the playground. There are limited opportunities for older pupils to take on responsibility for decision making and to play a specific role in the organisation of the school. The school is in process of introducing a School Council in order to provide further opportunities for pupils to take more responsibility for decision making. Good opportunities are provided for pupils to work together collaboratively and to assist each other in classrooms and in the playground. Pupils participate well in the community, visiting the elderly to sing carols and deliver harvest produce, and they entertain grandparents at a special assembly. The curriculum and extra-

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Attendance

curricular activities are well organised to contribute to personal and social development.

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Attendance

22. The provision for cultural development is satisfactory. Pupils’ knowledge and experience of their own and other cultural traditions are enriched in some areas of the curriculum: for example, through literature when pupils study some pre-20 th century classical texts, through visits to Colchester museum, castle and art gallery, and on Rainbow Day when pupils listen to professional musicians. The study of the works of famous artists is mostly limited to Van Gogh, Monet and Hockney. Multi-cultural education remains underdeveloped, although an African music and dance group recently visited the school to work with pupils. Although they learn about other faiths during religious education lessons, no opportunity is provided for them to visit places of worship of other religions. Displays of books and artefacts about other cultures are limited. Occasional visitors into school, such as a professional storyteller and dance groups,

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Attendance

enrich the curriculum and provide pupils with additional cultural experience and development.

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Attendance

36. Support, guidance and pupils’ welfare

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Attendance

23. Good support and guidance are provided for all pupils and these have been well maintained since the last inspection. Parents feel confident that the school will help and guide pupils in both curriculum and personal development. The good quality of support provided by the headteacher, governing body and staff has a very positive effect on standards and progress. All pupils are well supported to allow them to take full advantage of all educational opportunities. Pupils are happy and safe in school and relationships between teachers and pupils are very good.

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Attendance

24. Good arrangements are made to support children and their parents prior to their induction into the reception class. Through the very close links which the school has with the local high school, good support is provided for Year 6 pupils as they transfer into the next phase of their education. Pupils have the opportunity to attend an induction activity day, and an open evening is held for parents. Additional good support is provided for pupils with special educational needs through the strong links between the primary and secondary special needs co-ordinators. Holland Haven Primary School-23 25. Procedures for monitoring and managing behaviour and discipline are very good. There is a consistent approach to promoting good behaviour, and teachers have high expectations of pupils to behave well. The school has a very positive approach to the celebration of good work and behaviour through Golden Time

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Attendance

and the golden rules. Most pupils respond well to the school’s behaviour management system, and they follow the school rules and classroom codes of conduct well. Effective measures are in place to eliminate bullying or harassment, and any very rare incident is well documented and recorded.

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Attendance

26. Attendance is monitored well by class teachers, the head teacher and the administrator. The completion of registers is consistent and accurate and meets the statutory requirements. Procedures for following up unauthorised absence are good and parents are contacted promptly. The head teacher regularly monitors the effects on learning of a number of pupils’ taking extended holidays during term time. The school receives effective support from the educational welfare officer who visits every term to follow up unauthorised absence and to check registers.

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Attendance

27. Pupils with special educational needs receive very good support through withdrawal into small groups. Learning problems are identified at an early stage, and pupils with special needs are provided with structured individual education plans which meet their needs well. Parents are kept well informed, and pupils have access to outside agencies from whom they receive good support, the quality of which makes a very positive contribution to pupils’ progress.

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Attendance

28. The procedures for child protection are good. All staff, including lunchtime supervisors, are aware of the action they should take in the case of concerns, in accordance with the school’s policy. The headteacher is the designated person with responsibility for child protection issues, and he has attended a relevant training course. The provision for health and sex education is good, and meets the statutory requirements. In accordance with the Essex project, good provision is made for education in drugs awareness for pupils in Years 5 and 6.

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Attendance

29. Health and safety issues are well monitored and promoted, with the completion of a regular formal risk assessment. The governing body and staff are vigilant in ensuring the safety of pupils. The school satisfactorily organises regular fire checks and practices. Good arrangements are made for first aid with qualified personnel on site. Satisfactory first aid equipment is located centrally and an accident book is kept up to date. Good procedures are in place for informing and contacting parents.

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Attendance

30. Procedures for monitoring academic progress in the core subjects and personal and social development are good and consistently used throughout the school. Teachers know their pupils very well, and there are good informal lines of communication between teachers and parents.

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Attendance

44. Partnership with parents and the community

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Attendance

31. The partnership between the school, parents and the community is very good, and the strong links have been well maintained since the last inspection, when it was reported that parents viewed the school as a caring and happy place. This relationship has a very positive effect on standards, progress and the quality of education provided. Parents speak highly of the encouragement to be involved which they receive, and of the warm and friendly atmosphere. Most parents are very supportive of their children’s learning and are involved and interested in the work of the school.

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Attendance

32. The quality of information provided for parents is very good. Parents attend open evenings when there are presentations on aspects of the curriculum. They receive regular helpful newsletters containing a good amount of information about activities and organisations. An additional newsletter is currently being introduced from class teachers, providing parents with information about subjects to be covered during the term. The prospectus and the governors’ annual report to parents meet the statutory requirements. The annual reports to parents provide sufficient information about attainment and progress with targets for improvement, and meet the statutory requirements. Parents whose children have special educational needs are well informed and are invited to attend all review and assessment meetings. Holland Haven Primary School-24 33. A number of parents help regularly in classrooms, giving good support with such activities as reading,

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numeracy, information technology in classrooms and art. Many more parents help when pupils go out on educational visits and give good support to fundraising events. The assistance of parents is making a good contribution to the quality of learning and to the enrichment of the curriculum. The home/school association is a very active and supportive small group of parents who raise considerable funds each year to pay for additional learning resources. The efforts of the association make a good contribution to the quality of education provided and to the work of the school. All pupils have a home/school reading record, and pupils in the upper school also have homework diaries. Parents assist the school by signing the diaries each week, and these are often used as a means of communication between home and school. Most parents are happy with the careful structure of homework.

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Attendance

34. The school’s links with the community are good and provide pupils with good opportunities for personal development and sense of citizenship. Pupils in Year 6 have recently made an animated video with professional help, and this is to be included in the Millennium Dome exhibition. A variety of visitors into school enrich the curriculum and extend pupils’ experience well. For example, pupils have worked with a professional storyteller, community police, a fire prevention officer, Osagyfeyo African Music and Dance Troupe as well as Year 9 students from the local high school sharing fables and friendship cards with pupils in Year 2. Pupils go out into the community to sing carols to the elderly, and deliver harvest produce to residents in the local nursing homes. The school has close links with the parish church and the local Baptist church, and the two ministers visit frequently to lead assemblies. Pupils regularly visit local places

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Attendance

of worship, and they also attend the Rainbow Day concert when they often have the opportunity to listen to professional musicians. The school supports a number of local and national charities.

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Attendance

35. Some good links with businesses and industry have been developed, and this assists the school well in extending its resources for learning. A local estate agent supports the school by providing sponsorship for its fundraising events. A computer company is currently sponsoring the creation of the Hadley Wood memorial garden, and older pupils are very involved in the planning. The school is part of an Education Action Zone and another computer company has provided a laptop computer for the school’s use.

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49. THE MANAGEMENT AND EFFICIENCY OF THE SCHOOL

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Attendance

36. The last inspection report showed that the management structures were generally effective but there was a need for development of the co-ordinators’ roles, especially in relation to monitoring and evaluating the curriculum, which was a key issue.

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Attendance

37. The role of the co-ordinators has been developed significantly, especially in the core subjects of English, mathematics and information technology. There is no co-ordinator for the early years, although the school is currently addressing this issue. The school recognises that there is still a need further to develop the monitoring role of the co-ordinators in the other subjects and in religious education but it was felt that the need properly to implement the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies made it necessary to concentrate on those areas. The raising of information technology to core subject status and the need for this to be improved through the school also meant focusing on this area.

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Attendance

38. The management of the school is good overall. The headteacher has a very clear vision for the school, which is shared by a very capable deputy headteacher and senior management team. The chair of governors and the governing body are supportive, but at present do not fully exercise their role as ‘critical friends’. There are subject co-ordinators in place for all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. There is also an assessment co-ordinator.

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Attendance

39. The governing body is involved satisfactorily in the management of the school. All statutory requirements are met. There are regular meetings of the sub-committees and the governors are kept well informed of budgetary, staffing and curricular matters. Governors are involved in the reviewing of policy documents and some have observed lessons. During the past months the focus has been on literacy, numeracy and Holland Haven Primary School-25 information technology.

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Attendance

40. The management structure is effective. The senior management team meets regularly, and has clear roles. There are effective communications in the school, with all teachers able to contribute. Parents are kept well informed. All subjects have well written policies and schemes of work but not all subject co- ordinators are fully involved in medium and short-term planning. Teachers work together, to ensure proper progression and continuity. The headteacher, the deputy headteacher and some other members of staff monitor teaching from time to time, but this is an area which needs more development.

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Attendance

41. The school’s policy and provision for pupils with special educational needs are very good and fully comply with the national Code of Practice. The school’s policy on monitoring and evaluating provision specifically mentions the learning support of pupils on the special educational needs register. There is a further useful policy for more able children and the special education needs co-ordinator’s file is very comprehensive and well constructed, both of which play a useful role in helping in planning to meet the needs of all pupils. The governing body monitors provision through the reports of the co-ordinator, the headteacher and the governor with special responsibility for this area of the school’s provision.

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Attendance

42. The school development plan is effective as an instrument of improvement. Both the National Literacy Strategy and the National Numeracy Strategy have been implemented well and are having a positive impact upon standards in the school. The improvements to the information technology provision are also raising standards. The headteacher has very clear and specific plans for school development.

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Attendance

43. The school provides a stable and caring environment. Pupils are happy and relationships are good. Governors, management and all teaching staff are committed to the aims of improving educational standards and a very positive ethos pervades the school. The school has improved well since the last inspection and its capacity for further improvement is good.

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Attendance

57. Staffing, accommodation and learning resources

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Attendance

44. The school has a good number of suitably qualified and experienced staff to teach the age range of pupils in the school. Concerns identified by the previous inspection in relation to insecure teacher knowledge in mathematics in Key Stage 1 and music in key stage 2 have been satisfactorily addressed. The ratio of pupils to teachers is below average for schools of this type. The induction system for staff new to the school is informal but effective, and the school makes use of the local authority's provision to assist in the induction of newly qualified teachers, although there are none at present in the school. Appraisal for teaching and non-teaching staff is in place and effective; it is linked in general terms to staff development, although individual needs cannot always be met. Spending on staff development has been reduced and is linked closely to school priorities. For instance, all teachers have received good quality training in

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Attendance

information technology. Information on external courses attended by staff is fed back to colleagues at staff meetings and the effectiveness of courses is evaluated. The arrangements for staff development are satisfactory, and the school is currently working to achieve the Investors in People award. 45. There is a very able and experienced co-ordinator for special educational needs, who is assisted in her work by well-qualified classroom assistants. They all take advantage of the many opportunities for in-service training, cluster group meetings and exhibitions for those involved with special educational needs. After these courses they feed back information to other colleagues.

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Attendance

46. The school has good accommodation which enables it to deliver the curriculum effectively. It is maintained well and the learning environment is enhanced by attractive displays which celebrate pupils' work. Some of the classrooms for the older pupils are cramped for practical activities such as science, and access to some classrooms is only through others, but this does not have a significant effect on pupils' attainment. The new, well-equipped information technology suite is contributing to the good standards being achieved in that subject. When pupils are withdrawn for extra support in numeracy and literacy, these sessions take place in a suitable, well-equipped room. There is a large well-equipped hall for physical education, which is also used for assemblies and dining. Outside areas for physical education and play, including a level, well-maintained playing field, are very good. There is also a suitable (but

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Attendance

Holland Haven Primary School-26 underdeveloped and underused) enclosed area for children under five.

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Attendance

47. The school's resources for learning are good, particularly in the core subjects of English, mathematics and information technology, as well as physical education. There is a very good range of books for use in the literacy hour but classroom collections lack books reflecting a range of cultures, and there is a need for more detailed dictionaries. Overall the provision of books to support the curriculum has improved since the last inspection. Resources for pupils with special educational needs are good, with reading texts for older pupils appropriate to their age and experience. In other areas resources are satisfactory, although there is a need for artefacts to support the teaching of art. There is no large play equipment, such as wheeled vehicles, or balancing and climbing equipment which is readily accessible for children under five, and this has an adverse effect on the physical development and their personal and social development.

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Attendance

48. The school runs efficiently and smoothly. There are good channels of communication within the school, between school and governors and between school and parents. The school administrative manager is extremely efficient and works well with the headteacher, the finance officer and the administrative staff to ensure that the school’s financial administration is very good. The internal systems ensure that the school runs smoothly and that money is handled securely. Both the administrative manager and the headteacher have a very good grasp of the financial situation, and planning shows clear attention to detail and to the educational priorities. Annual audits confirm that the financial administration and control are of a high standard.

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Attendance

49. The governors’ finance committee meets regularly and there are additional informal discussions when necessary. The chair of finance has only recently taken up the position but has a good overview of the financial situation, and receives full updates showing the on-going current financial situation of the school each month. The school development plan is very detailed and includes clear planning and budgeting, including details of development needed and costs involved. Prudent financial management has made it possible to build up a surplus to enable the new information technology suite to be provided. This is already raising standards in the school. Plans to roof over an open area and provide another corridor should further improve the accommodation and reduce disruption to lessons caused by having to use some classrooms as thoroughfares.

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Attendance

50. Teaching and support staff are well deployed in the school and have a clear idea of their responsibilities. Good use is made of the resources and accommodation to maintain and raise standards in education effectively, with the exception of art and the outdoor area for the under fives. Funding for pupils with special educational needs is used effectively to raise levels of attainment. Funding from the Standards Fund is used well to support the professional development of teachers and other funding, such as that provided through the National Grid for Learning initiative, has been used well to support the curriculum and raise rates of progress and levels of attainment.

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Attendance

51. Although cost per pupil are high, taking into account the average attainment on entry, the good progress through the school from entry to the end of Key Stage 2, the overall good standard of teaching, the quality of extra-curricular education provided by the school, the very effective use and monitoring of funding and the standards of attainment achieved, the school gives good value for money. This is an improvement on the position at the time of the last inspection when the school was providing satisfactory value for money. 65. PART B: CURRICULUM AREAS AND SUBJECTS

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Attendance

65. AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE

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Attendance

52. Children under five are currently catered for in the reception class which is located in the main school. Children enter with average attainment, although the full range of ability is represented. At the time of the inspection six children in the reception class had not reached their fifth birthday. A further intake of children under five will be entering the reception class in January of next year. Holland Haven Primary School-27 53. The last inspection reported that the under fives were given a satisfactory start to school in most areas of learning, except in knowledge and understanding of the world and in creative and aesthetic development. Inspection evidence shows that not a great deal has changed. The quality of provision in the reception class means that progress is only satisfactory. This is due to the school’s policy of planning to the National Curriculum. This is inappropriate, as it results in methods and organisation that do not always

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Attendance

meet the needs of children who are under five. However, despite this, the attainment of most children by the time they reach their fifth birthday is average or above in all areas learning except creative development. Attainment is generally above average in mathematics, language and literacy. Overall, children are satisfactorily prepared for the National Curriculum.

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Personal and Social Development

54. By the age of five, children generally attain standards in line with those expected in this area of learning. However, they have too few opportunities to experience activities that are supportive of development in these aspects. For example, in the reception class children are not given sufficient opportunities to develop independence and to show initiative in many areas of their learning.

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Personal and Social Development

55. They are happy and confident entering the classroom and understand the routines of school life. Children in the reception class listen carefully to staff and carry out instructions promptly. They persevere with tasks and generally sustain concentration. Good examples of this were seen during the literacy sessions. However, less mature children sometimes find it difficult to sustain concentration for the whole day. Children have good relationships with one another and get on well with adults in the room, approaching them for help and advice when required. They learn to take turns and share equipment and on most occasions do this well. They use tools and equipment sensibly, look after books and equipment with care, and remember to take work home. They take responsibility for tidying away at the end of a session. Behaviour is very good.

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Personal and Social Development

56. Although teachers have satisfactory relationships with children, their expectations of the maturity of response are unrealistic for children under five, and they provide few opportunities for children to choose and revisit activities with any degree of independence. Opportunities for role-play and free play are limited. This means that pupils’ progress in these aspects, although satisfactory, is less well developed than might otherwise be the case.

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Personal and Social Development

57. By the age of five, children attain standards above the levels required in all aspects except writing. Some staff are less aware of the importance of speaking and do not take sufficient opportunities to engage the children in conversation and increase their vocabulary. The majority of children speak confidently but only briefly, and have difficulty finding the words they need to express themselves. There are insufficient structured play opportunities for children to use language appropriately when sharing ideas, for example, in role-play. Younger children develop good listening skills through story tapes, listening to adults reading books, or giving instructions about activities. Staff introduce books well at story times, and all children accurately identify the front of a book and know which way to turn the pages. They enjoy looking at books and handle them carefully. Reading skills are developing at an appropriate pace and most

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Personal and Social Development

recognise initial letters sounds and accurately link them to objects and words, for example, linking the letter ‘t’ to ‘tall’ and ‘tiny’ when talking about teddies. They ‘retell’ stories using the pictures in the book to illustrate the meaning. They take home reading books regularly and parents are pleased to be involved. All children know that writing carries a message and most hold pencils correctly. By the age of five, many have learnt to recognise and write their names using correct letter formation, but very few are beginning to make their own attempts at unaided writing. Opportunities for developing children’s writing skills are limited and the lack of provision for free expression restricts their confidence and the development of an imaginative and expressive vocabulary.

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Personal and Social Development

58. The teaching of reading is systematic and thorough and teachers lose no opportunities to extend the Holland Haven Primary School-28 reading experience of children. There is, however, a lack of understanding of the needs of young children to express themselves by imitating their elders’ speech and writing, and a consequent lack of freedom to experiment with language in either form.

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Mathematics

59. Attainment by the age of five is above average. Through games and practical activities many younger children successfully identify simple shapes like squares, circles and triangles. They count out loud confidently to 20, but a few have much difficulty coping with the idea of ‘one more.’ They take great care to count accurately the number of pegs and holes in plates. They identify all colours correctly and numbers to six. Some can recognise up to four attributes of a shape, for example, size, thickness, colour and form. Most are familiar with a range of action and number songs and rhymes, which reinforce their knowledge and understanding of number. Many identify missing numbers in a sequence. They correctly recognise repeating patterns and accurately maintain them. Opportunities to develop their understanding of weight, capacity and volume through planned activities in water and sand trays are limited. Limited

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Mathematics

practical mathematical experiences, including opportunities to choose activities for themselves, to explore and reinforce their number skills, inhibit their progress. Information technology is used satisfactorily to support children’s mathematical development.

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Mathematics

60. The quality of teaching in the lessons seen was good, with children making satisfactory progress in the mechanical skills of computation and in carrying out instructions. However, the teacher directs all activities and children are offered few opportunities to pose and answer their own questions.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

61. Attainment in knowledge and understanding of the world is average, and children make satisfactory progress. Children know the names of the different parts of the body, are beginning to investigate the sounds heard in the environment and know that seeds need water to grow. They begin to understand some of the differences between the present and the past when they recall the things they did as babies. In early geography work, they learn about where they live and about aspects of the environment, such as changes in the weather. In their design and technology work, children are developing sound skills in cutting and joining materials. All use information technology to support their learning. They are familiar with computers, know the functions of some of the buttons on the keyboard and are learning to control the mouse to move pictures and shapes around the screen.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

62. Teaching is satisfactory in this area of learning because lessons are planned according to the requirements of the National Curriculum and children are, therefore, working at a higher level than that required by the desirable learning outcomes. However, this does result in opportunities being missed for these young children to explore the world in ways that are fully appropriate for them with the result that progress is less than might otherwise be the case.

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Creative Development

63. Children’s creative development is below the expected level by the age of five because there is lack of opportunity for experience in this aspect of the curriculum. Children have access to a satisfactory selection of paints and materials. They receive satisfactory adult support which enables them to work carefully and develop their skills, for example, when making shakers for music. All children mix colours and learn to use paint and brushes with increasing accuracy and, when printing with different objects, they show developing control by producing carefully considered patterns. Children extend their imagination through the limited activities available in the role-play area. They imitate vocal sounds well and sing heartily and tunefully with enjoyment. They recognise several percussion instruments by sight, and are learning how to play them. Most activities are, however, directed by teachers and other adults in the room,

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Creative Development

and children lack the opportunities to make their own choices of brushes and materials. Holland Haven Primary School-29 64. Teaching is over prescriptive in this area of learning with children being offered insufficient opportunities to express their own thoughts and feelings in free activities.

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Physical Development

65. Children’s attainment in physical development is average. They all run, jump and hop with confidence. They devise and perform a sequence of three movements, and transfer weight successfully to different parts of their bodies. In the hall during lessons, they run and walk with growing awareness of space and of each other and with increasing control and co-ordination. They develop satisfactory hand-to-eye co-ordination through matching games and jigsaws. They improve their finger control when using construction kits and most manipulate and fix small pieces with satisfactory precision. By the age of five, most children manipulate tools such as pencils, crayons, glue spreaders and brushes competently. Their progress is, however, limited because there are no planned opportunities to use the outdoor area, and there are no wheeled vehicles, large apparatus or climbing and balancing equipment close by.

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Other Aspects

66. Although the standards attained are well in line for children of this age as far as the National Curriculum is concerned, staff do not have a secure knowledge and understanding of how young children learn or of the details of the desired learning outcomes. As a result, the methods used and the organisation of teaching are often inappropriate for young children. There is an over-emphasis on class teaching and opportunities to learn through structured play are limited. The daily routines do not provide a balance between planned activities that pupils choose for themselves and those led by adults. The over all result is that progress is less than might otherwise be the case.

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Other Aspects

67. Adults make a valuable contribution to the social development and welfare of children, and relationships between adults and children are consistently satisfactory. There are no effective assessment procedures in place and consequently, staff have insufficient information for matching work to the right level and subsequent records of achievement and progress. Staff have high expectations of children’s behaviour and use praise well. They have satisfactory questioning skills that enable children to share what they know and what they want to find out.

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Other Aspects

68. Management of provision for children under five is unsatisfactory. Although the school’s policy document gives useful guidance on the six desirable learning outcomes, this is not consistently implemented and there is no early years scheme of work to ensure that skills, knowledge and understanding are systematically developed. There is little monitoring or overview of the provision for under fives, because no-one co-ordinates this area of the school’s work. This has led to the use of inappropriate methods that limit the opportunities for these young children to benefit from a wholly appropriate curriculum. In consequence the progress made in all the areas of learning, apart from language and literacy and mathematics, is less than might be expected.

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Other Aspects

69. Arrangements for both starting school and for children moving on to Year 1 are satisfactory. Links with parents are good; they are generally kept well informed about the work on topics being undertaken and are encouraged to take an active interest in their child’s learning. The local education authority’s baseline test is implemented in the early weeks of the reception intake but the link between the data obtained and its use in establishing starting points for learning is unclear. Resources are generally adequate, except for the lack of wheeled vehicles, large construction apparatus and climbing and balancing equipment in the outside area. This area, although providing a safe space, is insufficiently used and there are too few planned opportunities for outdoor play, which has a negative impact on pupils’ physical development and their knowledge and understanding of the world. The reception class is not organised with the needs of

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Other Aspects

children under five in mind. It is run as a Key Stage 1 learning area and little attempt is made to provide separate areas for children to explore their writing, reading and painting skills. The role-play area is unattractive and use of it is very restricted. The classroom does not provide a stimulating environment for the development of independence and imagination. Holland Haven Primary School-30 83. ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

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Other Aspects

70. Since the previous inspection, there has been a slight rise in standards, especially in the 1999 end of key stage National Curriculum tests and assessments, when attainment was well above the national average at Key Stage 1, and above at Key Stage 2. Attainment at the end of Key stage 2 was also average when compared with similar schools. This is due to the school’s effective implementation of the literacy hour and the development of literacy skills across the curriculum. Standards have been maintained in speaking and listening, and have improved in drafting, spelling, collaborative working and the study of drama, poetry and research skills. There has also been an improvement in the monitoring and evaluation of the subject throughout the school.

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Other Aspects

71. Standards of listening are very good at both key stages and pupils generally speak confidently, clearly and grammatically, although many need help to express themselves. Some pupils explain in great detail what it means to ‘water the plants.’ At Key Stage 2, there is good quality discussion as, for example, when Year 5 pupils discuss the moral issue of grandmothers robbing banks for a moment’s fame. Pupils confidently give their opinions and extend their answers to questions.

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Other Aspects

72. Standards of reading are in line with the national average at both key stages. At Key Stage 1, most read accurately, but with little expression. There is enough understanding to appreciate humour in the stories they read. Those with prior higher attainment recognise their reading errors, but do not correct them themselves. Many have phonic skills, but do not apply them to building up words, preferring to rely on clues in the pictures. They know how to use an index and a contents page and that information is stored on a computer. Their library skills are not well developed. At Key Stage 2, most read fluently and accurately. Those with prior higher attainment recognise their errors and correct them without prompting. They retell stories they have previously heard or read and make sensible predictions about what will happen next. They express their likes and dislikes in fiction and non-fiction. In guided reading sessions,

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Other Aspects

pupils with special educational needs have good recall of the story so far and know how a play-script or film-script differ from a novel. They have a good understanding of sequence and the reasons for it, and refer to clues in the text to make predictions. In drama, they all remember which characters they are playing, that characters do not read stage directions, and appreciate the humour in the text. In their reading diaries, pupils are encouraged to express their reactions to stories and non-fictional texts. Teachers monitor records carefully and offer guidance on a change of style or a more complex and challenging text. All pupils (except for those with prior lower attainment who do not understand library classification) have knowledge and understanding of research and library skills, including the simplified Dewey system in the school library, and apply them well.

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Other Aspects

73. Standards in writing are in line with the national average at Key Stage 1. Pupils begin to write by tracing or copying their teachers’ writing, but they have few opportunities to write independently because of an over-reliance on worksheets. They make reasonable attempts at extending sentences and make sensible suggestions for sentences to describe pictures. They write short poems about school which they then word- process on the computer and they manage a few brief sentences in other subjects, for example, history. Higher attainers at the end of the key stage write very simple sentences. The standard of handwriting and presentation is unsatisfactory, with many not joining letters, and with many instances of differences in size and shape. More than half still have trouble working out when to use upper or lower case letters. At Key Stage 2, the standard of writing is in line with the national average overall, but there are many examples of

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Other Aspects

better work. There is some good use of imagery in poetry, for example, ‘my enemy the sun’ or ‘my skirt of mist’ in weather poems. There is occasional good use of vocabulary in the work of prior lower attainers. For example, when writing about Sweeney Todd, one pupil writes ‘he stripped the flesh with

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Other Aspects

3 Schools with more than 8% and up to 20% of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals. Holland Haven Primary School-31 joy.’ They understand that writing can be done in the first or third person and use their skills in the empathic re-writing of Hamlet . They use a good selection of quotations from the play to take the story forward and have a very good understanding of the plot and characters. There is very good sequencing and pupils organise their work into paragraphs. By the end of the key stage, pupils’ punctuation, spelling and grammar are generally correct. While handwriting and presentation need improvement across the key stage they are usually very good in Year 6. Pupils draft and redraft their work, using jotters or a computer. Information technology is used well to support their learning in literacy. Pieces written, however, are generally quite brief, and there is little evidence of extended, creative or reflective writing.

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Other Aspects

Pupils’ written vocabulary is restricted and predictable.

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Other Aspects

74. Pupils enjoy this work and are developing an impressive knowledge of some books and authors, with texts well chosen to reflect their interests and experiences, and to broaden their reading horizons. They know of the different contributions made to books by authors, illustrators and publishers. They discuss authors’ use of language and how they create their effects. They identify and use accurately parts of speech, idioms, comparatives and synonyms. Those with special educational needs and prior higher attainers know that poetry expresses emotion and that, for example, ‘you need less words but better ones.’ Pupils use their literacy skills to good effect in all other subjects of the curriculum, developing the technical vocabulary required for mathematics, information technology, design and technology, science, history and geography. They use their writing skills to support their learning in history particularly well when

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Other Aspects

retelling the myths and legends of Ancient Greece.

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Other Aspects

75. Pupils make satisfactory progress in Key Stage 1. They develop their reading skills with appropriate support from classroom assistants. Most make good gains in the knowledge, understanding and skills of sequencing a familiar story because of clear instructions. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress towards the targets in their individual education plans. According to reading records kept, progress in reading is steady across the key stage. A very small number of pupils, usually boys, make slower progress because of inattention when activities are not sufficiently purposeful. The development of independent and creative writing, is often neglected in favour of the mechanical skills of grammar, spelling and punctuation. At Key Stage 2, progress is generally good, especially in the later years. Pupils make satisfactory progress in developing their vocabulary and use of language and very good

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Other Aspects

progress in discussion skills. They make good gains in the knowledge and understanding of classic authors and texts because of good teaching. Pupils with special educational needs make very good gains in the knowledge and understanding of the nature of poetry because of excellent support, explanations and effective questioning. In shared reading sessions with Year 1, older pupils make good progress in applying the knowledge and understanding of books they have already acquired, because of the careful instructions they are given. At the end of the key stage, there is steady progress in reading skills and good progress in analysing the reasons for or against the understanding and enjoyment of texts. There is, however, little matching progress in the development of a written vocabulary in extended and creative writing.

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Other Aspects

76. Pupils enjoy their work in English. They generally behave very well and maintain their concentration throughout some quite long sessions. Most move to activities without too much fuss and are very pleased with their own efforts, applauding those of others. They settle well to work in pairs or on their own, and work quietly and sensibly, concentrating for the whole session. Pupils are interested or amused by the texts they are reading, and are eager to ask and answer questions or contribute to discussions. Pupils with special educational needs are all eager to join in the discussion of story and characters and listen well to the teacher and each other in discussion and play-reading. In shared reading, older pupils hear younger ones read, encouraging and helping them to use phonic and picture clues to aid reading and understanding. The younger ones behave very well as their older partners question them as to their tastes in reading so that

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Other Aspects

they can write books which suit their individual interests.

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Other Aspects

77. The quality of teaching is good overall with 62 per cent good or better and 31 per cent very good or better. Teaching is generally satisfactory at Key Stage 1, and good at Key Stage 2. No unsatisfactory teaching was seen. There are examples of very good and excellent teaching in the junior classes. Teachers have good subject knowledge and understanding and make appropriate use of praise and encouragement to build confidence and self-esteem. Many opportunities are provided for discussion activities and also to improve pupils’ spoken grammar. In the best lessons at the end of Key Stage 2, planning is of high quality, with Holland Haven Primary School-32 support planned for pupils of differing abilities. Teachers use effective questioning to probe thinking and to encourage pupils to talk. Lessons are well-organised and prepared. Appropriate guidance is given on presentation. Very good relationships with pupils enable frank and full discussion, and pupils are free to

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Other Aspects

take risks without fear of censure or ridicule. Teachers convey their enthusiasm to pupils and help them to understand, for example, the qualities of an author like Tolkien, or the purpose of a diary. Their expectations are very high and they create very good learning atmospheres. When pupils with special educational needs attend a guided reading session, there is a very sensitive and sympathetic approach through the teacher’s good knowledge and understanding of pupils and their needs. The shared reading is particularly well-organised. Teachers’ good relationships with children in both key stages ensure no problems with management or discipline. Teachers’ marking is generally good, detailing strengths and weakness, and giving pointers for further development. Teachers monitor pupils’ reading records carefully and make evaluative comments. 78. The subject policy document gives useful strategies and guidelines for the literacy hour relating to the

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Other Aspects

school’s particular experiences and needs, and gives good guidance on planning lessons. There is helpful guidance given to voluntary helpers who assist during guided reading and on how to talk to pupils. The school’s practice on the uses of literacy across the curriculum is very good. Information technology is used well to support learning in English and includes the use of a publishing program for newspapers. The curriculum is enhanced by visits from theatre workshops and storytellers, and pupils have the opportunity to work with professional authors and illustrators during Book Weeks. There is effective curriculum liaison with the local high school, when pupils in Year 9 write stories for Year 2 pupils. The school acknowledges the need to make greater provision for extended and creative writing and has prioritised this in the current literacy action plan. The school has begun to assess pupils’ writing with a

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Other Aspects

story every term and this has already been evaluated alongside examples from the local cluster of primary schools. The portfolio of assessed and standardised work to provide benchmarks for assessment is not yet fully developed. Assessment procedures are developing effectively and the link between assessment data and its use in forward planning has been established, with the school setting realistic targets for future cohorts of pupils based on prior attainment. The co-ordinator has a good understanding of the role, which is sufficiently developed in terms of monitoring and evaluating provision and teaching. The literacy governor is kept fully informed. Resources for the literacy hour are good with a wide variety of appropriate texts. Texts for older pupils with special educational needs are appropriate to their age and experience. There is, however, a lack of multicultural fiction in classroom and library collections.

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Other Aspects

79. The previous inspection report showed that standards were ‘normally sound’ at Key Stage 1 and ‘sound to better’ at Key Stage 2. Present levels of attainment are judged to be average at the end of both Key stages. This apparent decline in attainment is a result of the composition of the present Year 6 and is typical of the yearly fluctuations that have been taking place over time. The realistic targets set by the school for the proportion of pupils expected to attain Level 4 or above at the end of Key stage 2 are based on the detailed assessments made of pupils’ prior attainment.

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Other Aspects

80. The results of the 1999 National Curriculum tests show a substantial improvement over the previous year. At Key Stage 1, 94 per cent of pupils achieved the expected Level 2 or above, compared with 86 per cent nationally. Twenty three per cent of pupils attained the higher Level 3, about in line with the national figure. At Key Stage 2, 83 per cent of pupils reached the expected Level 4 or above, which was significantly higher than the national figure. The number of pupils achieving the higher Level 5 was also higher than nationally, at 40 per cent.

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Other Aspects

81. Pupils enter the school with broadly average attainment and this remains the position by the end of Key Stage 1. In Year 1 the pupils revise the properties of two-dimensional shapes, with most being able to name squares and triangles from a description; for example, “This shape has three sides and three corners”. About half of the pupils recognise less well-known shapes in the same way, such as hexagon, oval, and diamond. They extend this knowledge well into three-dimensional shapes, learning about the properties of cubes, cuboids, cylinders and spheres. In mental mathematics sessions Year 2 pupils double and halve numbers up to 30, add three sets of single digit numbers and solve mathematical problems mentally. They develop good mental strategies and many are able to explain successfully the process they have used to reach the correct figure. Holland Haven Primary School-33 82. Average attainment at the end of Key stage 1 is maintained as pupils progress through Years 3 and 4 and

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Other Aspects

improves significantly in Years 5 and 6 to reach above average levels by the end of Key Stage 2. Year 3 pupils develop successful mental strategies. For example, they count in tens backwards from 100 and count to 100 in twos. Some higher attaining pupils correctly solve equations such as ? – 170 = 50, and explain clearly how they have reached their answer. Most use data handling well and use a range of different ways of presenting information appropriately. They successfully classify simple lists and organise them. Many Year 3 and 4 pupils partition numbers correctly (for example, 253 is 200 + 50 + 3) and use this process to solve problems accurately. Year 4 work with four digit numbers, with the majority recognising number patterns and solving money problems successfully. Most pupils use mathematical language correctly and they enjoy developing different strategies for solving problems during mental

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Other Aspects

mathematics sessions. Several pupils were able to give three different ways of calculating addition. Year 5 pupils, investigate the properties of polygons, with most successfully classifying them according to number of angles, vertices and parallel lines. Other Year 5 pupils work to a high standard with five digit numbers. They work with coordinates, correctly recognising, reading and placing points on a grid. Mathematical language is well established and pupils easily understand and use such terms as, ‘vertices’, ‘vertical and horizontal axes’, ‘adjacent’, ‘perpendicular’ and ‘parallel’. Year 6 pupils consolidate work on probability, investigating and calculating the probability of throwing, for example, a seven with a pair of dice. They readily convert between decimals, fractions and percentages and explain the mental strategies involved. They work on conversion graphs and explain their principles and how they can be used, for example in

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Other Aspects

converting ounces to grams for a recipe or changing francs to pounds for a holiday.

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Other Aspects

83. Progress is generally satisfactory in Key Stage 1, though it is better at the end of the key stage. In Key Stage 2 progress is good, being more secure in Years 5 and 6 and leading to the above average levels of attainment being achieved. Teachers set targets for pupils. Records of assessment are kept and passed on to the next teacher to ensure continuity. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress towards the targets set for them, being well integrated and well supported by teachers and support staff.

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Other Aspects

84. Attitudes to mathematics are good. Pupils express enjoyment of the subject, and generally settle down to work quickly and attentively. They respond well to questioning and are keen to answer questions. They work well in a whole class situation, individually and in co-operation with each other. They stay on task and most pupils show a high level of concentration. There is a positive ethos and the relationships between teachers and pupils and between pupils are good.

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Other Aspects

85. The quality of teaching makes a significant contribution to the levels of attainment being achieved by the end of key stage 2. Teaching is never less than satisfactory in mathematics, with over 60 per cent being good or better. Some excellent teaching was observed. Teachers have a good knowledge of the subject, which enables them to question pupils with confidence and give good, clear explanations. They are skilful at getting pupils to work things out for themselves rather than just giving the answers. Class and behaviour management is almost always good, with teachers displaying skills designed to keep pupils attentive and on task. Teachers make sure that pupils whose attention has wandered are brought back to task by directing questions at them. Planning is done in year groups and is good. It includes work matched to pupils’ needs and provides for good progression for pupils through the school.

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Other Aspects

86. The co-ordinator and assistant co-ordinator have a very good grasp of the needs of the subject and how the improvements can be maintained. The Numeracy Strategy is already well in place, and is having a positive impact upon teaching and learning. Resources, including computer software, are good, easily accessible, well-maintained and effectively used. The mathematics action plan proposes closer co-ordinator involvement in monitoring the planning and teaching of the subject, and this should be implemented as soon as possible. Marking is consistently carried out, but its quality is variable. There is a need to ensure that all teachers are using marking both to assess what has been understood, and to target specific areas for improvement to move the pupils on.

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Other Aspects

87. In the 1999 National Curriculum assessments at Key Stage 1, the number of pupils achieving the expected Holland Haven Primary School-34 Level 2 was just above the national average: this was an improvement on the previous year, when the results were well below the national average. However, the number achieving the higher Level 3 in 1999 was below the national average, whereas in 1998 it had been just above.

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Other Aspects

88. In the National Curriculum tests at Key Stage 2 results were in line with the national average for pupils achieving the expected level, but the number of pupils achieving the higher Level 5 was above the average for all schools nationally and for similar schools . These results were a significant improvement on the previous year when the number achieving the expected level was below the national average and the number achieving the higher level well below. These results had also been well below the average for similar schools. There is no significant difference between the performance of boys and girls. Over the preceding three years results for science had been close to the national average and were similar to those for mathematics and English. The fluctuations in attainment from year to year result from the composition of the different intakes of pupils.

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Other Aspects

89. At the time of the previous inspection, attainment was mostly above average. The evidence of this inspection confirms that pupils' attainment is now in line with expectations at the end of both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. In Key Stage 1 pupils predict accurately whether materials will change shape with pushing and pulling; they also correctly predict which foods have the most fat. They successfully identify different parts of the human body and distinguish between high and low sounds. Pupils make good progress between Years 1 and 2 in developing their knowledge and understanding and in using investigative methods. They make good progress during lessons in Key Stage 1, particularly when they are working directly with the class teacher. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress because of the good support they receive in class.

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Other Aspects

90. At the end of Key Stage 2 pupils have a satisfactory understanding of fair testing. They accurately record the results of their investigations (for instance, on the effect of nutrients on chickweed) although they have not yet had the opportunity to devise their own methods of recording. They have good understanding of food chains and classify animals into different groups successfully. Most are aware that air is all around us and carry out an investigation to demonstrate this successfully.

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Other Aspects

91. Pupils make satisfactory progress at Key Stage 2. In Year 3 they learn that some foods are healthier than others. In Year 4 they understand what completes an electric circuit. They develop their understanding of a fair test, for instance, in Year 5, with an investigation into the rate at which water evaporates in different sized containers. This leads to an understanding of the different factors affecting evaporation. Pupils with special educational needs also make satisfactory progress, and there is no difference in the rates of progress of boys and girls.

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Other Aspects

92. Pupils' attitudes to science are good. In Key Stage 1 they behave well and take part well in discussions. The presentation of their work is satisfactory. They also work independently when required to do so. In Key Stage 2 they settle quickly in class and enjoy investigative activities. They work well together in groups and are interested in discussing the results of their investigations. They behave well.

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Other Aspects

93. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall, and in 38 per cent of lessons it is good. No unsatisfactory teaching was observed during the inspection. This is a similar picture to the last inspection. At Key Stage 1 teachers use resources well, including a visit from a mother with her baby daughter. They have a good knowledge of the subject, give clear explanations and use questions well to check that pupils have understood. Sometimes, however, activities are not clearly matched to the needs of all pupils, such as those which are designed to occupy pupils while the teacher is focusing on another group. In Key Stage 2, teachers use marking well to point the way forward for pupils. They have a sound knowledge of the subject and make satisfactory use of the resources that are available to them. They manage pupils well. Occasionally the pace of a lesson is slow, and activities are not matched to the needs of all pupils,

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Other Aspects

including higher attainers. The use of worksheets limits the opportunities pupils have to devise their own methods of recording, which results in this element of investigative skills not being fully developed.

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Other Aspects

4 Schools with more than 8 per cent and up to 20 per cent of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals. Holland Haven Primary School-35 94. Because of the emphasis on literacy and numeracy, science has not been a focus for development, but the subject leader has ensured that it has not been neglected. The school has adopted national guidelines for planning work and is currently working on assessment against these, while at the same time retaining assessment against National Curriculum levels. Assessment procedures are good. Assessment is also being used satisfactorily to assist in planning the next stage in pupils' learning. The school runs voluntary booster classes which pupils who are on the borderline between two levels are encouraged to attend; this has had a positive effect on raising standards. There is also an extra-curricular environmental group and a gardening club to extend pupils' opportunities. Satisfactory use is made of information technology to

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support pupils' learning (for instance using a CD-ROM about the human body). The subject also contributes to pupils' numeracy, for instance when they produce graphs which show the amount of crisps eaten, using information technology as well for this purpose. As at the time of the last inspection, the subject leader has few opportunities to monitor and evaluate practice throughout the school. There are satisfactory resources, including an outdoor environmental area, and these are used well. Some classrooms in the older part of the building are cramped for practical activities, but teachers manage this well.

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Other Aspects

95. Information technology is a strength of the school.

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Other Aspects

96. Attainment in information technology is above average at the ends of both key stages, with pupils making good progress across the school. This represents a considerable improvement on the position at the time of the last inspection, when this subject was in need of further development. The combination of a well designed computer suite, effective curriculum leadership and good teaching are the principal factors in the high standards now being achieved.

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97. Pupils in Key Stage 1 have good understanding for their age of the way in which a computer can be used across a range of subjects, and good teaching has ensured that they use them well and attain high standards for their ability. Teachers have high expectations and they communicate an enthusiasm for the subject to their classes. Pupils in Year 1 develop their understanding of numeracy, the properties of three- dimensional shapes and the idea that such shapes occupy space, when using a computer program to design patterns using cubes. They already have good understanding of how to load a program using menus and icons, and their mouse control is generally good. Skills in the use of a mouse are extended further in Year 2 where pupils use an art program to draw imaginative and exciting pictures in the style of Jackson Pollock. Pupils at the end of the key stage use a class-based computer to place data about their favourite

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crisps on a spreadsheet and present that information well in the form of a computer generated bar chart. Pupils in Key Stage 1 have appropriate experience of using computers for modelling and they use a programmable robotic device for simple computer control. They also make use of tape recorders which they are able to operate successfully. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress across the key stage.

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Other Aspects

98. Good teaching continues in Key Stage 2, where knowledge gained in Key Stage 1 is extended in exciting and challenging ways. For example, in Year 3 pupils combine graphics and text in order to present their work in more interesting and attractive ways. The work is challenging and pupils’ skills in accessing data from a CD-ROM are reinforced well. Work using text and graphics is extended in Year 4 where pupils design effective headlines, key sentences and explanatory text for a news item. Pupils show good Holland Haven Primary School-36 understanding of the importance of selecting the right font, font size and colour to make a headline have the desired impact. In Year 5, pupils show increasing confidence as they use a spreadsheet to record, interpret and present data in graphical form using bar and pie charts. By this age, pupils show good understanding of the ways in which a computer can be used to access data for a range of purposes and they

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use word processing and art software to produce work that is sophisticated for their age. There are effective links with design and technology, such as the use of word processing to place in the correct sequence the instructions that have to be followed when making ‘cut-out biscuits’. By the end of the key stage pupils are confident in all aspects of the National Curriculum programmes of study. Pupils of widely differing levels of prior attainment show good understanding of the way in which a computer should be used, from loading a program to saving and printing their work. They understand the ‘Windows’ environment very well and they use word processing software to produce original written work that is of generally good quality. They write well in the first person, using a word processor, when interpreting the actions of a character from Hamlet based on the good understanding of Shakespeare’s play that they have, resulting from very good

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teaching. They are used to using a computer to change variables in order to predict changes and they produce a wide range of imaginatively designed and well-made computer controlled models that are effectively linked with design and technology: for example, a bird table and a windmill. Some of these models involve the use of complex electrical circuits. Pupils in Year 6 use a video camera to record class assemblies. Pupils make good progress across Key Stage 2.

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99. Whether using a computer in their own classroom or in the new computer suite, pupils have a very positive attitude to this subject. They use computers confidently and they are very well behaved. During lessons in the computer suite, virtually all pupils remain on task throughout the lesson with the minimum of teacher supervision, and most achieve success in the tasks set for them. Boys and girls appear equally confident in using computers across the curriculum.

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100. Active support from the governing body and the imaginative plans prepared by the co-ordinator, supported by high quality and continuing in-service training, have created an environment in which teacher confidence has been enhanced and an effective environment for learning established. The co- ordinator is providing outstanding leadership and this is reflected in the overall quality of teaching and the positive effect that it is having on rates of progress and levels of attainment. The quality of teaching overall is good and ranges from very good to satisfactory. Eighty-eight per cent of lessons were good or better and 25 per cent were very good. There is no unsatisfactory teaching. The quality of planning is generally high and lessons have clear, achievable learning objectives that are appropriate for the age and prior attainment of pupils. Where teachers are less confident they make good use of the three evenings when training is

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available after school in order to enhance their own skills, and this is reflected in the quality of their lessons. While all lessons in the computer suite begin with a common range of initial tasks, lessons are prepared in such a way that the pace and level of challenge is matched well to those with special educational needs and across the whole range of attainment. Effective use is also made of computers in classrooms, although those in Key Stage 1 are older and less reliable. The confidence with which skills learned in this subject are applied across the whole curriculum, with the exception of music and physical education, is a particular strength. The subject is making an effective contribution to the development of literacy and numeracy, because of the imaginative and effective ways that it is used to support these areas by teachers. One learning support assistant provides invaluable support to teachers in the computer suite

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and other learning support assistants are also used well in this room. The contribution made by support staff in this subject is an important factor in the effective way in which the tasks offered match the prior attainment of individual pupils, including those with special educational needs.

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101. Resource provision is very good overall, with pupils across the school having access to computers, tape recorders, a digital camera and programmable robotic devices. Pupils in Key Stage 2 also have access to a video camera. While some computers in classrooms, principally in Key Stage 1, are reaching the end of their useful life, the resources provided by the well designed computer room are of high quality, well maintained and used effectively by teachers across the school.

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102. Pupils' attainment in religious education is below the expectations of the locally Agreed Syllabus at the Holland Haven Primary School-37 end of Key Stage 1. The time allocation for the subject is well below that recommended by the Agreed Syllabus. There is very little opportunity for pupils to record their work. The worksheets that they are asked to complete are not sufficiently challenging to develop their thinking. In the lessons observed pupils were able to identify people who wear special clothes but did not understand the link with religious practice. Pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 show no more than satisfactory knowledge of religious traditions other than Christianity. Because of the low allocation of time and the lack of assessment of pupils' attainment to assist teachers in planning future work, pupils make unsatisfactory progress at Key Stage 1, including both boys and girls and those with special educational needs. There has been no improvement

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since the previous inspection, when attainment in religious education at Key Stage 1 was a key issue.

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103. At the end of Key Stage 2 pupils' attainment meets the expectations of the locally Agreed Syllabus. They have a good knowledge of the Bible, including stories from both Old and New Testaments. They understand the various features of a religious faith, and show a satisfactory knowledge of Judaism and Hinduism. They also know about aspects of Buddhism, and some higher-attaining pupils have a good understanding, for instance, of teaching about reincarnation. Pupils make good progress at Key Stage 2. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 develop a good understanding of the significance of Shabbat observance in a Jewish family through the thoughtful use of artefacts. In Year 4 they learn about the parables of Jesus and understand the meaning, for example, of the story of the lost sheep. Pupils with special educational needs receive good support from class teachers and make good progress.

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104. Pupils' attitudes to learning are satisfactory at Key Stage 1. They are mostly attentive and contribute willingly to discussions. They work satisfactorily individually. Attitudes are good at Key Stage 2. Pupils listen carefully, for instance to a story from the New Testament or from the Tibetan Buddhist Book of the Dead, and behave well. Pupils in a class of Years 3 and 4 showed a quiet, reverential interest in Jewish artefacts and practices and a very positive attitude to the culture. Overall, pupils' response to religious education is good.

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105. Teaching is satisfactory at Key Stage 1, although the worksheets used sometimes lack challenge, and good at Key Stage 2. Teachers in Key Stage 1 have a satisfactory knowledge of the subject and make good use of resources, such as the posters from the commercial course the school has adopted. Planning of lessons is satisfactory but there is rarely time for pupils to record their work or for teachers to assess their attainment, because of the short time allocated to lessons, which often take place at the end of the afternoon when time is lost as pupils come in from playtime or prepare to go home. In Key Stage 2, teachers have good subject knowledge, backed up by careful research, for instance to ensure that details of the observance of Shabbat are represented correctly. There are good relationships between teachers and pupils which create a good atmosphere for learning. Teachers also have high expectations of pupils' behaviour.

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Occasionally some time is lost, but resources are used well. Overall the quality of teaching is good.

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106. The school's scheme of work for religious education does not show clearly the objectives of lessons nor the links with the Agreed Syllabus, and there is no provision for assessment of pupils' attainment against the end of key stage statements of the syllabus. Although pupils study the range of religions required by the syllabus, there are no opportunities for pupils to visit places of worship of faiths other than Christianity. This limits their opportunities to understand these faiths and appreciate their contribution to society. Good use has been made of visits to local churches and visits from ministers, and there have been occasional visits from representatives of other faiths. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils' literacy by introducing them to stories of different types from a range of cultures. The co-ordinators have not carried out any recent monitoring of provision in the subject, and the aim of the action plan following the previous

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inspection to improve pupils' knowledge and understanding at Key Stage 1 has not been met.

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107. Only two lessons were seen during the inspection, including a lesson where art was linked with information technology. Judgements, therefore, are based on scrutiny of teachers’ planning, pupils’ past work, work on display and discussions with the co-ordinator and pupils. Holland Haven Primary School-38 108. Pupils at Key Stage 1 produce pictures on a computer, drawing in a controlled fashion with the electronic pencil. At Key Stage 2, pupils apply silk paints very carefully and the finished product, after a paper design has also been painted, is often above the standard for their age. They create stencil pictures based on scenes from Hamlet , handling gouache paint well. They make designs for stones to be placed in the memorial garden, first in pencil and then filled in with gouache. Progress is however no more than satisfactory, because skills are not taught systematically throughout the school, but only as and when

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required. The evidence of work on display illustrates that, although used effectively to support and illustrate learning in all areas of the curriculum, art is not taught as a subject in its own right. The recent introduction of a sketchbook is insufficiently effective because the paper used is not suitable for experimentation and because it is not used as a means of developing techniques. There is very little evidence of the study of art and artists and how they create their effects.

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109. Pupils in the lesson observed at Key Stage 2 were relaxed and comfortable, enjoying the respite from more academic tasks. They worked very well alone or in pairs, discussing their tasks, suggesting amendments and sharing resources well. The majority were absorbed, taking great pains with the presentation of their work. They were eager to talk about their past studies, and share what little they knew about Van Gogh, Monet and Hockney.

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110. Teachers have very well-established classroom routines and high behavioural expectations. They encourage pupils to discuss their work freely, offering guidance, while encouraging creativity.

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111. The current scheme of work gives detailed guidance for teachers to plan lessons which take into account what has gone before and what is to follow, especially in the development of skills and with specific learning targets for each year group. However, this has not been fully implimented. Pupils use computer programs to generate art, and make good use of their numeracy and literacy skills, for example, in sequencing pictures and in developing an artistic vocabulary. Three-dimensional work is planned for, as are many other things, but the low time allocation is an effective constraint. Pupils’ work is sometimes displayed in local shops, but they make no visits to art galleries and there have been no recent opportunities to work with local artists. The current scheme of work gives detailed coverage of work on famous artists past and present, local artists and craftspeople, and the list of resources mentions African images and batik,

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but there is little evidence of study along these lines. The newly appointed co-ordinator has a satisfactory understanding of the role, but no allocation of time for the monitoring and evaluation of provision and classroom practice.

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112. Resources are adequate, but there is a lack of artefacts for still-life and multicultural work. The school’s art gallery contains a collection of paintings by various artists displayed on walls near the hall and the kitchen. This is a good idea, but they could be displayed more prominently and made more accessible by removing the chairs and trolleys which are stored in front of the paintings. The resources which are available are not used well, and this has a detrimental effect on pupils’ standards of attainment and progress. The situation has not improved since the last inspection.

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113. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress in design and technology. At both key stages they are attaining a level appropriate to their age.

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114. Since the last inspection a comprehensive scheme of work has been produced, following government guidelines and it adequately covers all aspects of the subject. The resources have been enhanced by the purchase of a range of materials and tools at both key stages.

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115. Because of the implementation of the National Literacy and National Numeracy Strategies, time available for the teaching of design and technology has been reduced. This has meant alternating it with art and the resultant loss of time has inevitably had an effect on pace of progress. This means that although the scheme of work and the curriculum plan ensure that all elements of the national curriculum for design and technology are covered, they are not dealt with in sufficient depth. Holland Haven Primary School-39 116. It was not possible to see many design and technology lessons during the inspection. Those lessons that were observed and an examination of teachers’ planning, of work in progress and of past examples on display confirms that opportunities are provided for pupils to develop skills and techniques in meaningful ways. A range of techniques and materials is in use, and appropriate skills are taught to enable pupils to

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make effective use of those techniques. The subject makes an effective contribution to pupils’ numeracy and literacy skills through opportunities for measuring and in acquiring and using the appropriate vocabulary.

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117. Year 2 were seen making finger puppets, from design stage, choosing appropriate materials, cutting and sewing and evaluating the finished product. Year 3 were observed designing and making a box for a specific purpose. Pupils were discussing criteria, such as who would use the box and how this might affect design and decoration; suggesting, for example the use of brighter colours for small children. They understand the concept of net-design and are able to make suggestions about various kinds of opening, carrying and fastening features. Years 4 and 5 were baking biscuits and were involved in designing toppings. Year 5 and 6 pupils presented a display of their recent project, making a harvest loaf. The comments and the photographs indicate that the whole process, from design to evaluation, was included and the finished products were impressive. Year 6 designed air-raid shelters as part of their history work

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on the Second World War. In addition, pupils in different classes use a variety of construction kits, and there is a display in the new information communication technology suite where design and technology have been used effectively in making various working models, such as a windmill and a bird table.

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118. In the few lessons observed, teaching was good, with pupils being given every opportunity to consider the purpose of their design and to select appropriate materials for its construction. Proper evaluation of the resulting products is effectively encouraged with pupils showing obvious enjoyment and talking knowledgeably about what they are doing. Their attitudes to the subject and their behaviour are good. Girls and boys work equally well and pupils with special educational needs are fully integrated into the lesson.

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119. Resources for the subject are satisfactory, but the co-ordinator recognises that the new scheme of work will involve some further development of resources. The lack of time available for teaching design and technology as a discrete subject limits progress and the school should explore ways of compensating for this.

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120. There has been satisfactory improvement in design and technology provision since the last inspection.

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121. No lessons were observed during the inspection and the judgements made are based on the evidence of work produced by pupils, the quality of display, teacher planning and discussion with the co-ordinator. Overall, pupils’ attainment is appropriate for their age and they are making satisfactory progress across both key stages. The school has maintained the rates of progress and levels of attainment observed at the time of the last inspection.

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122. Work on display is satisfactory and includes ‘Where in the World is Barnaby Bear’ in the quiet room between Year 1 and reception, the countries of the United Kingdom in Year 2 and ‘What’s in the News’ in Years 5 and 6. Pupil’s work included in these displays confirms that the school is following the national guidance, that it has adopted it effectively, and that teaching is at least satisfactory in both key stages.

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123. The co-ordinator is monitoring the effectiveness of the national guidelines that are now being used as the school’s scheme of work. She provides satisfactory support for her colleagues and believes that the new scheme will raise levels of attainment in the subject. The curriculum is enhanced by educational visits to such places as Abberton reservoir and a school journey to Wicken House. Resources are satisfactory, but in need of review in the light of the scheme that is now in place. Holland Haven Primary School-40 137. History

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124. Attainment in history is average for the age of the pupils and they make satisfactory progress across the school. Overall the school has maintained levels of attainment and rates of progress since the last inspection.

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125. No lessons were observed in Key Stage 1, although an interesting and successful lesson with Year 1 pupils discussing Victorian artefacts they had been studying with Year 5 was seen. Overall, the quality of teachers’ planning and the associated work and displays observed confirm that pupils’ attainment is average for their age and that they are making satisfactory progress. For example, in Year 2, pupils compare the experiences of Florence Nightingale’s childhood with those of their own. They study a good range of artefacts and photographs made available by the Colchester Museum and they complete worksheets on key events on their timeline. They complete some of their writing using a word processor.

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126. Pupils in Year 3 study ancient Egypt. They look at photographs of Egyptian buildings, such as the pyramids at Giza, using language such as ‘They’re huge’ to describe them. They are less successful when attempting to identify key evidence from pictures and photographs, primarily because the work is new to them. Pupils in Year 4 enjoy discussing what they have learned about the Anglo-Saxons. They discuss the features of the grave of a warrior who had been buried with his horse, in a mature fashion for their age. In these discussions, pupils with special educational needs are supported well and encouraged to play a full part. All pupils make informed comparisons for their age, for example, making the judgement that the grave had to be that of a man, because only men fought in Saxon times. At the same time, some pupils were aware that women do now become soldiers, sailors and pilots. Other Year 4 pupils study the Tudors,

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many of them showing good understanding of the most important features of the reign of Henry VIII. They discussed his life in a mature fashion within a relaxed learning environment that even allowed them to compare the build of Henry with that of their teacher. Pupils in Year 5 study the Victorians and make interesting and appropriate comparisons between life then and life today. Many show surprise at the number of changes that there have been in such a relatively short space of time. By this age pupils are using their powers of observation well and they make informed guesses about artefacts with which they are unfamiliar. Research skills have also been developed progressively across the school, and pupils in the upper years of Key Stage 2 use reference books and history CD-ROMS well to access information. Pupils in Year 6 consolidate the skills that they have acquired as they move through the school. The majority

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show good understanding of the story of Athena and Poseidon. Many can describe accurately some of the features of the Parthenon and most describe the owl and olive branch on Greek coins accurately. Other Year 6 pupils study the Second World War and this work provides opportunities for them to write as though they are living through the events they are learning about. This work could be further developed. There are links with design and technology, such as the design of an effective air raid shelter. Although the time available for this subject has been reduced because of the introduction of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, pupils continue to make satisfactory progress across the key stage.

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127. Most pupils enjoy history, but their knowledge is often better than their recording skills. They use books and CD-ROMs well to access information. The way in which they carry out research, for example using the index and glossary of a book to access the information it contains, often shows sustained concentration. They are enthusiastic in lessons, and pupils of all levels of prior attainment, including those with special educational needs, contribute well in class and group discussions. Pupils in Year 5 were particularly sensitive when listening to the contributions made by Year 1 pupils to their work on the Victorians. Their behaviour is generally very good. Both boys and girls get equal enjoyment from this subject.

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128. The previous inspection report indicated that this subject was developing as strength of the school, especially at Key Stage 2. The emphasis being given to meeting the requirements of a number of national initiatives and a change of co-ordinator have delayed this development. Nevertheless, an experienced teacher has recently taken responsibility for the co-ordination of this subject. He has good subject knowledge and is able to bring the subject to life in his own lessons. He is monitoring the national guidelines that are currently being used as a scheme and will modify them in the light of experience. He is already working closely with other staff and is beginning to provide a clear sense of direction for the future Holland Haven Primary School-41 development of the subject. In addition, the curriculum is enhanced by visits to such places as Colchester Museum. Teaching is good or better in the majority of lessons and ranges from good to unsatisfactory.

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Only one unsatisfactory lesson was seen and this was the result of an unplanned change in the lesson that resulted in pupils being given a task with which they were unfamiliar. In the majority of lessons teachers make effective use of national guidelines to plan their lessons. A particular strength is the way in which skilled questioning, in the majority of lessons, enables pupils of all levels of prior attainment to contribute. Work is appropriately adapted to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs. There are good cross-curricular links with geography and, on occasions, with mathematics. The skills developed in literacy lessons make an important contribution in this subject. Teachers make effective use of the good quality resources available from Colchester Museum in order to bring their lessons alive.

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129. The previous inspection found that music was above average in Key Stage 1 and average in Key Stage 2. Since then there have been two changes of co-ordinator, with a gap of several months when there was no co-ordinator. This, coupled with a reduction in the amount of time allocated to the subject, due to pressures involved in the implementation of the National Literacy and National Numeracy Strategies, has had a detrimental effect on music in the school.

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130. The recently-appointed and inexperienced co-ordinator has worked with the county adviser in producing a draft music policy and a scheme of work, based on the government guidelines. These cover all elements of the National Curriculum for music, but with the amount of time allocated for the subject it is not possible to deal with all aspects effectively. The co-ordination of this subject is unsatisfactory.

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131. During the inspection it was only possible to observe three music lessons. In these standards of attainment were satisfactory at both key stages. Year 5 and 6 pupils were observed during a rehearsal of the forthcoming Christmas production of ‘Jonah Man Jazz’, and there the standard of performance was generally good, as the pupils began to feel the rhythm and mood of the music and perform with understanding and enjoyment.

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132. Of the three lessons seen one was good, one satisfactory and one unsatisfactory. The best teaching had lively presentation that engaged the pupils’ interest, combined with high expectations. However, where teaching was satisfactory or unsatisfactory there is a need to have higher expectations of what pupils can do; giving praise for mediocre singing does not move pupils on. Pupils need motivating to achieve and improve. Pupils with special educational needs are well integrated into the lessons.

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133. Involvement in extra-curricular music is good at Key Stage 1, and almost all of the recorder players are from Years 1 and 2. A few pupils are learning to play an instrument. There is no choir. Resources are satisfactory; there are several percussion boxes, a music trolley and two keyboards. The school has been involved in ‘Rainbow Days’ in which saxophonists and African drummers have demonstrated their instruments and performed. Another such day is planned for next year.

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134. Although standards are satisfactory, there has been a decline since the last inspection. To raise standards it is necessary to raise the profile of the subject, allocate more time, improve staff competence and expertise and monitor planning and teaching more effectively.

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135. During the inspection it was possible to observe only games at Key Stage 1 and games, swimming and gymnastics at Key Stage 2. Standards in games at Key Stage 1 are as expected from pupils of this age. They are able to catch and throw a ball. They use space well. Pupils make good progress in Key Stage 1, consolidating their skills, but a substantial minority find it difficult to understand the principle of fair play. This is a very similar position to that found at the time of the last inspection. Holland Haven Primary School-42 136. In the games lessons seen at Key Stage 2 pupils made good progress in developing ball skills. Pupils in Year 3 showed below average skills in a game of skittle ball, but in Year 4 pupils demonstrated passes with growing skill and confidence. In the gymnastics lessons seen in Year 5, pupils used space well and worked well in groups to put together spinning and turning movements, using different parts of the body.

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They also began to put together a sequence of movements involving rolling and balancing. The previous inspection found that overall progress in physical education was good, and this continues to be the case.

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137. Pupils have swimming lessons for two terms in Year 4. In the session observed during the inspection week, pupils of all levels of attainment made good progress because of the good facilities provided at a local leisure centre and the good level of instruction both by the teacher accompanying the pupils and the instructors from the pool. About 80 per cent of pupils are expected to swim 25 metres by the time they leave the school.

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138. Pupils' attitudes to physical education are good. In Year 2 they respond well to instructions, work well with a partner and try hard to improve their performance. In Key Stage 2 they show a good awareness of rules and develop a sense of fair play. They respond immediately to instructions and work well together in a team. They enjoy swimming and respond well to the teacher and instructors, trying hard to improve their performance.

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139. Teaching is good. Teachers have a good understanding of the subject and maintain the pace of lessons well to ensure that pupils engage in strenuous activity, particularly when working in colder conditions outside. They also use pupils well to demonstrate skills, for instance in passing a ball. Older pupils are given good opportunities to evaluate each other's performance, which contributes to the progress of all.

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140. The school has good facilities for physical education, including a large, well-equipped hall and hard outside areas, as well as a playing field which is in excellent condition for the time of the year. There is a good range of balls and other games equipment. The school makes good use of a nearby swimming pool. Pupils in Key Stage 2 have good opportunities for extra-curricular sporting activities, including boys’ and girls’ football, hockey, netball, rugby, cricket and rounders, in which about a third of them take part. Pupils in Year 6 take part in outdoor activities on their residential visit. The school also takes part in competitions against other schools, which provides good opportunities for pupils' social development. There is a good time allocation for physical education, with all classes normally having one outdoor and one indoor session every week. This helps to maintain the continuity of learning as well as the levels of

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fitness of pupils. At present the subject leader has little opportunity to monitor provision, to ensure that the appropriate standards and good progress are maintained. Holland Haven Primary School-43 154. PART C: INSPECTION DATA

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141. A team of five inspectors inspected the school over a four day period for a combined total of 19 days. Before the inspection, the registered inspector met the chair of the governing body and the staff of the school. A meeting attended by 4 parents was held, and an analysis was made of 118 responses to parental questionnaires.

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142. During the inspection, 69 lessons or parts of lessons were observed. A group of pupils from each class was heard reading aloud, either individually or within the literacy hour. Discussions were held with pupils about their work in a range of subjects across the curriculum. The primary focus of the inspection was literacy, numeracy and the core subjects of English, mathematics, science, information technology and religious education. The non-core subjects of art, design and technology, history, music and physical education were seen when time permitted. No geography lessons were observed during the inspection. Behaviour was observed in classrooms, in the playground, and around the school. Informal discussions took place with pupils at lunchtime and with parents. Pupils’ work was examined during lessons, and the work of three pupils from each class was scrutinised. In all, 66 hours were spent in classrooms observing lessons, in

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evaluating work and in discussions with pupils.

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143. A further 26 hours were spent on the collection of additional evidence, including a number of interviews and discussions with members of the governing body, the headteacher, teachers, and some of the non-teaching staff. Teachers were given individual feedback about the quality of their work. The school’s policy and planning documents, information relating to the governing body, lesson plans, assessment records, financial details, information for parents, attendance registers and accident records were scrutinised, and the school’s arrangements for child protection and health and safety were examined.

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157. Pupil data Number of pupils on roll (full-time equivalent) Number of pupils with statements of SEN Number of pupils on school’s register of SEN Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals YR – Y6 273 2 57 46

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157. Qualified teachers (YR – Y6) Total number of qualified teachers (full-time equivalent): 12 Number of pupils per qualified teacher: 22.75

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157. Education support staff (YR – Y6) Total number of education support staff: 6 Total aggregate hours worked each week: 125 Holland Haven Primary School-44 Average class size: 30 Holland Haven Primary School-45 157. Financial data

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£ Total Income 551309 Total Expenditure 534963 Expenditure per pupil 1765.55 Balance brought forward from previous year 55195 Balance carried forward to next year 71541

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Number of questionnaires sent out: 273 Number of questionnaires returned: 118

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Responses (percentage of answers in each category):

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Strongly agree Agree Neither Disagree Strongly disagree I feel the school encourages parents to play an active part in the life of the school 31 62 6 1 0

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I would find it easy to approach the school with questions or problems to do with my child(ren) 43 53 2 2 0

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The school handles complaints from parents well 16 57 22 3 2

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The school gives me a clear understanding of what is taught 18 62 14 6 0

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The school keeps me well informed about my child(ren)’s progress 24 64 9 3 0

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The school enables my child(ren) to achieve a good standard of work 31 64 2 3 0

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The school encourages children to get involved in more than just their daily lessons 31 50 15 3 1

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I am satisfied with the work that my child(ren) is/are expected to do at home 29 59 5 6 1

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The school’s values and attitudes have a positive effect on my child(ren) 44 48 3 3 2

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The school achieves high standards of good behaviour 42 50 6 0 2

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My child(ren) like(s) school 58 38 3 1 0

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