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Other · Ofsted report

Bowmandale Primary School

Inspected — · published 16 May 2001 · URN 117812

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Summary

No overall grade in this framework

Geoffrey Watson (lead), Demeter House

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  • Inspectorssingle source

    Demeter House, Geoffrey Watson

  • URN verified

    117812

Page 1 of 19
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+70Positivemore positive than 68% of reports of this type

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Praisevery effectiveeffectivelyhigh expectationsexcellentmake good progressimprovedstrongsupportive
Criticismpoorconcernweaknessesweaknessbelowlacklimitednot yet

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FindingsAbout the inspectionWhat needs to improveLeadership positive critical
  • Findings2083w+72
  • Leadership764w+62
  • What needs to improve2336w+64

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Pages
19
Words of findings
5,120
longer than usual (typical 1049)
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Fairly hard
Flesch 55, typical 45
Average sentence
17 words
Next steps
8
typical 5
Hedged sentences
7%
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Findings 37%Leadership 14%What needs to improve 41%About the inspection 8%

Full report text

BOWMANDALE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Helena McVeigh RgI’s OIN: 32056

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BOWMANDALE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 5 - 7 February 2001

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BOWMANDALE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Short inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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BOWMANDALE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Bowmandale Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Bowmandale Barton-upon-Humber North Lincolnshire

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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: Mrs J Tuplin

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 9 -12 December 1996 Bowmandale Primary School - 4

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Team members

(Ofsted No. 32056) Helena McVeigh Registered inspector (Ofsted No. 14061) Leonard Shipman Lay inspector (Ofsted No. 20463) Mervyn Ward Team inspector (Ofsted No. 20038) Geoffrey Watson Team inspector

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Team members

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

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Team members

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

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

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

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Bowmandale is a larger-than-average primary school for boys and girls aged four to eleven. It is a popular school and the number of pupils has risen steadily over the past few years to the present figure of 302. There are more boys than girls, particularly in Years 4 to 6 where boys outnumber girls by 86 to 50. All pupils are from white United Kingdom backgrounds, and all have English as their first language. There are 56 pupils on the school’s register for special educational needs (SEN), which at 18.5 per cent is just below average; their particular needs include learning, behavioural and medical. Two pupils have Statements of SEN. The number of pupils with SEN has increased in the past few years, as has the percentage of pupils entitled to free school meals, which at 10.6 per cent is just below average. Recently there has been a fair degree of movement of pupils into and out of the school during the year,

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

with more pupils coming in than leaving. A high proportion of the new pupils have special educational needs. The overall attainment of the pupils when they start in the reception classes has gone down in recent years and is now average. The current reception class includes a lot of very young children, as nearly a third of them have their birthdays in the months June to August.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Bowmandale is a very effective school, where pupils make good progress and achieve high standards by the time they leave. The success of the school can be attributed to the high quality of the teaching and the focused and committed leadership. The school is very well led by the headteacher and other senior staff who know pupils well and share a determination to help them achieve. Relationships are very good and result in a purposeful and respectful atmosphere in which pupils can learn. The governing body plays a full and active part in the running of the school and contributes to its success in providing very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Pupils make good progress and achieve high standards by the end of Year 6, and boys in particular do much better than in most other schools across the country • The very good quality of much of the teaching, which enables pupils of all abilities to do well • The strong and effective leadership and management provided by the headteacher, governors and other senior staff • The very effective way in which the school promotes pupils’ personal development and good attitudes to learning

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What could be improved

• The time spent by teachers introducing lessons or talking to the whole class, which, although used well, often goes on for too long • More opportunities could be found for pupils to use their initiative and to solve problems for themselves in lessons

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was considered to have ‘many strengths’ when it was inspected in December 1996. The strengths identified in the report, such as the relationships, level of care, behaviour and commitment of staff, have been maintained and built upon. All of the key issues have been addressed effectively. Standards, which were quite good last time, have improved, particularly in the national tests for seven year-olds. The headteacher and governors have brought about improvements in the way the school is managed as well as with the accommodation. Overall, improvement since the last inspection has been very good. Bowmandale Primary School - 7

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

The school’s results in the national tests have improved over the past few years. Results for seven year- olds at the end of Year 2 have risen at a faster rate than schools nationally. They are now in line with the national average and those of similar schools.

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Key

Pupils make good progress in Years 3 to 6. Results in the national tests for 11 year-olds in English, mathematics and science are well above the average for similar schools. Pupils do well at the higher levels. Boys do particularly well and outperform girls in English, mathematics and science, which goes against the national trend.

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Key

The school keeps very thorough data about the performance of each pupil, from base-line upwards. From this, the school is able to measure and track pupils’ progress and to set targets for individuals and year groups. The targets are realistic yet challenging.

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Key

The inspection found that standards of pupils’ work in English, mathematics and science were close to average in the reception and Year 2, and above average by the end of Year 6. Boys and girls were found to be making equally good progress and pupils of all abilities were achieving well.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils have very good attitudes to the school. They enjoy coming to school and work hard in lessons. They concentrate well, listen with interest during stories and are eager to answer questions.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is usually very good. Pupils are polite and respectful. They sometimes get restless and inattentive (but not really naughty) during over-long introductions or whole-class discussions.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Relationships are very positive - between pupils and between pupils and staff. Staff know pupils well and are sensitive to their individual needs. Pupils show concern for others and collaborate well in pairs and small groups. Older pupils enjoy taking responsibility for younger ones, e.g. in the family service at lunch-times.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Attendance is good - above the national average. Registration is taken promptly and provides a good start to the day. Bowmandale Primary School - 8

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

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

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

Teaching is very good, overall. Of the lessons seen, the teaching was good or better in 74 per cent of the lessons, and very good or excellent in 43 per cent. There was no unsatisfactory teaching. The following good features were evident in nearly all lessons:

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

• Very good planning and organisation, with a good range of activities. • The sharing of lesson objectives with pupils. • Very good questioning by teachers, which encourages pupils to explain their thinking and give full answers; this helps their speaking skills as well as their conceptual understanding. • Very good matching of work and tasks to pupils’ prior attainment (ability) and support where pupils need it (e.g. SEN pupils). Able pupils are given challenging work. • Relationships are mutually supportive and respectful - the atmosphere in lessons is purposeful and pupils get on with their work quickly and without fuss. • Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and how they will behave.

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

English and mathematics are taught well throughout the school and there is a good emphasis on literacy as well as speaking and listening in all subjects.

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

The main weakness with the teaching was that some introductions and whole-class activities went on for too long, so that pupils’ attention started to wane.

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

During the inspection, the Year 2 teacher was unwell and so the inspection team did not see her teach. As a result, the inspection team observed fewer lessons in Year 2 than they otherwise would. This may well have affected the overall judgement on the teaching of pupils in Years 1 and 2 (aged 5-7 years).

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is appropriately broad and balanced. Pupils get a good start in the reception classes. The school organises groups and classes effectively, using setting and support staff to ensure that pupils work at the level that is best for them. There is some good cross-curricular work, e.g. dance based on the historical theme.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs This is very good. The school identifies these pupils quickly and seeks appropriate support. Classroom assistants are used well to work with pupils with SEN and help them make good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision is very good. Spiritual and moral development are fostered extremely well through the school’s caring ethos as well as through assemblies, class ‘worships’ and in lessons. Social development is promoted very effectively through such activities as the family service and group work in lessons. Provision for cultural development is good and includes learning about other cultures and faiths, e.g. in geography, art and religious education.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares This is very good. Procedures for ensuring children’s welfare, health and Bowmandale Primary School - 9 for its pupils safety, and child protection are all in order. Staff know pupils well. The way behaviour is monitored and managed is effective.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff The school is very effectively led and managed. The headteacher, who is supported well by her senior team, has a clear vision for the school and high expectations of what can be achieved. There is no complacency. Co-ordinators carry out their role well and are increasingly involved in monitoring and evaluating their areas.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors are supportive and committed to the school. They play an active part in the school’s plans and know what is going on.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance This is good. The School Development Plan is well thought-through and provides a good basis for planning, monitoring and evaluation. There are very good procedures for testing pupils and tracking their progress and setting individual and school targets.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school makes good use of its resources. Financial planning is good and well linked with the development plan. Finances are carefully monitored and managed and extra funds secured, where possible. The Bowmandale Association has helped to raise significant sums of money for the school. The school is increasingly applying the principles of best value.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children like school • Children are making good progress • Teaching is good • The school expects children to work hard and achieve their best • Behaviour in the school is good • The school helps pupils to become mature and responsible • The amount of homework given. • The range of activities outside school. • Information about how pupils are getting on

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the parents’ positive views about the school. It does not, though, agree with the view about information for parents. The school does provide parents with regular opportunities to find out how well their children are doing as well as useful annual written reports. There are termly reviews involving parents of pupils with special educational needs. In addition, the reading record provides a means of communication between parents and teachers, and pupils’ work is sent home for parents to look at and comment on. Parents can also speak with staff after school, if they have a concern.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The school provides pupils with regular homework, mainly involving reading, spelling and mathematics. There is sometimes ‘finishing off’ work to do in other subjects. This is a limited range of homework, but its strength lies in the involvement of parents, who are given advice as to how to help their children. Overall, the inspection viewed homework as adequate, although it could be improved with more opportunities for pupils to extend skills taught in class.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

There is a fairly typical range of extra-curricular activities (such as orchestra, guitar, sport, and environment club), with French and computer clubs planned soon. The school also encourages pupils to Bowmandale Primary School - 10 take part in the wide range of activities available in the community and recognises these in assemblies and in pupils’ reports.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Several parents at the meeting questioned the way that mixed-age classes are grouped. The inspection team judged that the school grouped pupils as fairly and effectively as possible, making good use of setting to support pupils of all abilities and ages. Bowmandale Primary School - 11

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Pupils make good progress and achieve high standards

1. Pupils come into the reception class with a range of skills and experiences, although with average attainment, overall. They are helped to settle in very quickly and experience a good foundation curriculum. The reception teachers and nursery nurse plan the work well and tailor it to the individual needs of pupils. By the end of the year, most pupils are likely to achieve, or be near to achieving, the early learning goals.

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Pupils make good progress and achieve high standards

2. Results in the national tests for seven year-olds have improved since 1997, when they were below average in reading and writing and well below in mathematics. In the most recent tests (2000), the results for reading, writing and mathematics were in line with the national and similar schools’ averages. The percentage of pupils who gained the higher level (Level 3) in writing and science was above average.

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Pupils make good progress and achieve high standards

3. Results achieved by eleven-year-olds have improved in all subjects; particularly in science which was below average in 1997. In the most recent tests (2000), the English, mathematics and science results were well above the average for similar schools. They were well above the national average point score in English and science, and above it in mathematics. The school’s performance at the higher levels (Level 5 and above) was much better than average.

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Pupils make good progress and achieve high standards

4. Boys’ achievements are particularly impressive. They did better than girls in the most recent tests for seven and eleven year-olds, which is unusual, as nationally boys do worse than girls. The school accounts for the differences in terms of the particular groups of pupils. The inspection found no evidence to suggest that girls are disadvantaged by being outnumbered by boys in this school. Boys and girls are given an equal chance to achieve well. There is no one obvious reason why boys do so well at Bowmandale school, although there a number of likely factors. Firstly, the school has established a culture where all pupils are accepted as individuals and encouraged to do well. For example, teachers try to aim their questions at individual pupils and ensure that everyone is involved during activities such as shared reading or the first part of the numeracy lessons. Secondly, the school has been conscious when buying resources such as books of the

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Pupils make good progress and achieve high standards

need to appeal to boys as well as girls. They have also invited male story-tellers and poets to the school, who act as good role models for boys. Thirdly, the strong emphasis on reading, for example, through the silent reading sessions and reading at home with adults, helps to reinforce its importance for boys.

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Pupils make good progress and achieve high standards

5. The school keeps very good records of pupils’ achievements and sets targets for individuals and cohorts. The school’s evidence shows that pupils generally achieve expected results at the end of Year 2, but do better than expected by the end of year 6. This confirms the inspection finding that, overall, pupils make satisfactory progress up to Year 2, and make greater strides in their learning between Years 3 and 6.

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Pupils make good progress and achieve high standards

6. Some of the work produced by Year 6 pupils is very good indeed and much better than what is expected for their age. The poetry and writing on display in the Year 5 and 6 classrooms is of a high quality; for example, poems about feelings, and play scripts written on a word processor. In a Year 6 English lesson, pupils were writing a story that included a flashback sequence. They related what they were doing effectively to books they had read that used flashbacks. Their own writing included some creative ideas, imaginative language, and good use of punctuation and paragraphs. Bowmandale Primary School - 12 7. In a Year 6 mathematics lesson, pupils showed a good understanding of prime numbers, how to find squares, cubes and their roots and the difference between acute, obtuse and reflex angles. They did calculations based on their knowledge of the sum of the angles in a triangle, on a straight line and at a point. Most could measure angles to within one degree of accuracy.

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Pupils make good progress and achieve high standards

8. Pupils in a Year 6 science lesson were working at a good standard when they carried out an investigation to see how the length of a spring changed as different weights were added to it. They measured carefully and some repeated the measurements. All could describe how they ensured that the test was ‘fair’. They could explain what was happening in terms of the forces involved, and knew how to measure forces in Newtons.

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Pupils make good progress and achieve high standards

9. The inspection team concentrated on the core subjects of English, mathematics and science and did not see a great deal of the other subjects. However, what was seen was often of a high standard, for example, in art and design, physical education, geography, and information and communication technology (ICT).

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Pupils make good progress and achieve high standards

10. Factors that contribute to the high standards include:

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Pupils make good progress and achieve high standards

• The rigorous and regular testing of pupils; for example, using the optional tests for Years 3 and 4 and the Young’s test in Year 2 , and use of results to:

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Pupils make good progress and achieve high standards

− set work for pupils; − identify weaknesses in teaching and in pupils’ performance; and − set targets for individual pupils and for year groups.

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Pupils make good progress and achieve high standards

• The culture in the school of hard work, good behaviour and respect for others

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Pupils make good progress and achieve high standards

• The consistently high quality of the teaching

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Pupils make good progress and achieve high standards

• The high expectations that all staff have of pupils’ work and behaviour

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The very good quality of much of the teaching

11. The teaching is usually of a good quality and there is a consistency in the way teachers plan their lessons. Teachers know their pupils well and set work accordingly. Teaching in nearly all classes shares the following good features:

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The very good quality of much of the teaching

12. Lessons are very well planned and organised, with several different activities that motivate pupils and help them to learn.

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The very good quality of much of the teaching

13. Teachers share lesson objectives with pupils. This is very effective. The objectives are written on the board and referred to in lessons. They sometimes ask pupils to say how well they think they have done in relation to the objectives (this was seen in a Year 3 English lesson).

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The very good quality of much of the teaching

14. Teachers’ very good questioning encourages pupils to explain their thinking and to give full answers. The emphasis on asking open questions (such as ‘How do you know?’ or ‘Why did you choose that one?’) helps pupils’ speaking skills as well as their conceptual understanding. Teachers pose different levels of questions to pupils, based on their knowledge of pupils’ achievements (this was seen in a shared reading session in a reception class).

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The very good quality of much of the teaching

15. Teachers are very good at matching the work and tasks to pupils’ prior attainment (ability). This happens from the reception, where pupils work in small groups with the teachers and nursery nurse, according to their skills and ability. Support is available from classroom assistants, where pupils need it (for example, pupils with SEN). In an additional literacy support session, a classroom assistant was seen working extremely effectively with a group of Year 4 pupils, who were highly motivated and making great strides in their literacy skills. In nearly every lesson Bowmandale Primary School - 13 seen, teachers provided appropriate work for pupils of different abilities, so that they could make progress and gain a sense of achievement at their own level.

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The very good quality of much of the teaching

16. Relationships are mutually supportive and respectful - the atmosphere in lessons is purposeful and pupils get on with their work quickly and without fuss.

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The very good quality of much of the teaching

17. Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and how they will behave. Able pupils are given challenging work that helps them to reach high standards. Poor behaviour is not tolerated and staff usually deal with it unobtrusive and effectively, without drawing too much attention to the miscreants.

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governors and other senior staff

18. The headteacher, who was acting head at the time of the last inspection, has played a key role in the school’s success. She has a clear vision for the school and has high expectations of her own and others’ performance. She knows nearly every child in the school, not just by name but also in terms of their achievements and abilities. She has a high profile in the school and is very supportive of her staff.

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governors and other senior staff

19. The deputy headteacher, other senior staff and co-ordinators are playing an increasingly important part in the school’s management. They have helped to implement the literacy and numeracy strategies very successfully in the school. The early years co-ordinator has established a strong foundation programme for children in the reception. Co-ordinators are carrying out regular monitoring of lessons and have plans to spend more time looking at pupils’ work. This monitoring is at a relatively early stage and is not yet undertaken consistently by all involved. It is, though, a promising start. There is a strong spirit of teamwork amongst staff and a commitment to the school’s aims and priorities. The school gained Investors in People accreditation three years ago, and this has just been renewed.

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governors and other senior staff

20. Planning is very good and the school has set clear priorities for improvement in its School Development Plan. These priorities are costed, with appropriate success criteria, and mechanisms for monitoring and review. A real strength is the way that the whole school - staff and pupils - are involved in working towards the school’s focus on writing. Writing outcomes are pinned to the walls of every classroom, in language and levels appropriate to the age of the pupils. For example, in the reception classroom it says: ‘I can read my writing’; ‘I can write from left to right’; ‘I know what a full stop is’.

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governors and other senior staff

21. The governing body is very involved in the work of the school. There are eight different committees, which meet regularly as needed. Governors are linked with subjects or aspects such as early years or SEN and they visit the school regularly and sit in on lessons. The governors know the school, are supportive and committed to its success.

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to learning

22. The school promotes pupils’ personal development really well. This is an important part of the school’s ethos. Assemblies and class ‘worship’ offer times for reflection on moral, social and spiritual issues. Pupils listen carefully, respond enthusiastically when asked questions and participate respectfully during prayers.

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to learning

23. Pupils enjoy coming to school and many were seen bouncing into school gleefully in the mornings. They are polite to each other and to visitors and happily discuss what they are doing. They listen to others, concentrate well and work at a good pace. This attitude is evident from boys as well as girls and contributes to their good achievement.

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to learning

24. Pupils show concern for others and work well in pairs and small groups in lessons. For example, in a Year 3 physical education lesson, pupils collaborated well in groups to prepare a dance Bowmandale Primary School - 14 sequence on the theme of ‘sea-shanties’. Year 4 and 5 pupils worked productively in small groups to compose a tune inspired by ‘Peter and the Wolf’. Year 6 pupils co-operated effectively in order to measure the extension of a spring in Year 6 science. The family service at lunchtimes, where older pupils serve younger ones, is a delightful occasion and appreciated by most pupils. One Year 6 boy said that he ‘likes the responsibility’ of looking after the younger children.

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to learning

25. The pupils respond well to the school’s ‘star’ system for rewarding good effort, work, behaviour and achievements outside of school. They take pride in getting these stars and subsequent awards from the headteacher.

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to learning

26. The staff and governors are concerned that the changing intake to the school has brought with it an increasing number of pupils with behavioural problems. In response, they have included behaviour management as a school priority and, with children and parents, established the ‘golden rules’, that are evident in every classroom. During the inspection it was evident that there are potentially difficult children, but that staff manage their behaviour well. Midday supervisors are involved in the school’s behaviour strategies and are effective. There is a certain amount of boisterous play in the playground at lunch-time. More equipment and activities for use in the playground would help to focus pupils’ energy more productively. The school is aware of the need to provide more playground resources and has plans for this as part of the improvements in the accommodation.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

The time spent by teachers introducing lessons or talking to the whole class ,

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

27. Teaching is very good, overall, with many strengths, as indicated above. The one weakness that was evident in many lessons was that too much time was spent in whole-class question-and- answer sessions or activities.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

28. The school has introduced the literacy and numeracy strategies effectively and adapted the prescribed format of the lessons, where appropriate. The introductory sessions (shared reading in English and mental/oral sessions in mathematics) are effective. Teachers’ questioning is pertinent and open-ended, encouraging pupils to think and to explain their reasoning. Teachers try to involve most pupils. However, these sessions often went on for too long - 30 minutes sometimes, and past the point where pupils, particularly the younger and less able ones, could concentrate. These over-lengthy whole-class sessions were also evident in a few subjects other than English and mathematics; for example, in a geography and ICT lesson.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

29. When the whole-class discussions or activities went on too long, some pupils started to get restless and lose concentration. Their teachers noticed this and reprimanded pupils for not paying attention, which only prolonged the session further.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

30. Most teachers have timetabled English and mathematics lessons in the morning, which is perfectly reasonable. However, the time for these lessons, is often over an hour, and above the recommendations in the strategies. This is in itself not a problem, as the last ten or 15 minutes of the lesson can be and are used for other activities. However, it may contribute to the lack of urgency about time in these lessons, resulting in the over-long introductions.

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for themselves in lessons

31. There was not a great deal of evidence in the work seen or in lessons that pupils have many opportunities to find their own ways to solve open-ended problems. They are doing this to a certain extent in mathematics, science and English. The teaching approaches used by teachers are very effective and varied but do not allow much scope for pupils to take the initiative or to find innovative ways of solving problems. Although pupils are given investigations in science and mathematics, for example, there is little scope for them to devise a range of possible solutions. Bowmandale Primary School - 15 32. The school provides pupils with the foundations for good problem-solving, for example, through teaching analytical skills and providing them with the necessary knowledge and understanding in literacy, numeracy and other subjects. The headteacher and staff have recognised problem- solving as an area for development in the school.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

33. Pupils are taught well at Bowmandale and make good progress. The following recommendations are aimed at helping the school do even better.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to improve further the staff need to:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Reduce the time spent talking to the whole class by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

− having a sharper focus on what will be covered in whole-class sessions; − reviewing the allocation of time for English and mathematics lessons and, if necessary, shortening it so that less time is available for long introductions.

p.15

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Increase the opportunities for pupils to use their initiative and to solve problems for themselves by:

p.15

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

− identifying when and where pupils can be given the chance to apply their skills and creativity to identify, plan, solve and evaluate problems; − identifying such opportunities in all subjects. Bowmandale Primary School - 16

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 14

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR- Y6 ]

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 302

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 32

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 56

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 16

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 5

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Bowmandale Primary School - 17

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 20 20 40

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 17 18 19 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 17 16 17

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 85 (84) 85(84) 90 (88) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 85 (83) 90 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 17 19 19 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 16 16 17

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 83 (84) 88 (88) 90 (86) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 24 18 42

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 22 22 23 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 15 13 15

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 88 (91) 83 (91) 90 (94) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 22 22 23 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 14 13 15

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 86 (88) 83 (90) 90 (94) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 80 (75)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Bowmandale Primary School - 18

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 11.5 Financial year 1999-2000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 28.8

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR-Y6 Total expenditure 475881

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 9 Expenditure per pupil 1664

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 228 Balance brought forward from previous year 25540

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 8862 Bowmandale Primary School - 19

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 47 43 8 2 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 38 52 9 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 33 48 11 5 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 40 43 14 3 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 61 27 6 6 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 60 38 2 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 33 54 7 5 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 45 44 3 5 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 42 46 5 4 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 13 45 20 5 16

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