Sleights Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

SLEIGHTS CE (C) PRIMARY SCHOOL

Full 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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SLEIGHTS CE (C) 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. Sleights CE Primary School – Page 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School category: Church of England Controlled

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Sleights CE Primary School Ingham Close Sleights Whitby North Yorkshire Postcode: YO22 5DN

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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 Delphine Gale

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 20 - 24 January 1997 Sleights CE Primary School – Page 4

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

20714 Mike Carter Registered inspector Mathematics Science Information and communication technology Geography History Physical education French Equal opportunities Special educational needs How high are standards? How well are the pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further?

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

9505 David Haynes Lay inspector How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 11419 Jeanie Underwood Team inspector English Foundation Stage Art and design Design and technology Music Religious education How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

PBM Inspection Services Ltd PO Box 524 Cheadle Staffordshire ST10 4RN

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Sleights CE Primary School – Page 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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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school serves the village of Sleights, close to Whitby, and also has a number of pupils from surrounding areas, often specifically because of its reputation for good provision for pupils with special educational needs. Although socio- economic indicators for the area are above average, the school has pupils from very mixed backgrounds. Pupils enter the Reception Year at the beginning of the year in which they will be five, with younger pupils being accepted on a part- time basis to fit with the provision made by a pre-school setting that is based on the school site. There are 133 pupils and this is smaller than average for the type of school. Fourteen per cent are known to be entitled to free school meals, which is a little below average. Twenty-five pupils are registered as having special educational needs and while this is a little below average, five of them have a statement, a proportion that is well above average. Some of these

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

pupils have relatively severe difficulties. All the pupils speak English as their home language and there are none from minority ethnic backgrounds. About 16 per cent of the pupils either left or joined the school part way through the primary years and this level of mobility is above average. The attainment of pupils on entry to the school is above average and this is reflected in the baseline assessments made in the Reception Year, which are very positive in the pupils' personal and social development and average in other ways.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school is very popular with its parents and has a deserved reputation for its good provision for pupils with special educational needs. It provides an enriched education and this, together with the usually good teaching, encourages the pupils to have a strong degree of interest in all that is offered. Standards are very variable from year to year. The National Curriculum test results for seven-year-olds have been mainly average or above whereas those for eleven-year- olds were below average in some years. The school is effective in helping most pupils to make satisfactory progress, particularly those with typical or lower attainment for their age, but the more able pupils do not always make the progress that they should. Improvement since the last inspection has been less than could be expected, although some strategies to raise standards have been used such as a reduction in the size of teaching groups. The governors

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

monitor expenditure and costs are a little higher than average for each pupil. When account is taken of the mainly good teaching and learning for average and low attaining pupils, as well as the limited achievement of the more able pupils, the school provides satisfactory value for money overall.

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What the school does well

• The school is very popular and well thought of by parents. • The curriculum is enriched well by extra-curricular activities, visits, visitors, the community and parents. • Provision for special educational needs is good. • The provision for the pupils' spiritual, moral and social education is good. • The pupils have good attitudes to their learning and a good interest in all that they are offered. • The quality of teaching is good overall and similar to the national picture.

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What could be improved

• The proportion of pupils attaining high standards is lower than it should be and progress in writing is inconsistent in Years 3 to 6. • The strategic management of the headteacher and others has not evaluated the school's effectiveness with sufficient rigour. • Teachers do not use the results of formal and informal assessments enough to plan the next work and make it well enough matched for all groups of pupils. • Decisions, for example, about teaching groups, are arrived at with insufficient use of information from evaluations of the school’s overall effectiveness. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in January 1997. Since then more pupils achieve the expected standards in English, mathematics and science but standards have not kept pace with the national improvements and are in some cases now below average. Some improvements have been made since the last inspection based on the key issues identified. However, the action plan for these is insufficiently specific in detailing criteria for achievement. Consequently, actions on the key issues about strategic planning and the coordinators’ overview have had insufficient impact. Overall, improvement since the last inspection has been unsatisfactory. Sleights CE Primary School – Page 7

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Key

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

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Key

These results are based on the performance of pupils who have now left the school. Year groups are relatively small and this is leading to variations in results that are not always linked to teacher effectiveness. In comparison to schools having pupils from similar backgrounds, the results were below average in 2001. This is because of an above average number of pupils with special educational needs, a high level of pupil mobility, teaching that insufficiently challenges the most able pupils, and weak analyses of the pupils' progress. The results of the National Curriculum tests for seven- year-olds were more positive and showed that the standards in reading were average; in writing, they were above average; in mathematics, they were well above average. Overall, the standards shown in the tests since 1997 have not improved at the age of eleven as fast as the national trend but are slightly higher than at the time of the last inspection.

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Key

The targets set for the number of pupils achieving the expected standards for eleven-year-olds in 2002 are extremely challenging and unlikely to be met.

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Key

The standard of work in writing and mathematics of the current eleven-year-old pupils is below average overall. This is because too few pupils exceed the expected national level for their age compared to most schools and because a smaller than average proportion of pupils attain the expected national level for their age. This is not so in reading, where standards are generally good, or science, where current standards in Year 6 are average. The high pupil mobility and the severity of some of the special educational needs are significant factors affecting the proportion of pupils attaining expected levels. Pupils with special needs generally do well in relation to their difficulties but several of them are unlikely to attain the expected level for their age by the end of the year. In the lessons seen, most of the pupils with typical attainment for their age learnt quickly and their progress over time from Year 2 to Year 6 has been

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Key

satisfactory. Higher attaining pupils, however, sometimes achieve less well than they should. Progress in writing is marred by weaknesses in spelling and punctuation. Standards in information and communication technology, French and history are good in Year 6. Standards in physical education are good in Year 2. In all the other subjects where judgements were possible, standards in Year 6 and Year 2 are average.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. The pupils are interested in their learning and enjoy school life. They take part enthusiastically in lessons and extra-curricular activities. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Satisfactory. The pupils are generally polite, friendly and behave well in most lessons but, in a few, they interrupt too much and can be noisy because the class codes of conduct are not sufficiently applied. Personal development and relationships Good. Christian values are passed on well to the pupils who become responsible in carrying out duties and learn to make friends well. Attendance Good. There is less absence than average and last year there were no unauthorised absences.

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Aspect Comment

The pupils' good attitudes help them to be keen on their learning and generally conscientious about their work. There was no evidence of bullying and there have been no recent exclusions. The pupils gain in maturity and self-esteem through having a number of responsibilities, which they carry out well. Although slightly less high than at the time of the last inspection, attendance is better than the national average. Sleights CE Primary School – Page 8

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Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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

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Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Teaching is good overall and similar to the national picture. It is also similar to that found during the last inspection and there is very little unsatisfactory teaching. The teaching of English is good throughout, although spelling and punctuation have not had sufficient emphasis. Aspects of mathematics are also well taught. In the lessons seen, the teaching of art and design, design and technology and religious education was good in Years 1 and 2. The teaching of history and information and communication technology is good for Years 3 to 6. Teaching in the other subjects was satisfactory where it was observed. Literacy and numeracy skills are taught well overall, particularly reading skills and mental calculation, where the pupils are given good opportunities to talk and explain at length. Usually the pupils' behaviour is managed well and the teaching methods chosen are varied, providing good interest. On occasions, there

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Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

is not enough challenge for the higher attaining pupils and this is sometimes because the planned learning is not pitched at high enough levels and sometimes because assessments of what the pupils know and can do already are not taken into account. The pupils' targets and those in the individual education plans of pupils with special educational needs are well known to teachers and this helps the school provide for such pupils well.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The curriculum meets statutory requirements and is enriched well by visits, visitors, events and very good extra-curricular activities. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils are provided for well by teachers and support staff and the school is doing well implementing the new code of practice. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good in the provision for spiritual, moral and social development and satisfactory for cultural provision, where there are a number of experiences offered but few about British multicultural society.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Satisfactory with several good aspects, such as the care and attention given to pupils, but some weak ones such as the monitoring of pupils' academic progress and the use of assessment information to plan well-matched work.

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Aspect Comment

Parents are generally very pleased with the school and the way that they are welcomed and can talk with staff, although this is harder for working parents. Through the SHARE learning partnership and other ways, parents gain good information about the pupils' learning and progress. They contribute well to the school and most support their children's learning at home. Overall, the partnership with parents is good. An overall topic plan helps teachers to detail all the subjects to be taught. Only for art and design is no scheme of work available to offer teachers detailed guidance about what should be taught. The curriculum is strongly enriched and includes additional tuition, for example, in swimming, playing orchestral instruments and speaking French. The school's very inclusive ethos helps it to offer all the pupils this enriched curriculum, although equal opportunities are not monitored. There is good support for pupils

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Aspect Comment

with special educational needs or who have a particular difficulty. In English and mathematics, a good number of tests are used to assess the pupils' attainment regularly but the results are not used enough to track and record the progress of individuals or of groups of pupils. The use of assessment information is unsatisfactory and has not led, for example, to rigorous strategies to promote good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Overall, management is not as effective as it should be. The leadership of the headteacher has created a united staff, with good teaching in the main, and a caring ethos where pupils like school; this is satisfactory. The school's Christian ethos and a rich curriculum are promoted well. The headteacher and coordinators have introduced a number of initiatives to make improvements and raise standards but monitoring and evaluation lack rigour and improvements have not been as quick as they should. Some issues from the last report have not been dealt with fully and the development plan is weak. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors adopt and monitor subjects well but their oversight of the whole school's effectiveness and their planning for the school's future educational direction are Sleights CE Primary School – Page 9

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Aspect Comment

unclear. The school’s evaluation of its performance There is too little analysis of test results and little evaluation of the impact of initiatives, although informal reviews help to identify areas for development. The strategic use of resources Generally, money is used efficiently but there are weaknesses in planning ahead. Staff and resources are used effectively to support the pupils' learning.

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Aspect Comment

Staffing and learning resources are satisfactory. There is a good number of teachers and support staff for the number of pupils supporting the pupils' learning needs. While in reasonable upkeep, the accommodation has limitations for the activities the school organises. There is no particular strategy to apply the principles of best value and each major spending item is treated on its own merits. Self-evaluation is not rigorous enough to identify the main strengths and weaknesses or provide a strategic overview from which to plan effective improvements in the long-term. Nevertheless, there is a good number of initiatives to enrich the pupils' school experience and promote the school's values, for example, the breakfast club and arts work with other schools.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The children like school. • The teaching is good. • The school is very approachable. • It helps the children become mature. • It is well led and managed. • Good provision for special educational needs. • The range of clubs. • Information for working parents. • Challenge for the most able pupils.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Parents like the school very well. The views of parents are positive in comparison with many schools. A few parents felt that there should be more clubs but the inspection found a very good provision of extra-curricular activities. Inspectors agree with the positive comments of parents, except that aspects of the school's leadership and management concerning strategic oversight and the analysis of standards are undeveloped. A small number of parents, mostly those in full-time employment, found it difficult to communicate with the school and inspectors found that there were satisfactory ways available but more could be done about this. A small number of parents felt that the highest attaining pupils were insufficiently challenged and inspectors support this view. Sleights CE Primary School – Page 10

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Standards in English and mathematics are lower than they should be and have not kept pace with the national picture of improvement for Year 6 pupils. In English, the standards in reading and speaking and listening are generally good but in writing they are unsatisfactory because too few pupils use punctuation and spelling correctly. In mathematics, standards are below average because few pupils attain high standards and there are more than the average who do not achieve the expected standard. In science, standards are currently satisfactory and the level of understanding and knowledge of the Year 6 pupils is sound with many having an above average knowledge of scientific language. At the end of Year 2, standards are satisfactory in English, mathematics and science. In history, French, and information and communication technology the Year 6 pupils attain well and in geography and physical education their attainment is satisfactory. In religious education, art

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

and design, music and design and technology in Year 6, it was not possible to make judgements about standards. The seven-year-olds have good attainment in physical education and in art and design, geography, design and technology and religious education attainment is satisfactory; in information and communication technology, history and music, it was not possible to make judgements on standards.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The results of the National Curriculum tests for eleven-year-olds in 2001 showed that standards were average in English, below average in mathematics and well below average in science. In comparison to schools having pupils from similar backgrounds these results were below average and in the case of science they were well below average and had fallen steeply since the previous year because there were very few pupils with high attainment. Although the proportion of pupils reaching the expected levels for eleven-year-olds had increased slightly since the last inspection, overall these results indicated a drift in standards over the last five years. This has not been the case for seven-year-olds where the results of the National Curriculum tests for 2001 were all higher than five years ago and show at least average proportions of pupils with high standards, except in writing where nearly all attained the expected standard and few achieved highly. Throughout the school, there are

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

differences between the performance of girls and boys but these are insignificant in comparison to the overall picture.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Significant factors have affected these results. The number of pupils leaving or joining the school between Year 2 and Year 6 is higher than in most schools. Of the current Year 6, eight of the original year group left after the age of seven and ten pupils out of the present 17 have joined since they were seven. Furthermore, of those joining, six have had a special educational need and thirteen within this group of pupils are, or have been, on the register of special educational needs. This level of mobility and of special educational needs significantly affected the school's results in Year 6 in 2001 and is typical of the results and characteristics of groups in recent years. The achievement of those eleven-year-olds tested in 2001 who went through all four of the junior years at the school is broadly consistent with national expectations. The school, however, is not systematically tracking the progress of pupils. Consequently, few benchmarks are available to measure the progress of those

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

who join after the age of seven or to check that the able pupils are making the progress that they should.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The above reasons do not fully explain the results shown in the tests. There is a degree of under-challenge for higher attaining pupils and this is another reason why there are less pupils reaching high standards by the age of eleven. The attainment of pupils on entry to the school is assessed during their first term in the Reception Year. The average is above the county average, although it has been falling slightly in each of the last four years. The results for 1998 showed that the pupils' personal and social development was well above average; early skills in writing were average but in reading, and mathematics they were below average. The children make good progress in these skills and by the time that the children start in Year 1, nearly all have met the early learning goals in each of the areas of learning, although this is less strong in number work. The pupils make sound progress in Years 1 and 2 and generally attainment is average when the pupils are seven. This

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

was the case for the pupils who are now eight, except for writing where the proportion of high attaining pupils was below average. The learning in lessons for Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 is satisfactory overall. However, performance is reduced by the time the pupils are eleven because of the high levels of mobility and special educational needs as well as a degree of under-challenge for higher attaining pupils, especially in writing and mathematics.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. The school has very challenging targets for the number of eleven-year-olds likely to reach the expected standards in English and mathematics in 2002. There have been some initiatives designed to improve the pupils' progress such as increases in the amount of support available in classes and more teaching time to reduce the range of ages and abilities taught in literacy and numeracy lessons. Booster lessons and smaller groups will be introduced in the period just before the National Curriculum tests. A significant restraining factor is the number of pupils with special educational needs. One quarter of the current Year 6 pupils has a special Sleights CE Primary School – Page 11 educational need and half of these have an official statement of their needs. Generally, throughout the school, the pupils with special education needs make satisfactory progress in their classroom learning because they are helped and supported by the teachers and assistants. Many are also involved in specific programmes to

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

help them gain greater physical and mental awareness, for example, in developing their listening and understanding skills. These programmes have not had time yet to enable an evaluation of their impact. The very few pupils the school identifies as having a particular talent make satisfactory progress.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

6. The pupils' attitudes are good, as they were at the time of the last inspection, and they contribute greatly to the positive learning environment that exists within the school. Pupils are keen to come to school and settle quickly into the daily routine independently. During lessons the majority of pupils concentrate well and show enthusiasm particularly when the lessons are interesting. For example, this was particularly evident in a Year 2 and 3 religious education lesson, where the pupils were very keen to research parables at home.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

7. Parents value highly the Christian values and standards the school offers their children. The school's aims and values are reflected in the classroom, lunchtime, and playground rules that are clearly displayed and there are relatively few occasions when the pupils need reminding of them. Pupils show respect for each other and understand the impact of their actions on others. During a Year 5 and 6 personal, social and health education lesson, a good emphasis was placed on how to respond to questions without hurting other peoples’ feelings. The school is an orderly community. There is no evidence of vandalism or graffiti and learning resources and other property are treated with respect. No bullying or other anti-social behaviour was observed during the inspection. The overall behaviour of pupils both in the classroom and around the school is satisfactory but variable. The application of the school's behaviour and discipline policy is sometimes inconsistent. Some

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

teachers deal very effectively with the small number of pupils in lessons whose behaviour is occasionally unacceptable, whilst others allow too much noise or calling out. At lunchtimes, a few pupils repeatedly re-enter the building even though they have been asked not to do so. There were no exclusions in the last reporting period.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8. At the midday meal there is a 'Family Service' where older pupils serve and eat with younger pupils, thus encouraging good table manners and sociability. Pupils relate well to each other and to members of the teaching and non-teaching staff and show a natural, informal courteousness. Class teachers are sensitive to individual pupil's emotions and encourage them to express their feelings to them or in front of their fellow pupils. Pupils accept the responsibilities offered, for example, they help in classrooms with set duties and Year 6 pupils prepare the hall and take part in assemblies but not enough opportunities are provided for pupils to take responsibility. Responsibilities could be increased to include such tasks as allowing pupils to select and describe music played in assemblies, form "buddy systems" or operate a school council.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Attendance is good and above the national average although not quite as good as that reported in the last inspection. In the last reporting period no unauthorised absence was recorded. Scrutiny of the manually maintained registers revealed a small amount of unauthorised absence in the current term.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

10. The overall standard of teaching is good in the Foundation Stage and in both key stages. In nearly two-thirds of the lessons, teaching was good or better and in just over one third it was satisfactory. There was very little unsatisfactory teaching and one lesson in ten was very good. These proportions are similar to those at the time of the last inspection. They are also similar to the national picture. However, the teaching does not sufficiently challenge the higher attaining pupils; although teachers plan work that is easier for low attaining pupils they seldom provide tasks that are sufficiently difficult for the brightest pupils. Both the best and the satisfactory teaching are spread evenly across the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

11. In the Foundation Stage the pupils are taught well overall. In Years 1 and 2, teaching is good for speaking and listening, reading, design and technology, physical education and for art and design. In mathematics, science, geography and religious education the teaching seen was satisfactory. There was insufficient evidence to judge the teaching of information and communication technology, history and music in Years 1 and 2. Throughout the school, writing is taught satisfactorily because the pupils are taught to enjoy and use words well but there is insufficient concentration on spelling and punctuation skills. The teaching of speaking and listening, reading, French, history and information and communication technology is good for pupils of Years 3 to 6. For them, the teaching of mathematics, science, design and technology, geography and physical education is satisfactory. There was insufficient evidence to judge the standards of teaching in art and design, music and religious

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

education in Years 3 to 6. Throughout the school there are particular aspects of teaching that are being very Sleights CE Primary School – Page 12 effective. For example, in physical education the pace and enthusiasm of teaching helps the pupils to join in fully and in science enthusiastic subject knowledge helps the pupils learn appropriate vocabulary at a good level.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

12. Pupils with special educational needs are taught well. This is partly in withdrawal groups, where specific programmes are used to help them gain attention and discrimination skills or body awareness and confidence. The programmes are designed to meet the diverse needs of those pupils with statements and others but there has not been time yet to assess their success in helping the pupils' learning in the classrooms. Class teachers are also involved in helping the pupils meet the targets in their individual education plans and this is partly by designing work that is suitable and partly through the support given by classroom assistants and learning support assistants.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

13. A small number of pupils with special educational needs have behaviour difficulties and these are well managed by class teachers and assistants. Generally, all the pupils are well managed and the behaviour difficulties of some individual pupils seldom interrupt the learning of others. Occasionally, the general level of noise in some classes is high and this can restrict concentration but the noise is usually as a result of a good level of interest in and talk about work. The methods chosen by teachers are good and provide a good level of interest and motivation.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

14. Overall, the skills of literacy and numeracy are taught well and teachers use the national guidance satisfactorily. In speaking and listening and in reading the pupils learn well because the teaching is good. In mental calculation the teaching is also effective for most pupils and, consequently, they learn alternative strategies for solving number problems. However, for a minority of higher-attaining pupils the teaching does not sufficiently help them to learn more advanced methods. The teaching of writing is effective in Years 1 and 2 but lacks sufficient rigour for older pupils where there is too little emphasis on spelling and punctuation. Teachers are concerned to make links between subjects where possible and so the skills taught in English, mathematics and information and communication lessons are often used in other subjects.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

15. The majority of lessons have a reasonable pace to them and the teachers often use a good number of appropriate resources to make lessons practical and varied. Classroom support assistants are used effectively in supporting groups but only occasionally are they used to record the pupils' responses in whole class discussions and this time could be spent more effectively for assessment. Teachers do not use this form of daily assessment or marking enough to amend their planning for the next lesson in a way that could provide well-matched learning for groups within the class, especially the higher attaining pupils in each year group. However, homework is used effectively to support class learning at home.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

16. The curriculum is suitably broad and covers all the required subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. Provision is similar to that at the time of the last inspection. The statutory curriculum is satisfactorily provided and the educational experiences are enriched well. For the children in th…e Foundation Stage, the curriculum is good with a range of activities to help children develop the relevant skills. Detailed subject documentation using the latest guidance is being used for literacy and numeracy but for other subjects the work is planned within a series of topics while using national guidance and schemes of work. The whole staff determines long-term plans but each teacher devises their own individual medium-term plans, except the teachers of Years 4, 5 and 6, who plan together. Most subjects have a policy and a scheme of work although some are more up to date than are the others. Art and design does not have a scheme although this will be a

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

priority next term. Some of the subjects, such as history and geography are taught in blocks of time rather than every week; but this varies depending on the topic being taught. There is no standard format for medium or short-term planning; teachers are free to use whatever suits them best and this is not helpful in maintaining rigorous monitoring.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

17. An unusual feature is the role of the curriculum governors who each have a specific subject area to look at. Following a visit, a written report is produced and shared with the governing body and the school. When the subject is due for review in the school development plan, the governor responsible is invited to attend the meeting with the coordinator and staff. This is good practice.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

18. Literacy skills are well developed in all aspects of the curriculum. There are examples of pupils using literacy skills in history and religious education. However, skills in spelling and punctuation are not stressed sufficiently. There are good opportunities for pupils to develop their speaking and listening skills in a variety of situations, for example, in a literacy lesson debating the pros and cons of children carrying mobile phones, or in a religious education lesson, when talking about the parables of Jesus. Mathematics is used well across the Sleights CE Primary School – Page 13 curriculum, such as measuring in design technology and in science. Skills learnt in information and communication technology are used well for handling data in mathematics lessons. Work using computers also features well in many areas of the curriculum such as research for topics, using the Internet, drawing

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

19. Pupils with special educational needs have targets for their learning included in their individual education plans. These are of sound quality and are well known by the support assistants, the class teachers and coordinator for special educational needs. The pupils with greatest difficulties are withdrawn for work on particular programmes, such as those to help them gain greater physical control and awareness, or to improve their attentiveness. Small groups are also formed for learning of particular skills, for example, in letter sounds. Apart from such withdrawals, these pupils are fully included in the classroom curriculum and overall their provision is good. The school aims to give equal access to the curriculum for all its pupils, including those with special educational needs. Withdrawals for special educational needs and other reasons such as instrumental tuition need to be monitored to ensure that pupils are not regularly missing learning in other subjects that is important

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

20. Provision for pupils’ personal, social and health education is in its infancy but already provides satisfactorily for this area. A new scheme of work is being implemented across the school. The pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for their learning particularly during literacy and numeracy lessons when they are sometimes expected to work with little or no direct adult supervision. There is an agreed policy on sex education, in need of review, which provides for the school nurse to talk to the Year 6 pupils about puberty. Other questions relating to sex education are discussed sensitively as they arise and are part of a science topic on “Ourselves”; requirements are met. Healthy eating and drugs awareness are incorporated into the science curriculum and this is satisfactory.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

21. The provision for extra-curricular activities is very good. The school offers a wide range of opportunities for its pupils. There are sports, art, drama, cycling awareness, computers, needlework and country dancing clubs; mainly for pupils from Years 4, 5, and 6. There is no provision for the younger pupils except for weekly dance and recorder groups. Other clubs are provided by outside agencies. Pupils participate in a range of visits that enhance their understanding of aspects of the curriculum such as a visit to Grosmont to look at the different bridge structures that have been built there and a visit to the museum and beach at Whitby. The pupils’ learning is enriched well through this provision and through the many activities designed to support learning in the statutory curriculum, such as educational visits, visitors and special events.

p.13

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

22. The school has successfully established many links with the community. The vicar regularly leads assembly and pupils visit the local church as part of their religious education. The police, firemen, school nurse all come into school to talk to the pupils. Pupils are welcomed to visit the local shops and older people from the area often come to talk to the pupils about their childhood memories. For example, one lady was evacuated to the village and enthrals the pupils with details of her life during the war. Harvest gifts are distributed amongst those living in sheltered housing and these people are invited to attend school productions. Parents of ex-pupils have sponsored various “safety booklets” and bought a new football kit for the team. There are strong links with the Whitby Arts group that provides skilled artists to work alongside the pupils during Fun Club. Musicians, poets, theatre groups are often to be found in school and these enhance the pupils’ curriculum significantly.

p.13

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

23. The school has good links with other local primary schools but, apart from satisfactory transfer arrangements for Year 6 pupils, liaison with the high schools is limited. However, liaison with the playgroup, that occupies a demountable classroom, is very good, thus ensuring that the pre-reception children transfer smoothly into the Reception Year.

p.13

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

24. As in the previous inspection, the school’s provision for the pupils' spiritual, moral and social development is good and remains a strength. Spiritual development is promoted well through the school’s Christian ethos and assemblies. These are well planned with appropriate content and time for reflective prayer. Pupils are encouraged to think about how they treat others, how to be thoughtful and caring and the importance of belonging to a family. The vicar is a regular visitor, leading collective worship and assembly once a week. In religious education lessons, teachers provide pupils with information about their own and other religions. Pupils are well known to all adults who are dedicated to promoting confidence in them as individuals and an awareness of the impact of their attitudes and behaviour on others. The school is developing a scheme for personal, social and health education, which will provide pupils with another way for discussing issues as they

p.13

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

arise. There is no time allocated for class discussions about personal matters but teachers do so when necessary. The pupils are encouraged to think about the wonders of nature through science, their own birth and development and to value the school’s position and natural outlook. Pupils are also encouraged to appreciate the wonders of art and music. Sleights CE Primary School – Page 14 25. Moral education is promoted well through stories in assemblies, the school rules and class rules; the latter having been devised by the pupils themselves. There is a behaviour policy in place that is known by all the staff. When a pupil has a problem this is talked through to help them understand the effect of their actions; teachers may discuss this issue or if it is serious the head teacher will talk about it in assembly. There is a system of rewards for good behaviour that can be given to pupils by all members of staff. The midday supervisors reward

p.13

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

pupils for good behaviour at lunchtime. A celebration assembly is held every week when pupils’ achievements are shared. These measures have a positive effect on the pupils’ behaviour. Staff are good role models and take every opportunity to teach the principles of right and wrong.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

26. Pupils are expected to look after their school and care for their environment. Each class has monitors for tasks. These duties vary according to age. Year 6 pupils set up the hall for assembly, introducing the hymns and working the overhead projector and CD player. They collect dinner numbers, ensure the library is kept tidy, clean the computers, keep the yearbooks up to date and help younger children during wet lunch and playtimes. Most jobs are held for a term. Literacy and numeracy lessons encourage the pupils to become independent workers without having to rely on the continual support of adults. Pupils can be seen working together, helping each other and sharing resources. There are opportunities to perform not only in school events, such as the Christmas production or special services, but also in the town play. There are a range of visits to give pupils first hand experiences, including an annual residential trip for Years 5 and 6 alternating between France and a

p.14

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

nearby outdoor pursuits centre. Each year around £1000 is raised for a variety of different charities. Should pupils wish to organise their own events, the staff will support them. Such activities promote the pupils’ social development well.

p.14

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27. Provision for the pupils' cultural development is satisfactory. Pupils learn about their own culture through visits to local museums, theatres and exploration of the area around the school. However, very little provision is made to help pupils become aware that they live in a culturally diverse society. They learn something of different cultures through religious education, geography and history and by listening to non-western music but there are no displays to celebrate these other cultures and few books in the library to raise pupils’ awareness.

p.14

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

28. The school cares well for its pupils as it did at the time of the last inspection. The headteacher is responsible for child protection and her knowledge of the pupils and their backgrounds, together with support from the governing body and awareness-training for both teaching and non-teaching staff, provide a good level of protection. Class teachers know their pupils very well and respond appropriately when necessary; parents particularly appreciate this. A breakfast club is available for pupils and a small number of pupils use this facility.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

29. First aid provision is good and the children know what to do should the need arise. However, entries in the accident book should, within reason, include all incidents that are reported to staff and not just those that appear significant at the time. Pupils' awareness of personal safety issues was heightened during a Year 5 and 6 personal, social and health education lesson where pupils were discussing 'IMPS', an Injury Minimisation Programme for Schools, that will also involve a visit to the accident and emergency department of the local hospital. The school caretaker and a cleaner maintain a sound level of cleanliness and any aspect of maintenance is attended to promptly. Staff have access to and use a 'to do' list effectively. This helps create a safe learning environment and also instils high values in the pupils that are reflected in their respect for property and learning resources. The staff members of the governors’ health and safety committee take part in safety

p.14

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

tours of the premises. The school should consider raising further the profile of health and safety within the school by formalising regular school specific risk assessments of the premises and the procedures in use and also ensuring health and safety is a regular topic of all meetings of the governing body. Policies concerning child protection, health and safety have been improved since the last inspection and are well known to staff clarifying responsibilities.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

30. The care and well being of pupils with special educational needs are promoted well and the school is ahead of many in its draft policy adopting the new national code of practice. Records of these pupils’ progress are well kept and their individual education plans are well written and known by class teachers. The school has recently become involved in piloting a scheme whereby the relationship between pupils’ physical co-ordination and their academic achievement are linked. The programme is consistent with the school’s policy of linking the different aspects of pupils’ development. No measurable outcomes were available at the time of the inspection.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

31. The procedures for monitoring absence are satisfactory but lack formality. Registers are maintained correctly using a manual system and are then held in an insecure rack in the main corridor after every registration. No daily scrutiny of registers is formally made to check for unexplained absences and class teachers put reliance on the verbal passing of information to the office. The informality of these procedures has potential for breaks in Sleights CE Primary School – Page 15 communication. Attempts are made to contact the parents of any pupil who is absent without notice but not necessarily on the first day of absence. The school should consider developing registration procedures by returning the registers directly to the office after each registration and allowing the office staff to become more involved in absence monitoring by having agreed priorities for action for any unexplained absence.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. School and classroom rules are prominently displayed and all pupils know what is expected of them. Effective procedures are in place to promote good behaviour and there were no incidents of harassment or bullying during the inspection either in class or when the children were at play. The behaviour and discipline policy employs a system of rewards and sanctions but its effectiveness is sometimes compromised by a lack of consistent application. When children are at play, the area is safe and secure and adequate supervision is provided. Overall the procedures concerning the pupils’ behaviour are good.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. Arrangements for the assessment of the pupils' attainment are satisfactory but not sufficiently rigorous to enable teachers to gain a detailed view of how each child is progressing or use this information to plan well- matched work. There is a good number of tests used, such as those for reading ages and attainment in English and mathematics at the end of each year, and the results of these are recorded. However, results are not collated in order to measure the progress of each child and that of groups, for example, boys and girls or pupils who are younger or older within each age group. A folder of each pupil's work is stored and contains examples of writing. Teachers make notes on their short-term planning, and on the schemes of work, as a record of what has been taught to the class. However, these are very inconsistent and do not always record the learning by pupils of different ages within the class. The policy for marking gives guidance to teachers but is inconsistently

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

followed. Teachers discuss pupils whose progress seems weak and strategies are devised to support them. This is particularly effective within the code of practice for pupils with special educational needs. Assessments are ineffective in the non-core subjects and often do not lead to learning being planned at different levels, despite the age and prior attainment differences of pupils in the class. The use of both daily assessments and the data from tests is unsatisfactory and this lowers the standards that teachers can promote because they have insufficiently detailed knowledge of what the pupils know and can do already.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

34. The school’s partnership with parents is strong, has been maintained and in some ways improved since the last inspection, for example, through a nationally funded project to raise parents’ awareness of learning. Parents’ and carers’ views of the school are very positive and those that attended the parent's meeting thought that the school had improved. Areas of concern to a small number of parents centred on the passing on of information about pupil's progress and this was mainly from working parents who found it hard to use the opportunities for communication provided by the school. Several initiatives, such as the breakfast club and the SHARE project, support the partnership with parents.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

35. The quality of information provided for parents about their child's progress is good. The school prospectus and the annual governor's report are clear and comprehensive and both meet statutory requirements. The annual reports to parents are personal to the pupil and contain details of achievement in all curriculum subjects; there is a consistent approach to identifying areas for improvement and a section on personal development. Parents like the pupil's annual report. However, there is no regular school newsletter in which to celebrate past achievements, explain about the forthcoming learning, remind parents of homework expectations and discuss future events. Overall, the school's approach to homework is seen as good by parents and there is an appropriate amount of homework set. Some parents expressed concern, because they were unclear about which day homework is to be set and by what day it should be returned. The use of homework diaries and

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

reading record books is helpful for younger pupils and their parents as a form of communication but for older pupils the reading records are not used as a form of communication with home, because they are completed by the pupils.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

36. Parent's access to the class teacher at the beginning and particularly at the end of the school day is good and parents take advantage of this, apart from those who are in employment and find it difficult. The school provides a SHARE family learning scheme that enables parents to take courses to help them to develop means of assisting their child's learning at home. It has been successful and led some on to further study and employment. A parent-teacher association provides additional funds for the school and a number of the parents help in school during the teaching day. The school should consider improving the effectiveness of the parents that assist in school by providing more focused training for them. However, overall the schools links with parents are good and parents’ involvement has a positive impact successfully contributing to the pupils’ learning. Sleights CE Primary School – Page 16

p.15

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

37. Overall, the management of the school is not as effective as it should be. In several instances, there are weak, informal management systems that have led to too little improvement and a lack of rigour in self-evaluation. Governors monitor the school's finances adequately and the systems are sound for financial security. However, there is no strategy to obtain the best value from expenditure but although there are difficulties in obtaining quotations due to the area's location, governors and staff are keen to ensure that expenditure is efficient. In attempting to meet the challenging targets set for attainment, a number of initiatives have been introduced for younger pupils such as early literacy support and additional literacy support. Extra mathematics and literacy support is provided in the summer term for the Year 6 pupils. The smaller teaching groups currently provided for English and mathematics are also intended to raise standards. The impact of these initiatives has not yet been

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

38. The headteacher has promoted a strong ethos of care and excitement in learning and this reflects the school's Christian values well. Her leadership in this respect is satisfactory. It is reflected in the classrooms and the school's daily life and is strongly supported by staff and parents. In keeping with this, the school has a good number of initiatives to improve the pupils' opportunities and enrich the school's curriculum, for example the Kids' Club and a Right-to-Read initiative, whereby volunteers hear pupils read. The school provides an enriched curriculum and a good degree of personal support for pupils in gaining maturity and self-esteem. In such ways there is a strong commitment to continual improvement in the quality of education provided.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

39. Improvement on the key issues from the last inspection report has been less than could be expected. This is largely due to a weak action plan that lacked clarity about what was to be done and how the expected impact was to be monitored. One issue concerned systems for monitoring curriculum development. The headteacher now reviews medium and short-term planning. However, there is little involvement of others with responsibility and there is a lack of clarity when monitoring and recording the full curriculum experienced by different groups in mixed-age classes. The systems for monitoring the curriculum lack rigour. This is also the case for another of the key issues, which required subject coordinators to gain an overview of the teaching and learning in their subject throughout the school. This has been done in English and mathematics but coordinators for other subjects are not sufficiently aware of the school's provision and the pupils' attainment, despite some monitoring

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

work done when the subject is being reviewed as prompted by the school development plan. The third key issue concerned the role of governors in strategic planning, especially the school development plan. Relevant governors are invited to the development planning meeting with staff but this does not enable them to have an evaluative overview of the school and its needs by drawing together the evidence from several sources. The impact of these key issues has not been formally reviewed and the governors still have few opportunities to formulate their long-term view of the school's development and offer support to planning.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

40. The governing body has a good number of committees and governors each have a subject that they oversee. This oversight is exercised through an occasional visit to the school for a day after which the governor writes an extensive review of what they saw to share with the school and the governing body. These reports are unusually detailed, although fairly infrequent. Eight have been provided spread over four years. The governors hold a clinic for parents, although there is a poor response because parents view this as being for complaints. The main governors' meetings are held twice each term and receive reports from the headteacher and any governor committees that have met. However, the minutes and the headteacher's reports contain little evaluation stemming from the systems for monitoring; school results in National Curriculum tests are not recorded or analysed enough. The governing body's means of understanding the school's main strengths and weaknesses

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

are therefore severely limited. The governors’ annual report to parents and has been combined with the new prospectus, which the headteacher is asked to prepare. While this practice demonstrates the governors’ faith in the headteacher, it also indicates the lack of information that they have about the school’s effectiveness.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

41. The school's development plan suffers from a lack of clarity similar to that of the last action plan. While activities are listed for terms and years, few stem from evaluations of strengths and weaknesses and of the important financial decisions made by governors. For example, this year the school is using a large carry- forward to provide more teaching help and reduce the size of teaching groups of pupils in English and mathematics. So far there has been no evaluation or planning for next year and the school development plan does not include this initiative. The plan has no indication of exactly what has to be done or who will do it; nor are there any criteria for success or how the activity's impact will be monitored. However, the costs of the activities are considered and governors try to incorporate these into the budget for the coming year. Overall, development planning is unsatisfactory and has not contributed enough to the school's improvement. The

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

school needs more expertise in monitoring, evaluation and development planning.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

42. However, the teachers have worked hard to develop their own skills. They have attended a good number of courses enriching their own development and there has been some helpful training in the school, for example, Sleights CE Primary School – Page 17 in science and information and communication technology. There is also training available for support and supervisory staff. The strategies used to improve teaching in the school are, however, limited. For example, the quality of written feedback from lesson observations is variable and often provides too few pointers on how to make teaching more effective. Such systems and the way that they feed into school improvement planning lack the rigour needed to identify the main strengths and weaknesses in provision and priorities for development. However, staff development is satisfactory overall, because much informal evaluation and discussion support it.

p.16

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

There are a good number of appropriately qualified teachers for the number of pupils. The expertise offered by the teachers matches the curriculum well, with the exception of music, where there is too little expertise. Performance management procedures are carried out and staff targets are appropriately linked to the main priorities of the school development plan. The current staffing for administration does not meet the school's needs fully. The headteacher spends too much time in reception and other administrative tasks, reducing her ability to provide strategic leadership.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

43. The school's accommodation has limitations. The current practices of teaching pupils in the hall, the teaching of information and communication technology in a corridor, the space available for special educational needs groups and the access for visitors to the office are not well suited for their purpose. However, the school has sound outdoor provision and this enables appropriate activities, such as team games and environmental enquiry to take place. The Reception Year is taught in a demountable building and there is, in addition, another demountable building currently used by the local playgroup. Resources for learning are satisfactory, overall, and in some cases they are good, such as for physical education and in the range of recorded music. Sleights CE Primary School – Page 18

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(Issues which the school has already identified or started work on are marked with a star.)

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

44. In order to raise achievement, the governors, headteacher and staff should:

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

q increase the proportion of pupils with high attainment and improve standards of spelling and punctuation in Key Stage 2 by: • tracking the progress of pupils to identify earlier the progress of those with potential for high attainment (paragraphs; 2, 3, 4, 33, 65, 68, 75);* • ensuring that work is well matched and sufficiently challenging for different groups of pupils (paragraphs; 10, 33, 65, 73); • clarifying when parts of the programmes of study for higher National Curriculum levels can be used (paragraphs; 15,33, 65, 78); • promoting the rigorous use of good spelling and punctuation in all the pupils' written work (paragraphs; 14, 18, 62, 56);

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

q improve the strategic management of the headteacher, senior staff and governors by: • increasing the rigour of the headteacher, senior staff and co-ordinators in carrying out all their monitoring functions and in using the outcomes (paragraphs; 37, 42, 67); • ensuring that all action plans, including the school development plan, are based on clear evaluations of all the relevant evidence and provide sufficient detail of what has to be done, who will do it, when it will be completed, how the impact will be measured and the resource implications (paragraphs; 39, 41); • forming, with governors, an annual evaluation of the school's effectiveness, based on all the available evidence that will contribute to a long-term view for the school's development (paragraphs; 41, 104);

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

q improve the school's use of data,* especially that gained from test results, by • collating and analysing data from tests for groups of pupils, subjects and aspects and for trends over time (paragraphs; 33, 69, 74); • tracking and recording the progress made by individual pupils (paragraphs; 33, 79); • providing whole-school guidance on how to identify pupils' everyday learning needs and to provide well- matched work for groups of pupils of different prior attainment (paragraphs; 15, 33, 73, 91, 93, 97);

p.18

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

q base decisions about the organisation of teaching groups upon rigorous evaluations of the school’s effectiveness, especially in terms of test results and in the light of the governors’ long-term view of the school’s development (paragraphs 39 to 43).* Sleights CE Primary School – Page 19

p.18

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 22

p.19

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.19

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than two percentage points.

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 133

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 18

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 5

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 25

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 13

p.19

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 8

p.19

Attendance

National comparative data 93.9 National comparative data 0.5

p.19

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Sleights CE Primary School – Page 20

p.19

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 7 11 18

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys 7 7 7 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 9 10 11

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 89 (100) 94 (100) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys 6 6 7 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 8 9 11

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 78 (100) 83 (100) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 98 (88)

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

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

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 9 13 22

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 5 6 7 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 10 8 11

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 68 (76) 64 (72) 82 (92) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72]) 87 (85)

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 7 7 7 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 10 10 10

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 81 (72) 81 (76) 81 (72) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

p.20

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Sleights CE Primary School – Page 21

p.20

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.21

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.21

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

p.21

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 6.2 Financial year 2000/2001

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 310643

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 9 Total expenditure 305246

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 124.5 Expenditure per pupil 2091

p.21

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 20879

p.21

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 0.5

p.21

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 1

p.21

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.21

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0.4

p.21

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0

p.21

Recruitment of teachers

FTE means full-time equivalent. Sleights CE Primary School – Page 22

p.21

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 64 32 2 2 0

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 64 34 2 0 0

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 51 43 4 2 0

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 63 25 7 5 0

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 88 8 2 2 0

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 77 19 2 2 0

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 64 25 7 2 2

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 77 23 0 0 0

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 74 24 2 0 0

p.22

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 51 27 11 0 11

p.22

Summary of parents’ and carers’ responses

Parents are extremely positive in their views about the school. A small group of working parents find it hard to communicate with the school. The school has a good reputation for provision for pupils with special educational needs and a small number of families from out-of-area use the school because of this. Sleights CE Primary School – Page 23

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

45. Provision for the children in the Foundation Stage is in a mixed-age, Reception Year and Year 1 class. In addition, children begin as "pre-reception", nursery-aged children in the class for afternoons only, after their fourth birthday, either in the spring or the summer term. They usually begin full-time education in the September after their fourth birthday. The majority of children have attended the pre-school facility, which is located on the school site. There is good liaison with this playgroup and this helps the children to start in the Reception Year smoothly. The reception teacher and playgroup leaders share planning so that the topics are not duplicated.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

46. The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good. The curriculum is based on the nationally agreed six areas of learning and in practice provides the children with a broad and balanced range of experiences. The Reception Year is effective in providing a wide range of challenging activities that are directly designed to help the children progress towards the nationally agreed early learning goals. The overall attainment of most children entering the reception year is above the local education authority average. This is largely because the children are advanced in their personal and social development but not in other ways. However, results of the baseline assessment over the last four years show a small but consistent fall in attainment.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

47. The reception teacher provides an appropriate range of activities to encourage the children to play together and extend their vocabulary. Praise and encouragement are effective in promoting positive behaviour and personal, social and emotional development. Day-to-day assessment is used so that daily planning can be amended to ensure tasks provide sufficient challenge. The staff record the children’s progress in their profiles. All staff have very good relationships with the children and this has a positive effect on their learning. The teacher and classroom support assistants are enthusiastic and have high expectations. Parents are encouraged to be involved in their children’s learning and to listen to them read on a regular basis.

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Personal, social and emotional development

48. Teaching is good and the majority of children will achieve the expected standard by the time they become Year 1 pupils. Children enjoy school, are enthusiastic about learning and are well behaved for the most part, occasionally they forget to put up their hand in response to a question and call out. They are beginning to develop independence and confidence. This reflects the teaching and encouragement to achieve that is consistently reinforced by the staff. Children are beginning to display an understanding of the needs of others, particularly in play and group activities. Adults provide good role models, they treat the children and each other with courtesy and respect and the children know they are valued. Children are beginning to develop self-reliance in taking responsibility for their own actions, for example, dressing and undressing for physical activities and tidying up. Children are encouraged to share, take turns, help each other and wait patiently. Examples of this

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Personal, social and emotional development

were seen when the children took turns to let their vehicle travel down a slope as part of a science experiment to see whose car would travel furthest or when a child showed another how to use a number-based computer program. The teacher makes sure there is a range of activities available that help the children develop positive attitudes towards learning.

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Communication, language and literacy

49. Children broaden and consolidate their use of language so that by the end of the Reception Year most have attained the expected standards. There is already a small minority who have achieved the early learning goals in this area. The teacher carefully plans well-organised lessons and tasks pitched at an appropriate level. Communication skills are encouraged throughout and speaking and listening skills progress well. This is evident in the many classroom activities. The teacher provides time for the children to share experiences and work during discussions on the carpet after each session. Children listen and respond to the teacher’s questions and to the contribution of others, although occasionally they forget and speak out of turn. During the inspection children enjoyed sharing a big book, “I want my mum!” They use words such as author, illustrator and are encouraged to predict what the story might be about. Children are beginning to develop awareness of

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Communication, language and literacy

letter sounds and can recognise initial sounds and rhyming words. All the children enjoy reading the repeating parts of a book and a few children recognise more words. All children have made an enthusiastic start with reading and enjoy sharing books with adults and listening to stories. All children can read a few words; the higher attaining readers are confident and accurate. These children can sound out unfamiliar words. All the children were happy to either recite a nursery rhyme or retell a favourite story. They use the pictures in their books to help them answer questions about the story and handle books with confidence and pleasure. Many children read regularly at home and parents and staff complete a helpful reading record. Children are beginning Sleights CE Primary School – Page 24 to tell the teacher simple sentences to write so they can copy underneath. The higher attaining pupils can write

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Communication, language and literacy

independently, the average attaining pupils can write a few words but often put down the first letter of each word rather than spell the whole word. All the children can write and recognise their names.

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Mathematical development

50. The teaching of mathematics is satisfactory, with a range of activities to support the learning. Attainment is good and already many children are achieving part of the early learning goals as they can count confidently above 10 and recognise random numbers to 10. They are beginning to understand the concepts of addition and subtraction, by counting on and counting back. They are also aware which shapes will roll, which will slide and which will do both. Appropriate vocabulary is taught such as taller, shorter, heavier than and lighter than. Children enjoy looking at patterns both through sequencing coloured shapes and in the environment. The children painted pictures of the patterns found on animals to increase their understanding of pattern. The teacher uses every opportunity to reinforce number with counting songs and rhymes, which the children enjoy.

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Knowledge and understanding

51. Teaching is good and by the time children leave the reception most will have attained the expected level. Children show curiosity in their surroundings and explore, investigate and ask questions. They are given the opportunity to walk round school looking for patterns in the environment. They have looked at the weather and at the start of each day discuss what the weather is like. As part of a science topic they have considered forces such as pushing and pulling and made models of vehicles to explore friction and how far each vehicle will travel down a slope. The higher-attaining pupils are beginning to understand the concept of a fair test. They have learnt and written about the Christmas story and, as part of their religious education, have attended a mock baptism ceremony in church conducted by the Vicar. Within the classroom they experience sand and water play and have the opportunity to use the computer not just for language and numeracy but also as a tool

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Knowledge and understanding

to draw pictures. They are becoming quite skilled at drawing and mouse control.

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Physical development

52. The quality of teaching is good and already the majority of children are achieving in line with the expectations of the early learning goals. In a physical education lesson the children demonstrated how well they could control their bodies as they stopped suddenly, when signalled. They are well co-ordinated; many can skip and jump from two feet to two feet and many can catch and throw balls. Some can aim accurately at a target. All have good spatial awareness as they move round the hall without bumping into each other. They know they must warm up their bodies before exercise and cool down afterwards. The majority of children can undress and dress themselves without adult help. The children have experience of large wheeled toys. Although there is a small secure area around the classroom, during the winter this becomes water logged and outdoor play difficult. The school is hoping for funding to improve this facility. Fine motor skills such as pencil control and using scissors

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Physical development

are good. There are opportunities for children to develop their manipulative skills through colouring in; writing, both free choice and teacher led; and cutting out. The majority of children can cut out reasonably carefully along lines. Paintbrushes are used appropriately and with care. Displays indicate the many opportunities the children have for cutting out, colouring, painting and writing.

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Creative development

53. The quality of teaching in this area is good and most children are on course to achieve the early learning goals by the end of their reception year. Children enjoy a range of experiences in art, music, stories and imaginative play. There are opportunities to experiment with colour mixing, collage, printing and dough. The children produced some very carefully painted pictures of patterns seen on different animals. The overall effect of these pictures was excellent. The role-play areas are changed regularly to fit in with class topics. Currently, there are two areas: one is a home corner; the other is part of a fishing boat, complete with cabin and nets. Children enjoy being in the boat and pretending to be sailors. Musical development is good and children learn to play percussion instruments correctly and to treat them with respect. They enthusiastically join in action songs and rhymes whenever the teacher suggests.

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Creative development

54. Overall, teaching in the Foundation Stage is good. Staff have good knowledge of the needs of children in the Foundation Stage and of the curriculum. The teacher is enthusiastic and has a very good relationship with the class, as do the support staff. All lessons are well planned with appropriate early learning objectives. Literacy and numeracy planning is based on the appropriate national strategies. While the majority of children in the class are of reception age, there is a small number of Year 1 pupils and in the spring and summer terms the class is joined by a number of nursery-aged children. These additional children make extra demands on the planning and provision. There is a good range of activities to extend the children’s learning and develop their Sleights CE Primary School – Page 25 vocabulary. The adults work as a team within the classroom and the children benefit from this consistent

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Creative development

approach to their learning. Expectations of children’s behaviour are high and the children respond well to those expectations. For example, they tidy up the room with little prompting from their teacher. The attractive wall displays, much of which are the children’s work, provide a bright and interesting environment where learning is encouraged. Overall, the standard of provision is good and has been maintained since the last inspection and in some ways improved, for example, through the literacy sessions, which encourage good, listening skills.

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ENGLISH

55. Overall standards in English for eleven-year-olds are below the national average. Pupils' speaking and listening and reading skills are above average but the standards in writing are below average. Pupils do not use punctuation and spelling well enough. There are a large number of pupils with special educational needs. The percentage of current pupils on course to achieve the expected standards is less than last year.

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ENGLISH

56. In the 2001 National Curriculum tests for eleven-year-olds, the pupils achieved average results. The performance when compared to similar schools, however, is below average. The trend for improvement in English is rising but very slowly and not as fast as the national trend. Further analysis of the data shows that pupils’ performance in English has improved slightly over the previous years but still remains below the national average.

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ENGLISH

57. Currently, the standards in English of pupils in Year 2 are in line with the national average: speaking and listening skills are average, reading skills are above average and writing is average. The majority of Year 2 pupils are on course to achieve the expected standard in writing but the number who will achieve above this is very small. This is due to the fact that, although pupils use interesting vocabulary, few are accurate with spelling or punctuate their work correctly to achieve this level. However, the proportion of high attaining pupils in reading is close to average. In the 2001 National Curriculum writing tests for seven-year-olds, the pupils attained above the national average; in reading, results were close to the national average. This performance when compared to similar schools was above average for reading and close to the average for writing. Standards fell sharply in 1999 and then rose to the present standards over the past two years.

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ENGLISH

58. The pupils have a good range of experiences to develop their speaking and listening skills. By the end of Year 2, pupils are becoming articulate, confident speakers. When given the opportunity, they readily respond to questions and volunteer information. For example, they enjoyed discussing a painting by Paul Klee and one child described the colours used as “fiery and hot”. Another example was observed as pupils demonstrated their knowledge of the parables that Jesus told. The pupils in another class enjoyed the play script of Cinderella and the following discussion about the feelings experienced by the various characters. By the end of Year 6, the pupils are confident and articulate, often expressing their views in detail and frequently showing a good understanding of the subject. For example, Year 6 pupils discussed the pros and cons of children having access to mobile phones. They expressed some interesting ideas to support both sides of the argument. In a

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ENGLISH

Year 4 lesson, pupils were using similes and metaphors to describe various types of weather, for example “the rain dribbles down like a dripping tap”.

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ENGLISH

59. By the end of Year 2, standards in reading are above average. Books are handled with care and a variety of texts are read. Many pupils read fluently with understanding. The pupils are developing ways of reading unfamiliar words by sounding them out or breaking them down into smaller words such as cam...our…flage and running them together. All but the lower attaining pupils talk about their favourite books and authors, succinctly retelling parts of the story. Similarly, these pupils know how to use reference books, contents pages, and indexes, although they say they have little opportunity to use these skills for research in other subjects and this skill could be developed further.

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ENGLISH

60. By the end of Year 6, standards in reading are above average. The majority of pupils are independent readers, enjoying a range of stories, poetry and reference books. Most are fluent, although not all read with expression. All the pupils talk knowledgeably about stories they are reading or have read. The higher-attaining pupils, in particular, are aware of strategies for identifying unknown words. Most pupils can predict what might happen in the stories and can talk about how the characters might be feeling. These pupils know how to use reference books well. The school holds regular book fairs and a book day. Parents are encouraged to listen to their children read and to record their comments in a reading record book; older pupils tend to record for themselves.

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ENGLISH

61. Currently standards in writing for pupils of Years 1 and 2 are average. Their work shows that few pupils are on course to achieve above average standards. Some write stories that contain the appropriate vocabulary to achieve the higher level. However, punctuation, particularly in free writing, is often forgotten; this includes the use of full stops and capital letters, and is noticeable in all the pupils' work. Spelling is also variable with many Sleights CE Primary School – Page 26 words incorrectly spelt. Pupils are given opportunities to write for different purposes such as for diaries, retelling favourite fairy stories, or writing instructions to play hide and seek. However, there are limited opportunities for extended writing. All the pupils are taught a cursive script but few use this style on a regular basis. The presentation of most work is neat but worksheets are often not dated.

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ENGLISH

62. By the end of Year 6, writing standards are below average. Various writing tasks are set, including; biography, play scripts, poems, haiku, cinquain, and imaginative stories. Much of the content shows a good use of vocabulary. However, the pupils do not always use the appropriate punctuation, neither are the spellings consistently correct and this detracts from the overall effectiveness of the writing. There is also limited evidence of extended writing, although there is some in other subjects. Most pupils use a cursive script but their presentation is varied; some very neat; others not so.

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ENGLISH

63. Throughout the school, the pupils enjoy literacy lessons and are keen to participate. They are encouraged to use appropriate vocabulary such as; author, title, illustrator, fiction and non-fiction. They listen to text with interest and some excitement and respond with enthusiasm to questions and discussions. A good example was the discussion in Year 6 about accidents the pupils had experienced. Pupils are well behaved and work well, concentrating on the task, particularly where the teachers’ enthusiasm has inspired and stimulated them. In these lessons, the pupils listen attentively and respect the views and opinions of their peers. The majority of pupils express enjoyment and pleasure in reading with some of the higher attaining pupils indicating that they are avid readers. Many of the pupils read at home every night.

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ENGLISH

64. Taken overall, the pupils’ learning in both key stages is satisfactory as they develop the appropriate skills in reading and speaking and listening. However, for writing this is less than satisfactory as pupils are not building sufficiently on the levels achieved by Year 2 to ensure sufficiently high levels of attainment by the end of Year 6.

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ENGLISH

65. Overall, the teaching of English is good, but the teaching of spelling and punctuation skills has been insufficiently effective. The lessons are well structured with a variety of activities that motivate and hold the pupils’ interest. Effective questioning helps to extend the pupils’ knowledge and understanding. All teachers have good relationships with their classes and this gives the pupils confidence to answer questions. The lessons have sufficient pace and encourage the pupils to succeed, thus helping their learning. Teachers’ planning shows attempts to match work to the pupils’ needs. Often work is well-matched for the lower attaining pupils but less so for the higher attaining pupils. Plenary sessions are used effectively to share pupils’ work or to reinforce learning. In many lessons, support staff are used well and have a positive impact on the learning of pupils with special educational needs, particularly when the work is well-matched to their needs. Although

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ENGLISH

teachers regularly check pupils’ work, marking is not sufficiently rigorous or precise to provide pupils with clear guidance about what they need to do to improve and consequently they often repeat mistakes. This is especially so for spelling and punctuation. Teachers give pupils opportunities to write in other subjects such as history and religious education.

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ENGLISH

66. The introduction of the National Literacy Strategy and the implementation of the literacy hour have been successful. Generally, teachers have clear ideas of the most effective ways of teaching the various elements but spelling and punctuation receives insufficient emphasis. After some intensive training there has been an overall improvement in planning; teachers are more secure and confident in planning the literacy hour. Various initiatives such as early literacy support for Year 1 pupils and additional literacy support for the Year 3 and 4 pupils are being used effectively to enhance the learning for these particular pupils, but more could be done to promote good spelling and punctuation.

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ENGLISH

67. The coordinator's monitoring role is limited and needs further development. She has only a partial overview of standards across the school, particularly at the end of Key Stage 2. The results of the National Curriculum tests are analysed but the weaknesses identified are not sufficiently taken into account in the planning. Assessment procedures are satisfactory but now the school should consider extending the use of individual targets. The tracking of pupils progress should also improve so that more accurate predictions of likely achievement and the degree of appropriate challenge can be gauged and work become more accurately matched to each pupil's needs. The curriculum is enhanced well by visiting poets and authors, visits from live theatre groups and visits to the theatre for the pupils. Pupils are involved in productions including participating in the town play. There is also a drama club held weekly for the older pupils.

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MATHEMATICS

68. The standards of Year 6 pupils are below average because the proportion of pupils with high attainment is lower than average and the proportion unlikely to reach the expected standards is higher than average. These standards are lower than at the time of the last inspection. This is partly because of the number of pupils with Sleights CE Primary School – Page 27 special educational needs and partly because the pupils' progress is not well enough tracked to identify any weaknesses in progress. The 2001 National Curriculum tests for eleven-year-olds reflected below average standards in comparison with schools having pupils with similar backgrounds and well below average standards in comparison to schools whose pupils had had similar results when they were seven. The high level of mobility is a significant factor. However, the progress made by the pupils currently in Year 6 is satisfactory, although

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MATHEMATICS

few have high attainment and a higher than usual proportion has low standards. All of the current eleven-year- olds who had high attainment when they were seven are in line to achieve above average standards in the National Curriculum tests of 2002.

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MATHEMATICS

69. Standards at the end of Year 2 are satisfactory. The 2001 National Curriculum tests for seven-year-olds showed that all the pupils reached the expected level and that a better than average proportion achieved a higher standard. In comparison to schools having pupils from similar backgrounds these results were well above average. The standards of the current pupils are satisfactory and their work shows good progress with an average number attaining highly, although the number with low attainment is larger than it was last year. The girls tend to out-perform the boys.

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MATHEMATICS

70. Year 6 pupils have a sound understanding of how to construct and interpret a line graph. They showed this in a series of lessons about the graphical representation of data. Most pupils are able to calculate mentally sums such as 36-17 with higher attaining pupils correctly answering 436-74 . These pupils have a basic understanding of decimals, knowing that the numbers past the decimal point represent smaller parts, although they were unable to correctly order 1, 0.9, 0.91, 0.901 . The work in their books indicates satisfactory progress and that a sound range of aspects of the subject is learnt. There are occasional pieces of work showing high standards, such as drawing and measuring angles to the nearest degree, but the highest attaining pupils have not had enough of the work needed to achieve an overall above average level.

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MATHEMATICS

71. The work of the current Year 2 pupils also shows learning from all the main aspects of the subject. The higher attaining pupils have a reasonable understanding of place value and work with numbers in hundreds, tens and units. They understand about all the four operations of numbers and occasionally have work in which they choose how to solve problems using what they already know. For example, in a lesson about division, the higher attaining pupils were challenged to find all the possible missing numbers for 12 ÷ ? = ?. All the children have clearly stated targets in their books and the pupils with special educational needs sometimes have targets for the subject in their individual education plans. The work of the lower attaining pupils shows sound progress and most understand numbers up to 100. However, their ideas about the size and the value of coins are still undeveloped.

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MATHEMATICS

72. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall with some good teaching in each key stage. Teachers have at least a sound knowledge of what they teach and some are well aware of pupils' common errors and misconceptions. In nearly all cases, lessons have a session at the beginning in which the pupils are asked to think and learn about mental number calculations. These sessions are effective and often use a good range of the teaching methods suggested in the National Numeracy Strategy. For example, in the best lessons the teachers asked suitable questions of different levels of difficulty to different pupils and frequently asked questions that require an explanation, helping them to reflect on their calculation methods to and use mathematical words appropriately.

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MATHEMATICS

73. While the learning for the majority of pupils is at least satisfactory in lessons, for a minority of pupils, which varies between age groups, it is insufficiently challenging. This is more so in Years 3 to 6 and is partly why the school has less high attaining pupils than could be expected considering the above average attainment on entry. The pupils with special educational needs are often supported by classroom assistants who help these pupils to meet the lesson's objectives through the work set for them which is appropriately easier than for other pupils. There was no unsatisfactory behaviour in the lessons observed and the teachers encourage the pupils to work hard. Consequently, they complete a reasonable amount of work that is often neatly presented, but in Key Stage 1 seldom dated. The teachers usually have clear objectives for the pupils' learning and this helps them to maintain a reasonable pace to lessons. In turn the pupils maintain interest and want to learn. Support staff are

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MATHEMATICS

often used in numeracy lessons to help lower attaining groups. However, their use is under-developed in recording assessments, for example, of pupils' responses to the teachers' questions. While written tests at the ends of sections of work are used to help teachers identify the pupils' levels of work, assessments are not used enough to help teachers' plan well-matched work for all the groups of pupils of different abilities in each class or teaching group. The pupils' work is marked satisfactorily, and lessons are evaluated, but such information is seldom used to identify the particular strengths and weaknesses in pupil's learning. For example, the marked work seldom suggests any improvements that could be made and this aspect of marking is not promoted by the school's marking policy. Sleights CE Primary School – Page 28 74. A knowledgeable coordinator, whose monitoring work helps in gauging standards throughout the school, leads

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MATHEMATICS

the subject. However, more rigour is needed in this work. For example, the progress of different groups of pupils is not systematically tracked, although there is much informal discussion about individuals. The policy is in need of review and this is planned for later this year. It has insufficient alignment with the National Numeracy Strategy recommendations, for example, how to lay out number calculations on paper. A job description of the co-ordinator is very limited and does not reflect the key issue from the last inspection report. The policy gives teachers little advice about how to plan the work for different age and ability groups but has a useful set of aims from which teachers can deduce good practice. The homework policy prompts effective use of work at home to support the pupils' learning of such facts as number bonds and products.

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SCIENCE

75. Standards are satisfactory for pupils of Year 2 and Year 6 although the proportion of pupils with high attainment in Year 6 is barely average. The results of the 2001 National Curriculum tests for eleven-year-olds fell to well below average for the first time in the past five years. There was less than half the national average achieving high standards, but the proportion of low attainment was about average. Consequently, although over 80 per cent of the pupils attained the expected level, the standards of Year 6 pupils were lower than at the time of the last inspection. The results have fluctuated from year to year with numbers often under twenty. There is also variation between the performance of girls and boys. Overall, taken over the last five years, the results for the eleven-year-olds are a little below the national average. In the 2001 teacher assessments for Year 2 pupils, the results were well above average and indicate that all the pupils achieved the expected level. However, there

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SCIENCE

were few pupils assessed as having high attainment.

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SCIENCE

76. The attainment of the current pupils of Year 6 is average. The pupils use scientific words and phrases well in their spoken descriptions. The teaching emphasises the use of scientific language and the pupils are keen to answer questions and remember what they have learnt well. In a lesson for pupils of Years 5 and 6, they remembered about reversible and irreversible changes to materials and many were able to give good descriptions, of dissolving as "the solid disappears but is within the water" and "it goes in-between the atoms of the water" , for example. They understand the main differences between solids, liquids and gasses and they learnt how only the water evaporates and condenses, when a solution is boiled. However, these pupils' past work indicates both some uncorrected inaccuracies and a lack of clear progression in the skills of designing and carrying out experiments to maintain scientific rigour. The pupils have carried out many experiments and

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SCIENCE

observations, but have had few opportunities to design their own to extend their understanding of scientific methods and making tests fair. The pupils' work is mostly neat and there is good use of computers and numeracy skills in support of their learning. However, there is little evidence of learning about life processes and living things, although the school's grounds are used for this and there are visits from people bringing live examples of creatures to study.

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SCIENCE

77. In Years 1 and 2, standards are also satisfactory. The pupils of Year 1 learn well because they hear and are taught alongside some of the Year 2 pupils. They are learning to have a good understanding of making tests fair, forming predictions and suggesting reasons for the outcomes. This is not as pronounced for the Year 2 pupils whose questions are not always articulated clearly enough to encourage rigorous thinking about how to observe phenomena. For example, in a lesson for Year 2 and 3 pupils, the pupils were unable to clarify their problems and questions when trying out magnets on various materials. Their conclusions were muddled because the magnets gave conflicting results due to highly varying strengths of magnetism. The work of the Year 2 pupils indicates a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of a range of aspects of the subject, although their understanding about how to make tests fair is limited. Few, if any, of this age group have above

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SCIENCE

average attainment and this was reflected in the teachers’ assessments of last year.

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SCIENCE

78. The quality of teaching is satisfactory throughout with some good elements such as the emphasis on correct terminology and lessons, which often use practical activities as a means of learning. However, in Key Stage 1 the lessons are sometimes planned to provide support for lower attaining pupils but with insufficient challenge for higher attaining pupils. Teachers use a number of paid and voluntary helpers to support groups of pupils and this help is usually of good or satisfactory quality varying with the degree of preparatory guidance from teachers. In Key Stage 2, the lessons sometimes have a degree of different learning for pupils of different age or ability and sometimes this is through worksheets that give greater support for lower attaining pupils. However, this difference is insufficient for the range of ages and abilities in the classes being taught. For example, the oldest high attaining Year 6 pupils seldom have work that challenges them to draw conclusions consistent with

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SCIENCE

the evidence they have found from self-designed experiments. There is a sound emphasis on issues of safety throughout. Because the lessons are practical and provide good interest, the pupils' concentrate well and their behaviour is satisfactory, although occasionally noisy, due to the level of interested chatter. Sleights CE Primary School – Page 29 79. The coordinator’s role stated in the policy is limited and, for example, does not suggest ways of gaining an overview of standards. However, a number of assessments are made at appropriate points in the learning that is based on a national recommended scheme of work. The results of these are not collated centrally and so there is no school-based tracking of the pupils' progress. However, using descriptions of the National Curriculum levels, teachers are able to judge the pupils' standards and there have been some lesson observations and informal analyses of test results. However, these have not informed the school about the strengths and

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SCIENCE

weaknesses in the subject sufficiently to avert last year's decline in test results. The subject is enriched by activities such as involvement in a science and technology fair, the use of the grounds, including the school's pond and visitors. Furthermore, the subject is used well to link pupils’ learning in other subjects and aspects, such as information and communication technology, health education and mathematics.

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ART AND DESIGN

80. During the inspection no lessons were timetabled for Years 4 to 6 and there was very little past work available. It is not possible therefore to judge standards. However, lessons for Years 1 and 2 were observed and together with the work displayed, these provided sufficient evidence. At the age of seven, standards are in line with expectations. Pupils can mix colours effectively to paint a range of pictures. They have produced pictures in the style of different artists. In one class, pupils of Years 1 and 2 did this in the style of Jackson Pollack and in another class pupils of Years 2 and 3 did so in the style of Paul Klee. These pictures capture these styles very well. They use a variety of media from paint to pastels and chalks. Some careful observational drawings are displayed in the hall. Pupils of Years 1 and 2 are making very effective Mexican masks with the help of a visiting artist. The older pupils have opportunities to model using a proprietary material whilst the younger ones

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ART AND DESIGN

experience clay; sometimes fired in a local artist’s kiln. Standards are similar to those recorded in the previous inspection and progress through for six and seven-year olds is satisfactory as the pupils learn to use different media and to appreciate the works of famous artists.

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ART AND DESIGN

81. Pupils enjoy their work and tackle each task with interest. They were particularly enthusiastic about producing underwater pictures after discussing The Goldfish , by Paul Klee. They shared resources and took great pride in their efforts. They were impressed with the pictures after a dark blue wash had been added and were amazed at the effect of the wash on the pastels.

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ART AND DESIGN

82. The quality of teaching in Years 1 and 2 is good. Teachers are enthusiastic and this, along with praise and encouragement, motivates the pupils to succeed and try hard to produce good results. Questioning is also used effectively to extend pupils’ knowledge and to develop their interest in the work of other artists. Teachers have good relationships with their classes.

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ART AND DESIGN

83. Currently, there is no formal scheme of work to give guidance; the school is to introduce a new scheme in the near future. Staff are confident in teaching the subject despite a lack of leadership in promoting the development of skills. A variety of extra-curricular opportunities and workshops are offered and have included; felt making, batik and sugar craft. Local artists have also led workshops for different classes. The input of these artists enhances the pupils’ experiences well.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

84. During the inspection only two lessons were timetabled, one in each key stage. There was very little evidence available of model making, although there was some photographic evidence of models made previously. It was not possible to make judgements about standards by the age of eleven. Scrutiny of pupils' past work provided limited evidence of their planning, making and evaluation of their models. However, the photographs showed pupils building model bridges and designing a " buggy" to carry an egg. The present challenge for older juniors is to make a vehicle and, using a motor and computer, to make it move. In the one lesson observed, pupils of Years 4 and 5 were making models, dressed in Tudor costumes. This required a variety of resources and skills. The pupils had to identify the materials they needed to use for the clothes and the best way of attaching the clothes to the models. The pupils were observed sewing, cutting and gluing. The finished models were very

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

effective. Other examples were seen of the work of younger juniors, who had made purses. However, only one pupil had evaluated its effectiveness. The pupils had also made bread successfully.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

85. For pupils at the age of seven standards are in line with expectations and pupils are able to use tools correctly and efficiently, including, for example, hack saws to cut doweling rods. They demonstrated sufficient competence in measuring successfully to make a frame for a model vehicle and to fix wheels to axles to enable them to move. Each pupil had drawn a design for their vehicle and listed the materials they wished to use. The Sleights CE Primary School – Page 30 younger pupils were making cards for Mothers’ Day. Overall, such standards are similar to those recorded in the previous inspection.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

86. The pupils enjoyed the challenge of designing a vehicle and making it work. They were keen to complete the task and to convert their model into a specific vehicle. Pupils are motivated, interested, work hard, share resources and occasionally help each other. They make satisfactory progress throughout the school developing relevant skills and by the time they are older juniors, the photographic evidence shows they complete quite difficult challenges successfully.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

87. The quality of teaching is good in Years 1 and 2 and satisfactory in Years 3 and 4. Teachers are enthusiastic and interested and offer the pupils a range of challenges that help to develop their skills. Safety and how to handle the tools correctly are emphasised. Pupils are encouraged to explore different materials for their effectiveness when designing and making their models and a good selection of resources is available. However, planning, modification and evaluation are sometimes insufficiently emphasised, and the objectives of the teaching are sometimes confused with those for art and design. The pupils with special educational needs are given extra support, often by classroom assistants, so that their work is equally successful to that of others.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

88. Whilst using elements of a nationally recommended scheme of work, the subject is often taught within a topic spanning other subjects, such as the Tudors. Once the scheme has been tried out, it will be evaluated and matched more closely to the National Curriculum programme of study. Currently, there is no formal monitoring of standards or of coverage of the programme of study. Pupils are involved in evaluations of their own products and there is photographic evidence of the use of a number of different techniques and challenges.

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GEOGRAPHY

89. Standards are satisfactory at the end of each key stage. They were good in Years 3 to 6 at the time of the last inspection. The very small amount of work completed by the older juniors shows a sound understanding of some geographical features of the world, such as mountain ranges and climatic areas, and that the pupils can locate information from a number of sources such as maps and using information and communication technology. Overall, other than some interesting displays and work connected with other subjects, there was insufficient work to confirm that pupils have studied all the main aspects of the National Curriculum programme of study. At the ends of each key stage there is little evidence of high attainment.

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GEOGRAPHY

90. In a lesson for Years 4 and 5, the pupils used maps atlases and a computer program well to locate information about India. They showed sound mapping skills and were able to use keys and the index to answer questions. The pupils have a reasonable sense of place but are less clear about the differences between town and village life. They learnt about some climatic differences and the distribution of rain forests around the world. However, this was not clearly connected to their study of an Indian village. The lesson promoted a good deal of interest and the pupils used the good range of resources provided to satisfy their interest. In a lesson for pupils of Years 2 and 3, the seven-year-olds also showed an ability to use simple maps and locate information using symbols and keys. Most pupils understand the difference between a plan and an elevation and increasingly use symbols, instead of pictures, to represent features. Some pupils of Year 3 are beginning to interpret Ordnance

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GEOGRAPHY

Survey maps recognising indications of height. Most of the class recognises the difference between natural and human features and could locate places on a map of the Island of Struay from their knowledge of the stories of Katie Morag. The pupils showed a good deal of interest in the maps and enjoyed the challenges of identifying features they had heard in the stories, sometimes making appropriate deductions. Some pupils failed in this activity but this was because they had forgotten aspects of the stories and once reminded, were successful. The activities prompted a good deal of conversation, which made the class noisy, but behaviour was generally satisfactory.

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GEOGRAPHY

91. The quality of teaching is satisfactory in both key stages. The pupils' work is marked but this seldom indicates ways in which it could be improved. The tasks set are suitably harder for older pupils in the class, but this is not clearly matched to the pupils' existing levels of skill and understanding. Consequently, the pupils' work over time does not show a clear progression in their acquisition of skills. The long-term programme of topics, units of work from a nationally recommended scheme, helps teachers to plan for an appropriate acquisition of knowledge, but insufficiently emphasises the steady gaining of skills and understanding. A greater emphasis on the assessment of these aspects is needed to help pupils make progress. The subject co-ordinator has few means to evaluate the pupils’ progress and the effectiveness of the programme of topics.

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HISTORY

Sleights CE Primary School – Page 31 92. Standards are good for Years 3 to 6 and have improved since the last inspection but there was insufficient evidence to make judgements about attainment in Years 1 and 2. The pupils of Years 4 and 5 have a very good understanding of the key elements of the subject such as the ordering of different periods and the passing of time. They are able to make good deductions about how life was in the past and why people lived as they did. They have evaluated evidence from a variety of sources and their work includes learning about famous people such as Shakespeare. The pupils' discussion is at a good level. The work of the oldest pupils indicates some in-depth study about the lives of the Vikings in Britain. Extended writing is used well by these pupils to describe aspects of the social history they have learned about the period. They also use books and information

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HISTORY

and communication technology to find more information. Because there is a four-year plan of topics, the pupils of Year 3 have also been learning about the Vikings. Their work shows a wide range of aspects learnt, such as through time-lines, a study of place names with Viking derivations and some extended writing showing empathy for the culture and life of the period. Discussion with the pupils reveals that most have gained a good understanding of the use of different sources of information about periods in the past and can describe their relative positions in time. They are also able to make sensible deductions such as "the one in that picture must be a royal dressed like that, but he must be sitting for a portrait, because he couldn't wear those clothes all the time."

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HISTORY

93. The teaching puts a good emphasis upon the key elements of the subject and is very enthusiastic. The pupils are interested and this sometimes leads to loud talking in the classroom, which is not sufficiently discouraged. Teaching stresses a good degree of detail and depth in what is being learnt and this helps to provide further interest. A range of teaching methods, for example, using role-play, debate, story-telling, research and many more, is suggested in the policy and these help to bring the subject alive for the pupils. Teachers use opportunities well to link the subject to others such as design and technology, English and geography. For example, some pupils have recently produced costumed, model puppets relating to the Elizabethan period and Shakespeare in particular. The policy gives little guidance about assessment and recording and consequently this is not consistent through the school. This leads to pupils of high attainment being given similar work to

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HISTORY

others. The subject is strongly enhanced by visits and special activities. It is often taught in half-term blocks alternating with geography. For this reason, and the fact that year groups are often split between two classes, a more rigorous system of recording what the pupils have learnt is needed to avoid potential repetition or omission as well to promote clear progression in skills and understanding for each pupil.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

94. Standards are good by the end of Year 6 and have been maintained since the last inspection. There were too few opportunities to evaluate the standards of Year 2 pupils.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

95. Pupils of Year 6 have a good understanding of the range of computer applications they have experienced. Their keyboard skills are good and they are capable users of computers, being able to apply the skills expected for eleven-year-olds independently. Some are also able to communicate their knowledge of computing and something of its impact outside school. Most can organise, improve and present work in various forms and are fully aware of how to gain and exchange information through e-mail and the Internet. Current work concerns the use of spreadsheets and external sensors. Lower juniors can make amendments, re-format text and they have reasonable keyboard skills. However, throughout the key stage, word-processing is slowed because of many pupils' weak spelling skills. While the pupils know that the computer underlines spelling errors in red, they do not use the spell-check function to find the correct spelling. Neither do they have other prompts or support for

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

spelling when word-processing and consequently work takes longer than it should, especially for lower-attaining pupils.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

96. Throughout the key stage the pupils are generally confident and willing to experiment. They are very helpful to each other, sometimes noticing when someone is not certain how to proceed. The pupils enjoy the subject and as they grow older they gain a good degree of confidence, because they have experienced a good range of computer programs and other information and communication technology devices. They gain good independence. For example, pupils of different abilities were able to start computers and access their past work from the hard drive as well as explain its purpose and what was done with print-outs. These good attitudes and interest in the subject help the pupils to be careful of the hardware and peripherals.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

97. Teaching for the junior pupils is good overall. The co-ordinator, who also helps train teachers in other schools, teaches the subject to most of the juniors. The teaching provides a good range of aspects of the programme of study and helps the pupils to gain confidence and capability well. However, the effectiveness of the teaching is to some extent limited by the positions and situation of computers. The teacher often has to go back and forth between two classrooms and the small suite of computers that are in a corridor. Plenary sessions are difficult to organise. Nevertheless, the teaching is very effective, encouraging and gives pupils opportunities to Sleights CE Primary School – Page 32 experiment in navigating programs. The pupils' work is often stored electronically and there are also records of which pupils have worked at different programs. However, there was no evidence of recorded assessments of

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

pupils' progress through the skills, knowledge and understanding in the subject.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

98. Training has largely been within the school and related well to the school's hardware and software provision. All teachers have received training as well as some classroom assistants. There are plans to extend this to more support staff. The training has focused on how to use computers in other subjects and consequently there is good use across the curriculum.

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

99. French is taught to pupils of Year 6 once a week. One lesson was observed during the inspection and the work of pupils was reviewed. Overall, standards are good for the amount of time that the pupils have been learning the subject. All the pupils are able to make short phrase responses and have a growing understanding of vocabulary. Higher attaining pupils remember a reasonable vocabulary and are confident to form simple phrases themselves. About two-thirds of the pupils have skills and knowledge equivalent to National Curriculum level 2 and can write and read much of what they say aloud. This is good in comparison to the learning of the average child of this age. The subject was not reported on at the time of the last inspection.

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

100. Teaching is good because of the very good subject knowledge of the part-time teacher specifically employed to teach the subject. The pupils are benefiting from the accurate accent that is used and promoted by the teacher. Teaching is very brisk and enthusiastic but the planning is weak when the pupils have to wait their turn to speak, with no other activity provided. However, in the lesson observed, the pupils' interest was sustained because of the challenge of speaking French and also because of the many aspects of life in France that were discussed and shown to the pupils. For example, the pupils were able to make mock purchases at a pretend French market and handled real Euro coins. The subject is also enriched by a visit to France every two years.

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MUSIC

101. There was very little music time-tabled during the inspection and there was insufficient evidence to make judgements about standards overall. However, singing was observed as part of collective worship and during a practice of hymns for a Mothering Sunday service and one lesson for Year 1 and 2 pupils was seen. Overall, the school's provision for the subject is weaker than at the time of the last inspection; there is a lack of expertise amongst the staff.

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MUSIC

102. The younger pupils enjoy singing and participate with some enthusiasm. This was particularly noticeable when the younger pupils were singing songs for the Mothering Sunday service. The older pupils were less keen and did not join in so well and there were missed opportunities to improve the quality of performance. The standard of singing was barely in line with expectations. Some of the songs were reasonably well sung with clear words but minimal expression. Others were not so successful as the higher-pitched notes were inaudible or out of tune. However, the pupils were well behaved and listened quietly when other groups were singing.

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MUSIC

103. In a lesson with pupils of Years 1 and 2, the singing was satisfactory, although a minority of pupils lacked enthusiasm and did not sing in tune. However, they were able to keep in time even when the tempo varied. They could roughly follow a graphic score of a composition to accompany the story of Sleeping Beauty and coped well with three different rhythms. Overall, this lesson indicates satisfactory standards and satisfactory teaching, although there were several missed opportunities to improve singing and develop rhythm skills further, due to the teacher's lack of knowledge of pupils' common misconceptions and errors.

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MUSIC

104. The school acknowledges a lack expertise in the subject and consequently a part-time specialist is employed to teach singing weekly in each key stage; to accompany the hymns in assembly; and to provide additional support when the school is rehearsing for concerts. However, the effectiveness of this provision could not be judged as no lessons were observed being given by this teacher. Instrumental tuition is available for violin, woodwind and brass. There is extra-curricular provision for learning to play the recorder for Key Stage 1 pupils. Various musicians have visited the school including a sitar player, guitarist and one offering a range of instruments from around the world. Photographs show the pupils enjoying these visits greatly.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Sleights CE Primary School – Page 33 105. One lesson was observed in each key stage. On the basis of these, standards are good in Year 2 and satisfactory in for Years 5 and 6. This is similar to that seen in the last inspection in the juniors and an improvement in the infants. The range of aspects of the subject seen was limited although all aspects are planned including swimming lessons for the juniors. All the pupils are included in lessons and those with special educational needs make generally sound and sometimes good progress.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

106. In a lesson with pupils of Years 5 and 6, the warm-up activities included sustained, energetic aerobic exercise in which most pupils took part enthusiastically because it was well led by the teacher. However, about a third of the pupils were slow to copy some of the movements, missing them as the lesson moved on very quickly. In country dancing half the pupils had a good awareness of dance conventions and showed a good quality of movement. In a very effective cooling-down session, the pupils were able to copy the teacher's movements well and responded to the music appropriately. A large majority of the pupils reach or exceed the expected target for swimming by the age of eleven.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

107. The quality of movement of the Year 2 pupils is good. They confidently copy the movements of others and have learnt to respond quickly to instructions and collaborate well in team activities. The pupils pass and catch soft balls well in pairs and understand how their throwing affects the ability of their partner to catch. Teaching has high expectations and the pupils respond well, for example, in returning small equipment.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

108. Teaching is satisfactory and good in some aspects such as the enthusiasm engendered and the choice of activities and music to encourage learning. However, more could be done to demonstrate movements and help all the pupils to be more aware of what constitutes high quality movement, for example, through using pupils to demonstrate and the appraisal of performances. The pupils enjoy the subject and join in activities wholeheartedly because lessons are taught at a good pace. The curriculum is enriched by a good number of extra-curricular activities and the school takes part in a number of sporting activities with other local schools. Overall, the school's provision is good and the subject is popular.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

109. During the inspection there was little opportunity to observe lessons for junior pupils. A review of their past work offered limited evidence of pupils' understanding of faiths. Much of the written work was concerned with refugees: what it would be like to be a refugee, giving aid to help these people and change in the pupils’ lives.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

110. Standards by the end of Year 2 are in line with expectations. A review of the pupils' past work shows they are developing an understanding of Judaism through looking at the Shabbat and Hanukah. There is an emphasis on the life of Jesus and the parables He told. During one lesson, pupils demonstrated an impressive knowledge about various parables, such as the Prodigal Son, the Lost Sheep and others. The pupils also wrote about the meaning of temptation and gave examples of when they were tempted to do something they should not. Although some work sheets were used, much recording was in the pupils’ own words. Standards remain similar to those reported in the previous inspection.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

111. Progress in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory as pupils begin to develop an understanding of the meaning of Christianity, the life of Jesus and the stories He told as well as some elements of Judaism. The pupils are well motivated, interested and keen to demonstrate their knowledge. They listen carefully and are keen to respond to the teachers’ questions.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

112. The quality of teaching is good in Years 1 and 2. Teachers are knowledgeable and interested and this helps pupils to learn. Effective questioning extends the pupils’ knowledge and understanding and, for example, increases their knowledge of the life and teachings of Jesus.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

113. The scheme of work is based on the locally agreed syllabus, but has only recently been adopted in its new format. Pupils study Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Hinduism. They have visited the local church as a place of Christian worship and use it for special services such as harvest, Easter, Christingle and Mothering Sunday. The vicar is a regular visitor in school and takes assembly each week. However, there are few visits or visitors in connection with other religions.

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