Wherwell Primary School

WHERWELL PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 4 th – 7 th June 2001

p.1

WHERWELL 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.

p.1

WHERWELL 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. Wherwell Primary School - 3

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Wherwell ANDOVER Hampshire

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 13 th January 1997 Wherwell Primary School - 4

p.3

Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

11816 Geoff Jones Registered inspector Foundation Stage English Science Information and communication technology Music Physical education Equal opportunities The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well is the school led and managed?

p.4

Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

9446 Helen Griffiths Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 14976 Peter Dexter Team inspector Mathematics Religious education Geography History Design and technology Art and design Special educational ne eds How well are pupils taught? How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

p.4

Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Schoolhaus Limited Suite 17 BPS Business Centre Brake Lane Walesby Nottinghamshire NG22 9HQ

p.4

Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

p.4

Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Qualit y Division

p.4

Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

p.4

REPORT CONTENTS

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

p.5

REPORT CONTENTS

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

p.5

REPORT CONTENTS

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS? 15

p.5

REPORT CONTENTS

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS? 17

p.5

REPORT CONTENTS

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS? 18

p.5

REPORT CONTENTS

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED? 18

p.5

REPORT CONTENTS

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER? 21

p.5

REPORT CONTENTS

PART D: THE STANDARDS AND QUALITY OF TEACHING IN AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 26 Wherwell Primary School - 6

p.5

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

The school is situated between the villages of Wherwell and Chilbolton. It has 121 pupils aged between four and eleven and is smaller tha n most other primary schools. There are five classes each with a two -year age band. When children are admitted at the age of four their attainment levels are above average. Most of the parents are professional people. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals (6.1per cent) is below the national average. There are no pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds and no pupils for whom English is an additional language. There are 31 pupils identified as having special educational needs, the proportion being close to the national average but the proportion of pupils with statements of special educational needs (3.1per cent) is above the national average. When pupils are admitted to the school their levels of attainment are slightly above average. At the time of the inspection three out of the five class teachers had been appointed within the present

p.6

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

Wherwell Primary is a good school. Standards are high throughout the school. By the ages of seven and eleven pupils att ain well above average standards in speaking and listening. Standards in writing are above average at seven and well above this by the age of eleven. Pupils achieve well in mathematics to attain standards that are well above the levels expected of eleven y ear olds. Standards in science are above average for both age groups. The quality of teaching is good overall with very effective teaching for reception age children and for pupils at the end of Key Stage 2. The head teacher provides good leadership and ma nagement and she ensures that processes are in place to enable the school to improve continuously. The school gives good value for money.

p.6

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

What the school does well • The high standards in English throughout the school. • The good quality of the leadership an d management provided by the head teacher, key staff and governors. • Children in the Foundation Stage are taught well and make good progress. • The good quality teaching and the very effective strategies for teaching literacy and numeracy. • Provision for pupil s’ spiritual, moral and social development is very good. • The very good behaviour of the pupils overall. • Relationships are very good throughout the school and pupils and behave very well.

p.6

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

What could be improved • Development of the role of the subject co -ordinator. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

p.6

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

p.6

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

The school was last inspected in January 1997. Since that time standards throughout the school have improved in English, information and communication technology, art and design, music, design and technology and religious education. In other subjects standards have been maintained for all ages of pupils and have risen in mathematics, science and physical education at the end of Key Stage 2. The quality of teaching has also improved considerably. In 1997 one in every five lessons was unsatisfactory whereas all lessons observed during the present inspection were judged to be at least satisfactory, with many that were of good or very good quality. The very high quality teaching and assessment procedures for the Foundation Stage children have improved the quality of the curriculum greatly for this age group. Planning of lessons now addresses the full range of pupils’ ab ilities within each class. Members of staff now have high expectations of pupils’ work and

p.6

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

behaviour. A programme to monitor teaching was introduced and this has resulted in much improvement. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development has also improved an d teachers now explore fully the opportunities that present themselves. The use of the school’s finances has also been enhanced and money is allocated to ensure that the work of the school is successful in maintaining the good standard of education it prov ides. Wherwell Primary School - 7 STANDARDS

p.6

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

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

p.7

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

p.7

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

1998 1999 2000 2000 English A A A B well above average above average A B Mathematics A A B B average below average C D Science A* A A A well below average E

p.7

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

The above table shows that the school’s 2000 results in the annual national tests for eleven year olds were well above average in English and science and above average in mathematics. Compared with schools serving pupils of a similar background the results were above average for English and mathematics and well above average for science. The most recent test results have not yet been published but the above grades for the school’s eleven year olds are representative of the school’s present standards. Attainments in information and communication technology are above average for seven year olds and well above average for eleven year olds . At the age of seven pupils' attainments are above the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus in religious education and they have risen further to be well above the level required by the age of eleven. Children make good progress in their learning i n the Foundation Stage and the majority of children are working at levels above

p.7

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

those expected for their age. The standards of the present seven year olds are much higher than those of last year’s seven year olds because a high percentage of pupils with sp ecial educational needs affected the results negatively in the year 2000. Pupils throughout the school are achieving well. Higher attaining pupils are challenged well and are making good progress. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well an d most attain the levels expected for their age as a result. The school has been particularly successful in meeting the jointly agreed targets in English and mathematics set by the governing body and local education authority.

p.7

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

Attitudes to the school Pupils enjoy learning and are keen to come to school. They concentrate very well and show great interest in their lessons.

p.7

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour throughout the school is very good in lesso ns as well as in the playground and during assemblies. Pupils know the school rules well and praise from adults is valued.

p.7

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

Personal development and relationships Teachers provide excellent role models for courtesy and fairness. Pupils take on responsibil ity willingly. Relationships among pupils and between adults and pupils are excellent.

p.7

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

Attendance Attendance is well above national averages and unauthorised absence in line with national figures.

p.7

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

The personal and social development of c hildren who are under five is very good and is well above the level expected for children of this age. Pupils arrive at school punctually and lessons start on time after breaks. Pupils’ very good attendance and punctuality have a positive impact on their a ttainment and progress. Wherwell Primary School - 8 TEACHING AND LEARNING

p.7

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

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

p.8

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

Lessons seen overall Very 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.

p.8

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

The quality of teaching was good overall in the 39 lessons observed. Of these 34 per cent of the lessons seen were very good or better, with two per cent being excellent. Forty -six per cent were good and 15 per cent were satisfactory. There were no unsatisfactory lessons seen during the inspection. Teachers have good subject knowledge in the main areas of the curriculum and this cont ributes greatly towards the pupils’ good learning. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is good overall. The teaching of children in the Foundation Stage is very good and children get a first -rate start to their education. The good teaching in the rest of the school, particularly of basic skills in reading and writing, contributes significantly to pupils’ good progress and to the good attitudes they have to their work. Teachers set specific goals for pupils and their progress results from careful planning of lessons so that the needs of pupils with differing levels of attainment are met in literacy and

p.8

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

numeracy lessons. The very interesting lessons, particularly for the oldest pupils in the school, contribute greatly to their very good acquisition of skills , knowledge and understanding. Pupils with special educational needs make sound progress because they are usually supported in their learning.

p.8

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

The quality and range of the curriculum The range and quality are good. Strategies for teaching literacy and numeracy are very good. There is an effective balance to the curriculum. There is effective provision for sex education and education on drugs misuse.

p.8

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Provision is good. Pupils’ individual education plans are well targeted and regularly reviewed. There is very good support in the classrooms from well - trained learning assistants.

p.8

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development The school has a very good programme for pupils’ personal, social and health education. Provision for pupils’ spiritual, social and moral development is very good. Arrangements for cultural development are good.

p.8

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

How well the school cares for its pupils Procedures for child protection and for ensuring pupils’ welfare are good. There are very effective, detailed and systematic procedures for assessing pupils’ attainments, which are used extensively to monitor pupils’ progress, and for planning the next step in each child’s learning.

p.8

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

There is an interesting and very relevant curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage that provides a very good basis for their primary school education. A very good range of extra -curricular activities, that incl udes sporting activities as well as drama, choir and music, is provided for the pupils. Parents are not involved in reviews of pupils’ progress in the early stage of their inclusion on the special needs register. This makes it more difficult for parents to support pupils’ learning at home. There are effective links with parents, including advance information on the curriculum, but annual reports on pupils’ progress are unsatisfactory because there is insufficient information about progress.

p.8

Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the head teacher and other key staff The head teacher provides good leadership and gives a clear direction for the school. The two key stage co -ordinators provide good support and partic ipate in decision making ably. However, the role of the subject co -ordinators is not yet sufficiently developed to enable the subjects they manage to develop further. Wherwell Primary School - 9 How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors have an excellent un derstanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and play a very strong part in shaping its direction. The governing body fulfils its statutory duties well. The budget is checked rigorously and the school’s strategic plan is discussed thoroughly a nd monitored regularly. Initiatives are put in place to improve standards and pupils’ progress is monitored in detail.

p.8

Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Teaching is monitored regularly as a means of improving the quality. Tests results are analysed to set targets and these are monitored rigorously. The school evaluates its performance well.

p.9

Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Classroom and support assistants are very effective and work very closely with teachers. The administrative assistant enables the smooth running of the school. The budget is used wisely. The grant for special educational needs and the standards fund are used effectively to raise standards in the school.

p.9

Aspect Comment

The school is well staffed and teachers have good expertise. Classroom assi stants work closely with teachers and have a significant impact on pupils’ progress. The administrative officer works efficiently. The school building provides good accommodation for the delivery of the National Curriculum and religious education. However, the temporary classroom, used by reception children and pupils in Year 1, is unsuitable for pupils with physical disabilities owing to the entry and exit via steps, and the fabric of the building is in a very poor condition. Resources for learning are of good quality, plentiful and are used efficiently. The head teacher has introduced highly effective systems that enable realistic yet challenging targets to be set for pupils. The school applies the principles of best value well.

p.9

Aspect Comment

PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

p.9

Aspect Comment

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Behaviour in school is good. • The quality of teaching is good. • Their children make good progress. • The school expects children to work hard and achieve their best. • They feel comfortable about approaching the school with problems. • The amount of homework children are given. • The written information on how children are progressing in school. • A closer working relationship with parents.

p.9

Aspect Comment

The inspection team agrees with all of the po sitive views of parents. The team agrees with the first two points for improvement. Arrangements for homework need development. The school has not formulated a homework policy so that parents have a clear idea what is expected of pupils. Annual written rep orts on pupils’ progress do not provide enough information about areas of the curriculum that pupils need to improve upon. The team disagrees with the view that links with parents are unsatisfactory. There are regular newsletters, a good quality prospectus providing useful information and a good quality annual report to parents. However, both the prospectus and the annual report do not meet statutory requirements fully. National averages of the annual test results are not provided so parents are unable to c ompare the school’s results with these. Wherwell Primary School - 10

p.9

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Children are admitted to the reception class at the beginning of the school year prior to their fifth birthday. When they f irst start school their attainments are above average overall. As a result of very good teaching children achieve very well, and at the end of the reception year they reach well above average attainments in their personal and social development, communication, language and literacy, knowledge and understanding of the world and mathematics. Their physical and creative developments are good. These findings show that the youngest children’s attainments have improved since the previous inspection when there were doubts about whether their progress was sufficient in a number of aspects of their learning, particularly in their knowledge and understanding of the world and creative features of their development. By the time children are ready to move to Year 1 their speaking and listening, reading and writing skills are very well developed. Similarly, at the end of the

p.10

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

reception year their attainments in mathematics are also very good for their age, with many adding and subtracting numbers to 20 and beyond. Children have developed a very secure awareness and knowledge of the world through opportunities for them to observe nature closely. Their physical and creative development is nurtured through gymnastic and games lessons and through activities involving art, music and imaginative play.

p.10

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The school is awaiting the results of the national tests taken by pupils this year. However, the most recent published test results for seven year olds were for tests taken in the year 2000 and at that time the school’s standards in reading and mathematics were close to the national average. Writing standards were above average. In comparison with similar schools the school’s results were close to the average in writing but below average in reading and mathematics. Teachers’ assessme nts of pupils’ levels of attainment in science show that they were very high in comparison with the national average overall. The trend for the school’s Key Stage 1 test results since the last inspection has fluctuated in reading. In writing they have been steady overall and in mathematics the results have improved from well below average to being close to the average. Since the last inspection the standards for seven year olds

p.10

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

have gone down slightly in reading and have been maintained in mathematics. The drop in standards is due largely to the higher than usual proportion of pupils with special educational needs in last year’s Year 2.

p.10

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. In the 2000 national tests for eleven year olds the school’s results in English and science were both well above the natio nal averages and in mathematics they were above average. Compared with schools of a similar kind these results were above average in English and science and close to the average for mathematics. Standards for the eleven year old pupils have improved since the last report, particularly in English and science. This is due to the improved quality in teaching for the older pupils in the school. Standards in English and science have been consistently high over the last four years but have fluctuated slightly in mathematics. However, although mathematics test results have not been as consistent, the standards have never been less than above the national average.

p.10

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The inspection findings show that pupils’ attainments in speaking and listening are well above average for seven and eleven year olds in relation to what is expected for their ages. Year 2 pupils listen carefully to others and speak clearly and confidently in full sentences when explaining their views. Year 6 pupils speak confidently in a range of situati ons involving discussions. Seven year old pupils read very well. They use their knowledge of letter sounds to decipher words, and read with understanding. They use a range of well -practised methods such as using the other words in the sentence or looking a t the illustrations to establish clues. Eleven year old pupils also read very well and can make reference to the text when explaining their ideas about what they have read. The standard of writing is well above national expectations at the end of both key stages. Key Stage 1 pupils make good progress

p.10

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Wherwell Primary School - 11 at writing in complete sentences with capital letters and full stops. Their standard of spelling is above average. Eleven year old pupils experience a wide range of writing such as poems, play scripts, letters, stories and diaries. Their writing is generally well advanced for their age and their stories often begin in a very interesting way. They divide their work into paragraphs correctly and use apostrophes, inverted commas and a range of other punctuation appropriately. Pupils also practise writing in other subjects such as history, religious education and science and this has a good impact on their progress.

p.11

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. At the end of Key Stage 1 higher attaining and average ability pupils have good addition and subtraction skills, and can multiply and divide by 2, 5 and 10. They have also constructed their own problems about money. Pupils of lower ability make good progress and work at an average level for their age. Most pupils work at an above average level. Higher an d average attaining Key Stage 2 pupils understand how to calculate, using long multiplication, the squares or cubes of numbers, calculate percentages of quantities and have begun basic algebra, substituting letters for numbers. Pupils of lower ability, inc luding those on the register of special educational needs, complete work that is either at an average level or below. Levels of attainment are above national expectation and close to nine pupils out of ten are achieving at, or above, national average level . This represents above average standards for

p.11

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. The findings of the inspection show that seven year old pupils’ levels of attainment in science are well above national expectations. They have a very good working knowledge and understanding of animals and plants and are able to group them into different categories according to a range of criteria. This provides them with a very good foundation on which to develop a later knowledge of how to classify living things. At the age of eleven, p upils’ attain well above the national expectations for their age. They have a very good understanding of electricity and can construct simple circuits and switches. Pupils are developing a good understanding of elementary physiology. Pupils’ high standards result from the provision of a good range of practical investigations that enable them to understand scientific concepts at first hand.

p.11

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Attainments in information and communication technology are above average at the end of Key Stage 1 and well above av erage at the end of Key Stage 2. Seven year old pupils can load programs, save and print their work and find information from a CD -ROM encyclopaedia. They can program a moveable toy to follow a set path in order to draw large, simple designs on paper. They use a word-processing program to write their own information and stories and an art package to create designs in the style of Mondrian, using a range of bright colours. Key Stage 2 pupils use word processing to write, amend and improve stories as they typ e. They construct pages in a book using text and imported illustrations, and can make the pages more interesting by producing attractive borders around the text frames. A number of pupils have become very skilful at using control mechanisms. For example, t hey use a computer to

p.11

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

control the lighting in a model theatre as well as raising the curtains and enabling a home - made model figure to revolve using an electric motor. They produce tables, charts and graphs to illustrate information they have gathered.

p.11

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. At the end of Key Stage 1 pupils' attainments are above the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus in religious education and by the age of eleven they have risen further to be well above the level required. This results from very good teaching of the e leven year olds that provides for high quality discussions and planned spiritual experiences that enable a deep understanding of religious practices. As a result progress since the last report has been good. Pupil's knowledge about religious traditions, ot her than Christianity, is now good. Younger pupils have a good understanding of the significance of the Bible to Christians of the Torah to the Jews. By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils have built on these experiences and understand the importance of rules, i ncluding the Ten Commandments. Pupils compare, in detail, the Shema prayer of the Jews and the Lord's Prayer. Wherwell Primary School - 12

p.11

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Elsewhere in the curriculum Key Stage 1 pupils’ levels of attainment are well above average in music, above average in art and design and design and technology and sound in geography and physical education. Owing to a lack of evidence it was not possible to make a judgement on attainment levels in history. Key Stage 2 pupils’ attainments are above average in art and design, physical education and design and technology. Attainment levels in music are well above average and are sound in history and geography.

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Attitudes to learning are very good throughout the school. Behaviour is very good. Perso nal development and relationships are excellent. This finding represents an improvement on the last inspection. Almost all parents, at the meeting and in response to the questionnaire, were very pleased with the attitudes and values promoted by the school and with behaviour. They felt strongly that the school encouraged their children to become mature and responsible.

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are very good. They are keen to come to school and punctuality is very good. They are very well motivated, con centrate very well and show great interest in their lessons. They are enthusiastic and purposeful learners and are keen to undertake independent research. This is an improvement on the last inspection, where pupils were found to be discouraged from taking intellectual risks. For example, in a Year 2 science lesson, pupils were given the task of sorting pictures of birds, animals and plants according to different criteria, which they were encouraged to invent for themselves, and then challenge the class and teachers to discover what the criteria were. Pupils are highly articulate and eager to make contributions to discussions. They are mature and thoughtful. They listen very well to one another and to their teachers. Participation in extra -curricular activiti es is high.

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Behaviour throughout the school is very good, in lessons, assemblies and at play times. Pupils know the school rules well. Praise from adults is highly valued. Pupils move around the school in a considerate way and the school functions very we ll as an orderly community. Older pupils play well with younger and boys and girls mix well together. Pupils are friendly and welcoming to visitors. They treat resources with respect. There have been no exclusions for many years.

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils willingly undertak e responsibility and there are many excellent opportunities for them to do so. Within classes, pupils have tasks which they take seriously. Older pupils help with assemblies and act as monitors at play times. They help with reading in classes 1 and 2. Year 1 pupils act as ‘buddies’ to new arrivals in the reception year.

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Relationships within the school are excellent, both among pupils and between adults and pupils. Teachers act as excellent role models of courtesy and fairness. Pupils treat one another with thoughtfulness. When asked to evaluate others’ work, they do so positively and tactfully. They are considerate of one another’s feelings.

p.12

Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Attendance is well above national averages and unauthorised absence in line with national figures.

p.12

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. The quality of teaching and learning is very good in the Foundation Stage and good in both Key Stages 1 and 2. There are examples of very good teaching in several of the classes, but the best teaching is in the Foundation Stage and Years 5 and 6. The teaching was satisfactory or better in every lesson observed, good in 46 per cent, very good in 32 per cent and excellent in two per cent of the lessons. Since the last inspection teaching in the Foundation Stage has improved markedly. At the last inspection it was described as generally sound, but it is now consistently very good and sometimes excellent. Teaching has improved since the last inspection from satisfactory throughout the school to good quality teaching overall. Wherwell Primary School - 13 17. The very good quality t eaching in the Foundation Stage has enabled children to progress from an above average level on entry to well above average after their first year in school.

p.12

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

The curriculum is well planned with careful preparation of work to meet the needs of all pupils, so that the highest attaining children and those with special educational needs make very good progress. Relationships are very good, not only between the teacher and the children, but also with the learning assistants, who work very effectively with small groups. The last report was very critical of the approach by the school towards these very young children and provision for Foundation Stage children was cited a key issue for improvement. Every area where shortcomings were noted has been improved. All are as of learning are taught very well because of the high expectations, the very good management of pupils, the clear explanations, precise questions and very good quality assessments. As a result all children are always involved in productive learning.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. The quality of teaching in both key stages is good and as a result the quality of learning has improved with a resultant rise in standards. All teachers have good subject knowledge throughout all National Curriculum subjects and religious education. They ensu re they use correct technical vocabulary, not only in literacy or numeracy lessons, but also in geography, science and history. For example, even reception age children use and understand the meaning of a ‘phoneme’ when they are learning how to build words from their constituent letters. Teachers use pupils' experience well in discussions, valuing their responses so that most lessons are related to pupils' everyday life.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Basic skills are taught very effectively. Language skills in reading are systematicall y taught, linked to spelling and skills in learning letter sounds, so that there is a good balance to the approach. An accelerated reading programme for pupils with special educational needs has worked very well, with the enthusiastic support of parents or volunteer adults. The lessons contain a balance of teaching how to recognise words, how to construct sentences and how to understand the meaning of passages in the text. Pupils also practise their writing skills in other subjects and the school is focusin g on improving writing skills further. All pupils have very good opportunities to speak to large or small groups, which they do with confidence.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Numeracy lessons follow the structure of the National Numeracy Strategy in an effective way. Teachers have a very good understanding of the strategy, plan it well over time, cover all the elements of the programme of study and find occasions when pupils can practise these skills in other subjects, or solve problems within the numeracy lesson itself.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Lessons are planned well so that work is matched to pupils' abilities, sometimes by age but usually by ability. Daily lessons have clear aims and the work set to meet them is always in place. Long-term plans have been written for all subjects showing what is to be tau ght each term. However, some of the more detailed medium -term plans for each term are new and are still being evaluated and resourced. As a result teachers are unsure on some occasions of the best way to use the recent national guidance for planning work. Some subjects such as art and religious education are more securely in place.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Teachers' expectations are high in literacy and numeracy, but more variable in some of the other subjects. Part of this is the uncertainty caused by the newness of the content in such subjects as geography, or when the content of the lesson did not capture pupils' interest on occasions in science, or the pace and challenge in some physical education lessons meant pupils under -performed. Nevertheless the work over time and in dis plays confirms teachers are challenging pupils appropriately on most occasions.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. The teaching methods used ensure pupils are fully engaged in learning. Teachers explain things clearly, ask probing questions to extend thinking, group pupils by ability and s how a lively enthusiasm themselves. The organisation of the mixed age classes is thoughtfully done to ensure the spread of age and ability is such that all pupils are challenged successfully. Pupils are managed well and the quality of the relationships is very high so that there is a positive working atmosphere. Teachers have a calm, confident approach, which generates Wherwell Primary School - 14 mutual respect between adults and pupils alike. They are consistently fair, set clear rules for behaviour and are developing pupils' self -discipline as a result.

p.13

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Teachers focus on the use of time, support staff and resources in their planning and time is used well. Pupils spend a high proportion of time on tasks, lessons have a brisk pace and pupils know what they are supposed to be doing. Te achers are sometimes uncertain how best to use classroom assistants during class lessons, but they do use them very well in support of groups of pupils.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. Assessments over time in the core subjects of literacy and numeracy are detailed, carefully done and used to good effect. Targets are set for improvements over a year. Assessments of progress in other subjects such as geography, history, religious education and art are still being developed. More immediate assessment such as marking varies, although the judgement of pupils' understanding during lessons is very good. Marking contains praise and encouragement but it is sometimes of little value because it does not give pupils guidance on how to improve their work. The best marking is at the end of Key Stage 1 , where the quality of the detail for the pupils is very high.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. Homework arrangements are satisfactory and have a positive impact on pupils’ learning because it provides consolidation of their understanding and is linked to the content of lessons. Most hom ework is for literacy and numeracy. It is set weekly in numeracy and for spellings. Pupils have a reading diary which is used well to link with home. However, parents remain dissatisfied with homework arrangements and consider they should be improved.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. The very good and excellent teaching often provides very good support for pupils’ learning that enables them to make rapid progress. For example, in a very good music lesson for Year 2 pupils the specialist music teacher and class teacher supported small grou ps of pupils with their instrumental compositions. Pupils composed music with the theme of walking through a coconut grove to link with the subject of ‘Treasure Island’. The teachers provided good advice and pupils built strongly on their own ideas to prod uce very good quality music. High expectations of pupils are another one of the attributes of the very good teaching. For instance, reception age children are expected to write independently when recording the properties of a different range of materials. They respond to the challenge and grow in confidence in their writing abilities as well as developing their knowledge and understanding

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

of the world around them. Another feature is the inspirational choice of theme for the lesson that really engages and in terests pupils. A highly successful literacy lesson for Year 6 pupils was developed around the topic of relationship break -ups. A very good quality discussion containing well -chosen probing questions enabled pupils to become deeply involved in the subject and carefully selected music acted as a pivot to engaging their emotions. This resulted in a strong spiritual experience and the production of very good quality poems by the pupils.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28. Pupils with special educational needs benefit from the high proportion o f good teaching; they make good progress. Teachers know the pupils well and are well aware of their individual targets for improvement. These are used to plan work that meets the needs of pupils in the different lessons during the school day. Learning assi stants work closely with teachers and provide very good support to groups, particularly in literacy and numeracy. However, the teacher for special educational needs works for one afternoon a week only, but the provision for special educational needs is in place and working so that there is good learning in all classrooms. However, her support for learning assistants is limited as they work only in the mornings and there is no opportunity to meet them to discuss pupils’ progress and to make suggestions on ho w they could improve further.

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

29. The last report identified teaching and learning as a key issue for improvement. It stated 'improve the skills of teachers so that they challenge and extend children beyond their current good levels of attainment'. It is cle ar this has been achieved. Wherwell Primary School - 15

p.14

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

30. The school provides an interesting and lively learning experience for all its children on admission to the Foundation Stage. They enjoy a well -planned active learning day, which includes all the areas of learning. Learning assistants work with individuals who are on the special educational needs register, or with small groups of pupils, very effectively. Literacy and numeracy skills are taught well, challengi ng all children. As a result of these experiences reception children are confident learners, who work very easily together and with all adults.

p.15

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

31. From Year 1 pupils have full access to the National Curriculum and religious education in both key stages. The curriculum is balanced, and relevant for pupils' age and experience and meets statutory requirements. There are policies and long and medium -term plans so that there is a consistent approach from class to class for each subject. However, following timely reviews, many of these are newly written and are still being evaluated.

p.15

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

32. Pupils with special educational needs are provided for well. They are placed on the register of special needs in relation to the Code of Practice and the local authority’s scheme. Ind ividual educational plans are written by the co -ordinator in discussion with class teachers and targets for learning or behaviour are set. Learning assistants support pupils effectively in the classroom particularly in literacy and numeracy. Pupils have we ll-organised extra help through government initiatives such as the Additional Literacy Strategy.

p.15

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

33. The National Literacy Strategy is working very effectively throughout the school. Teachers plan well, timetabling reading and writing activities very carefull y, balancing time thoughtfully. As a result, pupils are achieving improved standards in speaking, listening and writing. The accelerated reading sessions, supported by parents and visitors, and the good homework reading tasks have raised standards for youn ger pupils.

p.15

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

34. The National Numeracy Strategy is now established effectively in all classrooms. Lessons are planned so that the yearly teaching programme for each age group is covered appropriately in the mixed age classes. There are usually three ability g roups in each class so that work is matched well to each pupil's ability. Classes are organised carefully so small groups of higher attaining pupils are given opportunities to work with older pupils. Homework is set regularly to raise attainments in basic number work further. As a result standards for more able pupils in Key Stage 1 have risen in all areas of mathematics and results at the end of Key Stage 2 are now above average.

p.15

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

35. Extra-curricular activities are very good. They include competitive sports s uch as rounders, football, netball and rugby as well as drama, choir and music. There is a good range for pupils to choose from for such a small school and these activities are well attended. Pupils also visit well-chosen places of interest to enrich the c urriculum in such subjects as history and geography. Year 6 pupils enjoy a four -day residential visit to Calshot Field Studies Centre as part of the geographical and physical education curriculum.

p.15

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

36. The provision for personal, social and health education (P SHE) is very good. It is based on a series of themes and it includes the areas of learning for reception age children, as well as all the elements of the national guidelines for both key stages. The programme is planned very well for all classes. Drugs awa reness, health and sex education are taught in each class and matched very effectively to pupils' age and experience. All classes include PSHE in their weekly timetable.

p.15

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

37. The links with the wider community and partner institutions are very good overall. Th e vicar, police liaison officer and local visitors, such as those who talked about World War 2, or the Hindu friend of a teacher who dressed pupils in her traditional costume, are valuable resources. The school uses the village tennis courts, the local chu rch or village hall for special events and shares a village fête with a local business. The local business also helps to decorate the school, providing workmen and materials at no cost. These links are beneficial Wherwell Primary School - 16 to the development of pupils’ knowledge and understanding and have a good impact on their progress. The school makes very good use of the much wider community of museums, or the Internet, to support learning. Partner institutions are included in these community networks. Pre-school pupils and paren ts visit to become used to the school, and the reception teacher

p.15

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

goes to families' homes before pupils start. When pupils leave, there are close, detailed contacts between private or local secondary schools. Pupils often join in local primary school cluster occasions to dance, sing or compete in different sporting events. These relationships are maintained very well.

p.16

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

38. The provision for spiritual development is very good. Pupils have very good opportunities to explore the values of others through literature, music, art, drama, history and religious education. For example, the writings about 'I am David', or those exploring emotions aroused by broken relationships, were particularly sensitive. The well -planned religious education curriculum includes many occas ions when pupils are able to talk about special moments, to express their own ideas or to reflect on questions of deeper meaning. They reflect on who we are, why we are here and our place in the world in these lessons, or when they meet together in whole-school and class acts of worship. Many of these lessons or acts of worship are Christian in nature, although there are good links to other religions. A very good example of this was the discussion about values and beliefs involving Year 6 pupils. It was liv ely, mature

p.16

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

and wide-ranging. Pupils spoke openly, showing a developing personal philosophy. They expressed views such as 'You should love one another, share with everyone, believe in your friends', or 'Even though you don't believe in God you can respect people'.

p.16

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

39. The provision for moral education is very good, both through the strong links to moral behaviour from spiritual development, but also from the well planned PSHE programme. Pupils cover such themes as ‘Rights, Responsibilities and the Law’ when th ey sit in a circle and discuss how to behave. Their increasing maturity is reflected in the words of an older pupil in one such discussion: 'I believe in choice, it is a freedom but a responsibility within the law or reason'. But a moral code is promoted c onsistently through the school by the school's Golden Rules, or the class rules in every room. They include rules such as 'Show respect to everyone in our school' or 'Show care and respect for property'. Finally, there is a detailed behaviour policy with a strong link to moral behaviour. The basis of the policy is 'reward for right behaviour' so pupils receive rewards of praise, stickers or certificates so there is a

p.16

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

consistent approach to recognising good moral conduct throughout the school, including lunchtimes.

p.16

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

40. The provision for pupils' social development is very good. They understand the importance of community living. They co -operate very well in classroom activities, sharing ideas and resources amicably. Pupils work within the school and class rules s ensibly, and as a result their self-discipline progresses to such an extent they are independent, mature learners by the time they leave. They show this developing sense of responsibility by looking after reception children, writing books for them, and tac kling a range of minor jobs during the school day. All adults at the school are very good role models. They demonstrate the values of respect and courtesy in all their dealings with pupils, even if they are being difficult.

p.16

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

41. The provision for cultural educ ation is good. The school's building and attractive grounds, situated in a quiet part of the village near the River Test, are an excellent setting to learn about the customs, traditions and way of life of a village and the surrounding area. But pupils build on this and they have good opportunities to learn about cultural traditions from a wider area and from different times when they visit museums such as Milestones in Basingstoke, or through the well -balanced curriculum in art, literature and music. Within this curriculum there are good opportunities to learn about the ethnic and cultural diversity of the country through books, music and song. The visiting Samba Band is an ideal occasion to listen not only to music, but also for pupils to play different eth nic instruments. Wherwell Primary School - 17

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. At the time of the last inspection, the school was a caring community, which had effective procedures to ensure the health, safety and welfare of its pupils. This situation has been maintained. Local authority guidelines on child protection have been adopted and all members of staff are informally trained. There are good links with outside agencies. Health and safety practices are good. Arrangements for dealing with pupils’ medical condition s are good. Accident procedures are good and an appropriate number of staff have first aid qualifications. Risk assessments are carried out regularly and the degree of governor involvement is good. The level of supervision at lunchtime is good. Security is good.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. Information gained from assessment of pupils’ work is used very well to guide the planning of lessons. Marking of pupils’ work is used very effectively to enable pupils to make further progress. This is particularly true in Year 2 because the teach er’s marking is very helpful in informing pupils how they can improve and is very detailed. Additional literacy help is provided for pupils who need it in Years 3, 4 and 5. Pupils in need of extra support are identified carefully and remedies put in place when necessary. Reception children are tested when they are first admitted to the school and again at the end of the reception year, giving a good indication of progress and attainment.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. Each pupil’s attainments are predicted and challenging targets are se t. Their progress is tracked using optional National Curriculum tests in Years 3 and 4 as well as in the statutory tests in Years 2 and 6. If any pupil is not on track to meet the target, action is taken to rectify this.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. Assessment and record keeping sys tems for English, mathematics and science are good. The key objectives for pupils in different year groups are assessed each half term and the results are recorded. Systems are also in place for foundation subjects, but these are not consistently useful or manageable. All teachers engage in assessing pupils’ work. They use portfolios that have been collected, assessed and assigned an attainment level according to collective agreement by the teaching staff. This process keeps teachers abreast of the demands of the levels of the National Curriculum and gives them confidence and accuracy when assigning levels to their own pupils’ work.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The school’s use of assessment to guide planning for the curriculum is sound. The English and mathematics co -ordinators analy se pupils’ answers in the annual national tests for pupils at the end of both key stages and also in the optional tests for Years 3, 4 and 5. This has indicated a number of weaknesses in pupils’ acquisition of knowledge, skills and understanding. For examp le, pupils’ understanding of mathematical language and also their interpretation of bar charts have been highlighted as areas in need of improvement. These items of information have been used to improve the teaching and learning of pupils. In addition, the school uses published data to judge whether boys are performing better than girls, or vice versa. Steps are taken to redress the imbalance if necessary.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. Procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development are good. Effective action is taken to help individuals and groups of pupils to raise their standards of attainment in English, mathematics and science. As a result, every pupil has challenging yet achievable individual learning goals to work towards. There is also very good provision made to support pupils with special educational needs. Wall displays are used well to acknowledge pupils’ achievements. The head teacher and special needs co -ordinator monitor behaviour regularly and frequently and to good effect.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. The recently adopted pos itive behaviour strategies have had a very positive effect. A consistent approach by staff has been combined with a system of weekly and half -termly awards for hard work and good behaviour. The House structure and the PSHE programme make a very good contri bution. The occasional instance of poor behaviour is handled well through the red card system. The school has effective measures to eliminate bullying. Wherwell Primary School - 18 49. Procedures for monitoring attendance are satisfactory, though too much responsibility for checking registers is laid on class teachers. The head teacher monitors registers effectively for patterns of lateness or absence. Registers are filled in correctly. Registration takes place promptly at the start of sessions and ensures a calm and efficient start to the day.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. Parents at the meeting and in response to the questionnaire were very supportive of the school and all that it does for their children. They were very pleased with the quality of the teaching, with the progress made by their children, with the quality of extra -curricular activities and with behaviour at the school. A significant number felt dissatisfied with the information on their children’s progress and with the amount of homework their c hildren receive. A similar proportion felt that the school did not work closely with them. The findings of the inspection support the parents’ positive views of the school. Provision for pupils’ homework is inconsistent and varies from class to class. Repo rts met statutory requirements but not enough information was provided about deficiencies in pupils’ acquisition of knowledge, understanding and skills in all subjects of the curriculum. Other information provided for

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. The school has effective links with parents. The prospectus is attractively presented, although it does not contain national data for parents to compare the school’s results. The governors’ annual report to parents does not include progress on the action plan drawn up to add ress the issues highlighted in the last inspection report. Good advance information on the curriculum is provided each term for parents to help their children with their learning and with homework. There is a homework diary and a reading record log to act as a means of dialogue between home and school but these are inconsistently used. Home visits are made before children begin school and parents appreciate these. Annual reports are unsatisfactory. They contain too much information on what pupils have done and not enough on children’s progress. They do not offer opportunities for parents or pupils to comment. They are also

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

issued late in the term. There is a sufficient number of consultation meetings. The level of communication with parents of pupils with sp ecial educational needs is not always satisfactory because they are not involved in the reviews of pupils on the early stages of the special needs register. There is a good number of newsletters each term. Parents feel that class teachers are very accessib le and willing to listen to their concerns.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. Parents are very supportive of the school and a good number help regularly in school with reading and other class activities. However, no formal list is kept and no training is given to enable them to improve th eir effectiveness. Many more help with trips, concerts and swimming galas and provide invaluable help with supervision and support to groups of pupils.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. The Parent Teacher Association is very active and runs a good programme of social and fund-raising events. It raises good sums each year to buy equipment to enhance pupils’ learning. A good number of parents attend performances and concerts.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The head teacher provides good leadership and has a clear idea of the dire ction the school should take. Following the previous inspection, when over 20 per cent of the teaching was judged to be unsatisfactory, she has monitored teaching regularly and provided formal and informal ‘feedbacks’ for teachers in order to improve the q uality. For the last three years each teacher has had an annual interview with the head teacher during which targets were set, one of which was focused on the overall progress of pupils in the class. Pupils’ answers in the annual national tests are analyse d to identify weaker areas in their knowledge and understanding and the information is used to enable teachers to focus on appropriate curriculum areas during the next school year. Every pupil has an individual target and progress towards these is reviewed each term. All of these initiatives have improved the quality of pupils’ learning throughout the school.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Wherwell Primary School - 19 55. The governing body has taken a very carefully considered decision not to appoint a deputy head teacher but to appoint two key stage co -ordinators ins tead. The decision was the result of a long period of deliberation and has been a successful one. The head teacher, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 co-ordinators meet together regularly to discuss issues and make decisions to benefit the school and improve pup ils’ progress.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The role of subject co-ordinators is inconsistent in terms of what they undertake and in their effectiveness of developing the curriculum. The English and mathematics co -ordinators identify weak areas in pupils’ knowledge, skills and under standing through an analysis of the pupils’ answers in annual tests. In other subjects of the curriculum there is a varying degree of analysis and gathering of information to identify strengths and weaknesses in the learning of higher attaining, average at taining and lower attaining pupils. Good quality schemes of work and policies have been written in collaboration with other members of staff.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. Governors work very hard, and meet regularly and frequently to discuss issues, to make decisions and consider st rategies for the improvement of the school. They work very closely with the head teacher and are extremely well informed of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They are closely involved in deciding the priorities of the school development plan and in monitoring the outcomes of the various initiatives involved. Governors have a very clear idea of the educational direction the school should take and are committed to a continuously improving school. The finance committee monitors the budget regularly a nd carefully with the assistance of the school’s administrative officer. The chair of governors and the head teacher communicate regularly about the administration of the school and work very well together to ensure that any problems are solved quickly. Th e governing body fulfils its

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

statutory duties well with the minor exceptions of not providing parents with an account of the school’s progress in addressing the issues arising from the latest inspection. In addition, the school’s annual test results need t o be published together with appropriate national averages so that parents can make comparisons.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The school strategic plan is a good working document that sets out clearly the school’s priorities for improvement. These are appropriate for its present nee ds and the plan’s initiatives are on target for completion by the end of the current school year. The plan has been successful in raising standards, particularly in pupils’ writing. However, the whole staff is not involved collectively in discussing the co ntent of the plan . The success criteria linked to a number of initiatives are not connected sufficiently with improvements in pupils’ attainments so that these can be used to judge if the project has been beneficial in enhancing pupils’ progress further.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The school’s finances and resources are well managed and effectively deployed. The governors’ finance committee monitors the budget and the members are very involved in reviewing the school's finances. The element of the school budget allocated to special educational needs is used wisely and the standards fund is used well to assist the school’s work in raising standards.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. There is a good policy for pupils with special educational needs, overseen by a specific governor who monitors the provision. The govern ing body is very rigorous in monitoring pupils’ progress and tracks the progress of individuals at the end of each key stage to ensure that the school provides a good quality education.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The implementation of the required performance management arrangemen ts is very good. Prior to the introduction of the statutory system of performance management the school already had a similar appraisal system in operation involving an annual interview by the head teacher with each member of staff, during which targets we re set. All members of staff, including classroom and learning assistants, have agreed this year’s annual objectives and have been monitored on the extent to which these are being achieved. Wherwell Primary School - 20 62. The school’s use of new technology is very good. The school make s very good use of all the facilities offered by information and communication technology. School budget transactions are efficiently maintained by computer technology. The school uses a computer -managed assessment system to manage and analyse the records of every child in the school. The school secretary works in a very effective manner to ensure the smooth day -to-day

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The principles of best value are followed well by the school. Parents are not regularly requested to complete questionnaires but parents have recently been asked by the governors to complete a ‘strengths and weaknesses’ survey so that the school can be aware of the parents’ views. Only a small number of parents replied but the resulting analysis was shared with the parents and a number of possible issues have been highlighted. The governing body has also recently carried out a review of available computers to ensure that the best one for school administration purposes was purchased. Where larger sums of money have to be used for the purchase of goods or services the school makes a point of obtaining three tenders so that judgements can be considered carefully.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. The school’s accommodation is satisfactory and enables the curriculum to be taught effectively. There is a useful withdrawal room for pupils with special educational needs that enables pupils to receive appropriate support. Members of the teaching staff are well equipped to deliver the requirements of the National Curriculum, and work hard to ensure that the pupils make the progress of which they are capable. One class is housed in temporary accommodation and the space is used well by the reception class teacher; the children who are under five receive a good quality education as a result. However, the fabric of this temporary structure is in very poor condition and there is no satisfactory access for pupils with physical disabilities. The extensive outside areas are well used by the school for physical education.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. The overall quality and range of learning reso urces to support and enhance teaching and pupils’ learning across the curriculum are sound overall. Resources for English and mathematics are good. The level of resources available in information and communication technology is good. Learning resources for subjects in the rest of the curriculum are also good. Wherwell Primary School - 21

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

66. In order to raise standards further and ensure good progress for all pupils the head teacher, staff and governors should:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Develop the role of all subject co-ordinators to include:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• identifying the strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding in the subject they manage; (Paragraph 56) • monitoring teachers’ planning and pupils’ work to ensure that there is appropriate coverage of the agreed curriculum and that pupils are making sufficient progress. (Paragraph 56)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The following less significant points for improvement should be considered for inclusion in the action plan: • ensure that parents know the type and quantity of work pupils are expected to do at home by publishing a clear homework policy; (Paragraph 51) • provide parents with details of each pupil’s weaknesses in knowledge, skills and understanding, as well as their strengths, in the annual written reports on progress; (Paragraph 51) • provide parents with national comparisons of the school’s annual national test results in the school prospectus and in the annual governors’ report to parents; (Paragraph 57) • ensure that statutory requirements are met by publishing in the annual governors’ report to parents an account of the school’s progress in meeting the key issues in its latest inspection report; (Paragraph 57) • involve all teachers in discussing the contents of the school strategic plan; (Paragraph 58)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• link improve ments in pupils’ levels of attainment to initiatives in the strategic plan, whenever appropriate, so that the degree of success can be judged; (Paragraph 58) Wherwell Primary School - 22

p.21

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

2 32 46 15 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part -time pupils) 121

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of full -time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 4 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 3

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils on the school’s speci al educational needs register 31

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual ti me of first admission 3

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Wherwell Primary School - 23 Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

p.22

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 6 6 12

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls * * *

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 100 (89) 100 (89) 100 (84) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls * * *

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 100 (89) 100 (84) 100 (89) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. * Data for boys and girls separately is omitted as the number in each category was not more than ten.

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 8 15 23

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 14 11 15

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 91 (85) 74 (85) 100 (92) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 11 11 14

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 70 (85) 74 (85) 96 (92) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

* Data for boys separately is omitted as the number in the category was not more than ten. Wherwell Primary School - 24 Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic group s 0 0 This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Teachers and classes Financial information

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 6.3 Financial year 2000 - 01

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 19.2

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 317219

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of education support staff 6 Expenditure per pupil 2203

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total aggregate hours worked per week 111 Balance brought forward from previous year -2033

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Balance carried forward to next year 21430 FTE means full-time equivalent. Wherwell Primary School - 25 Results of the survey of parents and carers

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of responses in each category

p.25

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

p.25

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

My child is making good progress in school. 38 51 5 0 5

p.25

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Behaviour in the school is good. 41 59 0 0 0

p.25

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 15 47 27 9 2

p.25

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 29 45 16 4 5

p.25

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 56 38 4 2 0

p.25

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 47 40 7 0 5

p.25

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school works closely with parents. 36 44 18 2 0

p.25

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school is well led and managed. 38 51 9 2 0

p.25

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 53 38 7 2 0

p.25

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside less ons. 49 36 7 2 5 Wherwell Primary School - 26

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

67. Children are admitted at the beginning of the school year in which they reach the age of five and are taught in a mixed class of reception children and Year 1 pupils. The quality of education for children in the Foundation Stage is very good and provides them with a good start to the next stage in their education. At the time of the inspection children in the Foundation Stage were still under five. The curriculum provided for them includes all the areas recommended by national guidance for young children’s learning, and also includes aspects of the National Literacy and Numerac y Strategies.

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

68. The attainment levels of children on entry to school show higher proportions of above average levels than found usually in children of this age. A detailed assessment is completed during the first few weeks after children start school. They make very good progress and benefit from the caring and supportive environment and the good structured learning opportunities provided for them. The quality of teaching is very good overall. As a result children achieve very well in their personal and soci al development, communication, language and literacy, mathematics and knowledge and understanding of the world and well in both physical and creative development. By the end of the reception year children attain well above average standards in all areas of learning and are well prepared for work in Year 1.

p.26

Personal, social and emotional development

69. Initial assessments of the children when they are first admitted to the reception class show that their personal, social and emotional development is not as advanced as other aspects of their progress but is, nevertheless, average for their age. Children’s personal, social and emotional development is, therefore, given a high priority and as a result, they achieve well and attain above average standards by the end of the reception year. Children are treated with great respect, patience and kindness. They are shown very good examples to follow by both teachers and classroom support staff. Additionally, members of staff use very effective strategies for managing children and in so doing form very good, trusting relationships with them. As a result, children behave well, work hard and build confidence and self -esteem very effectively. They are very secure, positive and friendly. Just the right amount of assistance is

p.26

Personal, social and emotional development

given so that they develop independence and self -care skills well. They are given good, well - structured opportunities to work and play together, for example when collaborating in a lesson involving the description of the varying properties of a range of materials. Children relate very well to each other and know and follow the classroom routines and rules well. The very good quality teaching has enabled children to develop very well personally, socially and emotionally during their time in the reception class.

p.26

Communication, language and literacy

70. Children’s communication, language and literacy skills are developed successfully in very well taught literacy lessons as well as in other curricular areas and as a result their progress is good. By the end of the reception year they attain standards well above those expected for this age group. They are given constructive opportunities to speak and listen and their skills are good. They listen attentively and, knowing that their contributions are valued, respon d confidently and clearly. A good example of this was seen as children actively participated in a whole-class game involving swapping the beginning, middle or ends of words to make them into new words. They listened carefully and are very alert for opportu nities to use the letters written on the card they were holding. Most children can write their own name, copy the teacher’s captions and are able to read these out loud successfully. More able children can

p.26

Communication, language and literacy

write freely using plausible spellings. For exampl e, a number of children can write their own news items without the support of an adult. As with the rest of the school, pupils with special Wherwell Primary School - 27 educational needs and lower attainment are given valuable help towards specific early learning goals. All the early reading skills are taught effectively. These include knowing the letter sounds, word recognition, reading for enjoyment, understanding and information, and awareness of how books are made up. By the time they complete their reception year, most children read simple texts and can build words from their component letter sounds.

p.26

Mathematical development

71. Children make good progress in building mathematical skills and by the end of the reception year are successfully completing aspects of work comparable with that done by pupils in Year 1. This indicates their attainment is well above average for their age. They practise skills such as counting, ordering, adding and subtracting numbers to 10 and beyond, through well - structured activities and games. Higher atta ining children are able to double numbers successfully and add and subtract objects to a maximum of 20. Almost all of the children can recognise and name circles, squares, rectangles and triangles and many identify and name correctly a small number of thre e-dimensional shapes. The classroom assistant supports very well the children who have a degree of difficulty in understanding mathematics. Time is used well in lessons and children benefit from the sound balance between teaching time and time

p.27

Mathematical development

to practise and consolidate their skills. This is done through particularly good, challenging tasks and good supporting resources. Further opportunities are provided at the end of lessons when the class teacher goes over the key points and skilfully draws together wha t children have learned. The quality of teaching mathematical knowledge, skills and understanding is very good.

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

72. Children make very good progress in developing knowledge and understanding of the world and attain st andards well above those expected for this age group. This is due to the very good opportunities provided in the classroom as well as in the school grounds. As a result, children develop a respectful awareness of the world around them. The teacher provides very worthwhile opportunities for them to be aware of nature. For example, children were encouraged to observe a variety of bird species that visited the bird feeder in the area outside their classroom. They drew a simple map of the route from their home to school and also of the ‘Three Bears’ route from their house to the forest. They investigated the physical properties of different materials, using their sense of sight and touch. They sorted these into a range of opposite sets of properties. For example , they grouped materials into rough or

p.27

Knowledge and understanding of the world

smooth sets, shiny or dull, or heavy and light. Such materials and a wealth of others are explored effectively and skills of cutting, gluing and joining are used well for a variety of purposes such as making effective models of stringed musical instruments. Good opportunities are provided for children to develop computer skills to support and extend understanding of mathematics and reading.

p.27

Physical development

73. Very good teaching enables children to make good progre ss and attain standards above those expected for their age in physical development. Children are encouraged to be as independent as possible and, for example, are challenged to get undressed and dressed in a shorter period of time than in previous lessons. Lessons are well -structured and children develop good co-ordination and a small range of skills, resulting in an increasing ability to throw, catch and balance a bean bag on different parts of their body such as head, arm or back of their neck. The teache r provides good challenges to enable more able children to extend their range of physical skills. For instance, they are encouraged to throw and catch a bean bag whilst moving or to throw, clap and catch it in a single move. Children with special physical needs have an equal opportunity to develop and participate in physical education

p.27

Physical development

lessons using a specially adapted tricycle or have very good specialised tuition from a physiotherapist. Children are given many opportunities to strengthen their fingers by u sing Wherwell Primary School - 28 scissors, pencils and a variety of construction toys and they make good progress in the control of the finer movements, such as those required in writing, drawing and model making.

p.27

Creative development

74. As a result of good teaching, the children are provided with stimulating activities for them to experience a range of creative activities. These include art and music. Children make very good progress in developing musical skills and by the end of the reception year their attainments are above what is expected for their age. They learn to sing in tune and respond to the mood of the music. This is accomplished through fostering very good relationships that arise from the teacher demonstrating clearly that she values the children’s contribution to the lesson highly. For example, when singing the song ‘If You Ever Meet a Monster’ they recognise that the line ‘Give it a poke’ should be sung in a much more dynamic way than for other lines of the lyrics and they were praised effectively and sincerely for thei r success at this. Children enjoy listening and playing instruments, responding with fascination to the

p.28

Creative development

sounds made by different kinds of drum and cymbals. Children use colours sensitively to produce good quality drawings of different birds, such as chaffi nches, woodpeckers, blue tits and robins, that visit the bird feeder in the garden area outside their classroom window. Teachers and classroom assistants provide a motivating and caring environment in which good learning takes place and these enable pupils to achieve attainments that are above average for their age.

p.28

ENGLISH

75. At the time of the last inspection, standards in the National Curriculum tests for seven and eleven year olds were above the national average in all aspects of English. Since then standards have fluctuated widely in the school’s national test results, and in 2000 results for seven year olds were close to the national average. The equivalent results for eleven year olds, however, were well above the national average. Evidence from the c urrent inspection, however, shows that the school’s seven year olds are achieving well above the national average in reading and writing with a high proportion of pupils achieving higher levels, particularly in reading. The National Curriculum test results for eleven year olds in the year 2000 show that the school’s results were well above the average for English and have been consistently at this high level for the past four years. In comparison with similar schools, the

p.28

ENGLISH

school’s results were below the ave rage for seven year olds and above average for eleven year olds. The comparatively poorer result for the last school year at the end of Key Stage 1 was due to a much higher proportion of pupils with special educational needs than normal.

p.28

ENGLISH

76. Standards in spe aking and listening are well above national expectations at the end of both key stages. Pupils’ progress is good; given that most pupils’ attainments were above average when they were first admitted to the school, they are now well above average. Year 1 pu pils listen very carefully and speak clearly, sometimes explaining in full sentences. They give thoughtful responses, demonstrating their concentration on the task. Year 2 pupils listen carefully to the views of others and readily answered questions on the subject of butterflies and moths in a clear, lucid and fluent manner. During role -play sessions when they pretended to be someone buying a house they spoke in well -ordered sentences. Younger Key Stage 2 pupils used good vocabulary to express their thought s and, using photographs for background information, explained their ideas clearly on the geographical differences between Wherwell and St Lucia, using terms such as ‘contours’ and ‘landscape’ to explain

p.28

ENGLISH

their views. By Year 6, most pupils speak confidentl y in a range of situations. They talk confidently in a group, working in pairs, putting forward a point of view to the class, or explaining about their views on the emotions involved in the breakdown of a relationship. In a high quality class discussion ab out the Lord’s Prayer, pupils contributed confidently, demonstrating very good speaking and listening skills. They think about their responses and build on each other’s contributions effectively. For example, during the course of the discussion pupils made comments such as ‘You should believe in your friends and love one another’ or ‘It doesn’t matter what colour or religion people have, they all should be valued.’ Wherwell Primary School - 29 77. Reading standards are well above what is expected nationally for both seven and eleven year olds. At the end of Key Stage 1 pupils have well developed skills for recognising words using

p.28

ENGLISH

a number of different approaches. They make use of their knowledge of letter sounds to sound out words, look at the pictures or illustrations and consider what wo rd would make sense in the context. They read regularly and many are beginning to develop a good sense of expression when they read. The majority of Year 2 pupils know how to use the ‘contents’ and ‘index’ pages of a non -fiction book to find information qu ickly. At the end of Key Stage 2 pupils read fluently, accurately and with much enjoyment. They read expressively and understand what they are reading, with a clear ability to make inferences. For instance, a group of Year 3 pupils were able to deduce from the text a cat’s emotions when reading a book entitled ‘Killer Cat’. Pupils with special educational needs, especially the significant number in Year 3, are well supported by classroom assistants and have developed satisfactory word -building skills as a result. Year 6 pupils read very competently and with very

p.29

ENGLISH

good understanding. These older pupils have also gained skills in reading beyond the literal and make well-informed guesses about ideas that are not explicitly stated on the page.

p.29

ENGLISH

78. Standards in writ ing are above national expectations at the end of Key Stage 1 and well above the level expected at the end of Key Stage 2. Seven year old pupils write complete sentences using capital letters and full stops correctly. Their writing is often mature for thei r age and their stories, for example, begin with interesting complex sentences such as ‘It was one of those fine days, which you don’t very often get in winter.’ However, in Year 2 the handwriting of a minority of pupils is weak. Letters are unevenly form ed and spacing is irregular. Most pupils’ spelling is above average for their age although irregular spellings are often spelt incorrectly. Pupils write expressively, using carefully chosen words for descriptions such as ‘the place was noisier than ten tho usand birds.’ At the end of Key Stage 2 writing standards are generally advanced for eleven year olds. Pupils divide their written work

p.29

ENGLISH

correctly into paragraphs and construct interesting complex sentences to try to make their work out of the ordinary. T hey often begin their writing stylishly and choose words with precision to create the desired atmosphere in their stories. For example, one girl started her writing, ‘Britney was drawing a picture of a house when momentarily she remembered her first day at school.’ Pupils use apostrophes, inverted commas and a range of other punctuation accurately.

p.29

ENGLISH

79. The quality of teaching is good in both key stages. Planning is of good quality throughout the school. All teachers assess and record pupils' achievements in English very thoroughly. Their attainments are predicted and their progress is matched to regular assessments so that teachers know how they are developing towards the targets set. Action is taken to ensure that pupils make the necessary improvement if the y are not on course to achieve the expected goal.

p.29

ENGLISH

80. Lessons are prepared thoroughly in Key Stage 1 and both teachers involved work very closely together when deciding the content of lessons. This ensures that Year 1 pupils in both classes are provided with activities that meet their individual needs. Year 2 pupils are provided with individual targets for improvement that are written on the front of their exercise books. This ensures pupils are well motivated as well as receiving an insight into how well their learning is progressing during the school year. The quality of the teacher’s marking for the older Key Stage 1 pupils is of very high quality. It is very helpful and invariably includes useful written hints for pupils informing them how they might improv e their work. Marking is also used very effectively to assess how well pupils are achieving and enables the teachers to plan work that will move them on to the next step in their learning. The good management

p.29

ENGLISH

of pupils’ behaviour is good and this ensures t hat there is a good pace of work in the classroom.

p.29

ENGLISH

81. The good quality teaching in Key Stage 2 involves sharing with pupils what they are expected to know, do or understand by the end of the lesson. This sharpens the pupils’ focus on what they are doing. Go od support is provided both by teachers and classroom assistants. A group of Year 3 pupils, for example, were well supported by their teacher when they were writing a Wherwell Primary School - 30 review of a book they had just finished reading and were encouraged to find phrases that denoted excitement. When the occasional lesson lacks interest for pupils they become restless and their behaviour is more difficult for the teacher to manage. Teaching at the end of the key stage is very good. There is a genuine rapport between teacher and pupils together with very high expectations of what can be accomplished. For example, pupils responded very positively to this approach and wrote very good quality poems about ending a

p.29

ENGLISH

relationship after listening to a highly pertinent song. Teachers in b oth key stages provide opportunities in subjects other than English to support pupils’ writing development very well. For instance, Key Stage 1 pupils write about the lives of people in Tocuaro in geography lessons, and about torches in science lessons. Ke y Stage 2 pupils write extensively when analysing prayers in religious education lessons, and write an imaginary letter to Lord Shaftesbury as part of their study of Victorian times. Teachers extend more able pupils very well and the success is exemplified by an assessment that very nearly two -thirds of the current Year 2 pupils have achieved levels in reading that are at least two years in advance of those expected for seven year olds.

p.30

ENGLISH

82. The staff has tackled much work in order to maintain or improve stand ards in English. Writing was identified as an area for improvement in the school improvement plan and a number of initiatives have been introduced as a result. A poet has visited the school to work with Key Stage 2 pupils on writing poetry and a well -known children's author provided a three -day writing workshop for the whole school. Standards in reading have also improved due to the reading recovery programme. All pupils who had any difficulties in reading read to their teacher every morning together with a commitment from parents to hear their child read every evening. Both initiatives were very successful. The school library has recently been modified so that it consists almost entirely of non -fiction books together with stocks of group reading material. This has improved pupils' skills in locating information when it is needed. Teachers

p.30

ENGLISH

and learning support assistants have attended professional training on how best to teach the Additional Literacy Strategy for pupils with special educational needs, on supp ort for improvement in writing and on how to teach grammar effectively.

p.30

MATHEMATICS

83. The school’s results in the annual national tests for the year 2000 show that the standards of the seven year olds were close to the national average. The proportion of m ore able pupils achieving higher levels was below national average figures. However, current standards show that the knowledge and understanding of the more able seven year old pupils is now considerably improved and a very high proportion are achieving hi gher levels. The national test results for eleven year olds in the year 2000 show that standards were above the national average.

p.30

MATHEMATICS

84. The governors and head teacher have sought to raise standards during the last year. The mathematics co-ordinator has analyse d the results of national tests very effectively and the school has set challenging targets for individual pupils, with additional adult support to achieve these, often on a daily basis. As a result standards have risen. Results for the highest attaining p upils are now above average in Key Stage 1 and overall results remain high.

p.30

MATHEMATICS

85. Improvements in mathematics in Key Stage 2 is a key objective in the current strategic plan, because the targets for improvement in the previous year were not met. To achieve thes e improvements a smaller class was established at the end of the key stage, a learning assistant was appointed and individual pupils have extra support from the head teacher. Pupils' work in tests has been analysed to identify particular areas of weakness and these weaknesses have extra focused teaching in numeracy lessons. Data handling has been included in the key improvements in information and communication technology. This approach has been successful. Standards for all pupils have risen, but particula rly those for pupils of average or below average ability. Overall the results have risen from average to an above average level. Wherwell Primary School - 31 86. The school's progress since the last report has been good. There is a very good process for

p.30

MATHEMATICS

the school strategic plan. Governor s look at the results of tests, set challenging targets for improvement and enhance resources to facilitate the development. Part of this analysis is the review of the school's strengths and weaknesses, which incorporates the views of all concerned with th e school and the parents. As a result, improvements are systematically and carefully planned to improve progress from year to year.

p.31

MATHEMATICS

87. At the end of Key Stage 1, higher attaining and average ability pupils cover similar work, but higher attaining ones are pr ovided with more challenging examples. In the last half term these pupils have worked on odd and even numbers, and multiplication and division by 2, 5 and 10. They have also constructed their own problems about money, estimated weights in kilograms and collected data about favourite colours to draw block graphs. In the work on division average ability pupils focused on division by 2 and have yet to begin on division by 5. Pupils of lower ability, some of whom are on the special educational needs register, w ork at an average level for their age. They too understand odd and even numbers, know addition and subtraction facts such as 9 + 7 or 18 - 10 and apply this knowledge to making 20p with different coins, or to solve simple money problems. All pupils work at least at an average

p.31

MATHEMATICS

level, but the highest attaining pupils, who represent half of the age group, work at an above average standard.

p.31

MATHEMATICS

88. Work is planned to meet the needs of three ability groups for pupils at the end of Key Stage 2. It is clear pupils in eac h of the groups find the work challenging. Pupils of lower ability, including those on the register of special educational needs, complete work which is sometimes at an average level and sometimes below. They are able to complete work such as 176 x 5 but a verage pupils successfully move on to long multiplication. Higher attaining pupils calculate discounts accurately and work out the answers to square and cube numbers as well as beginning early work on algebra. Attainments overall are above national expectation and close to nine pupils out of ten are achieving at, or above, the level expected for eleven year olds.

p.31

MATHEMATICS

89. Teachers in both key stages teach the National Numeracy Strategy well. Lessons are very well structured with a lively beginning, then move on to work in groups for pupils of different abilities, and finish by drawing together the threads of the lesson. Teachers know the subject well and all use a good mathematical vocabulary in their clear explanations. There is a good crisp pace to lessons as teac hers ask pertinent questions to challenge pupils' thinking and choose the time to move the lesson forward well. All pupils' contributions are valued. The very good use of praise and encouragement means all pupils are keen to contribute. Relationships between pupils when they work in groups, or when the teacher teaches the whole class, are very good. There are areas for improvement in all classes. For example, some plenary sessions are too short to be effective; in some classes teachers are still not sure ho w best to

p.31

MATHEMATICS

use the learning assistant when they are teaching the whole class. All classes have still to use resources to their best effect. Displays of mathematics, or the use of number lines with younger pupils, are two examples where developments in the u se of resource are needed. However, although teaching overall is good, the teaching at the end of Key Stage 2 is very good and the quality of marking at the end of Key Stage 1 is of a very high standard indeed.

p.31

MATHEMATICS

90. Pupils work enthusiastically. They confident ly tackle work either individually, or in group tasks, as they did when Year 6 pupils were working out seating arrangements for the audience at a school play. They are able to explain their ideas or answers to each other, or to the teacher. Work in books i s recorded neatly in all classes. Pupils are interested in numbers when mastering calculations, or when they explore patterns of numbers. For example, Year 1 pupils thoroughly enjoyed jumping along a large number line when they were counting in threes. In all lessons they behave well and co -operate with each other, sharing resources very sensibly.

p.31

MATHEMATICS

91. The co-ordinator is leading the subject effectively. There is a portfolio of work so that teachers are able to see what national standards are for different age groups in the different areas of Wherwell Primary School - 32 mathematics. She recognises that, although investigative mathematics has improved, more needs to be done and she has included this in her current action plan.

p.31

SCIENCE

92. Teachers’ assessments of Key Stage 1 pupils’ knowledg e and understanding of science in the spring term of 2000 show that standards were well above the national average. The 2000 test results at the end of Key Stage 2 show that the school’s results were also well above average. Higher attaining pupils were ch allenged well because the proportion of pupils achieving higher levels was well above the national average. The high standards of the school’s eleven year olds in science have been maintained consistently over the past four years in the annual national tes ts at the end of Key Stage 2.

p.32

SCIENCE

93. The findings of the inspection show that seven year old pupils’ attainment is well above national expectations. They have a very good working knowledge and understanding of living processes and are able to group plants and an imals into different categories according to a range of criteria. This provides them with a very good foundation on which to develop a later knowledge of how to classify living things. Younger pupils understand that different materials have a range of properties and that these determine the purpose for what these are used. Their high levels of attainment result from interesting scientific themes of work, planned by teachers, that capture pupils’ interest and motivate them to learn.

p.32

SCIENCE

94. The present attainment l evels of the eleven year old pupils are also well above national expectations. They have a very good understanding of electricity. They can construct simple circuits successfully, have the knowledge to design a simple switch and can devise an experiment to discover what materials will conduct electricity. Pupils are developing a good understanding of physiology and know the connection between how hard the heart works and different pulse rates. The higher levels of attainment come from the provision of a goo d range of practical investigations. For example, Year 6 pupils measure and record the rates of evaporation of water contained within a saucer and draw a straight -line graph to show that the rate over time is consistent. They can identify and name the diff erent parts of a flower and understand the functions of these.

p.32

SCIENCE

95. The quality of teaching is good in both key stages with high quality teaching at the end of Key Stage 2. Teachers throughout the school use effective teaching methods to manage the pupils' behaviour and to promote their interest. They encourage them effectively to become independent by providing them with opportunities to plan and organise their own experiments and investigations. For example, Year 6 pupils were challenged to devise their own methods of separating a mixture of water, sand, grit and stones. They selected the equipment they would use from a given range of tools. They collaborated well and a number of groups were highly successful with the methods they had chosen. As a result of t he experiment they learned particles of different sizes can be separated by sieving and that insoluble solids, such as sand, can be separated by filtering. They learned as much from making mistakes as they

p.32

SCIENCE

did with their successes. For instance, they gaine d the knowledge that tracing paper does not act as a filter.

p.32

SCIENCE

96. The pace of most lessons is brisk and teachers enable pupils to learn a great deal during the course of the lesson. Teachers make accurate judgements about how well pupils are acquiring knowled ge, skills and understanding. They accomplish this by questioning pupils skilfully during the lesson and by carefully marking their work. The quality of marking is very good, particularly at the end of Key Stage 1, because the teacher provides extremely us eful written advice for pupils about how they could improve their work. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported and this enables them to make good progress in their learning. Good relationships between teachers and pupils are evident in al l classes. This is particularly true at the end of Key Stage 2 where pupils thoroughly enjoy their lessons because they respond very well to their teacher’s high expectations. Wherwell Primary School - 33

p.32

SCIENCE

97. Alongside her other managerial roles the recently appointed science co -ordinator has worked hard to maintain the high standards in science throughout the school. She monitors pupils’ books to ensure that the quality of marking is helpful to pupils’ progress. She plans to make further improvements in the assessment procedures for scie nce and also to ensure that areas are identified that will improve the provision of science throughout the school. The experimental and investigative aspects of science are covered very effectively and this element ensures that pupils have a thorough under standing of scientific principles. For example, pupils have a good understanding of the necessary steps to be taken to make sure that a scientific experiment is fair and not biased. Resources for pupils' learning are good in quality and sufficient in quant ity to enable pupils to make effective progress in their learning.

p.33

ART AND DESIGN

98. The standards of attainment in art are above national expectation for pupils aged seven and eleven. Throughout the school pupils have good opportunities to record their id eas, feelings and observations using pencils, pastels and paint. Good links are made to the work of well - known artists such as Monet or Van Gogh. Sometimes pupils use their computer skills in art, as they did when they printed their designs in the style of Mondrian at the end of Key Stage 1. Although there are opportunities to make sculptures, or work in clay, this three -dimensional work is not as well developed.

p.33

ART AND DESIGN

99. Good quality work is evident in all classrooms. The youngest pupils draw the birds they have seen using pencil and crayon. These are detailed, containing wings, beaks, eyes and very good use of colour. The visiting lesser -spotted woodpecker features strongly. Pupils aged seven continue with this type of work well. There are good observational drawi ngs of leaf patterns, playground plants and electrical appliances, linked to work in science. This work is above average. Pupils' art folders contain further work of this good quality. Kite designs in pastels, portraits using wool, fabric and crayon, colou r wheels and insect drawings in pencil are good examples of their range of experiences and good quality work.

p.33

ART AND DESIGN

100. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 paint very good still life works of vases, representing colour and shape well. By now pupils have sketchbooks and collect ed folders of work, which contain good self-portraits, patterns and drawings of Tudor costumes, together with rubbings of textures from around the school. Older Years 4 to 6 continue with these sketchbooks and folders, maintaining good progress in differen t aspects of art. By the end of the key stage there are above average pencil drawings of shells, pupils' own interpretations in colour and shape of a vase of flowers, and very good use of hatching and cross -hatching techniques in the pen drawings of the re ar view of a friend.

p.33

ART AND DESIGN

101. Progress since the last report has been good. A whole -school plan covering six areas of art has been completed. There are increased opportunities to work from first -hand experience. Teachers have developed their understanding of the s ubject and all teach art confidently. The only point remaining from the last report is the completion of a portfolio of pupils' work to reflect national standards in the different areas of art that pupils experience.

p.33

ART AND DESIGN

102. The quality of teaching is good. There is a suitable balance to activities, reflected in the good long and medium -term plans. Pupils are given good opportunities to work individually, or in groups, to explore different techniques. Teachers explain different techniques well, demonstrating the b est ways to use paint in the style of Monet, or how to use pastels to achieve different tonal effects. Resources for lessons such as these are plentiful, accessible and always prepared in advance. The sketchbooks in Key Stage 2 are used very effectively by pupils both in the design of larger projects and to practise their different skills. Displays to celebrate pupils' successes enhance the ethos of the school. Portfolios of pupils' work are being assembled for each of the six areas in the subject plan and when these are completed for different age groups and abilities it will help teachers to evaluate pupils' work better. At

p.33

ART AND DESIGN

present teachers in Key Stage 2 are teaching the same areas of the art curriculum at the same time and this is beneficial in helping t o assess progress and attainment. Wherwell Primary School - 34 103. It is very clear that pupils love art. They are serious and intent in their approach. They have an independent imagination. This was very obvious when younger pupils in Key Stage 2 worked in an impressionist style applying thicker paint using paste spreaders. During this activity discussions with pupils covered such diverse subjects as 'This is a fish tank but you can't see the fishes' eyes because they are too small' or 'I have tried to make the patterns of the petals of a rose'.

p.33

ART AND DESIGN

104. The co-ordinator is leading the subject very effectively. The clear structure she has established enables new members of staff to plan the subject confidently.

p.34

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

105. Design and technology was timetabled in only two classes during the inspection and only one lesson was seen. A scrutiny of the planning, pupils' design and technology folders and the displays in the most recent work confirms good planned progression in the development of skills in the design and making of products. As a result the standards of attainment for pupils aged seven and eleven are above national expectation. They have risen since the last report.

p.34

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

106. The youngest pupils make and play good quality musical instruments, such as guitars, shakers or saxophones, using boxes, tubes, string and a wide variety of bright, colourful materials. They are already discussing ways of improving their results. By age seven pupils draw their designs of houses accurately, assemble their designs independently, and are clear how they could modify their products to make them better. Younger junior pupils thoroughly enjoy their task to investigate how compressed air can produce movement. The subsequent display of a troupe of circus clowns confirms good attention to detail, very good use of colour in design and an individual approach. These pupils create a design, identify problems and successes and recognise how they can improve the results. By age eleven all pupils have a well set out design and technology folder. Pupils draw on their ow n experience and other sources, discuss their ideas readily, use tools, materials and equipment safely and are very

p.34

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

clear how to strengthen their products so that they work. This was very evident in their current work, where they are designing and making a covered bird-tray out of wood.

p.34

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

107. These well-planned projects from year to year are a result of adopting and modifying the national guidance for this subject. Since the last report the school has made several improvements. There are now better plans, more r esources and improved progress for all pupils. Although an assessment process has still to be agreed, improvements in the quality of pupils’ work since the last report have been good.

p.34

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

108. Teachers plan lessons well to include both the design and the making of products. As pupils move through the school they experience an increasing range of materials and tools. The activities are chosen well to enthuse both boys and girls. These activities, evident from the displays, are matched to the ability and experience o f pupils well, so all enjoy learning. Design, practical tasks and safety factors are carefully taught so that there is an emphasis on the need to produce products of quality. There is a good balance of time, so that all pupils are able to design and make d ifferent products. Although there are some opportunities for pupils to evaluate what they have made, this is not as fully developed as it might be at the end of Key Stage 2. Nor is there an established process to assess pupils' progress, or the standards they are achieving.

p.34

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

109. Pupils enjoy design and technology. They solve problems, persevering and overcoming difficulties. They are confident and curious in their approach to different materials, or techniques when they work well together in groups. Relationshi ps are very good because teachers manage pupils well in a calm, confident way.

p.34

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

110. The co-ordinator has been in post since January. He supports colleagues well in their planning, advising on the best ways to implement the recently introduced units of work. Wherwell Primary School - 35 Resources have been audited and new resources are planned for, so these will be in place in time as new units are taught. He has made a good, early impact on the subject.

p.34

GEOGRAPHY

111. The standards of attainment in geography are average at the end of both key stages. The time allocated to geography amounts to two half -term blocks per academic year, which is just sufficient to cover the National Curriculum.

p.35

GEOGRAPHY

112. The long-term plan, which is prepared in two cycles to prevent repetition, is based on recent national guidance. It is newly in place and is still being evaluated. Although it is a very good structure, nevertheless care needs to be taken in its evaluation to ensure units are appropriate to the school. For example, work on 'A Waters Journey' uses worksheets for the Cove Brook in Hampshire, but the River Test runs within a few yards of the school. During the course of the inspection Cove Brook worksheets were being used, whereas the River Test would have been more appropriate to pupils' experience. However, th e initial lesson on rivers, whereby the teacher replicated the course of a river using a hosepipe, sand, soil and gravel, was found by pupils to be 'interesting and fun'.

p.35

GEOGRAPHY

113. The youngest pupils begin to study geography with Barnaby Bear and his adventures. The very good collections of work of Barnaby's tour of the school shows they are developing a good understanding of the immediate area and learning some wider geographical terms such as ‘hill’ or ‘village’. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils aged seven stu dy the seaside, identify features and recall holiday visits. In their writing they include terms such as ‘marina’, ‘cliffs’, and ‘beaches’, but they also show a developing understanding of places further afield. They will include towns they have visited, s uch as Blackpool, Bournemouth and Newquay as seaside resorts, whilst some add Egypt, Spain and France.

p.35

GEOGRAPHY

114. Pupils in Key Stage 2 build on this work following a similarly planned cycle. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 have a good display of their work which begins wi th a plan of the school grounds, moves on to a village map, then on to an Ordnance Survey map of a large part of Hampshire. Good aerial photographs and photographs of the local area taken by the teacher illustrate geographical features well. Older Year 4 p upils and younger Year 5 pupils study St. Lucia. The work in pupils' books and the studies they complete in groups is of average standard. The impact of the work was reduced because the video of the island had not arrived and so the work was based solely o n books, photographs and worksheets. By the end of the key stage, pupils study the Indian village of Chembakolii and their workbooks contain physical and climatic details, as well as the differences and similarities in the ways of life between an

p.35

GEOGRAPHY

English a nd Indian village. During the inspection pupils were studying the rivers of Hampshire in particular. The scheme of work is very new to the teachers and they are still evaluating the best way to use or modify the plans, worksheets and resources.

p.35

GEOGRAPHY

115. The teaching in both key stages shares the same good features. Teachers plan well, both for a term and for lessons, so there is a shared approach throughout the school. They manage the pupils confidently, and use good questions to challenge their thinking, or to mak e sure pupils are fully involved. They praise pupils' responses so everyone is keen to contribute. As a result, relationships are very good in all classrooms. Teachers have good subject knowledge, which means they always use appropriate geographical terms during their clear explanations in whole -class teaching. They expect pupils to write neatly and to take care with their work and the response to this expectation is always positive. All teachers are either new to the school, new to the plans, or both. As a result there is still uncertainty in most classrooms about the content of the units, the resources to support teaching and the level at

p.35

GEOGRAPHY

116. Pupils respond well in geography lessons. They are curious about where they live and about places further afield. They ask and answer questions readily, always trying hard to learn. Pupils join in discussions when they are working in groups and when they are asked to Wherwell Primary School - 36 explain something to the whole class they do so confidently. They like field work , which was very clear in the writings from even the very youngest pupils as they wrote 'I love Barnaby Bear'.

p.35

GEOGRAPHY

117. The co-ordinator assumed responsibility for the subject on her appointment in January. She has already put together a whole -school plan, and be gun to organise good termly plans and to establish an effective process for assessing the standards achieved in geography in all classes. Resources have been ordered and a video of the village to support learning made. Field trips are planned well for loca l studies. The school has improved the organisation and teaching of geography considerably in a short space of time. There are no issues remaining from the last inspection and consequently progress since then has been good.

p.36

HISTORY

118. There was insufficien t evidence to make a judgement about standards in history attained by pupils age seven. Eleven year old pupils reach national expected levels. Although only one lesson was seen during the course of the inspection, scrutiny of photographs, planning, displays and pupils' work confirms that history is planned well and included appropriately in the curriculum for all classes.

p.36

HISTORY

119. The whole-school plan has been revised recently and it is now based effectively on nationally agreed guidelines. The youngest pupils com pare washdays then and now, using thoughtful questions, when they look at washboards or dollies, handling them to see how they might work. Although little work was seen from pupils age seven, the youngest pupils in Key Stage 2 continue with these very good links to historical artefacts and with visits to places of interest. The visit to the Mary Rose, recorded in photographs, showing pupils in Tudor costume, was particularly successful in providing an opportunity for them to experience historical artefacts at first hand. The subsequent writing from pupils, completed as part of a holiday project, was detailed and some had downloaded information from their computers, including photographs and text, as part of further research. Years 4 and 5 pupils visit Milestones Museum to develop their understanding of Britain since the 1930s. Pupils wrote

p.36

HISTORY

about their experiences, sometimes in groups, but the supporting text to the black and white photographs of them dressed in 1930's costume confirmed the value of such exper iences. Pupils wrote 'I loved Milestones' or 'Milestones was great, I especially enjoyed the railway investigation' or 'Milestones was brilliant'. Older Year 5 and Year 6 pupils study the Victorians and the Greeks. The work in the pupils' books confirms st andards at the level expected, for all pupils aged eleven.

p.36

HISTORY

120. It is not possible to make a judgement about the quality of teaching because only one lesson was seen. Nevertheless there are good features common throughout the school. Teachers plan well. They p lan over two years so that no pupil repeats any work in the mixed age classes. School visits to support learning are chosen well. Artefacts stimulate pupils' curiosity. Work is celebrated and displayed attractively so pupils know their work is valued. As a result standards since the last report have been maintained and progress in the subject has been satisfactory. However, the last report confirmed that 'opportunities to assess progress is in the early stages of development and that teachers need to discus s and compare standards of work so that secure judgements about standards are made'. This is still the case.

p.36

HISTORY

121. Pupils enjoy history, particularly when they visit places of historical interest, dress in costume and handle real objects from the past. The cert ificates they often receive because of their very good behaviour on these occasions is confirmation of their enthusiasm and interest.

p.36

HISTORY

122. Progress in history has been slowed since the last report because of the introduction of the literacy and numeracy strate gies. The developments in whole -school planning mean that the newly appointed co-ordinator is now in a position to complete the management of the subject by ensuring resources and assessments are in place for all units of work at both key stages. Wherwell Primary School - 37

p.36

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

123. The standards achieved by pupils aged seven and eleven in information and communication technology are above those expected for their ages. This is an improvement since the last inspection, when standards were in line with national expectations.

p.37

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

124. The levels of attainment of seven year old pupils are good. They have the skills to be able to load programs and print and save their work. They have well -developed word-processing skills that enable them to be able to write stori es directly on to the screen and amend their work as they proceed. For example, they have written a selection of work, which includes a story about ‘My Island’, and information about slugs, and snails, which they have located in textbooks. They use art pro grams well and have developed good skills in changing colours and drawing lines and pictures. These skills are demonstrated well in their designs created on the computer in the style of Mondrian. They draw large shapes on paper using a programmable and mov eable toy. They find information quickly and easily from encyclopaedias stored on CD -ROMs and print out the information for future use. Pupils use information and communication technology to help them develop skills in other areas of the

p.37

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

curriculum. For ex ample, Year 2 pupils use a computer very usefully by using a program to improve their number skills

p.37

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

125. Attainments of eleven year old pupils are also good. They make good quality short books by producing individual pages using computers. They have sufficient skills to be able to produce decorative borders around the text they have produced. They can download stored illustrations to make the pages more interesting. Pupils are able to construct pie charts and block graphs to illustrate their findings on the dis tribution of pupils‘ eye and hair colour in their class. Many pupils have become very skilful at using control mechanisms. For example, they use a computer to control the lighting in a model theatre they have made as well as raising the curtains and enabli ng a home-made model figure to revolve using an electric motor. They are developing a good understanding of programming in order to produce and repeat a series of actions to control external devices.

p.37

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

126. Most teachers show a good understanding of the subject . For instance, they provide very clear demonstrations of how to load programs so that pupils successfully become independent in using information and communication technology. Pupils acquire good understanding, knowledge and skills through good planning b y teachers. They ensure that pupils develop new skills systematically and are provided with sufficient opportunities to practise and use these skills in the classroom. For example, pupils are introduced to searching for specific items of information using a card system for storing data. This approach is then rigorously compared with an information and communication technology system so that pupils can appreciate the similarities and differences. A few teachers are not wholly secure in their own information and communication technology skills but most have good confidence and are able to teach basic and even more advanced skills well. All teachers have

p.37

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

very good relationships with the pupils in their class and this helps very much to enthuse and motivate pupi ls to want to learn about information and communication technology.

p.37

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

127. Information and communication technology is flourishing in the school. Governors liaise with the information and communication technology co -ordinator regularly and have been instrumenta l in setting up a cable system and the provision of practical help. The school is connected to the Hampshire Schools Internet system and pupils use this to send e -mails to other schools. For example, a very good lesson for Year 3 pupils with special educat ional needs involved sending an e -mail message to pupils in a nearby school about how much they had enjoyed reading a book by a well -known author. This provided relevance to their writing and assisted their progress in spelling through very good quality he lp from the learning support assistant. Resources for learning are good. There is a wide range of relevant software and a good quantity of computers for pupils to practise their skills. Assessment of pupils’ achievements and progress is at an early stage o f development.

p.37

MUSIC

128. The standard of music is very good throughout the school. Seven and eleven year old pupils attain well above national expectations, particularly in their very good skills at composing pieces of music. Eleven year old pupils have bui lt very well on the skills learned in Key Stage 1 and have developed a very good ability to use a variety of instruments, including electronic sequencers with which to compose. This represents a big improvement since the last inspection because levels of a ttainment at that time were judged to be meeting national expectations.

p.38

MUSIC

129. Key Stage 1 pupils learn to sing with a good sense of pulse and rhythm. They learn new songs with enjoyment, repeating lines in response to their teacher and pick up new songs very quickly. Pupils compose their own short pieces of music that relate to a theme. For example, the current series of lessons is based on a theme of ’Treasure Island’ and groups of pupils make up very high quality compositions concerned with aspects of water or danger. They performed their efforts to the rest of the class whilst one of the group members read out related descriptions to provide added atmosphere. For example, one pupil read out ‘a noisy waterfall is coming over the rocks into a pool with small fis h flashing here and there in the water’ and the composition successfully evoked such a scene. Approximately half of the Year 2 pupils in the school play descant recorders with confidence and good musical skill. They

p.38

MUSIC

play, within their capabilities, ambitio us pieces and cope well with syncopated rhythms showing that they are above the level expected for this age group.

p.38

MUSIC

130. At the end of Key Stage 2 pupils have a good sense of pulse when singing and are able to clap in order to replicate a variety of different r hythms. They sing competently in two parts, listening well to each other to keep in tune and maintain their own part. They are beginning to understand the structural form of music as a result of very good teaching and clear explanations. They are well able to distinguish the sounds of different instruments and listen to a range of instrumental and vocal music. They talk knowledgably about the music heard in class, including their own compositions and performances. They compose music for special occasions and are beginning to develop the skills of controlling a wide range of sound sources, particularly from electronic sequencers, and are building music by ‘layering’ one part over another to make a composite piece of music that holds together well.

p.38

MUSIC

131. Much of the teaching in Key Stage 1 and 2 is carried out by a specialist teacher. The quality is very good and the teacher manages to develop much interest and enthusiasm amongst the pupils. The pace of lessons is very brisk and teaching starts from the moment pupi ls walk into the room to the sound of music. The specialist teacher and the class teacher provide very good support to pupils when they are composing music. They listen carefully to pupils' ideas, assessing and providing good advice on how to improve the c ompositions. Lessons are very well planned and each section flows smoothly into the next so that no time is wasted. The specialist teacher and the class teacher of the oldest Key Stage 2 pupils work very closely together to teach these pupils. Lesson plans are carefully constructed so that both teachers have a clear idea of what they want the pupils to have learned by the end of the lesson. The

p.38

MUSIC

content of these lessons is very challenging but most pupils, nevertheless, rise to the occasion and concentrate e xtremely well. For example, pupils thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to work with electronic equipment in order to compose musical items in groups. There are eager to assess their own and others’ work and offer helpful suggestions on how to improve. As a result they gain a good knowledge of their own learning. The teachers support pupils with special educational needs very well, enabling them to make good progress.

p.38

MUSIC

132. The music co-ordinator arranges a variety of activities to enrich pupils' musical experienc es. A series of music workshops, led by the Hampshire Music Service, are provided for pupils in Years 5 and 6. The music co -ordinator runs three recorder groups, for beginners, intermediate and advanced pupils respectively. These pupils have opportunities to play their instruments in public during occasions such as the Summer Fayre or at a number of concerts throughout the year. There is also a music club that meets on Mondays after school when Wherwell Primary School - 39 pupils learn to play different parts to set pieces of music usi ng a variety of instruments. Pupils also have the opportunity to learn to play woodwind or stringed instruments during lessons provided by the peripatetic service run by the local authority.

p.38

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

133. Owing to the arrangement of the timetable i t was not possible to observe lessons in dance in Key Stage 1 and athletics and swimming in Key Stage 2. Attainment levels for seven year olds pupils are in line with national expectations in games and gymnastics. Attainments for the eleven year olds are w ell above the level expected level in cricket and meet national expectations in gymnastics. Overall, their skills in physical education are above average. Key Stage 1 pupils’ attainments have been maintained since the previous inspection and those at the end of Key Stage 2 have improved.

p.39

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

134. Key Stage 1 pupils throw beanbags into the air and catch them successfully. They balance these on the back of their hands and move in various directions, including being able to move backwards. This demonstrated satisfacto ry control of different parts of their bodies. They can throw and catch the beanbags whilst moving and accurately throw them into a hoop several metres away. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported and make good progress. For example, one physically handicapped pupil participates in physical education lessons and uses an adapted tricycle to take part in the activities fully. Year 2 pupils have good control of the parts of their body and are able to move slowly in and out of enclosed shapes with good control of their bodies. They devised a short series of movements successfully that involve moving into different shapes and ending in an interesting finishing position.

p.39

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

135. Key Stage 2 pupils develop the gymnastic skills learned in Key Stage 1. The y are able to develop a more skilful series of movements based on taking the weight of their body on their hands and transferring the weight to other parts of their body to complete the sequence. Younger Key Stage 2 pupils dance successfully, but not neces sarily rhythmically, a range of traditional dances such as the Cumberland Reel or ‘Lucky Seven’. Eleven year old pupils have developed good skills in striking a ball with a cricket bat. They are building a good defensive approach to batting by directing th e ball downwards to prevent catching opportunities for their opponents. They bowl with good technique, using a straight arm to deliver the ball accurately, and are on target most of the time.

p.39

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

136. The quality of teaching is sound in Key Stage1 and good in Key Stage 2. Key Stage 1 lessons are organised well. Teachers use classroom assistants effectively to support pupils with special educational needs, and communication between the two about the aims of the lessons enables pupils to make good progress. The mana gement of pupils' behaviour is good and results in good concentration and hard work. The teachers' expectations of pupils are sound and praise is used effectively as a way of motivating pupils. However, the pace of lessons is only just satisfactory and it was rare that pupils had to really exert themselves during the lesson observed. The class teacher provides older Key Stage 2 pupils with the opportunity to be assessed by others in the class. This is potentially an effective way to improve pupils' performa nce but they are not encouraged sufficiently to be specific rather than general. However, this does provide pupils with useful knowledge of their own learning.

p.39

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

This contrasts well with pupils in Years 4 and 5 where the class teacher encourages them to assess the gymnastic performances of others in a constructively critical manner. The teacher of the older Key Stage 2 pupils combines very good demonstrations of how to strike a ball with a cricket bat with activities that systematically enable pupils to acqui re skills. The teacher motivates pupils very successfully and this results in greater effort and a heightened sense of interest.

p.39

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

137. The school’s learning resources for physical education are satisfactory in quality and good in quantity. There are sufficient items of equipment for individual pupils to have enough practice for them to improve their skills. There is a planned programme to replace older resources with Wherwell Primary School - 40 new ones over a period of time. This will enable all pupils eventually to have access to very good quality apparatus. Pupils have good opportunities to participate in competitive sport. For example, there is a range of opportunities for pupils to represent the school as a member of the football, netball, rugby and swimming teams. In addition, there i s a wide variety of extra - curricular sporting activities such as rounders, cricket, rugby, football and netball. Skills acquired in these sessions improve pupils’ progress.

p.39

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

138. By the age of seven pupils' attainments are above the expect ations of the locally agreed syllabus and by the age of eleven they have risen further to be well above average. The co - ordinator has worked closely with the local authority adviser and two other local schools to rewrite a whole-school plan. It is very car efully structured so that pupils progress from year to year, but without repeating work if they stay for more than a year in the mixed age classes. As a result, progress since the last report has been good. For example, younger pupils follow a well-planned programme that begins with a special place or book, leads to the Bible as a special Christian book and then to the Torah and its importance to the Jews. The next term focuses effectively on key events in Jesus' life and that Christians believe Jesus is sp ecial. In the autumn term pupils begin their year by looking at candlelight, explore feelings evoked by

p.40

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

this light and explain Hanukkah and the significance of the candles on the Menorah. This programme enables pupils to make good progress during Key Stage 1. All standards have risen. Children's knowledge about religious traditions, other than Christianity, is now good. The only thing outstanding from the last report is assessment and this is being developed now that the planning has been in place for some time.

p.40

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

139. Pupils in Key Stage 2 build on these experiences each term, but in more detail. For example, pupils at eleven consider carefully the importance of rules: rules at school and home, the rules of the Ten Commandments and their importance to Christians, Jews and to life today. They understand the importance of an ordered world and the idea of a conscience. In the summer term pupils compare effectively the Shema prayer of the Jews and the Lord's Prayer, identify key features of the Lord's Prayer and under stand why it is used by Christians. Pupils' responses to this work are interesting and mature. They write 'I think heaven is like earth, just better, without war, hate, disease or hunger', or 'Faith is hope and hope is when you don't give up', or 'I think a human spirit is a transparent copy of yourself'.

p.40

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

140. Teachers teach religious education well. Planning is very good, particularly in the medium term. Work begins with pupils' experiences and builds on these to develop understanding. For example, younger pup ils close their eyes to think about their special place; pupils aged eight sit in a circle to say what they remember about the Bible, whilst the older pupils talk about 'What my parents taught me', so that they can then explore values in relation to God. Teachers create an atmosphere of mutual respect, because of the very good relationships they maintain, and as a result pupils contribute openly, trusting everyone to treat their ideas seriously. Teachers are able to make good links between religious beliefs and moral behaviour because of this trust and respect. By the age of eleven pupils will say 'it does not matter what colour or religion people are, they should be treated equally', or 'My parents

p.40

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

never talk about God', confident that what they say will be listened to by their classmates empathetically. In these discussion teachers show they have a good understanding of the subject and how it can contribute to the spiritual and moral development of pupils.

p.40

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

141. Pupils respond with interest and enthusiasm. They are able to form their own views; they develop their thinking well so that they can analyse their own and other's beliefs as they did when they considered the Shema and the Lord's Prayer. Pupils have an understanding that religion applies to everyday life, and discuss this maturely. They use examples from Christianity and other religions as a matter of course. Throughout lessons it is clear they consider questions about the meaning of life, or how the teachings of Christianity and other religions apply to t hem, with a mature, serious attitude. Their behaviour and relationships in these discussions are always very good. Wherwell Primary School - 41 142. The co-ordinator is very knowledgeable. She has worked with clear purpose to improve this subject and has planned the use of resources effect ively. For instance, the involvement of the vicar has been useful and the use of artefacts from the Religious Education Centre has been

p.40

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

very beneficial in support of teaching. As a result, pupils’ knowledge and understanding has been enhanced.

p.41