Setting

CRANWELL PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: June 4 th – 8 th 2001

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CRANWELL PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection number: 192410 Full inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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CRANWELL 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. Cranwell Primary School Page 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Grant Maintained School category: Primary

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Cranwell Sleaford Lincolnshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr E. Robinson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: February 24 th 1997 Cranwell Primary School Page 4

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responsibilities

22092 D. G. Watts Registered inspector Science Design Technology Physical Education English as an additional language Results and Achievements How well is the school led and managed?

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responsibilities

8919 J Kerr 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 its parents? 23475 K Tomkins Team inspector The Foundation Stage English Art and design How well are pupils taught?

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responsibilities

Team Inspector Geography History Religious Education Equal opportunities

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responsibilities

Mathematics ICT Music Special Educational needs How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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responsibilities

The inspection contractor was: Cranwell Primary School Page 5 Serco QAA Ltd Herringston Barn Herringston Dorchester Dorset DT2 9PU

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responsibilities

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

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responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Cranwell Primary School Page 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 12

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Cranwell Primary is situated in the centre of RAF Cranwell air base. The school provides for children whose parents are employed at the air base, children from the village of Cranwell and surrounding villages. The school has 288 pupils on roll so it is larger than the average primary school. Numbers have steadily increased since the last inspection in February 1997, when there were 226 on roll. The school has 3 pupils with English as an Additional Language (I.04%) and this is below average. No pupils in the school are eligible for free school meals. Less than two percent of the pupils are from ethnic minority back grounds. The percentage of pupils identified as having special educational needs is about thirteen percent. This is below average. One pupil in the school has a statement of special educational needs and this is well below average. Most of the pupils’ parents are employed at RAF Cranwell. Personnel at RAF Cranwell used to be on

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

two or three year postings. This has now changed and many of the services have been privatised. A number of parents are on four and nine month training courses at the college. These factors result in a high turnover of pupils. About one third of the school population change in an academic year.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Pupils enter the school with a range of abilities and experiences. Overall, attainment on entry to the school is average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Cranwell Primary is an effective school with many good features. Pupils attain well above average results in English and above average results in mathematics and science in the Key Stage 2 tests. The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. Pupils have very good attitudes and behave well. The quality of teaching is very good in reception and good in Key Stages 1 and 2. The headteacher provides good leadership and direction for the school. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The school’s aims and values are very well reflected in the life of the school. • The school promotes excellent relationships between pupils and staff and achieves very good attitudes and good behaviour. This enables the high number of new pupils to settle into the school remarkably quickly. • Provision and teaching in reception is very good and this leads to very good learning. • Pupils in Key Stage 1 attain results well above the national average in reading and mathematics. • Pupils in Key Stage 2 attain results well above the national average in English and above average in mathematics and science. • There is a very good range of extra curricular activities at Key Stage 2 and this enhances pupils’ development.

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What could be improved

• Standards in writing as identified in the school’s development plan. • The roles of key staff so that these are clearly defined and extend the responsibilities of subject leaders. • Assessment procedures so that these are consistently good across the school • Annual reports to parents so they report on all National Curriculum subjects and comply with statutory requirements • Induction procedures for new teachers returning to the profession to enable them to carry out their duties effectively The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Cranwell Primary School Page 8

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in February 1997. After this inspection the school was given key issues for action in order to improve the school further. One of the issues was to improve mental mathematics in Key stage 2. This has been achieved through in-service training and through successful implementation the national numeracy strategy. National Curriculum test results show a slight improvement in mental skills. The second key issue was to develop the role of the music co- ordinator so as to develop other teachers in the teaching of music. The music teacher is part time. He is responsible for all planning, assessment and teaches all classes. The school has decided to retain this approach and this is appropriate while the school has a music specialist. The third key issue was to review teachers’ daily lesson planning in order to achieve a more consistent approach. The school has a clear and common format for medium and short-term plans. In addition to the key

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

issues, the school developed two new classrooms and a computer suite. It has established a non- designated nursery class and an impressive outdoor play area. Learning resources have been steadily improved in particular, to support the national literacy and numeracy strategies. An outdoor classroom has been set up around the pond. The provision for information and communication technology has been further improved. Overall, the school has made satisfactory improvements since the last inspection.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

English A* B A B well above average above average A B mathematics A A B B average below average C D science B A B C well below average E

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Key

The table indicates that the performance of the pupils in Year 6 in 2000 was above the national average in mathematics and science and well above the national average in English. When compared with similar schools, results are above average in English and mathematics but average in science. In recent years results have been consistently above the national average at Key Stage 2. Key Stage 1 test results in 2000 were well above the national average in reading and mathematics and above average when compared with similar schools. In 2000, writing results fell in line with the national average.

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Key

The inspection findings are that pupils at Key Stage 1 attain standards above those expected for their ages in speaking and listening, reading and mathematics. They attain expected standards in science and writing. At the end of Key Stage 2, most pupils are attaining the standards expected for their ages in English, mathematics and science with a significant number attaining beyond. At the end of both key stages, standards in reading are better than those in writing.

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Key

The school has set suitably challenging targets for literacy and numeracy for the current year and is making good progress towards them.

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Key

Childrens’ attainment as they enter the school is broadly average. Attainment is above average when pupils leave the school. Because of the high turnover of pupils, it is difficult to make judgements on how well pupils achieve over time as they move through the school. However, in the lessons seen, most pupils make good gains in learning.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They show interest and enthusiasm for school activities.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good behaviour in the classroom and playground. There have been no exclusions.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Relationships between pupils and adults in the school are excellent. A strength of the school is how supportive pupils are of each other particularly to pupils new to the school.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Very good. Attendance is well above average.

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

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

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

During the inspection, 61 lessons or part lessons were seen. Of these, 5% were excellent, 15% were very good, 44% were good and 36% were satisfactory. Throughout the school, teaching is never less than satisfactory. Overall, teaching is very good in reception and good in Key Stages 1 and 2. Excellent teaching was seen in reception, in PE in Year 2 and in mathematics in Year 5. Very good lessons were seen in reception, English, mathematics , ICT and PE in Key Stage 1 and in English and geography in Key stage 2. The good quality teaching has a positive impact on pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and learning.

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

Teachers manage pupils well and achieve very good attitudes and good behaviour. Effective teaching methods such as clear instruction, explanation and questioning promote learning well. Lessons are generally well planned with clear learning objectives. These are shared with the class so the purpose of the lesson is clear.

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

In the very best lessons, the teacher’s enthusiasm inspired and motivated the pupils. High quality instruction and demonstration helped the pupils gain knowledge, understanding and skills. Skilful questioning challenged the pupils and checked their understanding. Expectations of work and behaviour were high. The pupils were productive and their interest and concentration was sustained. Pupils were given regular feed back on their performance and this helped them to improve. The lesson maintained a good pace and learning time was maximised.

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

In lessons where teaching was satisfactory, there are areas for improvement. In some lessons, work is not always well matched to the different abilities and needs of pupils in the class. As a result, not all pupils are appropriately challenged and these make insufficient gains in their learning, particularly the most able. This is particularly so in English and science but less so in mathematics. While expectations of attitudes and behaviour are consistently high, in some lessons expectations of work could be higher. The quality of marking is inconsistent. It does not always give praise or state why a piece of work is good. Marking often lacks comments on how a piece of work could be improved. However, verbal feedback is often given and this helps pupils to improve.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good overall. It is very well planned for the Foundation Stage. A very good range of extra curricular activities enhances the curriculum at Key Stage 2. Statutory requirements are met.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory provision overall. The special educational needs co- ordinator has the responsibility for a class and this inhibits her ability to be appropriately involved in all aspects.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Satisfactory. The school receives no additional funding or support for pupils with English as an additional language.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good overall. Provision for social development is excellent. Moral development is very good. Spiritual development is satisfactory and cultural development is good.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. The school has appropriate procedures for child protection and very good procedures for health and safety.

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Aspect Comment

The school has effective assessment procedures in English, mathematics and science. In the best practice assessment information is used well to guide future planning and teaching. The school has not yet established clear assessment procedures in all subjects throughout the school. The school has established very good links with parents and this has a positive impact on pupils’ learning.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Satisfactory with good features. The headteacher provides clear educational direction for the school. He and the staff have created a positive and supportive climate for learning. The school’s aims and values are very well reflected in the life of the school. The roles of the senior management team are not yet clearly defined and team leaders’ duties could be extended.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory. The governing body is supportive and fulfils its statutory responsibilities. They have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. The school has sound procedures for monitoring and evaluating its performance. Subject leaders are not yet sufficiently involved.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. The school has made effective use of grants for information and communication technology (ICT) and training. The school applies the principles of best value well.

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Aspect Comment

The school has had staffing difficulties recently due to long term absence of teachers. As a result, some teachers have had to take on additional responsibilities. The headteacher and deputy headteacher are recently appointed. Accommodation and learning resources are good. An ICT suite, attractive library, outdoor play area for the Foundation Stage, displays of artwork and artefacts and outside classroom all enhance the learning environment.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school • Teaching is good and their children make good progress. • Behaviour is good and the school is helping children become mature and responsible. • They feel comfortable about approaching the school. • The school is well led and managed. • New families are made welcome and new pupils settle quickly. • Pupils work hard and achieve their best. • Extra curricular activities • Keeping parents informed of pupil progress • Homework arrangements

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the positive features identified by the parents. The school clearly has the confidence of the vast majority of parents surveyed. In the questionnaire and Parents’ Meeting, minor concerns were expressed in the areas above. The inspection team believes that the school offers a very good range of extra curricular activities, however provision is better at Key Stage 2. The inspection partly agrees with the issue of keeping parents informed of pupil progress. The school offers appropriate opportunities for parents to discuss their children’s progress with teachers. However, annual reports to parents do not comply with statutory requirements. Not all National Curriculum subjects are reported on. The use of homework is good overall. Homework set in reception, Key Stage 1 and lower Key Stage 2 is appropriate. The school might wish to review the amount of homework set in the upper part of Key Stage 2.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1 Children’s attainment on entry to the school is broadly average. In reception, children follow the Foundation Curriculum and they make very good progress towards the Early Learning Goals. By the end of the reception year most children are meeting the Early Learning Goals in mathematical and physical development. Children are exceeding the Early Learning goals in the four other areas of learning and these are communication, language and literacy; creative development; knowledge and understanding of the world and personal, social and emotional development. Children are achieving well. The very good teaching and the very well planned Foundation Curriculum contribute significantly to children’s very good learning.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2 In the National Curriculum tests for seven-year-old pupils in 2000, the school’s performance was well above the national average in reading and mathematics and average in writing. When compared with similar schools, the results in reading and mathematics were above average but in writing they are below average. The inspection findings are that pupils are attaining standards above those expected for their ages in speaking and listening, reading and mathematics and pupils are achieving well in these areas. In writing, pupils are meeting national expected standards and are achieving as they should. Results of the National Curriculum tests have been consistently well above the national average during the last four years in reading, writing and mathematics. The only exception to this is that writing results in 2000 fell in line with the national average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3 In the National Curriculum tests for eleven year olds in 2000, results were well above the national average in English and above the national average in mathematics. When compared with similar schools, results are above average in both subjects. Test results have been consistently above the national average in English and mathematics during the past four years. Inspection findings show that by the end of Key Stage 2, standards in English overall are in line with national expectations and pupils’ are achieving as they should. Attainment is higher in reading than in writing. In mathematics pupils are also attaining the standards expected for their ages. New pupils to the Year 6 class with special educational needs account for the inspection findings at the end of Key Stage 2 being lower than the National Curriculum test results. . 4 In the 2000 statutory teacher assessments for seven year olds in science, the percentage of

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

pupils reaching the national expected standard of Level 2 or above was below the national average. The percentage of pupils attaining the higher Level 3 was also below the national average. In 2000, the National Curriculum tests for eleven year olds, results were above the national average. When compared with similar schools, the results were average. At Key Stage 2, the National Curriculum test results have been consistently above average since 1997. From lesson observations and the study of pupils’ work, the inspection findings are that most pupils are attaining the standards expected for their ages by the end of both key stages. Pupils are achieving as they should. As in English and mathematics the increase in pupils with special educational needs at the end of Key Stage 2 account for standards being lower than the test results.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5 In information communication technology (ICT) pupils’ attainment is in line with national expected standards at the end of both key stages and pupils are achieving satisfactorily. During the inspection, strengths were identified in data handling at Key Stage 1 and accessing the Internet at Key Stage 2.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6 The standards of attainment in art and design by the end of Key Stage 1 are in line with national expectations. Pupils achieve satisfactorily. By the end of Key Stage 2, the attainment of the majority of pupils is above national expectations. Pupils are achieving well in Key Stage 2 including those who have special educational needs. Cranwell Primary School Page 13 7 In design and technology, geography, history and music, pupils are attaining the standards expected for their ages at both key stages and they are achieving as they should. There are no significant differences in attainment between boys and girls or across different levels of attainment.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8 In physical education (PE), pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 are exceeding the standards expected for their ages and are achieving well. At the end of Key Stage 2, pupils are attaining the national standards expected and are achieving satisfactorily.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9 At the end of both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, attainment in religious education is in line with that described in the county’s agreed syllabus for religious education. Achievement is satisfactory overall.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10 Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress overall and good progress against the specific targets set for them in their individual education plans.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11 The high turnover of pupils make it difficult to judge pupils’ achievement over time. Few pupils at Cranwell begin in reception and stay until to the end of Year 6. Most pupils are achieving as they should and in the lessons where the teaching is good or better, pupils make good gains in their learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12 The attitudes of children in the Foundation Stage are very good. From the time they come to school, they adapt quickly to the school routines and show an interest and curiosity in all they do. They concentrate well with their chosen activities and generally persevere to finish their tasks. They mix well and quickly adapt to classroom rules. The good grounding they learn in their early years stands them in good stead as they progress through their school life. Parents confirm that their children are very happy to come to school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13 Throughout the school pupils show very good attitudes to their work. This results in good levels of concentration and creative effort. Pupils enjoy coming to school and take a keen interest in their learning. They form excellent relationships with their teachers and with each other. Considering the turnover of pupils and the numbers who have only recently joined at any time, this is a real strength of the school. Most pupils quickly conform to the school’s well developed moral tone, developing their own personal discipline. They work successfully on their own, in pairs or small groups.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14 Pupils are eager to suggest answers to questions and to offer ideas. From their early days in school they respond to a challenge. As they mature, they react with enthusiasm to more challenging types of teaching. They raise questions of their own to increase their knowledge and conduct considered and responsible discussions. There are very few distractions in class and poor behaviour very rarely disrupts the learning process.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15 Pupils’ positive relationships with each other and with adults in school make a significant impact on their social development. They are always courteous to adults, whether staff, visitors or volunteers helping in class. Pupils of all ages act very responsibly. They make sensible contributions in the school council and are confident that their opinions will be considered no matter what age group they represent. Pupils of all ages mix well in the playground where older pupils will naturally help younger children. During the inspection, a hailstorm at the end of play meant a sudden dash for cover. Year 6 pupils quickly took over, settling the younger classes and giving them amusing things to do until their teachers returned. Such examples of consideration for others create a happy atmosphere around the school, where there are few signs of tension. No pupil has been excluded from the school in

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

recent years. Cranwell Primary School Page 14 16 Pupils attendance is very good and they are punctual for lessons at the start of the day.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17 During the inspection, 61 lessons or part lessons were seen. Of these, 5% were excellent, 15% were very good, 44% were good and 36% were satisfactory. Throughout the school, teaching is never less than satisfactory. Overall, teaching is very good in reception and good in Key Stages 1 and 2. Excellent teaching was seen in reception, in PE in Year 2 and in mathematics in Year 5. Very good lessons were seen in reception, English, mathematics , ICT and PE in Key Stage 1 and in English and geography in Key stage 2. The good quality teaching has a positive impact on pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18 Teachers manage pupils well and achieve very good attitudes and good behaviour. Effective teaching methods such as clear instruction, explanation and questioning promote learning well. Lessons are generally well planned with clear learning objectives. These are shared with the class so the purpose of the lesson is clear.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19 In the very best lessons, the teacher’s enthusiasm inspired and motivated the pupils. High quality instruction and demonstration helped the pupils gain knowledge, understanding and skills. Skilful questioning challenged the pupils and checked their understanding. Expectations of work and behaviour were high. The pupils were productive and their interest and concentration was sustained. Pupils were given regular feed back on their performance and this helped them to improve. The lessons maintained a good pace and learning time was maximised.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

20 In lessons where teaching was satisfactory, there are areas for improvement. In some lessons, work is not always well matched to the different abilities and needs of pupils in the class. As a result, not all pupils are appropriately challenged and these make insufficient gains in their learning, particularly the most able. This is particularly so in English and science but less so in mathematics. While expectations of attitudes and behaviour are consistently high, in some lessons expectations of work could be higher. The quality of marking is inconsistent and does not always give praise or state why a piece of work is good. Marking often lacks comments on how a piece of work could be improved. However, oral feedback is often effective in helping pupils to improve.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

21 Overall, the teaching in Key Stage 1 is good. It ranges from excellent to satisfactory. Excellent teaching was observed in one physical education lesson in Year 2 and very good teaching in mathematics, physical education and English lessons in some Year 1 and 2 classes. Pupils in this key stage are taught in four different classes with Year 2 children split between three of the classes. Younger Year 2 pupils from the Year 1/2 class join the Year 2 class for English and mathematics so that they receive appropriate teaching to match their learning needs and the requirements of the curriculum. In this way they make steady and consistent progress. The work in pupils’ books from the Year 2/3 class shows that progress over time is less consistent for the Year 2 pupils when they work on the same tasks as the Year 3 pupils. These tasks do not always match the varying learning needs of the Year 2 pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22 The teaching of literacy skills in Key Stage 1 is good overall and sometimes very good. In one particularly good literacy lesson, the teacher read the ‘big book’ story with enthusiasm and expression so that the pupils’ attention and concentration were sustained and they were keen to join in and share the reading. The focus of the lesson was words with an ‘oo’ sound and the teacher’s careful explanations ensured that the pupils were clear about what they were learning. Her skilful use of questions promoted pupils’ thinking and learning. In a less effective lesson, pupils at the back of the group found it hard to see all of the shared text and to join in the reading. Further smaller copies of the text were available in the classroom but were not used to overcome this problem. The teacher revisited the work the pupils had done previously on using a ‘magic e’ but her knowledge and understanding of the best ways to

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

teach phonic skills was not secure, resulting in some confusion for the pupils. Cranwell Primary School Page 15 23 The teaching of numeracy skills in Key Stage 1 is good overall. Teachers have adopted and implemented the National Numeracy Strategy well.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24 In the six Key Stage 2 classes, the quality of teaching ranges from satisfactory to excellent. Excellent teaching was observed in a Year 5 mathematics lesson. Very good lessons were seen in English mathematics and geography.. Two of the classes cater for pupils from two different year groups. In some lessons in these classes, the younger pupils work on the same tasks as the older pupils and these are not always well matched to the differing abilities and learning needs. In particular, lower attaining pupils in Year 4 make limited progress in this situation.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25 The teaching of literacy skills in this key stage is good overall but ranges from very good to satisfactory. The most effective teaching occurred when Year 5 pupils were learning about the features of persuasive writing. In this lesson, the teacher demonstrated very good subject knowledge and had planned the lesson so that all pupils were able to work at an appropriate level and thus make very good progress. Pupils responded well to the teacher’s high expectations that they would be adventurous in their writing and choice of words. In all of the less effective lessons, pupils were given the same tasks irrespective of their ability thus limiting the progress of both higher and lower attaining pupils. In a Year 4 class, pupils spent too much time copying a passage from the board rather than tackling the main purpose of the lesson which was to identify the appropriate punctuation.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

26 The teaching of numeracy skills in Key Stage 2 is good overall. Excellent teaching was observed in Year 5 and a Year 4 lesson was very good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

27 The teaching of pupils who have special educational needs is good overall. In and out of lessons teachers and the support assistant create good learning conditions. The level of trust and encouragement, and the expectation of good work from the pupils, promotes sound progress. Staff use carefully selected resources to put across the basic skills. The close teamwork between class teachers and the support assistant, who makes a significant contribution to the progress that these pupils make, enables them to transfer instructions and information about pupils' progress effectively. Pupils are generally aptly supported in class and are fully involved in all learning activities. Sometimes it is more appropriate for the learning support assistant to take pupils into the library for small group work. During these sessions pupils receive intensive support of a good quality. The work is well focused on the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

targets in their individual education plans and during these times, pupils make good progress towards achieving their targets.

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

28 The curriculum for the Foundation Stage is very well planned and implemented. The curriculum takes full account of the six areas of learning and the Early Learning Goals. Children are very well prepared for their national curriculum studies.

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

29 The quality and range of learning opportunities offered by the school are satisfactory in Key Stage 1 and good in Key Stage 2. The curriculum at Key Stage 2 is enhanced by a wider range of extra curricular activities. The curriculum is sufficiently broad and balanced and the time allocated to teaching is in line with national recommendations at both key stages. Statutory requirements relating to the curriculum are met. The school complies with the requirement to have a daily act of collective worship. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, have equal access to the full curriculum. The school devotes appropriate time to the teaching of literacy and numeracy. The national literacy and numeracy strategies have been adopted and implemented well. However, strategies for literacy development are not yet fully integrated across all subjects of the curriculum. There are sufficient opportunities to acquire computer skills in all areas of the curriculum.

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

Cranwell Primary School Page 16 30 Provision for special educational needs is satisfactory with good features. All the pupils’ individual education plans are in place and are of a good quality. The pupils’ targets are clearly defined, and their progress is reviewed at least every half term. Assessments are set against criteria for successful achievement of the targets in their individual education plans. Teachers are aware of the advantages of matching work to pupils' ability, and the practice of working pupils' targets into general classroom work is consistent in lessons across the school and in withdrawal plans.

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

31 Opportunities for extra-curricular activities are very good overall, although most of the provision is for pupils in Key Stage 2. There is good provision for competitive sport for both boys and girls including tennis, rounders, football and rugby. There is a wide range of music activities including the band, a choir and recorder playing. There are a also dramatic productions each year. All these activities enhance pupils’ leaning and development.

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

32 Provision for personal, social and health education is good. There are planned separate lessons for personal, social and health education and provision is also made within subjects such as religious education and science. Pupils are made aware of the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs. Sex education is taught mainly through the science curriculum.

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

33 The local community makes a good contribution to pupils’ learning. There are good contacts with the local R.A.F. station whose personnel are regular visitors and who make facilities available to the school. The school is valued both by the villagers of Cranwell and the RAF community. The school derives a great benefit from the RAF in the use of the pool, the running track and the station’s lecture theatre. The latter, which has a bigger capacity than the school hall, means that school productions can be performed to parents and friends of the school of all ages. RAF cadets help school projects. The school enters local sports competitions and the band performs at local events. These activities make positive contributions to pupils’ social development. There are strong ties with both the padres from the camp and the local vicar who take assemblies and contribute to RE and villagers add very interesting reminiscences to history lessons.

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

34 Links with the local secondary schools are satisfactory. Pupils attend for “taster days” before they go to secondary school and members of staff of these schools regularly visit especially when pupils are about to transfer.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

35 Provision for pupils’ personal development is very good. Opportunities to improve pupils’ social development are very well promoted, and are excellent overall. Provision for pupils’ moral development is very good. The school creates occasions for pupils to work collaboratively. This effectively encourages the very high levels of social cohesion that are evident in the school. In the circumstances where there is a high pupil mobility rate, this is a commendable achievement and is effectively supported by the stable environment the school seeks to establish. Pupils are given good opportunities to undertake simple responsibilities within lessons, such as giving out resources, and clearing away at the end of lessons. Older pupils are given tasks, which contribute to the smooth running of the school. They help to support teachers at wet break times by competently occupying younger pupils, leaving the teachers free to prepare for the next lessons.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

36 The school is actively involved in a wide range of community activities. School musical and dramatic productions forge social links with the parents and the community. The band and the choir sing for senior citizens at seasonal times of the year. There is also a high level of involvement in charity work. The school’s charitable connections are both local and overseas. Some charities are selected by the pupils and other connections have been established over longer periods of time.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

37 Members of each class also support the highly effective arrangements for supporting the school’s social ethos. They attend the school council meetings to discuss their ideas on how Cranwell Primary School Page 17 to improve the school and this is helpful. Fundamental to the school’s social provision is the skill of the teachers and the willingness of all pupils to make all newcomers feel welcome straight away. This skill makes sure that all pupils who are new to the school settle in straight away and are fully included in all learning and social activities from the moment they enter school.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

38 Pupils are encouraged to behave responsibly and help each other. Throughout the school day, members of staff seek opportunities to talk to pupils about their understanding of right and wrong. A clear moral code is in place which pupils respect. Teachers use a range of good strategies, such as use of praise and appropriate rewards to promote good behaviour. Teachers themselves provide good role models by dealing with the rare occasions of inappropriate behaviour in a calm, respectful and non-confrontational manner. This gives the pupils a clear indication of how they should react in different circumstances and is highly effective.

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

39 Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory. Pupils are encouraged to consider others and to think about aspects of life that are of spiritual value. For example they are encouraged to think about such themes as God the creator and the moral responsibility that we have as occupiers of God’s creation. However, there are missed opportunities. There is no focus point, such as a lighted candle, to provide a focus for reflection. Opportunities to reflect are also limited. Acts of Collective Worship do not always fully meet requirements, such as the hymn practices, which have no opportunity for reflection and no reference, outside of the hymns, to a higher power.

p.17

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

40 Provision for pupils’ cultural development is good. Provision to develop pupils’ understanding of their own culture through drama, music and art is better than the provision for pupils to appreciate the features of the culturally diverse society in which they live. Pupils’ understanding of their own culture is promoted through subjects such as geography, history, music and art. They study the work of many famous painters and displays in both classrooms and around the school, constantly exposes pupils to the richness of their own culture. In music lessons pupils appreciate different styles of music. Their understanding of other cultural traditions is more limited. Taking part in the school’s productions, supported by the music and art curriculum, plays a significant contribution to pupils’ cultural development. Visits and visitors such as The Band of the Royal Airforce College, Cranwell, visits to

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Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

museums to support their work in Victorian history and Egypt help them to learn about other cultures. Incidental displays, such as those on the jungle scenes, enrich pupils’ cultural knowledge. This includes traditional art and literature, such as the story of “The Willow Pattern Plate”.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS’ PUPILS?

41 The school makes good provision for the support, guidance and welfare of its pupils. Pupils are confident in the advice of their teachers. Behaviour is well managed throughout the school, as is attendance. Parents find it easy to approach teachers with matters concerning their children’s welfare or progress.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS’ PUPILS?

42 The procedures for introducing new parents and their children of all ages to the school are well planned. This means that new pupils settle quickly to the school routines and are integrated immediately in the school community. This smooth transition is greatly helped by the existing pupils’ well developed social attitudes. Procedures for monitoring pupils’ academic progress are satisfactory Teachers know their pupils well. They are responsible for giving support to pupils who are not progressing as expected. For instance, there are booster classes for pupils in Year 6 and in Year 2, and learning support assistants help lower attainers in particular. However, extra learning assistants are not widely available. Cranwell Primary School Page 18 43 The school has begun to set targets for each pupil in Years 5 and 6. Targets may relate to improving work, attitude or behaviour. Pupils find targets helpful and they benefit from the

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS’ PUPILS?

clear objectives to work to. Parents say they would welcome suggestions for improvement, such as targets, in their children’s annual report. The information gathered by teachers on pupils attainment and progress forms the basis for discussion with parents.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS’ PUPILS?

44 Procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are good. The school’s behaviour policy refers to the school as a community where mutual trust and the respect for all is emphasised. The staff are very successful in following these aims, so pupils soon learn a sense of justice and self-discipline. Any anti-social behaviour is discussed by the whole class in circle time or referred to in assembly. Teachers’ high expectations of behaviour and pupils’ positive attitudes ensure that most lessons proceed with purpose and at a good pace. This is particularly so in the reception classes and in Key Stage 1. On the relatively few occasions when behaviour is not of this high standard, staff act quickly and effectively.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS’ PUPILS?

45 Procedures for monitoring attendance are good. With the co-operation of parents, almost all absence is accounted for. Where this is not so, staff are vigilant and take prompt action. Pupils are punctual at the start of the day and for lessons so work starts in an orderly and welcoming manner.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS’ PUPILS?

46 Procedures for child protection and promoting pupils’ well being and their health and safety are very good. The health and safety policy is thorough and the child protection policy follows recommended practice. Staff and governors carry out health and safety inspections regularly, of premises and equipment. Defects are noted and prompt action is taken to remedy faults. All staff, including those new to the school, are aware of the correct child protection procedures. Accidents and injuries are treated efficiently, records are kept and parents informed.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS’ PUPILS?

47 A high level of pastoral care is shown for pupils with special educational needs, particularly by the special needs co-ordinator and the learning support assistants. This effectively builds pupils confidence and self- esteem.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS’ PUPILS?

48 Pupils’ personal and health education is covered in a detailed programme. This covers sex education and drugs awareness in an appropriate form at the suitable stage of pupils’ development. Throughout the school, pupils are encouraged to discuss matters concerning their health, safety and for older pupils, life after primary school. Fund raising by the PTA and at school events ensures that all pupils can join field trips and expeditions to museums and galleries whatever family financial circumstances might be.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS’ PUPILS?

49 Overall, there are satisfactory procedures in place for assessing and recording pupils’ attainment and progress. There are some good procedures in place in English, mathematics and science where good use is made of data provided by national tests to identify strengths and weaknesses in pupils’ learning. However, agreed assessment procedures in other subjects are less well established and teachers tend to have their own individual assessment methods. Systems are not effective in enabling teachers to use assessment to guide future curriculum planning and teaching. Even in English and science, assessment is not always used well to match tasks to pupils’ different abilities.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS’ PUPILS?

50 Teachers use effective assessment procedures to identify children who are likely to have special educational needs at the earliest opportunity. After this pupils are monitored regularly to see if they have made sufficient progress to come off the register, or if they need further help. The staff are now tracking identified pupils closely. The school uses its knowledge of its special needs pupils effectively to give guidance on behaviour and academic improvement. Cranwell Primary School Page 19

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51 The school is very successful in promoting strong links with parents and other supporters in the community. In return, parents think highly of the school. They appreciate the quality and dedication of the teaching and the help the school offers their children to become mature and responsible.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52 The quality of information for parents is satisfactory. Parents new to the school are provided with helpful information and there are regular newsletters and details about coming events. Parents say that the quality of information provided has greatly improved in the past two years. Pupils’ annual reports are personal and give details of what pupils know and the levels of their attainment. They do not however, conform to statutory requirements as they do not report on all National Curriculum subjects. Parents also comment that they would like suggestions on how they could help their children progress and support them in meeting any targets set.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53 Regular meetings with teachers enable parents to be well informed about their children’s progress and any concerns about their health or personal development. Pupils’ reading records provide a good home and school link. They are well used, particularly in the younger classes to foster a good reading culture. Parents regularly help in classrooms and around the school. They hear pupils read, help in creative work and support pupils in information technology with their own expertise. This is much appreciated by the school and adds to pupils’ social awareness as they see adults interacting with their teachers.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54 The parents of pupils with special educational needs are fully involved in the procedure at every stage, and are kept well informed of their children’s progress. In general, parents of children with special educational needs take full advantage of opportunities to plan, review and support their children’s education.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

55 An active parents’ teachers association raises substantial sums of money, which are used for particular projects which benefit the quality of education the school provides. The school has close links with the community. Much of its work and many of its projects are supported by the village community or representatives from the RAF establishment. This has an enlightening and often exciting effect on the education the school provides.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56 The recently appointed headteacher provides clear educational direction for the school. With the staff, he has created a positive and supportive climate for learning. The school’s aims and values are very well reflected in the day to day life of the school. This is a particular strength of Cranwell.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57 The school has encountered staffing difficulties recently due to two teachers being on long term absence. This has resulted in a budget deficit and teachers having to take on additional responsibilities. A permanent deputy headteacher has just been appointed. The headteacher is currently overseeing the co-ordination of geography. The mathematics co-ordinator is also leading English throughout the school as a short term measure. The special educational needs co-ordinator is fully class committed and currently receives insufficient time to oversee all aspects of special educational need procedures. At present, due to the difficulties mentioned, the delegation of leadership and management responsibilities is unbalanced and the roles of the senior management team have not been clearly defined. When staffing issues are resolved, a review of responsibilities would benefit the school so that roles are

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

clearly defined and the weight of responsibility is more evenly distributed.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58 The co-ordination of special educational needs is satisfactory. The special educational needs co-ordinator is a class based teacher who therefore does not have sufficient time to monitor all aspects of the school's arrangements. However, much of the necessary administration and management of the provision for these pupils takes place in her own time. The special needs co-ordinator channels the expertise of the support staff by careful timetabling to ensure the smooth transfer of pupils from class to work place. The staffing by Cranwell Primary School Page 20 the support assistant is satisfactory in quantity, but is good in quality. She is competent, highly effective, committed and makes a significant contribution to the management and record keeping of special educational needs provision.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59 Subject leaders monitor teachers’ plans and provide appropriate advice and guidance but at present do not have the opportunities to observe and support teaching in the classroom. This restricts the opportunities to share good practice.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60 The school has an appropriate policy and procedures in place for appraisal and performance management. Induction procedures for newly qualified teachers are good. The school has recently employed supply teachers to cover absent teachers. The teachers have recently returned to the profession and have settled into the school well. However, at present, the school has no formal system of training and support to assist teachers back into the profession. For example, the school’s new teachers have not received training in the national literacy and numeracy strategies. Whilst the new teachers are performing well, they would benefit from such input.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61 The governing body is supportive. They meet on a regular basis and have an appropriate range of committees. The governors have a sound understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. The governing body is meeting its statutory responsibilities well.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62 The school has a good development plan with appropriate priorities identified for school improvement. These include raising standards in writing across the school, developing the use of ICT across the curriculum, developing personal, health and social education and increasing the level of support assistants in Key Stage 1. The school is taking effective action to meet the targets in the plan.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63 The financial management of the school is good. Care is taken to ensure that the funds available are well targeted, and that the best value for spending is achieved. Spending is well linked to priorities in the school development plan. These are costed carefully, and the school finance officer, who takes on much of responsibility for the school spending, very effectively monitors spending throughout the year. This releases the headteacher to concentrate on other areas of school management. The finance officer was in post during the period that the school had Grant Maintained status. During this period the school developed highly efficient practice and financial management systems. These have been maintained since then and the finances are efficiently managed. The headteacher and governors are well informed about the status of the budget at appropriate intervals throughout the year. Before major spending is confirmed, the governors ensure that they are

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

getting the best value for money. A number of quotations are obtained for major investments, and these are carefully analysed before agreement. The school also looks carefully at the impact of their financial commitments on standards to ensure value for money is achieved.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64 Day-to-day administration of the school is good. All budgets and overall financial matters are well managed throughout the year, and the school uses a computer program effectively to support its financial commitments. The school administration officer provides very good support for the headteacher in running the school and organises the work of the office efficiently. Computers are used well to monitor finances, but the school is waiting for an upgrading of their system so that the use of information and communication technology in the office may be extended to add further efficiency

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65 Accommodation and learning resources are good and there have been several improvements since the last inspection. An ICT suite, attractive library, outdoor play area for the Foundation Stage, displays of artwork and artefacts and outside classroom all enhance the learning environment. The building is clean and well maintained. A rolling programme of decoration is identified in the development plan to maintain the good standards of decoration.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66 The school’s income per pupil is above average. The school has created a positive and supportive learning environment, which enables all pupil, but especially new pupils, to settle Cranwell Primary School Page 21 into school and learn. The quality of the curriculum and the quality of the teaching are good. Provision for personal development including spiritual, social, moral and cultural development is very good. Pupils have very good attitudes and behave well. The school achieves above average results in tests despite a high turnover of pupils. Taking all these factors into account, the school provides good value for money. Cranwell Primary School Page 22

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to improve the school further, the headteacher, staff and governors should:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Improve standards in writing as identified in the school development plan * (paragraphs 2, 3,62, 79,80,83)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Revise and clarify the roles of senior staff and further extend the role of the subject leaders to enable them to monitor and support the teaching of their subjects. (paragraphs 57, 58)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Establish agreed assessment procedures that are consistently good in all subjects across the school so that all teachers can use assessment data to inform future planning and teaching. (paragraphs 49, 115, 121, 126, 132, 144)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) Ensure that annual reports to parents report on all National Curriculum subjects and comply with statutory requirements. The school has in fact taken prompt and effective action soon after the inspection in order to rectify this for the summer 2001 reports. (paragraph 52)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(5) Improve induction procedures for new teachers returning to the profession to enable them to settle into school and carry out duties effectively as soon as possible. (paragraph 60)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

* The school has already identified these areas as in need of improvement. Cranwell Primary School Page 23 PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 21

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

5 15 44 36 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 288

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 5

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 38

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 3

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 132

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 107

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

National comparative data 94.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Cranwell Primary School Page 24 Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 Year Boys Girls Total

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 25 19 44

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Boys 23 21 24 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 18 18 18

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Percentage of pupils School 93 (100) 89 (100) 95 (98) at NC level 2 or above National 83 ( 82) 84 ( 83) 90 (87)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Boys 23 24 21 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 18 18 17

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Percentage of pupils School 93 (100) 95 (98) 86 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 ( 82) 88 ( 86) 88 ( 87)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

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

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 Year Boys Girls Total

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 17 12 29

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Boys 15 13 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 10 10 12

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Percentage of pupils School 86 (79) 79 (79) 97 (85) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (780

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Boys 13 12 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 10 10 11

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Percentage of pupils School 79 (76) 76 (79) 86 (82) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (750 Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Cranwell Primary School Page 25 Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Any other minority ethnic group 3 Other minority ethnic groups 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.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Teachers and classes Financial information

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 12.25 Financial year 2000/2001

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24.2

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Education support staff: YR – Y7 Total expenditure 624 264

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Total number of education support staff 3 Expenditure per pupil 1963

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Total aggregate hours worked per week 37.5 Balance brought forward from previous year 34 443

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Balance carried forward to next year 41 755

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 0

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 0

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Total number of education support staff 2

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Total aggregate hours worked per week 27.5

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Number of pupils per FTE adult 7 FTE means full-time equivalent. Cranwell Primary School Page 26 Results of the survey of parents and carers

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Percentage of responses in each category

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

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

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

My child is making good progress in school. 58 34 1 2 4

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Behaviour in the school is good. 55 40 0 0 5

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 36 49 10 0 2

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 53 36 10 0 1

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 69 25 5 1 0

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 64 30 0 1 5

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The school works closely with parents. 47 40 9 0 3

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The school is well led and managed. 59 31 2 1 7

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 61 33 1 1 4

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 38 35 9 2 13 Cranwell Primary School Page 27

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

67 Teaching and provision in the Foundation Stage are a strength of the school and offer children a good start to school life. Children’s attainment on entry to the school is broadly average. Attainment on entry is highest in personal and social development and speaking and listening skills. Children’s knowledge and skills are less well developed in reading and phonic awareness. All children achieve well, so that by the end of the reception year, the majority are on course to exceed the expected national standards (the Early Learning Goals) in four of the areas of learning in the Foundation Stage curriculum and are in line with expectations in the remaining two. This is due to very good teaching, careful assessment and planning and a high level of understanding about the ways in which young children learn most effectively. Children are offered a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum in a colourful and stimulating environment.

p.27

Personal, social and emotional development

68 By the end of the Foundation Stage, children’s standards of attainment in this area of learning are above national expectations. They display high levels of involvement in activities, for example when playing in the café role-play area. They are confident to try new activities and in taking verbal messages to other classes in the school. They show independence and perseverance in challenging tasks such as making hand puppets from felt. They maintain good concentration and sit still when required, for example, when listening to the story of ‘Webster J. Duck’. Relationships with each other and with adults are very positive. Pupils share resources willingly and volunteer to help each other when resources need clearing or tidying up. Adults provide positive encouragement and praise and are good role models in their attitudes and interaction with each other and with the pupils. As a result, pupils are happy, secure and confident, seeking help and support as they need it. They play

p.27

Personal, social and emotional development

together and co-operate very well, for example when working in pairs using the computer. Adults consistently expect very high standards of behaviour and school routines are carefully taught and constantly reinforced. Consequently, pupils know what is required of them and are aware of the difference between right and wrong so that behaviour is very good in class and around the school.

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

69 Attainment in speaking and listening, reading and writing are above national expectations by the end of the Foundation Stage. Almost all children speak clearly often using extended sentences, for example, when talking about the books they are reading. They sustain their listening in large and small groups and respond willingly and with good understanding to questions from the teacher. Pupils listen carefully to instructions and carry them out promptly and appropriately.

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Communication, language and literacy

70 The majority of pupils have a good knowledge of initial letter sounds and higher attaining pupils recognise phonic blends such as ‘sh’ and ‘ch’. All children take reading books home regularly and frequently. Every opportunity is taken to encourage the pupils to use and develop their knowledge and use of letter sounds. For example, when discussing Braille, in a lesson on the five senses, pupils tell the teacher if she is reading the correct letters with her fingers. Higher attaining children read with great enjoyment and understanding. Their reading is very fluent and expressive, showing awareness of the punctuation. They recognise when the reading does not make sense and correct their own mistakes. They name exclamation and question marks and predict what might happen next in the story. Lower attaining pupils also show enjoyment when sharing their books and are keen to read. They learn the stories

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Communication, language and literacy

by heart, using the pictures to prompt them, but as yet they know very few words or letters by sight. Very effective use is made of reading record books to promote a reading partnership with parents. Cranwell Primary School Page 28 71 In writing, higher attaining children compose their own simple sentences independently using their knowledge of sounds. Their letters are clear, recognisable and mainly correctly formed. They work in a group with the teacher to create a complete short story and review what they have written to improve the story and add further detail. Lower attaining children copy the teacher’s writing but their pencil control is less well developed so that letters are largely recognisable but there are some inaccuracies and lack of control.

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Communication, language and literacy

72 Components of the literacy hour are used effectively in teaching. For example, pupils are taught specific reading skills such as using the pictures to help them make sense of the text and using their knowledge of letter sounds to help them tackle unfamiliar vocabulary. The classroom displays are well labelled with a range of different print and alphabet friezes and words are available as a source of reference.

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Mathematical development

73 By the end of the Foundation Stage, children are attaining the national standards expected for their ages in mathematical development. They experience a wide range of effective mathematical activities involving number work, counting, shapes and measures. For example, children make dinosaur pictures using paper squares, rectangles and triangles. They use similar smaller shapes to decorate their felt cushions. When playing in the ‘Cafe’, pupils use money with understanding when buying and selling food. They use mathematical games on the computer to solve number problems to 10 and above, to recognise simple patterns and to identify colours and 2D shapes. Pupils learn about the time and the days of the week and, through practical activities involving comparing and measuring, they develop their understanding of mathematical language, such as smaller/bigger and taller/shorter. Most pupils recite numbers to 20 confidently and are beginning to count in twos to 20 and

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Mathematical development

tens to 100. Higher attaining pupils count objects to 10 accurately and use dice to generate addition sums with three numbers, which they record in their books using the correct signs. They show understanding of simple number stories about shopping and jelly babies and identify the correct method (addition or subtraction) for finding the answer. They understand terms such as ‘how many more’ and ‘altogether’. With support, the lower attaining pupils successfully record these sums on a flip chart, writing the numbers correctly and using the appropriate mathematical signs.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

74 In this area of learning, children are exceeding the national standards set out in the Early Learning Goals. They have the opportunity to learn about the world around them through extremely well resourced role play areas such as the cafe and the hospital. In the café, they take on the roles of the customer and waiters/waitresses, setting the tables, washing up and buying, selling and eating the food! In the hospital, they pretend to be doctors, nurses and patients. They perform operations and write names and captions on medical cards. Their learning is supported by visits from people from the community such as the school nurse. Children explore their senses and the different parts of their bodies through a range of activities. For example, they identify a range of food substances through taste when blindfolded and notice the differences between fruits by observing and tasting. They use pipe-cleaners to make and feel their names in ‘Braille’. Higher attaining pupils talk about

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

taste buds and which flavours are picked up by different parts of their tongues. Pupils learn about change and growth by considering their own development from babyhood and by watching and discussing the development of the tadpoles kept in the classroom. They record what they see using pictures and simple sentences. They take it in turns to care for the class guinea pigs. Pupils talk about the different countries they have visited or know about such as America, Scotland and Greece. Pupils’ awareness of information and communication technology is being developed through the use of computers for word processing, maths games and art work. Cranwell Primary School Page 29

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Physical development

75 By the end of reception, most children are meeting the national standards expected in physical development. The reception classes have spacious indoor provision and a safe and secure outdoor play area enabling pupils to make appropriate progress in their physical development. They do not, however, have access to bikes, trikes and small wheeled vehicles to help them develop their skills still further. Pupils have regular access to the school hall and large PE equipment. As a result, in a PE lesson, pupils use the space well and climb the frames and ladders confidently. They balance, using their hands and feet on cross bars at different heights and angles. Many jump confidently from a high stool on to a crash mat but not all land correctly when jumping off other apparatus. All pupils observe the safety rules very well when moving and using the apparatus. They take turns and work quietly and carefully. Pupils’ manipulative skills are developed through the use of pencils, pens, brushes

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Physical development

and a range of tools. Many colour in small pictures and shapes with accuracy showing good pencil control. They cut out paper figures and clothes accurately using the scissors safely. When making felt puppets, they make good attempts to cut the felt shapes needed. They use a variety of construction toys such as Lego and large wooden bricks with care and control.

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Creative development

76 By the end of the Foundation stage, most children are exceeding the national standards in creative development. Role-play areas such as the hospital and cafe promote imaginative play very effectively as well as speaking and listening skills. Pupils listen well to each other in these areas and use the appropriate language when in role. Pupils playing with construction toys, such as the large wooden bricks show imagination and create their own stories when making roads, towers, runways and buildings. Pupils make colourful and effective collages from a range of materials such as cotton wool, a variety of different fabrics and papers, sequins, beads and glitter. They have experience of printing with paint on fabric and of tie- dying to make colourful T-shirts. They make figures with moving parts using split pins and mix their own colours to make striped patterns for the colour corner. A computer art program

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Creative development

is used to create and colour self-portraits. In these computer-generated pictures, pupils include all the main body parts and features. Pupils enjoy making and baking biscuits, decorating them with fork patterns. Pupils join in singing and action rhymes with enthusiasm and enjoyment.

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Creative development

77 The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is very good overall, never less than satisfactory and sometimes excellent. Teaching ranges from good to excellent in five of the six areas of learning. These are Communication, Language and Literacy, Mathematical Development, Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Knowledge and Understanding of the World and Creative Development. In Physical Development teaching is satisfactory. Staff work well together and good support is given by voluntary helpers. Planning for all lessons is clear and detailed and is based on the six areas of learning in line with the curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage. Comprehensive assessment and tracking systems are in place and these help to ensure that all pupils, including those with Special Educational Needs, make good progress. In the most effective lessons, teachers have excellent relationships with the children and show a very good understanding of the needs of

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Creative development

young children. They provide stimulating and practical activities that meet pupils’ needs while challenging and extending them, enabling all pupils to learn and to be successful. These lessons are very well structured and organised, the use of resources is excellent and pupils are very skilfully managed, resulting in very good behaviour. Adults show a very high level of care for the pupils and all efforts and achievements are acknowledged and valued. In the very small amount of less effective teaching observed, some learning opportunities were missed and there was insufficient challenge and active involvement of the children.

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Creative development

78 The school has developed a comprehensive induction programme for new entrants and their parents and carers including home visits for all children. Older children have the opportunity to attend the nursery class every afternoon in the Spring and Summer terms prior to starting school. They join the reception classes for some lessons including PE in the hall. Pupils, parents and carers are invited to visit the school prior to starting school. The pupils spend time in the reception classes whilst the parents meet the Headteacher and the school nurse. Cranwell Primary School Page 30 This enables pupils to settle happily and confidently. Parents are encouraged to help in the classrooms wherever possible. The home school reading records are used effectively by parents and staff so that parents are able to support the children in their learning. Teachers set targets for the next steps to be worked on and parents make comments about their

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Creative development

children’s achievements. Liaison with Key Stage 1 is good and well managed by the Foundation Stage co-ordinator. She has developed a comprehensive and up-to-date policy, framework and planning document for the Foundation Stage, including the nursery class, which are thorough, relevant, clear and accessible. These provide a very good basis for future learning in all areas of the curriculum.

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ENGLISH

79 In the National Curriculum tests for seven-year-old pupils in 2000, the school’s performance was well above the national average in reading and average in writing. When compared with similar schools, the results in reading are above average but in writing they are below average. Teacher assessment of pupils’ speaking and listening skills shows attainment to be above the standards expected. The inspection findings are that attainment in reading exceeds expected standards. In writing most pupils are attaining the standards expected for their ages. Overall, pupils are achieving well in English at Key Stage 1.These standards are similar to the previous inspection.

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ENGLISH

80 In the National Curriculum tests for eleven-year-old pupils in 2000, the school’s overall performance was well above the national average. Taking into account the high turnover, pupils’ performance is above average when compared with similar schools. Inspection findings show that by the end of Key Stage 2, standards in English overall are in line with national expectations and pupils’ achieve satisfactorily. Attainment is higher in reading than in writing. Pupils with special educational needs make sound progress. Standards, therefore, have been maintained since the last inspection in 1997.

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ENGLISH

81 By the end of Key Stage 1, higher attaining pupils read a range of books fluently and confidently, using the punctuation to help them read with expression. Their enjoyment and understanding are very clear to the listener. They correct their mistakes by taking note of the sense of what they are reading and describe characters and events in detail. They express clear preferences about the books they like or dislike. Lower attaining pupils read the words of simple texts accurately and confidently but their reading is sometimes hesitant and disjointed. While they know their letter sounds, they need encouragement to use word- building skills to tackle unfamiliar vocabulary. They retell the story and respond accurately to simple comprehension questions. Pupils have experience of writing stories, reports, letters and poems. The stories of higher attaining pupils have a beginning, middle and end such as

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ENGLISH

when writing stories based on the ‘Winnie the Pooh’ characters. They know what helps to make a good story and about the importance of punctuation to help the reader make sense of the writing. Lower attaining pupils construct simple sentences using their knowledge of high frequency words but they refer only to presentation when asked about effective story writing. When learning about the structure of language, most pupils show understanding about rhyming words, the past tense, adjectives and adverbs and they can sort words according to the number of syllables they have. The majority make reasonable attempts at producing joined up handwriting. All pupils have the opportunity to use computer programs to support the development of their reading and writing skills.

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ENGLISH

82 Higher attaining pupils, at the end of Key Stage 2, read challenging texts fluently and expressively at an appropriate level and show good comprehension. They talk about favourite authors such as Anne Fine and explain the kinds of books they prefer. They predict what might happen next in the story using contextual cues and understand how an author creates humour and suspense. Lower attaining pupils read hesitantly when tackling sophisticated texts such as ‘Harry Potter’ and inaccuracies occur which affect the sense. They do not always observe the punctuation as they read. Their comprehension of the text is not secure and they do not always appreciate the subtleties of humour or the author’s choice of words. Most pupils lack confidence when reading aloud. Cranwell Primary School Page 31 83 By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have had experience of writing in a range of genres and for different purposes. These include, letters, poems such as Haiku, ‘blurbs’, diaries, stories and

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ENGLISH

making an argument. All pupils have regular opportunity to work on extended pieces of writing on a range of topics such as persuasive writing about the environment and letters giving information or making requests. They plan the work ensuring that it has an appropriate structure and brainstorm ideas for story settings, characters and events. First drafts are edited by the pupils so that vocabulary and sentence structure are changed and spelling and punctuation checked. Higher attaining pupils, when working on expressing their emotions in writing, produce very effective and powerful writing using vivid and varied vocabulary. Lower attaining pupils successfully complete the task but their choice of vocabulary is more limited and less effective. The standard of presentation varies. The high turnover of pupils contributes to this but the best work is written in a clear and neat cursive style.

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ENGLISH

84 The quality of teaching in English is good in both key stages. In both key stages teaching ranges from satisfactory to a small percentage of very good. The most effective lessons are well structured and learning objectives are specific and clear. These lessons move at a brisk pace and teachers are lively and enthusiastic when working with the whole class. Teachers model expressive reading and ask questions that allow the pupils to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding giving sufficient time for pupils to explain their thinking. In the best lessons, teachers’ expectations are high and pupils of all abilities are given work that is both challenging and achievable, enabling them to meet the intended learning outcomes.

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ENGLISH

85 Less successful lessons occur when tasks are not well matched to the learning needs of the pupils nor to the intended learning outcomes of the lesson. This impedes pupils’ learning. For example, when lower attaining Year 4 pupils tackled the class task on words with prefixes, they confused words with prefixes with compound words and were unable to identify these words successfully in their writing. In a Year 2 class, higher attaining pupils easily completed their work on story writing and the lack of additional challenge limited their progress. In the less effective lessons, pupils’ understanding is not checked as the lesson progresses. This was also an issue in the last inspection. Opportunities are missed to engage actively all pupils in making contributions to discussion and responding to questions. Resources are not used effectively, such as when texts for shared reading are not visible to all the pupils.

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ENGLISH

86 There is a whole school system for recording pupils’ progress each half term in all aspects of English. However, not all teachers use this information to inform their planning and ensure that the work matches the learning needs of all pupils. Reading record notebooks are used very effectively in Key Stage 1 to promote the school’s ‘partnership with parents’ approach to reading. Both parents and staff contribute regularly to record pupils’ progress and achievements and indicate the next steps in their learning. In Key Stage 2, the use of the records is not consistent and parents tend to involve themselves less despite encouragement from the school.

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ENGLISH

87 Pupils’ behaviour was good or very good in 75% of the lessons observed and unsatisfactory in only one lesson. In Key Stage 1, it was never less than good. Most literacy lessons include a period of shared reading or writing in which pupils are generally attentive, keen to respond to the teacher’s questions and anxious to have the chance to contribute their own ideas. They usually listen well to their teachers and settle to their tasks quickly. They work co-operatively in pairs and small groups when required, for example, when discussing the ‘Diary of a Killer Cat’ in a Year 4 class. Many pupils of all ages are keen and enthusiastic readers. While teaching in English supports pupils’ moral and social development very effectively and makes some contribution to their cultural development, there is little evidence of it contributing to their spiritual development. Cranwell Primary School Page 32 88 The school is well resourced with a wide range of good quality books both fiction and non-

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ENGLISH

fiction. All classrooms have well stocked, accessible and usually well organised book areas. In some classrooms, the books are attractively displayed to encourage pupils to browse and read. Books in the library cover all areas of the curriculum and are well labelled and organised. The pupils benefit from having a librarian. His presence means that the library can be used during lesson time when he is available to support, guide and supervise pupils in their use of the library. There is a good selection of sets of books and ‘big books’ for guided and shared reading which are centrally stored. These include fiction of different types and non-fiction relevant to other curriculum areas such as religious education, art, geography and history.

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ENGLISH

89 The school has an up-to date and comprehensive policy for English and has identified the development of writing in both key stages as a priority in its current improvement plan. Appropriate and challenging targets have been set for both key stages. The co-ordinator for English took over the role in a temporary capacity at the beginning of the current term. She is very well qualified for the role and has appropriate experience. She has worked hard, effectively leading the staff in an evaluation and review of the weekly planning sheet for literacy, which is now being used consistently by all staff. An action plan for English has been agreed and linked to the school improvement plan. She has carried out some monitoring of planning but has not had the opportunity to monitor the quality of teaching in order to identify best practice and support colleagues.

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MATHEMATICS

90 Standards have been consistently well above the national average in the National Curriculum tests at the end of Key Stage 1 for the last four years. At Key Stage 2, results have been above and well above the national average. In 1998 and 1999 results were well above the national average, but in 2000, were above the national average.

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MATHEMATICS

91 Inspection evidence indicates that attainment is currently above average at the end of Key Stage 1 and pupils are achieving well. Standards are average at the end of Key Stage 2 and pupils are achieving as they should. An increase in pupils with special educational needs in Year 6 accounts for the standards being lower that the test results.

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MATHEMATICS

92 At Key Stage 1, pupils are attaining standards above those expected for their ages. All pupils, including those with special educational needs achieve well. They know about measures of time and are aware that there are 60 minutes in an hour and that 60 seconds make a minute. Some lower attaining pupils need help with this work and none have yet progressed to calculating with this knowledge. They read, write and match, very confidently three forms of the same number; figures, word and addition sums. Most pupils answer simple number questions, selecting the correct operation and giving the sum needed to answer the problem. All count in twos, accurately and quickly. Year 2 pupils learn rapidly how to ask the right sort of questions to identify an unknown number; such as, “Is it odd?” “Is it less than … ?” “Does it have a 1 as the ten digit?”. Eventually they eliminate numbers and more often than not guess the correct number in a limited number of questions and guesses.

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MATHEMATICS

They have a good knowledge of shapes and identify an appropriate range of two and three- dimensional shapes accurately. They are beginning to be familiar with simple graphing techniques and know how graphs grow. This latter knowledge is well supported by their data- handling work in information and communication technology.

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MATHEMATICS

93 At Key Stage 2 the work scrutiny of work indicates that higher attaining pupils generally attain at Level 5 and achievement is satisfactory. Average attaining pupils generally at Level 4. Achievement is satisfactory overall. Younger pupils use mathematics vocabulary and ask appropriate questions to solve problems. They recognise right angles as measures of turn and estimate distance well. They use this knowledge competently when giving directions, using fractions of turns and lengths, to guide someone across a room for example. As pupils get older, most are able to work out multiplication facts and then derive related division facts. They make good predictions in solving problems and check answers using a calculator. Higher attaining pupils solve harder problems using multiplication effectively. Cranwell Primary School Page 33 These pupils also have an appropriate knowledge of place value and use it effectively to

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MATHEMATICS

multiply numbers by 100 and 1000. Pupils also have a sound knowledge and understanding of fractions and decimals, correctly making connection between vulgar fractions and decimals and giving equivalents. They all then extend their knowledge to include percentages. Lower attaining pupils find references to percentages in newspapers and publications and explain clearly the meaning of the use of percentages in these texts. Average attaining pupils identify percentages in different forms, including identifying these on diagrams such as 100 squares. Higher attaining pupils find the percentages of identified objects in samples. Year 5 pupils understand that the value of a digit depends on its position in a number and they can read numbers larger than a million accurately. They identify the value of all digits in these large numbers. They can rearrange the 7 digits in the number to make the largest number possible and the smallest number. They then extend their

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MATHEMATICS

knowledge and understanding of place value to numbers with two and three decimal places. They interpret line graphs, accurately calculating the mean, median, mode and range, obtaining the data from the drawn graph. Year 6 pupils have satisfactory mental arithmetic skills. They add and subtract to two decimal places accurately. Their skills in multiplying and dividing these numbers are less effective, but most eventually get there. When solving problems, they pick out important information from a question that is relevant to the solution and work out appropriate procedures for answering the problems. They use short multiplication to solve problems accurately and also long multiplication procedures when needed.

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MATHEMATICS

94 The quality of teaching is good at both Key Stages 1 and 2. Teachers have a secure knowledge and understanding of mathematics. Introductions to lessons, explanations of the main developments, and summing up at the end of lessons are clear. This ensures that pupils know what is expected of them and they are aware of their progress. Teachers make good use of questions to explore effectively a range of topics. Questions are planned to be appropriate to pupils at all levels of attainment. Planning is clear and detailed and addresses the national numeracy strategy well. Lesson plans identify learning objectives clearly and activities meet the needs of all pupils well. Teachers have very good relationships with the pupils. They are very supportive and gentle, but also clear in their firm and high expectations of good behaviour. Pupils are well managed and good levels of behaviour are established and maintained. Teachers’ good levels of guidance lead to clearly good progress

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MATHEMATICS

in the lesson. Although work is set at appropriate levels for all pupils, and assessment is clearly used in lesson planning, the marking of pupils’ work is not sufficiently diagnostic. It does not effectively indicate to pupils what they are doing wrong and how they can improve their work. However, regular feedback to pupils is a strength of some lessons. In these lessons teachers provide opportunities for pupils to reflect on their learning and suggest improvements. In the very best lessons, high quality activities of high interest level sustain pupils’ interest over extended periods. Very high expectations and challenging activities combined with very good quality explanations and questions enable pupils to learn well in lessons. A wide range of good quality features is sustained over time to make teaching excellent In some other lessons however, teachers’ expectations of what pupils can do

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MATHEMATICS

when working independently are too low and do not stretch the pupils sufficiently. Homework is appropriate to the subject.

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MATHEMATICS

95 Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good. They respond enthusiastically to teachers’ questions and listen conscientiously, even when the teaching is dull and more mundane. They pay attention and concentrate for lengthy periods. Where teaching is less effective, pupils become more restless than usual. There are some good examples where pupils work very well together. Relationships between pupils are good. They share ideas and exchange thoughts to good effect. Pupils’ behaviour is very good. This, and their high levels of concentration contribute significantly to the good working atmosphere in class and the progress pupils are able to make whilst in school. They respond quickly to change of activity and waste little time. Pupils appreciate the teachers’ use of praise and encouragement. They are delighted in success, particular special educational needs pupils. Cranwell Primary School Page 34

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MATHEMATICS

96 The mathematics curriculum is satisfactory. It meets the requirements of the national numeracy strategy and is effectively supported by commercial mathematics schemes. Procedures for the assessment of pupils’ work are good. In the short term teachers make a day-to-day evaluation and record the strengths and weaknesses in pupil performance. Medium term assessment takes place each half term and are based on the key objectives of the national numeracy strategy. Informative records are kept and identify those pupils who need extension work and those who need support. This is consistent throughout the school and is effective in coping with the ever-changing school population. Co-ordination of the subject is satisfactory. The Senior management team as part of performance management procedures has monitored numeracy lessons and feedback to co-ordinator on mathematics has taken place. However, this could be improved by giving the co-ordinator access to

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MATHEMATICS

lessons and allowing her to share her expertise with other teachers. There is a numeracy development plan with appropriate priorities.

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SCIENCE

97 In the 2000 statutory teacher assessments for seven year olds in science, the percentage of pupils reaching the national expected standard of Level 2 or above was below the national average. The percentage of pupils attaining the higher Level 3 was also below the national average. In 2000, the National Curriculum tests for eleven year olds, results were above the national average. When compared with similar schools, the results were average. At Key Stage 2, the National Curriculum test results have been consistently above the national average since 1997. From lesson observations and the study of pupils’ work, the inspection findings are that most pupils are attaining the standards expected for their ages by the end of both key stages. Pupils are achieving as they should. An increase in pupils with special educational needs at the end of Key stage 2 accounts for standards being lower that the test

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SCIENCE

98 In a Year 2 lesson on growth and development, parents brought in their babies and toddlers. Pupils recognised that living things grow and change. They asked the mothers questions about the babies and toddlers. They communicated clearly using appropriate scientific vocabulary. The mothers were clear and enthusiastic in their response. As a result, the pupils acquired new knowledge in the growth and development of humans. The higher attainers gave explanations for the changes. The study of pupils’ previous work shows that most can record their observations in different ways. They explain these observations and recognise patterns. They use classification to group living things and to group different materials. In Year 4, pupils know that sugar is the major cause of tooth decay. They also know that fluoride protects the tooth enamel from decay and that Vitamin C keeps gums healthy and strong. In a Year 6 lesson, pupils were studying change and growth at puberty.

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SCIENCE

They watched a video ‘Living and Growing’. The teacher was effective at generating debate about the video and clarified a number of points. Pupils responded in a mature and responsible way. Pupils watched and listened with interest and willingly answered the teacher’s questions. They demonstrate knowledge and understanding of life processes. They use correct terminology when describing the major organs of the body and their function. The work-study shows that pupils in Year 6 present observations and measurements from practical investigations in tables and bar graphs clearly. They identify patterns and trends from results. ICT skills are used effectively to enhance graphical presentation. Most pupils can describe the differences in the properties of different materials. They show a clear understanding of ways of separating mixtures for example by evaporation. Higher attainers demonstrate an increased knowledge and understanding of

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SCIENCE

separating techniques. The work-study shows that pupils’ science experience during the spring term, particularly in practical science, was limited. This impedes pupils’ gains in knowledge, understanding and skills. Some planned fieldwork was unable to take place due to the ‘Foot and Mouth’ outbreak. Cranwell Primary School Page 35 99 Overall, the quality of teaching is good at both key stages and this has a positive impact on pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and learning. Teachers have a secure knowledge of science. Lessons are well planned and with clear learning objectives. These are shared with the pupils so they are clear what they have to learn. Teachers’ explanations and instructions are effective and this assists pupils’ learning. Teachers manage their classes well and promote positive attitudes and achieve good behaviour. In both key stages, the tasks given to pupils do not always take sufficient account of the full ability range within the class. As a result, not

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SCIENCE

all pupils particularly the higher attainers are appropriately challenged and this adversely affects their rate of learning. In Key Stage 1, the marking of pupils’ work is positive and constructive. It give praise where due and assists future learning. At Key Stage 2, the marking of pupils’ written work is often thin. It rarely indicates why a piece of work is good or how it could be improved.

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SCIENCE

101 Throughout the school, pupils show very good attitudes towards science and behave well in lessons. This is achieved because teachers have established outstanding relationships with their pupils and manage them well. Pupils listen well to their teachers. They respond well to questions and participate willingly in discussions.

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SCIENCE

102 The leadership and management of science is satisfactory. Schemes of work have been reviewed in the light of a recently revised National Curriculum. The co-ordinator monitors teachers’ plans but has not had opportunities to observe and support colleagues in the classroom. As the school and nation’s priorities for development have been literacy, numeracy and ICT there has been very little in-service training in science. Learning resources are well organised, accessible and of good quality. Improvements since the last inspection include increased teacher confidence in the teaching of science, more emphasis on scientific enquiry and improved learning resources.

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ART AND DESIGN

103 The standards of attainment in art by the end of Key Stage 1 are in line with national expectations for seven-year-old pupils. Pupils are achieving as they should. By the end of Key Stage 2, many pupils are attaining standards above those expected for their ages. Pupils are achieving well in Key Stage 2, including those who have special educational needs.

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ART AND DESIGN

104 Throughout Key Stage 1, pupils build on their earlier experiences and by the end of the key stage, they produce a wide range of work of a satisfactory quality using a variety of media. They use their observational skills to produce careful drawings in pencil and pastels of faces and of individual flowers and flower arrangements in a vase. They create colourful collage pictures, for example when illustrating the four seasons. They successfully use printing, various fabrics, paper, paint and cotton wool to create different effects. They develop their colour-mixing skills by creating decorative suns in warm colours and colour wheels showing shades of colour. Pupils study the self-portraits of Egon Schiele, describing the different moods and situations they observe in the artist’s work and they attempt their own self- portraits.

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ART AND DESIGN

105 By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have developed their observational skills so that they produce detailed drawings and paintings of, for example, rocks and fossils which are skilfully shaded and accurate representations. Pastel drawings of fruit show good colour blending and fine details. Watercolour paintings of a still life fruit arrangement demonstrate a good ability to mix paint to create the required colours. Pupils produce striking black and white Victorian style illustrations using pastels and chalk. They learn to enlarge their original small sketches in preparation for producing larger paintings such as when making pictures of Disney characters of their choice. They also have the opportunity to work with clay and make designs for sewing. For example, Year 6 pupils make ‘emotions’ designs and transfer them to canvas using coloured wool and threads. This is a good link with the work they are doing in

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ART AND DESIGN

English on expressing emotions in writing. Cranwell Primary School Page 36 106 Insufficient art lessons were seen to make an overall judgement about the quality of teaching in art. However, in the lesson observed in Key Stage 1, the teaching was good and pupils made good progress. In this lesson, examples of the pointillism work of Georges Seurat were used effectively by the teacher to gain pupils’ responses to the pictures and to encourage them to create pictures in a similar style using pastels, crayons and coloured pencils. Pupils were encouraged to evaluate their own work and that of others and to try and make improvements. A minority was successful in creating effective pictures but many were less successful, leaving large spaces between the dots.

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ART AND DESIGN

107 The teaching observed in Key Stage 2 is also good. In one class, Year 3 pupils are reminded about the techniques for shading before starting on their work. Targets and expectations for the observational drawing of flowers are reinforced and through good interaction, pupils are encouraged to look more closely at the details and thereby improve their drawings. In Year 6 good links are made between the art work and English as the pupils work on expressing emotions through a sewing activity. Both boys and girls display a positive attitude to this task.

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ART AND DESIGN

108 There are good links between art and other subjects which enhances pupils’ learning across the curriculum. For example, pupils’ knowledge of some religious artefacts such as a mezuzah and a minorah is extended by the opportunity to make observational drawings of them. A history project on World War II is enhanced by posters and paintings, while good links are made with geography through observational drawings of Peruvian hats, bags and dolls. High quality displays in the corridors and library create a very attractive learning environment and make a significant contribution to the ethos of the school.

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ART AND DESIGN

109 The school has an up-to-date and supportive policy for art in place. However, the long term planning is brief and has insufficient detail to ensure that there is continuity and progression in the teaching of art across the school. The national scheme for art is used to support teaching but has not been fully adopted by the school. No specialist teaching is currently carried out and standards in Key Stage 1 are not as high as in the previous inspection. Standards in Key Stage 2, however, have been maintained. The school has recognised the need to develop a more systematic approach to the teaching and development of skills and techniques in art and plans to address it through a review of the role of expressive arts in the curriculum.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

110 During the inspection only two design and technology lessons in Key Stage 2 were seen. Judgements about standards in the subject are made from these observations, assessing the quality of work on display throughout the school, and discussions with pupils and staff.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

111 At the end of both key stages, pupils are attaining the national standards expected for their ages. Most pupils are achieving as they should.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

112 Pupils experience designing and making in Year 1. They designed and constructed robots and spacecrafts using reclaimed materials. The materials were well chosen and appropriate joining techniques used. The models were attractively finished using paint or aluminium foil. This work was integrated well with work in mathematics where cubes, cuboids and cylinders were used in the construction of the models. Year 2 pupils designed and made a stage structure with a wind up mechanism to raise and lower ‘Incy Wincy’ spider. Year 5 pupils designed and made moving toys using a cam system. Animal models with wheel and nodding heads were produced. In Year 6, pupils designed and made different shoes for different people and uses. They set out their ideas through labelled sketches. In the construction, they worked with a variety of tools and equipment. They paid particular attention to the function and quality of the finish. The shoes designed for short people

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

showed creative design and good construction. The high heels and platform soles increased the person’s height. Another, Year 6 project was the design and making of a timber framed construction house. Pupils used a range of joints in the construction of the house including right angle, T, and mitre. The house was well designed and finished. Damp proofing, Cranwell Primary School Page 37 insulation and slate tiles were all included. However, at the end of Key Stage 2 there is no evidence of pupils working with pneumatics or controlling vehicles.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

113 In the two lessons seen, the quality of teaching was good. This good teaching had a positive effect on pupils learning, attitudes and behaviour. The teachers planned their lessons well and set clear learning objectives, which were shared with the class. This ensured that the pupils were clear what was expected of them and what they were to learn. Teachers’ explaining and questioning techniques are good. Pupils listen well, they answer questions readily and raise questions of their own. In one lesson, a visiting local farmer enhanced the pupils’ learning as she described how wheat was grown, harvested and processed. Teachers structure the lesson well and set the pupils time limits. This helps to ensure that pupils are productive and that learning time is maximised.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

114 Pupils are interested and motivated in DT. They respond well to the tasks set. Most are co- operative and work collaboratively. For example, Year 5 pupils worked well together in small groups as they tasted and analysed a range of breads including focaccia, pitta and granary. 115 The co-ordinator provides good leadership in DT. The curriculum plans have been recently revised in the light of the new National Curriculum. Teachers’ plans are monitored and reviewed by the co-ordinator but she does not have opportunities to observe and support colleagues teaching DT. Assessment in DT is area identified by the school for improvement. Co-ordinators do not have their own budget to manage. The equipment and learning resources for DT are well organised, accessible and well used.

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GEOGRAPHY

116 Standards are in line with that expected of pupils of the same age at the end of both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Overall, pupils’ achievement is satisfactory although this is limited to some extent by the high rate of change in pupil numbers. Pupils with special educational needs receive effective support in lessons and make satisfactory progress.

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GEOGRAPHY

117 By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils are able to use maps and plans of various types and show satisfactory development of drawing and mapping skills. Pupils in Year 2, for example, are able to identify the countries of the United Kingdom on pre-prepared map outlines. They are able to interpret simple maps and plans and have a basic knowledge of scale and direction. Year 2 pupils are able to complete a basic “orienteering” exercise in the school grounds following instructions given by the teacher. They are developing a basic factual knowledge of geography and can, for example, identify the main features of the water cycle. Pupils are developing the basic powers of observation and deduction and are able to describe the main differences between their village area and a nearby town. There is little evidence that pupils are developing the skills of using graphs and tables for interpretation or to display data.

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GEOGRAPHY

118 By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have a satisfactory factual knowledge and a working geographical vocabulary. This is shown by pupils in Year 3 who can identify the main physical features of the world such as mountains, rivers and oceans. However, much of the work at the beginning of Key Stage 2 is based on pupils completing worksheets and this restricts their opportunities to develop their own writing and interpretation techniques to some extent. By the end of the key stage pupils are beginning to appreciate the effects of human activity on the environment and can, for instance, give some details of the positive and negative effects of housing development in the village and on the base. Pupils in Year 6 carry out a project on “Our World.” This is based mainly on physical geography, especially rivers and water use, and gives better opportunities for pupils to write at greater length and to

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GEOGRAPHY

use a range of graphs and charts to show their results. These make a good contribution to both literacy and numeracy development. In general, pupils have limited opportunities to develop their skills into more subtle aspects of the subject such as posing their own questions, carrying out relevant research and writing their own conclusions. This limits their attainment and progress to some extent, especially for higher attaining pupils.

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GEOGRAPHY

119 The quality of teaching, and the learning it promotes, is satisfactory overall. There is good or very good teaching in two-fifths of the lessons. Teachers have very good control of their Cranwell Primary School Page 38 classes and behaviour is good. Where pupils work together in pairs and groups, they do so very well and excellent relationships between pupils and with their teachers are a strong feature of all the lessons. This is particularly so when new pupils are admitted and this ensures that the high turnover in pupil numbers does not become a problem either to pupils or to the school. Teachers have adequate subject knowledge and are able to teach the basic factual knowledge of the subject. Where teaching is good and very good teachers extend this into the more subtle aspects of the subject that require pupils to think about issues and investigate for themselves. This was clearly seen in a Year 4 lesson where pupils used a

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GEOGRAPHY

range of maps to identify local development over the years as part of their studies on urban development. In this lesson the teacher made particularly good use of question and answer to develop pupils’ thinking and to lead a very good discussion about their findings. Where teaching is at its best, teachers have high expectations of pupils’ work and pupils respond well by taking great care over their written work and drawings. Satisfactory use is made of information and communication technology to word- process some pupils’ work and to produce graphs and tables. This is an area that still needs further development.

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GEOGRAPHY

120 The contribution of geography to pupils’ literacy development is satisfactory. Pupils have opportunities to learn a satisfactory range of geographical vocabulary. There are examples of pupils’ extended writing, especially in Year 6, but there is limited evidence of systematic use of the subject to improve overall writing skills, especially as part of individual research. The subject also makes a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ numeracy development and pupils regularly make use of scales and measurement in their work. They also use graphs and tables to interpret and produce information. Inspection evidence suggests that this is better in the later part of Key Stage 2 than elsewhere in the school.

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GEOGRAPHY

121 The subject makes a very good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. In many lessons there are opportunities to study the world and its wonders and to reflect on the environment. There is a strong moral dimension in lessons and pupils are taught to know right from wrong. In lesson pupils are able to work together and are taught to share, take turns and listen to the views of others. The social development of pupils is particularly strong. The use of assessment to track pupils’ attainment and progress is left to individual teachers. Because of this it does not give consistent data to plan future courses or to set targets for development. At present there is no subject co-ordinator for geography and the headteacher has a “holding role” until an appointment is made. There has been satisfactory progress since the last inspection.

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HISTORY

122 Standards are in line with that expected of pupils of the same age at the end of both key stages. Pupils are achieving as they should. Pupils with special educational needs receive effective support from their class teachers and make satisfactory progress.

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HISTORY

123 By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils are able to distinguish between past and present and understand that different events happen in different periods of time. They are able to recognise changes that occur over time. Pupils in Year 2, for example, are able to recognise that different materials were used to make toys over time, and can identify where new materials were used to repair old toys. Pupils can recognise some of the main characters in the periods they study. In Year 1, for instance, pupils are able to recognise pictures of Henry VIII and say some things about his life. Analysis of pupils’ work suggests that there is an emphasis on the use of worksheets in Key Stage 1 and this restricts, to some extent, the development of writing skills. There is limited evidence of pupils studying the reasons why people acted as they did, or of pupils starting to use a range of historical sources for their

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HISTORY

own investigations into historical questions. These are the more advanced skills that would be particularly beneficial to higher attaining pupils.

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HISTORY

124 By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have developed an understanding of a number of periods of history including those of the Gunpowder Plot, the Tudors, Ancient Egypt and the Second World War. Pupils’ sense of chronology is better developed and they can use time lines to work out the various periods in history. Pupils develop a satisfactory factual knowledge of the periods they study. Pupils in Year 5 were able to identify the allies and the axis countries Cranwell Primary School Page 39 that made the opposing sides in the Second World War and pupils in Year 4 were able to identify foods which were rationed in the same period of time. Pupils in Year 6 produce adequate topic work on the Ancient Egyptians and higher attaining pupils write some pieces of extended writing, but there is limited evidence of them using primary and secondary sources of information for their own research or of interpretation of the value of the sources.

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HISTORY

125 The quality of teaching, and the learning it promotes, is satisfactory overall. There is good teaching in nearly half of the lessons. The good teaching occurs mainly in the latter part of Key Stage 2. A strong characteristic of all of the teaching is good pupil control that is achieved without fuss and with quiet authority. As a result pupils respond well in lessons, show interest in history and take care over the presentation of their work. Behaviour is good. In general teachers have a good factual knowledge of the periods that are studied, but there are occasional inconsistencies. In one lesson, for example, the reason for rationing in Britain in the Second World War was said to be that merchant ships were being used to ferry troops and could not carry food. There was no mention of the war against U- boats that also contributed significantly. In another no mention was made of the contribution of Fighter

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HISTORY

Command to the failure of the Germans to invade in 1940. Where teaching is good, the teacher has a range of carefully planned activities that make pupils think about the period as well as learning factual information. This was well illustrated in a Year 4 lesson where the teacher had provided and weighed a week’s rations for pupils to see. The total amount of food available was a revelation to them and resulted in strong learning. The use of information technology for word processing and for research is inconsistent.

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HISTORY

126 The subject makes a very good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development by enabling pupils to consider the thoughts and feelings of people from other times and to learn about their own heritage and the heritage of people from other parts of the world. There is a strong moral and social dimension in lessons where pupils are taught right from wrong, to listen to others when they are speaking and to respect their views. Newcomers to classes are made very welcome and settle quickly into the class routine with considerable help from both teachers and pupils. The curriculum co-ordinator is, at present, holding the post during the absence of another member of staff and clearly has limited opportunities to develop the subject further. The use of assessment to track pupils’ attainment and progress, or for planning future courses, is inconsistent because there are no systematic procedures in use at present. The subject has made satisfactory progress since

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

127 At the end of both key stages, pupils are attaining the national standards expected for their ages and are achieving as they should. There are strengths in data handling at Key Stage 1 and in work with the Internet at Key Stage 2. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

128 At Key Stage 1, all pupils know the names and functions of all the different parts of the computer, especially keyboard and mouse. They are familiar with icons and know, for example, that when then timer shows they have to wait for the program to load or for the computer to complete its response to a command. They use the mouse accurately to access the required programs and use different procedures to practise their “drag and drop” skills. When doing this they select on-screen pictures, move them accurately into place and locate them there. Younger pupils write their names in different colours and styles using word art. This enables them to see the possibilities of using information and communication technology to add interest to their presentations. There are strengths in their database work. Pupils access an appropriate data-handling program. They enter information into the database in different ways and then change the data into a variety of graphs, including

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

pictograms, bar chart and pie charts. They use appropriate icons effectively to achieve this result. This work also gives a good basic understanding of graph work in mathematics.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

129 Pupils at Key Stage 2 combine their photographs, taken with a digital camera, with text about themselves. Their word processing skills, based on this type of work develop satisfactorily. Word processing combined with pictures make their presentations in other subjects Cranwell Primary School Page 40 interesting and add quality. For example in history, they make a mock newspaper which chronicles the declaration of war. Other presentations include the use of word art, clip art, different styles and sizes of print. They print different sections of their work in a range of colours by highlighting sections and defining the colour and print size and style. In their topic work they download pages of information text from the Internet and use this to help their research. They also are able to create a hyperlink to any web site tool. This creates a fast and direct access to different search tools on the world wide web. They follow instructions

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

carefully. They use facilities such as clip art to select their own logo for the access symbol. Pupils know how to deal with situations when the selected logo is not available on the drive. Their routine procedures are good and are well established. This makes that learning of new skills more effective.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

130 The quality of teaching is good. Lessons are efficiently introduced, with clear explanation of what pupils are expected to do and therefore enabling pupils to be clear about what they are to do and to proceed confidently. Although the teachers are still to complete their formal training in information and communication technology, they have good subject knowledge in the areas they are teaching. They are able to explain clearly and answer any of the pupils’ questions. Lesson planning is good. Pupils are managed well and supported effectively during their period of independent work. Teachers use the very good quality resources effectively. For example the class computer is used to demonstrate and suite used for pupils to practise the skills. Pupils are managed very well. Pupils are controlled in a calm and respectful manner, which they appreciate and to which they respond effectively.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

131 Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour remain very good, as at the time of the previous inspection. Pupils are very enthusiastic and the teacher sometimes has to work hard to contain their enthusiasm. They work hard and stay on task and are eager to get on with their work. They show interest and curiosity and are keen to find out what the computers have to offer. Pupils work well together sharing the equipment so that all pupils get a fair opportunity to develop their practical computer skills. Behaviour is very good and pupils respond well to the respectful manner shown by the teacher.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

132 There is an enthusiastic co-ordinator who is new to the post. He has a good knowledge of information and communication technology and is currently setting up the school’s database for the Internet. In the short time since he took over the responsibility for this subject, he has developed a subject action plan with priority targets that are appropriate to the development of information and communication technology and has revised whole-school planning to meet National Curriculum requirements. He monitors teachers’ planning but has no opportunity to support other teachers in class. Staff are currently having training to enable them to teach National Curriculum requirements effectively. Resources have improved since the time of the previous inspection. In addition to the suite, there are 11 new computers in classes and around the school. However, computers in the suite are ageing and becoming

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

less reliable. The school is aware of shortcomings in resources and has made arrangements to overcome this. Assessment is on-going and is set against the learning objectives in the scheme. Further development is planned in recording systems so that the system will be compatible with the new scheme. The school has the potential to raise standards even further in this subject. Cranwell Primary School Page 41

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MUSIC

133 At the end of both key stages, pupils are attaining the national standards expected for their ages. Standards have therefore been maintained since the previous inspection.

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MUSIC

134 Younger pupils know the names and sounds created by a good range of untuned percussion instruments such as xylophones, glockenspiels, a range of wooden blocks, maracas, Indian bells and tambours. They begin to follow musical notation well, reading the symbols and responding to the meanings. Pupils play well as a group and keep in good time with the rhythms, performing simple patterns with steady pulse. They respond well to the teacher’s conducting of the performance using body sounds and percussion instruments. At Key Stage 2, members of performing groups manage to maintain their own part in a group performance and show a satisfactory awareness of how their individual part fits into the whole performance. Their compositions show some originality, but most pupils tends not to be adventurous, the majority sticking to models with which they feel is safe and offers little challenge to their skills. They read notation generally accurately and perform short pieces of

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MUSIC

music using a good range of percussion instruments. Most pupils manage to read scores and perform accurately, whilst other pupils recognise the tune from a selection of scores. Pupils at Key Stage 2 sing together well, use dynamics well through increased volume when singing the chorus to a tune. They sing in tune and hold notes well. When singing in two parts, all accurately keeping to their own part but younger pupils are more enthusiastic than older ones, and sing with more gusto and enthusiasm.

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MUSIC

135 Teaching is satisfactory and sometimes good. There are good introductions to lessons, which immediately capture pupils’ interest through meaningful illustrations of different instruments sounds. The teacher has very good subject knowledge and is competent at demonstration through playing the guitar, piano and using singing voice well. Lessons are well planned and constructed and all National Curriculum elements are present. There are opportunities to listen to and appraise instrument sounds, learn how to perform through playing untuned percussion instruments and composing simple rhythmic patterns. Pupils are generally well managed and any inappropriate behaviour is dealt with effectively, with satisfactory behaviour being established and maintained.

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MUSIC

136 Pupils respond to interesting activities well, take part enthusiastically and show good levels of co-operation. They behave satisfactorily and often better, but in some lessons there is some shouting out of answers and not all pupils fully settle down throughout the lesson, for example playing with instruments whilst the teacher is talking. In whole key stage singing sessions, younger pupils are more enthusiastic than older pupils. Older pupils work reliably without the direct supervision of the teacher. They co-operate well with each other, share ideas and discussions with each other well. They work at a reasonable pace and use time effectively. The pupils show interest and pleasure in what they are doing.

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MUSIC

137 The curriculum is satisfactory. The school co-ordinator has developed his own scheme and this matches the requirements of the National Curriculum well. There are good extra curricular opportunities such as a wind-band for clarinets and trumpets, a recorder group and the opportunity to learn brass instruments, violin and piano. There are very good opportunities for pupils to perform publicly. Pupils are able to play in an area band with several other primary schools, take part in a summer concert for the village and sing in the Station Officers Mess for the elderly residents of the area. The schools also has some large- scale productions such as The Shellfish Giant, Giovanni and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. These are full drama and music productions for the parents and takes place in the camp theatre. There are good assessment opportunities to test the learning of pupils in an enjoyable and effective way that involves all.

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MUSIC

Cranwell Primary School Page 42 138 A key issue from the previous inspection report was to further develop the role of the music co-ordinator to support and develop teachers confidence in the teaching of music. The school has decided that the part time music specialist should teach music to all classes. This teacher is responsible for all planning, teaching and assessment in music. This arrangement suits the school and is appropriate while the school has a music specialist.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

139 By the end of Key Stage 1, most pupils are attaining standards above those expected for their ages and achieve well. At Key Stage 2, most pupils are attaining the national standards expected for their ages, including swimming and are achieving satisfactorily. Standards at Key Stage 1 have improved since the last inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

140 By the end of Year 2, pupils show considerable co-ordination and control in athletics and games skills. They demonstrate throwing skills beyond those expected for their ages. Their ability to discuss differences in performances and suggest improvements are well developed. In Key Stage 2, pupils demonstrate catching and passing and striking skills appropriate to their ages. They apply these skills and tactics well in small game situations. When given opportunity, pupils evaluate their own and others performance constructively in order to help improve their skills.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

141 The quality of teaching at Key Stage 1 is very good and with some excellent teaching. This high quality teaching has a positive impact on pupils’ attainment and achievement. Lessons are very well planned and structured. Pupils are clear what is expected of them and an interesting variety of tasks maintains their interest. They respond to the teacher’s high expectations and levels of challenge with enthusiasm, commitment and physical effort. Very good instruction and demonstrations from the teachers promote the pupils’ learning very well. Excellent class management and organisation contributed to the success of the best lesson and very good behaviour was achieved and activities flowed coherently from one to another. Lessons maintain a brisk pace and pupils are productive. Effective feedback from the teacher and opportunities for pupils to evaluate their performance leads to improvement and

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

good gains in skills development. Teachers use accommodation and equipment very well and this enhances the pupils’ learning and experience.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

142 Overall, the quality of teaching of PE is good at Key Stage 2. Lessons are generally well planned and structured. Good use of instructing and demonstrations assist pupils’ development of skills. In the best lessons, there was a good pace and flow to the lesson and learning time was maximised. Where teaching was satisfactory, there are areas for development. Overlong introductions restrict pupils’ time for physical activity. The pace and levels of challenge are insufficient in some lessons and this reduces pupils’ rate of learning. In some lessons, pupils are given too few opportunities to appraise their own and others’ work.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

143 Pupils show positive attitudes and behave well in PE lessons. In Key Stage 1, attitudes and behaviour are very good. Only in the odd Key Stage 2 lesson was inappropriate behaviour observed. Pupils are generally supportive of each other and are responsible. In games and team situations pupils show good sporting qualities and a sense of fair play. Interest and enjoyment is clearly evident in lessons.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

144 The newly appointed co-ordinator is enthusiastic and provides good leadership. Curriculum plans have been recently revised to help ensure better coverage and to ensure that pupils learn in a steady and systematic way. The co-ordinator monitors curriculum plans but has not yet had the opportunities to observe or support colleagues teaching. A system for assessing and recording attainment has recently been produced but this is not yet implemented. Learning resources are of good quality. They well organised and accessible. An interesting range of extra curricular activities support the school’s PE programme and these include; netball, football, rounders, rugby, tennis, and cross country running. Since the last inspection, curriculum planning and the range of resources and extra curricular clubs have improved. Cranwell Primary School Page 43

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

145 At the end of both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, attainment is in line with that described in the county’s agreed syllabus for religious education. Pupils achieve well when they are in school, but attainment overall is adversely affected by the high level of pupil mobility by the end of Key Stage 2.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

146 By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils know the main festivals of the Christian calendar. They understand the symbols of Christianity and the signs belonging to the Christian faith. Pupils also develop a basic knowledge of a number of other faiths and religions. Pupils in Year 2, for example, are able to describe the ceremonies associated with the Jewish festival of Hannukah. Higher attaining pupils, in particular, have good opportunities to produce extended writing on the topics they have covered. Pupils learn the significance of light in festivals such as Hannukah and Easter.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

147 By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have developed a wider factual knowledge of a number of religions. Pupils in Year 5, for example, understand the main beliefs of Judaism and how these beliefs affect peoples’ daily lives. They know the story of the Passover and what it means to become a Jewish adult in the Bar Mitzvah ceremony. Pupils can describe the similarities and differences in a number of faiths and traditions and can compare, for example, the Christian story of the beginning of the world with stories of Australian Aborigines. Pupils begin to understand how faith affects peoples’ lives. Pupils in Year 6, for instance, were able to conduct a good discussion on faith based on the book “Down Among the Dead Men” about the work of Sally Trench. This enables pupils to start to develop their own thinking about the meaning of religion using their own and other peoples’ experiences.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

148 The quality of teaching, and the learning it promotes, is satisfactory across both key stages. The teachers have very good pupil control. This is maintained with quiet authority and with good humour. Relationships between pupils and with their teachers are very good. This is particularly evident when pupils new to the school attend for the first time and they are welcomed and settled in to the class very quickly. There is a relaxed but businesslike working atmosphere that is a strong contributory factor in raising standards. Lessons are well planned and lesson objectives shared with pupils so that everybody is clear about what to do and no time is wasted. There is, nevertheless, some inconsistency in the coverage of work where pupils are in mixed age classes. In most classes teachers provide a range of work that is tailored to the needs of individual pupils and presents appropriate challenge.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Teachers make good use of discussions and question and answer sessions to encourage pupils to develop their ideas and think for themselves. This was clearly demonstrated by Year 3 pupils who were working in groups to prepare work on various Christian festivals that each group was then going to present to the rest of the class. Pupils’ work is regularly marked and corrected but there is little use of marking to indicate to pupils how they can improve. Overall, teachers make satisfactory links with literacy by reading stories, showing pictures and encouraging pupils to write independently. Where this is consistently planned by individual teachers it is particularly beneficial to all pupils who have good opportunities to practise extended writing. However, there is no consistent whole school policy or planning to extend the literacy strategy into religious education. Pupils take care over the presentation of

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their work and show good attitudes to the subject. Behaviour in class is good.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

149 The religious education curriculum is good. It provides equality of opportunity for all pupils and meets statutory requirements. The subject makes a very good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. In lessons there are opportunities for pupils to reflect on other religions and on moral issues. There is a strong moral dimension in lessons where pupils learn the principles of a range of religions as well as Christianity. Teachers provide very good role models and pupils are taught right from wrong in all lessons. Pupils have excellent opportunities to develop their social skills through discussion in class, sharing taking turns and working together. The strong social element in the school is particularly evident when new pupils arrive and are settled in to the class very quickly by both teachers and pupils. This is a great strength of the school. There are trips to local churches

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

and to a synagogue which provide both social and cultural development. This is further enhanced by a number of visitors to the school. There are satisfactory procedures in place Cranwell Primary School Page 44 to track pupils’ attainment and progress, but these are not consistent across classes and years. Because of these there is no consistent set of data available to guide planning or to check for potential weaknesses in provision. There are limited opportunities for the subject co-ordinator to monitor and support the work of other teachers in the classroom. As a result this limits the possibilities to share good practice with other teachers. The subject co- ordinator has been in post for just a few months and has shown good leadership and management in preparing comprehensive schemes of work in a short time since the introduction of the new County Syllabus for religious education. She has prepared an action

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

plan for the subject that has sensible priorities for development. The subject has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection.

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