Springwood Junior School

HULBERT JUNIOR SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 29 April – 2 May 2001

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HULBERT JUNIOR SCHOOL

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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HULBERT JUNIOR 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. Hulbert Junior School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Springwood Avenue Waterlooville Hampshire

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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 Malcolm Wilson

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: March 1997 Hulbert Junior School - 4

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Aspect responsibilities

Margaret Dickinson Registered inspector English English as an additional language What sort of school is it? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school managed? What should the school do to improve further? Ray Orchard Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Brian Downes Team inspector Geography History Religious Education Special educational needs Val Emery Team inspector Mathematics Music Physical Education Equal opportunities How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Aspect responsibilities

Christopher Shaw18638 Science Information and communication technology Art and design Design and technology Hulbert Junior School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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Aspect responsibilities

QAA Herringston Barn Herringston Dorchester DT2 9PU

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Aspect responsibilities

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

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Aspect responsibilities

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Hulbert Junior School - 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 achievements Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Hulbert Junior School is a community school, situated in Waterlooville on the outskirts of Portsmouth. There are 307 pupils on roll, which is above average in comparison with primary schools nationally. There are slightly more girls than boys in the school overall but no marked imbalance in any particular year group. The number of pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds is very low (1). Three pupils speak English as an additional language, one of whom receives additional support. Twenty two per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is above average. Thirty four per cent of pupils have special educational needs, which is also above average. One pupil has a statement of special educational need. On balance, the socio-economic background of pupils is below average. Children enter the school with below average standards in English, mathematics and science.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Hulbert Junior School is a good school and pupils do well. Standards are improving and pupils are working at the appropriate levels by the time they reach eleven in English, mathematics and science. The quality of teaching is good and almost a quarter of lessons are very good. The school is very well led and managed and gives good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The leadership and management of the school are very good. There is a sharp focus on evaluating how well the school is doing and how pupils’ standards and the progress they make as they move through the school could be further improved; • The school has a supportive and caring ethos, which helps pupils feel confident and secure and keen to do well; • The quality of teaching is good and pupils learn effectively; • The range and quality of the school’s assessment procedures are excellent; the information is used very effectively to track pupils’ progress and find out exactly where they need extra help; • There is a strong emphasis on nurturing pupils’ social and moral development and this is reflected in their good attitudes and behaviour and in their motivation to achieve well; • Parents are very supportive of the school and appreciate what the school does for their children.

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What could be improved

• The quality of teaching and learning could be further improved by raising the proportion of good, very good or excellent teaching; • Pupils could be working at higher standards in art and design and making better progress; • More attention should be given to developing pupils’ speaking and listening skills in a range of contexts to encourage pupils to express themselves more fluently, broaden their vocabulary and enrich their writing. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in March 1997. Since then, there has been very good progress in improving the areas that were identified as weaknesses. This is particularly the case with the use of assessment, which is now a strength of the school. Standards have improved considerably because, at that time, less than half the pupils in Year 6 were reaching the national expectation in the national tests in English mathematics and science. Inspection findings show standards are now meeting the expectations in these three subjects. The quality of teaching has improved considerably and there is now a much greater proportion of teaching that is good or better. A major reason for these improvements is the clarity and strength of the leadership of the headteacher and deputy headteacher, who are supported well by an effective governing body. Hulbert Junior School - 8

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

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Key

This table shows that, in the 2000 national tests for eleven-year-olds, pupils' performance was below the national averages in English and mathematics and well below average in science. When compared with similar schools, performance in English and mathematics was average but below average in science. The main reason for standards being below the national averages was that the comparisons are based on the average points score of all pupils, not just those that reach or exceed the expected level. The proportion of pupils exceeding the expectations and attaining Level 5 was lower than that nationally, particularly so in mathematics and science, so this affected the outcome. The school has been specifically targeting this weakness and putting in a number of support strategies for pupils who could achieve the higher level with more guidance. This has had a positive effect on raising standards. Over the last five years, pupils’ performance has improved in line with the national trend, which explains

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Key

why, despite improving standards, the comparative grades still show below average attainment. Nevertheless, there is an above average number of pupils with special educational needs in this school and taking this into account, plus pupils’ below average attainment on entry, pupils achieve well here, including those with special educational needs. Inspection findings show standards are now matching the requirements for eleven-year-olds in all three subjects and pupils are working at appropriate levels. Their numeracy skills are better than is normally found. In art and design, standards are lower than they should be because pupils do not acquire the necessary skills, knowledge and understanding between Year 3 and Year 6 to enable them to achieve satisfactorily. The school has set appropriate targets for pupils’ performance this year in English, mathematics and science, which it is likely to meet. These include separate targets for the proportion of pupils hoping to

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Key

attain Level 5. The school sets targets for each class as well as individual pupils; these are used effectively to motivate pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils are proud of their school and enjoy coming. They respond well in most lessons and readily answer questions in class.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils are courteous to staff and visitors. They behave well in and around the school. There are a few occasions when a very small number of pupils behave inappropriately in lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good. The vast majority of pupils are caring and sensitive to others. They work well in small groups and enjoy being given responsibility.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Satisfactory. Hulbert Junior School - 9

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Teaching of pupils: aged 7-11 years

Lessons seen overall 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 7-11 years

The quality of teaching is good with some strong features. This judgement is based on the teaching observed during the inspection period and analysis of pupils’ work across all subject areas since the beginning of the academic year. During the inspection, 61 per cent of lessons were good or better and 24 per cent very good or excellent. Three per cent of teaching was unsatisfactory. Very good or better lessons were observed in each year but over half occurred in Year 6. As a result of the good teaching, pupils learn well and make good progress. Teaching is good in all subjects apart from art and design and design and technology where it is satisfactory. Literacy and numeracy are both taught well and many of the very good, and both of the excellent lessons, occurred in either English or mathematics lessons. There was insufficient evidence of the teaching of information and communication technology

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Teaching of pupils: aged 7-11 years

to make a secure overall judgement on teaching.

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Teaching of pupils: aged 7-11 years

In many of the most effective lessons, teachers have high expectations of what pupils will achieve and how hard they will work. They plan the lessons very carefully and make sure that all pupils’ needs are met, according to their abilities. This means all pupils learn well. Teaching is often very good when teachers use a range of teaching methods and questioning techniques to keep pupils interested and motivated. In most lessons, teachers manage pupils very well indeed and have a good rapport with them. Teaching is often highly effective when teachers use their knowledge of what individual pupils can or cannot do to focus in particular on what they need to learn next. In English and mathematics, pupils often make great strides in learning as a result of this well focused teaching. In the less successful lessons, pupils were not challenged and motivated, which meant they stopped concentrating and

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Teaching of pupils: aged 7-11 years

listening, the teachers talked for too great a proportion of the lesson and, in a few cases, did not manage the pupils well.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. The curriculum is broad and balanced. Good attention is paid to basic skills of literacy and numeracy but more could now be done to broaden pupils’ experience of the creative and expressive arts.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils are well supported Their individual education plans include detailed and specific targets. Work is planned well. There is good teamwork between teachers and learning assistants and this helps to make pupils’ learning coherent. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall. There is very good provision for pupils’ moral and social development. Provision for their spiritual and cultural development is satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very well. Pupils’ academic progress is checked regularly and very carefully. The school places very good emphasis on pupils’ personal development, safety and wellbeing. The school works well with parents and provides good quality information for them. They are very supportive of the school. Many of the annual reports for parents are too general and do not give a clear picture of what each child can do and what needs to be done next to improve. There is a strong moral dimension in the school; the need to care for and consider others is emphasised Hulbert Junior School - 10 by all staff, who provide very positive role models. The school enables pupils to develop their social skills very well. There is a wide range of trips, visits and extra curricular activities during the year that support pupils’ social development and enrich their learning.

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Aspect Comment

English and mathematics lessons are given appropriate priority in the school and additional time is allocated to both; this has clearly helped to raise standards. There is less emphasis on helping pupils to develop their imagination and expression through the creative arts. Excellent assessment procedures are having a strong impact on raising standards: pupils’ weaknesses are pinpointed, often on an individual basis, and targets set for improvement. The school’s use of assessment is very good indeed.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide excellent direction and there is a sharp focus on evaluating the work of the school in order to improve provision and standards. Subject managers lead their subjects well.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very well. They have a good understanding of crucial aspects of the school, such as the standards pupils attain and the quality of curriculum. They are well informed. The Chair of Governors is highly committed; he works very closely with the headteacher and is a significant driving force in the management of the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The school is very successful in evaluating its performance. Results from national and school-based tests are carefully monitored and there are very good systems in place for monitoring and improving the quality of teaching.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. The budget is monitored regularly and very good use is made of specific grants. The new information and community technology suite is a very good resource and is having a beneficial effect upon teaching and learning.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s staffing, accommodation and learning resources are all good. In addition to the new Information and Communication Technology (ICT) suite, the library, music and physical education facilities are all good. The building is attractive, light and spacious, although it is difficult to hear the teacher sometimes when it rains, especially in the ICT area. The grounds are spacious but the field has poor drainage so that, on rainy days, the path to the mobiles becomes flooded. The governing body and headteacher pay good attention to ensuring that the school gets good value from what it spends.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school • Children make good progress and learn to be mature and responsible • The school is well led and managed • Parents feel comfortable about approaching the school if they have a problem • They feel well informed about how well their children are doing and are happy with the arrangements for homework • Parents raised no concerns.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection findings support all parents’ positive views. Parents are well informed about their child’s progress although the quality of the annual reports could be improved. Hulbert Junior School - 11

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The school’s results and achievements

1. In the national tests for eleven-year-olds, pupils’ performance was below the national averages in English and mathematics and well below average for science. When compared to schools with pupils from similar backgrounds, results were broadly average in English and mathematics but below average in science. Over the last five years, results have improved in line with the national trend. There has generally been little difference between the performance of boys and girls in English but boys have not performed as well as girls in mathematics and science. The main reason for results being below average is that a lower proportion of pupils attained Level 5 than was the case nationally and this has affected the overall picture. The school quickly identified this as the main area of weakness and has put a number of effective strategies in place both to increase the proportion attaining the higher level this year and to target pupils who are working almost at the

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The school’s results and achievements

nationally expected levels in English and mathematics but unlikely to attain these without extra help. The school’s strategies are effective and inspection judgements show that pupils are now working at appropriate levels; standards are in line with what is expected by the age of eleven in English, mathematics and science. Analysis of pupils’ results at seven over the last few years shows that pupils start Year 3 with below average standards in English, mathematics and science. They achieve well as they move through the school and make good progress in all three subjects. There are several reasons for this: • strong leadership and management, • shared commitment to looking for ways that teaching and learning can be improved; • good quality teaching, • well planned curriculum; and • thorough assessment procedures.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. Pupils with special educational needs achieve good standards in relation to their prior attainment and they make good progress towards their individual targets. This is especially so where their targets involve behaviour. There is insufficient evidence to make a judgement on the achievement of a pupil who speaks English as an additional language, since there was no observation of support during the inspection.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. Most pupils are confident when speaking. On balance, their speaking skills are better than their listening skills. They readily answer questions in lessons and enjoy discussing ideas and sharing opinions, in personal, social and health education lessons for example. Some do not use Standard English when speaking, and not all teachers take the opportunity to model back the correct form. They could make better progress in developing both their speaking and listening skills and broadening their vocabulary through being given more opportunities to speak and listen in different contexts.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. Pupils read in line with the expectations for their age and their achievement is good. Many pupils read their books fluently and with understanding. They can talk about the meaning of the text and the higher attaining pupils express their opinions about aspects such as characterisation or style. One pupil, for example, talked at some length about the opening section of ’The Iron Man’ in this way. Some pupils with special educational needs read hesitantly but use their knowledge of phonics to attempt words they cannot read at first go. Pupils are familiar with reference books and the Dewey library system.

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The school’s results and achievements

5. By the time they reach eleven, many pupils are familiar with writing for different purposes, using a variety of forms and styles. Pupils across the school encounter a wide range of writing opportunities, including playscripts, poems, instructions, diaries, formal letters and journalistic writing. They also have good opportunities to write from imagination, in response to a range of stimuli. Some most effective pieces of work arose from a recent residential visit to the New Forest, when Year 6 pupils wrote poetry inspired by the landscape and atmosphere. Pupils make good progress in learning the more formal aspects of English, such as spelling, punctuation and grammar Hulbert Junior School - 12 as they move through the school. Some higher attaining pupils write expressively and seek to include more interesting and rich language. However, many do not have the breadth and richness of vocabulary to writing consistently at Level 5 standard. The school has focused effectively on

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The school’s results and achievements

developing pupils’ knowledge of writing for different purposes and organising their writing according to the context. Pupils make good progress in writing, considering their below average skills as they enter the school. 6. By the age of eleven pupils are working at the expected standards in mathematics but numeracy standards are better than is normally found, across all levels of ability. They make good progress overall as they move through the school although it is only satisfactory in Year 5 because teachers do not always expect enough of the pupils. By eleven, they are confident with quick recall of their tables and have secure knowledge of numbers to at least ten million. They work out problems such as a quarter of 2 or 10 per cent of 15 mentally. They round up or down and make estimations about large numbers, for example 51 times 47. Many pupils understand how to use and interpret graphs

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The school’s results and achievements

and charts and they know the properties of three-dimensional shapes. 7. In science, pupils are working at appropriate standards by the time they leave the school across all aspects of the subject. They devise methods for testing soil, record and interpret their findings. Pupils have a sound knowledge of the circulatory system and know the function of the major organs of the body. They show through their work in design and technology that they understand some of the principles of forces. Standards in information and communication technology match what is required by the age of eleven. The pupils' progress has been better over the last year, since the addition of new networked computers. They use desktop-publishing programs to produce documents in a variety of styles and formats and are getting to grips with spreadsheets and data handling.

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The school’s results and achievements

8. Standards match the requirements for pupils’ ages in all other subjects, apart from art and design, where standards fall below the expectations for pupils aged eleven and progress is unsatisfactory. Pupils achieve well in religious education, geography, history and physical education, and their achievement is satisfactory in information and communication technology, design and technology and music. In art, pupils have not acquired the skills and understanding in painting, drawing, sculpture and other crafts such as pottery and printing; textile or 3-dimensional design is better. They find it difficult to express their ideas and feelings effectively because they do not develop a good enough range of skills and visual vocabulary as they move through the school.

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The school’s results and achievements

9. The inspection findings show that there has been good improvement in raising standards since the last inspection and improving pupils’ achievement as they move through the school. The main reason for this is the shared determination and the very clear focus at all levels on analysing where the weaknesses lie and looking for ways to improve.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Pupils’ attitudes to school are good and this is in line with the last inspection. In class they show interest and have a positive attitude to their work and are keen to answer questions. A small minority have limited concentration and are easily distracted. Pupils work well together in small groups, sharing ideas and collaborating purposefully. 11. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is good. The school functions as an orderly community. The pupils are polite and respectful. Some good examples of sensitive awareness to other pupils were witnessed during the inspection. A good example of this was when two pupils comforted another who had fallen over in the playground until the lunchtime supervisor arrived. In lessons, while the majority of pupils behave well, some isolated instances of poor and insensitive behaviour were observed. This had a negative impact on the learning of other pupils. There were five

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

short-term exclusions in the last reported year. No one has been excluded this year. 12. Pupils’ relationships and personal development are good. Teachers establish trusting and productive relationships with their pupils. The pupils are courteous to each other, staff and visitors. The older pupils behave responsibly and with maturity. The pupils enjoy having responsibility and value the opportunity to play a part in helping the school through, for example, “The Young Hulbert Junior School - 13 Governors” and “The Friendship Bunch”. They relish the opportunities they are given to carry out various tasks, both in classrooms and the school, generally. For example they take the registers to reception, help with the library and assist in assemblies. 13. Attendance is broadly in line with the national average. It has been improving over the last three years. The high incidence of parents taking pupils out of school during term time for family holidays

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

is having a detrimental effect on attendance figures. Most pupils enjoy coming to school but a small minority are sometimes late. Lessons start and finish on time. This enables the pupils to have full use of the teaching time available. Registers are well presented and fully comply with the legal requirements. 14. Pupils with special educational needs generally show good attitudes to work, behave well in lessons and around the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. The quality of teaching and learning is good with some strong features. This judgement is based on the teaching observed during the inspection period and analysis of pupils’ work across all subject areas since the beginning of the academic year. During the inspection, 61 per cent of lessons were good or better and 24 per cent very good or excellent. A very small number of lessons, representing three per cent of lessons observed, were unsatisfactory. Whilst very good or excellent lessons were observed in all year groups, over half occurred in Year 6.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. Teaching is good across all subjects, apart from art and design and design and technology where it is satisfactory. There was insufficient evidence of the teaching of information and communication technology to make a secure overall judgement. Literacy and numeracy are both taught well and many of the very good, and both of the excellent lessons, occurred in either English or mathematics.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. This shows marked improvement in the quality of teaching since the last inspection when 10 per cent of lessons were unsatisfactory, around half were good but few were very good. The instances of unsatisfactory teaching have now reduced to a very small number, and the proportion of good and, particularly, very good teaching has increased significantly.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. Where teaching is most effective and often of high quality, many of the following strengths were noted:

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

• high expectations of what pupils will achieve during the lesson, helped by a brisk pace to learning; • Very carefully planned with well organised and well structured activities that challenge all abilities; • Well focused teaching that is specifically related to what individual pupils or group of pupils need to learn next to improve, particularly in English and mathematics; • effective questioning techniques to probe, challenge and inspire pupils to think and work hard • very good relationships and a mutual enthusiasm for learning between teacher and pupils; • Inspirational and energetic teaching that motivates and enthuses the pupils;

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. All of these features help to keep pupils interested and challenged, and pupils make very good strides in their learning in these lessons.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. In one excellent Year 6 numeracy lesson on recording and explaining division and multiplication, the teacher had a very thorough knowledge of pupils’ needs that stemmed from information from assessments. She intervened skilfully with individual pupils, at different levels according to their ability, and helped pupils to correct their own work. Through this approach, they clearly gained new knowledge as well as confidence and self-esteem. In another Year 6 numeracy lesson, the teacher kept pupils on their toes by ensuring the lesson moved at a good pace, with some quick-fire questions. This was infectious and prompted the pupils to think quickly when calculating Hulbert Junior School - 14 mentally and explaining their thinking. Another effective lesson occurred in literacy, again in Year 6, when pupils were learning techniques for retrieving information from text and summarising it in their own words. The teacher used questioning techniques skilfully to help pupils of all abilities

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

learn very effectively. Higher attaining pupils, for example, broadened their vocabulary and learned new techniques in this lesson. In a very effective Year 4 geography lesson, the teacher used a very good range of methods, including ‘brainstorming’, using overhead projectors and flashcards, as well as discussion and question and answer sessions. The teacher sensed when to move on to the next part of the lesson and gauged skilfully when pupils’ concentration was just starting to wane. As a result, pupils were interested and involved in the lesson. As well as learning a lot about the environment and how it can be damaged and improved, they were required to interpret evidence and think for themselves.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. In some satisfactory lessons and in the very few cases when teaching was judged to be unsatisfactory, the following weaknesses were identified:

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

• teachers talked for prolonged periods, which meant pupils began to lose their concentration and their interest levels dipped; • teachers were not wholly effective in managing the class and do not notice when some pupils became inattentive and less productive; • pupils’ mistakes were not picked up by the teacher; • planned tasks were not well matched to the ability of the pupils, which meant not all pupils were sufficiently challenged.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. In one unsatisfactory lesson, the teacher did not ensure all pupils understood the difference between main and subordinate clauses, which meant the majority of pupils were unable to complete the follow-up work. Many made errors but were unaware of this; during the plenary session, some examples shared by the pupils were incorrect yet the teacher did not pick this up. In the other unsatisfactory lesson, the teacher’s management of the pupils was not effective. This meant pupils became noisy and there was some inappropriate behaviour. Pupils did not learn enough in this lesson as a result.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Teaching for pupils with special educational needs is good. This is so both where pupils are taught in their classes and where small groups are withdrawn from lessons for extra literacy work. Teachers have had good training in this aspect of their work. Teachers know their pupils well and provide work for pupils with special educational needs that is challenging and at an appropriate level. Learning assistants provide a high level of effective support. Where extra support is provided in lessons, there is effective teamwork between teachers and learning assistants that leads to good provision for pupils with special educational needs. Teaching for the school’s highest attaining pupils in the Independent Learning Strategy is good and leads to increased skills in independent thinking, teamwork and makes a contribution to raising standards. The previous inspection report noted that higher attaining pupils did not achieve appropriate standards and this issue has clearly

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

been addressed. There are detailed and specific individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs that contain well-focused targets.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Scrutiny of pupils’ work shows some inconsistencies in the quality of marking and in the progress pupils make between classes within the same year group. For example, pupils in one Year 6 class do not learn quite so well in English as they do in the other two classes. In mathematics, pupils’ achievement dips slightly during Year 5. When marking is effective, pupils are told what they have done well and given hints on how they could improve. This applies particularly in English.

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

25. Careful planning and monitoring, based on the current perceived needs of the pupils, results in a relevant curriculum, which has good breadth. All statutory requirements are met. The timetable is arranged so that literacy and numeracy are the first priority and have good daily coverage. Extra time is given to these subjects through booster and springboard classes in years 5 and 6. The national strategy for literacy has been implemented very well, having had more time to develop than the numeracy strategy. This has been implemented well. Together with the close monitoring of Hulbert Junior School - 15 teaching and pupils’ attainment, these strategies have given significant support to raising the quality of teaching and pupils’ standards of attainment. 26. There is less emphasis on the creative and expressive areas of the curriculum. Pupils do not sing regularly enough and there are some weaknesses in planning for art and design. This means that

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

pupils to not acquire the skills, knowledge and understanding they need in a steady way as they move through the school.

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

27. Teachers plan very carefully in year groups to ensure sufficient time is given to all subjects and that no time is wasted. For example, the time between the literacy and numeracy hour is sometimes used as a short session to develop reading strategies. Increasingly, the school is finding ways of linking the teaching of subjects together. For example, extended writing sessions are linked to work in history, geography and science. As a result, the school has a curriculum that is well-planned and coherent, with sufficient time for each subject. The planning for religious education is appropriate and follows the Locally Agreed Syllabus. Arrangements for collective worship are satisfactory. Sex and drug education is taught appropriately through specific formal planning and through the science curriculum.

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

28. The previous inspection identified the curriculum as having weaknesses. These have been remedied very well. In particular, much improved subject guidance and planning systems have been established. Subject co-ordinators play an important role in establishing guidance, based on the National Curriculum, which is broken down into modules of work. These clearly establish detailed outlines of learning objectives, activities, resources and timings for each objective. Teachers plan in year groups from this, adapting activities to meet the needs of their pupils in meeting the learning objectives. This good system helps to ensure progression within subjects and is carefully monitored by the subject co-ordinators.

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

29. A strength of the curriculum is the very good account taken by the school of the particular needs of the pupils it serves. Regular school reviews, following monitoring, help to make decisions about time allocations for subjects and in particular extra opportunities offered to enrich the pupils’ lives. Creating pathways to opportunities for pupils, and a commitment to raising standards, strongly underpins all decisions made.

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

30. Curriculum arrangements provide good access for pupils with special educational needs. Where individuals or small groups are withdrawn from lessons for group work, this is done on a rota basis so that they do not miss the same lesson each week. The arrangements for the highest attaining pupils in the Independent Learning Strategy are very good. This is a well-organised course in which pupils achieve well. Where the school works with other agencies to provide for pupils with special educational needs, the relationships are good.

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

31. Rigorous monitoring of all aspects of school life ensures that there are equal opportunities for all. This includes monitoring for age, sex and ethnic background. Teaching is monitored to ensure equality of opportunity in questioning and intervention, and pupils’ results are closely monitored for individual, group and class performances.

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

32. There is good provision for personal, social and health education and citizenship, which is well supported by a range of visitors who come into school to support the programme.

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

33. The provision for extra curricular activities is very good. The range of clubs that take place during lunchtime and after school include netball, football, cross-country, running, indoor hockey, rounders and cricket. In addition there are non-sporting clubs that include computing, dance, art, drama, lace making, French, chess and poetry. The school aims to have at least ten clubs running at any one time. These are a valuable addition to the pupils’ learning.

p.15

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

34. The school has constructive relationships with partner institutions, such as the infant and secondary schools. The contribution made by the community to the pupils’ learning is very good. There are many visitors who come into the school to widen the pupils’ knowledge of the outside world. These include authors, artists and librarians. Teachers organise many school visits to places of interest, Hulbert Junior School - 16 which enhance the curriculum. Pupils also have the opportunity to enjoy residential visits. Some pupils ran in the “City of Caen Peace Run”, for example, which is a developing link.

p.15

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

35. Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall.

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

36. There is satisfactory provision for pupils’ spiritual development. Assemblies provide opportunities for pupils to reflect on their lives and on the lives of other people as well as an introduction to some moral issues. The school fulfils the statutory requirements for collective worship. Opportunities for reflection are found in a number of subjects such as science, geography, music and religious education. However, planning for pupils’ spiritual development is not strong across all subjects and not all areas of the curriculum make a significant contribution. There could be far more planned opportunities to promote the spiritual dimension within pupils overall personal development. Singing could play a much more prominent part in the life of the school, including collective worship.

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

37. The provision for pupils’ moral development is very good. A strong moral dimension is found in lessons where teachers constantly emphasise a strong code of good behaviour and consideration for others, which is consistently applied by all staff across all classes. There is a good system of awards and rewards to encourage both good work and good behaviour that have a significant impact on behaviour in the school. These include a very popular sleepover in the school that is well supported by staff and parents. The school also has links with a number of charities and regularly raises funds for them. The adults in the school provide very positive role models. Pupils are taught to know right from wrong and the school is a well-ordered community.

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

38. There is very good provision for pupils’ social development. Opportunities are taken in the majority of lessons for developing social skills such as working together, sharing and taking turns. Pupils respond well in discussions and show sensitivity to the views of others. There is a wide range of trips and extra curricular activities during the year that provide good opportunities for pupils to develop their social relationships with each other and with adults. Pupils are courteous to visitors and are happy to talk with them. Higher attaining pupils are involved in the Independent Learning Strategy and this presents very good opportunities for them to develop both personal and social skills. Many pupils do not enter the school with well-developed social skills and there is a good element of “value added” in their time in school.

p.16

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

39. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is satisfactory. There is a multi-cultural contribution made by the study of other world religions in religious education lessons. Some emphasis on the multicultural element of music is evident in displays of music from around the world. There is also a cultural element in subjects such as English, geography and history. The school has a range of trips and a number of visitors to the school who make a good contribution to cultural development. The previous report indicated that the contribution of arts subjects was not strong, and this remains an area for improvement. In general, pupils have limited opportunities to celebrate the richness and diversity of other cultures. This gives them limited preparation for life in a culturally diverse society.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. The quality of support and guidance is very good. Provision for pupils’ pastoral care is very good and all staff in the school clearly this give this aspect high priority. This helps pupils to feel valued and, in turn, helps them to achieve well. The school works hard to ensure the safety of its pupils. The school’s health and safety policy is well documented and has been fully implemented. All statutory requirements in these areas have been met.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Arrangements for child protection are very good. The head teacher is the designated responsible person for this and both he and the deputy headteacher have received appropriate training. All members of staff are aware of the policy and arrangements in respect of child protection.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The school has good procedures for monitoring and improving attendance. These are effective and are consistently applied. Hulbert Junior School - 17 43. Procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are very good. The policy is thorough and there are appropriate rewards and sanctions, which are consistently used and which have a positive effect upon pupils’ attitudes and behaviour. Pupils and parents are confident in reporting instances of bullying and harassment. When this happens, they report it is dealt with speedily and effectively. During the inspection, the lunchtime supervisors dealt with any boisterous behaviour in the playground appropriately. Procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ personal development are very good.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. The school tracks pupils’ academic progress very well; careful analysis of data is the key to this aspect of support. Data is collected from the feeder schools on attainment in the core subjects, standardised tests in maths and spelling are conducted each year and all teachers carry out assessments regularly. The headteacher provides each classroom teacher with the pupils' individual levels at the beginning and end of the year so that they can see how much progress the pupils make. This information is also used to identify where there might be weaknesses in their learning.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The school has excellent procedures for assessing pupils' attainment and progress. All subjects, foundation subjects included, have clear policies and guidelines for assessment and all teachers make use of these when marking, setting levels and targets and assessing work at key points during the year. These assessments show where there are gaps in the pupils' knowledge and understanding, or where pupils are under-performing in relation to what they attained previously. Teachers are then able to focus on particular aspects of the curriculum or to more accurately match work to pupils' ability. The older children are made aware of the level at which they are working. They agree targets and teachers show them what they need to do to achieve them. Some Year 6 pupils, in a maths group for higher attaining pupils, felt that their understanding of algebra was an area for improvement and asked their teacher if they could do some revision on this aspect. She

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

was able to rearrange the next lesson to provide this and it proved a popular move with the rest of the class as well.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The use of assessment information is very good. The delivery of the curriculum is under constant review with regard to raising attainment and improving the pupils' achievements. The school uses very detailed information, including analyses of past results and trends in the Key Stage 2 national tests. Powerful graphing software, for instance, provides a dramatic indication of where pupils are under-achieving or doing particularly well. These results have helped the school take decisions leading to developments in the curriculum and to the way that lessons are planned and taught. In addition, pupils are carefully grouped or 'set’ when appropriate so that teaching can focus on weaker areas.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. There are very good assessment procedures in place for tracking attainment and progress for pupils with special educational needs. Teachers and learning assistants frequently review progress and discuss this with the pupils so pupils know what to do to attain their targets. This level of review also allows new targets to be set as soon as that is appropriate and this contributes to raising standards.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. Since the last inspection the improvement in the schools' provision and use of assessment for supporting pupils' academic progress has been excellent.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. The school’s partnership with parents is very good. Ninety eight per cent of parents who responded to the questionnaire issued before the inspection felt that the school was well led and managed and inspection evidence supports their views. The school values its parents. Most parents contribute fully to their child’s learning by ensuring regular and punctual attendance. The Friends of the School work hard to raise money for purchasing equipment or helping with projects to support pupils’ learning. The new Information and Communication Technology suite is a good example of this. Parents feel happy in the school and approximately twenty help on a regular basis. They find the headteacher and teaching staff easily accessible and approachable, both formally and informally. All members of the teaching staff maintain good contact with pupils’ parents, who appreciate the opportunity to discuss queries or problems with them should they arise.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

Hulbert Junior School - 18 50. The quality of information for parents is good, on balance. There are informative fortnightly newsletters. Parents receive information on the curriculum through these, as well as through open evenings. The school brochure and the governors’ annual report to parents fully comply with legal requirements. Some pupils’ annual reports do not reflect their individual strengths and weaknesses and are too general; this is particularly the case with the foundation subjects. They do not all set out clearly what pupils can do and what they need to do next to improve. Homework is clearly set out for parents to follow and parents are happy with the arrangements. The school complies with the requirements for home-school agreements.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. There are good individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs. The school reports that some parents are reluctant to attend annual reviews for pupils with special educational needs but, overall, there are good formal and informal contacts with them.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The leadership and management of the school are very good. The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide excellent leadership. Both have a clear commitment to the pupils succeeding, academically and in terms of the personal development. This is underpinned by the school’s strong vision statement and aims. There is a strong and vibrant ethos in the school. Through the school’s very good monitoring procedures, the headteacher has a keen understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. As a result, he has a clear vision for how he sees the school developing and improving further.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53. Since the last inspection, the senior management team has focused sharply on some crucial areas that were identified as weaknesses, such as the quality of the teaching, the curriculum planning and the way the school uses information from assessment. There has been very good progress in improving all these areas, within a well-structured and carefully staged development plan. The current school improvement plan is very good. Its targets are appropriate and it is well constructed so as to guide the work of governors, subject managers and all staff in the school.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. This is a school where there is a clear focus on pupils’ standards and how well they are achieving. For example, the headteacher carries out extensive analysis of how well pupils are progressing and this information is shared with each class teacher so that individual pupils who are not doing as well as they should can be identified and helped to improve.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. A recent priority has been the need to raise the standards of pupils who are on the borderline between attaining higher levels in English and mathematics, whether it be reaching the national expectation or Level 5. A range of strategies has been put in place, such as booster groups, grouping by ability and extra sessions for individual pupils taken by learning assistants. All these were seen to be working very effectively during the inspection and they are already having a marked impact upon pupils’ standards and achievement. Another recent valuable strategy has been the Independent Learning Programme, initiated by the headteacher to challenge higher attaining pupils and encourage them to take responsibility for their own learning, another aspect that was criticised at the last inspection. All these are examples of the senior management team’s energetic determination improve the provision for the benefit of pupils in the school.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The governing body is very effective. The Chair of Governors is highly committed to school improvement and plays a significant role in this. He works very effectively with the headteacher and is an important driving force in the overall management of the school. The governing body is well informed by the headteacher and governors ask pertinent questions on aspects such as the standards pupils attain and the quality of the curriculum. To assist them in their role, governors commission external reports from the local education authority (LEA) inspection and advisory service, to put alongside the information they receive from the monitoring carried out by the headteacher and deputy headteacher.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. Subject managers provide good leadership. They are involved in monitoring their subjects across the school and identifying areas for improvement. Some of the best practice occurs in English, Hulbert Junior School - 19 where the quality of the documentation is exemplary. Whilst not all elements of the policy and guidance are in place across the school, it provides very clear support for teachers and has been a key factor in improving pupils’ learning in English.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The co-ordinator for special educational needs has shown very good leadership in preparing individual education plans, ensuring that staff are aware of them and in setting up procedures for learning support. The overall co-ordination of the Independent Learning Strategy is very good. Support staff and teachers have had a good level of training and this contributes to raising standards. The senior management and governors have made a very good contribution to the development of special educational needs provision. There is a link governor for special educational needs and the governors’ monitoring of this area of work is good. All delegated funds are allocated appropriately. Statutory requirements for special educational needs are fully met.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The leadership of the school has improved greatly since the last inspection, particularly in relation to the development of the senior management team, the role of the subject managers and the influence of the governing body in relation to the overall management of the school.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. Financial control and school administration are very good. The school makes effective use of information and communication technology in its administrative processes. Data is used well to compare pupils’ performance with other similar schools, as well as nationally and locally. Good attention is given to achieving the best value in its ordering of resources and contracts for services. Specific grants are used appropriately and the financial provision for pupils with special educational needs is spent on the purpose for which it is intended. Expenditure is closely monitored by the school and by the governing body’s finance sub-committee. The recent audit report identified only a small number of very minor adjustments that were necessary and which have been addressed.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The number, qualifications and experience of teachers and support staff match the demands of the curriculum and are good. The committed members of the support staff play a significant role in their work in the classroom. There are excellent induction programmes both for newly qualified teachers and teachers new to the school. These have proved to be highly successful and the recipients are very impressed. There are appropriate arrangements for performance management of staff.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. Accommodation is good and allows the curriculum to be taught effectively. The school design makes it easy to clean and to maintain. It is enhanced as a learning environment by its extensive and attractive grounds. One weakness is the school field, which has poor drainage and which floods in wet weather. The caretaker and his team of three set high standards and are effective. Pupils contribute by leaving no litter around the school. However, there is substantial vandalism in the area and the school suffers as a result, particularly at weekends.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The school has sufficient resources overall to support learning and meet the demands of the National Curriculum. Resources in subjects such as art and design technology are good and in English and information and communication technology they are very good. The new computer suite is much valued by pupils and parents. In all subjects resources are easily accessible for both teachers and pupils and are used efficiently to support pupils’ learning. Hulbert Junior School - 20

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

64. In order to continue to raise standards, the headteacher, deputy headteacher, staff and governors should:

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Improve the quality of teaching further, to increase the proportion of good or better teaching, by: • ensuring that teachers provide sufficient challenge for pupils of differing abilities and use a broader range of teaching methodologies to motivate and inspire pupils to learn effectively; (paragraphs: 21, 22, 24, 70, 71, 74, 80, 85, 89)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Raise pupils’ standards of attainment and achievement in art and design, by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• ensuring teachers are aware of the skills, knowledge and understanding pupils should be acquiring as they move from year to year; • ensure teaching supports pupils’ learning of specific skills; • improve the quality of curriculum guidance to give better support to teachers who lack expertise and confidence in teaching art (paragraphs: 8, 87 - 90)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Help pupils to develop their speaking and listening skills, broaden their vocabulary and improve their fluency, by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• increasing the emphasis on speaking and listening across the curriculum; • providing a wider range of opportunities for pupils to practise and extend their speaking and listening skills • ensuring the policy and guidance for speaking and listening underpins teachers’ planning and teaching; • broadening teachers’ awareness of ways in which they can promote speaking and listening skills as an integral part of their teaching. (paragraphs: 3, 67)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The governing body should also consider the following minor weaknesses when drawing up their action plan:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1. Provide more opportunities for pupils to develop their creativity, imagination and expression through the creative arts (paragraphs: 26, 39) 2. Broaden provision for pupils’ spiritual and cultural development (paragraphs: 36, 39) 3. Improve the quality of annual reports to parents (paragraph: 67) 4. Ensure pupils sing more regularly (paragraphs: 36, 109) 5. Improve the consistency of how reading logs are used and make them more robust so that they stand wear and tear. (paragraphs: 68, 75) Hulbert Junior School - 21

p.20

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 26

p.21

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.21

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

3 21 37 36 3 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 307

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 69

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 106

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 3

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 38

p.21

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 26

p.21

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Hulbert Junior School - 22

p.21

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 37 26 63

p.22

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Boys 23 27 33 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 20 17 22

p.22

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Percentage of pupils School 68 (65) 70 (67) 87 (78) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

p.22

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Boys 27 26 25 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 20 17 20

p.22

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Percentage of pupils School 75 (67) 68 (68) 71 (69) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Hulbert Junior School - 23

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.23

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 1 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.23

Qualified teachers and classes: Y3 – Y6

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 13.8 Financial year 1999-

p.23

Qualified teachers and classes: Y3 – Y6

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.2

p.23

Qualified teachers and classes: Y3 – Y6

Education support staff: Y3 – Y6 Total expenditure 563,722

p.23

Qualified teachers and classes: Y3 – Y6

Total number of education support staff 11 Expenditure per pupil 1873

p.23

Qualified teachers and classes: Y3 – Y6

Total aggregate hours worked per week 138 Balance brought forward from previous year 22,336

p.23

Qualified teachers and classes: Y3 – Y6

Balance carried forward to next year 24,104 Hulbert Junior School - 24

p.23

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 57 41 2 0 0

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 42 49 5 0 3

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 48 47 4 0 0

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 52 42 4 0 2

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 71 27 1 0 1

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 69 31 0 0 0

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 48 43 6 0 2

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 70 28 1 1 0

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 62 36 1 0 1

p.24

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 69 25 6 0 0 Hulbert Junior School - 25

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ENGLISH

65. In the 2000 National Curriculum tests for eleven-year-olds, pupils’ performance was below the national average but matched the performance of schools where pupils come from similar backgrounds. Reading results were better than writing and this has been the case over the last few years. There is generally little difference between girls’ and boys’ performance. Analysis of pupils’ performance in their national tests at seven and their performance aged eleven shows that this year group of pupils made good progress in English. Between 1996 and 2000, there has been marked improvement in pupils’ performance in English and inspection evidence shows this has continued and pupils are now working at appropriate standards.

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ENGLISH

66. Inspection findings show that all pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve well as they move through the school. Standards are in line with what is expected by eleven in all three aspects of English: speaking and listening, reading and writing, although the proportion of pupils attaining Level 5 in speaking and listening and in writing is slightly lower than is often found. Considering pupils’ below average attainment when they enter the school, they make good progress in English. This is because of the consistently good quality teaching, the well- planned curriculum, the very effective assessment procedures and the very good leadership on the part of the co-ordinator. All these factors are having a positive impact upon improving standards in English. There is a good chance that pupils’ performance will be much nearer the national average in this year’s tests. The school has set suitably ambitious targets for the

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ENGLISH

proportion of pupils reaching and exceeding the nationally expected level. Whilst there are a good number of pupils working at the higher Level 5 in reading, fewer are working securely at Level 5 in writing.

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ENGLISH

67. Most pupils speak confidently and readily contribute ideas and opinions when the opportunity arises. However, many often find it difficult to sustain and develop their speaking beyond an initial statement and express their ideas and thoughts at more length. Generally, in lessons, pupils listen carefully to their teachers but not all listen as carefully to other pupils when they are speaking. Although the school’s planning systems indicate the specific vocabulary that will be taught within topics, many pupils do not have a broad vocabulary to enliven their speaking and, in the same way, their writing. Pupils’ progress in speaking and listening could be better. There is a good policy and helpful guidelines for this aspect of English and speaking and listening lessons are identified on the timetable but more could be done within literacy lessons to improve speaking and listening standards. During the inspection, some valuable

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ENGLISH

opportunities were missed for teachers to develop pupils’ spoken English, through asking pupils for further detail, for example, or by encouraging better listening skills through asking a follow up question to the rest, to prompt others to engage in discussion. Some teachers tend to ask a general question to the class and are happy with brief answers when follow-up questions would have allowed pupils to express themselves more clearly and at more length. On other occasions, when pupils do not use correct Standard English when speaking, teachers do not always take the opportunity to model back the correct form.

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ENGLISH

68. Many pupils read their texts fluently, with good levels of expression to convey the meaning. Pupils talk about the main ideas and the main characters in their books and refer to the text to support their views. Across the school, pupils use a range of strategies to work out words that they misread or don’t know. Pupils are adept at using reference books to retrieve information. They can find a specific reference in the index and scan text to locate what they need to know. They use the school library regularly and are familiar with the Dewey library system. Higher attaining pupils are often avid readers and read regularly, for enjoyment. They discuss different authors enthusiastically and outline their preferences. One pupil, who read in an animated and expressive manner kept interrupting herself when reading to an inspector, saying something like, ‘That’s good!’ as she came to a particularly humorous section or a phrase she appreciated.

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ENGLISH

Pupils with special educational needs read more hesitantly and are less confident in talking about the meaning of the texts they read or expressing an opinion. Pupils benefit from a broad Hulbert Junior School - 26 selection of texts within literacy lessons and from the school library. They appreciate having access to a constantly changing variety of books which they can borrow from the library van that visits weekly. They record the books they read in their reading logs but the quality and use of these varies. At best, they are kept up to date and contain helpful comments from teachers, learning assistants and parents, as well as targets to help pupils improve. In other cases, they are not used effectively to track pupils’ reading, pupils do not record all books that they read and some teachers’ comments are too general, for example, ‘read well’.

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ENGLISH

69. Pupils experience a broad range of writing opportunities. By the time they reach eleven, many show a good awareness of the different purposes of writing. They know that some types of writing need a different form, style and layout, for example, when writing a diary, formal letter or a publicity brochure. Pupils are also aware that in the past, the style of writing was very different; one pupil wrote, ‘I’ll see you by the hour of nine’ when writing in the style of Shakespeare. They also have plenty of opportunity to write from imagination, including extended writing. As they move through the key stage, they make good progress in writing. Most pupils have an understanding of spelling, punctuation and grammar that is appropriate for their age although even some of the higher attaining pupils do spell words that would normally be secure by this stage incorrectly. Some pupils use expressive and imaginative language

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ENGLISH

when writing. For example, one pupil wrote, ‘My legs were like jelly and my emotions mixed’. Another wrote, ‘George felt a river of painful sorrow and guilt rush from his head to his toes’. Pupils wrote some very evocative poems, with good imagery, as part of a writing residency in the New Forest. One pupil’s poem included the phrase, ‘The smells of forest flowers weeping….’ and another ‘…and the breeze wanders over branches emerging from beneath.’ Whilst pupils often have a good understanding of aspects such as form, style and organisation of different types of writing, higher attaining pupils do not always have the breadth of vocabulary and expressive turns of phrase to ensure they are writing consistently at Level 5.

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ENGLISH

70. The quality of teaching is good and over 40 per cent of the teaching was very good. Lessons are thoroughly planned and work is adapted well for the differing abilities of pupils. Teachers have good relationships with pupils and many of them transmit their enthusiasm for English to their pupils, which means the pupils are keen to learn and put effort into their work. Occasionally, teachers talk too long and become long-winded. The pupils soon begin to lose interest and become subdued and their learning becomes less effective. In the best lessons, teachers ask effective, probing questions to ensure pupils are challenged. Lessons have a brisk pace. All these factors help to keep pupils alert. This was seen in a lesson with older pupils, on skimming and scanning texts to retrieve factual information on The Inuit. The pupils were very eager to find out ways of organising their work to make locating the information easier, from

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ENGLISH

the mass of information they had before them. When teachers focus on a particular group of pupils to concentrate on a writing task, this is often done well. In one good lesson, the teacher was skilful in listening to the pupils’ ideas for writing a good opening to a story which, through careful questioning, she sought to improve. This teacher made learning interesting, at one point building a sense of drama by using actions herself to portray tiredness to keep the pupils thinking actively and come up with better expressions. One guided writing session was less successful because the teacher was too prescriptive and this limited the quality of the pupils’ contributions. A few teachers use a range of strategies to encourage pupils to extend their speech when giving answers or opinions. Sometimes they do this by asking open-ended questions. In one very effective lesson, for example, the teacher asked ‘How do you get

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ENGLISH

dramatic tension into a story?’ which prompted some pupils to speak at more length. In another effective lesson, a teacher led a good brainstorming session, allowing pupils plenty of time to respond and to express themselves. The pupils enjoyed this and listened well. However, in some lessons, the teachers talk for too large a proportion of the lesson and ask questions that mainly require brief answers. Pupils do not show as much interest and some start to daydream. In these lessons, some valuable opportunities are missed to develop pupils’ speaking and listening skills.

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ENGLISH

71. In the one unsatisfactory lesson observed, the majority of pupils had not understood the distinction between a main and subordinate clause so they were not able to complete the Hulbert Junior School - 27 independent work successfully. The teacher did not notice when, during the plenary, some of the examples the pupils offered were incorrect, so their learning was confused.

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ENGLISH

72. There are inconsistencies in the quality of teachers’ marking of pupils’ written work. The best practice occurs where marking is supportive, offers praise and encouragement but gives advice on how the pupil can improve. For example, one teacher wrote, ‘Something exciting needs to happen here’ against a paragraph where the pace and impact of the story flagged. In other cases, teachers comment only on what the pupil has achieved in relation to the main learning objective. This is a useful technique in helping teachers to assess pupils’ work but does not give the pupil any guidance. Marking is weakest when written work is marked with just ticks or where comments are mainly negative.

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ENGLISH

73. One of the strengths of the school is the targeting of groups of pupils and individual pupils to help them improve. On one occasion, a learning assistant worked in depth with one pupil, who had been identified as working just below the expected level in writing, to help him devise a story plan. Through some very effective questioning, and through scribing for the pupil to allow him time to think, she inspired him to explore more interesting ideas and think of more expressive vocabulary. Teaching of pupils with special educational needs is often good, both when they are working in small groups with teachers or learning assistants, or when they are working on adapted work, within literacy hour sessions. In one lesson on using persuasive language for an advert for a new car, for example, the teacher kept in close touch with SEN pupils when they were working independently. She quickly noticed when their ideas were

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ENGLISH

beginning to wane and through good questions and some effective visualisation techniques, they thought of better phrases, such as, ‘You just want to drive it.’ In one lesson, on basic phonic skills, the teacher worked with a small group of SEN pupils. She had a range of carefully prepared tests, which helped to maintain pupils’ interest and keep the pace moving. This was important, since many of the pupils had short attention spans. Sometimes, small group work is not as well organised and learning loses momentum because the teacher does not manage to keep all the pupils involved in learning.

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ENGLISH

74. Pupils have good attitudes to English. In most lessons, they enjoy learning, respond very well to their teachers and settle down to work quickly. Whatever their reading abilities, pupils across the school enjoy reading and many read regularly at home. They behave very well and are patient, even in lessons where they have to listen for a long time. Pupils react particularly well when they are required to work on group tasks or take part in drama activities. Where teaching is less interesting, the pupils become subdued and do not work well. This happened in a writing lesson, where the teacher had an overly relaxed teaching style, which did not inspire or enthuse the pupils. This affected their learning: they learnt the basic points about journalistic style but were not challenged to experiment with the richness of language.

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ENGLISH

75. The leadership and co-ordination of English is very good. The deputy headteacher gives very clear direction and has a good awareness of the strengths and weaknesses in English. She been instrumental in improving standards. For example, the current focus on writing is clearly helping pupils to develop their understanding of how writing should be structured and organised, depending upon its purpose. There are good systems in place for monitoring the quality of teaching in English. The subject manager looks at pupils’ work but there has been less emphasis on comparing the progress pupils make in each class within the same year group: there are some inconsistencies between classes. The documentation that supports teaching and learning in English is of high quality. This means there is a common approach and, because the policy document and guidance are specific and detailed, this is reflected in the very

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ENGLISH

good planning across the school. Another strength is assessment in English. Pupils’ progress is very carefully tracked and they are set individual targets. Pupils like having these and are clearly motivated by them. This helps to inspire them and, together with the other strong elements of the curriculum and assessment, help them to make good progress. Resources for English are very good. Apart from the reading logs, which are often ragged and torn, the resources to support reading are of very good quality. Hulbert Junior School - 28 76. There has been very good progress in improving the standards and the provision in English since the last inspection.

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MATHEMATICS

77. The National Curriculum tests for eleven-year-olds in 2000 showed that pupils attained below average standards in mathematics in comparison with all schools nationally, but were average when compared with similar schools. National Curriculum average points scores in mathematics have improved in line with the national trend. However, the number of pupils attaining the higher Level 5 was well below the national average. Inspection findings show that, by the age of eleven, most pupils are attaining the standards expected for pupils of this age and their achievement is good. The inspection findings show a better picture than last year’s tests indicate because the school is working very effectively to raise standards across the ability range. There are several reasons why pupils are doing better. These include: grouping pupils according to their attainment levels, organising additional ‘booster’ teaching, excellent

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MATHEMATICS

assessment procedures and very good analysis and use of the information that comes from assessments. Achievements are good for all pupils, including those with special educational needs. Pupils enter the school with below average mathematical skills and, by the time they are eleven, they have improved to average levels. This shows good progress.

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MATHEMATICS

78. Standards have risen steadily in the last three years. This is due to improvements in the quality of teaching, the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy and the very good use the school makes of its assessment information. The previous inspection found standards to be below average and teaching and progress to be satisfactory, so these have also improved. Weakness in using and applying numbers in problems and investigations was also identified in the last inspection. This has been thoroughly addressed and problem-solving work now has high prominence in the lessons seen and in the pupils’ previous work. For example, a task for Year 6 pupils was to write word problems for each other. Coverage of all the aspects of mathematics is good. The school’s scheme of work, which is written and monitored by the co- subject manager, supports good coverage. Provision for homework is also good and makes a

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MATHEMATICS

valuable contribution to raising standards. The oral and mental calculation sessions, which are the first part of every lesson, are of good quality, having been a recent focus for development. They are in almost all cases well planned, relevant and challenging, with good pace.

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MATHEMATICS

79. Work builds systematically through the school in all areas of mathematics. Eight-year-old pupils are confident in adding prices together and finding change. They count on and back in twos up to thirty and identify a missing number in a sequence. Nine-year-old pupils make graphs and interpret their meaning. They identify different types of angles, such as obtuse and acute, and write and solve word problems. At the age of ten, they are able to halve and double numbers confidently and read positive and negative numbers on a thermometer. They solve problems that involve fractions and understand the relationship between decimals and fractions. By the age of eleven, pupils have gained a wide range of knowledge and skills. They use graphs and charts, which they construct from a frequency table, and draw conclusions. They use a protractor to measure and draw angles and are confident in recalling the properties of three-

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MATHEMATICS

dimensional shapes. They have acquired sound knowledge of a variety of ways of completing long multiplication and division, which include decimals. They are familiar with percentages when working out problems. Discussion with a sample of eleven-year-old pupils revealed that they are confident with quick recall of their tables and have secure knowledge of numbers to at least ten million. They count backwards and forwards from a given number, for example in twos, threes and sevens and can mentally work out for example a quarter of 2, or 10 per cent of 15. They know how to round up or down and make estimations about large numbers, for example 51 times 47. Overall their numeracy skills are above average for their ages and this applies to pupils of differing abilities. Progress through the school is generally good but analysis of pupils’ work indicates that it drops to satisfactory in Year 5. Numeracy is used appropriately in other

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MATHEMATICS

areas of the curriculum, for example in science and design technology.

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MATHEMATICS

80. The quality of the teaching is good. In the best lessons, teachers use a wide range of teaching methods to deliver relevant lessons based on the good assessment information that is gathered. Hulbert Junior School - 29 As a result, pupils make good progress in these lessons and learn well. Teachers motivate pupils by working closely with them and helping them to gain a range of strategies to carry out their work. There is very good use of the strategy of asking pupils to explain their methods, which helps to give pupils confidence in their own abilities. For example, in mental and oral sessions, pupils will be asked quick-fire questions and a range of pupils will explain how they arrived at their answers. Expectations of pupils are high and the pace of teaching is often good. This was effective in one Year 6 lesson, where the teacher presented pupils with quick-fire problems, using multiplication facts up to 10. Teachers consistently use white boards and ‘flip

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MATHEMATICS

numbers’ well, so that pupils can show their individual answers to the teacher in whole class sessions. This enables the teacher to assess pupils’ understanding and adjust their teaching accordingly. Because pupils are able to be involved practically, they have made good gains in learning and their progress is often good as a result. Almost all teachers manage pupils well and behaviour is good. Pupils are able to get on with their work and concentrate well. In a very small number of lessons, the pace of the lesson slows and the learning of the pupils is hindered because of this. In one unsatisfactory lesson, the teacher did not manage the pupils well; this led to inappropriately high noise levels and pupils became inattentive, which affected their learning. Lessons are always well planned and content is based on good assessment information. For example, some Year 6 pupils who were assessed at being nearly at the higher

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MATHEMATICS

Level 5 were taking part in a well focused lesson to give them the knowledge and skills to gain this level. They were using a ‘20’ number dice for example, to create addition and subtraction of 6 digit problem sums.

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MATHEMATICS

81. Pupils’ learning and their attainments are assessed very well. Annual reports however, do not give a good picture of individual achievements and are too often the same for a whole group. Data from assessment is collected and analysed very well. Information is used to inform targets for individuals, groups and classes, as well as the whole school. The subject manager is new to the post but has already made a good contribution to raising standards. Information from close monitoring of teaching by the headteacher has been used well. It has been used, for example, to inform teacher training for the use of assessment in each part of the lesson. Overall, the good monitoring and teacher training have contributed well to the good standards in teaching and in raising pupils’ attainment.

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SCIENCE

82. The results of the 2000 tests at the end of Key Stage 2 show standards to be well below the national average for all schools and below the average for similar schools. Whilst the proportion of pupils reaching the expected level was similar to the national average, the number of pupils attaining the higher Level 5 was considerably lower than that nationally. This is the main reason for the well below average attainment overall.

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SCIENCE

83. The inspection findings show that the standards of pupils in Year 6 are much better than pupils’ performance in last year’s tests. Standards now match what is expected by the age of eleven. This represents a good improvement since the 2000 tests and since the last inspection, when standards were below average. Pupils achieve well in the school, as their attainment is below average when they come into the school in Year 3. Pupils meet all attainment targets successfully, with the higher attaining pupils, for instance, devising methods for testing soil and interpreting their findings in the light of what they have learned earlier. Pupils have a sound knowledge of plants and animals and can describe the circulation of the blood and the function of the major organs of the body. The pupils' notebooks showed some particularly ingenious imaginary machines for demonstrating evaporation and condensation. Pupils transfer their

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SCIENCE

understanding of science to other curriculum areas: knowledge of forces, for example, being applied to work in design and technology.

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SCIENCE

84. This improvement has come about through several factors, the major one being the school's excellent procedures for assessing pupils' attainment and progress. These, in turn, have led to developments in the curriculum and to the way that lessons are planned and taught. The assessment shows where there are gaps in the pupils' knowledge and understanding, or where pupils are under-performing in relation to what they have attained previously. Teachers are then Hulbert Junior School - 30 able to focus on particular aspects of the curriculum or to more accurately match work to pupils' ability. At the same time, 'booster' classes concentrate on consolidating and extending the understanding of the higher attaining pupils. The older children are made aware of the level at which they are working. They agree targets and teachers show them what they need to do to achieve them. In addition, continual evaluation of teaching and learning leads to regular revision

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SCIENCE

of the medium and short term plans and to the sharing of good practice.

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SCIENCE

85. Teaching is good overall and, unlike the previous inspection, there is no unsatisfactory teaching. Teachers plan and organise lessons very effectively so that they run smoothly, even when pupils are using a large range of equipment and materials. In a lesson designed to reinforce knowledge and understanding of different types of rocks and soil, Year 6 pupils worked with interest and enthusiasm with many samples, research materials, books and several experiments on the go. Pupils recorded their discoveries excitedly, but effective collaboration and good relationships meant that learning took place without fuss or bother. The pace of lessons is often brisk, with all pupils being challenged to do their best through the teacher’s use of recording sheets, focused questions and the setting of time limits. In this way, teachers enable lower attaining pupils and those with special needs, to make equally good progress.

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SCIENCE

Less successful lessons take place when the teacher has not worked out the level of challenge carefully enough, so that some pupils become distracted. In a Year 3 lesson on light, pupils found some aspects of the task too easy and played around with the apparatus instead of developing their understanding. Also, some of the apparatus provided had not been tested and gave results that the teacher did not expect. This led to some confusing dialogue, which was not fully resolved by the teacher. However, teachers’ subject knowledge in science is generally good and problems such as these are overcome quickly. Teachers make good use of the very good resources, including the school's woodland area, along with visits to local study centres and other field trips. Books on science are to be seen everywhere in the school and pupils are beginning to make use of CD-ROMs and the Internet for research.

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SCIENCE

86. The leadership and management of science are very good. The subject manager has worked very closely with colleagues, the headteacher and LEA adviser to devise a good curriculum that is broad, balanced and relevant to the pupils. For instance, pupils are given good opportunities to ask questions and explore hypotheses, which is an improvement since the last inspection. Her monitoring of teaching and learning has ensured that teachers receive appropriate advice and training. Most importantly, each teacher receives a breakdown of attainment and progress on each child in the class at the beginning and end of the academic year. This attention to detail is typical of everyone’s dedication and commitment to raising standards in science and this provides a good foundation for further improvement.

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ART AND DESIGN

87. By the time they leave school, the pupils' attainment in art is below what is normally found by eleven years of age and achievement over the key stage is unsatisfactory. Few pupils achieve the expected skills and understanding in painting, drawing, sculpture and other crafts such as pottery and printing. In some areas, such as in textile or 3-dimensional design, skills are satisfactorily developed, for example through the research into hats or chairs through the ages. In these instances, pupils produce imaginative, well-finished pieces that demonstrate their ability to plan, evaluate and improve their work, both as individuals and as part of a team. However, the pupils find difficulty in expressing their ideas and feelings effectively because they do not develop a good enough range of skills and visual vocabulary. Attainment has not improved significantly since the last inspection. Good quality sketchbooks have been

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ART AND DESIGN

introduced in Year 3. Here, pupils are developing interesting work in colour and pattern.

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ART AND DESIGN

88. Pupils enjoy art and design, especially the practical activities. They respond well to the teachers and try hard to achieve the targets set for them. On the other hand, few seemed fully engaged in their work. When questioned, few Year 5 and 6 pupils could name any artists or say what their developmental work was aimed at. Year 5 pupils knew that their study of the Ancient Greeks in history was somehow involved but could not say which potters or artists had influenced the work in clay on display in their classroom. Hulbert Junior School - 31 89. Teaching is satisfactory at all levels, which is an improvement since the previous inspection. The emphasis in teaching has changed to reflect the new curriculum. Investigation, selection, design and evaluation have been made more explicit. Teachers plan lessons from a newly- developed scheme of work that covers all aspects of the new programmes of study. They plan

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ART AND DESIGN

and structure lessons well, explaining clearly what they expect pupils to learn. They question pupils effectively to find out what they understand, monitor progress and set challenges appropriate to the different levels of attainment in the class. In a Year 5 lesson pupils were studying the text of a story, and discussing which parts would be best for key illustrations. As an exercise in reading, speaking and listening, this worked well and pupils usefully developed their literacy skills. However, in common with the other lessons seen, pupils were not taught specific art-related skills, in this case in illustration: neither were they shown interesting examples by other artists. This lesson was part way through a 13-week project called ‘Talking Textiles’ which very cleverly combines all the elements of the Art and Design curriculum and culminates in the production of a Bayeux style end product. However, for most pupils,

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ART AND DESIGN

especially the lower attainers and those with special needs, this type of project appears as a series of largely unrelated exercises in which skills are not well developed and little work is finished.

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ART AND DESIGN

90. The art and design subject manager is an art specialist and provides good leadership and management. She is enthusiastic and works extremely hard. She has succeeded in reflecting the school's aims, the new initiatives in curriculum planning, assessment and the recommendations of the previous report in the scheme of work. Whilst the scheme is broad and balanced, the main drawback is that it is very intellectual in nature and difficult for non-specialist teachers to deal with. In a Year 6 lesson for instance, pupils went into the woods to make annotated sketches. The teacher introduced some ideas about texture and shading, only towards the end of the lesson and pupils were told to make the annotations after they had returned to the classroom. As a consequence, opportunities to develop pupils' skills and understanding were lost. The curriculum is enriched by a visiting artist in the summer and

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ART AND DESIGN

regular visits from a lace maker, both of whom work with Year 6 pupils. The school also organises an annual arts festival in the New Forest. Resources are good.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

91. Pupils reach the standards expected for their age in design and technology by the time they are eleven. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection. Both boys and girls are particularly good at carrying out research for a project and can provide labelled diagrams and explanations for alternative designs. Some imaginative picture frames by Year 3 pupils exploited the qualities of various types of foil and paper. Biscuits devised and cooked by the pupils in Year 5 were complemented by their appropriate packaging designs, with step by step manufacturing instructions. However, the pupils' skills in a range of materials and processes are not as well developed as their design skills. For example, Year 6 pupils tackled an exhaustive process of investigation and evaluation but the final products, small beach or picnic towels with an appliqué design, did not reflect the commitment they had made to the process,

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

particularly the higher attaining pupils.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

92. Pupils enjoy designing and making activities and tackle focused practical tasks with enthusiasm. In a Year 5 lesson, pupils investigated the actions of cams using models provided by the teacher. Working in groups, they were able to overcome design problems and make appropriate observations. Higher attaining pupils made suggestions for improvements and helped the less able pupils. The pupils' achievements are satisfactory overall. They are constrained more by the scheme of work than by any inherent weaknesses in the teaching.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

93. Teaching is never less than satisfactory and often good. Most aspects of teaching and learning in design and technology have been maintained since the last inspection. Teachers make good use of the 45-minute lessons each week and often link work in other subjects to design technology. Designs for chairs in art, for instance, follow a similar design-centred approach. Lessons usually run smoothly because the teachers' planning is good. In the most successful Hulbert Junior School - 32 lessons teachers organise the materials and equipment effectively; they teach the skills needed to carry out the tasks and pupils make good progress. In a Year 3 class on pneumatics, pupils made good use of joining skills using tape. They also used their scientific knowledge of air pressure and forces to predict what would happen when they put their machines to the test. However, the teacher had not thoroughly tested the materials beforehand and not everything

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

went as planned. Undaunted, the teacher and pupils found ways around the problems and the teacher made good use of the ensuing discussions to develop pupils' understanding.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

94. This 'learn as you go' approach is typical of the enterprise shown by teachers in responding to the newly-developed scheme of work. Although not a design specialist, the subject manager has received in-service training and has developed the new policy and scheme, with the help of colleagues and LEA adviser. Modules are very carefully planned in response to the new curriculum. Most of the topics are exciting and relevant. Some extremely exacting projects in twelve 45 minute, weekly periods are rather too drawn out, particularly for the lower attaining pupils. This can cause disappointment, especially after an unsuccessful outcome. Year 4 pupils, for example, designed table lamps but the pupils' evaluation in their design books showed that few of them worked. Assessment has improved since the last inspection. Teachers assess pupils' work at points planned into the scheme. This very effective process,

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

coupled with thorough monitoring and evaluation of the teaching, is leading to continual refinement of both medium and short term planning.

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GEOGRAPHY

95. By eleven, standards are in line with that expected of pupils of the same age and pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. There are no significant differences in attainment between girls and boys or across different levels of attainment. Pupils with special educational needs receive good support in lessons and achieve well.

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GEOGRAPHY

96. By eleven, pupils are able to use maps of various types. Pupils in Year 4, for example, can use basic plans of the school and the area around it. They are able to draw simple plans and can understand scale and direction. Pupils are able to interpret simple weather maps and can calculate temperature and rainfall in various places in Britain. As part of their physical geography studies, pupils in Year 5 study rivers and water supply. There is also a link with history and pupils produce maps of Egypt and work on the development of the local area since 1850. In Year 6, pupils study St. Lucia as their overseas study and are able to describe the climate and natural vegetation. They understand the positive and negative effects of tourism on the island and can describe the conditions necessary for hurricanes to form. Pupils develop sound drawing and mapping skills by the age of eleven. The previous report stated that older

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GEOGRAPHY

pupils needed more opportunities to set their own questions and develop lines of enquiry. That is still the case and pupils still have limited opportunities to think about, research and write their own work. This limits their progress and attainment to some extent, especially for higher attaining pupils.

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GEOGRAPHY

97. The quality of teaching is good overall. Teachers have good subject knowledge and are able to teach the basic factual knowledge of the subject. In some classes, particularly with older pupils, this does not always extend into the more subtle aspects of the subject that require pupils to think about issues and investigate for themselves. Assessment of pupils’ work is good and books are regularly marked and corrected. Teachers make good use of assessment to track pupils’ attainment and progress and to identify areas of the curriculum which need strengthening. There is a high level of planning and discussion about teaching and the curriculum that has led to the good curriculum now operating. This makes a positive impact on pupils’ attainment and achievement. Teachers have appropriate expectations of pupils’ work and pupils respond well by showing care over the presentation of their written and drawing work.

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GEOGRAPHY

Teachers have very good control over their classes and behaviour in lessons is good. Where pupils work together in pairs and groups, they do so well and there are good relationships between pupils and with their teachers. Hulbert Junior School - 33 98. The contribution of geography to pupils’ literacy development is satisfactory. Pupils have opportunities to learn a satisfactory range of geographical vocabulary and teachers display key words in some classrooms. There are examples of pupils’ extended writing, but there is limited evidence of systematic use of the subject to improve overall writing and research skills. The subject also makes a satisfactory contribution to 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. Good use is made of information and communication technology for data handling, to produce graphs, edit work and find information.

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GEOGRAPHY

99. The subject makes a 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 where pupils are taught to respect one another and to know right from wrong. In lessons pupils are able to work together and are taught to share, take turns and listen to others. The scheme of work has been extensively adapted to provide overall humanities coverage with history and teachers have had good professional development to manage the necessary changes. There are good resources for the subject. In the previous inspection, teaching was satisfactory overall, and the high level of in-service training has resulted in the improvement in teaching now being seen. This, in turn, is beginning to have a positive effect on standards. The leadership and management of the

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GEOGRAPHY

subject are good. The subject manager has clear and realistic priorities for future development. There has been satisfactory progress since the previous inspection.

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HISTORY

100. By the age of eleven, standards are in line with that expected of pupils of the same age. There are no significant differences in attainment between boys and girls or across different levels of ability. Pupils with special educational needs receive good support in lessons and make good progress. Higher attaining pupils in Year 6 were involved in a history project as part of the Independent Learning Strategy and inspection evidence indicates that they made good progress. Pupils of all abilities achieve well when taking their previous learning into account.

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HISTORY

101. By the age of 11, pupils have developed an understanding of a number of periods of history including those of Ancient Greece, The Romans, The Tudor period and Britain since the 1930s. Pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of the main characters in the periods they have studied. This is clearly demonstrated by pupils in Year 6 who can identify Henry VIII from pictures and are able to name his wives and give some details of their lives. Pupils are beginning to look at the reasons why people acted as they did and can explain, in a basic way, the reasons for Henry’s break with the Church. Pupils are able to use basic sources of evidence and can distinguish between primary and secondary sources. Pupils in Year 5, for instance, use a range of evidence to look at aspects of the ancient Olympic Games and the events that were included in it. Pupils have good opportunities to produce extended writing and these are

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HISTORY

particularly beneficial to higher attaining pupils. Those in Year 4, for example, write interesting accounts of a walk around Portsmouth.

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HISTORY

102. The quality of teaching, and the learning it promotes, is good. A strong feature of all of the teaching is very good class control that is achieved with quiet authority and respect for the pupils. As a result, pupils behave well in lessons and relationships between pupils and with their teachers are good. This makes a good contribution to pupils’ learning. The previous inspection report drew attention to the need to improve assessment. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are now good. Teachers are able to keep pupils informed of their National Curriculum levels and what they need to do to improve. Assessment data is being used to check the curriculum provision and modify it where necessary. This has led to the development of a local study unit of work and emphasis on development of independent learning. Teachers plan their lessons carefully to provide a progressive programme of work that is

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HISTORY

consistent across all classes and years. Pupils show interest in history and have good attitudes to work. Good teamwork between teachers and learning assistants provides effective support for lower attaining pupils and those with special educational needs. History provides good opportunities for literacy development. Pupils are given opportunities for extended writing Hulbert Junior School - 34 which enables them to develop their own writing style. The use of information and communication technology for word processing and for research is developing. Good interactive CD-ROMS are available which provide good learning as well as added interest for pupils.

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HISTORY

103. The subject makes a 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. Residential trips each year add to pupils’ social and cultural development as well as supporting their learning in history. There are good resources available for the subject. The subject manager has been in post for only a few months and has not yet had time to make a significant impact. She has shown good leadership and management in discussing changes to the scheme of work and in completing the re-drafting of it in such a short time. The subject has made satisfactory progress since the previous inspection.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

104. Pupils reach average levels of attainment by the time they leave school at the end of Key Stage 2. This is a good improvement since the last inspection when standards were below average and children were not making progress. Most pupils are able to use the computer network to save and retrieve files and produce word-processed or desktop-published documents in a variety of styles and format which clearly express their intentions. World War II posters for instance, produced by Year 6 pupils during history lessons, captured the feel of the period in both design and language. The pupils' progress has been better over the last year, since the addition of new networked computers. The majority of pupils know how to send and receive electronic mail, search for information in a database and program a floor robot. Older pupils are getting to grips with spreadsheets and data handling which help them make decisions in ordering materials for a

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

105. Pupils enjoy working on the computers, using the digital cameras and other equipment, and can see the advantage of using the technology to develop their work. During the inspection, pupils used the computer suite in literacy lessons and were sufficiently familiar with it for rapid progress to be made in developing work on text. Attitudes and behaviour are good and pupils work well with each other, helping each other where necessary, without fuss.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

106. Not enough teaching was seen during the inspection to be able to make a secure judgement on teaching. Planning is very detailed and good links are made with most aspects of the curriculum. Each class gets one session of information and communication technology taught by the co-ordinator each week and, in addition, most teachers also use the computers or cameras to enhance work in English, history and science. Cameras are also used in art and design technology as part of the process of collecting information.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

107. The information and communication technology subject manager has worked hard to ensure that the school has a broad, balanced scheme of work which is well understood by the teachers and enables the pupils to develop their skills and understanding according to the new National Curriculum. He has monitored teaching and learning and made sure that teachers have received the most up to date training. Government grants and other sources of income have been used well, both for professional development and for the purchase of new equipment. The assessment process is very good and contributes well to the evaluation and development of the teaching. All teachers are familiar with the targets and contribute to the assessment process. The subject manager collects assessment data and samples of work on computer and all staff have access to this so that they can monitor progress. Pupils themselves are told the level at

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

which they are working and targets for improvement are displayed in classrooms, along with some model examples. The pupil to computer ratio is about average but the way that the computers are arranged, in the resources area, makes the provision effective as all pupils can see the large overhead display - and the teacher can see all the pupils easily. The only problem is caused by the acoustics in such a large open area, which gets very busy at times. Hulbert Junior School - 35 108. The computers are used infrequently outside timetabled lessons and so teachers miss opportunities to show pupils how they can use information and communication technology to enhance their learning at times of their own choosing, or as a natural part of the research process. The school has made very good advances since the last inspection and is well placed to improve attainment even further.

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MUSIC

109. Standards in music are at the expected level and pupils’ achievements, including those of pupils with special educational needs, are satisfactory. The quality of pupils’ singing was observed in school assemblies. Here, most sing in tune, but the performance of the older pupils, in particular, lacks enthusiasm. This is mainly due to lack of singing experience. On only one day was singing included in assemblies and there was very little evidence of singing during the music lessons observed. Good opportunities to sing are provided in clubs and performances, which the school arranges, but these do not include all pupils.

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MUSIC

110. Considerable efforts have gone into raising teachers’ confidence by increasing their knowledge of music. The LEA has provided a good range of support for this task. Good improvement has been made since the last inspection, when standards were below the national average and the teaching satisfactory. The quality of teaching is now good overall and teachers’ knowledge of music was at least satisfactory in all lessons observed. In the instrumental lessons observed, the quality of teaching was variable. Whilst some was of good quality, there were occasions when there was insufficient attention to teaching skills or techniques and the teacher did not correct rhythmic inaccuracies sufficiently, or use questioning, to help better pupils’ understanding or develop their musicianship. The strengths of the teaching in the school include well-planned lessons with a good structure, which include good opportunities for small

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MUSIC

group compositions. Teachers ensure that group work is performed to the rest of the class and pupils are given the opportunity to appraise and evaluate each other’s performances. Strong class management is another good feature, enabling lessons to run smoothly without interruptions. Teachers provide clear instructions and there is a good focus on the understanding and use of technical musical vocabulary. Pupils’ response to music is good. Their behaviour is good and they observe and listen to the teacher carefully. Pupils are keen to perform and work with enthusiasm to compose and perform their compositions.

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MUSIC

111. The subject manager is new to the post but has already rewritten the scheme of work, enabling teachers to have a clear framework of skills, activities and assessments from which to plan in the short term. She has a clear vision for the development of the subject and is providing good leadership. Music makes a satisfactory contribution to the pupils’ cultural development but it is an area where even more could be done.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

112. Standards are in line with what is expected nationally by the age of eleven years. Particular strengths are to be found in standards in games activities and pupils are very successful in local matches against other schools, for example, in netball and football. Cross-country running is also a strength of the school. It is because of these strengths that achievement is good. Although standards have remained the same since the last inspection, all identified weaknesses have been addressed and therefore there is good improvement. 113. The quality of teaching and learning throughout the school is good and has improved since the last inspection. The planning of lessons and organisation of pupils and resources are consistently good, enabling lessons to be move at a brisk pace. Additionally, basic skills are taught well and clear instructions are given for tasks. Pupils are managed well, although

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

occasionally lessons can be over directed. This can result in unnecessary pupil inactivity. Another minor weakness in a small number of lessons is the lack of opportunity for pupils to demonstrate their movements to the class, as the teacher too often takes over this role. The teaching of games skills is a particular strength and they are well developed throughout the school. This was evident in the extra curricular activities observed during the inspection, where good numbers of pupils were achieving above average standards. Dance, athletics and Hulbert Junior School - 36 gymnastics lessons were all observed during the inspection and pupils were seen to enjoy a well-balanced range of activities, reaching appropriate standards. They perform traditional country-dance sequences, repeating steps rhythmically in dance. They show appropriate control and co-ordination in athletics, in jumping activities for example. In gymnastics, they

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

systematically develop the ability to join an increasingly complex series of movements together with fluency and appropriate awareness of different levels and speed.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

114. Pupils show enthusiasm and interest in physical education and their response is good. They are well motivated to improve and are systematically developing evaluation skills through observing their own and other’s performances. The curriculum for physical education is well thought out and well balanced. The policy and scheme of work provided by the co-ordinator give good support for teachers’ planning of lessons. Good opportunities are arranged for residential visits, outdoor and adventurous activities and participation in a good range of clubs and events are on offer, giving good support to pupils’ social development. Overall, the co-ordination of physical education is good and the subject is monitored appropriately through discussions with teachers and pupils. The accommodation provided by the school is good, as are the resources. The use of the outside grassed area is unfortunately limited, owing to poor drainage.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

115. At the age of eleven, attainment is in line with the standards described in the Locally Agreed Syllabus for religious education. There are no significant differences in attainment between boys and girls or across the different levels of attainment found in the school. When the pupils’ previous knowledge and experience is taken into account, their achievement is good.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

116. By eleven, pupils have a satisfactory knowledge of Christian beliefs and values as well as some other world faiths. They describe the main Christian festivals such as Easter and Christmas and can understand the symbols and beliefs associated with them. They also understand the symbols and beliefs of other faiths such as Judaism and Hinduism. Pupils in Year 6, for example, are able to describe the ceremonies of Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah and can describe the special clothes worn by the young people involved. The previous report found that pupils had limited opportunities to reflect on people’s feelings and responses. This aspect has improved since that time. This is clearly demonstrated by pupils in Year 3 who produce good work on the feelings of the people involved in the story of Daniel in the Lion’s Den. Year 6 pupils also produce quite moving pieces of poetry and extended writing examining the feelings of people

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

persecuted for their beliefs. Pupils have good opportunities to write at length and to develop their own thinking about the meaning of religion. Pupils in Year 4, for instance, are able to write about the story of Rama and Sita. This makes a good contribution to their literacy development, especially for higher attaining pupils.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

117. In the previous report teaching was satisfactory overall. It is now good. A feature of the teaching is an increase in teachers’ subject knowledge since that time. All have shown a high level of commitment to staff development in religious education and they now have good factual knowledge of the religions and faiths covered in the syllabus. This enables them to teach with confidence the knowledge required and the main principles of the religions. The teachers have very good pupil control. This is achieved with quiet authority and with good humour. As a result, pupils behave well in class, show good attitudes to work and relationships are good. This is a strong contributory factor in pupils’ good achievement. Teachers spend time in carefully planning the work across all years and in all lessons. This leads to a consistent programme and ensures progress for the pupils. There is good teamwork between teachers and

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

learning assistants who are highly effective in supporting pupils, especially those with special educational needs. This ensures that pupils with special educational needs make good progress towards their individual targets. Teachers make very good use of assessment to track pupils’ attainment and progress. This enables them to set targets for development both for pupils and for the subject. Pupils know clearly what they need to do to improve. Teachers make good links with literacy by reading stories, showing pictures and encouraging pupils to write independently. This is particularly beneficial to higher attaining pupils who have good opportunities to practise extended writing. The use of information and communication Hulbert Junior School - 37 technology for pupils to use websites for research, and to edit and enhance their work, is inconsistent.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

118. The religious education curriculum is good. It provides equality of opportunity for all pupils and meets the requirements of the Locally Agreed Syllabus. The scheme of work for the subject has been extensively revised and provides a progressive and coherent programme across all years. The subject makes a 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 number of religions as well as Christianity. Teachers provide very good role models and pupils are taught right from wrong in all lessons. They are also taught respect for one another in discussions. Pupils have very good opportunities to develop their social skills through discussion in class, taking turns and working together. There are trips to local churches that

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

provide both social and cultural development. There are limited opportunities to visit places of worship other than Christian churches or to meet representatives of other religions. The senior management and the subject manager monitor teaching and learning in the classroom, giving advice and support where necessary, and this has had an impact on the improvement in teaching noted since the previous report. The leadership and management of the subject are good. All aspects of the previous report that needed improvement have been addressed. Teaching has improved and pupils are achieving well as a result.

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