Burton Road Primary School

BURTON ROAD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 24 – 28 January 2000

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BURTON ROAD PRIMARY 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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BURTON ROAD PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Burton Road Old Mill Barnsley South Yorkshire

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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 R Goldthorpe

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: January 1997 Burton Road Primary School - 4

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Aspect responsibilities

David Morton Registered inspector English What sort of school this is. Art How high standards are. How well the school is led and managed. Roberta Mothersdale Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. How well the school cares for its pupils. How well the school works in partnership with parents. Mary Farman Team inspector Equal opportunities Science Design and technology Physical education Under fives

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Aspect responsibilities

Valerie Hobson Team inspector Information technology How well the pupils are taught. Mathematics English as an additional language Special educational needs James Stirrup Team inspector Geography The quality of the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils. History Music Religious education

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Aspect responsibilities

Higherland Bridge 49 West Street Gargrave Skipton North Yorkshire BD23 3RJ Burton Road Primary School - 5 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 Burton Road Primary 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? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Burton Road Primary School is a community school with 329 boys and girls on roll, including 39 in a nursery which is part of the school. Children enter the nursery at the start of the term in which they become three years old. There are significantly more boys than girls in all but one year group. Pupils come from an even mixture of socio-economic backgrounds, broadly average overall. The school is larger than average for a primary school. It is over subscribed and some pupils travel some distance to the school. Nearly all pupils are from the indigenous white population which makes up the school’s catchment area; there are three pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds for whom English is an additional language. This is a little higher than most schools. The school is part of an educational action zone. There are 37 pupils on the register of special educational needs, of which seven have statements. As a proportion of the school roll this is below the national average. The

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

percentage of pupils entitled to free school meals is 11.5 per cent, which is broadly in line with the national average. There is a wide range of potential on entry and taken as a whole, the school’s intake has generally average attainment.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Burton Road Primary School is a good school. Pupils are achieving standards that are generally above average when compared with all schools in the country and with those with pupils from similar backgrounds. Standards in mathematics are especially good and in science are above average; standards in English, whilst being generally above average compared with all schools are below average compared with similar schools at the end of Key Stage 2. Teaching is consistently good and frequently very good. The leadership provided by the headteacher encourages teachers and pupils to strive to achieve good standards and promotes in pupils very positive attitudes to learning. The school gives good value for money. Overall the school’s strengths significantly outweigh its weaknesses. The school has made satisfactory improvement since the previous inspection.

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What the school does well

• Teaching is nearly always good and frequently very good. • The very good work of the learning support assistants ensures that pupils make good progress, including those with special educational needs; these pupils receive outstanding support. • Good leadership by the headteacher and senior management team has ensured that standards steadily improve. • Pupils enjoy very good relationships with each other and all members of staff; pupils have very positive attitudes to their learning. Their personal and social development are strengths of the school. Success in these aspects begins in the nursery. • The coordination of English, mathematics and science is very good and has led to improving standards over recent years; in particular, the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are being successfully implemented. This is leading to improving standards in English and the maintenance of attainment which

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What the school does well

is above average in mathematics. • Teachers provide a wide range of extra curricular activities, including sport, which are enjoyed by a large proportion of pupils.

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What could be improved

• The procedures are inadequate for monitoring and supporting the development of the curriculum and the quality of the teaching in order to strive for the highest standards of excellence. • The governing body does not sufficiently hold the school to account. • In its present siting the library lacks a presence in the school; its stock is poor and unattractively presented. It does not make sufficient contribution to the development of pupils’ literacy skills. • The full effectiveness of the headteacher’s management of the school is impaired through lack of an office. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Burton Road Primary School - 8

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made some important improvements since the previous inspection in January 1997. Most of the seven key issues identified at that time have been tackled successfully. Attainment and progress in science have improved significantly and standards in design and technology and music are now above average. The National Curriculum is now fully in place and is generally well managed through the good coordination of most subjects. National Curriculum test results at the age of seven remain above average in comparison with all other schools although results have not improved at as fast a rate as that found nationally. At the age of eleven, national test results have improved at a rate similar to that found nationally and in most years have been just above the national average, which is a small improvement on the results reported at the previous inspection. Systems for assessment and its use are now a good feature of the school and all subjects now have schemes of

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

work, although some still do not give sufficient guidance on teaching approaches. However, the literacy and numeracy strategies are well documented and applied in practice. Parents now receive regular newsletters and their report from the governors each year now meets statutory requirements. Governors have set appropriate academic targets which the school is generally achieving. However, management is still not sufficiently rigorous in monitoring and supporting the curriculum, ensuring that all teaching aspires to that of the best in order that targets are significantly achieved and capable of being set higher still. Nonetheless, the quality of teaching is considerably better than that found at the time of the previous inspection. Some aspects of the health and safety policy have insufficient rigour in their application. Relationships and pupils’ attitudes to their work remain a strength of the

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

school. Overall therefore, the school has made appropriate progress and improvement since the previous inspection.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

1997 1998 1999 1999 English D E C D well above average above average A B mathematics C D A A Average below average C D science C E B B well below average E

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Key

Standards by the time pupils are seven are above average in reading and writing and well above average in mathematics. The table above shows that by the time pupils leave school at 11 they are achieving standards in National Curriculum tests which are well above average in mathematics, above average in science and broadly in line with the national average in English. When compared with schools with pupils from similar backgrounds attainment in science and mathematics are also above and well above average although attainment in English when making this comparison is below average. The work seen in school during the inspection from Year 3 to Year 6 reflects these test results. Work seen in English, especially in Years 3 to 5, is above average when compared with all schools and average when compared with similar schools. In Year 6, attainment in English is in keeping with the average of all and similar schools. The quality and range of writing in Year 6 is not

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Key

as consistently good as that of reading, speaking and listening. Over recent years the school has generally improved its levels of attainment. In addition, throughout the school attainment in design and technology, music and physical education is also above average. Pupils’ skills in information technology are above average in Years 1 and 2 and average in Years 3 to 6. In all other subjects levels of attainment are average. The school sets realistic and achievable targets for future attainment and both boys and girls, including those with special educational needs, are generally Burton Road Primary School - 9 making good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2, and children in the nursery enjoy attending school and show enthusiasm and commitment to their learning. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is very good.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Pupils grow in maturity as they move through the school. They respond well to opportunities to take responsibility and respect each other, adults and property; they show an aptitude for taking initiatives in many aspects of the life of the school. Relationships are very good. Attendance Rates of attendance are broadly in line with the national average.

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

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

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

Teachers mostly provide challenging activities for pupils at differing levels of attainment; teaching is planned well to meet differing learning needs. Teachers are generally enthusiastic in their teaching of most subjects and this results in keen and positive responses from pupils. Questioning is used successfully to extend and consolidate learning. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is especially effective throughout almost all classes in the school. However, it is less effective in some classes in the final years of the school. Teachers have responded well to the leadership of the coordinators of these subjects in implementing successfully the national initiatives. Teaching was satisfactory or better in 98.4 per cent of lessons. It was very good or better in 31.3 per cent of lessons and good in a further 50 per cent of lessons.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The school has established an effective curriculum; it provides a wide range of extra curricular activities, the take up for which is good.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good; the contribution of learning support assistants is outstanding.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Provision for three such pupils is satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision for their spiritual and cultural development is satisfactory, and for their moral development is good; pupils’ social development is a strength of the school.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares The school is conscientious in caring for its pupils. However, the school is reviewing aspects of its provision as some procedures are insufficiently Burton Road Primary School - 10 for its pupils rigorous.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides good leadership that clearly defines the positive ethos of the school. Coordinators, especially of English, mathematics and science, provide very good leadership in the development of teaching and learning in these subjects.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Key governors have a clear understanding of the daily running of the school but are less well informed of significant areas and do not satisfactorily hold the school to account.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Despite much informal support and evaluation, senior management is insufficiently rigorous in ensuring that systems are in place for monitoring the long term development of teaching and learning skills in order to ensure achievable levels of excellence.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Teaching and learning support assistants are effectively deployed. Limited accommodation is well used although the library is poor and the effective management of the headteacher is impaired through lack of an office. Financial planning and administration are good and the school makes every effort to get best value when purchasing resources; these are then well used.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children enjoy attending school. • They believe the teaching is good. • They find the school approachable. • The school expects pupils to work hard and do their best. • A small minority of parents do not think the school provides sufficient extra curricular activities. • A few parents believe too much or too little homework is set. • A minority of parents feel the school does not keep them well informed of what is going on or work closely with them.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Parents are mostly very pleased with the work of the school. Inspectors agree with the positive views expressed by parents. Inspectors found there to be a very good range of extra curricular activities and that usually about the right amount and type of homework is set. The inspection found that contacts with parents are important to the school and the headteacher and staff are determined to increase further their efforts to involve parents in their children’s learning. Burton Road Primary School - 11

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The school’s results and achievements

1 In the 1999 tests and assessments at the end of Key Stage 1 levels of attainment are above the national average in reading and writing and well above in mathematics when compared with all schools and those with pupils from similar backgrounds. At the end of Key Stage 2 overall results are also above average when compared with all schools nationally and with similar schools. In English results are broadly in line with national averages compared with all schools but below average when compared with similar schools. Results in science are above average and in mathematics well above average when compared with all schools and with similar schools. The findings of the inspection, after seeing work in class and analysing pupils’ work, reflect these test results except in English at Key Stage 2. The inspection found that levels of attainment in English during years 3 to 5 are above average when compared with all schools. In

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The school’s results and achievements

Year 6 work in English is in keeping with national averages compared with that found in all schools and in similar schools. These differences between work seen and the 1999 test results are due to improvements being made to the teaching and learning in English as a result of the leadership of the English coordinator and the time spent by staff in moderating levels in pupils’ writing. However, the impact of these efforts is witnessed more in Years 3 to 5 than in Year 6. Since the previous inspection the school has maintained standards compared to national averages at Key Stage 1 in reading and writing and improved significantly in mathematics. At Key Stage 2 over the same period of time the school has steadily improved standards in all subjects but especially in mathematics.

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The school’s results and achievements

2 Overall levels of attainment of children under five are broadly at expected levels by the time they enter Key Stage 1. However, a significant minority of children achieve levels that are above average. Their attainment on entry is generally average and they maintain steady to good progress across the range of learning goals during their time in the nursery. They make sound progress in the development of literacy, mathematical and creative skills. Progress is steady, and for many good, in the development of their knowledge and understanding of the world and in their physical, personal and social development. The higher attaining children can count and order objects to 20 and above and all can sing accurately a number of mathematical rhymes. They enjoy looking at books, knowing to read them from left to right and understanding that the printed word has meaning. They handle pencils correctly and most develop well their

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The school’s results and achievements

early writing skills. They talk about where they live, how they get to school and understand the needs of human beings for food, warmth and shelter.

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The school’s results and achievements

3 At the end of Key Stage 1, overall attainment in English is above average and in mathematics it is well above average. This represents good and very good progress in relation to their prior attainment. Pupils’ reading is generally well above the national average with around a quarter of pupils achieving the higher Level 3. In writing, overall results are similar but only in a small proportion of pupils, lower than the national average, is writing to the higher Level 3. In mathematics overall performance is high and over a third of pupils achieve the higher Level 3. In reading and writing girls perform better than boys but in mathematics the performance of boys and girls is much the same. The proportion of higher attaining pupils who achieve Level 3 is close to the national average in reading and writing but well above it in mathematics. Pupils’ performance in science is above average overall and good progress is made. Attainment in

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The school’s results and achievements

information technology is above average and average in religious education.

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The school’s results and achievements

4 Overall, taking full account of work seen during the inspection, levels of attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 are above average. In English levels of attainment are average overall. The implementation of the literacy hour and the work of the English coordinator have been effective in most classes and levels of attainment are improving. Reading is comfortably at levels that are above average but writing, especially in Year 6, is not as good amongst pupils capable of higher attainment. As in the 1999 tests, the proportion of pupils achieving the higher Level 5 is well below the national average. Attainment in mathematics by the end of the key stage is well above average. Higher attaining pupils achieve levels of attainment which are well above Burton Road Primary School - 12 average in their investigative work and when applying their knowledge of mathematics to real situations. Attainment in science is above the national average. By Year 6 most pupils take

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The school’s results and achievements

responsibility for setting up their own experiments and devising and recording the results of fair tests. Girls perform better than boys in English, mathematics and science, their writing being especially better, generally, than that of boys. The proportion of pupils in Year 6 achieving the higher Level 5 is well above average in mathematics, close to the average in science but below in English. Attainment in information technology and religious education is broadly in keeping with the national average. Pupils are making satisfactory progress overall in these subjects during Key Stage 2. They respond well to teaching which is usually good and often very good. The small number of pupils for whom English is an additional language make satisfactory progress.

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The school’s results and achievements

5 Attainment levels in design and technology, music and physical education are above average at both key stages. Significant improvement has been made since the previous inspection in pupils’ achievement in a wide range of musical experiences and in making, designing and the evaluation of completed artefacts. Pupils make good progress in these subjects. Attainment in art, geography and history is broadly in line with national averages. Pupils make satisfactory progress in these subjects.

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The school’s results and achievements

6 Pupils with special educational needs make good progress at both key stages. Children in the nursery with special needs also make good progress. In all instances this is owing to teachers and learning support assistants planning support carefully and the assistants applying it skilfully. Needs are identified clearly on individual education plans and work is closely targeted to meet these needs. Progress is monitored closely through the continuous and periodic assessment strategies applied by class teachers and the school’s regular use of standardised tests.

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The school’s results and achievements

7 In English pupils make generally good progress in their facility to listen in a variety of situations and to speak appropriately to those situations. Whilst many speak in keeping with their cultural roots when talking with friends, they apply appropriate forms of spoken language to meet the needs of other situations. They enjoy reading and work in the literacy hour, especially in the reception year and Years 1, 2 and 5, has helped them understand how authors achieve particular effects in their writing. This helps pupils to consider purpose and style in their own writing. The relationship between reading and writing is less well made in Year 5/6 classes. However, the quality of writing overall is generally sound in a range of genres; writing is generally neat and well presented and, often, there are good examples of the use of word processing. Pupils’ literacy skills give good support to their learning in other subjects.

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The school’s results and achievements

Attainment in numeracy supports learning in a number of subjects. Pupils apply their knowledge of number and measurement in a variety of forms in science, design and technology and geography. It is used to solve problems and represented in charts, graphs and tables. In information technology the school is beginning to improve the performance of pupils at a good pace. Support through the education action zone is beginning to have a particular impact amongst pupils in Year 6. Levels of attainment are improving rapidly.

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The school’s results and achievements

8 Overall, therefore, pupils’ attainment and progress have improved since the previous inspection and in some instances improvement has been significant, especially at Key Stage 2. There are now no subjects where attainment overall is below average or where progress is unsatisfactory. With the exception of writing in English, boys’ performance and that of girls are not significantly different. Boys and girls capable of higher attainment in Key Stage 2 are more successful now in mathematics and science than at the time of the previous inspection; in English there remains some shortfall in the achievement of higher attaining pupils, especially in writing. The governing body has set realistic targets for the immediate future designed to raise standards further. The school is especially keen to improve pupils’ writing, especially amongst those capable of high attainment. The quality of the work of subject coordinators in supporting class

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The school’s results and achievements

teachers is ensuring that pupils strive to achieve the personal targets that have been agreed.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9 Pupils respond very well to the school. They have very good, positive attitudes to their learning. Overall their behaviour is very good and there have been no exclusions in recent years. Pupils’ personal development and relationships are also very good and their attendance at school is Burton Road Primary School - 13 satisfactory.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10 Pupils are keen to start their lessons on time and are happy and relaxed as they come into school. The many monitors amongst the older pupils go straight to their tasks and ease the smooth running of the school very effectively. Those pupils in charge of the overhead projector for the morning assembly, or involved in the setting out of chairs, need no prompting to carry out their jobs and the school encourages this responsibility. Pupils enjoy their lessons and a number of pupils forfeit their afternoon break times to carry on working on personal projects in information technology.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11 Generally the behaviour of pupils is very good and there have been no exclusions. Pupils do try hard to get on well with each other. Pupils are ready to share and older pupils are very considerate to younger pupils. Pupils know the school rules and the adaptations made to them for their own classes. In lessons, pupils’ behaviour is very good and the lack of disruptive behaviour results in very positive approaches by pupils to their learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12 Pupils’ personal development and relationships with others are generally very good. They are very conscientious about ensuring that their hands are washed before lunch, and display good manners in the dining room. Pupils are well organised in school, hang their coats up and are not untidy with their bags and books. They move to tidy up their work at the end of a lesson often without any reminder form the teacher. Pupils appreciate the good work and skills of their friends and others in the school and the enthusiasm displayed for a performance of Cinderella by Years 1 / 2 for assembly, was warmly received and applauded by the whole school and visiting parents.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13 Children in the nursery and reception classes quickly develop very good attitudes to learning. They enjoy their work and concentrate for considerable lengths of time. They relate very well to each other and to adults. As they move from the nursery to the reception classes children become enthusiastic and eager learners. They develop well the ability to enquire and are curious about how things are made. Children are sensitive to the feelings of others and respect each other’s work.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14 Pupils’ attendance is satisfactory and now broadly in line with the national average. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. The school is conscientious in following up the reasons for pupils’ absences. Although the overall amount of unauthorised absences is insignificant, the school continues to authorise the granting of leave for annual holidays during term time in excess of the discretionary ten days allowable in law. During the course of the inspection several attendance registers were not marked at the start of the morning session. Some were not completed until after the end of assembly; this practice can represent a health and safety risk as the exact number of pupils in school in the case of an emergency could not be ascertained if the registers are incomplete and not in a secure central place. Overall pupils are punctual to school and lessons start on time.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15 The quality of teaching is good overall at both key stages. The quality of teaching is satisfactory or better in 98.4 per cent of lessons. Of those that are satisfactory or better 31.3 per cent are very good or excellent; this is a significant proportion of teaching of high quality. Teaching in a further 50 per cent of lessons is good. This profile of teaching overall is considerably better than that found at the previous inspection. It is the most significant factor accounting for standards which are mostly above average, pupils making good progress and their learning being effective. The teaching of pupils with special needs and the few pupils for whom English is an additional language is good and often very good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16 Teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the subjects they teach are generally good at both key stages; shortcomings in knowledge of the subject is rare but has some significance in aspects of English towards the end of Key Stage 2. This in part accounts for results in national tests being less good in English than in mathematics and science. However, knowledge of the subject and its teaching are improving owing to the support of the English coordinator, improved knowledge of National Curriculum levels following moderation exercises of pupils’ writing and Burton Road Primary School - 14 increasingly effective use of the strategies of the literacy hour. Teachers use specific vocabulary for the subjects and give pupils opportunities to use it during lessons. Often teachers write up a glossary of key words as a reminder to pupils. In Year 5 pupils used the vocabulary of ‘vertically’ and ‘horizontally’ effectively in describing a notice board, for example.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Teachers are aware of skills which pupils need to progress in most areas of the curriculum. In physical education the teacher skilfully developed the pupils’ abilities to throw, catch, and balance, while in science Year 4 pupils are taught to experiment with series and parallel circuits in well constructed lessons. Generally the national strategies for literacy and numeracy are well implemented and taught. Planning of lessons is very good. The knowledge which teachers have gained from the literacy and numeracy strategies is clear in their planning of English and mathematics but also of other subjects; the opening class session is used regularly and followed by independent work and a plenary session. Plans are used well and teachers develop sequential learning opportunities enabling pupils to build soundly on their previous knowledge and understanding. Teachers use a range of teaching methods and include individual work,

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

working in pairs and group work as appropriate to their lesson. Pupils collaborate well when working at the computer, on mathematics investigations and learn interdependence when playing team games.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17 Teachers manage pupils well. There are very good relationships between staff and pupils and they share humour in lessons and respond well to each other. Members of staff present very good role models and their shared enthusiasm for different subjects increases the pupils’ interest. Pupils concentrate well on tasks and respond well to the challenging work which is presented to them; this is seen in geography, for example, when map making and mathematics when drawing plans of three dimensional shapes from different angles.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18 Teachers use good questioning techniques to assess individual pupils’ understanding of topics. This is a good feature of most lessons and consolidates learning. The best teaching frequently uses plenary sessions at the end of lessons to underpin what has been learned that day. Where teachers make the learning objectives clear to pupils and involve them in assessing their learning during the plenary session, pupils usually make good progress. In a dance lesson with Year 5/6, for example, pupils made mature assessments of their work and this gave them clear ideas as to how to improve in the next lesson. A further feature of this lesson was the pace and challenging demands made of pupils. These features are common in the best teaching in the school. Pupils respond well to the demands made of them, maintain interest and engagement with their learning and as a result make progress and improve. The quality of dance and the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

sequencing of movements were better at the end of Year 5 / 6’s dance lesson than at the beginning. Pupils are beginning to keep their own records of achievement in the use of information technology and this helps to develop a sense of their own progress. Time is used well in lessons. The very good planning, clear routines and classroom management enables pupils to move between activities in a secure learning environment. Resources are used effectively to enrich the curriculum and provide a variety of activities such as games, worksheets and practical investigations and research. The teamwork between support staff and class teachers ensures good progress for all pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19 The quality of teaching for the children under five is overall good. Twenty five per cent of teaching is very good. This consistently high quality of teaching reflects the level of progress children make in their early years at school. The teachers, nursery nurses and members of the support staff work very effectively together to promote learning. They have a clear understanding of the needs of young children. All members of staff have realistically high expectations of achievement and behaviour. They give children challenging and interesting tasks to consolidate and develop their knowledge and understanding. All members of staff use language well. They speak precisely and clearly. This ensures that all children, including those with special educational needs, make good progress. This is particularly noticeable in development of the communication skills of speaking and listening. The members of staff teach

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

specific skills for example how to use pencils, paint and musical instruments. They correctly place much emphasis on encouraging pupils to work independently and make choices.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20 Teachers are effective in meeting and challenging the variety of approaches to learning seen in boys and girls. For example, they recognise how boys focus clearly on specific tasks whilst girls often take a broader view of their learning. The school has worked hard to improve the Burton Road Primary School - 15 attainment of boys through a consideration of teaching approaches and has been largely successful. Teachers are well aware of the differing learning needs of pupils with the result that pupils’ learning and progress overall are good. Identifiable learning is recognised at the ends of lessons. Teaching is good at both key stages in English, mathematics, science, design and technology, information technology, music, physical education and religious education. Where the inspection found enough evidence of the teaching it is judged to be satisfactory in art, geography and history.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21 The consistently good and often very good teaching is a strength of the school. However, the school does not monitor teaching formally enough in order that all teaching across the school strives to be as good as that frequently present in school. Efforts to aim for further improvement are too informal and whilst teaching is observed regularly, this is undertaken spontaneously rather than through a defined, targeted process. There are no set patterns of support and monitoring in place, too few opportunities provided to share the best practice and observation of lessons lacks a specific focus based on identified areas for improvement; as a result, opportunities to improve still further are not always taken. The school is not doing as much as possible to strive for excellence.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22 The school keeps effective records of the achievements of pupils with special educational needs, enabling them to meet appropriate targets. Teachers have high expectations of all their pupils and a high level of commitment to their success. Pupils’ targets are readily accessible in classrooms and where necessary teachers plan an individual curriculum; these approaches are especially successful in Year 4 and Year 5 classes. Daily diaries kept between key staff ensure that a consistent approach is maintained for pupils. Everyone who is involved with the individual pupil takes a full part in regular reviews. The school has formed firm and supportive relationships with outside agencies, including speech therapy and the educational psychologist; this has led to a creative and effective working partnership enabling pupils’ needs to be met quickly.

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

23 The school provides a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum, which meets all statutory requirements and clearly reflects the aims and objectives of the school. The curriculum for the under fives is good, and is based on the six nationally agreed areas of learning. All members of the nursery and reception staff work closely together to plan a well balanced and broadly based curriculum for children under five. The curriculum at Key Stages 1 and 2 covers all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. The curriculum successfully promotes pupils’ intellectual, physical and personal development and prepares pupils well for the next stage of education.

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

24 The governors have a suitable policy for sex and drugs education, which is taught in conjunction with the area health authority in Years 5 and 6. Certain aspects of the policy are also taught in subjects of the curriculum, where deemed relevant, and in the occasional circle time activities provided by the school.

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

25 The school has an appropriate equal opportunities policy and ensures that all pupils have equality of access to all aspects of the curriculum, including extra curricular activities. Clear statements about equality of opportunity are contained in the school’s aims, curriculum policy documents and influence the grouping of pupils. For example, the school makes efforts to celebrate other cultures, including the cultures of pupils for whom English is an additional language. The school makes appropriate provision for lower attaining pupils and suitably challenging provision is made for pupils of all abilities, including higher attaining pupils, except in some aspects of English at the end of Key Stage 2. The grouping of pupils enables all to make progress commensurate with their abilities, except for higher attaining pupils in some aspects of English at the end of Key Stage 2. The introduction of the literacy and numeracy

p.15

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

hours has brought enrichment to the curriculum. All pupils are given full and equal access to the resources within the school. Pupils are, on occasions, withdrawn from lessons but the class teacher ensures they receive support on their return to the classroom. All members of staff are aware of the policy and its contents. Adults respect and value pupils and their contribution to school life. All members of the school community take pride in the school and care for its Burton Road Primary School - 16 environment. Relationships between pupils, and between pupils and adults are good. No formal monitoring system is in place to assess the effect of the generally good provision for equality of opportunity and any possible effect it has on the perceptions and prejudices of staff and pupils. The provision by the school to promote respect for the values and ideas of others is good. The support for equality of opportunity is effective in that books and resources are

p.15

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

monitored for race and gender stereotyping and books showing a diversity of cultures have been provided. Some books in the library are unsatisfactory. A satisfactory range of different cultures and a world perspective are addressed through the curriculum. There are books by a variety of authors from different cultures. Pupils’ awareness and knowledge of their own cultural heritage is positively promoted although not enough is done to promote an awareness of other cultures from across the world.

p.16

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

26 The planned provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good and all pupils have a relevant individual education plan which identifies the requirements and provision for each child. There is no equivalent planning to meet fully the needs of higher attaining pupils, although work is generally matched to their needs in lessons. Such support takes the form of individual extension activities provided by class teachers.

p.16

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

27 Most subjects have effective coordinators, and all now have effective policies and generally satisfactory schemes of work. Teachers’ weekly and medium term plans are closely linked to National Curriculum programmes of study and provide opportunities for continuity across time and key stages. The school has responded enthusiastically to local education authority initiatives to improve transition across and between key stages. This is a successful development in the school.

p.16

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

28 The governors’ committee for the curriculum is going through a period of change and is in the process of being reconstituted. At present their monitoring of the curriculum is unsatisfactory. Governors are aware of some of the issues already referred to in this report. There are governors linked to support and monitor work in literacy and numeracy and with pupils with special educational needs.

p.16

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

29 The school provides a very good range of extra-curricular activities. These include tuition in brass and woodwind, guitars and violins, coaching from the town’s professional football team, netball, rounders, basketball, cricket, a choir and a literacy club. A good range of visits to the theatre, museums, field trips, and an annual residential holiday all make a contribution to the curriculum. Take up of extra curricular activities is high. Regular visits by such people as the police, nurses, the fire service and local religious figures add to the varied and extended curriculum provided by the school.

p.16

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

30 Whilst the monitoring of the curriculum remains an area for development, all issues for concern identified in the previous report have now been successfully addressed.

p.16

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

31 The overall provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. It plays an important part in the life of the school. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory. Spiritual development is central to the overall aims and ethos of the school, with much of the provision for its delivery being provided in daily assemblies, the collective act of worship, which meets statutory requirements, and lessons in religious education. The daily assemblies carried out by the headteacher and members of staff provide pupils with the opportunity to extend their knowledge of bible stores, and are closely linked to a range of moral and social ideals promoted by the school. There is little time however for pupils to reflect on the spiritual nature of the issues presented to them. Assemblies are used in an effective manner to celebrate pupils’ achievements, through the awarding of certificates and trophies, and help to

p.16

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

raise pupils’ self esteem. Pupils are provided with regular opportunities to contribute to assemblies, either through responding to teachers’ questions or actively contributing to assemblies through small presentations and plays. A good example of this took place in an assembly with infant pupils presenting their own interpretation of Cinderella to their parents and the rest of the school. As well as being entertaining, it reinforced the theme of being kind to each other. Teachers often revisit the stories and issues presented in assemblies in their religious education lessons, providing pupils with the opportunity to explore the underlying themes in greater depth. Whilst a sense of something special was observed in some science, Burton Road Primary School - 17 music and dance lessons and in some work on display around the school, there is little planned provision for spiritual development in individual subjects.

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

32 Provision for pupils’ moral development is good. A sense of morality is inherent in the school aims and objectives, with pupils having a strong sense of right and wrong. Pupils are aware of the responsibility they have for their own actions, and a concern for the well being of others. This was reinforced in a Year 5/6 lesson where pupils explored issues in the story of ‘The Good Samaritan’. Moral issues are often the subject of English lessons. For example one Year 5 / 6 class raised a number of moral questions in relation to the world’s abuse of the rain forests and approaches to mining in Antarctica. A sense of right and wrong and concern for others are central to the schools good behaviour policy. Regular opportunities for discussion and writing about a range of moral issues can be seen in individual subjects, notably English, geography and religious education.

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

33 Provision for pupils’ social development is very good. Pupils develop good social skills as they progress through the school. Teachers and other adults provide good role models for pupils. Mutual respect and good relationships exist between teachers and pupils. Pupils recognise the high demands made of their behaviour and respond in a very positive manner. Pupils move around the school in a safe and sensible manner, display good manners in the dining area and are courteous to visitors. Pupils develop an understanding of good citizenship through their regular and substantial fund raising activities for a number of local and national charities. Pupils make an active contribution to the school environment, for example in the part they played in the designing and development of the playground. Pupils make a contribution to the local community, through such things as their regular singing at churches, day centres and homes for

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

the elderly in the local community. Pupils experience effective social interaction in discussions in class, drama activities and improvising music or dance. Pupils demonstrate the ability to work in an independent and collaborative manner and to respond in a positive manner to problem solving activities. Pupils with special educational needs are well integrated into a caring and supportive school environment.

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

34 Provision for pupils’ cultural development is satisfactory. Most pupils share a common cultural background, and are given opportunities to appreciate their cultural heritage in a number of subjects. In geography pupils develop an understanding of the area in which they live and of a range of lifestyles. History provides pupils with the chance to examine the changing nature of their own culture as well examining the historical culture of other societies such as the Romans, Greeks and Egyptians. Religious education develops an understanding of world faiths and the cultures from which they arose. In English, pupils develop an understanding of their literary inheritance, whilst in art and music pupils gain an understanding of the role and contribution of the arts in the lives of people and communities. Pupils are helped to appreciate and respect their world. This is often enhanced through a carefully planned programme of educational

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

visits. However, the overall good provision does not extend sufficiently to help pupils understand the nature of their multicultural society.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35 Overall the provision made by the school for the welfare, health and safety of pupils, and the school’s arrangements for child protection are satisfactory.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36 The school’s provision for the health and safety of pupils is now satisfactory, which is an improvement since the previous inspection. The issues raised in the previous inspection have all been successfully addressed. The school now has several qualified first aiders on the staff and all learning support assistants have received appropriate first aid training to deal with emergencies. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. The school’s provision of extra first aid boxes in addition to the boxes in the staff room and the administrative office is currently under review, with provision to be made for lunchtime supervisors to administer and record basic first aid for minor lunchtime accidents. The school is aware of the necessity to review its health and safety policy to meet current requirements to assess risk, health and safety. The school is not always aware of its responsibilities to ensure that arrangements for

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

planning, organising, controlling, monitoring and reviewing health and safety are in place. The provision of healthy eating menus at lunchtime, with attractively presented and well cooked Burton Road Primary School - 18 fresh food, makes a good contribution to pupils’ healthy development. Members of staff know all pupils very well and the identification of pupils for the special mentions assembly that takes place each week, highlights the detailed individual knowledge of staff. They pinpoint some specific aspect of a pupil’s achievements that is worthy of mention to the whole school. The manner in which many of the pupils identify themselves in these assemblies as being the child who works the hardest, has been kind, or has made a special effort at a difficult task, underlines the self esteem and confidence that the school gives to pupils.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37 The recommendations of the code of practice for special educational needs are fully in place. Documentation for each pupil on the register is thorough and comprehensive. It is easy to track a pupil’s progress through the system from the documentation. The school governor with responsibility for special educational needs is a member of the learning support team, and as such has a clear understanding of the issues involved. There is also a high level of awareness among the teaching staff. The school makes good arrangements for specialist help to be available to pupils. It ensures that pupils who require the skills, for example, of the speech therapist, physiotherapist or educational psychologist, receive it.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38 Whilst certain coordinators have occasional opportunities for observing and monitoring the teaching of their subject this is inconsistent. Although the curriculum is regularly monitored, it is done so too informally; review and development of the curriculum lacks the necessary rigour for the school to strive sufficiently hard for excellence as it develops in the longer term.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39 The school’s arrangements for child protection are satisfactorily led by the headteacher, who is the designated person. He is supported by the deputy head who although he has not received recent and relevant training in child protection procedures, has taken responsibility for the role as acting headteacher. All members of staff are aware of the procedures of the local area child protection committee, but few have received in service training to maintain and update their knowledge and understanding of procedures.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40 The school’s measures to promote good attendance are satisfactory. The school monitors and records the reasons for pupils’ absences from school, but good attendance is not regularly promoted or celebrated. The school has identified this as an area for development. The school’s procedures to promote good behaviour and eliminate oppressive behaviour are generally good, although some confusion over the recording of possible bullying incidents does exist amongst the lunchtime supervisors. The school’s rules are very simple and straightforward and rely a great deal on the good role models provided by staff. No exclusion has taken place in the previous twelve months and no groups or individuals are unfairly treated or disadvantaged in disciplinarian procedures.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41 At the time of the previous inspection concerns were expressed about the lack of analysis and ensuing use of outcomes of a variety of tests. There has been improvement and assessment is now good and well used. Assessment is effective and part of teachers’ effective practice in meeting the learning needs of pupils. The participation of the school in the local education authority’s Charter for Transition means that pupils’ attainment on entry is known and acted upon. The school itself sets diagnostic tests of ability which are sensibly used to indicate the targets which individual pupils might be expected to meet. These are discussed with parents who appreciate this level of involvement. The tests also allow the school to tests its standards of attainment with that of other and similar schools. This helps the school to ensure that its expectations are high enough but realistic. There is also an ethos of seeking to add value by

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

pupils making better than expected progress as they move through the school. Those working with the school on behalf of the education action zone are also involved in supporting the school’s work in assessment and analysis of performance. This is clearly true in mathematics, for example. The school is tracking the progress of pupils in English, mathematics, science and information technology. There is a school policy for assessment which stresses the value of keeping samples of pupils’ work throughout the year in order to measure progress. In addition, most subject coordinators keep portfolios of moderated work which helps teachers be aware of different levels in relation to the requirements of the National Curriculum. The process of moderating samples of work provides excellent training in assessment amongst all teachers in the school. Teachers mark work regularly but marking is not a strength of the teaching. It

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

usefully gives encouragement to pupils but rarely indicates, especially at Key Stage 2 where Burton Road Primary School - 19 pupils would benefit from more diagnostic marking, what pupils might do to improve their performance.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42 Each pupil has a record of annual achievements and copies of certificates to keep with satisfaction during each year. These constitute a useful record for pupils to observe their own progress. They are valued by pupils and serve to encourage in them efforts to raise their own achievement.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43 Overall, the parents’ and carers’ views of the school are that it is very good; there is strong parental satisfaction with the school. This is based on the daily contact that many parents have with the school’s staff. Parents regard the school highly. They state their belief in the quality of teaching in the school and speak favourably of the progress their children make. They approve of the way the school expects pupils to work hard and become mature and responsible citizens. Some, however, worry about the amount of homework pupils get each evening; some think they get too much, others say not enough is set. Overall, inspectors judge that the nature and amount of homework set is satisfactory.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44 The school’s links with parents are good and are strengthened by regular class assemblies, followed by the opportunity for parents to view the work of their child. During the course of the inspection, the hall was full to capacity with parents, grandparents and carers on the occasion of this weekly assembly. Home visits to the families of pupils in the nursery provide a strong basis for good links with parents and carers. The work of a parent teacher association is supported and it has raised funds to purchase extra equipment and resources for the school.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45 The impact of parents’ involvement with the work of the school is satisfactory. Although a few parents are regularly involved in lessons, this is not a consistent feature across the school. Parents are encouraged to make a consistent contribution to homework and the pupils’ reading records, although the school does send out regular details of the range of work that pupils will be covering, so it is difficult for parents to always know how they might support their children. However, parents and carers do take an active role in helping to decide the targets of children with special educational needs.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

46 The information that parents receive about the school, particularly about pupils’ progress, is satisfactory. There are regular newsletters home and the school has a notice board prominently displayed to inform parents of coming events. Not all parents are satisfied with the detail of information received on their child’s annual report, and the computer generated bank of statements on some reports, whilst generally satisfactory and clear, can impersonalise them, and give a general view of what the class has done rather than the level that an individual child has attained. The governors’ annual report to parents now complies with statutory requirements, which is an improvement since the previous inspection; the school prospectus is an imaginative, colourful and informative document, which also meets statutory requirements.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47 The leadership provided by the headteacher is good. He is well supported by an effective deputy headteacher and key coordinators of English, mathematics and science provide very good leadership and planning in their subjects. The leadership for special educational needs is very strong and the policy permeates the practice of the school. The headteacher has earned the respect and appreciation of teachers, governors, parents and pupils. He has set a tone of endeavour in the school and the positive attitudes of the school community, which have a significant impact upon standards achieved, are the result of his patient encouragement over a number of years.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48 The quality of the curriculum and pastoral leadership overall is very effective. Significant improvements since the previous inspection in design and technology and music are examples of this quality. Whilst certain coordinators have occasional opportunities for observing and Burton Road Primary School - 20 monitoring the teaching of their subject this is inconsistent. Although the curriculum is regularly monitored, it is done so too informally; review and development of the curriculum lacks the necessary rigour for the school to strive sufficiently hard for excellence as it develops in the longer term. Leadership in the nursery and physical education are also effective. There is insufficient rigour in approaches to aspects of risk assessment and health and safety that the school is now putting into place. Another example of effective leadership can be seen in the development of special educational needs since the previous inspection. It is now more

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

rigorous and the school’s investment in a strong team of learning support assistants has paid dividends. They are very effective, ensure pupils are fully integrated into classroom routines and contribute to the good progress made by pupils with learning difficulties. They are well trained and well informed about pupils’ needs and readily share their expertise with each other and with teachers. This excellent teamwork maximises staff and pupils’ efforts. The designated governor for special educational needs works in the school and is fully committed to her role. She ensures the governing body is sufficiently aware of the needs and successes of the school in relation to special needs. The school has good resources to support pupils with a wide range of special needs, including teaching programmes for specific problems such as dyslexia. There is a good range of information technology programs to support pupils learning and a range of

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

books and games. Funding for special needs is used well.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49 The headteacher’s effective management is hampered through shortage of suitable office accommodation. Sharing office space with the school secretary compromises the efficiency of the school. The headteacher has difficulty in accommodating confidential interviews and telephone conversations with parents, teachers and other staff. It is difficult for the headteacher to meet fully his own responsibilities since he has no quiet space to reflect or complete necessary administration.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50 Although governors have a good grasp of the basic day to day running of the school their effectiveness is unsatisfactory overall. Governors are currently engaged in a programme of awareness raising to improve their ability to hold the school more fully to account. At present, for example, they do not predict long term needs of the school and their role in developing planning is slight and only concerned with planning for the immediate year in relation to a known budget. There is insufficient thought given to prioritising and planning over the longer term. A new committee structure has recently been set up which will raise this awareness even further. The targets within the current development plan are appropriate and achievable. They are suitably costed within the short time frame and are constantly evaluated by the headteacher and coordinators.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51 However, other than literacy, numeracy and information technology there are no development plans for subject areas. The school is in the process of evaluating the work of coordinators, and beginning to look more to long term target setting and planning linked to raising standards as well as resources. Some effective developmental work, notably in joint moderation of narrative writing, has been undertaken by coordinators. They are also making plans to manage the monitoring of standards, teaching and the quality of learning. At present, though, this is an unsatisfactory aspect of management. The headteacher monitors and supports informally though frequent visits to classrooms. This management, however, lacks sufficient rigour. Particular areas for development are not often identified and there is no planned programme of lesson observation in order to strive to raise already satisfactory or good teaching and learning

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

to that of the very best. At present the school is achieving its goal of striving to be a good school. It is not currently striving sufficiently rigorously for excellence.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52 Accommodation is barely satisfactory and little has changed since the previous inspection. The size and siting of the school library does not encourage pupils to use it for independent research or to browse through the books on display. The absence of a secure playground for the under fives in the reception class inhabits the opportunities for very young pupils at the school. Pupils still do not have the benefit of an accessible playing field. It is also inappropriate for a Year 1 class, which has no direct interior access to its own classroom from the hall, to have to walk through another classroom on wet days when, for example, they are going to a physical education lesson and are changed and barefooted. There is no provision for an information technology suite in the school, although temporary arrangements have been made in the hall. The school has no medical room. If it were not for the established and good teaching in the

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Burton Road Primary School - 21 school these factors could impact negatively on standards.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

53 Overall the school’s provision for staffing is good and has a generally positive impact on standards. The school’s arrangements for the induction and mentoring of newly qualified staff are good and an improvement since the previous inspection. The school is an effective provider of initial teacher training and good professional development systems are in place for most members of the school’s staff. The school is implementing the national requirements for the appraisal of teachers, and staff work together very well as a team. A strength of the school is the extensive training undertaken learning support assistants during staff development days and in their own time. Their knowledge and expertise contributes significantly to the quality of learning in lessons.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54 Resources are satisfactory in art, history and geography, and good in all other areas of the curriculum. The school has spent in a significant amount of money on books and materials to support the literacy and numeracy hours as well as providing extra books for reluctant readers and boys. The enhancement to the school’s provision and pupils’ learning through the work of the education action zone is significant. However, there are many old and inappropriate books in the library; the school has an inadequate stock of good modern fiction which is representative of the quality of children’s literature now available. The level of resources is enhanced by visits to places of historical and geographical interest and a good range of visitors to the school. Books in classes are good, and closely match pupils’ needs, and abilities. Resources are stored carefully, clearly labelled and are accessible to all staff, and when appropriate, pupils. Pupils

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

have access to computers in each room and there is a good quality computer suite in the hall. The school library is extremely small, with much of the book stock being of a poor quality and somewhat old. It is not used on a regular basis, and fails to provide a stimulating atmosphere for promoting an interest in reading for pleasure and information. Pupils rarely use it for independent learning; this is insufficiently encouraged in the school. Specific funds for special educational needs have been earmarked within the overall budget and used effectively.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55 The school has good systems of financial control. The school budget is maintained prudently by the headteacher and governors. The headteacher applies the principle of comparison, challenge, consultation and competition in advising the governing body to determine financial priorities and seek the best value for money spent.

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

56 In order to raise standards further in attainment, teaching and learning the governors, headteacher and staff should focus on:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1) Improving the procedures for monitoring and supporting the development of the curriculum and the quality of teaching in order to strive for the highest standards of excellence by: • developing and agreeing with individual teachers clearly identified areas of focus designed to improve aspects of their teaching, • providing staff development to increase further teachers’ knowledge and expertise in subjects in order that aspects of pupils’ learning are richer and deeper, especially in English towards the end of Key Stage 2; • (paragraphs: 7, 8, 16, 21, 25, 28, 30, 69, 74)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2) Improving the ability of governors to hold the school to account by: • developing a longer term approach to strategic planning and the setting of priorities, • ensuring that governors are helped to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to fully meet the broader requirements of governance, • formally assessing the school’s scope for improvement of its present best practice; • (paragraphs: 50, 51)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

3) Making the library more relevant and attractive and increasing its use by: • resiting it in a more prominent position and accessible position at the heart of Burton Road Primary School - 22 • the school, • acquiring gradually a more up to date selection of books, especially fiction, • presenting books more attractively on mobile display shelving, • ensuring that the library makes a greater contribution to the development of literacy skills; • (paragraph 52, 55)

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

4) Improving aspects of the headteacher’s management and organisation by: • providing a self contained headteacher’s office • (paragraph 49) Burton Road Primary School - 23

p.22

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 37

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

1.6 29.7 50.0 17.1 1.6 0.0 0.0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery Y1 – Y6

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 39 290

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 38 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery Y1 – Y6

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 7

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 2 35

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 3

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 14

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 19

p.23

Attendance

National comparative data 5.7 National comparative data 0.50 Burton Road Primary School - 24 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 1999 31 16 47

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 31 29 31 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 16 16 16

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 100 (100) 96 (100) 100 (98) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (80) 83 (81) 87 (85)

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 29 29 31 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 16 15 16

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 96 (100) 94(100) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 82 (81) 86 (85) 87 (86)

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 1999 25 27 52

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 14 18 21 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 24 25 25

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 75 (49) 85 (55) 88(60) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (65) 69 (59) 78 (69)

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 20 18 21 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 25 24 22

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 87 (62) 81 (60) 83 (60) Burton Road Primary School - 25 at NC level 4 or above National 68 (65) 69 (65) 75 (72) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Burton Road Primary School - 26

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 1 Black – Caribbean heritage

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage Black – African heritage

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 2 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. No pupils were excluded in the last school year.

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 11 Financial year 1998-1999

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 27

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: Y1 – Y6 Total expenditure 509868

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 9 Expenditure per pupil 1357

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 228 Balance brought forward from previous year (4480)

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year (2134)

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 39

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 55

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 13 FTE means full-time equivalent. Burton Road Primary School - 27

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

My child likes school. 53.2 42.3 3.2 1.3 0.0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 42.3 49.4 6.4 0.6 1.3

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 39.4 54.2 3.2 1.3 1.9

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 31.3 54.4 11.6 2.0 0.7

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Percentage of responses in each category

The teaching is good. 51.6 44.5 1.3 1.3 1.3

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 34.8 49.0 14.2 2.0 0.0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 54.5 39.7 3.9 1.3 0.6

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 61.3 36.8 0.6 0.0 1.3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 37.4 48.5 12.9 0.6 0.6

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 45.8 45.2 2.6 1.9 4.5

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 45.5 45.5 6.4 1.3 1.3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 19.8 45.4 15.1 3.3 16.4

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Summary of parents’ and carers’ responses

A relatively high proportion of parents who responded to the questionnaire have concerns about: • the range of extra curricular activities • the school’s working closely with parents • being well informed about how their child is getting on at school Burton Road Primary School - 28

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

57 The school admits children to the nursery in the September after their third birthday. Children transfer to the reception class at the beginning of the term after their fourth birthday. Most children in the reception classes attend the school’s nursery before they enter full time school. The nursery makes good provision for the children’s all round development and education. The reception class builds very effectively on the work of the nursery. The curriculum for children under five promotes the nationally agreed learning areas well in all areas. There is a specifically designated outdoor area for use by the children in the nursery. The children under five in the reception classes do not have immediate access to this area . They do not have a specifically designated area for outdoor use. Curriculum planning for children under five is thorough. The nursery and reception class teachers plan together to ensure there is no

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

unnecessary repetition of work. The basis for planning is the nationally agreed areas for learning for children under five. This gives children a firm foundation for work at Key Stage 1 of the National Curriculum. All members of staff who teach children under five have a clear commitment to raising standards. They attend in service training courses, plan lessons together and liase closely with parents. They work closely with Key Stage 1 teachers to continue and develop the current good practice. The record keeping system is clear. It is informative and gives all members of staff a well informed base for the planning of work. The nursery uses an entry assessment procedure effectively to assess children’s level of achievement. Parents contribute to this assessment. This gives the members of the nursery staff a clear knowledge of what children know and can do at home. They use this knowledge well to plan future work on

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

the basis of what the children know, understand and can do. The reception teacher continues to use the records from the nursery. They add to these records as they use the Performance Indicators for primary schools assessment procedures shortly after children enter their reception year. Children take their records of achievement with them when they move into Year 1. The nursery and reception classes provide a very effective level of support for children with special educational needs. All members of staff ensure that children have full and equal access to the areas of learning. Parents greatly value and appreciate the work children do in the nursery and reception classes. The transition initiatives are clear to see when moving from the curriculum of the under fives to that at the start of Key Stage 1.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

58 Most children enter the nursery with levels of attainment that meet the expectation for their age in most areas of learning. They respond well to the provision in the nursery and make good progress, particularly in the development of their social skills. On entry to the reception class children’s levels of attainment meet the expectation for children of this age. They make rapid progress in developing their language and number skills in the reception class. By the time they are five almost all children attain the skills they require to meet the agreed areas of learning expected for their age. All children make very good progress in their personal and social development and attain above the expected level. Most children make good progress in the development of their language and literacy, mathematical and creative skills. They develop a good knowledge and understanding of the world and make good progress in their physical

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

development. The school has improved well the level of provision for children under five since the previous inspection.

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Personal and social

59 Children settle quickly into the security of the nursery and make good progress in developing their personal and social skills. They are self possessed and confident when moving around the nursery. Most children share and take turns amicably for example, when experimenting with a ‘slime’ mixture. The children concentrate well on their tasks when using the computer. They work quietly and talk confidently to each other. Children clearly enjoy their work in the nursery. They cooperate happily with each other and adults. Children take care of classroom equipment and soon learn to tidy up after themselves. They continue this level of progress in their Burton Road Primary School - 29 personal development as they move into the reception class. Children work well independently and together. They are eager to try new ideas. All children persevere to finish their tasks and take considerable pride in their work. They are encouraged to solve problems. An example of

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Personal and social

this is children make choices in their artwork. Children quickly understand the routines of school life and move quietly and confidently around the school. They change their clothes for physical education lessons independently and fold them neatly. By the time they are five all children, including those with special educational needs, are likely to achieve at least the expected levels in the development of their social skills. Most children are likely to attain levels above those expected for their age. This is particularly noticeable in their ability to be independent and to relate well to each other and adults.

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Language and literacy

60 The provision for the development of language and literacy is good. Some children enter the nursery unit with below average language skills. They make satisfactory progress. They enjoy looking at books and share books and stories with adults and each other. Children who have immature speech patterns receive a good level of individual help and support to increase their speaking skills. All children quickly understand that print conveys meaning. They know to read books from left to right and handle them carefully. Children listen to well known stories and songs. They join in with them confidently. All children learn to use pencils correctly. They increase their early writing skills in a range of activities. This satisfactory rate of progress continues as children move into the reception class. Children with special educational needs continue to receive effective support. The reception class teacher uses the national literacy

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Language and literacy

strategy to further develop children’s listening, speaking and reading skills. All members of the reception staff further extend this through their careful selection of books and stories and their use of precise and clear diction. Children enjoy this work and make rapid progress in learning letter sounds. They have many opportunities for role play. For example, the shop areas in the nursery and reception classes give children the opportunity to develop their speaking, listening and writing skills well. All children listen with interest and care to stories. They retell them, enjoy talking about the pictures and join in with familiar sentences and refrains. Children are eager to choose books to take home. Children respond well in class and group discussions. They make good progress in developing their skills of speaking and listening and are beginning to speak well in sentences. All children consolidate and develop their early writing skills. They

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Language and literacy

hold and use pencils correctly. By the time they are five, most children achieve success in the agreed learning areas.

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Mathematics

61 The provision for children’s mathematical development is good. Most children make good progress in consolidating and developing their number skills. The members of the nursery staff effectively develop these skills through a carefully structured programme of work. This includes sequencing and counting activities and the use of construction activities to develop awareness of space. There is a very good level of support for children with special educational needs. They make good progress in developing their knowledge of numbers. The more able children count accurately to 20 and above. All children sing simple number rhymes. Children enter the reception classes with a rapidly developing range of mathematical skills. The reception teacher continues to build on and develop these early skills well. Children have a session of structured number work each day. Most children count and order objects to 20 and count accurately to 50.

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Mathematics

They know and recognise the place of numbers on a number line. All children recognise and know how to add on one more to a given number. They use suitable mathematical language to describe processes, such as ‘more than’ and ‘less than’. Children further develop their mathematical learning through the use of the computer. This gives them increased awareness of sequencing shape and controlling movement. Children make significant gains in their ability to consolidate, build on and develop their early mathematical experiences. Most children exceed the desirable learning outcomes for mathematics by the time they are five.

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Knowledge and Understanding of the World

62 The school has good provision for developing children’s knowledge and understanding of the Burton Road Primary School - 30 world. Children make good progress in this area of learning. They have many opportunities in the nursery and the reception classes to explore the natural and man made world. Children continue this good rate of progress as they move into the reception class. They develop a good understanding of the variety of light sources. Children use computers as a matter of routine and work carefully and accurately at sequencing events. This enables children to develop a good understanding of how to use the keyboard and mouse for accurate control. They know how to save information. Most children print out work independently. Children click and drag confidently to move items across the screen. By the time they are five, most children exceed the expectations of the desirable learning outcomes.

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Physical development

63 The school makes good provision for children’s physical development and children make good progress. They use pencils, crayons, scissors and glue with increasing control as they progress from the nursery to the reception class. Children use play dough and wet sand to mould into shapes. They develop their fine control skills well. Children in the nursery develop their climbing and balancing skills effectively. They have opportunities to run, jump and skip and use wheeled toys with an increasing awareness of space. There is a secure area for outdoor activities for nursery children. There is no immediate access to this area for children in the reception class. The school has a suitable selection of large apparatus for children to use in the outdoor area. All children exceed the expectations of the desirable learning outcomes by the time they are five.

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Creative development

64 The school’s provision for children’s creative development is good. They make good progress in the nursery as they learn basic techniques. This enables them to use and control materials effectively. They hold brushes correctly and apply paint to paper with much confidence. Children mix paint to achieve different colours. They make prints from finger paintings and, in the reception classes, develop their ability to observe well. An example of this is the work children do after looking closely at prints of work by famous artists. They show a good awareness of shape, pattern and colour. Children sing a variety of songs from memory and use percussion instruments correctly and confidently to maintain rhythm. Most children acquire the level of skill necessary to reach the desirable learning outcomes by the time they are five.

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ENGLISH

65 Levels of attainment in English are above average at the end of Key Stage 1 and average at the end of Key Stage 2. Consistently good teaching and pupils’ very positive attitudes to their learning ensure that most pupils make good progress. The oldest pupils at Key Stage 2 make satisfactory progress owing to the range of their writing being limited with too few opportunities for extended personal writing. The skills of reading, speaking and listening are above average in all pupils. These inspection findings mirror the 1999 National Curriculum test and task results where reading and writing in the tests at the age of 7 were above average compared with all and similar schools. However a smaller than average proportion of higher attainers achieved the higher Level 3 in writing. The results of tests taken by pupils aged 11 were average compared with all schools but below average compared with pupils from broadly similar schools. The

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ENGLISH

proportion of higher attaining pupils achieving the higher Level 5 was well below the national average. This is in part owing to shortcomings in the teaching of writing in Years 5 / 6 classes.

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ENGLISH

66 Almost all pupils at both key stages, including those with special educational needs, are confident speakers in both formal and informal situations. They develop ideas thoughtfully, convey opinions clearly and are willing to explore new ideas. Most pupils are competent readers and make good progress in their reading as they move through the school. The implementation of the literacy hour has led to efficient teaching by most teachers and has given pupils an increasing knowledge of the language they use in a variety of spoken and written circumstances. For example, pupils identify the characteristics of Victorian writing when linking their English and history work in Year 6. In Year 3 they are able to question the teacher in role in a modern adaptation of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’. Pupils in Year 2 know how to choose Burton Road Primary School - 31 sequences of simple sentences to develop ideas about characters in the text ‘Four Apples Fall’.

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ENGLISH

Pupils in Years 1 / 2 also know how to make connections between stories and understand how chapters often end with cliff hangers. In Year 5 pupils effectively write explanations, for example, relating to aspects of the moon. They respond well to the teacher’s questioning about the use of form and paragraphs in their writing. However, in general standards of written work are lower than standards of speaking and reading. This is recognised by the coordinator. She has led the staff to careful consideration of writing, initially narrative writing, and levels have been carefully moderated and a portfolio of examples created. This work is being shared with other schools within the education action zone; as a result teachers are aware of the challenge to improve writing, especially amongst those capable of high attainment. Part of the ensuing improvement planned is to ensure that marking helps pupils improve their writing.

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ENGLISH

67 The quality of teaching overall is good. The best lessons have clear learning objectives that are shared with pupils. Pupils and teachers together, especially in plenary sessions at the ends of lessons, assess the progress made in achieving the objectives of the lesson. In these lessons, such as that with a focus on explanatory writing in clearly defined paragraphs about aspects of the moon, teachers have high expectations of pupils’ standards of work. They use questioning techniques skilfully to help pupils extend and deepen their understanding and seek accuracy in their writing. Very good teaching of this nature ensures that different tasks supporting the learning needs of differing groups of pupils are prepared and the learning support assistant is well briefed to support pupils with special educational needs. In these lessons pupils respond with enthusiasm, taking responsibility for their own learning and research; they make marked

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ENGLISH

gains in learning new skills and knowledge. When learning was less effective amongst higher attaining pupils in Year 5/6, pupils were still positive about their learning but lessons were sometimes insufficiently varied in the strategies used and did not have the challenge and pace which characterised the best lessons.

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ENGLISH

68 Pupils’ levels of literacy are sufficient to help their work in other subjects. For example, written accounts in geography, history and religious education benefit from pupils’ developing levels of literacy. The priority of fully implementing the literacy hour is improving standards. In some classes, however, there is still insufficient time spent in guided reading or writing by the teacher with particular groups of pupils. Some teachers are moving round from pupil to pupil too speedily to have much effect on the quality of their learning. This is a lost opportunity as pupils display very positive attitudes to their learning and are keen to learn. They are capable of assessing specific learning achieved in a lesson, which some are encouraged to do; in other lessons, however, the learning goals are less clear. Behaviour is nearly always very good and most teachers ensure that the opportunities this provides for effective learning are realised.

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ENGLISH

69 At the time of the previous inspection standards in English were broadly similar to that found currently. They have fallen a little at Key Stage 1 and are marginally better at Key Stage 2 although pupils’ daily engagement with language and literature is more complete now and pupils spend less time engaged in unrelated exercises. The most successful teaching makes sure that grammatical work stems out of a need for specific improvement discovered in writing that has a defined purpose. The work in English lessons has developed an understanding of purpose and audience that was less secure in 1996. The format of the literacy hour provides significant opportunity for such extension when the guided work is carefully planned. Questioning is brisk yet patient, demanding yet productive. Teachers work hard to establish and sustain positive relationships with pupils and create a secure and effective atmosphere for learning. Homework

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ENGLISH

is generally set purposefully and enhances the work of the classroom. This is especially true when related to pupils’ reading or drafting of written work to be undertaken. Marking is constant but is insufficiently designed to help pupils improve. The majority of pupils respond to their lessons with interest and willingness and therefore benefit from the excellent working environment found in classrooms. They settle with goodwill to the tasks and activities in hand and apply their growing skills with commitment. They are keen to be successful. They mostly enjoy their work in English and provide teachers with opportunities to extend and enrich learning; teachers are beginning to be aware of these opportunities and some are responding to them imaginatively. The expertise of the coordinator was credited in the previous inspection but it is now extended further and she has been more engaged in monitoring work and helping

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ENGLISH

teachers become more aware of expected standards. The work undertaken in moderating a range of writing from pupils of all ages and levels of attainment has made a significant Burton Road Primary School - 32 contribution to the consolidation of quality being striven for in English teaching in the school. The curriculum for English fully meets the requirements of the National Curriculum.

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MATHEMATICS

70 Levels in attainment are well above average at the end of Key Stage 1 and well above average at the end of Key Stage 2. This is due to the quality of teaching which is consistently good at both key stages and sometimes very good at Key Stage 2. Pupils are encouraged to develop an enthusiasm for the subject, which results in good progress in learning basic skills and applying them to a variety of problems at both key stages. National test results are well above national averages at the age of seven in all aspects of the subject. In comparison with all schools and with similar schools at the end of Key Stage 1 results are well above average. At the age of 11, test results are well above average compared with all and similar schools. Pupils make good progress at both key stages in all aspects of the mathematics curriculum and have made particularly good progress with their mental and oral skills. The attainment of higher

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MATHEMATICS

attaining pupils is well above average at both key stages. The broad curriculum which pupils receive in mathematics is enriched by the emphasis on investigating problems.

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MATHEMATICS

71 The quality of teaching is good overall with some very good teaching at Key Stage 2. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the subject is very good overall and they use the subject vocabulary accurately. Consequently, pupils by the end of Key Stage 2 use and apply mathematical terms correctly in a range of situations and these become part of their spoken language. Teachers use approaches suggested by the national numeracy strategy effectively and are well supported by a published scheme. They plan tasks that are appropriate to the demands of the curriculum and the needs of pupils. Where the quality of the teaching is very good teachers set challenging tasks which enable all pupils to participate at their own level and work independently of the teacher. Pupils in Year 4 develop their skills in drawing different views of three dimensional shapes made with multi link cubes; pupils in Year 5 develop

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MATHEMATICS

accurate measuring skills when investigating parallel symmetry and irregular shapes. Although these are very difficult tasks the levels of concentration and perseverance are very good and all pupils achieve in line with their abilities. Sometimes learning is too reliant on worksheets. While these enable pupils to practise skills, investigations are limited and the worksheet does not always entirely match the main teaching objectives of the lesson. The pace of lessons is good at both key stages and teachers are mindful of the aspects of the numeracy hour to be covered. The mental and oral sessions are completed within time limits and teachers make pupils aware of these. In Year 5/6 teachers use a ‘halves and doubling’ game in which all the class participate and work against the clock. Pupils listen and concentrate well in order to meet the challenge. At Key Stage 1 pupils concentrate well during oral sessions and are encouraged

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MATHEMATICS

to use a range of methods for working out including mental strategies or their fingers. They are eager to join in and demonstrate a firm grasp of basic number skills.

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MATHEMATICS

72 At both key stages pupils with special educational needs are skilfully included in mental and oral sessions by the teachers use of questions which are carefully directed towards different ability groups. All members of staff give good support to pupils especially those with special educational needs and this enables all pupils to make good progress. Resources are used well and in many lessons the use of an overhead projector ensures that class sessions are effective and pupils maintain interest and concentration. Teachers make continual assessments of their pupils through the questions they ask and the discussions they have about pupils’ work. Where assessment is best pupils are involved in making a judgement about their own learning. In Year 5/6 pupils are asked what they feel they have learned about fractions. Assessments are sometimes used to provide a more appropriate lesson if pupils require more practice in a

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MATHEMATICS

specific aspect such as in Year 3 where the teacher changed the plan from the previous day in response to pupils’ difficulties. Good practice in assessment allows teachers to match their teaching to the learning needs of different groups of pupils; as a result of efforts made by the school the attainment of boys and girls is broadly similar.

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MATHEMATICS

73 Provision for the subject meets statutory requirements. Teachers put a relevant emphasis on handling data, investigating and applying mathematics and pupils develop their mathematical thinking well at both key stages. At Key Stage 1 teachers provide a relevant and practical curriculum enabling pupils to develop their skills well. At Key Stage 2 teachers use effective Burton Road Primary School - 33 strategies and reduce the need for pupils to have resources to enable them to work out more complicated calculations. At both key stages teachers build effectively on pupils previous experiences using the structure of the National Numeracy Strategy. In Year 3 teachers use number games to teach about money and giving change; this broadens the experience of pupils in the use of mathematics. Overall the curricular provision is good but sometimes, insufficient care is taken in ensuring that the learning needs of both age groups in a mixed age class are

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MATHEMATICS

met. Pupils work well together in lessons and at Key Stage 1 pupils confidently organise themselves to show their work during the plenary session. Assessment is very effective in mathematics and teachers record pupils’ achievements carefully. Appropriate targets are set for each child based on previous achievement.

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MATHEMATICS

74 Leadership of the subject is very good. The coordinator monitors the teaching of the subject regularly, which has contributed to the good and very good teaching seen at both key stages. All teachers have a shared commitment to the success of their pupils and the team work benefits both staff and pupils greatly. Resources are audited regularly and assessed in the light of the needs of the numeracy strategy and staff use a number of programmes on the computer to support pupils’ learning of numeracy skills and shape and pattern awareness. However, this technology is sometimes underused in classrooms.

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MATHEMATICS

75 Since the previous inspection the school’s results have continued to improve steadily. The increase in the amount of investigations and opportunities to apply mathematics has enabled pupils to develop their skills more widely. The challenging tasks at both key stages have increased their intellectual effort and enjoyment of the subject. Provision for mathematics meets the requirements of the National Curriculum.

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SCIENCE

76 Levels of attainment in science are above average at both key stages. The consistently good quality of teaching makes a significant contribution to the high standards pupils achieve. This encourages effective learning by pupils who bring very positive attitudes to their work. As a result progress is good at both key stages. National Curriculum tests and task results reflect the inspection findings. By age 11 pupils’ attainment in science is above the national average. This is in line with the results in the 1999 national tasks and tests. Higher attaining pupils in Year 2 achieve results at the higher Level 3 which are well above the national and in Year 6 achieve broadly average results compared with pupils in all schools at the higher Level 5. The school analyses results and looks carefully at the teaching of science. This is leading to improvement in standards at both key stages. The school correctly places emphasis on the investigative

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SCIENCE

element of science throughout both key stages. These steps make a very good contribution to the improvement in pupils’ attainment and progress and have a positive impact on the standards of pupils’ work. The high standards show a good level of improvement since the previous inspection.

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SCIENCE

77 At Key Stage 1 pupils’ attainment is above the national average. They understand the need for a fair test and know how to construct one. Pupils write down and test their predictions, analyse their results and draw conclusions from them. They know that a seed contains food and an embryo plant. Most pupils know that the root begins to grow before the shoot and that plants take up water through their roots. All pupils know that plants need water, warmth and light to grow. Pupils use an appropriate and accurate technical vocabulary, for example ‘root’ and ‘shoot’.

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SCIENCE

78 At Key Stage 2 pupils’ attainment is above the national average. They understand and use an appropriate technical vocabulary, for example ‘conductor’ and ‘insulator’. By Year 5 pupils understand the phases of the moon. They know the number of days it takes the earth and moon to rotate and orbit around the sun. In Year 6 pupils take responsibility for planning, organising and setting up their own experiments. They devise and carry out fair tests, discuss findings and record observations accurately using diagrams and graphs. Pupils understand and explain that a battery contains a finite amount of power. They know that the more bulbs there are attached to a series circuit the less light each one will give. They use accurate scientific language and take great care to ensure their experiments are as accurate as possible. Pupils collect data and use the computer confidently to collate, analyse and present their findings. An example of this

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SCIENCE

Burton Road Primary School - 34 is when they work on classification keys. They recall previous work well, for example work on the human body, and apply their knowledge to everyday situations. Pupils have a good understanding of scientific skills and concepts. Their ability to record their findings in writing is above what is expected for pupils of this age and makes a good contribution to the development of literacy.

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SCIENCE

79 Progress throughout the school is good. Pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress. Progress is very good at Key Stage 1. This progress is built on as pupils move through the school and is reflected in their attainment. Pupils are gaining a very good understanding of scientific skills and concepts. They show significant gains in their ability to plan, organise and carry out scientific investigations. Pupils apply their knowledge to other areas of the curriculum, for example when using the computer and when planning how to wire a house in relation to work done in design and technology. They also make good progress in their understanding and use of appropriate scientific vocabulary.

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SCIENCE

80 The quality of learning in science is good. Teachers encourage pupils to learn and make progress through their enthusiastic and interesting teaching. Pupils are eager and enthusiastic learners and quickly assimilate new information. An example of this is the work some Year 3 pupils do with polo magnets. They apply previous learning to new concepts effectively and have a clear understanding of how magnets work.

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SCIENCE

81 Pupils in all classes show much interest and enthusiasm for science. Attitudes to work are always good. The vast majority of pupils have very good attitudes to their work. These contribute to their high level of attainment. Pupils have a high level of motivation to work, show high levels of concentration and take pride in their work. They work very well together, discuss ideas and use a mature level of reasoning to work out ideas. Pupils are excited by the investigative work they undertake but they listen carefully, follow instructions and behave in a responsible and sensible manner. Due attention is paid to safety issues and pupils share tasks fairly.

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SCIENCE

82 The quality of teaching in science is consistently good throughout the school. Teaching at Key Stage 1 is very good. A half of all teaching at Key Stage 2 is very good. In all lessons teachers’ planning has relevant learning objectives and clearly identifies extension activities. High levels of intervention, questioning, discussion and challenge of pupils’ thinking are hallmarks of the very good teaching. All pupils have opportunities to discuss their findings. The pace of lessons is good. The relationships between teachers and pupils ensure a high level of commitment by pupils. Teachers give pupils opportunities to engage in their own research and to plan and carry out their own investigations. The structure of lessons is good. Teachers are using the structure of the literacy and numeracy strategies very well in planning science lessons. They have high expectations of behaviour and achievement. This ensures pupils make the progress expected

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SCIENCE

by teachers. Pupils are expected to complete their work within lessons. Teachers make the criteria for work clear. The careful planning and skilful teaching ensures firm and subtle management of class routines, control and discipline. Individual lesson planning is good in quality and content. There is a very good match of work to the needs and abilities of pupils. Higher attaining pupils have suitable extension work. All teachers have good subject knowledge and understanding and are enthusiastic about their teaching. Teachers make good links to other subjects; for example producing computer generated graphs and charts.

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SCIENCE

83 The school has an effective policy and scheme of work for science. The scheme of work details areas to be covered by different classes. It gives a good level of support and guidance for teachers and ensures that sequences of work are built on pupils’ previous knowledge. The coordinator monitors all planning and checks pupils’ work on a regular basis. There is, however, no formal structure for the monitoring of teaching. Assessment of pupils’ work in science is thorough. There is equality of access and opportunity for all pupils. Pupils and teachers make effective use of the good resources. The accommodation is adequate for the needs of pupils. Staff use it well to maximise learning opportunities and make effective use of the school grounds. Provision for science meets the requirements of the National Curriculum.

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ART

Burton Road Primary School - 35 84 Rates of progress are satisfactory at both key stages. Although it was not possible to see art being taught during the inspection, the evidence of a reasonable amount of art exhibited in the limited display spaces indicates satisfactory teaching overall. There is a developing stock of materials with which to work, especially in drawing in pencil and colour using paint, crayon and pastels. Drawing from observation was limited with little evidence of developed work in shading and contrast. Available evidence indicates that insufficient emphasis is given at all ages to this fundamental aspect of art education. Apart from some work in collage, there was little evidence of three dimensional work. However, pupils are getting opportunities to respond visually to their environment realistically and imaginatively. The progress made by pupils at both key stages is sufficient to ensure that levels of attainment are generally at the national average. The

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ART

progress made by pupils with special educational needs is consistently satisfactory.

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ART

85 Teachers provide pupils with a range of drawing activities that usually relate to what can be observed at close quarters and drawn accurately, but pupils are also given opportunities for imaginative drawing. For example pupils in Year 1/2 use pastels to draw plants in accurate detail; they also work in primary colours and tint their work through mixing with white paint and creating washes as backgrounds to imaginative seascapes, some based on the work of Laurence Roche. Pupils in Year 2 have skilfully crafted owl collages in ‘day and night’ pictures created with tissue paper. Some very good work in Year 5/6 reflecting class work on rain forests uses watercolours and crayons imaginatively. Pupils in Year 4 have made bold and energetic portraits of pets while pupils in Year 3 have been equally vigorous in representing in bold colours sunflowers in the style of Van Gogh. There is some carefully drawn illustrative art in

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ART

Year 5 linked to work on the Victorians and Year 3/4, studying the work of Georges Seurat, have produced pictures of a day at the park in which colour is used with subtlety and an awareness of the direction of sunlight. Edvard Munch’s ‘Scream’ captured the imagination of Year 5/6 and their own version in pastel crayons are vivid, active and have captured the surrealistic qualities seen in the original.

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ART

86 The work observed indicates that pupils’ experience of art meets the requirements of the National Curriculum. The school has ensured that the breadth of the curriculum overall is maintained and in consequence this area of learning has not been neglected. The outside environment of the school, its birch glade in a landscaped garden and the circle of stone catch the eye. The best teaching helps pupils experience the world visually and interpret it themselves in a variety of media. Attainment in art is much the same as that found at the previous inspection.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

87 Pupils of all ages attain above average standards and make good progress in design and technology. By the age of seven pupils make labelled plans which they discuss, amend and refine further. They use their knowledge of playground equipment to plan interesting and safe designs. Pupils build well on their previous experience and have very positive attitudes to their work. By Year 3 pupils consider, adapt, evaluate and plan recipes to make a variety of breads. They are interested in their work and make good progress in developing their ability to adapt recipes. By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils make effective links with their work in science. They plan, design and build a house and make a series circuit to light each room. The work pupils do on testing and evaluating their designs and finished product shows a good level of improvement since the previous inspection.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

88 The quality of learning is good at both key stages. Pupils increase their knowledge and understanding of design and making processes. Their written evaluations demonstrate a significant increase in their understanding of the importance of accurate design and careful planning. Pupils effectively develop their ability to link their work in other subjects with design technology. For example, pupils in Year 3 use weaving and three dimensional representations to illustrate work in art.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

89 All pupils, including those with special educational needs, have equal access to the design and technology curriculum. Pupils with special educational needs receive a good and effective level of support from staff. They learn well and make good progress. Burton Road Primary School - 36 90 Pupils take much pride in their work. They have good levels of motivation and show much interest in the subject. The quality of work on display is good. Pupils have enthusiasm for their work and try hard to solve problems. Pupils cooperate well together in lessons and listen carefully to each other's suggestions.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

91 The quality of teaching is consistently good throughout the school. There are some very good features in 50 per cent of lessons. The teachers have a good knowledge of the subject. This helps them to explain the work well and to have high expectations of achievement and response from pupils. Teachers interact confidently with pupils. They use questions skilfully to probe understanding.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

92 The leadership and management of the subject are good. There is a very effective and helpful policy and scheme of work that covers both elements of the National Curriculum for design and technology. This is a considerable improvement since the previous inspection and is having a positive impact on raising standards.

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GEOGRAPHY

93 Whilst it was only possible to observe two lessons at Key Stage 1, and none at Key Stage 2, scrutiny of work, teachers’ planning documents and a portfolio of pupils’ work, indicate that pupils at both key stages, including those with special education needs, make satisfactory progress. They achieve levels of attainment in line with pupils of a similar age. Standards in the subject have remained at an average level since the last inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY

94 In the two lessons observed pupils were involved in the same activity. Pupils in Year 2 develop and display an understanding of simple mapping skills. This understanding is aided by the teacher’s effective and enthusiastic introduction to the subject as three dimensional objects including model furniture are projected on a screen to introduce the concept of overhead plans. The teachers’ good open ended questions did much to consolidate pupils’ knowledge and to assess their understanding prior to beginning the paired and group activities. Pupils are provided with a challenging range of activities that match their learning needs. These include lower attaining pupils whose work is below average developing directional language as they consider a teddy bear’s relationship to a chair: above, below, at the side of it. The majority of the class however, map out a group of simple shapes onto paper, whilst those capable of high

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GEOGRAPHY

attainment place scaled paper outlines of desks, chairs and cupboards on to a blank map of the classroom. The good progress observed in these two lessons was much enhanced by the good support provided by classroom assistants, with each group of pupils having an adult to support them. During the two lessons the majority of pupils demonstrated a clear understanding of what they were doing, and how the outcome was to be achieved. Pupils worked in a committed manner, and were able to work both independently and in collaboration with a friend. Teachers use the plenary session in an effective manner to review what pupils have learned and to celebrate their success.

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GEOGRAPHY

95 Teachers at Key Stage 1 are secure in their knowledge of the subject and have the ability to convey information with a clear purpose. A portfolio of pupils’ work shows that they are regularly provided with the opportunity to develop and extend their skills in a good range of geographical projects. Pupils develop an understanding of their school and local environment, as well as a simple awareness of where they live in relation to the rest of the United Kingdom and its place on a world map. Pupils build on these basic skills as they move into Key Stage 2 and begin to explore the geographical nature of a number of other countries, including India and Greece. There are good cross curricular links with pupils’ work on contemporary Greece coinciding with their historical work on Ancient Greece. Pupils produce some good work on a range of contemporary issues such as the pollution of the environment, the destruction of the

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GEOGRAPHY

rain forests, and other world issues. Pupils write in an extended manner on some of these concerns, and are engaged in simulated environmental games on computers. Pupils are able to take part in a good range of field trips both around the local area, visits to the Dearne Valley and opportunities to utilise mapping and orienteering skills during an annual residential holiday. In writing about their experiences pupils use and develop their skills of literacy.

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GEOGRAPHY

96 The subject is led by a well informed subject coordinator. There is a useful policy for the subject Burton Road Primary School - 37 and an effective scheme of work. The school enables pupils to respond to a good range of geographical projects, and fully meets the requirements of the National Curriculum for geography.

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HISTORY

97 It was only possible to observe one lesson from each key stage. These observations and an analysis of available work of pupils, and examination of teachers’ planning documents and discussions with children indicate that pupils at both key stages, including those with special educational needs, are making satisfactory progress. They achieve standards in line with pupils of a similar age. Standards in the subject have remained at an average level since the previous inspection.

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HISTORY

98 Pupils at Key Stage 1 display a satisfactory understanding of chronology and the importance of people and events both within individual topics and over periods of time. This is promoted by teachers’ good planning and the effective use of a range of worksheets and resources. Teachers refer to previous lessons in order to consolidate learning before moving on to extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding. This was observed in Year 1 as pupils studied the life of Florence Nightingale. A majority of pupils had retained a significant amount of information about her life from a previous lesson and were able to talk about it in a confident manner. This knowledge was further consolidated as pupils worked in pairs in analysing a series of pictures and placing them in a simple time line. Sound progress was much influenced by the willingness of the pupils to listen, respond to questions, and work in a committed manner. Teachers

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HISTORY

promote good progress by allowing pupils to work in pairs and to make an active contribution to their own learning.

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HISTORY

99 Good learning skills were also observed in Year 5 and 6 in a very effective lesson about young people’s education during the Victorian age. During this lesson pupils were asked to consider group photographs taken at a public school and at a local boarding school. In a good introduction the teacher demonstrated how evidence could be gleaned from pictures by analysing them for information about the period. The teacher had high expectations of pupils and provided them with a challenging activity comparing and contrasting the two pictures, making inferences and recording their findings about similarities and differences between the two schools. When pupils were writing the teacher provided good support for a pupil with a statement of special education need, pupils of average attainment with a good range of imaginative questions, and extension activities for high attaining pupils. Pupils of all abilities

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HISTORY

approached their work in a committed manner and maintained their concentration throughout the lesson. The lesson ended effectively as the teacher provided pupils with the opportunity to read out their findings to the rest of the class; he also read a passage from an interesting and relevant novel, ‘Escape from the Workhouse’, to support the factual evidence explored by the pupils.

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HISTORY

100 The quality of teaching in the two lessons observed was good. Lessons are well planned with clear learning objectives made known to the pupils. Teachers know their subject and have high expectations of pupils. Scrutiny of a limited amount of work indicates that pupils engage in a good range of learning styles and activities, including empathetic writing. This contributes to the development of pupils’ literacy skills. All pupils display good behaviour, a significant factor in the satisfactory progress made in individual lessons.

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HISTORY

101 The subject is led by a well informed coordinator. There is a policy for the subject and an effective scheme of work. Pupils are provided with the opportunity to visit museums and study centres where they dress in period costume, engage in role play and explore a range of activities linked to the period being studied. The school enables pupils to respond to a good range of study units and fully responds to all elements of the National Curriculum for history. The subject develops good cross curricular links with other subjects, in particular geography and art.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Burton Road Primary School - 38 102 Judgements have been made based on observations of pupils using information technology in lessons, talking with pupils, analysing the school portfolio of work and observing pupils working with the coordinator from the education action zone in support of the school.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

103 Levels of attainment in information technology are above average at the end of Key Stage 1 and average at the end of Key Stage 2. At both key stages pupils are taught basic skills in word processing and at Key Stage 1 they begin to learn the aspects of control using a robot that can be programmed. Pupils at Key Stage 2 make limited progress in the aspects of control and modelling although they do have some planned experiences using turtle programs such as ‘The Crystal Rainforest’. The teacher supporting the school from the education action zone makes a significant contribution to the skills which pupils gain in desktop publishing at Key Stage 2. They create posters and show the ability to change font, size and use a variety of textured and coloured backgrounds for effect. They use the Internet to research and find illustrations to support their text which they import into their work. Overall progress at both key stages is good.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

The teaching is good in those aspects in which teachers are most confident and pupils are very enthusiastic in their approach to the subject. They enjoy the autonomy that the use of technology gives them and appreciate being able to make decisions and control the pace of their own learning. They demonstrate confidence at all ages in using technology and develop good social skills of negotiation through their collaborative work with partners. Pupils with special needs make good progress in their learning and are able to use appropriate programs to meet their needs.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

104 The teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the subject are good in those areas with which they have confidence. Teachers have worked hard to develop their skills in word processing and the use of mathematical programmes and transfer this knowledge competently to pupils. These processes help to develop pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills. However, the use of control and modelling programmes is less well developed particularly at Key Stage 2 and teachers and pupils need to address this area more fully. Teachers include information technology in their planning for a range of subjects although learning objectives for this particular area are not always clearly defined. Teachers’ expectations of their pupils are good and they set appropriately challenging tasks. However, the equipment is not fully utilised during lessons and more pupils could be using the equipment and appropriate software. Assessment is

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

satisfactory and pupils are beginning to use their own records of skills they have gained enabling them to play an active part in evaluating their learning. Teachers keep records consistently and are aware of the need to develop this area.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

105 The leadership of the subject is very good. The school has made significant improvements in the teaching of information technology since the previous inspection and has taken part in projects with support from the education action zone and linked to the national grid for learning. The coordinator has a clear view of the needs of the subject in relation to teachers’ in service training and its impact on the overall curriculum offered to pupils. The staff has identified their lack of confidence in the areas of control technology and modelling and appropriate plans are being made to address the imbalance in the curriculum. The teamwork has enabled the school to move forward but the lack of a technician means that the necessary support is not always available to deal with problems with the hardware. The accommodation has limitations in the numbers of pupils able to use the suite; there is also a noise from music and physical education

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

lessons which make concentration difficult.

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

106 Pupils are respectful towards each other and very tolerant of those with special needs even when they are demanding attention. Pupils with special needs are equally interested in their work and the good relationships which are fostered enable them to participate fully in lessons; mistakes can be made in a safe and secure environment.

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MUSIC

107 Observation of lessons, teacher’ planning documents, and tapes of pupils’ compositions indicate that pupils at both key stages, including those with special educational needs, make good progress in the subject, and are achieving standards above that normally expected by pupils of a similar age. This is a particular and significant improvement on the previous inspection when attainment at the end of both key stages was deemed to be below average. Burton Road Primary School - 39 108 Skills are practised in Year 1 with pupils clapping out the beat of multi-syllable words and using untuned percussion instruments to sustain a steady rhythm. Pupils sing in a tuneful manner from memory and are able to recognise long and short notes in songs. Good progress is enhanced by pupils’ enthusiasm for their music making. This commitment is also evident in Year 2; pupils put together a simple musical soundtrack to support their mimed story of ‘Jack

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MUSIC

and the Beanstalk’. Burton Road Primary School - 40 109 Pupils in Years 3 and 4 also display good compositional skills as they use the painting ‘The Hunters in the Snow’ by Peter Bruegel as a stimulus for group composition. The pupils respond in a very positive manner to this challenging activity set by the teacher. After exploring a range of percussion instruments and recorders, pupils agree a structure and final outcome for their composition. Pupils also demonstrate a good knowledge of dynamics, sing accurately to pitch, use appropriate musical vocabulary and respond to symbolic and graphic notation. This was observed in a good singing lesson as pupils demonstrated their ability to sing in a range from high to low, and from loud to soft. They knew the correct terms for their style of singing and followed the teacher’s conducting of the piece by reading formal musical notation. The good level of attainment in this lesson was much enhanced by the enthusiasm displayed by the

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MUSIC

pupils, the class teacher and the good support provided by a member of the local performing arts development service. An active and well disciplined atmosphere exists in lessons. Regular opportunities for pupils to engage in composing and performing skills continue in Years 5 and 6 as pupils work together in groups composing their own melodies and writing them down using formal musical notation. Pupils’ knowledge of music is increased by regular opportunities to listen to and appraise a good range of classical and contemporary music. Music is regularly played at the beginning and end of assemblies; information about the composer of the week is projected on an overhead screen.

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MUSIC

110 All pupils at both key stages are provided with the opportunity to play the recorder. The school provides peripatetic music tuition in brass, woodwind, guitar and violin. The school choir regularly sings at assemblies and makes numerous visits to churches, day centres and homes for the elderly in the area. The overall quality of singing in the school is good; pupils sing tunefully and with enthusiasm. Whilst teachers do not always see themselves as experts in music, lessons are always well planned with clear learning objectives. Opportunities are provided for pupils to respond regularly to making their own music appraising their own efforts and those of established musicians. The good progress in individual lessons is helped by pupils’ very good behaviour and their ability to apply their previously learned music skills to an increased range of challenging musical activities.

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MUSIC

111 The subject is led by an enthusiastic and well informed coordinator who has put together some very good modules of work for teachers of each year group. There is a good policy and guidelines in place, and an effective scheme of work based upon two published schemes of work.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

112 Throughout the school pupils attain standards that are above those expected nationally. At the end of Key Stage 2 pupils’ standards in dance are well above national expectations. Pupils throughout the school, including those with special educational needs, make good progress. The school places great value on the work that pupils do in physical education. Clear evidence of this appears in the quality of pupils’ and teachers’ work in lessons. The school teaches all aspects of the subject, including swimming and athletics; teachers and pupils are enthusiastic. There is a wide range of extra curricular sports provision and the school has many successes with its sports teams. Pupils derive much benefit from extra help in coaching from a variety of organisations outside the school. The school is continuing with its outdoor and adventurous provision to maintain a good balance in its curriculum. These factors make a significant

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

contribution to the standards pupils achieve. This represents improvement since the previous inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

113 By the age of seven pupils make increasingly more complex series of movements. They practise to improve their performance and achieve well in games’ skills. By 11, pupils achieve well in all areas of physical education. They have well developed games’ skills and apply their knowledge of gymnastics to their dance performances very well. From the beginning of Key Stage 1 pupils appraise their own and others performances and suggest ways to improve. They practise, improve and repeat sequences of movements to each other. Pupils at Key Stage 2 show a high level of maturity in their actions, for example when collaborating in teams to practise and develop football skills. They discuss the good and poor points of their work. Pupils understand the effect of exercise on the body and the need to warm up before taking exercise. Burton Road Primary School - 41 Pupils have good ball control skills and work well together in teams. They dribble, pass and trap

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

footballs correctly and apply these skills when playing actual games. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress in developing an awareness of the use of space. They make significant gains in their ability to dribble, pass and trap footballs with control and accuracy. Pupils develop their ability to devise and improvise movements very well when they create sequences of movements in gymnastic and dance lessons.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

114 The quality of learning in physical education lessons is good. All pupils work with a sense of purpose and want to achieve. They are eager to learn new skills and apply their learning well in games and dance. The quality of teaching makes a positive impact on pupils’ learning.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

115 Pupils at both key stages have very positive attitudes to their work in physical education. They work with much enjoyment and enthusiasm as well as with very high levels of concentration. Pupils behave very well in lessons. They work quietly, collaboratively and cooperate very well with each other and their teachers. Relationships are very good and pupils help and support each other well, particularly when practising agility skills.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

116 The overall quality of teaching is good. Around a half of all teaching at Key Stage 2 is very good. One third of this teaching is outstanding. Teachers give clear explanations to pupils and take care to ensure they understand the purpose of their work. The organisation of lessons is good. All teachers prepare lessons carefully to provide a suitably balanced programme of skills progression. They have a good level of subject knowledge and understanding and are confident in the teaching of physical education. They have suitably high expectations of what the pupils can achieve and lessons move at a brisk pace. Teachers demonstrate skills well and have a good understanding of skills' development in physical education.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

117 The school has a clear policy and scheme of work for physical education. This gives an effective level of support to teachers. The coordinator works with other classes within the school but does not monitor the teaching of physical education. There is no structured procedure for assessing performance to ensure that new work builds on previous knowledge and ability. The school’s physical education programme receives very effective support from the good range of extra curricular activities the school provides. These include sporting activities, which are open to all pupils regardless of age or gender.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

118 Observations of lessons, an analysis of pupils’ work and teachers’ planning indicate that pupils at both key stages, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress and achieve average standards in response to the requirements and demands of the locally agreed syllabus adopted by the school.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

119 Pupils at Key Stage 1 develop an understanding of the life of Jesus and are able to talk about stories from the old and New Testament. Pupils are introduced to other world faiths, their leaders, principles and festivals. Teachers often use the bible stories and issues presented to pupils in assemblies as a stimulus for their own classroom work. This was observed in Year 1 as pupils extended their knowledge of the story of Jonah and the Whale, and consolidated their understanding of the underlying issue of obedience and the occasional need to do something you don’t particularly want to do. The teacher utilised some good open ended questions to stimulate good classroom oral work. This was enhanced by a nice relaxed yet well ordered relationship between teacher and pupils.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

120 Pupils continue to extend their knowledge of Christianity and other world faiths at Key Stage 2. They reflect on the underlying themes and issues concerned in these faiths; they consider what these beliefs mean to themselves and to the world of today. Pupils examine the lives of people who have tried to live by Christian principles and consider how their beliefs have had an impact on themselves and the people around them. A good example of this was observed in Year 3 / 4 when pupils explored Martin Luther King’s speech ‘ I Have a Dream’, before going on to discuss their own personal dream. Less confident pupils were encouraged by the teacher to make an active contribution to oral activities, and the overhead projector was used in an effective manner to record pupils’ ideas and feelings. There are significant opportunities for pupils to reflect on Burton Road Primary School - 42 and question the meaning of life. Opportunities for reflection were sensitive in a Year 5/6 lesson

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

on the parable of ‘The Good Samaritan’. After an imaginative and dramatic reading the teacher provided good opportunities for group oral activities with pupils discussing the theme of friendship and what constitutes a good friend. In all lessons pupils listened to and respected each other’s opinions and ideas, and where appropriate agreed a consensus viewpoint.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

121 The quality of teaching in the limited number of lessons observed was good. Teachers approach work in a challenging yet sensitive manner. They provide an open yet secure environment in which all pupils are listened to and all opinions valued. Teachers use the plenary session in an effective manner in order to consolidate the learning of the lesson. The subject makes a valuable contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

122 There is a coherent policy for the subject, and an effective scheme of work based on the locally agreed syllabus. School assemblies, a number of local church leaders and other visitors have an enriching impact upon pupils’ learning in the subject. There has been improvement of provision for religious education since the previous inspection.

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