Claverley CofE Primary School

CLAVERLEY C of E (AIDED) 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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CLAVERLEY C of E (AIDED) 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. Claverley C of E Primary School Page 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Aston Lane Claverley Wolverhampton

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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 Andrew Nicholls

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: March 1997 Claverley C of E Primary School Page 4

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responsibilities

Paul Baxter Registered inspector Special educational needs Equal opportunities Mathematics Music Physical education The school’s results and achievements How well is the school led and managed?

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responsibilities

Brian Silvester Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Michael Benson Team inspector Areas of learning for children in the Foundation Stage Design and technology Information and communication technology Science How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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responsibilities

Vincent Leary Team inspector English Art and design Geography History How well are pupils’ taught? Claverley C of E Primary School Page 5 The inspection contractor was:

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responsibilities

Serco QAA Ltd Herringston Barn Herringston Dorchester Dorset DT2 9PU

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responsibilities

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

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responsibilities

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Claverley C of E Primary School Page 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This voluntary aided Church of England primary school for pupils aged between four and eleven years is below average in size . It serves the small rural community of Claverley, about six miles from Wolverhampton in the county of Shropshire. It has 95 full-time pupils of whom 46 are boys and 49 are girls. Most pupils come from the local area, which is well above average in socio-economic terms, as it contains a high proportion of private housing. However, several pupils come from rural areas further afield. At present there are eight pupils with special educational needs attending the school, a well below average number. The proportion of pupils with statements of special educational needs matches that found nationally. No pupils come from homes where English is an additional language or from ethnic minority backgrounds. Very few pupils are eligible for free school meals. Overall the children’s attainment on entry is above that found nationally.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Claverley is a very good school with significant strengths, particularly the excellent relationships which the pupils share with each other and with staff, and the pupils’ well-developed skills in literacy and numeracy. These are strongly promoted by the good teaching across the school and by the highly effective leadership of the headteacher. As a consequence standards are rising and pupils are on course to meet their targets. The school has established a warm Christian ethos which matches care and achievement, and underpins the pupils’ good learning. The school has responded very effectively to the findings of the previous inspection and continues to provide good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The outstanding leadership of the headteacher, very ably supported by staff, governors and parents, ensures an excellent educational direction and an equally strong shared commitment for improvement and capacity to succeed. • The pupils demonstrate very positive attitudes and behaviour and excellent relationships and these enrich their work in school. • Standards for pupils aged 11 are well above average in English and mathematics. • Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and potentially higher attainers, make good progress in lessons and achieve well, both academically and socially, in relation to their prior attainment by the time they leave the school. • Attendance is well above the national average and is very good. • The teaching is very good or better in over a third of lessons and it is good overall. • The provision for the pupils’ moral and social development is excellent and the overall quality

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What the school does well

and range of the learning opportunities which the school provides is very good.

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What could be improved

• The area used to accommodate the library and most computers is too small and this restricts the effectiveness of teaching and learning in information and communications technology (ICT) and reduces the pupils’ opportunity to further develop their library and research skills. • There is scope to improve the provision for the Foundation Stage so that the children achieve well in all the recommended areas of learning, especially in their creative and physical development. These areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good improvement since the last inspection. The pupils’ attainment has been raised from average at the end of Key Stage 2 in 1997 to well above average overall now, especially in English and mathematics. The school has been particularly successful in raising the level of challenge presented to potentially higher attaining pupils - a key issue of the last inspection. These improvements have been achieved as a result of excellent leadership by the headteacher, who with good support from colleagues, has established a strong curriculum and a very effective strategy to support the development of the school. The teaching and learning has been improved and the proportion of very good and excellent lessons has been nearly trebled! Pupils now make good Claverley C of E Primary School Page 8 progress through the school compared with the satisfactory progress identified at the time of the previous inspection. Whilst the school has made good improvement in most areas since the last

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

inspection, progress in improving the provision for children under five, now known as the ‘Foundation Stage’, has been less significant. Overall, the school is highly capable of continuing future improvement.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

Given the small and differing numbers of pupils in each year group care must be taken not to place too much emphasis on one year’s performance. Nevertheless, the results achieved by 11-year-old pupils over the past four years show a trend of rising standards which matches that found nationally. Inspection evidence shows that the pupils make good progress in most lessons and by the age of 11 attain standards which are well above the national average in English and mathematics. Standards are above the national expectation in science, design and technology, history, music and physical education and are in line with the national average in all other subjects by the end of Key Stage 2. Religious education is evaluated separately within the Diocese Section 23 inspection. Standards are rising and most pupils are well on course to reach the challenging targets set for them to attain by the time they leave the school.

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Key

Standards are well above average overall and are much higher now than the average standards identified at the time of the last inspection. Taken together, most pupils make good progress in Key Stage 1 and attain standards which are well above those expected nationally at the age of 7, especially in English and mathematics. Younger children in the ‘Foundation Stage’ make good progress in lessons now, in response to good teaching, and have achieved satisfactorily in most areas of learning since they entered the school. Pupils who have special educational needs and potentially higher attaining pupils also make good progress in lessons. As a result of successful teaching, most pupils achieve well in relation to their prior attainment by the time they leave the school.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils show very good attitudes to the school and to their learning.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good overall; enriching the pupils’ work and progress.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships The pupils demonstrate excellent relationships with each other and staff and these strongly support learning. Pupils act responsibly and show very good personal development. Attendance Very good, well above the national average. The pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and relationships are enhanced by the school’s Christian ethos and by the day-to-day example and expectations of staff. Claverley C of E Primary School Page 9

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

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

Teaching is a consistent strength across the school and it is successful in promoting the pupils’ learning. The teaching ranged between good and excellent in over two thirds of the lessons observed and it was never less than satisfactory. Teaching was excellent in 3 per cent, very good in 32 per cent, good in 29 per cent and satisfactory in the remaining 36 per cent of the lessons observed. There are significant strengths in the teaching in the Years 1 and 2 class and in the Years 5 and 6 class. Literacy and numeracy skills are taught particularly well and the pupils’ proficiency in writing support good learning across the school. Due to the school’s cycle of planning it was not possible to judge the quality of teaching in history in Key Stage 1, geography in Key Stage 2 and in design and technology across the school. Teachers are highly effective in developing excellent relationships and in meeting the needs of all the pupils. They use their very good knowledge of subjects to set high

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

expectations which extend the pupils’ thinking. Learning is successful because most lessons are challenging and interesting. The restricted accommodation and facilities available limit the effectiveness of teaching and learning in ICT, library skills and in physical development for children under five.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good overall, with particularly successful strategies for the teaching of literacy and numeracy skills. However, the curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is newly in place and its implementation has not yet fully impacted on standards. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good, pupils receive carefully planned, sensitive support.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good overall, excellent provision for the pupils’ moral and social development and good support for the pupils’ spiritual and cultural development.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The staff provide well for the pupils’ welfare. They generally monitor and support the pupils’ academic performance successfully and give very effective personal support and guidance to the pupils.

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Aspect Comment

All staff work well with parents and the consistency of the pastoral care offered to the pupils is a strength of the school. Claverley C of E Primary School Page 10

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and manage- ment by the headteacher and other key staff Very good overall. The headteacher provides excellent leadership and promotes a first-class shared commitment to improvement and capacity to succeed, which strongly aids the pupils’ learning.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Especially through good appointments of staff, the governing body, purposefully led by an experienced chairman, plays a very effective role in shaping the direction of the school. The governors meet most of their statutory obligations, with the exception of a few minor omissions in the prospectus and annual report to parents. The school’s evaluation of its performance The school monitors the achievement of the pupils in the National Curriculum tests carefully and the headteacher’s detailed analysis of teaching and learning is used well to raise standards. The strategic use of resources Staffing, accommodation and learning resources are generally used well to promote the pupils’ learning. The provision of staffing, accommodation and learning resources is satisfactory overall. However, the area used for the library and ICT equipment is too small and restricts learning. Expenditure is clearly linked to the school

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Aspect Comment

improvement plan and decisions are duly taken on the principles of best value to meet the pupils’ needs.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school and are expected to work hard and achieve their best. • The school is helping their children to become mature and responsible. • The school is well led and managed. • The teaching is good. • Parents would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. • The amount of work given to pupils to do at home. • The degree to which the school keeps the parents well informed.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspectors fully support the parents’ strongly positive views. The school has strengthened the information supplied to parents through the ‘Home-School Agreements’, but there a few omissions in the governors’ annual report to parents and in the prospectus. The inspection team judge that homework is set in accordance with the school’s policy and conforms with that expected of pupils of this age nationally. It is well supported by most parents and makes a valued contribution to the pupils’ learning. Claverley C of E Primary School Page 11

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The school’s results and achievements

1. Care must be taken when evaluating the pupils’ performance in national tests and teachers’ assessments due to the small number in each year group at this school, since substantial variation can occur from year to year. Nevertheless, last year’s National Curriculum tests and teachers’ assessments for seven-year-olds showed that the pupils’ attainments were well above average in writing and were above average in reading and mathematics. In science, a below average proportion of pupils attained the expected level 2 standard and a well above average proportion of pupils reached the higher than expected level 3 standard. When compared to the results found in similar schools, the pupils’ attainment was above average in writing and in line with the average in reading and mathematics.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. The pupils’ performance in national tests for pupils aged seven over the past four years generally sustained above or well above average standards. Comparisons between the average standards identified at the time of the last inspection and the standards reached in recent years, show that the pupils’ attainment has been improved in writing, reading and mathematics and has been broadly maintained in science. The especially strong improvement in the pupils’ attainment in writing, reading and mathematics over the past four years reflects the good emphasis placed on teaching literacy and numeracy and on promoting parental help with the pupils’ learning.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. The National Curriculum tests and teachers’ assessments completed by pupils aged eleven last year showed well above average standards in English, above average standards in science and average standards in mathematics. When compared to the results found in similar schools, the pupils’ performance was well above average in English, average in science and below average in mathematics. Comparisons based on prior attainment showed that the pupils’ attainment was above average in English, average in science and was in the lowest five per cent nationally in mathematics. Care must be used when evaluating the latter figures for approximately ten per cent of the school roll is made up of pupils who joined the school at a time later than the normal time of entry. One or two pupils with learning difficulties, entering the school other than at the normal time of entry, can reduce the standards significantly.

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The school’s results and achievements

Analysis of the pupils’ scores taken together shows that most achieved well in relation to their prior attainment.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. Results in national tests and teachers’ assessments for pupils aged eleven over the past four years taken together continued a trend of standards rising in line with the national trend. Generally, the performance of boys in recent years was higher than the girls. Comparing these test results with the average standards identified at the time of the last inspection show that the pupils’ attainment has risen substantially in English and have generally been maintained in mathematics and science. The strong improvement in the pupils’ attainment in English reflects improved teaching and the successful implementation of the National Literacy Strategy.

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The school’s results and achievements

5. The inspection evidence, which includes an examination of the assessments of the children’s attainments on entry to full-time schooling in the Reception and Year 1 class, shows that their attainments on commencement of full-time education are above those found nationally for children of this age.

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The school’s results and achievements

6. Most in the Foundation Stage now make good progress in lessons and in response to good teaching an increasing number of children learn particularly well in language and literacy. Most children are on course to exceed the early learning goals, set for them to achieve by the end of the Foundation Stage, in their personal, social and emotional development, in communication, language and literacy and in their mathematics and knowledge and understanding of the world. Attainment matches that expected nationally for children of this age in creative and physical development. By the time they are five, most children enjoy listening to stories, have a good basic knowledge of phonics, know the alphabet well and are developing appropriate early Claverley C of E Primary School Page 12 writing skills. The children count effectively up to 20 and most have a good understanding of place value of tens and units. Overall most children, including those with special educational

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The school’s results and achievements

needs and higher attainers, achieve satisfactorily in relation to their prior attainment during their Foundation Stage.

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The school’s results and achievements

7. Inspection shows that due to the very effective overall provision across the school, standards are rising rapidly. By the age of seven, the pupils’ attainments are well above those expected nationally in English and mathematics and are above average in science, design and technology, history, music and physical education. Standards match those expected nationally for pupils of this age in other subjects. Standards in religious education are judged separately in the Diocesan Section 23 inspection. These standards reflect the improved teaching and curriculum provision and represent a good improvement over the average standards found at the time of the last inspection. Most pupils in Key Stage 1, including higher attainers and pupils with special educational needs, make good progress in lessons and achieve well in relation to their prior attainment.

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The school’s results and achievements

8. The headteacher and colleagues have carefully evaluated the pupils’ performance in the National Curriculum tests and teachers’ assessments and have specifically focused on raising the pupils’ attainment in mathematics. More is expected of pupils now and, following criticisms in the previous inspection, a higher challenge is presented to potentially higher attaining pupils. As a consequence pupils aged eleven are on course to attain the appropriately higher literacy and numeracy targets set for them to reach this year. Evidence now shows that the pupils’ attainments at the age of eleven are well above the national expectations in English and mathematics and are above average in science, design and technology, history, music and physical education. Standards in religious education are evaluated in the Diocesan Section 23 inspection. Standards meet the national expectations for pupils of this age in all other subjects

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The school’s results and achievements

which comprise the National Curriculum. Over time, most pupils, including those with special educational needs and higher attainers, make good progress in lessons and achieve well in relation to their prior attainment by the time they leave the school.

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The school’s results and achievements

9. Overall, these judgements show that since the last inspection, standards for pupils aged eleven have been improved in English, mathematics, science, design and technology and history and have been maintained well in all other subjects. The above average overall level of pupils’ attainment is significantly higher than the average overall standard identified at the time of the last inspection. Specific improvement has also been made within subjects, for example, enquiry skills in science, word processing skills in ICT and problem solving skills in mathematics.

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The school’s results and achievements

10. The school is aware of the differing performance between boys and girls and teachers are seeking to bridge the gap through careful planning and questioning in lessons. Significant differences between the response of boys with that of girls were not apparent during lessons.

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The school’s results and achievements

11. The school’s strategies for teaching literacy and numeracy are very effective. The teaching of pupils in classes based on their prior attainment is particularly successful and enables the teachers to challenge and interest the pupils at an appropriate level. This promotes good learning. The pupils’ very good literacy skills are used and developed further in other subjects such as in religious education. The pupils’ significantly improving skills in numeracy are used and extended further in science.

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The school’s results and achievements

12. The pupils’ skills and use of ICT have improved since the last inspection. However, whilst the curriculum is fully planned, new equipment has not been in use for a long enough time to have also had maximum effect on the pupils’ skills and the lack of space in the ICT and library area restricts the pupils’ progress. Many pupils have computers at home, however, and are enabled to reach expected standards. There is scope to increase the use of word processing to support learning in other subjects. Claverley C of E Primary School Page 13

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils are keen to attend the school and play a full part in its life, including the good range of extra-curricular activities. They have a very good attitude to their work. Pupils are keen to respond to questions and confidently raise questions of their own. They listen carefully to their teacher and concentrate on the task given. Teachers build up the pupils’ self-esteem and encourage all pupils, even the youngest, to be independent learners. Pupils take pride in their work, some of which is well displayed around the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. The behaviour of the pupils, in class and around the school, is very good. Parents are very happy with the standard of behaviour achieved. Pupils are friendly, welcoming and articulate. They respect the feelings, values and property of others. There is, for example, little litter in the school grounds. The very good level of behaviour assists the pupils’ learning. There were no exclusions in the school year prior to the inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Relationships, between pupils and between pupils and adults, are excellent. Pupils work and play well together, in pairs and in groups. They are willing to share resources and to take turns. This is a positive feature that supports effective learning, for example in ICT, even though the pupils have to share computers. Relationships in the school are built on trust, respect and a desire to help others. There is a happy atmosphere in the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. The personal development of the pupils is very good . They respond particularly well in mathematics lessons, for example, when they are asked by the teachers to identify areas of learning where they feel that they need more support. This has a beneficial effect on their learning. Pupils are keen to take up the responsibilities that are offered. All pupils have roles in their class, such as taking the register to the office, and some of the older pupils act as monitors. For example, they give out and collect in the classroom equipment at playtime. There is a team ethos in the school, and leaders encourage their teams to greater heights, when they speak in assemblies. During the inspection pupils participated in sponsored circuit- training to raise money to purchase more play equipment. They show initiative by raising money for charities, like the ‘Blue Peter Appeal’ and the ‘Guide Dogs for the Blind’.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Attendance in the year 1999 to 2000 was 96.1 per cent, which is well above the national average and very good. There were no unauthorised absences in during that year. The level of attendance has improved since the previous inspection. The main reasons for absences are illness and holidays in term time. The very good levels of attendance and punctuality have a very positive effect on the pupils’ learning and progress. Since the previous inspection in 1997 relationships, behaviour and attendance have improved and this aspect is now a strength of the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. Overall the quality of teaching is good and is a significant factor in the improvements in standards made at the school since the previous inspection. At that time, a significant weakness was identified in the teaching and the school was required to address, as a key issue, the need to ensure consistent challenge and expectations for higher attaining pupils. The current inspection finds no such weaknesses. On the contrary, the teaching of potentially higher attaining pupils is now a strength, especially in literacy and numeracy. The teaching ranged from good to excellent in 64 per cent of lessons observed. Teaching was good in 29 per cent of lessons, very good in 32 per cent and excellent in 3 per cent. No unsatisfactory teaching was seen during the inspection. Strong and effective teaching was observed throughout the school, leading to pupils learning well in lessons and often making good progress. The good influence of teaching is also evident in work in pupils’ books, with generally

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

high quality diagnostic marking. The good quality of teaching represents good improvement since the previous inspection.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Teaching in the foundation stage of learning helps children to develop their skills of early learning effectively. Teaching in the reception class is now good overall. The teacher and support assistant plan, teach and evaluate activities together. As a result the children make Claverley C of E Primary School Page 14 consistent intellectual effort and use their initiative when they work and so extend and deepen their understanding across the areas of learning. The class teacher and non-teaching staff work very well together. Occasionally a few children need more guidance in using time and resources effectively. Inspection shows, however, that they are now responding more consistently to the teacher’s good management of their behaviour.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Teaching of English, mathematics and science for pupils aged five to eleven years is good overall and is very effective in helping to raise standards in these important subjects. Teachers understand the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies well and as a result they teach them effectively, helping pupils to recognise and develop new skills. Teachers question pupils closely to assess or deepen their understanding. The quality of questioning was a strong feature of many lessons seen during the inspection. Good use of resources in many lessons, notably in English, art and history, helps to stimulate pupils’ interest and to focus their attention on key learning points. Only occasionally, work is not always linked strongly enough to the learning objective and tasks not matched sufficiently to some pupils’ needs, resulting in some pupils not understanding the purpose of tasks and becoming restless. On these few occasions

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. The quality of teaching of music and physical education has improved since the previous inspection and is now good. In history, teachers create many worthwhile opportunities for pupils to engage in extended writing activities so further developing and consolidating new skills acquired during literacy lessons. The teaching of art and design and ICT are satisfactory overall. However, teachers do not use computers sufficiently enough in other subjects. There were too few opportunities to form a judgement on the teaching of history in Key Stage 1, geography in Key Stage 2 and in design and technology across the school.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. The teachers’ planning has improved significantly since the last inspection. There is a good level of consistency across the school which has a very positive impact on teaching and learning. Daily plans are detailed and build on specific skills to be taught. Generally teachers provide work which matches the pupils’ learning needs well and challenges them to learn more. This is true for all pupils across the full range of prior attainments. Higher attaining pupils in Year 6 were at full stretch when learning about the structures of complex sentences linked to a demanding theme of good and evil; a pupil with special educational needs was similarly challenged when good questioning by a teacher in a Key Stage 1 English lesson helped to improve his understanding. Teachers mark work conscientiously and often very rigorously. The quality of marking is especially high in Years 1 and 2 and 5 and 6, where pupils

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

are given precise instructions on how to improve their work. More importantly, they take note of the advice and do so.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Throughout the school teachers use a good range of teaching methods and classroom organisation to maximise the learning opportunities. They include opportunities for pupils to work as a whole class as well as to work individually or in small groups. The school’s recent practice of grouping a small number of pupils in both key stages on the basis of prior attainment helps teachers to focus on specific levels of skills and results in good progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. The excellent relationships that teachers establish with their pupils leads to lessons in which pupils behave very well and are eager to learn. The teachers manage the pupils’ behaviour most successfully and it was very noticeable that not one single raised voice was heard during the inspection. Pupils clearly like their teachers and support assistants and want to do well for them. Combine this with good subject and specialist knowledge and a high level of skill in such techniques as questioning and assessment, particularly in English and mathematics, and it is clear why teaching is having such a positive effect on standards.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. The quality of teaching and learning for pupils with special educational needs is good. The teachers are careful to identify each pupil’s particular need. With help from the co-ordinator for pupils with special educational needs, the teachers are careful to match the right amount of support with appropriate strategies and this is successful in promoting good learning for pupils with specific learning difficulties. The warm relationships nurtured by all adults working in the school have a most supportive effect in raising the self-esteem of pupils with special educational needs and this aids their progress. Claverley C of E Primary School Page 15 26. The teachers make good use of homework to reinforce what is learned in school and to develop the pupils’ independent learning skills. They are well supported in this area by the parents. The quality of teachers’ marking is very good and has a positive effect in promoting

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

future teaching and learning. The lack of formal procedures to assess the pupils’ work in a few subjects, particularly art and design, geography and history, restricts the teachers’ ability to plot future learning and limits progress. In other subjects the teachers use assessments well to inform teaching and learning. The teachers give good day-to-day oral feedback in lessons and this too encourages the pupils to build systematically on previous knowledge and supports good learning.

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

27. The quality of the curriculum is very good and it prepares the pupils very well for the next stage of their education. This is because it is broad and balanced across all subjects of the statutory curriculum and because a very good emphasis is given to literacy and mathematics, not only as discrete subjects, but also as tools to help the pupils learn more effectively across subject boundaries.

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

28. Full coverage in nearly all subject areas is complete, however in information and communication technology (ICT) some of the planned elements have yet to be completed and this is limiting the pupils’ attainment. This is because resources have only been available very recently to meet these requirements. The time allocations identified for the teaching of all subjects are appropriate, and the strategy that the school uses of making blocks of time termly to teach a subject such as design and technology is very efficient and is one of the reasons why standards in this subject are above average.

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

29. The quality and range of learning opportunities for children at the Foundation Stage are good. The curriculum provided fully meets the statutory requirements. There is a good scheme of work and all planning is strongly linked to the areas of learning detailed in the Foundation Stage curriculum for children before they enter Key Stage 1, although there is room to improve provision in some elements of the children’s creative development and in outdoor play. The learning opportunities are relevant and meet the needs of the pupils. They prepare them well for the next stage of their learning. Assessment arrangements are good and information is used well to inform teaching and learning.

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

30. In Key Stages 1 and 2 the pupils are provided with very good learning opportunities. All the subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education are taught. The teachers use very effective strategies to teach literacy both within the daily literacy lessons and also in other subjects. For example, what the pupils have learned in writing in literacy is used to very good effecting writing evaluations of products in design and technology and in recording and explaining investigations in science. The same is true of mathematics where because of the consistent quality of the provision during the daily mathematics lesson the pupils use and apply what they have learned, for example by using graphs in science or measuring accurately in design and technology. Teachers make good use of part-time learning support staff to work on specific aspects of both literacy and mathematics and this has a positive effect on the pupils’

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

31. The school’s curriculum framework is very good and there are schemes of work for all subjects, which help the teachers decide what they should be teaching and when. The school is very effective at making sure that the pupils in mixed age classes do not repeat work the following year and that the work they are doing is appropriate and sufficiently demanding. Teachers’ planning is detailed and always shows what is to be learned during that lesson. This is particularly true in English and mathematics where it makes a very good contribution to the pupils’ attainment and the pace of their learning. As a result, provision for the higher attaining pupils is much more effective than at the time of the previous inspection.

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

32. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The school implements the Code of Practice set for the provision of pupils with special educational needs in full. The co- Claverley C of E Primary School Page 16 ordinator, teachers and learning support staff identify pupils with special educational needs at an early stage and plan their support effectively. The school makes very good use of external support agencies to help pupils with specific needs. For example, a specialist teacher for hearing impaired pupils gives high quality individual support.

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

33. The provision for extra-curricular activities is good. There is a good range of after school activities, some of which are dependent on subscriptions. Nevertheless they are well attended and as a result the pupils can receive tuition from coaches, for example, in tennis and football. This provision makes a good contribution to the pupils’ achievement in physical education. The curriculum is also enriched by visits that are organised to places of local interest and museums, as well as a biennial residential visit to North Wales for pupils in Years 5 and 6 to participate in outdoor and adventurous activities. Recently a visiting artist worked in the school on a millennium project, making an excellent contribution to the design and technology and art and design curriculum. Overall, these activities enrich and enhance the school’s curriculum well.

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

34. All the teaching and non-teaching staff work very hard to make sure that all of the pupils have full access to the curriculum. As a result, provision for all groups within the school is very good and they are able to make good progress. For example, provision for the potentially higher attaining pupils has improved since the last inspection. The school had good systems for identifying pupils’ needs early in their time in the school and then acting accordingly to make sure these are met.

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

35. Provision for personal social and health education is good. This area is taught successfully through weekly lessons, although the ideas that underpin the curriculum are often emphasised in other lessons and reflected in the very good relationships in the school. The staff provide very good role models. The school has appropriate policies for sex education and the teaching of drugs awareness. The school nurse gives good support in these aspects of the curriculum.

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

36. The school has good links with the community, not only with the local church that reflects its denominational foundation but also with other churches and groups. Through sporting links the pupils’ involvements with other schools are also good and they are successful in several competitions. The school participates in and makes a positive contribution to village events such as the Flower Festival. To make the best use of the opportunities that this offers for the pupils’ broader education the school allocates blocks of time for the preparation of their contributions. This is a worthwhile and very effective use of time. Relationships with the village nursery are good which helps the pupils make a smooth transition into the Foundation Stage. The school maintains supportive links with high schools in Bridgnorth, where the majority of pupils go when they leave the school.

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

37. Provision for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is very good and has improved since the last inspection, in particular in respect of moral and social education. This inspection did not cover religious education or the quality of collective worship, except that collective worship fully meets the statutory requirements.

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

38. Provision for the pupils’ spiritual development is good. Opportunities are taken in art, music and English to support pupils’ spiritual development. The pupils learn different songs that are used in assemblies and they sing these well and with conviction. In English, in particular, the pupils reflect on their own feelings about topics important to them such as good and evil. The writing they produce evidences considerable reflection and thought about the world around them and their place in it.

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

39. Provision for the pupils’ moral development is excellent. Teaching and non-teaching staff are excellent role models and have very high expectations for the way in which pupils behave and the way in which they get on with each other. The pupils have a very clear understanding of what is right and wrong and need very little reminding of what was expected of them. The school’s personal social and health education programme makes a good contribution to this aspect of the pupils' work. Claverley C of E Primary School Page 17 40. Provision for the pupils’ social development is excellent. The school functions smoothly and it has a very strong sense of community. This is because the staff encourage the pupils to think for themselves from the time that they enter the school. They are given responsibility in a number of ways in the classroom and outside and the older pupils in particular are good role models for the younger pupils. The pupils work together in lessons and collaborate when they

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

need to do so. This creates a very safe atmosphere where the pupils can reach their potential.

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

41. Provision for the pupils’ cultural development is good. The development of the pupils’ awareness of their own culture is firmly established. Good links with the community help to give the pupils a good understanding of their own identity. The provision for developing the understanding of ethnic diversity is good and provided through the work that the pupils cover in religious education and in the very good links that exist with an urban primary school. There are also well-planned opportunities to develop this aspect further in geography, when a Kenyan village is studied, as well as in history and music. The school also has good links, including sports events, with schools in culturally diverse areas such as Wolverhampton. This provision supports positive relationships and helps to prepare the pupils for life in a multi-cultural Britain.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The steps taken to ensure the pupils’ welfare, health and safety are good. The teachers know their pupils well, recognise their needs and give them good support and guidance. This has a beneficial effect in helping the pupils to raise their achievement.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. The school has an effective health and safety policy and an appropriate annual health and safety risk assessment is completed. The headteacher gives regular health and safety reports to the governing body. Fire drills are held each term as required and all the moveable equipment is checked annually. Medical checks on the pupils are carried out effectively by the school nurse and annual dental screening checks are available. Children entering the school in Reception have hearing and sight tests. There are two qualified first aiders on the staff.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. The school has an appropriate child protection policy, which is adopted from the local education authority’s (LEA) guidelines. The headteacher is responsible and ensures the full implementation of the guidelines and has received the appropriate training. Information on what staff should do if they have any concerns is contained in the Staff Handbook. The headteacher speaks regularly to all staff on child protection issues and keeps them fully informed.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The school’s procedures for monitoring and supporting the pupils’ personal development are good. The personal development of the pupils is monitored by their class teachers. Each pupil has a Record of Achievement and reference is made to the pupil’s personal development in their annual reports. If a particular pupil has a problem detailed records are kept, but otherwise only appropriate informal records are kept on personal development. A programme of personal, social and health education is taught well to all pupils.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The school’s procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are good. Attendance is monitored by the school secretary, the headteacher and the educational welfare officer (EWO), who visits half-termly. Any concerns are pursued appropriately. The registers are marked regularly and correctly. The school does not have a formal system of rewards to encourage improved punctuality and attendance.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. Procedures for monitoring and supporting the progress of pupils with special educational needs are good. Additional diagnostic tests and consultations with colleagues help with the identification of pupils with special educational needs. The school makes good use of outside agencies such as the teacher for pupils with a hearing impairment, and together with the school’s skilled learning support assistants, they make a significant contribution to the pupils’ progress. The co-ordinator for special educational needs ensures that all pupils on the register for such pupils have a detailed individual educational plan (IEP). Together with teachers and assistants they ensure that these are fully implemented in the classrooms. Occasionally a few IEPs lack specific targets and these are less effective in promoting progress. Parents are fully Claverley C of E Primary School Page 18 consulted and involved as necessary in reviews and when setting targets for future

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. The school’s procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour and eliminating oppressive behaviour are very good. There is a behaviour policy, which contains a suitable range of rewards and sanctions to encourage good behaviour. Discipline is successfully based upon the Christian values of kindness and respect. There is an anti-bullying policy. Incidents of bullying are rare and mainly verbal. Any concerns are noted and staff will monitor the behaviour of the pupil concerned. Parents are involved, where necessary. In the previous inspection report it stated that this aspect was a strength of the school and this is still the case.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. The school had made good progress since the last inspection and has now established reliable assessment arrangements and procedures in most subjects. As a result the assessment of pupils now makes a good contribution to the pupils’ attainment and their achievement. These improvements mean that arrangements are now much more systematic and much more closely focused on the learning objectives of subjects and that the information gathered at all stages is useful in helping teachers plan more effective work for their pupils.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

50. The school now makes good use of the Local Education Authority baseline assessment scheme of the children’s attainments when they first enter school in the Foundation Stage. As a result the children’s work is better planned and this accounts for the improving progress that the children are making in the lessons observed. A very thorough analysis is carried out by the senior management team, of the school performance in the National Curriculum tests at age seven and eleven. The findings are also used to help teachers maintain the strengths identified and to remedy weaknesses. This strategy is effective in monitoring the development of the curriculum and this is helping to raise standards.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. The school has very effective procedures for assessing the progress of the pupils in English, mathematics and science. Detailed records are kept of the pupils’ attainments against National Curriculum criteria that are analysed and the findings used to plan future work. Records in other subjects are not so detailed and they are under-developed in art and design, geography and history. Nevertheless, the assessment of the pupils’ work is analysed satisfactorily on a day-to-day basis in lessons to provide useful information to assist further improvement in most subjects. For example, at the end of each design and technology project the pupils’ work is carefully assessed so that the next task can help the pupils to maintain their skills and improve in areas where they are less skilled. In practice this works very well and is very well supported by excellent analytical marking that gives clear guidance for improvement. These procedures

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

make a very good contribution to the pupils’ attainment and to their understanding of what they are learning.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. Parents are very supportive of the school and the links between the school and parents have a good impact on the pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. Overall, the quality of information provided for parents is good and has been strengthened since the last inspection. Newsletters are sent out to inform parents of the life of the school. Termly newsletters give parents good information on their child’s class curriculum. There are two opportunities a year for parents to discuss their child’s progress with the class teacher. The parental response to this is excellent. Parents new to the school are given a ‘Parents’ Handbook’ and are invited to an introductory meeting. These help to initiate a successful home-school partnership. Claverley C of E Primary School Page 19 54. The pupils’ annual reports are generally good. They provide parents with information about what their child knows, understands and can do in all subjects but they do not always give targets for improvement. The attendance figures are not given in the Prospectus and the information on the admission, access and equality of treatment for disabled pupils in the

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

Governors’ Annual Report to Parents is insufficient.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

55. The school’s links with its parents are effective and their involvement has a good impact on the work of the school. The contribution of parents to children’s learning, at school and at home, is good. The parents of pupils with special educational needs are fully involved in the processes of planning and support for their children. They are very well informed about their children’s progress.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56. The school has an active Parents Teachers’ Association, which organises a wide range of fund raising events. The money raised is used to obtain resources for the school. Parents also collect vouchers to obtain resources.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

57. Parents are encouraged to help in school and a small number do help by hearing readers, in art, in cooking, and in other ways. These activities help to promote the pupils’ positive attitudes to school.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

58. The school has a homework policy and parents are generally happy with the homework provided. A meeting was held to inform parents about homework issues and ways to support learning and this was very well attended. Most parents have signed the home-school agreement and parental support for their child’s work at home is good. This has a beneficial effect on the pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

59. Parents are very supportive of the school. Almost all parents, in the pre-inspection parental questionnaire, declared that their child likes school, teaching is good, the school is well managed, the school is helping their child to become more mature and responsible and would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

60. In the previous inspection report there was a key issue to enable parents to support pupils’ learning. This has also been achieved successfully. It also stated that homework was inconsistent. Parents are now generally happy with the homework provided. Inspection showed that the work done at home, especially reading, is having a very positive effect on the pupils’ learning.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The leadership and management of the school is very good overall and has been diligent and successful in addressing the Key Issues of the previous inspection in 1997. The headteacher, well supported by capable colleagues and encouraged by governors, makes an excellent contribution to the leadership and management of the school. She monitors and evaluates the pupils’ performance in the National Curriculum tests in great detail and sets out carefully thought out strategies designed to raise standards. She presents and discusses the rationale and intentions of these actions professionally with the staff and governors and when implemented they have a beneficial effect on the pupils’ attainment. The success of these strategies is clearly seen, for example, in the substantial improvement in the pupils’ numeracy skills. Thus, by working closely with staff and governors, the headteacher ensures very appropriate priorities for development and contributes effectively to the school’s excellent

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. The headteacher undertakes a strong teaching commitment in the Years 5 and 6 class and is instrumental in raising standards so successfully at the end of Key Stage 2. The teachers and non-teaching staff work very effectively together and have been very successful in recent years in developing the curriculum, improving the quality of the teaching and nurturing excellent relationships with the pupils. As a result the rate of the pupils’ achievement has been increased. Claverley C of E Primary School Page 20 63. The headteacher, staff and governors implement very effective procedures to plot the future development of the school. By matching the financial resources available to the needs of the pupils, both academic and social, the school identifies appropriate priorities most successfully. The well above average and improving standards in English and mathematics illustrate this clearly. The very well constructed and conceived school development plan operates highly

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

productively as a tool to promote school improvement. Overall development planning ensures good use of the finances available and fully supports the governors’ intentions to achieve best value.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. Leadership and management provide excellent educational direction for the work of the school. By nurturing high expectations of attainment and effort the headteacher sets appropriately challenging targets. By developing consistent approaches to planning and teaching, standards have risen in many subjects, notably English, mathematics and science at the end of both key stages, since the last inspection.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. The headteacher and staff have accomplished a great deal in recent years. However, progress in ICT has been less substantive due to ongoing restrictions to learning presented by the limited accommodation. In addition progress in implementing the recommended areas of learning and provision for children in the Foundation Stage has been disrupted due to staff changes and absence. These have restricted the pupils’ achievement in these aspects. The school is aware of these deficiencies and is planning for significant extensions to the accommodation.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. Monitoring and evaluation of the school’s performance is good overall. The headteacher, with support from the local education authority, visits classrooms and monitors the quality of teaching effectively. The sharing of good practice and expertise has had a good influence on the quality of the teaching especially in terms of the consistency of the good or better teaching across the school, since the last inspection. The co-ordination of other subjects has been improved and is strengthened by the daily communication and regular meetings between the staff of this small school. This is effective in sustaining sufficient resources, in developing the curriculum plans and in promoting the pupils’ achievement in most subjects. The co-ordination and provision for pupils with special educational needs is also good.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. The school’s aims, values and policies are implemented very successfully and are underpinned by its caring Christian ethos. The school’s aims and values are shared fully by the whole school community. All adults working in the school value the pupils’ responses and present very good role models. Care and respect for each other are clearly evident in the daily life of the school and this strengthens the pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. Relationships with outside support agencies are strong and all pupils on the register for special educational needs have their needs reviewed on a regular basis. The co-ordinator works well with all staff, teachers and learning support staff, to provide consistent, well-matched care. Consequently the pupils make good progress.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69. The governing body, ably led by an experienced chair, fulfils most of its statutory obligations well. However, there is insufficient information about the attendance of pupils, the provision for pupils with disabilities and about the effectiveness of the school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs in the governors’ annual report to parents and in the prospectus. Daily acts of collective worship meet the statutory requirement and promote the warm Christian ethos of the school. Governors and staff ensure good provision for the pupils’ health and welfare. Staff are particularly successful in supporting the pupils’ behaviour and personal development.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

70. Additional funds for literacy and numeracy, for special educational needs, and for the professional development of staff, are all used well to raise the pupils’ attainment. Staff know their pupils well and are very aware of the individual differences and needs of the pupils. They ensure full and equal opportunity for all pupils. By working together and with outside agencies such as the teacher for pupils with a hearing impairment, adults working in school ensure that all are fully included school life. Following criticisms in the last inspection, the teachers now Claverley C of E Primary School Page 21 challenge higher attainers more effectively, particularly in numeracy. This is clearly shown by the very large increase in the numbers of pupils working at a higher level of attainment.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

71. The school is appropriately staffed. Colleagues share their expertise and work well together to promote the pupils’ learning. The teachers have extended their skills in ICT, but the limitations in available, space mentioned earlier, restrict their impact on the pupils’ learning. Arrangements for the professional development, appraisal and induction of staff are closely linked to the school’s development plan and are very effective

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

72. The accommodation is satisfactory overall. The classrooms are spacious and well-equipped areas but the room set aside for the school library and ICT equipment is too small and restricts the teaching of ICT and library and research skills. The school has extensive grounds but joint use by the community limits the extent to which the school can develop specific areas such as a pond and wild life environment or a well-equipped outdoor secure play area for children in the Foundation Stage. Consequently the pupils’ learning in these aspects lacks the enrichment that these facilities can provide. Learning resources are satisfactory. Generally the accommodation and learning resources available are used well to support the pupils’ learning.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

73. The school provides good financial management. The headteacher assisted by the school secretary and members of the governors’ finance committees manages the funds made available to the school efficiently. The head teacher and the finance sub-committee investigate proposed expenditure prior to planning the budget together. The budget is approved by the whole governing body and is linked to the school development plan, which covers three years and includes projected costs and evaluation procedures. This shows that the governors apply the principles of ‘best value’ effectively.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

74. The parents contribute significantly to the finance of the school and much of the improvement in resources for ICT, for example, since the last inspection, has been achieved through parental support. The current above average ‘carry forward’ within the school’s budget is clearly ‘ear-marked’ for the much-needed new classrooms. As a result, the governors and headteacher ensure ‘best value’ appropriately in practice. All the recommendations of the most recent auditor’s report have been implemented and inspectors agree with the auditor that funds are managed well.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

75. The teaching is good and staff provide strong guidance and support. Consequently, the pupils achieve well in relation to their prior attainment as they move through the school. Even though the school receives above average funding it continues to provide good value for money. Under the inspired leadership of the headteacher, the staff, governors and parents clearly demonstrate an excellent capacity to succeed in the future. Claverley C of E Primary School Page 22

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

76. In order to continue the successful development of the school and to bring all aspects of the pupils’ attainment to a high standard, the governors, headteacher and staff should:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(P) Linked with the issues from the previous inspection report. (*) Issues already identified for development by the school.

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1. (*) Continue to seek improvements to the accommodation provided for teaching and learning at the school, particularly in order to enrich the library and ICT opportunities offered to the pupils. (paras. 12,21,65,72,92,95,104,112,141,143)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2. (P) Further improve the overall provision for the Foundation Stage so that the children achieve well in all the recommended areas of learning, especially in their creative and physical development. (paras. 29,65,72,79,85,86)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

77. In the context of the school’s many strengths, the following minor points for improvement should also be considered for inclusion in the action plan: (paras. 26,51,54,69,122,133,139)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Ensure that the school prospectus and the governors’ annual report to parents fully meet the statutory requirements; • (*) Continue to develop more effective procedures for using assessments of pupils’ work to improve future teaching and learning in art and design, geography and history. Claverley C of E Primary School Page 23 PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 32

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

3 32 26 39 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) N/A 95

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals N/A 0 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs N/A 1

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register N/A 8

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 8

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 4

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Claverley C of E Primary School Page 24 Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 Year Boys Girls Total

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 13

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Percentage of pupils School 100 (90) 92 (90) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Percentage of pupils School 92 (90) 92 (100) 85 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

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

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

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

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

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

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Percentage of pupils School 83 (82) 92 (91) 100 (91) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Percentage of pupils School 83 (n/a) 100 (n/a) 100 (n/a) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Figures are omitted where there are less than 11 pupils who took the tests.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year Claverley C of E Primary School Page 25 No of pupils Fixed period Permanent

p.24

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

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

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Teachers and classes Financial information

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 4.5 Financial year 2000/2001

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 1935,80

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Total number of education support staff 3 Expenditure per pupil 1935,80

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Total aggregate hours worked per week 57.5 Balance brought forward from previous year 17,180

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Balance carried forward to next year 22,750 Claverley C of E Primary School Page 26 Results of the survey of parents and carers

p.25

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Percentage of responses in each category

p.26

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

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

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

My child is making good progress in school. 58 38 3 0 1

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

Behaviour in the school is good. 68 28 0 1 1

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 51 35 13 0 1

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 44 43 7 1 5

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 75 25 0 0 0

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 80 17 3 0 0

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The school works closely with parents. 54 39 6 0 1

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The school is well led and managed. 82 17 0 0 1

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 71 28 0 0 1

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 50 43 7 0 0

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The parents who attended the meeting with the registered inspector expressed their great appreciation of the work of all the staff at the school and felt that Claverley continued to be a successful and improving school. Claverley C of E Primary School Page 27

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

78. Children enter the combined reception and Year 1 class at the age of four years at the beginning of the term in which they are five. Children are admitted at the start of each term. Most children attend a nursery in the village. Good relations exist with this pre-school provision. Induction arrangements are satisfactory and there are opportunities for the children to visit the school before they start school. As a result the children settle very quickly into the class and feel secure.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

79. The accommodation for the children is, for the most part, good which is a good improvement since the last inspection. There is a small covered outdoor area that is fenced. This area however is still too small, for example, for the children to use tricycles or exercise properly. Nevertheless, although opportunities for outdoor physical play have been improved since the previous provision there is still scope for further development, for example by creating a larger secure outdoor area.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

80. The quality and range of learning opportunities are good, in particular for language and literacy and in mathematics. Some aspects of creative development and physical development need further development. The curriculum is carefully planned and takes good account of the ‘Early Learning Goals’ set for pupils to achieve by the age of five. Overall teaching is good and non- teaching staff play an effective role. According to the baseline assessments of the children’s attainment on entry to school, attainment is above average on admission and most children achieve satisfactorily in relation to their prior attainment and attain standards that exceed the ‘Early Learning Goals’ by the end of the Foundation Stage. The main improvement since the last inspection lies within the children’s breadth of knowledge and understanding in personal, social and emotional development, language and literacy, mathematics and knowledge and

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

understanding of the world. Whilst there has been improvement in aspects of creative development and physical development work still remains to be done in these areas.

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Personal, social and emotional development

81. The teaching in this area of learning is good. Most of the pupils are on course to exceed the ‘Early Learning Goals’ set in this area of learning before they enter Key Stage 1. The adults that are working in the Reception and Year 1 class give good role models to the children and sensible classroom routines are effective in encouraging the children to take responsibility for what they are doing. The children have very positive attitudes to school and benefit from being with older pupils. Only very occasionally, when tasks are unclear, do they lose interest and need support. The children are happy and secure and are developing independence and confidence. They work well together, take turns and get on well with each other. These attitudes make a very good contribution to their attainment and achievement. For example, when they are involved with an investigation sorting material, their confidence allows them to

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Personal, social and emotional development

say what they think and to agree or disagree with where an object has been placed.

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Communication, language and literacy

82. Teaching is good in this area of learning and as a result most are on course to exceed the ‘Early Learning Goals’ before they enter Key Stage 1. Teaching and non-teaching staff work hard to make sure that the children build consistently on their early language and literacy skills. Work is carefully matched to the children’s prior attainment so that they are able to participate in the daily literacy lesson. As a result the children learn to read and develop their writing well. The children enjoy listening to stories and respond appropriately when asked questions. They readily ask their own questions and give their views and ideas. For example, when sorting objects they can say why they have allocated certain objects to certain sets. When looking at words and letters most children have a good basic knowledge of phonics and although most still find blends difficult they can read their reading books competently and are able to retell

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Communication, language and literacy

Claverley C of E Primary School Page 28 their favourite stories. Most children know the alphabet well. They will attempt to write for various purposes and in role-play will write lists and letters to support their play. They hold pencils properly.

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Mathematics

83. Most children are on course to attain standards which are above average in this area of learning. They recognise simple shapes such as squares and triangles and can sort these shapes accurately. They can count numbers 1-20 and are aware of higher numbers. The children write numbers accurately and for the most part orientate them correctly and avoid reversals. Some are able to add in tens and record their results in conventional ways. Most have good understanding of place value of tens and units. The children enjoy work in this area and will persist with problems until they feel that are being successful. Teaching and learning in mathematics is satisfactory. Strengths include good planning that helps the children meet new ideas in an ordered way, good pace to the lessons and good day-to-day assessment. At times, however, the children became restless and did not stay on task and as a result did not

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Mathematics

complete as much work as they might have done. Non-teaching staff contribute well in this area of learning because they are very clear about what it is that the children are to learn. They follow the planned tasks very carefully and allow good discussion and debate with the children and this has a beneficial effect on their learning.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

84. The children are on course to attain above average standards in this area of development. The planning provides for a wide range of experiences which promote the children’s good performance. The children use their senses very well. For example, in a sorting exercise they chose to sort objects not only by appearance but also by their texture and the sound they made. In doing so they could talk about the similarities and differences of the objects. The children are very curious about the world around them and want to know how things work or what happens next in a story. They have a simple understanding of chronology and can say how present day objects are different from those used a long time ago. The children are becoming skilled at using computers to support their work. Teaching in this area of learning is good because the activities that the children do are very closely matched to their needs and

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

challenge the way that they think. The children are given sufficient time to find things out for themselves and are encouraged to devise their own ways of recording their findings. These strategies support good learning.

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Creative development

85. Most children are on course to attain standards that meet those expected nationally for children at the end of the Foundation Stage. Children recognise texture in man made and natural objects and when given the opportunity produce pictures using a range of materials including paint and crayon. They readily use their imagination, although provision for role-play and imaginative work is not sufficiently emphasised at the moment. The teaching and learning is satisfactory and when children are given the opportunity they use their imagination vividly to explore the world around them. A good example of this occurred where three children, provided with a range of writing implements and paper, spent their time intensely writing letters to each other and to their parents.

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Physical development

86. In response to the satisfactory teaching and provision, most children are on course to attain average standards at the end of their Foundation Stage in this area of learning. This area required improvement at the time of the last inspection. Inspection now shows that children have a wider range of opportunities and useful access to an outdoor area, part of which is covered. Whilst this is an improvement, the area lacks the necessary space to accommodate the equipment necessary to provide sufficient physical challenge to the children. Nevertheless, the children have good opportunities on other occasions through their physical education lessons. Most children move with confidence and imagination safely. They know that exercise is good for you and it makes you breathe more and your heart go faster. They are starting to Claverley C of E Primary School Page 29 become skilled using small equipment such as bats and balls. The children know how to get

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Physical development

better at what they are doing by practising. They work well with each other in these sessions. The children are becoming competent at handling tools and in construction, and they cut carefully and accurately with scissors and glue without waste. The children use commercial construction kits to play imaginatively with each other although there are not enough of these to enable them to build bigger structures. Generally the children get on well with each other, which means that they can work for extended periods, given the opportunity.

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Physical development

87. Overall, the quality of teaching is good and the teacher has a very good understanding of the Foundation Stage. She plans carefully, sets appropriate expectations and utilises effective teaching methods to extend the children. As a result the children make consistent intellectual effort and use their initiative when they work and so extend and deepen their understanding across the areas of learning. The class teacher and non-teaching staff work very well together.

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ENGLISH

88. Standards are well above the national average for pupils aged 7 and 11 years. Standards have greatly improved since the previous inspection with a significant increase in the percentage of pupils achieving the higher National Curriculum levels at the end of both key stages. Inspection shows that the majority of pupils, including higher attainers and pupils with special educational needs, achieve well in relation to their prior attainment.

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89. In last year’s National Curriculum tests the performance of pupils aged eleven was well above average when compared with the national average and the average for similar schools. This represents good progress from the time the pupils entered school in the Reception class. Standards have risen steadily over the past four years. There is no significant difference between the performance of boys and girls. The high target set by the school is appropriate for this group of pupils and takes into account their prior attainment.

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90. In last year’s National Curriculum reading and writing tests for seven year-olds, the percentage of pupils reaching the expected standards was above the national average in reading and well above average in writing. Standards fell slightly in 2000 when compared to similar schools but were still above average overall. The teachers’ assessment in speaking and listening show standards to be above the national average. Over the past three years, the performance of girls has been better than boys in reading and writing but the small number of pupils undertaking assessment, each year, makes valid statistical comparisons difficult.

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ENGLISH

91. The standards of work seen during the inspection for pupils aged seven are well above average and an increasing proportion of pupils are attaining the higher than average level 3 standard in reading and writing. Most pupils start in Reception with above average levels of attainment. They make good progress in reading and writing. There has been a significant improvement since the previous inspection when standards were in line with the national average.

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92. In reading, pupils attain standards well above the national average and make good progress. By the age of seven, pupils read with understanding and can predict with reasonable accuracy ‘what will happen next’. They know what authors and illustrators do and are able to identify the main characters and events in their reading books. Younger pupils read simple books with increasing accuracy and understanding. Higher attaining pupils in Year 2 use a variety of strategies to aid recognition of unfamiliar words, such as letter patterns and sounds, context and pictures. They know the difference between ‘fiction’ and ‘non fiction’ whilst even those with lower attainment put expression into their reading. Teachers ensure that the pupils receive appropriate and regular support at school, both as individuals and in groups. The parents support and encourage the pupils’ reading skills well. However, pupils’ independent learning

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skills are constrained by the unsatisfactory school library accommodation, which is cramped and unsuitable for the younger pupils. Claverley C of E Primary School Page 30 93. Pupils continue to make good progress throughout Key Stage 2 and by the age of eleven standards are well above average. Most pupils read a range of texts fluently and accurately and with good understanding. Some are very knowledgeable about books. For example, one pupil compared the style of writing in the ‘ Harry Potter’ series by J.K. Rowling with that of the author C.S. Lewis and his novel ‘The Sword and the Stone’, making very perceptive comments about the similarities of the characters. Pupils of all attainments are developing very good independent research skills. They know how to find information in reference books, using an index or contents, CD ROMS and the Internet. Many understand the difference between a dictionary and a thesaurus and use them appropriately. The good progress and the

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ENGLISH

improvements in standards of reading are due largely to good teaching during literacy lessons and also to the way in which teachers and parents work so well together to encourage pupils to read at home as well as in school. This leads pupils to enjoy books and hence to practise and develop their reading skills. This was evident in the wide range of authors popular with Year 6 pupils. These included C.S. Lewis, J. Wilson, J.K. Rowling and Charles Dickens.

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94. In writing, standards are well above the national average by age seven. Pupils make good progress throughout Years 1 and 2. By the age of seven, most pupils spell common words accurately and make good attempts to spell more complex words. Most write stories and accounts made up of sequences of ideas and some are very creative and produce well- structured sustained pieces of writing. For example, one pupil caught the essence of adventure to good effect in his story; ‘… Tom noticed a letter on a tree… Ben read it. It said “to the people who find this, can you go into the magic tree and get the ringers for the bells.” Descriptive words are used well when pupils write their own stories. Higher attaining pupils use question marks and apostrophes and most use speech marks to add interest to their stories. They now write for a variety of purposes, including writing verse, linked to their science topic on plants,

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ENGLISH

prayers in religious education, recording science experiments, and in history, pupils use their developing word processing skills to write sentences about ‘The Fire of London’. Their handwriting is usually well formed and easy to read with presentation generally of a good standard.

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ENGLISH

95. By age eleven, pupils progressively develop their ability to write for different purposes using a wide range of styles. Attainment is well above average. Many in the present Year 6 produce lively, well- structured pieces of sustained writing. High attaining pupils really know how to ‘grab the reader’s attention’ using words and complex sentences very effectively to create interest. For example, a pupil described a character in her story demonstrating fluent use of contrasting, descriptive words; ‘Her eyes red and fiery and her heart as black as coal. Her hair jagged and sharp it seemed to pierce my heart from a distance.” They write poems, book reviews, character portraits, letters and scientific and historical accounts. Many pupils use paragraphs, correct punctuation, complex grammatical structures and high quality vocabulary to enrich their writing. Handwriting standards are generally high. Spelling skills are not yet up to

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the standard of punctuation, however, and this brings down the overall standard of work for some pupils. As in earlier key stages, good opportunities are provided in both classes for pupils to practise and develop their literacy skills across the curriculum. In mathematics and science there are some good examples of high quality labelling and scientific and mathematical report -writing where very specific vocabulary is used appropriately. As a result, the pupils produce well –written answers. ICT is used effectively to improve the presentation of their work but they have insufficient opportunities to use computers to research and explore their ideas in school.

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ENGLISH

96. Standards in speaking and listening are well above average for pupils aged seven and eleven. The school places considerable emphasis on developing speaking and listening skills and as a result most pupils make very good progress. Many pupils are confident and articulate speakers. Teachers have high expectations of the accuracy of pupils’ replies. Questioning in lessons encourages extended responses rather than single word replies. Assemblies are very well used to promote pupils’ speaking and listening skills.

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97. Teachers’ plan work that matches pupils’ prior attainment. As a result those with special educational needs receive good support and make progress similar to their peers. A minority of pupils in Year 6 are gifted in literacy skills. Challenging teaching ensures that they achieve well, with some being able to attain standards more commonly associated with older pupils. Claverley C of E Primary School Page 31 Overall higher attainers are now making good progress and this represents a substantial improvement compared to the weaker performance identified at the last inspection.

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ENGLISH

98. Teaching is good overall, with some very good and excellent teaching seen. All teachers are confidently implementing the National Literacy Strategy. Generally, teaching is carefully structured and well planned to meet the needs of pupils of all attainment levels. Teachers share the learning objectives with the pupils, making sure that pupils are clear about what they are expected to learn. When teaching is very good or outstanding, expectations are very high and the teacher’s enthusiasm, explanations and knowledge of the subject have a very positive effect on pupils’ attainment, progress and attitude to the subject. For example, in one excellent lesson in Year 2 on developing writing skills, the teacher skilfully involved pupils in discussing the setting, characters and tenses used but raised the level of the lesson by involving the pupils in role- play. This quality of teaching resulted in highly motivated learners with many

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pupils producing good quality sustained writing. Other characteristics of high quality teaching are where pupils are reminded of the strategies to improve their work, such as good handwriting and correct punctuation, also teachers and pupils share the same purpose and experience learning as an enjoyable and stimulating activity. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported by teaching assistants. Where teaching is less effective teachers do not organise the work with sufficient rigour to allow the higher attaining pupils to always be consistently challenged throughout the lesson. Teaching of handwriting and spelling is generally good.

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ENGLISH

99. Relationships are very good and teachers have high expectations of their pupils’ behaviour, resulting in very good discipline and pupils working hard and productively in their literacy lessons. As a result, they learn well.

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ENGLISH

100. Most teachers assess pupils’ progress very closely and effectively in lessons and this information is used well to promote good learning. This helps them to set challenging targets for improvement for individual pupils and groups of pupils. For example, a teacher’s planning in Years 5 and 6 provided very accurate evaluations of pupils’ progress, with written comments about additional support required. Marking of work focuses clearly upon what is needed to improve standards. The marking in Year 2 and in Years 5 and 6 is particularly strong with frequent references to the pupils’ targets for improvement. The evidence of pupils’ response is seen in the good quality of their work. However, this practice is not being consistently followed throughout the school.

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ENGLISH

101. The previous inspection identified some weaknesses in English. These have all been addressed rigorously and effectively. The way in which test data is analysed has helped the school identify very accurately just what needs to be improved and has led to higher standards. Very effective formal monitoring of the teaching and planning takes place and staff are given very good feedback on how to improve the quality of teaching and learning. Very good attention is paid to helping teachers develop their professional skills. This has been followed by well designed strategies to raise standards in both key stages; for example, ability grouping for literacy lessons. The number and quality of books has improved, helping to stimulate pupils’ interest in reading, and resources are now good overall. The subject co-ordinator works closely with the headteacher and provides very good direction in the subject. This is a productive

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ENGLISH

partnership resulting in a strong and effective focus on improvement throughout the school, which is having a significant impact upon raising standards.

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MATHEMATICS

102. Standards are well above the national average for pupils aged seven and eleven and this represents a very good improvement over the average standards found at the time of the last inspection. Findings from the inspection also represent a significant increase over the results attained by pupils in the National Curriculum tests and teachers’ assessments in recent years, especially in comparison with the average results reached by pupils aged eleven in last year’s tests. On the evidence available, indications are that a much greater proportion of pupils are on course to attain the higher than average Level 5 standard in this year’s National Curriculum tests, reflecting the much improved provision, especially in teaching and learning in the subject Claverley C of E Primary School Page 32 this year. Standards are now improving throughout the school at a much greater rate than the previous trend, which matched that found nationally. This is being achieved by the teachers’

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MATHEMATICS

very good implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy. Overall, most pupils, including pupils with special educational needs, achieve well in relation to their prior attainment. Insufficient challenge for higher attaining pupils was a weakness identified by the last inspection. This has been fully rectified and the teaching of higher attainers is now a strength and such pupils now also achieve well as they move through the school.

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MATHEMATICS

103. By the age of seven, pupils show well above average knowledge in all strands of the subject. Most pupils are confident with using mathematics and have significant ability in manipulating number. They enjoy solving problems and an examination of their work shows that they also attain very well when exploring patterns, when measuring and when working with time and angles. When encouraged to count on and to count back in tens, fives, and even twenty-fives, most pupils show well above average attainment in their knowledge of number and in their mental agility. Most pupils are equally challenged in this key stage and achieve well. Occasionally more could be expected of pupils in Year 1 and a few boys are capable of working more effectively and this is limiting their progress.

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MATHEMATICS

104. By the time they leave the school at the age of eleven, most pupils have extended their skills extremely well in most strands. In addition, pupils in Years 4 and 5 are also showing high levels of understanding and knowledge. Data-handling skills are improving, but the restricted space when using ICT limits the opportunities to use ICT to enrich this area of learning even more. Many pupils have an impressive understanding of number and respond well to the improved and challenging teaching of mental arithmetic. They can make connections between decimals, fractions and percentages and have very good knowledge of their multiplication tables and the place value of number. The pupils have a well-developed understanding of area, perimeters, angles and measurement, and estimate quantities and predict patterns accurately.

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MATHEMATICS

105. Good achievement is sustained in this key stage due to the consistent challenge presented in whole class teaching sessions. This is accomplished by ‘setting’ the pupils in classes based on their prior attainment. As a result higher attainers, average attainers and pupils with special educational needs are challenged well and make good gains in their learning. The pupils are very comfortable with the challenge and interest engendered in these classes groupings. They show positive attitudes, behave well and respond to the high expectations of the teachers and this enriches their learning.

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MATHEMATICS

106. The quality of teaching is good overall. It ranges from satisfactory to very good and it is particularly strong for pupils aged seven, ten and eleven. The teachers implement the National Numeracy Strategy most successfully and this is having a beneficial effect on the pupils’ numeracy and mental mathematics skills. In the lessons observed during the inspection, strengths included the teachers’ very good knowledge of the subject, challenging questioning, warm relationships, good links with previous work and clear lesson objectives that are shared with the pupils at the beginnings of lessons. For example, in a lesson with the Years 1 and 2 class, the teacher encouraged the pupils to explain their own strategies when counting along a number line and this reinforced their learning well. All teachers show good levels of knowledge and demonstrate an increasing determination to get the best from their pupils.

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MATHEMATICS

107. Significant strengths of the teaching within the classes in Key Stage 2 are the way in which the teachers set high expectations and encourage problem solving. For example, in a lesson in Years 5 and 6, the teacher used precise language such as ‘ equivalence’ to promote the pupils’ understanding and in a lesson in Years 3 and 4, the teacher set challenging homework to continue the learning process. Pupils are encouraged to write answers on whiteboards during ‘quick-fire questioning’ sessions. These strategies are most successful in raising standards. When expectations are high the pupils respond very positively, on the few occasions when the level of challenge decreased, learning was less effective and the pupils lost interest. The quality of homework throughout the school is good. It is well supported by parents and makes a positive impact on pupils’ learning. Claverley C of E Primary School Page 33

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MATHEMATICS

108. The curriculum is securely based on the National Numeracy Strategy. This has helped to enrich the effective curriculum that was present at the time of the last inspection. Pupils now learn even more progressively as they move through the school and this is having a beneficial effect on standards. Numeracy skills are used well and are developed further in subjects such as ICT when handling data, in science when measuring temperatures and in design and technology when drawing plans.

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MATHEMATICS

109. The headteacher as co-ordinator provides excellent leadership. Her analysis of standards and her formulation and implementation of the precise steps necessary to raise the pupils’ attainment have been the main factors behind the notable improvement in the pupils’ performance this year. The headteacher has involved all teachers in a shared commitment to raising standards as high as possible. All staff have benefited from professional development, and by monitoring lessons and scrutinising the pupils’ work the provision has been systematically improved. As result, an area of concern has been transformed into a strength of the school.

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MATHEMATICS

110. The teachers assess and evaluate the pupils’ learning and attainment well and use this information prudently and effectively to identify future teaching and learning needs. Resources for learning are good and are used well to challenge all pupils equally. The subject has received an extremely well directed and strong focus this school year and this is having a very powerful and positive effect on standards, which are rising throughout the school.

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SCIENCE

111. Standards are above the national average for pupils aged seven and eleven and this represents a good improvement over the average standards found at the time of the last inspection. The results of the National Curriculum tests and teachers’ assessments for seven and eleven year-olds in recent years show steadily increasing numbers of pupils attaining higher than expected levels and these reflect the increased challenge offered to the pupils. Since the previous inspection staff have received good training and this is enabling them to teach very effectively with a strong emphasis on investigation and scientific enquiry. The teachers also implement good assessment arrangements and these ensure that strengths and weaknesses in the pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding are identified and used to inform future work. In addition, the teachers’ excellent marking allows the pupils to know what they are doing well and where they need to improve. As a result, inspection now shows that all

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SCIENCE

pupils, including higher attainers and pupils with special educational needs, achieve well in relation to their prior attainment.

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SCIENCE

112. By the age of eleven pupils use good scientific explanations for their findings and evaluate the outcomes of their investigations very well. They write about their work competently and apply and extend their literacy skills effectively. They have a good understanding of what makes a fair test and know that they must repeat observations to make sure they obtain accurate results. The pupils use graphs and tables appropriately to record their results and this work utilises and extends their numeracy skills. By the time the pupils are seven the pupils carry out simple tests and investigations. They give reasons for their findings and judgements. Pupils are confident and curious and persist in their work. They know the difference between natural and manufactured material and can explain why they have made that decision. The scrutiny of pupils’ work revealed examples of the use of ICT to record findings but generally there is

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scope to increase the use of ICT to aid research.

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SCIENCE

113. The quality of teaching is very good in Key Stage 1 and good in Key Stage 2 and it is good overall. The quality of learning matches the teaching closely. The best teaching challenges the pupils intellectually and as a result they make good progress throughout the school. Work is carefully planned and matched carefully to the different ages and abilities in the class. The teachers make sure that in each lesson all the pupils extend and deepen their understanding of the concept bring taught. The teachers give clear and interesting explanations and ensure that from the very start of lessons the pupils are concentrating hard, listening, answering and asking questions. These strategies significantly enrich and promote the pupils’ good learning. All of the teaching is centred on pupils conducting investigations and this enables them to be Claverley C of E Primary School Page 34 involved in key scientific tasks of asking questions, thinking why things happen, making

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SCIENCE

predictions and testing them. As a result the pupils learn quickly and waste no time in their work.

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SCIENCE

114. The pupils’ attitudes are good throughout the school. They are very interested in what is being taught because the teachers present the work in an interesting and enthusiastic way. They know that the teachers have high expectations and so work hard to meet them. The pupils get on well with each other so in group work there is much useful discussion and little time wasted. They use their initiative very well and as a result they ask searching questions and their evaluations are well thought out.

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SCIENCE

115. There is a very good scheme of work that covers all the required programmes of study. This helps to support consistent teaching throughout the school. Sufficient time is allocated for teaching the subject. Provision for investigative work is very good and this helps to account for the good learning that takes place. Assessment arrangements are very good; pupils’ work is assessed regularly and recorded using a simple but very efficient system. The teachers make very good use of the findings from the analysis of these assessments to plan future work. This is one of the main reasons why the pupils are making good progress.

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SCIENCE

116. The co-ordinator manages the subject well and has established a very clear educational direction and an excellent shared commitment to improvement and capacity to succeed. In particular she has encouraged a strong emphasis on investigation and good report writing throughout the school. The teachers have undertaken purposeful professional development and this has helped them to improve their teaching. Performance in national tests and good assessment arrangements and some classroom observation have enabled them to focus on areas that need improvement whilst maintaining existing strengths. Well thought out, appropriate plans are in place for future development. Resources for learning are adequate and they are used well to promote good learning. There is scope to develop the extensive school grounds to promote practical investigation. The pupils enjoy the work and as a result the subjects makes a valued contribution to the pupils’ spiritual and social development.

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ART AND DESIGN

117. Standards in art are in line with expectations for pupils aged seven and eleven. The majority of pupils attain average standards with a substantial minority at levels above this. The pupils have kept pace with the changes that have taken place in the curriculum since the last inspection and this is mainly the result of the teachers’ increased confidence, their good subject knowledge and their effective teaching. As a result most pupils, including pupils with special educational needs, achieve satisfactorily in relation to their prior attainment as they move through the school.

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ART AND DESIGN

118. By the age of seven, pupils make sound progress and acquire appropriate skills and understanding of art, craft and design. They learn a wide range of techniques successfully and incorporate this knowledge into imaginative and lively work. Pupils have been investigating different kinds of marks made by a range of drawing materials. They paint boldly using vibrant colours and generally use pencils, charcoal and chalk well, reflecting their interests in plants and fruits. There are good cross-curricular links and these serve to reinforce and enhance pupils’ work in many curriculum areas. Year 1 pupils discussed in detail their drawings of plants sharing with the class their scientific knowledge of plants and flowers and choice of media and the techniques they used. These positive literacy links were developed further in a Year 2 lesson where pupils were developing their skills in drawing objects ‘close to’ and ‘far away’.

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ART AND DESIGN

Mathematical concepts of size and shape were reinforced usefully when pupils used rectangular frames for their drawings and made decisions as to the size of their drawing. Most pupils talk confidently about their work and record ideas and feelings effectively. This also complements the teaching of speaking and listening. Year 2 pupils use the work of famous artists such as Bonnard, Renoir and Georgia O’Keeffe to develop their art skills to an appropriate level. Claverley C of E Primary School Page 35 119. By the age of eleven, pupils continue to develop their observational skills and techniques satisfactorily and attain standards expected of pupils of this age. Older pupils have undertaken drawings from first hand observations of historical artefacts using different thicknesses of hard and soft pencils. Some are of a high standard with good application of the techniques of shading, tone and accuracy of observation. Most of the work seen shows strong links with other

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subjects. In Year 4, pupils’ work on making careful drawings of flowers in a vase linked to work on plant life in science. In Year 6, activities focused on sketches of African artefacts. Three- dimensional work is also explored. Sculptures, using a range of natural and man-made materials, are on display outside the foyer and the Millennium clock, a whole school project, shows good development of investigating and making skills.

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120. Throughout the school there are a few good examples of art and occasional references to paintings of different cultures. However, generally, there are insufficient opportunities to develop an awareness of other cultures and their artists.

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ART AND DESIGN

121. The overall quality of teaching and learning was satisfactory. In the lessons observed it was good for pupils aged seven and under but was satisfactory for older pupils. The teachers plan thoroughly and ensure that lessons run smoothly with all the resources very accessible. In the better lessons teachers use demonstration well to introduce pupils to new techniques, and experimenting is encouraged. For example, in a lesson where pupils were arranging individual displays of fruits and objects the teacher asked questions and suggested ways of looking at their arrangements from different angles and distances. This resulted in the pupils learning well through experimentation. This also increased their understanding of the possibilities of materials and techniques. Effective learning is also linked to the teachers’ high expectations of quality work and behaviour. This results in pupils taking initiative, being able to work

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ART AND DESIGN

individually and in groups and behaving well. The pupils take responsibility for their learning and pride in their work. The less effective lessons were characterised by lack of clarity and rigour, resulting in pupils making less progress than they should.

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ART AND DESIGN

122. The co-ordinator provides satisfactory leadership and works closely with the staff to raise confidence and skills in the teaching of art. This is mainly done informally. There is no time allocated to formal monitoring and this weakens the co-ordinator’s ability to monitor the pupils’ progress. Day-to-day assessment is effective in lessons but there are no formal arrangements for assessing and recording pupils’ achievements although some teachers are usefully developing the practice of involving pupils in self-evaluation of their art work. Assessments of the pupils’ work are not used sufficiently to set targets or inform future planning and this is a weakness that restricts the pupils’ progress. Staff are engaged purposefully in updating the scheme of work for art to bring it in line with demands of Curriculum 2000. ICT is used satisfactorily to research the work of artists and experiment with the appropriate painting

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ART AND DESIGN

programs. The school has increased the range of resources since the previous inspection and the provision is now satisfactory.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

123. From the inspection of pupils’ work, including displays and discussions with pupils, it is clear that the attainment of pupils aged seven and eleven and throughout the school is above that expected nationally for pupils of this age. This is an improvement on the previous inspection when standards were average. Staff have worked very hard to make sure that standards in this subject have improved at a time when they were also focussing on the introduction of the National Literacy Strategy and National Numeracy Strategy. As a result most pupils across the range of prior attainments achieve well.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

124. By the age of seven they make realistic plans for the item that they are working on. They produce good designs that meet the design brief that are feasible and often include a good level of detail, giving more information in their written work. For example, in work on designing a tee-shirt for a toy teddy they produced some very good initial ideas that they subsequently developed into their final article. It is evident that they think carefully about the order in which they need to do things and took care to make a finished product that was attractive and Claverley C of E Primary School Page 36 appropriate for the job. They carry out simple evaluations at the end of the process and can say what they would change if they did a similar task.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

125. By the age of eleven their design skills, knowledge and understanding are becoming increasingly sophisticated. The pupils have a good, secure understanding of the design process. For example, they can produce very detailed plans for making an object that have a well thought through sequence of actions. To help them decide how best to make their product they use information from different sources and through testing, discussion and experimentation find out the best way to proceed. For example, Year 6 making violins investigated how a real violin was made and what were the essential features. They then applied the insight they had gained to their own work. When making their own violins the degree of accuracy with which they cut and measured the materials is good and the methods they used for joining effective. From their written work it is clear that they modified their plans as they proceeded. For example, one pupil experiencing difficulty in fixing the strings wrote

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

about this saying why in the end elastic bands became the preferred option. The pupils’ evaluation skills are very good. At both key stages a very good contribution is made to literacy because of the written evaluations and task scheduling that the pupils complete as part of their work.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

126. During the inspection discussions with the pupils demonstrated good attitudes to the subject. They say that they enjoy the work and work together well, and use their initiative willingly. The scrutiny of pupils’ work revealed that the marking of the pupils’ work is exceptionally good because it helps the pupils improve their work. It is always directly and rigorously linked to the objectives of the unit of work. The teachers use these assessments well to target future teaching and learning and this has a beneficial effect on the pupils’ progress.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

127. No lessons were observed in design and technology during the inspection. This was because design and technology this half-term will be in a period later in the term so it was not possible to make a judgement about the quality of teaching.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

128. The leadership and management of the subject is good and there is an excellent shared commitment to improve standards further. The curriculum provides good breadth and balance and the teachers plan thoroughly. Resources are adequate and they are used well to support learning. A few ICT programs are used to support the pupils’ ideas but there is scope to use ICT more fully. The staff have made very good use of advice and training provided by the Local Education Authority and as a result provision for design and technology is secure within the school and the pupils are making good progress.

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GEOGRAPHY

129. By the ages of seven and eleven, pupils’ attainment matches the levels expected nationally. They develop their geographical knowledge, understanding and skills appropriately and make satisfactory progress. Pupils with special educational needs make similar progress. In the previous inspection, standards of attainment were judged to be in line with national expectations for pupils aged seven, and above national expectations for pupils aged eleven. Although the school has continued to give appropriate attention to geography, due to the increased demands of the National Curriculum, the school has not been able to maintain the standards noted in the last report. Overall, most pupils achieve satisfactorily in relation to their prior attainment as they move through the school.

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GEOGRAPHY

130. Teachers in Years 1 and 2 make good use of the school and the local area and as a result, pupils aged six and seven talk confidently about Claverley and what they would see on a walk around the school. They talk about their visits to the seaside and about the differences between coastal resorts in Wales and their own locality. The display and regular use of local maps and maps of the United Kingdom and the world is widening their understanding of the world. Pupils know they live in England. They know that ‘ Spain is hot’ or ‘we go to America by plane because it is across the sea’. Pupils in Year 2 draw recognisable picture maps. Claverley C of E Primary School Page 37 131. Pupils aged eight and over in Key Stage 2, look carefully at the school environment noting aspects about the school building that they like or dislike. They think appropriately about wider environmental issues as they look at aspects of pollution, for example, undertaking surveys of

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GEOGRAPHY

car park traffic. Pupils understand that village life in Kenya is very different from life in Claverley, but there are also similarities; for example, pupils still have to go to school. When comparing life in the Welsh mountains Year 6 pupils enjoy a residential visit to Arthog, Wales and Wolverhampton; they also make effective evaluations of the impact of man on the environment. Pupils aged eleven in Year 6 demonstrated a good knowledge of European countries, many producing well-researched and detailed accounts of the climate, culture and tourism in countries such as Spain, Germany and France. In their studies of rivers pupils know that the estuary is where the river enters the sea. They use appropriate geographical vocabulary such as source and tributary. Pupils use the Internet appropriately for research, downloading maps, pictures and information. Discussion with Year 6 pupils shows that appropriate activities in Key Stage 2 have given them a sound knowledge and understanding

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GEOGRAPHY

of the various elements of the geography curriculum.

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GEOGRAPHY

132. There was insufficient evidence to make a judgement on the quality of teaching and learning overall. However, the evidence available shows that it is satisfactory for pupils aged seven and under, in that pupils are making satisfactory progress and cover the required elements of the National Curriculum. In the lesson observed during the inspection, the teacher’s planning was good with open-ended questioning that allowed pupils to understand that when giving directions there is need to use ‘positional’ language. Good support from the teacher and classroom assistant ensured that most pupils were able to talk through their ideas and most participated fully. The level of learning was satisfactory but constrained by the teacher being new to the class and under-estimating the needs of some of the pupils. However, the pupils ‘ literacy skills were well extended and pupils ‘positional’ language skills were effectively

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GEOGRAPHY

133. Although only recently appointed the co-ordinator has a good understanding of what needs to be developed. Colleagues work well together to ensure effective provision. There is an effective action plan and long-term overview incorporating material from the governments recommended guidelines. There is no formal assessment other than the teachers’ marking of pupils’ work. The school is aware of this and the use of assessments of pupils’ work to inform future teaching and learning is to be addressed in the school development plan. ICT is used appropriately and this also a developing area. Resources are satisfactory.

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HISTORY

134. For pupils at the ages of both seven and eleven attainment is above national expectations. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress and achieve well in relation to their prior attainment in both key stages. Standards have improved since the last inspection.

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HISTORY

135. Evidence in pupils’ books and displays around the school show that pupils aged seven have developed a good knowledge and understanding of the passing of time and the changes that spring from this. They understand from the visits to the school by local people how life in Claverley has changed over the last few years. Through their studies pupils recognise that life was very different in the past. For example, pupils know from their work on the ‘Fire of London’ about the types of buildings from the past and the materials they were made from. Teachers understand well the ideas that have to be taught, such as the use of first hand knowledge and how to draw simple conclusions. Pupils go for walks in the local area and visit historical sites, later discussing what they have seen. This supplements teaching of speaking and listening in literacy effectively.

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HISTORY

136. By the age of eleven, most pupils have gained a greater and above average awareness of the significance of historical events and the contributions made by people and developments in the recent and distant history of Britain and other countries. The pupils have studied Ancient Egypt productively. Pupils also have very good knowledge of events and aspects of life during the Tudor period and the Victorian era. They use their knowledge well to describe and begin to link Claverley C of E Primary School Page 38 characteristics of past periods and societies, for example, studying social conditions in Victorian times, comparing and contrasting them with their lives today. They are developing a good understanding of the different ways of gathering evidence and distinguishing between fact and opinion. Most are able to distinguish between primary and secondary sources of evidence. For example, pupils in Year 4 know that archaeological discoveries are an important

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HISTORY

source for finding out about life in the past. They know about life in Ancient Egypt and that remains, drawings and artefacts provide clues about aspects of the past. They used some of these sources effectively in developing their understanding of Ancient Egyptians’ beliefs of life and death. The links with other subjects are a strength, particularly literacy and ICT for carrying out research into historical topics. Art is also well used to illustrate their work. All these strategies enrich the pupils’ learning.

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HISTORY

137. Curriculum planning for geography and history alternates the subjects for each half-term. Therefore it was not possible during the period of the inspection to observe or evaluate the teaching of history in Key Stage 1.

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HISTORY

138. Two lessons in Key Stage 2 were observed during the inspection. Analysis of pupils’ work and discussions with pupils are also taken into account in judging the impact of teaching on pupils’ learning and the standards they attain. These show that teaching is good overall. A particular strength of the lessons was the quality of questioning that encouraged pupils to explore their ideas and developed their use of historical language. For example, when discussing evidence in a lesson on the Egyptians, pupils were pressed by the teacher to use appropriate language such as artefacts, remains, sources, opinion and facts. The good teaching promoted challenge where the teacher and pupils discussed difficult concepts. For example, the difference between primary and secondary sources. The good quality teaching results in pupils' having positive attitudes to history and learning well. They are keen to discuss what they know and share their

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HISTORY

opinions. The presentation of work in exercise and topic books is generally good. Most pupils behave very well.

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HISTORY

139. The school has introduced the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority guidelines to support teachers’ planning. The teachers mark the pupils’ work carefully and give good day-to-day feedback in lessons. However, except in the annual reports to parents, these are not recorded fully to inform future teaching and learning consistently. The co-ordinator has insufficient opportunity to monitor the quality of teaching and learning in the subject. However, the School Development plan includes revision and updating of current planning in Autumn 2001 and by working closely together the staff of this small school ensure effective provision. Resources are satisfactory and augmented by the library service and items brought into school from home. These enhance the curriculum and have a positive effect upon the quality of pupils’ learning. Pupils’ work is well displayed in classrooms.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

140. Overall standards match the national expectation for pupils aged seven and eleven. The pupils are making steady progress through the school although in some aspects such as using computers to control mechanisms, and using computer programs to model their designs, standards are close to but have yet to meet national expectations, although such work is planned during the remainder of the term. By the time the pupils are seven the pupils are able to enter work and data using a keyboard and more able pupils know how to save and retrieve it later. Their keyboard skills are weak and this slows the pace of their work considerably. By the time the pupils are eleven the pupils are able to use ICT to extract information to answer the questions they have and they are becoming increasingly skilled at framing questions to query a database, for example, when working in mathematics. Overall, by the time they leave the

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

school most pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve satisfactorily in relation to their prior attainment.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

141. The pupils’ attitudes are good throughout the school and they enjoy their work. They are very interested in the subject and listen attentively when they are being taught. They are willing to persevere in their work and are willing to improve what they have produced. They take great care of the equipment that they use. Most lessons necessitate sharing a keyboard, as there are Claverley C of E Primary School Page 39 not sufficient computers for one each. The pupils are willing to take turns and watch as their peers work. Whilst this arrangement is far from perfect their good relationships with each other make this arrangement as effective as it can be in the circumstances. Overall, though, new equipment is having a very positive effect on the pupils’ attitudes.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

142. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. The teachers’ subject knowledge is now satisfactory and is continuing to improve. The approach taken to training is very effective and helps to build skill levels quickly. The teachers make the lessons interesting and chose good tasks to teach skills carefully and effectively. For example, pupils aged ten and eleven learn how to use tables to organise their work. They researched Victorian life using CD ROM discs and then highlighted text and copied it into their tables. In doing so they learned new skills as well as finding out more about their history work. This work also makes a good contribution to the pupils’ work in literacy by improving their reading skills. The teachers make effective use of the satisfactory range of resources that they have, although there are still too few computers for most class lessons. Usually three pupils have to share one computer, and whilst the pupils

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

also do their best, this arrangement slows the pace of learning in nearly all lessons.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

143. The school has made good use of grant funding to establish an ICT suite in the library area of the school. As a result the provision has improved considerably since the last inspection and the subject is now secure in the curriculum. There is a good, imaginative scheme of work that supports the pupils’ progressive acquisition of skills in using ‘e-mail’ and the ‘Internet’. It successfully links the skills that the pupil must be taught to the subjects that they are studying in other parts of the curriculum. For example, pupils in Year 4 use a data-handling program to support their work on shape, so deepening the pupils’ knowledge of multi-sided figures. This work, therefore, makes a good contribution to mathematics. Such links are common in the scheme of work. It works well.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

144. Leadership in the subject is good and had resulted in the improvements outlined above. The co-ordinator has arranged good training for all staff which has resulted in a substantial improvement in their subject knowledge, skills and understanding and allows them to teach more effectively. Efficient use has been made of the Local Education Authority advisory service to support this training. The school has made good progress in this area to date and has plans to expand the provision further in a purpose built room. It will be important to ensure that plans for expansion are fully costed and timed with well thought out success criteria to allow progress to completion to be monitored.

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MUSIC

145. By the ages of seven and eleven, most pupils attain standards which are above those expected nationally. This judgement shows that standards have been improved well for pupils at the end of both key stages since the last inspection. The school has promoted such effective provision through its involvement with the cluster of local small schools. By following the example of a visiting specialist teacher, all staff have raised their expertise, confidence and provision, and subsequently standards have improved. The pupils aged eleven now demonstrate a good understanding of specific vocabulary and have above average skills in composing, listening and in appraising and performing music. Pupils aged seven also show a level of understanding ahead of expectations for their age. For example, they incorporate terms such as ‘pitch, tempo and pace’ accurately into their descriptions when discussing the form of sounds they sing. Evidence available indicates that the pupils sing and perform well

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MUSIC

during summer performances such as ‘Cool Cats’, at Christmas services and during expressive arts productions. During the inspection most pupils sang appropriately in assemblies. Several pupils benefit from specialist teaching during instrumental strings, woodwind and brass lessons and attain even higher standards.

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MUSIC

146. Overall, most pupils achieve well in relation to their prior attainment by the time they leave the school. Potentially higher attaining pupils and pupils with special educational needs receive good individual support and also achieve well. Claverley C of E Primary School Page 40 147. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall and varied from good to very good. Strengths included the teachers’ very good knowledge of the subject, focused questioning and careful use of technical language. For example, in a lesson with the Years 5 and 6 class, the teacher explored the meanings of ‘pitch, volume, texture, pulse and dynamics’ and this greatly enriched the pupils’ learning, especially their understanding. Other strengths included the excellent management of the pupils’ behaviour, warm relationships, good links with previous work and the careful ‘drawing out’ of the pupils’ responses, which significantly aided their

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MUSIC

awareness and appreciation of music. For example, in a lesson with the Years 1 and 2 class, the teacher generated the pupils’ enjoyment of music by using carefully chosen pieces to create interest and to reinforce learning. The only limitations apparent in the teaching of the subject occurred when the peripatetic instrumental teacher had her time reduced by the need to prepare the hall for assembly and when teaching was distracted by another class returning to their own classroom. Higher attainers are fully challenged now and this represents a good improvement since the last inspection. Overall learning is fun and this contributes strongly to the pupils’ very positive attitudes and behaviour and excellent relationships.

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MUSIC

148. The curriculum is planned well. It has been significantly improved since the last inspection and now contains clear objectives for each year group and includes an effective emphasis on developing the pupils’ skills as they progress through the school. The headteacher as co- ordinator gives good direction to the subject and has enlisted good support from the local education authority’s advisor and a local member of the community with choral expertise. The teachers’ skills, knowledge and enthusiasm have been substantially improved by focused professional development and this has had a positive effect on the pupils’ attainment and progress. The teachers know their pupils well and assess their skills well in lessons. Assessments are used effectively to support future teaching and learning. Pupils are encouraged to identify areas they wish to revisit and this also aids their learning. Resources for

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MUSIC

learning are good and they are used well in lessons. The subject now has a valued place in the school’s curriculum and makes a good contribution to the pupils’ wider learning experiences.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

149. Standards are above those expected nationally for pupils aged seven and eleven years. Most pupils, including higher attainers and pupils with special educational needs, achieve well in relation to their prior attainment as they move through the school. These findings show that the school has raised the levels of pupils’ attainment since the average standards found at the time of the last inspection. The teaching and learning is strong in all aspects of the subject, reflecting the enthusiastic emphasis given by the headteacher.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

150. Swimming is taught to pupils between the ages of five and eleven, most continue to enjoy this sport in their own time and easily swim the required 25 metres well before the time they leave the school. The subject has a high profile in the school and it is enriched successfully through a number of out of school activities, and several pupils continue their interest through membership of local clubs.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

151. Observations of lessons, of pupils at play and of after-school clubs show that most pupils develop their skills purposefully as they progress through the school. They enjoy the work and listen carefully to their teachers. They acquire a good understanding of the effect of exercise on the heartbeat and of the need to warm up before and to cool down after exercise. The pupils develop good co-ordination when running and attain above average skills in striking and fielding during ball games. The pupils enjoy competition and challenge and the teachers use these very effectively to increase the pace of work, to challenge and to increase the pupils’ effort and subsequent acquisition of skills. These approaches promote the pupils’ learning and improve standards. By the time they leave the school, the pupils have positive attitudes towards sport and evaluate, refine and improve their performance successfully. Learning in the

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

subject is energetic, enjoyable and effective. Claverley C of E Primary School Page 41 152. The quality of teaching is good overall and ranges from satisfactory to very good. Teaching has a particularly positive effect on the pupils’ attitudes and effort and the learning matches the standard of the teaching in all lessons observed. The teachers are very knowledgeable, prepare lessons well and follow systematic strategies to reinforce healthy approaches to physical activity and to improve skills. There is a successful emphasis on aerobic physical exercise and teachers balance this well with the teaching of skills. For example, in an outdoor athletics lesson with pupils in the Years 5 and 6 class, the teacher set high expectations of effort, and encouraged prolonged physical activity in the form of relay running to develop skills and to promote exercise. She then used the pupils themselves to demonstrate good practice

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

and to improve performance by teaching specific skills. The pupils worked hard and made very good progress, running in a much more balanced and polished way than at the start of the lesson.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

153. The teachers are effective in involving and promoting good learning for all pupils equally in lessons and they use resources well, for example, to support left-handers when batting in ball games. All teachers promote excellent relationships in lessons and encourage the pupils’ ideas and reward their effort with lots of praise and this enriches their learning. Occasionally there is scope to increase the opportunities for pupils to more formally evaluate each other’s performance and to use ICT to enrich learning even more, for example, by measuring the impact of exercise on the body using heart monitors.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

154. The curriculum is planned well and it is supported by a good number of out of school clubs and by sporting links with other schools. Many of the clubs are supported by parental subscription and this may restrict a few pupils from seeking involvement. The teachers know their pupils well and use their observations of the pupils’ skills in lessons to plot future teaching and learning productively. The headteacher as co-ordinator leads the subject very enthusiastically and effectively. She is very skilled and knowledgeable and encourages colleagues well. She has promoted improving teaching and learning through involvement with national initiatives such as ‘Top Sports’. Resources for learning are adequate and are used well to promote learning. The areas available for physical education are spacious but their joint use by the school and the community limits the scope to enrich the facilities even more. The subject has a

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

strong and popular place in the school curriculum and makes a very helpful contribution to the pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development.

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