Crockenhill Primary School

CROCKENHILL PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 25 th – 28 th June 2001

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CROCKENHILL PRIMARY SCHOOL

Full inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Crockenhill Primary School - 2

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: The Green Crockenhill Swanley Kent Postcode: BR8 8JG

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body, Crockenhill Primary School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: March, 1997

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE 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. Crockenhill Primary School - 3

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responsibilities

17826 June Punnett Registered inspector English, music, religious education, English as an additional language. Characteristics of the school. The school's results and pupils’ achievements. How well are pupils taught? How well the school is led and managed? What the school should do to improve further? 9569 Jan Leaning 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? 16942 Bob Lever Team inspector Science, art, history, information and communicatio n technology, special educational needs, equal opportunities How good are curricular and other opportunities?

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responsibilities

10808 Alan Britton Team inspector Mathematics, design and technology, geography, physical education, Foundation Stage

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responsibilities

Phoenix Educational Consultants, “Thule”, 60 Joy Lane, Whitstable, Kent CT5 4LT 01227 273449 Crockenhill Primary School - 4 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: The Complaints Manager, Inspection Quality Division, The Office for Standards in Education, Alexandra House, 33 Kingsway, London, WC2B 6SE Crockenhill Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 5

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? 9

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

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Crockenhill Primary School - 6 PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL Crockenhill Primary School educates boys and girls aged between 4 and 11. It serves a village community and its surroundings near Swanley, Kent. During the term of the inspection, there were 29 children in the Foundation Stage. In total, there are 200 full-time pupils, which is similar to most other schools of the same type. There are more boys than girls on roll and some classes have a disproportionate number of boys. The percentage of pupils who speak English as an additional language is low. About four per cent of the pupils are entitled to free school meals, which is below the national average. Approximately 23 per cent of pupils are identified as having special educational needs, which is broadly average. The percentage of pupils with statements of special educational need is also broadly in line with the national average. During the last school year, ten pupils entered

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the school other than at the usual time of first admission and ten left it at times which were not those of the normal leaving or transfer for most pupils. This represents an average level of mobility. Children enter the school at broadly average levels of attainment.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS This is a good school. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment in mathematics and science is above average. In English, standards are broadly average. The school is well led and managed by the headteacher of a local school who is the part-time acting headteacher at Crockenhill until the end of this term. The quality of teaching is good overall with some examples of very good teaching. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well • Attainment in mathematics and science is above average by the time pupils are eleven years old. • The school is well managed by the acting headteacher. Senior staff and the governors are very supportive. This has resulted in the school remaining calm and focused during a difficult period of changing leadership. • The pupils are eager to learn. They have positive attitudes and most of them are well behaved which enables them to make good progress in their learning. • The good overall quality of the teaching is the basis of the good progress made by pupils • Children receive a good start to their education in the Reception class. • The school provides a caring, safe and happy environment that enables pupils to learn and progress well.

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What could be improved • Speaking skills in both key stages and standards in writing at Key Stage 1. • Assessment in subjects other than English, mathematics and science. • Standards in singing across the school. • The role of the curriculum co-ordinators. • The statutory information in the governors’ Annual Report to parents and the provision for sex education and child protection policies which are not in place. • The allocation of the accommodation especially for Reception and Year 6 pupils and the position of the library. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION The school was last inspected in March, 1997 and, since then, it has made good improvements and has a similar capacity to continue to improve. There are good improvements in the quality of teachers’ assessment practice in English, mathematics and science. Lessons are better matched to pupils’ needs in most classes resulting in an improved quality of teaching. Pupils’ attainment in reading has been maintained at an above average level at Key Stage 1, and standards in writing have been maintained. Although standards in English and science at Key Stage 2 are not as high as they were in 1997, they accurately reflect the pupils’ abilities in the year group. The school’s 2001 results are forecast to be above the national average in mathematics and science and in line with the national average in English. The predicted results would be in line with the

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school’s targets. In the previous inspection report, support for pupils with special educational needs was stated to be effective and was helping pupils to make good progress; this remains the case. The quality of education in the Foundation Stage is now a strength, and teaching is good. Crockenhill Primary School - 7 STANDARDS The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests. Compared with

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Performance in: All schools similar schools Key

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English D A D E Well above average above average A B

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Mathematics C B C D Average Below average C D Science B A D E Well below average Very low E E*

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The information shows that standards in English and science were below average when compared with all schools, and were well below average when compared with similar schools. In mathematics, in comparison with all schools, standards were average, and below average in comparison with similar schools. Boys achieve less well in English and science than girls. Between 1998 and 2000, there has been variable achievement in all three subjects. During the inspection, the work seen in English was average, and in mathematics and science was above average. The lower English result is due in part to pupils’ weaker speaking skills. The work seen in design and technology and history was above average. The standards found in all other subjects, including religious education, are average. Achievement in swimming is satisfactory. The findings of the inspection are that the current Year 2 pupils are attaining average standards in

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listening, mathematics and science. Standards in reading are above average, standards in writing and pupils’ speaking skills are below average. The work seen in most other subjects, including religious education, is average. The work seen in design and technology is above average. Children in the Foundation Stage attain good standards overall. They are on course to achieve or exceed the Early Learning Goals in all areas of learning. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in their learning and achieve standards that reflect their potential. More able pupils and those who speak English as an additional language also make good progress.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES Aspect Comment Attitudes to the school Good. The pupils are keen to learn and have positive attitudes to their work.

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Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good overall. A few older pupils are not always sensible during lessons. Behaviour in the playground is satisfactory. Pupils are friendly and courteous to visitors.

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Personal development and relationships Good overall. Most pupils enjoy responsibility and using their initiative. They mainly work well together and relationships are good.

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Attendance Very good. It is well above the national average.

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The enthusiasm of pupils and their good attitudes towards work contribute to the school’s good ethos. Pupils’ overall good behaviour shows their understanding of the school’s expectations. Crockenhill Primary School - 8 TEACHING AND LEARNING Teaching of pupils: Aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

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Lessons seen overall Good Good Good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses. During the inspection, 46 lessons were seen: 98 per cent were satisfactory or better and two per cent were unsatisfactory. Twenty four per cent of lessons were satisfactory and 74 per cent of all observed teaching was good or better. Seventeen per cent of the teaching was very good. The quality of teaching of literacy and numeracy is good. The needs of pupils with special educational needs are well met, as are those for the very small minority of pupils with English as an additional language. The school's provision for more able pupils is good. The quality of the pupils' learning and progress reflects the quality of teaching and is good for children aged

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under five, and at Key Stages 1 and 2. Strengths in learning include the way that the pupils take turns and use equipment effectively and the enthusiasm with which they take part in lessons and answer questions when they are motivated by the teaching. The weaknesses in the pupils' learning directly relate to the quality of teaching, such as weak classroom management resulting in pupils losing concentration and interest.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL Aspect Comment

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The quality and range of the curriculum Curricular provision is satisfactory overall. The time planned for music and religious education is half of that recommended. This results in pupils achieving lower standards than those of which they are capable. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been well implemented. There is no policy for sex education in place.

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Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils of all abilities are well supported and are given appropriate work to help them progress.

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Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Pupils receive good support that enables them to have equal access to the curriculum.

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Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall. These aspects make an important contribution to pupils’ personal development. The provision for pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory. The provision for their moral, social and cultural development is good.

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How well the school cares for its pupils The school cares for pupils well. The procedures for monitoring and promoting behaviour are good, and lead to good standards of behaviour. Assessment is satisfactory overall with strengths in English, mathematics and science and information and communication technology. Assessment in the other subjects is under-developed. The integration of pupils with special educational needs is good.

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Good links with parents and the information the school provides supports pupils’ learning well. Parents help in school and give their children good support. Crockenhill Primary School - 9 HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED Aspect Comment

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Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Since the appointment of the current part-time acting headteacher the school has settled following the earlier uncertainties in leadership. The leadership of the current headteacher is good. He has brought many skills to Crockenhill, and has enabled this school to end the year on a positive and forward-looking note. The role of the curriculum co-ordinators is under developed. The school’s ethos is good.

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How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory. The governors have a sound understanding of the school and the standards it achieves. The governing body seeks competitive prices for services and resources and applies best value principles satisfactorily. Not all statutory responsibilities are met. Some information is missing from the governors’ Annual Report to parents and the school has no child protection or sex education policies in place.

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The school’s evaluation of its performance The school makes good use of performance data and assessment information and is always looking to improve. The acting headteacher and senior staff have a good understanding of how well the school is doing.

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The strategic use of resources Good use is made of staff, resources and the school’s restricted accommodation. Staffing and learning resources are satisfactory overall. Finances are well managed and controlled.

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Monies allocated for special educational needs and staff training are managed prudently. Money is well spent to ensure that there are sufficient teaching staff. The accommodation is satisfactory overall, but unsatisfactory for the Reception and Year 6 pupils. The library is placed where few pupils can have easy access to it. The school takes care to obtain the best value for money when making spending decisions.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • Children achieve their best standards of work. • It is a caring school where children are well looked after. • There are good extra-curricular activities. • Annual reports are of very good quality. • The standard of Christmas musical productions. • Extra-curricular activities for the infants. • Consistency in homework. • Behaviour in the playground. • The contact with parents in the previous Year 1 class. • Support for school association from parents. • A deputy headteacher in post.

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The inspection supports the positive views of parents. Opportunities are missed to offer extra- curricular activities to the infants. The inspectors found some inconsistency in the marking of homework as the homework policy is not always well followed across the school. The behaviour in the playground, especially at lunchtimes, is lively but broadly satisfactory. Parents of children in the current Year 1 class have similar opportunities for contact to those in other classes. Those parents who are able give the school association satisfactory support. It is for the governing body and in- coming headteacher to consider carefully the parents’ views on the appointment of a deputy headteacher. The disadvantages of not having a deputy in post were obvious during this inspection because of the unfortunate circumstances with the previous acting headteacher who was taken ill after three weeks in post. Crockenhill Primary School - 10

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Overall, children enter the Foundation Stage at broadly average levels of attainment. However, there is often wide variation from year to year. The quality of teaching and the quality of learning are good overall and they make good progress. By the end of the Reception year, the children are on course to meet or exceed the recommendations for the end of the Foundation Stage in all areas of learning. In the school’s previous inspection, the attainment of children under five was also judged as reaching or exceeding expectations in all areas of learning. Children play well together, share resources well and listen very well in large groups. Most children are confident and take part eagerly in discussions. 2. In the end of Key Stage 1 tests in 2000, standards were well above average compared with all schools in reading, above average in writing and average in mathematics. Standards were above average in reading and below average in writing and in mathematics

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

compared with similar schools. Standards in all of these subjects are similar to those found in the previous report and, although they fell in writing and mathematics in 2000, the standards reached reflected the ability of the year group well. In science, teachers’ assessments showed that standards were average. 3. The findings of the inspection are that, in Year 2, the pupils reach average standards in all subjects, including literacy and numeracy. Reading remains the strongest area of English and writing the weakest. Speaking skills are not so well developed, but pupils listen well. Tests on entry to the school show that these pupils’ attainment was slightly below average. Standards are average in all other subjects. Compared with the findings of the previous inspection, standards are similar in all subjects, except art and design where they are not as good, information and communication technology where they are now average,

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

which is an improvement, and in design and technology where they are above average. There are no significant variations in attainment between boys and girls. 4. Most seven year olds express their ideas with confidence but others have insufficient vocabulary and need support to be able to express their ideas. They enjoy listening to stories, poems and rhymes. They enjoy reading the shared text in the literacy hour and often want to read the next chapter. They read simple texts accurately, sometimes reading ‘big books’ on the computer, and most use suitable strategies to read unfamiliar words. Many have difficulty in distinguishing fact from fiction. Pupils in Year 2 write their own interesting humorous poems such as “ Nat had a floppy rat eating out her tatty hat”. Handwriting is usually legible and joined but a few pupils have difficulty in writing legible, individual letters. Overall, pupils attain average standards in literacy. In mathematics, pupils in Year 2

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

have a growing understanding of number patterns, line and rotational symmetry and telling the time. They confidently use information and communication technology to handle data. Overall, pupils attain average standards in numeracy. In science, pupils enjoy their work and generally work co-operatively on investigations. Standards are average. They use a range of different plants to identify similarities and differences and label the main parts. When studying ‘sound’, pupils investigate a range of instruments and sort them into those that can be blown, beaten, scraped, shaken and plucked. 5. In information and communication technology, seven year olds show appropriate skills in controlling a programmable toy and giving instructions to move a screen turtle. In art, pupils show good skills in weaving with paper and making sculptures using a cardboard tube. They show evaluation appropriate to their age. In design and technology, pupils plan

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

and use their ideas to make models with developing precision such as making simple designs for a playground and models of swings. In geography, the pupils have a sound awareness of environments different from their own, and contrast these with a Scottish island and a place in Mexico. In history, pupils are particularly aware of using eyewitness accounts as detailed in Samuel Pepys' diary. They show an increasing sense of chronology Crockenhill Primary School - 11 and knowledge of the period being studied. In music, pupils sing enthusiastically during assembly and in productions use simple percussion instruments with flair. In physical education, they show sound control in their floor and apparatus work and an ability to plan and perform simple gymnastics safely. In religious education, pupils discuss why Jesus told stories but their restricted vocabulary limits their response. 6. In the end of Key Stage 2 national tests and assessments in 2000, the school’s results

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

were below average in English and science compared with all schools. In mathematics, standards were average. Compared with similar schools, standards were well below average in English and science, and below average in mathematics. Since 1996, the standards reached by the pupils have improved broadly in line with the national trend. The school has set appropriate targets to improve further the standards attained in the tests in 2000. Unvalidated results for 2001 show that the school has slightly exceeded its targets for English. The expectations for the more able pupils provided a good degree of challenge and enabled them to achieve their potential. The school’s target setting procedures are informed by the setting of individual targets for pupils and a comprehensive tracking system of pupils’ progress by the subject leaders in English, mathematics and science. 7. The findings of the inspection are that, in Year 6, the pupils reach standards that are above average

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

in mathematics and science. In English, including literacy, standards are average, and better than the 2000 results. Since the school’s last OFSTED inspection, standards have remained the same in most subjects, but they are not as good as they were in music and art and design. Within music, singing standards are unsatisfactory. Standards are above average in design and technology and history. There has also been considerable emphasis on improving teachers’ information and communication technology skills that means that standards are now average by the age of eleven. At the last inspection, no judgement was made, although it was implicit that standards were below average. Within English, standards in speaking, listening, reading and writing are broadly average. Reading is the strongest aspect, and speaking and writing the weakest. The pupils reach satisfactory standards at Key Stage 2 overall. This is because the quality of teaching at this key stage is good in Year 4 and Year 6 and

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

curricular planning has improved. More able pupils, those with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language make good progress at this key stage. There are no significant variations in attainment between girls and boys. 8. Pupils show an increased ability to communicate clearly with class teachers, learning support assistants and each other as they progress through the school. However, by the age of eleven, there are still a good proportion of pupils who experience difficulty in expressing their ideas due to having a limited vocabulary. Overall, standards in English are average. Although there is a good emphasis on precise vocabulary in lessons, this is not fully evident in the pupils’ speech and writing at other times. Pupils are able to choose their own reading material from a good selection of books either from their class or from the school’s library. Pupils in Year 6 are keen to read, competently evaluate texts and read

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

from suitably challenging material. Older pupils write in a variety of styles. They write their own poems about animals and appropriately use different forms of writing, such as writing notes in history when interviewing peers about life since 1948. Most pupils in Year 6 are working above the level for their age in mathematics. They are developing their own strategies for problem solving and most pupils understand long multiplication and know their times tables to ten. Pupils have a good understanding of probability and percentage problems and they are able to distinguish between reflex, obtuse and acute angles. They confidently use information and communication technology to record data and to display it. In science in Year 6, pupils understand how to make a fair test, can identify the habitats of plants and animals in the school’s pond area and understand that solutions can become saturated. A good proportion of pupils are working above the level expected of eleven year

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

olds. Crockenhill Primary School - 12 9. In information and communication technology, the pupils use a spreadsheet to handle data and display results in a variety of forms. They have, however, had limited opportunities to control events in predetermined way, sense physical data, and explore patterns and relationships with the aid of computer simulations or models. In art, they can talk about the styles and techniques of Van Gogh and Monet, but they are unable to recall other artists they have studied. In design and technology, the pupils have a strong understanding of the design process and know the limitations in the use of materials as when making slippers. In geography, the pupils effectively use grid references to locate places on St Lucia and compare climatic and rainfall statistics with those at home. In history, the pupils in Year 6 show an increasing understanding of chronology by recognising that periods in the past

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

have changes and they use relevant terms and dates. In music, by the age of eleven, pupils are generally confident at composing their own tunes and show an awareness of notation. However, the quality of their singing when singing together is unsatisfactory, as it lacks rhythm and pitch. By the time that they leave the school, almost all pupils can swim at least 25 metres safely using a recognised stroke. They catch and throw balls confidently and participate well in team games. In religious education, they have a good understanding of the beliefs and concepts of Christianity and Sikhism but the lack of curricular time means they do not achieve as well as they might. 10. Pupils with special educational needs are doing well against specific targets and goals and are making good progress overall, particularly when receiving extra support. Individual education plans are sufficiently specific to allow accurate assessments of pupils' progress to be made. Annual reviews for

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

pupils with statements of special educational needs and others with individual education plans show that pupils make good progress against their targets. The very few pupils with English as an additional language make good progress and achieve well. 11. The effectiveness of the National Literacy Strategy is satisfactory, resulting in standards that are broadly average by the age of eleven and seven. Teachers are confident in teaching the subject. They plan their lessons well and lesson content is matched well to pupils’ abilities. Occasionally, behaviour management strategies are insecure and this prevents pupils making the progress of which they are capable. The development of pupils’ speaking skills does not have sufficient emphasis in all classes across the school resulting in under developed vocabulary and weak articulation by a large majority of pupils. This inhibits pupils’ overall progress. Literacy skills are well used in history and science.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. The effectiveness of strategies for teaching numeracy skills is good so that standards of numeracy at the end of Key Stage 2 are above average and those in Key Stage 1 are average. The National Numeracy Strategy has been introduced into all classes and all teachers are confident in teaching the subject. Good use is made of mental strategies and using and applying mathematics to further all pupils’ mental numeracy development. Teachers plan appropriately and lesson content is generally well matched to pupils’ abilities. However, in some cases, there is insufficient pace and challenge in the dedicated mathematics hour especially during the mental session at the beginning of the lesson. Numeracy is used well across other areas of the curriculum including history, geography, science, physical education and information and communication technology by all year group classes. The many charts, graphs, data collection work in other subjects than mathematics are presented well, using

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

pupils’ numeracy knowledge and understanding. Pupils of all age groups use the computer well to compile and illustrate this data.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils’ attitudes and values throughout the school are good. The youngest children in Reception are able to initiate ideas and show great confidence when trying new activities. Pupils concentrate well in lessons and sit quietly and listen to their teacher when required. The school’s aims are clear and appropriate: pupils are to behave well and show care and consideration for others, which they do. The school encourages pupils to do their best and its aims are for high standards, both academically and in behaviour, and this is largely successful. Adults are good role models and relationships with other pupils, with adults Crockenhill Primary School - 13 and between adults are also good. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language form good relationships with teachers, support staff and each other. Pupils enjoy school; most are keen to learn and are friendly and polite. In

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class, they listen and work well together in their groups. In a Year 1 literacy lesson, there was a lively debate and pupils were helping each other to spell their words. Pupils know right from wrong; they understand rules and the need for rules. They said, “ You need rules, they keep everybody safe ” and “ one of our rules is to listen, if you don’t, you won’t be able to do your work .” 14. Behaviour is good overall; expectations are high and are fostered from an early stage. The Reception children behave well and are adept at taking turns and sharing toys. There were some incidents of boisterous play in the infant and junior playground, which is on a large open site. Boys and girls play well together and there is good supervision, although occasionally playground supervisors do not sufficiently interact with pupils, and this results in some behaviour going unchallenged. Lunchtime is a valuable social occasion and older

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pupils sit with the younger ones and help them. Pupils understand what is expected of them and most behave sensibly. The site is well kept and there is no litter or graffiti. Behaviour is positively managed with many rewards including praise, stickers and an entry by the headteacher in the ‘Golden Book’. There is a weekly celebration in the school assembly. Pupils value these rewards, which can be given for good work, good behaviour or any other positive achievement. Sanctions are flexible and parents are involved at an early stage if necessary. In the classroom, most pupils behave well although there a few pupils whose behaviour is monitored by learning support assistants and kept under review. There have been two fixed period exclusions. Although one parent expressed concern over a pupil, there was no evidence of racism or bullying during the inspection, and good guidelines enable bullying to be identified and dealt with effectively. Good behaviour

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enhances the opportunities for pupils’ learning. 15. The personal development of pupils is good. Pupils are given opportunities as monitors, taking dinner registers and getting out books and equipment and the older pupils help with the younger ones in the dining room and playground. Year 6 monitors look after the school office at lunchtimes. There are many visits and visitors including a residential visit to an outdoor centre for Year 6 pupils. There is no policy for sex and drugs education, which is unsatisfactory. In 'circle time', there are opportunities to discuss class and playground issues in a ‘no-blame’ environment. In classes, most pupils work well in groups and independently. They set targets for their work and discuss their progress with the teacher. The high standards in these areas enhance the opportunities for pupils to do their best. 16. The attendance rate at the school at 95.8 per cent is very good. It is well above the

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national average with no unauthorised absence. Regular attendance by most pupils has a good effect on standards. Most pupils arrive punctually at school and at lessons; there are a few latecomers and these are insufficiently monitored. The educational welfare officer is involved where necessary. 17. Since the previous inspection which found this aspect of the school’s work to be good, there has been little change although the opportunities for personal development have improved. Parents at the meeting in questionnaires and in discussion comment that the school has good attitudes and values and that relationships are good. Some felt that behaviour has improved; others disagreed, but they felt that bullying incidents had been dealt with effectively, that there is a good ethos and that they are aware of procedures for absence. The inspection team agrees with these comments.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. The quality of teaching and learning is good although there are differences between some parts of the school. This judgement is better than the findings of the school’s last OFSTED inspection when the Crockenhill Primary School - 14 quality of teaching was found to be good in about half of the lessons inspected. Shortcomings were found mainly in the infant classes, this is no longer the case. In the 1997 inspection, 16 per cent of the teaching was judged to be less than satisfactory. During this inspection, 46 lessons or parts of lessons were seen. The quality of teaching was very good in 17 per cent, good in 57 per cent, satisfactory in 24 per cent and unsatisfactory in two per cent. The quality of learning closely mirrored these figures. The teaching makes identical provision for the needs of boys and girls. 19. The quality of teaching and learning for children in the Foundation Stage is good

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

overall, and they make suitable progress and reach appropriate standards given their average entry point. During the previous inspection, teaching was judged as satisfactory and occasionally poor. This is no longer the case. The Foundation Stage is now a strength of the school. Within this overall judgement, teaching and learning are very good in mathematical development and personal, social and emotional development. It is good overall in communication, language and literacy, knowledge and understanding of the world, creative development and physical development. During this inspection, five observations of the teaching of children in the Foundation Stage were made. Sixty per cent of the lessons seen were judged to be very good and 40 per cent good. Overall, teaching in the Foundation Stage is judged as good resulting in children’s’ good progress. Teachers’ planning, the way basic skills are taught, the management of children and use of support

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

staff are very good. Teaching methods are used appropriately to direct children’s learning, for example, with number work, handwriting and practical skills, such as using scissors. The use of day-to-day assessment is good and is a significant contributory factor to the good progress that children make. 20. At Key Stage 1, the quality of teaching and learning is good and promotes good progress. Standards in most subjects are average due to staffing difficulties during the past year. This judgement is better than that made when the school was inspected in 1997. At that time, shortcomings in the quality of teaching were noted in the infant classes. This is no longer the case. At this key stage, 13 lessons were observed during the inspection. Fifteen per cent were very good, 69 per cent were good and 15 per cent were satisfactory. In the key stage as a whole, the quality of teaching and learning is good in all subjects,

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

including literacy, except in mathematics and numeracy where it is satisfactory. At Key Stage 1, most aspects of the quality of learning are good. There are particular strengths in the management of pupils and the teaching of basic skills. Teachers’ expectations are not always as high as they might be for the less able pupils. 21. A Year 2 literacy lesson based on the book “The Great Fire of London” illustrated the strengths of the teaching at this key stage and that the school has implemented the National Literacy Strategy satisfactorily. The lesson was well planned with work provided for pupils of three different levels of attainment. The teacher’s effective questioning, “Was the fire going to come as far as their house, were they in danger?” helped the pupils to read with understanding. The good quality of the relationships in the class made them feel secure and gave them the confidence to answer questions without worrying about giving a

p.14

HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

wrong answer. Their interest was maintained by basing their writing on they story they read as a class. Writing skills were well taught with questions such as, “ Why does William need a capital letter? ” and answers like “ Because it is a name”. The teacher’s very good management of the class was demonstrated when she expected the pupils to listen to each other, they clearly understood and quickly responded. Very good progress was made in this lesson. 22. At Key Stage 2, the quality of teaching and learning is good and promotes a similar rate of progress and above average standards in mathematics, science, design and technology and history. This judgement is an improvement on the findings of the school’s previous OFSTED inspection which found teaching to be sound or better overall but inconsistent. Some inconsistencies remain but these are mostly due to inexperience. During the Crockenhill Primary School - 15

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

inspection, 27 lesson observations were made at this key stage. Eleven per cent were very good, 56 per cent were good, 33 per cent were satisfactory and four per cent unsatisfactory. The quality of teaching and learning is strongest in Years 4 and 6. The quality of teaching and learning is good in all subjects except in music and art and design where it is satisfactory. There are no significant weaknesses in the quality of learning at Key Stage 2 although, in Year 5, pupils make insufficient effort to produce work of a high standard and generally lack a good work ethic. Particular strengths across the key stage are the speed with which pupils acquire knowledge, skills and understanding and the effort which most put into their work. 23. A Year 6 lesson on exploring the qualities of God exemplified the good quality of the teaching. The pupils listened very carefully to the teacher’s introduction and joined in

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

enthusiastically with ideas about the qualities of God. One pupil suggested that God was “ unknown but known ”. The teacher had very good control of the pupils’ behaviour and high expectations that they would not call out or talk over others. Good questioning by the teacher throughout this session enabled the pupils to refine their understanding of this concept well. Many pupils felt confident to say they disagreed with some opinions. The promotion of spoken language was good but it was evident that less than half the class had the breadth of vocabulary to enable them to express their ideas succinctly. Very good progress was made in this lesson. 24. Strengths of the teaching include the way in which the pupils’ behaviour is managed in almost all classes and the use of support staff. At Key Stage 2, the expectations which the teachers have of the pupils, the way in which they teach them basic skills and their

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

knowledge of the subjects that they teach are also considerable strengths. The most significant weaknesses in the teaching in the school, which are specific to some year groups, are slow pace and unclear explanations. For example, in a literacy hour, the ‘Strategy’ timing was followed so closely that pupils became fidgety, because the point was being laboured. The lack of clear explanations often confuses pupils, as seen in a mathematics lesson when lack of clarity about the task resulted in some pupils losing concentration and interest because they did not understand what was expected of them. 25. Compared with the findings of the school’s previous OFSTED inspection, rigour, high expectations, clear tasks, varied pace, and the teachers’ knowledge of the subjects they teach have all improved. There is a minor variation between classes. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs remains strong. The marking of pupils’ work has improved

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

but consistency in marking homework is less secure. Where marking is good it helps pupils to improve their work and is not simply congratulatory. 26. Teachers use appropriate methods, which enable pupils identified with special educational needs to learn effectively. This gives rise to good progress and standards in relation to their previous attainment. Appropriate use is made of information and communication technology to support the learning of basic skills. The links with the literacy and numeracy strategies are good. Teachers take full account of the clear targets set out in individual education plans which are sufficiently practical for class teachers to implement when support staff are not present. The special educational needs assistants offer good support and keep accurate records of the progress of pupils with statements of special educational need. 27. The teaching of pupils with English as an additional language is good. The school

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

receives a small amount of support from a teacher employed by the Local Education Authority, but most of the work is undertaken by class teachers and this results in pupils making good progress in having access to the curriculum.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

Crockenhill Primary School - 16 28. Overall, the quality and range of the curriculum provided by the school are satisfactory and promote the aims of the school well. It includes all subjects of the National Curriculum, together with religious education. The curriculum meets all statutory requirements and offers pupils an appropriate range of opportunities. This shows an improvement since the previous inspection when subjects were not taught in sufficient depth. Provision is good for pupils’ personal development. However, there is no formal sex education policy and this aspect is unsatisfactory. The use and misuse of medicines and drugs are taught as part of personal, social and health and science curriculum. Pupils are provided with accurate information, which promotes positive attitudes to a healthy lifestyle. A very small minority of pupil speaks English as an additional language. Twenty three per cent of pupils are

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

identified as having special educational needs. This is broadly in line with the national average. There is good provision for these pupils and the curriculum is appropriately organised for them. No pupils are disapplied from the National Curriculum. Arrangements for using individual education plans are effective in ensuring that needs are met whilst still enabling pupils to have access to the whole curriculum. 29. Appropriate up-to-date policies and schemes of work are not in place for all subjects and there is a low amount of time given to music and religious education. This shows limited improvement in this key issue since the last inspection. The provision for homework is satisfactory across the school and is appropriate to pupils' ages. However, there are some inconsistencies across the school in implementing the school’s policy, and parents have expressed their concerns about homework. 30. Long-term and medium-term planning provides for the coverage of all programmes of

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

study. Weekly plans are detailed, focusing on key objectives, which groups of pupils are to learn. The subject co-ordinators monitor curricular planning, but few have the opportunity to monitor lessons. 31. Overall the quality and range of learning opportunities for children in the Foundation Stage are good. The literacy strategy and numeracy strategies have been successfully implemented. They have been appropriately resourced and are having a good impact on helping to raise standards throughout the school. 32. Extra-curricular provision is satisfactory and pupils at Key Stage 2 are able to take part in a wide range of activities, although none is available for pupils in Key Stage 1. They are able to participate in clubs where boys and girls can learn to play the recorder and play in the orchestra. They play football, netball, table tennis, cricket and rounders. Pupils are able to take part in various sporting activities with other schools where they have good success.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

Parents run an athletics club and there is a popular art club. The curriculum is enhanced through a very good range of visits made by pupils and by visitors to the school. Visiting theatre companies, a role-play actress and musicians enlighten pupils’ historical and cultural understanding. Pupils visit different places of interest such as the Courtauld Gallery, the Orchard Theatre, Shoreham Aircraft Museum, The Ragged School Museum, the Imperial War Museum, the Museum of London and Penshurst Place, which all enhance pupils’ learning in many areas of the curriculum. Older pupils take part in a residential visit to the Bowles Activity Centre, an outdoor activities centre. 33. The contribution of the community to pupils' learning is good. There are frequent visits from local vicars and the local police officer is a regular visitor. There are links with the older members of the community, who make a valuable contribution. They receive gifts

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

from the harvest festival and are invited for tea. In return, they are a good source of first hand experiences for local and historical studies. Charlton Athletic Football Club and Kent Cricket Club provide good sporting links. There are strong links with partner institutions, such as the local playgroup and secondary schools. This liaison helps to prepare pupils for their transfer to their next stage of education although curricular links with secondary schools have had limited success. There are good links with outside agencies for pupils Crockenhill Primary School - 17 with special educational needs and the school particularly values the support of the educational psychologist. 34. The provision for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. Pupils’ spiritual development is sound. It is enhanced through religious education, where pupils learn about world religions and in some good assemblies. However, assemblies are

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

not all of good quality and, in a Key Stage 2 assembly, pupils were not attentive, did not sing well and had no opportunity for prayer or reflection. In a Key Stage 1 assembly, pupils entered reverently to an atmosphere of calm created by well-chosen music. They listened well to a story about Jesus feeding the five thousand, took part in prayers and had time for real reflection. There are limited planned opportunities for spiritual development through the curriculum but, in some subjects, pupils show their feelings and reflect on various topics. In history, for example, in Years 3 and 4, the study of World War II led to a visit to the Imperial War Museum and the Blitz Experience. Writing poems expressing the horror and pain of war one pupil wrote "War. Scary, terrifying, horrible, revolting and disgusting. People very, very scared. Worrying." 35. The good provision for pupils’ moral development is founded on the high expectations

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

that staff have for them. All staff are good role models for their pupils and are consistent in the way that they show respect for both pupils and adults. The school has a positive approach to the management of behaviour. Rewards, such as the collection of credits and the high profile presentation in achievement assemblies, are successful. They are making pupils aware of what is acceptable and are helping them to develop an appropriate idea of what is right and wrong. Moral issues are taught well and pupils are well behaved in and around the school. Through their sporting activities, pupils are developing a healthy sense of competitiveness, an awareness of rules and pride in their team achievements. 36. The school makes good provision for pupils’ social development. It creates a strong sense of identity as a community in which everyone is well cared for. They support charities and have links with elderly residents, who come into school to speak about their

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

lives, thus enhancing and extending pupils’ knowledge of the history of the local community and life in the past. The links with a London Mission broaden pupils’ experience. 37. There is good provision for pupils’ cultural development. It draws on examples from many cultural traditions and recognises Britain as having a diverse cultural background. Art enhances pupils' cultural experience and knowledge. In Year 2, pupils have made Rangoli mats and Mexican masks. They visited the local church during Art and Christianity week. Years 3 and 4 have studied Aboriginal, and African art and have used Japanese patterns. Through history, they have learnt about periods in British life and, in geography, they have studied an Indian village. Year 5 pupils have studied Islamic and Sikh art and have made stained glass windows. In music, the choir sings traditional British songs at the local music festival. Pupils also visit a range of museums, theatres and galleries.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. The school provides a safe, happy and caring environment, with high expectations of courtesy and tolerance, in which pupils learn well and make good progress. Staff are concerned for pupils’ safety and for their well being and this has a positive effect on pupils’ attitudes to their learning and to their achievement. 39. Although the practice is well known and good information is given to new staff, there is no policy for child protection. There is an assumption that the headteacher is the responsible officer but this is not clearly stated anywhere and there is no information in the staff handbook. This is unsatisfactory. 40. There are good procedures for promoting good behaviour and discipline with a good policy in place, which has clear guidelines for preventing and recognising bullying. Each class agrees its own Crockenhill Primary School - 18 rules, which are displayed. The pupils understand the rules well and think they are fairly applied.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Bullying, harassment and racial intolerance are not condoned and none was seen during the inspection. 41. The health and safety policy is clearly laid out, and there has been a risk assessment carried out by the local authority. The headteacher is the responsible officer, the caretaker has day-to-day oversight and the governing body is involved. Substances are safely stored in a locked cupboard and no problems were seen. 42. There are regular fire drills; fire safety and electrical equipment is regularly checked and records are kept. Procedures are in place for recording and reporting accidents. Two staff have first aid training and first aid equipment is kept up-to-date. There is no medical room and this is unsatisfactory. 43. The procedures for monitoring and improving attendance and punctuality are satisfactory. Registers are completed according to statutory requirements and they are checked by the secretary who

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

informs the headteacher and the educational welfare officer when problems persist. Parents are aware of the need to inform the school of absence. There is a late sheet but this is not rigorously monitored. 44. The monitoring and support of pupils’ academic performance and personal development are satisfactory overall. The school has good short, medium and long-term systems for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress in English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology. Baseline assessment for Reception children is carried out at the start of children’s entry into school and again at the end of the Reception year to ascertain progress. This progress is assessed in line with the Early Learning Goals for the Foundation Stage. At the end of each academic year, all teaching staff use the information from their recording to assess the year on year improvement for each pupil in terms of National Curriculum levels and, in the case of the junior pupils,

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

standardised scores. The information helps to plan the allocation of classroom assistants and learning support time for individual pupils, especially those with special educational needs, to raise their standards of attainment. Careful analysis of internal and national end of key stage and year group tests in English, mathematics and science has led the school to identify weaker areas and those which require further emphasis. The results of pupils’ end of Key Stage 1 national tests are used to start tracking the attainment and progress of all older pupils in numeracy and literacy and pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 are tracked from their original baseline results. This assessment is also used appropriately to identify pupils who are likely to need assistance for special educational needs and those with above average ability. Pupils’ progress and attainment in the main subjects, and their personal and social development, are assessed fully as they move through the year groups and the

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

collected information is then passed on to the next class teacher. The school uses assessment data from teachers and standardised tests to inform target-setting procedures in individual education plans for pupils at Key Stage 2 and is using assessments made on entry to school and during Key Stage 1 to enable early identification of pupils needing extra support. 45. The remaining curriculum subjects are assessed by individual teachers at the end of each topic or module for inclusion in the annual report to parents. However, there is no whole school policy for the assessment of subjects other than English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology. Consequently, consistent records are not produced, and made use of, throughout the school to guide planning. All class teachers have a full and comprehensive assessment folder containing academic progress in English, mathematics and science and information and communication technology.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Appropriate notes are made in teachers’ ‘day books’ on all pupils’ social and personal development, including individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs. In the Reception class, there are good arrangements for children to be assessed in relation to the Early Learning Goals and other aspects of their development including their social behaviour and attitudes to learning. The key issue from the previous OFSTED inspection concerning the development of manageable and thorough systems to monitor pupils’ Crockenhill Primary School - 19 progress and attainment has been well addressed in mathematics, English, science and information and communication technology. However, monitoring pupils’ progress and attainment in all the other subjects is underdeveloped. 46. The collection and retention of pupils’ work for moderation and levelling purposes are being developed in some subjects, for example, English, mathematics, art and design

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

technology. The monitoring of national assessment results is used appropriately to identify the achievements of different gender groups. The assessment co-ordinator has monitored and analysed the individual papers from the last national tests to identify the areas of weakness in English, mathematics and science. Teachers use assessment notes on their short and medium term plans appropriately to revise or shorten lesson areas and identify pupils who need extension tasks or further assistance. Subject co-ordinators work together with class teachers and the assessment co-ordinator to produce full, consistent tracking records, especially in English and mathematics. 47. Pupils are assessed very well in all year groups for their behaviour and personal development, ultimately for inclusion in annual reports to parents. Teachers make useful notes, sometimes assisted by the teaching assistant, concerning pupils’ behaviour,

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

attitudes and response in class lessons and this applies particularly well to pupils with special educational needs. Pupils set their own targets for improvement at regular intervals to ensure short step targets. These targets are shared with parents at the meetings with staff and give pupils the opportunity to identify the areas of subjects they have found difficult and those in which they have made good progress. The formal targets set for English, mathematics and science for the end of both key stage national tests in 2001 are on course to be achieved due to the comprehensive tracking of all pupils in these subjects through the various year groups. 48. The school’s personal support and guidance for pupils is good with clear expectations. Complete records on children’s development are kept and are regularly updated and children’s efforts, both in and out of school, are recognised. Pupils negotiate their targets for the half term and check these with the

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

teacher. There is no policy for sex education but personal, social and health education is taught across the curriculum. There is mostly good supervision at lunch and playtimes. Pupils with problems feel that staff are always ‘ready to listen and help you’. Homework is regularly set and there is a home school contact book, but parents commented that there is a degree of inconsistency and that homework is not always marked. In a few instances, this was found to be the case. There are a large number of visits and visitors and these effectively support children’s learning. 49. Induction procedures for children aged under five, and links with the village playgroup are good. They include visits, staggered admission and a home visit if required. Parents say that children are happy when they start school. The transition to secondary schools, although complicated, is managed well. Visits, meetings and the passing on of information fully prepare pupils for transfer to the next

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

stage of education. Year 6 pupils said that they were looking forward to their new schools which they had already visited and where they would spend a whole day on the following week. 50. At the time of the previous inspection, care was felt to be very good. Due to the present uncertainty this is now felt to be good within a caring environment. Parents comment that this is a friendly school, with an open door policy, where children are treated as individuals and are happy. They consider that there is a good introduction to school for children aged under five but there are no extra curricular activities for infants. The team agrees with these comments.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. The school’s links with parents are good. They are welcome in the school and give good support whilst some help on a regular basis with reading, cookery and on visits. They appreciate the staff who, they feel, are approachable. Parents help their children at home and this strengthens pupils’ opportunities to learn. There is a degree of unease about the lack of stability at present but most recognise that this is likely to be a short-term concern and are looking forward to the new headteacher Crockenhill Primary School - 20 starting in September. These good links support children’s learning well. In the previous report, there was a good level of support from parents and they were welcome in the school. Many parents helped regularly and the information provided was generally good. This inspection team feels that there has been little change. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are properly involved in identifying

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

their children’s needs. They provide appropriate support and regularly review their child's progress. 52. The school association is very successful in social and fundraising activities and provides funds for a number of projects. These have included computers, outdoor equipment, hall curtains and other items. The home school agreement helps parents and pupils to work together with the school and encourages them to help with their children’s learning. 53. The information provided to parents is satisfactory. The school prospectus and the governors' Annual Report to parents contain useful information, with encouragement for parents to support their children. However, the governors’ Annual Report to parents does not contain a statement of progress made on the action plan drawn after the last inspection and, therefore, does not meet statutory requirements. No parents attended the governors’ Annual Report meeting. The parent governors have a

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

good understanding of their role and are keen to encourage parents to help the school. There are two consultation evenings and also newsletters each half term which inform parents of class targets and what is to be covered. Annual written reports are evaluative and give targets for improvement. There is also an opportunity for parents to respond. 54. Parents felt that homework is sometimes inconsistent and is not always marked, but the inspection found that, with some minor variations, homework is, overall, satisfactory. There is a home school contact book, which is well used in some classes. There is a good range of extra curricular activities for junior children and two parents run the athletics club, but there are no activities for the infants. 55. Parents comment that complaints are handled well, there is a good response to any concerns, and that the annual reports are of good quality. There was a level of unease about the many leadership

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

changes this term. Some parents felt that things would have been easier if there had been a deputy headteacher in post, but overall parents are satisfied with what the school provides. The team agrees with the parents’ comments.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The part-time acting headteacher, senior staff and governors lead and manage the school well. The current acting headteacher is seconded on a part-time basis to assist Crockenhill for the rest of this term. The acting headteacher is well supported by a senior management team. The substantive headteacher took up a new post in another authority in April 2001. The lack of a sufficiently clearly defined management structure particularly without a deputy headteacher meant that the school was without a leader during the recent staffing difficulties. The headteacher designate takes up post in September 2001. The purposeful development of the school is clearly indicated by the good improvement, which the school has made since it was last inspected in March 1997. Since that inspection, standards have been maintained in reading at Key Stage 1, the quality of teaching has improved as less unsatisfactory teaching was observed during this inspection and the key

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

issues for action have mostly been addressed successfully. Standards in English remain average at Key Stage 2 although they have improved in mathematics and science. There is a shared commitment evident in the school to enable pupils to achieve the best of which they are capable and this gives the school a good capacity to continue to improve. It also means that the school's aims are fully met. The governing body fulfils its responsibilities satisfactorily. The governors have an appropriate sub-committee structure that assists them to manage their work effectively. Governors visit the school; they have a structured visiting programme to help them to extend their knowledge of the school and report to the full governing body. They are well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. Not all their statutory responsibilities are met, such as child protection and sex education Crockenhill Primary School - 21

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

policies, and information about the school’s action plan is missing from their Annual Report to parents. 57. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is well organised by the co- ordinator, who has a good knowledge of special educational needs and ensures good liaison with class teachers. She makes good use of specialist agencies, for the benefit of pupils. The co-ordinator is experienced and has attended a good number of valuable and relevant courses. She works hard and keeps the required documentation in good order. Overall, the funding available for these pupils is well used and a good level of care, concern and knowledge is given to the education of pupils who have special educational needs. The provision for the very small minority of pupils with English as an additional language is good and they make good progress in their learning as a result. 58. Overall, the school monitors its performance satisfactorily. The acting headteacher has

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

very quickly gained a good knowledge of the school and has liaised closely with the head designate. The governors keep a careful watch on the school's performance and have regular debates about aspects of its work. Careful financial planning, administration and monitoring of expenditure ensure that the school’s resources are well used to promote the pupils’ learning. The governors oversee all aspects of the school’s income and expenditure. The school was audited in May 2001 and received a positive report which contained only minor suggestions for improvement. In order to ensure best value for money, three quotations are obtained when significant expenditure is planned. Satisfactory use is made of information and communication technology for administration and for the education of the pupils. Criteria to determine how well the money used is spent are not fully established and embedded in the financial management of the school.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. An adequate senior management structure is in place, and curricular planning is satisfactorily developed. Curriculum co-ordinators have insufficient planned opportunities to influence standards in their subjects as they are allocated no non-contact time to carry out their responsibilities. The weaknesses of not having a deputy headteacher in post are evident during this period of change in the leadership of the school. When the substantive headteacher left in April 2001, there was no clearly designated person to lead the school and the arrangements made carefully by the governing body were upset due to illness. This resulted in parents becoming anxious about the school’s stability and some still express that concern. 60. The match of number and qualifications of staff to the demands of the curriculum is satisfactory. There is a satisfactory system in place for the performance management of teachers. The staff, who are

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

involved with children in the Foundation Stage, are suitably qualified and experienced. They receive regular training and information on national developments that influence this phase of education. There is an agreed and written policy for the induction of new and newly qualified teachers to the school. Job descriptions are appropriately in place. The provision of support assistants is good and they give good support. They are experienced and receive training within school and most have taken external qualifications. 61. Accommodation in the school as a whole is satisfactory although the accommodation allocated for the Reception and Year 6 classes is unsatisfactory. The Reception class is far too small and can only safely accommodate a few children, especially during inclement weather. The room allocated to the Year 6 pupils is small and difficult to organise. The outside is well maintained and the school benefits

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

from a large playing field and environmental area. There is no designated medical room. The library is placed in a building containing the Reception children and Year 6 pupils. It enables these pupils to have ready access to books but is limited for other pupils in the school. During bad weather it is not possible for either the infant or other three junior classes to have ready access to the library and this limits pupils’ progress. There are few areas around the school where pupils can read quietly. Accommodation for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. There is a room where pupils can be withdrawn to be taught individually or in groups but most support is within classrooms. Parts Crockenhill Primary School - 22 of the building would not easily enable disabled access but a ramp has been provided for the new classroom, which also has disabled toilet facilities. 62. Learning resources are satisfactory overall, and provide adequately for the curriculum.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

In English and mathematics, they have been improved to provide for literacy and numeracy teaching. The range and quality of books in the library are satisfactory although there are very few books to develop pupils’ interest in music. In information and communication technology, geography, design and technology and physical education, they are good but, in all other subjects, learning resources are satisfactory. The present range of computers is good and the school has recently established a new computer room. Resources for special educational needs in terms of books and materials are satisfactory. Specific information and communication technology software for developing basic skills is limited, but is being extended. Crockenhill Primary School - 23

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

63. In order to further improve the quality of education and to build upon the standards already achieved, the headteacher, governors and staff should:

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writing at Key Stage 1 by:

• developing an oracy policy that is used across the curriculum and begins in the Foundation Stage; • more actively providing opportunities for pupils to develop their speaking skills in class and to a wider audience; • further raising teachers’ expectations about the quality and quantity of writing expected at Key Stage 1. (paragraphs 3,4,5,7,8,11,23,73,74,77,79,80,81,82)

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place:

• by clearly identifying in planning the curriculum aspects to be assessed; • by developing more active agreed assessment systems; • promoting pupils’ own self-assessment of their progress. (paragraphs 45,102,106,121,126)

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(3) Raise standards in singing across the school by:

• providing the co-ordinator with sufficient time to lead the subject more effectively; • monitoring more rigorously the quality of work, especially at Key Stage 2; • increasing teachers’ confidence, knowledge and skills through in-service training to enable them to teach class music lessons themselves, especially at Key Stage 2; • ensuring that the time allocated to music is more closely linked to government recommendations; • Improving the range of multi-cultural instruments; • setting higher standards for singing, especially during assemblies. • increasing the number of music books in the library. (paragraphs 9,22,29,62,119,120,121)

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(4) Develop the role of the curriculum co-ordinators by:

• providing time for all curriculum co-ordinators to have responsibility for the standards in their subject through monitoring it across the school and enabling them to be accountable for the outcomes. (paragraphs 30,59,83,91,102,106,121,126)

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OTHER ISSUES THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

• Make sure that the omissions in the statutory information to parents, and in the school’s prospectus are rectified and ensure that statutory requirements are fully met. (paragraphs 15,28, 39,53,56) • Revise the accommodation arrangements to make best use of the classrooms, taking account of the age and size of the pupils, especially the Reception and Year 6 pupils. Also reconsider access to the library. (paragraphs 61,64,69,76,83) • Ensure that the marking policy is consistently applied across the school, with particular emphasis on showing pupils how they can improve. (paragraphs 25,29,48,90,131) • Improve the provision for pupils’ spiritual development and increase the time allocation for religious education. (paragraphs 9, 29,34,99,121,127,131) Crockenhill Primary School - 24 Crockenhill Primary School - 25

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 25

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

0 17 57 24 2 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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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery Y R – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 0 200

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 7 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery Y R – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 28

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 10

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 10

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Attendance

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. Crockenhill Primary School - 26

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 14 15 29

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 12 12 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 15 15 15

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 93 (97 ) 93 (93) 90 (97) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 12 11 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 15 15 15

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 93 (93 ) 90 (97) 90 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 18 12 30

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 11 12 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 10 9 10

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 70 (81) 70 (77) 73 (90) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 9 12 15 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 9 9 9

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 62 (87) 72 (81) 83 (90) 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. Crockenhill Primary School - 27

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 8.6 Financial year 2000/2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23.3:1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 410929

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 7 Expenditure per pupil 1986

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 131 Balance brought forward from previous year 9881

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 24938 Crockenhill Primary School - 28

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Percentage of responses in each category

Strongl y agree Tend to agree Tend to disagre e Strongl y disagre e Don’t know

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 53 43 4 0 0

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 31 50 10 4 4

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 33 45 6 10 6

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 37 41 16 2 4

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 63 29 4 2 2

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 59 37 4 0 0

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 37 47 10 2 4

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 31 52 10 0 6

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 47 43 4 0 6

p.28

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 25 40 15 0 21 Crockenhill Primary School - 29

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64. At the time of the inspection, there were 29 full time children in the Reception class. There is a staggered start for children in September, after a thorough induction programme in the summer term before entry. It is considered, by discussion with staff and analysis of baseline assessment, that the majority of children enter school with their attainment on entry in line with the county average. Most children have nursery or play school experience. The findings of the previous OFSTED inspection in 1997 were that provision for children under five was satisfactory and, by the time they were five years old, their attainment reached, or exceeded, that expected nationally for their age. The judgement of this inspection is that good provision is made for all Foundation Stage children and nearly all children are on course to achieve or exceed expected standards in all areas of learning before they leave the

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Reception class. This finding is similar to the judgements of the previous inspection. This section of the report relates to children in the Reception class who are in a Foundation Stage year. The class teacher and full time nursery nurse are both experienced and well qualified and work well together. Both members of staff have a very good knowledge and understanding of the needs of young children. The class teacher has worked hard, in a relatively short period, to produce comprehensive long, medium and short-term curricular plans that are in line with the new national recommendations for the very youngest children, the Early Learning Goals. The children have a safe and secure environment, both indoors and outdoors, including a small classroom and an enclosed outside area partly paved and grass, with direct access to their classroom. However, the classroom is very small for the number of children and,

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

although the outside area is well used in fine weather, it is uncovered except for a small canvas ‘gazebo’ and cannot be put to its full use in wet or cold weather. Children also have the use of the school hall and main playground for their own time-tabled physical development sessions. The issue from the previous inspection, concerning the provision for appropriate opportunities and resources for the physical development of children under five, has been resolved to the best of the school’s ability, but any further development is limited by the poor accommodation available. Learning resources, both indoors and outdoors, are generally good and are well used by children and staff to provide many activities to further the learning of all children. Teaching and learning are judged to be good overall and all lessons observed in the Reception class were judged to be good or very good. Day-to-day liaison

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

with parents is very good and there are appropriate induction procedures before children attend school. These include regular visits to local play and nursery groups by the teacher, visits to school by parents of pre-school children and home visits. The present Reception children are to be accompanied by the autumn entrants on their outside visit later in the term.

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Personal, social and emotional development

65. Overall, quality of teaching and learning is very good. The new national guidelines for the teaching of the very youngest children have been introduced very well both in planning and in everyday classroom practice. Both staff expect high standards of behaviour and this results in a quiet working atmosphere in all activity areas. The teacher and nursery nurse act as very good role models for the children’s social development. All available space, both in and out of the classrooms, is used to organise a broad and stimulating range of activities in order to develop very good progress in the personal and social development of children of all abilities. All children make good progress in this area of development and they are on course to meet national standards before they leave the Reception class. It was evident from role-play observations that nearly all children are able to initiate ideas and

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Personal, social and emotional development

solve simple practical problems either individually or as part of a group, for example, in their water and sand play in the outside area. Almost at the end of their Reception class year, all children show great confidence in trying new activities. All children concentrate on their lessons and activities well and sit quietly and listen to their teacher when required. This is especially noticeable when they are listening to a story or singing and acting number Crockenhill Primary School - 30 rhymes and songs about pirates related to their next main topic. Children are well prepared to take their turn before talking or answering a question and most listen very attentively to their classmates without interruption. The sharing and taking turns element of their social development is particularly apparent when they are participating in play activities without direction from adults. All children, including those with special educational needs, have

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Personal, social and emotional development

formed good, trusting relationships with adults and their peers and this leads to very good progress in their personal and social development. They are able to work individually, as part of a group or a whole class facing their tasks or activities with great determination and concentration. They all understand the need for a code of good behaviour to enable them to work harmoniously. When required to leave the classrooms and move around the school to physical development sessions and assemblies, they act sensibly and quietly and show good awareness of pupils working in other classrooms. Nearly all children are prepared to speak out confidently in any large or small discussion group and they are prepared to explain their activities to adults and their classmates. They show good independence in nearly all their daily activities and they are able to recognise and place in a box their name cards on arrival in the morning. Most can manage their own personal

p.30

Personal, social and emotional development

hygiene such as washing their hands after visiting the toilet without being reminded.

p.30

Communication, language and literacy

66. The quality of teaching and learning in the lessons seen was very good although, overall, the quality of teaching and learning is good. Staff encourage children to speak by asking questions, responding positively and giving encouragement to their answers. They engage children well in both planned and spontaneous conversations enhancing children’s speaking ability and their capability of putting their thoughts into language. Literacy work is well structured and the format of the literacy hour is being used in a slightly, shortened form. The teacher started the lesson on ‘The Rainbow Fish’ by passing around a real rainbow trout. She encouraged individual children to talk about the fish and others to listen by stating, ‘The only person allowed to talk is the one holding the fish.’ This lesson was early years teaching at its best as it enabled all children to demonstrate good speaking, listening and communication skills by their comments: ‘It’s slimy and wet’, ‘looks like

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Communication, language and literacy

sequins on it’, ‘smells of the sea’, ‘fins on its back’, ‘it’s got teeth’, ‘smells like chips’, ‘the eye feels yucky‘. This lesson was also well linked to children’s knowledge and understanding of the world. In the follow up work, most children knew that ‘fin’ began with an ‘f ‘ and some could identify the ‘i’ and the ’n’, thus the teaching of phonics was directly linked to first hand experience. The children showed great concentration, motivation and interest in the activity and a quarter of the class knew the sound ‘sh’ ended the word fish. During the children’s own choosing sessions, many children choose to look at books giving evidence of their enjoyment in this pastime. They handle books carefully, understand how they are organised, know that words and pictures carry meaning and demonstrate an awareness of the direction of print. In their role-play activities related to their ‘Travel Agency’ corner, they use pictures and familiar words and letters to communicate meaning

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Communication, language and literacy

in relation to holidays. In this respect, they also indicate a developing awareness of some of the different purposes of writing. In their various activities during the day, nearly all children are able to identify their work by writing their names with the appropriate use of upper and lower case letters. Stories are used well during the literacy time and at the end of the morning and afternoon session to develop the children’s awareness and interest in print. Staff also share books with individuals or small groups to encourage children to enjoy books and handle them carefully. Opportunities are provided in the role-play area and at the beginning and end of the morning and afternoon sessions for children to develop their ability to talk about their experiences. Staff sometimes use this opportunity to participate in the role play, without over direction. Children make good progress in this area of learning

p.30

Communication, language and literacy

and the present standards attained indicate that most children are on course to meet or exceed the nationally agreed standards before they leave the Reception class. Crockenhill Primary School - 31

p.30

Mathematical Development

67. The quality of teaching and learning is very good and children make very good progress due to the organisation and management of mathematical sessions which give all children the opportunity to practise ‘hands on’ what they have learned in whole class lessons. Learning resources are organised well to give all children the opportunity to participate in the various planned and independent activities, including sand and water. During registration sessions, the teacher used the opportunity of class numbers of boys and girls and absentees, like, ‘ Sixteen boys and eleven girls, how many altogether ’?’ to introduce the class to larger numbers. In a lesson planned to investigate pattern, the teacher started the session by revising the names of the two dimensional shapes in the patterns. Number patterns including shapes, numbers and letters were introduced to challenge children in their understanding of pattern in mathematics. Her very quiet voice and manner

p.31

Mathematical Development

encouraged children of all abilities to attempt to come to the board and draw their own patterns for the rest of the class to work out the pattern. Excellent provision of many resources like peg boards and rubber bands, patterns in the sand with shells and pebbles and comparison of bear shapes gave children the opportunity to use practically what they had learned in the whole class session. As most children quickly understood the concept of ’pattern’, the teacher took the opportunity to introduce simple symmetry, using her own body and a metre stick to introduce the idea of both sides being the same. Pairs of children were then encouraged to mirror body shapes that are symmetrical. The teacher and nursery nurse worked very well as a team moving around the room and outside area, participating in the activities and ensuring that all children understood their tasks. All children remained on task and were all actively involved in their work leading to a good

p.31

Mathematical Development

progress. In their mathematical development, at this stage, the vast majority of children are on course to meet or exceed the national standards before the end of the Reception year. Most children are able to use the correct mathematical language like ‘add’ and ‘subtract’ and use the vocabulary well to describe shape, position, size and quantity. They are developing a sound understanding of recording simple number sentences. All children actively participate in, and enjoy, number songs and rhymes and this helps in their understanding of concepts like ‘one more’ and ‘one less’. Pupils’ participation in role-play in the ‘Travel Agents’ also helps them to count small numbers for holiday payments and this is actively encouraged by skilful questioning from staff. In their work on sorting, all children have developed the ability to recognise simple two-dimensional shapes like squares, rectangles, triangles and circles. Nearly all children are able to identify and name these

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Mathematical Development

shapes and can identify the shorter and longer of two objects. A significant number of Reception children are able to use their developing mathematical understanding to solve practical problems concerned with their role-play or work in sand or water.

p.31

Knowledge and understanding of the world

68. The quality of teaching and learning is good and children of all abilities make good progress in this area in relation to their ability. Planning is already linked well to the Early Learning Goals and children are provided with a wide range of opportunities to explore their class and school environment. A wide selection of objects, materials and equipment are provided for children to use and handle in their everyday activities, including computers, to further their knowledge and understanding of their immediate locality and the world about them. Most children have some general knowledge and experience of the world about them before joining the class. At present, nearly all children are on course to achieve the recommended targets before they leave the Reception class. In their current topic concerned with the Seashore, children have used a selection of books to find out about sea-life. They are able to match sea creatures to pictures of habitats in a book. Most

p.31

Knowledge and understanding of the world

children are able to work on a computer, with support, to identify sea creatures by name. They have investigated why things float and sink and are able to make simple predictions of which objects may float or sink. During their self-initiated activities working in the water Crockenhill Primary School - 32 tray, many children elected to continue with this investigation. During the inspection, they were provided with a very good opportunity to develop their observation skills by looking at a raw fish, a rainbow trout, and using a magnifying glass to distinguish between different parts of the fish. All children are able to produce observational drawings of a fish and are beginning to develop the ability to label parts of a fish, for example, gills, scales, tail, eye and mouth. They were also given the opportunity to taste a cooked rainbow trout. Nearly all children show a good developing use of the control ‘mouse’ and the keyboard in their

p.31

Knowledge and understanding of the world

work on the computer. They can do simple word processing and controlling and move symbols into the appropriate place. They can control a programmable toy to make it move forwards and backwards and take it on ‘Rosie’s Walk’. It is particularly noticeable during the afternoon sessions that children use their previous skills in all areas of learning to initiate and further their play activities, for example, when recording the number of times they can throw a ball through a hoop. The issue from the previous inspection concerning limited opportunities to investigate the properties of materials has been fully addressed.

p.32

Physical development

69. The quality of teaching and learning is good and full use is made of the available resources, equipment and materials. Children are managed well and all staff show a good awareness of health and safety factors when the class is performing any physical activity. Staff teach, support and work with children in their use of apparatus, tools and equipment to help them gain confidence in using the space and equipment imaginatively and safely. By the time they leave the Reception class, most children are on course to match the recommended standards for their physical development. The issue from the last OFSTED inspection concerning appropriate opportunities and resources for the physical development of children under five has been addressed by the school as far as the accommodation allows. Large wheeled toys have been purchased and are used on the small paved and grassed area adjacent to the Reception classroom. In their physical

p.32

Physical development

activity in the main school hall, children are able to balance on various parts of their body and make shapes using the terms wide/narrow, tall/short, big/small. All children listen carefully to instructions and are able to move safely in a confined space with a developing sense of confidence and good consideration for others. This area of learning is well linked to children’s work on the seashore when they are encouraged to move like different water animals, for example, slowly like a turtle, quickly like a dolphin and sideways like a crab. They are learning to handle tools, objects and construction materials safely in nearly all aspects of their school day. The manual dexterity of most pupils in using pencils, crayons, paint brushes and simple tools like scissors is well developed. Most children are able to explain in advance what they plan to do.

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Creative development

70. The quality of teaching and learning in the lesson seen was very good. However, overall, the quality of teaching and learning is good so that children are on course to attain the Early Learning Goals by the age of five. Many activities for this area of learning are well resourced and organised to ensure that children of all abilities have the opportunity to participate in creative work. Both members of staff give good demonstrations of the required activities before the children begin their tasks, without being too prescriptive. This was an issue in the previous inspection when it was judged that adults over directed children’s work. All children make good progress in developing their creative skills. They are encouraged to work independently and to use their imagination to produce original work. There are plentiful resources and opportunities for children’s independent work, for example, in their use of clay to mould the material into shapes of underwater creatures

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Creative development

using books for reference. Children all enjoy learning and singing new songs, can state their favourite ones and are able to participate in role-play associated with songs, rhymes or stories, like songs about pirates. Nearly all show the ability to initiate and use role play Crockenhill Primary School - 33 to stimulate their imaginations in their classroom and outside play areas. There are good examples of the children using paintings to express their own ideas in the colourful displays of work in the classroom corridor and in the classroom. They have also explored texture shape and form in using different materials and paints in their art work., for example, when they use ‘plain’ and ‘shiny’ materials to produce a collage of the ‘rainbow fish’. To enable children to re-enact the story of ‘The Rainbow Fish’, the outside gazebo was decorated with streamers to represent under the sea. Children were provided with stick puppets of

p.32

Creative development

characters in the story and were able to sequence events and work co-operatively in re- telling the story. Children welcome the opportunity to work with a variety of construction kits and they represent their ideas well by designing their own ideas of buildings and vehicles.

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ENGLISH

71. Standards in English are average for seven and eleven year olds. Although, within this judgement, there are strengths and weaknesses. For example, spoken language, although average, is less well developed than listening. Writing, although average at Key Stage 2 is just below average for the majority of pupils at Key Stage 1. This represents similar standards to those reported in the school’s last inspection. The findings of this inspection are not as good as the results of the 2000 national test results at Key Stage 1, but an improvement at Key Stage 2, when compared with all schools nationally. When compared with similar schools, reading is above average and writing is below average. In writing, standards started to fall in 1998, a similar pattern to reading. The intake varies from year to year and this is reflected by the school’s results. The work seen during the inspection was of a broadly average standard except in writing. At Key Stage 2, standards in English fell in

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ENGLISH

1998, rose sharply in 1999 and fell back again in 2000. When compared with similar schools, standards in English were well below average. The school set and exceeded the challenging target of 80 per cent for the current Year 6 pupils to reach Level 4 and above in the national tests in 2001. Speaking skills are not well developed in all junior classes and it is this inability to express themselves well that limits pupils’ progress. Targets for improvement are appropriate. 72. Pupils across the school make good progress in reading, in their poetry writing and in developing their listening skills. They make satisfactory progress in their creative writing and in developing their speaking skills. Pupils who have special educational needs make good progress when compared with their previous attainment, especially when they receive well-targeted support in class. Pupils with English as an additional language make good

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ENGLISH

progress in their learning. During the inspection, no differences were found in the attainment and progress of boys and girls. 73. In both key stages, overall standards in speaking and listening are average. Spoken language is less well developed due to pupils’ limited vocabulary. Some pupils enter the school with below average levels of spoken language. Pupils in Year 1 are achieving close to average skills in listening, but their speaking skills are not as strong. They are keen to answer questions as demonstrated by the many hands that go up when the teacher asks a question, but often lack the vocabulary to express their ideas. They recognise words that rhyme during a literacy lesson and it is skilful teaching that enables them to achieve close to average standards. Pupils try appropriate vocabulary in a science lesson when they explore soft and loud sounds and use words such as ‘loud’, ‘quiet’ and ‘vibrates’. However,

p.33

ENGLISH

there are a proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and some are easily distracted so that their rate of progress is slower. Pupils in Year 2 listen attentively and most can clearly express their ideas, although some boys have a limited vocabulary. In a religious education lesson the teacher asked, “When you did something wrong, did you say sorry? Did that person forgive you?” This was linked to the telling of the parable of the ‘Prodigal Son’. Pupils, with the exception of one particularly articulate pupil, found it very difficult to express their ideas in spite of encouragement and help from the teacher. Crockenhill Primary School - 34 74. In Key Stage 2, a quarter of pupils have a restricted vocabulary and speak in simple sentences. Articulation is weak as pupils have insufficient opportunities to talk to a wider audience on a regular basis such as in assembly. Few pupils of average ability in Year 6

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ENGLISH

use complex sentence structures when speaking, or in their writing. More able pupils are articulate and demonstrate a wide vocabulary. Many pupils throughout the key stage are diffident when expressing their ideas during whole class work, but are more confident to express their ideas individually or in small groups. Overall, drama is insufficiently developed across the curriculum to extend pupils’ speaking and listening skills. When used to provide opportunities for the involvement of pupils, sharing assemblies are good incentives to encourage and develop good speaking and listening skills. 75. Overall, standards in reading are above average by the age of seven. During the inspection, the present eleven year olds attained average standards overall, with the more able exceeding this level. At all ages, pupils enjoy reading the shared text in the literacy hour, as this gives them access to some aspects of reading which many would have

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ENGLISH

difficulty in reading on their own. In Key Stage 1, pupils handle books with care and are encouraged to take them home regularly to practise their skills. The most able pupils read challenging texts accurately, with good expression and understanding, and attain above average standards in reading for their age. They willingly express their ideas about what may happen later in the story and can name their favourite author, such as Dick King Smith. Pupils attaining average standards read accurately, but with little expression. They do not know what an author is but can name a favourite story. Less able pupils make a good attempt to read very repetitive text, but find it difficult to read words out of context. They read simple texts, guessing words by the initial letters and sounds. These pupils can not name any favourite authors or stories, but all enjoy listening to stories. 76. Pupils continue to enjoy books in Key Stage 2. In Year 6, the most able pupils read with

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ENGLISH

fluency, accuracy and good expression. They can give a concise summary of events and can predict what they think may happen later in the book. Other pupils in Year 6 are attaining average standards. They read appropriate books accurately, although with some hesitancy. They understand the main parts of the story and express their preferences for a range of books. Less able pupils enjoy reading books, sometimes choosing to re-read favourite books several times. However, they still misread some words and have limited strategies to help them decipher unknown text. They employ simple strategies to tackle unfamiliar words, such as making informed guesses and splitting the words into syllables. Most pupils can name a favourite author, such as Roald Dahl, J.K. Rowling and Philip Pullman. Research and referencing skills are limited across the key stage due to the unsatisfactory positioning of the library, which restricts access for the majority of the

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ENGLISH

school’s pupils. 77. Overall, standards in writing are below average by the age of seven, and are not as good as those found in the 2000 national tests. Year 2 pupils show understanding of story structure, but very few write at an appropriate length for their age. The most able pupils use a broad vocabulary, spellings are mostly correct and capital letters and full stops are often used accurately. A few are starting to write humorous verse: ‘Nat had a floppy rat eating out her tatty hat. James had various planes sleeping behind his pulling trains.’ The less able use a narrow range of words with plausibly correct spellings and, although they are aware of correct punctuation, they do not use this consistently. Pupils mostly use joined writing, although this is not a strong feature of the work of the less able pupils. Work is usually well presented. 78. Standards in writing are average by the time the pupils are eleven years old. All pupils in the Years

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ENGLISH

4 and 6 classes, including the most able pupils, are sufficiently challenged, but this is not consistent in the other junior classes. In Years 4 and 6, pupils write in an appropriate range of styles, including stories, reports, instructions and poetry. They sustain concentration well, which enables them to extend Crockenhill Primary School - 35 their learning. The most able pupils present their work neatly, with mainly correct spelling and punctuation. The best writing shows a good command of style and expression. They use complex sentence structure and creative vocabulary. Their writing is organised in a logical sequence. In the Year 4 class, pupils studied the poems of Michael Rosen and then created their own versions written in a similar style. Based on ‘Tomato One’, one contribution read, “ Here’s me, and my mum’s just, given me, some peas. And if there’s one thing, I can’t stand, it’s peas”. Poetry is a strong feature of Year

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ENGLISH

4’s work. An autumn poem aptly captures the sense of the season, “ Copper, flaky bark. Crunchy, lime leaves flying down, Conkers dropping off.” When writing an account of ‘Theseus and the Minotaur’, pupils effectively use their word processing skills to use the computer to produce their work. More able pupils in Year 6 summarise the stories of “Oliver Twist” and “Cider with Rosie”. They use paragraphs accurately in their writing and have the ability to build tension in a story. For example, “ There was a clap of thunder and a crash of dustbin lids. The heel of my shoe caused me to trip on the kerb. Scared to death I pulled myself up and staggered across the street with my leg bleeding .” Pupils are skilful in putting forward arguments for and against the death penalty when studying accounts of the life and death of Ruth Ellis. There is evidence of some editing, systematic planning of written work and drafting and refining.

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ENGLISH

79. However, some pupils in Key Stage 2 lack the skills and confidence to write extended stories and do not adequately develop their ideas. The analysis of work in Key Stage 2 shows that less able pupils lack the vocabulary and understanding to draft and refine their written work effectively. When writing a personal response to books they have read, these pupils are not fully using complex sentence structures, and this results in lower standards of attainment. Opportunities to practise spoken language to a wider audience are limited and this restricts pupils’ achievements. The majority of work is marked, but not all books contain helpful comments on how pupils can improve their work. Standards of presentation are good overall. A good feature is that individual targets are set for each pupil, which are regularly reviewed. Throughout the school, overall standards in literacy are average, and the development of literacy skills across the curriculum is generally satisfactory.

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ENGLISH

80. The quality of teaching and learning in English is good at both key stages. There are some variations in Key Stage 2 where the best teaching is found in Year 4. This is an improvement on the judgement of the previous inspection, when teaching was judged to be satisfactory overall with some strengths and some shortcomings. Since the previous inspection, there have been a number of changes in staff. The indications are that the improvement in teaching is enabling pupils to make satisfactory or better progress. There are good relationships between staff and pupils, which provide pupils with a very supportive, caring environment for learning. Most staff set clear guidelines for acceptable behaviour and pupils respond positively. Staff realise the need to raise pupils’ attainment in speaking, and language development is a high priority in the school. Teachers use correct terminology well, such as similes, alliteration and anthology, which enables pupils to further

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their knowledge and understanding of these terms. Teachers confidently manage the literacy hours and have good subject knowledge, which they clearly convey to pupils. Most teachers use effective, open-ended questioning, which enables pupils to think clearly before answering. In Years 3 and 5, expectations are not always high enough and this limits pupils’ progress. Teachers help pupils to feel successful by praising them for their efforts, which encourages them to sustain concentration and extend their learning. Most teachers clearly explain what pupils are expected to learn within each lesson and use plenary sessions well to reinforce pupils’ learning. 81. Strengths in teaching and learning of English across the school were well illustrated in a good Year 6 lesson, when pupils were asked to discuss how meaning can be made of nonsense words. Through very perceptive questioning, the teacher enabled pupils to

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explore the underlying meaning of the poem, “Mean Song”. The teacher’s high expectations of the quality of work she expects from pupils gives them confidence to re- write their own poems in the style of Michael Rosen. The task fascinated pupils. They Crockenhill Primary School - 36 enthusiastically set to work to create their own short poems. Pupils like Michael Rosen’s work because ‘ you can picture what you want ’. A group effort by two less able pupils, supported by a classroom assistant, resulted in the following interpretation: “ Sticks and stones, Groans and bones, That’s what I wish you. A kick in the shin, A punch in the chin, An elbow in the stomach too. Keep out of sight, For fear that I might, Throw you a nasty fight. Don’t show your taste, Around any place, Or you’ll get one smack in the face.” All pupils enjoyed the lesson and made good gains in their understanding of how writers use words to create different moods and atmospheres. This was the result of good subject

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knowledge clearly conveyed to pupils and the good level of challenge set by the teacher. This stimulating lesson was appropriately challenging and pupils made good progress in their understanding of the use of nonsense words to convey meaning in a poem. However, although more able pupils produced good quality writing, a proportion of pupils’ written work was of below average attainment due to their limited vocabulary. 82. In all classes, teachers use effective open-ended questioning to develop pupils’ oral and listening skills. They pitch questions at an appropriate level and ensure that all pupils are fully involved, which is helping pupils to become more confident speakers, although they are still limited by their lack of vocabulary. In Key Stage 1, teachers use every opportunity to help pupils develop confidence in all aspects of English. In a Year 1 lesson, the teacher used the story of ‘The Train Ride’ well to help pupils gain in their understanding

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of the use of nouns and verbs. With prompting the pupils suggested words such as ‘ sheep’, ‘cows’ and ‘tractor’ . They offered ‘ walking’, ‘sleeping’ and ‘looking ’ for the verbs. This lesson contributed to pupils’ spiritual development satisfactorily as pupils closed their eyes and pictured ‘ all the lovely things you can see from the window’ . The class had a good understanding of the teacher’s expectations for behaviour, they knew how to behave and received praise for listening well to others. This resulted in a positive attitude by the majority of pupils all of the time and by others for most of the time. Pupils respected the contributions of others and most answered confidently. This very good lesson resulted in pupils making very good progress in their oral and listening skills, and with their early reading skills. 83. The curriculum in English is balanced and meets the requirements of the National Curriculum. The

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ENGLISH

National Literacy Strategy has been implemented soundly and is having a satisfactory impact on pupils’ learning. This is likely to be reflected in the 2001 national test results. The use of assessment is good. The previous inspection made no judgement on assessment. The language policy and scheme of work support teaching and learning well. Pupils have appropriate individual targets in literacy to motivate them and give them responsibility for their learning. Information and communication technology is used well throughout both key stages to support teaching and learning in English. The co- ordinator provides good support for staff. She has high expectations, but is also realistic about the challenges facing the school to raise pupils’ attainment in English. She monitors planning and has provided in-service training for the staff. Her analysis of pupils’ progress across the school, usually after statutory and non-statutory tests, is very good. This contributes well to tracking pupils and giving

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them support where needed. Her role in monitoring lessons is under developed as she has no non- contact time. Learning support assistants provide good support for group work. Resources are overall satisfactory in English. Reading areas in classrooms are well stocked and the co-ordinator adds to these by a variety of means. The school library is generally unsatisfactory. It is situated in a building remote from most classes, across a playground, and it is not conducive to further research and study skills. The co-ordinator is fully aware of this and of the continuing need to increase the number of books in the library and for each class.

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MATHEMATICS

84. The judgement of this inspection is that pupils in Year 2 attain average standards in all areas of the mathematics curriculum. This finding is the same as that of the results of the latest national assessment tests in 2000. The judgement of this inspection is also the same Crockenhill Primary School - 37 as the findings of the previous OFSTED inspection when standards were found to be in line with national expectations. However, pupils’ attainment in comparison with pupils in similar schools is considered to be below average. Trends in performance in the years from 1997 to 2000 indicate that boys achieve less well than girls. The school noted this and unvalidated results from the 2001 national tests indicate that there is no significant difference in the attainment of boys and girls. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress, and achieve satisfactory standards in this

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key stage from an attainment on entry considered to be broadly average. 85. Standards in Year 6 are generally above the national average. This judgement shows an improvement from the standards found in the previous OFSTED inspection when attainment was overall in line with national expectations. The judgement of the present inspection also shows an improvement on the last national assessment tests in 2000, when standards were close to the national average. This is due partly to good teaching in this key stage and the introduction and effect of the dedicated mathematics hour in all classes. In the tests for eleven year olds in 2000, pupils’ results in mathematics were close to the national average in comparison with national standards but below the standards in similar schools. However, the number of pupils achieving the higher Level 5 standard in mathematics was above the national average. There is no significant difference in the

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performance of boys and girls. Progress and attainment, including that for pupils with special educational needs and for those with English as an additional language, are good at this key stage. Performance targets have been set to raise the standards of mathematics in Year 6 and these are appropriately linked to the teacher’s assessment of this present year group. 86. At Key Stage 1 the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall from classroom observations and a scrutiny of pupils’ work in the two year groups. In observed lessons during the inspection, at least satisfactory teaching was observed in both classes. In the Year 1 lesson, the mental activity was well planned. The teacher, and then some pupils, were encouraged to use paces across the classroom to encourage counting in multiples of two. ‘How many steps of two does it take to get to ten?’ The main activity was well differentiated with the above average group of pupils working with the learning support

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assistant in a shopping activity to use multiple addition of money from one pence to ten pence pieces. However, progress was limited due to pupils’ recording on worksheets. Although the lesson was appropriately organised to give pupils the opportunity to practise their skills and understanding of simple money transactions, there was not enough pace and challenge to the lesson. During the lesson, pupils were encouraged to talk about their activities with an emphasis on the correct use of the appropriate mathematical vocabulary. 87. In the Year 2 lesson, the teacher shared the learning objectives with the class relating to the link between repeated addition and multiplication. The teacher used skilful questioning to encourage pupils to look for number patterns in a grid or line. ‘Look at all the patterns, what do you notice about all of them?’ ‘Are all patterns part of a multiplication table?’ The pace and challenge of the lesson were

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MATHEMATICS

insufficient, especially the mental numeracy session, and not all pupils understood their tasks in the main activity, until the teacher moved around the room assisting individual pupils. However, at the end of the lesson, nearly all pupils understood that a growing number pattern must have a starting and an ‘add on’ number. All pupils respond very positively leading to sound progress in numeracy by pupils of all abilities. The recording aspect of mathematics was limited in pupils’ previous work and the presentation in some cases was untidy with an over-use of worksheets. An analysis of previous work in Year 2 indicates a sound understanding of line and rotational symmetry and hour, half-hour and quarter of an hour clock times. This aspect is well used for investigation and problem solving work in relation to shop opening times. Pupils of this age group have also started their data handling work by using

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MATHEMATICS

collected data in pictograms, for example, the number and colours of ‘jelly babies’ in a box. Information and communication technology is used well to record data handling findings. The quality and use of ongoing assessment are good. Teachers record pupils’ weekly progress well, supported by Crockenhill Primary School - 38 teaching assistants , and use this assessment to plan future work for groups and individual pupils and any changes. 88. At Key Stage 2, the quality of teaching and learning is good overall. One satisfactory and three good lessons were observed during the inspection. This judgement shows an improvement on the previous OFSTED inspection when teaching was considered to be sound overall. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the subject are generally good and all classes are working to the format of the National Numeracy Strategy. There is an emphasis on the using and applying aspect of mathematics and this is beginning to

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develop sound skills in pupils explaining their mental strategies. In the Year 3 lesson, the mental session began at a good pace by pupils doubling and halving two digit numbers to 30 and further for some pupils. This rapid recall enabled all pupils to develop their mental numeracy capability. The teacher ensured that pupils of all abilities participated and that they could explain their method of calculation. For the main activity concerned with lines of symmetry, a good working relationship between pupils and teacher was established when she produced a mirror and asked, ‘What are we going to use the mirror for, to look at ourselves?’ Multi-link cubes were used well to enable all pupils to find out for themselves about lines of symmetry in different shapes. Support staff, including a peripatetic language support teacher, were also used well to promote good learning from all pupils. 89. Most Year 4 pupils have a sound understanding of the two, three, four, five and ten

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times multiplication tables. The teacher introduced good pace into the mental session by using hand movements for pupils to go forwards or back in their chanting of tables. Very good encouragement for pupils to explain their mental reasoning was given, for example, 49 plus 49, where six different strategies were used and explained. The main activity indicated that the vast majority of pupils had a sound understanding of multiplication of money. However, the pace and challenge slowed down as groups were more concerned with recording than working out the problems quickly, in particular, the more able group. The Year 5 lesson started well as the teacher produced supermarket till receipts to relate the subject content well to pupils’ everyday experience. Pupils had to estimate the total cost of nine items in a minute. Most pupils found this task difficult and tried to work out the entire bill mentally showing an inability to make an informed guess. The main activity was

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again involved with the shopping receipts and the amount of value added tax to be paid. Although the teacher and support teacher circulated around the class assisting pupils in their understanding, several did not really understand the task and progress was slow. The mental numeracy session in the Year 6 numeracy hour began with a great deal of pace and challenge and a timed task: ‘ Use seven multiplied by six equals 42, to work out 12 sums mentally from this fact,’ said the teacher. Pupils were then encouraged to explain their methods and reasoning orally and most could do this well. The lesson was planned appropriately to enable all pupils, working in pairs, to use the skills they had learned in the mental session to solve their own problems. An element of timing and competition was introduced into the main activities to enhance pupils’ learning. More able pupils were given the challenging task of using a calculator to solve problems without the use of the division

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button. The teacher had high expectations for pupils’ performance and used a high proportion of direct teaching to ensure good progress and that all pupils remained on task. 90. An analysis of Year 6 pupils’ previous work showed neat and well-presented work, marked up to date with some helpful comments from the teacher including a comment if the pupil received support. However, the standard of marking varies from class to class in Key Stage 2. A good proportion of work analysed in Year 6 showed a thorough use of using and applying mathematics, for example, in their work on probability and percentage problems. Most pupils have a good understanding of long multiplication and their multiplication tables to ten. In their data handling work, they have produced tally and pie charts and block and line graphs using information and communication technology appropriately. Some pupils needed help to interpret the information on graphs. They are

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Crockenhill Primary School - 39 able to distinguish between reflex, acute and obtuse angles, and estimate and measure these angles. Teachers’ planning is generally good in Key Stage 2, and makes good use of support assistants in helping the progress of pupils with special educational needs. Good, practical activities are planned by teachers to stimulate pupils’ interest in the subject and to develop their learning. 91. The National Numeracy Strategy has been successfully introduced into all classes in both key stages and it is applied effectively. This successful implementation is improving pupils’ investigative and problem solving skills and has resulted in the high standards at the end of Key Stage 2. The leadership and management of the subject are good and ensure good educational direction in the subject in both key stages. The subject co-ordinator, who is a member of the senior management team, is experienced and enthusiastic and has

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produced a policy and scheme of work for mathematics which offers good guidance to all class teachers and support staff. The mathematics curriculum fully covers all the requirements of the National Curriculum. Staff have also been trained in the implementation and planning concerned with the National Numeracy Strategy and all class teachers have been monitored by the headteacher. However, the subject co-ordinator has not had the opportunity to monitor classroom teaching and learning support assistants have not been trained for participation in the dedicated mathematics lessons. The raising of pupils’ standards in mathematics has been a high priority in recent years. Strengths in the management of mathematics include the range and use of assessment procedures, which includes individual pupil tracking, the effectiveness of the strategies for teaching numeracy skills in both key stages and the use of teaching assistants to support pupils with special

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educational needs within the classroom. Numeracy is used well in other areas of the school curriculum, for example, graphs and measurement in science and geography. Pupils of all age groups use their numeracy skills and knowledge in producing graphs, charts and data collection in their information and communication technology work. For example, Year 3 carried out a traffic survey and put the results into graphs. Resources for mathematics are generally good and all classes receive learning support in their mathematics lessons.

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SCIENCE

92. In Year 2 standards are overall average, which is similar to the findings of the school’s last OFSTED inspection. The pupils also attained average standards in the 2000 end of key stage assessments by teachers when compared with schools nationally but well below the average of similar schools. Standards have improved, particularly for the more able, where the percentage obtaining Level 3 is high. Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress in line with their peers. No significant differences in the attainment of boys and girls were observed. 93. In Year 6, standards are above average. This shows a significant improvement on last year's test results, which were below average when compared with schools nationally. This is also an improvement from the average standards found by the school’s 1997 inspection. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional

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SCIENCE

language, are achieving appropriately for their abilities and make good progress through the key stage. Trends over time from 1996 to 2000 show a rising trend in line with the national picture except for last year when there was a fall in standards. This inspection finds no significant difference in the performance of boys and girls, both of whom are showing improvement over last year. 94. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall at both key stages and promotes good progress. This shows an improvement at Key Stage 1 on the findings of the previous inspection, when teaching was satisfactory. Although the standards are only average overall at Key Stage 1, this good teaching and learning result in almost half the pupils obtaining above average standards. The fact that a quarter of the pupils have special Crockenhill Primary School - 40 educational needs brings standards down. They are, nevertheless, well taught. Pupils

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enjoy science and generally work co-operatively on investigations. They try hard to concentrate on their work and make effective use of the time available. In a Year 2 lesson, teaching and learning were good as the teacher provided a range of different plants for pupils to identify similarities and differences and label the main parts of plants. In a good Year 1 lesson, the teacher planned the lesson well and gave pupils good opportunities to investigate a range of instruments and sort them into those that could be blown, beaten, scraped, shaken and plucked. 95. The good quality teaching and learning continues at Key Stage 2 and, by Year 6, standards are above average. This would indicate an improvement on the previous inspection where it was often good but standards were only average. Lessons are well planned, resourced and executed. In all lessons seen, teachers managed behaviour well and pupils were keen to learn. This high quality teaching accounts significantly for the

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higher standards. In Year 6, the teacher planned the lesson well to enable pupils to understand that solutions can become saturated as she posed the question " Is there a limit to how much salt water can dissolve?" Her very good management meant that the pupils carried out their investigation safely and sensibly and all made good gains in learning. Pupils co-operated well and came up with some interesting ideas. In Year 4, there was good teaching as pupils followed up their pond study to identify habitats and the animals and plants that live there. The scrutiny of work showed consistently good teaching and learning. There was a good amount of work, which showed a good balance of the curriculum. It was well presented and pupils have obviously been encouraged to take a pride in their work. 96. Since the previous head teacher left in April, there has been no co-ordinator. This arrangement is unsatisfactory. However, the previous leadership had a clear vision for the

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SCIENCE

subject and had successfully worked hard to improve teaching and resources. She had analysed data and had clearly identified what needed to be worked on. Good links with numeracy are evident, and good use made of information and communication technology to present findings in written and graphical forms. The planning of the work is linked to national guidelines and assessment opportunities are well built into the scheme. This is used effectively to identify ability settings within the class and to target additional support. The science curriculum is well balanced and all required aspects are covered across the school. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils work co-operatively on investigations and are developing awareness of environmental issues. National Curriculum requirements are met.

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ART AND DESIGN

97. It was only possible to see one art and design lesson during the inspection and, therefore, judgements also include evidence from displays, work sampling and from discussion with pupils. The evidence indicates that pupils reach average standards at both key stages. This shows a decline since the school’s previous OFSTED inspection when they were above the national expectation. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, are making sound progress as they go through the school. 98. The quality of teaching and learning at both key stages is satisfactory. In the sound Year 3 lesson, the teacher taught a simple technique based on their work in mathematics on symmetry. Pupils showed appropriate brush skills and enjoyed using their imagination to extend the simple symmetrical pattern resulting from their name. Work sampling and display evidence show that pupils are given an appropriate range of opportunities to

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develop their skills progressively. In Year 1, pupils show good skills in weaving with paper and making sculptures using a cardboard tube. They show evaluation appropriate to their age. The Year 2 teacher has taught pupils soundly to mix colours and, following a visit to Crockenhill Primary School - 41 the Courtauld Gallery, they have used their skills to paint watercolour portraits. In Year 2, pupils support their history project with pictures of the Great Fire of London and learn well aspects of how people lived long ago. Previously, they made Rangoli patterns and Mexican masks using a range of media and techniques. In Year 3, pupils have produced a good display on the Tudors, where they have used a range of materials for Henry's splendid clothes. In Years 3 and 4, the teachers have extended pupils' cultural understanding of different art forms, which is evident from the Aboriginal and African art

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and from Japanese Sashiko design in their pattern work. In Year 4, the pupils have been well taught about Van Gogh's techniques and have produced some good work in his style using the technique of ‘impasto’. In Year 5 the teacher has supported work in religious education by well-produced Sikh designs. Pupils have also been soundly taught to use clay and show both designing and making of pots at an appropriate age. In Year 6, pupils have been satisfactorily taught to look at designs for wrapping paper and have used repeat patterns to good effect. They have designed and made masks using a range of techniques and materials and are able to talk about their work identifying how they improve it. They use sketchbooks to practise techniques but there is a limited amount of work evident here. In discussion with pupils, they can talk about the styles and techniques of Van Gogh and Monet, but they are unable to recall other artists they have studied.

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99. Leadership in this subject is sound. The co-ordinator is well qualified and has an understanding of the subject's needs. She has opportunities to monitor teaching in the subject when children are not full time in the Reception class. There is good use of art to support other curriculum subjects, particularly history, and the use of information and control technology is developing in the form of art packages and visiting gallery web sites. Displays are generally attractive and art contributes well to pupils' overall personal, social and cultural development.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

100. Only one lesson was observed during the inspection, in Key Stage 1, but an analysis of planning, a portfolio, pupils’ work, classroom displays and discussion with teachers and pupils indicate that above average standards are achieved in Year 2 and Year 6. During the previous OFSTED inspection, no judgement was given on standards. Pupils’ progress, including those with special educational needs and with English as an additional language, is overall good at both key stages. 101. The quality of teaching and learning is good at both key stages. Year 1 pupils have started their work on design and technology by producing simple drawings for a playground, followed by small models of swings, slides and other playground apparatus. They are beginning to develop the ability to generate ideas for their designs and models and use of the correct vocabulary is well developed in most pupils. An analysis of classroom displays shows the production of differently coloured glove puppets in Year 2.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

This task has involved an original design and cutting out and sewing, the latter with some support for some pupils. They started from an original design and a discussion on the sort of items they would require to decorate their puppets. Most pupils are able to make realistic suggestions for achieving their task and can supply sensible and appropriate further ideas when requested. On completion of the puppets, all pupils wrote an evaluative piece of writing about the design and making of their puppet and the uses that could be made. In Year 3, pupils have continued the good work from Key Stage 1 by designing and making their own photograph frames. Year 4 pupils designed and made small purses either for themselves or for presents for members of their family. They discussed the use of different materials that would be appropriate for the purses and produced accurate design drawings that also included labelling, to show the detail in their sketches. Most

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showed a good ability to change their designs and products as the need arose. This age group have also produced clay ‘mummies’ in connection with their history topic and have Crockenhill Primary School - 42 worked on electrical circuits to light up their models. Pupils from Year 5 designed and made an assortment of musical instruments from various everyday objects like washing up liquid bottles and lengths of plastic tubing. They show a sound capability to gather information by themselves and use this information to generate ideas, for example, by examining present day musical instruments and adapting their form and performance for their own designing. A very impressive classroom display in Year 6 indicated that this age group of pupils attempted and succeeded well in designing and making slippers. They began by examining present day commercially made slippers to decide which design of slipper they liked and the reasons why. They discussed whether the only reason for having

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

slippers was to keep feet warm or whether there were other reasons. Pupils then examined the variety of materials available and discarded those they felt unsuitable. After the designing element of the task, they made a paper '‘mock-up'’ slipper before proceeding to the real thing. A useful worksheet listing various materials and reasons for use or non-use was produced, along with a proposals sheet with changes in design and a final evaluation. 102. The subject co-ordinator is experienced, enthusiastic and well qualified. A policy document has been produced in light of the return to the full design and technology National Curriculum requirements. Medium and long-term plans are in place based on the national Qualifications and Curriculum Authority guidelines and the co-ordinator has identified as a priority the need to provide a whole school assessment policy for the subject. The requirements of the National Curriculum are fully covered which is an improvement on

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

the previous OFSTED inspection when it was found that the subject was under-represented in the curriculum and did not fully cover the National Curriculum Programmes of Study. No formal systems for the monitoring of teaching are in place but displays and samples of pupils’ work have been monitored and analysed and this has resulted in the rise in standards in both key stages. The school system of ‘blocking’ a design and technology topic for two days, and including the numeracy and literacy elements into it, has resulted in a higher level of attainment and progress in the subject. A subject portfolio of design and technology and art has been formulated with sections of work and displays from all year group classes including the Reception class. Resources for the subject are good and are well used by teachers to give pupils of all abilities the opportunity to use an increasing range of materials, tools and techniques for both designing and making.

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GEOGRAPHY

103. No lessons in geography were observed during the inspection due to an alternating timetable with history during this half term. Judgements are based on an analysis of pupils’ work, classroom displays, discussions with pupils and teachers, and on the subject’s long and medium term planning. The evidence indicates that pupils reach average standards in both key stages and that their progress and attainment are satisfactory in Year 2 and Year 6. This judgement is in line with the findings of the previous OFSTED inspection in 1997 when pupils’ attainment by the end of each key stage was judged to be in line with national expectations. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress relevant to their ability and there are no differences in the attainment of boys and girls. 104. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory at Key Stage 1 which reflects the

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judgement of the school’s last OFSTED inspection. No infant class lessons were observed, but work books, folders and planning show that pupils in Year 1 have worked with a plan of the school and its surroundings in their work on ‘Around the School’. Pupils of this age range have also used the travels of ‘Barnaby Bear’ to different locations in the British Isles to recognise and discuss the human and physical features of various places in the United Kingdom. Year 2 pupils have continued with the travels of the ‘Bear’ locally by the seaside and to Jamaica. Topics such as transport and clothes have been studied in relation to these countries. This age group has a sound understanding and awareness of different Crockenhill Primary School - 43 environments from their own in their work about an imaginary Scottish island and the contrasting locality of Tocuaro in Mexico. Little recording of work is carried out in Key

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GEOGRAPHY

Stage 1 and, without a portfolio of evidence, it is difficult to ascertain coverage of the subject and levelling of standards. 105. At Key Stage 2, the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. This reflects the judgement of the last OFSTED inspection in 1997 when it was found that the quality of teaching was generally sound. Year 6 pupils have compared time zones around the world and most pupils can identify the major continents, countries and cities of the world. They have a sound knowledge and understanding of the climate zones around the world. In their work on the local environment, they can read maps and identify features on the maps using six figure grid references. They have made a field trip to the nearby River Darenth and consequently possess a good glossary of river words and have a sound understanding of the different sections of a river. Pupils in Year 3 completed a traffic survey of their village in

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GEOGRAPHY

connection with work on the local environment. The results of the survey were put onto graphs using information and communication technology when pupils had the opportunity to experiment with different colours and fonts. In their work in Year 4, pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the environment progress well when they discuss questions about the negative and positive effects on the environment by Man. They are able to communicate how we can control or improve the environment in such ways as controlling litter, vandalism and the quality of the air. In work linked with history, they understand the reasons for people settling in particular places. They have used information and communication technology well to produce a graph illustrating where their parents work. This group of pupils have made a comparison between Crockenhill and Chembakolli, and understand the differences in cultures and life styles. In Year 5 pupils have studied St

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Lucia and compared climatic and rainfall statistics with those at home. They can use grid references to locate various places on the island and have worked on distances and eight points of the compass for the same purpose. Working in their immediate locality, pupils have asked the question, '‘Is our village safe?” They interviewed the school crossing patrol about the dangers of traffic in the village and how they could make it safer. Teachers in all year groups strike an appropriate balance between giving information about places and providing opportunities for pupils to carry out their own research and investigations. 106. The co-ordination of geography is satisfactory and a useful and comprehensive scheme of work has been produced based on the recommendations of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. Field visits are incorporated into the scheme of work and the local area is used well for this aspect of geography, for example, visits to the river and the

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village. Areas of geography are also covered during the Year 6 pupils’ residential visit in the summer term. The co-ordinator has analysed pupils’ work, teachers’ planning and classroom displays but has had no opportunity to monitor teaching of the subject in the classrooms. Teacher’s short and medium term planning is sound in the subject, and some use is made of assessment information in planning lessons, but a whole school scheme of assessment has not been developed to ensure that progress is recorded for each pupil. Resources are generally good and include a collection of aerial photographs and a digital camera which provide a useful link to information and communication technology.

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HISTORY

107. Standards in history are average in Year 2 but are above average by the end of Year 6. This judgement shows an improvement at Key Stage 2 on the previous inspection. It takes into account the lessons observed, an analysis of pupils’ work and displays, scrutiny of teachers’ planning and discussion with teachers and pupils. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional language, make steady progress through Key Stage 1 and good progress through Key Stage 2. Crockenhill Primary School - 44 108. In the lessons seen and from a scrutiny of previous work, the overall quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory at Key Stage 1 and good at Key Stage 2. The analysis of work shows a good range of in depth written work, particularly in Years 4 and 6, to encourage extended or imaginative writing. 109. Work on the Great Fire of London following the previous visit to the Museum of

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HISTORY

London shows that pupils in Year 2 have a sound understanding of aspects of the past. They have used photographs, pictures, television programmes, objects and artefacts to find out about the past. Skilful questioning by the teacher extends pupils' understanding of how they can find out about other periods of history. They are particularly aware of using eyewitness accounts as detailed in Samuel Pepys’ diary. They show an increasing sense of chronology and knowledge of the period being studied. In Year 1, pupils have studied the Victorians and the teacher has used links with other subjects. Pupils in Year 2 dressed up like the people in the portraits they saw at the Courtauld gallery. 110. In Years 3 and 4, teachers have planned a two-year programme of work. There is a very good display of the Tudors in the Year 3 class with the splendid figure of Henry VIII, and in the Year 4 lesson seen, good teaching led to pupils being highly motivated and

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interested in the Tudor period. They were keen to offer ideas as they found out differences between the rich and poor from looking at a street scene. The work in their folders shows good work, which is well presented. The work includes time lines and Tudor music and there are good examples of finding evidence from both CD-ROM s and the Internet. Pupils show an increasing understanding of chronology by recognising that periods in the past have changes and they use relevant terms and dates. There is some very good previous work on World War II following a visit to the Imperial War Museum and the Blitz experience provided an exciting re-enactment. One pupil wrote," suddenly a bomb dropped on the pub next door to the shelter. The seats jerked forward… The siren stopped and we all got up shaking with fear. " In Year 5, the quality of teaching and learning is sound as evidenced by previous work on explorers. In Year 6, there is a good range of high standard work in

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HISTORY

books, which indicates high quality teaching and learning. Class work and individual projects show that pupils have above average skills in historical enquiry and good knowledge of the periods studied. They make good use of information and communication technology to research and present their work and find information from a range of sources such as newspapers of the time and interviews with people who lived through World War II. Work is obviously challenging and is well marked to extend thinking. It supports all aspects of literacy very well and poses some interesting points for discussion. In their study of Greek writings, pupils learned about Ancient Greek writers' views on women and responded to Aristotle writing in 4 BC: " The ability to think is not present in slaves. It does not work in women. It is not yet developed in children… the male is by nature superior and the female inferior… one rules and the other is ruled. "

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HISTORY

111. The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority guidelines have been adapted as a scheme of work to fit into the school’s curricular plan. The co-ordinator supports the subject well. She has provided valuable resources and there is a very rich programme of visits. Literacy skills are well developed, particular for extended writing for older and more able pupils. Numeracy skills are evident in time lines. Information and communication technology supports teaching and learning in history well. Displays are stimulating focal points for example on World War II, technology through the decades, 1950 to the present day, and the Tudors. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through their understanding of the legacy of ancient civilisations to modern society, discussions about the morality of actions carried out in the past and through the encouragement of group and pair work in researching information.

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HISTORY

The curriculum is enriched by visits to museums and places of local interest, which effectively bring history to life for pupils. Crockenhill Primary School - 45

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

112. Standards are average in Year 2 and in Year 6. From a low base, information and communication technology is becoming one of the school’s strengths. This judgement shows a good improvement on the findings of the previous inspection when, although no judgement was made on attainment, progress was unsatisfactory. Other evidence indicates that previous attainment was low and improvement has, in fact, been good. At both key stages, pupils make good progress and show positive attitudes to their work. Pupils with special educational needs make progress in line with their peers. The school has been identified as one of the Kent schools, which has made most progress in the development of information and communication technology. At Key Stage 1, standards are generally average. At Key Stage 2, they are high for handling and communicating information but below average for monitoring, modelling and controlling.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

113. The quality of teaching and learning is good at both key stages. At the last inspection, no judgements were made but other evidence indicates that it has improved since then. Teachers plan their work well in line with national guidelines and pupils are now building systematically on their knowledge and skills. Teachers across the school are now confident users of information and communication technology and impart their skills well to the pupils. This was not the case at the previous inspection. As a result, pupils in Year 2 show appropriate skills in programming a controllable toy and giving instructions to move a screen turtle. The good teaching they receive enables pupils to enter, retrieve and store their work. They are taught well how to produce text and pictures and to handle and display simple data. They have been given well-planned opportunities to use an art package in history, mathematics, art and technology. In science, they have used a

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

database and have made a graph of healthy foods. In Year 1, careful teaching has led to pupils learning to use the basic tools in a word package and a digital camera to produce work on Mrs. Brown's visit for the topic on the Victorians. In the two lessons observed, pupils in Key Stage 1 showed good concentration in learning the basic commands for controlling the tape recorder in Year 1. In Year 2, they built well on their skills of using the sort and search tools to question data from their work in science. Year 2 pupils also made good use of the Internet to access the ‘Big Book’ for their literacy session. 114. By the age of eleven, pupils show good skills in communicating and handling text and data. They show an awareness of audience when combining text and graphics in their work. Through very skilful teaching, pupils have scanned in pictures and text and use sound and animations to provide a story presentation for Reception children. Across the

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

curriculum, pupils have been taught to use multi-media and the Internet to access information. They use a spreadsheet to handle data and display results in a variety of forms. They have, however, had limited opportunities to control events in predetermined way, sense physical data, and explore patterns and relationships with the aid of computer simulations or models. Good levels of interest are maintained as pupils continue through the school and teachers work well with pupils. They ask taxing questions to see if pupils fully understand what they are doing. 115. In Years 3 and 4, the teachers had planned a series of work on handling information in mathematics, which pupils were able to tackle independently and confidently. They had collected data and chose their own ways of presenting it in a range of graphs, choosing the most appropriate. Teachers supported them well but encouraged them to solve their own

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

problems rather than giving solutions. In Year 5, pupils have been taught soundly to use cut and paste features of an art package to produce new patterns and have used a spreadsheet to support their work on St. Lucia. There are good examples of a wide range of work to support the whole curriculum. In addition to word processing and data handling, pupils use simulations in history and use multimap features to show an aerial view of their Crockenhill Primary School - 46 house in geography. There is no use of information and communication technology to support work in music. 116. The co-ordinator provides very good leadership through her enthusiasm and knowledge. She has a clear direction for the subject and monitors its development well. All aspects of the programme of study are addressed and there is a clear, concise well- structured scheme of work in place. Major weaknesses reported at the previous inspection

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

have been addressed and pupils have significantly more opportunities to use computers. Pupils now have planned access to computers. The expenditure on information and communication technology has been well targeted. There is an above average ratio of pupils to modern computers and the rising standards are a clear indication, not only of the improved teaching but of money well spent. The subject enhances pupils’ personal and social development as they work well in pairs and threes sharing tasks and sensibly discussing which options they will choose. They relate positively to peers and adults alike. The subject meets the requirements of the National Curriculum and there is a sound policy in place for the use of the Internet.

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MUSIC

117. Standards in music, overall, are average for pupils at seven and eleven years old. The performance of juniors when singing together, such as in assembly, is of a low standard. It is significantly better when pupils perform in class. This is not as good as the finding of the school’s previous OFSTED inspection when standards at Key Stage 2 exceeded expectations. Evidence from this inspection is based on lesson observations at Key Stage 2, viewing of videos from infant Christmas and summer concert performances, scrutiny of teachers’ planning, assemblies and discussions with teachers and pupils. Pupils enjoy their music making and their achievement is sound across the school. Pupils with special educational needs achieve appropriate standards and take a full part in all musical activities. Pupils with English as an additional language achieve well in music. 118. Infant pupils sing a variety of songs tunefully, with good control and enjoy using

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MUSIC

appropriate actions. They are able to sustain a good rhythm when singing during assemblies. They have a confident approach when performing musical tasks. They nod, tap fingers or move their bodies to the rhythm when singing sea songs in their end of year concert. They respond wholeheartedly to their music making. 119. Junior pupils have a good understanding of rhythm and basic musical structure. They sing a wide repertoire of songs from different eras with satisfactory pitch. When performing at the Swanley Music Festival, and when they are well conducted, the choir achieves a good pitch resulting in a good standard of singing. Pupils are able to learn to play recorders during an extra-curricular club, and some pupils have peripatetic music lessons which enhance their knowledge of correct musical notation. Year 4 pupils create their own compositions to make singing games for young children and use un-tuned

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MUSIC

percussion to develop their songs. For example, ‘multi-coloured underwear’ sung as a repeating pattern combined several layers of sound. Boys and girls worked particularly well together in this class. Younger juniors sing ‘I’d like to teach the world to sing’ tunefully and enthusiastically. They show sound appraising skills when listening to the flutes and recorders playing a short phrase. Pupils maintain a simple part within an ensemble and show an awareness of the combined effect. They are less sure about works of composers from the past and have little knowledge of styles of music from other cultures. Information and communication technology is under used in music. 120. The quality of teaching and learning throughout the school is satisfactory overall. Although the lessons observed were good when taught by the peripatetic music specialist, the overall effect of teaching across the school is satisfactory. The time allocated for music

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MUSIC

lessons is half that recommended and this has resulted in a fall in standards and pupils not achieving as well as they might. It was not possible to see any infant music lessons, but Crockenhill Primary School - 47 three junior classes were observed. The pace of lessons is good. Routines have been well established and pupils feel secure and confident as a result. The ethos within music lessons is satisfactory; in the lower junior classes, it is good due to the class teachers’ input into the sessions. Pupils know that their efforts are understood and valued by their teacher and this encourages them to be more inventive. They take care with resources. 121. The subject is satisfactorily led by a new co-ordinator, who provides sound support for staff. The policy for music is being up-dated, but a new scheme of work, based on the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority’s guidelines, is in place. There are no agreed

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MUSIC

procedures about how to assess and record pupils’ progress in music, and this is a weakness. There are insufficient books for pupils to find out about the lives and works of famous composers. The co-ordinator has already identified the need to take a more active role in monitoring the provision of music at Key Stage 2 but has had no non-contact time to carry this out. There is an adequate range of resources, although they are not fully utilised. Further development of musical instruments from other cultures is in the co-ordinator’s action plan. Junior pupils have opportunities to join the choir, wind orchestra and recorder groups. Although the subject meets National Curriculum requirements, music is not a central part of the life of this school and is not making a sufficient contribution to the enhancement of pupils’ spirituality or the school’s ethos. Opportunities are missed during assembly times to develop pupils’ understanding and knowledge of the works of famous

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

122. Standards in physical education are average at the end of both key stages. Progress and achievement, including that by pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language, are good at both key stages. Standards have been maintained since the last OFSTED inspection when pupils’ attainment by the end of each key stage met the national expectations. There are no differences in attainment between boys and girls in either key stage. 123. The quality of teaching and learning of the subject is generally good in Key Stage 1 and promotes sound standards. This judgement is an improvement on the previous OFSTED inspection when teaching was considered sound. In the Year 2 lesson observed, a good awareness of safety factors was apparent as pupils set out large and small gymnastic apparatus. This exercise was well managed by the teacher and support assistant, although it was slow. An appropriate ‘warm up’ session began the lesson and

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

both staff were involved well in the lesson and demonstrated good practice. Nearly all pupils showed sound control in their twisting and turning movements both on the floor and the apparatus. They all had a sound ability to plan and perform simple gymnastic skills safely and were able to link their actions well. In the restricted area in the hall, all pupils indicated a thorough awareness of safety and spacing from the moment they entered the hall and throughout the whole class and individual activities. 124. The quality of teaching and learning is also good, overall, in Key Stage 2. This judgement is roughly similar to the findings of the previous OFSTED inspection, when the quality of teaching was sound and sometimes good, particularly in the junior classes. Four lessons were observed covering all four age groups and the areas of gymnastics, games and dance were covered by observations. A combined Year 5 and 6 after school cricket club was also observed indicating that catching and

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

throwing skills and participation in a team game were above average in Year 6. In their games activities, most Year 3 pupils were able to vary their throwing and catching skills to improve their skills but a significant minority found difficulty in catching a small ball. Pupils of all abilities were able to demonstrate basic skills in these areas and most were able to practise and improve their own performance. There was an appropriate ‘warm-up’ at the beginning of the lesson and all pupils and the teacher were appropriately clothed indicating a sound awareness of health and safety factors in physical Crockenhill Primary School - 48 education. The teacher was involved well in the activity leading to an improvement in pupils’ rounders skills and demonstrating both underarm and over-arm bowling techniques. 125. In the Year 4 lesson, a lively start was made involving pupils moving quickly around the hall

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

and jumping and rotating when the teacher clapped her hands. All showed good awareness of safety when working in a confined space with apparatus already set out. The session was well managed by the teacher who insisted on quiet, sensible behaviour. Pupils reacted well to this by making good progress in their gymnastic skills both on and off the apparatus. Pupils were also encouraged to observe and evaluate their classmates’ performance in order to improve their own. Year 5 pupils are able to perform a dance style from a different culture, the ‘Salsa’. The teacher was involved well in the lesson demonstrating and encouraging pupils to participate and practise and improve their skills in dance. Some pupils were reluctant to perform and this slowed down the overall progress especially in the paired activity. Music was used appropriately to encourage all pupils to adapt their previously learned dance steps to the appropriate music. In the cricket coaching session, Year 6 pupils, both boys

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

and girls, demonstrated a good ability to catch a small ball from a bat. They met the challenge of an unexpected catch well and showed good co-ordination. They recognised the needs for rules in a game and participated fairly and well in the ‘Kwik Cricket’ session. Nearly all pupils are able to sustain energetic activity over a period of time. Teachers in all year groups show a good awareness of health and safety factors. Pupils and staff are nearly all suitably clothed for physical education and all lessons started with a ‘warm up’ session. However, most teachers missed the opportunity to remind or question pupils about the reason for the ‘warm up’ and the effect of exercise on the body. 126. All teachers observed during the inspection were confident in teaching the subject. The subject co-ordinator is experienced and enthusiastic and gives good educational direction for the subject. A subject policy is in place and was recently reviewed in line with

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

the re-introduction of the full National Curriculum requirements in the subject. A scheme of work based on the national Qualifications and Curriculum Authority’s recommendations is being used and fully covers the requirements of the National Curriculum. This documentation ensures sound progression in the subject for pupils of all abilities. The co- ordinator has not had the opportunity to monitor the teaching of physical education. Assessment is usually carried out by the class teacher using weekly planning for incorporation in the end-of-year reports for parents. However, there is no whole school procedure for the assessment of pupils’ progress in the subject. The physical education curriculum is enhanced by extra-curricular activities organised by the school including a soccer and cricket club. All Key Stage 2 pupils have benefited from cricket coaching organised by a professional coach working alongside class teachers. Soccer coaching is

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

also provided by a coach from Charlton Athletic Football Club and the school won the local schools’ six-a-side soccer tournament at the beginning of the year. Swimming tuition is provided for most Years 5 and 6 pupils and 25 out of 29 Year 6 pupils will be able to swim for at least 25 metres by the time they leave the school. Year 6 pupils participate in a five- day residential visit in the summer term, to the Bowles Centre at Tunbridge Wells where they participate in various outdoor pursuit activities. There are no sporting extra curricular activities provided for infant pupils. Resources for the subject are good and pupils have the benefit of a large hard surface playground, a moderately sized school hall and a large playing field adjacent to the school. Equal opportunity is offered to boys and girls of all abilities in every area of the physical education curriculum, and extra-curricular clubs and

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

127. Standards in religious education meet the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus in Year 2 and in Year 6. This judgement is the same as that of the previous inspection. It was reported that more able pupils made insufficient progress; this is no longer the case and progress is now satisfactory. However, the time allocated to religious education is half that recommended resulting in pupils not achieving as well as they might. As they move through the school, pupils make steady progress in both Crockenhill Primary School - 49 key stages. Pupils with special educational needs are involved in all class activities and discussions and, with support and encouragement, make satisfactory progress. Pupils with English as an additional language also make satisfactory progress. 128. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory at Key Stage 1, which is better than the judgement of the previous inspection. The previous inspection found that the

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

quality of teaching at Key Stage 2 had strengths and at Key Stage 1 had shortcomings. The analysis of work shows that pupils have a sound understanding of some of the traditions and beliefs important to Christians such as Christmas and of Jesus being a special person. They have also looked at simple aspects of world faiths such as Judaism and Hinduism. Teachers create a warm, supportive environment for pupils to think quietly about what they have learned and to develop responses and new ideas. This was shown when Year 1 pupils talked about artefacts they had seen during their visit to the village church. They gave reasons for having stained glass windows - “so people who couldn’t read could ‘read’ the Christian stories”. Although pupils have a sound understanding about the meaning of the church to Christians, they are less able to compare and contrast signs from other faiths. Pupils know that the Christian ceremonies of baptism, wedding, marriage

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

and burial take place in a church but have a limited understanding about the customs of other faiths. 129. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall at Key Stage 2, with good teaching and learning in the two out of the three lessons seen. By Year 6, pupils have a sound insight into the beliefs, festivals, symbols, traditions and literature of Christianity, Judaism and Sikhism. They learn to appreciate the importance of questioning the beliefs of different faiths. “Is your concept of God the same as that of Muslim children?” asked the Year 6 teacher. Younger juniors understand that holy texts, such as the Bible, contain teachings and moral guidance that are helpful to people in their lives. 130. In Key Stage 2, a strength of the teaching and learning of religious education in the school is the way in which teachers create an atmosphere of mutual trust and support in which pupils are unafraid to voice their opinions and share their experiences. A pupil from a

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

different ethnic background showed a Chinese bible with pride and shared with the Year 3 class how important God was in her life, ‘I go the Chinese Church on Sunday’. In general, pupils of all ages show sensitivity towards others and the world in which they live. They learn to value others’ beliefs and ideas and show respect and tolerance towards different faiths. 131. The subject is satisfactorily led by a new co-ordinator. Resources are adequate although the range of books for pupils is insufficiently developed. A sound policy supports teaching and learning well. Targets for development are appropriate including reviewing the new scheme of work and taking a further audit of resources. Marking is insufficiently evaluative to help pupils improve their work. Literacy skills are developed well, for example, discussion about religious beliefs, listening to, and reading, biblical stories and writing

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

descriptive reports from Abraham’s point of view. Apart from an occasional assembly taken by the vicar and visits to the village church, there are few visits or visitors to enrich the curriculum. Visits to the places of worship of other faiths do not feature in the school’s curriculum. Pupils’ spiritual development is insufficiently developed through reflection and prayer. The quality of collective worship makes insufficient contribution to pupils’ spiritual development. Many opportunities are missed to enrich pupils’ experience through musical appreciation during assemblies. Pupils’ cultural development is satisfactorily developed during the study of major religions. Crockenhill Primary School - 50

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