Aldbrough Primary School

ALDBROUGH PRIMARY SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Mrs E M D Mackie No: 23482

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ALDBROUGH PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 30 April – 3 May 2001

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ALDBROUGH PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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ALDBROUGH PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Headlands Road Aldbrough East Riding of Yorkshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs Margaret Oliver

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: March 1997 Aldbrough Primary School - 4

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

23482 Mrs Diana Mackie Registered Inspector English Art Information and communications technology Provision for children in the foundation stage English as an additional language What sort of school is it? The school's results and achievements. How well are the pupils taught? What should the school do to improve further?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

9327 Mr Stuart Vincent 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? 19916 Mrs Deborah Kerr Team Inspector Mathematics History Music Religious education Equal opportunities How well is the school led and managed?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

28200 Mr Paul Stevens Team Inspector Science Design & technology Geography Physical education Special educational needs How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Yorkshire Educational Services Ltd 16 Burn Hall Darlington Road Croxdale DURHAM DH1 3SR

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Aldbrough Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Aldbrough Primary School is situated in the village of Aldbrough, to the north east of Kingston upon Hull. Pupils come from the village and from the outlying farming community. A small number also come from the permanent caravan sites on the outskirts of the village. It is a smaller than average primary school with 176 pupils on roll. This includes 14 children who attend the nursery part-time, 15 who attend full-time and 12 children who are in the reception year. There is a wide range of attainment when children enter the school and attainment is broadly average. Just over five per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals and this is below the national average. There are no pupils who speak English as an additional language. Nearly six per cent of pupils are on the school’s register of special educational needs. This is below the national average and includes a broadly average percentage (1.7%) of pupils with statements of special educational need.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Aldbrough Primary School is a very good school where pupils achieve high standards in many subjects. The quality of teaching is very good and all staff contribute significantly to the success of the school. The headteacher provides outstanding leadership which ensures that pupils experience a rich and relevant curriculum and the whole school community is involved enthusiastically in the pupils’ education. The governors manage the school very well and the school gives good value for money.

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What the school does well

♦ Pupils achieve well and reach high standards in most subjects by the time they are eleven years old. ♦ The overall quality of teaching is very good. ♦ Pupils’ positive attitudes and excellent behaviour contribute well to their high achievement. ♦ The curriculum is exciting and thorough so that pupils have access to a wide range of stimulating experiences. ♦ The school’s systems of support and welfare for the pupils are very good. ♦ Parental involvement is very good. It has a positive influence on the pupils’ progress. ♦ The headteacher’s leadership is excellent. He leads the school with a strong sense of vision. ♦ Governors manage the school very well and have an excellent grasp of their role in ensuring proper provision for the pupils.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good improvement since the last inspection in March 1997. In response to the key issues raised: ♦ self-evaluation is now a strength of the school; ♦ standards in mathematics have improved so that they are now above expectations for eleven- year-olds; ♦ standards in physical education are now satisfactory; ♦ assessment procedures are exemplary in the core subjects and information is used effectively to set appropriate work for pupils; ♦ requirements for daily acts of worship are now fully met. In addition: Aldbrough Primary School - 7 ♦ standards have improved in most subjects; ♦ standards of teaching are better; ♦ management of the school is better.

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STANDARDS

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

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schools

1998 1999 2000 2000 English C B A C mathematics B B B C science C C B C well above average above average average below average well below average A B C D E

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schools

As can be seen from the above table, standards for eleven-year-olds at the school in 2000 were above average or better in the important subjects of English, mathematics and science. The school’s performance was in line with that of schools where there were pupils from similar backgrounds. The school exceeded the challenging targets set with the local education authority. There has been an upward trend in standards in English and science. Good standards in mathematics have been maintained through the positive implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy. In English, the skilful use of shared texts in the literacy hour and the organisation of extended lessons to develop writing skills give the school the capacity to improve standards even further. The school analyses test results robustly and monitors pupils’ performance regularly from the time of their entry into the school. This enables teachers to set challenging targets for all pupils.

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schools

In science, the good results reflect provision of well-designed investigative activities which stimulate pupils’ interest.

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schools

Pupils achieve well by the time they leave the school. From current inspection, most eleven-year- old pupils now attain well in English, mathematics and science. Throughout the school, pupils increasingly use information and communication technology (ICT) as a tool for learning and achieve standards which are well above those expected for pupils aged eleven. In art, design and technology, history and music, standards are well above those seen typically for the age group. In geography and religious education, standards are above those usually seen, and in physical education are in line with expectations for eleven-year-olds.

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schools

Results for seven-year-olds in the 2000 national tests were not typical for the school over the last few years, when pupils’ achievement has been at least in line with national averages. In comparison with all schools nationally, standards in 2000 were below average in reading and mathematics and average in writing. Compared with similar schools, standards were well below average in reading and mathematics and below average in writing. In the teachers’ assessments in science, the percentage of pupils reaching the expected level was in line with the national average. In 2000, there was a particularly large group of seven-year-olds with special educational needs, who achieved well based on their previous learning. During the inspection, pupils were seen to achieve average levels in English, mathematics and science. Thorough teaching of the basic skills of reading, writing and arithmetic provides pupils with secure tools for learning in all subjects. Pupils

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schools

achieve well overall and reach above average standards in art, design and technology, ICT, history and music. They achieve in line with expectations for their age in geography, religious education and physical education. Aldbrough Primary School - 8 By the time they leave the reception class, most pupils reach the nationally agreed Early Learning Goals for young children in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, physical development and creative development. They exceed them in personal, social and emotional development and in knowledge and understanding of the world. Children make good progress in their understanding in religious education as they listen to Bible stories and learn about a range of other faiths and cultures. The children’s overall good achievement reflects the school’s very good provision for pupils in the nursery and reception class.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils have very positive attitudes to school. They enjoy coming, are enthusiastic about their learning and are attentive in lessons. This has a very positive effect on their achievement and progress. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Excellent. In lessons, pupils’ high standards of behaviour have a significant impact on their rate of learning. Outside lessons, pupils have opportunities to develop independence and extend their interests because they can be trusted to behave well. Personal development and relationships Very good. Relationships throughout the school community are excellent. Pupils take responsibility for their actions very well. They are thoughtful for younger pupils and helpful in taking on duties and supporting school routines. Attendance Good. It is above the national average.

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

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

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

The overall quality of teaching is very good. All of the teaching observed was satisfactory or better and the school meets the needs of all pupils well. Ninety-two per cent of teaching and learning was good or better; 52 per cent was very good or better and ten per cent was excellent. Excellent teaching was seen in the nursery and reception class and in Years 4, 5 and 6. English teaching is never less than good and the skills of literacy are taught well. The teaching of mathematics is good, with evidence of very good teaching in both the infants and the juniors. In science, teaching and learning are good in the infants and very good in the juniors. Information and communication technology (ICT) is taught very well throughout the school, with excellent teaching seen in the juniors. Teaching and learning in other subjects is at least good, with very good examples in art. Teachers work very effectively with pupils of all levels of ability. Teachers’ very good planning and

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

the brisk pace of lessons ensures that time is used well. This impacts favourably on the rate of pupils’ learning. Teachers do not always follow the school’s marking policy or insist that pupils present their everyday work as well as they could.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. The school fulfils its aim to provide a broad and balanced curriculum. In addition to the well-planned and taught National Curriculum, the school offers a rich diet of extra-curricular activities which enhance pupils’ learning and raise their achievement. The community makes an excellent contribution to pupils’ learning. Provision for pupils who Good. Teachers organise work to match the pupils’ needs and Aldbrough Primary School - 9 have special educational needs support staff work well with pupils so that they make good progress.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Excellent overall. Provision for pupils’ spiritual and social development is very good. It is excellent for pupils’ moral and cultural development. The positive and encouraging ethos of the school supports pupils but also demands high standards of behaviour and attitudes from them. How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. Pupils’ personal and academic progress in monitored very well. Procedures for child protection and welfare are of very good quality and attendance is monitored very well.

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Aspect Comment

The school works very well with parents and their involvement has a very positive impact on the school’s provision and pupils’ achievement. Information for parents is of very good quality. Parents are demanding but supportive. They want the best for their children and value the wide range of opportunities which the school provides for them. Parents are able to approach the school at any time with concerns.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Excellent. The headteacher provides excellent leadership. He gives clear educational direction and a sure path to further improvements in the school. He ‘leads from the front’ and plays a significant role in the very effective teaching. He is ably supported by the conscientious and hardworking deputy headteacher. All staff share his vision and belief in what pupils are capable of and they embrace the school’s priorities positively and work hard towards on them. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Excellent. The governing body is involved in all areas of school life. Governors avail themselves of appropriate training in order to keep abreast of current requirements. They link with teachers so that they know about the subjects of the National Curriculum and observe lessons and therefore are aware of what is happening in the

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Aspect Comment

classrooms. Governors fulfil specific roles with high levels of commitment and statutory requirements are met The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. Teaching and learning are monitored very effectively. Test results are analysed rigorously and the development plan is based on detailed evaluation of the school’s strengths and areas for development. The strategic use of resources Excellent. The school makes excellent use of its resources, including specific funds for pupils who have special educational needs. The governors, headteacher and administrative staff apply efficient and economic financial controls very effectively. Financial planning is of high quality. It supports the school’s priorities and is informed by up-to-date financial statements. Modern technology is used very effectively for financial planning and control and for everyday administration.

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Aspect Comment

There is a sufficient number of suitably qualified and experienced teachers and a very good number of support staff. All staff work conscientiously, with commitment and loyalty to the pupils. The high quality of lunchtime, caretaking and administrative staff contributes well to the ethos of the school. Accommodation is good and learning resources are very good. They are well organised and stored. Resources are obtained at the most competitive prices and the school uses them in the best possible way to achieve its aims. Aldbrough Primary School - 10

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

♦ Children enjoy school. ♦ They make good progress. ♦ Behaviour is good. ♦ Children are encouraged to be mature and responsible. ♦ The amount of homework is right. ♦ The teaching is good. ♦ Staff are approachable. ♦ Teachers have high expectations of the pupils. ♦ The school works extremely well with parents. ♦ The leadership and management are good. ♦ The range of activities outside lessons is good. ♦ A small number of parents would like to see an improvement in the extent to which they are informed about children’s progress.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection confirms and agrees with all of the positive views expressed. Leadership of the school is excellent and the governors manage the school very well. Teaching is very good. The pupils’ annual reports, together with the open evenings and freely available opportunities to talk to teachers, ensure that parents have a detailed picture of what their children have achieved. The inspection team does not therefore agree with the view to the contrary held by a small number of parents. Aldbrough Primary School - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. By the time they are eleven years old, pupils’ overall attainment has improved since the last inspection in 1997. Standards have improved in English, mathematics, science, geography, history, information and communication technology (ICT), music and physical education.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Children enter the nursery with a wide range of attainment, but it is broadly in line with expected levels for three-year-olds. Pupils achieve well by the time they are eleven years old, when their attainment is above average in most subjects and well above average in art, design and technology, history, ICT and music. The school has taken a resolute approach to providing a broad and balanced curriculum in which pupils aim for high standards in all subjects. There is appropriate attention to the teaching and learning of English, mathematics and science and a particular focus on the creative and expressive arts. The upward trend in standards for English, mathematics and science for eleven-year-olds was broadly in line with the national trend from 1996 to 2000. The performance of seven-year-olds improved in reading and writing from 1996 to 1999 but dropped in 2000 when there was a particularly large group of pupils who have special educational needs. In

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

mathematics, the performance of seven-year-olds was above the national average from 1996 to 1998 and average in 1999 and 2000.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. In the 2000 National Curriculum tests for eleven-year-olds, the school’s performance in English was well above the national average and in mathematics and science it was above average. Compared with results in schools with a similar proportion of pupils who are entitled to free school meals, pupils’ results were average in all three subjects. A significant percentage of pupils exceeded the levels expected for their age. Girls performed better then boys, particularly in mathematics and science. The school is monitoring this feature and addressing it effectively; for example by ensuring that there is a wider range of literature which appeals to boys and a wide range of practical activities, including the increasing use of ICT, which stimulates and maintains their interest. The school exceeded the challenging targets set with the local education authority for English and mathematics in 2000.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. In the 2000 national assessments for seven-year-olds, the school’s performance in reading and mathematics was below the national average and in writing it was average. In teacher assessments in science, results at the expected level were average, with an above average percentage of pupils achieving above the expected level. There was little difference between the performance of boys and girls in all three subjects.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. By the end of the reception year, children achieve the nationally agreed expectations in communication, language and literacy and in mathematical, physical and creative development. They exceed expectations in personal, social and emotional development and knowledge and understanding of the world, especially in ICT. Children benefit from the teachers’ emphasis on helping them to settle well into school life and become valued members of the school community. They make good progress and become confident learners who move to Year 1 ready to take on the full range of the National Curriculum. This is because of the very good teaching and support based on secure understanding of the needs of young children. The planning of the curriculum is very good and staff create an encouraging atmosphere in which children learn systematically and happily.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Overall standards for seven-year-olds are now above expectations in reading and in line with expectations in writing, mathematics and science. Pupils develop appropriate subject vocabulary so that they are able to express what they mean, ask questions and share their thoughts with other people. Pupils enjoy reading and experience a wide range of texts so that they practise their skills in all areas of the curriculum. The school emphasises the step-by-step teaching and learning of Aldbrough Primary School - 12 letter sounds and patterns so that pupils make good gains in reading, writing and spelling. Most pupils use capital letters and full stops confidently to demarcate sentences. Higher attaining pupils write well-organised stories which show a clear sense of narrative and include interesting vocabulary. In mathematics, the majority of pupils acquire a range of strategies to answer quick-fire

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

questions in mental arithmetic sessions and more able pupils rapidly use their knowledge of ‘making tens’ and multiplication tables to calculate answers. Pupils develop an increasing awareness of the use of mathematics in everyday life; for example in weighing, measuring and shopping. In science, practical investigations help pupils to gain a deeper understanding and knowledge of the world around them. Quicker-learning pupils begin to use scientific language with increasing confidence; for example when they label drawings correctly and use words such as ‘predict’ and ‘investigation’ during discussions.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. By the time they are eleven, pupils express themselves effectively when answering questions and in discussions. In the literacy hour, pupils benefit from reading together from enlarged texts or ‘big books’. They explore spelling patterns, look for specific punctuation and consider how words are used to create a range of effects. Consistent teaching of spelling and regular practice in basic grammar give pupils a good grounding in writing. The school is exploring ways to improve writing further by organising longer sessions which allow for pupils to plan, draft and complete work. Pupils write for a good range of purposes and use their literary skills effectively in most other subjects. In science, pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to organise their own work rather than completing worksheets planned by the teachers. In mathematics, pupils' positive and enthusiastic approach to mental arithmetic helps them to gain increasingly secure knowledge

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

of the four rules of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of numbers. In science, pupils gain knowledge and understanding at a good rate because they learn through practical investigations and the enrichment of the curriculum through the use of the recently established conservation area and stimulating educational visits. More able pupils extend their knowledge and understanding well in all subjects through challenging investigative work; for example when they use ICT to organise different kinds of writing, explore mathematical problems or search for scientific information.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Standards in ICT are above expectations in the infants. Pupils word-process their writing and improve it by simple editing. They use simple programs to extend their learning in a wide range of subjects. Standards are well above expectations by the end of the juniors. Pupils use computers confidently and have a wide range of experience with word-processing, data handling, control and modelling. They use CD ROMs and the Internet and create imaginative multi-media presentations which include sound.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. In religious education, pupils achieve well and reach standards broadly in line with the requirements of the locally agreed syllabus. By seven, pupils know a good range of Bible stories and are aware of special books and stories from other faiths. By the end of the juniors, pupils develop a greater understanding of the importance of faith in some people’s lives. Their understanding is strengthened through visits to places of worship in a range of religions.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. By the time they are seven years old, pupils attain standards which are above expectations in art, design and technology, history and music. Standards in geography, physical education and religious education are in line with expectations. In art, pupils use an exciting range of materials to work in two and three dimensions. In design and technology, pupils a good variety of skills to plan work, join components and finish products.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. In art, pupils use a variety of techniques to create imaginative pictures, sculptures and pottery, often based on the study of significant artists from a range of cultures. In design and technology, pupils are encouraged to explore how things work and then incorporate their ideas into the things they make. In history, the school’s extensive use of the locality and detailed planning of visits helps pupils to have a very good feel for the subject; for example when they visit Hadrian’s Wall or go the plague village of Eyam. Standards are above expectations in geography because of the teachers’ enthusiasm and the depth of the curriculum. Work undertaken during field trips and visits to significant sites brings relevance and deeper understanding to aspects which are being Aldbrough Primary School - 13 studied. In physical education, pupils’ performance is in line with expectations. There has been

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

improvement since the last inspection because of the school’s imaginative approach to enhancing the subject, bringing good role models, such as well-known sports personalities to work with the pupils.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. The pupils’ good rate of achievement reflects the high quality of the teaching and commitment from all staff and the overall inclusive ethos of the school. Pupils who have special educational needs make good progress towards the targets in their individual education plans. Realistic targets are set for these pupils to achieve regular success. Higher attaining, gifted and talented pupils achieve well because the school has addressed their needs thoughtfully, with carefully kept records and finely-tuned programmes of accelerated work to develop their skills and extend their knowledge and understanding; for example in music.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour have improved since the last inspection. Pupils’ excellent behaviour is at the heart of the school’s positive ethos and high standards.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Children in the nursery and reception classes settle well into school and soon follow the simple routines confidently. They play well together, listen to one another considerately during class discussions and help one another, for example when they make models from construction kits. As they develop early skills of writing and drawing, children record their work conscientiously and develop increasing levels of confidence and concentration.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Throughout the school, the pupils’ attitudes to their work and their willingness to learn are particular strengths. In two thirds of the lessons observed their attitudes were judged to be very good or excellent. They are keen to please their teachers, become absorbed in their lessons and are extremely enthusiastic. Pupils enjoy finding things out for themselves and work hard to come up to the expectations and meet the targets they are set. They settle down to work quickly and sustain this effort consistently.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Behaviour is excellent overall. In lessons and in the playground pupils are equally well behaved. Boys and girls play well together and there are very few instances of unacceptable behaviour. Pupils who have special educational needs have very positive attitudes towards their learning and demonstrate the same excellent behaviour as other pupils. There have been no exclusions of any kind during recent years. Relationships at all levels are excellent and the atmosphere in the school is relaxed, friendly and welcoming. The school functions as a very harmonious community. Parents express their approval of the standards of behaviour achieved and say their children enjoy school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Pupils’ personal development is very good. Children join the school with social skills which are about what might be expected for their age. They make good progress throughout their time in school. They speak well, are confident and are respectful to adults. They share resources, help to organise their classrooms, take their turn and work co-operatively in pairs and groups. As they grow older they are mature and confident and require minimal supervision. They understand the importance of hard work and say that the target setting helps them. They are increasingly aware of their own progress and are taking responsibility for their own achievements.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. Pupils are increasingly aware of the needs and feelings of others. They work and play together harmoniously, and during the inspection there was no evidence of sexism or racism. Pupils are confident that the school will deal firmly with any instances of bullying. They are pleased to have responsibilities around the school and they enjoy helping the younger children with their work. They are particularly considerate of the needs of the less able or disabled children and are proud of their charitable fund-raising activities. By the time they finish their time in the school, they are well prepared to move on to secondary education. Aldbrough Primary School - 14 19. Pupils come willingly to school and attendance is above the national average. Unauthorised absence is well below the national average.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The quality of teaching overall across the school is very good and sometimes excellent. As a result, pupils respond very well and achieve above average standards in most subjects by the time they leave the school at eleven years old. No unsatisfactory teaching was seen during the inspection and 92 per cent was good or better. This is an improvement on the positive findings of the last inspection, when teaching was good or better in approximately 70 per cent of lessons. The teaching of pupils in the nursery and reception years is of a consistently very high standard because of the teacher’s and nursery nurses’ clear understanding of the needs of young children. In the infants, teaching is good, with very good teaching of mathematics and religious education in Year 1 and of ICT in Year 2. The quality of teaching in the juniors is enhanced by the outstanding example of the headteacher. The best teaching was characterised by the brisk pace of lessons

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

and the high quality of teachers’ questions, which probed pupils’ understanding and extended their learning. Occasionally, the first part of lessons was too long and pupils were clearly ready to get on with the activities which followed.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is very good overall, with evidence of excellent teaching. Nursery nurses play an active and significant role in the teaching process. As a result, children are supported well and develop positive attitudes to learning. They benefit from the school’s aim to provide a broad and rich learning environment. Very good planning matches tasks well to what children can already do and understand, and adults take time to listen to children. They explain activities patiently so that children know what to do and are able to get on with tasks confidently.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. In the infants and juniors, the teaching of literacy and numeracy is consistently good. National guidance is used effectively by teachers so that there is consistency in what and how pupils learn throughout the school. The rigorous teaching of letter sounds and mathematical facts provides a secure foundation for pupils’ learning. The well-planned professional training of staff has had a significant impact on teaching so that pupils are taught and supported very effectively. Teachers’ secure subject knowledge ensures that they explain clearly what is to be learned in lessons and pupils are able to get on with their work confidently. This is true in all subjects. For example, in an art lesson for pupils in Years 3 and 4, the teacher’s understanding of Pre-Raphaelite art and Art Nouveau enabled her to provide the pupils with substantial background knowledge to prepare them for work on their own designs. In an ICT lesson, the teacher’s sure knowledge of the

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

programs being used enabled pupils to compose interesting slide shows of high quality about the village of Aldbrough. Gifted and talented pupils do well because teachers allow them to extend their work through research and expect them to explain their findings to the class.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. The quality of teachers’ planning is very good, with appropriate tasks for pupils according to their needs and opportunities for teachers to check pupils’ understanding through well-organised sessions at the end of lessons. Pupils are told clearly what they are expected to learn during lessons and they have personal targets for improvement. This helps them to develop an increasingly responsible attitude to their own learning and creates a positive ethos in the classrooms. However, the school’s marking policy does not support this system sufficiently so that teachers give regular, useful feedback on written work. Teachers keep very good records of assessments of pupils’ progress, especially in English, mathematics and science. Assessments are carefully taken into account when new work is organised for pupils. They are used to provide specific support for individual pupils; to group pupils of similar levels of attainment; and to address

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

aspects of subjects where weaknesses are evident. In other subjects, teachers record pupils’ attainment and progress regularly at the end of each series of lessons on particular topics.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Classroom assistants and nursery nurses working with groups of pupils, especially those Aldbrough Primary School - 15 who have special educational needs, support them well so that they learn at a similar rate to the rest of the class. These pupils make good progress because staff follow the well-designed individual education plans closely. In the best lessons, teachers make good use of a wide range of resources to reinforce pupils’ learning. In a very good literacy lesson for pupils in Years 5 and 6, the high quality of the teacher’s preparation and organisation promoted the pupils’ very good progress. Her use of the overhead projector to enlarge the text of a poem helped the whole class to focus on the words and share the mood and feeling conveyed by the poet. Teachers are enthusiastic and relationships in the classrooms are excellent. This promotes a secure atmosphere in which pupils are able to experiment with ideas and make mistakes without fear of ridicule. For example,

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

teachers throughout the school allow pupils to explore the possibilities within ICT programs in order to develop a range of useful ways to find, record and present information.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. The teachers’ management of the pupils seems effortless. Because the work is interesting and motivating, pupils are more interested in getting on with tasks than in causing any disruption. Pupils concentrate very well, are productive and work at a good pace. Teachers use a wide range of strategies and give pupils opportunities to work in groups so that they learn to share and be considerate for the views of others. Every pupil is valued and teachers encourage the rest of the class to celebrate when individuals solve problems or do well. In return, pupils say that they respect and get on well with the teachers and love coming to school to learn. Teachers set regular homework so that parents are appropriately involved in their children’s learning and pupils become increasingly able to work independently and think for themselves. In the pre-inspection questionnaire for parents, the overwhelming majority expressed the view that teaching in the school

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

is good and that their children get the right amount of work to do at home. The quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection – from good to very good.

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PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

26. The quality of the curriculum is very good. It fully meets statutory requirements for the teaching of the National Curriculum and religious education. Provision has improved since the last inspection and there are now very good opportunities for pupils to develop academically, personally and socially. The school meets the requirements of the National Curriculum and there are helpful policies and schemes of work for the teaching and learning of all subjects. The programmes of work challenge all pupils, including those with special needs and those with high ability. Social inclusion is a strong feature in the school and all pupils have equal access to the curriculum; the school plans to provide for pupils of all abilities and has a policy for the education of gifted and talented pupils. As a result, pupils achieve high levels of success in a range of subjects, including music and drama.

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

27. The curriculum for children in the nursery and reception classes is planned very well to provide a relevant, well-balanced curriculum which takes account of the needs of young children. Planning is carefully documented and shared so that all staff have a clear view of the school’s aims and strategies for every child to succeed. There is appropriate emphasis on the teaching of literacy and numeracy and many opportunities for children to develop their talents in interesting ways. The curriculum follows national guidance. It includes the six required areas of learning and is enhanced through the involvement of parents and the community, the wide use of the environment, visitors to the school and visits to places of interest.

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

28. The curriculum is characterised by the high quality of the planning, the wide range of opportunities for pupils to learn in interesting ways and the imaginative use of the outside world, both near to the school and further away. The school allocates an appropriate amount of time for each subject and manages to teach the skills of literacy and numeracy effectively and to give pupils time to be creative in music and the arts. Planning for literacy and numeracy closely follows national guidance, which the school has taken on board very positively. Aldbrough Primary School - 16 29. Whole-school and class planning helps pupils to ‘revisit’ what they have already learned to ensure that they understand the groundwork for the next stage of learning. Over time, in every subject, pupils go back to the knowledge, skills and understanding that they have already gained and develop them further through more challenging activities. For example, in science, pupils learn

p.15

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

about soil, sand and other solids by first looking at their qualities. Later on they devise fair tests to separate them based on their knowledge. The school makes very good use of opportunities to link subjects so that learning in one helps learning in another. For example, in the infants, pupils used their knowledge of compass points to direct a programmable toy during an ICT lesson.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

30. The breadth of the curriculum is excellent. Visits are very well planned to extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding in many subjects. Pupils learn a great deal of history and geography and develop very good skills for fieldwork and historical enquiry when they visit Hornsea and Hull, for example. The variety of opportunities for residential visits is outstanding. It is here that the school’s meticulous planning makes excellent links across the curriculum to develop pupils’ learning. On a visit to Northumberland, pupils learned about the history associated with Hadrian’s wall, studied natural science, investigated the role of tourism and explored the differences between Seahouses and Aldbrough. The school thoroughly prepares all adults who accompany such visits so that they reinforce pupils’ learning and link it to their current schoolwork.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

31. The curriculum is outward-looking. In geography, for example, pupils survey local opinion about a wide variety of issues. In doing this, they become increasingly aware that people have very different views of how the area should be developed. The school’s ‘special weeks’ involve activities which raise pupils’ awareness of what it means to be a citizen. During these weeks, in addition to detailed geographical study, pupils benefit from opportunities to see dancers, hear musicians and taste food from many countries. Pupils increase their knowledge and understanding of important issues such as the role of industry, the rich cultural diversity within the British Isles and the wide range of cultures within Europe.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

32. The school reviews the curriculum very carefully, taking into account pupils’ progress and comparisons with national statistics. This has been particularly important for the teaching of literacy and numeracy, for example, so that the school can promote good levels of learning for all pupils, including those who learn more quickly. Analysis of assessments also helps the school to provide extra support for those pupils who have weaknesses in a subject which hamper their progress towards the expected level for their age. Plans for the teaching of writing are undergoing review. The school is aware that although there many opportunities for pupils to write and make precise records of their discoveries in most subjects, there is no overall plan which shows clearly when each kind of writing, for example, reports, instructions, letters or lists, is done during the wide spectrum of the curriculum.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

33. The school organises the day effectively and deploys its staff very well. After assessments in English and mathematics, pupils are grouped so that they learn with others of similar attainment. This benefits all pupils, including those who have special needs. Pupils of higher ability sometimes work with pupils up to two years older than themselves. The school makes good use of teachers who have a particular expertise such as in physical education or design and technology. They exchange classes for these subjects.

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

34. Provision for pupils who have special educational needs is good. Thorough, carefully prepared individual education plans ensure that parents, pupils and everyone who works with them is aware of the pupils’ targets for learning. The school ensures that pupils have opportunities to do well through participation in school performances and extra-curricular activities. The co-ordinator provides very good leadership and she works closely with teachers, classroom assistants and all those involved with the pupils’ education . The designated governor for special needs is very supportive and outside agencies are called upon appropriately to support pupils’ needs. The school has successfully addressed the issue, raised in the last inspection, of pupils being withdrawn from assemblies for extra teaching. Aldbrough Primary School - 17 35. Provision for extra-curricular activities is excellent. There is a wide variety of clubs for

p.16

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

sports and other physical activities such as orienteering, as well as opportunities to develop skills in crafts and ICT. A very large proportion of pupils takes advantage of them. Some of the sport leads to inter-school competitions. Most pupils participate in the extra-curricular work for the annual theatrical productions by acting, singing or playing instruments. Pupils show confidence and poise, and their performance is of a very high quality. Community involvement is a major feature, with support from parents and local musicians. All junior pupils have recorder lessons and they also have opportunities to play brass, woodwind and stringed instruments. There is a very good range of activities, including clubs and large-scale draughts and chess, for pupils to extend their learning and develop skills during lunchtime. Two supervisors, who have played football for England, give expert coaching in football.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

36. The programme for personal, social and health education, including citizenship, is very good. The school encourages pupils to recognise their own achievements and set personal and subject targets with their teachers. Some lessons are devoted to encouraging self-awareness. For example, in Year 2, pupils wrote in detail about ‘What I am good at’. There are special weeks when pupils are well prepared to understand the role of economics and their role as citizens. Teachers encourage pupils to discuss topical issues and understand various viewpoints. Pupils become more aware of the role of government; for example when democracy is discussed when pupils study Ancient Greece. The school’s behaviour and anti-bullying policies contribute to establishing pupils’ excellent conduct. The ethos of the school positively encourages very positive relationships throughout the community. Pupils have specific lessons devoted to personal, social and health

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

education. For example, in classes for five to seven-year-olds, pupils think about how to keep safe, while those in Year 6 carry out detailed work on how to adopt a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Appropriate attention is given to sex education and substance abuse, through work related to social issues and in science lessons.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

37. The contribution of the community to pupils’ learning is excellent. Parents, governors, a local group of volunteers, a local theatre group and a local industry supported the creation of the conservation area in the school grounds. Contributions included financial support and practical help. The school is organising the provision of adventure equipment for the nursery and main playgrounds with funding from local industry. There are appropriate links with the local secondary school so that pupils move smoothly to the next phase of their education.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

38. The overall provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent and it impacts extremely well on the pupils’ progress. Parents value the school’s management of this aspect of their children’s education. Provision for spiritual development is very good. Religious education makes a strong contribution, for example through teaching about the importance of prayer and the spiritual calm to be found in buildings associated with different faiths. Pupils are encouraged to be reflective; for example when they write sensitive and thoughtful poetry. One pupil wrote, ‘Otters, jumping and leaping, were my underwater acrobats’. Other pupils wrote appreciatively about the sacrifice of soldiers in wars. Assemblies, in which a candle is lit and appropriate music is played, provide a calm atmosphere in which pupils reflect quietly on the topics raised.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

39. Provision for moral development is excellent. The ethos of the school is such that pupils continuously learn about right and wrong and the value of positive relationships. All adults in the school provide very good role models for the pupils and demonstrate how working and playing together contributes to a harmonious community. This is backed up by a code of conduct and careful teaching during social education lessons about dealing with anti-social behaviour. The school’s policy for behaviour provides a sensible framework which sets clear expectations and makes appropriate demands on pupils. It promotes self-control and consideration for other people. The effectiveness of the moral education is reflected in pupils’ attitudes and behaviour and the ethos of a very happy school.

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

40. Provision for social development is very good. Collaboration is encouraged during lessons and there are planned opportunities for pupils to discuss social issues both at a school level and beyond. The well-organised extra-curricular activities and residential courses provide many opportunities for pupils to learn to work and play together. Pupils learn how to contribute to the school community by having personal responsibilities in the classroom, and many of the older ones Aldbrough Primary School - 18 help the younger ones in different ways such as in a playtime computer club. Pupils collect funds for charities and are thoughtful in their discussions about people who are less fortunate than themselves. Education for citizenship is well organised and pupils are made aware of the responsibilities which people take on when they become adults. The school promotes pupils’ respect for the contribution of people in the village to modern life; for example when a Land Girl and

p.17

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

a serviceman from the Second World War come in to tell pupils of their experiences.

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

41. Provision for cultural education is excellent. The school takes excellent, positive steps to help pupils to look beyond their small community and be aware of the different cultures in Britain and beyond. Special events, to which parents are invited, are included as part of a special weeks to raise pupils’ awareness. Informative displays stimulate pupils’ interest in other countries such as Italy, Spain, France and Germany. Pupils are well prepared to take their place in contemporary British society because of the school’s imaginative provision for multicultural education. A trip to Bradford by pupils in the juniors includes visits to places of worship and Asian shops. The trip is followed up by extensive work in a range of subjects. An evening to celebrate the diversity of cultures in Britain included Irish dancers, Indian music and dance, a West Indian steel band and local clog and garland dancers. During day-to-day lessons, pupils are encouraged to appreciate

p.18

PUPILS OR STUDENTS?

the music of famous composers and use the work of famous artists and sculptors to stimulate their own work. Local heritage is celebrated as pupils find out about the history of the village and surrounding area.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The school has very good procedures for pupils’ care and welfare and these are based on the excellent relationships and trust between adults and pupils. Teachers know the children very well as individuals and respond quickly to their needs.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. The curriculum for drugs awareness and health education are all well organised and this helps pupils to take care of themselves and encourages a healthy lifestyle. There are clear guidelines for the elimination of harassment and bullying which pupils, staff and parents know well. The procedures for child protection are properly organised and all staff, including support staff and mid-day supervisors, have been trained and are aware of the importance of these matters. The school’s health and safety policy and procedures are also carried out in an exemplary manner. Individual responsibilities are defined and classroom safety, fire drills, first aid, medicines and general welfare are dealt with very consistently. The school makes particular use of specialist skills within the governing body and ensures that a range of inspections is carried out at regular intervals.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. The systems for the monitoring and management of behaviour are very effective. The rules are clear, agreed with the pupils and then posted in classrooms. The expectations are always stated positively and they are clearly understood by pupils. Just very occasionally, it may be necessary to give a pupil targets to improve behaviour and this is done with the full involvement of parents. Assemblies are used particularly well to exemplify standards of behaviour and the care and consideration to be given to others. Teachers, classroom assistants and mid-day supervisors are very good role models. The school is a friendly place to be and parents strongly approve of the standards of behaviour achieved.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The procedures for recording personal development and attendance are very good. Personal development is closely monitored during the foundation stage and pupils who have special educational needs or problems are quickly identified. As they progress through the school, their social skills are also monitored by informal means and this sometimes leads to contacts with parents if there are concerns. Attendance is monitored closely and unexplained absence is followed up on the same morning. All parents know that regular attendance is an important factor in achieving good standards.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. The school cares very well for pupils’ with special educational needs. There are effective systems for assessment to ensure that pupils who need help are identified as soon as possible. Early identification of children with special educational needs in the nursery and reception classes leads to appropriate individual education plans and good support. Pupils are moved from stage to stage appropriately and are taken off the school’s register of special educational needs when their Aldbrough Primary School - 19 problems have been overcome. The well-designed system of targets and rewards promotes pupils’ self-esteem. There is excellent, caring support for pupils with physical impairments. The school ensures the work set by teachers builds effectively on what is learnt from reports sent from previous schools. Regular assessments and reviews enable the school to provide support at the right level.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. Procedures for assessing pupils’ academic development are very good. In addition to the statutory tests and assessments at the end of the infants and juniors, the school organises a rigorous programme of annual tests which are marked externally to ensure that the staff and governors have an objective view of standards. Pupils are assessed appropriately in subjects other than English, mathematics and science at the end of each group of lessons on particular topics. Teachers use information from tests and assessments very effectively to plan future work. Assessment in lessons, particularly through very effective questioning by teachers, helps pupils to understand current work. The school is aware that informal assessment during the marking of pupils’ work needs more rigour in order to help pupils to learn from their mistakes and present their everyday work more neatly.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. All these monitoring procedures ensure that pupils receive good support. The information is used to help place pupils in appropriate groups; it is used to ensure that classroom support assistants are deployed to help at particular times, for example when statutory testing is approaching. All pupils have personal or group targets – their ‘Hit-Lists’. There is a lunchtime homework club for those who find it difficult to work at home; individual pupils are encouraged to become involved in extra-curricular and other activities, if it is felt this will help their social skills. The school works hard to help all pupils achieve their best. High achievers are identified and provided for well; there are opportunities for them to extend their learning through challenging work in lessons, lunchtime clubs in which they can develop their skills further and creative opportunities in art, music and drama for them to celebrate their talents.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

49. Parents have very positive views about what the school does for their children and the quality of education it provides. The meeting with parents, before the inspection, was very well attended and this itself is indicative of the very good relationships which exist. The questionnaires show that parents are very happy with all aspects of school: the progress made, the behaviour, the quality of teaching, homework, the information provided, the commitment and efforts made by all the staff. Just a small number feel the information about their child’s progress could be improved.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. Parents of children in the nursery and reception classes are kept well informed of how their children are getting on and staff value their support in the classrooms and with simple homework tasks. Parents say that their children get a good start in school. Throughout the school, there are opportunities for parents to talk to staff informally at the start and end of the day and parents confirm that they are confident to approach the school at any time. Each month there is an ‘open morning’ when parents can come into school at any time to see what is going on, see their children working and look at their books. More formal meetings with class teachers take place during the autumn and spring terms and these are well attended by parents. The pupils’ annual reports give a clear picture of progress showing strengths, areas for development and targets for the next year. Parents of children with special educational needs are kept fully informed about progress and

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

involved in discussing their targets. Information about what is going on and being achieved by pupils is very good.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. Parents are given a very good range of information about the school and what their children are doing. As their children join the school, parents are invited to a presentation and receive the prospectus which explains how the school is organised and describes the curriculum. It is very comprehensive. Most information about day-to-day matters is passed on through individual letters and there is a lively monthly newsletter. Information provided about homework and forthcoming topics is exemplary. The ‘Homework Pack’ is given to every pupil each year and shows when homework will be given, in what amounts and when it should be returned. The pupils carry this Aldbrough Primary School - 20 information on a ‘credit card’ as a constant reminder. The pack also shows the schemes of work and study to be undertaken in English, mathematics and science, as well as topics in history and geography. There is useful guidance about how parents can help in all these matters. As a result,

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

parents are very pleased with the amount of homework and confirm their belief that it helps to raise standards. Children in the Foundation Stage have a home/school file which shows how they are progressing and this goes home to parents every week.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. The very positive relationships between the school and home ensure that parents make a very significant contribution to the life of the school and what it achieves. The parents association (APSA) is very active and organises many events during the academic year. These successfully create a sense of community and their efforts also have a direct benefit on the resources which are available to the children. For example, funds raised by APSA have been used to buy furniture and computers. These resources have a positive impact on pupils’ learning. The school also seeks parents’ involvement directly in the classroom; a number of parents have created ‘story sacks’ which contain interesting items linked to stories in order to stimulate pupils’ interest in literature. Parents also help with educational visits and school performances. The performances and special events which occur throughout the year are particularly noteworthy, both for the commitment and

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

involvement of the pupils and the extent to which they are supported by parents and the community. This also reflects the status and reputation of the school within the community.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. Parents feel very positive about the education their children receive and play a productive part in it themselves. A very small number of parents expressed concern at their children’s progress, either as pupils who have special educational needs or as quicker learning pupils. Inspectors feel that both groups of pupils are served well by the school. Homework is well supported by most parents. Most are keen to attend and discuss progress at consultation evenings, particularly where their children have special needs. Parents are keen to ensure their children come to school regularly and this is reflected in the above average figures for attendance.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

54. The headteacher provides outstanding leadership for the school, which is characterised by hard work, enthusiasm and energy. He has a very clear vision of what the school should offer its pupils based on a real understanding of how children learn best. He leads by example and is a gifted classroom teacher with high expectations of what children can achieve. His equally hard working and supportive staff, particularly the deputy headteacher, make significant contributions to this clear and productive sense of direction and purpose. The outcome of this hard work is a school community with a rich and exciting learning environment in which all members, both staff and children, feel valued and able to achieve their best.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The governing body fulfils its statutory duties very effectively. Governors contribute considerably in shaping the overall direction of the school and they have set challenging but realistic targets for school performance. Through a well-organised committee structure, they are very much involved in decisions about staffing, spending and the upkeep of the school buildings. Key governors, ably led by a hardworking chairperson, make a significant contribution to the life of the school and play a very positive part in planning for future developments. The governing body is kept very well informed about the work of the school by the headteacher, through discussion and written reports. All school documentation, including the school development plan, is thorough and extremely detailed. The school will need to make sure that the paper work and systems in place continue to be manageable, particularly given the increased teaching role of the headteacher.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. Careful and systematic monitoring of all aspects of the school’s work ensures that the priorities for development are those which will have the greatest impact on pupils’ learning. Evaluation of the school’s performance is translated very well into practical and achievable targets for improvement, in order to maintain strengths and deal effectively with relative weaknesses. The headteacher, deputy and co-ordinators for literacy and numeracy closely monitor teaching and learning in lessons and give useful feedback to teachers. In other subjects, co-ordinators oversee Aldbrough Primary School - 21 planning, monitor pupils’ work and discuss pupils’ progress and the subject’s development with their colleagues and with their link governors. In this way, all those associated with the leadership of the school work together as a closely-knit team. The success of the school is very important to them and there is a very strongly held and shared commitment to continuous improvement.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The appraisal of teacher’s performance is fully in place. Staff training needs are identified and are linked in with the school’s plans for improvement. The headteacher also monitors closely the progress of different groups of pupils in the school, such as those with special educational needs, able and gifted pupils, and those currently staying with carers, to ensure that they are achieving their best. Appropriate training for staff ensures that pupils are properly supported according to their needs.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The recent reduction in teaching staff was due to the lower number of children living in the area. The number of teaching staff is now adequate so that all aspects of the National Curriculum and religious education are taught appropriately. The school operates as effectively as it does because the headteacher has taken on an afternoon teaching commitment, which adds considerably to his already heavy workload. The school compensates for the reduction in teaching staff by employing an increased number of classroom assistants whose support in the classroom contributes significantly to pupils’ good achievement. Specific funding for pupils who have special educational needs is increased so that classroom assistants, who support pupils well, also help those who are learning slowly for any reason.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The accommodation is very good and it is maintained and cared for very well by the caretaker and his staff. This allows staff to teach all subjects of the National Curriculum effectively. The grounds and wildlife garden are used imaginatively as a learning resource; they have been developed attractively with financial support from local industries. The governors and staff are justifiably proud of the environment in which the adults and children work.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. Overall, the school has a good range of resources for the teaching of all subjects of the curriculum. In science, mathematics and ICT resources are very good. Teachers are very adept at borrowing items from a number of outside sources to supplement the school’s supply. In addition, staff make very good use of the school’s grounds, the local area and educational visits. Members of the local community give generously of their time to enrich the pupils’ learning experiences.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. The school’s finances are planned and controlled in an exemplary way. The governors have a very good understanding of the financial consequences of the decline in the number of pupils at the school. Plans and contingencies have been made and a forecast of the funds available to the school has been prepared for the next three years. Specific grants for provision for pupils who have special educational needs and for staff training are used appropriately. There is a very clear understanding of the need to ensure ‘best value’ in all that the school does. At a practical level, all purchases are made in the most economical manner; in a more strategic way the school considers the educational outcomes of all of its spending decisions. The day-to-day management of finances is very carefully managed by the head teacher and school administrative officer, who makes a valuable contribution to school life. Office routines are very well organised and appropriate financial

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. There have been improvements in the leadership and management of the school since the last inspection. There is an increased focus on raising the standards of pupils’ attainment and the quality of teaching which is shared more fully with pupils and staff. Governors are much more aware of the importance of regular evaluation of the school’s performance and their involvement in school matters is now strong. Aldbrough Primary School - 22

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

63. There are no significant weaknesses in the school, but, in the context of its many strengths, the following minor issues for improvement should be considered as the basis for an action plan:

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

♦ *Lift standards even further by improving the presentation of pupils’ everyday work. (Paragraphs 83, 86, 102, 134)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

♦ *Improve and implement the school’s marking policy so that pupils have more regular feedback on how well they are doing in their written work. ♦ (Paragraphs 23, 47, 95)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

♦ *Continue the school’s drive to improve pupils’ writing skills by creating an overall plan to show how writing is developed and used in all subjects. ♦ ( Paragraphs 7, 32, 83, 84, 134, 155)

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

* The school has identified these issues and is already addressing them. Aldbrough Primary School - 23

p.22

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 48 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 38

p.23

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor 10 42 40 8 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6 Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 22 147 Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals N/A 8 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1 3 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 2 10

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 10 Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 17

p.23

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

% % School data 4.2 School data 0.1 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. Aldbrough Primary School - 24

p.23

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 * * 16

p.24

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Boys * * * Girls * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Total 13 15 15 School 81 (95) 94 (95) 94 (95) Percentage of pupils at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (86)

p.24

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Boys * * * Girls * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Total 14 15 15 School 88 (89) 94 (89) 94 (95) Percentage of pupils at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. *Figures have been omitted where there are ten or fewer boys or girls, so that individual pupils cannot be identified.

p.24

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 * * 23

p.24

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Boys * * * Girls * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Total 20 18 21 School 87 (83) 78 (79) 91 (96) Percentage of pupils at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

p.24

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Boys * * * Girls * * * Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Total 20 19 22 School 87 (88) 83 (88) 96 (96) Percentage of pupils at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. *Figures have been omitted where there are ten or fewer boys or girls, so that individual pupils cannot be identified.

p.24

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0 Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0 Black – other 0 Black – other 0 0 Indian 0 Indian 0 0 Pakistani 0 Pakistani 0 0 Bangladeshi 0 Bangladeshi 0 0 Chinese 0 Chinese 0 0 White 130 White 0 0 Aldbrough Primary School - 25 Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.24

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and classes: Y1 – Y6 Financial year 1999-

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 6 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 24.6 £ Average class size 29.4 Total income 332,006 Total expenditure 338,601 Education support staff: Y1 – Y6 Expenditure per pupil 1,958 Total number of education support staff 7 Balance brought forward from previous year 28,013

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 120 Balance carried forward to next year 21,418

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 32

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2 Total aggregate hours worked per week 65

p.25

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 10.7 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.25

Questionnaire return rate

Number of questionnaires sent out 141 Number of questionnaires returned 74

p.25

Questionnaire return rate

Percentage of responses in each category Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know My child likes school. 64 35 0 1 0

p.25

Questionnaire return rate

My child is making good progress in school. 65 28 3 0 4

p.25

Questionnaire return rate

Behaviour in the school is good. 64 35 0 0 1

p.25

Questionnaire return rate

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 45 49 3 0 3

p.25

Questionnaire return rate

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 50 35 11 3 1

p.25

Questionnaire return rate

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 80 12 4 4 0

p.25

Questionnaire return rate

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 77 23 0 0 0

p.25

Questionnaire return rate

The school works closely with parents. 64 30 4 1 1

p.25

Questionnaire return rate

The school is well led and managed. 75 24 0 0 1 Aldbrough Primary School - 26 The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 66 31 3 0 0

p.25

Questionnaire return rate

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 64 29 4 0 3

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64. Children under six years old are taught in the recently organised unit for the Foundation Stage, which includes provision for the nursery and reception ages. There are three intakes a year into the nursery, where children enter in the term after their third birthday. Children move to an increasingly demanding curriculum in the reception year, which begins in the term in which they are five years old. There is a broad range of attainment on entry to the school; overall, it is average, but a significant number of pupils need support and encouragement from staff to express themselves orally. Children make good progress and, by the time they move to Year 1, reach the nationally expected Early Learning Goals in communication, language and literacy and in mathematical, physical and creative development. They exceed expectations in personal, social and emotional development and knowledge and understanding of the world because of the school’s emphasis on

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

promoting children’s confidence and helping them to understand and enjoy the world around them.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

65. The school’s decision to create a unit for the Foundation Stage is working well. Its success is due to the high quality of the teaching, immaculate planning and the very good and well-resourced accommodation. Since the last inspection, the quality of teaching and planning has improved and children’s attainment in personal, social and emotional development and knowledge and understanding of the world has also improved.

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Personal, social and emotional development

66. By the time children enter Year 1, children’s personal, social and emotional development is good. The school’s emphasis on this aspect of children’s development is well illustrated by the very good provision in the nursery and reception years. As they work and play together, children gain a wide range of skills which enable them to integrate well into school life, develop good relationships and acquire positive attitudes to learning. They enjoy coming to school and nursery children soon settle into class routines. They respect the simple and clearly explained classroom rules and behave very well. Children show independence in dressing and in personal hygiene and like to help with clearing up at the end of lessons. They develop increasing levels of concentration and show enthusiasm for the wide range of activities provided. Throughout the nursery and reception years, there is a clear understanding of what is right and what is wrong, and children develop respect for

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Personal, social and emotional development

the views of others as they work and play together. They gain increasing understanding of other cultures as they join in school topics such as those about Europe and about the rich range of cultures in contemporary Britain. In religious education lessons, reception children become more aware of a range of faiths and recognise milestones, such as baptism, in their own lives. As they play with older pupils and eat with them at lunchtimes, children are integrated well and become valued members of the school community at an early age.

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Personal, social and emotional development

67. Teaching is very good. All staff encourage independence and value each child. Children are helped to understand their own feelings and those of others. The staff work as an effective team and children are introduced sensitively but thoroughly to school routines. Staff have a very good understanding of the needs of young children and relationships between adults and children are excellent. The happy and purposeful atmosphere motivates children to want to learn. Social skills such as awareness of road safety are taught rigorously. Good planning and adult support ensure that children adapt well to the increasing depth and brisker pace of work in the reception year. Aldbrough Primary School - 27

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Communication, language and literacy

68. Speaking and listening skills are broadly in line with expectations by the time children are six years old. Children ask for help confidently and most are keen to make contributions to class discussions. They respond well to help from staff who encourage them to extend their answers and clarify their ideas. Throughout the day, children develop specific language to support their learning in all areas of the curriculum and achieve well, especially in speaking and listening. Nursery children gain increasing skills in reading as they handle books with care and are interested in them. They know that the cover illustration gives clues to what is inside a book and they follow the story by looking at the pictures. Reception children know initial sounds and recognise frequently used words in simple texts. In the literacy hour, children benefit from reading together from shared texts. They follow the words from left to right and join in the simple and repetitive stories. Most

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Communication, language and literacy

children reach standards appropriate for six-year-olds by the time they join Year 1 and children who learn more quickly read well for their age. Pupils from Year 6 share books with children so that they learn from good role models who enjoy reading. Writing skills develop appropriately as nursery children make marks with a range of writing materials. They acquire satisfactory levels of manipulative control as they paint, draw and trace patterns, learn to form letters, and record their work with marks and lively drawings. In both the nursery and reception years, staff provide writing areas where children can make marks and practise their writing. Most reception children reach appropriate standards as they form letters correctly and begin to write sentences independently. Higher attaining pupils have a clear sense of narrative as they write about what they have done and learned.

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Communication, language and literacy

69. Teaching is very good and there is a strong focus on the development of oral skills. The best teaching is characterised by the high levels of interaction between the staff and the children, whose ideas are teased out and extended imaginatively. Because staff assess children’s learning very well, work is well matched to individual needs and children, including those with special educational needs, learn in a step-by-step way. Staff provide opportunities for pupils to participate regularly in discussions and to read and write about a wide variety of experiences. Nursery nurses play a valuable role in the teaching process. Their involvement in the planning ensures that lesson objectives are followed through and children acquire a rich platform of language experiences to support later learning in all subjects. Letter sounds and patterns are taught thoroughly and reception children benefit from the very well organised sessions in the literacy hour.

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Mathematical development

70. Most children attain standards in line with expectations for their age by the time they leave the reception class. Nursery children join in number rhymes and games and soon count confidently to ten and understand number values to five. Children sort and match a wide range of objects and develop an appropriate vocabulary to express size, shape and colour. As they play purposefully with sand and water, children develop an appropriate vocabulary such as ‘full’ and ‘empty’. They fill and empty containers and know when they need more or have too much. Most reception children count confidently to 20 and know when they need more or less to make a given number of objects. They develop an awareness of addition and subtraction and know that much bigger numbers are used in everyday life. Most pupils achieve well and record their work in a lively way, with appropriately formed figures and bright drawings.

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Mathematical development

71. Teaching is very good. Staff focus on practical experiences which help children to enjoy mathematics and gain ideas in interesting ways. For example, the teacher used puppets to add excitement and fun to counting games. Role-play is used effectively to reinforce mathematical ideas. As children pretend to be adults, they lay the table for meals and match the crockery and cutlery to the number of people having meals. Cooking activities are used to help children to understand the importance of order. As they made biscuits, children remembered the list of ingredients and recalled the order in which they assembled them. When they designed pizzas for an Italian meal, children sorted toppings. Very good organisation ensures that reception children enjoy a demanding numeracy lesson each day, in which the teacher reinforces and extends Aldbrough Primary School - 28 children’s mathematical understanding effectively. As a result, children gain early skills in quick

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Mathematical development

mental recall so that they begin to build up secure knowledge of simple addition and subtraction facts.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

72. Children benefit from the wide and exciting curriculum provided by the school, make good gains in their learning and develop positive attitudes to learning. By the end of the reception year, children’s knowledge and understanding of the world exceeds expectations for their age. They experience a rich and stimulating curriculum, which draws very effectively on national recommendations and the school’s approach to making school an exciting place to learn. Children gain knowledge and understanding which underpins later learning in science, design and technology, geography, history, ICT and religious education. They care for plants, grow bulbs, encourage ferns to grow on carrot-tops and know that plants need water to develop properly. As they go for walks in the village, children become more aware of the layout and heritage of the area in which they live. The high standards in ICT start here in the Foundation Stage. Children learn

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

skills in the school’s suite of computers and then practise and use them in the classrooms. By the end of the reception year, most children confidently control the mouse, choose programs from a menu, make decisions as they play simple adventure games, move images on the screen, write simple text and save and print their work.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

73. Teaching is very good. The staff plan and prepare stimulating activities which are linked well to the requirements of the nationally recommended curriculum. Because of the emphasis on relevance, teachers refer to a wider view of how each area of the curriculum is developed. For example, skills in citizenship are fostered. In a stimulating and well-planned lesson in literacy, the nursery nurse used finger puppets to reinforce the message that children should not play on the road. Local people, such as a member of a local church, are invited into school to tell children about important happenings, such as Baptism, which are shared with other people in the village. The teacher plans for children to join in wider school topics so that they identify significant features in the village and also know about maps and different ways of life in other countries. Staff have high expectations of children and skills for research are developed effectively. For example, staff use

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

the school’s conservation area to provide opportunities for children to see how tadpoles develop into frogs and to observe a range of insects and plants.

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Physical development

74. Nursery children run, jump and balance with appropriate levels of control and co-ordination. They ride wheeled toys confidently and use simple tools effectively; for example as they play with sand and water. Reception children run about safely and join in simple games as they share morning playtimes with older pupils. There are planned opportunities for all children to use equipment in the school hall, where they reach appropriate standards for their age as they climb, crawl, run, play simple games and dance. In well-structured physical education lessons, children build skills progressively. During a well-organised lesson, reception children increased their skills of rolling, throwing and catching balls and worked well together in pairs. In lessons linked to science, children learn about parts of the body, healthy foods and the importance of exercise. As they play with construction kits, building blocks and malleable materials such as dough and clay, children

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Physical development

increase their levels of manipulative control. Most children control paintbrushes, pencils and scissors appropriately by the time they leave the reception class.

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Physical development

75. Good teaching ensures that children respond well to instructions in physical education lessons and outdoor sessions. Activities are well organised so that children benefit from robust activity which provides good levels of exercise and fun. A stimulating variety of wheeled and other toys give children opportunities to use their imagination as they play. Staff supervise children well during writing activities so that they hold pencils correctly and form letters and figures in the right way. During craft and cooking sessions, adults provide good role models as they use tools such as scissors and cooking utensils safely. Aldbrough Primary School - 29

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Creative development

76. Children achieve standards in line with national expectations and learn at a good rate as they develop confidence to express themselves in a variety of ways. In music, they sing sweetly and have a good repertoire of known songs which they sing rhythmically and tunefully. Reception and older nursery children confidently join the singing when they take part in assemblies. Nursery children gradually learn to sit quietly and listen attentively. Reception children recognise sounds made by a variety of percussion instruments and begin to identify high and low sounds accurately. Throughout these early years, children benefit from a wide range of creative activities, including drawing, painting, printing, cutting, pasting, collage and modelling with dough and with reclaimed materials. They gain increasing skill in mixing paints and using tools to create pictures and models which are imaginative, bright, and colourful. Their work is linked well to other areas of learning; for

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Creative development

example when they make collage pizzas which clearly depict features such as tomatoes and cheese. In the role-play areas, children develop skills in drama and self-expression as they pretend to be adults who manage homes or patrol street crossings.

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Creative development

77. Teaching is good. The teacher and the nursery nurses organise stimulating activities which stir children’s imagination and encourage them to express their ideas and feelings in a variety of interesting ways. In music, staff engage well with children and foster good listening habits. Art and craft sessions are planned effectively so that children have easy access to the necessary materials. Puppets are used very imaginatively to encourage children to develop dramatic skills such as characterisation and expressive voices. Well-planned and supervised role-play areas foster good relationships and co-operative skills which are essential for the more elaborate and wider-scale musical and dramatic productions performed later in the school. Staff develop children’s interest and confidence in performing for others when they plan concerts, for example, at Christmas.

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ENGLISH

78. Good standards in reading have been maintained since the last inspection and the trend of the school’s overall performance in English has risen steadily in line with the national trend since 1996. By the time they are eleven years old, the majority of pupils achieve well in English. Three major factors have guided and shaped the school’s improved performance: ♦ the very effective implementation of the National Literacy Strategy; ♦ improved teaching as a result of staff training and the high quality of teachers’ planning; and ♦ regular monitoring of classroom teaching and learning and helpful discussions afterwards.

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ENGLISH

79. In the 2000 national tests for eleven-year-olds, the school’s results were well above average in comparison with all schools nationally and average compared with similar schools. The percentage of pupils reaching the nationally expected standard for eleven-year-olds was above average, and a well above average percentage exceeded it. The school exceeded the targets set with the local education authority. On the evidence of current inspection, overall standards are above expectations for eleven-year-olds, but a smaller percentage than last year perform at the higher level. However, all pupils are performing in line with or better than expectations based on their results in national tests as seven-year-olds.

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ENGLISH

80. There was a rising trend in the school’s results for seven-year-olds in reading and writing from 1996 to 1999, with standards which were never less than average. However, in the national tests for seven-year-olds in 2000, the school’s performance was below average compared with all schools and well below average compared with similar schools. There were weaknesses in reading and strengths in writing. There was a particularly large group of pupils who have special educational needs, who achieved well based on their earlier learning but did not reach the level expected for their age. Current standards for seven-year-olds are, overall, in line with national expectations. They are higher in reading than in writing. The school’s excellent tracking system Aldbrough Primary School - 30 shows that all pupils are achieving in line with or better than predictions based on their performance on entry to the infants.

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ENGLISH

81. Speaking and listening skills are in line with expectations by the time pupils are seven and eleven years old. In the infants, good levels of adult support during work in groups provide opportunities for pupils to express and extend their ideas. Pupils gain increasing skill in using specific subject language to explain their work to the rest of the class at the end of lessons. By the end of the juniors, pupils express their views clearly and take part confidently in discussions. The school’s emphasis on the creative and performing arts provides opportunities for all pupils, including those who are gifted and talented, to achieve well in speaking and listening as they contribute to theatrical productions.

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ENGLISH

82. Reading skills develop well in the infants. Because pupils enjoy reading and they have had a good start in the Foundation Stage, they make good progress and build effectively on what they already know. Even the youngest pupils know about authors and illustrators. In well-planned literacy lessons, pupils become increasingly aware of how authors create characters, scenes and drama which result in interesting and exciting stories. Thorough teaching of letter sounds and shapes helps pupils to ‘have a go’ at unfamiliar words. Children know about fiction and non-fiction books and most seven-year-olds use the contents and index pages confidently. Higher attaining pupils read simple novels by well-known authors and use literature and CD ROMs confidently to search for information. In the juniors, pupils become more aware of sub-plots and look for motives and hidden meaning in texts. As they studied poetry about rivers, older pupils considered how

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ENGLISH

poets create mood and pace. They went on to write their own thoughtful poems. Most pupils read children’s fiction of good quality fluently and more able pupils bring life and excitement to the text as they use expression, adopt a range of voices and convey the mood of the writing. By the time they are eleven, pupils’ skills for research are developed well. They use the schools’ library catalogue confidently and quickly refer to the index pages in books to locate specific information. They also search for information in CD ROMs and on the Internet.

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ENGLISH

83. The school has identified writing as an area for improvement and standards in the infants are improving as pupils practise their drafting skills and gain increasing knowledge of English grammar and punctuation. Pupils work well on their spelling and learn lists of words at home. Those who learn more quickly have a good range of vocabulary which they use effectively to express their ideas in stories and other written work. Pupils write for a good range of purposes. As they record work in other subjects, pupils make lists and write instructions, reports, letters and descriptions. In the juniors, pupils produce work of good quality which links with current topics; for example, reports of visits during residential trips. Pupils gain valuable skills in writing for everyday purposes; for example in letters to managers to complain about facilities at various places. Pupils of average and above average attainment write with confidence and sensitivity, using paragraphs

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ENGLISH

and enlivening their work with metaphors and similes. Poetry writing is of a particularly good standard. Slower learners benefit from the school’s systematic approach to the teaching of spelling and they make good progress in the planning and drafting of stories. Throughout the school, cursive handwriting is practised regularly and pupils produce well-presented pieces of work which are beautifully illustrated. Everyday work is not always presented well.

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ENGLISH

84. Literacy is used effectively to support other subjects. Specific vocabulary is promoted in all subjects. Although pupils do not use the school library regularly because access is through a classroom, there are lots of books in all rooms for pupils to find information. Writing is practised in all subjects but there is no overall plan so that skills are developed in a systematic way which uses time more efficiently. Pupils word process their work very effectively and use computers for research as they gain information from CD ROMs and the Internet.

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ENGLISH

85. Pupils who have special educational needs make good progress because teachers plan work very well, based on pupils’ earlier learning. This is true for all pupils, and those with special educational needs benefit from well-written individual learning plans which are followed well by teachers and classroom assistants. The support given by assistants in a literacy lesson in Year 2, for example, enabled pupils to write sentences with a clear beginning and ending and appropriate Aldbrough Primary School - 31 punctuation. The school’s step-by-step approach to the teaching of letter sounds, very good policy of inclusion of all pupils in all activities and good links with parents give pupils with special educational needs a secure base for learning in English. Higher attaining pupils are encouraged to make more rapid progress when they are taught as a group and given challenging work.

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ENGLISH

86. Pupils’ attitudes, behaviour and personal development in English are very good. Pupils become increasingly confident as they learn to organise their writing materials, ensure that they understand the task in hand and get down to work promptly. They enjoy reading and most are keen to contribute to class discussions. In activities where they work in pairs or groups, pupils relate very well to one another. Although their drafting books and final copies of work are usually well presented, pupils do not take sufficient pride in much of their everyday written work. Pupils say that regular homework helps them to make good progress as they practise what they have learned or prepare for later lessons.

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ENGLISH

87. The quality of teaching is good throughout the school. Teachers have a sure grasp of the requirements of the literacy hour and lessons are planned very well, with appropriate work for pupils of differing attainments. They have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and expect them to concentrate and work hard. As a result, there is a purposeful working atmosphere in all classrooms. Teachers choose interesting texts which stimulate pupils’ interest and include specific features, such as spellings and grammar, which contribute effectively to pupils’ learning. Because teachers plan together and share the planning with classroom assistants, there is a whole-school approach to the teaching of English and pupils learn in a steadily progressive way. Teaching methods help pupils to understand what they are expected to learn in lessons and teachers set individual targets for all pupils in ‘hit lists’. Lessons begin with whole-class teaching, continue with

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ENGLISH

appropriate tasks for groups and individuals and end with a class review of what has been learned.

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ENGLISH

88. The best teaching is characterised by the high quality of questioning and the brisk pace throughout the lesson. Pupils, especially those who learn more quickly, lose interest on the very few occasions when whole class teaching goes on for too long. Regular assessments of pupils’ attainment are used well to inform teachers’ planning. Detailed information helps teachers to group pupils carefully and prepare work for them at the right level. Teachers do not always follow the school’s marking policy consistently so that pupils are reminded about good presentation and have more regular and helpful feedback on how they are doing. Classroom assistants contribute significantly to pupils’ learning. Because they engage well with pupils, listen attentively to them and patiently reinforce what is to be learned, classroom assistants gain their respect and build excellent relationships with them. This has a positive effect on pupils’ learning.

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ENGLISH

89. The policy and schemes of work are clear and helpful for teachers in their daily work. The scheme is linked closely to the National Literacy Strategy, with extra reading and writing activities to ensure that pupils have sufficient time to practise these important skills. The co-ordinator leads the subject well. She has advised and supported colleagues skilfully during the introduction and implementation of the literacy hour. Regular monitoring of classroom teaching and learning has enabled her to form a rounded picture of the school’s teaching of English. This is shared with all staff and governors. The named governor for literacy works conscientiously with the co-ordinator and feeds back information to the full governing body. Resources are good. There is a good supply of a full range of books, including ‘big books’ used in the literacy hour, and the library is well organised so that teachers and pupils can quickly identify books which are useful for current topics.

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ENGLISH

There is also a very good supply of CD ROMs to support research in all subjects. Visitors to the school, including drama groups and writers, enhance the curriculum and bring relevance to pupils’ learning.

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MATHEMATICS

90. Standards have improved since the last inspection. By the time they are eleven years old, the majority of pupils achieve well in mathematics. Factors which have contributed significantly to Aldbrough Primary School - 32 this improvement include: ♦ the very effective implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy, including good support and guidance from the local education authority; ♦ the improved quality of much of the teaching and planning; and ♦ the improved monitoring of performance and the high profile enjoyed by mathematics in the school.

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MATHEMATICS

91. In the 2000 national tests for eleven-year-olds, the school’s results were broadly average when compared to schools with similar intakes and compared with all schools nationally. The percentage of pupils reaching the nationally expected standard for eleven-year-olds was above average and an above average percentage exceeded it. Rigorous teaching in line with the National Numeracy Strategy is continuing to have a positive impact on standards. On the evidence of the current inspection, both boys’ and girls’ attainment is above expectations for their age. A smaller percentage than last year perform at the higher level, but all pupils are performing at least in line with, and sometimes better than, expectations based on their results in national tests as seven- year-olds.

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MATHEMATICS

92. In the national tests for seven-year-olds in 2000, the school’s performance was below that of schools with similar intakes. It was slightly below the national average for the percentage of pupils reaching the nationally expected standard. These results should be treated with caution, however, as the number of pupils taking the tests was small and the performance of just one pupil can affect the percentages significantly. Current standards for most seven-year-olds are in line with those expected nationally for their age.

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MATHEMATICS

93. By the age of eleven, pupils achieve well in mathematics. They multiply and divide numbers to two decimal places, work with negative numbers and equivalent fractions, and solve money problems. Pupils of all levels of attainment represent data on different types of graphs and those of higher attainment compare and interpret the results. By the age of seven, pupils work confidently with two digit numbers. Lower attaining pupils work with 100 squares to find numbers which are one more than or ten more than a given number. They understand place value and can count in tens from a given starting point. Higher attaining pupils use their knowledge of number bonds to calculate the addition of several numbers and can solve money problems calculating change from one pound. In all classes, all groups of pupils with identified special needs make good progress. Teachers are fully aware of their needs and teachers and classroom assistants monitor their

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MATHEMATICS

94. The quality of teaching is good throughout the school, with many very good features, enabling all children to achieve well. Teaching is organised so that as far as possible, pupils of similar attainment work together and this strategy is effective in ensuring that higher attaining pupils are given hard enough work and pupils who learn more slowly are well supported. All teachers fully understand and plan very well for the National Numeracy Strategy. For the most part, they apply it to good effect when creating a balance between whole class teaching, practical activities and discussion. Just occasionally the pace of the lesson slows when teachers talk for too long and leave insufficient time for pupils to practise what they have learnt. This is not the case in the introductory ‘mental maths’ sessions, where teaching is always good. Quick-fire questions keep pupils on their toes and very good use is made of resources such as white boards to ensure all

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MATHEMATICS

pupils are fully involved. Pupils enjoy these sessions, learn at a good rate and participate eagerly, because they are made fun by the teachers. For example, in a very good lesson for pupils in Years 4 and 5, pupils calculated and recorded fractions and division on small, individual boards. By the end of the lesson, they were able to identify the six related facts very quickly and explain the relationships between them. Another strength of many lessons is the way in which teachers encourage pupils to use different methods of calculating and finding answers. As a result, pupils develop a good understanding of mathematical ideas such as the place value of hundreds, tens and units within numbers. In all lessons, teachers manage pupils well. Behaviour is exemplary because pupils are enthusiastic about mathematics and the great majority really enjoy their work. Aldbrough Primary School - 33 95. Teachers make regular assessments of pupils’ work and set targets for improvement.

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MATHEMATICS

There is some room for improvement in teachers’ marking. In most classes work is marked regularly but not all teachers apply the school’s marking policy consistently. There is not always enough feedback to pupils on how they are doing and some teachers do not place enough importance on the presentation of work. Teachers set mathematics homework regularly and most parents fully support this because it has a positive impact on their children's progress.

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MATHEMATICS

96. The subject is very well managed by the co-ordinator, who has played a major role in the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy. Her drive to incorporate an increased number of opportunities for pupils to practise and use mathematics in other subjects is well chosen and timely.

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SCIENCE

97. At the last inspection, standards of attainment were above average in the national tests for eleven-year-olds and average in the teachers’ assessments of seven-year-olds. Since then, results have fluctuated, but have been restored to above average levels. The current inspection findings endorse the results of the most recent tests and assessments. Good standards have been maintained by the time pupils leave the school because of: ♦ the good quality of the teaching; ♦ a systematic procedure for assessing pupils’ progress; ♦ very good lesson planning based on these assessments.

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SCIENCE

98. In the 2000 tests for eleven-year-olds, the school’s results were average compared to schools with similar intakes. The percentage of pupils reaching the nationally expected standards for eleven-year-olds was above average, and an above average percentage exceeded them. On the evidence of the current inspection, standards are above the level expected for eleven-year-olds. All pupils are performing better than expectations based on their results in national tests for seven- year-olds and no significant differences were noted in the performance of boys and girls. Pupils make sound progress in the infants, achieve well by the time they are eleven and gain increasing confidence in their scientific knowledge, understanding and skills.

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SCIENCE

99. In the 2000 tests for seven-year-olds, the school’s performance was average compared to schools with similar intakes. It was close to the national average for the percentage of pupils reaching the nationally expected standard and above the average for the percentage of pupils exceeding the nationally expected standard for the age group. Current standards for most seven- year-olds are in line with those expected nationally for their age. The percentage of pupils exceeding the expected level is similar to last year, and reflects the school’s predictions based on their performance on entry to the infants.

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SCIENCE

100. By the age of eleven, pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding are well developed. They know how to set up an experiment to provide a fair test of the strengths of different types of paper. They use their previous knowledge well when comparing different solids for how well they dissolve. Pupils are in the habit of systematically recording their findings, and know that repeating an experiment is likely to lead to more reliable conclusions. They know about the processes of photosynthesis and how creatures fit into a food chain. Pupils who learn more slowly benefit from the school’s increasing use of practical work; for example, when they carry out observations in the conservation area. Average and higher attaining pupils express their understanding of scientific processes very well. They confidently discuss how to separate liquids and solids and explain the processes of evaporation and condensation. Higher attaining pupils have a particularly good

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SCIENCE

knowledge of forces. As they grow older, pupils rely on prepared worksheets for too long and this does not give them sufficient opportunities to organise their own findings and record their investigations in their own way.

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SCIENCE

101. By the age of seven, pupils carry out investigations in a systematic way, and they have a Aldbrough Primary School - 34 sound knowledge of science. They know that pushes and pulls are forces and that these can change the shape of dough and are instrumental in the movement of vehicles. As they work, pupils show initiative in making their own suggestions for investigations. Pupils have a good knowledge of the parts of an animal’s body and what it needs for life. This links well with their knowledge of healthy living for humans. They compare features of different animals well, and gain increasing understanding of how creatures have adapted to their habitats. Pupils confidently compare different materials and know their sources. More able pupils have an advanced understanding of evaporation, the irreversibility of changes made by heating, and the conduction of electricity in metal. 102. Speaking and listening skills are developed well in science lessons because of the school's

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SCIENCE

approach to the development of specific subject vocabulary and the focus on practical investigations in which pupils often work in groups. Skills in literacy, numeracy and ICT are used regularly in science. Finished work for booklets and display is attractively presented, but everyday evidence is often written untidily. In the infants, pupils used computers to reinforce their learning about plants. Older pupils recorded the results of comparing elastic bands for their stretch. Pupils use graphs to organise and present their findings; for example when they compared temperatures in different parts of the school. Older pupils in the juniors use electronic sensors to measure temperature and pressure and record their results on computers.

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SCIENCE

103. Pupils are highly enthusiastic about science. Their very good rapport with their teachers enables them to contribute confidently and sensibly to discussions; for example to make predictions about how well different solids will dissolve. Pupils are very careful to be methodical in their experiments, especially when they set up fair tests. They become very involved in their activities and are very well behaved.

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SCIENCE

104. Overall, the quality of teaching is good, with evidence of sound teaching in the infants and very good teaching in the juniors. In the infants, teachers have high expectations of systematic investigation and of the use of the correct scientific vocabulary. Teachers listen well and encourage pupils to work together co-operatively. Because teachers plan stimulating lessons, pupils sustain concentration and usually have plenty of ideas to share at the end of lessons. Opportunities for pupils to learn from one another were hampered in a lesson for older infants when the teacher did not ensure that all pupils were involved in discussions. Pupils soon become young scientists who make predictions, consider ways to investigate, carry out fair tests, record their results and evaluate what they have done and found out. In the infants, teachers promote a variety of ways for pupils to record results, for example on simple grids. Good links are made between subjects; for example

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SCIENCE

when pupils relate the forces of push and pull to the manipulation of puppets which they made in design and technology.

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SCIENCE

105. In the juniors, the high quality of the teaching is characterised by the teachers’ clear instructions which help all pupils, especially those who have special educational needs, to make good progress over time. Progress in the lessons seen was very good. When pupils investigated the changes which occur when different solids were mixed with water, they knew exactly what to do and how to be rigorous in testing fairly. The teacher’s preliminary quick-fire questioning, carried out with appropriate humour, encouraged them to discuss and build on previous knowledge. Teachers prepare lessons very well so that pupils have the resources they need and can get with their work promptly. While pupils are engaged in their experiments, teachers move about the classroom, helping pupils and assessing their progress. Teachers throughout the school make good use of homework, such as when pupils prepare for lessons through activities at home such as identifying

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SCIENCE

sources of light or uses of electricity. Classroom assistants are deployed well and this benefits all pupils, especially those who have special educational needs. Pupils also gain from the support of parent and other voluntary helpers in lessons. Teachers ensure that the adults who support pupils are clear about what is to be learnt.

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SCIENCE

106. The co-ordinator leads the subject well and monitors teaching and learning regularly so that she can feed back to teachers on the school’s successes and where development is necessary. The standards of teaching are good and the staff is wholly committed to continuous improvement. The co-ordinator has appropriately identified the use of computers and of the conservation area to Aldbrough Primary School - 35 be current priorities. This matches well with the improvements indicated in the school’s development plan. Assessment of individual pupils’ progress is well established. Very good levels of analysis of school and national assessments enable the school to identify areas of the subject which need to be developed. Necessary changes are made to teachers’ plans when gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding are indicated. The co-ordinator has appropriately re-designed the targets for achievement in science and organised a good collection of pupils’ work at different levels

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SCIENCE

of attainment. Teachers can more easily refer to these to assess pupils’ progress.

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SCIENCE

107. Pupils benefit from a broad curriculum based on first-hand investigation. The curriculum is extended well through special events such as the ‘Health Fortnight’, visits to significant sites and residential courses. The school has improved its programme of work by planning lessons that develop science as a specific subject rather than as part of a theme or topic. At the same time links with other subjects are used very effectively to bring relevance to pupils’ learning. The lively, ‘hands on’ approach to the curriculum particularly benefits pupils who have special educational needs because they are able and eager to carry out practical investigations. Teachers positively encourage all pupils to take part in lessons, and girls and boys have equal access to activities. The curriculum is well supported by very good resources, including plenty of space for experiments and a recently developed conservation area. The school’s consistent use of the school grounds and

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SCIENCE

surrounding village for fieldwork has a positive impact on pupils’ learning and helps them to achieve well.

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ART AND DESIGN

108. Standards are above those typical for seven-year-olds and well above those typical for eleven-year-olds. This is an improvement on the positive findings of the last inspection, when pupils’ attainment was in line with expectations for seven-year-olds and above expectations for eleven-year-olds. Pupils now have a wider range of artistic experiences and the environment is used extensively to stimulate pupils’ work.

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ART AND DESIGN

109. By the end of the infants, pupils develop techniques and acquire a good range of skills as they explore the use of a wide variety of materials. They use crayon, pastel, paint and collage to make pictures. They create three-dimensional structures and experiment with clay to fashion pots and models. Their work often links with other subjects, especially in drawing. Their written work is brought to life with lively sketches and pupils show their understanding of subjects such as science and design and technology when they draw and label drawings. In history, pupils drew detailed crayon pictures of the Great Fire of London. As they studied healthy ways to eat, pupils created carefully executed collages of meals on paper plates. Paintings are bright and colourful, with bold brush strokes; for example in exciting pictures of flowers. Pupils practise techniques to create specific effects; for example when they painted dark silhouettes of buildings against a glowing

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ART AND DESIGN

110. By the time they are eleven years old, pupils bring their knowledge and understanding of how famous artists have worked to influence their own work. Pupils in Year 3 looked at Pre- Raphaelite art and Art Nouveau and chose motifs as a starting point for their own designs. Older pupils studied the paintings of Gauguin and created similar effects when they painted exciting pictures to illustrate a West Indian story. After a visit to an Asian shopping area and fabric shops in Bradford, pupils printed beautiful geometric and floral patterns on fabric. The work is of high quality, with intricate designs and carefully executed printing. Pupils also incorporate sewing into their artistic designs. They made a sewn collage to illustrate a traditional tale from St Lucia. The work includes attractive textures and bold shapes together with delicate features to show the market, boats and the beach. Artistic work is linked well to other subjects. For example, pupils in Year 4

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ART AND DESIGN

sketch pencil portraits from photographs of significant leaders from World War 2. They include careful shading which defines facial features very well and makes the people, such as Winston Churchill, clearly recognisable. During and after educational visits, pupils create observational drawings of interesting features; for example, when pupils in Year 4 captured the beauty and Aldbrough Primary School - 36 intricacy of chandeliers in a mosque. Local heritage is celebrated with pride. Pupils visited the Ferens Art Gallery in Hull to look at marine pictures. Their own pictures of the River Humber at night are arresting and beautiful.

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ART AND DESIGN

111. Literacy and numeracy are promoted well in art lessons. The school has a good variety of books about art and geometric shapes and patterns are explored in lessons. Pupils use ICT extensively to create designs and draw pictures and patterns, for example when they study the fabrics of William Morris.

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ART AND DESIGN

112. Pupils enjoy art and many say that it is their favourite subject. Some go to a drawing club in the village and share their enjoyment of art with local adults. Pupils are thoughtful and reflective in the way they remember how they wanted to achieve effects and improve their work. At the end of lessons, when they share ideas and show what they have done, pupils are generous with praise for others in the class. Pupils are keen and proud to talk about their displayed work. Pupils who have special educational needs enjoy success and achieve very well in a subject in which attainment in spoken and written language does not hamper their ability to express their ideas.

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ART AND DESIGN

113. The quality of teaching is very good in the juniors. No lessons were observed in the infants but the good standard of work produced by pupils reflects the very good planning and interesting and careful choice of resources. Throughout the school, teachers link art with other subjects very effectively. This enables pupils to learn at a very good rate because they practise and use their skills regularly. Pupils with special education needs, for example visual impairment, benefit from support of high quality and the use of specialist equipment which gives them equal access to the curriculum. Teachers choose resources very well and value the ideas put forward by pupils. In a lesson for pupils in Year 3, the teacher complimented and encouraged pupils appropriately when they choose sections of famous designs to enhance their own work. In an excellent lesson in Years 4 and 5, the teacher provided beautiful examples of pottery and helped pupils to explore a

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ART AND DESIGN

stimulating range of experiences, including basketwork, to create containers. Pupils observed natural features in the school conservation area to create designs to decorate their work.

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ART AND DESIGN

114. The subject is co-ordinated very well by a talented and enthusiastic co-ordinator who shares her ideas with colleagues and inspires pupils. There is a useful policy for art and the school has incorporated national guidance with its own exciting curriculum to provide pupils with a wealth of rich experiences. Prints of well-known pictures are displayed to inspire pupils. Bright and well- organised displays of pupils’ work raise self-esteem and add significantly to the ethos of the school. Educational visits, for example to Northumberland, Derbyshire and Flamborough Head, enhance curricular provision. Visiting artists provide new ideas and exciting ways of working; for example, when art was linked to poetry and pupils used natural materials to make masks. Standards and provision in art are a strength of the school.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

115. The high standards identified in the last inspection have been sustained, and, in the case of eleven-year-olds, have improved. Standards are well above expectations when pupils are eleven. Pupils successfully design and make desk tidies that are very well finished. They also make a variety of biscuits which are evaluated in detail, as when they consider their attractiveness, size, shape, flavour, texture and packaging. Their inventiveness stretches much further, however, when they designed a range of bridges and water wheels which show well above average skills in construction. In the juniors, pupils develop their ability to plan their work independently, so that their products are highly individual. For example, pupils in one class used their scientific knowledge about circuits very effectively to make well designed and finished torches. Pupils’ planning is very often based on knowledge gained from taking existing products to pieces. This is not only to see

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

how they work, but also to appraise their design. Most importantly, pupils have developed a great deal of independence in their designing and in their ability to evaluate their own work. Aldbrough Primary School - 37 116. Standards in design and technology are above those typically expected of seven-year- olds. They design and make a range of very attractive items for a doll’s house. They also already show individuality in their work when they design bags and moving vehicles and use a range of skills, such as sticking and sewing, to make them. They confidently measure and saw in order to make model furniture. Pupils progress well as they learn to use a good range of materials and tools effectively. ICT is employed both as a source of information and as a means of designing and recording plans. Pupils who have special educational needs achieve well, mostly without support, but sometimes through working in groups. Pupils use the teacher’s framework confidently to

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

explain the task in hand, draw the design, and list the materials and tools they will use.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

117. Pupils say they enjoy the subject because it is fun. They make items which are relevant to everyday life, such as fruit salads, pizzas, pop-up Christmas cards and decorated tiles. They show pride in their work by finishing it carefully. Safety factors are well understood and pupils are careful with tools.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

118. Pupils, including those who have special educational needs, achieve well by the time they are eleven years old. They thoroughly enjoy their work and use the school’s very good resources to be very creative and productive. They show a great deal of maturity from an early age in the way they apply themselves to tasks and persevere until they succeed. Pupils have opportunities to make good use of English, mathematics and ICT in their work. In classes for five to seven-year- olds, for example, pupils write instructions, measure materials and make simple plans.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

119. The quality of teaching is very good in the juniors. It ranges from good to excellent. Teachers provide a very good range of resources from which pupils choose. Pupils are shown good examples of products so that expectations are high. When pupils consider how to design and make photo-frames, for example, the teacher provides several actual examples so that pupils gain full understanding of how they are put together and made to stand. This method stimulates interest and ensures pupils’ concentrate on learning what they need to know to be successful. Where teaching is excellent, pupils use a variety of sources of information including CD-ROMs and the Internet. Teachers inspire pupils to be very inventive, and pause to discuss points for development in a way that makes them think hard. As a result, pupils have the patience to test many possibilities before producing their own highly individual products. When pupils made their own musical

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

instruments, for example, they carefully considered how to make the components vibrate freely and improve the resonance further. There was not enough evidence to make an overall judgement of teaching in the infants. However, in the one lesson seen, teaching was very good. Useful links were made with the pupils’ learning in science.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

120. Teachers set specific targets so that pupils know what they are expected to learn and how well they have achieved. Teachers and pupils record what has been learnt and share the information with parents. The school takes positive action to ensure that girls have equal opportunities to achieve by placing them in separate group when this is deemed appropriate.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

121. The co-ordinator leads the subject very well and has effectively ensured that all pupils are challenged by a stimulating and well-organised curriculum. Expectations have improved further since the last inspection. Pupils experience an interesting range of activities which are linked well to current topics and which develop skills in a systematic way. The school develops pupils’ awareness of the applications of design and technology in real life by arranging visit to places of interest, such as a belt-driven water mill. Pupils investigate the process and then design and make their own interesting models.

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GEOGRAPHY

122. Since the last inspection, standards for seven-year-olds have been maintained, and have improved for eleven-year-olds. Pupils’ attainment by the age of eleven is above expectations. Aldbrough Primary School - 38 123. In the juniors , the programme of local and residential visits provides an excellent basis for establishing geographical knowledge, skills and understanding. For example, pupils learn how to conduct a study of a village such as Hornsea. They learn a great deal about world sources of food and customer preferences from a visit to a supermarket. From their residential visit to Seahouses, they gain good knowledge of the role of tourism through interviewing local and visiting people, and learn to compare and contrast Aldbrough with another area. Pupils add to their geographical skills by using Ordnance Survey maps in a real location in Northumberland. A visit to Derbyshire establishes sound geological knowledge by visiting caverns as well as enhancing their knowledge

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GEOGRAPHY

of rivers. Pupils discuss their opinions about the local area in a mature way

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GEOGRAPHY

124. Pupils’ attainment by the age of seven is in line with that typically expected for their age. They outline different types of buildings to be found in the school’s locality. Pupils distinguish well which features of the landscape have always been present, and those that have been created by people. They have begun to express opinions about the locality and to be aware that features such as cliffs can be attractive but dangerous. They compare landscapes in different localities in above average detail. More able pupils understand the role of symbols in mapping. Pupils with special educational make good progress.

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GEOGRAPHY

125. Pupils progress satisfactorily from the age of five to the age of seven and well from seven to eleven. Overall their achievement is good. Pupils with special needs enjoy the practical approach to the subject and achieve well throughout the school.

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GEOGRAPHY

126. Pupils develop their skills in literacy well by writing letters; for example when they write to the parish council about the results of their survey of opinions concerning the local high street. On trips and residential visits, pupils write reports and keep diaries of what they have done. They practise their mathematical skills well; for example when they use clinometers to measure the height of walls and calculate distances on maps. ICT is used well to search for information and organise findings.

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GEOGRAPHY

127. Pupils’ are enthusiastic about geography. They enjoy conducting first-hand investigations; for example when they find out how water is managed in and around the school buildings. They show a mature sense of responsibility when they are given the independence to do research around the school. Behaviour in lessons is very good.

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GEOGRAPHY

128. It was not possible to make a judgement on the quality of teaching in classes for five to seven-year-olds as none were seen during the inspection. The quality of teaching in classes for seven to eleven-year-olds is good. Teachers’ subject knowledge is secure and they generate lively discussion and encourage pupils to volunteer their current knowledge. Good use is made of direct teaching. Teachers prepare lessons thoroughly and ensure that pupils are engaged purposefully throughout the lesson and no time is wasted. Pupils’ interest is maintained through the provision of stimulating tasks and well chosen resources. Teachers provide appropriate maps which stir pupils’ curiosity and encourage them to want to learn.

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GEOGRAPHY

129. The co-ordinator leads the subject well. He has effectively ensured that pupils benefit from a rich and varied curriculum which provides pupils with stimulating opportunities to develop a wide range of geographical skills, knowledge and understanding. To this end, he works conscientiously with the staff to ensure that their planning is based firmly on learning through enquiry.

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GEOGRAPHY

130. An excellent programme of visits and surveys enrich the curriculum. During visits to Hull, pupils make observations of cranes importing items from other countries. On residential visits, pupils collect a wealth of information which supports their geographical studies. At school, specific events give pupils a strong flavour of life outside their own area and country; for example through evenings to celebrate different cultures in Britain and different ways of life in European countries. Resources such as maps and CD ROMs are in good supply, but the school has identified the need to enhance the number of books in the library. Funding, provided by parents, has already been set aside for this purpose. Aldbrough Primary School - 39

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HISTORY

131. Standards in history have improved since the last inspection and are above those typically seen for seven-year-olds and well above by the time pupils are eleven.

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HISTORY

132. The main reason for the high standards is that teachers provide a rich and exciting curriculum that enables pupils to learn from first hand experience. By the time they are seven pupils have a good understanding of the different ways in which they can find out about the past. They know that information can be gleaned from studies of artefacts, documents, photographs, people and places. This was evident from work on display in the Year 2 classroom on the Great Fire of London. Pupils had used books and pictures to find out about old fire fighting equipment to compare it with equipment used today. They knew that much of the information came from a diary kept at the time and the quality of their learning was reflected in the sensitive writing about what it must have felt like to be caught in the fire. By the time they are eleven, pupils are able to research a range of sources independently, including the Internet and CD ROMs, to find out about past lives

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HISTORY

and times. They have a very good knowledge of the topics they have studied during their time in the juniors, and can recall key facts and features about life in ancient Egypt, how Hull has changed over time and about aspects of the Second World War.

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HISTORY

133. Teachers enjoy teaching history and this enthusiasm inspires pupils, enabling them to achieve their best. Teachers work very hard to enrich the history curriculum through school visits to places of historical interest in Northumberland, Derbyshire, Hull and the immediate locality. Visitors such as local people who have vivid recollections of the war years are invited in to talk to pupils about their experiences. Staff, parents and pupils take regular opportunities to dress up in historical costumes for special events at the school, when historical artefacts are gathered together from a range of sources to further enrich pupils’ learning. In a very good lesson in Year 1, pupils were engaged in lively discussion when the teacher brought in a wide selection of old and new toys. Pupils were fascinated as she drew their attention to the differences and helped them to understand the evidence.

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HISTORY

134. The subject contributes to learning in many other subjects. New technology is used very well to support research in history. This was demonstrated clearly during the inspection in an excellent ICT lesson in Year 6, in which pupils used the computer to collate information about the 1861 census. Pupils were enthusiastic, hardworking and focused, demonstrating a thirst for knowledge and the skills to find out more about the past. In all classes, teachers make good use of history as a stimulus for work in art. The content of pupils’ writing, based on what they have learned, is often of a very high standard. The quality of writing is particularly good in Year 4, where the skills of analysing and comparing information gained from different sources are very well developed, and writing is detailed. The only relative weakness noted in history is that this very high standard of writing is not maintained further up the school, where work is not always presented to

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HISTORY

the standard of which many pupils are capable.

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HISTORY

135. The subject is very ably co-ordinated by the subject manager who inspires staff and pupils alike with her enthusiasm. The school’s own resources for history are only satisfactory but teachers make excellent use of museums and loan services, as well as contributions from parents.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

136. Standards in ICT are above those expected for seven-year-olds and well above those expected for eleven-year-olds. Pupils are doing even better than at the time of the last inspection, when their attainment was above expectations by the time they left the school. The high standards are the result of the high quality of the teaching, support and planning and the very good provision of appropriate resources. These include a suite of computers in a designated area, machines in all Aldbrough Primary School - 40 classrooms and a wide range of programs to support subjects of the National Curriculum and pupils’ interests. The school also employs a full-time computer technician to ensure that machines and systems are in constant working order and to support pupils and staff when they have problems with ICT.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

137. By the time they are seven, pupils acquire a good range of skills. Most pupils can enter, store and retrieve information confidently. They present information in a variety of ways and begin to judge their own work critically. For example, they try to improve their word-processed writing through simple editing. They block words or groups of words and move them to another place in the text. As they explore adventure games, pupils find alternative routes and look for different ways to solve problems more quickly and effectively. Pupils use ICT well to support their work in other subjects. For example in science they study the parts of a flower, such as the petal, stamen, stalk and leaf, and then use a drawing package to create attractive and well-labelled pictures. After studying the work of Jackson Pollock in an art lesson, pupils in Year 2 created their own pictures in a similar style. They ‘took a line for a walk’ on the screen and then filled the interesting shapes they

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

had made with a myriad of intricate and exciting patterns, selected from a palette. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 drew and labelled vehicles during work in design and technology. In mathematics, pupils order information and produce attractive graphs which they then interpret. They control programmable toys by giving a series of instructions to achieve particular results. In Year 1, pupils sent the toy across the classroom floor and more able pupils confidently reviewed their instructions and redirected the toy when necessary. They talk about ICT confidently and recognise that it is used in great variety of ways in everyday life; for example in supermarkets and offices.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

138. By the end of the juniors, pupils are adept at using computers in an increasing number of ways. Word-processing skills are well developed so that pupils present written work in a range of styles to suit a variety of audiences. They design posters and news-sheets, write letters, present poems in attractive ways and include text in complex pieces of work such as computer-generated slide shows which include recorded sound. ICT is used and practised effectively in other subjects. Literacy and numeracy are promoted and supported very well. In history and geography, pupils combine illustrations from banks of pictures with information from books, digital photographs, CD ROMs and the Internet to produce attractive, interesting and well-researched work. They also add sound – their own commentary and music from CD ROMs. During the inspection, pupils considered a prospective audience and then made slide shows of high quality about the village of

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Aldbrough. They concentrated, worked with confidence and commitment and most pupils completed the assignment in two lessons. In science, pupils use sensors to measure temperature and pressure and in design and technology they control models of fairground rides by giving instructions on the computer. Increasingly, they are using the Internet to find information and exchange ideas with others; for example, with children in Ketzin near Potsdam. In links with Victorian history and music, pupils recorded street-cries and played them back. In a history lesson in Years 5 and 6, pupils explored information from the Hull census of 1861 and then investigated individual households to find out who lived there and what they did for a living.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

139. Pupils love using the computers. They are an integral part of school life for them and they use ICT confidently and respectfully as a tool for learning and recording. Because of the favourable number of machines in the school and pupils’ consistently responsible behaviour, they get lots of practice and many opportunities, such as at lunchtime, to explore what computers can do. This promotes confidence and enhances pupils’ skills. When ideas are shared at the end of lessons, pupils watch and listen with consideration and interest to see what their friends have done. Pupils who have special educational needs confidently use programs to increase their skills in literacy and numeracy and enjoy opportunities to celebrate their success and gain the praise of other.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

140. Teaching is of high quality. It was very good or excellent in the three specific lessons observed. In other lessons, teachers incorporate ICT as a strategy for learning and recording, and ‘stand alone’ or networked machines are used regularly in the classrooms. Planning appropriately identifies what is to be learnt and this is conveyed clearly to the pupils. Teachers give very clear instructions and have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Teachers’ subject knowledge is very good overall. The principal characteristic of the teaching is its relevance. Pupils’ develop Aldbrough Primary School - 41 skills in interesting and useful ways because teachers look for opportunities to incorporate ICT into many lessons. They exploit pupils’ curiosity and extend their expertise through thoughtful planning. Pupils respond enthusiastically and achieve very well by the time they are eleven years old.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

141. Leadership of ICT is excellent because the co-ordinator keeps a vigilant overview of all that is happening in the subject and pupils, staff and governors know where the school is going with modern technology. There is a positive ethos and sense of confidence which underpins the study and practice of ICT in all classes. In addition, parents and the community are invited into the school to learn about ICT or brush up their existing skills.

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MUSIC

142. Standards in music were judged to be good at the last inspection and continue to be a strength of the school. It was only possible to observe two music lessons during the inspection. However, it was clear from the music in assemblies, from a performance of ‘Annie’ and from talking to parents, staff and pupils that the school’s musical tradition is a very important one of which everyone is justifiably very proud.

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MUSIC

143. There are several competent musicians on the staff. Class timetables are arranged to enable these teachers to teach all age groups so that all pupils to benefit from a wide range of musical experiences and achieve their best. By the time they are seven, standards are above those expected for pupils of their age. Pupils sing clearly and confidently in assembly. They recognise and play simple rhythms on a variety of percussion instruments and work in small groups to compose rhythms to illustrate their own stories. By the time pupils are eleven years old, standards are very high. All junior pupils play at least one musical instrument well enough to accompany the singing in school assembly, playing to a very good standard. They sing in unison and in parts confidently, and always with enthusiasm and enjoyment. All pupils in the juniors learn to play the recorder and read and write music using the standard notation. The tuition provided by

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MUSIC

visiting specialists enhances the provision for older pupils; the proportion of pupils who play instruments to a very good standard is higher than is typically seen in similar primary schools.

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MUSIC

144. The rich musical experiences that pupils enjoy and the high standards reached are evidence of the very good teaching that the school provides. In the two lessons observed, both teachers demonstrated a very good knowledge of their subject. They had precise learning objectives for the lesson, which were clearly explained to pupils. Expectations were very high and in the infant class, the youngest pupils learnt to watch the ‘conductor’ carefully and respond immediately. In the very good lesson observed in the juniors, there were high levels of purposeful activity as pupils worked in groups to compose, record, practise and perform their street cries. Behaviour was exemplary throughout. Pupils with particular needs are well supported by classroom assistants and encouraged to take full part in lessons. Boys and girls are equally confident to perform in front of an audience and readily participate in every musical opportunity offered them. Gifted and talented

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MUSIC

pupils achieve very well because they are given ample opportunities to perform in assemblies, concerts in school and events in the locality.

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MUSIC

145. The quality of the music in the school makes a major contribution to pupils’ personal development. Musical events are exciting social occasions which contribute significantly to the life of the school and the local community. Everyone has a part to play, both in the singing and performing, and in the organising. Visiting musicians make pupils aware of the rich contribution of music to other cultures and set high standards of performance for them to aspire to. The co- ordinator for the subject is knowledgeable and enthusiastic and works together with the headteacher to ensure that the school makes the very best use of the resources and expertise available to it. The resulting provision of high quality ensures that by the time they leave the school, pupils have become competent musicians with a very good appreciation of how music can enrich their lives. Aldbrough Primary School - 42

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

146. Standards for eleven year-olds are in line with expectations. This is an improvement from the last inspection, when standards were unsatisfactory. Staff expertise has increased, planning is more helpful for teachers and talented members of the school community now share their knowledge and skills with the pupils in a well-organised way.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

147. By the end of the juniors, pupils develop appropriate skills and knowledge to exercise safely and perform actions with consistent control. They play an appropriate range of games, often modified for small sides and employ tactics for defending and attacking. In a Year 3 lesson, pupils worked well in pairs to practise skills of throwing, catching and bowling balls. They then played simple games which tested their skills and encouraged teamwork and concentration. They identified aspects of their performance which were more effective and tried to improve what they were doing. Pupils in Year 6 performed fluent sequences of movement. They then invented movement which involved balance and symmetry and linked them in short, smooth sequences. They evaluated their work and made improvements after watching individual performances. Throughout the school, pupils are aware of the importance of warming up muscles prior to activities

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

at the beginning of lessons and know that exercise is a positive feature of healthy living.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

148. No overall judgement can be given for pupils’ attainment by the end of the infants. In the Year 1 lesson seen, pupils travelled around the hall sensibly, were still at a given signal and used space safely. They listened well to the teacher and followed instructions very well. Pupils bounced balls and most caught them confidently. As they worked in pairs, taking turns to throw a ball over their heads to a partner, pupils showed good levels of alertness and co-operation. Pupils’ throwing skills were above average and catching skills were in line with expectations for six-year-olds. This indicates that they are on course to reach appropriate standards in skills for playing games by the time they are seven. This demonstrates an improvement in standards since the last inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

149. Pupils, including those who have special educational needs, make sound progress throughout the school and their achievement is satisfactory. Pupils enjoy the subject and are very positive, especially during outside activities when they show very good control both of themselves and of the equipment. They listen well to instructions and show determination to improve their performance. When called upon to do so such as with ball skills, they co-operate very willingly with one another. They happily tidy up equipment at the end of lessons.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

150. The quality of teaching in classes for seven to eleven year-olds is good. Where it is stronger, teachers explain skills and good practice either by demonstrating or using pupils as examples. Teachers encourage pupils to explain what they are learning; for example, when they talk about ways to keep the ball moving in order to win a game. By doing so, teachers instil a good sense of teamwork and prepare the pupils very well for summer games. No overall judgement of teaching in classes for five to seven-year-olds can be made. However, in the one lesson observed it was good, with basic throwing and catching skills being broken down into a manageable progression. This resulted in above average ball control.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

151. Pupils in the infants benefit from teachers exchanging classes so that the co-ordinator for physical education teaches the subject. Assessment is linked well to targets set for individual pupils and to appropriate identification of skills for each age group. The co-ordinator works well with the staff to raise standards and has observed teaching and fed back to teachers on ways to improve pupils’ skills. She has organised a thorough programme of in-service training and provided helpful guidance for all staff. There are clearly identified priorities, such as the teaching of games, gymnastics and dance, so that pupils make effective progress. This has enabled the school to rectify the areas of weakness identified at the last inspection.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

152. The policy and schemes of work indicate that the school has a well-structured plan to teach all aspects of the subject, and most pupils are able to swim at least twenty-five metres by the end Aldbrough Primary School - 43 of Year 4. The school is well resourced. It has an excellent number of lunchtime and after-school clubs for sport, and pupils benefit greatly from the expertise of two talented lunchtime supervisors who were international footballers. The school enriches provision for pupils through providing challenging activities such as orienteering and giving them opportunities to participate in inter- school sport.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

153. The good standards in religious education have been maintained since the last inspection. There was not enough evidence from lessons or pupils’ work to make a judgement about seven- year-olds but by the time they reach eleven pupils exceed the standards expected of them in the locally agreed syllabus and some pupils achieve higher standards. By the end of the juniors, pupils have a good knowledge of important aspects of Christianity and other major world faiths. They understand the importance of religious belief in many people’s lives, and know that books, symbols and rituals play an important part in the religions they have studied.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

154. It was not possible to make an overall judgement on the quality of teaching and learning because parts of only two lessons were observed during the inspection and there was only a limited amount of pupils’ work in their books. This was because much of the work, particularly in the infants, is based on story, discussion and role-play. In the one lesson observed in the Year 1 class, the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning was very good. The teacher set the scene for learning about special people and special books very well by reminding them of their previous work about Rama and Sita. Pupils could recall their learning enthusiastically and in great detail because they had acted out the story. Artefacts such as the Torah, and props and costumes were used to great effect to teach the story of David and Goliath, engaging and maintaining pupils’ interest and enthusiasm throughout.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

155. In Year 6, the teacher illustrated her good lesson on the Jewish Passover meal with a plate containing the different components of the meal, and used other visual aids to good effect to help pupils understand the sequence of events. Effective links were made with literacy by requiring the pupils to make notes as the story unfolded. In general, however, the quality of pupils’ writing in this class does not reflect adequately the detailed knowledge they have acquired. Both teachers demonstrated a good understanding of their subject through their questions and explanations, ensuring pupils fully understood and met the objectives of the lesson.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

156. In the lessons seen, pupils had positive attitudes towards their learning. They remember work undertaken in previous classes very well and enjoy the many practical activities they undertake. Learning is particularly effective where it has been reinforced with visits to places of interest. Where this is the case, pupils achieve highly. For example, junior pupils recalled with wonder their visit to a mosque and this was illustrated in a sensitive piece of writing in which a pupil remembered it being ‘so silent and peaceful you can’t even hear your footsteps on the soft, warm carpet covering the floor’. The subject makes a very good contribution to pupils’ spiritual and cultural development. Pupils enjoy their visits to local churches in connection with their studies on Christianity and visitors from different faith groups are invited in to talk to pupils.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

157. The subject is well managed. The co-ordinator ensures that the syllabus is covered and resourced appropriately. She monitors planning and samples of pupils’ work but has had little opportunity to monitor teaching and learning in any systematic way. As a result some inconsistencies in standards of marking and presentation have not yet been identified and addressed.

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