St Martin's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Scarborough

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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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. St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Holbeck Hill Scarborough North Yorkshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

E-mail address: st-martins@st-martins-pri.n.yorks.sch.uk

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs R O’Farrell

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 14 April 1997 St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 4

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

18645 C D Loizou Registered inspector Art and design Design and technology Information and communication technology How high are standards? How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? 9399 R Watts 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? 15447 C Glenis Team inspector Foundation Stage English 30000 J Tresadern Team inspector Science Geography Music 17686 G Simpson Team inspector Mathematics History Physical education Equal opportunities Special educational needs How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The inspection contractor was: PBM Inspection Services Limited P.O. Box 524 Cheadle, Staffordshire ST10 4RN

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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 St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 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? 10

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 23

St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This voluntary aided Church of England infant and junior school has 279 boys and girls on roll between the ages of four and eleven years, which is average in size. Most pupils come from outside the immediate area. The school was last inspected in 1997 and since then the size and nature of the school has not changed significantly. The headteacher has only been in post since February this year. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is less than two per cent, which is well below the national average. Ten per cent of pupils are on the school’s special educational needs register, which is below average and less than one per cent have statements of special educational need, which is low compared to most schools. There are no pupils learning English as an additional language. Every September, the school admits up to 40 four-year-olds into its reception year and most have had some form of pre-school experience. The school’s initial assessments of the children when they first start school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

show that an above average proportion of them have typical or better attainment for their age on entry. The school does not receive additional funding other than for special educational needs.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school provides a satisfactory education. The proportion of 11-year-olds attaining or exceeding the expected national level has increased each year since the previous inspection although the proportion attaining above national expectations has remained static. Consequently, standards at the school are rising less quickly than standards nationally. This is a direct result of a recent period of uncertain management at the school, which has now been remedied by the appointment of the current headteacher. Average and low attaining pupils achieve well. The teaching is mainly good but does not always stretch higher attaining pupils enough. The staff have worked very hard to improve the school since the last inspection but this has lacked direction and coordination because of management difficulties. Standards among seven-year-olds are currently better than typically found. Current standards among 11-year-olds are high in mathematics and science and above average in English. The school is

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

now well led and managed by the headteacher who is providing the much needed vision and drive that is inspiring the staff and pupils and is guiding improvements to the school. The school is providing satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards in mathematics and science are high and are well above average by the age of eleven. • The proportion of pupils in English, art and design, design and technology, history and physical education attaining or exceeding the expected level for their age is above average. • The teaching is having a positive effect on the pupils’ attitudes to learning, their behaviour and relationships across the school. • The pupils with special educational needs make good progress and are well supported. • Very good use is made of educational visits and the local environment to support learning. • The headteacher provides good and effective leadership.

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What could be improved

• The planning of lessons in mixed age classes to better meet the needs of higher attaining pupils. • Some aspects of teaching, so that more lessons match the good and very good teaching seen. • The procedures used to measure how well the pupils are doing. • The provision of a secure outdoor play area for children in the Foundation Stage so that they have regular access to climbing apparatus, wheeled toys and other play equipment to aid their physical development. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made satisfactory progress since its last inspection in 1997. Progress was slow initially and since the appointment of the current headteacher, it has improved. The governors have addressed the issues related to improving the management of the school. As a result, the school is now being guided through a coordinated programme of school improvement under the good stewardship of its current headteacher. There are satisfactory monitoring procedures in place but these could be better. However, since her recent appointment, the headteacher has put in place a thorough review of current practice. This is helping to guide the governors and senior staff when monitoring teaching and learning more closely. The school keeps very good records of pupils’ ongoing test results but assessment information is not being sufficiently used to guide teachers’ planning. The school has not made enough progress in providing more fiction and non-fiction books. The school has successfully implemented the

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

recent changes to the National Curriculum and uses the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies effectively. St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 7

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

In the reception year, the children make satisfactory progress in all areas of learning and the large majority reach the early learning goals before the end of the reception year. By the time they enter the six-year-old age group, the children have reached the standards expected in all of the nationally recommended areas of learning; and in speaking, listening, reading, writing and mathematics, standards are above those expected for their age.

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Key

The standards achieved by the majority of seven-year-olds in the 2000 National Curriculum tests were well above average in reading and above average in mathematics. Writing standards were in line with the national average and teachers’ assessments in science were well above average. Compared with similar schools, the pupils performed well in reading and science in 2000 but did not achieve well enough in writing and mathematics because too few attained the higher Level 3. Inspection evidence shows that standards in 2001 are above those expected in reading, writing, and mathematics and average in science at the age of seven. In art and design, design and technology, history and physical education, a high proportion of seven-year-olds attain or exceed the expected standard; in geography, information and communication technology and music, the proportion is average.

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Key

Standards for 11-year-olds in 2000 indicate a slight fall since they took national tests when they were seven. Standards in mathematics were well above the national average; in English and science, they were above average. English and science results were slightly lower than in mathematics because fewer pupils achieved the higher than expected Level 5. Compared with similar schools, English standards were below average, but in mathematics, they were above average and average in science. Currently, the pupils in Year 6 achieve well above average standards in mathematics and science and above average standards in English. The most recent test results (2001) indicate an improvement on the 2000 results because a greater proportion of pupils achieved the higher level 5 in all three subjects. In all other subjects, standards are above those expected by age 11, except in geography, information and communication technology and music where they are average.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. The pupils are usually attentive, keen and interested in their work. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good overall. The pupils respect the views of others. They usually behave well in class and at other times. Personal development and relationships Good overall. The pupils show initiative and are willing to help around school. Good relationships exist throughout the school. Attendance Satisfactory. Attendance rates are in line with the national average.

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Aspect Comment

The pupils are usually attentive and well behaved in lessons and at break-times although, in a few lessons, teachers have to deal with some inappropriate behaviour. The staff support and guide the pupils well and this is evident in the positive relationships that exist. The pupils enjoy school and respect the views of others. They respond well to good teaching but occasionally, and especially when the teaching is less demanding, a minority of pupils lose concentration. Nearly all of the pupils show positive attitudes to school and work. St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 8

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

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

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

The teaching is good overall with a small amount that is very good. The teaching is nearly always satisfactory or better and very little is unsatisfactory. Forty-one percent of the lessons seen were of good quality and nine per cent were judged to be of high quality. A few lessons (four per cent) were judged unsatisfactory because they were less demanding and had lower expectations of pupils. Some of the teaching is very good because it is well organised and challenging. The teaching is having a positive impact on pupils’ learning and their attitudes to work. The needs of higher attaining pupils are not always being met because the planning is not always aimed at these pupils. In the most effective lessons, the work is challenging for all pupils. There are inconsistencies in teachers’ planning for mixed age classes leading to some repetition of work. There are good assessment records kept after pupils

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

undertake tests but teachers are not using this information to plan work that is matched to the abilities of all the pupils. Teachers are not sufficiently involved in monitoring their pupils’ progress. The teaching of children in the Foundation Stage is good but there are some inconsistencies between the two classes where there are reception children. The teaching of mathematics and science is good; English teaching is satisfactory. Pupils with special educational needs receive good support from teachers and learning assistants and make good progress.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is satisfactory. There are good extra-curricular activities. Good use is made of the environment and community. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good overall. Good individual support is provided and the progress that the pupils make is being checked regularly. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Satisfactory overall. Spiritual development is good. There is satisfactory provision for the pupils’ moral, social and cultural development. More could be done to enrich the pupils’ understanding of the diversity of cultures that exist in today’s society.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Unsatisfactory overall. The pupils’ academic progress is being monitored but the information is not used sufficiently to aid teachers’ planning.

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Aspect Comment

The children in the reception year lack regular access to an outdoor play area. A good range of educational visits, including residential visits, enhances the pupils’ experience of the environment to support their learning. There are satisfactory assessments made of the pupils’ progress but the information is not helping teachers to plan their work. There is a good range of extra-curricular activities, which include sporting activities, music, and drama. The school identifies and assesses pupils with special educational needs well. Attendance registers are not being completed consistently. The school is generally a caring and harmonious community but health and safety procedures are unsatisfactory overall because all the staff have not been adequately trained in child protection procedures.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher and senior staff provide good and effective leadership. There are good routines in place to help the school run efficiently. The staff are responding well to the changes being brought about by the headteacher.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors provide effective support. They are hardworking and have a genuine interest in the school, fulfilling their responsibilities satisfactorily. The school’s evaluation of its performance There are satisfactory monitoring procedures in place, which help the headteacher, staff, and governors to evaluate school improvement. The strategic use of resources Satisfactory overall. Good use is made of the limited space but classrooms are cramped and there is little storage space for resources.

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Aspect Comment

The staff and governors are being greatly influenced by the good leadership of the newly appointed headteacher. She has the determination and capability to improve the school further. The management of the school is in good St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 9 hands with improving procedures that enable the headteacher and governors to monitor teaching and learning. A clear programme for improvement that sets out the development priorities. Staffing levels and resources are satisfactory but the school’s accommodation is cramped.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The children are well behaved and like school. • The teaching is good. • They feel comfortable approaching the school with questions or problems. • Their children become mature and responsible. • The school is well led and managed. • The consistency and amount of homework provided. • The information provided by the school about their children’s progress. • The range of activities provided outside lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection findings support all of the parents’ positive views of the school. Inspectors have judged that homework is satisfactory but agree with parents that it could be set more consistently across the school. Inspectors have judged the range of extra-curricular activities and the information to parents to be good. St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 10

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. The children’s attainment on entry to the Reception year is above the standards expected in reading, their knowledge of letter sounds, and in mathematical development. It is broadly in line with expectations in personal and social development as judged by assessments completed during their first half-term in the Reception year. The children make satisfactory progress in both classes. By the time they reach the end of the Reception year, their attainment exceeds the early learning goals in all areas of learning apart from aspects of physical development and in their independence as part of their personal, social and emotional development. The school has broadly maintained standards since the previous inspection.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The standards achieved by the majority of seven-year-olds in last year’s National Curriculum tests were well above the national average in reading and science, above average in mathematics and average in writing. Compared with similar schools, the pupils performed well in reading and results were above average. In writing and mathematics however, standards compared with similar schools were below average. Writing and mathematics standards were too low compared to their performance in reading and science. Too few pupils achieved the higher level in the writing tests. Reading standards are better because reading is given high priority and is well taught. Some pupils, who have the potential to achieve high standards in reading, writing and mathematics, do not do so because of inconsistencies in the work covered in mixed age classes that lead to the needs of higher attaining pupils not always being met.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. Standards for 11-year-olds in last year’s tests in English and science were above the national average; in mathematics, they were well above average. Results over the last four years indicate that the school is achieving standards that are rising at a slower rate than national trends but have been above average for a number of years. Compared with similar schools, last year’s English results were disappointing because too many pupils failed to reach the expected level for their age resulting in standards dropping for the first time in four years. Mathematics and science results were better because nearly all the pupils achieved or exceeded the expected levels. Teachers are not monitoring the progress of pupils closely enough to ensure that they all achieve the standards expected of them.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Inspection evidence and the school’s own analysis show that the pupils who joined in the Reception year and leave after Year 6 make steady progress in English, and good progress in mathematics and science. Currently, reading and writing standards at the end of Year 6 are above those expected for pupils’ ages. The most recent National Curriculum test results (2001) show a significant improvement by the end of Key Stage 2. A high proportion of pupils achieved a higher than expected level in all three subjects. The school groups pupils by ability in English and mathematics in Years 5 and 6 and this is beginning to have an impact on maintaining high standards. This is especially pertinent to this school as a higher than average proportion of pupils have the potential to exceed the expected levels at both the infant and junior stages. Mixed age classes are necessary because of the numbers of pupils joining the school but, at present, there are

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

inconsistencies in the way that work is matched to the needs of higher attaining pupils in mixed age classes. This leads to some pupils, especially by the age of seven, underachieving. This is a major factor affecting the rate of improvement in test results, which fall short of national trends over the last four years.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. In the infants, inspection evidence indicates that English and mathematics standards are currently above those expected of 7-year-olds and science standards are currently average. Reading standards are high and the pupils are developing a good range of writing skills but more needs to be done to increase opportunities for the pupils to write extended pieces independently. The pupils have a good understanding of number facts and different strategies to help them calculate problems mentally and orally. Junior pupils make satisfactory progress in English, achieving standards that are above average for their age. They make good progress in mathematics and science, enabling them to achieve well above average standards. In both subjects, the pupils have good opportunities to investigate problems. In science, more could be done to improve the way pupils plan their own investigations as most of the work seen and pupils’ recorded work show that

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

experiments are very much prescribed, leaving little scope for more capable pupils to plan for themselves. The pupils identified with special educational needs make good progress in all subjects. There is a good programme of support and intervention planned so that these pupils participate fully in lessons and receive specialised support when withdrawn from some lessons to reinforce language and mathematical skills.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Standards in information and communication technology are in line with those expected nationally by the age of seven and eleven. The pupils make satisfactory progress in information and communication technology because opportunities are provided for the pupils to use new technology across a range of subjects. There St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 11 has been some improvement since the last inspection because new resources have kept up with the demands of new technology, for example, electronic mailing and the Internet. As a result, the pupils have good access to computers, digital cameras, tape recorders and robotic devices.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection because the teaching is mainly good, although lessons are not always planned to match the needs of different groups of pupils in mixed age classes. This particularly affects the progress of higher attaining pupils in some subjects. Infant and junior pupils make good progress in art and design, design and technology and history. They make satisfactory progress in physical education by the age of seven and make good progress in the junior years achieving higher than average standards by the age of eleven. They make satisfactory progress in all other subjects and achieve the standards expected for their age. They make good progress in art and design because they experience a broad curriculum that is very well linked to other subjects and topics. The same can be said of design and technology, and of history, where the pupils benefit from a good range of investigations and local studies

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

enhanced by educational visits. Peripatetic music support is well used and provides a range of instrumental tuition for a significant number of pupils. The pupils make good progress in physical education because the subject is well managed and well taught across the school.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Pupils with special educational needs throughout the school make good gains in their learning. The school supports and encourages these pupils well in their work and taking into account their prior attainment they achieve well. Pupils have good support in lessons, support groups and in individual work. The pupils are fully included in the life and work of the school so that the principles of educational inclusion apply well.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Pupils generally have good attitudes towards school but their application in lessons is closely linked to the ability of the teaching to motivate them. The majority of parents answering the pre-inspection questionnaire agreed that their child enjoyed coming to school. In the morning, pupils come into the classrooms without fuss and, apart from a few latecomers, are ready to start the day promptly. When stimulated by good or better teaching, pupils display great keenness to participate and an enjoyment of challenge. They show their good potential as willing learners. For example, in a Year 3 mathematics lesson, the pupils could hardly contain themselves as they waited to get their teeth into the problems posed by the teacher. In most lessons the pupils are attentive and start work when asked. Sometimes, however, where the work is insufficiently challenging or if the teacher talks too long without clear focus, some pupils are inattentive. In a Year 4 and 5

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

science lesson, a significant proportion of the class had switched off after 30 minutes because they were not allowed to participate in the general discussion, ask questions or offer ideas. Pupils participate enthusiastically in extra-curricular activities and in the educational trips provided.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. The behaviour of pupils is generally good. In most lessons they are obedient and work conscientiously. They are disciplined in putting up their hand to answer questions and refrain from interrupting others. Pupils value the rewards such as team points and individual praise. In most classes, when teachers need to admonish them, they respond well. In one or two lessons, however, when teachers were unsure of how to respond and minor disruption by a few pupils continued to the detriment of learning for the majority. Pupils know the difference between right and wrong and are beginning to develop moral judgement. They move around the school carefully although sometimes their high spirits cause problems in the very narrow corridors. They behave well in assemblies, listening carefully to speakers and behave in a very civilised manner in the dinner hall. Pupils play well together in the playground and the very few pupils who come from minority ethnic

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

groups are well integrated. No examples of bullying were seen and, in discussion, pupils said that this is not a problem. No pupils were excluded last year.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Personal development and relationships within the school are good overall. Rapport between teachers and pupils in most lessons is very good, which has a very positive effect on pupils’ learning and the pace of lessons. The pupils are considerate of each other and can work together in pairs or in teams to achieve a common task. Older pupils are able to discuss their own feelings and are tolerant of the faiths of others. Pupils accept the responsibilities offered them willingly but feel that they could take on more. Similarly, they are given insufficient opportunity in lessons for personal research and to take some control of their own learning. This is especially evident for the youngest children in the school in the reception classes.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. The pupils’ attendance is satisfactory. Overall, attendance last year was well above the national average but has dropped to average this year. No unauthorised absence is reported but this may not be accurate because of inadequacies in the school’s monitoring procedures. A few pupils are late each morning, although this is not recorded unless they have not arrived by ten minutes after the official start time. Generally, however, lessons start on time and the pupils are punctual. St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 12

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

13. The teaching is good overall with some very good teaching. This is similar to the quality of teaching found during the last inspection. The work being planned for the pupils is practical and interesting but there are inconsistencies in the progress made in mixed age classes. The teaching of mathematics and science is a particular strength, resulting in high standards by the time the pupils leave the school. Forty-one per cent of all lessons seen in all subjects were of good quality and nine per cent were very good. Forty-six per cent of lessons were satisfactory and four per cent were unsatisfactory. There is a direct link between the expectations that teachers have and the progress that pupils make. In the most effective lessons, the teaching matches tasks well to the capabilities of the pupils, resulting in good progress and high standards. There are inconsistencies in the work provided, especially in mixed age classes, where the higher attaining

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

pupils are sometimes provided with work that is not sufficiently challenging. In good lessons, work that is better matched to the needs of these pupils is provided but this is not always the case in satisfactory lessons. In good lessons, teachers set time limited tasks, which enables the pupils to work at a pace set by the teacher, resulting in more work being completed and greater progress. In the very few unsatisfactory lessons, the behaviour of pupils was also unsatisfactory because the work was not sufficiently demanding.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

14. The quality of teaching of reception-aged children in both classes is good or better in half of the lessons observed and satisfactory in the remaining half. In one lesson, teaching was very good because the teacher kept the children on task, used praise well, and showed good knowledge. Behaviour management was very good and the children were involved well in practical musical activities. Reception teachers work very well with the nursery nurse or teaching assistants who support children well while working in groups. The staff have a good understanding of how young children learn and teachers provide a good balance of structured lessons as well as self-chosen and directed free choice practical activities. The staff work well as a team, ensuring that work is well planned with clearly defined areas of responsibility for each adult when focusing on individuals or groups. The teaching is particularly effective in improving the children’s speaking, listening,

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

reading, and numeracy skills as well as their creative development. The children make satisfactory progress in all areas of learning. They are provided with good opportunities to read and write with many children learning to spell simple words and to recognise word shapes and letter sounds. The work planned for reception children varies between the two classes leading to inconsistencies in what is provided for all the children. The development of the children’s physical skills is hindered by the lack of a designated area that would provide regular access to climbing apparatus and other play equipment.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

15. The teaching in the infant years is good. Over one in ten lessons seen were of high quality and, of the lessons seen, thirty-eight per cent were good and forty four per cent satisfactory. Fewer than six per cent were unsatisfactory. As a result of effective teaching in English and mathematics, the current cohort of Year 2 pupils are achieving above average standards in reading, writing and numeracy. However, science lessons tend to be too prescribed, leaving little scope for the pupils to explore or investigate further, resulting in average standards that ought to be higher. In the junior classes, the teaching continues to be good overall. Forty-three per cent of the lessons seen were satisfactory; nearly half were good and seven per cent very good. Three per cent of the teaching in the juniors was unsatisfactory. Literacy, numeracy and science lessons are well taught and in mixed age classes pupils are grouped by ability for English and mathematics to

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

improve the quality of work provided for different abilities, including those pupils with special educational needs.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

16. Nearly half of the lessons seen were satisfactory because expectations varied in different stages of the lessons. The most significant difference between satisfactory and good teaching throughout the school is the pace and delivery of instruction. In the satisfactory lessons, teachers sometimes labour a point or re-visit areas which are familiar to the pupils, resulting in less time for pupils to engage in independent activities. The final summing up of these lessons is sometimes too brief, leaving little scope for pupils to consolidate what they have learned. The most effective teaching allows the pupils opportunities to explain their ideas and sums up the key objectives of the lesson with what has been learned so that the pupils know what is coming next and how well they are doing.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. In the majority of lessons seen, there was good structure so that time was provided for the pupils to ask questions and explain their methods, as for example, in mathematics when calculating number problems mentally and orally. In literacy lessons, during individual and group work in the main part of the lesson, the teachers are clear about the support they are going to provide for individuals and groups. Most of the literacy lessons seen had a specific reading focus with some good writing activities planned. The teaching in mixed age classes does not always differentiate what each of the year groups is going to do. This makes it difficult for the school to plan in the long term to ensure that work is not repeated as pupils move up the school. Higher attaining pupils, in a significant number of lessons in mixed age classes, are provided with work that is not challenging to begin with so that time is wasted at the start of the lessons before teachers provide more

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

demanding work. The most effective teaching ensures that work is planned from the beginning that is St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 13 demanding for all pupils and ensures that they make progress from where they left off last time rather than repeating work already covered.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

18. The teachers use good assessment procedures to monitor the pupils’ progress in English and mathematics but these have yet to be adopted in other subjects. Work is usually marked up to date and in some classes the marking is of a very high standard because it is clear what the pupils have to do to improve further. However, not all of the marking is as sharp as this. In some books the work is not marked up to date and the messages left for the pupils are unclear and do not always distinguish why one piece of work is better than another. Good use is made of homework to extend pupils’ thinking and provides additional work for pupils to study at home but this is inconsistent across the school. These inconsistencies are symptoms of a school that has recently had problems with its management, resulting in teachers using their own initiative and experience to cope with classroom organisation, planning, marking and homework, rather than following

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

19. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is consistently good. As a result the pupils achieve well and make good progress. Good assessment procedures accurately place pupils at appropriate learning stages enabling teachers to build on what the pupils have learned. Targets in pupils’ individual education plans are accurate and measurable and these provide a focus for the work that is provided in lessons. Effective and planned support from classroom assistants enables teachers to engage all the pupils in class discussions. As a result the pupils with special educational needs gain in confidence and are able to make good progress towards their learning targets in their individual education plans.

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

20. The school provides a broad curriculum but there is an imbalance because planning does not fully take account of mixed age classes. The coordinator carried out a full review in preparation for the revised National Curriculum for the foundation subjects in 2000 and incorporated the nationally produced subject guidelines in this plan. An analysis of time allocations was included in this review and this meets requirements. Subsequent implementation has resulted in the need for further adjustments to particular subjects, for instance, physical education. Only science is planned on a two-year cycle in order to meet the needs of pupils in mixed age classes. This is unsatisfactory in other subjects, a situation that the school recognises and intends to redress. There are times when the planned curriculum does not meet the needs of different age groups or different abilities, so continuity in pupils’ learning is not secure. A strong feature of the curriculum is

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

the cross-curricular planning. This is particularly highlighted by initiatives, such as the Coastal Guardians and the residential visit to Northumberland. The quality of work achieved during these ventures is very good. A great deal of testing takes place, which is well used but is time consuming. Less testing would release time to concentrate on widening pupils’ experiences, which would be of benefit, especially, to the higher attainers. The new headteacher has begun a consultation process with parents, for example, on the testing procedures and a senior teacher led a parents’ meeting to explain the National Curriculum tests. There are plans to hold future meetings with parents about the organisation of pupils, particularly with Year 6 parents about how their children are going to be organised and taught from September this year.

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

21. Planning formats and procedures vary between reception classes. There is no overall plan for what children should achieve by the end of their reception year. Short term planning in the pure reception class does not include learning objectives that are focused enough to encourage progress within the lesson. Planning in the mixed-aged class does not cover all the areas of learning for reception age children. In both classes, although there is some difference in activities for different children, most do the same activities. The curriculum for reception children in the mixed-age class is very similar to the Year 1 curriculum even when the children need a lot of adult support to complete the activities or when they are not able to work independently. Currently there is little monitoring of the Foundation curriculum to ensure that the children in the mixed age class do not repeat work they have done before they enter Year 1.

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

22. The amount of work varies between classes, which does not always relate to the different ages of the children or to different recording practices in the classes. Coverage of the Foundation Stage curriculum is inconsistent between the two classes because there are insufficient procedures in place to ensure that the curriculum matches the needs of Reception children and Year 1 pupils in the mixed age class.

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

23. The school is successful in implementing both the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies. Designated governors have provided strong support in both these subjects. The quality of teaching and learning has been monitored by classroom observation and by the collection and analysis of data. This is a good improvement on the previous inspection, but still does not apply to other subjects of the curriculum, which is a weakness recognised by the headteacher. Plans have already been made to rectify this situation. Internal and national assessments are used effectively to monitor progress in literacy, numeracy, and science. Early assessments St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 14 are used to predict future grades and the school has been successful in achieving higher than the predicted levels. This data is also used to create booster groups, which raise the standards of those pupils who take

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

part. As a result of this effective teaching, standards achieved in national tests are very good by the time pupils are eleven.

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

24. The provision for those pupils with special educational needs is very good. These pupils are supported by a well structured organisation, which, along with teaching designed to meet their needs, is very effective in improving standards. Support is given both within the classroom and in withdrawal groups. These pupils are given full access to the curriculum. When they return to the classroom from a group activity, they are well integrated into the ongoing work. The support given to pupils with statements of special educational need is particularly good, both in terms of individual education plans and the sensitive delivery of those plans by teachers and support staff. Extra support is provided by a lunchtime reading group. This is staffed by volunteer teachers, support assistants and parents and is a very good initiative.

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

25. The school believes in equality of opportunity but has no equal opportunities policy. This is unsatisfactory. All pupils have access to the full curriculum and to extra curricular activities. The school endeavours to adjust times so that when pupils are withdrawn for special tuition, they do not always miss the same lessons. Statistical data is analysed so that the school is aware of the performance of different abilities and of boys and girls. There are no pupils learning English as a second language.

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

26. Although the school provides its pupils with a satisfactory personal, social and health education through its taught curriculum, as well as the positive ethos and atmosphere prevalent in the school, there is neither a policy or scheme of work to ensure a coordinated approach. This is unsatisfactory and needs to be addressed. Pupils are taught aspects of healthy living but this does not include drugs awareness. Eleven- year-olds follow a good programme in preparation for their transfer to secondary school. In line with the governors’ stated policy, sex education is not taught. Pupils’ questions are responded to as they arise.

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

27. The overall provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is good. Assemblies are held every day for the whole school and led by the headteacher, staff or visiting clergy. There is a spiritual theme for each half term and each assembly has a focus within this. For example, the theme at the time of the inspection was ‘Feelings and Emotions’. One assembly seen during the inspection was focused on ‘Friendship’ and involved prayers, singing and a production by one class. The pupils were asked to think and then questioned on the good qualities they identified in their friends. The quality of singing in another assembly was an inspiring experience. Classrooms and lessons provide spiritual experiences for the pupils as in one class where live crabs kept the children constantly enthralled with their movements and activities. Some displays also have a spiritual theme, such as

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

the prayer tree that is in the school entrance. The school has strong links with the church, which is visited regularly.

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

28. Provision for pupils’ moral development is satisfactory. A discipline policy exists but is in need of overhaul and the system for dealing with pupils is being modified. An anti-bullying policy has been agreed with the governors but has not yet been given to parents. While behaviour is good in most classes, there are some inconsistencies. Next term the headteacher plans to introduce a reward for all-round excellence that will be awarded each half term. Currently teachers operate their own reward systems. While there are no class rules on display, children are clearly taught right from wrong. This was seen in a Reception class music lesson where any silly behaviour was quickly stopped by firm warnings delivered in a kindly way.

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

29. Provision for pupils’ social development is satisfactory. The pupils cooperate in their work and are encouraged to be supportive of one another. The school organises a variety of excursions, for example children in Reception and pupils in Year 1 visited the Sealife Centre and other pupils have visited Pickering Castle. In Year 6, the pupils cooperate in studies about many different features of Ravenscar as part of the school’s link with the National Trust and its Coastal Guardians Project. Through the school the pupils support a number of charities. In just the last few months they have raised £947 for a national children’s charity. They also support Dogs for the Blind, The Donkey Sanctuary, Comic Relief and Poppy Day. However, personal, social and health education is still in a developmental stage and some staff are insecure in teaching all its aspects.

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

30. Provision for pupils’ cultural development is satisfactory. The school has a good musical tradition with a choir that participates in local events and through inviting visitors to the school who are musically accomplished. The pupils participate in National Writing Week and an Arts Week is programmed involving music, dance, art and design and drama productions. Year 6 pupils learn about the cultural history of the region through a residential visit to Lindisfarne. Subjects such as geography, art, and dance in physical education also contribute to pupils’ cultural education. As in the last inspection, the pupils’ awareness of multicultural traditions is still limited, although the school has started to create more opportunities and resources to St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 15 develop this area which is satisfactory overall. For example, there is a link with ethnic minority pupils in a

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

school in Batley, which involves both Internet communication and direct contact between the pupils. A collection of story books from other cultures has also been introduced.

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

31. The provision of extra curricular activities is good. Pupils avail themselves of a range of sporting activities and do well in competitive sport. The school choir performs impressively in public and dramatic productions are a very good feature of the school year. Creative arts are well supported. During the inspection, the drama club and watercolour painting club provided evidence of how these activities enhance the taught curriculum. The school is well situated and staff make good use of the opportunities provided by the local environment, such as the study of the development of the South Cliff and also Ravenscar. Parents are supportive of these activities and help when they can. Homework is set to enrich and reinforce the curriculum, but this is not consistently applied. The use of the Internet is being developed to broaden pupils’ experiences. The curriculum is also enriched by a number of visitors, who help make the curriculum relevant to the pupils’

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

lives. The school works well with the local church to become involved in community activities. Fund-raising for charities promotes a social awareness as well as the development of citizenship.

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

32. Contact with other schools is good. Preparation for secondary education is thorough, despite the difficulties encountered by having to liaise with a large number of secondary schools. Contact with the local university college is also good and the school is regularly used for teacher training purposes. Outside agencies, such as the educational psychological service, are well used to further pupils’ opportunities.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. The school is generally a caring and harmonious community but weaknesses in some procedures make this aspect unsatisfactory overall. Several of these procedures were also unsatisfactory at the time of the previous inspection. Staff are aware of which pupils have specific medical conditions and look after pupils who are ill or who have accidents at school. The school has adopted local child protection procedures and the headteacher, who is the designated adult, is appropriately trained. However, this training has not been disseminated to the rest of the staff and they have no concise written guidance on the actions to take should the need arise. This was a weakness at the time of the previous inspection and the school has since drafted a policy that is to be discussed with the staff and governors. Whilst the school warns pupils about some physical risks they face in the outside world, for example dangers of roads and building sites, it does not

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

adequately prepare them in other ways for life, such as discussing the risks of drugs. Heath and safety procedures were also unsatisfactory at the last inspection but procedures have improved and are in the process of being supported by appropriate formal guidance. Equipment is regularly checked, as are fire procedures. A governors’ committee carries out appropriate, regular risk assessments of the buildings.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are satisfactory overall. However, as in the last report, while there is some good teacher assessment, the information is not being used to inform teachers’ planning, especially in mixed age classes. There is an assessment coordinator and a detailed policy but the system is not fully developed across all subjects. From Year 2 standardised external assessments are used to track the attainment and progress of pupils year by year in mathematics and in spelling, writing and reading for English. The system of using the standardised assessments is being extended to science and the non- core subjects. Attainment targets are set for each year group and these are linked to the average age-related expectation. However, targets for pupils who could do better than average are not always included. Teachers keep their own records of attainment in all subjects but there is no coordinated system for what records are to

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

be kept, their format, or in the way they are used. Consequently, the records are not used to inform the next stage of planning and the teachers’ evaluation of attainment often only describes what pupils can do rather than what they need to do to improve. Initial assessments of children when they first start school in the reception classes are relevant and purposeful and this is good improvement since the last inspection.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. Assessment practices vary between the two classes that have Reception children and assessments are not, at present, used to inform staff’s planning for the next stage of learning. Some work is undated which gives inconsistent information about children’s progress. Some of the marking includes notes about the context of the work; for example, how much help the children receive, this is good practice but is not consistently used in the two classes. Where staff make written comments about children’s work they are positive. Some marking is done with children so they can see any errors they make but many staff are inclined to do corrections for them; for example, when numbers or letters are reversed, rather than encouraging children to do these for themselves.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. The school successfully supports pupils with special educational needs through well-established procedures that meet the code of practice. Pupils with special educational needs are identified early. They are closely monitored, with frequent evaluation of their progress, linked to targets identified on their individual education St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 16 plans. These targets are precise. Teachers have clear procedures for placing pupils on the special educational needs register and teaching is targeted well to support their learning. The school has focused upon identifying the pupils’ needs in literacy, numeracy, and behaviour and their needs are being fully met.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. The monitoring of attendance remains unsatisfactory, although the school has plans to overhaul the system in time for the start of next term. Registers are taken appropriately at the start of each session but there is no rigorous system of monitoring reasons for absence. The registers do not fulfil their statutory requirement of recording reasons for absence and the school’s claim of no unauthorised absence on the official returns cannot therefore be checked and verified. The latest guidance on accounting for pupil absence or presence in school has not yet been followed. Until recently, the school had no written anti-bullying policy; governors have recently approved one, although parents have not had a copy yet. However, informal procedures, supported by the positive and caring ethos promoted by class teachers and in assemblies, are very effective. The school’s behaviour policy is also currently being reviewed as it is six years old. Partly because of this, not all

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

staff are clear about procedures for dealing with misbehaviour and this was observed to have a negative impact on learning during the inspection. On the other hand, the systems for rewarding good behaviour work well.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

38. Overall, parents are well satisfied with the school. There are some significant concerns but the general view is that the new headteacher has started very positively to address these. From the questionnaire sent out before the inspection, parents say that their children like school and that as parents they are comfortable approaching the school with concerns. Children are expected to work hard and develop maturity. Some parents are concerned with the lack of progress their children are making and the information provided about their children’s work and progress. Significant minorities are dissatisfied with homework and extra-curricular provision. Many parents said that they had been dissatisfied with the leadership provided in the past and with some of the teaching. At the parents’ meeting, they were generally positive, although many of the same issues were raised.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

39. The inspection supports the parent’s positive views and find that those aspects with which the parents had significant concerns are at least satisfactory. Extra-curricular activities are good, with a wide range of sporting and musical activities, which pupils enthusiastically participate in. Although there is some inconsistency, homework is set satisfactorily. Pupil reports sent to parents about their children’s achievements are good and the information provided is good.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. The school has good links with parents and they respond in turn by giving their children good support. Parents of children starting in the reception class receive good information about the school. Booklets are available about how to help their child’s learning from home, for example with reading or initial writing. In the past, parents have complained about the lack of notice about school events. The new headteacher issues regular and helpful newsletters about the routines of school life, with timely reminders of future events. Teachers send information about what is currently being taught. The prospectus and the governors’ annual report to parents meet requirements and cover most aspects of school life. Parents are kept well informed of their child’s progress through two formal meetings with teachers every year and through the pupils’ annual reports. These meet requirements to report progress in all subjects. Comments are most detailed for English

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

and mathematics, which reflects the high level of assessment in those subjects. Teachers include grades for attainment and effort and set targets for the following year. The targets are sometimes too general and comments are sometimes couched in educational jargon. The home-school agreement has been issued and returned by most parents but not re-issued to new parents this year. The document has had no discernible additional effect. The school is aware that it should involve parents more in longer-term decision-making and seek to investigate parents’ general concerns. A good start was made in the response to parents’ worries about the reading scheme, which they felt was no longer appropriate. The school purchased a new scheme and has communicated this clearly to parents, which has met with their approval.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41. There are good relationships between the Reception staff and parents. The reading records in both reception classes involve parents and carers well and contribute significantly to their children’s’ reading development. The reception teacher meets parents and carers prior to the children’s entry to the school and families are asked to complete an “I am special’ booklet before they make a visit to join in a story time. This is good practice.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. In the rest of the school, most parents hear their children read at home and many comment in the reading diary. The pupils show evident appreciation of reading. There is also a separate homework diary, although not all parents seemed to be aware of this, which may have led to confusion about the amount of homework expected in each year group. Several parents help in school doing much valued work and they, together with St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 17 classroom assistants, are currently assembling very attractive ‘story sacks’ to encourage younger readers at home. Parents help with clubs and give extra adult supervision on school trips. There is a very strong Parent Teacher Association, which organises well-attended social events. These help cement the widespread community and raise very considerable funds for the school. Large numbers of parents attend the weekly celebration assembly and, in the inspection week, about 150 attended the junior sports day to cheer on their

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

43. The headteacher provides good and effective leadership. In the very short time since being appointed, she has brought welcome stability to a school that was experiencing management difficulties at the time of the last inspection. Changes to the senior management structure of the school and recent teaching appointments have provided a focus for school improvement and strengthened the teaching. At the time of the inspection, the headteacher was undertaking a thorough review of current practices and policies. This review is necessary to help the new headteacher build up a picture of school effectiveness. There are satisfactory procedures in place to monitor teaching and learning but they ought to be more consistent across the school. The current management team recognises the need to provide more opportunities for staff with subject management responsibilities to see pupils’ work and to observe lessons in order to establish more

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

consistency of practice. Assessment information is used well to enable the senior management team to monitor how well pupils are doing but the lack of a coordinated approach has meant that teachers are not fully involved in recording how well pupils are doing in all subjects.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. The governors are knowledgeable, experienced, and committed to the needs of the school and its pupils. They provide satisfactory support and fulfil their statutory responsibilities. Some governors are linked to a curriculum area, for example literacy, numeracy, and special educational needs. This helps them to gain a greater insight into the work of the school. The governors recognise the fact that the school’s accommodation is very limited and classrooms are small. They are currently reviewing plans with the headteacher to alleviate the problems caused by this with the possibility of committing funds to expanding part of the school site to increase teaching spaces further.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. The special educational needs coordinator has time allocated for the management of this important area, which she uses well to monitor the work of the pupils and support staff. She has a budget allocation, which she spends efficiently to provide additional resource materials.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. Subject leaders draw up action plans to support staff in their respective subjects and areas of responsibility. Resources are managed well and the coordinators check these are accessible to the pupils. Coordinators who have recently been appointed are supported by a senior teacher. He helps them prepare an effective curriculum and coordinates the professional development programme for the staff. The senior staff are responsible for tracking pupils’ progress using very detailed analyses of test results. Although this information is analysed closely there is still work to be done to ensure that assessment information informs teachers’ planning. This is particularly relevant for higher attaining pupils in mixed age classes. Curriculum coordinators and teachers do not always ensure that the work planned for these pupils is sufficiently well matched to enable them to achieve high standards. A more rigorous application of the school’s assessment

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

procedures is needed to improve the way work is planned across two year groups in some classes.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The school’s accommodation is limited because most classrooms are small. Some classrooms are cramped and the lack of storage space restricts the movement of pupils. Displays of pupils’ work are bright and stimulating. There is a good size hall, and a satisfactory level of resources including computers, which are well deployed around the school offering adequate access to staff and pupils except for library and reference resources, which are inadequate. There are good outside play areas including hard areas and extensive grassed games and environmental areas but there is no designated outside area for reception age children to use on a regular basis.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. Staffing levels in the school are satisfactory. The school has an experienced, hard-working and dedicated teaching staff. There are satisfactory arrangements in place to support newly appointed staff and newly qualified teachers. The school employs a good number of learning support assistants, who are well trained and are effective in supporting the teachers and pupils in their care. The number of administrative, caretaking and cleaning staff are appropriate to the needs of the school. The school is well maintained, clean and safe.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. Financial planning is satisfactory and specific grants are used well. The governors are prudent in their budgeting, and short-term financial planning is sound. The school development and management plan show clear priorities for further improvement, although the headteacher is changing the way this is organised so that governors and staff are more involved in the process of audit and review when preparing priorities for the St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 18 future. The recommendations of the local authority audit have been acted upon. Financial control and administration procedures are well managed by the secretary and headteacher. Governors agree budget allocations annually and the expenditure is monitored well by the secretary using new technology. As yet there is no formal long-term budget and costed school development plan and this is an area which the headteacher wishes to address urgently. The local authority supports the school by providing monthly

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

financial statements and good use is made of information technology to support the smooth running of the school. The governors are aware of best value principles and make good use of regional purchasing organisations when tendering for services. St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 19

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governing body should:

q Improve the way the curriculum and lessons are planned in mixed age classes so that:

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governing body should:

• work is better matched to the needs of higher attaining pupils;

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governing body should:

• there are better procedures in place which enable teachers and subject coordinators to monitor what work is being covered by every year group.

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governing body should:

(Paragraphs: 2; 4; 13; 17; 20-22; 80; 82; 95)

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governing body should:

q Improve aspects of teaching so that more lessons are of good or high quality by:

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governing body should:

• ensuring that high expectations are set for both the quality of work set and behaviour and are applied consistently across the school;

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governing body should:

• putting in place effective professional development programmes that identify, establish and develop best practice across the school.

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governing body should:

(Paragraphs: 5; 9; 13; 16-17; 31; 51; 64; 67; 72; 80; 85; 105; 122)

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governing body should:

q Develop effective and consistent systems that can be used by teachers to help them monitor how well

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pupils are doing in all subjects by:

• adopting consistent marking and recording procedures for all subjects;

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pupils are doing in all subjects by:

• incorporating assessment activities into lessons to help keep track of how well pupils are doing during the year;

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pupils are doing in all subjects by:

• making greater use of subject specific learning targets so that it is clear what skills and knowledge the pupils have learnt in each subject of the National Curriculum.

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pupils are doing in all subjects by:

(Paragraphs: 3; 18; 34-35; 46; 79; 88; 106; 110)

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pupils are doing in all subjects by:

q Provide a safe and secure outdoor play area specifically for children in the Foundation Stage so that they have regular access to climbing apparatus and other large play equipment.

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Other less serious areas for development that should be considered by the school:

q Improve procedures for monitoring attendance so that teachers complete registers more accurately and consistently and in accordance with statutory requirements.

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Other less serious areas for development that should be considered by the school:

q Provide a more coherent personal, health and safety education policy which includes drugs awareness and a scheme of work to foster the pupils’ personal and social development.

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Other less serious areas for development that should be considered by the school:

(Paragraphs: 26; 33) St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 20

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 23

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

0 9 41 46 4 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 279

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 4 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

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

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 5

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 3

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 21

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 22 20 42

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 21 15 21 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 19 19 19

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 95 (81) 81 (90) 95 (86) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 21 21 22 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 19 20 20

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 95 (90) 98 (93) 100 (98) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 27 21 48

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 19 24 24 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 20 20 20

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 81 (82) 92 (91) 92 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys n/a n/a n/a Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls n/a n/a n/a

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School n/a (82) n/a (88) n/a (100) 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. St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 22

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 10.4 Financial year 2000/2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26.8

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 506,094

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 6 Expenditure per pupil 1,785

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 192 Balance brought forward from previous year 20,957

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 5,389 FTE means full-time equivalent. St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 23

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 42 41 14 1 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 42 52 1 1 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 24 31 23 16 6

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 28 52 17 3 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 61 34 4 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 53 41 5 0 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 33 48 17 1 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 50 39 1 1 9

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 49 44 5 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 16 42 28 6 8

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Other issues raised by parents

Many parents expressed concern about the lack of consistency across the school in a number of areas including homework and the information provided for them by class teachers. They are also concerned about large class sizes and cramped conditions as well as the provision made for higher attaining pupils in mixed age classes. Most believe that the new headteacher has made a good start and has brought some stability to the school. St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 24

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

50. Children enter the reception classes from the beginning of the autumn term in the school year in which they become five years of age. Some children attend for half-day sessions for the first term. At the time of the inspection, there were 27 children on roll in the reception class and 16 reception-aged children in the mixed reception and Year 1 class. The older children are placed in the mixed-age class. Reception classes are housed in attractive but cramped rooms. Both classes have access to outdoor areas but these are not secure enough for the outdoor activities required by the Foundation Stage curriculum. There are plans to improve the outdoor facilities but this weakness was found at the time of the previous inspection and the school has not improved this aspect of its provision since then.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

51. There is an experienced coordinator for the Foundation Stage but no overall plan for what reception children should learn by the end of the year in all areas of learning. Currently there is little monitoring of the reception curriculum, planning and teaching, which is leading to inconsistencies between the two classes.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

52. Staffing was satisfactory in most lessons during the inspection but, on occasions, there is only the teacher in the classes. Reception classes are adequately resourced for the Foundation Stage curriculum but there are few facilities for role-play and imaginative play in the mixed-age class and for browsing and independent reading and outdoor resources in both classes.

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Personal, social and emotional development

53. Children enter the school with an average level of attainment in this area of learning and they make satisfactory progress. Children show good attitudes to their work in most lessons and very good attitudes to musical and painting activities where they show good involvement in practical activities and get on well with their work. There are generally good relationships with staff and peers. They enjoy the activities and usually respond well to teaching and non-teaching staff. They generally sit well during carpet times and settle to work appropriately. When the Reception teacher is hearing readers, she allows children to interrupt her, which limits her quality time with the reader. When children spend a long time on an activity or are sitting too long they become restless and are sometimes boisterous. Children are learning to distinguish right from wrong, to have respect for each other and to form constructive relationships with peers and adults. The staff are good

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Personal, social and emotional development

role models for this area of learning, they encourage and support children in their personal development. In most activities children play and work well together, share resources without disagreement, although they are sometimes inclined to interrupt other children and adults rather than waiting their turn. The teaching is satisfactory and this enables the children to achieve the early learning goals on this area of learning.

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Communication, language and literacy

54. The children’s attainment is above average on entry to the Reception classes. Sound progress is made in this area of learning as most of the children are likely to exceed the standards expected in this area of learning. Most children are able to express their thoughts and feelings clearly. They are given frequent opportunities to listen and extend their vocabulary, for example, during story telling, literacy sessions and other whole class or small group activities. The opportunities for children to initiate speaking in role-play are less frequent, particularly in the mixed-age class. The staff encourage good listening skills. Most children listen to instructions and usually follow them well. Most can express their wants and needs.

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Communication, language and literacy

55. Children are developing their knowledge of stories and books appropriately. They can read a known, simple text accurately, pointing to each word as they read it and many recognise a number of familiar words by sight. They understand the content in what they read. The majority are confident readers but do not yet self-correct even with known texts although they can usually read the words correctly if errors are pointed out to them. None of the sample of children who read to an inspector were able to talk about favourite books or stories apart from those in the scheme they are reading. The opportunities for children to browse and choose from among a range of books are too infrequent; this is a weakness of the curriculum. Pupils are developing their knowledge of letter sounds well although not all are able to use them successfully. They are not always able to recall what they have read. Older reception children are learning to place words in alphabetical order with

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Communication, language and literacy

adult help. The reading scheme is different in the reception classes to that used in the rest of the school because a new scheme has only just been introduced. St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 25 56. Children recognise and write their names, practise handwriting patterns and form letters legibly. They are developing good pencil control and some older children are learning to join letters. Most children make satisfactory attempts at spelling new words and are able to write initial sounds or letters for common words independently. There are few opportunities for children to write independently during role-play or imaginative play particularly in the mixed-age class. They are learning to write for different purposes in some areas of learning, for example, labelling plants and seedlings in science. The staff are not always clear about the different purposes of copywriting and independent writing and, consequently, the children are sometimes

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Communication, language and literacy

allowed to copy words when they could make good attempts at writing and spelling independently. Most children can read back their own writing or are learning to do so. The quality of teaching in this area of learning is satisfactory.

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Mathematical development

57. The children’s attainment on entry to the Reception classes is above average. They make satisfactory progress in acquiring mathematical knowledge and most will achieve or exceed the early learning goals in this area of learning. Provision is made for the children to sort, match, count, order and form numbers to 10 and beyond. They are learning a good range of number words and higher attaining children can add numbers totalling 10 or 20. Reception class children can count on 2 more or 1 less to a given number to 10, find missing numbers in a sequence to 20, can ‘correct’ teachers deliberate errors in counting to 20 and count back from 20. They are also learning the number bonds to 8. They are learning to describe the properties of three-dimensional shapes such as cubes and can read simple times on clock faces. A few are learning to write hours in digital clock form. In the Sea Life role-play area, the Reception class children play with real

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Mathematical development

pennies to pay for tickets and souvenirs and to give change. The children in the mixed-age class are following the number scheme books which includes work on money, ordering numbers, adding 5 more or fewer and individual children can complete number bonds to 20 when in the ‘hot seat’. Most children can draw hands on clock-faces to indicate times on the hour and half-past. They cannot always distinguish between the minute and hour hands but can write the time accurately with adult help. The quality of teaching is good overall in this area of learning.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

58. Attainment is above age related expectations and the children make satisfactory progress. They learn about people and places in and beyond their environment, for example, through the use of stories and role-play in the Sea Life centre. The reception class children were observing, discussing, and drawing types of fish such as sardines, trout or dabs. This was an interesting experience where they could appreciate the feel, look and smell of the fish and was led well by the teaching assistant. Children also have good opportunities to observe crabs in a tank in the classroom, which leads to great excitement and wonder when the crabs move. Both classes have done some work on magnetism. A variety of small and large construction resources is available although they were not used frequently enough during the inspection in either class. The children have few opportunities to experiment with the properties of water and sand particularly in the mixed-age class. Good

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

use is made of the computer in some lessons. The children are learning to use a graphics program called “Paint”, and matching and information programs. No use of technology such as listening centres was observed. Reception children in the mixed-age class have completed work on forces, friction, how things move, materials and their properties, different types of houses and transport over time. They have completed work on themselves and growth of plants. However, the children in the Reception year do not cover the same work in both classes. This is a weakness in the curriculum and the way that the children’s progress is being monitored by class teachers. The quality of teaching is satisfactory in this area of learning.

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Physical development

59. The children make satisfactory progress in manipulative skills using equipment such as pencils, crayons, scissors, paint, brushes and glue spreaders. The teaching is good as it is usually practical and enables the pupils to use equipment and experiment with different resources. Reception children join in physical education lessons and have playtimes to practise skills such as running and jumping. In one lesson, the children in the mixed-age class moved to music well, could stop on command and showed good coordination and control in skipping skills. They moved safely but did not have the opportunity to move imaginatively as the teacher and assistant told children what movements to make. The children do not show independence in changing for lessons and are quite dependent on adults to help. The teacher says they have to change in time for the next lesson but staff need to ensure that children are given time to improve their independence in

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Physical development

this aspect of their physical development. Children do not have regular access to an outside area and playtime activities do not always include those which will improve skills such as climbing, balancing and riding wheeled vehicles. Planning for physical development is unsatisfactory in terms of coverage of the whole curriculum. In lessons where medium-term plans are used for physical education there are very few focused learning objectives which will help the children to improve their physical skills. The planning does not St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 26 include outdoor activities and only few indoor lessons. Provision for this aspect is unsatisfactory overall and children make less than satisfactory progress in their development of gross motor skills such as climbing and controlling wheeled vehicles. St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 27

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Creative development

60. The children make satisfactory progress overall and are on course to exceed the early learning goals by the end of the Reception year. Attainment in some lessons is above expectation, for example, making Jack and the Beanstalk models by scrunching, rolling, flattening and gluing materials. They show good observational skills when working in the style of Van Gogh to paint Sunflowers. The children have good opportunities to draw, colour, paint, cut and glue and are developing increasing control in using these different techniques. Reception children are developing the ability to represent the world around them and to produce recognisable drawings, paintings or models, for example, deep blue sea paintings, sea monster pictures and good, three- dimensional models such as clocks and aquaria. Children sing rhymes and songs and, in one lesson, the children listened attentively to recorded music and clapped patterns and rhythms well. They know the names

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Creative development

of instruments and how to use them, for example, tambourines and chime bars. They can compare instrumental sounds and how they are played and at what tempo. This was a very good teaching and learning opportunity and children showed good levels of attainment. There are regular opportunities for structured role-play to develop and stimulate children’s imaginations and creative language in the reception class but there are fewer opportunities for children to organise their own play. The children enjoy playing in role but the planning and organisation of this aspect of learning is rarely focused enough to ensure development or is too adult-dominated to allow children to develop these skills appropriately. The opportunities for structured and independent role-play in the mixed-age class are too infrequent and this is a weakness of the Foundation Stage curriculum for children in this class. The staff teach the children how to use materials and tools in a

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Creative development

safe way and most children respond to this guidance well. The quality of teaching is satisfactory in this area of learning.

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ENGLISH

61. By the age of seven, the percentage of pupils reaching or exceeding the expected standards for their age in the 2000 reading tests was well above the national average for all schools and above average in comparison with similar schools. In the writing tests, standards were in line with the national average for all schools but below the average of similar schools. The performance of boys and girls exceeded the national average in reading. Initial indications of this year’s tests show that attainment is above average in reading and writing.

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ENGLISH

62. By the age of eleven, the percentage of pupils reaching or exceeding the standards expected for their age in the 2000 English tests was above the national average but below average compared with similar schools. The performance of boys and girls exceeded the national average. Initial indications from this year’s tests are that the school has improved pupils’ performance in the national tests as standards are likely to be well above average.

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ENGLISH

63. Inspection evidence shows that pupils’ attainment in listening, speaking, reading, writing and handwriting is above average by the end of both key stages. Spelling standards are in line with those expected at both key stages. The school has maintained the standards found at the time of the previous inspection apart from spelling standards, which were then judged to be above average. The progress of pupils with special educational needs is good in relation to the targets set on their individual education plans.

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ENGLISH

64. The pupils’ listening skills are above average by the end of both key stages. Pupils generally listen attentively to staff and peers in whole class activities, for example, when listening to the teacher reading books or to instructions which enables them to understand what they are being taught and what they have to do. However, some pupils at both key stages, often boys, do not listen attentively and this has a negative effect on the quality of their learning.

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ENGLISH

65. The pupils’ speaking skills are above average at both key stages. Pupils join in discussions and answer questions successfully; for example, when finding information relating to texts and suggesting ideas prompted by teachers’ questions. Throughout the school, pupils have few opportunities to initiate discussions and, in one whole class session in Years 3 and 4, even the oldest pupils did not have the confidence to evaluate other pupils’ work orally.

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ENGLISH

66. By the end of both key stages, pupils’ reading skills are above those expected for their age. Some readers in each year group are well above average in fiction reading skills. One of the Year 2 pupils, who read to an inspector, showed very good recall of earlier reading and two of them were very good and fluent readers of books they have not read before even when the text is quite challenging such as Susan Varley’s ‘Badger’s Parting Gifts’. Most know the terms, ‘author’, ‘title’, ‘content’, ‘index’, ‘fiction’ and ‘non-fiction’ and can work out alphabetical order using the first and second letters of a word. Year 1 pupils, who read to an inspector, read at a standard well above the national average, readily tackling new words, reading fluently with no hesitation or mistakes. St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 28 67. By the end of Key stage 2, the pupils are confident readers in whole class sessions. They read fluently and

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ENGLISH

this enhances their learning in all subjects. However, a significant number of pupils, including one of the oldest and highest attaining pupils, talk of not reading at school, only at home or in the public library. Year 5 pupils can search texts for connectives, read a very good range of vocabulary and read to an inspector well with good expression. Year 3 pupils follow texts closely in whole class sessions, for example, when reading an article to summarise the main points. Throughout the key stage, there is an imbalance between reading with an adult and the pupils’ opportunities to read individually. This limits their ability to read a wide range of texts independently at school. Some read books from home rather than those from school because the former are more challenging and interesting. A number of pupils belong to the public library and gain knowledge of library skills through this. However, the provision for the learning of library, reference and

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ENGLISH

research skills in school is very limited and the pupils’ lack some skills as a result.

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ENGLISH

68. Many parents contribute significantly to pupils’ progress in reading. Home-school reading records are used well in infant classes but, in the junior classes, these mostly depend on how consistent teachers are when maintaining records or ensuring that parents are involved with reading at home. Some classes’ reading records are not kept so it is difficult to see how staff can monitor progress and know the level of pupils’ reading. During the inspection of reading standards a pupil graded by staff as average, read at a higher standard than the pupil assessed as above average.

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ENGLISH

69. Writing standards in English and across the curriculum are above those expected at the end of both key stages. By the age of seven, pupils can use story planners to good effect and have experience of reviewing books and retelling or extending given texts or worksheets. Although only a minority of pupils’ work is displayed, some of this shows good and very good extended writing by the end of both key stages. By the age of eleven, pupils can produce very good writing, for example, in one lesson Year 6, pupils wrote poems about their life in primary school with flair, poetic ability and good use of vocabulary. Year 5 pupils have produced some very good play scripts. There is some evidence of the use of word processing on computers to produce fiction and descriptive writing. In a few classes, pupils draft and refine work but this is inconsistent practice.

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ENGLISH

70. Standards of spelling across the curriculum are in line with the national average by the end of both key stages. Infant pupils are learning to recognise spelling patterns through focusing on words during literacy lessons and most can spell a number of high frequency words accurately. Year 2 pupils do not often attempt spellings independently. Throughout the school, pupils are given too much help as words are often spelt for them either on a whiteboard or on worksheets. Consequently, pupils have become dependent on adults when trying to spell unfamiliar words. By the end of Key Stage 2, most pupils’ spelling, including polysyllabic words, is generally accurate. Staff frequently do all corrections for pupils, this inhibits pupils from learning through correcting their own work.

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ENGLISH

71. Pupils’ handwriting is above the standards expected for their age across the curriculum and is well above average in some work, for example, the writing on displayed work. Pupils learn to join letters and begin to use a pen from an early age. These skills develop well as they proceed through the school. By the age of seven, pupils form letters accurately and their handwriting is generally joined and legible. By the age of eleven, pupils’ handwriting is fluent and clear. However, the presentation of work in books varies considerably between classes and in some classes, much of the work is untidy. There are good examples of the use of word processing and different fonts on displayed writing. Information and communication technology was used in very few English lessons during the inspection but evidence from the work displayed shows that pupils use computers to word process writing and to combine text and graphics to enhance the presentation

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ENGLISH

72. The teaching is satisfactory with very good teaching in some lessons in infant classes where pupils with special educational needs are included in the lesson well and support staff are used effectively. In these lessons, there is good progression from one part of the lesson to another. There was good teaching in half of lessons seen in junior classes where teachers show good subject knowledge and acknowledge the emotional aspects of writing poetry and discuss these with insight and understanding. Most staff give good introductions where the teacher uses advanced language and vocabulary. However, even where teaching is good, pupils spend quite long periods of time listening which may not be the best way to prepare for spoken or writing activities. Some teachers dominate discussions and this can inhibit pupils’ responses. Some staff do not tackle misbehaviour or inattentive pupils and allow them to interrupt others. Writing tasks are sometimes

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ENGLISH

unchallenging or slow-paced and little more than copying. In the mixed age classes, work of the older pupils is too similar to that of younger pupils and this limits their progress. There is no monitoring to ensure that the younger pupils will not do the same work when they are the older group. Where pupils of the same age group are in different classes, they do different work and currently, there is no facility incorporated within the planning to ensure that this does not happen. St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 29 73. Some infant work is undated and not all is marked. Work is very similar for pupils of different abilities, resulting in some unchallenging work for higher attaining pupils in mixed age classes. In junior classes the marking shows that most staff comment positively but there are several examples of negative comments and no criteria to show what teachers mean by ‘good’. In some books, targets, such as “take care with spelling”,

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ENGLISH

are not focused enough to help the pupils improve their work. The same comments are repeated which indicates little progress in these books. There is unfinished work in almost all classes at both key stages. This does not encourage good progress. Record-keeping for writing and monitoring pupils’ progress are inconsistent across the school and not being sufficiently used to inform teachers’ planning.

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ENGLISH

74. The range of reading resources is satisfactory although there are insufficient materials from different cultures and traditions and for higher attaining readers. Library and reference resources are inadequate. The headteacher is taking over the role of coordinator and is interested and experienced in this role. The English policy is out of date and needs reviewing, as do long and medium term planning procedures, particularly for mixed age classes. Staff check and moderate their marking to ensure they follow consistent criteria, but this has yet to influence marking practice. There is currently some monitoring of teaching and learning but this was not practised regularly in the past because of the changes to the management of the school. The headteacher is aware of this and, in the very short time she has been in post, she plans to put in place more formal and consistent monitoring procedures which aim to address issues related to inconsistent practice

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MATHEMATICS

75. By the age of seven, standards in mathematics are above average. At eleven standards are well above the average. Last year’s national test results showed that seven year olds performed less well than pupils in similar schools but the eleven-year-olds performed better than pupils in similar schools. Given the above average level of attainment when pupils first start school in the Reception year, achievement from five to seven is satisfactory and from the age of seven to eleven, it is good. These judgements are supported by the school’s performance in national tests and the evidence from pupils’ books, which show current standards. Standards have risen over time, but not as quickly as the national rate. However, results have consistently been above the national average so it is reasonable that improvement would have been less marked. The results of the 2001 tests show that standards have continued to rise, especially of higher attaining pupils at

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MATHEMATICS

the age of eleven. As yet there are no national comparisons but inspection evidence indicates that standards are currently well above those expected for pupils aged eleven.

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MATHEMATICS

76. Boys and girls both achieve well and the school keeps a regular check on their respective performances. Pupils with special educational needs are very well supported. They make good progress both within the classroom and when withdrawn for small group activities.

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MATHEMATICS

77. By the age of seven, pupils have developed a good mental facility. They can quickly provide answers to a range of challenging questions, for example, half of 100, double 50, half of 25. The pupils are also able to describe their own strategies. Higher attaining pupils can calculate doubles of numbers up to 1000. They are confident when collating information in table form and then transferring this information to a tally chart and block graph. A scrutiny of their work shows that all the essential elements of the subject are being taught. The pupils with special educational needs work well on individual computer programs, which are both stimulating and develop their skills progressively. They also have access to the whole curriculum.

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MATHEMATICS

78. Eleven-year-old pupils show a good understanding of mental computation during whole class practice sessions. They confidently and accurately calculate fractions of large numbers and also formulate their own questions with which to challenge their peers. When explaining their strategies, they substitute simple numbers to clarify their explanations of the processes. They have a thorough knowledge and understanding of the four rules of number in application to fractions. They use the appropriate technical language with accuracy and understanding, for instance, they define equivalent fractions, improper fractions and mixed numbers unerringly. A scrutiny of their work shows that the curriculum has been covered thoroughly and to a higher than average standard in all the required elements. When talking to pupils they express an enthusiasm for the subject and describe particular methods of calculation, such as Pascal’s triangle, Napier’s Bones and

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MATHEMATICS

Fibonacci’s Theory with ease. They enjoy problem solving, which indicates a confident understanding of the application of mathematics in new situations. Pupils with special educational need make good progress on individual programmes and in whole class situations.

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MATHEMATICS

79. Standards have continued to improve since the previous inspection but the rate of improvement is not as rapid as the national trend. The successful implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy has resulted in a uniform planning and lesson structure, which has had a positive impact on standards. The monitoring of St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 30 classroom practice provided useful information which helped to improve teaching and learning; this is an improvement on the previous inspection. Regular testing and monitoring of progress has allowed the school to set targets for improvement and future performance. Pupils have also been organised into attainment sets, which has assisted the drive to raise standards. The school gathers a wealth of data from a variety of tests. It would be possible to arrive at the same conclusions about standards with less testing, which would release

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MATHEMATICS

time for extension work. More needs to be done towards the development of ongoing assessment during lessons and evaluative marking to encourage adjustments to the planning to meet the needs of pupils across the ability range and especially those in mixed age classes. At present, teachers’ marking is not effective in setting targets, which was also a finding of the last inspection.

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MATHEMATICS

80. Throughout the inspection, the quality of teaching and learning was good and occasionally very good. The teaching in infant classes was best when activities were closely matched to the differing abilities within the group. Thus, Year 1 pupils are able to sort shapes into tables and graphs, and higher attaining pupils can interpret and load onto a computer program. Teaching is also good when it relates the subject matter to real life situations. Gathering information about lost balls in the school made the work more relevant and the learning more meaningful for Year 2 pupils. Sometimes the work is not accurately matched to all levels of ability. On these occasions, above average pupils finish very quickly, which shows that the task is insufficiently challenging. Teaching and learning in junior classes is also most effective when tasks are matched to the abilities of the pupils and are set within a meaningful context. This was best demonstrated

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MATHEMATICS

when Year 4 pupils learned subtraction facts related to a visit to Alton Towers. Generally, lessons had a good structure and pace and were rigorous in their application of the learning objectives. The pupils respond well to this and make good progress. This was evident in most lessons and pupils rise to the challenge set by teachers. Pupils enjoy the mental arithmetic sessions, learn well and demonstrate a good understanding of numbers and arithmetic strategies. Teachers are secure in their knowledge and understanding and, because they use technical language appropriately, the pupils learn to use it accurately. Teaching is less successful when pupils become restless and lose interest. Generally the management and control of pupils is good but on a few occasions learning is adversely affected by a few pupils who exhibit challenging behaviour. Mathematics is well used across the whole curriculum, but especially in science, environmental studies, and

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MATHEMATICS

design and technology. Data is collected in history and geography lessons and work is well represented graphically. Information and communication technology is also well used, for example, when collecting and collating data about television viewing habits.

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MATHEMATICS

81. The school plans to continue to monitor teaching and learning in the subject. A policy for identifying and teaching gifted children has been recently introduced and will be implemented soon. The school is liaising with a secondary school in order to develop the curriculum for its most advanced pupils. This initiative should include the development of investigations, so that pupils are given more control in decision making and managing their learning. The subject is well led by a coordinator who has a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Resources are well maintained and accessible to pupils and staff.

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SCIENCE

82. For pupils aged eleven years, the results of the 2000 national tests show that standards were above the national average both for pupils reaching the expected level for their age and for those reaching the higher Level 5. When compared with similar schools the results were close to the average. Standards have improved compared with 1996 but this improvement has not been consistent from year to year and is at a slower rate than that found nationally. The unconfirmed national test results for 2001 show that 97 per cent of the eleven-year-old pupils attained the expected level and 55 per cent exceeded this level. Both results are an improvement on the previous year. The key factors in improving standards are good teaching between the ages of seven and eleven and reinforcement through extensive test practice at age eleven which reduces the amount of time spent on teaching the science curriculum. More able pupils are not being challenged

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SCIENCE

sufficiently in mixed age classes. This is slowing the rate of improvement in the school’s results. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported at both key stages and their progress is good. There are no significant variations in the attainment of boys and girls.

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SCIENCE

83. For pupils aged seven years, the results of teacher assessments in 2000 showed that standards up to the age of seven were very high compared with the national average both for pupils reaching the expected level for their age and for pupils reaching above this level. This is an improvement since the last inspection. Early indications from teacher assessments for 2001 show 94 per cent of the seven-year-old pupils attained the expected national level and nine percent exceeded the expected level. Both results are lower than for the previous year. These are linked to the impact of staff changes in the last year and to previous difficulties to the leadership and management of the school. Both of these issues are now being addressed. St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 31 84. Current standards at age seven are average. Seven-year-olds with typical attainment in Year 2 can name parts of the body using labelled diagrams, sequence pictures to describe the stages of human growth and

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SCIENCE

match the senses to their functions using labelled pictures. They know what makes a healthy diet and can list the food and equipment needed to produce a meal. They classify objects made from different materials and separate them into groups. They can explain, using diagrams, what happens to water when it is heated, boiled and frozen. The pupils investigate forces and can use directional diagrams to show where push and pull forces of different strengths are needed to make objects move and stop. They know, in simple terms, the effects that air and water have on the speed and direction of movements of objects. They demonstrate an appropriate knowledge of experimental methods. For example, under the direction of the teacher, they can investigate the effects of forces on the speed at which objects move. They can describe what the test is about and make a prediction using simple sentences, draw a diagram of the equipment, state why it is a fair test,

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SCIENCE

measure and record results as a table and state their conclusions.

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SCIENCE

85. The standard of current work at age eleven is well above average. Eleven-year-olds have a broad knowledge and understanding of scientific enquiry, life processes and living things, materials and their properties, and physical processes. This knowledge has been accumulated over the four junior years. Eleven-year-olds with typical attainment for their age know that forces can be converted into Newtons. They can carry out investigations into forces. For example, they can investigate forces using elastic bands, clearly stating the purpose of the enquiry, predicting results, describing with the aid of diagrams the equipment used and the controls that ensure a fair test. They record the results in table form and present the data as a graph. They reach and state conclusions. In their earlier work pupils explored materials and their properties. Through this they learned to consider the effects of different variables on the rate at which cooling took place when using

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SCIENCE

temperature insulators. Through their investigations into separating liquids and solids, the pupils demonstrate that they can write their own investigation reports. However, much of the work is structured by the teachers with little scope for pupils, particularly higher attaining pupils, to plan their own investigations. Earlier studies made by the pupils on the parts of plants and their needs for good growth show that the children develop good scientific vocabulary.

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SCIENCE

86. The pupils’ attitudes are good. They are interested and enthusiastic. They generally respond well to the tasks set and to question and answer sessions. In a Year 3 lesson on materials and their properties, the pupils showed immediate interest in the subject through their responses. Their eagerness to undertake practical tasks was shown in a Year 4 and 5 lesson, where they applied themselves to a task on seed dispersal with enthusiasm. This was also seen in a Year 6 lesson where learning was being reinforced ready for fieldwork and the pupils were engrossed in dissecting a buttercup to study its component parts. The pupils generally listen well to the teachers and are intellectually curious, applying themselves well to the investigative approach. Their curiosity was evident when, during the examination of seeds under the direction of the teacher, they began to notice hitherto unseen details. The children treat resources and specimens well. Their

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SCIENCE

87. It was not possible to observe any lessons in infant classes because the timetable had been disrupted due to end of term events and educational visits. The teaching in the juniors is good overall and all of it is satisfactory or better. In a very good lesson with nine-year-olds, the teacher’s good subject expertise showed in his good planning and in the way the pupils were effectively rehearsed in their previous learning about plants. The teacher introduced the lesson clearly and set clues for the pupils to follow up but deliberately did not elaborate. The instructions for the tasks were clear and the pupils were motivated by the practical nature of their investigations. Good displays provided a stimulating context for the lesson. In a satisfactory lesson, the teacher skilfully guided the initial discussion gaining the participation and interest of the pupils but the discussion went on for too long. Consequently, the lesson lost its focus and its purpose became less clear.

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SCIENCE

This resulted in the pupils losing interest and left only a short time for practical work. Less effective teaching also occurs where the pupils are not required to offer answers during class discussion and are not challenged because opportunities are not specifically created to extend the more capable pupils.

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SCIENCE

88. The coordinator has been in post for less than one year and is still waiting for her staff development in the subject. The headteacher has put in place formal arrangements involving detailed discussions with all staff to establish current practice and future developments in each subject including science. The policy is programmed for renewal in 2002. The coordinator has been effective in introducing a revised medium term plan for infant and junior classes and this has increased the confidence of staff. Until now, however, she has not had the opportunity to monitor teaching. Evaluation relies upon feedback from colleagues. Resources are good but the current budget is now recognised as insufficient and is currently under review. There is no system for using the assessment records of teachers for tracking the progress of individual pupils. The school has started to use national standardised tests for assessment, alongside the teachers’ own assessment

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SCIENCE

records. These help to track the progress of individual pupils on a year by year basis. They do not, however, identify separately the attainment of pupils in each aspect of the science curriculum and are therefore of limited use. The quality of teachers’ marking is inconsistent between year groups. St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 32

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ART AND DESIGN

89. The pupils achieve standards that are above those expected at the age of seven and eleven. Observational drawing throughout the school is a particular strength. The pupils take great care and concentration in looking carefully at a range of subjects and draw with confidence and perseverance. Standards are similar to those found at the time of the previous inspection. The pupils have good opportunities to reflect on the work of a range of artists and art from past and present cultures.

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ART AND DESIGN

90. By the age of seven, pupils use a range of media to record their observations. During a recent visit to Pickering Castle, Year 1 and 2 pupils produced good quality rubbings and observational drawings of parts of the castle. Infant pupils have experienced a good range of media and different types of art, for example, weaving and sculpting. They have combined materials to produce very effective weaving patterns using wool, paper and card. There are good examples of three-dimensional work, again linked to other subjects and topics. For example, Year 1 pupils have produced a good quality display of an aquarium as part of their science topic. During the inspection, they were observed painting and producing good quality collages of sunflowers having looked at illustrations and prints of the work of Van Gogh. Year 2 pupils were observed experimenting with colour wheels. The pupils investigated the effects of blending primary colours to produce

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ART AND DESIGN

secondary colours such as green, orange, and purple. Some pupils experimented with finer blending using pencil crayons and paints. Infant pupils are making good progress mixing colours to show the different tones and shades. The pupils work with enthusiasm and are encouraged by the staff as they work.

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ART AND DESIGN

91. As part of their visit to Lindisfarne, and linked to religious education and history, older pupils have produced very good quality pictures in a style representing and replicating mediaeval manuscripts using paints, pastels and crayon. The illustrations include topics such as the life of St.Cuthbert. Older junior pupils have produced very good quality observational drawings of locations, buildings, and objects in and around Ravenscar. There are also very good links with information and communication technology where the pupils can use sophisticated graphics programs to illustrate and enhance their pictures and images having downloaded stored images from the Internet or on computer as part of “clip art” technology. Year 3 pupils have produced very good observational drawings of shops and houses as part of their visit to Wheatcroft. This is very well linked to their local history and geography topics.

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ART AND DESIGN

92. Throughout the junior years the work displayed and in the pupils’ sketchbooks and folders shows good progression of skills across the whole range of the art programmes of study. The pupils have made good progress in their development of skills and techniques and in their use of a variety of material and media to produce good quality two and three-dimensional work. Year 4 and 5 pupils have embarked on a very interesting topic linked to the mythological journey of Odysseus. Art and design and other subjects, such as history and English, are used as a stimulus as the pupils produced good quality models that represent events in the story. For example, the pupils have designed, evaluated, and produced models of the Cyclop’s cave and the Clashing rocks of the Sirens. The pupils enjoyed talking about the process involved in their designs and can recall different parts of the story as they describe their models and the part of the story they

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ART AND DESIGN

93. Topics covered are very well used to support other subjects. For example, the junior pupils have studied, drawn, and painted a good collection of different birds as part of their visit to Northumberland. This enhanced and complemented their environmental studies so that art was fully integrated within the topic. There are good links with history as older pupils in the juniors have produced very good observational drawings of local buildings and locations in Scarborough which are linked to their topic on the Victorians.

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ART AND DESIGN

94. By the age of 11, pupils build upon the skills and techniques acquired when they were younger and develop a critical awareness of their own and others work. They speak knowledgeably about a range of artists and their work. For example, the Fireworks paintings and sketches in their sketch books where they have studied the work of different artists and produced good quality pictures representing similarities in the style of Van Gogh and other famous artists such as Renoir and Picasso. They speak about the contrasts between different styles of work and discuss their different merits. The pupils are keen to discuss their work and talk about their particular favourite pieces . They are given opportunities to use a wide range of materials and techniques. They make clay pots, paint, draw and use a variety of pastels. They choose their materials with care and show good levels of application in their work. Observation skills are highly developed and this is

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ART AND DESIGN

demonstrated in the work displayed in classrooms and around the school.

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ART AND DESIGN

95. The teaching is good overall with some very good features. In both the infant and junior classes, art and design is usually linked to relevant topics and subjects. This has a positive effect on pupils’ learning as the finished products are more relevant and practical. Teachers’ planning ensures that there is a good balance of St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 33 cross-curricular work together with subject specific skills, which are taught progressively as pupils move through the school. More needs to be done to ensure that in mixed age classes work is not repeated as pupils move up the school. The displayed work and lessons seen demonstrate that art and design is well taught and pupils make good progress but much of this depends on the individual skills of teachers to ensure that there is good coverage. In a satisfactory lesson seen in an infant class, more capable pupils could have been

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ART AND DESIGN

extended and provided with work which built on their progress. On the whole, the teaching is effective and it enables the pupils to produce good quality work.

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ART AND DESIGN

96. The enthusiastic coordinator gives good support to staff. She has made a positive impact upon the development of the subject throughout the school. Assessment procedures are informal and there are no whole school assessments made of the quality of art so that it is difficult for teachers to measure the pupils’ performance and progress.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

97. Standards are in line with standards expected by the age of seven and above those expected by the age eleven. This is good improvement since the last inspection. The school has improved standards in this subject and the pupils’ work shows that the school covers all the units of work well. There are good opportunities to develop and refine skills. Judgements have been based upon observations of samples of the pupils’ completed work and two lessons, both in junior classes.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

98. By the age of seven, pupils have opportunities to investigate a range of materials and construction kits as they design, plan and make models and artefacts. They use tools sensibly and cut and stick with care and consideration. Year 1 pupils have produced simple mobile models of creatures under the sea as part of a topic covering a number of subjects which include science, English and design and technology. Both Years 1 and 2 pupils have benefited from a day’s work using an outside specialist designing and making puppets.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

99. By the age of 11, pupils develop their designing and evaluation skills well. The pupils participate in different projects, which require them to plan and think about the materials that they intend to use. For example, in Year 3 the pupils are designing and making moving monsters. In a good lesson observed, the pupils followed a step-by-step approach, using their knowledge of moving mechanisms, to plan how they were going to make their monsters. Their designing sheets reflect the care and consideration the pupils have given to thinking about how to make their models, which materials are suitable and effective ways to present them. Not only do the pupils consider the materials, methods, and tools they need to use, but also how well the finished product will utilise mechanism such as levers, pulleys and the simple use of tubing to produce pneumatic levers. Year 6 pupils were observed working in groups when organising their end of year presentation to parents about

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

their recent residential visit. The pupils planned and organised photographs and computer generated images taken from the Internet to prepare for their presentation with each group depicting each day of the week of the visit. Collaborative work is a good feature of the projects the pupils work on. In both the lessons observed, the pupils worked together during the design stage, negotiating roles and ensuring that the most effective ideas are used. The pupils help each other and discuss the suitability of materials and design features.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

100. The subject coordinator is well organised and has good ideas for the development of the subject throughout the school. Since the last inspection there has been good improvement to the curriculum with an appropriate scheme of work used for teachers to follow. Whole school assessment procedures are being considered but are not fully in place and this is an area for further development. At present, the teachers assess the pupils work in an individual way and there is no consistent way of tracking the pupils’ attainment. The coordinator looks at the pupils’ work and ensures that their learning builds on what the pupils have been taught before but there is no systematic policy in place to ensure that this is recorded and monitored.

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GEOGRAPHY

101. Standards are broadly in line with those expected by the ages of seven and eleven years. These standards are similar to those found at the last inspection. The way the subject is taught is not consistent across the year groups, particularly with respect to the teaching of contrasting places and geographical enquiry. The teaching effectively develops the learning of boys and girls equally. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported and make good progress. However, higher attaining pupils, especially in mixed age classes, are not being sufficiently challenged.

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GEOGRAPHY

102. During the inspection a limited number of lessons were seen but evidence was also available from pupils’ work, discussion with pupils and staff, teachers’ planning and displayed work. Progress is satisfactory in both infant and junior stages. Seven-year-old pupils can use a plan of the school and understand the special way a St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 34 plan portrays the landscape. They can create a map using a computer program. They know about places that contrast with the immediate area of the school. In a mixed Year 1 and 2 lesson, the pupils used a map with the aid of the teacher to locate places in the surrounding region with which they were familiar and were able to answer questions about these places and describe their features. They learn to care for the environment and act to remove litter from the school site.

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GEOGRAPHY

103. Eleven-year-olds have a broad knowledge and understanding of geographical enquiry, of their home area, of selected contrasting places in the world, of human and natural environment features and of environmental management. The pupils in Year 6 can locate information about mountains on a world map and can explain with diagrams how they are formed. They carry out an extensive range of field surveys during intensive studies at Ravenscar on topics such as tourism and settlements. In earlier work, the pupils compared different types of settlements and they learned to describe the lives and living environments of a family in East Africa. They practise map skills using grid references and map symbols. The pupils in Year 3 undertake field investigations in the local environment conducting surveys of various characteristics and presenting their data as maps, graphs and in writing. They also word process data and obtain information from the Internet.

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GEOGRAPHY

104. The pupils’ attitudes are satisfactory. In a good lesson they were focused, responsive and well behaved in response to the teacher’s lively questioning and good class management. Most pupils worked enthusiastically using good and supportive resources and they cooperated well. Attitudes are less positive where pupils are not kept on task and where behaviour management is not secure or consistently applied.

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GEOGRAPHY

105. Teaching was satisfactory overall in the few lessons seen. In a good lesson with Year 1 and 2 pupils, the teacher used a large, clear and self-produced map of the local region to show the location of places the children had visited. These young pupils were focused upon the activity. The teacher brought the places alive by good questioning and explanations of features the map showed. Pupils who did not offer responses were deliberately targeted for extra attention. Any misdemeanours were noticed and dealt with promptly, positively and without fuss. The tasks were supported with an information source and a writing frame. At the end of the lesson a plenary session encouraged the pupils to talk and share their findings. Where teaching is less effective, the pupils are not challenged or asked for their opinions if they do not respond to questions. Teaching is also less effective when the teacher talks for too long before starting the planned activity and

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GEOGRAPHY

where those behaving incorrectly are not identified quickly and stopped. These result in the pupils losing interest and attention and learning becomes unsatisfactory for all pupils.

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GEOGRAPHY

106. The coordinator has been in post for less than one year. A new scheme of work is now in place but, to date, the coordinator has not had time to evaluate its implementation or the quality of teaching. It is planned that next year some time will be made available for these to happen. Resources are adequate and new maps have been acquired for local study work. The curriculum for teaching about other cultures is not well resourced. It is not yet possible to track the progress of individual pupils using assessment records. It is planned to use national standardised test items for this purpose, but the teachers’ own assessments cannot be used for tracking as there is currently no common system for recording pupils’ attainments.

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HISTORY

107. The attainment of both seven and eleven-year-olds is above those expected for their age. This is an improvement on the previous inspection. Few lessons were seen, especially in the juniors, but discussions with both pupils and the subject coordinator, a scrutiny of completed work and displays, and an examination of subject plans and documentation support this judgement.

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HISTORY

108. Seven-year-old pupils develop an emerging sense of chronology by using time lines. They are able to locate the Victorian era as about a hundred years ago. In their studies, they learn about similarities, differences and the reasons for changes. For instance, they discuss developments in hospitals in the last century and identify similarities and differences in housing. They have a good understanding of how to learn about the past and cite archaeologists, word of mouth, records, museums, books and the Internet as useful sources. Higher attaining pupils are aware that historical information and evidence can represent different points of view and, therefore, might not be entirely reliable. Their knowledge of people from the past is good and is enhanced by having their attention drawn to, for instance, the relationship between Queen Victoria and inventions of the time, such as photography, voice recording, the telephone and so on. They examine primary sources of

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HISTORY

evidence, such as artefacts and photographs, also secondary sources, such as history books.

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HISTORY

109. By the time they are 11, the pupils have been effectively taught the full programmes of study. They have a good sense of chronology and successfully placed eight historical periods in the right order. They have a good knowledge of the periods studied throughout the primary phase. They are aware of the possibility of bias in written reports and that photographs can be open to different interpretations. They successfully use a range St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 35 of sources of information in their studies. This is best exemplified in the very good local studies of South Cliff and Ravenscar. The use of the locality in a cross-curricular manner is a strength of the subject. Field trips, looking at records and interviewing people are successful in making the subject relevant to the pupils. These investigations, conducted in the context of geography and environmental sciences provide a coordinated

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HISTORY

approach to the curriculum and are very effective. The very good work carried out in conjunction with the National Trust is another example of this, as is the residential visit to Northumberland. On this, pupils learn about the history of Christianity as well as aspects of a range of other subjects. Pupils also learn to communicate their findings in a number of formats. However, these tend to be too prescribed resulting in too few opportunities to choose and develop their own recording techniques.

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HISTORY

110. Changes since the previous inspection include a review of the subject curriculum in the context of the whole school curriculum and the adoption of national subject guidelines incorporated into teachers’ planning. Assessments have been introduced at the end of study units, but these are not yet used sufficiently to plan future work that builds on acquired knowledge, understanding, and skills.

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HISTORY

111. The quality of teaching and learning is always satisfactory and mainly good. Lessons are well planned with identified learning objectives. There are times when plans for mixed aged classes do not target the respective ages and stages accurately enough. Although there are several mixed age classes, the planning is not based on a two-year cycle, which makes it difficult to avoid repetition for the older age group in these classes. Teachers use a range of source material well to develop the skills of enquiry and interpretation. For example, young pupils examine photographs of types of transport and identify similarities and differences over time. Learning support assistants are effectively deployed to aid access to the curriculum of pupils with special educational needs. Looking at artefacts and questioning progressively helps pupils to make initial observations, refine their original ideas, and draw sensible conclusions. This was especially evident when

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HISTORY

Year 2 pupils looked at a Victorian photograph album. It was only possible to observe one Year 5 lesson in the juniors. In this lesson, effective planning and preparation of resources encouraged the pupils to look at evidence of the original Olympic Games, draw conclusions and make comparisons with their own experiences on sports day. The evidence provided of the quality learning of the oldest pupils shows that this is consistently good. The use of the locality and the connections made with other subjects make this a very worthwhile learning experience. Pupils throughout the school show interest in, and curiosity about, the subject. The pupils are given opportunities to write at length about aspects of the subject, which supports literacy, and to communicate feelings and understanding in drama sessions, which is a good enhancement of the curriculum.

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HISTORY

112. The subject is well led by a coordinator who is secure in knowledge and understanding. A good review of the subject has taken place, which incorporates a new policy and improved planning. Resources have been reviewed. So far, the coordinator has only been able to look at planning and completed work. This has given a realistic understanding of standards. There are now plans to give her time to observe teaching. This is a very good development and will enable a systematic development of the teaching and learning in the subject.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

113. Standards have been maintained since the last inspection. They are in line with those expected for pupils aged 7 and 11. The school has improved its provision by increasing resources and introducing modern technology such as the Internet, electronic mailing, and digital cameras. The pupils, including those with special educational needs, are provided with good opportunities to use computers and this enables them to make good progress in every strand of the curriculum except in control technology where there is patchy provision across the school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

114. In Year 2, the pupils make satisfactory progress using a word processing program to type in and correct or rearrange text. Infant pupils make satisfactory progress using a programmable robotic device. They have made good progress using simple data handling programs to produce block graphs and printed charts depicting a transport survey following a recent visit to a local area. Year 1 and 2 pupils have produced good pictures of themselves using a graphics program. Throughout the infant classes the pupils experience a good range of computer programs which helps them to develop skills well. They are familiar with basic keyboard commands and can orientate around a range of programs, often self-correcting. Most pupils can print and save their work on disk. All of the work observed was well linked to other curriculum areas and topics.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

115. In Key Stage 2, the pupils continue to make satisfactory progress benefiting from focused teaching which is usually related to other subjects or topics. As a result, the pupils’ level of attainment is in line with that expected for their age with some good examples of word processing, graphics and a combination of desk top publishing skills that utilises the pupils’ knowledge to help them re-organise text and graphics images. Year 3 and 4 pupils have used data base programs to produce graphs and charts about themselves, listing for St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 36 example, their favourite foods or investigating in science work which materials offer the best insulation. Year 6 pupils have made good use of the Internet to produce images and investigate facts about their visit to Northumberland. There are good examples of pupils using a digital camera to combine images and text.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

116. The quality of teaching is satisfactory. The school provides a balanced and effective programme of work and teachers have increasingly become accustomed to planning work that will enhance and extend the pupils’ learning in many subjects. This is also having a positive effect on the professional development and competence of the staff. As a result the pupils enjoy using computers, tape recorders, robotic devices and cameras to support their learning in other subjects. The pupils are able to self-correct, edit and re-organise text, use graphics and control technology although this has yet to be fully explored across other subjects, for example, science. Older pupils can use simple spreadsheets and data handling programs. This broad range of experience is a reflection of the improved teaching and the determination to incorporate information and communication technology within the whole curriculum.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

117. The subject is well managed and organised and there have been significant improvements to the level of resourcing and the deployment of computers and other technology across the school. Resources are matched to the needs and capabilities of the pupils as well as to the demands of the curriculum. Spending on new resources is efficient. Some classes keep good records of pupils’ work, for example, by keeping examples of printed work in folders. This is not consistent across the school and is therefore limited as an assessment tool for teachers in both key stages.

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MUSIC

118. Standards are in line with those expected by the ages of seven and 11 and are similar to those found at the last inspection. By the age of 11 the pupils who receive instrumental tuition on woodwind, brass, cello, violin and guitars achieve above average standards. The attendance of these pupils at tuition sessions is voluntary. Members of the school choir achieve higher standards in singing. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported and make good progress. During the inspection, evidence was obtained from two lesson observations, discussion with pupils, teachers’ planning, and singing in assembly.

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MUSIC

119. Progress is satisfactory in the infant stage. By the age of seven, the pupils can recognise the sounds made by simple percussion instruments. They can play the instruments to perform simple rhythmic and melodic patterns and they order and combine the sounds within simple structures to make group compositions. The children can sing with a sense of shape and melody accompanied by piano, keyboard and guitar. They listen to music played by the teacher, which includes music from other cultures. This is good practice as it enables the pupils to contrast and compare different styles of music.

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MUSIC

120. Progress is good overall at the junior stage because a large number of pupils develop good music skills and play instruments. By the age of eleven, the pupils can sing in tune and compose music by developing ideas within musical structures. Using instruments, they compose music with pitch, tempo, and timbre to express feelings derived from poems, scenes and contexts. All the junior pupils take part in the annual musical performance during the spring term and some had performed during the party in the playground arts event. Pupils can link composers to types of music, for example, in classical music they can talk of Beethoven, Mozart and Handel. The pupils were less knowledgeable about music from other countries and cultures. They have a sound music vocabulary, recognising terms such timbre, pitch, and tempo. The school choir takes part in a number of musical events in Scarborough and comments from the organisers show that they perform to

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MUSIC

121. Most pupils show positive attitudes to music. In assembly, the pupils sing well, keeping in tune and in time. They enjoy their singing and appreciate having the music of different composers played in assemblies. Pupils are eager to take part in music lessons and they respond well to making loud and soft sounds with their voices. However, this eagerness can lead to over-excitement and silly behaviour when it is not sufficiently controlled. They are keen to talk about their music experiences, about the different activities in which they have engaged, types of music listened to and the opportunities they have to perform.

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MUSIC

122. The teaching is satisfactory overall. In a good lesson in Year 2, good subject knowledge led to a good choice of music to match the lesson objectives and the needs of the pupils. This kept the pupils’ motivated. The teacher gave clear directions on what the pupils were to attempt and on the way they were to behave as they tried the task. Opportunities were taken to reinforce points made about making different sounds; the guitar was used instead of the voice so providing interesting variety. The teacher had also identified clear parts of the lesson where the pupils could be made to observe, listen and think. Where teaching is less effective class management is less secure, and the activities do not take the pupils through progressive steps towards clear learning goals. St Martin’s C.E. (Aided) Primary School – Page 37 123. The subject coordinator is relatively new to the post. There is now an up-to-date scheme of work in place and

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MUSIC

materials have just been acquired to support short term planning that matches the scheme. The coordinator has a clear understanding of the areas for development, including staff development and setting up a system to assess, record and track pupil attainment. Resources are good.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

124. By the age of seven, pupils attain the standards expected for their age. Eleven-year-olds achieve above average standards, which indicates that progress during the junior phase is good. This is a similar situation as at the time of the previous inspection. It was only possible to observe a few lessons in a limited number of disciplines. However, all elements of the expected National Curriculum are taught.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

125. The pupils in Year 1 prepare for lessons well and move to the hall in very good order. When responding to taped music, they show that they can skip satisfactorily and use the space well. Pupils are able to demonstrate good practice to others. Their standards indicate that they will meet national expectations by the time they are seven. By the age of 11, the pupils show a good command of a range of skills. They run well, using balance and control in a shuttle run. They catch well and throw accurately when aiming at a target. They are coordinated and well balanced when engaged in step ups and bench jumps. Hand-eye coordination is well demonstrated when bouncing balls in a variety of ways. They also show good control when dribbling with a hockey stick. The standard of swimming achieved in Year 4 indicates that most pupils will easily achieve the national requirements by the age of eleven and most will exceed these standards. Most pupils

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

already achieve the standards expected by the age of nine. However, the school does not continue with tuition for non-swimmers after Year 4, denying some pupils the opportunity to reach the standards expected by the time they leave school.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

126. Changes since the last inspection include a complete revision of the physical education curriculum and its time allocation. This has guaranteed coverage of all the required elements, but its implementation has thrown up problems in the positioning of some units. The school has done well in evaluating the curriculum, which has resulted in improvements to the range of physical education provided. Planning has also improved, as the school has introduced the national guidelines and linked planning to it.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

127. The quality of teaching and learning during the inspection was good. The hall is always well prepared for lessons by both teachers and the ancillary helper, who donates extra time and provides a valuable service. Teachers use equipment well and its plentiful supply motivates pupils to participate enthusiastically, work hard and make good progress. Control and management are good and pupils respond well to instructions and decisions. Although teachers draw the pupils’ attention to good practice, sometimes they fail to use critical self-analysis or evaluations from other pupils to extend the existing good practice. To the school’s credit, wet weather plans are made and the lesson observed occupied pupils gainfully in a range of skills’ practice. During this lesson, pupils worked very hard, recorded their results, and made suggestions for improvement. Teachers draw the pupils’ attention to safety factors.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

128. The coordinator is new to the post and has attended in-service training sessions in order to improve his skills and knowledge. He is very keen to do well and has made an encouraging start. He has prepared an action plan and his evaluation of provision indicates an awareness of the breadth of the curriculum and the needs of the pupils.

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