Wiggonby CofE School

WIGGONBY C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Mrs Lesley P A Clark

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WIGGONBY C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 22 – 23 January 2001

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WIGGONBY C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL

Short 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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WIGGONBY C OF E 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. Wiggonby C of E Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and junior school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr David Davies

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 25 March 1997 Wiggonby C of E Primary School - 4

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Team members

25431 Lesley Clark Registered inspector 19446 Susan Wood Lay inspector

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Team members

Schools Inspection Service Fairfax Hall Beckett Park Campus Headingley Leeds LS6 3QS

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Team members

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

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Wiggonby C of E Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is a very small Church of England primary school for boys and girls aged four to eleven years that serves the local rural parish as well as the small village of Wiggonby. Many pupils travel to school by bus from outlying areas or hamlets. The local farming community has changed and many parents work in nearby industry. At present, there are 48 pupils who attend full time and no pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds. Six children are in the foundation stage. Twenty per cent of pupils are on the register of special educational needs, which is about average nationally. No pupils have statements of special educational needs this year, which is below average nationally, though previously this percentage has been above the national average. At present, four per cent of pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals, which is below average nationally. Although there is no nursery, the

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

school makes provision for nursery aged children for two afternoons a week to work with the nursery nurse who also works with reception children. Most pupils therefore have some nursery experience before starting full-time education. Because the year groups are very small, the judgement on children’s attainment when they enter the school takes into account the attainment of different groups over several years. This indicates that attainment is about average overall. There are two classes, currently equally divided into infants and juniors, taken by the headteacher, one full-time and two part-time teachers. The school has a large Trust Fund – The Hodgson’s School Foundation – which makes a significant contribution to the school budget each year.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very effective school which enables pupils to achieve better than average standards in all the subjects inspected. Physical education was not observed and religious education is inspected separately. The quality of teaching is very good and very good teaching was seen of each age group. The school is well led and managed. The headteacher gives very good educational direction, well supported by teachers and satisfactorily supported by the governing body. Pupils benefit from the school’s caring, family atmosphere. The school gives good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards are exceptionally high in science, well above average in mathematics and above average in English; • Standards are well above average in art and music and above average in information and communication technology, design and technology, geography and history because of imaginative links between different subjects and specialist teaching; • Teaching is very good throughout the school; • The headteacher provides very good leadership and educational direction; • The school is a very friendly, happy community with a strong family ethos, which encourages pupils to learn and to play together.

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What could be improved

• Governors do not as yet play a full enough part in developing the school’s curriculum in order to meet statutory requirements to support literacy and numeracy; • Parents do not receive enough detailed information about what their children are learning, how well they are progressing and what they need to do to improve. 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 good improvement overall since the last inspection in March 1997. Standards are markedly higher in mathematics and science and attainment in information and communication technology, geography and history has risen from below to above average. Standards of reading and writing are now above average throughout the school. Standards have improved in all other subjects and pupils achieve well in relation to their attainment on entering school. The leadership of the headteacher has improved and the governing body plays a more active part in some areas such as financial planning Wiggonby C of E Primary School - 7 and the development of the school’s premises. The school’s strategic planning has improved and is now a most useful document to monitor and evaluate the school’s progress. Whilst pupils’ behaviour is good and sometimes very good, it is not excellent as described in the last report and a small number of pupils

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

can be restless and inattentive in lessons.

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STANDARDS

The results of the national standardised tests have not been published because the year groups have fewer than ten pupils. Standards are above average in English, well above average in mathematics and very high in science. Results of the national standardised tests for eleven-year-olds confirm these findings, with standards in mathematics and science being particularly high with half the pupils attaining the higher levels in mathematics and all pupils attaining a very high standard for their age in science. Standards have risen at a rate higher than the national trend for pupils aged eleven. Over the past four years, seven-year-old pupils have attained consistently above the average national standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Standards by the end of reception are broadly in line with a significant number achieving well for their age. Standards by the age of eleven are above average in all other subjects apart

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STANDARDS

from physical education where no lessons were seen and art and music where standards are well above average. Pupils attain very high standards in science because they carry out many practical investigations to understand scientific processes through questioning and observation. Pupils calculate quickly and accurately mentally and enjoy solving mathematical problems. They write interestingly and imaginatively and a special area in the library designated as ‘Boy zone’ is helping to encourage boys to read more regularly. Information and communication technology is used extensively to help pupils to learn and standards are above average for eleven-year-olds. The quality of pupils’ singing and instrumental playing is very good and pupils learn to compose their own music, which is also of a high standard. In art, pupils have a very well developed sense of scale, perspective and colour, using charcoal and chalk, for example, to create a very realistic, grimy, industrial landscape.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are lively and friendly and want to learn. They are very keen on computers and really enjoy practical work. Most pupils concentrate very well and are enthusiastic in lessons. They like to work at speed and clearly enjoy challenging mental mathematics.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Behaviour in lessons is good overall and most pupils are attentive. Some become restless when required to sit for too long at a time. Behaviour at lunchtime and in assemblies is very good and older pupils look after younger ones very well, discreetly supervising them.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good. Pupils work well together and learn to share. They have very good relationships with adults and older pupils in particular respond very well to their teacher’s teasing good humour. Younger pupils have a very warm and friendly relationship with teachers and other adults in their classroom. Older pupils in both classes have responsibilities, which they take seriously. Opportunities are missed, however, to foster links between the two classes.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Very good. Attendance is well above the national average and the rate of unauthorised absence is below. Wiggonby C of E Primary School - 8

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

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

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

The quality of teaching is very good overall. No lesson was seen that was less than good. Sixty per cent of teaching is very good or better and 40 per cent is good. The best teaching was seen in the junior class where one lesson was excellent and most lessons were very good. Some very good teaching of literacy, science and art was seen in the infant class with some very good teaching of children under the age of six . Support for pupils who have special educational needs is very good and teachers pay much attention to pupils who have individual needs to help them to learn to the best of their ability. The teaching of infants is very well planned and organised, with a clear structure to each lesson with appropriate work set for the different age and attainment levels within the class. Other adults are used well to help pupils to learn, particularly the reception children who receive excellent support. The

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

teaching of juniors is imaginatively organised so that different age groups within the class receive specialised teaching of different subjects.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Very good. The curriculum covers the full range with additional time allocated to music. The curriculum is imaginatively planned so that different subjects support each other, for example using information and communication technology to compare weather across the world, thus giving pupils a rich educational experience.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Pupils with special educational needs receive very good provision. Individual education plans are used very well to target what pupils need to learn.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good. There are particular strengths in social and moral education, which help pupils to work well together in lessons. A wide range of educational visits enhances provision for cultural development within school time to support subjects such as history, geography and science. Links with a French school also help to extend pupils’ cultural awareness.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. The school knows its pupils well and gives good quality care, recognising their needs and responding well to them. The monitoring the school carries out of pupils’ performance and development is used well to make changes in their approach.

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Aspect Comment

Parents are generally supportive of the school. However, improvements could be made in the information provided for parents, particularly about their children’s progress.’ Wiggonby C of E Primary School - 9

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good. There is very good leadership by the headteacher who provides the educational direction for the school, well supported by teachers and other adults in charge of different areas of the curriculum. With very little time in which to manage the school, the headteacher has good systems in place to enable the school to run efficiently.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Satisfactory. The governors have a warm interest in the school and support the headteacher well. They undertake their duties seriously, particularly those relating to finance and premises. They are not yet fulfilling statutory requirements to support literacy and numeracy. Although they are aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the school, their role in helping to manage the school is underdeveloped.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. The headteacher monitors well and evaluates the school’s performance effectively, working closely with other small schools in the local area. The other teachers have limited time to monitor the teaching and learning in their particular subjects except through monitoring the planning.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. These are used well to promote learning for all age groups. The school’s Trust Fund is used very well indeed to fund additional teachers; this has a significant impact on standards. Very good use is made of information and communication technology resources in both teaching and learning. The school takes effective measures to provide best value.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school. • Their children’s behaviour in school is good. • Their children are making good progress. • Parents would like more information about how well their children are doing at school. • Parents would like to see a more interesting range of activities outside lessons. • Parents would like the school to work more closely with them. • Parents would like the school to be more approachable. • Parents are uncertain as to whether their children receive the right amount of homework.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Approximately 70 per cent of questionnaires were returned. From these and from talking to parents at the parents’ meeting held before the inspection, it is clear that the concerns of parents stem mainly from a lack of communication with the school. Although the majority of parents find the school easy to approach, the school should find ways to talk to parents about their children and to inform them about what they are learning and how well their children are doing at school so that parents can feel more involved. The school offers a satisfactory range of activities outside lessons. Within the school day, the school offers an extensive range of educational visits, to support the curriculum, and this is better than in many other schools. The amount of homework is satisfactory and is used well to help pupils to learn. It is quite clear that pupils enjoy coming to this school because they find it interesting and the work is

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

challenging. Wiggonby C of E Primary School - 10

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Standards are exceptionally high in science, well above average in mathematics and

1 The school's performance overall in English, mathematics and science is well above average. The results of the national standardised tests for seven and eleven-year-olds for the past four years confirm this. Pupils achieve very well. They enter school with attainment which overall is broadly average, though within a very wide range and leave school attaining more highly than other pupils in similar schools, particularly in mathematics and science.

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Standards are exceptionally high in science, well above average in mathematics and

2 As in any small school, minor variations with particular year groups can seem statistically considerable. Pupils’ performance over time, however, confirms well above average attainment for seven-year-olds in reading, writing and mathematics. The standards attained by pupils in the present Year 2, however, are above average rather than well above average overall. The performance of eleven-year-olds for the past four years shows that the school's results have improved at a rate greater than the national trend and that pupils' attainment is well above average national standards in English, mathematics and science. Standards of work in English, mathematics and science in the present Year 6 confirm the results of the year 2000 tests. The school's results compare very favourably with those of pupils in similar schools and are generally much better than other schools in mathematics and consistently much higher than those

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Standards are exceptionally high in science, well above average in mathematics and

achieved in similar schools in science. Many seven and eleven-year-old pupils achieve higher standards than those expected nationally of their age in all three subjects and they achieve well in relation to their attainment on entry to the school.

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Standards are exceptionally high in science, well above average in mathematics and

3 The school has only relatively recently adopted the national strategy for literacy though it has long had a very effective system for teaching reading through sounds and letter patterns. This system combines very effectively with the national literacy strategy and so pupils gain a wide range of reading experience through reading out loud together, sharing reading from the same book in groups, as well as reading occasionally on their own to an adult. Because of the well deployed additional support staff in the infant class and the small numbers of pupils, the teachers give a great deal of attention to older pupils, in particular, and can really develop their understanding of what they read as well as their fluency. Pupils are encouraged to write independently and expected to use appropriate punctuation. Information and communication technology is used well to develop pupils' writing skills and average and lower attaining pupils happily type in their diary entries for

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Standards are exceptionally high in science, well above average in mathematics and

the day. Pupils with special educational needs are provided for very well and receive considerable individual assistance; consequently, they make very good progress.

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Standards are exceptionally high in science, well above average in mathematics and

4 In the junior class, standards are also above average. Pupils' reading is particularly strong. The school has monitored pupils' achievement closely and taken effective measures to encourage boys to read more in order to raise overall standards in reading. A prominent section in the library proclaims itself as ‘Boy zone’. The shelves contain a wide selection of books, both fiction and non-fiction, designed to tempt boys to read. Pupils are expected to skim read for information. In one lesson, pupils scanned newspaper articles in order to select salient facts. Standards in writing are above average. Time is given each week for extended writing and pupils are encouraged to word-process their work. They are given quite tight guidelines for writing. Whilst this raises the standards of lower attaining and average attaining pupils, it has a restricting Wiggonby C of E Primary School - 11 effect on higher attaining pupils. When writing ‘creepy stories’, children use effective

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Standards are exceptionally high in science, well above average in mathematics and

language to create fear, as in ‘there was a drift of fog in the shape of skeletons’ . When writing a newspaper article from an outline of facts, higher attaining pupils wrote a highly plausible scenario, complete with editorial comment, as in, ‘ Sam Smith who is 10 got more than he bargained for’, using mature vocabulary such as ‘his plan was naïve’. The quality of pupils’ handwriting and presentation of written work is less good and contributes to standards being above rather than well above average. Pupils do not use pen regularly until they feel they are ready to do so, which is often well into their last year at school. Although most pupils’ work is well written in terms of spelling and punctuation, and higher attaining and average attaining pupils use paragraphs well, their handwriting is rather immature.

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Standards are exceptionally high in science, well above average in mathematics and

5 In mathematics, seven-year-olds achieve above average standards. The national strategy for numeracy, introduced recently, gives pupils good practice in calculating mentally and makes a lively start to the lesson. The teacher has a very positive approach to mathematics and helps children to see that it is fun. The work is very carefully planned so that all groups within the class have the practical resources they need to help them to visualise number and quantity. The teacher gives very clear instructions and pupils are expected to work quickly and without direct supervision. When ordering numbers, for example, older infant pupils are encouraged to discuss what they are doing with each other and to compare what they find. As a result, Year 2 pupils work confidently with large numbers and have a positive approach to problem- solving, seeing it as an enjoyable game. Pupils with special educational needs are

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Standards are exceptionally high in science, well above average in mathematics and

helped to learn and receive individual attention to cover the targets in their individual education plans.

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Standards are exceptionally high in science, well above average in mathematics and

6 Standards for 11 year-olds are well above average, and pupils achieve very well as they build on what they know and understand. The initial mental mathematics session of the national numeracy strategy builds on the school’s already very effective practice and is clearly a session which both teacher and pupils enjoy as they pit their wits to calculate mentally as speedily as possible. In a lesson for younger juniors, pupils were taught to combine numbers very quickly. The teacher encouraged their responses, praising their speed and accuracy. The teaching is very explicit of how to add up quickly and how to recognise pattern in number. The work is interesting and challenging and effectively teaches pupils to solve mathematical problems. Higher attaining pupils quickly scan a number puzzle to work out the largest number they can make combining four adjacent numbers. The level of individual tuition from the teacher is high and pupils of all

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Standards are exceptionally high in science, well above average in mathematics and

attainment levels have equal opportunity to succeed. Additional classes to boost attainment are used most effectively to revise and consolidate mathematical knowledge.

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Standards are exceptionally high in science, well above average in mathematics and

7 Standards are above average in science for pupils in the present Year 2. The work is very well planned for the three different age groups within the class so that they learn progressively, learning to predict results and to establish reasons why, for example, changes occur when different materials are combined. They learn to make precise observations and higher attaining pupils understand very well the principles of fair testing. When they were recording as a group what happened when salt or dried vegetables were mixed with cold water, average attaining pupils observed that the vegetables ‘looked like fish’ and the salt ‘feels like snow, a little bit soft’. Higher attaining pupils explained why the vegetables swelled, suggesting that ‘water went inside the vegetables and made them fat’. The teacher helps pupils with special educational needs very well and encourages them to articulate what they have learnt through talking to the

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Standards are exceptionally high in science, well above average in mathematics and

rest of the class in the closing session of the lesson. Wiggonby C of E Primary School - 12 8 Standards in science by the age of 11 are very high indeed. In the year 2000 national standardised test for science, all pupils attained the higher level and it is likely that this year's Year 6 will attain equally highly. The school uses additional classes very well to raise pupils' level of attainment and effectively revise what they know and understand. Pupils achieve so highly largely as a result of the excellent teaching they receive, reinforced by judicious use of a scheme of work. Pupils learn through extensive practical investigations and clearly think science is wonderfully interesting. They have great fun trying to compress air in tubes and then trying to work out how a vacuum is created. They discover that water does not squash up in the same way; one pair began to exert hydraulic pressure to lift up a table, explaining what they were doing, using

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Standards are exceptionally high in science, well above average in mathematics and

appropriate scientific vocabulary very well. From looking at pupils’ work, it is clear that pupils use a variety of methods to record their observations, sometimes filling in charts, sometimes devising their own, or briefly recording what happened and why. In this way, a great deal of work is covered and learning is promoted. However, as in English, the presentation is often quite scruffy, for most of the work is written in pencil.

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and communication technology, design and technology, geography and history

because of imaginative links between different subjects and specialist teaching.

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and communication technology, design and technology, geography and history

9 This is an improvement since the last inspection when standards were considered to be below average in information and communication technology, geography and history, broadly in line in design and technology and above average in art and music. Criticisms were made of the curriculum and the lack of specialist teaching in these subjects. The school has ingeniously solved this problem by drawing on its additional funding from the school Trust Fund to provide three part-time teachers with specific subject specialisms. In addition, where possible, links between subjects are used creatively and this helps to raise pupils' attainment overall as well as providing them with a rich education.

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and communication technology, design and technology, geography and history

10 Pupils attain above average skills in information and communication technology, which they use well to support work in other subjects. Pupils are encouraged to word-process their work. They use the Internet for research, and most prefer this to looking through books for information. Older juniors experiment with different types and sizes of print and different layouts when writing articles. Very young pupils learn to use the mouse most efficiently and select appropriate sized clothes to dress each of the Three Bears, matching garments to size most competently. Pupils use information and communication technology confidently. During the inspection, the juniors were monitoring the noise and temperature levels in the classroom to provide graphical data to be used in their science and geography lessons. They printed out satellite pictures, which they then used well to analyse weather systems and to forecast change. Pupils

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and communication technology, design and technology, geography and history

work very well together, accessing information and comparing, for example, the daytime temperatures in New York and Stockholm, working out why they might be similar.

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and communication technology, design and technology, geography and history

11 Standards are above average in geography and history. Much of the work in history supports literacy. Junior pupils empathise with Victorian children as they write about a typical day for a child in a factory owner's family. Higher attaining pupils clearly enjoy incorporating historical details and the result is a very plausible account. For example, one pupil wrote, ‘One day when papa was reading the paper he said excitedly, ‘Look! A train has been built by George Stephenson called The Rocket’. Details are vividly incorporated into the text such as ‘ I dreamed we were on the train and it was a monster in disguise.’ Art is linked in very well to develop pupils’ sense of history and pupils study the paintings of LS Lowry, attempting their own industrial landscapes. Infant pupils’ educational visits to Carlisle’s cathedral and castle support their work in geography, history and art very well. Their close observation of some of the cathedral's bosses is

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and communication technology, design and technology, geography and history

Wiggonby C of E Primary School - 13 reflected in some high quality work using clay, which they moulded and painted most effectively. Junior pupils begin to appreciate the importance of geology in determining landscape when they visit a striking river valley. Corresponding with French pupils enhances their awareness of distance and cultural difference.

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and communication technology, design and technology, geography and history

12 Standards are above average in design and technology. Some very imaginative work is done in both classes linking design and technology successfully to other subjects to the benefit of all. The good quality of infant pupils’ ‘pop-up’ castles results from their thorough preparation. They decided what tools to use and explained what they were going to do and then drew a picture of how it turned out. From creating ‘funny faces’ using coiled plastic and paper fasteners, they gain a good understanding of how to make things move. A collaborative infant book combines work in literacy on well-known stories with design and technology most effectively. Turning wheels and cut-out slots enable pupils to select words to describe, for example, Little Red Riding Hood. The book is well thumbed and clearly appreciated by pupils of different ages. Similar inventiveness is also seen in junior pupils’ design and technology. In this class, it is often linked very

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and communication technology, design and technology, geography and history

successfully to science. For example, older juniors make battery-powered cars using aluminium cans as part of the frame. Detailed work on electrical circuits formed part of the preparation; some discovered, for example, that one battery alone did not have enough power to light up two bulbs or turn a motor. They selected their own materials, tested and evaluated their unfinished models and concluded that a straight axle was crucial if the car was to travel in a straight line. Design and technology is used very effectively with history and with information and communication technology as when pupils design and make a Victorian toy. Using the Internet , they find out about different Victorian toys, which use levers, cams and other mechanisms. They work very well in pairs, taking great care to measure accurately and to follow their designs closely.

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and communication technology, design and technology, geography and history

Teaching is very good throughout the school.

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and communication technology, design and technology, geography and history

13 The quality of teaching is very good. It is never less than good. Teaching was very good or better in 60 per cent of lessons and good in 40 per cent. The very good quality of teaching is a major contributory factor to the high standards pupils achieve. The quality of teaching overall is slightly better in the junior class where pupils receive a greater variety of teaching methods because they are taught by several teachers. However, lesson planning for infants is better overall than for juniors, and this gives very good consistency to the teaching and learning of younger pupils.

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and communication technology, design and technology, geography and history

14 There are considerable strengths in teaching in both infant and junior classes. In the infant class, the teacher plans very well for the different ages and levels of attainment, giving very precise instructions to support assistants and monitoring carefully the teaching and learning of pupils. Pupils with special educational needs are very well provided for and all pupils are given ample opportunities to work independently and co- operatively. The very youngest children receive excellent support and the planning is very well suited to children of this age group. As children made scones, for example, they learnt a great deal about textures and materials through their teacher’s skilful questioning. The opening part of lessons is handled skilfully and what pupils are about to learn is made clear. The teacher's questions are pitched very well to encompass the different age groups within the class. Lessons end with a whole class discussion and all

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and communication technology, design and technology, geography and history

pupils are encouraged to talk about what they have learnt in the intermediate activities. Whilst this pattern of learning is undoubtedly effective, and contributes greatly to pupils' confidence within the class, there is an element of repetition in the regularity of this format and sometimes pupils can become a little restless. Teachers have high expectations of what their pupils can achieve. Wiggonby C of E Primary School - 14 15 The quality of teaching of juniors is very good and some excellent teaching was seen. Because teachers are teaching specialist subjects, the level of their subject knowledge is very good and sets high standards for pupils. Lessons are very interesting and challenging and pupils clearly find the work stimulating and achieve highly. In music, for example, juniors attain high standards as they sing four-part songs, play different instruments and write effective compositions showing a good understanding of the

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and communication technology, design and technology, geography and history

pentatonic scale. Teachers use specialised language and this is reflected in the pupils’ written and oral communications. In art, pupils' work shows a well developed sense of scale and perspective because they are taught to look at background and foreground. Phrases such as ‘banks of colour’ help pupils to visualise. Judicious choice of materials, for example, charcoal and chalk, help pupils to be successful and to become skilled in blending fine lines with smudging or to dull the colours using charcoal. Lesson planning, however, is less consistent for juniors and does not always make clear how the different levels of attainment within the class are catered for.

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16 The ways in which the infant and junior classes are taught are quite distinctive and each is very successful. In many ways, the very good teaching in the junior class depends on the very sound basis given to pupils in the infants. Opportunities are missed, however, to share the very good practice in each class for each class seems to work quite independently of the other.

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and communication technology, design and technology, geography and history

The headteacher provides very good leadership and educational direction.

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and communication technology, design and technology, geography and history

17 The quality of leadership given by the headteacher is very good. He provides very good educational direction for the school both through his own teaching and the decisions taken to improve the overall quality of teaching and learning in the school. The decision to employ additional part-time teachers and to allocate specific subject responsibilities was very productive and has clearly raised standards throughout the school in most subjects. It has also given pupils a much wider educational experience. The headteacher is well supported by teachers in the school, all of whom have subject responsibilities, which they carry out efficiently and capably. Because of his teaching commitment, the headteacher has the minimum amount of time in which to manage the school. There are very good systems in place, which enable the school to run efficiently and to provide effective teaching and learning.

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18 Since the last inspection, the school works much more closely with other schools in the area. This has enabled the school to adopt more objective systems of monitoring and evaluation. The school makes good use of external assessments to monitor pupils' academic progress and to measure the standards they achieve against those achieved in local schools as well as nationally. This objectivity gives pupils in a small school similar benefits to those in a much larger institution. The school monitors carefully the attainment of boys and girls. Concerned that in some year groups boys outnumber girls, the headteacher took the decision to actively encourage boys to read by providing a special section in the library for boys with an appealing range of fiction and non-fiction texts. The success of this measure was seen in the results of the year 2000 tests where three-quarters of the group were boys.

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The school is a very friendly, happy community with a strong family ethos, which

encourages pupils to learn and to play together.

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The school is a very friendly, happy community with a strong family ethos, which

19 Pupils have very good attitudes to school and they want to learn. There is a real sense of community and pupils are clearly proud of their school. Older pupils are encouraged to look after younger ones at lunchtimes and in assembly. Year 6 pupils serve lunch to younger pupils and take special care to help the very young. Their attitude is very Wiggonby C of E Primary School - 15 mature as they engage younger ones in conversation at the table. Pupils sit in these groups in assembly, which again reinforces the sense of a family community and helps younger pupils to feel secure.

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The school is a very friendly, happy community with a strong family ethos, which

20 Pupils are given many opportunities in lessons to work co-operatively. Younger pupils cheerfully play mathematics games together and older pupils collaborate well when carrying out scientific investigations. Infant pupils organise themselves well and talk animatedly together to check the accuracy of their work.

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The school is a very friendly, happy community with a strong family ethos, which

21 Opportunities are missed for pupils from different classes or of different age groups to work together such as older and younger pupils reading together or writing books for each other to read. This would add some variety and capitalise on the very good family ethos.

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in order to meet statutory requirements to support literacy and numeracy

22 The role of the governors has improved since the last inspection and the governing body as a whole is much more involved in the school. It carries out its duties in respect of finances and premises very well. It does not, however, take sufficient responsibility for the curriculum, in particular, literacy and numeracy. The governors support special educational needs very well and a governor liases efficiently with the special needs co- ordinator. A number of parent governors work in school regularly but as yet no one on the governing body has specific oversight of literacy and numeracy. Whilst it is clear that the head teacher manages the curriculum very well, the governing body could offer very useful additional support since the head teacher has very little time for administration.

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enough detailed information about what their children are learning, how well they are

progressing and what they need to do to improve.

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enough detailed information about what their children are learning, how well they are

23 From analysis of the parent questionnaires and from talking to parents at the parents' meeting held before the inspection, it is clear that parents do not feel they receive enough information about what their children are learning. Because age groups usually have fewer than ten children, detailed results are not published and so some parents are unaware of how well their children are getting on at school.

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enough detailed information about what their children are learning, how well they are

24 Parents do not have enough information about how their children are progressing and about what they are learning and how they are being taught. Parents seemed to have very little understanding, for example, of how the national strategies for literacy and numeracy were affecting the way their children were learning to read or to understand number. This has contributed to parental anxiety about reading in particular, as they expect that teachers will listen to their children read every day. Parents of reception children are informed well about how their children will learn initial skills in reading and writing and receive good levels of information about what their children know and can do shortly after entering full-time education.

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enough detailed information about what their children are learning, how well they are

25 The school gives parents very little information about the curriculum. Newsletters inform parents of forthcoming events but rarely explain what pupils are studying, for example, in history or science. The prospectus and annual governors’ report to parents are also quite formal documents and quite difficult for some parents to understand. The Wiggonby C of E Primary School - 16 notice board at the entrance to the school clearly explains what nursery age children will be doing when they come to school for two afternoons a week but there are no indications of what other year groups are learning that term. The school is good at consulting parents through questionnaires and taking their views into consideration when making important decisions. Parents feel, however, that they do not have an opportunity to discuss their children’s progress until the very end of the school year.

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enough detailed information about what their children are learning, how well they are

26 Reports are not detailed enough. Written comments do not give sufficient information about what pupils have learnt, what progress has been made and where pupils need to make improvement. Descriptions of the curriculum studied in each subject area are too general and are not specific to individual age groups. Although pupils are given goals for improvement, some are rather vague and comments overall are too general as in ‘ made good progress in topic area’ or ‘keep up the good work’. Reports for the youngest children do not refer to their areas of learning and so do not fully meet statutory requirements.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Governors should play a more active role in developing the school’s curriculum and meet statutory requirements to support literacy and numeracy.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• The school should give parents more detailed information about what their children are learning, how well they are progressing and what they need to do to improve so that they can more easily support their children’s learning. Wiggonby C of E Primary School - 17

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 10

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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

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) 48

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 10

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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 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

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

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Wiggonby C of E Primary School - 18

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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 - - 8

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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 - - - Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls - - -

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 83 (100) 83 (100) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 85 (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 - - - Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls - - -

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 83 (100) 100 (100) 83 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 6 2 8

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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 - - - Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls - - -

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 88 (100) 100 (100) 100 (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 - - - Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls - - -

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 75 (100) 100 (100) 100 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 80 (75)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Wiggonby C of E Primary School - 19

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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

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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) 2.7 Financial year 1999-2000

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 17.8

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR - Y6 Total expenditure 129946

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 2.0 Expenditure per pupil 3022

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 32 Balance brought forward from previous year 5211

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 2829 Wiggonby C of E Primary School - 20

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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. 41 48 4 7

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 37 56 4 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 11 56 15 11 7

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 11 37 37 11 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 37 33 22 7

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 22 56 7 4 11

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 15 44 22 15 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 19 30 11 7 33

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 31 38 15 4 12

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 11 33 22 22 11

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