New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School

NURSERY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 5 th – 8 th November 2001

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NURSERY 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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NURSERY 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. New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: New Station Road Bolsover Chesterfield Derbyshire Postcode: S44 6PY

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs K Chapman

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 14 th April 1997 New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 2

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responsibilities

18275 Chrissie Pittman Registered inspector Art Under fives What sort of school is it? How high are standards? How well are the pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? 9942 Susanna Stevens Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. How well does the school care for it’s pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 15011 Marion Wallace Team inspector English Physical education Music English as an additional language 22831 Clive Lewis Team inspector Mathematics Information and communication technology Design and technology Equal opportunities How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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responsibilities

18296 Michael Ridout Team inspector Science Geography History Religious education Special educational needs

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responsibilities

PPI Group Ltd 7 Hill Street Bristol BS1 5RW

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responsibilities

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

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responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 3

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 4 - 8

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 9 - 11

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 24 - 38

New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

New Bolsover is a one and a half form entry primary school situated on the outskirts of Chesterfield. The school draws most of its pupils from the immediate catchment area, which is a mixture of local authority, private landlords and some owner-occupied housing. A large proportion of pupils come from backgrounds with social and economic difficulties. The population is mainly white British. The school is bigger than other primary schools. There are 365 pupils aged from 3 to 11 years in mixed ability classes. Their attainment on entry is well below average. Most, but not all, children attend the nursery before joining the school. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is above the national average, although this figure changes from year to year and fluctuates between a third and nearly half the school. The percentage of pupils who speak English as an additional language is low. The number of pupils with special educational needs (SEN)

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

is similar to the national average; however, the percentage of pupils with statements of special educational need is above the national average. The school is in an Education Action Zone.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an improving school in challenging circumstances, whose aims and objectives are targeted on raising standards. Nearly all the teaching is now at least satisfactory and nearly half is good or better. This good teaching has recently begun to have a positive impact on learning. Pupils attitudes to learning are good. The improvement in the school's national test results over the last four years has been broadly in line with the national trend. The school has made satisfactory improvement since the last inspection and is beginning to respond well to the challenges it faces. It is well led, cost effective and provides sound value for money.

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What the school does well

• The school's caring family ethos encourages good pupil attitudes, behaviour and relationships. Pupils enjoy school, are eager to learn and respond well to the positive learning climate. • Provision for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. • The headteacher's leadership is good. Her clear and positive vision is well supported by a committed staff and supportive governing body. • The school has good links with parents.

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What could be improved

• Standards attained throughout the school in all subjects except art and physical education and the progress made in information and communication technology (ICT) and design and technology by pupils aged 11 years. • The breadth and balance of the curriculum particularly in the following subjects: ICT, design and technology, history, geography and religious education. • Contribution of staff with management responsibilities, particularly for special educational needs (SEN) and Key Stage 1. • Subject co-ordinators monitoring the teaching of skills, particularly in writing. • How assessment is used to guide curriculum planning throughout the school and particularly between the Nursery and Reception classes. 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

When the school was inspected four years ago management and efficiency required improvement as did the standards achieved. There were also some weaknesses in the quality of teaching and learning. Since then the school has made satisfactory progress in addressing most of these issues. There is much better provision for ICT and the school now uses a commercial set of schemes of work for most subjects. The monitoring of teaching has enabled the headteacher to ensure that teachers have clear learning goals at appropriate levels. Teaching has consequently improved and so has the quality and range of learning opportunities. However, co-ordinators still do not monitor the teaching of skills sufficiently to identify areas New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 5 for improvement. The development plan is now for a longer period and of better quality than at the last inspection and the school now has regular health and safety checks.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

National test results in the core subjects are below those at the time of the last inspection. Attainment has also fallen in the other subjects with the exception of art and physical education. This is due to the variation in ability of different groups of pupils and a much lower baseline when children start school. There is also a high level of mobility among pupils and a steady increase in the numbers of pupils with SEN joining the school since the last inspection.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Procedures for monitoring and evaluating standards and target setting in English and mathematics have improved considerably and assessment is used more effectively to evaluate pupils' progress, particularly in Key Stage 2. However, there is the need to improve assessment in other subjects where assessment information is still insufficiently used to change what is being taught. The leadership and management of the school has improved, following the appointment of the current headteacher, after the last inspection. Governors are now more involved in financial planning and supporting the curriculum and are beginning to know the school's strengths and weaknesses. Staff development has been much improved. Given the quality of its leadership and the commitment of its staff, the school is well placed to develop further.

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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

science D E C B well above average above average average below average well below average A B C D E

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Key

Most children when they start school are achieving standards well below those expected of children of this age. By the time they enter Year 1, their attainment is still below the expected standard in most cases. Attainment on entry to the school has dropped consistently over the last four years and there is more transience amongst the pupils. This has had a negative impact on pupils’ achievement.

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Key

When compared to similar schools, pupils are attaining standards by age 11 that are above average in science, in line in mathematics and below average in English. In comparison to all schools they attain results that are in line with the national average in science, below average in mathematics and well below average in English. The percentage of pupils reaching the higher levels in science was above the national average. These results were a significant improvement on the previous year, although higher attaining pupils throughout the school are still insufficiently challenged. In lessons seen, in both infant and junior classes, standards are below expectations in all subjects except art and physical education where they are as expected. This is because the school has been operating a limited curriculum while it has been trying to drive up standards in English and mathematics. The school met its targets in English and mathematics this year.

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Key

New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 6

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils are keen to learn and eager to take part in all school activities.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour around the school and in lessons is good. Pupils respect each other and their teachers.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships The personal development of pupils is good overall. Relationships throughout the school are positive and older children are given specific responsibilities. Provision for personal, social and health education is good.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Attendance is satisfactory. Pupils are punctual and lessons start on time.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils' attitudes to learning are good. They show sustained interest in their work. Most pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They are polite, well mannered and show respect for property. There is no evidence of bullying or disruptive behaviour. The personal development of most pupils is good. Older pupils look after younger ones and act as monitors at lunchtime. Attendance and punctuality levels have been improved and are now having a positive effect on pupils' progress.

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

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

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

Teaching is satisfactory overall. Just over half was satisfactory and one in four lessons was good or very good. There was a small amount of unsatisfactory or poor teaching. There is a positive ethos for learning in most classrooms. The best teaching is in Years 3 to 6, where nearly half the teaching was good or better. Most of the teaching in Years 1 and 2 was satisfactory. Teaching in the Foundation Stage was divided between satisfactory and good, with one excellent lesson.

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

The quality of teaching in English is satisfactory in Key Stage 1 and good at Key Stage 2. When teaching is very good in Years 3 and 4 teachers use a challenging pace. They develop confidence and pupils’ awareness and knowledge of vocabulary although they do not make enough use of information and communication technology (ICT). Teachers in the junior classes have very good management skills and are well prepared; pupils respond well to these high expectations. Where learning is poor, as in a Key Stage 1 lesson, pupils are not given sufficient guidance and tasks are not well linked.

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

In mathematics, in Years 1 and 2, teaching is satisfactory; in the junior classes it is good overall. In the best lessons, teachers ensure pupils are well motivated and the overall pace of the lesson is at least satisfactory and frequently very good. They ensure all pupils are paying appropriate attention, use correct mathematical terminology and provide good opportunities for pupils to explain their methods and practise what they know. However, in a number of lessons at both key stages, teachers did not plan different tasks for the wide range of ability within their classes. In less satisfactory lessons, the pace of work is too slow and pupils are not sufficiently challenged. New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 7

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The quality and range of the curriculum is unsatisfactory; there is a good range of extra-curricular activities.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Satisfactory; throughout the school there is good quality support given by the learning assistants. Although the majority of individual education plans adequately identify broad areas of concern, they are less effective in identifying appropriate targets and specifying the programme of intervention, support and assessment.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall. The principles of right and wrong are actively promoted and pupils' moral development is very good. Social development is good. Provision for pupils' spiritual and cultural development is satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school is very good at caring for its pupils. Children are well known and this awareness is used effectively to support their personal development.

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Aspect Comment

Good procedures for assessing pupils' attainment and progress in mathematics and English have recently been introduced, although day-to-day assessment is still not being effectively used to inform future lessons in other subjects. Pupils are not monitored or targeted regularly enough to raise standards. The partnership between the parents and school is good. Most parents are satisfied that the school works closely with them.

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Aspect Comment

As a result of the school's decision to drive up standards in English and mathematics the curriculum in Key Stages 1 and 2 does not meet statutory requirements to teach all subjects in sufficient depth. This is beginning to have a negative impact on overall standards, particularly in non-core subjects. The effectiveness of the school’s literacy strategy is satisfactory. Although the school has adopted and implemented the National Numeracy Strategy satisfactorily, not all lessons followed the recommended lesson format, particularly in providing work at appropriate levels for pupils of different ability within the class.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and key staff The good leadership of the headteacher ensures clear direction for the work and development of the school. Staff have a shared commitment to improving standards. However, the contribution of co-ordinators is variable, ranging from good to unsatisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors support the school well and take an informed interest in forward planning and its day to day work. They fulfil their statutory duties well, except for ensuring the school has a balanced curriculum. They are beginning to know the school's strengths and weaknesses.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Teaching is well monitored by the headteacher, although there is insufficient monitoring of teaching, learning and target setting by subject co-ordinators. The school has effectively begun to use assessment data to guide curriculum planning in English and mathematics although this is still a weakness in other curriculum areas.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Decisions on spending are linked appropriately to educational priorities. This ensures that satisfactory value for money is achieved and the best use New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 8 is made of resources.

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Aspect Comment

There is a good match of teachers to the curriculum and enough well trained support staff. The accommodation is satisfactory in size, in a good state of repair and cleaned to a very high standard. Resources are adequate in most subject areas.

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Aspect Comment

The headteacher has worked hard to create a cohesive and committed team of teachers to take the school forward. However, the management of special educational needs is unsatisfactory; there are no clear criteria for the identification of pupils with special educational needs. The co-ordinator does not monitor provision, teachers are encouraged to manage the day-to-day provision themselves and records do not always provide sufficiently precise details of progress to ensure rigorous review of provision. Similarly, the management of Key Stage 1 is unsatisfactory. Teaching and planning is not monitored sufficiently to improve quality and the focus has not been sufficiently targeted on raising standards and improving progress. Although the management of the curriculum for the Foundation Stage is good in the nursery and the reception class, there is a lack of co-ordination between the two areas. This is a weakness.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school. • The school expects children to work hard to achieve their best. • Children are making good progress at school. • How the school reports on pupils' progress. • The range of activities provided outside lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors agree with the positive comments from parents. There is an appropriate range of activities provided outside school. Information provided by the school on pupils' progress is satisfactory. New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 9

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Most children, when they start school, are achieving standards well below those expected of children of this age. By the time they reach Year 1, most make very good progress in their learning, although attainment is still below the expected standard for the majority and standards in writing are still well below average. By the time they leave school, at the end of Year 6, pupils are achieving results in national tests that are in line with national averages in science, below average in mathematics and well below in English. When judged against similar schools results are above average for science, in line for mathematics but below average for English. This is a good achievement considering that, in the four years preceding the inspection, the number of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) taking the tests has risen significantly. Similarly the number of pupils joining the school at various

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

points has also had a negative impacted on standards.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Pupils’ achievement at age eleven in national tests, when judged against their prior attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 is also above average for science, in line in mathematics and below average in English. This is good progress overall, although writing standards are still below average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. There is no significant difference between the attainment and progress of pupils by gender and social background. Analysis of data shows that girls perform slightly better than boys in all the core subjects. The trend is now in line with the national trend and is largely the result of successful targeting and monitoring of pupils. The school's targets in English and mathematics last year were met.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The results of National Curriculum tests in 2000 for pupils aged 7 in English were below the national average for reading and writing. The percentage of pupils reaching higher levels in writing and, when compared to similar schools, is close to the national average. Fewer pupils achieved the higher level 3 in reading, below average when compared nationally but in line with what was achieved by similar schools. The number of pupils aged 11 who reach the higher levels in English is similar to the national average and in line when compared to similar schools. In lessons, standards are below average by the end of Year 2 and Year 6, with a significant number of pupils achieving standards that are well below in some classes and Year groups. However, given the low standards most pupils start from they make good progress overall.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. In mathematics, the attainment of pupils aged 7 in national tests in 2000 was well above the national average and that of similar schools. By age 11, test results are below all schools nationally but in line with similar schools. Improvement since the last inspection is satisfactory overall. Inspection findings show that by the time pupils are aged seven and eleven attainment is below that expected for their age but their achievement is good considering the low standard they start from when they first come to the school.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. In science, national test results at age 11 show that pupils achieved standards in line with the national average although, when compared to the performance of similar schools, they were above average. The percentage of pupils achieving at higher levels was well above average, representing a significant improvement on the previous year. At Key Stage 1, teacher assessments showed that the percentage of pupils attaining at both the expected and higher level was above average. Inspection findings indicate standards are below expectations but pupils are making satisfactory progress at the end of both key stages.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. There has been an improvement in the standards attained in literacy and numeracy since the last inspection, although it is better in numeracy than literacy. Throughout the school standards of speaking and listening are below average. Pupils have good opportunities for speaking and listening although teachers have to work hard to extract information from pupils. In Years 2 and 6 standards of reading are below average. By Year 6 higher attaining pupils enjoy reading but average and lower New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 10 attaining pupils lack confidence and expression often hesitating over difficult words. Writing standards at both key stages are below average. Too much time is spent discussing writing rather than incorporating discussion into the writing process. In many classes pupils answer the teacher's question while the teacher does the writing on the board. Literacy skills, particularly writing skills,

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

are underdeveloped through the other subjects of the curriculum.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Although the school has adopted and implemented the National Numeracy Strategy satisfactorily, not all lessons observed followed the recommended lesson format, particularly in providing work at appropriate levels for pupils of different ability. Samples of pupils’ work during the year demonstrate that pupils undertake a variety of work on shape, space and measures and tackle a range of problems involving handling data and investigation. Lesson observations throughout the inspection confirm that pupils make appropriate use of their numeracy skills in other curriculum areas such as science and literacy.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. Until very recently, information and communication technology had not been taught or planned for as a “timetabled” subject and there is still only a limited amount of direct teaching in the subject. Consequently pupils' attainment, by the end of both key stages, is below that expected for their age. However, the school is aware of the shortcomings, both in curriculum and teacher knowledge, and has plans in place to address these weaknesses.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. By the end of both Key Stages 1 and 2 attainment is below expectations in all other subjects, with the exception of physical education and art, where it is in line with the national average. Pupils' progress is good in art, music and physical education at both key stages. It is satisfactory in history, religious education and geography and unsatisfactory in design and technology and ICT. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in acquiring basic literacy and numeracy skills. Between the ages of three and five, slow learners and those with special educational needs make good progress. Pupils with SEN make good progress. Higher achieving pupils are insufficiently challenged throughout. Standards in foundation subjects have been maintained since the last inspection with the exception of design and technology and history where they have declined.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Pupils have positive attitudes to school. They are interested in their learning and involve themselves in activities with enthusiasm. Children who have recently started in the Nursery settle well and respond sensibly to adults. They play purposefully and are beginning to co-operate with others. They are developing good habits of hygiene and look after themselves and the equipment they use. Many are reticent to ask questions and express ideas, showing that they have not yet developed confidence in dealing with unfamiliar adults. The behaviour of pupils in classrooms and around the school is generally good. The good relationships they have with each other and staff show a growing awareness of the impact of their actions on others. Pupils respond well to the values promoted by the school and their personal development is good. These positive features create a happy and friendly community in which each pupil feels valued.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. The children in the Foundation Stage enjoy their time at school; they have very good relationships with their teachers, with each other and with adults who work with them. They settle quickly and happily with their work, taking part in the many varied and interesting activities with great enthusiasm. They understand classroom routines and tidy up sensibly and carefully. They help each other and respond well to the high standard of behaviour expected of them.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs, take part in school life with enthusiasm and interest. They respond well to the structure of the literacy and numeracy sessions, showing a willingness to answer questions and take part in discussions. These positive attitudes and willingness to learn were remarked upon in the last inspection.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils’ behaviour in lessons, around the school and in the playground, is good. They are generally courteous, friendly and considerate of others. They behave well at assembly and treat the school’s property and their classroom resources with care. They are polite to visitors and courteous in their dealings with one another. Pupils are learning to take responsibility and to exercise initiative in a New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 11 variety of ways, with many of the older pupils acting as monitors at break times, playing with the younger pupils and assisting them at midday meal times. These pupils take their duties with mature seriousness, acting as very good role models for other pupils in the school. They willingly undertake a number of set duties with humour and carefully monitor for any signs of bullying behaviour. Pupils with behavioural difficulties are supported well by appropriate, experienced staff. Other pupils in the

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

school are very supportive of those with special educational needs, collaborating effectively in small group work.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Pupils’ personal development is good. Most pupils enjoy working in pairs and groups, sharing opinions and resources. They listen to each other and take differing viewpoints into account in their discussions. When given the opportunity, such as the weekly Forum with the headteacher, pupils can successfully organise their own work, put forward ideas and make independent choices.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. The school has adopted a computerised system for registration. The monitoring of attendance is consistent and levels of recorded attendance are satisfactory. The school does all it reasonably can to encourage parents to notify the school with reasons for absence and punctuality is consistently reinforced by administrative and teaching staff. Attendance and authorised absence is in line with national figures. Unauthorised absence is slightly above due to the failure of parents to supply reasons for absence. The school gives pupils good opportunities to take responsibilities for their own learning. Their attitudes and behaviour have improved since the last inspection.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. Overall, the quality of teaching is satisfactory. Teaching is satisfactory or better in most lessons and, in nearly half the lessons, teaching is good or better. There is a small quantity of unsatisfactory or poor teaching. The best teaching is in the junior classes where over half the teaching was good or very good. There is a good learning ethos in most classrooms.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. Teaching has improved since the last inspection. Staff training has focused effectively on raising standards of teaching and learning. In over one third of lessons where teaching was at least good, inspirational lessons in English, mathematics, history, geography and art were seen. There was a small amount of unsatisfactory teaching and one poor lesson. Where teaching is unsatisfactory or poor, it is mainly due to inadequate planning and insufficient challenge. These were features of some lessons in English, religious education and science. On balance however, the high proportion of good teaching makes a significant contribution to pupils' good achievement particularly in the junior classes.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. A number of features contribute to the best teaching. Classroom control is good and encouragement and humour are used well to motivate pupils. There is often a crisp pace through English, mathematics, art and music lessons and the skilful use of questioning broadens pupils' understanding and promotes thinking and discussion. Questioning is particularly well used to identify progress in many subjects. However, there is sometimes too little emphasis on pupils writing about what they know. This inhibits teachers when they need to evaluate pupils' progress over time. Pupils often showed a mature understanding of difficult concepts and good learning was taking place. However, when scrutinising their exercise books there was little evidence of this understanding recorded.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Teachers' subject knowledge and planning is sound in English, mathematics, art and history. Teachers of the Foundation Stage understand young children very well and challenge them effectively so that they make good progress. Planning is good; learning is fun and children are convinced they are playing a series of games. Every medium, including humour, is used to challenge their thinking. For example, reception children dress animals in unlikely clothes; 'a cat in a coat', while Year 6 pupils are encouraged to compare the ideas, methods and approaches of a variety of artists, which helps them to appreciate how and why paintings are created.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. Literacy is taught appropriately in English lessons but literacy skills are not consistently reinforced in other subjects of the curriculum. Most teachers ensure that pupils know the correct terminology for New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 12 the subject but some do not follow this up by giving pupils the relevant vocabulary in specific subjects. Numeracy is generally taught effectively in mathematics lessons and used appropriately in other subjects.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. Teaching and non-teaching staff share expertise and support each other well. Classroom assistants and parent helpers work well with teachers and make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Most teachers have appropriate expectations of pupil performance in Key Stage 2, however at Key Stage 1 work is not always well matched to capability and teacher expectations and pace are too low, particularly for higher achieving pupils. For example, in a religious education lesson on the Hindu festival of Divali, the teacher's discipline was poor and pupils were not set challenging enough tasks to keep their interest. Consequently little learning occurred. Conversely in a Year 4/5 mathematics class the teacher's good class management and high expectations of all produced some exciting work and the pupils made very good progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Most teachers make effective use of a wide range of control and managing strategies. The positive relationship staff have with pupils creates a good learning environment. Good behaviour is a feature of many lessons. Pupil-teacher relationships are good. The active involvement of pupils helps to sustain interest. In an art lesson in Key Stage 2, pupils developed their own design ideas from the Bayeux Tapestry. They were encouraged to work as a team to design panels from an aborigine myth. Conversely, in lessons, where there is too much teacher direction and advice, pupils’ personal development and progress are undermined.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. Most teachers use time and resources well. For example, in a Year 4/5 geography lesson the excellent use of resources made a significant contribution to the quality of pupils' work. Time and resources are used effectively in English, mathematics, art, geography and the Foundation Stage.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

26. Teachers are particularly aware of pupils with special needs. The teaching of these pupils is satisfactory. The contribution of the learning assistants to teaching is good. The quality of teaching and guidance provided by visiting specialists is also good. This is particularly effective for pupils with a statement, where opportunities for liaison with support staff and the class teacher are welcomed. The teaching strategies adopted make a significant contribution to learning. The teaching is most effective where lesson planning takes account of particular learning needs and the assistants are kept fully involved. For example, there were several instances of support assistants making very good contributions to pupils’ learning in science and geography in Key Stage 2. However, there were also several examples, where support assistants were not available, especially in Key Stage 1, when pupils' learning became disjointed as they missed key elements of teaching and could not

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

subsequently relate their learning to the work of the class.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

27. Planning in most classes is appropriate and there is an established policy for marking although this is not consistently applied throughout the school. Where marking is good, written comments are constructive and help pupils improve the quality of their work. These procedures enable the school to have a very good knowledge of pupils’ attainment. The day-to-day assessment of pupils’ work is appropriate in the Foundation Stage and satisfactory in some classes. However, the quality varies in others, where assessment outcomes are not recorded or used to improve further planning. Overall assessment is not used sufficiently to inform future planning. Homework is satisfactory, and is improving standards.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

28. The general standard of teaching has improved since the last inspection with a greater emphasis on planning and adding variety to teaching methods. However, basic skills are insufficiently re-enforced.

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PUPILS?

29. As a result of an understandable determination to improve pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics, the school has focused a great deal of its energies in the past few years on the “core” subjects of the curriculum to the detriment of the “foundation” subjects. As a result, it is not currently New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 13 providing a sufficiently broad and balanced curriculum. The headteacher has successfully overseen a review of the curriculum, replacing the system of multi-subject “topics” which did not provide secure coverage or continuity of learning. A whole school “curriculum map” has recently been developed and schemes of work are available for all subjects. However, although these positive changes have been made, the school provides a limited curriculum with not enough time given to a number of foundation subjects, particularly design and technology and lack of consistency in the teaching of experimental

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PUPILS?

and investigative skills in science lessons. Opportunities to study information and communication technology continue to be limited. There have recently been significant improvements in ICT resources, although staff still lack confidence and subject knowledge. Younger children are provided with an appropriate curriculum based on the recommended Early Learning Goals for pupils under-five. The curriculum in Key Stages 1 and 2 does not fully meet statutory requirements to teach all subjects in sufficient depth and this is beginning to impact negatively on standards, especially in the non-core subjects.

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PUPILS?

30. There are now published schemes of work for all curriculum subjects; although some teachers are “cherry-picking” units of work with which they feel confident and pupils are not always getting a secure grounding in their learning in all subject areas. The length of the school day has been extended following the previous inspection and the percentage of time allocated to each subject has been readjusted although the time spent on some foundation subjects is still insufficient. Overall, this is insufficient improvement since the last inspection.

p.15

PUPILS?

31. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory overall.

p.15

Strengths include:

• the good level of support provided by the well trained education care officers; • the good professional guidance and teaching provided by specialist support agencies, for pupils with a statement; and • the monitoring of progress by the headteacher.

p.15

Areas for development:

• establishing effective procedures to ensure greater consistency in the quality of individual education plans; and • developing a whole-school approach to ensuring the effective inclusion of pupils in the work of the class.

p.15

Areas for development:

32. The day-to-day provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory. The arrangements for identifying and supporting pupils with special educational needs are effective. In some classes target groups are clearly identified. The available support is well targeted and the pupils are well integrated into the life of the school. The procedures for the identification of pupils with special educational needs are in line with the Code of Practice but there are lapses in communication between the co-ordinator and some staff. An appropriate register of special educational needs is maintained by the co-ordinator. Individual education plans are provided for pupils identified at stages 2 – 5 of the SEN Code of Practice. The best examples include well-defined and realistic learning targets that are broken down into small achievable steps and supported with good details of the strategies to be followed. Such plans usually benefit from the input of visiting teachers and guide

p.15

Areas for development:

those supporting learning well. However, although the majority of individual education plans adequately identify broad areas of concern they are less effective in identifying appropriate targets and specifying the programme of intervention, support and assessment. Whilst this may be adequate to guide some teachers it is not always clear enough to help parents and pupils. In a few cases good account is taken of individual targets and this is clearly reflected in the planning of lessons and the involvement of the education care officer. However, in too many cases insufficient account is taken of the targets and suggested strategies when planning the work for the class. This leads to a situation where the learning of reading and phonic skills, for example, runs alongside class work but there are few clear links between the two.

p.15

Areas for development:

33. There is a suitable policy based on the SEN Code of Practice. However, the arrangements to review individual education plans are not sufficiently formalised. Teachers undertake regular reviews of New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 14 pupils’ individual education plans but the records of progress and the actions taken are of variable quality. Pupils with a statement of educational need receive appropriate levels of good quality support. Arrangements for the required annual review are undertaken in conjunction with the LEA. There are no pupils disapplied from the requirements of the National Curriculum.

p.15

Areas for development:

34. The school has generally effective strategies for teaching literacy and numeracy, although a number of numeracy lessons during the inspection, whilst following the numeracy programme of study, did not follow the recommended lesson format, particularly in the provision of appropriate work for pupils of different capability.

p.16

Areas for development:

35. A good range of extra-curricular activities take place during lunchtimes and after school and provision is enhanced considerably by support from the Educational Action Zone (EAZ) project. An appropriate programme of educational visits is provided during the school year with additional EAZ adventurous activities offered during holiday times. Taken together, these additional curriculum activities enrich the curriculum, providing pupils with a good variety of interesting and exciting experiences.

p.16

Areas for development:

36. The school makes satisfactory provision overall for equal opportunities for its pupils through the provision of appropriate teaching methods, support and materials. All pupils have equal access to the curriculum and appropriate role-models are provided within the school in terms of gender. The school is beginning to analyse assessment data gathered from baseline and end of key stage testing in terms of gender. However, although provision for equal opportunities is satisfactory overall and is often good, some pupils were removed from the daily school assembly for additional support. The school is aware of the need to ensure withdrawal is kept to a minimum and is only used where essential and that it is not appropriate to exclude pupils from daily acts of collective worship. The school has made insufficient improvement since the last inspection because of its decision to focus on raising standards in English and mathematics.

p.16

Areas for development:

37. The school’s links with the local community are satisfactory and a range of visitors bring their expertise to the school and work with the pupils. It has satisfactory links with the secondary school to which most pupils move at the end of Key Stage 2. The school makes good provision for pupils' personal, social and health education with regular timetabled “PSHE” lessons, the “Rainbow Room" and the lunchtime “social inclusion” programme. The governing body have made the decision that sex-education is provided for older pupils and health and drugs-misuse education is provided as part of the science curriculum.

p.16

Areas for development:

38. The provision for the development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. The spiritual aspect of school life is developed through assemblies and at appropriate festivals, such as Christingle, harvest festival and the annual carol concert in the local church. Opportunities for quiet reflection are available in the timetabled use of the sensory garden, which the pupils helped to create and during periods of dance and music. The school has close links with the neighbouring church, but pupils have insufficient opportunity for spiritual development through religious education lessons and assemblies.

p.16

Areas for development:

39. The school makes very good provision to develop moral values. Pupils are taught the difference between right and wrong and the school promotes the values of honesty, fairness and respect for trust and justice very effectively. Pupils respond well to the school’s clear code of behaviour, which is consistently and firmly implemented. Good behaviour is recognised and pupils are rewarded in achievement assemblies and with a photograph in the Friendship Tree book. Pupils show pride in their success, such as the award of the Friendship Medal by their peers for acts of kindness towards others. These awards for hard work and positive contributions to the life of the school are highly valued. Targets are set for individual pupils to help them improve their behaviour and they are rewarded when these are achieved. Pupils’ good behaviour makes an impact on the daily pattern of school life in the way they conduct themselves and work in groups with others. Staff consistently

p.16

Areas for development:

praise courteous and co-operative behaviour and are firm in their dealings with selfish acts. Pupils regulate their own behaviour well, often ignoring incidents where immature outbursts occur amongst other pupils.

p.16

Areas for development:

40. Social development is good. Opportunities are created during meal times for staff to socialise with New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 15 pupils. The Friends’ Stop in the Infant Yard provides an opportunity for any child feeling lonely to stand and wait in the full knowledge that a ‘friend’ will soon appear to play or talk with them.

p.16

Areas for development:

41. The pupils develop a satisfactory understanding of different cultures through their geography lessons and some awareness of major faiths in their religious education studies. Literacy and history lessons make a contribution to pupils’ cultural development. Visits to the local church and areas of the surrounding countryside for topic work, give a good understanding of cultural influences in geographical locations. However, there is little contact with the ethnic minority community and few opportunities given for pupils to develop an awareness of the diversity of the multicultural society in which they live. There has been good overall improvement since the last inspection. New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 16

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

42. The welfare of all its pupils, including those with special educational needs, is an important priority for all staff in the school. The procedures the school has established to ensure that pupils are well cared for are very successful. The quality of pastoral care is warm and sensitive. Throughout the school pupils’ personal development is monitored and supported effectively and most pupils become increasingly confident and mature individuals. Procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ academic progress are now satisfactory, although the information gathered is not used sufficiently for the educational support and guidance for every individual pupil. The good relationships between pupils, their teachers and other members of staff ensure that the pupils feel safe and happy within the school community. The good quality of pastoral care provided has been maintained well since the last inspection. However, the weaknesses identified in the last inspection in the use of assessment

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. Children under five in the Foundation Stage are very well cared for in a happy well-ordered atmosphere. There are very good induction procedures for both children and parents. The children come to school happily and settle quickly into the routines of the classroom. Parents have good opportunities to speak informally to staff about any small matters of concern. Children quickly learn what is expected of them and staff consistently reinforce good work, politeness and good behaviour with praise.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. The school ensures that the well being of all pupils, including those with special educational needs, is safeguarded. Pupils say they would feel comfortable talking to their teachers or the support staff about any concerns they may have. They are confident that they would be helped. Older pupils with prefect responsibilities or monitor duties are always accessible to the pupils with any worries and can be seen daily in their caring support during break times. All adults in the school know the pupils well and this provides a continuity of care throughout the school day. The procedures the school has to govern health and safety are comprehensive and very good. Formal risk assessment is carried out regularly and a fire drill takes place once a term. First aid is very good with appropriate record keeping. Letters are sent home for all incidents of ‘head bumps’. The headteacher is the designated member of staff for child protection and has received an appropriate level of training. The staff are

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

vigilant in their approach to this aspect of care. The quality of supervision during the midday break is good. The midday meal break is very well organised providing a pleasant social experience for all pupils.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The procedures for monitoring attendance are good. Support is provided by the educational welfare officer when needed, and good records are kept and trends recorded and monitored on the computerised system. Registration procedures are usually prompt and efficient.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. Staff know pupils well, monitoring and supporting their personal development effectively. The school has good procedures for recording any instances of poor behaviour. The very good policies governing behaviour and bullying are followed consistently by the staff. Pupils were consulted during the formulation of the school’s Code of Conduct and each class has its own rules, which are understood and respected by the majority of pupils.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. The school provides good support for pupils with special educational needs. The quality of care provided by the adults with responsibility for these pupils is of a high standard and allows them to take a full part in the lessons. However, assessment procedures are not used sufficiently in classrooms to plan work that meets pupils’ individual educational needs. Pupils benefit from the caring atmosphere of the school and the full integration they enjoy in the daily activities provided.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. The school has satisfactory systems in place for assessing pupils’ attainment, although there is no formal assessment or records kept of pupils’ attainment or progress in the foundation subjects.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. There is good use of assessment in the Foundation Stage and sound, although relatively new, systems for the analysis of English and mathematics test results. There have been some changes to the curriculum based on information gained from this analysis. However, the school does not yet New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 17 make sufficient use of the wide range of data obtained from its assessment activities to guide its future work. The procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ academic progress are satisfactory. The school undertakes all statutorily required assessments of its pupils. 50. Some teachers know their pupils well and undertake useful assessment on a short-term, day-to-day basis. This was seen, for example, in numeracy lessons, where in the best cases teachers amend their weekly plans, as the week progresses, based on their assessment of pupils’ progress in each lesson and their marking of pupils’ work at the end of each day. The attainment of individual pupils in

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

the end-of-year tests is plotted on “value added and progress” charts annually and pupil profiles are kept with results in reading, writing, spelling and mathematics. However, during the inspection, lessons were observed where all pupils, with the exception of a small group of pupils with special educational needs supported by an Educational Care Officer, were given the same tasks. In other lessons tasks were set which pupils had undertaken before (in a previous class), and hence, found easy. This indicates insufficient use of the data obtained from the end-of-year and other ongoing assessments.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

51. The information gained from the entry-level baseline tests and day-to-day assessment is used well in the reception class to plot progress and to identify pupils needing additional support on entry to the school. The headteacher has analysed assessment information to gauge the “value added” by the school by comparing pupils’ attainment on entry with their attainment at the end of the key stage, when they leave the school. The considerable amount of data now available, from annual testing, is beginning to be used to ascertain pupils’ progress as they move through the key stages to identify pupils who will benefit from “booster” English and mathematics lessons and to adapt or amend the curriculum. However, it is not yet being used effectively to determine and compare overall progress in each class, or to analyse the effectiveness of teaching methods. Although a number of teachers keep their own records of pupils’ attainment within their class, no formal assessment of foundation

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

subjects is undertaken or records kept and there is currently limited self-assessment of work by pupils. However, the English and mathematics co-ordinators are beginning to undertake analyses of the test results or trends in their subjects and a system of individual target-setting for pupils has been introduced.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

52. There is good pastoral support and care provided for pupils with special educational needs, including those with statements. The educational guidance provided is most effective in those classes where teachers and support staff work together closely to ensure pupils’ learning needs are met. The teaching and support staff are not adequately guided by the special educational needs co-ordinator in planning learning programmes or maintaining consistent and appropriately detailed records. There is very little use of assessment information to help identify pupils’ needs, track their progress, focus additional support, inform the teachers or guide their future planning. Pupils with a statement of need receive the appropriate amount and type of support as outlined in the statutory assessment provided.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. The school’s partnership with parents is good overall. The views of those parents, who completed the questionnaire prior to the inspection, show that the majority support the work of the school. They appreciate the open door policy for problems and worries and felt welcome in the school. Some parents expressed a wish to be kept better informed about how their child was progressing. Inspection evidence indicates that the annual written reports to parents are satisfactory. Each is written specifically for the individual child. All set targets for improvement or greater effort, with the best reports giving levels attained in areas such as reading. The quality of the school’s partnership with parents is stronger than at the time of the last inspection.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54. The school promotes effective links with parents by providing them with a satisfactory range of information about the school and with regular newsletters. The prospectus provides information about the curriculum and the work of the school. An open evening in the autumn term and a formal interview with their child’s class teacher in the spring term, enables parents to discuss progress and targets for their children. Parents are invited to discuss the annual written report of their child’s progress after they have received the report in the summer term. Staff are available daily, at the beginning or end of the day, to exchange information on any concerns parents may have. These arrangements all enable parents to obtain regular progress reports. There is a very good induction system for pupils New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 18 entering school from the Nursery and writing workshops are available for parents to enable them to

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

help their children with writing at home.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

55. The impact of parents’ involvement with the school is satisfactory. The home/school contract has been introduced successfully and accepted by parents. Many parents help their children with reading at home and with other homework. A few parents help in class and are valued by class teachers. The school does not have any consistent procedures to encourage parents to help in school but the Parents’ Association arranges social and fund raising events which are well supported and provide valuable informal contact between staff and parents/carers. The governors, including parent governors, are committed to ensuring the school maintains effective links with parents and the community.

p.20

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

56. The school makes appropriate arrangements to inform parents of pupils having learning difficulties. They are consulted when a pupil is to be placed on the school’s register of special educational needs. Most parents receive appropriate information about their child’s progress, during twice yearly meetings with teachers, but only a minority of parents contribute to the termly review of pupils’ individual education plans. The school maintains positive links with other agencies and occasional meetings are held to consider how pupils are getting on and to evaluate provision for them.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The headteacher's leadership is good and ensures clear educational direction for the school. She has been effective in monitoring its work and this has had a positive impact on raising the quality of teaching. The school has clear aims and values and staff share these aims. There has been a good ethos established in which to implement these aims and policies in a positive way. Co-ordinators work well together and have a shared commitment to improving standards. Co-ordinators in literacy and numeracy have effectively begun to monitor their subjects' strengths and weaknesses in terms of curriculum provision, teaching and learning. However, this is not yet happening consistently in other subjects. There is little monitoring of teaching and learning by co-ordinators or senior managers to help teachers assess outcomes and plan future activities which build on previous learning. Similarly, there is insufficient monitoring and targeting by senior managers to raise standards for pupils in Key

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Stage 1 and for those with special educational needs. Staff support each other effectively and policies and schemes of work are developed collaboratively, although standards of work are not monitored sufficiently to ensure that all pupils are being challenged according to their capability and are making adequate progress year on year. Similarly, subject co-ordinators, with the exception of English and mathematics, are insufficiently monitoring how skills are taught in their subjects.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. The governors are committed and actively involved in promoting the interests of the school. They have appropriate committees, enabling them to be effectively involved in decision-making processes. The school's improvement plan is appropriate and effectively used as a tool for strategic planning. Overall, governors work well in a committee structure, give their time willingly and meet most of their statutory obligations with the exception of ensuring the school provides a balanced curriculum. They take an active role in evaluating the school's strengths and weaknesses and are beginning to identify specific areas of weakness in the quality of the education being offered.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The school is appropriately managed overall. Staff, accommodation and resources are deployed well. There is an adequate number of suitably qualified teachers. There is a very good induction policy and regular training for staff. There are enough well trained teaching support staff, who are committed, work hard and are assets to the school. School administration is good; it gives clear support to staff and pupils alike and enables the school to operate efficiently. Resources are satisfactory overall, although there is need for more books and artefacts in history and equipment for physical education at Key Stage 1. The accommodation is adequate, although some classrooms are cramped. One reception classroom has recently been added to cater for the January pupil intake.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. Effective procedures ensure good financial control. All spending is carefully monitored and regular financial statements are available for governors. All plans are costed and relate well to the overall budget. The recommendations of the last audit have been implemented. Specific grant is used effectively for its designated purpose. Expenditure is managed very effectively so that the best value New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 19 is achieved for the money spent. The school makes effective use of new technology.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. All the statutory requirements of the Code of Practice are met. However, the management of special educational needs is unsatisfactory, representing a decline since the previous inspection. The records maintained do not always provide sufficiently precise details of progress to ensure the systematic and rigorous review of provision. The co-ordinator does not monitor provision sufficiently and there is no position statement, or action plan, to guide the way forward in further developing the provision. The headteacher effectively ensures there are clear arrangements for the deployment of support staff and teachers are encouraged to manage the day-to-day provision themselves. The additional funding for pupils with special educational needs is very carefully targeted but there are few established procedures to ensure the regular audit of arrangements.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

62. There has been sound improvement since the last inspection. Governors are now linked to subject areas and they have begun to monitor standards. The school has taken steps to improve the quality of education and is now systematically monitoring all pupils in English and mathematics, with plans to extend this to all areas of the curriculum. Teaching is also much more effectively monitored. The school is now in a position to improve achievement.

p.21

years by:

• ensuring that sufficient time is given to the teaching of skills, particularly the skills of writing across all subjects;

p.21

years by:

• monitoring, evaluating and targeting pupils' outcomes to improve standards and using monitoring and targeting more effectively to raise the performance of pupils at the end of both key stages to higher levels in National Curriculum tests;

p.21

years by:

• pupils' sharing in the setting of their own targets and further developing the use of self assessment;

p.21

years by:

• ensuring that regular assessment is used to identify higher attaining pupils and to adjust future work so that it is appropriately challenging;

p.21

years by:

• integrating the use of ICT in all subjects.

p.21

years by:

(paragraphs 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 19, 42, 52, 75, 81, 87, 95, 111, 114, 120)

p.21

Improve the breadth and balance of the curriculum by:

• improving the quality and range of learning opportunities and providing enough time for the foundation subjects to be taught to the appropriate level by the end of Key Stage 2; and

p.21

Improve the breadth and balance of the curriculum by:

• co-ordinators consistently monitoring the teaching of skills and curriculum provision in their subject areas to ensure equality of access and opportunity to the whole National Curriculum for every pupil.

p.21

Improve the breadth and balance of the curriculum by:

(paragraphs 29, 30, 92, 100, 105, 106, 107, 113, 126, 134)

p.21

Improve the way assessment is used to guide curriculum planning by:

• appointing a Foundation Stage co-ordinator to ensure continuity from the nursery to reception classes;

p.21

Improve the way assessment is used to guide curriculum planning by:

• improving procedures for assessing pupils' work to ensure potential weaknesses are identified early and ensuring that assessment outcomes are used to inform teachers' daily lesson plans; and New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 20 • devising a manageable and practical system of assessment for each subject to enable teachers to evaluate what has been learned and improve pupils' progress.

p.21

Improve the way assessment is used to guide curriculum planning by:

(paragraphs 27, 48, 52, 72, 100, 105, 110, 113, 116, 125, 136) New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 21

p.22

skills and improve standards across all subjects by:

• compiling appropriate job descriptions which are used as regular termly performance reviews; • consistently monitoring and evaluating teaching and pupils' achievement and setting achievable targets; • improving the teaching of the basic skills, literacy, numeracy and ICT in all subjects and training teachers to identify the specific skills necessary for individual subjects; • ensuring that all teachers plan consistently to the same high standard.

p.23

skills and improve standards across all subjects by:

(paragraphs 27, 57, 92, 105, 106, 113, 116, 119,126,134) New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 22

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 28

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than one percentage point.

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 26 334

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 115

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 14

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 5 101

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 33

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 23

p.24

Attendance

School data 5.2 School data 0.6 New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 23 National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5

p.24

Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 24

p.25

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 18 22 40

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys 11 13 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 20 20 22

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 78 (90) 83 (82) 98 (92) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys 13 17 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 20 22 21

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 83 (92) 98 (92) 95 (90) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

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

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 15 20 35

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 7 10 17 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 15 15 21

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 63 (62) 71 (58) 95 (90) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 88 (87)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 10 11 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 16 16 16

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 74 (65) 77 (65) 77 (71) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75)

p.26

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 25

p.26

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.27

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

p.27

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.

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 12.4 Financial year 2000 /01

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 25.6

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 710863

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 17 Total expenditure 668227

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 328 Expenditure per pupil 1782

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 19783

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1.0 Balance carried forward to next year 62419

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26.0

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3

p.27

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 35

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 1.4

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2.4

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0

p.27

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 26 FTE means full-time equivalent. New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 27

p.27

Percentage of responses in each category

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

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 32 60 1 1 6

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 26 55 11 0 8

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 29 47 8 7 10

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 30 40 23 1 6

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 53 37 6 0 4

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 59 34 1 0 6

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 30 52 11 1 6

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 43 45 4 1 7

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 40 49 4 0 7

p.29

Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 25 43 18 1 14 New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 28

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

63. The education provided for the under-fives is broad and balanced and in line with the nationally recommended areas of learning. Most children when they start at the school have well below average levels of attainment in most areas. By the time they enter Year 1, pupils make very good progress and the attainment of the majority is just below what is expected of children of this age in literacy and numeracy. However, a minority this year has made rapid progress and is achieving average levels in most areas of their Early Learning Goals. Children make good progress in communication, language and literacy, mathematics, knowledge and understanding of the world and in their physical and creative development. Progress is less marked in personal, social and emotional development. There is good provision for children with special educational needs.

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Personal, social and emotional development

64. Pupils start at the school with well below average personal, social and emotional skills. Many find it difficult to play with others and have difficulty listening to instructions. By the time they are five they have made very good progress but are still attaining below the expected level for pupils of this age. Most know how to follow instructions. They are becoming more confident in making choices and, although they still need a lot of direction, they are eager to explore new learning. They understand what is right and wrong and why and can take turns and share fairly. They are becoming more sensitive to the needs of others. Only a small minority of higher achieving five-year-olds is confident in solving problems and can give reasons for decisions.

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Communication, language and literacy

65. Teachers in both the nursery and reception class place suitable emphasis on developing language and literacy. When children start in the nursery the majority have difficulty listening to what is being said to them and following instructions. Although they understand that words and pictures convey meaning most are not familiar with books. They can only make random marks using a variety of implements. However, communication and listening skills are encouraged in every activity, including role-play and, by the time children leave the reception class, a significant minority can talk confidently about what they like doing. A satisfactory start is made to early reading and writing skills and a few show rapid progress. All children are encouraged to take books home regularly. They enjoy books and handle them carefully. Some can tell stories, using the illustrations within the book and answer simple questions. Most are able to recognise initial sounds associated with the letters of

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Communication, language and literacy

the alphabet and a few can recognise key words from their first reader. Children hold their pencils correctly and many can shape letters accurately. Most can trace over or copy the teacher’s writing. Many are keen to produce their own emergent writing. They can draw simple artistic figures well and are confident when talking about their drawings and mark-making. Some are achieving at the expected standard by the age of five, although the majority is achieving just below average.

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Mathematical development

66. Children, when they start at the school, are well below average in the mathematical area of learning. The majority have no number recognition and very few can demonstrate mathematical awareness through their actions. However they learn fast and make good progress. By the time they are ready for entry into Year 1, most are familiar with number rhymes, songs and counting games. They can match and count using everyday objects. Most can recite numbers to ten and beyond and many recognise number symbols from one to ten. Most can match objects by shape, colour and size but have difficulty with ordering and sequencing. Their basic knowledge of capacity and weight, from practical experiences, for example from sand and water activities, is satisfactory and many have developed a correct understanding of terms such as 'full ' and 'empty.' However their use of mathematical language is limited. Overall, most are achieving just below expectations by the time

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Mathematical development

they start their formal education at five years. New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 29

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

67. Most children can talk about their families and where they live. A few can talk about past and present events in their own lives, as well as exploring and recognising features of living things. Most can look closely at similarities, differences, patterns and change. However, when they first came to the school, most could not discuss any features of the area where they live. They now use their senses successfully to identify materials. They are able to tell the difference between living and non- living things and know that living things need food and water to survive. At the end of the Foundation Stage, most pupils are attaining at average levels when compared to others of a similar age. They are able to explore and select from a range of toys to make imaginative models and use skills, such as cutting and building with increasing confidence. They use simple computer programs well. A few now ask questions to find out why things happen and how things work. When investigating objects

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Physical development

68. When children first come to the nursery they have little awareness of space. At the end of the Foundation Stage the majority of children move confidently and imaginatively, increasing control, co- ordination and awareness of space and others. They are beginning to use a range of small and large equipment, balancing and climbing apparatus with increasing skill. Most can handle appropriate tools, objects, construction and malleable materials safely and with increasing control. Older under- fives demonstrate a good range of co-ordinated movements when playing outside, although some still lack an awareness of space. By the time they are five, most pupils are attaining at average levels when compared to others of a similar age.

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Creative development

69. From a very low point when they first start in the nursery, pupils show good progress in all areas of creative learning; some show very good progress. When they first come to the school children have little experience of colour matching in their painting, or using scissors to cut, or to stick different media on card to produce a collage. Older reception children use poster and powder paints with confidence. They successfully use sponges and various other materials to print and produce effective paintings. They handle tools safely and many can cut and stick a variety of materials. They are increasingly able to depict their ideas and feelings through role-play, telling stories, drawing, painting and collage. They know many songs and nursery rhymes by heart and always sing enthusiastically. However, their ability to think up activities, which are imaginative, remains weak. At the end of the Foundation Stage the majority are achieving just below the expected standard.

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Creative development

70. The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is good overall; much of it is very good and some is outstanding. Teachers have a good knowledge of how to make learning enjoyable. Pupils think learning is fun. In an excellent literacy lesson in the reception class the teachers' ability to turn learning into a game significantly enhanced the pupils' rate of progress. High levels of teacher challenge and pupil interest resulted in pupils learning new vocabulary effortlessly while having a lot of fun.

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Creative development

71. Lessons are well planned, taking account of the requirements of the curriculum for under-fives. A wide variety of stimulating and well-structured activities are provided within each session. Pupils' responses are supported and extended sensitively. Appropriate interventions are made to give direction and enable learning to be consolidated. In a particularly successful numeracy lesson in the nursery, the basic skills were taught well. The teacher's methodology, to use several different activities for number recognition, meant that pupils enjoyed their learning and thought of it as a series of games. Assessment was immediate and the pupils enjoyed their success. Similarly in a good physical education lesson in the reception class, the good pace and focused challenge for pupils ensured that they experienced good levels of activity and variety of movement. In a music lesson in the reception class, as part of the pupils' creative development, repetition was effectively used in a

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Creative development

variety of ways to reinforce learning. In this lesson there was excellent teamwork between the teacher and support staff. Both constantly reinforced the pupils use of language. Teaching staff and New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 30 assistants work very well together and have a clear understanding of how young children learn. Pupils with SEN are making good progress. 72. The Foundation Stage curriculum is planned and organised well. Children are very effectively assessed by careful ongoing observations. Assessment procedures in the nursery are very good and a simple baseline assessment is carried out when pupils join the reception class. However these procedures do not always produce a consistent evaluation of what the children know, understand and can do as they leave the nursery and join the reception class. There is no co-ordinator for the Foundation Stage; this is a weakness.

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Creative development

73. Parents are encouraged to be involved from the beginning of their children’s education and to follow their progress throughout. Regular formal and informal consultations, before and after admission, are well received by parents and effectively establish common objectives between home and school.

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Creative development

74. The nursery and reception classrooms are visually pleasing and stimulating. Overall resources are satisfactory. There are sufficient books for pupils to use and borrow. Children’s development of early computer skills is good. Children in the Foundation Stage are making good progress and are prepared very well for more formalised work in Key Stage 1. There has been good improvement in the progress made by children under five since the last inspection.

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ENGLISH

75. Standards are below average by the end of Year 2 and by the end of Year 6, with a significant number of pupils achieving standards that are well below in some classes and year groups. This is confirmed by the results of National Curriculum tests at the end of each key stage. Attainment on entry to the school is well below average, however pupils achieve well making satisfactory progress in their learning as they progress through the school. When the quality of teaching is good or better pupils make good progress. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well throughout the school and make good progress. Overall, pupils’ ability to write creatively and use imagination is well below average throughout the school. Basic skills such as strategies for tackling difficult words when reading, are taught but need to be more strongly embedded for lower attaining pupils. Handwriting and presentation of work is good in the older classes. There is no significant difference between the

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ENGLISH

76. Since the last inspection improvement overall has been unsatisfactory. There has been a slight drop in standards at both key stages. Some of the reasons for this are; attainment on entry to the school has dropped in the last four years; a significant increase in the number of pupils identified with special educational needs; and more transience amongst the pupils. The school has worked hard to remedy the situation. The range and quantity of reading material has recently been improved and there has been significant improvement in the support lower attaining pupils receive across the school. In recent years the school has initiated workshops and activities to improve writing with younger pupils and pupils in Year 4. These initiatives have been very successful and should help to raise standards, but have not yet had time to impact on test results. Pupils have targets for their literacy. All teachers assess attainment and progress in literacy effectively and the information is

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ENGLISH

used to inform planning, but work is still not matched well to ability in some classes. A literacy consultant, employed by the Education Action Zone, is currently supporting Years 5 and 6. This work is helping to raise standards and improve teaching but has not yet had time to impact on test results.

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ENGLISH

77. The use of literacy to support other curriculum areas is satisfactory but it could be better. There is insufficient use of information and communication technology and the use of computers in class and for special educational needs pupils is not well developed.

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ENGLISH

78. Standards of speaking are below average at the end of both key stages. Teachers have to work hard to extract information from pupils. In the better lessons teachers provide pupils with a good opportunity to develop confidence, for example in Years 3 and 4 pupils enjoy the activity ’Famous for five minutes.’ This encourages them to ask questions and to respond to others. In Year 4 pupils talk about something special, one pupil shares her tooth fairy book with others and talks about a picture of herself. Most pupils have a poor command of vocabulary and often use colloquial speech when New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 31 explaining events and activities. They speak hesitantly and lack confidence in a variety of settings – small groups, whole-class sessions and individually to each other and to adults. High attaining and average pupils in Year 6 can recognise the difference between fact and opinion but they are not

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ENGLISH

always able to explain it clearly. Their critical and evaluative skills are not well developed and they need a lot of adult support and guidance. Teachers often ask questions several times in different ways to help their pupils understand. The depth of pupils' discussion and quality of the ideas are below average and teachers often need to suggest ideas and vocabulary. There are too few opportunities created to evaluate and comment on their work.

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ENGLISH

79. Listening skills are average throughout the school. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, listen politely and respond appropriately to their teachers enabling them to know what it is they are to do and to benefit from the teaching they receive.

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ENGLISH

80. In Years 2 and 6 standards of reading are below average, with a significant number well below in Year 2. Overall, standards are inconsistent throughout the school. In Years 4 and 5 standards are broadly average, but well below average in Year 3. Much of the inconsistency in standards is due to the high numbers of pupils with special educational needs and the quality of teaching. All pupils take books home regularly and parents are encouraged to comment on their child’s reading. In Year 2, high attaining pupils have a positive attitude to books. Average and lower attaining pupils are hesitant, lack confidence and misread many words. High attaining pupils explain clearly how to tackle difficult words, but average and lower attaining pupils look for adult support. High attaining pupils in Year 2 understand the main story line but need adult support and intervention to complete a simple comprehension activity. Most pupils recognise phonetic blends and some rhyming words.

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ENGLISH

Pupils read the instructions and explain that the bullet points help you identify the order of the instructions. Average and lower attaining pupils need adult help and support to read and arrange the order of the instructions. Younger pupils are unable to locate information in the library but older pupils know and explain procedures well. Pupils’ ability to use strategies to read unfamiliar and difficult words is weak in Year 3. By Year 6, high attaining pupils enjoy reading but average and lower attaining pupils lack confidence and expression, often hesitating over difficult words. Average and higher attaining pupils can talk about favourite books and give reasons for their preferences. Inference and deduction is not well developed but older pupils talk about favourite events and characters. In the guided reading sessions pupils in Years 3 and 4 are well taught and have a good knowledge of the features of a book such as the contents. However, their ability to use referencing

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ENGLISH

81. By the end of Year 2 standards in writing are below average. A few higher attaining pupils write neatly and give a consistent size to their letters but no pupils use joined writing. The standards of spelling, grammar and punctuation are less well developed than expected of children of this age. The writing workshops for parents and pupils in Reception and Year 1 and the writing boxes for younger pupils are helping to raise standards. The writing packs give pupils the opportunity to read books with their parents and discuss characters, feelings and identify their likes and dislikes. Pupils select the information they need for the character self-portrait, such as Goldilocks.

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ENGLISH

82. Handwriting is not well developed at Key Stage 1. Many pupils in the infant classes lack consistency in the style, size and shape of letters. Pupils practise handwriting single letters but the amount of work they do is insufficient to effectively raise standards. They spell simple words correctly but spell more complex words phonetically. High attaining pupils write sentences with capital letters and full stops but need the teacher's support to remember punctuation.

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ENGLISH

83. Written work is good in Year 4. Pupils experience an appropriate range of writing and complete reports and character sketches. Standards are variable in Years 5 and 6. By the age of eleven standards in handwriting and presentation are good. The amount and quality of work seen in the older classes however is below what you would expect to see for pupils of this age. Evidence of imaginative and creative writing is very limited. Standards in Years 4 and 5 are just below average with some pupils achieving average standards. In Year 3 standards of writing are well below average and handwriting lacks consistency and style. Older pupils punctuate sentences correctly, show greater understanding and write in paragraphs but they need a lot of adult intervention and guidance for this. They are gaining from the support given by the literacy consultant. Team teaching is having New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 32

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ENGLISH

a beneficial impact on the quality of the work produced and is helping to raise standards. Pupils need constant guidance to extend the range of vocabulary used and produce well-structured work. Pupils in Year 6 research information about the footballer David Beckham and write a simple biography about his early life. They consider how to write opening sentences and are beginning to use interesting introductions to sentences such as ‘A few years later.’ They write sentences with appropriate punctuation, including speech marks and question marks. There was no evidence of extended or creative writing in the Year 6 books seen by inspectors. Pupils write simple book reviews but evaluative statements are not evident, for example one pupil wrote ‘I would definitely read the book again.’ The additional support from the literacy consultant contributes to pupils’ growing understanding of complex sentences and the use of passive and active phrases.

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ENGLISH

84. Teaching is satisfactory at Key Stage 1 and good at Key Stage 2. When teaching is very good, as in some Year 3 and 4 lessons, teachers use a challenging pace. They develop confidence, awareness and knowledge of vocabulary encouraging pupils to use more descriptive words and phrases. The teacher’s vibrant enthusiasm and pace has a significant impact on pupils’ confidence in the guided writing sessions. Pupils begin to suggest their own descriptive words producing lively and imaginative writing for example, “It was a gusty, stormy day in the playground. I could see the leaves scattering.” Teachers in the junior classes have good management skills and are well prepared. Pupils respond well to the high expectations of behaviour . Current teachers’ knowledge of the subject is satisfactory. However they do not make enough use of the potential of information and communication technology (ICT) to support work in the subject. Teachers explain tasks and learning

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ENGLISH

85. When learning is poor in Year 1, pupils are allowed to chatter and the noise level is not conducive to learning. Pupils are not given sufficient guidance to help them write a sentence and tasks are not well linked to learning. Average and lower attaining pupils are allowed to call out and restless behaviour is not dealt with. Pupils do not learn well because of lack of teaching, explanation and guidance. In the better lessons work is well matched to the capability of the pupils, in many lessons however, all pupils are set the same work and lower attaining pupils are supported to complete it. In these lessons pupils are generally interested in the work set and concentrate appropriately. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well by skilled and caring support staff who ensure that their needs are fully met and that they have equal access to all that is going on. As a result, they

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ENGLISH

86. There are two well qualified co-ordinators; one to lead younger pupils up to seven years and one for the older pupils up to 11 years. The co-ordinators monitor teachers’ planning but have not monitored teaching and learning. This has been done by the headteacher. Both co-ordinators have worked hard to raise standards. Good links have been established with parents and writing workshops have proved very successful. Resources are satisfactory; all classes have an appropriate range of reading books. The school has made good progress extending the range of books in the library, but it is situated in a small central area and the arrangement is not as stimulating or interesting as it could be.

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MATHEMATICS

87. In the latest (2000) end of key stage national assessment tasks for which national comparative data is available, pupils’ performance at the end of Key Stage 2 fell significantly below the national average for their age group. However, it is important to take into account pupils’ low and often very low attainment on entry to the school, the significant movement of pupils in and out of the school and the varying, but generally high percentage of pupils with significant special educational needs. Attainment is broadly similar to that of pupils in comparable schools. Lesson observations, a scrutiny of work and discussions with pupils indicate that, although overall attainment at the end of both key stages remains below that expected nationally, by the time they leave the school at 11, pupils have made satisfactory progress in comparison to their very low attainment on entry to the school.

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MATHEMATICS

88. Although the school has adopted and implemented the National Numeracy Strategy satisfactorily, not all lessons observed during the inspection followed the recommended lesson format, particularly in New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 33 providing work at appropriate levels for pupils of different capability within the class. Samples of pupils’ work during the year demonstrate that pupils undertake a variety of work on shape, space and measures and tackle a range of problems involving handling data and investigation. Lesson observations throughout the inspection confirm that pupils make appropriate use of their numeracy skills in other curriculum areas such as science and literacy.

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MATHEMATICS

89. Pupils in Year 1 are able to count on in 1’s to 10 and back and are learning to recognise and describe two- and three-dimensional shapes, with most understanding what a “rectangle” is and naming a cube and a cuboid correctly by the end of the lesson. In Year 2 pupils are attaining below and, in some cases, well below expectations for their age. The majority are able to count on in 10’s and backwards, with the help of a “number square”. They are beginning to describe and extend simple number sequences, although a significant number find it difficult to work out what the number of the next house will be on a diagram. A minority of pupils know that 72 is an even number “because it ends in an even number”. In Key Stage 2, the majority of Year 3 pupils are working at levels expected for their age. Most are able to count on in 10’s from a two-digit number using number squares in some cases to help. In Year 4, most pupils are able to describe and visualise two-

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MATHEMATICS

dimensional shapes accurately and are able to classify them according to their properties. A minority of pupils understand and use the terms “regular” and “symmetrical”. Year 5 pupils have a sound knowledge of number bonds. Most recognise a rhombus, a rectangle and a parallelogram and a minority can describe the features of a trapezium and a kite. In a Year 6 lesson, pupils’ understanding of how to add fractions by changing to the same denominator improved well; the majority were able at the end of the lesson to convert fractions to a common denominator. However, although the school has concentrated during the past year on improving pupils’ ability to understand written and spoken problems, by increasing the amount of investigative work in the curriculum and emphasising the use of mathematical language, this remains a key weakness in pupils’ attainment. Overall attainment is below expectations.

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MATHEMATICS

90. The quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 was satisfactory overall and in Key Stage 2 it was good. The quality of learning is similar to the quality of teaching. In the best cases, teachers ensure pupils are well-motivated and the overall pace of the lessons is at least satisfactory and frequently very good. In most cases, teachers’ classroom management skills are effective in ensuring pupils concentrate on their work. Teachers utilise a good range of strategies to motivate and interest pupils. Most plan lessons well, provide a good range of resources and use praise and questioning effectively. They ensure all pupils are paying appropriate attention, use correct mathematical terminology and provide good opportunities for pupils to explain their methods and practice what they know. However, a number of lessons were observed in both key stages where teachers did not plan or prepare different

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MATHEMATICS

tasks for the wide range of ability within their classes. In Key Stage 1, particularly in the one unsatisfactory lesson the pace tended to slow down in the second half of the lesson and teachers’ expectations of what pupils should achieve was not sufficiently high.

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MATHEMATICS

91. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour in lessons are satisfactory in Key Stage 1 and good in Key Stage 2. Most pupils enjoy and are enthusiastic about their mathematics work, especially the “quick” mental and oral activities which introduce each numeracy lesson. Most respond well to their teachers and work together without the need for constant teacher-intervention. However, in a minority of otherwise satisfactory lessons, where the overall pace of the lesson during the independent group work was slow and expectations of work and behaviour were not made sufficiently clear to pupils, there were periods of chatter and inappropriate behaviour from a minority.

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MATHEMATICS

92. The two co-ordinators for the subject have undertaken some analysis of pupils’ responses in the annual SATs tests and, as a result, changes have been made to the curriculum in an attempt to improve pupils’ inference and deductive skills when faced with mathematical problems. The school has benefited from a considerable amount of training and support from the local education authority and assessment has been used appropriately to identify pupils who would benefit from the “booster” maths activities. The co-ordinators monitor pupils’ books and have undertaken some demonstration numeracy lessons for the whole staff. All teachers have observed numeracy lessons taken by leading mathematics teachers in other schools. However, the co-ordinators have not undertaken monitoring of the teaching of mathematics and, as a consequence, do not have a good understanding of the quality of provision throughout the school. Significant funding has been allocated to purchase

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MATHEMATICS

New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 34 additional resources to support the numeracy strategy and resources are satisfactory.

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SCIENCE

93. By the ages of 7 and 11 the majority of pupils achieve satisfactory standards in science. Progress is satisfactory overall, when taking into account the low starting point for many pupils. The level of achievement of the younger pupils is hampered by their limited skills in literacy and weaknesses in the curriculum. The rate of progress improves between the ages of seven and eleven because expectations are much higher in some classes. Almost three out of ten pupils have special educational needs. This is a high proportion and these pupils make good progress overall. They benefit from good levels of support. In some classes, especially in the juniors, this is particularly effective in helping them to learn.

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SCIENCE

94. At this early stage of the school year inspection finds standards are below the national average at the end of both key stages. In Key Stage 1 this is because too little emphasis is given to the investigative and experimental aspects of science and the pupils have a limited knowledge of materials and their properties. They also lack confidence in using scientific terms. This differs from the results of the 2000 teacher assessments at age seven. These showed standards above the national average and well above average when compared with similar schools. In Key Stage 2, progress is improving because pupils experience a wider curriculum, especially in Years 3 to 5. As a result standards are moving closer to the national average. This reflects the results of the 2000 National Curriculum tests that showed standards were average in comparison with all schools and above average compared with similar schools. However, in Year 6 the main emphasis is on teaching

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SCIENCE

scientific facts, often at the expense of investigations to develop pupils’ scientific thinking skills. As a consequence the curriculum is limiting the standards attained by the age of eleven. Improvement since the last inspection is unsatisfactory overall because standards have fluctuated and inconsistencies remain in implementing the scheme of work. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress.

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SCIENCE

95. At the end of both key stages there is no significant difference in the achievement of boys and girls. At this early stage of the school year pupils in Year 2 have a developing knowledge of foods. They know we need water and a variety of foods to live and they can classify foods appropriately. They have a basic knowledge of the uses of electricity and were observed assembling a simple circuit to light a bulb. They know that a battery is a power source but few pupils use appropriate terms to describe their work. The pupils in Year 1 can name parts of the body such as the chest, foot and ear and they compare the needs and achievements of a baby and a five year old child. They know that electricity powers a variety of appliances, including lights, and have a developing knowledge of animals and their young. For instance, they know that tadpoles develop into frogs and can link pictures of animals and their young. The quality of learning improves as soon as pupils are given

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SCIENCE

practical activities, such as making an electrical circuit. However, this is not always sustained with appropriate questions to move the learning forward or by providing suitable opportunities for recording the findings.

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SCIENCE

96. An analysis of work shows pupils in Years 3 and 4 have a developing knowledge of forces, light and sound. They have investigated shadows but seldom use appropriate scientific language when recording their findings. In Years 5 and 6 pupils gain a basic knowledge of forces. However, this provision varies between classes. In some cases pupils occasionally observe guided experiments. They are provided with factual information and much of their recording consists of completing worksheets and copying texts. This is most evident in the Year 6 class. However, where a practical approach is adopted, for instance where pupils used a force meter, they learn how to organise their experiment and record their findings. By the end of the lesson they were moving towards drawing conclusions. In Years 3 to 5 much of the teaching places an increasing emphasis on pupils undertaking their own experiments and investigations. Such methods motivate pupils and promote

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SCIENCE

their interest well. For instance, pupils in Years 3 and 4 carried out an investigation to test the effect of air resistance when dropping a gyrocopter from a given height. They adjusted factors such as the size of paper clip used. They made estimates of the time for each drop and learned that it was important to measure three drops to make the test fair. This approach is improving pupils’ enquiry skills. Pupils' ability to plan for themselves and to record what they find effectively is weak. Working New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 35 in mixed ability groups effectively promotes learning and the contribution of support assistants ensures pupils with special educational needs are fully involved. In some cases the pupils do not have sufficient prior knowledge to undertake tasks effectively. For example, when pupils in Year 3 were investigating which materials will form a shadow, they learned the terms opaque, translucent

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SCIENCE

and transparent but had insufficient knowledge of the properties of materials to make predictions and plan their own experiments.

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SCIENCE

97. Pupils’ achievements in using and applying their literacy are not sufficiently developed across the school. Written work is often of a low standard as teachers' expectations in this area are often not high enough. The recording of the results of scientific investigations sometimes lacks care. The over dependence on work sheets, especially in Years 1 and 2 and in Year 6, restricts opportunities for pupils to develop their writing skills. The range of methods for recording results is increasing in Key Stage 2 and the pupils are increasingly using their numeracy skills in practical work, but there is limited use of charts, tables and graphs to record. No use is made of recording information or data on computers.

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SCIENCE

98. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. It lacks consistency, however, as it ranges from unsatisfactory to satisfactory. The impact of teaching is often limited by shortcomings in planning because teachers are not always sufficiently aware of what the pupils know and can do. Where planning is thorough, particularly in Key Stage 2, it reflects high expectations, although pupils sometimes lack the skills to engage in the task, sometimes resulting in slower than expected progress. In Key Stage 2 several teachers use a wide range of resources that capture and hold the pupils’ interest, so they have good attitudes to science. Teachers allow pupils to experiment freely and possibly get things wrong, then use these opportunities to promote more rigorous scientific enquiry. In Years 4 and 5 pupils tested whether materials were opaque, transparent or translucent by shining a torch through them. The pupils were encouraged to understand that the distance of the

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SCIENCE

light source from the material made a difference to the accuracy of their findings. Planning is most effective when teachers identify how they will meet the needs of all pupils, by building on their previous learning. Teaching is effective when it explains the work clearly so that pupils know what to do and have a clear understanding of the lessons’ objectives. Questions are then used effectively to check, such as ‘How will we test?’ so pupils are productive and learning proceeds at a good pace. Teachers are beginning to develop their use of assessment in lessons when they use strategies such as asking pupils to predict results.

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SCIENCE

99. Teaching is less effective in both key stages when the tasks set are not fully understood. In such lessons pupils wait for help, their concentration wanders and the acquisition of knowledge and understanding is slower than it should be. This is the case in lessons where the teacher spends too long talking and provides too little guidance for learning to proceed. Occasionally teachers lack secure knowledge of the subject and are unsure of what to do, slowing the pace of learning. Teachers generally highlight new science vocabulary well in their planning, but do not always provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to develop their language skills by supporting their use of this vocabulary in the lesson.

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SCIENCE

100. The curriculum is based on a nationally recommended scheme of work. This has been adapted to suit the school’s programme. The subject co-ordinator has a good overview of how to develop science in the future but has not had the opportunity to monitor standards systematically. There are plans to review the current scheme in order to secure better progression and ensure pupils learn about the full range of science topics in sufficient depth. The arrangements for assessment are unsatisfactory, limiting the impact of teaching. There are sufficient resources to meet the needs of the curriculum.

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ART

101. Overall, attainment in art is in line with expectations for pupils aged 7 and 11 and the progress they make is good. From the time pupils start school they are encouraged to experiment with paint and colour, to explore pattern, to work from observation and imagination and to respond to examples of art in the world around them. Reception children have created a collage of "the hungry caterpillar" New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 36 and an autumn scene with natural materials. They have also enjoyed painting teddy bears and self- portraits in poster paint. Children in the nursery have experimented with light and dark and vibrant colours, constructing stained glass windows in brightly coloured cellophane and creating pictures of fireworks going off with pastels, paint and glitter. Most had no problem choosing the material for their pictures, which were colourful and bright and showed their enthusiasm for the project. They have

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ART

also enjoyed making three dimensional 'owl masks.'

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ART

102. By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils' attainment, especially in drawing and sketching, is at the expected level. This competence in using dry media, pencils, charcoal etc, stands them in good stead at Key Stage 2. Pupils' attainment in other aspects, such as painting, shows an average range of skill and understanding. There is sound development of practical skills in some classes, although this depends largely on the subject expertise of the teacher. The oldest pupils in Year 2 have learnt to use a larger range of materials and show increasing control of tools. For example in the designing and making of mood puppets with different emotions on each side in Year 1 to symmetrical paintings of butterflies, leaf rubbings and wax crayon work in Year 2.

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ART

103. By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils are competent at colour mixing and matching, using pastels, and are able to use a variety of media, like charcoal, to achieve the results they want. Year 3 has experimented with wax scratch, work in clay and making three dimensional papier mache Viking helmets and shields for the creation of a collage on the Vikings. Year 4 have designed wire sculptures in the style of Giacometti. They have also effectively depicted tigers in the style of Blake. They are learning to evaluate their work. There is a readiness to question, adapt and modify their own work and learn from their own mistakes. Standards in painting are within the average range. Some higher attainers in Year 5 show competence when painting with pastels. They are beginning to compare methods and modify and improve their work to meet their intentions. For example in a Year 4/5 class pupils were developing control of their tools and experimented with various techniques in

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ART

their paintings of jungle scenes in the style of Rousseau. Some pupils enlarged their paintings to show texture. Other higher attaining pupils used colour to suggest mood and feeling. By Year 6 pupils are creating effective designs for modern fabrics and printing in wax resist on material. Their use of ICT has also improved and standards are at the expected level. Pupils with special educational needs make appropriate progress overall and use the skills they acquire in other subjects.

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ART

104. Pupils enjoy their artwork and are enthusiastic about the practical nature of the tasks. Attitudes are good. Most pupils demonstrate concentration, collaboration and respect for the work of others. They work as individuals and most can also co-operate well in groups when required to do so. Behaviour in lessons is always good or very good.

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ART

105. The quality of teaching is good overall and some of it is very good, particularly in Key Stage 2. Most teachers have a good understanding of the subject, although some lack confidence in certain areas of learning, and need more training in how to teach art skills. Where teachers' planning is good, it gives details of learning objectives and careful attention to the development of skills and techniques. In a very good lesson in Years 4 and 5, the teacher's good planning and use of time and resources enthused pupils to collaborate and encouraged all abilities to challenge their designs and develop their original ideas. Pupils were surprised at their own inventiveness at the end of the lesson. Teachers are responsible for their own assessment. However, most are not assessing and recording pupils’ individual progress in art. Although good learning is taking place at both key stages, there is

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ART

insufficient monitoring of the quality of teaching, assessment and the standards being achieved. Examples of good learning and progress include a clear development in pupils’ observational skills and in their understanding of artistic elements, as seen in Years 4 and 5. The use of information and communication technology for graphic work is underdeveloped through the school. Progress in the presentation of illustrative work in other curriculum areas is satisfactory.

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ART

106. The subject co-ordinators are committed to reviewing the scheme of work. However, they do not have time to monitor the teaching of the subject adequately, or what is being learnt. There is no whole- school overview to monitor pupils' progress, consequently assessment does not adequately inform curriculum planning. Pupils' levels of skill in art and the progress they make at both key stages has been maintained since the last inspection when it was in line with expectations. New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 37

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

107. No design and technology lessons were taught in Key Stage 2 during the inspection and very limited evidence of previous work was available. Curriculum time allotted to design and technology is well below the recommended time in both key stages and the headteacher, who is caretaking the subject admits that design and technology has not been a priority in the school recently. This has had a significant effect on levels of attainment in the subject. Although pupils enter the school with below average and, in some cases, well below average skills, there is no systematic progression in skills or understanding in the subject as pupils move through the school. As a result, attainment at the end of both key stages is below expectations and pupils make unsatisfactory progress due to the limited opportunities provided. In particular, there are insufficient opportunities at both key stages for pupils

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

to plan and evaluate their design and technology products.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

108. In the Key Stage 1 lessons seen, Year 1 pupils were colouring-in and cutting-out teddy-bear templates and joining the parts with brass pins. Others were using plastic construction kits to assemble models. A significant majority needs considerable adult support and a minority of pupils finds it difficult to work co-operatively. Attainment in cutting and joining materials is below expectations. In the Year 1 and 2 and the Year 2 classes pupils were undertaking the same task: using a simple template to mark out identical pieces of fabric, joining these together to make a finger puppet and adding decoration to create a face. Pupils were marking out shapes, with help, on felt using a prepared template, cutting and shaping the material and joining the pieces together with PVA glue or, in a minority of cases, by sewing. Few pupils were able to work independently and the work was very adult-directed, with limited opportunities for pupils to design their finger puppet before

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

making it or to evaluate their work and consider improvements after completion. In Key Stage 2, no design and technology projects had been undertaken during the current school year and no evidence was available of regular, planned work during the previous school year. The statutory requirement for the provision of the subject is not being fulfilled.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

109. Pupils' attitudes and behaviour in the lessons observed in Key Stage 1 ranged from satisfactory to good and were satisfactory overall. Most pupils are well motivated by the opportunities provided to make artefacts; they listen to and follow instructions correctly and willingly and, in most cases, work well together. The quality of teaching ranged from satisfactory to good and was satisfactory overall. Teachers prepare the lessons well, explain the activity clearly, use appropriate vocabulary and demonstrate techniques, such as how to use scissors correctly. They stress safety aspects and in the best cases, motivate pupils well. However, activities in all lessons seen were very teacher- directed with very limited opportunities for pupils to design and evaluate their own products.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

110. Resources for the subject are currently unsatisfactory. Traditionally, limited funds have been devoted to the subject on an annual basis because of the low status of the subject in the school and, although the school is evaluating the government recommended scheme of work for the subject, this unsatisfactory situation continues. There is no formal assessment of progress in the subject. Standards have declined since the last inspection.

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GEOGRAPHY

111. Achievement is satisfactory overall, but the provision is not effective enough in enabling pupils to attain sufficiently high standards. The standards across the school are lower than those normally found for pupils in this age range. In particular the pupils are not developing their basic skills in literacy and numeracy. In some classes, much of the work consists of worksheets, which limits pupils’ responses to copying text and colouring pictures. The aspects taught are often covered in too little depth and without enough consideration for the progressive development of pupils’ knowledge and skills. The result is a fragmented pattern of learning. Skills, such as map reading, are not well developed. Compared with the findings of the last inspection standards have declined.

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GEOGRAPHY

112. In Year 1 pupils can write their address and draw simple maps to describe their route to school. They have also used pictures to show the layout of the school and playground. The higher attaining New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 38 pupils are beginning to write sentences unaided to explain their maps. There is little evidence of work in geography by the pupils in the mixed Year 1 and 2 class during the early part of the term. In lessons observed in both the Year 2 and mixed Year 1 and 2 classes some of the pupils identified Bolsover and London on a map of the British Isles. Pupils could name a variety of buildings in Bolsover and suggest the sort of buildings found in a city like London or Sheffield. When recording their work they struggled to draw pictures of these buildings and to design a map. The majority had little insight into the similarities and differences between the local area and a city. The Year 3 class

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GEOGRAPHY

was not studying geography at the time of the inspection. Pupils in the Year 3 and 4 class had drawn maps of their journey to school and showed a developing awareness of direction. Pupils in the Year 4 and 5 class were working productively on a study of how the people live and work the land in an Indian village community and they compare the weather in Chembakoli with London, for example. In this topic the teaching ensured pupils gained appropriate knowledge of both human and physical features. As a result all pupils made good progress. Similarly the imaginative presentation of work about coastlines in the Year 5 class ensured the pupils gained a sound understanding of a range of geographical terms and gained a suitable insight to the processes of erosion. This contrasts with the quality of learning experienced by other pupils in Years 5 and 6 when studying the same topic. Here the emphasis was on teaching a narrow range of facts. The opportunity to link the study of physical

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GEOGRAPHY

processes and the use of maps to the study of the local area and a contrasting environment was not exploited. Taken overall, the progress that pupils make in acquiring geographical knowledge and understanding is closely linked to the quality of provision. For the most part pupils have good attitudes to the subject but their behaviour worsens when the teaching lacks rigour. The progress of pupils with special educational needs is better than their peers because the work of teaching assistants helps to ensure good progress is maintained.

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GEOGRAPHY

113. The impact of teaching on standards is unsatisfactory over time. However, in observed lessons teaching ranged between satisfactory and very good and was satisfactory overall. The most effective teaching was seen in Key Stage 2 and reflects high expectations, good management of learning, clear explanations and a good pace to the learning. This ensures pupils understand what they have to do, they enjoy the task and they work productively. For example, the pupils in the Years 4 and 5 class took great care to present their work neatly as they found out about the working day in an Indian village. Similarly pupils in the Year 5 class worked enthusiastically when using tourist brochures and maps to plan the contents of a brochure for a holiday destination. The teaching was effective because the learning was presented in an interesting and relevant context. Teaching is less effective, as seen at the end of both key stages, where pupils are told or given information, but the

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GEOGRAPHY

follow up tasks provide little challenge and, in some cases, they are not clearly enough explained. This leads to a loss of interest and a slow pace of learning. Teaching is guided by a suitable scheme of work but the organisation of the work does not always ensure progression in learning. For instance, pupils in both key stages draw maps, such as the journey from home to school, but the purpose, expectation and outcome is very similar. There is currently no subject co-ordinator and this places provision at a disadvantage. There is no effective monitoring and evaluation of planning or the standards achieved. The absence of assessment records hampers teachers in building on past work. The range of resources available is limited, there is no evidence of the use of ICT and no plans to develop the subject. Overall standards have declined since the last inspection.

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HISTORY

114. Across the school the majority of pupils achieve well in the work they undertake. However, levels of attainment are below those found for pupils between six and 11, because pupils are not developing their literacy skills and the way the curriculum is implemented results in topics not being covered in sufficient depth. In some classes pupils spend too long completing worksheets and colouring. As a consequence they gain only a limited knowledge and understanding of key events in history. The subject is being taught more consistently in some junior classes and pupils are making good gains in learning. Compared with the findings of the previous inspection standards have declined.

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HISTORY

115. At the time of the inspection most of the pupils in Year 1 and those in Years 5 and 6 had not undertaken any topic work in history. This is planned for later in the year. In Year 2 pupils had drawn a timeline and pictures of Queen Elizabeth I and II and knew they were Queens of England. They recognise Prince Charles as a famous person and know the monarch wears a crown on New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 39 ceremonial occasions. In Years 3 and 4 pupils begin to find out about invaders and settlers. In the Year 3 class they know the Romans and Vikings came to this country. They are beginning to understanding why the Vikings came to Britain. In the Years 3 and 4 class they have found out about Celtic homes and considered aspects of the Roman invasion.

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HISTORY

116. It was only possible to observe one lesson in history in each key stage. However, other evidence indicates that the impact of teaching on the standards attained by the pupils is unsatisfactory over time. This is shown where planning does not build sufficiently on the learning objectives provided by the scheme of work and, as a result, the pupils do not learn enough about the periods studied. However, there is evidence of thorough planning for some of the pupils in Key Stage 2. The lesson seen in the Year 1 class was satisfactory. A collection of old toys was used well to motivate pupils to describe their characteristics but the guidance for the learning was insufficiently clear. The pupils played with the toys carefully but few could describe their features or compare them with their own toys. The teaching was very good in a lesson with pupils in Years 3 and 4 because it challenged them to become archaeologists whilst sorting evidence of early settlers and invaders of this country.

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HISTORY

The lesson built well on previous work and good teaching strategies, together with the imaginative use of resources, ensured the pupils interest, attention and enthusiasm. Across the school most pupils make satisfactory progress but the rate of progress by pupils with special educational needs is often better because the teaching assistants successfully adapt the work and ensure the pupils understand. Teaching is guided by a suitable scheme of work but the arrangement of the units of work does not ensure appropriate progression in learning. The quality of teaching is adversely affected by the absence of assessment procedures. Leadership of the subject is underdeveloped. The co-ordinators have not had opportunity to monitor provision across the school, there is no action plan for the subject and there is a limited range of books, artefacts and ICT resources. There is no evidence of using ICT to enhance learning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

117. Attainment is below national expectations at the end of both key stages. Although a number of one- to-one activities with learning support assistants were observed, no information and communication technology lessons were taught during the inspection, providing insufficient evidence on which to make judgements on pupils’ attitudes or behaviour in lessons or on the quality of teaching. The very limited examples of pupils’ work around the school consisted largely of word-processing linked to an “ICT in Literacy” project and drawings made using “paint” packages. The last inspection report concluded “the inadequate provision of software and hardware is such that the school is unable to fulfil national curriculum requirements”. Although this situation has largely been rectified, the school has not made sufficient progress in improving teaching or learning in the subject.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

118. Following the previous inspection, the school has focused all of its energies on improving attainment and teaching in the core subjects of English and mathematics and has only recently begun to address the shortcomings in information and communication technology provision. The school’s share of government National Grid for Learning funding has recently been used to purchase a number of new computers and install a “router” to enable the new equipment to be linked. The school now has a broadly satisfactory range of hardware to enable information and communication technology to be utilised across all subjects of the curriculum, although equipment for the modelling, control and measurement aspects of the Key Stage 2 curriculum, is currently limited. The school has had repeated difficulties in getting online and at the time of the inspection was waiting for its broadband connection to be installed and did not have Internet facilities. As a consequence, pupils have had

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

limited experience of using the worldwide web.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

119. Although the school has recently adopted the government-recommended scheme of work for the subject, at the time of inspection teachers were only trialling units from the scheme. Until very recently, information and communication technology has not been taught or planned for as a discrete timetabled subject and there is still only a limited amount of direct teaching. Although the headteacher and the subject co-ordinators are enthusiastic about the subject and determined to improve both curricular provision and attainment, with a few notable exceptions, teacher-confidence and expertise in the subject remains low. The school is aware of these shortcomings in curriculum and teacher knowledge and has plans in place to address these - courses have been booked and all New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 40 teachers will be undergoing training in the near future - but, at the time of inspection, neither of these

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

improvements to provision had been made. Funding from the Education Action Zone project is used to run an after-school “Can Do” computer club for Year 3 pupils – all Year 3 pupils attend for six two- hour sessions. Pupils attending this club are experiencing a good range of information and communication technology and developing skills which, it is hoped, will work their way through the school and significantly improve attainment in the key stage in the long term. Although resources have been improved significantly since the last inspection the school has not yet resolved how best to utilise these. For example, the interactive whiteboard and the school’s seven laptop computers are kept in the co-ordinator’s classroom where they are utilised well. It is difficult, though not impossible, for this equipment to be moved around the school to allow other teachers and pupils to benefit from the high quality resources. Although all classrooms are now equipped with a new multi-

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

media computer and printer, the co-ordinators do not monitor teaching in the subject and therefore do not have an informed view of the quality of the teaching or curriculum in the school beyond their own classrooms except to note that it is patchy. Assessment procedures are insufficiently developed.

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MUSIC

120. By the end of Year 2s and 6 standards are below what you would expect to see in compositional and evaluative aspects but average in singing. There are weekly opportunities to improve singing and this contributes to the standards achieved. Considering the very low attainment on entry to the school all pupils including those with special educational needs achieve well and make good progress in their learning.

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MUSIC

121. Since the last inspection the school has worked hard to improve the music curriculum and is now including compositional, listening and appreciating experiences. However, these aspects have not always been taught and standards across the school are below expectations. Progression in learning is now clearly identified in the planning and national guidelines have now been adopted. The quality of teaching is now more consistent across the school.

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MUSIC

122. The school is aware of the need to develop ICT to contribute to the subject’s effectiveness. The use of literacy is satisfactory and could be better if more opportunities were given to pupils to evaluate and comment on their work and the work of others.

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MUSIC

123. By the end of Year 2 pupils enjoy singing and remember a wide variety of different songs. The quality of singing improves significantly when the teacher mentions points to improve such as posture, breathing and opening mouths so that words are sung clearly. A visiting pianist makes an excellent contribution to the quality of the singing and pupils’ enjoyment and positive attitude to music. In lessons pupils are developing an appropriate awareness of rhythm, pitch and melody as they respond to songs such as ‘The Grand Old Duke of York.’ They accompany singing by playing percussion instruments and marching. This activity would be more effective if all pupils had the opportunity to handle and play the instruments. Singing is rhythmical and high attaining and average pupils manage to maintain a simple marching response to the music. Pupils with special educational needs are well supported by learning support assistants and encouraged to respond appropriately.

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MUSIC

Pupils are given opportunities to observe, evaluate and comment on the rhythmic response of others. They are beginning to identify when marching is in time with the music because the teacher gives clear guidelines and encourages a rhythmic response. Higher attaining pupils recognise an irregular beat in the music.

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MUSIC

124. By the end of Year 6 pupils follow simple notation and clap and sing a simple mini-beast rap. They co-operate well in pairs to create their own mini-beast rap. They enjoy the activity and are successful because the teacher provides a strong framework and guidelines. High attaining pupils recognise and use a rest to add interest to their music; they clap a simple rap following notation. Pupils with special educational needs complete the task alongside others because they are so well supported by the learning support assistants. They are all well motivated by the lesson and work with good levels of interest and concentration on the task. Pupils in Year 6 sing ‘Bobby Shaftoe’ and ‘Drunken Sailor’; the quality of singing improves when the teacher challenges pupils to improve the technical aspects of their singing such as breathing, posture and opening their mouths wide to let the sound out. Part

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MUSIC

singing is well developed and pupils sing ‘Oh Sinner Man’ and ‘Drunken Sailor’ as they respond to the New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 41 challenge.

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MUSIC

125. The quality of teaching is satisfactory in Key Stage 1 and good at Key Stage 2. In the better lessons teachers challenge pupils to improve the quality of their work and the pace of lessons ensures good learning. Pupils are challenged appropriately and the teachers are well organised. They keep good control and give helpful feedback to pupils on their work. Opportunities to evaluate and comment on their work could be better in the junior classes. Assessment is insufficiently developed in music. Pupils do not always have the opportunity to handle the instruments and this curtails learning and the development of a rhythmic response. Pupils are enthusiastic and concentrate well and this positive attitude contributes to learning.

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MUSIC

126. The school has a co-ordinator for each key stage. Management of the subject is satisfactory but could be better if a broader range of extra-curricular activities were provided. Extra-curricular activities are limited to choir. High attaining pupils have the opportunity to play woodwind or brass instruments but very few pupils take up this opportunity. The co-ordinators have not monitored teaching and learning. New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 42

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

127. Standards of attainment by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are typical for pupils of this age. All pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve well and make good progress in their learning.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

128. Since the last inspection standards have been maintained. No progress has been made in developing the subject because of the school focus on literacy and numeracy. There is still no policy for physical education but the school is following national guidelines for teachers' planning.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

129. The teaching of the skills of literacy through physical education is satisfactory. Pupils in Year 2 explain what movements they liked when observing gymnastic travelling movements. They talk about the effect of exercise on their bodies and understand the importance of activity in maintaining a healthy life-style. The skill of estimation and the development of spatial awareness are curtailed by the inadequate indoor hall space. There is no evidence that ICT contributes to the subject.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

130. By the end of Year 2 pupils explore travelling on their feet in a variety of ways. Higher attaining pupils select and combine three different movements such as skipping, hopping and jumping. Lower attaining pupils and pupils with special educational needs select different ways to move but do not always remember and repeat the movements in the same order. Pupils are given opportunities to evaluate and comment on the work of others, however this sometimes cuts down the overall activity time in the lesson. High attaining pupils are beginning to transfer their body weight onto hands when travelling on hands and feet. Pupils with special educational needs achieve alongside their peers because they are well supported by learning support assistants. Pupils know and explain the effect of exercise on the body well because the teacher challenges them to do this. They talk about the heart beating faster. Pupils demonstrate well developed resilience because the teacher reminds

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

them of this aspect. They work hard in lessons and they are interested and well motivated.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

131. By the age of 11 pupils understand and can talk about the effect of exercise on the body and can explain the reasons for a warm up session prior to activity. In games, they have a satisfactory knowledge of attack and defence strategies and they explain how to maintain or regain possession of the ball in a competitive game. Pupils in Year 6 make good progress in developing hand-eye co- ordination and control in a short tennis lesson. They balance a ball on their racket and weave in and out of others developing hand-eye co-ordination and control. Pupils in Year 3 and 4 learn a simple choreographed phrase of movement responding rhythmically to the music. Higher attaining pupils demonstrate a good rhythmic response and they remember the movements well. No lessons were observed in gymnastics or swimming at Key Stage 2 during the inspection. The school does not keep any records of attainment in swimming, but discussion with pupils indicates that pupils achieve

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

132. Teaching is satisfactory overall in both key stages. In the better lessons teachers maintain a good pace to learning and activity levels are maintained. In less effective lessons activity is curtailed because pupils spend a lot of time sitting observing others. While this encourages pupils to develop evaluative skills valuable activity time is lost. In the better lessons the teacher comments on pupils’ work and gives helpful feedback and guidelines to improve, for example to use the toes and ball of the foot rather than placing the whole foot down at the same time. Assessment procedures are underdeveloped. Discipline and control is satisfactory and pupils work very well listening to their teacher. Attitudes to the subject are good; pupils enjoy their lessons.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

133. The co-ordinator makes a satisfactory contribution to standards. The development of physical education has received insufficient focus in recent years due to the emphasis on literacy and numeracy. The hall is too small and narrow for large classes of 35 pupils. When older pupils stand in a space they only have approximately one metre each. This is insufficient for pupils to extend into space and consequently the quality of movement and the range is limited. When the weather is inclement pupils miss their games lesson because the hall is timetabled for other subjects. Resources are unsatisfactory, the gymnastic apparatus is old and too heavy for younger pupils to lift and carry. Playground accommodation is adequate, but the school field does not drain well and this limits all year round use. New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School - 43

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

134. Standards of achievement are satisfactory overall across the school considering the low starting levels of most pupils. However, the curriculum provided does not enable pupils to fully attain the standards expected by the locally agreed syllabus; consequently these are below expectations at the end of both key stages. For example, by the age of 11 the pupils do not gain a sufficiently detailed knowledge and understanding of two world faiths in addition to Christianity. Whilst planning for the subject is based on a combination of units of work, taken from a nationally recommended scheme of work and the locally agreed syllabus, this planning is not consistently implemented. In some classes there is little evidence of teaching in the subject and there is confusion between aspects of personal and social education and the objectives of the religious education programme.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

135. In the infants there is limited evidence of teaching and learning in religious education. Planning shows that stories from several cultures associated with the theme of light have been retold and linked to festivals such as Divali. In lessons pupils enjoyed the story of Rama and Sita but had little understanding of the Hindu traditions associated with celebrating Divali. The younger pupils, in particular, confused events such as bonfire night with religious celebrations. The quality of provision is widely variable in the juniors. Where planning is rigorous, as in the Year 4 and 5 class, pupils gain knowledge and insights into religious traditions and begin to understand the importance of religious symbols, beliefs and customs. For example, they find out about Hindu gods, shrines and symbols. The little evidence available shows that pupils in the Year 5 and 6 class have heard the story of the

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Buddha and Noah but there is no recorded evidence for the work undertaken in Years 3 and 6. The planning for the current term for these classes shows no link to faith or belief systems and does not offer pupils a religious perspective for dealing with issues such as truth and belonging.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

136. The impact of teaching is unsatisfactory over time. However, in observed lessons the quality of teaching ranged from unsatisfactory to good, being satisfactory overall. Teaching is least effective where the learning is not made sufficiently relevant to the pupils’ experience. For example, the teaching seen in the infants was not fully successful in guiding the pupils to understand that the celebration of different religious festivals and cultural traditions are facets of a multi-cultural society. Where teaching is good the lessons are well structured and evenly paced. For example, in a lesson with pupils in Year 4 and 5 the clarity of explanations and the helpful use of visual aids enabled the pupils to understand the significance of Divali for Hindus. In another lesson, this time with pupils in Year 5, the good planning and research, together with the sensitive use of information about people

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

helped by the British Legion, enabled pupils to empathise with the characters. They learned about the first armistice and the service of remembrance at the Cenotaph in London. They were highly attentive and confidently offered ideas when planning how they might mark a serious event in school. Effective learning ensured pupils gained a greater understanding that rituals enable us to express feelings. However, the quality of learning is uneven across the school because the basic curriculum framework is not implemented with sufficient rigour. Overall, progress is satisfactory in the work undertaken. The progress of pupils with special educational needs is often good when they are guided by learning assistants. The co-ordinator has revised the scheme of work. There are no arrangements for assessment and although the need to develop pupils’ understanding of other cultures is identified there are no formalised plans to develop provision. There are sufficient books,

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

visual aids and artefacts to meet the needs of the curriculum but no evidence of using ICT.

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