Hellifield Community Primary School

HELLIFIELD COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 24 th – 26 th September 2001

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HELLIFIELD COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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HELLIFIELD COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Kendal Road Hellifield Skipton North Yorkshire Postcode: BD23 4HA

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 14 th April 1997 Hellifield Primary School - 4

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Aspect responsibilities

2616 Mr P H Cole Registered inspector Mathematics Science Information and communication technology Geography History Special educational needs Equal opportunities What sort of school is it? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed?

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Aspect responsibilities

13448 Mr D Lloyd Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and behaviour How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 16447 Mrs R Grant Team inspector The Foundation Stage Curriculum English Art and design Design and technology Music Physical education Religious education How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils? How well are pupils taught? Hellifield Primary School - 5 The inspection contractor was:

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Aspect responsibilities

Peak Education Partnership 19 Huddersfield Road Barnsley South Yorkshire S70 2LT

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Aspect responsibilities

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

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Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Hellifield Primary School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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? 12

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Hellifield Community Primary is a very small school with 55 pupils on roll. All the pupils are admitted into the school at the start of the school year in which they become five. They leave to go to the local middle schools at the end of Year 5, where they complete the primary phase of their education. All the pupils in school are white and speak English as their first language. Although the level of free school meals is low, this reflects high levels of employment in the area, much of which is in modestly paid work. Pupils’ family backgrounds are mainly average. Of the six pupils on the school’s special educational needs register, one has a formal statement. Almost all of these pupils have needs related to learning. The attainment of pupils on entry varies considerably from year to year, reflecting the small numbers that are admitted. When this is considered over several years, on average attainment on entry is almost identical to that of the local education authority.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school has several good features and overall it provides a satisfactory education for its pupils. Pupils achieve appropriate standards by the time they leave for middle school. Teaching is good and the school is well led and managed. Despite being such a small school, with inevitably higher than average costs, value for money is satisfactory.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Both teaching and learning are good overall, with particular strengths in both the reception and Years 1 and 2 classes. • Pupils are almost always well behaved and eager to learn. • Overall, the school provides well for pupils’ personal development, with strengths in promoting their spiritual and social development. • Pupils are well cared for, their progress is closely monitored and they are given effective support and guidance to help improve their learning. • The school is well led and managed by the headteacher and its governors.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • Teaching in the Years 3, 4 and 5 class is satisfactory but has some relative weaknesses in planning and the management of pupils. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The last inspection of the school took place in April 1997. Since then good progress has been made in addressing the issues that were identified and in making further improvements. The higher attaining pupils are now provided with appropriate levels of challenge in lessons and teaching has improved, although minor weaknesses remain in some lessons in the Years 3, 4 and 5 class. Very good progress has been made in improving the educational opportunities for pupils in the reception year. They are now taught separately from those in Years 1 and 2 in a new classroom that has been set up specifically for them. Considerable improvements have been made in the provision for both Hellifield Primary School - 8 information and communication technology (ICT) and music. The benefits of these have not yet been fully realised in ICT, where pupils’ skills are improving but are not yet up to expected standards. The school has made considerable efforts to involve parents more in

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

their children’s education, through homework, through regular information on what they will be learning and by providing them with their children’s targets for improvement. A small number of parents continue to help regularly in school. The school’s approach to planning the school’s development is now much more thorough and helpful.

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STANDARDS

This section of the report almost always contains a table that shows how well the children achieved in the school compared to those in all schools in the country and those in similar schools. Because the numbers of pupils who take the tests each year in Hellifield are so small, such comparisons are not valid and the table has not been included.

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STANDARDS

The main judgements on standards have been made by comparing how well pupils achieved in the Year 2 tests in 2001 and in previous years with their initial scores when they entered school in the reception year. These comparisons show, almost without exception, that pupils in both English and mathematics have achieved as well in the Year 2 tests as they could reasonably have been expected to do. This has been the case consistently since baseline assessments have been made. When their results in reading and writing are examined most achieved relatively better in reading than in writing and there is some evidence that girls have achieved better than boys. Pupils take the Year 6 tests in the middle school. The results of the optional national tests taken by Year 5 pupils in 2001 indicate that pupils achieved satisfactorily, making the sort of gains expected since they were tested in Year 2.

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STANDARDS

The inspectors found pupils in the reception year, who follow the Foundation Stage curriculum, to be making good progress and to be on course to achieve and often to exceed the early learning goals identified for them by the end of the year. Pupils in Year 2 are achieving well and are similarly on course to achieve at least the expected levels and some to achieve above them in English, mathematics and science. The oldest pupils are in Year 5 and they achieve appropriate standards in English, mathematics and science. Relative weaknesses in writing, evident in the tests and identified by the school, are being addressed successfully with some real strengths evident, for example spelling in the Years 1 and 2 class and poetry in the class for the older pupils. Standards were found to be above expectations in art, design and technology, history and geography in the infant class. By Year 5 pupils have sound basic skills in ICT but are not yet working at the levels

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STANDARDS

expected for their age and they are not applying their skills sufficiently in other subjects. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress and achieve well, given their starting points. The school has not been required to set formal targets as it does not have any Year 6 pupils but almost all pupils achieve the targets that are set for them by their teachers. Hellifield Primary School - 9

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Good, overall. Very good in reception and the Years 1 and 2 class. Usually at least satisfactory in the Years 3, 4 and 5 class, though pupils become inattentive occasionally.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good, overall. A similar picture to above with occasional inappropriate behaviour in the Years 3, 4 and 5 class. Behaviour at break times and around the school is good.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Personal development is good in reception and the Years 1 and 2 class, where pupils are consistently encouraged to be independent. These high expectations are not maintained consistently in the class for the older pupils, where the opportunities given for personal development are satisfactory. Relationships are good and particularly so in the younger classes.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Very good. Considerably above the national average.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

The very good teaching in the reception and the Years 1 and 2 class captures pupils’ enthusiasm and ensures very good behaviour. In the Years 3, 4 and 5 class, most pupils respond satisfactorily to their teachers, but a few, especially but not exclusively boys, sometimes lack motivation and do not do as well as they might. Even the youngest pupils in the Years 1 and 2 class are expected to make neat piles of folded clothing when they change for gymnastics lessons and to tidy away at the end of other lessons. In the Years 3, 4 and 5 class pupils are given limited opportunities to be independent.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 5

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Quality of teaching Very good Very good 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 AND LEARNING

Overall teaching in the school is good. It varies from very good in both the reception class and the Years 1 and 2 class to satisfactory and sometimes good and better in the Years 3, 4 and 5 class. No unsatisfactory teaching was observed, in any class, during the inspection. Literacy, in both the reception class and the Years 1 and 2 class, and numeracy in all classes are well taught by confident and knowledgeable teachers. In the Years 1 and 2 class, opportunities are consistently taken to develop these skills in other subjects but this is less evident in the Years 3, 4 and 5 class. In both English and mathematics lessons and often in other lessons, such as science, all teachers take great care to meet the needs of the different groups of pupils in their classes. This ensures that all pupils, including the higher attaining pupils and those with special educational needs, are provided with work that is well matched to their age and prior attainment. This is a

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

good foundation for ensuring pupils make at least satisfactory progress in their learning. Classroom assistants are also used well to support pupils with special needs and other groups of pupils when this is appropriate. Teachers provide pupils with targets to work Hellifield Primary School - 10 towards and give them regular homework to develop basic skills and these work well. Both the reception teacher and the Years 1 and 2 teacher are very well organised and make very effective use of resources. They have consistently high expectations of pupils and work hard to make learning fun. The pupils respond very well to these strengths and work hard and enthusiastically in lessons. Teachers in the Years 3, 4 and 5 class also make good use of resources to support learning but sometimes they do not ensure that all pupils are paying close attention and occasionally fail to notice when pupils are not behaving as

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

well as they should. Some pupils in the Years 3, 4 and 5 class are not sufficiently engaged in their work, when it has not been explained well enough.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory overall, with some real strengths evident in the curriculum for the pupils in reception and the Years 1 and 2 class.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good for all pupils on the register of special educational needs and particularly effective for the pupil with a statement.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language There are no pupils who speak English as an additional language.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development Good, with strengths in the opportunities for pupils’ spiritual development and social development.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Pupils are looked after well in school. The arrangements for assessing their progress are very good and effective use is made of the information to support their learning.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents support the school well, for example through fundraising. The school encourages them to become partners in their children’s learning by sharing their individual learning targets, providing information on what is to be taught and setting regular homework. Planning for the different ages and abilities in the Years 1 and 2 class is very good and children in the reception class enjoy a broad and well balanced programme. Good systems for tracking pupils’ progress are established. The information gained is used well, for example to group pupils in lessons and to set realistic targets for them to improve their work. Hellifield Primary School - 11

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides good leadership and management, despite not having been able to share the load with other members of staff because of their inexperience.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors, and particularly the chairperson, support the leadership and management of the school well.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school makes effective use of test results to judge its success and has appropriate structures to evaluate the quality of teaching.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources The school makes good use of its budget, staff and other resources to support pupils’ learning.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The headteacher provides clear direction for the school and manages developments well. This is despite the inadequate administrative support that he receives which sometimes results in him being distracted by routine matters. Careful planning and good use of time ensure that priorities, such as the setting up of the new reception class, are achieved. Governors have a good understanding of the school through their visits and this enables them to contribute well to the development of the school. The school has good levels of teaching and classroom support staff, and pupils’ education also benefits from the generous and well-maintained accommodation and good levels of curriculum resources, but there is no outdoor play provision for the reception children. Although the budget is used well, greater use could be made of the principles of best value to inform decision making.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • The quality of teaching. • The standards their children achieve. • Pupils’ good behaviour and attitudes. • Teachers are approachable and helpful. • The range and amount of extra-curricular activities. • The amount of homework provided.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspectors agree, with some minor reservations with the strengths identified by parents. The foot and mouth epidemic has led to a serious curtailing of the inter-school sporting activities that were the backbone of the school’s out-of-class activities. As a result there is little for pupils to become involved with out of the classroom, although skittle ball and chess clubs are due to begin shortly. The dissatisfaction of a small minority of parents with homework covers both those who think there is too much and those who feel there is too little homework. The inspectors judge the amount and regularity of homework to be about right and that it makes a useful contribution to pupils’ learning. Hellifield Primary School - 12 Hellifield Primary School - 13

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1 Pupils take the Year 2 national tests. They do not sit the Key Stage 2 tests until they are in the middle school. Because the small numbers of pupils who are tested in each year, for example six pupils in 2000 and eight pupils in 2001, great caution must be used when evaluating the results in any one year. As is often the case, the results do vary considerably from year to year when compared to all schools and to similar schools. In some years, such as 1999, results are noticeably better than in other schools but in other years, such as 2000, they are clearly worse. However, pupils achieve results that closely match the starting points identified when they are tested at the start of their reception year. For example, in 2000 almost all of the pupils entered school achieving well below the average for the local education authority’s baseline assessment. When their baseline scores are compared to their results in reading, writing and mathematics, in the Year 2 tests

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

these pupils achieved well. A similar picture, of pupils achieving at least as well as their baseline assessments would predict, is also seen in the 2001 results. There is some indication when results are averaged over three years that girls have achieved relatively better than boys and results overall have been very close to the national average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2 The inspection found pupils, at this early stage in the new school year to be achieving well in both the reception class, and in Year 2. In the new reception class, pupils have settled very quickly to life in school and are making good progress in almost all the areas of learning (no judgement was possible for their knowledge and understanding of the world) in response to the very good teaching they receive. They are on course to achieve the early learning goals by the end of the year and many are on course to do better than this. Evidence from the work of pupils who have just started Year 1 shows that they also achieved well during their reception year.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3 The pupils in the Years 1 and 2 class also benefit from consistently very good teaching across the curriculum and this is enabling them to achieve well in many subjects. This is certainly the case in all of the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. In English, pupils are making equally good progress in speaking and listening, reading and writing and there are particular strengths in spelling and in the high standards of presentation. In mathematics, achievement is well balanced across the different aspects of the subject. Pupils are quick with numbers, with higher attaining Year 2 pupils already working within the level usually expected by the end of Year 2 and even the lower attaining pupils are working mainly at the expected levels for their age. In science, pupils are developing good practical skills and a balanced knowledge and understanding of the natural world, and physical processes, such as electricity. They are also achieving well in

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

art, design and technology, history and geography. Now that they are experiencing regular lessons and more practice in ICT, their achievement is close to expected levels and the Year 1 pupils are achieving well.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4 The oldest pupils, who are in Year 5, are mostly achieving in line with, and some above, expected levels in English, mathematics and science. Standards are appropriate and reflect satisfactory progress from the levels these pupils achieved in the Year 2 tests. This is also the case in almost all of the other subjects of the curriculum, although standards are a little below the expected levels in ICT. In English, pupils spell well and produce some effective poetry, particularly the higher attaining pupils. Reading skills are mostly appropriate for the age and prior attainment of pupils but there is scope for Hellifield Primary School - 14 extending their research skills in other subjects, such as religious education. Pupils, as in Key Stage 1, have secure understanding of numbers and the operations that need to be used when calculating, and they can apply these in practical situations. They have

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

appropriate knowledge and understanding of shapes and measures, and use graphs effectively to present information. As at Key Stage 1, a strength in pupils’ work in science is investigation and they regularly develop secure knowledge and understanding of factual content and concepts through practical work.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5 One of the weaknesses in the last inspection was higher attaining pupils not being stretched sufficiently. This has been addressed well and these pupils now achieve appropriate standards that are above the expected levels for their age. Pupils who have special educational needs make good progress because they are given learning opportunities that are almost always well matched to their needs. This is particularly the case with the pupil who has statement and is provided with additional well-focused support. His progress in developing his communications skills has been very good and he is now able to take a full and active part in most lessons.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

6 Most children have positive attitudes to learning, behave well and relate well to one another and to adults. Attendance is very good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

7 The majority of children enjoy coming to school, and this is borne out by the unusually high attendance figures, which are well above those found in other schools. The very good attendance, with no examples of unauthorised absence, is particularly remarkable since the school makes no special effort to promote it.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

8 Many children work hard and with enthusiasm, participating eagerly in class activities. This is especially true in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, where children show real interest in their work and are often excited and delighted by what they are doing, for example in a science lesson when a bulb suddenly lit up after they had connected the right wires in the circuit. In a Year 1 literacy group, children concentrated well on listening to the teacher and to one another and were anxious to take their turn in speaking as the character in the story they were reading. Where the teacher’s expectations are high, children respond by behaving very well.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9 The behaviour and attitudes of children in the Key Stage 2 class are satisfactory overall. Sometimes, when the teaching is lively and maintains their interest, they can be very good. But on occasion some can be slow to settle to their work, lack motivation, and as a result, do not achieve as well as they might. There are undercurrents of poor behaviour; for example, on one occasion a small group working with a classroom assistant allowed themselves to be distracted by a trivial matter and rudely ignored instructions to behave properly.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10 Behaviour around the school, in the dining hall and playground, is good. Children understand and observe the simple rules they have to follow. The school has never needed to exclude any pupil.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11 Relationships throughout the school are good. Children get on well together and value their friendships. In lessons, they co-operate well, taking turns and helping one another sensibly. At playtimes, older children voluntarily take responsibility for looking after the younger ones, talking to them and including them in games. They have due regard for the needs of others; for example, a girl who is temporarily in a wheelchair, following an Hellifield Primary School - 15 accident, is very well cared for by her peers. Children are polite and friendly to visitors and talk with confidence about their work and their school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12 In Key Stage 1, children are beginning to develop skills of independent learning. They accept responsibility readily, for example, in giving out work sheets, while in a physical education lesson, Year 1 children began to work well together in pairs without being asked to do so. However, the good personal development seen in Key Stage 1 is not always sustained in the Key Stage 2 class, where children have few opportunities to take responsibility. For example, they are not consistently expected to clear away their own equipment or to undertake their own research, so they show little inclination to find ways of using their initiative.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

13 Within an overall picture of good teaching, there is variation from excellent to satisfactory with consistently very good and better teaching in the Years 1 and 2 class and mostly very good teaching in the reception class. Teaching in the Years 3, 4 and 5 class, which is shared by two teachers, is satisfactory overall and sometimes good or very good. The common strengths seen in the best taught lessons across the school include: matching work well to the different needs in each class; using resources and classroom support assistants effectively to support teaching and learning; assessing pupils carefully; and, in the infant and junior classes, using this information to set targets for pupils to work towards. These strengths are key elements in enabling pupils across the range of attainment to make at least satisfactory progress and some, for example those with special educational needs, to make good progress. The weakness of not challenging the higher attaining

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

pupils sufficiently, identified in the last inspection, has been successfully addressed.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

14 In the reception class and particularly in the Years 1 and 2 class, the teachers’ infectious enthusiasm, high expectations, very detailed planning and preparation, organisation and skilful management of pupils, complement the strengths described above and lead to very good teaching and learning in all subjects. In these classes pupils listen intently, behave very well, work hard, enjoy learning, develop good levels of independence and often make very good progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15 In the Years 3, 4 and 5 class, planning is less thorough and this sometimes results in teachers not explaining clearly enough what pupils have to do. This can lead to groups not being sufficiently involved in the activities they are given. On occasions, teachers do not consistently pick up on pupils’ inattention, sometimes do not notice and tackle inappropriate behaviour, and allow pupils to leave class without clearing away. Distractions, such as the telephone ringing in class when the office is not manned, do not help the headteacher, when he is teaching, to focus fully on the pupils and their needs. Despite the real strengths described above, these relative weaknesses lead to progress and learning overall being satisfactory rather than good. In the well-taught and very well taught lessons, for example a numeracy lesson, the headteacher used questioning well to keep pupils on their toes, ensured all understood clearly what was expected of them and

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

regularly checked the work of each group to ensure that they achieved what was required. Progress in this lesson was good.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16 The teaching of both literacy and numeracy is never less than satisfactory and usually good or better, but its effectiveness reflects the strengths and weaknesses described above. Direct teaching of ICT skills is done well and makes effective use of the enhanced resources now available to the school. However, teachers do not yet identify Hellifield Primary School - 16 sufficient opportunities for pupils to practise and refine their skills in using ICT in the other subjects of the curriculum, although there are some good examples of well-presented poems being produced in English.

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PUPILS?

17 The range and quality of learning opportunities provided for pupils vary between the classes, but are satisfactory overall. This is similar to the findings of the last inspection. The National Curriculum is fully taught. The inclusion of pupils with special educational needs is good, and very good in the case of the pupil with a formal statement of need. The provision of extra-curricular activities is limited, and has been affected by the foot and mouth epidemic which has stopped inter-school sports matches.

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PUPILS?

18 A broad range of relevant, worthwhile opportunities is provided for children in the reception class. The development of pupils’ personal skills is given a high priority. As a result, pupils feel safe and secure and settle down to their work well. Early skills in communication, language, literacy and mathematics are planned carefully, and help children to achieve well. Work is well matched to their individual learning needs. There is an appropriate balance between direct teaching and for pupils to learn through play. Although there is no dedicated outdoor area, every effort is made to provide opportunities for children to develop their physical skills outdoors, using a range of equipment, including wheeled vehicles, tunnels and climbing apparatus.

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PUPILS?

19 The range and balance of work planned for the pupils in the Years 1 and 2 class are very good. Very good curricular planning makes an important contribution to their good progress. All subjects are planned thoroughly, and due attention is given to the acquisition of knowledge, understanding and skills. An example of very good planning is the work on ‘puppets’ in design and technology, which is described more fully in the subject paragraph. Work is very well matched to the different ages and abilities within the mixed-age class. Good account is taken of pupils with special educational needs. Planning for literacy and numeracy is very good. Planning for the first part of the lesson covers the needs of both age and ability groups well. Planning for group work is finely tuned to match individual needs. As a result, pupils’ learning builds on what they already know, understand and can do. Planning for pupils’ personal development is well integrated into the subjects. It is also

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PUPILS?

planned effectively as a subject in its own right.

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PUPILS?

20 All subjects are covered in the Years 3, 4 and 5 class, but the quality of planning is more variable. It is satisfactory overall, and helps pupils to make sound progress. Planning for the numeracy hour is good, and takes good account of the different groups within the class, and in science there is an appropriately strong emphasis on practical work. Planning for literacy is satisfactory, with some strengths. Planning for group work is generally effective and work to help pupils improve their knowledge of sounds is well graded. Planning for the initial part of the lesson where the three age groups are taught together presents more difficulties for the teachers. Learning objectives are not always sufficiently clear and the content is sometimes too difficult for the youngest and less able pupils. As a result, some lose interest and do not give of their best. Pupils with special educational needs receive good quality support at other times from teaching assistants, both in class

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PUPILS?

and during occasional periods of withdrawal. The work they are given is carefully planned and is well matched to their statements and individual education plans. Planning for all other subjects is satisfactory, although more needs to be done to provide pupils with opportunities to use ICT skills in other subjects. Education about drug misuse is incorporated into science, and sex education is taught incidentally. Pupils receive more Hellifield Primary School - 17 formal sex education in Year 6 when they transfer to the middle school. Personal education is covered satisfactorily, through discussions and ‘circle time’, during which pupils take turns to speak.

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PUPILS?

21 Links with other schools are good. Regular meetings are held with local primaries and the middle school. Good collaboration with local primaries takes place during the organisation of educational visits, though these are currently on hold due to foot and mouth disease. Four local schools also produced an impressive art exhibition based on ‘The Haywain’ in 2000. The curriculum is enriched by the regular productions of drama and poetry evenings by pupils for parents. Each year, the infants mount a nativity play and the juniors present a pantomime, written in verse by the headteacher.

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PUPILS?

22 Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good, overall. Opportunities for spiritual development are good. Assemblies include moments of quiet reflection. In both the reception and Years 1 and 2 classes, teachers encourage pupils to think about their feelings. They respond well to this. A reception child said that she felt sad when she’d been naughty. When the Years 1 and 2 teacher is explaining how to deal with angry feelings, one boy asks, “What if you get cross with yourself?” Pupils are encouraged to affirm their feelings by writing them on cards displayed on the wall, for example “I will smile and be happy at school.” In Years 3, 4 and 5 pupils are encouraged to write sensitively, for example about how the farmers feel about losing their animals to foot and mouth disease and in expressive poetry.

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PUPILS?

23 Moral and social development is promoted well in the reception and Years 1 and 2 classes. High expectations and clearly set routines result in high standards of behaviour. Pupils are encouraged to think about the difference between right and wrong, and their responses indicate that they do so. Independence is promoted well, at a level that the pupils can aspire to, for example working without help, getting out and putting away resources and taking messages. Moral and social development is promoted satisfactorily in the class for older pupils. There are some useful opportunities for pupils to work together in small groups and for them to find things out for themselves, though these could be extended. Expectations of behaviour are not as uniformly high and strategies for getting pupils to think about how their behaviour affects other pupils are not always successful. School routines, for example at lunchtime and breaks, are good and promote good

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PUPILS?

behaviour and positive attitudes, and successfully encourage older pupils to look after younger ones. Opportunities for pupils to take part in school productions promote their personal development well.

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PUPILS?

24 Opportunities for cultural development are satisfactory. Pupils of all ages learn about their own community in history and geography. The work of a range of artists is covered, and music lessons include opportunities for pupils to learn about great musicians and appraise music from around the world. Sound opportunities are provided for pupils in this all white school and community to learn about cultural diversity. Other faiths are studied in religious education and in normal years pupils have the opportunity to visit the Interfaith Centre in Bradford. Some subtle teaching also takes place in lessons, for example when the reception teacher encouraged the youngest children to think about skin colour differences in an art lesson.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

Hellifield Primary School - 18 25 The school takes good care of the personal welfare of pupils and the emphasis placed on personal and social education has a positive effect on children’s behaviour and relationships.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

26 Arrangements for the health and safety of children are well covered by the school’s policy document, which is carefully implemented by staff. Great care is taken to anticipate any possible risk and to make provision for it; for example, when a child needed the temporary use of a wheelchair, the school held a special fire drill to test evacuation procedures. There is proper provision for routine first aid and medical care and procedures for child protection follow the recognised guidelines. Children are encouraged to adopt a healthy lifestyle through their science lessons, when they learn about diet and exercise, and at playtimes children bring healthy snacks of fruit.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

27 Procedures for promoting good behaviour are effectively supported by the personal and social education that takes place in circle time and assemblies, when children learn to explore and understand feelings and how their actions might affect other people. As a result, children agree that there is no bullying in the school, and there is no evidence of sexism or racism. Children respond well to well-established routines, for example in knowing how to behave in a physical education lesson, but when a teacher does not insist on children doing as they are told, some of them choose to ignore instructions.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

28 Procedures for monitoring attendance are appropriate and effective. Attendance is so good that the school has not found it necessary to introduce any special schemes to promote it.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

29 Procedures for assessing pupils’ progress are good. Methods for assessing what pupils know, understand and can do in reading, writing, mathematics, science and ICT are good. Teachers also have very good knowledge of the pupils they teach for several successive years. They make good use of their records. They use them to group pupils in class and to identify pupils who may need additional support. After two terms in the reception class, for example, all children’s literacy skills are assessed and those who have made insufficient progress receive extra support to help them to catch up. Teachers also use their assessments to set individual targets for pupils to achieve. These usually relate to literacy and numeracy, but also include personal development targets where these are appropriate. Pupils have good knowledge of their targets that are written on cards and kept at hand. They also help to set them, particularly those relating to behaviour and social

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

skills. Pupils’ compile their own records of achievement, which include samples of work from the different subjects. By Year 5, these contain an impressive amount of work.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

30 Parental support for the school is good. Parents approve of most aspects of the school’s provision and some give practical support by helping in classrooms. The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) makes a particularly strong contribution to the life of the school, through fund raising and organising social events. Improvements have been made to the information made available to parents about their children’s learning in order to encourage them to become more involved, which was a key issue identified in the last inspection.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

31 Most parents feel that teaching is good and that children are making good progress. They think that behaviour is good and that children are growing in maturity. Most find the school approachable and feel they are kept well informed about pupils’ progress and other school issues. A sizeable minority of those parents who returned the pre-inspection Hellifield Primary School - 19 questionnaire feel that amounts of homework are not right and that there are insufficient out-of-school activities.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

32 The inspection team agrees with the positive views expressed by parents, but finds the criticism of homework unjustified. Homework is set appropriately and the amounts given to children are realistic. Currently, extra-curricular activities are limited, and this situation is not helped by the problems of foot and mouth disease in the area. Last year to compensate for this the headteacher organised a drama club and there are plans for a skittle ball and chess club this year.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

33 The quality and range of information provided for parents is good. Written material covers all aspects of the curriculum, topics to be studied and the practical day-to-day routines of school life. It is readily available to parents and written in a friendly, welcoming style, which is easy to understand. Formal parents’ evenings to discuss children’s progress are supplemented by the school’s ‘open door’ policy, which enables parents to have informal contact with class teachers whenever they feel the need. School reports are detailed and informative. The recently revised format is helpful and effective. It gives parents a comprehensive account of what children have studied, together with a personal report on what each child knows, understands and can do, and also sets targets for further improvement.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

34 A thriving, active PTA organises social and fund-raising events to provide additional equipment for the school. As a result of the PTA’s efforts, the children have benefited from such things as new computers, subsidised trips and extra resources in the new Foundation Stage classroom. A governor organises a weekly coffee morning in the school, and regular coffee mornings in the village are organised by the Friends of the school, drawing on support from the local community as well as from parents of children at the school. Events are always well attended by other parents.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

35 The last inspection report found a lack of parental involvement in children’s learning and in the daily life of the school. It is clear that many parents are unable to help in classrooms because of work and family commitments. The school now provides them with more information to help them support their children’s work at home. There is no formal mechanism for sounding out parents’ views on the school’s performance and planned developments.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

36 The school is well led and managed. This is despite the headteacher having a considerable teaching commitment, inadequate administrative support and not being able to delegate to any great extent because of the inexperience of other teaching staff. There is clear direction to the school that focuses on making things better. Sensible and well thought through plans are produced to guide developments. These are effectively worked towards, and result in improvements. A good example is the setting up of the new reception class, and the newly qualified teacher has been given extensive support and good resources which have helped her to make such a promising start to her career. There are plans to broaden the leadership in the school, with responsibility for literacy being delegated to the more experienced of the recently appointed teachers.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

37 The governors, particularly the chair, have a good understanding of the school’s situation, helped by their programme of regular planned visits linked to the school improvement plan and the reports they provide to other governors. They have an Hellifield Primary School - 20 appropriate involvement in planning developments and in deciding how the school’s budget should be spent.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

38 Results from national statutory, non-statutory tests and standardised tests are used to judge how well the school is providing for pupils. Their progress is carefully tracked to ensure individuals and groups are achieving as well as they should and action is taken to support those who need it, such as the slower readers in their first years in school, and to refocus the emphasis of teaching. For example, following analysis of the most recent test scores, the school has concentrated on writing this year. Observation of teaching to support performance management, and by governors as part of the monitoring role, is undertaken and is leading to the setting of targets designed to help teachers become more effective.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

39 The school’s budget is used well to promote the pupils’ education. Good improvements have been made to the resources available for ICT, levels of classroom support are good, and now the new reception class has been established there is good ratio of teachers to pupils. The funding available for special educational needs is used well and this ensures that these pupils, and others who need extra help, are given good support. Although there is still a need to make better use of ICT resources, resources generally, including the school’s generous and very well cared for accommodation, are used well to promote learning. The only area for implementation is the need to provide outdoor play facilities for the reception pupils to develop their physical skills.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

40 Within this positive picture there are aspects of management that could be improved. The administrative support for the headteacher is inadequate because ineffective use is made of ICT to improve the efficiency and effectiveness with which administrative tasks are undertaken. The office is not staffed in the afternoons and the telephone is diverted into the headteacher’s classroom which causes distractions and interrupts teaching and learning. Greater use could be made of the principles of best value to improve even further the decision-making processes in the school. Not enough is done, for example, to consult parents and pupils on their views of the school or to evaluate how well the school is performing compared to schools that are similar, for example in size and character. Hellifield Primary School - 21

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

41 In order to further raise standards and improve the quality of education provided, the governors, headteacher and staff should:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1. Tackle the relative weaknesses in the teaching in the Years 3, 4 and 5 class. This should involve: a) Developing the skills of teachers to manage pupils’ behaviour so that inattention is picked up and pupils are brought back on task. b) Making clearer to pupils what they need to do. To help in this, planning for lessons should make clearer what the different groups will learn and how this will be achieved. c) Making sure the headteacher and his class are not distracted in afternoon lessons by administrative intrusions, such as telephone calls and dealing with visitors. Please refer to paragraphs 15, 58, 63, 64, 66, 67, 72 and 111.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The following minor issues should also be addressed:

p.21

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1. Raise standards in ICT by planning more opportunities for pupils to practise their skills in other subjects. ( Paragraphs 16 and 20 ) 2. Improve the administrative support in school by making more effective use of school secretary’s time and by improving her ICT skills. ( Paragraph 40 ) 3. Make greater use of the principles of best value when planning school improvements and making spending decisions. ( Paragraph 40 ) 4. Provide outdoor play facilities for reception age pupils (a fenced area and appropriate equipment). ( Paragraphs 39 and 53 ) Hellifield Primary School - 22

p.21

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 11

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.22

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 6 50 19 25 0 0 0 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 six percentage points.

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y5

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 0 55

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 1 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y5

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 1

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 6

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 4

p.22

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 1

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Hellifield Primary School - 23

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 3.6 Financial year 2001

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 15.3

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y5 Total income 164,387

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4 Total expenditure 164,468

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 57 Expenditure per pupil 3,355

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 13,098

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 0 Balance carried forward to next year 13,017

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 0

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 0

p.23

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 0 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 0

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 1

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.23

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 FTE means full-time equivalent. Hellifield Primary School - 24

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 52 38 10 0 0

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 62 38 0 0 0

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 43 38 10 10 0

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 67 24 5 5 0

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 76 24 0 0 0

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 57 38 0 0 5

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 67 19 14 0 0

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 57 33 5 0 5

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 67 33 0 0 0

p.24

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 29 43 14 10 5 Hellifield Primary School - 25

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

42 There have been considerable improvements in the provision for children in the Foundation Stage since the last inspection, when work was sometimes unsuitable for them and did not meet their learning needs. The newly formed reception class is well organised and the high quality of teaching is having a positive effect on the children’s learning.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

43 Children start the reception year with a varying range of skills. In the recently implemented assessments for new entrants, one or two hardly scored and a few others were in the higher ranges. Overall, their skills in speaking, listening, mathematical knowledge and personal independence are average. Pupils make good progress. Work from last year shows that by the time they begin Year 1, children achieve well. All, except for the few individuals with special educational needs, have achieved the learning goals in all areas of learning comfortably, and a few are working within the first stage of the National Curriculum. Children with special needs are fully included in all areas of work and make good progress. This is due to very good teaching.

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Personal, social and emotional development

44 Children start in the reception class with a varying range of skills in these areas, though their skills are average overall. This partly reflects their ages; a few are nearly five, whilst others will not be five until the summer. At this early part of the school year, several children have difficulty dressing themselves independently, whilst a few do this easily and well. They are, though, happy children, who are willing to try and ask for help when needed. They have settled very well into the school routines, and are on course to meet the early learning goals by the end of Year 1. Many children will exceed them. This good achievement reflects the skills of the teacher who is placing a great deal of emphasis on this area of learning.

p.25

Personal, social and emotional development

45 Already, children sit quietly and concentrate for prolonged periods during discussions with their teacher. They are very interested in their work and keen to learn. They know that they have to follow simple rules, for example the number of children allowed to play in the sand and water. They select and use materials, as when they were decorating their ‘faces’ with eyes, noses, mouths and hair. They are working well towards acquiring personal independence in dressing, taking messages to the office and seeing to their personal hygiene. They show a caring attitude to a pupil who is currently confined to a wheel chair.

p.25

Personal, social and emotional development

46 Children’s achievements are a result of very good teaching. The teacher is establishing clear routines, for example for sitting on the carpet, changing for physical education, and lining up for playtime. She does this in a kindly way that the children respond to well. She talks about feelings and how not to upset and hurt other people. The teacher and the teaching assistant provide good role models, working well together and having the same high expectations of behaviour. The organisation of the classroom promotes children’s personal development. Resources are well organised and accessible so that the children can make sensible choices. They do this well. Two bright girls, for example, worked together on a computer program, with one girl showing the other how to switch on the sound in order to hear the instructions. Hellifield Primary School - 26

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Communication, language and literacy

47 Children listen well to stories and are able to use pictures to retell them. Adults use talk to good effect in all aspects of lessons. They value and encourage children’s efforts at communicating.

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Communication, language and literacy

48 The children listen well to adults and respond appropriately. In physical education, for example, they suggest a number of ways of travelling across the large mats. They follow instructions well, remembering to do a sequence of things, for example put a sheet of paper on their table, get and put on a painting apron. At this early stage of the reception year, children are just beginning to learn new vocabulary connected to different areas of learning, for example the names of mathematical shapes. They are already doing this confidently. They are just being introduced to letter sounds, and recognise a few, including ‘o’, as a result of very good teaching involving the use of a soft toy called ‘Jake’ that children love. The children’s learning so far, and evidence of what pupils at the beginning of Year 1 can do, indicates good achievement. They are on course to meet the early learning goals, and several children will exceed them.

p.26

Communication, language and literacy

49 The children’s progress is the result of very good teaching. Good opportunities are provided for the children to acquire speaking and listening skills through discussions with adults, one another and through role-play in the home corner. The literacy hour is being introduced sensibly, in sufficiently short periods to engage the children’s interest and involvement. The use of a wide range of interesting resources, including glove puppets, makes learning fun. Clear teaching of letter sounds and names and the well-structured approach to early reading, which enlists the support of parents, help many children to become confident readers by the beginning of Year 1. Children experiencing difficulties are picked up early. Children’s skills are assessed after two terms in the reception class, and additional skilled help is given to those who find it harder to learn. This is an important part of the school’s inclusion policy. Writing is taught equally well. Children’s initial skills in

p.26

Communication, language and literacy

pencil control and making marks on paper are assessed carefully. Opportunities are provided for children to write in the ‘office’ and the correct formation of letters is taught alongside their sounds. By the beginning of Year 1, most children write simple sentences independently.

p.26

Mathematical development

50 Very good teaching results in pupils making good progress. They achieve well. Current evidence, and that from last year, indicates that most are on course to meet the early learning goals and some will exceed them.

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Mathematical development

51 Most children count to 10 confidently at this early stage of the school year. For some this is by rote, but the higher achievers already correspond numbers to objects. They can count objects on the computer screen and match them to the correct number on the screen. During the inspection, the children responded very well to work on shape. Most identified common flat shapes and found them on their ‘shape’ walk in the playground. A high achieving girl suggested that the rounded top of an iron fence looked like part of a circle. Their knowledge of shapes is a reflection of high quality teaching. Strengths include clear explanations, the use of questions that involve all the children and the repetition of teaching points. Resources are used well to make learning interesting. The teacher’s warm personality comes across and children respond very well to her, and to the experienced teaching assistant.

p.26

Knowledge and understanding of the world

52 At this early stage of the school year, less evidence was available for this area of learning for the current group of reception children. It is not possible, therefore, to make a confident judgement about teaching and learning for this group. Work seen indicates that appropriate progress is made, for example in the use of ICT and construction kits. Work from last year, however, indicates that the children experience a good range of work and achieve at least satisfactorily. They learn about their local area and begin to acquire a sense of the past by comparing their toys with those their parents played with. They experiment with sinking and floating and know that objects need to be pushed or pulled to move. They design a picnic and a tile, which they then make out of plasticine. Most children now at the start of Year 1 met the early learning goals comfortably, and several exceeded them.

p.27

Physical development

53 There is no access to a dedicated outside area for regular exploratory or directed play, but the teacher compensates for this by providing physical education in the hall and outside play using wheeled vehicles and climbing apparatus in timetabled sessions. Children make good progress in their physical development and are likely to meet at least the early learning goals in this area. This is due to good teaching.

p.27

Physical development

54 Children move with confidence in the hall, showing an awareness of space. They work safely, following the teacher’s instructions well. They are beginning to learn, for example, how to carry equipment properly. They find different ways of moving across a mat, often working imaginatively, and many watch the movements of others with interest and try to imitate them.

p.27

Physical development

55 The teacher has good knowledge and is teaching children how to work effectively and safely. She encourages effort, whilst being mindful of the less mature children who need help. She uses lessons well to teach personal and social skills, such as taking turns and working independently.

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Physical development

56 Children also gain control of their finer movements. They cut materials with scissors and cut through playdough with plastic cutters. Several have weak pencil control at the start of the year and evidence from Year 1 shows that almost all gain good control through good teaching and support.

p.27

Creative development

57 Good teaching helps children to achieve well in this area. Children use their imagination to create pictures of their faces. They decorate their paintings with materials chosen from a good range. They play happily in the home corner, taking on different roles. Many children choose to play imaginatively with model farm animals and equipment, laying them out and creating scenes with them. The organisation of the classroom and the good quality of the resources stimulate children's imagination, and assist their learning.

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ENGLISH

58 It is not possible to report reliably on national test results, which in any case are only available for Year 2 pupils, as too few pupils take the tests each year. Results vary depending on the starting points of the small number of pupils in each cohort. Over a Hellifield Primary School - 28 period of four years, however, there is a pattern of girls performing higher than girls do nationally, whilst boys tend to perform less well than other boys do. This is most noticeable in reading. When each pupil’s results are compared with their baseline assessment, made when they start in reception, pupils almost always have achieved as well as could be expected. In the current Years 1 and 2, all pupils are achieving well in relation to their starting points; this is due to the high quality of the teaching that they receive. In Years 3, 4 and 5, where teaching is sound, pupils achieve satisfactorily. The Year 5 group is made up

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ENGLISH

exclusively of girls. This group has positive attitudes and consistently achieves satisfactory standards of work. Within the Years 3 and 4 groups, a few pupils, mainly, but not exclusively boys, do not always do as well as they might because they sometimes lack the necessary motivation to do their best.

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ENGLISH

59 Few pupils have been identified as having special educational needs. This reflects the quality of provision and teaching in the early years and infant classes, where basic reading and writing skills are taught very well. Good additional, skilled support is also provided for pupils experiencing difficulty. This includes support for the pupil with a formal statement, whose specific language needs have been addressed exceptionally well through good co-operation with the speech therapist and the provision of suitable resources. All pupils with additional needs achieve well in relation to their prior attainment.

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ENGLISH

60 Pupils make good progress during their time in the mixed-age Years 1 and 2 class in all aspects of work. The smaller group of Year 2 pupils engages well in discussions with adults. They are able to predict what might happen next in a story, and express their ideas clearly for their age. They understand the terminology associated with the literacy hour, such as phoneme. The acquisition of skills in speaking and listening is emphasised in all aspects of teaching. Specific opportunities are also provided. In a very good lesson, the class was split into groups, supported by the teacher and support assistant. Pupils took the ‘hot seat’ by taking on a character from a story that they had been reading together. Other pupils asked questions and they had to answer in character. The adults demonstrated how to do this beforehand, and pupils of all abilities rose to the occasion and responded very

p.28

ENGLISH

well for their age. Sensitive support was provided for less confident speakers, who were fully included in the activity.

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ENGLISH

61 Pupils in the Years 1 and 2 class make equally good progress in reading. Older pupils mainly read fluently and with good understanding of the text. Pupils’ reading skills develop very well through the systematic teaching of sounds. This is coupled with the teaching of writing, which supports their spelling well. This work is matched well to the learning needs of the different age and ability groups within the class. In a Year 1 lesson, for example, the teacher encouraged the pupils to listen carefully to the middle sounds in words by using a glove puppet who had difficulty with his hearing. The pupils loved it when the puppet got it wrong and had great fun correcting him. At the same time, the teaching assistant worked with the Year 2 pupils on reading and writing more difficult combinations of letters. Most of the pupils’ parents support them well at home and this also contributes to the progress they make.

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ENGLISH

62 This age range of pupils makes good progress in writing. Samples of previous work show that, by the end of Year 2, pupils write at reasonable length and with quite good levels of accuracy. Spelling is particularly competent for their age. They write their news and organise their ideas clearly. They make good use of word books and dictionaries to check spellings. Handwriting is taught well and most pupils form their letters correctly and write neatly. Standards of presentation are high. The standards achieved reflect the high expectations of the teacher and the very good quality of planning and teaching. Pupils Hellifield Primary School - 29 respond well to their teacher, who has a talent for making learning fun, by showing very positive attitudes to their work. They try hard and take care with their work.

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ENGLISH

63 Standards achieved by the pupils in the Years 3, 4 and 5 class are not as high, though there are some examples of creative writing that are of good quality. Most pupils make sound progress, developing their skills steadily as they grow older. A few could do better. The standard of their work is sometimes affected by a lack of commitment to their work. Pupils’ attitudes are influenced by the quality of teaching, which although satisfactory overall, sometimes fails to motivate all pupils sufficiently well.

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ENGLISH

64 Most of the current group of girls in Year 5 is on course to reach expected standards by the end of the year. Most speak confidently in class and engage in discussion appropriately with adults. They can, for example, explain their previous work and express their opinions. A few try hard to explain difficult concepts, for example what Jesus might have meant when he told the people about the parable of the sower. Years 3 and 4 pupils mainly take part satisfactorily in class discussions, though a few are easily distracted. Sometimes, this is because questioning is pitched more towards the older or higher attaining pupils. In a lesson where a text from Black Beauty was used, for example, it was mainly Year 5 pupils who identified descriptive phrases. At other times, where work is appropriate, the teacher does not eliminate restless behaviour effectively. A few pupils continue to lack interest. In spite of the teacher’s efforts to engage them, they do not give

p.29

ENGLISH

65 Most Year 5 pupils read at the expected level for their age. They read their books and other materials accurately and reasonably fluently. Most have appropriate understanding of the text. They are able to use both dictionaries and thesauri to check spellings and find new words. They have quite well developed research skills, using the index in books to find information. These skills are taught satisfactorily as part of the literacy hour, and pupils have some opportunity to use them in other subjects. This could usefully be extended, so that, for example, older, more able pupils could select their own books to find out about Bible stories and use a range or sources, rather than just one. Most pupils in Years 3 and 4 also read at a satisfactory standard for their age and can work out unfamiliar words. They are usually supported well during group reading times and additional support is provided for individuals whose reading still lacks fluency. These

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ENGLISH

66 Most of the Year 5 pupils are capable of writing at length and with reasonable accuracy. They write in a variety of styles. Poetry composition is a strength. Pupils prepare well-presented anthologies that include poems written in the style of adult poets. The best of these are very effective. ICT is used appropriately to word process poems and to illustrate them. The teaching of poetry encourages the use of descriptive language and provides a good level of challenge for the higher attaining pupils. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 are capable of writing at an appropriate level for their age, as they showed during well- organised group work in a literacy lesson. They concentrated well, writing independent descriptions of their bedrooms. They have good knowledge of spelling patterns. One boy used a dictionary to find the word ‘including’ and when he found ‘include’ he correctly said that he needed to knock off the ‘e’ and add ‘ing’. Pupils do not always concentrate so well,

p.29

ENGLISH

however. Some are sometimes slow to get started and then waste time. This is particularly so when they are not directly supervised by an adult.

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ENGLISH

67 The overall quality of teaching in the mixed-age Years 3,4 and 5 class is satisfactory on balance, but has both strengths and weaknesses. Strengths include: the careful planning of spelling work; the use of homework to reinforce basic skills; the deployment of Hellifield Primary School - 30 adults to assist pupils with special educational needs; the use of target setting to help pupils improve their work; and, the teaching of poetry. Weaknesses are occasional lapses in managing behaviour effectively and lack of precision in planning. At times, teaching objectives are not clear enough and pupils do not fully understand what they have to do. Although these shortcomings are not present in each aspect of every lesson, they have an adverse effect on pupils’ progress.

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ENGLISH

68 The appointment of a new co-ordinator provides the school with the opportunity to review provision and teaching and to improve consistency between classes.

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MATHEMATICS

69 As in English, the numbers of pupils who take the tests in any single year are too small to make valid comparisons with results in other schools. When results are averaged over a four-year period, to iron out some of the inevitable variation with such small numbers, results in mathematics are broadly in line with the national average. Given that the pupils join the school in the reception year with broadly average attainment, results have been satisfactory. The difference between the performance of boys and girls has been less marked than in English. More appropriate judgements of standards can be made by comparing how well individual pupils achieved in the tests, given their starting points when they came into the reception year. When this comparison is made pupils have achieved at least as well as could have been expected and in many cases they have done better. This clearly reflects the quality of the teaching they have received. The current

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MATHEMATICS

Year 2 pupils are also achieving well with much of their work being above national expectations. The oldest pupils in school are in Year 5 and are not tested until they are in the middle school. Their current work shows that overall they are on course to achieve the expected levels and some individuals are on course to exceed them. This represents appropriate achievement for these particular pupils.

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MATHEMATICS

70 In both the Years 1 and 2 class and the Years 3, 4 and 5 class, pupils with special educational needs and those with lower attainment are given good support through carefully matched work and additional support from teaching assistants who are well briefed and skilled in their work. As a result these pupils are achieving well. Similarly, higher attaining pupils in the Years 1 and 2 class and often in the Years 3, 4 and 5 class are targeted with more searching questions during class sessions and given more challenging tasks when they are working in groups, and they are achieving appropriately. Teachers’ planning takes good account of these different needs in the Years 1 and 2 class, and in the Years 3, 4 and 5, where several of the Year 5 pupils are higher attaining, the teachers are drawing on the Year 6 materials in the numeracy framework.

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MATHEMATICS

71 High quality teaching in the Years 1 and 2 class ensures that pupils make good progress. The teacher plans her work meticulously and is very well organised and as a result aspects of her teaching complement each other very well. Key vocabulary for the week is displayed and explained to pupils and is then used consistently in lessons, for example during lively questioning in the mental sessions. The pace of mental sessions is good and together with well-targeted questioning ensures that all pupils are developing good agility with numbers, for example counting in ‘10s’ and ‘2s’, working out how many 2p coins are in 30p and higher attaining pupils being challenged to work out how many £1s can be made from 1,000p. During both class sessions and group work the teacher uses resources to very good effect to promote learning, for example using number facts and coins on a washing line to help the lower attaining group she is working with. The teacher

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MATHEMATICS

uses the plenary session well to address problems that pupils may have encountered and to extend learning further, for example introducing new ways of recording calculations. Hellifield Primary School - 31 Pupils’ completed work shows that higher attaining and average attaining pupils are often exceeding nationally expected levels for their age, for example multiplying and dividing tens and units by units, and that they can use different strategies to calculate answers, for example adding 9 by first adding 10 then taking 1 away from the answer. Their attainment is broadly based across the different aspects of mathematics, including, for example, knowledge of the properties of shapes and symmetry, as well as measuring length and mass.

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MATHEMATICS

72 Pupils in the Years 3, 4 and 5 class are taught by two teachers during the week and teaching is satisfactory overall and sometimes better than this. Mental sessions are taught at sufficient pace to encourage pupils to apply their knowledge and skills quickly but sometimes not enough time is taken in these sessions for pupils to practise their skills. As a result mental skills are no better than sound, with average and lower attaining pupils sometimes being a little slow when working out their answers. In some of these sessions questions are not adjusted sufficiently for the range of attainment in the class. This weakness is reflected in planning that does not always identify sufficiently what is expected of each group. In other lessons, greater care is taken to ensure that there are differences in the challenge of questions, so that more able older pupils are extended. In all the lessons seen, new learning was carefully introduced, using simple examples well to

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MATHEMATICS

develop pupils’ understanding and confidence. In the best lessons, these were then developed in more sophisticated ways to stretch the more able pupils while the lower attaining pupils began their group activities. Given the complexity of meeting the wide range of needs in a class with three different year groups, the tasks set during group work are appropriately matched to pupils’ stages of development and enable them to successfully build their learning. Awareness of the need to ensure that the most able are stretched is seen in the way both teachers focus clearly on these pupils during the plenary sessions. A weakness in some lessons is the teacher not picking up on pupils who are not paying attention and this can reduce the effectiveness with which they work. Pupils in this class are almost all working at the expected levels across the different aspects of mathematics. Pupils’ understanding of place value and arithmetical operations are secure.

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MATHEMATICS

Higher attaining pupils can make nets of three-dimensional shapes; all have good understanding of properties such as symmetry and of standard measures. They can collect information and display it using, for example, bar charts.

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MATHEMATICS

73 Pupils in the Years 1 and 2 class work hard and show real interest and enjoyment in their learning. Pupils in the Years 3, 4 and 5 class also usually work hard and willingly contribute in lessons. On occasions, when a teacher does not notice and deal with inattention, the involvement of a small number of pupils is not as good as it should be.

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MATHEMATICS

74 The quality of the curriculum planning varies between very good in the Years 1 and 2 class to satisfactory in the Years 3, 4 and 5 class. In both classes the numeracy framework is used effectively as the basis for planning lessons across the year but greater thought and care is taken in Years 1 and 2 to identify what will be taught across each half term and how this will be delivered in each week. This helps to ensure that teaching here is sharp and well focused. In both classes more opportunities could be found to use ICT within mathematics lessons, although some effective data-handling work has been done by the younger pupils. Pupils’ progress is carefully assessed and recorded and teachers provide pupils with helpful targets to work towards, in order to improve their learning.

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SCIENCE

Hellifield Primary School - 32 75 There is no test information available that can be used to compare results with other schools as pupils in Year 2 are assessed by their teacher and the oldest pupils are tested in the middle school, after they have left. When the school’s assessments of individual pupils are analysed they show that they achieve as well as they do in mathematics and often better than they do in English. In lessons and in their completed work, the current Year 2 pupils’ work demonstrates attainment in line with national expectations for about half the pupils, and above national expectations for the remainder. This represents achievement for individual pupils that is at least appropriate and for some pupils it is good. It was not possible during the inspection to observe any lessons in science in the Years 3, 4 and 5 class. Their completed work suggests that most pupils are comfortably on course to

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SCIENCE

achieve the expected levels by Year 6. For individual pupils this represents appropriate achievement.

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SCIENCE

76 The one lesson observed, with Years 1 and 2, was very well taught. There were many of the successful features: detailed planning and thorough preparation that ensured a very effective structure and very good use of well-chosen resources to enable pupils to develop their understanding of electrical circuits through practical exploration. The teacher made consistent use of technical vocabulary that encouraged pupils to understand and use these terms themselves. She skilfully probed pupils’ understanding and knowledge and matched work well to the different levels of attainment in the class, for example higher attaining pupils being required to record what they had found out using diagrams and written accounts, while average attaining pupils were asked to use annotated diagrams and lower attaining pupils to cut and stick parts of a circuit to complete it. Flexible use of groups encouraged older and more able pupils to help younger and less able pupils to work out

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SCIENCE

how to use cells, wires, bulbs and clips to make a circuit that lit the bulb, while groups of similar ability were used for the recording activities described earlier. The pupils responded well to the challenges in the lesson, working responsibly and with independence. They were very well behaved, and, although excited about what they were doing, they all worked sensibly.

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SCIENCE

77 The completed work of this class shows that they are given many opportunities to work on practical tasks and this is enabling them to develop good skills in science. Their knowledge and understanding of the aspects of science they have covered so far is often good. For example, they describe the forces that make objects move and how grips on shoes can make it more difficult to move particular shoes, sort living things into different groups using their characteristics, understand that different creatures live in different places, know parts of the body, such as the pelvis and the ribcage, and can provide a list of foods that are good for us.

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SCIENCE

78 The pupils in Year 5 have also undertaken many investigations and have extended and consolidated their knowledge and understanding of science through this approach. There is clear evidence in their work that they understand what a fair test is and that they predict what may happen and record their findings using tables and diagrams appropriately. Their work on forces, for example, has enabled them to gain a secure understanding of how they can be balanced and that, for example, a bouncing ball gradually loses energy and that different surfaces can affect this. Higher attaining and some average attaining pupils show above average understanding when using scientific terms, such as ‘predator’ and ‘prey’, and when they show how these are related in food chains. There are examples of unfinished activities in the work of lower attaining pupils that indicate that sometimes these pupils are not given work that is as well matched to their needs as it could be.

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SCIENCE

79 The science curriculum is taught in a two-year cycle that ensures coverage of the different attainment targets and there is a strong and effective emphasis placed on Hellifield Primary School - 33 practical approaches, as described above. Pupils’ progress is assessed and recorded appropriately but not in a consistent way in each class.

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ART AND DESIGN

80 No lessons were seen in either class, but other evidence indicates that standards are higher than those usually found at the end of Year 2 and similar to those achieved by other Year 5 pupils nationally. This is an improvement in standards at the end of Year 2 since the last inspection. Standards at the end of Year 5 remain the same. It is not possible to make judgements on teaching and learning.

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ART AND DESIGN

81 Work for the Years 1 and 2 classes is extremely well planned and this contributes to the good standards achieved. Samples of work from last year include very well executed clay tiles. Pupils experimented appropriately to find out the properties of clay. They saw what imprints they could make with implements and how they could shape clay to add decorative patterns. The pupils rolled and flattened the clay, cut it out and added very effective decorations, using imprints and additional clay pieces held on with slip.

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ART AND DESIGN

82 The range of work completed is broad. Pupils have used thick paint to create texture, drawn carefully from observation, mixed colours and painted squares in shades. They have created shape pictures using pastel crayons, smudging them to create varied tones. This term, pupils have been working on ‘form’, creating paper sculptures and drawing one another from different viewpoints in pencil. All artwork is accompanied appropriately by reference to the work of other artists. Good attention is paid to the development of pupils’ skills.

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ART AND DESIGN

83 Standards of work in the Years 3, 4 and 5 class are of a satisfactory standard. Year 5 pupils draw quite careful observational drawings of shells, trying out the pencil crayon shades to get a good match before beginning. They do not, however, have an opportunity to choose the medium to work in or the size and colour of the paper that they use. Other samples of work from past pupils include bold self-portraits and well-executed chalk and pastel snow scenes. Most work is executed carefully, showing that pupils take a pride in what they do. As in the infant class, the work of other artists is incorporated well into the study of art.

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ART AND DESIGN

84 Art is sufficiently prioritised within the overall curriculum. The school is particularly proud of the contribution that pupils made to the ‘Haywain art exhibition’, put together by local schools in 2000.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

85 No lessons were seen, and there is insufficient evidence to make a judgement about the standards achieved at the end of Year 5. By the end of Year 2, however, samples of previous work indicate that the standards achieved are higher than those usually found in primary schools. This is an improvement since the last inspection, when standards were judged to be satisfactory. It is not possible to make judgements about the quality of teaching and learning.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

86 Work for the Years 1 and 2 class is extremely well planned and takes full account of the processes involved in design and technology. This can be seen in the work done by pupils on ‘puppets’. First, they observed a selection of puppets, identifying how they were Hellifield Primary School - 34 made. Then, they identified design criteria, saying for example that they needed to be flexible and strong. They practised different joining skills, using a range of methods including glue, velcro, split pins and sticky tape and decided which would work best. They then used what they had learnt to design and make a puppet. Finally, they evaluated their work against their initial design criteria, deciding for example if their puppet was strong or flexible and suggested changes for next time. The processes were outlined in the pupils’ workbooks, showing that they had worked purposefully through the different stages.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

87 No work was available for the Years 3, 4 and 5 class, but planning indicates that at least satisfactory provision is made. Work generally follows the national guidance.

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GEOGRAPHY

88 No lessons were observed in geography but through examination of pupils’ work and discussions with them standards were judged to be above expectations in Year 2 and broadly in line with them by Year 5. Pupils in Year 2 understand why people visit particular places for their holidays, for example the local area for walking, the seaside for fun on the beach. They are able to produce simple plans of real and imaginary places, such as their classroom and route taken by the ‘Three Little Pigs’. They can even include keys to explain what parts of their maps are. Their successful map work and their detailed study of a village in Mexico, when they looked at photographs and other sources to find out about the landscape, houses, food and schools, are above what you would expect of pupils of this age.

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GEOGRAPHY

89 Much of the geography work covered in the Years 3, 4 and 5 class has provided pupils with opportunities to work at appropriate levels and occasionally above them. They have been able to use a good range of skills, for example, collecting data for a traffic survey and devising questionnaires to support some challenging issue-based work around a proposal to build a local bypass, and using aerial photographs and maps to identify features in Halifax, which has been studied as a contrasting locality. They have sound knowledge and understanding of parts of a river and are aware of the impact of man-made features, such as the local Settle-Carlisle railway line, on the landscape. The work of the higher attaining pupils is comfortably in line with expected levels and the issue-based work has enabled these pupils to achieve above expectations. The average and lower attaining pupils do not always finish their work and this limits their achievement.

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GEOGRAPHY

90 The curriculum is based on the national suggested scheme for geography and the units to be studied have been spread over each key stage to ensure that aspects are not repeated or missed out by groups of pupils.

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HISTORY

91 Although no lessons were seen during the inspection, analysis of pupils’ work and discussions with them show standards in history to be above average in Year 2. Even though it is early in the school year pupils are beginning to work at the levels expected by the end of the year. The oldest pupils, those in Year 5, are achieving in line with what is expected for their age.

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HISTORY

92 A strength found in all of the work pupils have done in history is their ability to find out about the past from different sources. In the Years 3, 4 and 5 class the oldest pupils have developed a good understanding of aspects of what life was like in Tudor and Victorian times through, for example, their investigation of the clothes worn at the time Hellifield Primary School - 35 (when they were able to dress up in and examine Tudor clothes), making Tudor recipes, and studying photographs and taking notes when watching videos of classrooms in Victorian times. Higher attaining pupils have a sound understanding of the causes of major historical events, such as the Armada, although other pupils are less sure. The Year 5 pupils have a secure sense of chronology and can correctly order and place the periods they have studied on a time line and mostly use the correct terminology, such as decade and generation, when talking about the past.

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HISTORY

93 The pupils in the Years 1 and 2 class know about the lives of famous people from the past, such as Florence Nightingale and through, for example, investigating what people put into their suitcases in Victorian times and today, they are developing a good understanding of change over time. They are also able to make comparisons between more than one period in history, for example, what toys they play with, their parents’ toys and those that kept Victorian children entertained. They have made effective use of pictures and other sources to develop their knowledge and understanding.

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HISTORY

94 As with geography, the history curriculum is appropriately based on the national guidelines and these have been a sensibly modified to fit in with the mixed-age classes in the school.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

95 During the inspection it was possible to observe only one ICT lesson, which was with Year 1 pupils. On the evidence of this lesson, pupils’ work across the curriculum and discussions with them, standards are broadly in line with expectations for pupils in Year 2. Standard in Year 5 are below expectations. The older pupils’ skills are broadly based across the different aspects of ICT, reflecting the regular ICT lessons that are now taught across the school and the improved resources for teaching and learning but these pupils have not yet caught up to where they should be for this age.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

96 Pupils in the Years 1 and 2 class are able to produce pieces of writing using the computer and can, for example, set out lists by using the return key to place items underneath each other. They are also able to collect data, for example about their favourite drinks, and present what they have found using graphs generated by the computer. Their pictures of teddy bears and labelled diagrams of a frog show appropriate skills in selecting pictures and text, arranging them on the screen and in printing them out. Tools in painting programs, such as the ‘spray can’, have been used to good effect in patterns they have made. The teacher is also providing opportunities for them to understand how devices around the house are controlled by computers and how they can give simple instructions to a programmable toy so that it moves.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

97 The lesson that was observed was very well taught. It was carefully planned and had a clear and realistic objective that was explained to the pupils and this successfully focused their efforts. The teacher was confident in managing a mixture of different computers and explained clearly to the pupils how to choose pictures from a library of clipart, and then put them into a piece of text. Both the teacher and the teaching assistant provided sensitive encouragement, support and help to individuals and by the end of the lesson all had achieved the planned objective and consolidated skills they had acquired earlier, such as printing out their work. Opportunities to improve literacy skills were also taken, for example encouraging pupils to apply their knowledge of phonics to improve their Hellifield Primary School - 36 independence when writing. During the lesson they demonstrated good skills in using a

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

range of keys, including the spacebar, arrow keys, backspace, shift and return keys and by the end of the lesson they could successfully select and paste clipart into their writing. This represents achievement that is well above average for pupils of this age and shows the very good progress they are making now they have regular ICT lessons.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

98 All classes benefit from regular discrete ICT lessons. These lessons are clearly helping to accelerate the progress that pupils are making and are beginning to successfully address the weaknesses identified in the last inspection. It is easier for the younger pupils, as described above, to achieve or even exceed expected levels than it is for older pupils, who have not had such good provision until later in their school careers. Pupils in the Years 3, 4 and 5 class have sound skills but are not yet working at expected levels. They can present written work thoughtfully using computers, as their poems show, and they are able to use a range of painting tools in art programs, such as shape tools, fills and clipart to produce pictures. By Year 5 they also have a sound understanding of how they can use the World Wide Web and CD-ROMs to find information to help in research work. They have had a few opportunities to use email and understand how much faster it is than using

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

99 The curriculum plans for ICT are appropriately based on national guidelines and provide a balanced programme for learning ICT skills. Analysis of pupils’ work indicates that more opportunities need to be found for pupils to apply the skills they are learning in ICT lessons in their work in other subjects. Recently, detailed records have been developed to record the progress that pupils make and these should aid teachers when planning the next steps in pupils’ learning. The school now has satisfactory resources to support teaching and learning, and teachers are developing their skills through appropriately focused training, which is a priority in the school improvement plan. Overall, good progress has been made in tackling the weaknesses identified by the last inspection.

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MUSIC

100 Provision for music has improved since the last inspection when it was identified as a weakness. Due to timetabling arrangements, only one lesson and a recorder group were seen during the inspection. It was not possible to see the lessons taught by the specialist music teacher employed since the last inspection to raise standards in the subject. The planning done by the specialist, however, is of very good quality, incorporating listening, appraising and performance. Insufficient lessons were seen to make an overall judgement on standards or on the quality of teaching and learning.

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MUSIC

101 A Year 1 music lesson was very well taught and pupils’ attainment was higher than usual for this age group. The pupils listened well and played a series of untuned percussion instruments. By the end of the lesson, they knew the correct way to play their instruments and could name some of them. They were able to create a ‘chain of sound’ around their circle. The teacher organised the activity as a game, which the pupils enjoyed, and gave them good pointers as to how they could improve their playing next time.

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MUSIC

102 Since the last inspection, all pupils learn to play the recorder in class time. A teaching assistant instructs groups. A group of Year 4 and 5 girls was generally enthusiastic and keen to try. They could read a simple tune accurately and name the notes. They are learning to play dotted rhythms. These skills are above those expected of pupils of this age. Some, however, need to improve their basic technique, particularly in Hellifield Primary School - 37 playing the lower notes in the scale and achieving a smoother tone. The assistant identifies the problems they encounter and helps them to improve.

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MUSIC

103 Resources are satisfactory, though there is a need for more tuned percussion instruments for the lessons taught by the specialist teacher. Musical performances are important in the school’s calendar, and contribute well to pupils’ cultural development.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

104 Few lessons were seen during the inspection; just one in each class. These indicate that the strengths in teaching identified at the last inspection have been maintained. Swimming still features strongly in the curriculum. Unfortunately, the school’s usual provision for outdoor and adventurous education that takes place in the summer term was curtailed due to the foot and mouth epidemic.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

105 The school’s considerable commitment to swimming, involving all pupils from Year 2 onwards, results in good standards being achieved. By Year 5, all pupils swim the 25 metres specified in the National Curriculum, and many achieve beyond this.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

106 It is not possible to judge standards by the end of Year 2 as no lessons were seen with this age group. Pupils in Year 1 achieved high standards in the lesson seen in gymnastics, due to the excellence of the teaching. They responded very well to the high expectations of their teacher. By the end of the lesson, they produced very well balanced body shapes, showing very good control for their age. They balanced on different parts of the body and held their shapes for a count of three. Strengths of the teaching included its brisk pace, very good use of questioning, very clear development of skills and the very careful feedback given to pupils to help them improve their performance.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

107 Pupils in the mixed-age Years 3, 4 and 5 class achieved well in the lesson seen in games. The oldest pupils reach the standards expected for their age and many of the younger ones achieve above. Good teaching helped pupils to develop throwing and catching skills in a systematic way. Effective use of demonstration by a pair of pupils helped others to improve their technique. The pupils responded positively to the teachers’ instructions, particularly during the pair work. They played together in larger competitive groups reasonably well. All pupils, including the one with a statement of educational need, took full part in the lesson.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

108 Only one lesson was seen. This was in the Years 3, 4 and 5 class. This and other evidence indicates that the standards achieved are appropriate in relation to the targets set in the Agreed Syllabus and that pupils achieve satisfactorily. This is a similar finding to that made at the time of the last inspection. It is not possible to evaluate the overall quality of teaching and learning.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

109 No lessons were seen in the Years 1 and 2 class, but carefully presented folders of work show that pupils have learnt about Christian festivals and traditions, including Baptism, and some stories of Jesus. They have related the Christian principles of friendship, caring and being grateful for what they have, to their own experiences. Detailed planning shows that appropriate references are made to other religions. During the study of special books, for example, the pupils learn that the Torah is the Jewish holy book. Hellifield Primary School - 38 110 Discussion with two of the oldest pupils about their work showed that they had sound knowledge of both Christianity and Islam. They knew the difference between the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, and were pleased to discuss the research they had done into Bible stories. The most able pupil recalled the story of Abraham well and was able to explain how God tested him. The other pupil retold the story of Joseph

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

satisfactorily. Though this work helped to develop pupils’ research skills soundly, further opportunities for extending their skills were lost. Work involved the use of books chosen by the teacher, and did not include note taking or the use of other sources of information such as ICT. The pupils recalled the work done on Islam well, partly because it had been presented in an interesting way. They had researched aspects of the religion in pairs, written about them on posters and made presentations to the rest of the class. Usually, pupils visit the Interfaith Centre in Bradford as part of their study of Islam. Unfortunately, this had to be cancelled last year, as the school was not allowed to arrange visits during the foot and mouth crisis.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

111 The lesson about the parable of the sower seen in Years 3, 4 and 5 was taught satisfactorily. A strength of the teaching was the use of a short period of drama to illustrate the way that seeds either grow or are wasted depending on where they are sown. Pupils did find the meaning of the parable difficult to understand, however, and more could have been done to illustrate this. Pupils behaved satisfactorily in the lesson, and well during the drama, but some only put moderate effort into their recording. This was partly because they were not absolutely sure what to do.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

112 Resources are satisfactory. Visitors sometimes talk to the pupils and this contributes well to the richness of the curriculum. A farmer had recently visited the school to talk to the oldest class about the trauma of foot and mouth disease, for example.

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