Barns Green Primary School

ITCHINGFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Reporting inspector: Wendy Simmons 23674

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ITCHINGFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 1 st - 4 th October 2001

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ITCHINGFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Full inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Itchingfield Primary School - 2

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Itchingfield Horsham West Sussex

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body, Itchingfield Primary School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr A Scholefield

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 21 st -25 th April 1997

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE 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. Itchingfield Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities 23674 Wendy Simmons Registered inspector English, Information and communicatio n technology, Music, English as an additional language. What sort of school is it? The school’s results and pupils’ achievements. How well is the school led and managed? How well are pupils taught? What should the school do to improve further? 9092 Ron Elam Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? 18083 Judith Howell Team inspector Foundation Stage, Science, History, Geography, Physical education. 27644 John Tate Team inspector Mathematics, Art, Design and technology, Religious education, Special educational needs, Equal opportunities. How good are curricular and other opportunities?

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Phoenix Educational Consultants, “Thule”, 60 Joy Lane, Whitstable, Kent, CT5 4LT 01227 273449

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager, Inspection Quality Division, The Office for Standards in Education, Alexandra House, 33 Kingsway, London, WC2B 6SE Itchingfield Primary School - 4

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 5

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 9

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

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Itchingfield Primary School - 5 PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

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Itchingfield Primary School educates boys and girls between the ages of four and 11 on two sites, one at Barns Green and the other, over a mile away, at Itchingfield. There are 161 pupils who attend this smaller than average primary school. Fourteen of these pupils attend part-time in the Reception class. There are significantly more boys than girls on roll, especially in Year 3. There are 32 pupils (20 per cent of the full time roll) on the school's register of special educational needs, which is lower than average. One pupil has a statement of special educational need, which is less than average. The school has a number of very able and talented pupils. Three per cent of the pupils are from ethnic minority backgrounds and speak English as an additional language, which is much lower than average. No pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals, which is much lower than average. Pupils show a wide range of abilities,

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but overall, attainment on entry to the school is above average. The school has a very stable staff. It serves a wide area with 20 per cent of pupils attending from outside the catchment area. Many pupils come from professional families.

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This is a good school which has improved considerably since it was last inspected. The leadership and management of the school are good and hard work and strong teamwork are underpinning improvement. Teaching is good. Standards are very high in Year 6. Behaviour is good and relationships are very good. Pupils are highly valued and all of them are fully included in all the school’s activities. More able pupils achieve their full potential by the end of Key Stage 2, but are sometimes under challenged in writing at Key Stage 1. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well • Teaching and learning are both good throughout the school with examples of very good teaching at both key stages. Teaching is very good in the Years 4/5 class and excellent in the Years 5/6 class. • The standards achieved by the end of Key Stage 2 are very high in English, mathematics and science and are supported by the very good teaching of basic skills and very good provision for literacy and numeracy. • Pupils have very good attitudes to learning. Their interest and enthusiasm for learning result from the very good relationships which exist between pupils and staff and the very happy and caring school ethos. • The action taken by staff and governors to improve the school is very good.

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What could be improved • The challenge in writing for more able pupils at Key Stage 1 as stated in the school’s development plan. • Opportunities for pupils to understand and appreciate the traditions of different cultures and recognition of Britain as a multicultural society are considerably underdeveloped. • Information to parents about the curriculum, homework and pupils’ targets for improvement. • The health and safety checks and risk assessments are not rigorous enough. • Opportunities to foster greater cohesion between the two school sites are often underdeveloped. 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

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The school was last inspected in April 1997. Since then, it has made a very good improvement particularly in standards, especially in English at Key Stage 2 and in mathematics and science across the whole school. The improved curriculum for religious education, design and technology and geography is supporting better attainment. However, in geography, some skills are underdeveloped. Good standards have been maintained in physical education and information and communication technology at Key Stage 2, but at Key Stage 1 they are now average. Standards in music are average and not as high as in 1997. Nevertheless, instrumental teaching is excellent and results in very high standards. Provision for pupils with special educational needs and for children in the Foundation Stage has improved considerably. Teaching and learning have improved significantly, resulting in increased challenge for more able pupils. Leadership and management show good improvement. The school is giving better value for money.

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Spiritual, moral and social development remains as at the last inspection, but cultural development has weaknesses. Assessment shows good improvement. Information to parents is satisfactory. The capacity for further improvement is good. Itchingfield Primary School - 6 STANDARDS

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The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests. compared with

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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

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This inspection finds that children reach higher than average standards by the end of the Foundation Stage in all areas of their learning, with the exception of physical development, which is broadly average. Personal, social and emotional development is well above average. Pupils in Year 2 reach above average standards overall in English, literacy, mathematics, numeracy, science, art and design and technology and average standards in all other subjects. Achievement is satisfactory in the Foundation Stage and at Key Stage 1. The table above shows the results of Key Stage 2 tests in 2001. Compared with all schools, standards were very high. Compared with similar schools, standards were well above average in mathematics and above average in English and science. The school is maintaining high standards. The very high standard of teaching in the mixed Years 4/5 and 5/6, together with the implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy, is why standards are so high. Girls perform

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similarly to boys in all three subjects overall. The school is working very successfully to raise boys’ attainment and to improve speaking skills for all pupils. The school exceeded its targets for pupils gaining Level 4 or above in the end of key stage tests. The findings of the inspection are that, in Year 6, the pupils reach well above average standards in English, literacy, mathematic, numeracy and science. Standards in information and communication technology, art, design and technology, history and physical education are above average. Standards in religious education, geography and music are average. In music, due to the temporary changes in staffing, pupils are not, at present, sufficiently challenged in class lessons. Achievement is good by Year 6 overall considering the school’s higher than average attainment at the end of Key Stage 1. Pupils with special educational needs make very good progress as they move

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through the school, which often results in their attaining average standards by Year 6. Gifted and talented pupils achieve satisfactorily at Key Stage 1, but at Key Stage 2, achievement is very good. PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

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Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils enjoy school, are highly motivated and are keen to learn. This significant strength underpins the high standards achieved.

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Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. This allows all pupils to learn successfully. Pupils respond positively to the school's high expectations of them, although pupils in Years 3/4 sometimes find it harder to listen than in other classes. There are no instances of bullying, however, the bullying policy is weak.

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Personal development and relationships Good, although limited space can adversely influence opportunities to develop greater independence in learning. Relationships are very good.

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Attendance Good. Unauthorised absence is very low. Pupils are keen to come to school.

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The significant strengths in pupils’ attitudes, attendance and very good relationships contribute to the high standards achieved by Year 6. Itchingfield Primary School - 7 TEACHING AND LEARNING Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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

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The quality of teaching and learning in English and mathematics is good at Key Stage 1 and very good at Key Stage 2. Numeracy and literacy are very well taught. The only weaker aspect is linked to the teaching and learning of writing for more able pupils at Key Stage 1. Strengths of pupils’ learning include their understanding of basic skills, the use of challenging questioning by teachers and pupils to support thinking and learning. Teachers are working very hard. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is very good. Pupils with English as an additional language receive good teaching. There is some inconsistency in the quality of marking of pupils’ English work between the two key stages. Homework is satisfactory, but opportunities to develop pupils’ research skills are underdeveloped. There has been very good improvement in the amount of good, very good and excellent teaching since the last inspection. At Key

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Stage 1, there are fewer computers than at Key Stage 2 and this means that learning is no more than satisfactory, despite the good teaching. Insufficient use is made of sensors in information and communication technology, otherwise teaching and learning are of a very high standard at Key Stage 2. The hall spaces are too small for effective learning of gymnastics. Overall, teachers’ subject knowledge and management of pupils are very good. Continuity in developing geographical skills is limited. Pupils learn historical information well and develop thinking and evaluation skills through their scientific investigative work. The teaching of personal and social skills is particularly strong in the Foundation Stage. Teaching and learning in Years 5/6 are both excellent.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL Aspect Comment

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The quality and range of the curriculum Good. Very good improvement in the schemes of work. The school recognises the needs of different abilities well. Extracurricular provision is very good at Key Stage 2, but underdeveloped elsewhere. Continuity between the sites is developing, but is not totally consistent. Links with the community are very good.

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Provision for pupils with special educational needs Curricular provision is good. Pupils make very good progress. Help from teachers, support assistants and through the Additional Literacy Programme is resulting in very good learning.

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Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. Pupils are well integrated. The school seeks additional help to ensure that pupils make good progress.

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Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Satisfactory overall. Moral and social development is good. Spiritual is satisfactory. Pupils have a good understanding of history and literature and a growing understanding of world religions. Opportunities to learn about the multicultural nature of Britain and world societies are insufficiently developed.

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How well the school cares for its pupils This is a very caring school. However, health and safety procedures are not sufficiently up-to-date. There is good provision for personal, social and health education. The school has very effective procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour. Procedures for assessing and monitoring pupils' attainment and progress are very good in English, good in mathematics and science, but inconsistent in other subjects. Itchingfield Primary School - 8 Links with parents are satisfactory, although less effective than at the time of the last inspection. Information about the curriculum, transfer from class to class, pupils’ targets for development and homework are not communicated sufficiently well to parents and this is a weakness.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED Aspect Comment

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Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good. The headteacher cares about his school, the pupils and staff and gives a firm steer to developments with the very good support of his able deputy and senior teacher. Teamwork is very strong. Delegation is good. Co- ordinators lead subjects well. Monitoring is good overall, but is limited in terms of developing consistency between key stages.

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How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. They show a strong commitment to the school and are very knowledgeable. They have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Statutory requirements are met well overall, but there are weaknesses in the provision for health and safety. Governors play an active role in shaping the direction of the school.

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The school’s evaluation of its performance Good. Monitoring of the school’s performance and tracking of pupils’ progress are rigorous in English, mathematics and science, but less well developed in other subjects. The development plan has criteria for judging the success of projects, but these are sometimes too general.

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The strategic use of resources Good. Expenditure is carefully monitored. Specific grants are used well. Information and communication technology resources are used well, although financial information is not always easily accessible. The higher than average under spend is due to plans to build a new hall. Development plans do not always drive budget- making decisions.

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The number and qualifications of staff are good. Accommodation and resources are satisfactory, although some limitations hamper the teaching of physical education, research opportunities and mixing between infant and junior pupils. Multicultural resources are underused.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved • They like the school and feel that it is well managed with good teaching. • Children like coming to school and make good progress. • Behaviour is good. • Homework and information about the curriculum. • The range of extracurricular activities. • More information about how well their children are progressing.

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The inspection agrees with all comments noted above from parents, except extracurricular activities, which are very good at Key Stage 2 and underdeveloped at Key Stage 1. Itchingfield Primary School - 9

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Children reach higher than average standards by the end of the Foundation Stage taking all six areas of development into account. Children enter the school at above average levels of attainment overall. Communication language and literacy, mathematical, personal, social and emotional development and knowledge and understanding of the world are all above average. However, they start school showing average physical and creative development. Children are on course to reach above average standards by the end of the Foundation Stage in all areas of their learning, with the exception of physical development, which is broadly average, although fine hand control skills are above average. Personal, social and emotional development is on track to be well above average. Progress and achievement are satisfactory in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development and in knowledge and understanding of the world, as

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

children maintain above average attainment. Progress and achievement are good in children’s creative and personal, social and emotional development. Overall, achievement is satisfactory. The provision for children with special educational needs is good, which allows them to achieve their full potential. Able children make satisfactory progress as the teacher plans work that is suitably challenging. There has been very good improvement since the last inspection in the provision and attainment for children in the Foundation Stage. In 1997, standards were average, except in some aspects of literacy, where they exceeded average. No children speak English as an additional language in the Foundation Stage. 2. In the end of Key Stage 1 tests in 2001, compared with all schools, standards in reading were above average. This shows steady improvement on the 2000 results, especially for the percentage reaching the higher Level 3 in the national tests. In writing, the percentage achieving

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

Level 2 is above the national average, but within this, a higher than average percentage score the lower Level 2C results, whilst the percentage achieving the higher Level 2B and beyond is lower than average. As a consequence of this, the 2001 results are average overall. Results in writing were not as high as in 2000, due to the lower achievement of some of the high number of boys in the year group. In mathematics, the 2001 results were above the national average. Mathematics results show steady improvement on the 2000 results for the percentage of pupils achieving at the higher Level 2A and 3. Standards are also compared against those with very similar characteristics. The results of this show that standards were lower than average in reading and mathematics. However, this shows improvement on the previous year when they were much lower than average. In writing, compared with other similar schools, results are well below

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

average. In writing this shows a decline on the 2000 comparison when they were below average. The reasons for this are detailed above. The assessments made by teachers in science in 2001 were above average. Between 1997 and 2001, the trend in standards in these tests and assessments has been variable. In reading, standards fluctuate between average and above average. In writing, standards were best in 1998, when they were well above average, but, since then, they have dropped to average. In mathematics, standards were best in 1998 and since then have remained at a constant average level, with recent improvement. Boys and girls achieved similar standards between 1997 and 2000. In 2001, 95 per cent of pupils were boys and this is a factor in why attainment in writing appears to have dropped from the above average results in 2000, as boys perform better in reading and mathematics than they do in writing. However, they

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

achieved above average results in spelling, which shows the success of the school’s initiative to develop this. This group of pupils has experienced considerable variation in teaching in the infant classes, due to insufficient funding to run three full time classes and a temporary secondment of the deputy headteacher. Furthermore, when starting school, their attainment in writing was broadly average. 3. The findings of the inspection are that, in Year 2, the pupils reach above average standards in English, including, reading, writing and literacy, mathematics, numeracy, science, art and design and technology and average standards in all other subjects. Compared with the findings of the school’s last inspection, standards are higher in mathematics, science, religious Itchingfield Primary School - 10 education art and design and technology and similar in all other subjects, except in information and communication technology and music. Here, attainment was above average and is now

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

average. In information and control technology, this can be explained by the improvement in average attainment across the whole country since 1997. In music, the school is in the process of appointing a new permanent teacher and thus, pupils’ skills are progressing at no more than an average level. Since the beginning of this term, a non-specialist temporary teacher is taking classes, and pupils are clearly capable of more challenge. 4. Higher standards, noted in the paragraph above, are directly related to the improvement in the quality of teaching and curricular development compared with the findings of the school’s last inspection. Standards this year in reading and writing are improving due to two main factors: Firstly, the initiative to give focused reading and spelling time to all pupils for 25 minutes every day before the literacy hour and in the introduction of a reading scheme to support pupils’ free

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

choice of books. Secondly, because infant teachers are working to develop the pace and challenge for more able pupils in their lessons. Furthermore, this group of pupils has experienced better continuity in their learning since the Foundation Stage. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory at Key Stage 1 because of their higher than average attainment on entry in English and mathematical skills and the quality of the teaching. 5. In the end of Key Stage 2 tests in 2001, compared with all schools, standards were very high. Compared with similar schools, standards were well above average in mathematics and above average in English and science. The school is maintaining very high standards. The trend in standards shows that at Level 4 and above attainment has improved in English and mathematics and, in science, standards remain constant, resulting in all pupils achieving at least average results in 2001. The very high standard of teaching

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

in Years 4/5 and 5/6, together with the implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy, is why standards in mathematics are so high. Girls perform similarly to boys in all three subjects overall, although boys have been generally stronger in mathematics in the last three years’ results. Girls and boys performed similarly during the inspection. The school exceeded its targets for the percentage of pupils achieving Level 4 and above in English and mathematics in 2001 and is reviewing targets for the future to ensure that they are challenging enough. 6. The findings of the inspection are that, in Year 6, the pupils reach well above average standards in English, literacy, mathematic, numeracy and science. Standards in information and communication technology, art, design and technology, history and physical education are above average. Standards in religious education, geography and music are average. Improvement in most subjects is due to the same

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

reasons as Key Stage 1, as pointed out in paragraph 4. Compared with the findings of the school’s last inspection, standards are higher in all subjects except in information and communication technology and physical education, where the higher than average standards have been maintained. In music, standards are not as high, for the reasons note in the Key Stage 1 section above. However, pupils show the capacity to sing well, given the opportunity, and in all areas of musical work, the challenge for pupils is not high enough. Pupils who receive specialist instrumental teaching achieve very high standards due to the excellent teaching. 7. Overall, pupils’ achievement in Year 6 is good, from above average attainment when they took their Year 2 tests in 1998. The current Years 4/5 are achieving very well. The quality of teaching in the mixed Years 5/6 class is excellent overall and is a very significant factor in why standards are so high. However, the

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

overall quality of teaching is very good at Key Stage 2 and, as a result, pupils are encouraged to reach very high standards particularly from Year 4 onwards. This very high quality of teaching provides strong support to gifted, able and talented pupils and shows why their rate of progress is better at Key Stage 2 than at Key Stage 1 overall. The school has been very successful in raising teachers’ expectations of able pupils as specified by one of the key issues from the school’s 1997 inspection. 8. Overall, pupils with special educational needs make very good progress in their learning, against their capabilities and their previous learning. Progress is very good at both key stages. The very high quality support at Key Stage 2 helps pupils to reach the national average level of attainment on many occasions. The individual education plans show very clear and specific learning objectives. These targets are revised termly,

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

and show steadily increasing learning and achievements. Some pupils have made sufficient progress to come off the register or to be placed in categories needing less support, demonstrating the success of the school’s strategies for special educational needs. Itchingfield Primary School - 11 9. There are two pupils who have English as an additional language. They are very new to the school, but already good support is in place to further their learning. Overall, they are confident in their use of English.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. Pupils' attitudes and relationships with each other and with adults are strengths of the school and make a very good contribution towards promoting their attainment and progress. Their behaviour overall and personal development are good. This conclusion is similar to the findings at the time of the previous inspection and reflects the widespread views of parents. Parents state that their children enjoy school. The attendance and punctuality of the pupils are also good. There have been no exclusions at the school. 11. Children in the Foundation Stage have very positive attitudes towards their work and play. They interact with each other and all adults very well indeed. Behaviour is exceptionally good. Children enjoy coming to school and obtain full benefit from the range of activities provided for them. They follow instructions well and settle quickly to the activities given, where they concentrate and work hard.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Throughout the school, the pupils' attitudes towards learning are very good. This includes those of pupils with special educational needs. They concentrate well and show interest in what they are doing as was seen particularly in a Year 4/5 numeracy lesson using decimals. During a ‘circle’ time in Year 1, pupils listened very attentively to the story about making friends when starting school. In most classes, pupils settle quickly to group work in lessons and maintain their interest even when not being directly supported by adults in the classroom. Years 3/4 pupils were keen to get on with their work and showed they could work independently when making measurements in a numeracy lesson. 13. Pupils behave well in the classroom, at play and lunch times. They are open, well mannered, polite to adults and to each other and courteous and welcoming to visitors. They generally move around the school in an orderly way even when not supervised. In particular,

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they wait patiently for other classes when going to and from their rooms at the beginning and end of the day and for assemblies. They show respect for property, for example, when using the computers and take care collecting and putting away instruments during music lessons. Most pupils behave extremely well but in the Year 3/4 class, inappropriate fidgeting and chatter can sometimes hamper learning, as pupils do not pay attention to the teacher quickly enough. Nevertheless the teacher has high standards and expectations for the pupils. She gained an immediate improvement by rearranging the furniture and changing the places where the pupils were sitting. Parents and pupils cannot recall any instances of bullying. 14. Relationships between pupils and with adults are very good and contribute to the quality of work in lessons. Pupils get on well with each other when playing games at break and lunch

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times. In the classroom, Year 1 pupils showed that they respected each other’s space when sitting on the carpet and following the rules of ‘circle’ time. Even the youngest pupils are starting to learn to work together as seen when two Reception children helped each other to sort out shapes. They were also seen to take turns on apparatus and carefully followed instructions. Year 2 pupils worked well together in pairs during a physical education lesson. Year 5/6 pupils showed they had the maturity to make constructive comments about their classmates during a physical education lesson. This resulted in all pupils being willing to demonstrate the sequences of movements that they had developed in a very tight space. Boys and girls and pupils from different cultural backgrounds work together very well when doing group work in the classroom and when playing at break and lunch times. Nevertheless, both the smaller and larger

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playgrounds on the junior site are dominated by boys playing football. 15. The pupils' personal development is also good. Year 4/5 pupils showed their ability to relate to the feelings of others when discussing being a nun in a religious education lesson. Year 4 pupils showed they are prepared to use their initiative when they told the inspectors they research schoolwork using the Internet even when homework has not been set. In the Itchingfield Primary School - 12 classroom, younger pupils are starting to use their initiative and, for example, move around the classroom to find materials they may need. Overall, though, there is limited opportunity for the pupils to develop independence in their learning. In part, this is because the lack of space in some classrooms limits movement. Pupils show that they can act responsibly when given tasks both within the classroom and outside. The pupils also benefit from collecting for charities during

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the year and meeting people in the community such as when playing sports matches against other schools. 16. Attendance and punctuality are good, as they were at the time of the previous inspection. Over the past year attendance was just over 95 per cent and made a significant contribution to the standards achieved by the pupils. Absences are usually due to the inevitable childhood illnesses, although some parents insist on taking their children on holiday in term time. Unauthorised absence is very low reflecting the willingness of parents to provide explanations for their children's absence. Pupils are keen to come to school and lateness is rare.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

17. On a whole school basis, the quality of teaching and learning is good and often very good as pupils move through the school. In Years 4, 5 and 6, teaching is consistently very good and in the mixed Year 5/6 class, teaching is excellent. This is a considerable strength of the school. Consequently this high quality teaching in Years 4, 5 and 6 enables pupils to achieve very high standards. Throughout the school, there are several important strengths in the quality of teaching. For example, the teaching of basic skills and the very good provision for numeracy and literacy. Furthermore, challenging questions are used to consolidate and verify what pupils know and can do. and this results in much higher than average speaking skills. Relationships in the school are very good. Teachers are working extremely hard to improve their practice and provide detailed planning. They demonstrate very good subject knowledge and understanding of

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

subjects. 18. The findings of this inspection show very good overall improvement in the quality of teaching since the 1997 inspection when it was judged as “sound overall and good in a significant number of lessons”. In 1997, teaching was satisfactory or better in 96 per cent of lessons and very good or excellent in ten per cent. Four per cent of the teaching was unsatisfactory. The findings of this inspection show that 98 per cent of teaching is satisfactory or better, with 73 per cent of teaching being judged as good or even better. Furthermore, 41 per cent of teaching was very good or excellent in the lessons seen. There has been significant improvement in the amount of good or even better teaching throughout the whole school. One unsatisfactory lesson was seen in physical education where pupils did not make enough progress in gymnastics. This was due in part to the very small space which resulted in limited learning and

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insufficient physical exercise as pupils had to sit and wait for their turn. While waiting, these pupils did not listen attentively and this influenced further the unsatisfactory quality of learning. 19. Other improvements in teaching since the last inspection include the quality of teachers' subject knowledge and development of the curriculum which enhances teaching and learning. Teachers are keeping pace with the demands of teaching information and communication technology very well. Assessment procedures have also improved, as has curricular planning, especially for design and technology and religious education, which were unsatisfactory at the time of the last inspection. The geography curriculum has developed since the last inspection, but mapping skills are underdeveloped and pupils are not developing a rich and progressively challenging understanding about other countries at Key Stage 2. The very good use of

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assessment information in English and good use in mathematics and science are helping to guide teachers in their lesson planning to raise standards. There is some inconsistency in the quality of assessment in other subjects. For example, there are physical education record sheets, but these are not always completed. Assessment of pupils’ written work is often very rigorous at Key Stage 2. However, on some occasions, the way in which written work is marked and discussed at Key Stage 1 is not consistently challenging enough to ensure the very best achievement of the more able pupils. This weakness was also identified at the time of the last inspection. Nevertheless, overall, in Year 2, teaching often shows high expectation of pupils. Itchingfield Primary School - 13 20. The school meets the needs of pupils in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 satisfactorily overall considering their higher than average attainment when starting in Year 1. At

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Key Stage 2, progress and achievement are good. The needs of pupils with special educational needs are met very well. For those pupils in Key Stage 2 with English as an additional language, their achievement is good as they are very new to the school and plans to support them are only just beginning to have effect. Support assistants give very good help in group activities, although their time is not consistently used to best advantage at the beginning of some lessons when the teacher is talking to the whole class. Teachers make learning intentions very clear to pupils and assistants. This shows very good progress since the last inspection, when they were not identified precisely enough. 21. The quality of teaching and learning for pupils in the Foundation Stage is good overall. In personal and social development it is very good and satisfactory in physical development. During the inspection, six lessons were seen at this stage and additional information was gained through

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discussions with pupils and shorter observations of pupils at work. Two lessons were satisfactory, two were good and two were very good. This represents very good improvement on the findings of the last inspection when the teaching of children aged under five was judged to be “sound”. Furthermore, the provision of a new purpose built classroom has enhanced the overall quality of learning. The Reception teacher is very skilled at developing warm relationships. Consequently, the children settle into school happily and successfully develop very good attitudes to learning. The daily activities are well planned and a great deal of thought has gone into ensuring that all children receive high quality experiences. The good range of resources is effectively used to stimulate interest in learning. The Reception teacher’s management of children and use of support staff are very good and overall, there is a good balance between teacher directed and

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child initiated activities. All adults who work in the Reception class listen with interest to what the children have to say and, when working with them, demonstrate good skills in helping children to extend their language for communication. The teaching of social skills is especially good. The use of assessment is very good and enables the teacher to plan effectively for the children’s future learning. A successful partnership exists between the Reception teacher and classroom assistant. 22. In Key Stage 1, the quality of teaching and learning is good and pupils make satisfactory progress from their higher than average starting point at the end of the Foundation Stage. Sometimes, progress is good, as evident in aspects of reading, speaking and listening and in science. During the inspection, 17 lessons were observed. Six were very good, seven good and four satisfactory. This means that 76 per cent of the teaching was good or better. Teaching is

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good in all subjects except history, music and religious education, where teaching is satisfactory. Learning matches this pattern in subjects except in information and communication technology, where learning is satisfactory. This difference between the teaching and learning in information and communication technology is due to less ‘hands on’ experience during the teaching session, which means that pupils cannot consolidate learning as the teacher demonstrates. There are no significant variations between the quality of teaching and learning amongst the year groups in this key stage. 23. An example of the good overall teaching at Key Stage 1 was seen in a good Year 2 lesson on literacy and design and technology in which the teacher helped pupils to understand how instructional writing differs from story writing. All the class read a large book of instructions together about making a moving paper animal. The teacher used the word ‘sequence’ and talked

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about sharp and bossy sentences for instruction writing, although she did not write these down to illustrate her point. Following this, the teacher worked with an average ability group to help them to evaluate how instructions need key words. She realised that this was confusing, due to the mass of information sheets, which she had provided. Good modification of the lesson resulted in good learning. By the end of the session, pupils could read and identify, ‘cut’, ‘pull’, ‘draw’, ‘twist’, ‘tie’ and ‘make’ as key words from the text. Less able pupils were very well supported by an assistant who helped them to make the animals as they read the instructions. She talked through the key words as they went and pupils wrote their own instructions. Excellent relationships and praise helped to make learning successful for all abilities. Higher attaining pupils were told about Itchingfield Primary School - 14

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bullet points and managed to evaluate at least three different kinds of instructions from photocopied sheets. They learned how instructions vary when making a spinning animal, a parachute and how to do tie dying. From this, they completed a chart, which showed whether instructions listed equipment, tools and technique and whether the style of language gave orders. This good quality lesson had too many photocopied sheets and too few opportunities for pupils to write their own lists of instructions. 24. At Key Stage 2, the quality of teaching and learning is very good. During the inspection, 28 lessons were observed. Four were excellent, nine were very good, seven were good, seven were satisfactory and one was unsatisfactory. Exact comparisons with the last inspection are difficult to make as the last report contained little direct detail about teaching in each key stage. Nevertheless, it is easy to see that the quality of very good and excellent teaching has increased

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considerably. Furthermore, the work sampling strongly reinforces the view that teaching in Years 5/6 is excellent overall. Teaching and learning are very good in English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology. In all other subjects, teaching and learning are judged to be good, except in geography and religious education, where they are satisfactory. In music, there is strong evidence that, until very recently, the school benefited from very high quality music teaching. However, during the inspection week, three satisfactory lessons were seen which were taken by a temporary teacher who has taken the post until another specialist teacher is appointed. Teaching by the peripatetic specialist instrumental teacher was excellent and shows the commitment that the school makes to develop the skills of gifted, able and talented pupils. Compared with the last inspection, there has been very good improvement in

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teaching and learning in all subjects except physical education which remains good overall. Music was previously judged as very good and the reasons for the difference in this inspection are noted above. Particular improvements have taken place in the teaching of mathematics, numeracy, design and technology and religious education. 25. An excellent Year 5/6 English lesson about writing using passive and active sentences illustrated the very high quality of teaching and learning and of the implementation of the National Literacy Strategy at this key stage. The teacher showed excellent subject knowledge and was rigorous in her explanation about a passive sentence needing the words ‘was’ or ‘by’. Pupils quickly grasped the idea and managed several sentences, such as by converting “Andrew played his trumpet at the school concert,” into a passive sentence. Her lively enthusiasm instilled confidence and interest in the pupils. Her relationships with the pupils were excellent. Moreover,

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she involved them in every part of the discussion to consolidate their learning. The planning was excellent, with work for all abilities and strong links to assessment information and pupils’ targets for development. Using a balance of formal whole class teaching and informal group work, pupils worked with sustained concentration on sorting different sentences and writing their own ideas for an episode in the story of ‘Mr Hashean’. Behaviour was excellent and a natural silence fell on the room as pupils became engrossed in their work and the teacher helped a struggling pupil by writing as he dictated. Even in the final part of the lesson, pupils were challenged: “Now use your white boards to try and solve this next sentence, so that I can check your learning.” 26. Management of pupils is now very good overall. The boys in Year 3 find it harder to concentrate than others in the school, although the teacher is working very hard to address this.

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For example, she realised that pupils find it harder to focus on the board if they are sitting at an angle, so pupils were re-arranged to face the front for whole class teaching activities. 27. The use of homework supports the pupils’ learning satisfactorily, although it is inconsistent, with no overview about what is expected of each year for each week. Parents also commented on this weaker feature of information. Thirty five per cent of parents who responded to the questionnaire felt that homework does not support learning well enough. Furthermore, homework is underused to support independent research work. Throughout the school, the major strengths in the pupils’ learning are their attitudes, the way in which they ask questions and respond to discussions and the effort that they put into producing good amounts of well- presented work. Pupils have a good knowledge of their own learning. This is very good in Years

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5 and 6, due to the clear target recording, which note pupils’ progress in English. Overall, teachers share and explain the pupils’ targets and the objectives of lessons with them very well. Itchingfield Primary School - 15 28. The quality of teaching and learning of gifted, able and talented pupils is very good at Key Stage 2. Pupils are supported specifically in English, mathematics, physical education and music and, in other subjects, teachers challenge pupils in lessons. However, the use of research based homework is too limited to motivate the most able. The school does not have a whole school policy to ensure continuity of provision between Key Stages 1 and 2 and for all subjects. 29. Teaching and learning for pupils with special educational needs are very good. The special educational needs co-ordinator works efficiently to set individual education plans with teachers so that pupils can make progress in their learning. Teachers and assistants give strong

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support to these pupils in lessons so that they are well involved and make speedy progress. At Key Stage 2, progress is very good, allowing pupils often to achieve an average level of attainment by Year 6. The quality of teaching and learning for the very few pupils with English as an additional language is good. The school is very keen to help these pupils to achieve their full potential and is seeking external support to ensure that pupils make good progress.

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30. The quality and range of the curriculum provided by the school are good and promote the aims of the school well. It includes all subjects of the National Curriculum, together with religious education. The curriculum meets all statutory requirements and offers pupils a good range of opportunities. Appropriate policies and schemes of work are in place for all subjects, and each receives an appropriate amount of teaching time. This shows very good improvement since the previous inspection, when a key issue was to “systematically complete and implement schemes of work for all subjects in sufficient detail to help raise the quality of teaching”. 31. Long-term and medium-term planning is good and provides for the coverage of all National Curriculum programmes of study. However, the geography curriculum lacks progressive development of skills at Key Stage 2 and sensor work in information and communication

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technology is not developed sufficiently. The physical education curriculum is rich and varied, with good provision for talented pupils. However, there is no provision for adventurous activities. Weekly plans are detailed and focus on key objectives, which groups of pupils are to learn. The headteacher and subject co-ordinators curricular monitor planning but monitoring between the two key stages is underdeveloped. As a result, there are some inconsistencies in the way in which the curriculum is planned for progressive development from the infants to the juniors. Furthermore, teachers do not have enough opportunities to see how subjects are taught across the school as a whole. However, there is a plan to address this weakness. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been very successfully implemented. They have been appropriately resourced and have a good impact on helping to raise standards throughout the

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school. Provision for pupils’ personal development is good. Health and sex education and the use and misuse of medicines and drugs are taught as part of personal, social and health education and through the science curriculum, within the context of caring relationships. Pupils are provided with accurate information, which promotes positive attitudes to a healthy lifestyle. The provision of homework in both key stages is variable. 32. The quality and range of learning opportunities for children in the Foundation Stage are good. The planning documents are detailed and take full account of the six areas of learning as recommended for children in the Foundation Stage, both inside the classroom and outdoors. A strong emphasis is placed on providing first-hand experiences of quality and there is very good provision for children’s personal and social development that prepares children well for entry into

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Year 1. Both the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are fully planned for. 33. Curricular provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. There are good arrangements to support pupils’ learning in literacy and numeracy classes, where teaching assistants work with individual pupils or with small groups. The Additional Literacy Support Programme is providing an effective strategy for pupils in Key Stage 2 to develop their understanding of phonics. Individual education plans are well organised and targets are clear and achievable. These targets focus on both literacy and numeracy, and most plans include Itchingfield Primary School - 16 targets for personal and social development. The needs of the pupils with statements of special education need are well met and annual reviews provide a good focus for further improvement. 34. The aims of the school show a strong commitment to equality of education for all pupils

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and this is reflected well in all aspects of school life. Analysis of end of key stage test results reveal very little difference between the attainment of boys and girls and both sexes are given equality of opportunity in everything which takes place. This good provision extends to all pupils in the school, including those with special educational needs who thrive in this environment. 35. The school provides a very good range of extracurricular activities for Key Stage 2 pupils, but opportunities are limited at Key Stage 1. This is an example of where continuity between the infants and juniors has weaknesses. At Key Stage 2, pupils are able to take part in various sporting activities with other schools, where they are very successful. The cricket team, in particular, has had players who have gone on to be county class. Pupils are able to participate in clubs during the lunch hour and after school, where boys and girls can play football, netball,

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hockey, and rounders. Alternatively, chess, drama and art are on offer. Music is a very important aspect of school life. Recorder and percussion tuition is provided by the school and visiting instrumental teachers provide violin and brass tuition. Concerts held during the year enable the pupils to practise their skills, improve confidence and perform for a wider audience. The curriculum is enhanced by visits to different places of interest such as Pagham Harbour and the British Museum, with residential trips to the Isle of Wight and The Wye Valley. Links with the local community enrich the curriculum very well, although links with the wider multicultural community are underdeveloped. 36. The school’s provision for pupils’ moral and social development is good and it makes a satisfactory provision for their spiritual development. This is similar to the conclusions of the previous inspection. However, the overall provision for pupils' cultural development is

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unsatisfactory. 37. The opportunities for pupils to gain insight into values and beliefs in order to develop their spiritual awareness are satisfactory. School assemblies help pupils to develop an understanding of the Christian faith. This is enhanced by the visits of the local vicar and the opportunities to visit the nearby church. Other faiths are introduced in religious education lessons but there are no opportunities to visit other places of worship or to see visitors from other faiths. In the classroom, Year 4/5 pupils experienced a sense of mystery during a history lesson when considering why a body was missing from the grave at Sutton Hoo. In an instrumental lesson, the pupils, and the inspector, were moved by the quality of music they were making. Nevertheless, the school does not always plan opportunities within lessons to enable pupils to appreciate fully the exciting nature of the world around them or to reflect upon their own feelings.

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38. The school’s approach to pupils' moral development is good. The school has clear expectations of high standards of behaviour and acceptable conduct to which the pupils generally respond. These standards lead to the pupils having a good awareness of right from wrong. Pupils are generally self disciplined and this makes for an orderly school. Their awareness of rules was highlighted by the way that even the youngest pupils in the Reception class are already starting to be aware that they should put their hands up to answer. The staff are good role models; however, there is some inconsistency between teachers in the way in which they manage pupils’ behaviour. 39. The provision for encouraging the social development of the pupils is also good. The school values its members and encourages pupils to integrate well both at work and at play. In the classroom, there are many opportunities to work together in pairs or groups. Pupils are

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encouraged, and are willing, to undertake various tasks appropriate for their age such as getting resources and tidying up at the end of the session. Older pupils have duties around the school such as the delivery and collection of registers and helping with the equipment for assembly. Pupils were seen to be aware of social conventions, politely asking "Would you open the door for me, please?" and saying "Thank you". ‘Circle’ time effectively reinforces good social values. They also have opportunities to mix socially outside school with sports matches against other schools and with the residential visits. Nevertheless, their social awareness is limited by the Itchingfield Primary School - 17 school providing few opportunities for pupils to be involved in the school. There is no school council and there are few occasions when the junior pupils can meet or work with the infants. 40. The provision for cultural development is unsatisfactory. Support is good for pupils’ own

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cultural background within subjects such as English, history and geography. This includes nursery rhymes, the study of the Romans and Celts, visiting theatre groups and the studies of the local area. Painting and music help the development of aesthetic awareness. The library has a range of books on different cultures. Nevertheless visitors from other backgrounds are infrequent and pupils have few opportunities to learn about the ethnic and cultural diversity of British society.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Staff show appropriate concern for the needs of the pupils and provide good role models to encourage their development. This continues what was found at the last inspection. Parents are pleased with the level of support in the school, seeing it as a caring community where staff are approachable if there are any problems. The procedures for monitoring pupils' attainment and progress and for providing support and guidance are good. Nevertheless, the school has unsatisfactory procedures for child protection and ensuring the welfare of the pupils. The headteacher is the designated officer for child protection and the school follows local procedures. He has contact as necessary with social services and attends case conferences but the staff generally have not received guidance on how to deal with any situations that may arise. The provision for first aid is appropriate with trained staff on both sites and letters home to parents as

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appropriate. A health and safety policy is in place but has not been reviewed since 1996. It lacks detail and has no reference to risk assessment. The governors include people who have experience of health and safety matters from their work. They are actively involved in touring the school to identify any potential hazards. Outside contractors are used to regularly check the fire extinguishers, electrical items and physical education equipment. The teachers ensure that pupils are made aware of health and safety issues during lessons such as science, physical education and design and technology. However, the school has not carried out a whole school health and safety risk assessment as is legally required. The arrangements for sex education and drugs awareness are appropriate. Most parents were seen to drive their cars sensibly when delivering and collecting their children to the upper school, but a few insist on parking by the

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blind, right angled bend in the narrow road outside the school.

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42. Since the last inspection, there has been a good improvement in the procedures for assessment and in the analysis of data. The procedures for monitoring and supporting pupils’ academic performance and personal development are now good. Very good assessment and record keeping procedures are in place in English, and in mathematics and science, they are good. Very soon after children enter the school at the Foundation Stage, they are assessed using the local authority procedures designed for this age range of children. Together with the evidence from parental consultations, this provides valuable information for planning activities to meet the children’s needs. The children’s progress is monitored carefully on a regular basis and assessment procedures are repeated to check the children’s progress. In the intervening period between the national tests in Year 2 and 6, the school uses optional tests in English and

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mathematics for Years 3, 4 and 5. The results of these tests are used by the school to track pupils’ progress. The data is analysed methodically. This in turn helps the school to set targets for the future and to ascertain which pupils require further support and those that require greater challenge in their work. The assessment co-ordinator has carefully analysed the performance of those pupils who have been in the school for four years by comparing their results in the Key Stage 1 tests with the results they achieved in the Key Stage 2 tests. This provided very useful information for the school and clearly shows the good progress pupils make. The data are also used to compare the achievement of boys and girls. 43. Teachers have met to examine pupils’ work to develop a shared understanding of standards in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. Teachers also keep samples of pupils’ work that best demonstrate their achievements, although these are not always levelled

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Itchingfield Primary School - 18 to see how work develops. The school does not have a consistent approach for logging information gained from on-going assessment of other subjects, such as music and physical education. Although there is evidence of some assessments being made against the expectations identified in the nationally recommended guidelines, in general it is not a systematic whole school approach. However, subject co-ordinators do keep useful collections of pupils’ work that show the full range of work covered. 44. The monitoring of progress of pupils' personal development is very good for the Foundation Stage with good records kept of the pupils' progress in their social and emotional development. The procedures are satisfactory in the rest of the school, being less structured and relying mainly on the teachers’ and assistants' knowledge of the individual pupils. Their personal qualities are enhanced by various tasks they have around the school. Assemblies, ‘circle’ time

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and the programme of personal, health and social education help pupils to learn to listen to others and to develop self-confidence. The consistent approach was highlighted during the inspection when both assemblies and some of the lessons in the classroom focused on friendship. The school methodically assesses pupils with special educational needs to gain a good understanding of their difficulties. They are placed on appropriate levels on the special educational needs register and the necessary support is clearly explained in the individual education plans. The school has good arrangements with secondary schools to help the transfer of pupils when they leave the school at the end of Year 6. The Year 2 and Year 3 teachers work hard to prepare Year 2 pupils for transfer to the juniors but their effectiveness is reduced by the limited opportunities for the younger pupils to visit that site. 45. The procedures for promoting discipline and behaviour are good. The behaviour policy

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has a good balance of rewards and sanctions and highlights what behaviour should be encouraged. Class rules are displayed in the classrooms and are developed after discussion with the pupils. Pupils were able to quote examples of what they should and should not do. Good behaviour and attitudes are rewarded by all staff giving out team points. The inspectors saw good instances in lessons of teachers ensuring that the pupils understand how to behave. The teachers' approach is generally consistent between the classes although some instances were seen where the teacher did not have sufficient strategies to deal with pupils who did not respond to her initial requests to pay attention. Although the parents could not recall any instances of bullying or racism, the school's policy is weak. It does not define bullying and has no strategies for dealing with either the bully or the victim. The pupils who show any sustained

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difficulty with behaviour are monitored well through the school's special educational needs system. 46. The procedures for monitoring and promoting good attendance and punctuality are satisfactory. The keenness of the pupils to come to school and the good relationships with parents result in little absence. Any unexplained absence results in the secretary telephoning home during the morning of the first day. She also enters the details of registration into a computerised system. However, this is little used to produce regular statistics to see whether any problems are starting to build up. Punctuality is enhanced by the prompt registration at the start of the day.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. In their responses to the questionnaire and at the meeting with the inspectors, parents showed that they are generally pleased with all that the school does. Parents say that the school is well led, and that the teaching is good. Their children like coming to school and make progress from the level of support they receive. The school expects them to work hard and helps them to become mature and responsible. Parents feel comfortable approaching the school with any questions. These reactions are similar to the comments made at the time of the previous inspection. Some parents are concerned about the range of activities outside lessons - the inspection team considers that the provision of clubs and other activities is very good in the upper school but too limited at Key Stage 1. Some doubts were expressed about the amount and type of homework and the inspectors conclude that homework is set inconsistently, with limited

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opportunities for personal research work. A small number of parents feel that they are not well Itchingfield Primary School - 19 informed about the progress of their children or that the school does not work closely with them. The inspectors conclude that the range of information and opportunities for parents to meet teachers is generally satisfactory but not as extensive as occurs in other schools. 48. Overall, the school has established satisfactory links with the parents, although these are less effective than at the time of the previous inspection. The headteacher sends home brief newsletters two or three times a term summarising sports and other activities as well providing some general administrative information. Other letters refer to more specific matters. Almost all parents come to the formal meetings with teachers in the autumn and spring terms to find out what their children will be doing and to discuss their progress. In the summer term, the evening

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to celebrate work is well attended. At the infant site, there are good opportunities for parents to see the teachers every morning and afternoon. At the end of the day, when parents were collecting their children, the inspectors saw several conversations taking place in the playground and it is apparent that parents feel very welcome to talk to the staff. However this is less easy at the junior site, in part because of the need to park in the narrow, but fortunately quiet, road. Parents wait in the road and the inspectors did not see many teachers coming into the playground at the end of the day. The annual report on progress is sent home in the summer term. This report generally provides a reasonable summary for English, mathematics and science. For the other subjects, the detail varies between classes with some teachers concentrating on what the pupils have experienced and their attitudes rather than on the pupils’

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knowledge and understanding. The section on improvement is poor. Targets are either missing completely or mainly refer to attitudes and they do not suggest the action needed to improve in the three main subjects. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are appropriately involved in the setting and review of their individual education plans. 49. Parents’ involvement with the school makes a satisfactory contribution to its work and to the attainment of the pupils. Pupils are happy in school and work hard and are keen to learn. These attitudes reflect the extent to which parents encourage their children to respect the school and education process. The parent governors actively talk to others in the playground. The parent staff association is very supportive arranging both fund raising and social events including ones for the benefit of the pupils. Few parents come to help in the classroom on a regular basis

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although more are willing to help on trips out. Little homework is set other than reading, spellings and tables, but some pupils spoken to by the inspectors stated that they sometimes do their own research from the Internet or from material on CD-ROMs. Nevertheless, opportunities for parents to help are limited, as the school does not regularly send home details of what is to be taught in class. It also normally does not involve parents generally in deciding on policies. The school rarely invites parents to meetings to discuss general aspects of education although the use of visiting speakers at the governors' annual meeting helps to increase the numbers of parents who attend. 50. Partnership with parents of children in the Foundation Stage is good. During the summer term preceding the child’s first term, parents have the opportunity to visit the school and meet with the deputy headteacher and Reception teacher. Although the parents are given appropriate

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information about the school’s provision, there is no booklet provided that is specific to the Foundation Stage. Children have the opportunity to make at least three pre-school visits, one with their playgroup leader, one with their parents and one on their own. Once in school, parents are kept fully informed of their child’s work and of their progress. In addition to formal consultation times, the Reception teacher is available at the beginning of the day to discuss any concerns or to make an appointment for a longer discussion at the end of the day. Before starting school full-time, the children experience lunch and lunchtime play. A number of parents provide very good support in the classroom on a regular basis.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The quality of leadership and management in the school is good. The school is working well towards achieving all of the aims as detailed in the school’s prospectus and, in particular, places strong emphasis on high standards. There is a very strong commitment to promoting and achieving very good relationships. Progress since the last inspection is very good as leadership Itchingfield Primary School - 20 and management were judged as satisfactory and the quality of teaching, learning, the curriculum and standards have improved considerably. Furthermore, the building has been improved significantly to include a new library at Key Stage 1 and a purpose built Reception class. 52. The headteacher really cares about the pupils and his staff. This sensitive leadership underpins the strong and happy whole school ethos. Since the last inspection, there has been very good improvement in many aspects of leadership. The headteacher delegates many

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responsibilities to his extremely effective senior management team. The teamwork between all staff underpins recent developments. The headteacher, deputy headteacher and senior teacher form a strong and committed team who are working successfully together in this happy school for the benefit of the pupils. Together, they have a very good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. Leadership shows very clear educational direction. 53. The headteacher’s vision for development is good. He is giving a very firm steer to school development with the strong support of his able deputy and senior teacher. His style of management shows respect for the contributions that all staff can make to school improvement. Delegation of responsibilities to the senior management team and subject co-ordinators is very evident. Co-ordinators are working extremely hard. This is a small staff, which means that each

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teacher is responsible for several subjects. Teamwork is evident throughout the school and this is a significant reason why improvement is very good. Overall, commitment to improvement and the capacity to succeed are good. 54. The governing body fulfils its responsibilities well. All governors show a strong commitment to the school. Moreover, they have expertise in areas such as finance, business management and education, which brings high quality skills to the benefit of the school. Governors visit the school as often as their work commitments allow and this allows them to develop a strong knowledge about its daily workings. They have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in the school and fulfil their statutory responsibilities to a good overall standard. However, there are weaknesses in the provision of health and safety risk assessments. The governors play a very active and crucial role in shaping the direction of the school and in

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

monitoring and planning expenditure. 55. Subject co-ordinators show good leadership and management overall. They have worked very hard to develop the curriculum since the last inspection and in writing and acting upon subject improvement plans. Longer term planning does not take sufficient account of how the subject may need to be maintained or further enhanced, as they do not link their planning to a specific budget. 56. Monitoring is good overall. Monitoring by co-ordinators of teaching and learning is developing appropriately, with a clear plan for this to be extended this year. However, overall, the monitoring of continuity between the two split sites is generally underdeveloped by all staff. Although the headteacher does this more informally, the monitoring of specific and focused aspects is not rigorous enough, for example, how homework develops from Foundation Stage to Year 6, or how marking challenges pupils. Monitoring of the school’s performance and

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

assessment of the implication of this for school development is very good. Both the deputy headteacher and senior teacher have worked on this rigorously. At the moment, the school is beginning to get this into a common computer format so that tracking from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2 is easier. 57. The management of the provision for children in the Foundation Stage is very good. The Reception teacher who has the overall responsibility provides secure, knowledgeable leadership. Recent improvements have resulted in high quality accommodation and learning resources, which were judged as in need of improvement at the last inspection. The new classroom is bright, well organised and stimulating. In addition, there is a suitable outdoor, hard surfaced play area with a storage shed and a grassed area, which is fenced. Learning resources are good overall and support the children’s learning indoors and outdoors well.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

Itchingfield Primary School - 21 58. The co-ordinator for special educational needs, together with the senior teacher shows very good leadership for these pupils. Good out-of-school hours liaison between the co-ordinator and teachers is having a positive effect on pupils’ progress. The split site makes it difficult for the co-ordinator to work with pupils at Key Stage 2. Governors take a keen interest in the provision and attainment of these pupils and those who are able, gifted and talented. Since the previous inspection, there has been good improvement in provision. 59. Overall, the use of specific grants and other funding is good. Special additional grants for developing information and control technology and special educational needs are used well. For example, the help by a very knowledgeable governor is resulting in prudent and effective spending to raise standards, as new computers are often built from kit. Governors have a

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

growing understanding of how to plan and monitor spending for ‘best value’. The school has a higher than average planned under spend for 2001/2002, at six per cent, which is being retained as part of the financing towards a new school hall for the infant site. This is appropriate. 60. Educational priorities, as identified in the school’s development plan are good and appropriate for the needs of the school. The plan identifies a good range of priorities for the promotion of equal opportunities for the most able since the last inspection and for raising the overall attainment of pupils. There has been good improvement in standards based on the priority in the school’s written development plan as a result of the weakness identified in 1997. However, usually, the headteacher allocates funding with governors for curricular subjects once staffing costs have been deducted from the budget, rather than the development plan driving

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

budget making decisions. This minor weakness restricts the overall use and effectiveness of the improvement plan. Furthermore, the criteria for judging the success of each project are usually very broad and difficult to evaluate in the short term. 61. The numbers and qualifications of teachers and support staff to the demands of the curriculum are good. Staff are deployed appropriately and the match of staff to co-ordinating roles maximises their experience and expertise. The school has a sufficient number of teaching assistants who are well trained and experienced. The special educational needs co-ordinator and teaching assistants provide very good support for those pupils with special educational needs. All staff have job descriptions. The arrangements for performance management of the teaching staff are progressing appropriately with targets in place. Staff development is linked to the school development plan but also takes account of individual needs. It is effective in

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

improving both teaching and learning. Performance management is appropriate. For newly qualified teachers, the school follows the policy and procedures of the Local Education Authority but it does not have a policy of its own. Teaching assistants also receive relevant training. Training for the implementation of the National Literacy Strategy and the National Numeracy Strategy is having a positive impact on both the quality of teaching and learning. 62. As at the time of the previous inspection, the accommodation is satisfactory although some limitations detract from curricular provision in physical education, and in the use of the library at Key Stage 2. The staff work hard to provide attractive and informative displays, which also celebrate pupils’ work. Both sites are well looked after by the cleaning staff. The size of the Years 5/6 classroom, together with the numbers of pupils, means that the class has to be split for

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

practical work in art, design and technology and science. The halls in both the lower and upper schools are too small for gymnastics; this problem was also commented on at the time of the last inspection. Storage is a problem with many resources having to be stored in the corridor of the upper school. In both buildings, the equipment around the sides of the halls presents a potential hazard during physical education lessons. The split site limits opportunities for infant and junior pupils to mix with each other. The large grassed areas on both sites are very well used for games. The overall provision of resources has continued to be satisfactory. However, the range and use of resources to help pupils appreciate the multicultural nature of Britain and the world at large are underdeveloped. 63. The school makes good use of new technology, although the new financial program has caused some problems. This has resulted in difficulties in getting an immediate and accurate

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

budget balance. The very efficient school secretary plays a very positive part in creating a happy Itchingfield Primary School - 22 and approachable school. She is very experienced, but is not trained in using specialist financial software. Furthermore, she is employed for a lower than average number of hours for a school on a split site. Itchingfield Primary School - 23

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to build on the very good improvements already made the governors, headteacher and staff should:

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1. Continue to raise standards of writing for more able pupils at Key Stage 1 by: • giving pupils more opportunities to write at length; • marking and discussing their work so that teachers really challenge pupils’ skills; • continuing to demonstrate and model writing on the board and in pupils’ books. Paragraphs: 19, 85,87,99.

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the traditions of other cultures and to recognise the ethnic and cultural

diversity of British society. Paragraphs: 40, 62, 99, 123, 148, 156, 167.

p.23

3. Improve the effectiveness of links with parents by:

• providing more information about the curriculum; • developing a consistent homework policy, which encourages independent research work; • improving pupils’ school reports so that they contain information on what the pupils know and can do and targets for their further improvement. Paragraphs: 27, 28, 47, 48, 49, 92.

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5. Further improving links between the two school sites by:

• providing more visits for pupils between sites; • monitoring teaching, learning and curricular provision for greater continuity; • giving Key Stage 1 pupils opportunities to enjoy a wider range of extracurricular activities. Paragraphs: 28, 31, 44, 56, 100, 112.

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OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

• Appointing a permanent and highly skilled music teacher so that challenges for pupils match their ability and high standards can be re-established. Paragraphs: 3, 24,149-157. • Develop simple assessment procedures in subjects where they do not exist. Paragraphs: 43, 123, 128, 148, 152, 163, 167. • Use the school development plan to drive financial planning and give co-ordinators greater control of the budgets for their subjects. Paragraphs: 55, 60 100. • Develop the geography curriculum at Key stage 2. Paragraphs: 19, 31, 132-134 • Purchase sensors for information and control technology. Paragraphs: 31, 143, 148. • Update the bullying policy. Paragraph: 45. Itchingfield Primary School - 24

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 24

p.24

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the 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 two percentage points.

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 150 FTE

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Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 32

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 2

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 14

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 5

p.24

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. Itchingfield Primary School - 25

p.24

total percentages and data are given. Furthermore, at the time of writing this report, the

2001 National comparative information for Teachers’ Assessments was unavailable.

p.25

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 18 1 19

p.25

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

p.25

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

Percentage of pupils School 95 (94) 94 (94) 96 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls

p.25

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

Percentage of pupils School 95 94 96 at NC level 2 or above National (84) (88) (88)

p.25

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

Percentages in bracKey s refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

p.25

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 12 5 17

p.25

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.25

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

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls

p.25

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 ((95) 100 (86) 100 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

p.25

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.25

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

Boys Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls

p.25

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 100 100 at NC level 4 or above National (70) (72) (79) Percentages in bracKey s refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Itchingfield Primary School - 26

p.25

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 2 Other minority ethnic groups 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.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 7.5 Financial year 2000/2001

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y1 Total income 370836

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 5 Total expenditure 353874

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 77 Expenditure per pupil 2424

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 10390

p.26

Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 22783

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 2

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 0

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.26

Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 1

p.26

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. Itchingfield Primary School - 27

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 42 42 2 2 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 42 49 2 0 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 14 33 26 9 5

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 40 37 9 7 2

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Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 70 19 9 0 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 47 44 5 0 0

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 28 47 9 7 2

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 42 40 7 0 9

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 44 40 5 0 2

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 40 26 12 5 7

p.27

Results of the survey of parents and carers

They do not feel that they get enough information about the curriculum. Itchingfield Primary School - 28

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

64. The provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good. There have been very good improvements in the provision for children in the Foundation Stage since the previous inspection. A new purpose built Reception classroom with a separate play area has been opened and the quality of teaching, which at the previous inspection was reported as being sound, is now good. The well- organised day-to-day routines established by the Reception teacher enable all children to feel safe and secure and to grow quickly in confidence. This is having a positive impact on children’s learning. 65. Children are admitted to school during the year in which they become five, either part-time or full-time, depending when their fifth birthday occurs. Most children have attended either a pre- school nursery or playgroup. Overall, when children enter the school, their attainment is generally above average for their age. However, the initial assessments conducted with these

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

children do show a variation from year to year, with a more mixed ability intake latterly. Judgements relating to standards at this time of year also take into account the work completed by children who are now in Year 1. By the end of the Reception year, most children are on course to exceed the Early Learning Goals in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world and in their creative development. This is due to the good teaching and learning in these areas of development. In their physical development, the children are on course to meet the recommended levels of attainment. In their personal, social and emotional development, the teaching is very good and all the children are well on course to exceed the Early Learning Goals. This is a significant improvement on the findings of the school’s previous inspection, which reported the overall

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

attainment of children under five as being sound. Personal, social and emotional development. 66. Standards are well above average in this area of learning. All children are well on course to exceed the Early Learning Goals in this area by the time they leave the Reception class. This shows good achievement and reflects the very good teaching and learning in this aspect of the curriculum. Skilful teaching, in which children are constantly encouraged to feel confident about what they can achieve, results in high self esteem. The children settle in very well, and quickly learn to share and take turns while at play or work. Their behaviour in and out of the classroom is very good indeed. They are extremely polite and at all times remember to use conventional phrases, such as ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, when asking for or receiving anything that is handed to them and when something is done to help them, such as opening a door. They listen carefully to

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

others, both in the classroom and during school assemblies, when they are very well behaved and try their best to join in with the singing and prayers. They quickly learn to follow instructions, consider others and to work well as a team when they lift and lower the ‘parachute’. Children play and work together well, choose activities in a sensible way and apply themselves to tasks with enthusiasm. They enjoy learning. Most children are able to attend to their personal hygiene appropriately and can undress and dress themselves independently before and after physical education, even though it might take a little time. All children settle quickly to the more structured tasks directed by the teacher and show ability to concentrate for appropriate periods of time. 67. Personal and social development is strongly promoted in all areas of learning and the planning is thorough. A strength of the teaching is the warm, encouraging relationships that the

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

adults develop with the children, which enable them to feel secure and grow in confidence. The adults provide very good role models for the children, always treating each other and the children with courtesy and respect. This leads to trusting relationships and helps the children to develop an awareness of others. The Reception teacher ensures that there is sufficient time for the children to choose activities for themselves and to initiate their own ideas through play. During group activities all adults take every opportunity to encourage the children to talk about their own Itchingfield Primary School - 29 experiences, take turns; listen to others and work together harmoniously. In addition there are many moments for fun and for reflection, which strengthen the bond between adults and children.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Communication, language and literacy. 68. Children make sound progress in this area of learning and, by the time they have completed the Reception year, most are on course to exceed the recommended Early Learning Goals due to the good teaching and learning. Their language and communication skills are particularly strong and many children talk freely about their own experiences and the things that interest them. While at play, they use language well to recreate roles, as, for example, when having a tea party with the dolls, a child made the comment, ‘I’ve got to wash my baby’s mouth as he can’t go to bed with a dirty mouth’. All adults use talk to good effect and are good active listeners. Throughout all the areas of learning, the Reception teacher, classroom assistant and volunteer helpers talk to the children individually and in groups to ensure that all children extend their vocabulary and have the ability to use their language and communication skills for a range

p.29

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

of purposes. All adults show children that they value their efforts at communicating. The children sustain attentive listening and confidently participate in discussions. 69. The children thoroughly enjoy listening to stories and happily talk about the books they are reading. They confidently ‘have a go’ at writing and make phonetically plausible attempts at words. For example, when writing about a snail, one child wrote ‘and awt (out) cam a snayall and it sdrtit ( started) to look for sum food.’ Children make good progress in writing and, by the time they leave Reception, many write independently for an appropriate range of purposes. All children are developing good pencil control through practising writing patterns and letter formation. Children handle books very well and know that print carries meaning. They make relevant observations about the characters in pictures, confidently join in with the telling of a story

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

when sharing a book and work out what might happen at the end of a story. Already, at this early stage in their learning, the more able children recognise familiar words and can hear and say the initial sound in words. Many other children understand how books are organised and know that information can be relayed in the form of print. 70. Children are provided with a good range of purposeful activities to develop their use of language for reading and writing, whatever their stage of development. The literacy work is well structured and is closely linked to the enjoyment of stories. Books such as ‘We’re going on a Bear Hunt’, sequencing games and information books about mini-beasts are used effectively to develop the children’s interest in, and awareness of, print. Drama is used well to foster children’s enjoyment of the spoken and written word. For example, after reading ‘We’re going on a Bear

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Hunt’, the teacher used the story to capture the children’s imagination by acting out the experiences of going on a bear hunt in the school’s grounds. Through effective interaction with adults, and realistically high expectations of the quality of work that can be achieved, all children extend their communication, language and literacy skills appropriately. Mathematical development. 71. Teaching and learning are good in mathematical work. By the end of the Reception year, most children make sound progress and are on course to exceed the Early Learning Goals for mathematics. Children can mostly read, count and order numbers to ten and many can count confidently to 20 and beyond. They can copy write their numbers and, by the end of the Reception year, are able to record their numbers unaided. Higher attaining children add and subtract numbers when solving problems involving ten or more objects. In their early work,

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

children are provided with a wide range of practical experiences, such as dice games, shape puzzles, building with bricks and exploring water and sand. Most children develop a good understanding of mathematical language and use words such as ‘bigger’, ‘smaller’, ‘longer’ and ‘shorter’ to compare the size of items by length. Their work, by the end of the Reception, year shows that they can weigh objects and put them in order, from the lightest to the heaviest. Many children are able to recognise and name a triangle, circle and square and show awareness of Itchingfield Primary School - 30 measurement, for example, by using a string ‘caterpillar’ to find out the length of items in the classroom. 72. The work is very well planned and children are encouraged to see mathematics all around them and to develop their mathematical ideas through play situations. The more formal activities for mathematics are introduced appropriately to children throughout their time in the Reception

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

class to ensure a smooth transition to the daily mathematics lesson in Year 1. The Reception teacher uses every opportunity to reinforce and extend children’s learning through fun practical experiences. For example, when passing round a bag with numbers in, to the tune of ‘Teddy Bears’ Picnic’, the teacher stopped the music at regular intervals, asked the child who held the bag to pick out a number, say it and place it in the correct order from one to ten. Questions are used skilfully to encourage children to think and to help them solve problems. For example, the children were presented with an assortment of boxes and asked to find the right sized box to make beds for differently sized teddies. Questions such as, ‘Is that too small, too big or just right?’ enabled the teacher to find out what the children understood and encouraged discussion. The children thoroughly enjoyed all the activities, and were eager to explore and solve practical

p.30

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

problems with confidence. Knowledge and understanding of the world. 73. Children enter the Reception class with a good general knowledge, which the teacher builds on effectively, helping them to learn more about the world around them. The teaching and learning are good and most children are on course to exceed the expected standard by the end of the Reception year. Activities are very well planned and there is a good emphasis on the provision of first hand experiences. Taking themes such as ‘Postman Pat’ and ‘Mini-beasts’, the range of activities is planned to enable children to explore aspects of the environment and to relate the work to their own experiences. Discussion forms a very important part of the work and children are encouraged to be observant and describe what they see. In work related to scientific enquiry, the children sort objects into groups on the basis of simple material properties, such as

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

hard and soft or rough and smooth. They use magnifying glasses to study the development of frogs and draw pictures to show the life cycle. Their observational drawings of mini-beasts, such as stag beetles, snails and bees, are good and have labels added for parts of the body, such as wings, legs and antennae. 74. Their knowledge of the past is well promoted through first hand experiences and practical activities. For example, during the week of the inspection, a visitor from Horsham museum brought in a selection of toys, both old and new, to provide children with the opportunity to look at and compare toys of different times. The Reception class teacher skilfully supported the children’s learning and helped them to think things through by asking questions such as, ‘How are the toys different?’ and ‘What do you think they are made of?’ 75. Good use is made of the local neighbourhood and visits to such places as the local public

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

house give children the opportunity to see cooking implements used in the past and compare them with those in use today. The Reception teacher skilfully introduces geographical vocabulary to the children in a meaningful way. For example, an adventure trail set out in the outdoor play area showed signs, such as right, left, under, through, along and across, for the children to follow as they tackled the obstacles. All children talk knowledgeably about where they live, their families and their immediate environment. 76. A wide range of construction toys and materials is provided for the children to explore and use their skills to make models. Their skills in design and technology are well developed, as seen in their drawings and when cutting lengths of dowelling, sanding it down and adding features made of card and fabric to make a stick puppet. 77. Many children confidently and independently use the computer mouse to click on icons

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

and commands when they choose from a menu of games. By the end of the Reception year, children demonstrate well-developed skills in their understanding of the different functions of the tool bar, as when using a paint program. All adults keep a very good oversight of their progress Itchingfield Primary School - 31 and provide very effective support to the children as they participate in the wide range of experiences provided both in and outside the classroom. 78. The children are introduced to the cultures and beliefs of other people through looking at books and using resources for play, such as jigsaws and dolls that reflect a variety of cultures. Effective questioning by all adults working with children in the Reception class focuses children’s attention probes their understanding and aids their learning. Physical development. 79. Children are making satisfactory progress in developing physical control, mobility,

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

awareness of space and manipulative skills, both indoors and outdoors. By the end of the Reception year, the children are on course to meet the recommended standards with regard to their physical development. On entry to the school, the children’s ability to handle tools such as scissors and operate a computer mouse with control is variable. Many opportunities allow them to learn, practise and refine their fine manipulative skills. Consequently, the children soon learn to pick up small items of equipment when engaging in play activities, make detailed models with play dough and make marks with a variety of painting and writing materials. The quality of teaching and learning in this area of development is satisfactory. 80. Good use is made of the outdoor area to help children practise and develop their physical skills. An appropriate range of resources and equipment engages them in learning and most

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

children show increasing control when riding a variety of wheeled toys. In physical education lessons, teaching is satisfactory and children are given the opportunity to learn and practise large-scale movements, within the limitations of the school’s small hall. Children show a developing awareness of the space as they travel around the hall and experiment with different ways of moving. They learn to curl up and stretch up high and clamber over and through the simple climbing equipment with increasing confidence. In dance and drama lessons, they move imaginatively in response to the story, ‘We’re going on a Bear Hunt’ by whirling through the snowstorm, taking careful steps through the forest and pulling their feet out of the sticky mud. Staff successfully develop children’s confidence and teach them to be independent when they change their clothes for a lesson. Creative development. 81. The children make good progress overall in developing their creative skills and most are

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

on course to exceed the nationally recommended levels of attainment by the end of the Reception year. The quality of teaching and learning is good and the activities are well resourced and organised. Role-play opportunities are carefully planned and enable children to play out imaginary situations and dress up accordingly. They use resources imaginatively and are able to sustain aspects of characters for appropriate periods of time and talk about what they are doing. The children play co-operatively as part of a group and collaborate well. For example, when using the building bricks, a group of children planned what they would build and, after considering either a prince’s castle or a fairy castle they finally agreed on a monster’s castle! Although the teaching of music was not seen, good opportunities arise for the children to explore a range of percussion instruments. There are very good examples of a range of artwork

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

produced by the children at the end of the Reception year. They have printed with different objects, made leaf rubbings, wax resist pictures, used pencils for observational drawings of toys, stitched pictures and produced some exceptional paintings of mini-beasts. They learn how to mix colours when painting and receive effective support and guidance from adults while they work. The classroom is attractively displayed with the work of the children and, within the planning, the Reception teacher has devised imaginative ways to extend their experience and expand their imagination through art, design, music, dance, story and play.

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ENGLISH

82. In the end of Key Stage 1 tests in 2001 compared with all schools, standards in reading were above average and in writing they were average. The assessments made by teachers in English at both key stages matched the results of the tests. The trend in standards in these tests and assessments has been variable at Key Stage 1 but generally upward since 1999. Standards Itchingfield Primary School - 32 at Key Stage 2 have been maintained as very high since 1997. There are no significant differences in the attainment of girls and boys overall. The school is working very successfully to ensure that boys are encouraged to write and read for a range of purposes which they find interesting. This is especially evident in the all boy Year 3 class. 83. The findings of the inspection are that, in Year 2, the pupils reach above average standards in reading, writing and speaking and listening and in their literacy work. This is

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ENGLISH

because the proportion of pupils working at the expected average Level 2 is very high. The school correctly recognised the need to improve the number of pupils reaching the higher Level 3. Currently, this has been especially successful in reading: in 2001, 26 per cent achieved this compared with 17 per cent in 2000. In writing, the Level 3 attainment was not as high in 2001 as in 2000. This is partly because this group was almost wholly boys and national statistics show that girls out-perform boys in writing. However, a particular strength concerns their results in spelling, not only does it show a marked improvement on previous years’ results, but it shows that the school is working very successfully to raise boys’ attainment. 84. The findings of this inspection are that, in Year 6, the pupils reach standards that are well above average in all aspects of English and literacy work. The provision for gifted and able pupils

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is very good at Key Stage 2 and, as a consequence of this, they make very good progress. For example, the school help, linked with that provided by the Local Education Authority, enabled one pupil to reach Level 6 in national tests in 2000. The strong provision for boys ensures that they are able to achieve similar standards to girls. The excellent relationships and very good assessments of work ensure that pupils’ personal development is excellent by Year 6. 85. Progress since the last inspection is very good. Compared with the findings of the school’s last inspection, standards are similar at Key Stage 1 and show very good improvement at Key Stage 2. The emphasis on improving the pace and challenge for more able pupils has been more successful at Key Stage 2. At Key Stage 1, improvement is at least satisfactory overall, considering the developments in reading and spelling, but in some aspects of writing a

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few pupils are not extended enough. There has been very good improvement in library provision at Key Stage 1, with the conversion of the former Reception class area. The developments in assessment are good, the overall quality of teaching has improved and the National Literacy Strategy has been introduced very successfully. The provision for special educational needs is now very good, whereas it was good in 1997. 86. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory at Key Stage 1 because of their higher than average attainment at the end of the Foundation Stage. The overall good quality of the teaching ensures that this standard is maintained. However, higher attaining pupils are not consistently well challenged in some writing lessons where they could achieve more. Furthermore, in the last report it, commented that: “expectations of more able pupils in writing should be raised through more challenging comments on drafts to extend their length and improve the quality.” Although

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Key Stage 2 has managed this very successfully, it is still underdeveloped at Key Stage 1. Pupils’ achievement is very good at Key Stage 2. The higher standards are directly related to the overall improvement in the quality of teaching compared with the findings of the school’s last inspection when it was judged as good. The successful implementation of the National Literacy Strategy is playing a significant part in raising standards, especially relating to the teaching of grammar. A significant strength of achievement is in pupils’ speaking skills; this has been maintained as a strength since 1997. 87. There are very few pupils with English as an additional language. They make good progress in their learning against their capabilities and previous learning. Pupils with special educational needs are very well supported and often achieve average standards by the time they leave this school. This demonstrates very good achievement and progress. Support assistants

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work closely and effectively with pupils. However, sometimes their time is not used to best advantage while teachers introduce literacy work. The introduction of Additional Literacy Support is working very well to help pupils to develop their knowledge about spelling patterns. 88. The quality of teaching is very good overall. At Key Stage 1 it is good and at Key Stage 2, it is very good. Excellent teaching was seen in the mixed Year 4 and 5 class and in the mixed Itchingfield Primary School - 33 Year 5/6, class during the inspection week. This excellent teaching, particularly in Years 5/6 is a significant strength of the school and is promoting very high standards by the end of Year 6. 89. The quality of teaching and learning of speaking and listening is very good at both key stages. At Key Stage 1, teachers build on the strong communication skills from the Foundation Stage. In Year 1, pupils listen very well due to the very good management of pupils. For example,

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when they pass around a shell as a sign of taking turns in talking. Also, the use of the candle in religious education helps pupils to focus and listen attentively. Pupils speak with growing confidence about their lives. For example, in religious education, when asked about the church one child said “O, I know, a man tells you about God in a great big house with a steeple”. The very good development of thinking skills supports speaking. The skilful use of vocabulary such as ‘natural feature’ helps pupils to speak with clarity when talking about Katie Morag’s island. Pupils ask questions and link these to E-mails. Able pupils adapt speech, vary the vocabulary and use connectives. 90. At Key Stage 2, speaking continues to improve at a rapid pace. Listening is satisfactory in Year 3, but very good elsewhere. In the all boys Years 3/4 class, pupils sometimes find it hard to listen attentively. The teacher is adopting a firm approach to this, although there is still some

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inappropriate chatter, which prevents them from making the most of all learning. However, during the inspection, the teacher moved all of the furniture to focus it towards the front of the class, this had an immediate and good impact on pupils’ listening. These boys are developing good use of adjectives within literacy lessons to help them to extend their descriptions of locations in stories. 91. In all classes in Key Stage 2, teachers make very effective use of open-ended questioning and the use of technical and creative vocabulary. The work in Year 4 and 5 shows how able and average pupils can confidently adapt their talk with the thoughtful development of ideas, while also clearly describing events, ideas and opinions. For example, in an excellent discussion about Bilbo’s possible adventures in the pupils’ own versions of the Hobbit. Here, one boy suggested: “Bilbo finds a map of a maze in an apple, when returning to the orchard. He gets

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sucked into the centre of the maze, whereupon, he encounters a massive monster, rather like the minotaur in one of those Greek stories.” The teacher then asked how the map got into the apple. The class offered numerous ideas. Teachers really listen to what pupils say and encourage variation of expression and ideas. 92. The quality of teaching and learning in reading is very good at both Key Stages. Pupils acquire skills, knowledge and understanding very well. Higher attaining pupils are well challenged in lessons, especially because of the strong links to writing work in literacy at Key Stage 2. At Key Stage 1, recent improvements are resulting in standards that are on course to improve the higher level 3 attainment. In both Years 1 and 2, reading skills are taught rigorously on a daily basis. Group guided reading and whole class reading are usually very good, although sometimes, in whole class sessions, the texts are too small for the pupils to see easily. Teachers’ knowledge of

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phonics and early reading development is strong and this is reflected in the way in which pupils combine sounds to work out new words. Pupils read regularly at home and at school. Parents have very clear guidance about how to help with reading when starting school in the Reception class, although this information is underdeveloped as pupils move through the school. The introduction of a commercial reading scheme and a new library is very good as pupils have a balanced approach to reading both systematically challenging books and those from familiar and loved authors. Teachers give lots of praise, which motivates pupils. Relationships are excellent, as teachers are patient. Assessment in reading is very good. 93. At Key Stage 2, reading is developed successfully through the literacy hour and by pupils choosing books for themselves. One of the main strengths is the very good development of reading across the curriculum to support research work, particularly in history. Pupils confidently

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research, retrieve and organise information using information books, the Internet and CD ROMS in school. However, this is less well developed in homework activities. Parents and pupils both comment that they would like more of this kind of homework, rather than worksheets. Boys and girls talk about many different authors, including Anne Fine’s book ‘The Chicken Run’ in which they showed a clear knowledge of characters and crucial features of the story. They are very Itchingfield Primary School - 34 good at justifying their own ideas and in responding respectfully to others’ viewpoints. The reading of Shakespeare’s writing gives a breadth to their experience. The junior library is in the very small hall. This makes it almost impossible to use it as an area for sustained and independent work. Pupils in Year 6 are not as familiar with the ‘Dewey’ system of book classification as would be expected. Pupils sometimes listen to taped stories, but limited

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resources and space hamper this activity. 94. The quality of teaching and learning for writing is satisfactory at Key Stage 1 and very good at Key Stage 2. At Key Stage 1, teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the subject are good, at Key Stage 2 they are very good, because they have a strong understanding of how to develop pupils’ writing skills. The teaching of basic writing skills is very good. Pupils quickly learn about aspects of grammar and punctuation as this is taught in a progressive way. In Year 2, pupils know how to use full stops and capital letters, but do not always apply this in every piece of writing. In Year 3, this develops well; pupils know about verbs and, as they move through the school, the rigorous teaching of adverbs, connectives and how to use commas. In Year 5, pupils know how to write in paragraphs. In Year 6, they know, understand and can use adjective and adverbs to bring their writing alive to the reader. They use connectives to write interesting

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complex sentences. In an excellent lesson on passive and active sentences, the teacher made excellent use of demonstration, which involved all pupils. Following this, above average pupils confidently wrote a variety of contrasting active and passive sentences in their work on ‘Mr Hasbean’. Average ability pupils sorted sentences and those who were struggling were given one to one support. As a result, all abilities make excellent gains in their learning. 95. Spelling is taught effectively at both key stages. Here, the links with reading are strong. To raise standards, particularly at Key Stage 1, teachers use the first part of the morning to practise and improve pupils’ knowledge of spelling patterns. This is resulting in higher than average attainment. Virtually all pupils in Year 2 make very good attempts at spelling new words by using letter sounds that are plausible. At Key Stage 2, spelling is carefully marked and the

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practice of pupils writing up their errors correctly by adding them to their spelling journals is good. However, these are not always easily accessible when pupils write in other subjects and, consequently, they tend to revert to incorrect spelling of words which they have not really grasped. Pupils use the spellchecker and a thesaurus with growing confidence. Homework supports spelling well and is linked to regular testing in school.

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96. Handwriting is well taught at Key Stage 1 by daily practice of a joined script. This is a new initiative, which is helping to raise standards. At Key Stage 2, pupils also practise skills. However, across the school as a whole, there is not enough continuity in style. This has been identified for improvement within the school’s improvement plan. Pupils write for a wide range of purposes and audience and this is very good practice. At both key stages all learning is very well supported by whole class demonstration writing by the teacher. 97. Links with information and communication technology are strong. In Year 2, the teacher pulls together pupils’ ideas and makes class stories, such as ‘Mr and Mrs Weed’. In Years 3/4, pupils re-draft their ‘cat’ poems to give them better poetic effect and layout using a variety of information and communication technology skills. Links with history are very strong; for example,

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literacy skills are taught as pupils write diaries of Henry VIII and Samuel Pepys. Note taking and poster making skills are well taught through science. Teaching of poetry is very good and helps pupils to write their own with very good expression and feeling as seen in the poems entitled ‘The Coming of Night’. Pupils in Year 6 discuss poems such as ‘Block City’ by Robert Louis Stevenson as part of their literacy work. 98. The teaching of story structures is very good at Key Stage 2 and satisfactory at Key Stage 1. This results in very good learning about the introduction; build up, climax and resolution by Year 6. Time is given to extending writing at Key Stage 2 which is resulting in very high standards and opportunities to challenge the most able. The story ‘Lost in the Mist’ showed this well. The high quality marking at Key Stage 2 helps pupils to develop their ideas, as evident in the wealth of writing about Bilbo’s adventures. At Key Stage 1, there is strong evidence of good

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Itchingfield Primary School - 35 practice developing. For example, in a very good lesson on writing instructions in which pupils wrote and ordered sentences using words such as first, now, next and finally to explain what they do when getting ready for school. The very brisk pace and opportunities to check and develop writing showed best practice. However, this is not a consistent feature at Key Stage 1. The pace, challenge and marking of work are not always rigorous enough to help more able pupils to achieve higher standards. For example, in Year 1, when pupils were writing a story in the style of ‘Dear Zoo’, there was too much emphasis on reading and listening to the teacher and not sufficient time to write. Sometimes, activities are over directed by the teacher. Marking often congratulates the pupils on their efforts and identifies spelling errors. However, there is little marking to extend the quality and content of work. For example, in the sample of work seen, in

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the stories about a pyramid, spelling and handwriting were addressed, but the good sentence links using connectives, were not used to develop the writing into longer stories at the higher Level 3. These factors explain why there are fewer Level 3 results overall. 99. The subject supports pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well, for example, through work on classical literature, including the work on ‘Twelfth Night. In this, pupils make very good inferences and deduction from the text to help them to understand and analyse the characters of Duke Orsino and Olivia. Although the school has improved the range of multicultural literature and factual information books about world cultures, these do not have a high profile in the school. Moreover, there are too few books to help pupils appreciate that Britain is a multicultural society. However, one boy confidently read ‘Gregory Cool’ and could talk about

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some aspects of Caribbean life and compare it with his own. The school has purchased books to encourage boys to sustain their interest in reading, which is good practice. 100. The quality of leadership in the subject is good: it is shared by two co-ordinators, one on each site. Their work is supported by careful assessment and evaluations of pupils’ performance. Assessment procedures are very good overall. There is a very clear vision for development and good capacity to succeed. The school is working successfully to raise Key Stage 1 standards and has identified the need to give greater continuity to handwriting and to develop the range and quality of information to parents about the curriculum. Currently, the co-ordinators do not have a budget to work with to plan their development programme and have limited opportunities to work in either site to get an overview of the whole subject. Monitoring is good overall.

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101. Pupils in Year 2 attain above average standards in numeracy and in all other areas of the mathematics curriculum. This finding represents an improvement on the judgement made in the last report. The results of the national end of key stage tests in 2001 show that, pupils achieve higher than average standards, although when compared with similar schools, standards were slightly lower than the average, but an improvement on the 2000 results when they were well below average. The test results for pupils in 2001 were an improvement on 2000. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress. 102. In Year 6, standards are well above average. This finding represents a further improvement on the good standards seen in 1997. The results of the national end of key stage tests in 2001 show that, compared with all schools, standards were very high and also well above average when compared with other very similar schools. Analysis of the school’s results for the

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Year 6 national tests have shown continued improvement since 1998 and at a greater rate than that found nationally. The school set broadly realistic targets, which they exceeded this year. All pupils achieved at least a Level 4, which confirms that those pupils with special educational needs make very good progress. There is no difference between the attainment of boys and girls. Pupils with English as an additional language make good progress and are well supported. 103. At Key Stage 1, the quality of teaching and learning is good and gives rise to good progress. In lessons, good quality teaching is observed and pupils are appropriately challenged. Mental mathematics is taught in a lively, stimulating way. Pupils recently transferred from the Foundation Stage are working confidently with number up to 20. Most pupils are able to problem solve when finding a missing number such as ‘x + 2 = 5. The more able amongst them count

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forwards and backwards from numbers up to 20 and, with straw bundles, are able to understand Itchingfield Primary School - 36 the value of tens and units up to 30. In Year 2, pupils are confident working with tens and units, adding two digit numbers below 20 together. Pupils have good mental recall and concentrate very well when challenged. 104. Year 1 pupils are learning about place value. They play a game with dice, placing cubes on a rocket after each throw and the winner is the first to complete two rockets. They count accurately and co-operate very well, seldom falling out. With another group, the teacher calls out a two digit number and pupils write it down. They concentrate on writing it correctly with due regard to value. 105. Year 2 pupils are given more independence and are encouraged to use their initiative. Instructions are attached to boards that the members of each group must first of all read and

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discuss. This part of the task is completed very well. There is harmony in the groups who generally value each other’s opinion. They decide what must be done. The more able pupils choose items to buy under the value of £1.00 and work out how much change is due. Smaller sums are set for less able pupils who complete their work with the help of a support assistant. On completion of the task, extension tasks are provided in the same way. 106. Teachers are very well organised with resources ready for use and support staff aware of what they are required to do. Good control of the pupils is maintained with a friendly but firm atmosphere within the classroom. Pupils respond very well to this method and are attentive and willing to explain their mental strategies. Open-ended questioning enables pupils to reflect and think for themselves. In practical situations, they use their knowledge of mathematics well,

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providing a range of imaginative ways to reinforce a concept and improve understanding. 107. At Key Stage 2, the quality of teaching and learning is very good and promotes very good progress. The high standards of teaching mentioned in the last report have been further improved. During the inspection, the quality of teaching was never less than good and mostly very good. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the subject are very good and this is evident by the methods employed and the way that basic skills are taught. Pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6 make very good progress and work at levels appropriate to their age and ability. 108. Mental mathematics sessions are brisk and snappy and teachers use a number of strategies to engage the pupils. Years 5/6 pupils were mentally dividing 7000 by 1000 with the teacher calling ‘Show me! Quick, Show me!’ The activity was timed and moved along at a fast

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pace. The teacher had a good relationship with the pupils and ensured an excellent working environment where pupils were very attentive, well behaved and keen to learn. They manipulated numbers up to three decimal places, either as decimals or as 10ths, 100ths or 1000ths. The pupils all responded very well indeed, thoroughly enjoying the exercise. Group activities followed a similar theme. Year 6 pupils were working confidently with place value to three decimal places and were able to switch from number to length, measures or money quite happily. Expectations are extremely high in Years 5/6 where pupils are learning quickly. 109. In their mental mathematics work, Years 4/5 were also working with number, length, weight and money in decimal form. They estimated 0.2 or 2/10th on a blank number line, quickly understanding the aim of the exercise. They worked accurately, writing down their responses, as

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the task was set. Again, the pace was very brisk and all pupils participated eagerly. The subsequent group activity built on this experience. Pupils could record different decimal weights and measures by order of size, either ascending or descending, as instructed. The more able pupils understood that 8.29 is less than 8.30 by 1/100th. Most pupils knew that 415 centimetres equals 4.15 metres. 110. Teachers in both key stages are secure in their understanding of the National Numeracy Strategy, which they apply effectively. Teachers plan their work in line with the Strategy and lessons are well structured. Each of the three segments of the numeracy hour is used to good effect and the pupils have become accustomed to the routine. In all the observed lessons, teachers managed time very well. Good activities engaged high levels of interest from the pupils who applied themselves with little or no evidence of inattention or time wasting. The plenary

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session is well used. The teacher usually brings everyone together on the carpet to re-emphasise Itchingfield Primary School - 37 the lesson objectives and to assess progress. The implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy has improved pupils’ mathematical skills and knowledge, removing the areas of concern mentioned in the last report. 111. In addition to providing an appropriate and challenging programme of work for pupils with special educational needs, more able pupils are often set separate work to extend their learning. The maintenance of a large amount of data on the progress of each pupil enables the teachers to meet the particular needs of each individual. There is good evidence to confirm that mathematics is well used in other curriculum areas. Years 4/5 pupils work with Roamer, directing it along a set path building different shapes. Pupils name the angles of each shape correctly and

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the shape itself, for example, an equilateral triangle. In science, the results from experiments are recorded on graphs and bar charts. Information and communication technology is used for reflective symmetry and handling data. There are sufficient resources to meet the needs of the pupils. 112. The mathematics co-ordinator is very experienced, with excellent qualifications. She has a clear understanding of what is required to maintain high standards and manages and monitors the subject very well indeed, although opportunities to monitor Key Stage 1 teaching are less well developed. Key Stage 2 monitoring is good. Strengths include the effectiveness of the strategies for teaching numeracy skills, the clear education plans for all pupils, including those with special educational needs, and the range and use of good assessment procedures. Links with information and communication technology are good. The subject meets the requirements of the

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SCIENCE

113. The findings of the inspection are that standards are above average in Year 2 and well above average in Year 6. This is similar to the standards achieved by pupils in the end of Key Stage national tests and assessments in 2001 when compared with similar schools. However, it is a considerable improvement on the findings of the school's last OFSTED inspection in 1997 when standards were judged to be ‘in line with national expectations’. Evidence collected during the inspection indicates that this significant improvement is due to the school’s effective concentration on raising standards in this subject, particularly in investigative science, which has resulted in better teaching and more effective use of assessment information. All pupils make good progress in this subject and achieve well. Given their previous attainment at seven, pupils’ results in the 2000 science tests were well above average. Pupils with special educational needs

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benefit from the teachers’ high expectations of them which has resulted in all pupils reaching at least average standards in science at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 in the 2001 national tests. High attaining pupils make good progress and achieve standards at the expected level. Consistently high standards have been maintained over the past four years and there have been no significant differences in the attainment of boys and girls. This inspection finds no variations in the achievement of boys and girls. Pupils with English as an additional language make good progress and are well supported. 114. The strength of the pupils’ achievement includes their understanding of living things and their knowledge of physical processes. Comparative weaknesses include changing and separating mixtures of materials. Pupils acquire and refine the skills needed to carry out systematic investigations well as they move through the school. By the age of 11, pupils

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communicate their ideas clearly using a wide range of scientific language, conventional diagrams, charts and graphs. The use of information and communication technology in science is, however, insufficiently developed. 115. The quality of teaching and learning is good at Key Stage 1 and very good at Key Stage 2. In the school’s previous inspection, it was judged to be sound overall. A particular improvement and strength of the teaching now is the way in which teachers place an increasing emphasis on pupils undertaking their own investigations. This has led to improving pupils’ enquiry skills and the raising of standards to a high level. Teachers are confident in their knowledge of the subject, which enables them to make useful teaching points and results in pupils increasing their personal scientific knowledge well. All pupils enjoy science and capture the enthusiasm of Itchingfield Primary School - 38

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their teachers. This was well illustrated in a very good lesson in Year 2 on forces and movement. The high expectations of the teacher were clearly evident in the challenging task set for pupils only three weeks into their first term in Year 2, that caught and maintained their interest and made learning enjoyable. As the result of skilful questioning techniques that encouraged the pupils to think for themselves, the teacher built progressively on their existing skills. For example, after rolling a toy car down a ramp, she suggested that they might like to think of a way to measure how far the car travels, what could be used to measure the distance and how could the test be made fair. Consequently, the teacher not only increased pupils’ skills in measuring length in standard units but also instigated a lively discussion and made the pupils think for themselves and come up with their own solutions. All pupils, including those with special educational needs,

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learned from this lesson, as they were well supported by the teacher and encouraged to talk about and share their ideas. The level of interest was high and was maintained by allowing the pupils to explore and undertake an investigation for themselves. The strong emphasis placed on using correct scientific vocabulary when pupils were asked to give an explanation of their work not only improved the pupils’ understanding but also enabled the teacher to recognise any misconceptions the pupils might have and help to clear them up. An analysis of pupils’ work supports this and indicates that many pupils use non-fiction books to extract information and develop their ideas through using sustained writing that includes scientific language. They also include observational drawings, diagrams, charts and tables to communicate the results of their investigations. There was little evidence however, of the use of information and communication

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technology to enhance the pupils’ learning. 116. In Key Stage 2, the quality of teaching and learning is very good with a number of strengths that have a positive impact on pupils’ learning in lessons. At the top end of the school, the teaching of science is exceptional. The Years 5/6 lesson about forces exemplified the very skilful teaching and its impact on pupils’ learning. This lesson was very well planned in a way that built progressively on the pupils’ existing knowledge and skills. The lesson began with a good revision session in which pupils responded well to the teacher’s penetrating questions. This established that there were some gaps in their knowledge and understanding of weight as a force and that it is measured in newtons. The teacher skilfully demonstrated to the pupils how much an elastic band stretches depends on the force acting on it by suspending weights, while constantly asking questions. For example: ‘We know weights exert a certain amount of force,

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what force do you think we are looking at?’ and ‘ What is it that pulls the elastic band back to its shape? Can we work out how to measure this?’ The level of interest was high and was maintained by asking the pupils to explore for themselves what happens to the length of an elastic band when weights are suspended from it. They set about the enquiry eagerly, used the appropriate equipment for the task and understood the need to make a series of careful measurements in order to look for a pattern in their data. By the end of the lesson, the pupils were beginning to represent the data collected as a line graph and to use this to look for patterns. The pupils worked effectively in mixed ability groups and shared and used the resources sensibly. Consequently the few pupils with special educational needs received help from their peers and from the teacher as she circulated between the groups, assessing their skills. The

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very high expectations of the teacher and very secure subject knowledge ensured that pupils’ scientific vocabulary was extended and that they used it when asked to give an explanation of their work. ‘Is it… ’ in answer to questions was not accepted, as she put it, ‘ We are an “It is” class’. Constant demands of the more able pupils ensured that they made good progress and achieved the expected standards. The teacher’s control of the class was excellent and, as a result, all pupils worked extremely well, showed positive attitudes to their work and were highly motivated to learn. 117. Where teaching is satisfactory, the management of pupils is less effective and the tasks provided do not always meet the needs of all pupils in the class. As a result, pupils’ skills are not fully extended and standards remain average. The analysis of pupils’ work indicates that, although pupils have been taught all aspects of the science curriculum effectively, there is less

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evidence of the same high standards in their work on changing and separating materials. Homework is used appropriately across the school to reinforce and extend class work. Information and communication technology is insufficiently used to support pupils’ scientific work. Itchingfield Primary School - 39 118. Science is well supported by a school policy and a scheme of work that follows the nationally recommended guidelines at Key Stage 1. At Key Stage 2, planning for science follows the school’s own scheme of work covering a four year topic cycle, devised to cover the mixed- aged classes of two-year groups. However, it is a recognised need by the co-ordinator to bring the schemes together to ensure that the teaching of scientific skills is maintained at a high level across the school. Assessment procedures are good and include a collection of pupils’ work that shows samples of work at the levels expected. Science is well led by an enthusiastic subject co-

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ordinator who has carried out monitoring of pupils’ work. Monitoring the quality of teaching of science has not occurred but it is on the agenda for 2002. Learning resources for science are satisfactory. The subject is well supported by the school’s grounds to teach environmental science that includes different habitat areas and two ponds at the junior school site and a pond at the infant site. Progress since the last inspection is very good overall. Teaching and learning have improved and the more able pupils are now provided with many opportunities to use their own knowledge and seek information for themselves. Science makes a good contribution to the pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development, for example, through the study of personal hygiene and the fighting of disease.

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119. The judgements on standards of teaching and learning are based on three observations, and an analysis of pupils’ work and teachers’ planning throughout the school. Indications are that standards are above average in Year 2 and in Year 6. This judgement represents a good improvement in standards since the last inspection when standards were judged to be average and in line with expectations. This is because the school has worked hard to develop the curriculum so that it provides variety and challenges that become progressively more demanding as pupils move through the school. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language achieve similar standards to other pupils. 120. The quality of teaching and learning is good at Key Stage 1 where pupils build on their higher than average skills in the Foundation Stage. Opportunities are provided for them to draw, paint, and make collages and model with clay. Pupils have produced collages based on one

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created by Matisse called ‘The Snail’. Using coloured tissue paper on card, pupils have created snails, bees and butterflies, the latter being symmetrical. In the classroom, one group had used a mirror and crayons to draw self-portraits; the amount of detail varied from one pupil to another, but all of them included the main features and occasionally eyebrows, lashes and skin colour. Another group had painted the sky, with clouds and sun. One higher attaining pupil included God and Jesus suspended in the sky overlooking the Earth. The teacher used this example to ask pupils what a picture might tell them and, in this instance, the pupil explained that God and Jesus were watching over them. Year 2 have produced work using a variety of techniques. Work inspired by the ‘Great Fire of London’ allowed them to experiment with different shades of red and orange, sometimes on dry paper, sometimes wet. This led quite naturally into a study of

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autumn colours. 121. The quality of teaching and learning at Key Stage 2 is good. The analysis of pupils’ work across all the year groups, together with the observations, indicates that the teaching of a range of skills in art and design enables pupils to make good progress in their learning and to achieve high standards. Years 5/6 are producing work in the style of George Seurat. It is well suited to pupils of this age who can reproduce similar pictures using felt tips. Initially, they practise the technique, working with light and shade, before moving on to their own work based on Seurat’s originals. 122. Teachers allow a good degree of independence and pupils respond by producing quality work. Year 4 pupils had produced Tudor garden designs as part of their history topic. Initially using pencil and subsequently paint, the pupils produced very fine examples, full of detail. Tudor roses were also made out of clay, painted, glazed and fired. At Key Stage 2, teachers use

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sketchbooks effectively to promote observational skills. Year 5 pupils have made beautiful pencil drawings of fruit and a higher attaining pupil produced a delicate watercolour on the same subject. Teachers have good subject knowledge and demonstrate techniques to a high Itchingfield Primary School - 40 standard. Pupils have an appropriate understanding of the range and use of colour and can blend and mix colours effectively to produce different tones in their paintings. 123. The co-ordinator provides good leadership in the subject. She is very experienced and knowledgeable about art and has attended several courses to develop her own expertise and interest. This allows her to demonstrate technique very effectively. The school follows the scheme published by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. This provides a good structure to support pupils’ learning and is frequently reviewed and modified in the light of experience. At

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present, the co-ordinator monitors pupils’ work informally by talking to other teachers and looking at work on display and in sketch books, but more detailed assessment procedures of teaching and learning are underdeveloped. The school supports gifted or talented pupils appropriately. The accommodation is very limiting but resources are satisfactory and teachers make every effort to provide the right experiences for pupils. Art is recognised as being important and is well used in other areas of the curriculum. It makes a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ personal, social and cultural development. Displays are attractive. The provision for pupils with special educational needs and English as an additional language is good overall. The use of information and communication technology to support work on this subject is satisfactory as pupils design and make posters and use a range of painting techniques to illustrate their written work. There is

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limited use of the CD ROM to investigate famous artists and their work. The school does not have sufficient resources to widen pupils’ knowledge of non-Western art, nor is there enough attention to this aspect of work in the curriculum.

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124. Judgements are based on the two observed lessons, analysis of pupils’ work, evidence from displays and discussions with pupils and teachers. This evidence indicates that pupils reach above average standards in both Year 2 and Year 6. These judgements represent very good improvement in standards since the last report when it was found that aspects of the National Curriculum programmes of study for Key Stage 2 were not being covered satisfactorily and that attainment was below average at Key Stage 2 in 1997. Since then, the school has worked successfully on the former key issue to develop the curriculum and teachers’ skills in how to make learning challenging. The range of experiences offered now meets the requirements of the national curriculum. Work on the designing, evaluation and modifying process is better. All pupils achieve well, including those with special educational needs and English as an additional

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language. 125. Scrutiny of work and recorded evidence suggests that, at Key Stage 1, teaching and learning are good. The designing and making process starts in Year 1 where pupils are charged with producing a lunchbox. Although rudimentary, these first plans enable pupils to understand the importance of design, and the subsequent models reflect their thoughts and efforts. Transporting bricks is another example. The designs are slightly more sophisticated and the activities provide development in a range of cutting, joining and assembly skills. The first elements of evaluation are introduced. 126. The quality of teaching and learning is good at Key Stage 2. Teachers have good subject knowledge and set high expectations. Pupils are managed very well and use their time effectively. Pupils in Years 4/5 are designing and making a woollen garment, which might have been worn by a Roman soldier. During the first observation, they discuss the garment and the

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qualities it would need to have. They are asked to design a loom on which to weave it, and, as part of the evaluation, to devise tests to determine its properties and how effective it might have been. Subsequently, the loom itself was planned. This process was well established and pupils, using a standard format, designed a suitable frame. This led quite naturally into the making of the loom. Wood was measured and cut accurately, with angle supports attached to secure the structure. Evidence from Year 3 gives a further illustration of design and technology being used across the curriculum. Pupils made Tudor biscuits. They researched the topic, devised a recipe, mixed and cooked the biscuits. An enjoyable evaluation followed! The use of information and communication technology to support learning is not always used to its full potential, although it features in teachers’ planning at both key stages during the school year.

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Itchingfield Primary School - 41 127. During the observed lessons, teachers managed learning very well in a limited space. They balanced whole class teaching with individual help and, as a result, pupils made good progress. Pupils had a strong understanding of the design process as they clarified their ideas well using correct vocabulary and clearly labelled diagrams. They confidently discussed design features that worked well or could be improved. A fair evaluation of each topic was seen as being an important and worthwhile part of the work. 128. The co-ordinator provides good leadership in the subject and is aware of how it needs to be developed. The school uses the scheme of work provided by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. The content of each topic is reviewed and modified appropriately in the light of experience. To date, the co-ordinator’s monitoring of the subject has been done

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informally through discussions with colleagues. More rigorous monitoring is planned as part of the school’s programme of work sampling and classroom observations. Present methods of assessment are unsatisfactory. Resourcing for the subject is satisfactory but cramped accommodation limits the freedom of pupils to get the best out of design and technology.

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GEOGRAPHY

129. During the inspection, it was possible to observe only two lessons in geography at Key Stage 1. Judgements are based on an analysis of pupils’ work, teachers’ planning and discussions with pupils and teachers. The evidence indicates that pupils reach average standards and that their progress and achievement are satisfactory in Year 2 and Year 6. This judgement represents an improvement on the findings of the school’s last inspection when attainment was judged to be in line with national expectations at Key Stage 1, but below expectations at Key Stage 2. Since 1997, improvement has been satisfactory. The curriculum has been developed with detailed planning for elements of work. However, the development of skills between Years 4 and 6 is not progressive enough. Pupils with special educational needs benefit from the effective support that they often receive from classroom assistants and this

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GEOGRAPHY

consolidates the progress that they make. There are no significant differences in the attainment of boys and girls. Pupils with English as an additional language make good progress and are well supported. 130. The quality of teaching and learning is good at Key Stage 1. In the previous inspection, no judgements were made on the quality of teaching. The analysis of work shows that pupils in Year 1 have appropriate early map work skills. The teacher successfully uses the school grounds to extend the pupils’ understanding of their immediate environment. By noting its principle features on a simple sketch map and identifying the position of places such as the pond, playground and paths, pupils show an increasing awareness of where things are located. They make observations about other features in the environment, for example, changes in weather and identify symbols used for windy and cloudy weather. In a Year 1 lesson to develop pupils’

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understanding of geographical vocabulary, the story of ‘Rosie’s Walk’ was used effectively to stimulate discussion and increase the pupils’ mapping skills. The pupils’ existing knowledge and understanding were built on as they worked on the different tasks set by the class teacher that enabled all pupils to succeed. By the end of the lesson, many of the pupils had drawn a recognisable map and talk confidently about travelling in different directions. 131. In Year 2, pupils study the island of Struay at a level that is typical for their ages. For example, they have looked at aspects of life on a small island such as transport and the jobs of the islanders. They have drawn a map of the island and marked the main physical features, such as jetty, bay, bridge and mountains. In a Year 2 lesson, following on from the reading of a story about Katie Morag, the teacher made very good use of her own personal video of the holiday she

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GEOGRAPHY

spent visiting an island in Scotland. The teacher skilfully directed the pupils’ attention to the physical and human features of the island by asking questions such as: ‘ What are the natural features? and ‘ Why is it so quiet?’ This developed pupils’ understanding of the different features of an island and prepared them well for the activity of identifying and sorting the man-made features from the natural features of the island. Good use was made of information and communication technology as pupils prepared questions on screen in readiness to e-mail pupils in the school on the island of Gigha. Analysis of pupils’ work shows good links with history when Itchingfield Primary School - 42 pupils compare the differences in features of seaside resorts in the past with those of to-day. Imaginative use is made of ‘Bramble Bear and his sister Collette’ who travel the world, to enable all pupils to learn about other places.

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GEOGRAPHY

132. The evidence indicates that the quality of teaching and learning is generally satisfactory at Key Stage 2. However, there were some particular weaknesses identified in the analysis of work, such as the development of pupils’ skills in using maps at a range of scales and the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of countries that are less economically developed. Although these aspects are planned for, the four year topic cycle means, for example, that pupils in the present Year 6 have not had the opportunity to study the conditions of different countries in depth since Year 3. However, their knowledge and understanding of water and its effects on landscapes and people, including the features of rivers, are very well developed. 133. The analysis of work shows that pupils have a good knowledge of rivers in the United Kingdom and can name the major rivers of the world. Pupils in Year 4 make good use of

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information and communication technology to create a database to show the different lengths of the major rivers in the world. In Year 5/6, pupils annotate maps that identify settlements along a river and show an understanding of the causes and effects of changes in the river, such as floods and drought. Good cross-curricular links are made with history when looking at rivers and their effects on landscapes and people. For example, they learn about Egypt and how life depends on the rise of the River Nile and irrigation of the land. Their use of geographical vocabulary is well developed. In their work on rivers, they confidently use terms such as, tributary, meander, source and erosion. In Year 6, pupils talk knowledgeably about the features that make up their own village and compare them to features found in a city and how they affect the lives and activities of people living there. They explain their own views clearly and the views

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GEOGRAPHY

that other people hold. For example, when discussing life in London, they talked about it being densely populated, expensive to live in and having lots of noise, litter and pollution. However, they did consider there were parts of London, such as the suburbs, that were much nicer and that St. Paul’s Cathedral was very peaceful. Pupils use a road atlas confidently to plan a simple route from Itchingfield to a specified destination by road and plot the quickest route to places as far apart as London and Glasgow. They know how to locate places on maps by using a four-figure grid reference and understand what scale means. However, the full range of pupils’ skills in using different kinds of maps and resources is weaker. 134. The leadership of geography is satisfactory, as the school’s emphasis has been on English, mathematics and science since the last inspection. The co-ordinator is aware of the

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GEOGRAPHY

strengths and weaknesses in the subject and has a clear understanding of the developments necessary. The policy and detailed scheme of work provide good guidelines for teachers’ planning. This is an improvement since the previous inspection when it was raised as an issue. However, because of the four year topic cycle in Key Stage 2, there are years when geography is not taught for two consecutive terms. This does not provide pupils with the teaching and learning experiences in geography on a regular systematic basis. Procedures for assessing the pupils’ attainment are adequate and relate to the criteria set out in the nationally recommended guidelines. Resources are satisfactory. In the last inspection they were judged to be insufficient. The school makes appropriate use of visits in and around the local environment to extend the pupils’ geographical knowledge. Good use is made of the residential visit to the Wye Valley for

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GEOGRAPHY

older pupils to extend their geographical knowledge and skills. The subject makes a sound contribution to pupils’ social, moral and cultural development, for example through their understanding of the environment and how features of places affect the lives and activities of people living there.

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HISTORY

135. During the inspection, it was possible to observe only two lessons in history at Key Stage 2. Judgements are based on an analysis of pupils’ work, teachers’ planning and discussions with pupils and teachers. During the week of the inspection, there was also a visitor from Horsham museum who spoke to the Reception children and to the pupils at Key Stage 1. Indications are that standards are average in Year 2 and above average in Year 6. This judgement represents a Itchingfield Primary School - 43 good improvement since the last inspection when standards were judged to be in line with national expectations in both key stages. Pupils make satisfactory progress and achieve soundly according to their previous attainment at Key Stage 1, but they do better at Key Stage 2, due to the high standards in teaching. Pupils with special educational needs, benefit from working in groups with high attaining pupils, which consolidates the progress they make. Pupils with English

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HISTORY

as an additional language make good progress and are well supported. There is evidence of high attainment in the work of pupils in Years 5 and 6. This is largely due to the good teaching that places a strong emphasis on bringing history alive and, as a result, motivates the pupils. This leads to good learning and the development of their historical skills. 136. At Key Stage 1, where no lessons were observed, the analysis of pupils’ completed work and the visit paid by a member of staff from Horsham museum showed that the pupils are given a broad range of experiences in history and that their achievement is satisfactory. At the end of Year 2 the pupils have learnt about famous people and events and understand from familiar objects such as household objects and toys how some things have changed over time while other things have remained the same. The analysis of work shows that pupils in Year 2 have a

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HISTORY

good knowledge of the Great Fire of London. They understand how the fire started and why it was so devastating. The written work is good and includes keeping a diary of the events of the fire in chronological order. They have made good use of information and communication technology to produce a newspaper report about the fire for the ‘London Times’, making reference to ‘King Charles giving a golden guinea to encourage people to put out the fire’. An analysis of pupils’ work in Year 1 indicates that they have looked at pictures and photographs of how people used to live 60 years ago. They appropriately develop their awareness of how buildings can change over time and how this time can be presented as a time line when they present changes that have occurred in the homes. Artwork is linked well to history, when for example, pupils record from first-hand observations, and Victorian and Edwardian artefacts.

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HISTORY

137. The quality of teaching and learning in Key Stage 2 is good. At the time of the last inspection, teaching was judged to be sound overall. In the good Year 4/5 lesson observed, pupils were learning about the work of archaeologists. The teacher used a video taken from a recent television programme on archaeology skilfully to introduce pupils to the way in which different sources of information can be used by archaeologists to find out about past events. After presenting groups of pupils with pictures of the discovery of Sutton Hoo, the teacher told them, ‘ You’re going to be archaeologists now’ and proceeded to involve the pupils well in their learning. They took a full part in discussions prompted by key questions from the teacher, who guided them effectively to make appropriate and relevant observations. Pupils learned that some evidence found by archaeologists can be used to help find out about the lives of people in the

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past, but as the teacher put it when discussing the grave at Sutton Hoo not containing a body, ‘There is always some mystery’. 138. The analysis of work produced by Year 5/6 pupils indicates that they have a good insight into the way of life, beliefs and aspects of Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece and the legacy of these civilisations. In their work on the Tudors, pupils show detailed knowledge of the life of Henry VIII and write at length about his six wives. Good use is made of information and communication technology in pupils’ individual research work and in developing older pupils’ literacy skills. For example, writing an article for the ‘Tudor Times’ entitled, ‘Bad News for the Pope’. Teachers are enthusiastic about history and present the work in a way that pupils enjoy and which encourages them to work hard and develop good historical skills. Teachers’ questioning helps pupils to look carefully at various sources, such as photographs, pictures and

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books, and see what they can deduce from the evidence. This prompted some good discussion in Year 5/6 on why the Romans invaded Britain. Showing good command of the subject, through a mixture of questioning, prompting and explaining, the teacher was successful in getting the pupils to use the evidence in pictures to discuss and compare the differences between Roman and Celtic life. However, the time spent in presenting their findings back to the class went on for too long and, as a result, a number of pupils became restless and lost interest. The teacher brought the lesson together appropriately and used the opportunity to regain their interest by reading excerpts about attempts made by the Roman army in conquering Britain. Pupils with Itchingfield Primary School - 44 special educational needs made satisfactory progress in this lesson through the opportunity to discuss and share their ideas with a partner.

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HISTORY

139. Good links are made between history and art and design, as seen in the Year 5 pupils’ designs for a Roman soldier’s woollen shirt and in Year 3/4 where pupils designed and made Roman sandals. Pupils have had good opportunities to develop their learning about life in Roman Britain and in Tudor times when they visit Fishbourne Palace and Hampton Court. Pupils in both key stages present their work carefully in a suitable range of forms, using dates and vocabulary appropriately relating to the passage of time. 140. A suitable policy and coherent scheme of work based on the nationally recommended guidelines now support teaching and learning in the subject. This is an improvement since the previous inspection when it was identified as an area for development. However, because of the way history and geography are integrated into the topic cycles, particularly in Key Stage 2, there are times when history is not taught for two consecutive terms. This does not provide pupils with

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HISTORY

the teaching and learning experiences in history on a regular systematic basis. The subject is well led by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable co-ordinator. However, her monitoring role is under developed and, at present, is conducted informally by talking to other teachers. Procedures for assessing the pupils’ attainment are, in general, satisfactory and relate to the criteria set out in the nationally recommended guidelines. A collection of pupils’ work provides evidence of the standards attained. Resources are adequate to support the teaching of history and resources are supplemented by loans from local services and visits to places of historical interest. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through the study of historical societies and their customs.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

141. Standards in Year 2 are average and in Year 6, they are above average. This judgement matches the last inspection’s findings for Key Stage 2, but is lower for Key Stage 1. At Key Stage 1, pupils’ achievement is satisfactory and at Key Stage 2, it is good. Pupils with special educational needs make very good overall progress as they achieve average standards by the end of Year 6. Those with English as an additional language make good overall progress and are well supported in lessons. Able pupils make satisfactory progress at Key Stage 1 and very good progress at Key Stage 2. This difference is due to the better range of experiences at Key Stage 2, very high quality support from the co-ordinator and wider opportunities to show initiative and take responsibility for their learning and research. Girls and boys achieve similar standards due to the good provision for equal opportunities in teachers’ planning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

142. Progress in developing the subject is good overall. The school was successful in being in the first group of schools to receive their budgets as part of the National Grid for Learning. The school has developed both of its sites and both sites are now networked. The range and number of computers have increased to at least two per class and in Years 5 and 6, there are five. The school is in the process of setting up video conferencing with the Weald secondary schools. Across the whole school, pupils are using a greater range of programs. A new scheme of work is in place and pupils regularly E-mail other schools in the immediate locality and in Scotland. The quality of teaching has developed, with some very good teaching at Key Stage 2. The involvement of governors is very good and a significant factor in why the subject is developing so well, despite the limitations of the accommodation. 143. The quality of teaching and learning is judged to be very good overall by the end of Year

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

6 as pupils develop skills which become progressively more challenging as they move through the school. Opportunities to use information and communication technology in other subjects are strong especially to support English and literacy work and history. It is developing steadily in other areas of the curriculum. One significant weakness concerns the lack of sensor equipment to link learning to physical education, geography and science. Additionally, the school owns a web camera, but this is not well used by pupils. The school has clear plans to improve these aspects as part of the development plan. There are few cassette/CD players with headphones. The use of homework to support learning is underdeveloped. Itchingfield Primary School - 45 144. At Key Stage 1, teaching is judged to be good overall, but learning is satisfactory, due to more limited access to resources for ‘hands on’ practice of skills. It was only possible to see one

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

lesson, but the sample of work confirmed the good teaching that was seen in this lesson. Teachers’ knowledge, skills and expectations are good, but sometimes pupils cannot see the screen and they are not giving enough thought to how to re arrange the seating to compensate for this. Moreover, often, font sizes on the screen are not enlarged to the maximum to help pupils to see and learn quickly. As a result, sometimes pupils’ concentration wavers. Pupils learn how to write using several programs, one of which speaks to the pupils so that they can check that their writing says exactly what they intended. Pupils in Year 1 write stories, which they go back over to make improvements as seen in their writing entitled ‘Behind the Castle’. In Year 2, pupils know how to insert pictures and use art effects to create illustrations to accompany their Great Fire of London information writing. Links with design and technology develop steadily as they design

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vehicles that they plan to make. In science, they know how to make simple question sheets to help them when investigating the development and habitats of small creatures. The teacher has helped them to send a variety of E-mails to friends at a school in Scotland. Overall, there is limited learning about how information and communication is used in the outside world and in their use of control technology. 145. At Key Stage 2, teaching and learning are very good. Learning about how to access information on the Internet and through CD ROMs has developed considerably since 1997. In Year 3, pupils link into the British Museum web site to learn about ancient Egyptian mummification and also record their views about life in Tudor times following a trip to Hampton Court palace. Teachers make very good used of the highlighter feature to help pupils to identify where verbs and other parts of speech are in texts as part of their literacy work. In Year 4, pupils

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

use artefact enquiry sheets to make deductions about what was buried at Sutton Hoo. Furthermore, this work is then written out using the word processor, and pupils show a good understanding of when to use paragraphs and make good use of the spellchecker. Moreover, pupils know how to alter font size and style to enhance the presentation and they modify passages to make them more interesting. 146. In Year 5 and 6, teaching is of a consistently very high standard; pupils are all working at the average Level 4 and higher attaining pupils are beginning to work within Level 5. The expectations, challenges and support of pupils are excellent. For example, in one very good lesson there were four activities going on, while the rest of the class worked on art or design and technology. The teacher had organised the learning objectives and resources very well, which resulted in rapid learning, even for the lowest ability group. The excellent management allowed

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one group to research answers to a general knowledge quiz, which linked to history, science, literature and geography. Another group used a web site to support their learning about the Roman invasion, while another group set out spreadsheets. This work showed very good challenging mathematics work as pupils had to plan and cost a party meal to the value of £40, but, at each stage, they had to use mental arithmetic to keep check of expenditure before instructing the computer to give final costs. The last group worked creatively combining a range of effects and rotating texts to design a poster for the school’s firework party. Every one of these activities had real meaning to the pupils and their perseverance indicated a love for learning, which is playing an important part in the high standards achieved. 147. At Key Stage 1, there are fewer computers than at Key Stage 2, although the number remains within the expected average. However, this is one factor in why learning and

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achievement are better at Key Stage 2, as pupils have more direct contact with computers to consolidate their learning. Throughout the school, pupils show very positive attitudes to learning and work well with each other. The extra curricular drumming music club makes good use of information and communication technology, although in other aspects of music it is underdeveloped. 148. There is very good leadership and management by the subject co-ordinator, who also has responsibility for mathematics and the Key Stage 2 curriculum. The accommodation is satisfactory, but very cramped. The school has very good priorities set for the development of the subject. Monitoring of teaching, learning and the curriculum is good overall, but Key Stage 1 Itchingfield Primary School - 46 monitoring is not as strong as Key Stage 2. Assessment is satisfactory, although the samples of work are not given levels and this is unhelpful in tracking pupils’ progress year by year. Pupils do

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

not use information and communication technology enough to widen their knowledge and understanding of world cultures and the richness and variety of Britain as a multicultural society. The subject meets the requirements of the National Curriculum, with the exception of the sensor work. The school has an excellent Internet safety policy.

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MUSIC

149. Standards in Year 2 and 6 are broadly average, although pupils’ singing skills are above average by the end of Key Stage 2. This judgement is not as high as at the last inspection when pupils at both key stages attained above average standards. Standards by the end of Year 2 are also average. There is strong evidence in the school to show that pupils have indeed attained higher standards until recently due to the very high standards of teaching by the former part time specialist teacher. At the time of the inspection a temporary non-specialist teacher was covering the subject before the appointment of a new teacher. 150. The temporary teacher showed enthusiasm for the subject, but was not familiar with the capabilities of the pupils and she has no specialist qualifications in the subject. During the inspection week, pupils demonstrated average work in all aspects of music. The sample of work retained by the school showed a very different picture with pupils achieving above average

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standards at both key stages until the end of the summer term 2001. Currently, within class lessons, pupils are not achieving their full potential and this is a weakness. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language are encouraged to work alongside their peers appropriately. Boys and girls achieve similar standards. Until very recently, the very high standards in music had been maintained. The recent decline has occurred due to recruitment difficulties and, therefore, improvement since the last inspection is judged as broadly satisfactory. 151. Based on the three lessons seen and discussion with pupils, the quality of teaching and learning is broadly satisfactory at both key stages. Most pupils are consolidating and learning new skills satisfactorily. However, for the above average pupils, their learning is not demanding enough. This is often because the teacher does not know the pupils well enough and is not able

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MUSIC

to plan lessons, which meet the wide capabilities of the pupils. In this respect, the lack of assessment notes from past years has not helped the situation. Assessment is unsatisfactory overall, except for the higher attaining pupils who receive additional teaching. Here, assessment is excellent and well recorded. In Year 2, pupils learn about long and short sounds by listening to the sounds made by different instruments. Although pupils acquired a satisfactory understanding, there were limited opportunities for pupils to explore the instruments creatively and learn for themselves and, therefore, reach higher than average standards. The balance between listening and doing is not well thought out and indicates that the teacher’s knowledge of how young children learn is limited. Pupils have very positive attitudes to the subject and would love to experiment with more instruments and compose and perform in small groups. Work in the

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portfolio folders for the last year shows above average attainment. For example, by the end of Year 2, pupils know about quavers, crochets and minims and use them, for example, in a food song including a line: ‘bit of butter, smelly cheddar’, which showed a good understanding of quavers. 152. At Key Stage 2, teaching shows satisfactory subject knowledge. A mixed Year 3/4 lesson on naming percussion instruments was well planned, but pupils became bored, as they had to do far more listening than actually doing. Pupils were bubbling with enthusiasm to experiment creatively to learn about how instruments can be hit and shaken in different ways to create a variety of effects. Overall, 30 minutes was spent introducing the instruments with ten minutes to do a work sheet. By the end of the lesson, satisfactory learning had taken place more by listening to others than by first hand experimentation. Nevertheless, pupils made a good attempt at

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MUSIC

interpreting the effect of sounds linking them to animal movements. There was not enough challenge in this lesson especially as one boy spoke with real clarity and knowledge about how Itchingfield Primary School - 47 the wire spring on the bottom of a snare drum vibrates when the player strikes the top skin, but he could not demonstrate this. 153. In the mixed Year 5/6 class, pupils talk about harmony and copy ascending and descending scales on the piano. They accurately pitch notes, which shows very good development of skills as pupils have moved through the school. Good teaching about phrasing resulted in better than average singing of ‘London’s Burning’ in a two part round. Teaching shows suitable expectations as the teacher comments: “sing the whole phrase in one breath, no breathing in the wrong places, sit up straight, it helps you to use your lungs correctly.” This results in clear diction and musical expression. Writing notation on the board to show how the notes for

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‘fetch the engine’ are higher than ‘fire fire’ satisfactorily supports learning. The best part of this satisfactory lesson occurred when pupils sung ‘Anytime You Need a Calypso’. Here, the pupils sung with energy, showing creativity as they naturally included actions which they had been taught in the past. In both lessons at Key Stage 2, when pupils were not given enough independence or opportunities to develop their own ideas, they sometimes lost focus and become restless. 154. There are 11 pupils in Key Stage 2 who receive either individual or group lessons for stringed instruments by a very knowledgeable and skilled specialist teacher. She is very enthusiastic about her subject and this is reflected in the effort and the very high achievement of the pupils. The teaching and learning by these able, talented and gifted pupils are excellent and result in very high attainment, which is further supported by very good homework. Learning was

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MUSIC

excellent when one boy improved his playing of Pachelbel’s Canon as the teacher played alongside him following an evaluation of the score and ongoing assessment to improve the spiritual quality of the piece. Currently, these more able pupils are not well catered for in class lessons. 155. Extra curricular provision is very good at Key Stage 2 and underdeveloped at Key Stage 1. The school has a strong history of high quality public performances in which pupils of all abilities share their skills and learn about different composers such as Sullivan. Pupils have the opportunity to learn the recorder and take part in a music club in which they learn drumming skills through information and communication technology at Key Stage 2. 156. Music supports pupils’ spiritual and cultural learning satisfactorily with some significant strengths in pupils’ participation in the recent arts festivals. However, there are many missed

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MUSIC

opportunities to widen cultural development and spirituality by use of music in other curriculum subjects, such as in dance and during assemblies. For example, Beethoven’s ‘Fur Elise’ was played at the end of a Key Stage 2 assembly, but there was no mention of this, nor was the mood linked to the wonderful sense of calm as the sun shone through the windows. The local vicar makes effective use of music in his weekly assemblies. A visit to school by a group of Indian musicians helped pupils to learn about non-western music, but generally this kind of enrichment is too limited. 157. The school has a satisfactory range of instruments, but few books, CDs and posters to widen pupils’ knowledge of contemporary and classical musicians. Overall, the use of information and communication technology to support learning is developing steadily, but is not used to its full potential. Parents are very supportive of their children’s musical development and

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MUSIC

congratulate the school on the high standards achieved in the past. A few pupils have parents who have strong links with music in their working life but they have not been invited to share their interest and experiences with the pupils. Leadership and management of the subject are designated to a teacher with several other responsibilities during the period of change. This is satisfactory as there is a clear vision for continued development of the subject within the immediate future. No formal monitoring of the teaching of this subject has taken place recently.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

158. Standards in physical education are average in Year 2 and above average in Year 6. The picture is very much the same as in the last inspection, with similar strengths and weaknesses. In the areas of gymnastics, the two school halls are both small and restrict the opportunities for Itchingfield Primary School - 48 pupils to achieve high standards. This was noted in the previous inspection. However, the skilful teaching enables all pupils to make good progress in both gymnastics and dance. At Key Stage 2, standards in games are above average with some pupils achieving very high standards in cricket. The school has an excellent sporting record, with many successes at County level. In swimming, the school’s records show that most pupils reach above average standards. There are no significant variations in attainment or progress between boys and girls. Pupils with special educational needs benefit from the teachers’ high expectations of them which results in them

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making good progress in their application of skills in order to reach good standards. Pupils with English as an additional language make good progress and are well supported. 159. There are, however, variations in the speed of the pupils’ progress in gymnastics between different year groups. This is, to some extent, due to the differences in the quality of teaching. At Key Stage 1, the quality of teaching and learning is good. In a very good Year 2 gymnastics lesson taken by the headteacher, the high expectations and focused teaching on developing performance skills, motivated pupils to work hard and improve their skills. They demonstrated jumping actions and good levels of control while negotiating the limited space in the hall. They move in a controlled manner, and linked sequences of running, jumping and landing that showed contrasts in direction, level and speed. Pupils observed each other, accurately described what

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

they were seeing and offered comment on how their partner had improved the quality of their performance. The teacher’s firm grasp of skill development and his ability to observe, analyse and feed back for improvement was focused and developmental. These factors supported the pupils’ progress effectively and they made good progress in the development of their basic gymnastic skills on the floor. However, the lack of space for work on apparatus affects the ability of teachers to offer progressively difficult tasks suitable to the needs of pupils. All pupils understand the need to warm-up for gymnastics and cool-down afterwards and describe how their bodies feel during the activities. 160. At Key Stage 2, the quality of teaching and learning is good overall. However, it varies greatly from very good to, in one lesson, unsatisfactory. In Years 4/5, a well-planned dance lesson, linked to the story of ‘The Iron Man’, showed the high expectations of the pupils that most

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

teachers have. The teacher set the scene well for a dance and drama presentation. She sequenced the lesson well, moving from reading an extract from the book to introducing a bold single beat of a drum to build up pupils’ rhythmic movements. The very good organisation and control to overcome the space limitations of the hall enabled all pupils to work towards a polished performance and to use movements that were of appropriate quality. As a result of the good teaching, pupils were totally immersed in the lesson and applied their dance ideas effectively to moving their bodies imaginatively. Evaluation of movement was good because pupils understood the link between performance of skills and the qualities that were needed to improve their movements. Where teaching is less effective, the lack of space and knowledge of how to develop progressively more difficult tasks suitable to the needs of pupils impacts on learning.

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Here, pupils have to wait too long for turns and thus, become off-task and chatter inappropriately, which results in unsatisfactory development of gymnastic skills and below average attainment. 161. In Year 5/6, the teacher and headteacher provide high quality teaching of games. The teachers’ very secure subject knowledge, confident approach and clear instructions for the development of skills enable all pupils to make good progress and achieve above average standards in hockey and football. In the hockey lesson, both boys and girls showed good skills when using the stick to dribble and pass the ball. These skills were appropriately demonstrated by the teacher and carefully watched by the pupils before they practised them. Pupils were helped to improve as the teacher carefully noted and addressed weaknesses in their performance. In football, the headteacher provided skilful teaching of skills before leading to

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match play. Activities were well structured to develop the pupils’ ball skills, using feet and heads. Extremely good management and control in the lesson ensured that all pupils were very involved and sustained a high pace of movement. Pupils listened intently to the instructions, tried hard and as a result, developed good techniques and tactics suitable for attacking and defending in football. When playing match football, all pupils worked well with others in their team to keep the Itchingfield Primary School - 49 game going. Both boys and girls develop their skills well in games and quickly adapt to competitive situations. 162. During the spring and summer term, the Key Stage 2 pupils go to Christ’s Hospital Sports Centre for swimming lessons. It is taught by qualified swimming instructors and all pupils swim at least 25 metres safely and confidently before they leave the school. Many of them

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exceed this level and learn deep-water skills and a range of recognised strokes. 163. The headteacher has responsibility for physical education and takes a very active role in teaching the subject himself. This clearly influences positively the good standards that pupils achieve. There is a clear policy for the subject but the school’s scheme of work is still in draft form and does not include planning for developing outdoor and adventurous activities at Key Stage 2. This was noted at the previous inspection. However, the school is moving towards adopting the nationally recommended guidelines for physical education. There are no formal procedures for assessing pupils’ skills or recording the progress they make. The school provides a good range of extracurricular activities for sport. There are clubs for cricket, football, netball, hockey, athletics and rounders. The cricket team does extremely well and has gained many

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trophies, some at County level. In addition, both the football and netball teams achieve success in the inter-school matches. The school receives very good support from staff at Christ’s Hospital and Horsham Leisure Centre. The school also has good links with Sussex County Cricket. The subject is well resourced for the teaching of games and there is a good sports field. However, both school halls are small and restrict gymnastics. Teachers make the best use of these limited facilities. The subject contributes well to pupils’ personal development. It gives opportunities for pupils to develop team spirit and compete fairly within the understood rules of the games.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

164. In Years 2 and 6, pupils’ knowledge and understanding of religious education meet the expectations of the Locally Agreed Syllabus. This shows good improvement since 1997 when standards were below average at both key stages. Judgements in this inspection are based on classroom observations, analysis of pupils’ work, scrutiny of teachers’ planning and displays and discussions with teachers and pupils. The school has a caring, supportive ethos, which encourages pupils to respect the ideas and opinions of others. Together with collective worship, religious education makes a significant contribution to pupils’ personal development. All pupils make satisfactory progress as they move through the school, including those with special educational needs, who are fully involved in all class activities and discussions. Pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language achieve similar

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standards, which match their capabilities. 165. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory at Key Stage 1. Teachers’ planning, which was criticised in the last report, is now thorough and detailed. In collective worship and in the classrooms, teachers are careful to create a warm, supportive environment in which pupils can listen and contemplate. Pupils remember what it was like to start school, how they felt and how others might feel. They talk confidently about their feelings. The their lessons, Year 1 pupils were thinking about special days. Visiting church on Sunday was suggested and the teacher developed this, pointing out that people who have other beliefs go to church on other days. Year 2 were preparing for the school’s harvest festival. They knew why harvest is celebrated and remembered what has happened in previous years. Pupils were learning a new song based on a North American Indian poem thanking Mother Earth for all her goodness. The concept was a

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difficult one for them but the teacher skilfully related it back to Christian beliefs and customs. 166. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory at Key Stage 2. In Year 6, pupils have an insight into the beliefs, festivals, symbols and traditions of Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Islam. Year 3 think about their local community and the importance of the village church. They talk about going there to pray and to attend weddings, christenings and funerals. Analysis of previous work reveals a detailed study of the church. Pupils explore the symbolism of the lectern and the font. Pupils examine gravestones and record information about previous village residents. Years 4/5 think about other religious communities and about the responsibilities that followers might have. They learn about a Buddhist nun and compare their responsibilities and Itchingfield Primary School - 50 lifestyle with hers. Analysis of pupils’ work shows that pupils in Years 5 and 6 are developing a

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sound awareness of aspects and traditions and celebrations in Hindu religion. They understand how people express their identity and their religious faith through outward symbols and compare their knowledge of both Jewish and Hindu traditions. Work is insufficiently supported by visits to different places of worship. During the inspection, pupils were researching the Muslim faith and discussing the apparent differences that exist between Islam and Christianity. The teacher did not take full advantage of their interest in this and good opportunities to explore current problems in society were missed. Generally, a strength of the teaching and learning in religious education is the sensitivity and respect that teachers and pupils show towards the feelings, beliefs and opinions of others. Pupils’ listening and speaking skills are developed well in informal discussions that are a strong feature in both key stages. However, there are limitations in the

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opportunities given to older pupils to develop detailed discussions and considered arguments in their written and oral work and this is why attainment is average overall. 167. The subject is led by an experienced teacher who is interested in, and committed to, its development. The school scheme of work is supported by one produced by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. The co-ordinator has monitored teachers’ planning but assessments of the quality of teaching and standards have not taken place. This is unsatisfactory. Resources for religious education have improved well since the last inspection and the investment in artefacts has improved learning opportunities. There are good links with the local church and clergy but not with representatives of other faiths. The co-ordinator recognises that this is a priority for future development. The subject makes a satisfactory contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and

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cultural development when they consider how they should recognise that people in their lives are special and Jesus is special in the lives of Christians. Their studies of the world’s great faiths helps them to consider values and traditions other than their own. Opportunities to use information and communication technology are identified as an aspect for wider development.

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