Tavistock Primary & Nursery School

TAVISTOCK COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 3 rd – 7 th Dec. 2001

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TAVISTOCK COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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TAVISTOCK COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and Junior with Nursery

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Plymouth Road, Tavistock, Devon.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mrs K Palmer

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 21 st April 1997 Tavistock Community Primary School - 4

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responsibilities

3832 John Ayerst Registered inspector Music The characteristics of the school The school’s results and pupils’ achievements How well pupils are taught Leadership and management of the school What the school should do to improve further 19639 Gill Anderson Lay inspector The school’s care for its pupils The school’s partnerships with parents 1085 John Laver Team inspector English Geography History

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responsibilities

11720 Philip Winch Team inspector Special educational needs Modern foreign languages 24891 Jacqueline Johnson Mathematics Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development Religious education

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responsibilities

23999 Catherine Davey Science Design and technology Information and communication technology Physical education Equal opportunities

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responsibilities

16500 Tom Richardson Art and design Curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils Children in the Foundation Stage. The support centre The assessment centre Tavistock Community Primary School - 5 Serco QAA Ltd Herringston Barn, Herringston, Dorchester, Dorset. DT2 9PU Tel: 01305 251591 The inspection contractor was:

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responsibilities

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

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responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Tavistock Community Primary School - 6

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 7

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 11

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Tavistock Community Primary School is larger than average with 402 boys and girls of 3 – 11 years of age. Most of the pupils come from Tavistock and the surrounding area, which is an area of average socio-economic spread. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals (13%) is average. There are no pupils from ethnic minorities at present and none who speak English as an additional language. The percentage of pupils identified as having special educational needs (30%) is above average, and the number of those with statements for special educational needs (5%) is well above average. The school has an area support centre designated for pupils with moderate learning difficulties, but there are a number of pupils with severe learning difficulties. Several pupils have dyslexia, some need support with speech and communication problems, some pupils have visual or hearing impairments, there are a few

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

pupils with Down’s syndrome and a number have autism. The school also has an assessment unit for pupils under five and at present nine are in school for assessment. The proportion of pupils coming to the school and leaving during their schooling is relatively high and a number of pupils come to the school having been unsuccessful in other primary schools. Taken together, pupils’ attainment on entry is below average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school makes good provision for all pupils across its wide ability range. It is particularly effective in meeting the special needs of pupils in the area support centre. Teachers work hard to create a stimulating and challenging environment. Children are valued and encouraged to succeed. They respond with an interest in learning and courtesy to each other and to the adults around them. Standards have been improving over the last few years and attainment is in line with the national average in almost all subjects, which represents good achievement in most subjects in a school that has such a high proportion of pupils with learning difficulties. Since the arrival of the headteacher, two years ago, the pace of change has been good; almost all aspects of the school’s work have been reviewed and improvements put into place. Overall, the school provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Under the very good leadership of the headteacher the quality of teaching and learning is improving and pupils are achieving well. • The provision for pupils with special educational needs in the Support Centre is outstanding and all pupils in Years R to 6 are very successfully included in the life of the school. • The quality of education is good in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science and in art and design and physical education. • The school provides a good curriculum that is broad and balanced and enriched by a very good range of additional activities. • The school sets a very caring environment where each child is valued and encouraged to achieve their full potential. • The school creates a very positive ethos where relationships are very strong and pupils and adults are motivated to give of their best.

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What could be improved

• Seek to extend the very good practice seen in many classrooms so that teaching is consistently of the highest quality. • Complete the organisation of the deployment of teachers in each year group so that they work to their strengths more effectively. • Provide more time for senior managers, who at present are almost entirely class based, to carry out their management roles. • Provide more time for personal, social and health education and music and plan more thoroughly for the progression of skills in these areas. • Improve the preparation of pupils for life in a multi-cultural society. • Continue to develop the provision for the pre-school assessment of children with special educational needs at the Mary Budding Centre The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan. Tavistock Community Primary School - 8

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Overall, the school has made good improvement since the last inspection. Since the 1997 inspection all Key Issues have been successfully addressed and the quality of teaching has improved. Following the 1997 inspection standards in national test results fell to well below average in English and science at the end of Year 6. They have improved over the years since then and standards in pupils’ work are similar to the national expectation.

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STANDARDS

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

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D D D D

well above average above average A B Mathematics

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D C C D

average below average C D Science D B D D well below average E

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D C C D

In the 2001 national tests at the end of Year 6, the results for mathematics show average standards and for English and science results were below the national average. All three subjects fall below standards in schools with similar numbers claiming free school meals. These comparisons, however, do not take into account the large proportion of pupils with special educational needs. Since 1997 the school’s records show that the proportion of pupils with more severe special educational needs has increased.

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D C C D

Baseline assessments indicate that children enter the Nursery class with below average attainment. In most years attainment on entry to Year 1 is also below average and this represents satisfactory achievement during the Foundation Stage, but the current group of children in the Reception class are achieving particularly well and are on course to reach average attainment by the end of the year. A significant minority of pupils finds considerable difficulty with literacy and numeracy and has to be taught how to learn. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and the number of those with statements for special educational needs are well above average. In the learning development department, achievement is good and pupils from the support centre make very good progress.

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D C C D

From work seen during the inspection, standards in English, mathematics and science are broadly in line with expectations at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6. In most other subjects, pupils’ attainment is at least satisfactory at the end of those years, except in music where achievement is satisfactory over the time at school, but inconsistent progress from class to class leads to standards that are below national expectations by Year 6. In art and design and physical education pupils’ attainments are above expectations throughout and they achieve well. In response to the good and very good teaching, pupils of all levels of attainment make good progress in most lessons. Assessment is used very well to measure that progress and to plan the next stages of learning. Consequently, achievement overall is good throughout the school, which points towards further improvement in standards of attainment.

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D C C D

Literacy and numeracy skills are well developed across the curriculum. By Year 6 standards in information and communication technology are in line with national expectations and, because of recent improvements in pupils’ achievements, are above expectations at Year 2. The school sets its targets, in consultation with the Local Education Authority, with great thoroughness and intentionally sets challenging targets. Current targets set for the school are challenging, in terms of the attainment of individual pupils in each year group, and the school will do well to meet them. Tavistock Community Primary School - 9

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Attitudes to school are good. Pupils enjoy coming to school and they enjoy learning. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is good. The very good relationships in the school promote and facilitate learning. There are no exclusions. Personal development and relationships Relationships are very good and pupils’ personal development is good. They show respect for the feelings, values and beliefs of others. Attendance Satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

The very good relationships between all people in the school have a significant impact on the good achievement made by pupils. Parents were keen to say that they value greatly the pupils with special educational needs in the school because they bring good opportunities for all pupils to live and work together in harmony.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

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

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The quality of teaching is good at all stages. Pupils’ learning is also good; they make good progress in most lessons and they achieve well over their time in school.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Standards of teaching are generally high across most subjects and teaching for pupils from the support centre is particularly good and frequently excellent. Literacy and numeracy skills are taught well across the curriculum. In good and very good lessons, teachers have good knowledge and understanding of the subject matter and they plan lessons with clear learning aims that meet well the different needs of pupils in the class. In these good and very good lessons learning is rigorous and challenging, and teachers have very high expectations of pupils of all levels of attainment. In satisfactory lessons teachers are not as confident about the subject and planning for progress is less successful. As a consequence, these lessons do not have the same sense of direction and learning is not as well focussed. In all lessons, however, relationships are very good and teachers have high expectations of the pupils’ behaviour.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum A good curriculum strongly enriched by a wide range of extra-curricular activities. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good in the main school. Children are taught well and make good progress. Very good specialist teaching is provided for individuals and small groups. The provision for pupils in the Support Centre is exemplary. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Spiritual and cultural provision is satisfactory. Moral and social provision is very good and is reflected in the positive attitudes displayed by most pupils. The school could do more to prepare pupils for life in a multi- cultural society. How well the school cares for its pupils Standards of care are very good. The school creates a very caring environment for learning. Every child is valued as an individual and the whole community celebrates each individuals successes.

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Aspect Comment

The curriculum provision is further enriched by additional elements, such as visits linked to topics under study, visitors to school, French for Year 6 pupils and extra lessons for higher attainers. Parents make a Tavistock Community Primary School - 10 good contribution to the children’s’ learning, both at home and in school. The school works hard to promote and maintain its good links with parents and provides very good information for them. The school’s partnerships with its community and with partner schools are very good. The requirements for a daily act of worship are not always met in class assemblies.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good leadership by the headteacher who is well supported by his senior management team. Together they set a positive ethos that motivates teachers and pupils to work towards good levels of achievement. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors are committed and have a positive approach to the school. They fulfill their responsibilities well. The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The school’s performance is analysed carefully and action taken to improve. The strategic use of resources Very good. Resources are targeted to meet identified areas for improvement.

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Aspect Comment

The staff of the school are highly motivated to raising standards and providing their pupils with high quality schooling. Curriculum teams provide good leadership of subjects. Time for management is limited, mostly because senior staff are class based. The school has sufficient teaching and non- teaching staff and, with few exceptions, makes good strategic use of its staffing to support its educational priorities. Accommodation is good and provides an attractive environment for learning. Resources are satisfactory, with strengths in art and design, information and communications technology, physical education and literacy. The school applies the principles of best value well and has very good potential to improve further.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children like school and the children in school like each other. • The school works closely with parents. • The teaching is good. • Children make good progress in school. • Parents value the presence of pupils with special educational needs because of the positive effect on all children in the school. • The information that the school provides. • The range of extra-curricular activities provided. • Bullying is dealt with satisfactorily by teachers, but not quickly enough. • The amount of homework is not always well judged.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors agree with the positive comments made by parents, but do not agree with the issues raised for improvement by a small number of parents. They consider that the information provided for parents is very good and that the school gives particularly good information about how well their children are doing. Homework is used well to support and extend learning and the amount is generally appropriate. The provision for extra-curricular activities is very good. Inspectors agree that rare cases of bullying are dealt with effectively; they appreciate that the process can be slow, but are also aware that effective handling of such issues can be a contracted process. Tavistock Community Primary School - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. In national tests for Year 2 in 2001, the average points scored show that pupils attained average standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers’ assessments show a similar average standard in science. When compared with schools with similar numbers claiming free school meals, standards were average in reading, but below average in mathematics and science. The test results for 2001 for Year 6 pupils show average standards for mathematics, but standards that were below the national average for English and science. All three subjects fall below standards in schools with similar numbers claiming free school meals. These comparisons do not take into account the large proportion of pupils with special educational needs.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. Standards were judged above average at the last inspection in 1997. Following that inspection standards fell and have been slowly improving year by year since. The results over the last three years have been above and below average in all three subjects at both Year 2 and Y6. This broadly reflects the numbers with special educational needs, and the severity of the needs, in the different years. Over the same period the performance of boys and girls in the tests has been similar to national differences. The 2001 results at Year 6 are lower than the previous year, but that year group had a higher than usual number of pupils with special educational needs and a larger than usual proportion of pupils, nearly a fifth of the year group, joined in the year leading up to the tests. Most of these pupils were lower attainers.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. From the evidence of pupils’ written work, teachers’ assessments and observation of lessons, standards in most subjects across the curriculum, but particularly in English, mathematics and science, are improving and are now broadly in line with expectations. The progress that pupils make in most lessons, in response to the good and very good teaching, is good and points towards further improvement. The severe nature of the special educational needs of a few pupils lowers the average points scored in tests, but overall pupils achieve well in almost all subjects. The school’s records also show that, since 1997 the proportion of pupils with more severe special educational needs has increased and the school has further improved the quality and amount of support for pupils with special educational needs. The school works hard to provide challenge and rigour in the learning of pupils of all levels of attainment and has maintained the good achievement reported at

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. Baseline assessments indicate that children’s attainment on entry to the Nursery class is below average. In most years attainment on entry to Year 1 is also below average, but the present Reception class has higher levels of attainment than usual and the teaching is very good. Consequently, next year’s entry to Year 1 is likely to be closer to average. This represents a good level of achievement during the Foundation Stage.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. Teachers are very concerned to include all pupils, whatever their level of attainment, in the learning process and to ensure that they make good progress. The good quality of planning is a strong feature of the school and pupils of all abilities are set demanding tasks that challenge and extend their learning. For example, as well as very good and excellent provision for pupils with special educational needs, a teacher is employed part-time to work with small groups of higher attainers. Consequently, both higher and lower attainers make good progress in most lessons and their achievement is high in relation to their prior attainment.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. In English in Years 1 – 6 standards of speaking and listening are above expectations. Pupils are keen to contribute in class and speak confidently and articulately. Most pupils make good progress in their reading skills and standards of reading are in line with expectations. Pupils talk confidently about books and the highest attainers read with good expression as well as accuracy. Standards of writing are close to national expectations, but are lower for a significant minority of lower-attaining pupils. Most make good progress in extending the range and quality of their writing, but for some the poor spelling, grammar and punctuation detract from the quality of their written work. However, Tavistock Community Primary School - 12 younger pupils use their phonic skills well in the development of writing and the range of writing for older pupils extends to biographical and autobiographical writing.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. In mathematics pupils achieve well and their attainment at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 is in line with that expected nationally. In Year 2 most pupils have secure understanding of place value up to one hundred and are confident using the number bonds of ten. They recognise odd and even numbers and they build up and have some recall of the five times table. At this stage pupils begin to build a good mathematical vocabulary. By Year 6 pupils have a sound understanding of number and the four operations. They represent data in a variety of ways and higher attaining pupils express decimals as their percentage equivalent. Pupils apply mathematics appropriately, but investigative activities are more limited.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. Pupils’ attainment is broadly in line with expectations in science, which, because attainment on entry is below average, represents good achievement. In Year 1 and 2 pupils sort materials and classify them and they know about healthy eating. In Year 3 pupils devise simple experiments to test the strength of magnets, and they understand what constitutes a fair test. Older pupils develop their knowledge and understanding of the effects of orbiting and rotation in the solar system.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. In most other subjects, including information and communication technology and religious education, pupils’ attainment at Year 6 is at least in line with national expectations, except in music where achievement is satisfactory over the time at school, but inconsistent progress from class to class leads to standards that are below national expectations. In art and design and physical education pupils’ attainments are above expectations and they achieve well.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

10. A third of the pupils has special educational needs, which is above average. A quarter of the school population has an individual education plan. One twentieth has a statement, which is well above the national average. A significant minority of pupils finds considerable difficulty with literacy and numeracy and has to be taught how to learn.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

11. Across the whole school, achievement is good. Younger pupils learn to read and to count, which aids progress in all their schoolwork. In the learning development department, achievement is good over time. Pupils rapidly improve social skills, and learn to speak and listen more effectively. They improve reading skills, using phonics as well as picture clues, and develop legible handwriting. They learn to count and sequence numbers: they measure using cut-outs of hands and feet and learn to identify ‘bigger’ and ‘smaller’.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

12. Literacy and numeracy skills are well developed across the curriculum. In many subjects the pupils regularly use their writing skills to make notes, write up experiments and record their learning. A good example of the use of literacy skills in mathematics is the key word list or set of prepared cards used during the whole class sessions. Numeracy is used well in the support of other subjects in the curriculum through the use of measuring and weighing in science, the use of pie charts to show the popularity of Bible sales in religious education and the use of a co-ordinate system to build up a picture of a Viking in history, for example. Literacy and numeracy skills are consistently improving, but registration periods could be used to better effect for this purpose.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

13. The school sets its targets, in consultation with the Local Education Authority, with great thoroughness and intentionally sets challenging targets. The performance and predictions for each pupil are carefully considered. Unfortunately, in the 2001, because of the large influx of pupils to the Year 6 classes during the year, the school missed its targets. Current targets set for the school are challenging, in terms of the attainment of individual pupils in each year group, and the school will do well to meet them.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Parents tell us that their children enjoy coming to school and they clearly have a positive approach to learning. The school has maintained the good attitudes noted at the time of the last inspection. Most pupils consistently show interest in their work and sustain their concentration during Tavistock Community Primary School - 13 discussions and group and individual work across the range of subjects. For example, in a Year 3 literacy lesson based on presenting information in the form of a poster, very good listening skills and interest in the activities were evident.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Pupils work well together and listen carefully to each other's suggestions and comments. They are relaxed with each other and are happy to contribute to all aspects of the lesson. In a Year 5 mathematics lesson, for example, a number of pupils lined up in front of the rest of the class and represented various points on the number line, while the class discussed their relative values. In lessons, pupils of all abilities put forward ideas and points of view with confidence, and approach written and practical work positively.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Completed work is discussed and shared with the teacher and pupils show pleasure in their success. When it is appropriate they take responsibility for their own learning and even the youngest pupils are capable of demonstrating a good level of initiative. All pupils produce homework each week. Outside curriculum time initiative is shown also. For example, they made cakes for the school fair, and sent the proceeds to Kosovo.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Behaviour is good and the standard noted in the last inspection has been maintained. No pupils have been excluded from school during the year prior to the inspection. During lessons pupils are polite and treat each other, and adults, with respect. They enter and leave assemblies quietly although in some assemblies pupils are noticeably more restless. Movement around the school is calm. Behaviour in the playground and dining room is good. There is a happy atmosphere during break and lunch times both in the dining room and outside. Most pupils use the school facilities with care and there is no evidence of litter or vandalism.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

18. As reported following the last inspection pupils’ relationships with peers and other adults are very good. All staff are positive role models and all pupils reflect the sensitivity and respect they are shown. This contributes very well to the positive ethos and happy community spirit of the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

19. The personal development of pupils is good. Pupils help with the day-to-day running of the school and are encouraged to feel a sense of responsibility for the community and its environment. This is established effectively in classrooms where pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for clearing up their own work area and through the involvement in discussions related to school council issues. Older pupils take on wider responsibilities related to the school community and support younger pupils through a mentoring scheme. In general, pupils have well-developed social skills and a good awareness of the needs of others. Older pupils are given opportunities to meet new and challenging experiences, through problem solving and team building activities on residential and day activity courses. Attendance at the very good range of clubs offered by the school also contributes positively to the pupils' good personal development.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

20. The attitudes and behaviour of pupils with special educational needs are good. In small group work with specialist teachers and assistants, attitudes and behaviour are very good, and in nearly half the lessons seen, excellent. Pupils want to learn. They particularly enjoy using the computer and so develop good practice in independent learning.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

21. In the current year attendance was temporarily affected by the foot-and-mouth epidemic in this rural area, but overall attendance has remained satisfactory since the last inspection. Pupils are punctual for school and lessons.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

22. The quality of teaching is good throughout the school. In over three-quarters of the lessons seen during the inspection, the teaching was good or very good. It was satisfactory in over a fifth and there were no unsatisfactory lessons. A quarter of lessons were very good or excellent. This is a significant improvement on the last inspection when teaching was good, but proportions of good and very good teaching are markedly increased. Teachers and the management of the school have worked hard, and clearly successfully, to improve the quality of teaching. Pupils’ learning is also good; they make good progress in lessons and they achieve well over their time in school. Tavistock Community Primary School - 14 23. Standards of teaching are generally high across most subjects. Teaching for pupils from the support centre is particularly good and frequently excellent. Literacy and numeracy skills are taught

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

well across the curriculum. In good and very good lessons, teachers have good knowledge and understanding of the subject matter and of the learning processes in the subjects. They plan lessons with clear learning aims that meet well the different needs of all pupils in the class. Consequently, in these good and very good lessons learning is rigorous and challenging, and teachers have very high expectations of pupils. In an English lesson for Year 4 pupils, for example, the pupils were developing their story writing by looking at examples and writing their own stories about shipwreck and rescue. The teacher was focussing on the use of language to create imagery and atmosphere and firmly insisting on and guiding pupils to raise the quality of their writing.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

24. In good lessons, assessment from previous work is used well for planning so that tasks are matched to pupils’ attainments, methods are well chosen and the lessons move at a good pace. Pupils know what is expected of them, they rise to the challenges and learning is good. A good variety of strategies are used, which match the content of the lessons and the presentation of material is imaginative and engaging, which supports learning well. For example, in a Reception class a lesson on phonics, the children were working to clear and different targets with a star chart to indicate success, the teaching was lively and the learning challenging, so that pupils were consistently taken on to the next stage by rigorous questioning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

25. In all lessons, relationships are very good and teachers have high expectations of the pupils’ behaviour. Staff are caring and considerate of their pupils and value their contributions. In this context learning becomes a successful partnership between teachers and pupils. The quality of the homework, in terms of extending the pupils’ learning and improving their progress, is mostly good, as is the quality of marking. Good use is made of the targets set for pupils.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

26. In those lessons that are less than good, but still satisfactory, planning for progress is less successful. This happens in music, where some teachers are more diffident about the subject and in personal, social and health education, where guidance to help teachers plan has still to be fully developed. In some year group teams, teachers have good knowledge and understanding of some subjects, but they do not always work to their strengths. There are also examples of comparatively weak planning in some lessons for older pupils. As a consequence, these lessons do not have the same sense of direction and learning is less well focused. Pace is more pedestrian and teachers are insecure about the level of challenge to set. Learning is slower and less effective. Even so, teachers are experienced and the lessons satisfactory, and pupils do make satisfactory progress.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

27. The teaching and learning of pupils with special educational needs are good across the whole school. Many teachers provide different work to assist learning, though sometimes it is not detailed enough and progress slows. The well-focused help of learning support assistants is a strong feature in pupils’ achievement. In small group work, teaching and learning are never less than good. In most lessons, they are at least very good, and in nearly half they are excellent. Teachers have excellent knowledge of how pupils with learning and behavioural difficulties learn. They give crystal clear explanations – for example, when explaining the spelling rule concerning the adding of a suffix to words ending in ‘e’ – and ask questions to assess what pupils understand and to extend pupils’ thinking. Teachers are firm but kind. High expectations of what pupils can do and how they must behave have a very positive impact on how well pupils learn. For example, in a Year 1 social skills

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS OR STUDENTS TAUGHT?

lesson, the teacher ensured that pupils took turns in a ‘sound hoops’ game where pupils learnt to distinguish words beginning with ‘t’ and ‘c’. As a result, no time was wasted and pupils behaved excellently. In all lessons, pupils respond very well because they enjoy the variety of activities, which hold their concentration, and because they know their teachers care about them. Learning support assistants give invaluable help to specialist teachers. They have considerable expertise in teaching pupils to read, write and count, and attend training to further their professional development. The assistant attached to the support centre, for example, has acquired considerable expertise in speech and language therapy, as seen in a lesson for a Year 1 pupil whose speech is improving very quickly. Tavistock Community Primary School - 15

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STUDENTS?

28. The school provides a good quality and range of learning opportunities. The statutory requirements for the National Curriculum are met for each subject, and children in the Foundation Stage follow an effective curriculum that is securely based on the recommended areas of learning and early learning goals for their age. For pupils in Years 1 to 6, the school adds to their curriculum as follows: • There are ‘themed’ weeks when, for example, classes focus on subjects such as art and history for most of the week. • Special lessons are provided so that pupils with higher attainment are enabled to study at a more advanced level. • Arrangements are made for some pupils to extend their musical skills through instrumental tuition. • Pupils in Year 6 begin to learn French in readiness for their secondary education • Pupils with special educational needs are supported in their lessons, or taught individually or in

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STUDENTS?

groups, according to their needs. • Opportunities are provided for pupils to attend residential experiences that develop their creative and personal development. • Regular visits are made, for example, to geographical features to enhance pupils’ learning. • Opportunities are provided for pupils to experience live music and to benefit from working with professional artists and musicians. • Pupils are enabled to develop their interests in sports regardless of gender so that, for example, girls develop their skills at soccer and boys improve their netball technique.

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STUDENTS?

29. These additions to the statutory curriculum are of benefit to the pupils and help to raise their achievement. The whole curriculum that is provided has a good breadth, is well balanced, and is relevant to the needs and interests of the pupils. Since the last inspection, the school has worked successfully to improve the provision for design and technology and also for information and communication technology. These subjects are now included effectively for all pupils and schemes of work are in place that help teachers to plan their lessons. In addition, the school has improved the procedures for monitoring the curriculum and senior managers now have an effective overview of what is being taught in each subject, in each class, in each half term. This is successful as teachers are now routinely planning their lessons so that pupils avoid unnecessary repetition and build year on year on what they already know. These good quality plans show that appropriate

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STUDENTS?

attention is given to helping pupils to develop their concepts and thinking. For example, when electrical circuits are taught in science, teachers also plan to use this knowledge practically in design and technology. Topics in history are linked to topics in geography and good attention is given to ensuring that classes study these items at different times so that sufficient resources for learning can be made available.

p.15

STUDENTS?

30. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. The curriculum very closely matches pupils’ needs. Specialist staff teach pupils in small groups to concentrate on basic skills. As a result, they gain access to the National Curriculum and are included in mainstream lessons. The excellent schemes of work for the teaching of social skills are also contributing significantly to pupils’ integration into whole class lessons. Pupils have the opportunity to improve behaviour, share problems with the rest of the group, and attend a local activity centre. Thoughtful deployment of learning support staff is a key factor in the very good provision. The department makes a valuable contribution to the education of pupils deemed by the school to be able and talented. The highest attaining mathematics pupils work in small groups, for one hour a week in Years 3, 4 and 5 and for two hours in Year 6. A learning development teacher extends pupils’ thinking, with appropriate

p.15

STUDENTS?

emphasis on problem solving and investigation. Pupils make good progress through working at a fast pace.

p.15

STUDENTS?

31. Excellent provision is made for pupils with statements of special educational needs who attend the school’s support centre. A flexible programme of support is provided for each pupil so that they are included most successfully in class and school activities as a direct result of the specialised work from teachers and support assistants. The learning experience provided for these pupils is matched exactly to their special needs and to the targets that are defined in their individual education plans. Tavistock Community Primary School - 16 32. The school is implementing the national strategies for literacy and numeracy to good effect. In the Foundation Stage, children in the reception class are benefiting from the successful adaptation of these strategies to include activities related to the early learning goals. In Years 1 to 6, pupils’ achievements in literacy and numeracy are improving from the routine inclusion of these lessons in

p.15

STUDENTS?

the timetable. Teachers are following the pattern of these lessons in other subjects and pupils are benefiting from knowing at the beginning of a lesson what they are expected to learn and from reviewing their learning at the end of the session. In addition, teachers are providing appropriate flexibility so that, for example, where pupils need to develop their writing skills they are given more time in lessons to concentrate and produce extended stories that develop their themes and characters through a beginning, middle and end. Inspectors also noted frequent occasions when teachers were taking appropriate opportunities in lessons other than English and mathematics to reinforce and extend pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills.

p.16

STUDENTS?

33. The school has a very good range of extra-curricular activities. Pupils attend clubs for sports, arts, leisure and academic pursuits and, through these, build on the knowledge and skills they gain in lessons. Some of these clubs are led by school staff and others are led by local volunteers including, parents who have been trained by St John’s Ambulance to teach pupils the principles of first aid. Pupils are enabled to attend clubs for computers, recorders, swimming, cross country running and so on, and the opportunities for attendance increase as pupils move up the school. This range of extra-curricular activities is extended by the very good contribution of the community, and the very good links the school enjoys with partner institutions.

p.16

STUDENTS?

34. Links with the community are very good and contribute significantly to standards in teaching and learning. It has remained a positive feature of the school since the last inspection, largely because the school is an integral part of the community. Pupils take part in town festivities, such as the Dickensian Evening and carnival celebrations. Places of interest are visited to compliment the curriculum, and residential visits enhance social and physical skills for Years 4 and 6. For Year 5 a stay at the Beaford Arts Centre creates opportunities to enhance their skills in art, ceramics and design. Those pupils who succeed in sports are recommended to further develop their expertise through the very good links the school has with local sports clubs. There are very good links with the Community College. For example, pupils who show ability in writing and mathematics are invited to join in clubs with pupils of secondary age; Year 6 pupils take part in the homework club

p.16

STUDENTS?

with Year 7 and 8 pupils; and there are very good induction procedures that ensure pupils transfer smoothly from primary to secondary education. The local conservation group has helped design the environmental area. Visiting groups run drama workshops and pupils enjoy listening to visiting musicians. The curriculum is enriched by the diverse use of community facilities.

p.16

STUDENTS?

35. The school takes a very positive attitude towards inclusion. It is vigilant about organising opportunities fairly. Gender balance is carefully addressed; as a result more library books to suit boys’ interests have been purchased and sporting opportunities for girls have been increased. The school has appropriately identified gifted and talented pupils and has included special clubs, as well as extra lessons, in its provision. Lunchtime clubs for pupils who find it difficult to adjust to outside play, together with lessons specifically aimed at improving social behaviour, are proving very effective. In a few lessons, however, some teachers allow groups of pupils to dominate discussion, which restricts opportunities for others. The high quality of inclusion and support for pupils with special educational needs from Years 1 to 6 is also to be seen for most children in the Foundation stage, but does not extend to the children in the Mary Budding assessment centre.

p.16

STUDENTS?

36. The school makes satisfactory provision for personal, social and health education (PSHE). Appropriate guidance is given to pupils on sex education, healthy living and the dangers of drugs and substance misuse. Each class has a regular circle time where pupils are encouraged to discuss openly issues such as bullying and relationships. This provision makes an effective contribution to pupils’ personal development and to the good relationships that exist in the school. However, unlike other subjects, there is not a formal scheme that shows what pupils are expected to learn and, as a result, pupils may repeat topics unnecessarily and may not build on what they already know. For example, in a circle time during the inspection, pupils were able to identify personal achievements and activities that made them feel proud. However, the session ended Tavistock Community Primary School - 17 abruptly as there was no guidance for the teacher to show how pupils’ thinking could have been

p.16

STUDENTS?

developed to include moral and spiritual issues regarding pride.

p.17

STUDENTS?

37. Within the overall good curriculum provided, inspectors identified the following points as areas for improvement. • The timetables written for each class are sometimes insufficiently specific about what will be taught and this makes it difficult for school leaders to measure, for example, whether sufficient time is being given to each subject. Consequently, time for music and personal, social and health education is not always sufficient to ensure consistent progress from lesson to lesson. • There are occasions, for example, after assembly, when classes have some time ‘spare’ and this is insufficiently utilised for planned learning opportunities. • There are insufficient opportunities for pupils to perform together musically, for example in a choir or instrumental group. Consequently, opportunities for pupils to extend their performing skills are constrained and, while achievement in music is satisfactory overall, attainment is

p.17

STUDENTS?

38. Overall provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is good, although there is no planned or co-ordinated programme to promote learning in these areas throughout the school.

p.17

STUDENTS?

39. As it was at the time of the previous inspection provision for spiritual development is satisfactory. Opportunities are taken in some assemblies to encourage pupils to reflect on non-material aspects of life and to develop spiritual awareness, as was seen for example when pupils reflected on the significance of Advent. Other assemblies are more effective in putting across moral rather than spiritual messages, and opportunities are sometimes missed to use music or other means to further spiritual awareness. The school is not fulfilling statutory requirements, in that some daily assemblies do not include an act of collective worship, but do, in most cases, raise moral or social issues for pupils to consider. On other occasions in the school pupils are encouraged to reflect on spiritual issues, such as the significance of candles as symbols. Pupils visit local churches in order to develop their understanding of the Christian faith.

p.17

STUDENTS?

40. Provision for moral and social development is closely linked, and is very good; the provision has improved since the previous inspection. Pupils have a well-developed sense of right and wrong, and are encouraged from an early age to be good listeners and to value each other's contributions. Teachers and other staff are good role models in highlighting the importance of good relationships in a secure and well-ordered community. Pupils are given opportunities to develop a good sense of personal responsibility and initiative in a variety of ways: through involvement in the school council and various charities. Older pupils assist younger pupils in activities such as reading; and undertake duties as monitors. Although the personal and social education programme is not fully developed, moral themes are often addressed in assemblies: for example, during the inspection there was an assembly on the theme of Pandora's Box and the consequences of breaking rules.

p.17

STUDENTS?

Particular achievements are regularly celebrated, for example through a system of weekly and termly awards, and the school also focuses on developing a sense of moral worth in all its pupils. This is a very effective and important factor in fostering pupils' enthusiasm for the school.

p.17

STUDENTS?

41. Provision for social development is also very good. The great majority of pupils of all ages cooperate very well in lessons, particularly when working in small groups, and they are encouraged to be very caring towards each other. They also cooperate very well in a wide range of extracurricular activities. On residential trips such as those to the Beaford, Wembworthy and Porthpean Centres they enjoy a range of outdoor activities together. Pupils quickly learn good social skills, and this is shown in their confidence in school and in the courtesy they show to visitors as well as to each other.

p.17

STUDENTS?

42. Provision for cultural development is satisfactory. The teaching of pupils' indigenous culture is well developed. The provision for art and design is good, but music is relatively undeveloped in the school. Although there is a recorder club, there is no longer a school orchestra, and opportunities to use music more, for example in assemblies, are sometimes missed, which is a constraint on the extent and range of pupils’ musical experiences. Trips are made to theatres; zoos and other sites, all designed to increase pupils' general cultural awareness as well as their enjoyment. Older Tavistock Community Primary School - 18 pupils visited the Eden project. Pupils do learn about other cultures. For example they learn about life in Japan and about other religious observances such as those of Hinduism and Judaism. Art from other cultures is celebrated. However, more provision could be made to prepare pupils for the

p.17

STUDENTS?

realities of life in modern multicultural Britain. This deficiency is reflected in the relative paucity of resources on multicultural themes and is a gap in pupils' education, which is, however, ameliorated by their positive attitudes towards each other and a respect for people in general.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

43. The very caring ethos, which creates such a good learning environment, has been maintained since the last inspection. Procedures for child protection and for ensuring pupils’ welfare are very good. The school creates a very positive environment for learning, where every child is respected and valued as an individual. Each pupil is encouraged to achieve their full potential and their achievements are celebrated. The school puts its fundamental beliefs, about the inclusion of all children into all activities, into practice very well.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

44. There is good communication with parents about their child’s welfare. The school is very vigilant in protecting pupils and there are comprehensive and secure arrangements for child protection, which follow the local education authority guidelines. Staff are careful about health and safety procedures, with nothing outstanding from the last audit. The policy to ensure safety on school visits ensures staff are very alert, and five have first-aid training.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

45. The monitoring of pupils’ personal development and procedures for their personal support and guidance are very good and make an important contribution to the good achievement of pupils. There are thorough systems for monitoring and improving attendance, which are effective. The procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are very good. The school believes that pupils have a right to learn in a safe and secure environment, and care about the child both with behavioural difficulties, and others, so that learning is not adversely affected. This reflects the school’s strong ethos of inclusion. Time is allocated at the start of each year to address rules, and pupils keep at home a document they have signed about how to behave in school. The lunch club is very successful as a refuge, and also in resolving behavioural difficulties.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

46. Procedures for monitoring and eliminating oppressive behaviour are good. There is a clear and detailed policy to address bullying, and strategies are successful, although a few parents say that it can take a while to resolve. There was no evidence of bullying in the inspection week.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

47. The monitoring and supporting of pupils’ personal development is very good. Staff, particularly their class teachers, know pupils very well, and there is much positive praise. ‘Star of the Week’ assemblies ensure that all pupils feel valued and they know that their achievements are noticed. Targets are set where necessary and monitored and may lead to an award, if achieved successfully. There is very good use of external agencies that give a high level of support when necessary. Pupils from Years 5 and 6, who have been specifically trained, run a very successful mediation scheme to help and support younger pupils. The school has also organised a parent support group that helps to further develop a diverse range of parenting skills.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

48. Procedures for assessing pupils’ academic performance in English, mathematics and science are very good. At the last inspection, while assessment was satisfactory in mathematics, there were weaknesses in both English and science; in most of the other subjects, assessment was unsatisfactory. Since then, improvement has been very good. The headteacher and deputy headteacher have worked very hard to provide teachers with thoroughly analysed assessment information. For example, the school has analysed in detail pupils’ performance in the national tests for pupils in Year 2 and Year 6. Weaknesses have been identified and addressed in subsequent planning so that pupils’ learning improves – as in science, where revised schemes of work take into account shortcomings in pupils’ understanding of scientific words and in the drawing of conclusions from data. The school tracks pupils’ progress efficiently, not only through regular

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

testing in lessons, but also through optional standardised tests for pupils aged 8, 9 and 10. While assessment is less detailed in other subjects, it is now satisfactory in most areas. In design technology and information and communication technology, it is good, though in music it is weak. Tavistock Community Primary School - 19 Baseline assessment gives teachers a clear picture of the attainment of the youngest pupils and there are effective procedures to identify weaknesses and to remedy them.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

49. The assessment of those pupils with special educational needs who have an individual education plan is excellent. Information from testing is used very well when setting targets for individual pupils. Teachers plan lessons carefully to meet these targets and as a result pupils with special educational needs make good, sometimes very good, progress in literacy, numeracy and social skills. The organisation of Annual Reviews is exemplary. Teachers’ assessments make a significant contribution to the Reviews, thereby promoting good learning. The exceptional care shown towards pupils, as seen in the extent of assessment and the detailed recording of achievements, fosters a very positive attitude to learning amongst the pupils in small groups taught by specialist learning development staff. Outside agencies, such as the educational psychology service, give valued support in assessing the needs of pupils with more complex learning and

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

50. Parents are positive about all aspects of the school, except for a minority who expressed concerns regarding the amount of homework, information about progress, the length of time taken to deal with issues of bullying, and the range of interesting activities outside lessons. The inspection cannot support these concerns, and indeed finds that the information provided for parents, and the extra curricular activities are both good.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

51. The school places great importance on maintaining an effective home/school partnership and provides parents with very good information, particularly about pupils’ progress. Annual reports on pupils are helpful and informative, and they give detailed and specific information on what pupils have done and need to do to improve. There are termly parents meetings and regular contact for those with individual education plans. Each term, class teachers give specific information about the work that they are covering, and there are useful booklets for parents to help their child with mathematics. The staff and head teacher make themselves readily available at the beginning and end of the school day. The weekly newsletter is very comprehensive and keeps parents very well informed. The relatively dull prospectus is being rewritten and will carry up to date information.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

52. The contribution of parents to children’s learning at school and at home is good. The quality of support they give with clubs and in school has a positive impact on standards. Home/school agreements are carefully thought through and signed by most parents, and parents contribute to homework diaries, which ensure clarity about what a child has to do. Curriculum evenings are well attended. Parents are made very welcome in school with their own room. The school believes in, and works hard and effectively to create, a good working partnership between parents and teachers.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

53. The impact of parents’ involvement on the work of the school is good, and developed and encouraged from the start through a series of sessions on ‘Let’s Start School’. Parental working parties support a termly project, which makes a significant impact on the quality of accommodation, recently creating the information and communication technology suite. The Home School Association meets regularly planning fundraising and social events, which give very good support to the school.

p.19

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

54. The quality of the school’s partnership with parents is strong and has been maintained since the last inspection. The school is well established in the town and letters written to the inspectors from leading figures associated with the school indicate that the school has the confidence of its community.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

55. The headteacher has been in post for two years. In the year following the last inspection in 1997 standards in national tests at Year 6 fell considerably. Since his arrival the headteacher and staff have worked hard to raise standards, particularly in English, mathematics and science. Attainment is improving and, from the evidence of this inspection, standards are broadly in line with national Tavistock Community Primary School - 20 expectations, which is a considerable achievement when the large proportion of pupils with special educational needs, and the severe nature of some of those needs, are taken into account. It is to the credit of his staff that they have a very strong commitment towards raising the quality of the school’s provision and that they have worked with their headteacher to improve all aspects of the school. Strategies are in place to improve standards further.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

56. The headteacher provides a very strong and clear educational direction for the school. The leadership is very professional, policies are well thought through and provide good guidance and staff are very well supported. The monitoring and evaluation of the school’s performance are very good and lead to effective action for improvement. For example, pupils’ assessments are analysed in detail in English, mathematics and science to show particular areas for improvement and action taken, either by the class teachers or by management when appropriate, to focus on and strengthen those areas.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

57. The improvement in the quality of teaching compared to the last inspection is due to a significant extent to the concerted effort by teachers and senior management to develop professional skills. Such approaches have established a good framework for continuing development. The monitoring, evaluation and development of teaching is good, but there is room to develop teaching further by improving the consistency of good teaching across the curriculum.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

58. There is a strong sense of teamwork amongst staff and relationships are good. The senior team, consisting of the deputy headteacher, the learning development co-ordinator and the Key Stage one and Key Stage two co-ordinators, supports the headteacher as well and effectively as time allows. Together they monitor teaching and pupils’ work, mostly in English, mathematics and science. The school has chosen to put its resources mostly into teaching, and particularly to provide extra teaching for pupils with special educational needs; as a result time for management is short and the deputy head and other senior staff have limited time to support teachers, which is a constraint if the quality of teaching is to be raised still further.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

59. The improvement of standards in the core subjects was rightly a priority of the new headteacher and this is being achieved. Plans exist to focus on other subjects in the curriculum, but these need to be firmer and included in longer term development planning. For example, the school uses assessment and other indicators very well in English, mathematics and science, and now that improvement has been achieved in those subjects it would be appropriate to move on to monitor other subjects on a rolling programme.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

60. The headteacher and staff create a very positive ethos where pupils come to school to enjoy learning and the aims of the school are reflected very well through its work. The school works very well towards its aims. Care is taken by all staff under the strong leadership of the headteacher to value all pupils and to ensure that every opportunity is taken to include them in the full life of the school. With the exception of pupils in the Mary Budding assessment centre, which is set up by the local authority as a separate unit within the school. Although the school is larger than average, each individual is known well and his or her achievement measured and recorded. Pupils are valued and they in turn value each other. The governing body is very supportive of the school and governors, under the guidance of the headteacher, understand its strengths and weaknesses. The governors are mindful of their responsibilities and fulfil their statutory duties well. They regularly

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

review the school’s performance and work closely with the headteacher and staff to improve the provision the school makes and the standards it achieves. A number of governors regularly visit the school to work with pupils.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

61. Delegation of management responsibilities and the contribution of staff with responsibilities to the work of the school are good. It is clear that all recognise that they have a significant contribution to make and the sense of teamwork is strong. Subject leadership is provided by curriculum committees, where groups of teachers share responsibility for a number of subjects. This works well and there is sufficient expertise on the committees to provide subject specific guidance when necessary. The senior management is aware that assessment practice is less consistently effective in some subjects and plans to improve assessment across the subject range. Tavistock Community Primary School - 21 62. Development planning is very good and comes from a rigorous appraisal of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. The school development plan covers the necessary areas well, appropriate priorities are planned and costed, and success criteria are identified. The plan is the

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

outcome of widespread discussion with governors and staff. At present the plan does not include strategic planning over the longer term, so that the needs for professional training and development in some subjects have not been included in the plan, although the school is aware of the needs. In the medium term training needs are identified clearly and effective provision made.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

63. The school seeks successfully to set the best value when purchasing goods and services. Financial management is good and resources are used well to support development. All monies provided for specific purposes are used well for those purposes. The resources provided for pupils with special educational needs are increased by funding from other sources, to ensure that the support provided is of high quality. At present the school has arranged to carry forward a larger than usual sum of money, to ensure the retention of its high and effective level of support for pupils with special educational needs under the new funding arrangements.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

64. Over their time at the school pupils of all levels of attainment achieve well. The quality of teaching is good and pupils make good progress in most lessons. The money that the school receives, apart from the specific funding for pupils with special educational needs, is lower than average for each pupil. Overall, the school provides very good value for money. The school has negotiated challenging targets with the local education authority and last year, because a large proportion of Year 6 pupils came late to the school, results were lower than anticipated. From evidence gathered during this inspection the school is likely to achieve or come close to its targets in the future.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

65. The learning development co-ordinator gives excellent leadership to her specialist staff, and guidance and support to all staff. She is an exemplary teacher and administrator who, justifiably, has earned the respect of her colleagues and pupils. There is an excellent team spirit amongst her staff, and a sharing of ideas and expertise, which explains the very good achievement of pupils who benefit from the teaching. The co-ordinator has ensured that excellent individual education plans are in place, and that the statutory requirements of statements are met. Planning of schemes of work is very thorough and clearly focused on helping pupils to meet their targets. Since the last inspection, the very good provision has been maintained. Individual education plans are much more effective and teaching is even better. Resources remain very good, and are expertly deployed to the full benefit of the pupils.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

66. Staffing provision is good. There are sufficient teachers to meet the needs of the curriculum and an above average number of support staff. They are mostly well matched through their qualifications and experience to meet the demands of the curriculum, although there are one or two cases where this could be organised even more effectively. Teachers generally work in pairs for each year group, although this is extended when teachers share jobs. In some years teachers have specific subject strengths, for example in music, and these are not always used to best effect. Provision for staff development, through the monitoring and training of both teachers and support staff, is effective, however, and the school has established the process of performance management. Good links are established with other schools and professional establishments in the area.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

67. Accommodation is good. There are sufficient classrooms and spacious activities’ areas for most years, so that small group work can take place. Specialist areas enhance pupils’ experiences in information and communications technology, and music. The library is well organised, as is the adjacent area for the teaching of small groups of pupils with learning difficulties. Classrooms are clean and attractive and walls are covered with stimulating displays. However, the hall is too small for full school assemblies. The long corridors make behaviour management more difficult, but behaviour is not a problem in the school and teachers are effective in minimising the problem.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

68. Resources overall are satisfactory. The resources for literacy and numeracy have been supplemented to support the national strategies and resources in English are further enhanced by input from the Devon Library Service. Information and communication technology is well equipped, with the new suite and software that covers the whole curriculum well. Resources in art and design Tavistock Community Primary School - 22 and physical education are good and in other subjects they are satisfactory. Resources are well organised and accessible.

p.21

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

69. The day-to-day administration of the school is good and good use is made of technology and of the school’s new management information systems. The administrative staff make a strong contribution to the ethos and smooth running of the school. The school is well organised and orderly and pupils are safe and secure. Relationships between pupils and all adults are very good and contribute to the purposeful working environment. The high proportion of pupils with special educational needs and of those with severe needs places a heavy administrative burden on the staff of the school. That this is managed well is due largely to the senior and administrative staff and to their dedication, and particularly to the learning development officer. Tavistock Community Primary School - 23

p.22

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

70. To continue to raise the standards of work and improve further the good quality of education provided in many aspects of the school, the headteacher, staff and governors should:

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Seek to extend the very good practice seen in many classrooms so that teaching is consistently of the highest quality. (This weakness is mainly discussed in paragraphs 22-26)

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Complete the organisation of the deployment of teachers in each year group so that they work to their strengths more effectively. (This weakness is mainly discussed in paragraph 26)

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) Provide more time for senior managers, who at present are almost entirely class based, to carry out their management roles. (This weakness is mainly discussed in paragraphs 57 and 58)

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(4) Provide more time for personal, social and health education and music and plan more thoroughly for the progression of skills in these areas. (This weakness is mainly discussed in paragraphs 36 and 37)

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(5) Improve the preparation of pupils for life in a multi-cultural society. (This weakness is mainly discussed in paragraphs 42)

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(6) Continue to develop the provision for the pre-school assessment of children with special educational needs at the Mary Budding Centre by:

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- Implementing the same high quality principles of inclusion as in the rest of the school. - Teachers in the Foundation Stage planning together the timetable and activities for their children. - Adapting the classroom of the Mary Budding Centre so that it more closely meets the specialised needs of the children. - Extending the flexible support programme so that children benefit from joining in activities in the Foundation Stage as well as specialist teaching and support in the assessment centre. (This weakness is mainly discussed in paragraph 152 and 153)

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition to the key issues above, the following less important weakness should be considered for inclusion in the action plan:

p.23

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

a) The school should make arrangements to comply with requirements for daily worship. (This weakness is mainly discussed in paragraph 39) Tavistock Community Primary School - 24

p.23

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 32

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage 6 21 50 23 0 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching.

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 23 379

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 52

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 20

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 15 88

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 46

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 39

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Tavistock Community Primary School - 25 Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) Year Boys Girls Total

p.24

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 29 22 51

p.25

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.25

PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys 24 24 28 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 20 20 21

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 86 (84) 86 (80) 96 (93) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys 25 28 25 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 20 21 21

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 88 (88) 96 (93) 90 (95) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 27 38 65

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys 17 16 24 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 31 27 34

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 74 (73) 66 (77) 89 (96) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Boys 14 14 24 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 27 28 32

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentage of pupils School 63 (73) 65 (76) 86 (99) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79)

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Tavistock Community Primary School - 26 Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year No of pupils Fixed period Permanent

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Teachers and classes Financial information Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 17.3 Financial year 2000/2001

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 27.7

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 852,733

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of education support staff 23 Expenditure per pupil 2,094

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total aggregate hours worked per week 381 Balance brought forward from previous year 18,022

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Balance carried forward to next year 42,649

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 0.7

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 32.9

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of education support staff 1

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total aggregate hours worked per week 23

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

FTE means full-time equivalent. Recruitment of teachers Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 4

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 4

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

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

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

My child is making good progress in school. 44 52 2 0 2

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Behaviour in the school is good. 42 51 7 0 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 27 53 13 2 5

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 40 43 14 0 2

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions 62 31 3 2 3

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 54 42 2 1 1

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school works closely with parents. 45 47 8 1 0

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school is well led and managed. 48 46 1 2 3

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 49 42 8 0 1

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 42 40 13 1 5

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Summary of parents’ and carers’ responses Clearly the majority of parents are happy with the provision the school makes, but concerns are indicated in i) The question of homework – but this was not a large issue in the parents’ meeting. ii) The information that the school provides for parents. iii) The range of activities provided.

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PART C: SCHOOL DATA AND INDICATORS

Other issues raised by parents Very few parents elected to write on the back of their forms and no issues were raised in sufficient numbers to represent concerns. Tavistock Community Primary School - 28 At the parents’ meeting, some considered that while bullying is dealt with satisfactorily by teachers, it is not resolved quickly enough. Tavistock Community Primary School - 29

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

71. Children enter the nursery in the September or January following their third birthday. They transfer into the reception classes in the September or January prior to their fifth birthday. The nursery has 52 places and, at the time of the inspection, had 46 children on roll. These children attend part- time, with the youngest pupils in the afternoon group, and the older pupils attending every morning. This lower than predicted number of children reflects the birth rate within Tavistock and is set to increase again next year. Admission to the nursery is carefully monitored by an appropriate panel and effective links are maintained with other providers of pre-school education in the town. During the inspection, one reception class was operating and the school was preparing to open a second reception class at the start of the Spring term.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

72. Children achieve well over their time in the Foundation Stage. The quality of teaching is consistently good in the nursery and very good in the reception class in all areas of learning. Assessment, which is used very well by the teachers shows that most children have levels of attainment below those usually expected for their age when they enter the school. This is particularly evident in the children’s speaking and listening and in their mathematical skills and shows a slight decline in attainment on entry since the last inspection. Children make good progress in the nursery, in response to the good teaching provided, and enter the reception class with levels of attainment close to the expectation for their age. School data shows that, over time, most children consolidate their learning in the reception class and enter Year 1 with secure levels of attainment that are broadly in line with the average for their age. This represents a good achievement over their time in

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

the Foundation Stage. However, the children in the reception class at the time of the inspection are showing an acceleration in their learning and this is due to the high expectations, and very good teaching, of their current teacher. These children are doing very well and a majority is already meeting the early learning goals in most of the areas of learning (and particularly in communication, language, literacy and mathematics). This is likely to increase the attainment of these children as they enter Year 1.

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

73. The curriculum is of good quality and is well planned, with full regard to the recommended areas of learning and early learning goals. Activities in the nursery are organised well so that nursery nurses and other helpers know what to set out, and what to do. Procedures for assessment are very good and teachers use the assessments very well to plan activities that will help the children to develop the required knowledge and skills. They also monitor children’s progress effectively and use this information to help with planning what to do in class. In the reception class, the teacher expertly combines elements of the National Curriculum with the early learning activities. This includes aspects of the national strategies for literacy and numeracy and is very effective in raising standards and preparing the children for their lessons in Year 1. Since the last inspection, the Foundation Stage curriculum has been developed in line with government recommendations and the

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AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

quality of teaching and learning has improved. There is now a much more consistent quality of provision and the appointment of new staff is bringing fresh rigour, challenge and motivation that is already beginning to show an impact in improving standards.

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Personal, social and emotional development

74. A large proportion of the children in the current reception class are already meeting the early learning goals in this area, with the others likely to attain this level by the time they enter Year 1. Children often enter the nursery with limited attention spans and find it difficult to sit quietly, dress independently and work together cooperatively. The teacher makes good use of routines so that children soon learn, for example, that they can choose the songs for everyone to sing and this motivates them to take part in the choices of others while waiting for their own turn to come. When children enter the hall to use large apparatus the teacher uses the same phrases for everyone to ‘sit down, take off your shoes and socks, put your socks inside your shoes, take off your jumpers, fold them and place them on top of your shoes’. The children learn the words, learn the routine and quickly become independent in dressing and undressing for physical activities. During outdoor play

p.29

Personal, social and emotional development

activities, adults show the children how to play cooperatively with one another and this leads to Tavistock Community Primary School - 30 patient turn taking, for example, waiting till someone has completed going down the slide, and to playing together, for example swinging a ball tied to a tree and taking care to avoid any other children who come near. During story times, the teacher chooses books with repetitive text and humour that encourage the children to join in, listen more carefully and attend for increasing periods of time. In the reception class children arrive in the morning eager to begin their day, hanging their coats up, replacing their book bags in a box and sitting on the carpet to listen to their teacher. The routines from the nursery are extended so that children have a visual timetable that shows with symbols and words what they will be doing each day. This generates interest and excitement at

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Personal, social and emotional development

the learning that is to come and motivates the children to work hard. When using computers, reception children work in pairs and share the mouse and keyboard well, talking to each other about their work and showing good behaviour throughout. In ‘free-choice’ times, the children make sensible decisions and organise their activities with each other effectively. Teachers monitor the progress of the children well and review the activities for each day, as well as how children should be grouped, so as to keep them improving in their personal, social and emotional development.

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Communication, language and literacy

75. Most children enter the nursery with development below the level expected for their age. During activities in the nursery, the teacher and nursery nurses interact well with each group and are skilled in helping the children to extend their ideas and say more about their play. Effective routines are used for the children to recognise their name cards and know where to sit for a drink and children learn to understand more complex instructions through the activities provided on large apparatus in the hall. Children develop a good repertoire of rhymes and enjoy talking about the books and stories they have in class. The teacher expects that children will understand specific vocabulary such as ‘author and illustrator’ and uses such terms in context effectively so that children quickly come to understand their meaning. By the time children are in the reception class, they play together and act out roles with their toys, debating and planning how to improve their

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Communication, language and literacy

games. They know a wide range of letter sounds, recognise those that are in their names and appreciate that names begin with a capital letter. The children are familiar with books and understand the function of the ‘blurb’ on the cover. They also know that stories have a beginning, middle and end and enjoy sharing books and gaining information from them. The teacher in the reception class uses a very wide range of teaching methods during a lesson so that children are given clues, pictures, clap in rhythm, pretend to stretch words to see the sounds that are in the middle, and so on. These are very effective in meeting the different learning needs of the children and help them to remember better the contents of the lesson. The teacher also expects the children to listen, read, remember and speak and this was used to good effect in one lesson where the story began with the teacher informing everyone they were to remember the beginning, middle

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Communication, language and literacy

and end and be able to tell others what they are. As a result, the children listened very carefully, worked hard at remembering and were able, when questioned by the teacher, to re-tell the story in their own words. Another successful feature in the reception class is that the teacher uses the format of the National Literacy Strategy to work as a whole class in looking at sounds, words and texts. Group activities then follow where children undertake formal reading and writing tasks, as well as early learning activities that are effective in promoting their literacy development.

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Mathematical development

76. Children enter the nursery with mathematical development below the level expected for their age. By the time they enter Year 1, most children attain levels in line with the expectation for their age. This represents good achievement for the children over their time in the Foundation Stage. However, the pupils in the current reception class are doing very well and are likely to exceed the early learning goals by the end of the school year. In the nursery, children enjoy singing number songs and their teacher questions them effectively before each verse so that they come to realise for example, that four ‘little ducks’ and one more makes five. During refreshments, the children are asked to count how many drinks and slices of toast will be needed and this helps them to learn to count accurately to numbers between five and ten. Children recognise the numerals to 10 that are in their books and displayed in class and this is reinforced, for example, by the teacher reading

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Mathematical development

stories and questioning the children so that they anticipate the number they will see on the next page. In the reception class, the children are confident in counting backwards and forwards to 10 and a significant proportion of children already see the pattern in numbers and apply this successfully to numbers between 20 and 100. This acceleration in learning is due to the high Tavistock Community Primary School - 31 expectations of the teacher and the way that every opportunity for increasing mathematical understanding is taken. For example, in a registration session, a child was asked to tally the number present by moving a bead on a string every time someone replied to their name. This daily routine was then used very effectively to demonstrate that two beads were left, two children were absent, so 27 children take away two leaves 25 present. The teacher then included the other adults in the room and the children counted above 30. Then, the children were invited to count higher and

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Mathematical development

did so accurately to 60. During the number work that followed, the teacher asked children to count to 10 with alternate voice and whisper and developed this so that the children appreciated that numbers are odd and even, and this led them to count successfully in two’s. Children understand specific mathematical language such as one more, one less, and compare objects and shapes using terms such as larger and smaller. The children in the reception class are excited by the challenge of their number work and this is motivating them to work hard and increase the speed of their learning.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

77. Children show good achievement in their knowledge and understanding of the world and are inline to meet the early learning goals by the time they enter Year 1. This area of learning is taught well and the good quality assessment and planning between the nursery and reception classes is effective in making sure that children continue to build on what they already know. In the nursery, children build effective structures with construction toys and, through the good range of activities planned by their teacher, quickly learn how to use, for example, a hammer to successfully nail a cork to soft timber. Children are inquisitive and ask appropriate questions to extend their understanding and adults are successful in motivating the children to look more closely at the living things and objects they meet and use in class. In the reception class, the children know some basic differences between seasons and link the temperature with the kind of clothes they wear in Winter and

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

Summer. Some children also identify some countries that are hot for most of the year, but a minority are still not secure in remembering the name of their town. The children remember previous lessons and recall the names of some religious festivals and important people. Almost all the children use computers to draw and decorate Christmas tree shapes and show confidence in using the mouse and the icons displayed on the screen. Teachers’ plans show that, over the year, children have a wide experience of activities that are well designed to promote their understanding of this area of learning.

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Physical development

78. This area of learning is taught well and teachers have high expectations for what children can do. This leads the children to achieve well so that a significant proportion is already meeting the early learning goals and is likely to exceed them by the time they enter Year 1. This good achievement begins in the nursery where the teacher has regular use of the school hall and large apparatus. Challenging ‘circuits’ are provided and behaviour is carefully controlled so that children soon learn to move with confidence and safety as they travel under, over and through the climbing equipment. The children are very active in these sessions and show obvious signs of exertion afterwards! In one lesson, the teacher noted that not all children could alternate their limbs when crawling. A bench was added into the apparatus and some children demonstrated to the others how to crawl effectively. The adults then coached those children who were less sure when it was their turn and,

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Physical development

quickly, these children improved their crawling skills and coordination of their limbs. Fine motor skills are also developed effectively and in the reception class, children are using pencils with appropriate grip to trace letter shapes and to write freely. Outside, at play, the children show they are aware of others and find appropriate spaces to play in. They use a range of small and large equipment and show appropriate control and coordination in their actions.

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Creative development

79. Most of the children are likely to meet the early learning goals in this area of learning by the time they enter Year 1. In the nursery, children enjoy singing nursery rhymes every day and play percussion instruments with appropriate control so that they are loud or soft. They paint attractive pictures and their teachers help them to use appropriate materials so that successful outcomes are obtained. For example, children have used fluorescent paints and ‘splatter’ techniques to represent fireworks on black paper. This creates a vibrant effect that is further enhanced because the children have not ‘overdone it’ and this simplicity adds to the beauty of their work. In a lesson observed in Tavistock Community Primary School - 32 the reception class, the children were using sequins and glitter with precision to decorate a cut out Christmas tree and demonstrated that they were intent on realising their ideas. In role play, the

p.31

Creative development

children use their imagination effectively and teachers are skilled at valuing children’s ideas and helping them to be extended.

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ENGLISH

80. Overall provision in English is good and pupils achieve well. The proportion of Year 2 pupils achieving Level 2 or above in the 2001 national tests in English was close to the national average. Results were slightly better in reading than in writing, and were broadly in line with the teachers’ assessments. Standards in writing were below the standards of pupils in schools with similar numbers claiming free school meals, but this was due mainly to the high proportion of pupils with special educational needs in the school. Since 1999 reading has improved at a rate greater than the national trend, whereas the rate of improvement in writing has been close to the national trend.

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ENGLISH

81. The proportion of Year 6 pupils achieving Level 4 or above in the 2001 national tests was below the national average. Again this was because of the high proportion of pupils with special educational needs and also because of a high level of pupil mobility in that year, with a substantial number of pupils joining and leaving the school during the year of the tests.

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ENGLISH

82. Pupils’ work in lessons and in their books indicates that by the ages of both seven and eleven present standards in English are in line with national expectations. By both ages standards of speaking and listening are above expectations. Standards of reading are in line with expectations. Standards of writing are close to national expectations, but below this level for a significant minority of lower-attaining pupils. These standards represent good achievement for the great majority of pupils, including those with special educational needs, since they join Year 1 with standards below the national average, and consequently they make good gains in learning by the ages of seven and eleven. Most higher-attainers also make good gains in learning in relation to their prior attainment. Girls continue to make overall greater progress than boys, but the gap in attainment is not significant.

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ENGLISH

83. By the age of seven, pupils develop their speaking and listening skills well. The majority of pupils are keen to contribute in class, speaking confidently and articulately when responding to teachers' questions, or putting forward their own ideas. For example, in a Year 2 class, pupils learning the principles of good instructional writing sustained a debate well on how to care for pets. Pupils listen carefully to each other and quickly learn the conventions of speaking and listening. Most pupils also make good progress in their reading skills. Higher-achievers in particular not only enjoy reading, but also talk confidently about the plot and the characters of their storybooks. Pupils make good progress in extending the range and quality of their writing. Younger pupils quickly develop their capacity for independent writing and invent their own story lines when writing about a subject, such as the "Three Little Pigs". During Year 2, pupils learn to improve the structure their work when

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ENGLISH

writing stories such as "The Magic Horse". The weakest aspects of writing, for a significant minority of lower-attainers, are poor spelling, grammar and punctuation, which detract from the quality of their written work. However, there is evidence of good phonic development in the writing of younger pupils, and most make good progress in improving the orientation and accuracy of their handwriting.

p.32

ENGLISH

84. Between the ages of seven and eleven pupils continue to develop good speaking and listening skills. For example, Year 6 pupils discuss their ideas on poetry with confidence and enthusiasm. Pupils continue to develop their reading skills well, and many supplement their reading from school with a range of books from local libraries. The highest attainers read with good expression as well as accuracy. Pupils continue to extend the range of their writing well. By Year 6 the range extends to biographical, autobiographical and factual writing on topics such as ‘Their School’. Imaginative stories on themes such as "Shipwrecked" show a developing awareness of the importance of good settings and characterisation, and an interest in using a varied vocabulary. Classics such as "Great Expectations" are retold and pupils write in an instructional style of good quality when they write "newspaper" pieces. A particular strength is the excellent poetry produced in many classes,

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ENGLISH

whether pupils are adapting poems such as Allen Ahlberg's "Heard it in the playground" or Tavistock Community Primary School - 33 developing their individual style on a variety of themes. As with younger pupils, less progress is made in improving the technical skills of writing: although presentation is often good, many lower- attainers make frequent errors in spelling high-frequency words and in punctuation.

p.32

ENGLISH

85. The overall quality of teaching in English is good. For pupils between the ages of five and seven the teaching is always good. For those between the ages of seven and eleven, the teaching is never less than satisfactory, whilst it is good or better in three out of every five lessons and very good in one out of every five. The quality of teaching is reflected in the good quality of learning throughout the school. In good and very good lessons teachers have good subject knowledge, which enables them to teach confidently, and reinforce and extend pupils' knowledge and understanding through a combination of good explanation and questioning. For example, in a Year 6 poetry lesson effective questioning reinforced pupils' understanding of the potential of personification and a range of imagery in their own writing. Similarly in a Year 4 lesson good focused questioning effectively extended pupils' comprehension skills. At the same time the teacher also explained the principles

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ENGLISH

of good story telling very effectively. Teachers have high expectations of pupils, and generally match activities well to the needs of groups of pupils or individuals so that all pupils are included in the lesson, enabling them all to make good gains in learning. For example, when pupils in another Year 4 class tackled extended writing tasks following study of "The Wreck of the Zanzibar", lower- attainers were given writing frames to assist their progress, whilst higher attainers were encouraged to write independently. Because of the teacher's focus on the potential of powerful imagery, most pupils produced imaginative accounts of a high quality. Teachers assess pupils' attainment well, and give pupils good feedback on their progress, helping them to improve their work, as was observed in several lessons on instructional writing. Relationships in lessons are very good, and pupils' attitudes towards learning are generally very positive. Behaviour is always very good and

p.33

ENGLISH

pupils enjoy being successful. This is an important factor in helping them to learn well, and is a feature of the great majority of lessons.

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ENGLISH

86. On the few occasions where teaching is less effective, the objectives of lessons are not made sufficiently clear to pupils, and this affects the pace of learning. Occasionally there is too much teacher direction, as for example in a poetry lesson in which the pupils were brainstorming good ideas, but the teacher was over concerned to push the pupils in a particular direction.

p.33

ENGLISH

87. Leadership and management in English are very good. The English and literacy curriculum committee has worked hard and effectively to improve literacy across the curriculum, for example by the peer monitoring of teaching and the resulting sharing of good practice. Literacy is used well to reinforce learning in other subjects to take notes or to write up experiments in science, for example. Assessment has developed well, it is accurate and informative and the results are used to set realistic targets for pupils to improve their attainment. This is proving motivational for pupils. Effort has also gone into raising attainment, for example in spelling, by regular testing and monitoring. The school's strategy for improving literacy has been effective in raising standards, for example by focusing on key vocabulary in a range of subjects, and by implementing the Additional Literacy Strategy. Information and communications technology is also used well by pupils to

p.33

ENGLISH

support their learning in English. Some good examples of the use of word processing programmes to redraft work were seen during the inspection.

p.33

ENGLISH

88. In 1997 attainment in English was above national expectations both at the ages of seven and eleven, but this is no longer the case. At that time, however, the school had fewer pupils with more severe special educational needs. Pupils with special educational needs now make better progress in learning, especially in the older age groups. The overall quality of teaching has improved in English since the last inspection and pupils’ attitudes to learning remain good. Overall there has been good progress in the subject since the previous inspection. Tavistock Community Primary School - 34

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MATHEMATICS

89. National test results for the Year 2001 indicate that the proportion of pupils reaching the expectation of Level 2 or above at the end of Year 2 was above the national average. The percentage of pupils reaching the higher Level 3 or above was close to national figures. The results for the last five years show that the schools results are improving broadly in line with national figures.

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MATHEMATICS

90. The indicate that the percentages of pupils reaching Level 4 was below the national average, but the number of those reaching Level 5 or above was close to the average. The average points score from the test results for pupils at the end Year 6 shows that the school result is close to the national average, but below that of schools with similar numbers claiming free school meals. The results for the last five years indicate that after a dip in results in1998, the school's results have been generally improving and are once again broadly in line with national figures. The improved curriculum, quality of teaching and assessment procedures are now having a marked and very positive effect on the standard of attainment of all pupils.

p.34

MATHEMATICS

91. The standard of work of the older pupils in Years 1 and 2 is in line with that expected nationally although it has not yet reached the good level reported at the time of the last inspection, when there were fewer pupils with more severe special educational needs than now. At present, most pupils of average attainment have a secure knowledge of the appropriate language of mathematics. They understand place value up to one hundred and are confident using the number bonds of ten. They recognise odd and even numbers and identify half of a regular shape, such as a square, and find half of a small number of objects. Higher attaining pupils work confidently with quarters and appreciate that four quarters of a circle will make a complete one. They recognise multiplication as repeated addition and understand the place value of three digit numbers. They build up, and have some recall of, the five times table. Most pupils measure straight lines using whole number

p.34

MATHEMATICS

standard units, while higher attaining pupils record measurements to a half centimetre. Most know the names of simple plane shapes and understand lines of symmetry. Overall, pupils achieve well. In lessons lower attaining pupils and pupils with special educational needs are supported well by class teachers and support assistants and all pupils, including higher attaining pupils are generally given suitable tasks, although sometimes these are not as challenging as they could be.

p.34

MATHEMATICS

92. The attainment of the older pupils is now in line with the standards expected nationally, but here too attainment has not yet reached the good standard reported at the time of the last inspection. Pupils of average attainment have a sound understanding of number and of the four operations. They understand decimals and are beginning to express some fractions as percentages. Most pupils know the names of the simple solids and describe their properties. They understand that data can be represented in various ways and that the likelihood of an event occurring can be ascribed a numerical value. Higher attaining pupils confidently express decimals as their percentage equivalent and can use Venn diagrams to show the relationships between various plane shapes. Pupils in general have appropriate experience in using and applying mathematics, but more limited experience in the sort of investigative activities that enhance skills of pattern spotting

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MATHEMATICS

and formulating rules, which would provide a sound basis for later work in algebra. Pupils’ achievement in relation to their prior attainment is generally good.

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MATHEMATICS

93. Skills in numeracy are used well to support other subjects in the curriculum. Pupils measure and weigh in science, they use pie charts to show the popularity of Bible sales in religious education and in history they use a co-ordinate system to build up a picture of a Viking. Literacy skills are supported effectively in mathematics lessons. A good example of this is the use of a key word list or set of prepared cards used during the whole class sessions.

p.34

MATHEMATICS

94. Pupils respond well to mathematics. Behaviour is always good and often very good. In lessons the pupils respond to questioning very well and they show eagerness to give correct answers. They also listen carefully to each other’s responses. When required pupils work well together to solve problems or to make group contributions. Tavistock Community Primary School - 35 95. The quality of teaching is good in Years 1 to 6 and the overall standard noted at the time of the last inspection has been maintained, but this time no unsatisfactory lessons were observed. Relationships between pupils and all adults are very good, which underpins all activities and enables pupils to learn in a secure and happy atmosphere. Teachers organise lessons so that all pupils are involved well in the learning process through well chosen tasks and challenges. The National Numeracy Strategy with its three-part structure is well established, but some teachers are

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MATHEMATICS

more effective than others in developing mental arithmetic skills. In some lessons, in question and answer activities, some teachers focus too much on the same pupils and the questions do not challenge all pupils in the class. In most lessons, however, question and answer techniques are used well and encourage pupils to respond and make decisions quickly. In an effective lesson in Year 1, however, the teacher ensured that all pupils responded to questions through the use of individual white boards, and she gave each of the three groups within the class different numbers to work with before she asked each question. Consequently, pupils of all levels of attainment worked with appropriately challenging numbers. Review sessions at the end of lessons are also variable in their contribution to effective lessons.

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MATHEMATICS

96. In Years 3 to 6, pupils are put into sets in order to provide appropriate learning opportunities for the whole range of abilities. There are two sets in each year group and once a week an extra set is provided for able and talented pupils in Year 3, 4 and 5 and twice a week in Year 6. This has enabled teachers to provide more focussed teaching and is helping to raise the attainment of pupils, but, even so, the arrangement does not yet totally meet the needs of the range of pupils within each set. In some lessons pupils are set appropriately differentiated tasks, but more often the majority of the pupils are set the same task. Consequently, the higher attaining pupils are not challenged fully and the teachers’ first task, when the pupils settle down to work, is to help the lower attaining pupils to access the task. This does not enable the class teacher to make prior plans to focus on other groups within the classroom.

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MATHEMATICS

97. Teachers have good knowledge and understanding of the key skills required and they use the allocated time efficiently. Lessons are suitably structured and well-organised with relevant resources and instruction/task sheets ready to hand, so that minimum time is spent during lessons on unnecessary organisation. This maintains the motivation of the pupils and encourages purposeful activity as the norm. Overhead projectors are used well to enhance learning. In Year 4, for example, the teacher demonstrated the translation of a shape on a grid.

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MATHEMATICS

98. Teachers' learning objectives for the lesson are clear. In most lessons these objectives are communicated clearly to the pupils in appropriate mathematical language and referred to again in the review session at the end of the lesson. In a minority of lessons, however the tasks were not matched closely enough to the objectives, thus reducing the learning opportunity for these pupils. In all lessons observed, however, the quality of learning was at least satisfactory, and more often better.

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MATHEMATICS

99. In general, teachers question pupils well when introducing the main topic of the lesson, being aware of their differing levels of attainment. Consequently, pupils of all abilities are involved in class question and answer sessions, and they join in with appropriate confidence. Teachers use support assistants effectively, particularly with pupils who have special educational needs. The assistants make positive contributions to the pupils' learning by their competent reinforcement of the teacher's objectives, or by addressing targets from a pupil's education plan. Generally pupils' written work is marked effectively and is helpful to the learner. Homework supports learning well.

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MATHEMATICS

100. The curriculum is good and supported satisfactorily by the use of information and communication technology, which has improved since the last inspection. Assessment procedures are very good. The results of tests are analysed thoroughly and monitored regularly in order to ascertain pupils' progress and inform teaching strategies. Individual targets are set for each pupil and help to involve pupils in their own learning. Assessment procedures and their use have improved since the last inspection. A well-organised team monitors teaching, planning and pupils learning appropriately. The monitoring of provision has also improved since the last inspection. Parents are kept regularly informed about their child's progress and their targets. Resources have been upgraded and are effective in their support of learning. Tavistock Community Primary School - 36

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SCIENCE

101. Pupils written work and the work seen in lessons, indicates that the average standards in science, which were identified following the last inspection, have been maintained. The school’s intake is below average, and contains a higher than average number of pupils with special educational needs, some of whom attend the Support Unit, attached to the school. Nevertheless, all pupils achieve well throughout Years 1 to 6, because teachers make good provision to include all pupils in the class in the lesson.

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SCIENCE

102. The results of the 2001 national tests for eleven-year-olds show that attainment is below average when compared with schools nationally and with schools containing pupils with similar numbers claiming free school meals. Teacher assessments for seven-year-olds in 2001 indicate that standards are broadly average compared to both national standards and with those in similar schools. The number of pupils achieving the higher Level 3, however, was very low, because there were fewer higher attaining pupils in that year group. Analysis of results over the last three years generally shows a steady rise in attainment, which is in line with the national trend. There is no significant difference in the attainment of boys and girls.

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SCIENCE

103. Pupils cover a good range of activity in science as they extend their knowledge and understanding of the subject and develop scientific skills of enquiry and testing. Pupils in Year 1 sort materials such as wood, plastic and glass, and then conduct simple experiments to discover which materials are waterproof. In Year 2 pupils classify foods such as fruit, vegetables and dairy products, and then made sensible suggestions for a healthy diet. In Year 3 they devise simple experiments to test the strength of magnets, and rigorous teaching helps them to develop their understanding of what constitutes a fair test. Year 4 pupils conduct experiments to find out which materials keep us warm, and systematic teaching of skills enables them to use thermometers accurately. Homework is used very effectively, as was seen during a very good lesson in Year 5. Pupils kept a record of their diet over a week, and then grouped what they had eaten into categories such as

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SCIENCE

carbohydrates, fats and protein. As a result pupils thought very carefully about what constitutes a healthy diet and were already making changes to improve theirs. Good use of resources and good demonstration enabled Year 6 to develop their knowledge and understanding of the effects of orbiting and rotation in the solar system. In developing their understanding of electricity, they construct open and closed circuits, although they do not always use the correct symbols.

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SCIENCE

104. All pupils are learning to record their work in a scientific manner, which also extends their literacy skills successfully. Numeracy skills are further extended when pupils produce graphs, pie charts and spreadsheets to record findings. Good use is made of information and communication technology. For example, pupils used the Internet to find information on the solar system, and the use of digital cameras and sensors is increasing as teachers gain the skills and confidence in using them.

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SCIENCE

105. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Expectations are usually high and teachers plan interesting activities that keep pupils interested. Teachers have good subject knowledge, although it is noticeably less secure in one class for older pupils. They know their pupils well and they recognise and celebrate good achievement. This motivates pupils to try hard. Teachers plan work that is challenging, and activities generally match pupils’ range of abilities, but more thought needs to be given in a minority of lessons to the needs of higher attaining pupils. Teachers manage pupils well and a harmonious atmosphere prevails. Occasionally, however, teachers’ own presentations are too noisy, resulting in noise levels in a minority of lessons being too high. The contribution of the well -informed support staff is highly valued.

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SCIENCE

106. A committed, knowledgeable and very hard working team leads the subject. They know how to move the subject forward and the potential for improvement is good. Good progress has been made in addressing the areas for improvement identified following the last inspection. Planning is now consistent, assessment is used well to set future targets, and the school now has an effective scheme of work. Careful analysis of results has brought about a significant improvement in the way Tavistock Community Primary School - 37 in which pupils are taught scientific vocabulary, and there are now good opportunities for pupils to use data to test their theories and predictions, which has clearly raised pupils’ attainment and improved their achievement.

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SCIENCE

107. The school provides a rich science curriculum, which is further enhanced by visits to local resource centres and to the Eden project. The after school science club also contributes significantly to the standards that pupils attain. The local community is very much involved in the life and work of the school. For example, the local conservation society assisted in the development of the outside environment, and involvement with a local supermarket further extended learning about fruit and vegetables from around the world. An Environmental Week proved very effective and a Science Week is now planned. The subject makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils work co-operatively on investigations and are developing an understanding of environmental issues. The school works very hard to ensure that all pupils are fully included in all aspects of the science curriculum, and the very high quality of relationships enables

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SCIENCE

all to thrive in a safe and secure environment.

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ART AND DESIGN

108. Standards in art and design are above the average for the age of the pupils in all year groups. Pupils of all ability achieve well over their time in school. Analysis of pupils’ work and the work on display in classrooms and corridors shows that pupils are generally one year above the level that is normally expected for their age. This is because teachers are confident to teach artistic skills, expectations are high for what pupils can do, and the curriculum includes good experiences that help to raise standards significantly. For example, in a lesson observed in Year 5, the teacher encouraged the pupils to use a grid to make their still life drawings with scale, proportion and foreshortening. They modified their work and added appropriate tone and shading so that realistic three-dimensional drawings were achieved of a quality usually expected at the end of Year 6. In another lesson in Year 2, the pupils were making Christmas cards and the teacher demonstrated

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ART AND DESIGN

how to use coloured inks in sequence to create ‘starburst’ effects. As a result, the pupils rose to this high expectation and produced attractive backgrounds for their cards with a level of skill and quality of finish usually expected in Year 3. Work on display around the school shows that, in Year 1, pupils use their observation skills well and try hard to draw ‘Saltram House’ in proportion. Pupils in Year 2 make very good ceramic tiles of insects that are attractively glazed and displayed well. In Years 3 to 5, pupils use a wide range of media and draw and paint pictures for a school competition that show effective drawing technique and thoughtful composition. The pupils in Year 6 have benefited from visiting a residential arts centre in Year 5 that has successfully motivated them to provide a more professional finish to their work. Their work on display is in the style of Hindu paintings and illustrates the story of Rama and Sita with a good attention to detail, texture and

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ART AND DESIGN

109. Since the last inspection, the school has done well to keep standards in art and design above national expectations. A major factor in this success is the quality of display around the school. Pupils’ work is carefully mounted and arranged attractively on well-lit display boards. For example, at the time of the inspection the school entrance had a most colourful display of silk paintings that pupils had completed on their residential art experience in Year 5. This gave a clear indication of the quality of work to be expected and motivated pupils and staff to appreciate the worth of their art work. In addition, the subject leader has continued to work with teachers and there is now a ‘culture’ in the school of teachers feeling confident in the subject and using the right materials for each task so that pupils attain higher standards of quality. For example, in another lesson in Year 4, the teacher asked the pupils to make replica Viking shields of actual size. The pupils were

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ART AND DESIGN

provided with broad and straight edged brushes that enabled them to cover space quickly and achieve a hard edge to their line of paint at the same time.

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ART AND DESIGN

110. The quality of teaching and learning is good throughout the school. Teachers are knowledgeable about the subject and provide a good emphasis on helping the pupils to learn drawing, painting and modelling skills that raise their confidence and inspire them to do more. Sketchbooks are effectively used so that pupils can try out ideas before beginning the final work. In addition, instructions are clearly given so that pupils know what to do, the order in which to do it, and Tavistock Community Primary School - 38 practical ‘tips’ are often portrayed on the board to help improve the quality of their work. Teachers also give good coaching that helps pupils to look more critically at their work and decide what to do next. In a lesson observed in Year 4, the teacher had insisted on pupils designing their Viking shields on A4 paper before scaling up their designs to actual size. Effective coaching was then

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ART AND DESIGN

given so that the pupils all kept their designs in proportion and mixed strong and bold colours to paint on their shields. In another lesson in Year 3, the pupils’ sketchbooks showed that their unassisted drawings were in line with the expectation for their age. However, their teacher demonstrated techniques and set high expectations that led most of the class to try really hard with their drawing and prepare printing blocks of a much better quality.

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ART AND DESIGN

111. The subject is led well. The coordinator is skilled and knowledgeable and provides good advice for other teachers that helps them to be confident in teaching the subject. The curriculum is well planned and pupils build steadily on their skills as they move through the school. This curriculum is also enriched with good opportunities for pupils to work with artists in residence and to experience themed weeks where art is the main focus of all school activities. In addition, the Year 5 residential experience provides a ‘professional’ impetus to pupils’ art work and helps them to realise how successful they can be. The quality of pupils’ art work on display around the school adds significantly to the atmosphere and helps to create an environment where children are proud that their efforts are valued and appreciated.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

112. The school has worked hard and effectively to address the issues raised following the last inspection. Standards of attainment, teaching and learning are now satisfactory throughout Years 1 to 6 and planning is appropriate to pupils’ needs. Pupils have more frequent opportunities to design their work and more time has been allocated to the subject. Teachers are becoming much more confident because they have received training of high quality.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

113. As a result of a good lesson in Year 1 pupils found sensible ways of joining their house constructions and, as part of their science topic, designed and made a pretend meal, using glue and scissors with increasing dexterity. After practising sewing skills, Year 2 pupils designed and made puppets, and found different ways of operating them. Pupils are becoming more confident in selecting materials to suit the purpose of the activity. As an example, Year 3 pupils looked carefully at packaging, then designed and made that suitable for a tube of toothpaste. Activities are carefully linked to other subjects, as was demonstrated when Year 6 designed and made headgear for book characters. Because the subject is taught in blocks, there are sometimes long gaps between pupils’ experiences. This makes it difficult for them to retain the necessary skills. All pupils, across the ability range, achieve appropriately because activities are purposeful and

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

114. Behaviour in lessons is good. Pupils enjoy what they do and take pride in showing their efforts to others because they know they will be valued. Pupils work co-operatively and share ideas sensibly. As a result pupils in Year 3 competed with each other to find which group could design and make the fastest boat using wind-power. The very high quality of relationships means that pupils try hard, work harmoniously and a purposeful atmosphere prevails.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

115. The quality of teaching in lessons seen was good throughout Years 1 to 6. Analysis of pupils’ previous work, however, indicates that overall, it is satisfactory throughout the school and illustrates that the teaching of the subject is stronger in some classes than in others. Overall, however, the quality of teaching shows a considerable improvement since the last inspection when it was judged to be weak. Occasionally, lessons are too teacher prescribed, therefore pupils do not always get sufficient opportunity to select, design and make using their own initiative. Careful teaching of skills, together with appropriate emphasis on safety issues, enabled a Year 5 class to drill, cut, and position assembly parts when making a basic automaton using a camshaft.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

116. The subject is very effectively led by a curriculum team. Assessment is used more effectively to set future targets for learning, although there is still room for improvement. Resources, which were judged to be poor at the time of the last inspection, are now plentiful, well organised and used Tavistock Community Primary School - 39 effectively. Planning has improved and ensures that pupils learn skills sequentially, and the subject is carefully linked to other areas of the curriculum, including information and communication technology. Monitoring of progress in addressing the issues raised following the last inspection means that the school is moving on rapidly and the potential for further improvement is good.

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GEOGRAPHY

117. There was limited evidence of geography available during the inspection, and only one lesson was observed. However, pupils’ work indicates that standards in geography are broadly average at Years 2 and 6. This represents good achievement for pupils of all levels of ability, including higher attainers and those with special educational needs. By the end of Year 2 pupils have learned to use basic mapping skills, they plot routes around Tavistock and can describe different types of houses in the town. In years 3 to 6 they increase their knowledge and understanding of patterns of settlement and weather throughout the world. The study of Chembakolli village in India gives pupils a perspective on the differences between their lives and those of people in another continent. Pupils also learn to use geographical vocabulary such as "settlement", and further refine their mapping skills.

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GEOGRAPHY

118. The limited amount of teaching that was observed was good. The teacher used resources well to motivate and include pupils of all levels of attainment. Aerial photographs of the local area helped pupils to develop their mapping skills, whilst good questioning and explanation helped them to develop appropriate geographical vocabulary such as "birds' eye view" and "feature".

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GEOGRAPHY

119. Leadership and management in geography are satisfactory. The scheme of work has been improved and efforts are being made to develop resources: for example braille maps have been acquired to assist the visually impaired. Imaginative efforts are made to tie geography in with other subjects: for example when pupils study the Vikings in history, they simultaneously learn the physical and political geography of Northern Europe. Information and communications technology is seen as a useful resource to support learning in the subject.

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GEOGRAPHY

120. As in 1997, standards in geography are satisfactory and progress in learning is good. Progress in the subject overall has been satisfactory since the previous inspection.

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HISTORY

121. Overall provision in history is good. There are no formal teacher assessments in history, but standards of knowledge and understanding and the development of historical skills are in line with national expectations at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6. This represents good achievement for pupils, many of whom join the school with a low level of literacy skills. Pupils of all levels of ability, including higher attainers and pupils with special educational needs, make good progress in developing a range of skills.

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HISTORY

122. By Year 2 pupils have learned to sequence events accurately, for example when retelling the story of Guy Fawkes, and in so doing they also learn some basic facts of causation, as well as facts about famous individuals like Robin Hood. Pupils use the experience of events such as a trip to Launceston Castle to increase their understanding of aspects of life in the past.

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HISTORY

123. By Year 6 pupils increase their chronological understanding and their understanding of basic causes and consequences: for example why the Vikings invaded Britain and with what consequences. Many pupils are able to research independently in order to find out about everyday life in past times, and also about specific events such as the raising of the "Mary Rose". Pupils produce effective extended accounts of their trip to Morwellham, showing good empathetic understanding with the lives of ordinary people in Victorian times, although the quality of the work of lower-attainers is sometimes restricted by the poor technical quality of their writing.

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HISTORY

124. No history teaching was observed for pupils in Years 1 and 2, but for pupils in Years 3 to 6 the teaching is always good or very good. It is characterised by enthusiastic teaching, which motivates pupils and makes history seem like an adventure to be explored. This was very evident in a Year 4 Tavistock Community Primary School - 40 lesson in which the teacher took the pupils through the unfolding events of Viking exploration, at the same time reinforcing their geographical skills through the effective use of maps. Resources are used effectively: for example teachers employ a range of texts and Victorian artefacts to make pupils aware of differences between people's lives in the past from today. Pupils rise to the high expectations which their teachers have of them: as witnessed for example in a Year 6 lesson in which pupils discussed the quite sophisticated concept of whether Francis Drake could be both a

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HISTORY

pirate and a hero, and in another lesson in which pupils discussed the different types of poor people in Tudor England. The teaching displays good subject knowledge, and a combination of good questioning and explanation brings the subject alive to pupils, who make good gains in understanding. The only occasions on which teaching is less effective are when lower-attainers are given tasks which are too mechanical and do not improve their skills or understanding significantly, as for example when they fill in worksheets.

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HISTORY

125. Leadership and management in history are good. Good efforts have been made to develop resources and good practice in teaching, and these are having a positive effect upon standards. In some classrooms information and communications technology is used effectively to gather information.

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HISTORY

126. Standards of history are not above national expectations for pupils in Years 3 to 6 whereas they were in 1997. However, pupils continue to make good gains in learning. Teaching remains good, and assessment, whilst only satisfactory, has improved. Therefore overall there has been satisfactory progress in history since the previous inspection.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

127. Standards of attainment have risen considerably since the last inspection. Although overall, satisfactory standards have been maintained in Years 3 to 6, pupils’ skills associated with data handling, control, monitoring and modelling have improved considerably. At the end of Year 2 standards are now above average. The quality of teaching and the pace of learning are now good for all pupils, regardless of ability, across in all years. A strength of the school is the way in which the higher than average number of pupils with special educational needs, including those in the area support centre, are integrated into all aspects of school life. Another strength is the very high quality of relationships, which exist throughout the school community; this makes a very significant contribution to the good progress that pupils make.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

128. Because skills are very carefully and sequentially taught pupils achieve well by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 and they become increasingly confident. For example, Year 1 pupils are learning to log on successfully and use a simple word bank to produce sentences. They use the computer to draw pictures and sometimes include these in their work. Year 2 pupils enter, retrieve and store their work and change the colour, size and font to improve the appearance of their writing. With help they combine text and graphics. Using a controllable toy, pupils write simple instructions to make it move in a particular way. Well thought out questions by the teacher enabled Year 3 pupils to produce graphs as a means of collating information about eye and hair colour. Pupils are good listeners and, as result, follow instructions carefully. This was clearly evident during a very good lesson led by the co-ordinator, when Year 5 pupils very rapidly developed modelling skills by

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

drawing and re-arranging classroom furniture. In one lesson seen, Year 6 pupils used the Internet to send their French homework to the French teacher at the local secondary school. The downloading of information is frequent and is used well to improve pupils’ knowledge and skills. As teachers gain the necessary skills, pupils are learning to use multi-media techniques and to incorporate animation.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

129. The quality of teaching is good throughout the school. Teachers work very hard to improve their own subject knowledge, and the wide range of resources, including the computer suite, are used very effectively to promote learning. Pupils are managed very well and this has a positive impact on their behaviour, which is good. Teachers plan activities, which have a clear purpose and pupils remain very focused until tasks are complete. Time is used to good effect, and pupils’ achievements are celebrated, which makes them take pride in what they do. Work is well planned to enable all pupils to work at the pace of which they are capable, and good use is made of the Tavistock Community Primary School - 41 skills of higher attaining pupils in assisting those who are less able. Pupils use computers independently because skills are taught well.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

130. The subject is very well led by a curriculum team, which includes the highly skilled coordinator. Teaching and learning is monitored, clear targets are set for improvement and assessment information is now used very well to plan future work. Well-informed support assistants make a significant contribution and are highly valued. Parents’ skills are used well, including the modification and provision of some programmes to meet pupils’ needs. Information and communication technology is used very well to enhance learning in other subjects. For example, Year 1 compiled simple street plans in geography, and Year 5 pupils used the digital camera to record works of art during a school visit. Year 6 pupils produce spreadsheets to support their calculations in mathematics. The work on computers in other subjects makees a significant contribution to the development of pupils’ skills in information and communications technology.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Whole school planning, based on assessment of need and the school’s scheme of work, ensures that all strands of the subject are covered in sufficient depth. This represents a major improvement since the last inspection. After school clubs are well supported and contribute significantly to the good progress that pupils make.

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

131. Pupils in Year 6 study French for half an hour a week. A teacher from the adjacent secondary college visits to give pupils a lively introduction to a modern language.

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

132. Standards of attainment in work files and in lessons are average for pupils of this age. They understand social vocabulary, such as ‘merci’ and ‘au revoir’, and answer questions about themselves. They learn numbers, months, seasons, time and simple directions. Written work indicates that pupils copy correctly, though the less able make several spelling errors. Presentation is good. Pupils learn a lot in a brief time and achieve well over time.

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

133. Teaching and learning are very good. The teacher has very good subject knowledge. She plans well so that the pace is brisk, activities are varied, and resources are well chosen to promote learning. Consequently, pupils enjoy their lessons and behave impeccably. A very successful feature of lessons is the way the teacher actively involves pupils in their work. For example, lessons begin with pupils repeating in unison recently learned words – such as animal vocabulary – and answering questions to show what they have understood. This is helping them to improve pronunciation. The teacher introduces new vocabulary and sets relevant homework to extend learning.

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

134. The subject is led by the visiting teacher, who provides an appropriate structure for her work. The headteacher support the subject well and the provision is a feature of the school’s good relationships with its partner school. Planned work gives a good introduction to speaking, listening, reading and writing. Resources are good. Flashcards are clear and attractive. They reinforce what the teacher is saying and so enable pupils to learn rapidly.

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MUSIC

135. Attainment in music is below national expectations at the end of both Years 2 and 6, but pupils start from a low base and their achievement, over their time at the school, is satisfactory. The progress seen in lessons is sometimes good, but this is not consistent from class to class. In some classes, where the quality of teaching is good, attainment is above expectations, but many teachers lack sufficient knowledge and understanding in the subject to sustain consistent progress.

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MUSIC

136. By the end of Year 6, pupils sing enthusiastically, but pitch and rhythmic skills are not consistently developed. For example, in some classes in Years 4 and 5, pupils hold a steady beat well and show good rhythmic skills, but pupils in other classes cannot repeat the skills. Expertise varies in response to the teaching provided. All of the singing during the inspection was in unison and there were no opportunities for pupils to develop part-singing skills. Little evidence was seen during the Tavistock Community Primary School - 42 inspection of a sustained approach to composing and the development of notational skills was inconsistent. Pupils with special educational needs generally make similar progress to their peers. Pupils clearly enjoy their music and take part with enthusiasm. Behaviour is always good.

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MUSIC

137. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall in the subject. There are examples of good and very good teaching when teachers have good understanding of the learning processes in music. In these classes, mostly led by teachers who have responsibility for the subject, tasks are set that are challenging and the learning is rigorous. Teachers plan these lessons very well and have developed very effective strategies to promote learning. Pupils of all levels of attainment, including high and low attainers and pupils with special educational needs are appropriately challenged and supported. It is evident that all pupils enjoy the activities and their success in these good lessons. For example, in a very good lesson for pupils in Year 5, individuals led parts of the lesson by directing the class from the white board for a rhythmic exercise. In other classes, when teachers have limited musical skills and are insecure about what to expect, the range of tasks is often limited.

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MUSIC

Even so they have sufficient general teaching skills to provide a satisfactory lesson in which pupils make satisfactory progress. Many teachers accept that their skills in the subject are limited, however, and that this has a cumulative effect on pupils’ progress over time.

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MUSIC

138. Overall, little progress has been made in music across the school since the last inspection. There is now no choir. Assessment is not well developed and not all teachers understand how or what to assess. Few use assessment to inform planning. No evidence was seen during the inspection of the effective development of information and communications technology skills in music. The school has given priority to the development of other subjects in the last few years and there has been little focus on music in that period. Consequently opportunities for professional development in the subject have not been available for the staff as a whole.

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MUSIC

139. Three members of staff share different aspects of the co-ordination of music. They work hard and with determination to promote the subject and have produced a good scheme of work, but time for the professional development for all teachers in music has not been available recently and not all make good use of the scheme of work. Neither is the subject monitored to ascertain areas for development. The unevenness of provision leads to uneven achievement as pupils move through the school. Overall, however, the curriculum provided meets the requirements of the National Curriculum. Pupils have opportunity to make music in extra-curricular recorder groups and a small number have instrumental tuition from visiting teachers.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

140. The good standards in Years 1 and 2 have been maintained since the last inspection and standards in Years 3 to 6 have improved and are now good. Pupils achieve well because teaching is good. Very good provision is made for pupils with special educational needs and all pupils are fully included in lessons. All pupils want to give of their best because they know their efforts will be valued.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

141. By the end of Year 2 pupils listen to and follow instructions carefully, they use space well, and climb, balance, travel and turn with increasing control. Careful emphasis on ball skills means that pupils soon learn to use hands, arms and feet correctly when throwing, catching and passing. Gymnastics are a regular feature of lessons. Systematic teaching from the nursery means that by the time they enter Year 1 pupils are already balancing, rolling and climbing with reasonable control and have a clear understanding of safety issues. Dance is used well to support drama. In a good lesson seen, effective use of music and careful explanation enabled Year 2 pupils to incorporate mime and movement dramatically to depict Babushka’s search for the kings.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

142. Because skills are taught well and systematically built upon, pupils in Year 6 are becoming competent hockey and basketball players. They dribble, aim and pass with increasing dexterity and know that to be successful they need to work as a team. Good questioning enables them to discuss and evaluate their own performance so that they know how to improve. In one lesson seen pupils commented on the good progress they had made in sharing the ball to make their team games more effective. A visually impaired girl was very sensitively included in a team game. Good Tavistock Community Primary School - 43 use of resources, including a ball containing a bell, together with a very good team spirit meant that she made rapid gains in controlling, catching and passing. Pupils make very good progress in swimming. By the end of Year 6 all pupils can swim the expected 25 metres and the majority of pupils swim further. This is because lessons are very well organised, and the quality of teaching is

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

high. Pupils receive certificates for their achievements, which encourage effort. Very good use is made of the local swimming pool, including links with the school’s popular after-school family swimming club.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

143. The quality of teaching and learning is good throughout the school. Good use is made of teacher expertise and teachers exchange classes when appropriate to share their expertise. Lessons are planned carefully, including warming up and cooling down sessions. Teachers and support staff change into suitable clothing. This enables them to demonstrate activities effectively. High expectations mean that pupils try very hard and they know that their efforts will be rewarded. Occasionally teachers’ presentations are too noisy; this in turn has a detrimental effect on pupils’ learning. Curriculum support assistants join in with lessons enthusiastically and their contribution is highly valued.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

144. Pupils thoroughly enjoy physical education lessons. They participate with enthusiasm and applaud each other’s success when, for example, scoring a goal for the first time. They concentrate for considerable lengths of time and behave well at all times. Pupils share good practice proudly and help each other to improve. Relationships are of a very high quality and lessons are purposeful and busy. All pupils have equal access and opportunity. Occasionally pupils are not encouraged to set out and tidy away equipment; this impedes their personal development. The range of after school activities is impressive. These are well attended and include competitive sports, some of which involve matches with other schools. Parental support is highly valued and very good links have been established with the local college through the sharing of facilities. Pupils give displays of country dancing at community events, which are highly appreciated.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

145. The subject is led by a knowledgeable and committed curriculum team. This is very productive through the sharing of expertise and ideas. Evaluation of schemes of work has identified strengths and weaknesses, and monitoring of lessons and planning highlights areas for further development. As a result further training on the use of large apparatus has been planned. During the inspection little evidence of the use of information and communication technology to support learning in PE was seen. Although photographic evidence is kept and lessons are assessed, more formal procedures for assessment are in need of further development in order to further raise standards.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

146. As it was at the time of the last inspection, the attainment of pupils at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 in religious education is in line with that expected in the locally agreed syllabus. The achievement of pupils, including those with special educational needs, is good throughout the school. Pupils enter the school with knowledge and understanding of the world that is below that expected nationally. By the end of Year 2 pupils have a sound awareness of the world around them and are beginning consider processes related to life and how they relate to these. Secure foundations are laid for this in Year 1 where pupils examine aspects of religious life like Easter, Harvest and Advent. In an effective Year 1 lesson, for example, pupils sat around a flickering Advent candle and shared their thoughts about why Christmas is special to them. In Year 2, pupils' religious horizons are broadened to include festivals from other word religions like Hanukkah and Divali, for example, and

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

the importance of candles in the reflection process is understood well by the pupils. This contributes to their growing awareness that people worship in different ways. Pupils are familiar with stories from Bible, for example about the birth of Jesus and the story of David and Goliath.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

147. In Years 3 to 6 pupils effectively develop an understanding of the responsibility we have to other people through an examination of the lives of people such as Lord Shaftesbury. They gain further knowledge of and a deeper insight into the religious practices in the major world religions and consider for example the importance and significance of sacred writings and creation stories. Pupils are given the opportunity to discuss the main religious events in peoples' lives, as for example in Year 5 where through an examination of a variety of sacred writings they examine Tavistock Community Primary School - 44 christening and baptism. The effective use of displays around the school enhances the pupils' understanding of the religion aspects of life well. Good examples of this are the divas made by Year 6 pupils, the story of Rama and Sita, Rangoli patterns, the Christmas nativity and the pupils’ reflections on thoughts inspired by a burning candle.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

148. The quality of teaching is good at all stages and has improved since the last inspection. Teachers display good and sometimes very good subject knowledge and plan lessons appropriately within the helpful structures of the Devon Syllabus. Pupils listen well right from the start of lessons and are prepared to answer and ask questions in a secure atmosphere. In a Year 4 lesson based on the Christian creation story, for example, one pupil felt confident enough to ask if the story meant we would have lived forever if Adam and Eve had not eaten fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. However, in some lessons the planning does not take into account the different levels of attainment of the pupils and, for example, support assistants are vital to help the pupils with special educational needs to access written information in these lessons.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

149. Resources are used well to support topics. In a Year 2 lesson the teacher gradually built up a collection of appropriate resources in the centre of the circle of pupils as she told of the events leading up to the birth of Jesus. These included a burning candle, word cards and pictures and provided an effective focus for the pupils and helped to maintain their concentration. An appropriate proportion of discussion/exposition and pupil activity is included in all lessons and good organization of tasks ensures that lessons run smoothly. The most effective lessons proceed at a good pace, include a very good range of activities and the teachers' enthusiasm captures the interest and attention of the pupils. A good example of this was a Year 5 lesson based on church ceremonies and suggested Bible accompaniments, which included a description of a christening, role play of a baptism, a discussion of the symbolism of a wedding ring and a very moving reading

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

150. The new Devon agreed syllabus has been well established. There is some curriculum enhancement by visitors and visits out of school, but this is limited and could be further developed. Links with local churches include regular assembly visits by local clergy and visits to Christian churches by Year 1, 3 and 4 pupils each year. One representative from the Hindu faith has visited Year 3. Assessment procedures were found to be insufficiently developed at the time of the last inspection but the school has responded to this by establishing a portfolio of pupils' work to supplement the pupils’ marked written work and the school's annual report to parents. Procedures are now satisfactory. Monitoring of planning and teaching by the subject leader is limited and no regular time allocation is available for her to extend this aspect of her role to improve standards. Resources have been improved since the last inspection and are now adequate. These include a satisfactory

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

range of videos but a more limited supply of artefacts. Little use was seen during the inspection of the use of information and communications technology specifically to support learning in religious education.

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Support Centre for children and pupils with special educational needs

151. The school is an area resource for pupils with special educational needs and admits pupils from a large geographical area around Tavistock, sometimes admitting pupils from East Cornwall as well. The Mary Budding Assessment Centre is for children under the age of five who require detailed assessment and specialist teaching. These children are often subsequently placed in a variety of special and mainstream schools, usually with Statements of Special Educational Needs, in addition to those children who continue into the support centre. The support centre has 10 places for pupils from reception to Year 6 who have Statements of Special Educational Needs. The nature of these needs is changing and the school is admitting pupils with increasingly complex and challenging needs in addition to the moderate learning difficulties for which they are funded. A substantial proportion of these pupils is on the autistic spectrum or has significant speech and

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Support Centre for children and pupils with special educational needs

communication difficulties. At the time of the inspection there were nine children attending the Mary Budding Assessment Centre and the school’s support centre was at full capacity with ten pupils.

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a) The Mary Budding Assessment Centre

Tavistock Community Primary School - 45 152. The centre is open for three days each week and an admissions panel oversees effectively the children who should attend, as well as reviewing routinely the progress they are making and the plans that should be made for their continuing education. The centre provides good assessment and a satisfactory quality of education. Analysis of the children’s records shows that, over time, a majority of children makes good achievement, with the remainder achieving satisfactorily. For example, one child has made good progress in seven months from not joining in or communicating to now being friendly and able to hold a simple conversation. Another child, in just under a year, has made good progress from beginning to babble at the time of entry to now joining in some repetition and knowing some names and rhymes. For other children, progress over time is not so marked and they have made satisfactory gains in their understanding, communication and fine

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a) The Mary Budding Assessment Centre

153. The quality of teaching provided is satisfactory overall. However, there are good features such as the daily circle times when focused and specialised teaching shows the children what is expected of them, when each activity starts and finishes, and enables everyone to have a turn and extend an appropriate aspect of their identified needs. These sessions are often accompanied with basic signs, symbols and picture communication and are effective in helping the children with their learning. Also, there is good quality of team work between the teacher and the skilled assistant. Good use is made of the centre by visiting professionals (such as educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, paediatricians etc.) and this adds significantly to the quality of assessment for the children, and helps the teacher to know what to plan to do next in lessons as well as guiding the long-term remediation programme for each child. The work and effectiveness of

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a) The Mary Budding Assessment Centre

the centre, however, is diluted by its current function as both a nursery and a specialist provision. The room is cluttered and lacks focus as it contains the full range of nursery activities as well as teaching bays for children with autism, large climbing apparatus and a ‘home corner’. As a result, children with autism have insufficient focus and structure to their day and demand time and attention from the teacher and assistant at the expense of support to other individuals. Also, children with sensory needs have no specialised areas to develop visual and auditory skills. Elsewhere in the school, children with special educational needs benefit from specialist support and inclusion in other activities with their peers. Whilst this happens occasionally for pupils in the assessment class, it is not the norm and there is insufficient joint planning between teachers for the full inclusion of Mary Budding children with the day to day activities of the school’s nursery.

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a) The Mary Budding Assessment Centre

Also, the anomalies exist that, children in the school’s nursery who could benefit from specialised support in the Mary Budding Centre have to undergo the standard admissions procedure before it can be given; and children with special needs in the reception class are supported by the provision for older pupils instead of specialist support being available right across the Foundation Stage.

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b) The support centre for pupils from reception to Year 6

154. The quality of provision for these pupils is outstanding, with exemplary procedures for meeting their needs and consistent specialist teaching of the highest quality. As a result, the pupils are included very well indeed into all aspects of school life and learning, and are achieving well over time, with some pupils showing outstanding levels of achievement. For example, one pupil has been assessed consistently as having very low levels of attainment indeed. Recent psychological assessment shows a reading age of more than eight years, which is well above the level that would usually be predicted from the cognitive ability scores. Another pupil, over time, has gained considerably in self-confidence and social development, as well as against the targets specified in the original statement.

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b) The support centre for pupils from reception to Year 6

155. The reason for these, and other achievements, is the high quality of teaching that begins with full understanding of each pupil’s needs and the careful planning of programmes to exactly match this assessment. Then, support work is delivered in such a way that pupils are interested, motivated and want to work hard to improve. For example, one pupil has difficulties with vision, communication and concentration. In a support session for this pupil the teacher presented words to read written of a size and contrast that could be clearly seen. Also, instructions were given without ambiguity so that tasks were fully understood, and the session was delivered in short bursts of focused energy that effectively sustained full concentration throughout. This attention to detail is apparent in all the work of the centre. Pupils’ individual education plans are exemplary and Tavistock Community Primary School - 46

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b) The support centre for pupils from reception to Year 6

really drive the support that is given and help pupils to make progress. Support teachers and assistants are highly skilled and use teaching methods that match the pupils’ needs and help them to remember what they have learnt. In addition, the school has a clear philosophy of valuing every pupil and wanting them to be included equally with others in all activities. To achieve this, support is provided through a flexible mixture of help in class during lessons, withdrawing pupils from some lessons, support teaching to groups of pupils (sometimes including other pupils from the class who may need some extra help), and individual tuition. Year 6 pupils spontaneously applaud when a support centre pupil achieves a target for development and parents commented to inspectors that the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs adds value to the school.

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b) The support centre for pupils from reception to Year 6

156. The centre benefits from outstanding leadership. The leader is highly knowledgeable and is extremely well skilled as a teacher. She brings the highest expectations to her work and leads the provision with dynamic energy that motivates teachers, assistants and pupils to give of their best. Visiting professionals speak very highly of the effectiveness and quality of the school’s provision and inspectors endorse these views and judge the support centre to be a centre of excellence for meeting the highly specialised needs of its pupils.

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