Brampton Ellis CofE Primary School

ENGLAND (VA) INFANT SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 10 th – 13 th September 2001

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ENGLAND (VA) INFANT 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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ENGLAND (VA) INFANT 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. Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Brampton Road Wath-upon-Dearne Rotherham South Yorkshire

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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 Sylvia Dennis

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 21 st April 1997 Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 4

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Barbara Crane Registered inspector English, science, art and design, history and geography, Foundation Stage. The school’s results and achievements. How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? What should the school do to improve further? Ernest Marshall Lay inspector How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? Declan McCarthy Team inspector Mathematics, design and technology, information and communication technology, music, physical education, special educational needs, English as an additional language, equal opportunities. Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

SCHOOL haus Ltd Suite 17 BPS Business Centre Brake Lane Walesby Nottinghamshire NG22 9HQ

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

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

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AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM, SUBJECTS AND COURSES 23

Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 6

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is a small school, with 70 pupils in the infant classes. There are 41 boys and 29 girls on roll. Thirty-eight children attend the Nursery class, and of these, 14 attend part time. Twenty-four of the older children attend full time for either two or three full days each week, and for half a day at other times. These children will enter the Reception classes next term. Fourteen per cent of the pupils are entitled to free school meals, which is broadly average. Three per cent of the pupils have English as an additional language but none are at an early stage of acquiring English. Four per cent of the pupils come from ethnic backgrounds other than white. Seventeen per cent of the pupils are on the school’s register of special educational need, which is average, and one pupil has extra provision for his needs. When they start in the Nursery, the children have a broad range of attainment. Overall, it is at the level expected for their age in all areas except for personal

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

and social development and communication, language and literacy, where it is slightly below average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school. Standards are good. The pupils achieve very well in reading and do well in mathematics because the teaching is good in these areas. There is good teaching in every class, but it is better in Years 1 and 2. The pupils’ personal development is very good. The school helps pupils to become very confident and responsible and there is a good climate for learning. The leadership and management of the school are very good and all of the staff are committed to improvement. The school provides good value for money.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What the school does well • Standards in reading are very good; pupils make rapid progress because of the high level of teachers’ expertise and the good support for all abilities. • Standards in mathematics are above average and the pupils are achieving well because of the good teaching and accurate assessment of their progress that leads to specific targets for improvement. • The pupils achieve much better than expected in music because of very good teaching. • The pupils’ personal development is very good and they get on very well together. • The school is very well led and managed and the staff work together effectively to improve the school’s provision. The governors give very good support to the school. • The school’s partnership with parents is excellent. Parents are very much involved in their children’s learning, both at school and at home.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

What could be improved • More able pupils should be doing better in writing and the pupils need more resources to help them find spellings. • The teaching and learning in the Nursery and Reception classes, where there are some weaknesses in planning the curriculum. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made good improvement since it was previously inspected in 1997. Standards and teaching are better than they were. The management of the school has improved and the staff and governors are clear about the part they play in taking the school forward. The monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning is firmly established and helping to improve provision. The school has a clear and effective approach to managing the pupils’ behaviour and this has raised standards. The curriculum for the pupils in Years 1 and 2 is better, but there is still work to do on improving the planning for the youngest pupils in the Nursery and Reception classes. The school has reviewed the way that spelling is taught but still needs to do more to help the pupils spell words on their own. The pupils’ punctuality has improved. The governors ensure that health and safety are given due consideration. Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 7

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 2 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

Reading A A A A well above average above average A B Writing B D C C average below average C D Mathematics C C B B well below average E

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STANDARDS

By the end of the Foundation Stage, when they leave the Reception class, the children’s attainment in each of the areas of learning meets the expectations for their age and they make satisfactory progress in both the Nursery and Reception classes. The children’s progress is, however, sometimes slower than it could be because of weaknesses in the planning in both the Nursery and Reception. Their progress in reading is good; it is better than their progress in writing because the teaching of basic skills is better planned. Their progress is sometimes slower in writing and mathematics because the activities planned do not always build on what they already know and can do. The children use computers very well for their age because they are taught the basic skills effectively and given good opportunities to put their skills into practice.

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STANDARDS

The results of the 2000 tests for seven year olds show that the pupils’ performance in reading was well above the national average and that of schools in similar circumstances. The pupils’ performance in writing was average and in mathematics was above the average for all schools and similar schools. The results for 2001 were better than those in 2000. There is currently no data available so that the school’s results can be compared to the national picture, or that in similar schools. What is clear is that the school is maintaining its drive to raise standards. The school met its target to improve standards in writing but a very small proportion of pupils reached the higher level 3. On the basis of the work seen now: standards in reading are high and all pupils make rapid progress; their progress in writing is satisfactory and enables them to achieve average standards, but the more able should achieve more; standards in mathematics are above average

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STANDARDS

and pupils of all abilities achieve well; standards in science are average and there is some good progress in investigative work; pupils do very well in music and standards are much better than expected. In all other subjects, the pupils’ work meets the standard expected for their age by the time they leave the school. The pupils work competently with computers and are making good progress in using information and communication technology (ICT) to support their learning in lessons. Pupils with special educational needs are making good progress because they receive well-planned and good quality support.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attitudes to the school Very good. The pupils enjoy school and are keen to take advantage of what it offers them. They try hard and concentrate well on their work.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. The pupils know what is expected of them and behave well, both in lessons and in the play areas.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Personal development and relationships Very good. The pupils gain in confidence and self-esteem. They are very polite and helpful. All ages get on very well together.

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PUPILS’ ATTITUDES AND VALUES

Attendance Satisfactory. This has improved over the last school year due to the school’s efforts to raise attendance. The pupils arrive punctually. Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 8 The pupils are keen to please the teachers and most work hard to improve and show a good sense of self- discipline. The older pupils happily help the younger ones. They willingly take on responsibilities for helping around the school.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching of pupils in: Nursery and Reception Years 1 – 2

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

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

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

There is some good teaching in all of the classes, but it is more consistent for the older pupils. The teaching of personal and social development and reading in the Nursery and Reception classes is good. Children’s progress in these areas is good because all of the adults are confident about what is being taught and learned through the activities that are planned. Teaching is satisfactory in all other areas but is weakened because the teachers’ planning does not always make clear to teaching assistants what will be learned through some of the activities, particularly those that children choose for themselves, and so support staff do not always make the best use of questions or introduce appropriate vocabulary.

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

The teaching is good in Years 1 and 2. The basic skills are taught well, although there is room for improvement in spelling. The teaching of reading is very good and the teachers and support staff have a high level of expertise in supporting pupils’ learning. As a result, pupils of all abilities make rapid progress in reading. The teachers’ enthusiasm for books is passed to the pupils. The teaching of writing is satisfactory, but the expectations of what more able pupils should achieve need to be raised. The teaching of mathematics is good because the teachers use their assessments of the pupils to set precise targets for improvement. The teaching of music is very good and so the pupils achieve higher standards than expected for their ages in all classes. Teaching assistants provide good support for the pupils’ learning, particularly in reading and using computers. The needs of pupils with special educational needs and those with English as

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TEACHING AND LEARNING

an additional language are taken into account. Teaching for these pupils is good.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory for children in the Nursery and Reception years, but some planning does not always build as well as it could on what has been learned previously. Good for the Year 1 and 2 pupils, where the staff plan and teach interesting and relevant activities.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. The pupils’ needs are quickly identified and met well through extra support.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language None of the pupils are at an early stage of learning English but the good provision enables the pupils to make similar progress to their classmates.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development Very good. The pupils have very good opportunities to express how they feel, and learn to get on well together. The school sets out clear expectations of behaviour and these are met. The pupils’ awareness of their own and other cultures is well promoted.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. The staff know the pupils very well and give a high priority to their well-being. They use assessments carefully to plan work but are not as effective in assessing pupils’ writing as they are in other areas.

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OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL

The school’s target setting for individual pupils is based upon careful assessments in reading and mathematics. Good opportunities are planned for investigative work in mathematics and science, but pupils do not often record their scientific investigations. A very good range of activities outside lessons supports the pupils’ personal and social development. There is a good range of visits to support learning for children Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 9 of all ages. The school has established an excellent partnership with parents, and provides them with good information about its work and their children’s progress. They are very much involved in their children’s learning and are made welcome in classrooms.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher provides a strong lead in the school’s efforts to raise standards and she sets a very good example in her teaching. She is supported by a very able deputy head who plays a full part in bringing about school improvement. All of the staff work well as a team.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities All responsibilities are carried out very well. The governors work hard to support the school’s planning for improvement. They have a clear view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The school looks closely at its performance, identifies strengths and weaknesses and plans well to overcome any shortcomings. The school has identified the weaknesses in writing and planning in the curriculum for the Foundation Stage through its monitoring of teaching and learning.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The strategic use of resources Good. Careful financial planning supports the school’s priorities for development. The school seeks the best value in its expenditure.

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HOW WELL THE SCHOOL IS LED AND MANAGED

The headteacher has established a climate in which the staff feel comfortable to review their practice and share expertise. The governors are very much involved in the process. The review of teaching and learning is part of the school’s everyday work. Through its very good monitoring, the school has identified the right priorities and works steadily towards its targets.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

• Their children enjoy school, work hard and make good progress. • The teaching is good and the children are well behaved. • The school helps their children to become more mature and responsible and provides a good range of activities outside lessons. • They feel welcome in the school and the school works closely with them. • The school is well led and managed. • A very small number of parents feel that they are not kept well informed about their children’s progress.

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PARENTS’ AND CARERS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The inspection findings support all of the parents’ positive views but not their concern over information regarding children’s progress. The school provides good information about how children are doing at school. Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 10

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. When they enter the Nursery, the children’s attainment covers a broad range, but is slightly below average in personal and social development and communication, language and literacy. By the time they enter the Reception class, most children are at a broadly average stage of attainment in all areas of learning. By the end of the Reception year:

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

• the children’s attainment in each of the areas of learning meets the expectations for their age and they make satisfactory progress, overall, but this is sometimes slower than it could be because of weaknesses in the planning; • the children’s progress in reading is good; it is better than their progress in writing because the teaching of basic skills is better planned for reading; • the children use computers very well for their age because they are taught the basic skills effectively and given good opportunities to put their skills into practice.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. The trend in test results at the end of Year 2, over the past three years, has been above the national average. The results of the 2000 tests for seven year olds show that:

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

• the pupils’ performance in reading was well above the national average and also well above average when compared to schools in similar circumstances; • the pupils’ performance in writing was average in comparison to all schools and similar schools; • their performance in mathematics was above the average for all schools and similar schools.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The results for 2001 were better than those in 2000. The school met its target to raise standards in writing and almost a third of the pupils reached level 2A, but a very small proportion reaching the higher level 3. There is currently no data available so that the school’s results can be compared to the national picture, or that in similar schools. What is clear is that the school is maintaining its drive to raise standards.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. The inspection findings closely reflect the school’s performance in the tests and additionally indicate that:

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

• standards in reading are high; pupils make rapid progress in reading because of the high level of teachers’ expertise and the good support for pupils of all abilities; • their progress in writing is satisfactory and enables them to achieve average standards – but they could achieve more and teachers’ expectations could be higher; • standards in mathematics are above average and the pupils are achieving well because of the good teaching and accurate assessment that leads to specific targets for improvement; • standards in science are average and there is some good progress in investigative work; • standards in ICT are average and the pupils are making good progress; • the pupils do very well in music and standards are much better than expected because of the very good teaching; Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 11 • in all other subjects, the pupils’ work meets the standard expected for their age by the time

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. The pupils’ progress in Years 1 and 2 is good, whatever their ability or background. There is no difference in the attainment of boys and girls. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress due to the well-planned support they receive. Those pupils who have English as an additional language make good progress. All of the pupils benefit from a well-planned curriculum and individual targets in reading and mathematics that are arrived at through a good understanding of what they know and can do, and need to improve.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. Standards in reading are high. The pupils develop a love of books and are very keen to take books home. By the time they leave the school, the pupils read fluently, accurately and with good expression. They have a good understanding of what they read and find information quickly from information books. The pupils’ competence in speaking and listening is average by the age of seven. They listen carefully to each other and to adults and express their opinions clearly, using an appropriate vocabulary. Standards in writing are as expected by the age of seven. The pupils develop a neat style of handwriting and use punctuation accurately when they write. Their spelling is average. They attempt to spell words by saying the sounds of the letters but often realise that this does not give the correct spelling. Because they have too few resources to help them with spelling, they do not make as rapid progress as they could in writing independently. More able pupils could do better in writing if

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

the teachers’ assessments of what these pupils can do were better used to set more challenging targets for them.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Standards in mathematics are good. By the age of seven pupils have a good knowledge of the times tables and place value to a hundred. They add, subtract, multiply and divide using their knowledge of the times tables and number facts, Pupils have a good knowledge of flat and solid shapes and they measure length, capacity and weight using the right units. Pupils quickly work out calculations mentally; for example, they work out three different ways of making 10 and 20 using three or four numbers. They estimate answers well and check their own results for accuracy, for example in rounding numbers to 10.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

8. The pupils’ work in science reaches an average standard by the age of seven, with some good attainment in investigating. They have a firm grasp of why it is necessary to test out their ideas. The pupils are given too few opportunities to record investigations, however, and this limits the pupils’ skills in deciding on the best way to present what happens or their findings.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

9. The pupils are making good progress in ICT because of the improved resources, good quality direct teaching of basic skills and plenty of opportunities to practise what they have learned. Standards are average, but look set to improve if the current rate of progress is maintained.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. The pupils’ attitudes to school are very good. They are very enthusiastic, enjoy coming to school and are very interested in the activities the school provides for them. Their enthusiasm is particularly noticeable during lunchtimes, when they play together in the new adventure playground area, when they play games such as basketball and use the ‘snakes and ladders’ markings on the playground. In lessons, they show interest in their learning and the majority of pupils work at a good pace, with minimum teacher intervention. Pupils try hard in lessons and are keen to improve

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. The pupils behave well throughout the school. In lessons, many behave very well. They share equipment and work well together. Very good behaviour was especially evident in music lessons: the pupils sustained concentration and showed interest for the whole lesson. Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 12 They took an obvious pride in their work. Pupils show respect for one another and for their teachers, and take care of their own and others’ belongings. They have a good understanding of how what they do affects others and they show respect for other people’s feelings. They are very well behaved in the dining room, where they are well mannered and courteous to others.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. Relationships between pupils and with teachers and other adults are very good. This is evident in lessons and in the playground, where pupils often help one another and work well together in groups. They readily demonstrate Christian values of kindness and consideration for others. They respond extremely well when asked to reflect; for example, they put their hands together and close their eyes when they say prayers.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. The pupils show good initiative and personal responsibility throughout the school day. For instance, two pupils from every class take the registers and the dinner money to the school office; pupils put out chairs and hymn books for assembly; and one pupil showed very good initiative when she noticed sand on the playground area and immediately found a brush to sweep it back into the sandpit. There are some occasions when the children in the Nursery and Reception classes do not have the opportunity to choose the resources or materials they use.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Pupils’ attendance improved over the last school year, from a low point, and is now satisfactory. It has moved more closely to the national average figure for authorised absence. Unauthorised absence rates are already better than the national average. Punctuality is improving through the children’s enthusiastic attendance at the early morning sessions, when many are joined in the classrooms by parents and carers. Recorded absence is due mainly to pupils’ illness and some instances of families taking holidays in term time. The school discourages such holidays and issues regular reminders to parents. Registers are completed in accordance with statutory requirements and the school day commences on time.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

15. The teaching has improved since the previous inspection, when a fifth of the lessons were unsatisfactory. Almost all of the lessons seen were satisfactory or better, with good teaching seen in every class. Just over half of the lessons were good or better and only a very small amount of unsatisfactory teaching was seen. This improvement has been brought about by the school looking closely at what works well, identifying those areas for improvement and working diligently to rectify weaknesses.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

16. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory but there are some good features to the teaching in both the Nursery and Reception classes. All of the adults support the children’s personal and social development well through a consistent approach, good routines and clear expectations of behaviour. The children’s learning is well supported by the teaching of early reading skills. The children enjoy listening to stories, looking at books and talking about what happens, because the adults are enthusiastic about books and read in a lively manner. There is, however, room for improvement in the way in which the adults support the children’s learning, particularly in those activities that the children choose for themselves. The teachers’ planning in both classes is less clear about what will be learned through activities such as the sand and water trays or painting and modelling. When adults support

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

these activities, they sometimes miss opportunities to extend children’s learning through well-phrased questions that probe the children’s understanding. There are also occasions when the children’s vocabulary is not extended as adults talk to the children about what they are doing.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. The teaching of reading is very good in Years 1 and 2. The teachers’ knowledge here is very secure. They know how to deliver the basic skills and they plan challenging and interesting Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 13 work so that the pupils are highly motivated. Because the teachers read to the pupils in a lively and expressive manner, the pupils use good expression when they read. The teachers make every effort to involve parents in their children’s learning through the home/school books. The support for those pupils who are struggling with reading is of good quality. All of the pupils in Years 1 and 2 have targets that are securely based on the teachers’ assessments. The teaching of writing is satisfactory, overall, and there has been some good progress in planning opportunities for pupils to extend their vocabulary and write for different purposes, but there are still some weaknesses. The school has set targets to raise pupils’

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

attainment in writing and this has led to more pupils reaching the higher level 2 in writing. The teachers’ expectations of what the more able pupils can achieve are still, however, not high enough. This is partly because the teachers are not assessing what the pupils can do as accurately as they do in reading and also because the teachers are much more confident in teaching reading. The teachers provide too few props to help the pupils in both years with their spelling and so the pupils’ main strategy is to try to spell the word as it sounds or ask an adult.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. The teaching in mathematics is good. Teachers’ subject knowledge has improved and the work is well matched to the pupils’ abilities. The expectations of what will be achieved have been raised and careful assessment and target setting have resulted in higher standards. The pace of the start of lessons, when the pupils calculate mentally and try to solve problems, keeps them on their toes and maintains the pupils’ interest very well.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. The headteacher takes all classes for music and the quality of teaching is very good. As a result of her high expectations, enthusiastic manner and very good knowledge of the subject, pupils of all ages learn at a rapid rate. Time is used very effectively and the pupils have good opportunities to practise what they have learned. In science, the teachers plan good opportunities for pupils to investigate, but not enough opportunities for them to record their findings.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. Teaching for pupils with special educational needs is good. They are well supported in lessons and in withdrawal groups. The work that they do is carefully planned to match the targets set in their individual education plans and so the pupils make good progress. Pupils who have English as an additional language are equally well supported.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

21. The curriculum for the children in the Nursery and Reception year is satisfactory, but there is room for improvement. The children’s personal and social development is well promoted and the children experience a good range of visits and visitors to school. The stepping stones that build the early skills in writing are not as firmly established and carefully planned as those that enable the children to learn the basic skills in reading. All of the areas of learning are included in the teachers’ planning, but when several different activities are taking place it is not always clear what will be learned in those that are not supported by the teacher. As a result, the teaching assistants do not always give as effective support for children’s learning as they might if they were better briefed about what is to be learned.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

22. There have been good improvements to the curriculum at Key Stage 1 since the last inspection. The school provides a good range of learning opportunities for pupils in Years 1 and 2. It fully meets statutory requirements. The curriculum is very relevant to the needs of pupils in developing their reading, numeracy and personal development. There have been improvements through the introduction of the National Literacy and National Numeracy Strategies, which have led to better standards in reading and mathematics. There is evident improvement in the range of extra-curricular opportunities provided and in the provision for pupils’ personal and social education. The curriculum is well planned to promote the pupils’ understanding of healthy living. Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 14 23. The school has appropriate strategies for teaching literacy skills and has implemented the

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

National Literacy Strategy effectively. Reading is very well planned and so pupils of all abilities make very good progress. More work needs to be done to enable the more able pupils to reach the level of which they are capable in writing and pupils need better support to help them with spelling. Numeracy skills are very well promoted, through the school’s very good implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy and the effective leadership by the co-ordinator. This ensures that standards in mathematics are above average. A particular strength of the curriculum is the very good provision for music, which enables pupils to achieve very high standards in music and in performing. For instance, the school choir sings in four-part harmony and in rounds for different audiences. The school’s planning for the use of computers in lessons is much more precise for the current school year and represents good improvement from the previous position.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

24. The provision for activities outside lessons is very good. Many visitors come to the school. There are visits to the garden centre and to the local supermarket. A recent visit to Filey promoted pupils’ learning in a number of subjects. Team games are organised at lunchtime and pupils perform music to a variety of audiences.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

25. Pupils with special educational needs and those for whom English is an additional language participate fully in the curriculum, joining in all lessons and making equally good progress as other pupils. The school makes good provision for pupils with special educational needs, who receive effective support for their learning difficulties. For example, a support assistant working with a pupil provided excellent support for his reading within a lesson.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

26. The school makes very good provision for pupils’ personal development, and this aspect is clearly a strength of the school which has a direct impact on the progress that pupils make. The school’s provision for pupils’ spiritual development is very good. The atmosphere of the school promotes the values of love, friendship and kindness, and this is seen in pupils’ consideration and respect for others. The pupils have good opportunities to express how they feel. In a science lesson, for example, the Year 2 pupils were amazed at the way in which forces made objects move and could not wait to tell their friends what they had found. The pupils’ spiritual development is strongly promoted through musical activities.

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HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

27. There have been good improvements to the school’s provision for moral development since the last inspection. The pupils have good opportunities to talk to each other and the teachers about the moral choices they have to make and they learn the difference between right and wrong. Behaviour management is more effective than at the time of the last inspection, and so there is now very little inappropriate behaviour. Moral issues are reinforced well in assemblies, and teachers are very good models for pupils.

p.14

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

28. The school makes very good provision for pupils’ social development. Pupils have many opportunities to work together in lessons. Older pupils are encouraged to help younger pupils in the playground, and positive relationships between pupils are fostered very well by all of the adults in the school. The school gives pupils the opportunities to take on additional responsibilities such as delivering registers, dinner money and messages to the office, setting up the music for assembly and the distribution and collection of hymn books. Year 2 children organise their own toy fair and donate the proceeds to charity. A good example of promoting team spirit and team working by Reception children was seen in a ‘parachute’ game where the pupils quickly learned that they needed to work together to achieve the objective of the game.

p.14

HOW GOOD ARE THE CURRICULAR AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO PUPILS?

29. Provision for cultural development is good. Pupils experience their own culture through visits to the theatre and into the community. They gain a good understanding of different cultures by, for instance, watching a performance of African dancing. The different cultural traditions of pupils are celebrated within the school. For example, a Greek pupil was given the opportunity to speak in Greek in assembly and there is an attractive display of Greek culture Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 15 in the hall. Chinese New Year was celebrated by all pupils. This ensures that pupils from different cultural traditions are fully included in the life of the school.

p.14

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

30. The school has improved this aspect of its work since the previous inspection. The school provides a high level of care for all pupils. The staff know the pupils very well and so the pupils respond very well to the friendly nature of both teaching and support staff alike. Parents express great appreciation of the kindness and care shown to their children throughout the school day. The staff and the governing body work together to provide an environment where pupils can work and play in safety. Although the site has difficult slopes and paths for the pupils to contend with, there are few problems because the school trains the pupils to move sensibly around the site and provides a good level of supervision. Routine annual checks on the safety of equipment are systematically carried out and regular fire drills are held and evaluated for effectiveness. Good child protection measures are in place and staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities. The school uses the services of

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

organisations such as the police, road safety staff and fire service personnel to develop pupils’ awareness of how to keep safe. The arrangements for when children arrive at and leave the nursery after each session are very carefully controlled. The school organises a number of visits for pupils to meet the staff and other pupils at the junior school.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

31. Procedures for monitoring and promoting attendance and punctuality are good and have led to improvement in both areas. The school secretary checks registers daily and contacts parents quickly if there is any unexplained absence. The headteacher works closely with the Educational Welfare Officer to ensure home visits when necessary. The school issues parents with written reminders relating to attendance and punctuality and the home/school agreement details the parents’ obligations in this matter.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. The school takes a clear stance on promoting good behaviour through its policies and the manner in which the staff demonstrate their own attitude to achieving and maintaining the aims of the school. The school has an ethos of promoting Christian values in all areas of school life and in doing so develops the children’s appreciation of acceptable conduct. There is no evidence of bullying or other forms of harassment and the parents express confidence in the school’s approach to maintaining good standards of behaviour.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. Because teachers know the pupils well as individuals, the pupils’ needs are quickly identified and arrangements put in hand to meet those needs. Pupils with special educational needs are carefully monitored on a regular basis and their progress is encouraged through the regular review of individual educational plans. The school draws upon the services of a range of visiting specialists to assist in the assessment and development of these pupils and makes good use of advice and expertise so that the pupils make good progress.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. The children are assessed when they enter the Nursery class and this forms the basis of the teachers’ planning for them. When they enter the Reception year, a second ‘baseline’ assessment is made, which forms the start of the school’s tracking system that runs until the children leave the school. The assessments in both classes are not always used as effectively as they could be to ensure that the work builds on what the children already know. This is mainly because the format for recording assessments of the ‘stepping stones’ of each of the areas of learning is different in each class and this creates some difficulty in interpretation.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. In Years 1 and 2, the school has worked hard to improve its procedures for assessment and has met with success in reading and mathematics. Here, the teachers’ assessments are very well used to set challenging targets for individuals and groups of pupils. The pupils and their parents know what the targets are and are encouraged to measure the progress towards them. The pupils are assessed twice yearly and targets are reviewed. In writing, the Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 16 teachers’ assessment is not supported by the same high level of expertise. There is not the same sharpness of focus on what needs to improve to move more able pupils to the higher level as there is in mathematics and reading.

p.15

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

36. There has been good improvement since the last inspection. The school is a focal point of the community and parents are proud of the facilities provided and offered in the education of their children.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

37. An outstanding strength of the school is its ability and willingness to welcome parents into school, many on a daily basis, so that they can sit with the children and see at first hand the work that is being done. Parents, carers and grandparents are welcomed into school each morning, before the start of the school day, for a period of 15 to 20 minutes during which time they help with reading, writing, spelling and maths. The atmosphere in each of the four classrooms is lively and this time of the day is clearly enjoyed by parents and children alike. The teaching staff, including the headteacher, are readily available to discuss any difficulty or respond to any inquiries that parents may have. These early morning sessions are extended once each week into parent workshops when parents can stay for an extended time to work alongside their children in a mathematics or reading activity as it is being

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

taught. The benefits arising are clear: children gain confidence and their parents gain a good knowledge of what is being taught and the confidence to be able to assist both in school and at home. Relationships and respect between parents and the staff are strengthened.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

38. The school also provides a wide range of written information and other opportunities for parents to come into school to learn about the progress their children are making and ways in which parents can help. The school operates a reading partnership scheme under which a group of parents, supported by staff from the local education authority, learn specific strategies that will help with children’s reading. These parents then come into school to help with reading support and are guided by the English co-ordinator to ensure that the strategies are applied. The result is that this group of parents provides good quality support.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

39. The school arranges meetings for parents at the beginning of each term to inform them of what will be taught in reading and mathematics and to give information on standard assessment tests. Relevant information sheets are issued to parents. Parent meetings held each February and July enable parents to inspect their children’s work and progress. Meetings for parents of new Nursery children are held each term and annually on transfer to the reception class. Coffee mornings are organised for staff and parents to exchange information and forge good relationships.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

40. Newsletters provided by the school are regular and informative. The prospectus is comprehensive and meets statutory requirements. A few parents express concern over the quality of information they receive on their children’s progress. The inspection evidence does not support their concern. Pupils’ annual reports cover all subjects and are detailed. There is a separate reply slip for parents’ comments. The home/school agreement is concise and clearly sets out the school’s expectations. The annual report of the governing body requires slight amendment to ensure full compliance with statutory requirements.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

41. An informal group of parents and friends works with the staff to organise an annual programme of social and fund-raising events that are well supported by the community. The autumn fair and annual sports day are good examples. Funds raised supplement donations given by the Ellis Trust and provide valuable resources to assist learning. Parents also provide practical help both in class and in the construction and maintenance of the gardens and play equipment. Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 17 42. Due to the welcome and extensive involvement of parents, fostered and encouraged by the staff and governing body, there is a genuine and effective partnership approach to children’s education in this school. Parents clearly support the work of the school and play their part in providing assistance at home.

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HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

43. The leadership and management of the school have improved since the last inspection. The headteacher provides high quality, energetic and purposeful leadership that is firmly focused on improving teaching and learning and raising standards. She provides a very strong lead for the school, is easily accessible to the parents and sets a very good example in her teaching. The school has a clear view of what needs to be done and how to achieve its targets. The headteacher is supported by a very able deputy head and, together with the staff, they make a strong team with a clear commitment to bringing about improvement. The school has thought carefully about how to bring about improvements in standards and particularly how to meet the needs of more able children and support the less able. The analysis of pupils’ past performance in tests and careful monitoring of individual progress has led to adaptations to teaching and the curriculum, which have had a very positive impact

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

in reading and mathematics. The weaknesses in writing and some aspects of teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage have yet to be completely overcome, but the school knows what it has to do, through its good monitoring.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

44. The management of subjects is good and the co-ordinators have a clear understanding of the subjects’ strengths and weaknesses. The objective review of its performance is very much part of the school’s everyday work. The headteacher and deputy head have monitored teaching and learning and given useful feedback on what works well and what needs to improve. The effectiveness of the school’s analysis of its strengths and weaknesses and subsequent action is exemplified in the improvements in resources and teaching support for ICT. These improvements are resulting in pupils making rapid progress in learning skills. Everyone in the school is clear about the part they play in taking the school forward. Staff who are new to the school are very well supported. The school’s planning for improvement sets out the right priorities and focuses clearly on using the school’s resources to raise standards. The professional development of the teachers is well planned and takes into

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

account the school’s priorities and individual needs.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

45. The governors provide very good support for the school. They are kept well informed by the headteacher and understand the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They work hard, through their committees and visits, to check on the school’s provision and to help the school improve. The school’s financial planning is good and specific grants are used appropriately. The governors seek the best value in their expenditure. The school tracks its progress towards the targets it has set for improvement and considers what value it has received from the money that it has spent. The school secretary provides high quality support for the daily administration of the school and this allows the headteacher to focus on teaching. The school makes good use of new technology to support its work.

p.17

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

46. The school’s staffing is good and the teachers and support staff have a wide range of experience and expertise. The accommodation is adequate but the site presents difficulties because of narrow paths and steep slopes. The grounds are very well used to support the pupils’ personal development through play areas . The resources are good and well used to support the pupils’ learning. Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 18 Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 19

p.17

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- raising teachers’ expectations of what the more able pupils can achieve; - improving the assessment of pupils’ progress in writing and use the information gained to more effectively set targets for groups and individuals; - providing the pupils with more resources and strategies to help them with their spelling. ( Paragraphs 4, 6, 17, 23, 35, 57, 58, 59.)

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2) Improve the teaching and learning for the children in the Foundation Stage by: *

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- ensuring that the teachers’ planning sets out clearly what will be learned through each activity; - ensuring that the teachers plan work that builds upon what the children can already do; - improving the adults’ use of questions to extend the children’s understanding; - ensuring that all adults extend the children’s vocabulary by introducing words that are appropriate to activities. (Paragraphs 1, 16, 21, 34, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54.)

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

* These areas for improvement have been identified by the school and included in the school’s current planning for improvement.

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In addition to the issues above, the governing body should consider the following less important issue when drawing up its action plan:

p.19

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improve the opportunities that the Year 1 and 2 pupils have to record their findings in science investigations. (Paragraphs 8, 19, 70 ) Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 20

p.19

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 12

p.20

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.20

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 0 12 46 38 4 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents four percentage points.

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y2

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 26 70

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 11 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y2

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 1

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 0 12

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 2

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.20

Information about the school’s pupils

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

p.20

Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 21

p.20

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

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 14 15 29

p.21

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

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.21

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

Boys 14 14 14 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 15 15 15

p.21

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (94) 100 (91) 100 (91) at NC level 2 or above National 83 (82) 84 (83) 90 (87)

p.21

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

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.21

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

Boys 14 14 13 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 15 15 15

p.21

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

Percentage of pupils School 100 (94) 100 (94) 97 (94) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

p.21

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

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 22

p.21

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

p.22

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 5.1 Financial year 2000

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 20.2

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y2 Total income 305077

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 6 Total expenditure 309809

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 114 Expenditure per pupil 2979

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 17958

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 13226

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 26 : 1

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 1

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 27.0

p.22

Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 13 : 1 FTE means full-time equivalent.

p.22

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 1.0

p.22

Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2.0

p.22

Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

p.22

Recruitment of teachers

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

p.22

Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 FTE means full-time equivalent. Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 23

p.22

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

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

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 74 19 0 0 6

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 65 29 3 0 3

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 48 35 3 0 13

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 55 29 6 6 3

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 87 13 0 0 0

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 68 23 0 0 0

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 71 26 3 0 0

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 74 23 0 3 0

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 71 23 3 0 3

p.23

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 45 35 3 3 13 Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 24

p.23

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

47. The children spend three or four terms in the Nursery class and nearly all of them transfer to the Reception class. Not all of the children in the Reception year have attended the Nursery. At the time of the inspection, there were 12 children in Reception and a further 24 children are due to transfer to the class after Christmas. These children are attending two or three days full time in the Nursery this term. The younger Nursery children attend part time. When they enter the Nursery, the children’s attainment covers a broad range, but is slightly below average in personal and social development and communication, language and literacy. By the time they enter the Reception class, most children are at a broadly average stage of attainment in all areas of learning. There are some good features to the teaching in both classes, but there is room for improvement in the way in which the adults support the

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

children’s learning through questioning and extend their vocabulary. The co-ordinator has a sound understanding of what needs to be done to improve the planning for the areas of learning so that all staff are clearer about what will be learned through the activities that are planned and how assessment needs to be better used to ensure that the right starting points are built upon.

p.24

Personal, social and emotional development

48. This area of learning is well promoted and the good teaching ensures that the children gain in confidence and feel comfortable to express their ideas and feelings. The children make good progress because of the good routines and clear expectations of behaviour that are evident in both classes. Relationships are warm and supportive and the staff forge an excellent partnership with the children’s parents by inviting them into the classrooms to work with their children. The children enjoy their work and most try hard to improve. They show a mature politeness towards visitors. When a car mechanic visited the Reception class to show them an engine, the children behaved very well, showed great interest and asked sensible questions. They patiently waited their turn to peer under the bonnet. Their good level of concentration and careful listening led to a good rate of learning about why a car needs oil, water and petrol. The children in the Nursery share the outdoor equipment happily

p.24

Personal, social and emotional development

and help each other when they work on the computers. Children choose when to have their milk and snack time and organise themselves to do this very well.

p.24

Communication, language and literacy

49. The teaching in this area is satisfactory, with strengths in the teaching of reading. When they start in the Nursery, many children have slightly below average levels of communication and a few are very reticent to speak. By the end of the Reception year, most children meet the goals set for their age in reading and speaking and listening and this represents good progress for most. The children link the sounds to letters and read an appropriate range of common words. They guess what a book might be about by looking at the pictures on the cover and can retell the story when they have heard it a couple of times. The Reception children know the difference between story books and those that contain information. They are keen to take books home to read and organise their book bags carefully. About half of the children in the Reception class make a good attempt, at this very early stage of the year,

p.24

Communication, language and literacy

at joining in when the teacher reads from a ‘big book’. The teachers read in a lively and enthusiastic manner and so the children are interested and keen to know what happens next. Most children in the Nursery speak in phrases or short sentences, but by the time they are in the Reception class, most can explain what they are doing, or express opinions. One more able child, when contradicting a classmate’s decision about an animal in a book, said “If it was a lion, it would be all orange, with a mane around its neck”. Another boy recalled in Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 25 detail what he had learned about baby mice when his mother read his book with him and ended with, “I just loved that book!” The teacher’s assessments made in reading in the Reception class are detailed and very well used to plan challenging work for the children.

p.24

Communication, language and literacy

50. The teaching of early writing skills is not as well planned and although most children do as well as expected, some of the average and more able children could do better. The stepping stones that build the basic skills in handwriting and spelling are not planned so that the teachers and assistants are clear about what is taught and learned in each class. As a result there are too many children who do not form most of their letters correctly by the time they start Year 1. For example, children practise writing their names in the Nursery but are not always guided to start the letters in the right place. They know that the marks they make have some meaning but are not sufficiently guided to ‘read’ what they have written or to provide ‘captions’ for their pictures. In the Reception class, the area for children to write purposefully lacks stimulating resources. The children are encouraged to use their

p.25

Communication, language and literacy

knowledge of letter sounds when they write on their own, and have some word lists but there is little else in the classroom to help the more able children.

p.25

Mathematical development

51. The teaching in this area of learning is satisfactory with some good features, but also some weaker elements. The planning for the mathematical area of learning does not always ensure that the work builds consistently on what the children already know and understand because the teachers’ assessments are not used as well as they might be to pitch work at the right level. Nevertheless, nearly all of the children meet the goals for their age by the end of the Reception year and they mainly make satisfactory progress. In a good lesson, the Nursery teacher very effectively prompted the children to think about shapes and numbers by looking at a model that one child had made: “He used two circular boxes to make the wheels, with half of each box making each wheel. How many wheels did he make?” She introduced the terms cuboid and cylinder and her good explanation helped the children to understand that three cylinders of different heights were still cylinders. One child said

p.25

Mathematical development

excitedly, as she grasped the properties of a cylinder: “My finger is like a cylinder!” There are occasions when the staff in both classes are not clear about the mathematical language that needs to be developed through questioning when they support children’s work in the water and sand or building with blocks. Too often, the adults who are supervising these activities ask questions such as “Tell me about it”, when the children do not have the vocabulary to do so. The children in the Reception class recognise the symbols for numbers up to 20 and the more able children can find one more or less than numbers up to 20. They recognise triangles, squares and circles and know that triangles have three corners and that rectangles and squares have four sides. In the unsatisfactory lesson, the teacher’s explanation of repeating patterns of shapes and colours led to most children becoming confused about the

p.25

Mathematical development

task and while they needed practical equipment to support their work, most lacked it, or any guidance to help them. As a result most of the children lost interest and concentration. The teacher also missed opportunities to extend the more able children’s knowledge of shapes during the introductory discussion.

p.25

Knowledge and understanding of the world

52. There is satisfactory teaching in this area of learning in both the Nursery and Reception classes and some very good teaching in using computers. A wide range of interesting activities and visits is planned, such as the visit by a car mechanic, and the children make satisfactory progress overall to achieve the expectations for their age by the end of the Reception year. They make rapid progress in using ICT and exceed the expectations for their age. Children in the Nursery use a ‘swipe card’ to pay for their holiday in the ‘travel shop’. They work very confidently with the computer programs because the ICT support assistant has taught them the basic skills and allows them time to try out different options if they become stuck, before intervening to prevent frustration. They know how to click on and Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 26 drag icons to different parts of the screen and use a painting program with a good degree of

p.25

Knowledge and understanding of the world

skill. One child was observed cutting and pasting shapes in a design, and changing the colour of the background to his picture. In the Reception class, the children can, with help, create a folder with their name on it. One child learned how to use a drop down menu after a short session with the support assistant and so was able to change the colour of each letter as he typed in his name because he wanted it to be ‘camouflaged’. In other activities, in both classes, it is not often clear from teachers’ planning what will be learned through activities and there are some missed opportunities to extend the children’s learning through introducing specific vocabulary or through appropriate questions to extend understanding. For example, when children in the Nursery work were set the task of building sandcastles and decorating them with shells, the adults supporting the activity did not always ask, for instance, why some castles turned out better than others, or talk about the different shapes

p.26

Knowledge and understanding of the world

and textures of the shells. In the Reception class, some children do not stay for long at activities, when they choose the construction kits, or sand and water, because they have too little guidance on what to do.

p.26

Physical development

53. The teaching is satisfactory and children do as well as expected by the end of the Reception year. In both classes, the children use tools appropriately when they paint, join objects together and cut shapes from paper. In the Nursery, the adults sometimes intervene too quickly when the children start to struggle in manipulating materials. This leads to the adult doing the task for the child rather than guiding them to practise the skills and enhance their learning. The children in the Nursery class have outdoor play sessions every day. The teaching is good and the activities are well planned to develop the children’s co-ordination and balance. The children make good progress and move freely and confidently as they climb on apparatus or jump off it, and they steer accurately when they ride on wheeled toys. The staff in the Nursery supervise these activities closely and are careful to impress upon

p.26

Physical development

the children that they need to take turns and behave sensibly. The children enjoy the outdoor sessions and devise imaginative games using the props such as the playhouse. The Reception children have more formal lessons in the school hall, and the teaching here is good. The children moved with confidence and imagination in one lesson, when they twisted their limbs and upper bodies to make a variety of different shapes and they could combine a jump and turn and land safely. The Reception children do not have opportunities for outdoor play daily and the twice-weekly sessions that are timetabled are not as clear about the skills that will be developed as those in the Nursery. In the session that was seen, very little learning took place as the session was too short and the resources had not been adequately prepared.

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Creative development

54. The children’s learning in both classes is satisfactory and they reach the goals set for their ages in most aspects of this area of learning, although by the end of the Reception year, the children’s attainment in music is better than expected. The teaching is satisfactory in both classes, with very good teaching of music to both age groups. The staff plan a range of activities through which the children explore different media, such as when they mix colours, or roll and flatten clay. In the Reception class, for example, the children made nests and eggs from clay after noticing that the balls of clay they rolled cracked as the clay dried. The adults often offer good support for the children’s learning as they talk to individuals or groups, but there are also times when the support staff are not clear about the skills and knowledge that are to be learned through the activities that the teacher has planned. As a

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Creative development

consequence, they miss opportunities to extend the children’s learning through appropriate questions. There are also too few opportunities for the children to choose their own materials. In art activities, for example, the children have little choice over the size or colour of paper they use. The specialist teaching of music by the headteacher inspires the children. In a very good music lesson the Nursery children quickly worked out how to call a puppet by Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 27 singing the rhythm of its name ‘Oscar’ and then carried on clapping the rhythm as they moved smoothly into ‘Hickory Dickory Dock’. The children quickly learned a new song and suggested new lines to add on to the verse. With the same teacher, reception children learned how to vary the speed of their singing to represent a train slowing at a station and one boy spontaneously added a slow whistle as it stopped. There are good opportunities in

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Creative development

both classes for the children to act out roles and create imaginary scenes. In the Nursery, the children book holidays in the ‘travel agent’s shop’ by looking in brochures and making telephone calls. In the Reception class, the children in the home corner take on roles in the family, use the props imaginatively and adapt their speech to reflect the situation appropriately.

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ENGLISH

55. Standards have improved since the previous inspection and are now good. The pupils of all abilities achieve well in reading because the teaching is very good. Standards in reading are well above average by the time the pupils are seven. They do well because the teachers have a high level of expertise in teaching the basic skills in reading and pupils of all abilities get the support that they need to make very good progress. The lower attaining pupils and those pupils with special educational needs are very skillfully supported by the well-trained teaching assistants. The pupils’ love of books is caught from the teachers. The pupils are very keen to read and they listen to each other intently. The Year 1 pupils use the sounds of letters, the pictures and the context to work out words that they do not recognise. They predict what might happen at the end of the story on the basis of how the plot is unfolding so

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ENGLISH

far. By Year 2, the pupils know how to find books in the library, use the contents page and the index efficiently and the more able quickly skim pages to find the information they want. Their understanding of what they read is very good. They discuss why characters behave in certain ways and why they prefer particular types of stories.

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ENGLISH

56. The pupils’ speaking and listening reaches an average standard for their age by the time they leave the school. This represents good progress for many pupils, as these skills are not well developed when they start school. It was noticeable, during the inspection week, that the very young Year 1 pupils (who had been in the Reception class for only one term), found it much harder to listen than their older classmates and their speech was more indistinct. The teaching is good; pupils are given good opportunities to express themselves and listen to others. Teachers use a good vocabulary. The pupils listen carefully in assemblies, to stories in the classroom and to the teachers’ instructions. They talk willingly about their work and ideas and use an appropriate vocabulary.

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ENGLISH

57. Pupils’ writing reaches an average standard for their age by the end of Year 2, and most pupils make satisfactory progress, but the more able pupils should do better. While the teaching of writing is satisfactory, the teachers’ assessment of the pupils’ writing is not used as effectively to set challenging targets for the higher attainers. Teachers’ expectations of what the more able pupils can achieve are sometimes too low.

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ENGLISH

58. Year 1 pupils know that sentences need to make sense and have capital letters and full stops but about a third of the pupils do not form letters correctly. They use their knowledge of the sounds of letters to write the start of words but, very often, the pupils know that their spelling does not ‘look right’ and this discourages them from writing more. In one lesson, for example, a group settled quickly to write the endings of sentences. They knew what they wanted to write but they could not complete the spelling beyond the initial sounds. They had no word books or word banks, for example, to help them and so their progress was slowed. In one lesson, Year 2 pupils quickly learned how to improve a piece of writing by learning how to start sentences that tell of the passage of time with interesting words. Their good suggestions when the teacher asked for ideas showed that they had listened carefully.

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ENGLISH

When they came to write, however, they had very few strategies for spelling. At present pupils are not able to find words quickly, for themselves, when they need them. Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 28 59. The teachers correct the pupils’ spelling at the end of the day and put words in the pupils’ books for them to copy the next morning. This means that the relevance of the word is lost and pupils often repeat mistakes.

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ENGLISH

60. The teachers plan good opportunities for the pupils to word process their work, which they do competently. The pupils use their reading well to access menus in computer programs and look up information in library books.

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ENGLISH

61. The pupils with special educational needs are well supported in literacy lessons. For example, in one lesson the high quality support from a teaching assistant enabled one pupil to improve the structure of his writing. When pupils are taught individually or in small groups, they make rapid progress because the teaching focuses precisely on their needs. The pupils who have English as an additional language make the same progress as their classmates.

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ENGLISH

62. The management of the subject is good. The co-ordinator’s very good knowledge of how to teach reading underpins much of the school’s success in raising standards. The results of tests have been analysed and used effectively to improve standards in reading and writing. Improvement in the more able pupils’ progress in writing and suitably challenging target setting, along with better resources for spelling have been identified and there is an appropriate action plan to resolve these issues.

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MATHEMATICS

63. The standards achieved by seven year old pupils are above average for their age and have risen year on year since the last inspection. Standards have improved since the last inspection. There are no significant differences between the progress of boys and girls. Pupils of all abilities make good progress in lessons and towards their targets. Pupils in Year 1 make rapid progress as they are introduced to the National Numeracy Strategy. Pupils with special educational needs and pupils with English as an additional language make equally good progress in lessons and towards their individual targets because teachers use their knowledge of pupils’ abilities well to provide good support in lessons when it is needed.

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MATHEMATICS

64. By the age of seven pupils have a good knowledge of the times tables, they add subtract, multiply and divide using simple tables and they have a good understanding of simple fractions and place value to 100. Higher attainers order three-digit numbers accurately and lower attainers know that 15 is 3 more than 12. Pupils have a good knowledge of flat and solid shapes and they measure length, capacity and weight using the right units, for example, in recording the volume of water in a jug. Pupils also quickly work out calculations mentally; for example, they work out three different ways of making 10 and 20 using three or four numbers. They estimate answers well and check their own results for accuracy, for example in rounding numbers to 10. Pupils also apply their mathematical knowledge to real life problems effectively, for example in calculating change from £1.

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MATHEMATICS

65. Pupils achieve well because the teaching is good. It has improved significantly since the last inspection. The teachers use the structure of the Numeracy Strategy confidently. They ensure that all pupils learn effectively by setting clear, challenging targets for them and making the lessons enjoyable. The fast pace of the first part of the lesson, when the pupils calculate mentally, keeps them alert. The teachers’ high expectations of behaviour are rewarded by the pupils’ good level of concentration. In a very good lesson in Year 2, the teacher made very good use of well chosen resources such as number fans and magnetic numbers on the white board to develop pupils’ understanding of place value. The teacher also extended the pupils’ mathematical thinking and made very good use of mathematical language, such as ‘digits’ and ‘increasing in value’. In Year 1, the pupils are only beginning to adjust to the new routine of numeracy lessons and they sometimes do not listen while

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MATHEMATICS

others are talking. This is particularly noticeable at the beginning of a lesson or when Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 29 changing from whole class work to group work. Sometimes the pace of the lesson was a little slow and pupils became noisy. However, the teacher is effectively establishing routines for working at this early stage of the school year. The lessons achieve a good balance of direct teaching of skills, and opportunities to solve problems and engage in practical activities. The teachers use questions effectively in the final session, to check what the pupils have learned. Teachers use their knowledge of what pupils have achieved in lessons to set new and challenging targets so that pupils improve at a rapid rate.

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MATHEMATICS

66. The good improvement in standards is due to the very effective leadership of the subject. The improvements in planning, assessment and ensuring that teachers are very well trained in implementing the National Numeracy Strategy, have been carefully supported. The results of national tests and other assessments are used very well to track pupils’ progress and improve teaching and learning. The quality of teaching and learning is also checked through lesson observations and this has resulted in improvements in both areas, good levels of high quality resources and the year on year improvements in standards. Teachers make satisfactory use of computers to support pupils’ learning, for example in the production of bar charts to analyse data from a survey. The co-ordinator rightly identified the development of more use of computers in the subject to extend pupils’ learning and this is built into the planning for mathematics this year.

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SCIENCE

67. There has been good improvement in the curriculum and teaching since the previous inspection. Standards in the subject have been maintained and are average for their age by the time the pupils leave the school. There is some good attainment in investigating. Only one lesson was seen, but the evidence from the sample of pupils’ work and teachers’ planning indicates that the teaching is satisfactory and that pupils make at least satisfactory progress.

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SCIENCE

68. The Year 1 pupils know the names of different parts of the body and correctly label the parts of plants. They understand that plants need warmth, water and light in order to grow. They find objects that are made from different materials in their environment. By the time they leave the school, the more able pupils have a good understanding of why it is necessary to test their ideas. One pupil suggested that a test is needed to prove that “what you think will happen, will actually happen”. They are able to identify which changes made by heat can be reversed and which changes made by force, such as grinding, cannot be reversed. There is a good level of challenge for the more able pupils. All aspects of the curriculum are covered well and the pupils develop a broad base of knowledge.

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SCIENCE

69. In the one lesson seen, which was satisfactory and had some good features, pupils were beginning to make generalisations about physical phenomena after observing what happened when forces were applied to different objects. The teacher had set up a good range of interesting activities for the pupils, but the time ran out before all could have a turn and complete their tasks. In the good introductory session, the pupils were helped to think about pushes and pulls as they crumpled and then smoothed different thicknesses of paper. The pupils with special educational needs were given very good support that enabled them to find objects in the school environment that used pushes and pulls to make them move. In the practical activities that followed from the introduction, one pupil concluded that something continued to push marbles around a plate, even after the plate stopped turning. Another group discovered that one end of a magnet attracted a train with a metal buffer, but

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SCIENCE

the other end of the magnet repelled it. The pupils who worked with the teacher were able to suggest why the number of balls in a Newton’s cradle swung away from the middle ball, matched the number that swung against it. The pupils were fascinated by their discoveries. A sense of awe was apparent in the lesson as the pupils started to wonder why things happened and find answers to their questions but some became frustrated because they could not finish their work. Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 30 70. The teachers’ planning indicates that while all aspects of the curriculum are covered appropriately, the pupils do not often record their investigations or experiments and this is a missed opportunity to use their skills in writing for a practical and relevant purpose. The co- ordination of the subject is good and ensures that each classroom is suitably resourced. There is a good range of visits to enhance the curriculum. For example, the pupils have

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SCIENCE

visited part of the Kelham Island steelworks to look at wheels and a theatre company visited to present work based on light and water.

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ART AND DESIGN

71. No overall judgement on standards was made in the last inspection. No lessons were seen in this inspection but on the basis of the teachers’ planning, the work seen in displays, photographs and samples of previous work, the pupils are making satisfactory progress in art and reaching the standards expected for their age when they leave the school. There are appropriate resources and the pupils work in good range of media and teachers plan some good links with other subjects such as science and history.

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ART AND DESIGN

72. The Year 1 pupils produce self-portraits in pencil, pastel and using the computer. They have looked at the work of Barbara Hepworth and created clay sculptures of animals. The Year 2 pupils’ work shows good observational skills, for example, when they make a study of a postage stamp and include fine detail. Their pastel drawings and paintings of flowers show an appropriate sense of form and use of colour. They use stitching to enhance the collages that they produced after a visit to a beach, designed after they had made careful pencil studies. They make first-hand observational studies of how the seasonal changes affect natural objects. The pupils have looked at the work of Monet and Tiffany when discussing light and colour. The pupils are helping to paint a large mural on playground wall. They are keen to participate and proud of their efforts. Those pupils involved understand the difficulties of painting on such a large scale. The pupils use a computer program to draw and

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ART AND DESIGN

paint and show a good degree of control over line and a discerning use of colour.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

73. No lessons were seen but there was enough evidence from pupils’ work, photographs and discussions with the co-ordinator to support the judgement that by the age of seven the pupils’ work reaches an average standard for their age. All boys and girls of different abilities, including those with English as an additional language and those with special educational needs, make satisfactory progress because the work builds upon their existing skills and understanding.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

74. There has been satisfactory improvement since the last inspection, particularly in the teachers’ planning for the subject, which is effectively monitored by the co-ordinator. A strength in the curriculum is that there are good opportunities for pupils to experience design and construction in real life situations and this makes their learning more relevant. For example, pupils visited a building site and saw how new homes are constructed. They then made models of their own house using resources such as plastic drills, saws and trowels, demonstrating an awareness of safety by wearing hard hats. Pupils also helped parents to construct the new soft adventure playground in the school and this also enhanced their personal development as they worked together on a joint project to enhance their play facilities.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

75. Pupils design and make vehicles from wood or plastic blocks and they design and make calendars, cards and a hymn book. They prepare food for special occasions, such as a harvest loaf for the Harvest Festival, and they make pancakes and sandwiches. They helped the parents to construct the playground and participated in designing and painting a mural on an exterior wall. On a field trip to Filey, pupils designed and made a beach sculpture from Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 31 pebbles and they have good opportunities to work with a variety of materials and use a variety of tools such as needle and thread, hammers and nails to construct.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

76. No judgements were made about standards in the previous inspection. On the basis of the two lessons seen in geography, discussions with pupils and looking at their previous work in both subjects, along with the scrutiny of teachers’ planning, it is evident that the pupils’ work reaches the standard expected for their age in both history and geography by the end of Year 2. Pupils of all abilities are making at least satisfactory progress in both subjects.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

77. In history, the pupils gain an appropriate understanding of how things change over time. Year 1 pupils, for example, draw the clothing that they wore as babies and compare what they now wear. Pupils understand that some things happened before living memory. In discussion, the Year 1 pupils knew that fossils were ‘millions of years old’ and that a flat iron was about a hundred years old. The Year 2 pupils record the significant events in their lives so far. They compare life today with what life was like when Jesus was a child. They study the life of Mary Seacole and know that it was her ambition to help people. They write about what happened in the Gunpowder Plot and know that it failed. No teaching was seen in history but the teachers’ planning is good and the activities that are planned are lively.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

78. Teaching in geography has some good features. In the lesson seen, the satisfactory teaching enabled the Year 1 pupils to extend their understanding of how physical features can be represented on a map, but some of the children needed more support to plan their route by having fixed points within which to draw. The more able pupils did well and included details such as road roundabouts and traffic lights. All of the pupils could recall the significant features of their route to school. The pupils identify what they like about their area and what they dislike. In the good lesson in Year 2, the pupils listened intently to each other’s ideas about how a child’s life would change as she moved from the mainland to live on an island. They knew that parts of the landscape are natural and that others are man- made. The teachers’ good subject knowledge and careful preparation of resources ensured that the lesson was interesting and probed the pupils’ thinking. The use of ICT was well

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

planned and pupils sent an email to a child who had moved to a Scottish island.

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GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY

79. The subjects are well managed. The co-ordinator ensures that there is a good depth to the work undertaken, that all aspects of the curriculum are covered and that well-chosen resources support the pupils’ learning.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

80. Standards are average for the pupils’ age by the time they leave the school. In the lessons seen, pupils in Years 1 and 2 made good progress in computer skills because of the effective direct teaching of skills and opportunities to practise these. For example, two pupils in Year 2 learned how to send and receive an email from a school in Scotland during a geography lesson. Pupils use the word processor competently and handle data. With some help, they present their findings on a graph or a bar chart. For example during a school visit to Filey, pupils recorded the number of different types of shells collected the beach, and printed this out on a coloured bar chart. Year 2 pupils also printed out a bar chart illustrating the colour of eyes. Pupils use paint programs effectively, for example, when designing butterflies for a display. They give a series of instructions to a toy robot so that it follows a

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

particular pathway. They are developing good skills in controlling the mouse, opening and closing files and saving work on disk. For example, pupils used the mouse effectively to enter their names onto a file, placed the file in a folder and saved their work. Higher attaining pupils entered their names on a list within a given field and did this unaided. Lower attainers completed this with help. There is no difference in the progress of girls and boys, pupils with Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 32 special educational needs and those with English with additional language: all made equally good progress in lessons.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

81. Teaching is good and has improved since the last inspection. Teachers use a good variety of activities to ensure that the pupils learn the functions of different keys and how to access different menus and choose appropriate commands. The teachers ensure that pupils have good opportunities to acquire skills at their level of ability, and to work together. They manage pupils’ learning more effectively by providing support where it is needed and ensure that pupils of all abilities and those with English as an additional language fully engage in all activities during lessons. The pupils work enthusiastically together and concentrate well on the activities. During group work pupils share, take turns and help each other. Sometimes pupils are a little too noisy, mainly due to the excitement of discovery, but the teachers manage this effectively so that the pupils quickly settle down and make good progress by

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

the end of the lesson. Teaching in each class is enhanced by the work of a classroom assistant for ICT who supports the development of pupils’ computer skills very effectively and continuously checks and records their progress. This provision is having a very positive impact on the pupils’ rate of progress.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

82. Until recently, opportunities for using computers in subjects were limited because resources were insufficient, planning for other subjects made little reference to the use of computers and staff lacked expertise. However the school has worked steadily to improve these areas and has a comprehensive action plan to continue improving provision. All staff will participate in training in this term, now that the new computers are in every class, and the co-ordinator plans to monitor the quality of teaching and learning next term.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

83. The new co-ordinator is providing good, effective leadership for the subject. Her expertise in the subject means that she provides good support for colleagues and builds their confidence. She checks progression in planning for ICT lessons every term and ensures that teachers plan to use ICT in each subject.

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MUSIC

84. Music is a strength of the school and standards and teaching are much better than at the last inspection. Pupils throughout the school achieve very good standards in music and thoroughly enjoy the musical activities. Pupils sing very well and perform confidently in assemblies, controlling pitch, rhythm and dynamics, and listening well to the piano accompaniment. They play simple tunes on recorders while reading musical notes. The choir enhances pupils’ learning, promoting high achievement and sustained interest and enjoyment of the subject. The pupils have good opportunities to listen to and appraise various forms of music ranging from classical to popular music, including music from different cultures such as China, Africa and Spain. The oldest pupils quickly recognise the instruments that are being played in different sections of music. They are very responsive to the mood that music sets and often move spontaneously to changes in the rhythm. There

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MUSIC

are no differences in the attainment of boys and girls. Pupils with English as additional language and those with special educational needs, listen well and perform as well as other pupils.

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MUSIC

85. Teaching is very good and so the pupils make rapid progress in the subject. A particular strength is the enthusiasm and very good teamwork which sustains pupils’ interest and enjoyment. The pupils try hard and concentrate very well. Teachers promote literacy skills very well by providing opportunities for pupils to read the words before singing songs so they do not lose their place and gain a better understanding of the lyrics. Very good opportunities are used by teachers to promote pupils’ personal development as they are encouraged perform in front of others with poise and confidence. Spiritual development is enhanced as pupils gain a sense of awe at the effects that their voices can create. On one occasion during a service in the parish church, pupils, staff and parents held hands as they joyfully Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 33 sang a hymn together which very effectively promoted pupils’ sense of working together and

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MUSIC

86. The curriculum is now well planned and enriched by opportunities for pupils to join the choir and sing solos, duets and as a whole group to a variety of audiences. They sing four-part harmonies including rounds, to a variety of audiences such as the local secondary school pupils and in church. There is a good variety of resources including a wide range of tuned and untuned percussion instruments, an electronic keyboard and recorders. Technology is used effectively to promote learning; for example, pupils learn to switch tapes on and off. Brampton The Ellis Church of England (VA) Infant School - 34

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

87. Pupils’ attainment in Years 1 and 2 is at the level expected for their age and this is similar to the last inspection. Pupils enjoy their physical education lessons and they are very enthusiastic. They try hard and persevere. The pupils warm up sensibly and work enthusiastically in gymnastics, stretching and travelling safely. All of the pupils make satisfactory progress. Pupils improve control as they balance and hold their position in gymnastics. They work well with each and on their own. They show flexibility in turning their bodies to make different shapes, and move around the hall safely, being careful not to bump into others. Pupils perform sequences of movement enthusiastically and with imagination. The pupils throw and catch balls with increasing precision and understand that the ease with which a catch is made relies heavily upon the skill of the thrower.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

88. Teaching is at least satisfactory and has some good features. The good teaching is characterised by high expectations for learning and behaviour, a very lively pace to the lesson and good management of behaviour so that pupils move quickly from one routine to the next. In these early lessons of the school year the younger pupils take some time to settle into their new routine for changing and in the lesson seen the teacher set out clear expectations. At the end of the lesson the teacher ensured that pupils were engaged in controlled breathing exercises so that they changed for their next lesson more quietly. In all lessons, the teachers are clear about what will be learned and this was particularly evident in gymnastics lessons, where teachers demonstrated sequences of actions for warming up, moving around the hall and catching balls as pupils performed. This ensured that pupils worked hard to improve their skills and performances during lessons.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

89. The subject is well managed. There are enough resources for the subject and accommodation is used well. The curriculum is suitably balanced and is enhanced by lunchtime games activities. These include team games and the use of large climbing apparatus in the new soft play adventure playground, which the pupils thoroughly enjoy. Pupils participate in the annual sports day and in sporting events with another local infant school. This represents good improvement since the last inspection.

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